There's a lot of ground to cover when majoring in Industrial Design, but if there's one thing they don't teach you…it's how to explain, to students from other majors, just what the hell it is you do.
Thus a group of ID students at Arizona State University put together a video explaining "How to Be an Industrial Designer." Did they explain it earnestly? Of course not, what fun would that be? Instead here are the tropes of ID student life:
In the last video you saw me at a five-star resort in the middle of the Maldives, one of the most beautiful places on earth. 99.9% of the time when you go to a place like that, you are a total outsider, the tourist. You're there for a week or so, enjoying the beaches, the sun, and plenty of cocktails and food before flying back home with a face that's about three shades darker. You can undoubtedly say you've been there, but that doesn't change the fact that you have no clue about what is really happening beyond the postcard-ready scenery...
So, yeah. We enjoyed our trip, like kings. But there is only so much beauty I can take in before I start to wonder about where the dirt is. I always want to know: What problems is this community facing?
Well, we didn't have to go too far to find out. At Thilafushi Island (aka Garbage Island) we saw the other, completely unglamorous side of living in the Maldives. Pretty much all the waste from all 1,190 islands in the Maldives goes to this one, relatively tiny island.
It's a giant landscape of trash, with a constant new supply coming in everyday on boats. In order to get rid of it all, they typically burn it or dump it straight into the ocean. During our visit we walked through the trash mounds, cut open a fish and found out that they basically live on a diet of micro-plastics, and talked with locals about how they can better handle the huge surplus of plastic waste they live around:
This story originally appeared on Story Hopper, a collection of design stories worth sharing squeezed into short videos.
I first learned of the talented designer/fabricator Shari Finn by watching Samantha Swords, the closest thing our world has to a real-life Brienne of Tarth. Ms. Swords, a/k/a Samantha E. Catto-Mott, is an artist who also happens to be a championship swordfighter, with her specialty being medieval European combat styles of the sort you'd see in Game of Thrones. Here's Swords discussing the unique and functional armor she wears:
Swords names Finn, who works for Weta Workshop as a sort of modelmaker extraordinaire. Remember the exoskeletons in Elysium? That was Finn. So were the weapons in District 9, the "venom tray" in the most recent Spider-Man, the masks and props in Mad Max: Fury Road.
And on the side, Finn creates functional, medieval-style armor for women like Swords', which reminds us of the U.S. military's efforts to find female-specific body armor.
You're undoubtedly wondering how Finn wound up in such a unique line of work, which involves a lot of the same skills of a hands-on industrial designer. Finn reveals that she was drawn to production design and special effects from a young age; while most of us watched Indiana Jones as kids and were swept away by the movie, Finn was struck by the environments depicted in the film. "I realized that it was a set, that it was 'fake' and that someone must have made it," she says. "That there was someone whose job it was to fool the audience into believing it was real. I loved it…. I was left with this feeling that I wanted to be there adding muck and grime and cobwebs and making it look real."
Here's Finn explaining how she progressed from art school student to designing props on Avatar:
"What tip would you give," Finn was asked in an interview, "to someone who wants a job like yours?" Here's her answer:
"Stick to what you're passionate about. Go hard at what comes easily. There are many good schools, but it doesn't really matter what you've studied. If you're really passionate and the skill shines through, you'll make it. I spent six years studying and when I entered the industry I realised I was about at the same level as those who had spent all their time building model kits."
The Global Design Studio's Head of Strategy will develop GDS' strategic vision by focusing on two target areas: Integrated Travel Experience and Connected Living. Relying on deep business expertise, industry experience and a passion for design, the Head of Strategy will work closely with both the GDS strategy team and
View the full design job hereBrooklyness is hoping to make biking smarter with the Classon Helmet, and judging by their wildly successful Kickstarter campaign they're doing a decent job so far. This 21st century safety hat incorporates front and rear facing cameras, brake and turn lights, blind spot motion detection, video recording, and even navigation signaling.
The helmet's design takes cues from the modern auto industry and makes its tech comfortably human-scale, offering simple safety features without too much distraction from the ride. A brake light kicks on automatically when it senses a drop in speed, and turn signals trip when you use simple hand gestures.
