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Designs for Better Boozing: Silicone Wine Glasses

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As I've said before, I freaking hate the design of the martini glass. It is the dumbest, least-ergonomic form factor for quaffing gin that I can think of. The top-heavy form makes them easy to topple over and break (particularly the stupid-wide ones that every bar started stocking after "Sex and the City" came out).

As a waiter, I saw this happen when someone unexpectedly pulled another drink off of my tray, unbalancing it. As a bartender, I watched more than one customer knock them over, and when the broken glass falls into the ice bin you have to get buckets of hot water and melt the whole goddamn thing down to find the shards, and if you don't have a bar-back because Armando's fighting with his girlfriend again you then have to go down to the icemaker in the basement (why are they always in the basement) to refill the friggin' ice bin, which is impossibly time-consuming when you're in the middle of a crunch. As a customer, if I ever have a martini I order it in a rocks glass.

Wine glasses or any kind of stemware aren't much better, from a design standpoint. So I'm digging these stemless wine glasses made out of silicone:

I admit it's not that classy to drink out of something that you conceivably pulled out of your back pocket. I have no idea how stable these things are on a table, and I suspect that drinking out of something flexible might cause you to spill it upwards if you squeeze it too hard. But I like that they can't break, probably because of my aforementioned experiences and the prejudices they've instilled.

They're not only for wine, of course, and they seem like a good option for parents with butterfingered kids.

And I like what they've done here: Judging by the photo below, they've filled the bottom with water, frozen it to make a bottom-heavy ice base, then added whatever they're drinking on top.

Bonus: You can throw—literally throw—these things in the dishwasher.

Would you drink out of these? Should I have made this a Yea or Nay?

See More:

Ergonomically-Better Boozing: byAMT Studio's InsideOut Glassware Collection

Designs for Better Boozing, Whether Hard Liquor, Wine or Beer

Designs for Better Boozing: Foldable Flasks

Designs for Better Boozing: The Chillsner



Design Job: Explore Uncharted Design Territory as an Urban Exploration Designer for The North Face in Alameda, CA

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The primary responsibilities of the Designer are to provide design work of innovative and technologically advanced products that meet the needs of the company’s customers and end users, which in turn drives company sales and profits. Accountable for the creative production of designs to enhance the product category.

View the full design job here

Are Human Beings Just Intelligent Bacteria?

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Following the Tools & Craft reference to Burning Man, I rewatched this time-lapse videos shot there a few years ago:

I remember finding this video pretty when I first viewed it, but something about it bothered me this time around. The perfect semicircle of the "town" taking shape atop the more organic canvas of the sand, interrupted by little dust storms, didn't seem beautiful to me; instead it seemed almost…grotesque. As the lasers kicked in and the illuminated vehicles began moving back and forth, we humans look, as we always do from afar and in fast motion, insectoid.

The entire scene reminded me of a Joe Rogan rant from years ago:

I think human beings are just a very complicated form of bacteria. I think if you looked at the earth as a living organism, and who's to say that it's not some sort of super organism? It's certainly a host for life, and we're considered a living organism, and we're a host for life. There's more [e. coli] living inside our gut than there have ever been humans on this earth. There's bacteria constantly around you, and your body is fighting off that bacteria, until your body grows old and dies, and then it doesn't fight anymore. That bacteria just eats your body. That's what its there for.
If you looked at the Earth as a living organism as you're flying into L.A and as you're passing all these beautiful mountains, and you see the ocean ahead, and it all looks so natural and beautiful, and then you see L.A. and you think, well, what the fuck is that? It's a growth, that's cancer. Its big, its brown, it stinks, smoke's coming out of it, and it gets bigger every year. And it doesn't matter what you do, its going to keep going, you could knock it down with a hurricane and it just rebuilds. Light it on fire, it rebuilds.
I think if you were an intelligent life-form from another planet, you wouldn't see individual people, you wouldn't see housekeepers and limo drivers, and stand up comedians. You wouldn't see that, you would see mold on a sandwich.
I think if you look at us subjectively and the way we've always been, it doesn't matter how much access to info we have, it doesn't matter how much technological innovation we have, we're always going to destroy the Earth, 'cos I think, one way or another, that's what we're supposed to do.
That's our purpose here on earth. We are here to fuck shit up. I think we're here to eat the sandwich.

Redditor Nesshie91 provided the above transcription in a thread there. The subsequent discussion is illuminating, touching on everything from Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot to a 1934 scientific paper by Russian biologist Georgii Frantsevich Gause called "The Struggle for Existence," which explains what happens when bacteria reaches its limits.

If the theory above strikes a chord in you, the thread is worth the read and it's right here.


12 Things to Buy With the Money You'll Save On Your 2016 Core77 Conference Ticket

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This Sunday, July 31, is the last day to purchase Early Bird tickets to the 2016 Core77 Conference Designing Here/Now


You might be wondering, "is it worth getting my ticket early?" Remember, the early bird gets the worm. In this case, the worm is an extra $100 in your pocket, the savings from buying an Early Bird ticket. 

As a reward for your diligence, here's 12 ways to treat yourself with the money you save by purchasing an Early Bird ticket by Sunday!

