Earlier this year America's first self-driving car fatality occurred. The unlucky driver was behind the wheel of a Tesla on Autopilot, and last week watchdog magazine Consumer Reports took the unusual step of calling for the company "to disable hands-free operation until its system can be made safer."

Musk will do no such thing, and in yesterday's release of his "Secret Master Plan, Part Deux" he explains why:

"[Here's] why Tesla is deploying partial autonomy now, rather than waiting until some point in the future. The most important reason is that, when used correctly, it is already significantly safer than a person driving by themselves and it would therefore be morally reprehensible to delay release simply for fear of bad press or some mercantile calculation of legal liability.

"According to the recently released 2015 NHTSA report, automotive fatalities increased by 8% to one death every 89 million miles. Autopilot miles will soon exceed twice that number and the system gets better every day. It would no more make sense to disable Tesla's Autopilot, as some have called for, than it would to disable autopilot in aircraft, after which our system is named."

The moral angle is an interesting one. What it means is that every mile a Tesla driver covers in Autopilot is a mile s/he's not spending in an Autopilot-free car that statistically has a higher chance of leading to their death. In other words, releasing even a flawed version of Autopilot is actually saving lives. (By the bye, last week a Tesla autonomously prevented a driver from hitting a pedestrian.)

Releasing even a flawed version of Autopilot is actually saving lives.

In Musk's vision, Autopilot will reach the point where it increases safety by a factor of 10:

"[Here's] why we refer to Autopilot as 'beta'. This is not beta software in any normal sense of the word. Every release goes through extensive internal validation before it reaches any customers. It is called beta in order to decrease complacency and indicate that it will continue to improve (Autopilot is always off by default). Once we get to the point where Autopilot is approximately 10 times safer than the US vehicle average, the beta label will be removed."

Once it does get to that point, he reckons, you will be able to safely watch Harry Potter movies:

"When true self-driving is approved by regulators, it will mean that you will be able to summon your Tesla from pretty much anywhere. Once it picks you up, you will be able to sleep, read or do anything else enroute to your destination."

Here's where it gets interesting. In Musk's estimation, when Teslas are safely autonomous, buying one will earn you money while simultaneously improving transit, collectively:

"You will also be able to add your car to the Tesla shared fleet just by tapping a button on the Tesla phone app and have it generate income for you while you're at work or on vacation, significantly offsetting and at times potentially exceeding the monthly loan or lease cost. This dramatically lowers the true cost of ownership to the point where almost anyone could own a Tesla. Since most cars are only in use by their owner for 5% to 10% of the day, the fundamental economic utility of a true self-driving car is likely to be several times that of a car which is not."

What about places like New York City, where car ownership isn't practical? Musk envisions Tesla becoming the next Uber, though he doesn't mention them by name:

"In cities where demand exceeds the supply of customer-owned cars, Tesla will operate its own fleet, ensuring you can always hail a ride from us no matter where you are."

­Autopilot, in other words, is not going to be halted. And as CNET reported yesterday, "Despite a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model S being driven by its Autopilot feature, the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) head Mark Rosekind insisted that the government would still work to promote self-driving cars by providing a framework in which development can continue."

As industrial designers, we are responsible for creating physical things and environments. Our expertise in this area necessarily comes at the expense of any mastery of engineering or technology. This puts us in an unusual position when viewing futuristic concepts: If someone shows us a Star Wars spaceship, for instance, we can say "Okay, so the engineers have figured out warp drive and deflector shields—but dude, what's up with those seats, why are the headrests shaped like that? And why isn't that lever the pilot keeps pulling on located in the center of the goddamn console?"

"Not that button, THAT one! Jesus! Look where my finger's pointing!"

I'm bringing this up because while I flippantly believe Elon Musk can push his engineers to perfect the technologies he dreams of, I'm having trouble following the logic of his proposed Tesla Bus's physical interior. To get you up to speed, in his "Secret Master Plan, Part Deux" he mentions that "In addition to consumer vehicles, there are two other types of electric vehicle needed: heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport."

Read the following, and tell me if he loses you at the same point where he lost me:

With the advent of autonomy, it will probably make sense to shrink the size of buses and transition the role of bus driver to that of fleet manager. Traffic congestion would improve due to increased passenger areal density by eliminating the center aisle and putting seats where there are currently entryways, and matching acceleration and braking to other vehicles, thus avoiding the inertial impedance to smooth traffic flow of traditional heavy buses.

Can anyone follow what he's talking about? Shrinking the size of buses, what, in terms of width, or length? How the heck do you get rid of the center aisle and "[put] seats where there are currently entryways"—how do people get in and out? Can you imagine trying to get out of a crowded bus when you're all the way in the back and the only entrance is at the front?

This week Musk mentioned that he had to pull an all-nighter to finish his Secret Plan draft, and him being a genius at other stuff I cannot expect him to be as articulate about interiors as a vehicle designer, but I just can't envision what he means. Can any of you with hand skills whip up a quick sketch of what you think he's talking about?

Oh, one other not-so-little tidbit, that "heavy-duty trucks" thing we glossed over:

"Both [a heavy-duty truck and a bus] are in the early stages of development at Tesla and should be ready for unveiling next year. We believe the Tesla Semi will deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport, while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate."

That's gotta be a bummer for the Nikola Motor Company. You can hardly hang on to the nickname "The Tesla of Trucks" when the real Tesla starts making trucks.