The HD front and rear cameras can record as much of your commute as you want, for up to 6 hours of footage. If you've ever wished you could share your memory of a collision as easily as a Russian dashcam video, this should speak to your soul. Meanwhile the side sensors relay information about approaching objects to the front display. The display itself is minimal, with small LEDs banded around the brim. The outward facing design appears to minimize downward glare, which could be an unpleasant distraction particularly at night.
The Classon helmet can be controlled via Bluetooth and the linked app. This lets you input destination data for navigation or even livestream video of your ride. Getting the helmet and app makes you eligible for the Classon club, which costs $9.99 per month and provides access to these online services as well as a "free" replacement program for crash-damaged helmets.
To accomplish its suite of tech tasks the Classon packs in a 1Ghz processor, accelerometer, gesture detectors, HD camera, battery with 2.5 hours of life, and 4GB internal memory. It meets safety standards, resists moisture, and weighs around 1.1 pound.
As you might expect, this payload of modern gadgets doesn't make for a cheap MSRP: the early bird price is $150, and the eventual cost will be $299. To make you more comfortable wearing around a piece of valuable equipment they added large holes to the design, letting you u-lock the helmet with your bike easily.
The team and its partners have worked with big name brands like Specialized and Giro before, and the current prototype looks strong, if rudimentary. The profile is smooth, but the sizing and adjustment seem incongruously simple—too simple for a close, safe fit. And I'm not terribly impressed by the battery life. If my shorter than average commute is 30 minutes each way, I'm looking at an hour of recharge every three days without additional errands or pleasure rides. Compared with similarly smart bike accessories already on the market (entry-level rechargeable lights, GoPros, Garmin...) this seems inconvenient and puny.
But my biggest question is the most crucial one: how does the Classon fit into the existing use cycle for helmets? To the surprise of many casual riders, helmets are supposed to be a disposable accessory, and they need to be replaced periodically to stay safe. Every time you drop them, wear them in the sun, or even let them sit idle in the garage for months, the styrofoam and composites are continually impacted and degraded. As the impact-absorbing materials compress and degrade, their ability to protect your head (i.e. the helmet's entire reason for existing, livestream notwithstanding) is compromised.
This is why anybody who knows anything about shock ratings and head trauma will recommend replacing your helmet every few years, even if you haven't taken any head-first splats. There are some wingnuts who question this premise entirely (the moon landing deniers of the bike world), but the stats are real, easy to find, and sobering: the structural integrity of helmets gets rapidly sketchier as they age, period.
I'm no detractor of fancy helmets, since a nice lightweight fit can mean the difference between wearing one and not. This $300 commuter helmet is poorly vented, heavy, and minimally ergonomic, but it offers some simplified technologies that might make riders feel safe enough to actually get out more.
Adding features could be a move towards getting people to value and wear helmets, but does this option require investing in a whole new computer-hat every three years? Does it improve on existing helmet-mounted accessories? Would you wear one?
The Classon campaign runs through July 21, 2016.
In partnership with Autodesk and Alcoa Foundation, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has announced the winners of the third Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge. The challenge asks designers to develop product solutions that use limited global resources as an opportunity for innovation, informed by the free, online, two-hour course Designing Cradle to Cradle Certified Products for the Circular Economy. 138 designers spanning nineteen countries submitted a total of seventy-nine entries covering areas from the built environment to furniture to retail packaging and consumer goods.
"Designers have a pivotal role to play in driving long-term solutions that circumvent the concept of waste in favor of materials that can remain in a perpetual cycle of use and reuse. From retail packaging to human shelter, the Spring 2016 Challenge winners are outstanding examples of the way young designers and design professionals alike are stepping into the crux of this revolution, using Cradle to Cradle principles to pioneer ideas for innovative materials applications and, in turn, the circular economy," said Lewis Perkins, President of the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute. Recognizing winners in four categories: Best Student Project, Best Professional Project, Best Use of Aluminum, and Best Use of Fusion 360, all winners are awarded $2,000. The winner of Best Use of Fusion 360 is additionally awarded one full pass, including travel, to Autodesk University.