12. Bug Lady is the new Cat Lady, 12,000 live Ladybugs to get you started.

11. Rent a car to visit this time machine in the Mojave.

10. Purchase one half of a Robot Dog—your new best friend from the Core77 Conference will cover the other half.

9. A ninja sword set—this set is a "Pinterest favorite!"

8. 20 $5 physic readings to curb any doubts about the future of your startup. 

7. Send 10 of your enemies glitter. Finally, a way to anonymously get back at people you hate.

6. Mail 10 potatoes (if glitter isn't confusing enough for your 10 enemies).

5. Six pairs of Pizza Scissors to throw the ultimate pizza party.

4. A 3D Printing Pen to take your dreams from imaginary to plastic.

3. Satisfy your West Coast cravings with 34 In-n-Out cheeseburgers.

2. A fancy chemical suit for the coming zombie apocalypse.

1. Embrace your DUNE fantasies while driving a dune buggy for 2 hours.

With this motivation in mind, make sure to grab an early bird ticket to Core77 Conference Designing Here/Now before it's too late. Workshops, tours and discussion panels are waiting for you in sunny LA this September.

Purchase your Early Bird ticket by Sunday, July 31st and save $100!!

How to Stay Organized in Small Spaces

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One of my challenges as a professional organizer is to find creative ways to store things in small houses and apartments. Even when people have uncluttered their spaces, there are often challenges—so I appreciate thoughtful designs that help make the most of the space that's available.

Bulky items can be a challenge, and sports equipment often falls into that category. So I was pleased to see the folding sled from 3R, designed by Max Frommeld and Arno Mathies, which originally launched on Kickstarter. The seat is made from high-density polyethylene using a CNC router.

The sled folds to less than half its original size, so the end user could potentially store it under a bed or a couch. Even if it's stored in a closet or garage, it will take  significantly less space than other sleds. 

Another piece of sporting equipment is the ONAK origami foldable canoe; the Kickstarter for this product will fund on August 1. It's made from a "patent pending Honeycomb - Curv Polypropylene material." 

The canoe folds into a suitcase that's 120 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm. The rectangular shape makes it much easier to stash away than a regular canoe.

The developers say it may take a purchaser about 20 minutes to unfold the canoe the first time, but less than 10 minutes after some experience. Folding it back up takes them less than five minutes.

Luggage is another type of bulky item that can present storage challenges. Travelers who don't travel too often can use suitcases as storage spaces for clothes or other items, but the darn suitcases still have to go somewhere. So the collapsible Neit luggage, originally launched on Kickstarter, has a lot of appeal. This is hard case luggage, made from polycarbonate and an aircraft-grade aluminum frame.

Néit luggage reduces to 30 percent of its original volume in 10 seconds. The collapsed suitcase is only three inches tall, so it will fit under some beds. It could also be hung from its handle.

Barracuda collapsible luggage also launched on Kickstarter. It has some interesting features, including a rotating handle and a laptop tray built into the handle. It's made from Makrolon polycarbonate, ballistic nylon and aircraft-grade aluminum. 

Barracuda Collapse Gif.gif

But for organizing purposes, what's interesting is that within about 10 seconds the suitcase can collapse down to four and a half inches in depth. That's not as compact as the Néit luggage, but it should still fit under many beds; many under-bed baskets and bags run about seven inches deep. 

The Barracuda also comes with a storage bag, and that bag has a hook that allows the traveler to hang it in a closet, similarly to how a garment bag would hang. If the traveler has two Barracudas, one can be hung from the other.

CDs are yet another item that can take up a huge amount of space for those who have substantial collections—and there are still a number of people who have such collections and want to hold onto them. For those who want to keep the cover art and other related materials, sleeves can be a good option. Jewelsleeves, made of heavy duty vinyl, have three top-opening pockets: one with cushioning on both sides for the CD itself, one for the booklet or cover art, and a taller one for the tray card. (Full disclosure: I happened meet the man who makes this product, and he sent me a few sample sleeves.)

The sleeves are about 25 percent as thick as a jewel case, although a purchaser noted that's more like one-third as thick once the sleeves are loaded. But that's still a substantial space saving. The sleeves can then be stored in specially designed chests or in nice cases—or in simple inexpensive storage boxes.

For CD (or DVD) owners who don't care about keeping the printed material handy, there are numerous CD/DVD binders. But the Discgear Selector is another intriguing space-saving design that gets lots of raves and repeat purchases.

With the Discgear, the end user loads the CDs into the unit and creates a numbered title sheet of all the CDs, using software that's provided; that list rests in a tray that pulls out. To get any specific CD, the end user notes the number, moves the knob to the right number, presses the bar—and the disc is retrieved. 

This won't work for everyone; not all end users are disciplined enough to create and maintain that index. And one purchaser noted that the listing was a bit small for aging eyes to read. Some models have pop-out LED lights for reading the title sheet, which seems like a nice addition to the design.

Loft beds are one way to make use of all the space in a room, and there are many such beds for children. But when I tried to find an adult-sized one for a client a few years ago—a queen-size or king-size bed—there wasn't much around. But now I'm seeing a few options, such as the Urbano adult loft beds from Casa Collection, designed by Roberto Gil

There's a lot of storage built into this king-size bed, which is nice for rooms that have the space for that. And some end users will find those stairs easier to use than the ladders that often come with loft beds. Coming off hip replacement surgery, I noticed (and was glad to see) the grab bar along the stairs.