No matter your country, background, taste in music, or political persuasion, 2016 continues to deliver disasters small and large. Escapism has its limits (just ask anyone in charge of the PokemonGo servers), but beauty can help keep our heads up. And maybe our legs? This week I found some surprising grace in gravity-defying videos by the performance group Compagnie Yoann Bourgeouis.

The French troupe's work incorporates dance, acrobatics, miming and other circus theater techniques. 

To pull it off they use carefully designed sets, sprung with trampolines and other gravity defying tools. Here's a longer cut of the choreography above, showing the surprising range of use a single trampoline can produce.

The group also regularly uses destabilizing elements like steep ramps and rotating platforms to add extra tension and surprise to their range of motion. 

This piece for the London International Mime festival had me transfixed, then down a set design rabbit hole (hint: the seriously cool stuff is secret):

Their site (best used in French) stresses the importance of play and games in pursuance of more "living arts"—easy principle to lose if you aren't careful. For more on their work, performances, and workshops, check them out online. 

Google is searching for a Visual Designer to create visual designs for Google products and features.

There's a lot of competition going for daily carry backpacks, and it's rare that a new design adds much to the field. The wildly Kickstarting Backpaix takes on known needs of the urban commuter, and adds a couple surprising details hidden inside... and on its face.

The pack itself looks good, designed with the modern walker or cyclist in mind. It's reasonably ergonomic, weather resistant, and commendably made from a fully recycled material. There's a familiar laptop sleeve, main compartment, and small stuff pockets, plus a bottom-accessed shoe pocket and a zip-hidden luggage loop. 

Inside is the first special detail: an optional built-in 10,000mAH battery, allowing you to recharge on the go through a small side pocket.

It's a nice block of charge, and with it comes the bigger unusual perk: a weird medallion to show your subtle steez or graphic personality. This medallion can be a customized metal badge or, if you're a flashier sort, a custom programmed LED emoji button activated through a matching app. This emoji "smart badge" can also be tracked, and if enabled, will vibrate if you go out of range to help locate it.

If the idea of emoji-ing strangers when you're out and about sounds silly, they've also come up with some more pragmatic uses. The clearest one would be to use it as a bike turn signal, activated with a Backpaix handlebar dongle. This is a fine (if twee) idea, but I'm less charmed than I could have been since I'm still trying to figure out if they left off a bike light loop (undebatably the most useful single inch of webbing on every bag I've used in the last decade) entirely. The addition of desirable objects to the bike itself is also a consideration if you have to park somewhere other than your startup office.

The other proposed uses of the badge are interesting too: a bike light, data storage and more are in the works. This gets interesting, since the the campaign lists the option for a second mount to add a GoPro hookup to a shoulder strap. These apparently use the same "smart badge" twist-in attachment hardware which leads me to wonder whether theft or accidental loss of your fancy glowing (and bag theft-detecting) badge would be likely. I've lost a number of bag-mounted lights to theft... and just sitting too aggressively on park benches.

The other niceties are straightforward but plentiful. There are bottom-facing straps for your yoga mat/tripod/rolled jacket/very long baguette, and a question-provoking bike lock strap. (Is it elastic? Adjustable? Because locks come in in more than one size.) It boasts waterproof zippers, chest and side compression straps, it comes in two sizes, and (of course) the clasp is a bottle opener. The clock is running down, but you can still grab one at the early bird price of $179. 

What do we think: stylish and modern? Smart yet gimmicky? 

The true point of Elon Musk's "Secret Master Plan, Part Deux" is actually well beyond the vehicles we covered in our previous analyses. If we look at part one of his Secret Master Plan, released almost ten years ago today, we can see what he's been up to all along, using one step to lead to another:

Master Plan, Part One
1. Create a low volume car, which would necessarily be expensive
2. Use that money to develop a medium volume car at a lower price
3. Use that money to create an affordable, high volume car
And...
4. Provide solar power. No kidding, this has literally been on our website for 10 years.

With #2 and #3 of that plan now on track, he now explains how he intends to finish it up with #4.

Revolutionizing Solar with a Singular Product

"The point of all this was, and remains, accelerating the advent of sustainable energy, so that we can imagine far into the future and life is still good," Musk writes. "By definition, we must at some point achieve a sustainable energy economy or we will run out of fossil fuels to burn and civilization will collapse."

Seen in that light, Tesla's recent acquisition of his other venture, SolarCity, makes perfect sense. SolarCity makes and installs solar panels and the inverters required to turn their DC electricity into AC.

Tesla's battery expertise has enabled them to make the Powerwall, the wall-mounted battery system for domestic applications and the Powerpack, the scaled-up version for businesses, both of which can store and dispense that solar-generated electricity.

It doesn't make sense for these things to not be developed and sold in tandem any more than it does to buy an engine block in one place, a transmission in another, and to hire a mechanic to put them together.

Instead, Musk proposes a situation that reminds us of Apple's first iPod: all of the technology to listen to MP3's already existed by that time, but no one had bothered to put it all together, provide one-stop shopping and make it easy for consumers to use.

Integrate Energy Generation and Storage

[We will] create a smoothly integrated and beautiful solar-roof-with-battery product that just works, empowering the individual as their own utility, and then scale that throughout the world. One ordering experience, one installation, one service contact, one phone app.