Best Professional Project: Brayan Stiven Pabón Gómez and Rafael Ricardo Moreno Boada, Banana Stem Fiber Packaging
Bananas are farmed across several regions of Colombia, yet farmers currently perceive banana stem fiber (extracted as part of routine crop maintenance) as waste. Colombian designers Brayan Stiven Pabón Gómez and Rafael Ricardo Moreno Boada developed Banana Stem Fiber Packaging to transform a geographically abundant material into sustainable food packaging. Drawing upon traditional food preparation methods, Banana Stem Fiber Packaging offers a sustainable alternative to the current plastic and paper food packaging, along with the potential to generate sustainable economic development in farming communities.
Best Student Project: Quang Pham, MODS
Quang Pham, a student at Virginia Tech, created MODS, a modular shoe, in response to the millions of pairs of shoes that end up in landfills each year, where they can take 30-40 years to decompose. MODS shoes can be customized and updated as the shoe deteriorates without using glue, as the components are held in place using elastic tension. Made with bamboo and wool textiles and recycled PET fiber, MODS is made up of five modular components that use the minimal amount of material needed for maximum comfort and security while giving the user full control of the shoe's aesthetic.
Best Use of Aluminum: Malgorzata Blachnicka & Michal Holcer, Huba
Developed by designers Malgorzata Blachnicka and Michal Holcer, Huba is a self-sufficient, compact mountain shelter that is able to generate its own energy. Chosen for being well-designed and a functional use of sustainable materials, Huba also offers a potential solution for alternative housing applications, such as shelter for the homeless or as an emergency shelter. Huba's design is based on traditional alpine architecture, which is characterized by its small size and a material palette aimed at minimizing environmental impact. Intended to be located above 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), the shelter is equipped with an effective vertical wind turbine. The energy produced by the generator is stored within a battery and is used to supply the building's heating, lighting and water pump. Specially arranged roof tiles enable rainwater to be easily collected within the tank, which is then filtered and safe for drinking.
Best Use of Fusion 360: Claire Davis, OLI
Created by Virginia Tech student Claire Davis, OLI is a convenient and intelligent solution for food waste. Exemplary for its adept use of Fusion 360's direct modeling functionality (which enables the rapid development of manufacturable product), OLI highlights the value of minimizing biological waste, as well as the reduction of material waste through its considered approach to the product system and design for disassembly. To use OLI, slide the door open and drop the food into the bin. When the container is full, lift the lid to remove and empty the interior bin. With 474 pounds of food waste generated by every household per year on average, OLI offers a practical solution to increasing the percentage of our landfill waste that is composted and returned to cycle in the biosphere.
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"The Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge is a great opportunity for designers to explore new applications for materials, prioritizing the product's sustainability just as much as the product's purpose," said Alice Truscott, Alcoa Foundation program manager. The third Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge was open from February 1st, 2016 until May 3rd, 2016. The fourth Challenge will open for entries in September, 2016. Learn more here.
When space is limited (and even when it's not), wall-mounted organizers are often useful tools. Wall space provides many organizing options: hooks and shelves, of course, but also an array of other designs.
The Aitio collection from Iittala, designed by Cecilie Manz, provides storage for all sorts of things. There are three different sizes of boxes, a shelf, and hooks that can hang off the boxes. The boxes are made from powder coated steel and hold up to 20 kg. The boxes can also be used on a tabletop—helpful if the end user's needs change over time.
The Revere wall-mounted storage pockets from CB2 come in two sizes. The larger one is a couple inches taller than the largest one in the Aitio collection; it's intended mostly for magazines, but would also work for other papers where the extra height helps keeps them upright. But there's no pocket for smaller items as there is with the Aitio boxes.
The Tasche wall pockets from Desu Design are eye-catching; the latigo leather is hand stitched with waxed twine. The size looks a bit tight for holding magazines; I'd like a bit more width so it would be easier to put them away. These pockets aren't going to be as practical as ones made from powder coated steel in a workspace where things often get filthy, but could work nicely in other environments.
Imeüble, from By Corporation, is a series of units that include a hexagon backplate (which mounts to the wall with three screws) and three boxes that slide onto that backplate. Imeüble CI is a set of seven units, but individual units (with 11 choices of colors) are also available. The boxes are made from Valochromat and coated with varnish. The designer is Bjørn Jørund Blikstad.
With its 3D look, this is a piece that serves as art but could also provide practical storage for larger items. I don't know how much using it as storage would interfere with the look, though.