For end users who don't have that kind of space, the loft beds from Francis Lofts and Bunks will work better. Purchasers comment on how sturdy the thing is—definitely a key design feature for a loft bed! They also note the assembly was easy, which is another big plus.

One of the accessories available for this bed is the bookshelf at the head of the bed, which seems like it would be useful to many end users. One side rail is standard, but another side rail and one or more end rails are also available; that's a nice accommodation for different bed placements (against a wall or not) and different end user needs. There are also three heights available, for 8-foot, 9-foot and 10-foot ceilings. 

The Cabidor is yet another way to make use of every little bit of space: in this case, the space behind a door. It fits any standard door and pivots off the hinges. If the door is in a corner, there must be at least 3 ½ inches from the center of the hinge pin to the side wall.

Six of the eight shelves on this model are adjustable, which is an important feature for any kind of shelving. The retention rods help keep things in place while still keeping them visible. 

A metal striker plate and magnet keep the Cabidor closed when not in use. (Some purchasers said the magnet is so strong that it's hard to open the Cabidor.) The Cabidor isn't the most attractive thing when closed, so end users might want to be a bit fussy as to where they install this. A number of purchasers mention using them in bathrooms with limited storage.

Reader Submitted: Minimalist Housewares Made From Recycled Construction Waste

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Recycle Series, an experimental series mainly made of recycled construction concrete.

Recycle Series is the reflection on modern society's current situation. With the rapid development of the construction industry, an increasing amount of construction waste is polluting our environment.

We took construction waste, like used concrete and stone, transferred them into heavily used products by using a traditional technique for making rustic finishes. Through this series, industry and nature can coexist harmoniously.


RI Table Light
Credit: Bentu Design
YAN Plant Pot
Credit: Bentu Design
YAN Plant Pot
Credit: Bentu Design
U Pendant Light & LUAN Table light
Credit: Bentu Design
KUI Pendant Light
Credit: Bentu Design
KUI Pendant Light
Credit: Bentu Design
DIAN Pendant Light
Credit: Bentu Design
DIAN Pendant Light
Credit: Bentu Design
DIAN Pendant Light
Credit: Bentu Design
DIAN Pendant Light
Credit: Bentu Design
View the full project here

Red Dot Award Winning Tools, Part 2: Air+ Smart Mask and CleanSpace Ultra Respirator

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Among the tools that won Red Dot Awards this year were a respirator and particle mask. They perform similar functions but are miles apart in terms of their technology. The AIR+ Smart Mask is a dust or surgical mask—with an unusual extra. The CleanSpace Respirator is an industrial-grade personal protective device with roots in the medical equipment industry. Both are incredibly clever designs.

Air+ Smart Mask

This fabric face mask was categorized as a tool but could just as easily been listed under "life science and medicine." No matter; it's still very cool. Designed in Singapore, it's being pitched to people who work around dust or wear surgical masks in public, a common practice in Asia, where people wear masks to filter out pollution and prevent the spread of communicable diseases (and also to protect themselves from the cold).

By itself the Smart Mask differs little from common N95 dust masks. When the wearer inhales, air is pulled through and filtered by the fabric. But instead of passing out through the fabric when the wearer exhales, it exits through a one-way valve on the side of the mask.

The valve contains a rubber flapper and is similar to those found on respirators. The valve reduces the likelihood that air will leak out from the top edge of the mask and fog the wearer's glasses. This is not the first or only fabric mask to have such a feature. But what follows is, so far as I know, a first.

The mask can be equipped with a micro-ventilator, a fan module powered by a lithium-ion battery. The module clips onto the exhaust valve and functions as an exhaust fan.

Intended to make the mask comfortable to wear for long periods of time, the fan pulls hot stale air from inside and exhausts it to the exterior—no more sweating into the mask or re-breathing the same air.

The module can be removed and the battery recharged by plugging it into a USB port. Equipped with a simple on/off switch it is said to run 2.5 hours per charge and can be fully recharged 500 times before needing to be replaced. The mask itself is good for about 8 hours of use.

Smart Masks come in multiple sizes to better fit individual faces. They're designed with Asian facial proportions in mind—a plus in the Asian markets where the product is currently available. There's no reason to think these could not be adapted to fit people in other parts of the world.

CleanSpace Ultra Respirator

One of several models from the Australian brand, CleanSpace, this modular respirator consists of a silicone mask  that connects to a power unit that rests on the wearer's neck.

The power unit contains a fan, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, electronics, and a replaceable particle filter. 

The power unit pulls air in, filters it, and feeds it to the mask through the hollow "arms" that hold them together. Stale air passes out through a one-way valve on the front of the mask when the wearer exhales.

Designed for use in industrial and medical settings, the respirator accepts a variety of filters, including ones for use around infectious agents and for asbestos removal, chemical handling, and lead abatement. The filter above is installed in an optional adapter.