We can't do this well if Tesla and SolarCity are different companies, which is why we need to combine and break down the barriers inherent to being separate companies. That they are separate at all, despite similar origins and pursuit of the same overarching goal of sustainable energy, is largely an accident of history. Now that Tesla is ready to scale Powerwall and SolarCity is ready to provide highly differentiated solar, the time has come to bring them together.

I always suspected it would be Apple who would secretly come up with what he's talking about, which is a solar power system with plug-and-play, set-it-and-forget-it convenience. I still wouldn't rule them out, but Musk is clearly at the technological forefront, has the necessary resources and understands, as Steve Jobs did with the original iPod, the need for a hassle-free UX to encourage mainstream uptake.

Tesla will still be advancing the vehicle plans we looked at earlier. But this week, they quietly changed TeslaMotors.com to Tesla.com with a re-direct. We can't help but be reminded that Apple once used to be called Apple Computer. And it is ironic that Apple started out making things that would go inside our house, and is now working on a car, whereas Tesla has taken the reverse path.

There's certain designers whose design language you simply appreciate, even though you might not know what it is or how to use it. I have been following Hanna Whitehead on Instagram for as long as she's been on Instagram, seeing her progress and development every step of the way. 

Hanna Whitehead

Just as with so many other Icelandic designers, Whitehead's creativity seems to stretch and combine several elements in her work and I often ask myself is it product design or art? But then again—does it matter, do we really have to put a label on everything  in order to appreciate what we are seeing? I don't believe we do, which is why I simply appreciate her pieces for what they are, rather than try to define them.

Moa Dickmark: From where do you draw your inspiration? 

Hanna Whitehead:I draw my inspiration from my process and what I see and do along the way. The process can start from a story, a picture, daily life, research, people or maybe just simply a color that I want to shape. I just go along with it. The only rule I try to have is to enjoy it and I hope because of that it brings joy to others.

Kiosk

A designer's process can vary from project to project. How would you describe the process from your latest finished work?

My last work Weaving DNA came out of research about craft, especially textile craft in Scotland & Iceland. Claire Anderson, a textile designer, and I worked on a kind of visual conversation through the digital world. We've worked together since 2013 but have only meet three times during that time. She started by sending me a text in which I responded with a visual and in that way our body of work evolved. We basically just responded to each other's visuals for three years. Sometimes we even misunderstood each other and then the process went into an unexpected place which lead to something new and exciting.

Behind the scenes of Weaving DNA 

Weaving DNA

What did you find to be the most inspirational and giving throughout this rather untraditional process?

Our dialogue was always my inspiration and to work this way felt somehow free. Maybe because we didn't know one another we didn't have much knowledge about each other's work and therefore we managed to surprise each other throughout the project. We also worked with the very gifted photographer Tian Khee Siong who, in the end of this part of the project, managed to put all our work and thoughts into the right perspective. That was very important because our project was built up in exchanging visuals in 2D.

When looking at your body of work, it's hard to define define what you do. How would you describe yourself?

I describe myself as a product designer. I really want my products to be part of people's homes. They might be unconventional or slightly unpractical but I believe that some people can relate to the products—products can make people happy—and people want them as a part of their daily life. The products may not solve a physical problem but they exist purely for joy. So maybe in that way they solve a problem, just of a different kind.

Kaffi

What response do you get when people interact with your pieces?

All sorts of responses. Many people are curious about them, smile and have a connection to them. Some find them too colorful or not quite straight enough.

One guy told me once that my design somehow had humor but was very serious. I think that is kind of true.

Weaving DNA

During one of your projects you moved into a world that lies between conceptual art and avant garde fashion. Is this something you want to explore more?

I think I always have a product design viewpoint on everything, I want to move freely within that into all sorts of directions.

Both production and more conceptual based projects.

What direction are you curious about exploring next?

I would love to explore some new materials. I dream about working with glass for example—so many possibilities there with feeling, texture and colors. I saw Oiva Toikka's exhibition in Helsinki a few years ago and was so impressed by his work. There was an interview with him there talking about how glass happens in the moment. It is a direct process. That is very exciting. I also would love to work with spaces more, it is something I am very interested in.

Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew back when you started on this path ?

I wish I would have known more about the business of it all, it sounds boring but it matters. For things to be able to flow you need some money that is just the way it is.

Also I needed some time to find my path. Of course I made mistakes on the way working on projects that took a lot of energy instead of giving but every time I made some mistakes I always tried to regard them as part of the process and I am grateful for all of them.

I also think I am just starting to find my way and I hope this road takes me to a lot of different places. And that I never stop learning something new.

Kaffi

Fishleather

Weaving DNA

Weaving DNA

Kaffi

Trace is a small, durable and sophisticated piece of action sports technology. It combines inertial sensors and GPS technology to give detailed information about users’ surfing, snowboarding, and skiing sessions. Trace has 9-axis sensors, advanced multi-Hz GPS, BT 4.0/2.1 combo and its own processor. This allows Trace to measure max speed, vertical distance, distance traveled, calories, number of jumps, and airtime with incredible accuracy.

For a so-called world capital, my hometown of NYC has a downright embarrassing subway system. We don't have the convenience of London's Oyster card, the beauty of Paris' stations, the tidiness of Tokyo's platforms. But now, finally, New York's Governor Cuomo has resolved to do something about it.

This week Cuomo held a press conference showing off the design features of the 1,025 redesigned subway cars we're (supposedly) getting, as well as 31 renovated subway stations that actually seem as if they were designed in this century. Here's a look at what's in store, as we finally try catching up with the rest of the world.