We've written before about Visual Magnetics and its retail-related products. But the company also has its Dynamic Spaces collection—magnetic wall materials intended for offices, homes and more. The collection includes dry-erase wall coverings (with grid patterns and more) that go over a series of InvisiLock magnetized tiles.
And with the Polarity collection, designed by Visibility, there are pockets, shelves and other tools that can get added to the walls, using no hardware—and they can be moved around at will. This collection seems like a very useful extension to the product family.
The Pocket Strip from Three by Three, designed by Gwen Weinberg, combines a pocket with a magnetic board, using small rare earth magnets (which need to be kept away from small children and pets).
The Pinorama from Hay, designed by Inga Sempé, has a cork backing to allow papers to be pinned to it. Shelves, pen holders and hooks (and a mirror) can be added to the metal frame; end users can choose the options that work for their needs. The Pinorama is designed to hold different items than the pocket organizers will; it can hold a number of things that normally accumulate on a desktop (such as pens, scissors, a stapler and small papers) if desktop space is scarce and wall space is available.
The Cascando Pillow Wall, designed by Robert Bronwasser, uses acoustic wall panels with round corners (which feng shui followers will appreciate) to create a wall-mounted storage system.
This system can hold papers, magazines and more—and can also provide hooks and hangers for jackets, scarves, etc.
The Magic Box shelves designed by Rui Pereira for Blackcork allow for hidden storage, for those end users who prefer that look. And even those who generally prefer visible storage may have a few things they'd prefer to keep out of sight.
FLIP SEATING, an airport seating concept developed by a Populous aviation and interiors team has been recognized as the First Prize Winner of Passenger Terminal World. The design challenge is an exclusive biennial event inviting both established and up-and-coming designers to showcase their ideas for next-generation airport seating.
"Dubai Airport is looking for a seating concept that sows a true understanding of the passenger's needs and responds intuitively and with empathy to these needs. Populous' winning design checked all the boxes. The winning design concept has taken real life problems that passengers face and given a simple and intuitive response," said Bryan Thompson, senior vice-president of development for Dubai Airports.
As part of the competition, Dubai Airport Company intends to install prototypes of the first FLIP seating units in the newly completed Concourse D at Dubai International Airport.
Proto Industrial Tool's recently unveiled Express Tool Mat is a complete rethinking of the traditional kneeling pad. Unlike those simple slabs of foam, it's a circular pad sandwiched between layers of synthetic fabric that folds to become its own carry case.
Intended for use by mechanics and repair techs, it has a series of elastic loops sewn into the top to secure the tools needed for the task at hand.
To avoid having to kneel on the unpadded perimeter, edges can be folded and snapped together—holding them vertical and allowing the pad to be positioned against the vehicle or equipment that's being serviced.
The most unusual thing about the mat is how it stores. Instead of folding it flat or rolling it like a yoga mat, you pull on a draw string and the sides fold in until it takes on the shape of a carry bag. Whatever tools and parts were on the mat will remain inside until the next time you deploy it. When the mat is closed the excess cord from the draw-string retracts into a spring-loaded reel—in much the same way as a tape measure goes into its case.
Once folded, you can carry the mat with the integral handle or built-in shoulder strap.
Quercus Alba
White Oak is an outstanding domestic hardwood that is widely available and therefore quite affordable. It is a very strong wood that displays a very straight and consistent grain. This feature makes White Oak very versatile and easy to match when making wider panels, and as such, it is widely used in building furniture and cabinets.
The characteristic that has made White Oak famous is the presence of striking medullary rays (see below) that appear when the wood is quartersawn. Quartersawn White Oak is highly stable. In the early 1900s, White Oak was the standard species for the arts and crafts movement in furniture building.
Today, White Oak retains its popularity as a furniture wood, but its use has expanded to include many more applications. Its unique cellular structure makes the wood highly water resistant, and it is therefore used in great quantities for exterior applications from trim and general construction to furniture and garden structures. White Oak is also commonly used as a timber frame species in Japanese style architecture.
Essentially, White Oak is the perfect species for many applications, and the only drawback is the wood's relatively unremarkable appearance. However, it finishes beautifully and can take stain well, so this drawback is easily overcome.