It would be hard to breathe if the fan ran at constant speed so it changes speed (and pressure) in response to the wearer's breathing. Sensors and an algorithm tell the electronics to make the fan run faster when the wearer inhales and slower (or off) when he or she exhales. 

This is the same technology used in the automatic CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines used treat people who suffer from sleep apnea.

The power unit can be used with different size masks. Masks can be swapped out when dirty or worn—and used with an optional full-face shield. That device on the front of the face shield is not a filter; it's a mechanism that amplifies speech so the wearer can communicate with others nearby.

An Introduction to Wood Species, Part 22: African Mahogany 

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African Mahogany 

Khaya ivorensis

African Mahogany is the common name for a multitude of species variants, the two most common of which are Khaya ivorensis and Khaya senegalensis. At J. Gibson McIlvain, we only stock a couple of these species and we keep close track of which is which so we can supply consistency in color, grain, and workability to our customers. Regardless, we have cultivated relationships with mills in Africa to ensure we can supply the highest quality African Mahogany wood.

Image and work by DeVos Custom Woodworking

Although it shares a similar color with Genuine Mahogany (a somewhat lighter pink), its other characteristics are very different. African Mahogany is a pale reddish-brown color with a straight, interlocking grain, and the species is about 50% harder than most Mahogany woods. This variegated grain can produce beautiful dark and light bands of color when finished. The range is vast with regions all over the African continent producing species variants that all get lumped under the trade name "African Mahogany". This can cause confusion and concern when a single load of supposedly the same species is actually conglomerated from 3 or 4 species. In the end the customer can have a different experience from one board to the next. We have worked hard with our mills to isolate these species and buy unmixed containers of only the high quality species. The higher the quality of the African Mahogany, the better it will machine and finish, so our standards are very strict regarding the lumber we import.

Image and work by DeVos Custom Woodworking

Like most Mahoganies, African Mahogany boasts a number of characteristics that make it especially well-suited to exterior applications, and it is often employed in door and window manufacturing projects. African Mahogany is the cheapest of the Mahoganies, and it is often purchased for use as an affordable alternative to Genuine Mahogany. Like Genuine Mahogany, African Mahogany is quite stable once finished; the species takes stain, clear coat, and paint very well, giving consumers plenty of flexibility.

Image and work by DeVos Custom Woodworking

At J. Gibson McIlvain, we work very hard to import only the finest African Mahogany, and with so many variables depending on growth region and species variations, this is no easy task. Nevertheless, we strive to maintain a large inventory of the world's best selections of African Mahogany at all times.

___________________________________________________

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.

See all of the Wood Species entries.



How Much Weight Can a Shopping Cart Hold?

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One of the lessons I remember well from ID school was delivered by then-professor Bruce Hannah. Hannah was discussing the intelligent implementation of materials, using the bicycle wheel as an example.

He pointed out that the wire spokes are relatively inexpensive and individually quite weak, such that anyone in the class could hold one and bend it in half. But you take a bunch of them and attach them to a hub within a circular frame, and suddenly you have something absurdly, and affordably, strong.

 

The following GIF wasn't part of Hannah's lecture, but consider how well the spokes and rim are doing their job here:

Another commonplace item that makes good use of wire is the classic shopping cart. Admittedly the underpinnings are actual tubes, but the design is still a fine example of exploiting the properties of economical materials to provide strength.

So how much weight do you think one can hold? Has anyone ever warned you not to let your children ride on the front of a shopping cart, as they might break it? These folks here decided to stack weights into one to see if they could make it fail, and the end number is pretty darn surprising:

I'd like to see how the plastic ones stand up.

Via The Awesomer

Feeling Berned? Burn One Out For Bernie

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Were you one of the crying viewers during the DNC? Do you still dream of #orbust glory? Are you thrilled by schadenfreude, or titillated by unexpected-yet-appropriate crossover branding? Take the edge off the pain or connect with your feelings with a (now discounted) Burn One For Bernie ceramic pipe. 

These glossy pieces combine high fire porcelain and base-savvy branding, handmade by Stonedware Company, a project of ceramic artist Ariel Zimman. With proceeds donated towards the Bernie Sanders campaign they caught on like campfire, sparking late night conversations and heated internet articles alike. 

Donated income from (tobacco-intended) smoking paraphernalia might make some pundits wheeze, but the popularity of these pipes was intense enough to hit the front page of HuffPo and the maximum donation limit. After reaching the cap, proceeds have been directed to organizations supporting the work of women in the arts and STEM fields.

Though Bernie's sweet victory never came, the chance to enjoy some sweet bud remains, and what better way to stick it to the Man (or Woman) for years to come. 

The remaining pipes and chillums are a poetic encapsulation of a sticky political and social moment, and some of the more useful memorabilia on offer. They're available for 50% off ($30-$50) until they're gone, fading away like our hope for a Larry David presidency on SNL. 

4 Tips from Everlane on How to Master The Side Hustle

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By now you're probably well aware that by 2020, 40% of the American workforce is expected to be freelance. In theory, this seems kind of cool—less people tied down to their desks, miserable in cubicles. With mantras such as "do what you love" and "follow your bliss," who wouldn't want to be freelance? While the life of a freelancer/small business owner is idealized as liberated and exciting, in reality, it's actually pretty tough.