The Stations

Increased Visibility

I actually disagree with this claim, as those circles used to be the size of dinner plates. The one in the photo above looks more personal-pizza-sized.

Service Announcement

This only provides actionable information if you are willing to divert to a taxi or Uber. For those of us bound to the train, if the alert reads "Lousy Service," all it does is let you know how much your wait is about to suck. And putting the date above it is not as useful as what every New Yorker really wants to see: The TIME.

Neighborhood Map

Will surely be a boon to tourists.

Enhanced Lighting

Will certainly make the stations look better, though we'll never mistake this one for the Arts et Metiers station in Paris.

Countdown Clock

This gets a big thumbs-up. Knowing when the train is coming is a stress-reducer.

Wayfinding Information

I can't see any improvement over what's already up, though the design looks a bit cleaner.

USB Ports

Sure to be a boon—if they can make them vandalism-proof.

Easy to Clean Finishes

Anything's got to be better than the current grime-grabbing sidewalk finishes we've got now. But the real test will be: How does it handle chewing gum?

By the bye, two dead giveaways that the rendering above was put together by a non-New-Yorker: Number one, the R stops at 49th and 57th, there is no 53rd Street station. Number two, there's no such thing as "4 Avenue & 54 Street;" that should say "Lexington Avenue and 54 Street," for chrissakes.

Glass Barriers

I don't see what these add beyond aesthetic value, which probably wouldn't last long—are they tag-proof? They're also bound to increase maintenance costs, since no one needs to Windex the cheerful iron grates we've got now.

Neighborhood Map

Again, good for the tourists.

Service Announcement

Can't hurt, though rather than listing the lines numerically and alphabetically, they ought to be ordered in proximity to the lines you're likeliest to transfer to. It's little details like this that separate UX from great UX.

The Actual Cars

New Exterior

It looks acceptably modern, but I think the way the train looks is everyone's last priority.

New LED Headlights

No one cares. Seriously. No one is riding to work and thinking "MAN am I glad this thing's got LED headlights!" and high-fiving the guy next to him.

Wider Doors

A good, practical feature, but I still want to see them equipped with poison-tipped thresher blades that take care of those people who unthinkingly block the entrance when the doors open.

Digital Display

Can't hurt, but not a huge improvement.

Wi-Fi

Anything that might keep people checking their Facebooks instead of loudly yapping into their phone is aces in my book.

Open Gangway

I'm actually opposed to these. I get that they provide an airier feel, and if the train isn't crowded makes it easy to work your way towards the door that will open in the right place at your station, but I liked having that barrier for when there's An Incident. Those of you that live here know what I'm talking about: The train pulls up, and every car is packed with people except for one, which is mysteriously empty. Gee, I wonder what's in there, steaming away in a lovely pile on the floor?

Arrows on the Floor

This is a complete waste of paint. If the subway doors open and you can't figure out which direction to go, maybe you should move to a region where it's more common to commute by riding a sure-footed animal.

Service Announcement

We've already got these. To the person who did this rendering, you should not have bothered calling this out. You might as well have an arrow pointing down that says "Floor."

USB Ports

Again, would be good if they can make them vandal-proof. Otherwise it's just a matter of time before someone starts a Tumblr called "Things People Shove in NYC Subway USB Slots."

Wheelchair Location

A good thing for sure, as long as they work out corresponding markings on the platforms so that a wheelchair user knows where to wait.

Flip Seat

I always dug these on the 6-train. Especially the noise they make when you let them go and they slam back into the wall; the tourists always identify themselves by turning their heads to see what the noise was.

Improved Grab Bar

Out of everything shown here, this is the one feature I seriously dig. The only way I can think to improve it is to have sharp horizontal thorns sticking out of it at intervals. The thorns would prevent Back Leaning Guy from doing his thing, and would provide clearly delineated handhold areas between the thorns, preventing Sweaty Slide-Down Hand Contact.

Lastly, there's no word on when these changes will actually be enacted; the Governor's office will only say they're part of a "five-year MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) Capital Program."

Designing Here/Now, Core77's annual conference, this year will explore how design-led co-creation can equip designers with strategies and tools for innovative new ways of working. Because Core77 readers include so many great minds, we want as many people possible within our design community to be involved. By simply letting us into your creative workspace, you might just get the chance for you and a friend or colleague to attend the conference for FREE!

The way to make this happen is easy: simply tell us via Instagram or Twitter, what is it about your workspace that gets you excited to go to work every day? Does it have to do with the beautiful architecture of the building or the camaraderie between you and your team? Does the true value of your company come from a highly innovative and adaptable studio space, a killer wood shop, or simply the opportunity to have a nice lunch with your peers each afternoon? The answer is up to you!

Each week until Friday August 5th, we'll be picking 2-3 submissions toward the end of the week to go in the running toward free tickets to the Core77 Conference. 

This week, two submissions stood out from the crowd, getting one step closer to landing those free tickets. Here's why: 

Instagram user @paigekubes, working at Nanz Company hardware gave us a nice peek into the everyday of their offices, which not only sounds awesome but also pretty hilarious. 

This shot by @weareghostworks demonstrating their designers in the thick of it in their beautiful, clean Portland space was another standout (we also have to appreciate the work it must've taken to get this angle). 

Congratulations to our finalists, you'll be added to the pool of possible winners come Friday, August 5th!