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This continuation of the Wood Species series is written by Shannon Rogers, a/k/a The Renaissance Woodworker and founder of The Hand Tool School. It has been provided courtesy of the J. Gibson McIlvain Lumber Company, where Rogers works as Director of Marketing.
Allen Pan's YouTube channel, Sufficiently Advanced, takes its name from an Arthur C. Clarke quote: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In his engineering-based approach to creating magic, California-based Pan spends his time trying to "make pretend things into real things."
His latest creation, a definite don't-try-this-at-home project, is a "Cyclops Visor" that allows Pan to fire flames out of his temples:
It is important for the safety of humanity that we all conspire to prevent Colin Furze from ever seeing this video!
Computer powered weaving goes back to the 1800s and it's getting a decidedly modern update on the new platform Wovns.
At heart, the Wovns goal is to get more designers into textile design. But that's bigger than it sounds, since a customized weave is a bit more involved than getting fabric printed. Custom weaving isn't new or even necessarily difficult, but it does take research, dealing with oldschool producers, vetting, requesting samples, expensive minimum orders, and a whole lot of time. What Wovns does is compress all of those elements by handling the sourcing/production and offering an approachable platform for textilizing your graphics.
The project is currently Kickstarting, but they're already offering two fabric types: Divan quality, suited for upholstery and heavier use, and Talma quality, which works well for apparel and lighter soft goods.
Beyond the egotistical appeal of personalized materials, the big selling point is flexibility of scale. While it revolutionized the world of fabric, modern Jacquard weaving is neither easy nor affordable to source in small quantities. Through Wovns, a minimum order on a custom weave can be as small as a single yard.
The campaign's "how it works" graphics are universally terrible, but they do offer several reasonable tutorials on making Wovns-ready designs with common programs like Photoshop and Illustrator.
At $45 per yard even their early bird deal won't appeal to dedicatedly DIY or low budget producers, but for designers with small production runs or custom commissions it's a reasonable and exciting option. Sexy new prints always demand serious scratch, and anyone who's designed quality soft goods or furniture knows that cheap new material is a lie.
Like most Kickstartery platforms they're also offering a cache of existing designs, and the library will get bigger with time and future partnerships.
Much like Print All Over Me has made printed textiles more available to creatives (or Society6 for that matter), Wovns could create a new outlet and resource for multi-mode designers. For interior, fashion and furniture designers particularly, the promise of personalized fabric could add a powerful business edge.
The Wovns team has real roots in the textiles industry, architecture, interior design, and maker tech. With their funding goal well reached with more than 2 weeks to go, I'd say their campaign and platform are worth keeping an eye on.
At Movado Group, we are committed to building the strongest brands in the industry and we are passionate about what we do. Our people are fueled by a creative spirit and a drive for excellence that are reflected in every aspect of our business. We offer the watch industry a
View the full design job hereWhen Pixar's Wall-E came out in 2008, we were introduced to a robot very different than any other previously depicted in pop culture. Not the titular Wall-E, who was similar enough to Short Circuit's Number 5 to be familiar; no, we're talking about Eve, the gleaming, smooth-surface 'bot whose design Jony Ive was famously consulted on.
Eve looked like she came straight out of Cupertino and shared DNA with the earlier generations of iPods. But presented with her physical design, consider the challenge Pixar's animators faced:
How do you make a smooth white blob like that relatable? The answer is: With the eyes. Not robotic, mechanical eyes, not organic-looking eyes that mimic those of a human, but with simple graphic elements produced with a marvelous economy of pixels. Compare the left/right photos below:
Those eyes—whose horizontal striations anachronistically suggest they were shot out of a cathode-ray tube—managed to convey mood, intent, emotion and personality. Incorporating them into the design was a brilliant call by Pixar's team.
Speaking of brilliant, a robotics company called Anki has assembled their own team of eggheads—designers, engineers, roboticists, AI experts, and even ex-Pixar creatives—and borrowed the idea of Eve's eyes, right down to the color and aesthetic, to incorporate into their toy robot, Cozmo. While Cozmo is tracked like Wall-E, he's a fraction of the size, and it's the eyes that provide feedback to his owners/users:
Cozmo is meant to be part toy, part companion. Here's an example of how the eyes serve to convey the robot's "mood:"
In a video released this week, the developers explain Cozmo's origins, why they created him, and show you just how broad their creative team is:
Regular readers of this blog know that your correspondent fears both robots and AI. But for Cozmo, I make an exception. I mean he's both cute, and small enough that if he goes haywire you can still crush him under your foot.