In New York's first Transparency Talk by Everlane, a brand whose business model is built on direct customer transactions and radical factory transparency, writers and "slashies" Olivia Fleming and Lisa Przystup engaged in conversation about their entrepreneurial experiences. Prompted by an absence in the market, Fleming, current Senior Features Editor for Harper's Bazaar, started her fine "mood" jewelry business Olivia Kane in 2015. A writer for a variety of publications, Przystup found inspiration in a writing assignment and eventually founded her Brooklyn-based floral business James's Daughter Flowers. Like many creatives living in urban areas, the two women followed their inclinations to pursue side interests by starting small businesses while keeping full-time jobs. Thinking of becoming a freelancer? Or starting your own business? Here are their tips for mastering the side hustle.

"Jump into the deep end and figure it out."

Starting your own business isn't always impulsive and passionate. It's not always leaving Wall Street to open a yoga studio or cupcake business and choosing polar opposites or following your lifelong dream. Sometimes following your passion can only take the form of a freelance small business, and sometimes becoming a freelancer is the only employment choice you have. 

Lisa Przystup never dreamed of being a florist, until she wrote a piece for New York Magazine's The Cut about chic, Brooklyn florists. Even then, she wasn't in love with the idea. Instead, she thought, This could be cool. Slowly she fell in love with the idea of being a florist, and after budget cuts and a job loss, almost a year after the initial flower story aired, she jumped into the industry.

Lisa Przystup assembling an arrangement / Photo Credit: Lisa Przystup

Opposite Przystup, Olivia Fleming's jewelry business stemmed from a childhood dream—not to be a jewelry designer, but to have a mood ring that didn't leave a green line around her finger. She only decided to start her own business when upon hearing her complaints about cheap brass and plastic jewelry, a friend asked "Why don't you just make your own?" With no good excuse, Fleming set out to start her own business. Like Przystup and Fleming, you'll eventually commit to your idea. When you do, jump into the deep end and get ready to figure it all out.

It's really all about connections

After deciding to start Olivia Kane, Fleming realized she didn't know the first thing about jewelry design. Sure, she styled jewelry on famous celebrities and wrote about jewelry for famed publications, but to design is a whole other discipline. Her first step was to find a mentor to teach her the technical and logistical aspects of metalsmithing. Is there someone in your professional life who inspires you? Someone who has experience in your freelance field, or in the area you're least confident in? Ask them to help you, find a mentor.

Olivia Fleming's Studio / Photo credit: Need Supply Co.

If you're like Przystup, you'll pull all the strings. Call your friend who has a car and ask them to pick you up from the flower market or metal scrap yard or lumber yard or wherever it is that you find your materials. No one likes to spend $30 on an Uber. People get it. Call your contacts from your past or current full time job, from anywhere really. Ask if they need whatever you're peddling for their offices, for their homes, if they know anyone who would or if they can refer you. Cling to those connections. Now that you've told people about your new endeavor, your idea is a reality. It's official. You're a freelancer/small business owner. Congrats, now get ready to feel stressed out.

The stress is normal

Unfortunately, the stress is a guarantee. As a freelancer/small business owner/party of one, you are responsible for every aspect of your business. You are the boss. You are the secretary. You are it. If you're not like Olivia Fleming and don't have a significant other who works at SquareSpace (connections, gotta have 'em) you'll probably be the one making a website for yourself. If you're not like Lisa Przystup, you don't have experience as a copywriter and will probably struggle writing things like "crafted from the finest cotton." You are your marketing team. You are also your brand's social media manager, better catch up on the new Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest algorithms.

Photo Credit: Lisa Przystup

Feeling stressed yet? It's ok. Organization will save you. Keep a calendar and follow it religiously, create lists and make sure to check off everything on them. Remember, it's okay to take a day off.

Customer service is key

So what do you actually do as a freelancer or small business owner? You provide a good or service of some sort and in doing so, customer service is 90% of your business. Like Olivia Fleming, you might get a phone call from a woman saying you've shipped the wrong item and have ruined her daughter's graduation present. Or, like Lisa Przystup, you might be servicing an important client on a special day (read: bride) and a single mistake from you could ruin the entire occasion in her eyes. These customers might be right, or they may be wrong. Regardless, now as a small business owner, it is your job to service them. Remember, not everyone is going to be happy all the time. But if you can make your clients and yourself happy, go for it.

Running your own business is hard. The reality is stressful and exhausting. But the victories can be oh so invigorating.

 

Looking for more entrepreneurial advice? Check out our Entrepreneurship Chanel and follow our Business of Design Pinterest board. 

Design Job: Step To It as a Senior Footwear Creator for The Brooklyn Farm & adidas in Brooklyn, NY

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The Brooklyn Farm is an open source creation center that will help shape creative direction across the entire adidas brand. Serving as a cultural contact point between creators, culture and consumers alike, the Farm will let people take risks, have fun and experiment without limitations.

View the full design job here

Using Open Innovation to Reimagine the End of Life

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Core77 is profiling our 2016 Design Here/Now conference speakers in anticipation of September's main event. There's still time to save money with an Early Bird ticket! Buy yours before Sunday, July 31st!