Don't miss out on the opportunity to join us at the Core77 Conference this September 29-30 in LA—get to posting on your Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags #c77spaces #core77con and you could be in the running (read the full prompt and official rules here)!

You can also guarantee your seat at the Core77 Conference in Los Angeles right now—buy your ticket before July 31st for Early Bird pricing!

The people have spoken. 

With over 50% of the votes, the Core77 community responded to our first Twitter Poll about the 2016 Core77 Conference with a definitive answer to our question about what you want to learn at this year's event in September: More strategies about design and social change.

Ask and you shall receive. This year's conference features a number of practitioners using design to create positive social change in their communities and beyond. We believe that the most impactful and innovative work in this space will be led by designers guiding high performing interdisciplinary teams to success. Below are a few of the speakers who will be addressing the way that design can have a social impact in the world around us. 

COMMUNITY-CENTERED DESIGN

Antionette Carroll founded the Creative Reaction Lab in response to the unrest in Ferguson, MO after the fatal shooting of an unarmed, black teenager by a white police officer in 2014. With a mission to cultivate creative leadership through collaborative efforts between civic and social communities, CRXLAB has since hosted a number of workshops using design thinking to empower participants from various sectors to develop products, programs and services "by, for and with the community."

*

*

DESIGN FOR REFUGEES

From left to right: Amro Sallam, Ekene Ijeoma and John Farrace.

Join us for a roundtable discussion focusing on strategies around designing for the refugee crisis. Three designers will share recent projects that have raised awareness and offered solutions for the growing populations of migrant people displaced by war, regional instability and environmental catastrophe. The panel will feature Architects for Society founder Amro Sallam, interaction designer and current Orbital designer-in-residence Ekene Ijeoma and designer, Co-Founder and Director of Shared_Studios John Farrace. [Read more about their work here.]

DESIGNING FOR DEATH

In 2013, IDEO began exploring ways that design could have an impact on how people approach their final days. Dana Cho, a Partner and Managing Director of IDEO Palo Alto, has been spearheading the firm's collaborative efforts with key palliative care experts and business leaders to use design to transform people's end of life experiences. At the Core77 Conference, Cho will share insights from the current OpenIDEO challenge to design for death. [Read more about the OpenIDEO challenge here.]

*

*

Learn more about design for social change at this September's Core77 Conference in Los Angeles. Buy your ticket before July 31st for Early Bird pricing!

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. 

The New Science of Cute

Kumamon is not a cartoon character or a brand icon, but he sure is giving Hello Kitty a run for her money.

 "One woman in the crowd held a Kumamon doll swaddled in a baby blanket. Another had dressed her doll in a grey outfit matching her own. It had taken her a month to make. A number of fans had pasted red paper circles on their cheeks to mimic his. Those in the first row had arrived at 3am to snag prime spots to greet the object of their affection."

—Eric Ludlum, editorial director

David Chang's Unified Theory of Deliciousness Is Not So Different from Design Thinking

I wholeheartedly believe in finding inspiration via other mediums—one such example is food. In a recent article for Wired, star chef David Chang breaks down his thought process behind brainstorming recipes and finding incredible flavor pairings. Throughout this essay, I see connections between cooking and design thinking. Points like this make it clear: "[One of my chefs] told me he wanted to make a version of a Bolognese, the Italian meat sauce. I told him that was fine, but he had to use only Korean ingredients. I often set these kinds of limitations, because I'm a big believer that creativity comes from working within constraints."

Replace Bolognese sauce with something like a discussion on user profiles and you've got yourself a design rule that sets you up to create something truly amazing.

—Allison Fonder, community manager

It's Aot All Fun and Poké Balls

"I can't wait to see the potential with Pokémon Go where going to a pharmacy will heal your Pokémon, or going to a fast-food chain will get you berries to feed them"

For better or for worse, location based-marketing is the way of the future. Using the recent Pokémon Go craze as an example, this article describes what's next for the popular game and how large companies and small businesses alike are using the game's GPS feature to their advantage. 

—Emily Engle, editorial assistant

Popeye's Los Angeles Nostalgia

Thanks to a reprint of the first issue of Japanese magazine Popeye, it's now possible to view Los Angeles through the looking glass of 1976 Japan. This article perfectly captures how exposure to the groovy Southern California lifestyle was an eye opening experience for many Japanese readers: "The hang gliding, the skateboarding, the variety of sneakers. It was all totally new...It was magical; it was like heaven."

—Rebecca Veit, columnist, Designing Women

Headphones Everywhere

An interesting read about the omnipresence of headphones, the author contemplates their changing functional and social history. Once intended to allow users to listen to music on-the-go, headphones now block all other sounds and have microphone features. Yet despite their audio capabilities, headphones are now, more than ever, used for exercising autonomy and avoiding interaction. So are they, "...just another emblem of catastrophic social decline, a tool that edges us even deeper into narcissism, solipsism, vast unsociability?" Maybe, if so doesn't a portable speaker also signify the deeper, narcissistic social decline? In a world where personal space and property is increasingly difficult to define, is there a way to listen to music that is more social than personal headphones, yet less invasive than publicly using a bluetooth speaker?

—Molly Millette, editorial intern

Past and Future Trumps

Today I'm reading a fascinating article in The Economist that draws from history to show that "Insurgent candidates who win the nomination tend to transform their party, even if they never become president." It's a meaty read and points out how Donald Trump, whether he wins or loses and even if he disappears tomorrow, has irrevocably transformed his party and America—with effects that will last for decades.