While Anki's website introduces him by saying "World meet Cozmo, Cozmo meet world," his October launch is only scheduled for the U.S. They're taking pre-orders now at $180 a pop.
When Tesla first released their Autopilot feature, skeptics figured it was just a matter of time before it got someone killed.
Plenty of Autopilot "saves" (where the software correctly detected a threat and acted to prevent an accident) can be found on YouTube. But a video clip that you're not going to find is of the one poor soul whose Model S drove underneath a semi-trailer in Florida, apparently at highway speed. The Tesla intersected the trailer at a right angle, and the bottom of the trailer was level with the windshield. You can do the math. The lone driver—or is that "passenger"—did not survive. Reuters reports that the driver was watching a "Harry Potter" DVD at the time of the crash.
While the incident is all over the news this morning, this did not happen this week, nor even this month; the fatal accident occurred on May 7th. However, it was just yesterday that Tesla released a statement. If you're wondering "Why the delay," it's probable that the police and ambulance crews responding to the crash had no way of knowing what mode the car was in; but Tesla followed policy and alerted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after the wreck, and now the fact that the car was in Autopilot mode has come to light.
Tesla's statement opens up with numbers pointing out that their Autopilot is still, statistically speaking, safer than taking your own chances behind the wheel.
We learned yesterday evening that NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation into the performance of Autopilot during a recent fatal crash that occurred in a Model S. This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated. Among all vehicles in the US, there is a fatality every 94 million miles. Worldwide, there is a fatality approximately every 60 million miles. It is important to emphasize that the NHTSA action is simply a preliminary evaluation to determine whether the system worked according to expectations.
Here's Tesla's presentation of the known details of the crash:
What we know is that the vehicle was on a divided highway with Autopilot engaged when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S. Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied. The high ride height of the trailer combined with its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer, with the bottom of the trailer impacting the windshield of the Model S. Had the Model S impacted the front or rear of the trailer, even at high speed, its advanced crash safety system would likely have prevented serious injury as it has in numerous other similar incidents.
Tesla then points out that Autopilot is still technically in Beta, and mentions the intended role of the driver within their system:
It is important to note that Tesla disables Autopilot by default and requires explicit acknowledgement that the system is new technology and still in a public beta phase before it can be enabled. When drivers activate Autopilot, the acknowledgment box explains, among other things, that Autopilot "is an assist feature that requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times," and that "you need to maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle" while using it. Additionally, every time that Autopilot is engaged, the car reminds the driver to "Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over at any time." The system also makes frequent checks to ensure that the driver's hands remain on the wheel and provides visual and audible alerts if hands-on is not detected. It then gradually slows down the car until hands-on is detected again.
We do this to ensure that every time the feature is used, it is used as safely as possible. As more real-world miles accumulate and the software logic accounts for increasingly rare events, the probability of injury will keep decreasing. Autopilot is getting better all the time, but it is not perfect and still requires the driver to remain alert. Nonetheless, when used in conjunction with driver oversight, the data is unequivocal that Autopilot reduces driver workload and results in a statistically significant improvement in safety when compared to purely manual driving.
Interestingly, it appears the crash victim was someone known to Tesla and apparently a proponent of electric vehicles:
The customer who died in this crash had a loving family and we are beyond saddened by their loss. He was a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community, a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla's mission. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
The incident will undoubtedly spark debate about self-driving cars, and the utility of Autopilot versus safety. By now you've undoubtedly seen the video of a random Tesla driver sleeping behind the wheel in traffic:
How could he have possibly reacted had the car been traveling at a higher speed and if something had gone wrong? Human attention isn't like a light switch and can take a moment or two to come online; is Autopilot a good idea when accidents can occur in the blink of an eye?
Lastly, can you take comfort in the numbers showing that there's a greater chance of being killed without Autopilot? Or is the thought of being killed due to machine error rather than your own too frightening for numbers to sway you?