Is there a way to design for death? Through their online open innovation platform, IDEO is extending the question in the OpenIDEO Challenge, asking participants:  How might we reimagine the end-of-life experience for ourselves and our loved ones? Aiming to design solutions for the unmet needs of the 40 million people each year who require end of life care, OpenIDEO's collaborative format requires participation and feedback from the global community, as no two lives are or end exactly the same. 

By working with others, Core77 Conference speaker Dana Cho of IDEO is a leader in this movement for redesigning the experience of death. The seven phase OpenIDEO process moves participants from initial Inspiration to to final Impact, with the end goal of generating tangible design solutions to be implemented by Sutter Health and The Helix Center. 

Currently in the Refinement stage, 362 contributions have been narrowed to 50 ideas, ranging from website to object to environment design. A Partner and Managing Director of IDEO Palo Alto, Cho specializes in hospitality, healthcare and retail. She also co-founded IDEO Smart Space, which applies human-centered innovation to physical experiences for top clients such as Nike, Mayo Clinic and The Ritz-Carlton. At the Core77 Conference, Cho will explore open innovation platforms and the motivation, process and outcomes of storytelling as a tool for designing end of life experiences.

In our interview with her and collaborator Dr. BJ Miller last month, Cho expressed the need for collaboration when addressing such personal and taboo topics. While working through a participatory step-by-step process to break down the challenge's most complex components, the diverse backgrounds of OpenIDEO members is what makes the model so successful.

"The OpenIDEO community leverages a global network of entrepreneurs, students, designers, seasoned professionals and everyone with an interest and passion. With these partners and advisors, our process and a global network of collaborators, we can bring action and design to a topic that desperately needs it."

The OpenIDEO platform is actively seeking designer input and responses to the proposed projects before moving into the Final Feedback stage next week. Below are some of the innovative ideas about how to redesign the end of life experience from the OpenIDEO community:

Halolife: Online end of life planning

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An online burial and cremation planning service created by Jake Beyer, currently Beta testing in California,HaloLife addresses the end of life service industry's lack of transparency. The online planning tool relieves families and individuals of the stress of exploring for services as uneducated buyers and instead allows them to plan end of life services at their own pace.

Once Upon a Time: Using narratives as a tool for remembrance

Reimagining how children experience the death of a loved one, Once Upon a Time is a narrative tool for children to learn about their family's history created by Jess Paik. Instead of learning about endurance and love through traditional (and commercialized) fairy tales, the book's format reimagines how a new culture of storytelling can be crafted using the lives of our loved ones, allowing their memories to live on, even after they have passed.

WhenI die, I wanna be...: Reimagining sustainable end of life options

With the goal of encouraging people to discuss mortality more openly, When I die, I wanna be… is an online platform created by Burcu Turkay that aims to restore the perception of belonging and returning to nature. In asking users to re-imagine themselves after death and connecting them with a map of others who feel the same way worldwide, people are reminded that death is universal and no one is alone. In addition to providing a visual network of solidarity, the platform provides environmentally sustainable end of life options.

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


Can't Decide Between Republicans and Democrats? Try "Sea-vilization"

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It is interesting to see what billionaires spend their time and money on, particuarly when those things can directly affect humanity's future. Elon Musk's involvement in Tesla, SolarCity and SpaceX, with their terrestrial and spacebound ambitions, is renowned. Less well known is that his PayPal co-founder, Peter Thiel, is looking to the ocean for his vision of the future.

Thiel, a man whose politics have confused many, co-founded the Seasteading Institute along with Patri Friedman, an ex-Google software engineer turned political economic theorist. Their idea is to build "startup cities" that float on the ocean. What's interesting is that the driving factor isn't to advance technology, or sustainability, or naval architecture; instead those elements will be harnessed in service to their key goal, which appears to be, fascinatingly, sociopolitical experimentation.

At The Seasteading Institute, we believe that experiments are the source of all progress: to find something better, you have to try something new. But right now, there is no open space for experimenting with new societies.
That's why we work to enable seasteading communities— floating cities — which will allow the next generation of pioneers to peacefully test new ideas for how to live together.
In this age of limited governance options, we intend to suggest an alternative model that allows new communities to form beyond the limiting jurisdictions of existing nation states in order to promote freedom and competition in the marketplace.
We believe there could be a market on our floating city for residences, tourism, aquaculture, a business park, a research institute, and a powerplant to sell energy and clean water back to the host nation.
If we create jobs for local residents, government officials indicated a willingness to allow us substantial political autonomy.

Here are two videos these guys have put out. The first is just the eye candy:

The second is for those of you who are interested in the organization's thinking. In this fascinating pecha-kucha-style presentation, aptly-named spokesman Joe Quirk answers 20 questions—among them, "What if it turns into Waterworld?" "What if I get seasick?" and "What about pirates?"—with 20-second answers each:

You have to love any presentation that kicks off with "The technology for politically independent cities that float on the ocean is at hand and I am here to bring you peace." The other quotes that jumped out at me:

- Seasteaders want voluntary societies based on choice, not force.
- The problem with state politics is that all our political opinions represent threats against people who disagree with us. Its very difficult for a monopoly on violence to form if people can detach and sail their homes elsewhere. Power corrupts people, land is the locus of power, and this is the technology for the decentralization of power.
- We do not live on Planet Earth. We live on Planet Ocean.