—Rain Noe, senior editor

Router Bit Storage and Mid-Project Modification

This is a great example of designing on-the-fly and making adjustments when your first idea doesn't work out. Here April Wilkerson cooks up a design for wall-mounted bit storage, and after she finds her initial concept too unstable, devises a clever way to remedy it without having to start all over:

How Much Sawdust Do They Kick Out? Tablesaw vs. Miter Saw vs. Bandsaw

Breathing in a lot of sawdust over time is no good for your long-term health. Using a device that can read airborne particle counts, Matthias Wandel compares the sawdust amounts produced by a tablesaw, miter saw and a bandsaw, showing you which produces the least and under which circumstances:

Camera Dolly Rig with Turning Capability

This week, Izzy Swan designs and builds a dolly rig for a camera—enabling it to do a curving tracking shot, using an adjustable four-wheel-steering set-up:

The Wood-Fitting Technique That Reduces Cursing By Up to 50%!

Here Jesse de Geest demonstrates a clever Japanese technique called "Killing the Wood." This is what you do when two pieces that are supposed to fit together are off by just 1/32 of an inch:

Turned Mallet

As always, part of the fun of watching a Jimmy DiResta video is trying to figure out what he's doing at certain points. In this one, where he makes a mallet, it wasn't obvious to me when he started measuring the Forstner bit—then you see why later and think "Ah, of course!"

More Chainsaw Milling the Walnut Tree

Frank Howarth's working for his wood again, continuing to turn a friend's fallen walnut tree into slabs with a chainsaw mill:

What Kind of Wood Should You Build With?

Might be too basic for the average Core77 reader, but will be helpful for people working with wood for the first time. Steve Ramsey breaks down a basic materials question: Why use hardwood vs. softwood, plywood, or MDF?

Shop-Vac-Powered Air Hockey Table

Father of the Year, Bob Clagett, figures out how to DIY an air hockey table for his kids, using a shop-vac as the blower. At the end, he helpfully runs down a list of mistakes he made along the way, things you might want to do differently, et cetera:

The Search for Production Efficiency

Sandra Powell had a ton of drawers to build for her island cabinet project, and here seeks ways to increase her efficiency with several different jigs and set-ups:

DIY Barn-Style Door

Remember that shed that Linn from Darbin Orvar constructed a few weeks ago? Now she's finishing it up, creating a barn-style door from 2x10 framing lumber ripped into components of more manageable size. She then completes the organization of the interior:

Laura's Cargo Bike

Laura Kampf wanted some cargo space on her bike, and here she welds it up. If you're wondering why she opted for flat instead of a basket, it was for the sake of flexibility: "I built it so you can securely attach a Systainer, a [case of beer] or a basket to it...or a passenger," she writes.

Maarten de Ceulaer's striking Sundial Chandelier takes cues from both ancient time-tellers and astronomical bodies. The piece, showed at this year's Salone de Mobile, combines anodized aluminum disks and hidden offset lighting to create a series of luminous planetary bodies marked by shadow.

While the disks are flat and smooth the lighting creates a rounding effect, giving the appearance of depth and self-powered luminosity—like 6 domesticated suns. The cut of the shadow spirals down (or up) the column, adding motion to the light.

The piece was prepared for the Nilufar Gallery show, in collaboration with the Dutch aluminum producer Alton. A second version, gradient anodized from warm gold to silver, debuted at the 'Belgian Matters' show, which paired Belgian designers with Belgian companies, as part of a series curated by DAMn Magazine.

The stately chandelier might not tell time (on this planet) but it certainly harnesses light with style.

The NBA is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Senior Director, Advertising. The Senior Director, Advertising will be responsible for leading the advertising, promotional and creative campaigns for the NBA, WNBA, D-League, and USA Basketball. He/she will manage an internal marketing team responsible for in-house creative

Jumpstart your week with our insider's guide to events in the design world. From must-see exhibitions to insightful lectures and the competitions you need to know about—here's the best of what's going on, right now.

Monday

Felice Varini's Open Air takes place at MAMO, the renovated rooftop of Corbusier's apartment building masterpiece, Cité Radieuse. Varini has painted a series of patterns onto MAMO's concrete surfaces which, when viewed from certain angles, form recognizable geometric shapes. 

Marseille, France. On view through October 2, 2016.

Tuesday

Nausicaa of Studio Ghiblidocuments the labor and creativity behind some of the world's most beloved animated films. It features never before seen artwork, production materials, advertising, poster art and manuscripts from the last three decades. This is an unbelievably cool exhibit that you don't want to miss.

Tokyo, Japan. On view through September 11, 2016.

Wednesday

If you've been to Italy, you understand the importance of the vending machine. They sell everything imaginable, and they are everywhere. Italian vending machine company, Argenta, is giving you the chance to design a new face for their coffee vending machines. Have at it, coffee lovers and vending machine enthusiasts.

Online Entry. This competition is open through October 11, 2016.

Thursday

The Design Thinking Crash Course at is a quick, high-level overview of the 5 phases of Design Thinking (as interpreted by The Design Gym). It's meant to provide you with a basic understanding of Design Thinking and the enthusiasm to learn more about the methods and tools that can help you become more creative and innovative.

New York, NY. July 28, 2016 at 9:00 AM.