Over the last few months, Suzuki Kango has been hard at work on a project that would take most of us a lifetime. For his senior thesis at Tohoku University of Art and Design, the 22 year old created "Plock," a fully mechanical wooden clock with a unique twist.
The clockwork by itself is impressive, since clockmaking is a painstaking blend of mathematical and physical engineering. But this design's genius is in its display: the wooden clock writes the time, each minute of the day.
Every minute on the minute, the clock's face tips back, goes blank, and rights itself. Then delicate wooden arms draw the new hour and minute onto the face. The name "Plock" is a portmanteau of Plot, for its delicate scribing action, and Clock, for its obvious function.
Though many of the mechanical workings were formed using CAD, the core of the clock's design–the writing portion–was largely thought up whole cloth by Kango. The student (not shockingly a member of Japan's MENSA) had to design and build a prototype before his professors fully understood what he wanted to attempt.
The clock uses 407 wooden parts, powered by four brass weights. The form was inspired by traditional automatons, whose delicate machinery produced charming results, but whose workings were traditionally hidden. The Plock design makes its complicated machinery both visible and beautiful. Meanwhile the writing surface and arms take some inspiration from Etch-a-sketchy magnetic displays.
The clock design went viral after Kango posted a short video of it in motion to his personal Twitter. Though he acknowledges the difficulty of the project, he was surprised at the outpouring of interest, since his post had been intended for friends and family.
No word yet on Suzuki Kango's next moves. But it's not a bad start when your senior project stuns people around the world.
Pulse Performance was looking to branch out from their stand-up scooter line, and wanted us to develop the perfect first off-road dirt bike for a young child. We meticulously crafted every outer component to ensure safety and visual charm, but we also had the challenge of developing a style that would be attractive to both girls and boys.included.
View the full content hereMarble printing is an ancient way of adding depth and richness to materials as diverse as paper and silk. It's a time honored art form: we've been hypnotized by videos of tight Turkish techniques, parents might remember making food coloring prints with the kiddos, and fancy wallpaper and bookbinders have used twisty marble tones for generations. But have you seen Suminagashi? If current stripy trends in ceramics, textiles and design are an indicator, you might want to look again.
Suminagashi printing is similar to most marbling techniques: float hydrophobic dye on top of a water bath, then dip your material onto it. Alternate drops of dye and drops of water with a soapy additive to lower its surface tension. Use tools or motion to create patterns, or simply let nature take its course. Hey presto, you've got unique and wavy patterns where before there were none.
But as straightforward as it sounds, the 800+ year old Japanese technique is a bit visually distinct. The most famous and striking examples highlight organic shapes, simple colors, and a wabi sabi blend of intentionality and accident that drives its fans wild.
Though patterning shows up in some artists' work, irregularity and minimalism are its boldest features. The dense use concentric shapes can feel naturalistic, like tree rings, geologic layers, or topological map markings.
Look at a print long enough and you might even start to see weather patterns, the layers of damascus steel, or a dazzle paint job.
Whether you want to blame the Memphis revival, or something else, contemporary design has seen a strong increase in this kind of intense print, and I for one am for it. Handmade textures are a humble yet bold addition to all types of object, and the impact is far from 2D.
Whether you're looking for a weekend break from the computer or a source of more exciting organic graphics, Suminagashi can provide a lot of material without a lot of tools. According to Martha Stewart all you need is a kitty litter tray, some ink and a dream.
For a long, but soothing how to, check out Crystal Shaulis' intro:
Core77's editors spend time combing through the news so you don't have to. Here's a weekly roundup of our favorite stories from the World Wide Web.
These quotes, and more from these articles, apply to designers as much as writers and artists: "There's a class of prolific writers who are neither nuts nor mercenaries (as all hacks are). They are the ones apt to say things like 'I'm not even faintly myself when I'm not writing,' as Saul Bellow confided in a letter to Stanley Elkin. Writers who follow their own star may be guilty of many sins and imperfections related to overproduction, but ultimately that output is a sign of health. 'Sloth in writers is always a symptom of an acute inner conflict,' Cyril Connolly wrote, 'especially that laziness which renders them incapable of doing the thing which they are most looking forward to.'"