Whaddaya say, shall we roll the dice on these guys? Or do you already have your candidates picked out?

"Dirtbag": A Documentary On The Craziest Legend In American Climbing

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You don't have to know anything about mountain climbing to recognize Fred Beckey as a special kind of powerhouse. For those who do recognize the name, he's more myth than man. Before REI, GoreTex, or titanium gear, ravenous climbers were fueled by legends about the impossible places Fred Beckey had been and his guidebooks that proved it. 

Beckey is one of the most confounding, notorious, and impressive figures in the history of American outdooring, and the film Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey is ready to show us why:

Beckey began testing his limits against mountains while he was still in his teens, surviving illegal climbs and avalanches and coming back for more. He began challenging what people considered impossible shortly after. He's made more first ascents than any other North American climber, and did a shocking number of the climbs unassisted. 

The list of summits and routes he singlehandedly pioneered is too long to list here, and his advice on climbing would fill tomes well beyond the 13 he's written. If you go outdoors, particularly out west, it's nearly impossible to avoid places he's routed or named.

To pursue his wild and record-setting career he's spent the majority of his years as a down and out vagabond of the outdoors: an original Dirtbag with few other goals and a decidedly bohemian take on life. His dogged love for the climb above all else has pushed him into places few have ventured since, and has taken its toll on his relationships of all types. 

Today he's still inscrutable and unstoppable at 93, and he has hardly changed his upward-bound lifestyle in the face of aging. He'll still sleep unannounced in friends' driveways, swear himself blue about past climbing partners, and slog up treacherous paths in pursuit of a rare view.

Dirtbag's director Dave O'Leske took a full decade of international trips and interviews with Beckey to build out a better picture of the enigmatic climber. In the process he assembled a surprisingly deep portrait of a passionate, obstinate outdoorsman in his later years.

The film combines intimate interviews and travels with Fred over the last 10 years, as well as historical photos and footage, beautiful aerial photography of his routes, animated anecdotes from his personal life, and interviews with numerous compatriots including some of the world's greatest climbers. 

The film's production team has worked on several other feature length films concerning historic climbing and outdooring. If successful the campaign will support final editing, motion graphics, scoring, and be ready to roll out for the fall film festival circuit.

Whether you've followed Beckey's routes yourself or don't know a crampon from a carabiner, there's a good chance you've gained something from his zeal and love of the outdoors. Pioneers like Fred steered the development of modern athletics, environmentalism and technology. Even from the safe recline of a desk or couch, it's going to be exciting to see the old man get the credit he's due.

The DirtbagKickstarter campaign runs through August 25, 2016. 



Reader Submitted: A Robotic Suitcase That Follows You Around Like a Puppy

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COWAROBOT R1 is the world's first carry-on suitcase that rolls along with you. Designed to free your hands from holding or rolling luggage while traveling, the 20-inch case uses multi-sensor fusion technology and a robot motion control algorithm to allow autonomous following and obstacle avoidance.

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View the full project here

These "Share My Space" Competition Semifinalists Have a Chance to Win Core77 Conference Tickets!

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If you've got an amazing office space or team, it's almost too easy to win tickets to this year's Core77 Designing Here/Now conference on how design-led co-creation will lead interdisciplinary teams to build successful, game-changing products of our near future. The way you win a pair of tickets? 

Simply show us what makes your workspace great and why.

We're looking for elements of your workspace that make it stand out from the rest—perhaps it has to do with rituals taking place in your office, like a weekly inspiration meeting where everyone shares what's getting their creative juices flowing. Maybe your offices are outfitted with fantastic furniture, or have a great relaxation corner for afternoon siestas? The options and opportunities to win are limitless!

Following week two of our "Share My Space" contest, we're sharing submissions that stood out from the crowd, clenching them as semifinalists in our photo sharing competition:

Ya Burnt

We appreciate a light roast every now and again in an office environment, which is why we thought this submission from Robert Patterson hit the motive of the competition right on the head by showing us a workplace is as much about feeling comfortable with your coworkers as it is being successful and efficient. 

We can't resist your submissions highlighting nifty products, like this Flyte lamp posted by andesignlab—and we couldn't agree more that having objects around that entertain and inspire us are certainly conducive to a rich, creative design environment.

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!


Just a Guy Riding Around NYC on a Super Tall Bicycle

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I've seen this dude riding around several times, and here he starts off just a couple blocks from Core77 HQ in NYC.

Every time I see him zip past I'm filled with questions: How does he get on and off? How does he get this thing up the stairs to wherever he lives? What does he do at crosswalks since he can't put his foot down? Who made this? Has he ever crashed it? Here we got to see the dismount at least, and it appears he just weaves while waiting for lights, but the rest is a mystery.


The Hummer of Off-Road Wheelchairs and The Story of How A Famous Architect's Ashes Became a Diamond

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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 Most Extreme Wheelchair Mod I've Ever Seen 

This video bills the Ripchair as the Ferrari of the powered wheelchair world, but a Hummer is a better comparison. In addition to treaded 24 hp rough and tumble mobility, the Ripchair is built to incorporate the user's own chair for minimum transfers and maximum comfort. Ostensibly powerful enough for a full day of backwoods rambling, and quiet enough for a hunting trip - I do neither and still want to try one.

—Kat Bauman, contributing writer

How Luis Barragán Became a Diamond

A long-winded legal battle around intellectual ownership is being reinterpreted as a gothic love story by conceptual artist Jill Magid and further documented in this fantastic New Yorker article.

The structure of this very true tale: a woman to be married to the heir of a prestigious design legacy asks not for an engagement ring but instead for the archive left by the late Luis Barragán, the prolific, Pritzker Prize-winning Mexican architect. The woman, so taken by these works, locks away the archive and keeps it to herself. Magid, in conjunction with the Barragán family, exhumes the ashes of the famous architect and turns the remains into a lab-grown diamond. For what purpose? To propose to the ringless wealthy wife and owner of the archive to return Barragán's life's work to Mexico in exchange for the body of the architect.

—Allison Fonder, community manager

Talking With Tuesday Bassen About Her David VS. Goliath Battle Against Zara

Not only is Zara ruining the world through fast fashion, but also by stealing the work of over 20 indie artists in the past year alone. Tuesday Bassen's legal battle with the massive Spanish brand has generated a media storm. By telling the artist she isn't famous enough to have her work stolen, even though it was undoubtedly stolen, Zara is attacking livelihoods and committing a crime against small, independent artists and designers everywhere. Between needing to promote work on multiple social media platforms and having online portfolios, there is nowhere for indie artists and designers to hide from massive retailers while still generating business. Check out this site to see side by side comparisons of indie artist designs with Zara products and for more media coverage.

—Molly Millette, editorial intern

A Camera That Gives The Selfie Stick Some Historical Context

This is the Mintola ac 301 Courrèges, the product of a collaboration between camera brand, Mintola and French fashion house, Courregès in the 1980s. This camera was designed to take self portraits–the small mirror on its face allows users to check themselves out while taking their own picture. Sound familiar? Looks like iPhone front-facing cameras and selfie sticks have ancestors after all. This article/interview with artist, Simon Denny, discusses everything from his "discovery" of this camera and how China's Shanzhai bootleg industry can actually be somewhat inventive.

—Emily Engle, editorial assistant

How NASA Space Suit Science Could Keep NYC Subway Stations Dry

With the recent announcement that the L Train will be shut down for TWO YEARS to repair water damage from Superstorm Sandy, this article from the engineers at Arup about seeking out a solution to keep NYC Subway Stations dry is both timely and a reminder of the urgency of designing for resiliency.

—LinYee Yuan, managing editor

Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Plane Crash

In July of 1945 a U.S. Army B-25 bomber was flying over Manhattan in heavy fog—and crashed directly into the Empire State Building, killing 11 people within and the three crewmen onboard. It's a little-known NYC story and crazy to think how they cleared the wreckage using 1940s technology. For instance, in an era predating reciprocating saws, how do you get a mangled B-25 into small enough pieces to bring down from the 79th floor of a building?

—Rain Noe, senior editor

A DIY Vise, Designing Dust Collection for Messy Tools, Making a Hammer Rack, Creating a Glowing Boomerang and More

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Phosphorescent Boomerang

La Fabrique DIY's been silent for a while, but it was worth the wait. This week they not only make a boomerang that works perfectly, but add phosphorescence for a wicked effect:

How to Make Your Own Saddle Square...

Izzy Swan's tool-designing prowess is on display twice this week. First, he shows you how build a saddle (straddle?) square of his own design:

...AND a Quick Vise

Next, Swan gets to use the saddle square to create this DIY quick vise:

Designing a Pantorouter Dust Collection Hood, Part 1

It's fun watching people "design out loud," so to speak, and here Matthias Wandel walks you through his efforts to create a dust collection system for a tricky application, the pantorouter, after finding his friend Kuldeep's 3D-printed one not up to par.

Designing a Pantorouter Dust Collection Hood, Part 2

It takes a lot to amaze Wandel, but you can see he's clearly impressed as Kuldeep perfects the hood design with version 2.0 and Wandel puts it through its paces:

Sandcastle

This week, we get a fun video from Frank Howarth working in a material we've not yet seen him use: Sand.

Hammer Rack

Jimmy DiResta's a guy who has so many hammers he needs a rack to store them all. So this week he makes one using what look to be leftover parts from a plumbing job:

Workbench Leg Vise

Jay Bates has been quiet this month, but this week, he's back. As a favor to his buddy, he's duplicating his workbench's beefy leg vise and making some stylistic improvements to it:

Air-Powered Pudding Gun

Here's a project Bob Clagett made for his kids where you get the feeling that Mrs. Clagett wanted to kill him when she got home. And you've got to love any maker video that has the line "Then I went to the kitchen and made an assortment of puddings and Jell-O's" in the middle of it.

Brass & Walnut Cassette Tape Case

Pretty cool! Laura Kampf creates a variant of the classic cassette tape case using brass and walnut. She's donating it for the Makercast Podcast Giveaway.


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