Friday

Design Exchange, in partnership with Nespresso, invites designers, artists, architects, engineers, inventors and innovators to rethink, rework, and re-imagine the conventional coffee break through their design challenge, Grand Cru-ation.

Ontario and Quebec, Canada . Competition open through August 8, 2016.

Saturday/Sunday

Celebrate creativity at the Kickstarter Summer Festival, a free event featuring art, food, games and more from the Kickstarter community. You can expect a night of one-of-a-kind installations, performances and workshops with creators and innovators.

New York, New York. July 30, 2016 at 5:00 PM.

Never Too Much is the name Swiss designers Sarah Kueng and Lovis Caputo gave to a series of leather bowls they created last year—a name that immediately suggests the wide-brimmed, candy-colored vessels are nothing short of just right.

Crafted from hand-painted leather and completed in 2015, the collection resembles something closer to celestial frisbees than anything I've ever thought to serve food in, but the designers behind Zurich-based studio Kueng Caputo reassure me that that's their intent.

The two designers met while studying industrial design at Zurich University of the Arts (2004 to 2008) and have been collaborating ever since. Never Too Much was inspired by a trip to Italy in 2013, where the duo learned about the Florentine tradition of working with leather. "We visited a workshop and were impressed," Kueng says. "We saw all the different ways leather can be treated and the complexity of the process by which leather is worked."

Two of the processes they were exposed to were vegetable and mineral (or chromium) tanning, the latter being a response to the complex, expensive and time-intensive process of vegetable tanning that first arose in 1858. While the basic principle is the same—removing water molecules from the collagen of animal skin to turn it into leather—chromium tanning is much quicker and works by displacing water with chrome ions, which bind to the collagen for a result that is both thinner and softer than its vegetable-tanned counterpart, and therefore an increasingly popular choice when it comes to leather tanning.

Never Too Much fits nicely into the Swiss designers' explorative portfolio, which is focused on material experimentation and a craft-based approach. Their insatiable curiosity for new processes has previously resulted in an iron-chloride embellished oak table and a plywood yurt.

Kueng and Caputo begin many of their projects by reaching out to local factories and seeking out those willing to collaborate with them. "Starting a new material-craft-relationship takes time," Kueng says. "We love this part; It's very interesting and personal. We spend a lot of time in the factory to really understand how things are done. Then, the first ideas come up. We try to convince craftsmen and women to try something they have never done before."

Kueng notes that there is typically a huge learning curve when it comes to approaching a lot of these projects, and when she and her partner begin asking about new techniques or processes, they understand pretty quickly that there is a reason why they haven't been approached before. "Then we debate all the possibilities and we hope [the artisans] will share their knowledge with us." With the right will and pioneering vibes, Kueng says anything is possible,"but not guaranteed."

The duo experimented with both kinds of leather tanning, discovering that although chrome tanning has become the norm for manufacturing processes, vegetable tanning allows the pores of the material to remain open, taking in more pigment for a more vibrant result. "Color is a fascinating natural special effect," Caputo says. "It changes all the time depending on the surroundings and the light, so we love playing with it."

"Vegetable tanning takes longer and uses a vegetable tanning agent," Kueng explains. "The difference between the two tanning methods is the process and end result. With the vegetable tanning, the leather's pores remain open, while the chromium method closes the pores. We let the color dye into the leather, so we can achieve a layered color effect. This technique requires open pores."

In the case of Never Too Much, leather is first painted layer by layer using leather stain until a soft, speckled image (reminiscent of a Pollock painting if it was done in watercolor) begins to emerge. "We paint until it is complete," Caputo says. "Sometimes it's only two layers over the course of one day, sometimes we paint for a week until it's finished." The painted skins are then sent to Florence, where Italian artisans work the leather by stretching and drying it over a form. Additional layers of leather are added until the bowl is roughly 2 to 3 layers thick, then they are trimmed and polished into their final shape. The final bowls range slightly in size, but are mostly 4" by 21.5" by 21.25".

"The biggest challenge [when working with highly-skilled artisans ] is always to trust each other," Kueng says. "Once you reach this level of appreciation for each other's profession, from both sides, work can start. There is no recipe to reach this confidence. It's about having the will to understand each other's language."

Never Too Much debuted in New York at Salon 94 back in January of 2014, along with a collection of benches, stools and lamps, all made of hand-painted leather with enamel accents. Kueng and Caputo continued working on the series for the following year, experimenting with a range of finishes and techniques. Each piece retails for around $2200.

"We love collaborations," Kueng says. "It's great to work with specialized people, especially when they love what they do. We enjoy studying and understanding their specialities, their specific techniques, their history—then taking it a step further to express a contemporary idea rooted in that existing knowledge."

Kueng Caputo just kicked off a new collaboration with a chemical company, experimenting with new materials and uses—but are keeping the specifics under wraps for the time being. In the meantime, the studio recommends anyone interested in seeing more of their work to swing by the Swiss Pavilion at the Design Biennial in London (open September 7 - 27, 2016) to see their latest project Le Son Est Disparu.

Somabar is the world’s first app controlled robotic bartending appliance created for the home kitchen. With its streamlined design you can thoroughly mix cocktails and infuse bitters to make the perfect cocktail in seconds. Somabar, the robotic bartender has won the best innovation award for home appliances at CES 2016.

Remember Germany's Radschnellweg? That's a 100-kilometer cycleway that, once completed, will link nearly a dozen cities. Well, we were very surprised to learn that America will be getting something similar.

Similar and, in accordance with our increased landmass, a lot longer. The East Coast Greenway Alliance is currently masterminding a 3,000-mile cycleway running from Calais, Maine (right on the Canadian border) all the way to Key West, Florida!

While a determined cyclist can currently make that journey, the route would currently involve a lot of time sharing the road with cars, and the danger that brings. The ECGA has a different vision: "Our goal is for the entire Greenway to be on paths, completely separated from the road," they write. "By connecting existing and planned shared-use trails, a continuous, traffic-free route is being formed, serving self-powered users of all abilities and ages."

That last part is key. The Greenway is really intended more for people with Dad Body than those that look like a 'roided-up Lance Armstrong. The idea is that the Greenway will be "a new tourism venue, enticing domestic and foreign tourists to explore the Eastern Seaboard in a leisurely and intimate manner" rather than a place where you get buzzed by bros wearing Lycra.

[The Greenway] is not designed for those seeking a high-speed cycling route. A multitude of on-road routes better serve their needs. But, as a traffic-free, relatively flat route, the Greenway is a safe facility for people of all ages and physical abilities, including children, families, and the elderly.

Also, the Greenway will not be of entirely new construction. What the ECGA is attempting to do is link existing trails, then "fill in the gaps" where there are none. This is a massive effort that involves coordinating with a variety of municipal bodies over the entire stretch, including within major cities. Here's a snippet of the Philadelphia route, for instance:

The sheer number of ground to cover explains why just 850 miles--about 30%--currently exists and is usable, with another 2,050 miles yet to be nailed down.

So, while the ECG will be longer than Germany's Radschnellweg, the efficient Germans will undoubtedly have theirs completed first. The ECGA is currently gunning to have the Greenway 95% complete by 2030.

Want to help them get it done faster? They need local volunteers to help them get various stretchs up to code. Learn how you can get involved by donating your time (or just some plain ol' greenbacks) here.

Sources:

CityLab

Country Living

Curbed

East Coast Greenway Alliance

Last year Lego overtook Ferrari to become "The World's Most Powerful Brand," according to strategic consultancy Brand Finance. Maybe that's because Lego makes a Ferrari but Ferrari doesn't make any Legos. Heck, maybe Lego's motto should be "We can make you, but you can't make us."

Or can you? Despite the fact that the company already seems to offer models of everything under the sun, from modern architecture to castles, supercars to spaceships, they're still keen on fresh ideas from outsiders. Thus they've launched Lego Ideas, whereby you regular jamokes get to pitch the company on your ideas for Lego sets.

Old Fishing Store by "robenanne." "[This] Old Fishing Store is based upon the Christmas sets that are available. The building consists of roughly 2160 parts and three floors: the main store, office, and lookout. I used the colors brown and sand green that gives it a realistic feeling. Three Mini-figures could be added such as a fisherman, the store keeper, one captain. And a lot of details."

The way it works is, you pitch 'em an idea through the link above. You put together a model of your vision using actual Lego pieces, take some photos, then send them in (or use their Lego Digital Designer app). Lego posts your project on their site, then it's up to you to drum up support, by e-mailing and social-media-ing the bejeezus out of people who can click a button to support your project.

Rolling BB-8 by "Redrocker95." "This Model is able to roll on a single axis while keeping BB-8's head up on top! BB-8 Comes with attachable arms for both his Electric Zapper and Thumbs-up Torch abilities. BB-8 has a desert base station that uses a turn crank to demonstrate his rolling ability. The base station has a compartment to hold BB-8's accessories."

If you hit 10,000 supporters, that gets your project in front of an actual Lego Review, where their internal designers and markety-mucks take a look at it. If they decide it's a go, your idea goes into production—and the amazing part is, they actually consult you on it! How many design projects have you worked on where it gets taken out of your hands at the last minute? But here Lego's saying that after acceptance, "You give input to our professional LEGO designers, whose job it is to create the final set based on your project."

Modular Train Station by "LegoWolf"

Modular Train Station by "LegoWolf"

Modular Train Station by "LegoWolf"

Modular Train Station by "LegoWolf." "Add your favourite locomotive to your Lego modular street with a train station! To fit in with the early twentieth century look of other buildings in the series, this model takes inspiration from nineteenth century stations in Europe. These structures were cathedrals to industry, marrying classical stonework and statuary with technological innovations like all-glass roofs. Many of these stations are still in use and have been renovated over the decades, bringing in advances like electric lights and RFID cards."

But that's not the most amazing part. That would be the bit where they actually pay you royalties. Admittedly it's only 1% of net sales, but that's 1% more than 0% of something you might already be doing in your spare time, if you're a Lego design nut.

The Jedi High Council Chamber by "lojaco."

The Jedi High Council Chamber by "lojaco." "On Coruscant, the room where the Jedi masters meet during the rule of the Galactic Republic. A setting that can be populated by characters that are gradually collected with other Lego Star Wars sets, but already enriched with some unreleased knights and/or one new "Transparent-Light-Blue" minifigure (to act as hologram of a Jedi knight away). The set, with sliding doors mechanically operated, can be enriched with a LEGO Power Functions Light item (ref. 8870) to create glowing pushing buttons."

So, if you've got an idea for a set, we'd say you've got nothing to lose except some nights and weekends. All of the images you see sprinkled throughout this entry, by the way, are ones that have hit the 10,000 mark and are now under review. Can you do better?