—Eric Ludlum, editorial director
Why are all of our digital assistants preset to female—and does this actually matter? Despite women overtaking a variety of fields and outnumbering men on college campuses, major tech companies reinforce the 'cultural norm' of women fulfilling support roles rather than positions of leadership through design choices. But how much does Siri, Viv, Alexa, and Cortana's gender actually effect us—the real live humans? More than you might think.
—Molly Millette, editorial intern
This week, the announcement of Real Life—an independent editorial initiative from Snapchat—caught my attention. Its focus is a topical one: living with technology. "The emphasis is more on living. We publish one essay, advice column, reported feature, or uncategorizable piece of writing a day, four or five days a week." Excited to see where this goes.
—Carly Ayres, columnist, In the Details
Before closing their doors yesterday to prepare for a move to a new building, London's Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic gave Dezeen a rundown of his favorite exhibitions from the past ten years. Established to highlight industrial design, the museum has presented shows that range from Formula One race cars to the wacky world of Paul Smith. Above Sudjic gives a tour of Less and More—The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams, one of his exhibition picks from 2009.
—Rebecca Veit, columnist, Designing Women
A really fascinating dive into the industrial origins of the lunch hour and how its structure has evolved over the years while its objective of productivity has remained the same (cue questions about the strange popularity of Soylent). Ultimately it turns out that analyzing our modern day adaptation of the lunch hour proves to reveal much more about our quest for ultimate efficiency in work and life. Tons of interesting facts packed in here too, like did you know that the idea of the power lunch was invented in the 1970s by the Four Seasons Hotel Restaurant in New York?
—Allison Fonder, community manager
A cool, short build from Jimmy DiResta's archives this week, as he takes some wood he found on the streets of NYC and turns it into a rustic table. Very satisfying watching this one come together:
4x4 lumber is great when you need a chunky piece of wood, but they're often chemically treated. Izzy Swan makes his own by laminating untreated pine 2x4s, which requires lots of clamps. Rather than blowing money on clamps, Swan shows you how you can make two-dollar versions perfectly suited for this task. (Efficiency tips: Check out the hole he's placed in the corner of his benchtop, and get a load of that crazy drill-powered wrench!)
There's also a great shop-furniture build from Izzy Swan this week, as he designs and constructs a rolling cart to hold his 3D printer. As usual you'll find tons of little efficiency tips, my favorite is the double-stick tape drawer slide installation assist:
This is an entertaining one because Matthias Wandel, continuing to build his DIY belt sander, uses the partially-assembled machine--and parts of it, like using a motor as a lathe--to help him complete the work itself:
Tool-using tips from experienced carpenters are the best. Here Jesse de Geest reveals a surprising trick to avoid shooting rogue nails that ruin trimwork, and explains why the trick works. It's one of those things where after you hear it, you're like "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" He also shows you the best way to remove said rogue nail.
April Wilkerson was recently at her folks' place, and helped her mom out by building this windmill tower:
Here's the vinegar-based rust removal method that she used:
Jay Bates has a new toy in the shop, a Jet Variable Speed Mini Lathe, and he's been cranking out project after project with it. Having caught the turning bug, Bates walks you through a simple turning to show you why he digs it:
Relentless problem-solver Bob Clagett sets a silly but fun task for himself this week: How could he have avoided, technologically speaking, his son accidentally spilling an entire box of Cheerios onto the kitchen floor? Here he builds a working prototype--which he admits is more of a study than an actual thing he'll use--of a simple machine that will solve the issue:
It doesn't get any more basic than this. La Fabrique DIY whips up a simple wooden vase, with an assist from a discarded drink bottle:
On site at the Hurricane Festival, a music festival in a region reknowned for its lousy weather, Laura Kampf manages to get a makeshift shelter up before the thunderstorms arrive. Sadly, Kampf writes, "The weather was so extremly bad that they evacuated the complete infield on saturday and all the concerts were cancelled." The upshot: The campground was soaked and tents under water but we were safe and dry in our tiny house! Next year i will build a boat :)"
Louis Sauzedde continues his TotalBoat build. Here in Part 2, he rips the stem from a piece of 5x5 white oak. Part of the fun of watching this build, for us non-boat-initiated, is trying to figure out how the pieces Sauzedde makes are all going to fit together:
