Meet Ascetic, the laptop meets briefcase, for entrepreneurs on the go. This premium laptop provides the modern professional with a new and unique device that no longer requires an additional carrier. The luxurious finish of leather and sleek exterior, in combination with a retro inspired keyboard creates a dialogue between the days of the old typewriter and the future of ever evolving design. Blending these together resulted in a product with which consumers can identify themselves, their own ambition & view of life with our values and vision of design. Discover a new way of working on the go with Ascetic.

American Field is an outfit that seeks to promote "the best of American-made brands" by holding pop-up shops around the country featuring dozens of vendors. They rotate through Boston, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Nashville and Brooklyn, that last location being described as "the widest selection of #MadeinUSA products ever assembled under one roof" (we have no way to confirm if that's hyperbole). Creators of clothing, footwear, accessories, recreational products, skincare/grooming products, home items and food are all welcome. Here's some footage of an earlier Brooklyn showing that gives you a sense of the vibe:

The idea is that American Field takes care of the marketing and promotion of the event, documents everything on social media and draws in press as well as shoppers, allowing the vendors to focus on stocking, selling and making contacts on the floor. After each event the organization produces a numerical re-cap to let vendors (and would-be future vendors) know how they did. Here's an example from last year's Brooklyn showing:

It would be nice if they provided just a bit more detail for clarity's sake. The math doesn't add up, for instance, on the Total Vendor Revenue of $236,000 spread over 118 vendors; they have the Average Revenue per Vendor at $1,200—but $236,000 divided by 118 actually comes out to $2,000. That leaves $94,400 unaccounted for, which is a bit too big to be a rounding error.

My first thought was that they were subtracting the price of the booth rentals, but that doesn't work either: Looking at the 2016 Vendor Contract, the smallest booth you can rent in Brooklyn is a 10' x 10' that rings in at $1,250.

To clear this up, I put in a phone call to American Field's office number listed on their Facebook page, but only got a prerecorded message announcing I'd reached a company with a different name altogether. So I'm not sure what's going on there.

In any case, if you're an independent designer for whom an event like this would be useful, here are the locations and dates for upcoming American Field events:

Boston

Sept. 17-18

San Francisco

Oct. 8-9

Washington, D.C.

Oct. 15-16

Atlanta

Nov. 12-13

Nashville

Nov. 19-20

Brooklyn

Dec. 3-4

Lastly, if you were one of the vendors at a previous American Field event, and can explain the accounting, please do reach out and let us know how we can contact you. I checked out the re-caps from other cities and the math is off on those, too; I'm curious as to what we're missing.

The way I see it, you're not really in the game until you've begun contacting potential licensees to pitch them on your concept for a new product. Up until now, the work you've done has been more or less in a vacuum. Before you get in too deep, you need feedback. You need proof of demand. Are you on the right track? Is anyone interested? In other words, is the concept worth developing further? When you reach out to companies you think are a good fit for your idea, your goal is to get a dialogue going. If your marketing materials are good, they'll do the selling for you.

To be clear, I believe in testing early and often. That's part of my strategy. For those who want to do this for a living, it's essential. You can't afford to spend too much of your time on an idea that ultimately goes nowhere, as I've detailed at length. On the other hand, there are good reasons why some product developers prefer to continue developing a concept on their own first, like their eventual ability to negotiate for a higher royalty rate. (You've put in the work, after all.) But as far as most consumer products today are concerned, I think the risk is simply too great. There are many more worthless patents than there are examples of designers who toiled independently for years and years, then hit it big.

What's the best way of reaching out to potential licensees, then? 

With a sell sheet and video. In this article, I'm going to focus on sell sheets. 

Sell Sheet as Billboard

Think of your sell sheet like a billboard in that you have but a very, very limited amount of time to convey a compelling message. Good sell sheets make people think right away, "Oh, I get it." Really, your sell sheet is just an advertisement — a way of relating the big benefit of your concept in a way that is immediately understood. This format works because it's familiar to the companies you'll be contacting for licensing consideration: They use the same tool to introduce new products to the retail market.

The Big Tease

Your intent at this point is to get companies to ask you for more information. Just that. Use your sell sheet to entice them to call or email you back. Don't give them everything! If you leave something out, they'll have to get in touch with you. That's why focusing on the big benefit of your concept, not how it works, looks or why it does what it does, is so important. Basically, you're teasing them. Several months ago, I began reviewing sell sheets on inventRight TV, the YouTube channel I run with my business partner. Most people — about 90 percent — are missing the mark. You can't afford to let that happen: Your sell sheet is the most important tool you have.

Marketplace Research

Before you dive in, revisit similar products for inspiration. Remember when I asked you study the market using Google Images? Take out your notes and refresh your memory. How are similar products packaged? What colors, copy, and font are used? These products don't have the luxury of relying on an 8.5 x 11 PDF to grab someone's attention — they have even less space, especially at point of purchase. If the packaging is any good, you should be able to identify the benefit of the product easily. Design your sell sheet to mimic the feel of those products. You want potential licensees to think, "Wow, we could slip that into our existing line seamlessly."

Take baby products. When I do a Google Images Search for baby wipes, warm blues, pinks, purples, and greens flood my screen. Grinning, happy babies stare back at me. Benefits listed on Johnson's baby wipes include "gentle care from top to toe," "no more tears," "as mild as pure water to skin and eyes," "moisturizes and protects," "ideal for diaper change," and "gentle cleansing for little hands and faces." Fonts are approachable and informal; the copy is almost universally written in lowercase. The Johnson logo is relatively large; this is a brand that has established goodwill, and is capitalizing on that.

Snoofybee changing pad

Now check out the sell sheet my student Mike Perry created for his baby product, the Snoofybee 3-n-1 Clean Hands Changing Pad (below). It feels likeminded, doesn't it? Perry submitted this sell sheet to nearly 60 companies before he decided to run a Kickstarter campaign, which surpassed its goal of raising $15,000 by more than $100,000 last summer. The companies he approached for licensing consideration were leery in part, he said, because other products that had attempted to solve the same problem hadn't done well. His winning campaign established clear proof of demand. And sure enough, shortly thereafter, one of the manufacturers he had reached out to initially called him to express their interest in licensing the pad. But at that point, Perry said he'd set up a team and was more interested in launching the pad on his own. If your concept is too novel, a successful crowdfunding campaign can be used to entice a licensee.

Snoofybee sell sheet

Design for the End User

This is a good time to mention that you should always design your sell sheet with the end user in mind — not the potential licensee. Unless the big benefit of your idea is to the potential licensee itself, like reduced manufacturing costs.

6 Steps for Crafting a Sell Sheet

1. A fantastic looking product shot. This is your beauty shot. Typically, it's the focus of your sell sheet, meaning it consumes the most real estate. Capturing every angle of your product isn't important. Remember, benefits are what matter. Which angles highlight the benefit of your product best? Use those. Consider using a storyboard to emphasize the benefit of your concept.

2. A one-line benefit statement. Your one-line benefit statement captures the big benefit of your concept in just a few words — a short sentence at most. Focus on answering the question, why will customers want to purchase this product? You can list additional benefits using bullet points, but don't go overboard.

3. A link to your marketing video. Make sure the link stands out so people know to click on it. (I will tackle video sell sheets in a future article.)

4. The product's name. In all likelihood, it will change. But you need one. Use the opportunity to further establish what the benefit of your idea is. Generic names are fine, like "EZ Cut Scissors." The name you decide on won't make or break your idea, so don't obsess over it.

5. The words "patent pending" in tiny font, if you've filed a provisional or a non-provisional patent application. Establishing perceived ownership is important. Don't list your application number. The advice I got from my attorney was that it's akin to your Social Security number. Keep yours close.

6. Your contact information. Your email address and phone number suffice. Make sure to set up an appropriate voicemail greeting in advance.

Unless you are a professional graphic designer, I recommend hiring someone to help you. Make sure that person signs a work-for-hire agreement, or a non-disclosure agreement with work-for-hire language. Basically, you need to establish when, if ever, the freelancer has the right to make your sell sheet public.

Could you create a website instead? Yes, but I prefer sell sheets, because in my experience, the temptation to clutter a webpage with unnecessary details is just too great. Having a sole page forces you to be brief. If you were to literally put your sell sheet online — sure.

Pitch Your Friends

Test your sell sheet out on people you trust and monitor their reaction. Do they get it? You need them to! If your marketing materials aren't working, redesign them until they do. They truly make all the difference.

What do you do when you come up with the idea for a business that defies categorization and tried and true entrepreneurial norms? When it comes to going out on your own and starting your own business, the truth is there is no handbook and it's almost always daunting. So where do you find the right support system when you're pioneering new ideas and new ways of doing something?

"That's the thing that is a little bit tough about the moment that we're living in," explains Julia Kaganskiy, director of the NEW INC incubator program. "A lot of the safety nets that used to exist are disappearing—whether it's things like funding for the arts or more permanent jobs. So everything is becoming a bit destabilized in that way, which puts a lot more pressure on the individual to be more entrepreneurial and figure out a strategy for themselves. This is being sold to us as empowerment, but in reality it just means that everyone has to be an expert in business, marketing, PR, design, all of these things, and we can't pretend that it's realistic to expect that of people." Not long ago, all these aforementioned responsibilities were held solely on the shoulders of whoever was going out on their own and venturing into new professional territories but nowadays, institutions and co-working spaces are starting to catch on: many freelancers and entrepreneurs need help. 

NEW INC, a program at the New Museum, was founded with a mission to help artists and creatives working at the intersections of art, design and tech. The incubator hope to fill this void in the professional world. The physical space, nestled next to their mother institution, houses more than 80 carefully selected members each year and operates as much more than a simple co-working space; it's also an immersive professional development program. The program is meant to help emerging businesses with anything they might need particular assistance with, whether it's legal, branding and marketing, tech, finances or business models. Kaganskiy tell Core77, "there's been a lot of interesting program design stuff that has been fascinating to me—and I think the piece that I didn't realize coming into it—is that we were kind of building an education program."

As Kaganskiy explained, "first and foremost we focus on getting the right people in here and the right community." When Core77 visited the space, it became evident how much the community shaped the dynamism of the program. Speaking with different companies within the incubator, it was easy to see how their individual missions fortified the progressiveness of the environment and shaped the direction of the educational program. Another element that became clear throughout our conversations were how important it is for these innovators to have a space where there are like-minded individuals around who may be able to help propel their visions forward. "[NEW INC] is like an office with much better water cooler conversation, because we all don't work for the same place," says NEW INC resident and Hello Velocity co-founder Kevin Wiesner. He also notes:

"I think [here] we run into people with skill sets that happen to coincide with ours in interesting ways. Like we were doing this project over the winter and we were looking at making clothing with AR markers on it so that you can take photos of people, and in that space we envisioned an auction system...And so we were just sitting here talking about that first and then [a NEW INC colleague sitting next to us] said 'Oh! I was just learning how to use Euphoria, which is this unity plugin that does AR recognition. Let's put together an app prototype, because I'm interested in learning this.' And we were like 'Great! Because we have no idea how to do anything with AR.' We just had this silly advertising concept we wanted to explore. So that dovetailed really nicely. It's perfect having all these people in these rooms."

Hello Velocity notes that NEW INC ultimately helped them turn something that was originally a hobby of creating odd interactive tech programs into a commercially viable business (they now create these apps and websites for viral advertising promotions of big brands, like their newest project called MeatFace for the dating app Siren). 

Some of the Core77 Team transformed by Hello Velocity into slabs of meat

There's also Susan Taing of Bhold, a 3D printed object product design studio whose core business innovation lies in how Taing tests the success of products with consumers. "I do beta testing, so that's where it could be considered crowd sourcing, but after having a product concept already, designers sometimes they go through 50 to 100 [prototypes] before completing," says Taing. Bhold releases digital files of their design iterations to testers around the world, which those users can then test out and critique using rapid prototyping. "Before that, I worked with a community of testers that I recruited, and as I iterate I can get real world feedback to see if it's working well or not. Sometimes the products completely change shape in that process," Taing tell us. Bhold is the first company of its kind to test the popularity of physical products in the same way you would beta test a digital product. 

One of Bhold's products, an iPhone speaker for your car

One section of NEW INC's small fab lab

A common sentiment we heard from residents throughout the duration of the tour is that until NEW INC, they felt they wouldn't be able to find a literal space that could fit their very nuanced missions, or didn't feel like those spaces supported the idea of adapting to their resident's needs. "When NEW INC started they said they found that people who were at the intersection of tech and design were kind of lost out there", says Taing. And as Kaganskiy aptly notes, it's important in the changing world of business for entrepreneurs to realize these breaks from the status quo can often mean unique opportunities for success: "when you start to break down these very, traditional, formal, notions of what art or design or business looks like, the context for which they exist and how they're presented and how experiences by people start to disintegrate a little bit. And so trying to forge your way through this kind of murky water is a lot of what we kind of end up working with people on." 

Given the fact that almost every creative nowadays is, as Kaganskiy puts it, a "hybrid practitioner" working simultaneous in fashion and technology or art and wearables, the need for these nurturing spaces is becoming evermore pertinent—and lucky for innovators working outside normal realms today, more and more places such as this seem to be popping up.  

Learn more about NEW INC's startup incubator and how to apply for their program here. 

This would be a great first-year Industrial Design school problem: Drop the students off in the woods, give them their choice of two tools and two materials to bring, and have them make a functional piece of furniture out of whatever they can find.

Here the unnamed Swedish gent behind the North Survival YouTube channel shows you how he builds a "bushcraft" chair using a saw, a knife, twine and rope. Despite the minimal kit, he's able to fashion crude joinery. (Note that this video is from several years ago, before his channel took off, and he was apparently trying to be anonymous; thus he is inadvisably wearing a rather creepy mask, a decision he wisely abandoned in later videos.)

We're seeking an environmental graphic designer to work on the experiential design for our variety of national and international brands. Must have experiential case studies to include in your application. Responsibilities will include developing mood boards for events, working on graphics proposals/presentations, selecting decor details, etc.

An Industrial Designer's Dream Scenario:

You're heading up the design team for a technologically-sophisticated, big-ticket item. You got a team of engineers, industrial designers and UX guys all working in the same building, alongside a top-notch prototyping shop. A crucial parts supplier is right down the street. So is the factory. You've also got a ready supply of end-users available to test the product out and provide user feedback. You and your team have final call on all design decisions.

An Industrial Designer's Realistic Scenario:

Your office is in Flagstaff, the crucial parts supplier is in South Korea, the Chinese factory offers to do the engineering for a price your boss can't refuse. The design research firm you're using seems more interested in convincing you to keep hiring them than in providing relevant data. And your boss' spouse, who has no design background and doesn't work at the company, has both strong opinions and a troubling amount of dinner-table influence.

If that sounds as bad as it can get, the U.S. Government's military procurement process has just proven you wrong.

The HMDS Disaster

The design item in question is a magical helmet that will be used by fighter pilots flying a $337 million F-35. It turns the plane invisible—to the pilot: With an interior display connected to cameras around the aircraft's exterior, when the pilot looks down, s/he doesn't see legs, but whatever is beneath the plane. Ditto when looking backwards or all around. On top of that, the eye-tracking display is festooned with crucial targeting data, an eyeball-steered missile aiming interface, night-vision technology, information about local forces, et cetera.

The Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System, or HMDS, costs $400,000 and was co-developed by American company Rockwell Collins, Israeli company Elbit Systems and Lockheed Martin. All competent firms. But here's where the project went wrong, according to The Economist(emphasis ours):

…The helmet's "political engineering" is as much a marvel as its electronics, says Dan Grazier of the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog in Washington, DC. The aircraft's research was spread around more than 300 congressional districts whose legislators were keen to support contractors' proposals for fancy and expensive new features, he maintains. 

The helmet is now so complex, he reckons, that it has become the F-35's weak link. Intricate kit breaks—and when it does, a pilot cannot simply borrow another's helmet. This is because each HMDS is calibrated to an individual flyer, such as the alignment of their pupils for eye-tracking, which is a two-day laboratory job that only Rockwell Collins is authorised to conduct.

More Problems:

- The helmet is now so big that it's difficult for pilots to turn their head

- When tilting back to look upwards, electronics cables within the helmet place strain on the pilot's neck

- The bulky helmet can actually become stuck against the low-profile canopy, temporarily pinning the pilot's head

- The helmet weighs 5.3 pounds, meaning if the pilot punches out, it may kill them: "Test ejections with dummies by the Pentagon's Operational Test and Evaluation unit found [the helmet's weight] could cause possible fatal neck injuries for some pilots."

It all reeks of decentralized development. On top of that, The Economist points out the connection between the perceived need for the helmet and the design of the F-35 itself: "Had the F-35's cockpit not been positioned lower than those of other fighter jets to reduce its radar signature, pilots would be able to see more with their own eyes. There are old-school ways around that: one F-35 pilot says he sometimes banks the aircraft over when he wants to see what is going on below." Good gosh.

It's long been the case that technologies developed by the military—from GPS to jets, duct tape to microwave ovens—eventually trickle down to enrich civilian life. But with bureaucracy and political finagling becoming more effective at rendering other systems ineffective, perhaps that pipeline won't be as relevant as it once was.

Do you have a wistful digital folder of design concepts you wish were real? (Or is that just Pinterest?) Well, I do, and it's rare and satisfying to see things make it out of there and into the world. I've held onto a sexy beta photo of the Lightovo Milo lamp for a few years, hoping to someday find a pragmatic stab at a planter/lighting combo in production. While googling around for ideas to make the impending Portland winter less gray, I realized Lightovo finally did so themselves, and their green statement lights are on offer IRL. 

The lamp bodies are hand blown glass, with large asymmetrical side holes for access and airflow. The bottom is formed to help keep the planter in place. The top cap and outer planter come in two types of wood and bright white finishes, giving a gentle counterpoint to both the hard materials and greenery. 

Hope that throw pillow doesn't throw itself into my lamp. Or coffee.

The lamp is intended for both hanging and desktop use, which opens up an interesting range of placements and plant-scapes. The Milo also comes in a half scale "Baby" size. Perfect for your hip, terrarium-obsessed toddler's room.

Not sure what vibe they're going for here

Adding plants to lighting isn't impossible but it is hard. Plants can be delicate, bulbs can be hot, and water and electricity aren't known for playing amicably. Overall Lightovo seems to sidestep the big issues. Per usual, many of the plants in the product shots would be a poor fit, at least for a traditional lamp. However, Milo uses 5.5 watt LED lights with a 4000k color temp, reducing heat issues while closely mimicking the sun's rays. 

This is good news for everything from simple cacti to fussy orchids. The large port holes seem to give enough space to water comfortably, and the mating planter and base keep things in place if it gets knocked around a little. You could even leave standing water in the bottom if your plant of choice prefers a humid home.

Living in an aggressively unsunny city for half the year, I'd certainly appreciate a well-lit place of honor for a beloved cactus. A simple glass and fern assembly would also make a chic update on your IKEA chandelier, or a big visual statement on your Pinteresting desk.

Here's an unusual DiResta's Cut project:

Jimmy's got a friend who's a fan of artist Paul R. Evans, and owns two of Evans' pieces. Said friend would like a third, custom-built to hold stereo equipment, but he can't exactly commission one; Evans passed away in the late '80s. So he asks Jimmy to work up an homage piece.

There's a lot of great building tips and tricks in this one: How to evenly space multiple components along a lengthy surface, when not to use a ruler, quick hold-down and clamping tips, an efficient router jig and more:

Realize wanted to help patients reform their eating habits and adopt a food-conscious lifestyle. The first few months post-op are critical for bariatric patients. Realize also wanted a way for surgeons to easily monitor and see the progress of patients who had undergone the gastric band procedure. Surgeons keep regular contact with their post-op patients in order to offer advice and ensure the patient is adjusting to the new lifestyle. These meetings become more challenging as the surgeon-to-patient ratio goes up. Realize knew that a more efficient method would be required for the business to scale in the growing market.

You know what they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. These days in the workplace, there is one example of something many never thought they would miss, until it was gone—cubicles. Yes, cubicles, those sad monotonous structures symbolic of our workplace oppression. Your own personal cave where you could privately wallow in your case of 'the Mondays'. 

Well this is bleak.

The past few years have proclaimed the dawn of the open-plan office revolution, but statistics are beginning to point to the idea that workers actually seem to be missing the dismal cubicle culture due to the collective feeling that they lack privacy within their office space. A fascinating survey conducted by Gensler with over 1,200 UK office workers in 11 different industries shows that effectiveness ratings in the workplace decrease the more people you share an office with and the less privacy you have at work. 

In our Core77 discussion boards, designer wireframinghammer drives home this growing frustration among workers: 

"I work at a medium sized consultancy. It is fast paced, good range of ID and UX, and I love everything about it. Except the open office layout. There is also a lot of constant noise as you might expect, and anything that requires a lot of focus (like building a complicated tech pack or some involved UI in Illustrator) is slowed down a LOT. The zero privacy also makes you feel like you are in a fish tank. Sadly enough, I do prefer the drab cubicle that I had at a previous job to this, although this job is better in every other way.

Sometimes I try to take my laptop into a meeting room, but I don't want to work the majority of my time there, as that wouldn't be seen as being a "team player." Wearing headphones 90% of the day would be bad for the same reason too. Besides these meeting rooms, we only have solo offices for our founders, so I don't think it would be as simple as finding an empty room to make my own.

I've looked up dozens of articles about how the open office was supposed to promote creativity and collaboration, but has failed at that and caused resentment ... and I can attest (as I am sure many of you have also!). It seems like the ideal space would have open areas for people to work together, but individual areas that you can focus in[...]thought I would join and ask if anyone else has had this problem, and how they approached it."

The data in Gensler's work survey shows that "open plan environments can be just as effective, if not more effective, as more enclosed ones," so what are the factors that can result in this more highly effective environment, and how can offices use design in order to optimize these open office plans? How can individual workers empower themselves to become more productive and get the most out of their workspace?

Here are, according to several surveys, a number of issues to look at when trying to improve the open office environment.

Sense of Privacy

Director of Steelcase's WorkSpace Futures research program Donna Flynn says that "a lot of businesses are now struggling with the balance of private and open spaces. There's mounting evidence that the lack of privacy is causing people to feel overexposed in today's workplaces and is threatening people's engagement and their cognitive, emotional and even physical wellbeing." There is certainly merit to an open space as research has shown, but also giving an employee the feeling that there's somewhere to escape to if they need to focus. 

Workbays by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Vitra, 2012) 

Modular private spaces seem to be the answer to this issue in the open-plan office, shown in examples like the Bouroullec's Workbay system. 

Images via Mike&Maaike (2013)

There are also solutions in existence that can be found in simple furniture pieces that create a perceived sense of privacy, like the Windowseat Lounge by designers Mike&Maaike for Haworth. 

Noise Levels

According to a recent Oxford Economics survey on the open workplace, 64% of those surveyed said blocking out noise and distractions increased their overall productivity and focus. In an open office plan, visuals and noise can equally count for these distractions. So how can designers use their skills to improve issues revolving around noise cancellation or a generally more peaceful soundscape?

FOLD by Siri Skillgate via Lund School of Industrial Design (2016)

Sometimes these revisions can be done without object based solutions, but instead designed systems, such as a 'no talking' zone. In other instances, easy material solutions can make for highly effective results. One example from Lund University's graduate exhibition last spring at Milan Design Week called FOLD demonstrated a simple solution to a complex problem with a series of beautiful fabric panels that helped to absorb surrounding sounds while also helping workers avoid visual distractions. 

Lack of Choice

Finally, another larger issue in office spaces is the inability to adapt to your task and level of focus needed to accomplish that task. As shown in the Gensler survey, over 70% of respondents said they had no choice in when and where they could work each day. As reflected in the survey, the more options an employees has in where they can work, the more likely they are to succeed and innovate within the organization. 

Air BnB's office space in London

One solution to combat this problem in an office space is to do away with assigned seating and create zones, allowing people to work how they want when they want.

Humanscale's adjustable sit/stand desk system 

Another interesting find via Gensler was that amongst those surveyed, staff with higher innovation scores used sit/stand desks three times more than those with lower scores—could standing desks be the solution to keep employees engaged and on their toes? 

________________________________

How do you feel about open office plans? What would be your design solution to one or many of these open office plan problems? Voice your opinion in the comment feed below or the original discussion board post.

(You can also check out some great freelance furniture solutions from our recent 1-Hour Design Challenge for inspiration!)

Seeking new materials for current or future projects? ActiveMATTER places the materials you need to know about directly in your hands. This valuable resource consists of 15 cutting-edge materials, material trends and manufacturer contacts delivered directly on a quarterly basis, four times a year.

For over 14 years Kudo Tsunoda has been championing interactive experiences—whether by designing genre-defining features for video games like "Fight Night" or driving the creative vision for Microsoft's HoloLens and Kinect for Xbox. As Corporate Vice President for all Windows 1st Party Experiences, Tsunoda works across hardware and software teams to define and develop consumer experiences that ship with a portfolio that reaches over 300 million monthly active users across Microsoft's Edge, Photos and Camera, Groove Music, Movies and TV. 

At the 2016 Core77 Conference, Tsunoda will discuss his work in "Strengthening the Human Tribe Through Technology," and how innovative new products can help create experiences that build genuine emotional connections between people. In his interview here with Core77, Tsunoda discusses the unique way that gaming connects people with one another, his diverse team at Microsoft and the importance of co-developing products with end users. 

Microsoft HoloLens, the first fully self-contained holographic computer 

Core77: You worked in the gaming industry for over a decade before moving to Microsoft to work on interactive products from Xbox to Kinect and HoloLens. What are some of the most significant ways that video game interactions shaping the way we will experience everyday interactions in the near future?

Kudo Tsunoda: While not exclusive to gaming, game development does promote a very user focused design. Games do a great job of providing people a step by step growth path to gain new skills. It takes something complex—like how you can be a top performer in any type of game—and grows your abilities step by step, level by level, task by task. This will be something we believe in adding to all our experiences. Games also do an amazing job of bringing people together to collaborate towards a group goal. While in the context of games these are generally team related, this also provides compelling insights as to how we can connect people in any type of experience around community goals.

What does your current team look like? What are some roles you would be looking to fill for the future and why?

Currently our teams are made up of talented developers, designers, production experts, artists, audio talent, data analysts, business strategists, quality experts, and community leaders. One of the things I enjoy the most about our teams is that while we are always hiring top talent in any of these positions, we are also very interested in hiring people with very diverse backgrounds that we can build special roles around as well. If you are passionate about building emotionally compelling experiences that connect people around a common purpose then we would be interested in talking to you!

At the conference, you will be addressing the role of user-centered design in building genuine emotional connections between people. What are three recent examples of games, projects, apps, products, etc. (not necessarily from your portfolio) that exemplify this type of experience?

The experiences I am naturally drawn to are the ones that blur the lines between the developer and the people using the products—where the community of people who are passionate about the software actually get a chance to help develop how the experience evolves. The iconic experience like this is "Minecraft." 

But I am a huge fan of the developers behind "Project Knoxville" at the developer Press Play. It is no longer in development but it involved the community in development in a way I thought was innovative. I still play the "Project Knoxville" card game every week. If you want to check out a great developer, the Press Play team started a new shop called Flashbulb Games. Also love the new game out there by Rare called "Sea of Thieves".

Sea of Thieves

HoloLens promises to deliver a robust augmented reality experience—but it is currently in the development edition. Why is it so important for new technologies to be co-created with users?

Co-developing products with a community of people who care deeply about the project is at the center of all the experiences we build. Nothing delivers innovative new experiences like getting people who are passionate about a space and working together towards a shared goal. This is critical to experience development whether you are building Groove Music or HoloLens. Co-developing with a community is how you ensure you are making products that truly connect people with a common purpose.

Learn more how experience design and co-creation at this September's Core77 Conference in Los Angeles. Buy your ticket today!

If you've got a Macbook Pro you know that yes, that strip above the function keys gets uncomfortably hot during processor-intensive tasks. That's fine with me since my fingers are never up there anyway. But it bugs "lifehacker" BenriHacks, who thus devised a coin-based "thermal management cooling method:"

I doubt that it makes enough of a temperature difference to affect your machine's performance. But I can totally see someone running with this idea and designing a "cooling bar" and throwing it up on Kickstarter. I'm picturing a thin strip of walnut with a copper rod embedded within it, and it will be branded "artisanal" and have a rich brand story behind it. Just you watch.

Ricardo Beverly Hills is searching for a dynamic, seasoned leader to become its VP of Design and Product Development. This is a senior position that will play a pivotal role in designing and developing world-class products that fit the consumer lifestyle for each of our brands. We want someone who will come in with a solid reputation for building both great products in a consumer-driven organization and world-class teams.

A collection of recent work from Parsons and Charlesworth, Spectacular Vernacular will be exhibited at the Chicago Cultural Center from September 10 to January 2. Tim Parsons and Jessica Charlesworth have long had a broad, independent practice with emphasis on experimental design and discursive design. They are pushing boundaries and helping to chart expanded notions of design through their making, writing and teaching.

This exhibition takes viewers on a journey of research, experimentation and conjecture to discover the rhetorical and narrative possibilities embedded in the designed objects surrounding us every day. In their work, they critique traditional notions of design, such as "designer as servant to industry," aspiring to allow design to move beyond a strictly problem-based framework. The purpose of the work is to express unconventional ideas around the ways we ask questions and engage with the objects in our lives. Their work ranges from mass-produced objects and unique one-offs to limited editions, writing and printed publications.

Spectacular Vernacular is the first major solo exhibition of work by the design studio Parsons & Charlesworth, formally founded by British husband and wife Tim Parsons and Jessica Charlesworth in 2014. Showing three distinct aspects of their creative practice – observation, experimentation, and speculation – across the three galleries of the Chicago Rooms, the exhibition reveals how Parsons & Charlesworth mix their craft and industrial design backgrounds with influences from fiction, science and the arts. In doing so, the studio makes the case for independent design practice as a critical response and essential adjunct to the corporate design world.

The first gallery deals with observations, and is a collection of images and objects that inform their practice. These come from three specific sources with each artifact selected because of particular design traits that ultimately offer insight into the poetic potential of things.

Image from the Alien Americana series: This collection of photographs represents an intriguing slice of Americana from their observations. Photo taken by outsiders Parsons and Charlesworth, who were branded "non-resident aliens" upon arrival to the US from the UK.

Image from the Alien Americana series.

The second gallery deals with experimentation, and includes objects that represent the studio's desire to re-think everyday material culture. It presents a series of products and prototypes that playfully suggest we take a closer look at the built environment and our role in it.

Golden Section Finder: a lens through which you can find proportional "perfection" in your surroundings.

A Form of Happiness (wooden puzzle): What makes us happy? It is a question that we spend our whole lives exploring. It is extremely personal and subjective yet we are all looking to find it. The answer, scientists say, lies with dopamine. A Form of Happiness is a molecular space-filling model of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The model comes in the form of a series of individual components representing atoms which are assembled using their embedded neodymium magnets. The kit comes with a pamphlet of stories that explore potential narratives as to how the object could play a variety of roles in an individual's life. Photo by Jonathan Allen. 

The final gallery focuses on the importance of speculation, using thought experiments in the form of objects and storytelling to raise questions about the human condition and to speculate on alternative ways of being. These projects use design as a means of raising awareness of wider issues; they suggest alternative futures.

Ambient Traces : Part of the MeMo Organisation, an imagined company and a series of objects to question whether technology could help soften the blow of the feelings surrounding death. The collection explores a range of poetic rituals and attitudes towards death and mourning in relation to emerging developments in science, philosophy and technology. Photo by Jonathan Allen.

New Survivalism's Object Guardian Crate Ball : New Survivalism is a speculative design approach to survivalism that asks "what alternative scenarios of survival are there that avoid the bunker mentality and respond to currently emerging research into technological change, environmental conditions and belief systems?"

Char Dolly from the Future Climate [Hi]stories : A fictional book that blends scientific fact with stories that tell of like-minded people who sought to alter the course of climate change by establishing new cultural practices and rituals. Seizing the power of storytelling, and the ability of folklore to be passed down through generations, the book intends to encourage new ways of thinking about climate change, hopefully triggering accompanying shifts in behaviour.

The Apple announcement of greatest interest to me yesterday was of their forthcoming AirPods. The incrementally better iPhones and Apple Watch were expected, and everyone knew the headphone jack was going away; but with the wireless Bluetooth AirPods we see that they're trying to break new ground.

The question is whether they will be successful. Because at first blush, the UX does not seem good. After the initial impact of the product photography…

…wears off, you start to think about how these would or would not fit into your everyday life, and what the actual user experience would be like.

First off, one problem these were apparently designed to solve was tangled cables. But does that then set up multiple problems? I think so.

The first is the problem of power. The AirPods last for five hours on a charge, then must be re-inserted into their charging case, which you're meant to tote them around in when not in use. The charging case itself has a battery within it that contains "more than 24 hours of battery life."

As beautiful as the case is, and as satisfying as it might be to slide something into something else that has been designed to fit it perfectly, this seems like a fiddly operation; it's one more thing you have to carry and occasionally fuss with. Where does the case live when you're out, in a pocket, in your bag? Is it easy to fish out? Will you remember to charge it up before you leave the house? Will you lose it?

The second problem I see is the issue of actual use. Naturally this depends on the individual, but I'll lay out a scenario, and you can tell me if the gross motions sound similar to your own experiences:

I wear earbuds for at least an hour a day, seven days a week, while walking my dogs. On a daily basis, it's not uncommon for someone to stop me on the sidewalk either to ask for directions, or because I've been cursed with attractive dogs that people like to ask about. I also stop listening to music instantly if I think I hear raised, angry voices, it's a New York instinct. With both hands full, I find it's always faster to reach up and yank an earbud out than to fiddle for the pause button on the wire.

If the conversation takes more than a few seconds, I drop the earbud over my shoulder, letting it hang by the wire. I never really thought about how I use the wire itself as a sort of temporary support device, but as I picture using the AirPods in my daily life, I realize that I do this a lot with my wired earbuds.

And I can't picture pulling an AirPod out and hanging onto this little thing while someone prattles on about their brother's Shiba Inu; I'd consider the AirPod something precious (which they are, at $160 a pair) and, worried about dropping it, I'd want to place it into a pocket. But not my left pants pocket, because that's where change goes, and not the right pocket, where they keys are. In a shirt pocket, if I'm wearing a shirt with a pocket. Then after the conversation, I'd fish it out, blow the lint off it and stick it back in my ear. Somehow this doesn't sound easy or ideal.

The third problem is to do with the amazing technology within the AirPods. When you pull them out, the music automatically pauses; I think that's great. But when you place them into your ears, the music automatically plays. That's ideal if you're being interrupted as described above, but there are plenty of times when I don't want music to automatically start when I initially insert a pair of earbuds.

The fourth, most damning problem for me is that I have no faith these things will fit into, and stay in, my ears. I was excited to purchase Apple's earlier EarPods—and disappointed to find they were sized for somebody else. I was mystified that they didn't come in different sizes.

As beautiful as the AirPods look, and as good as the technology is, a prerequisite for me with earbuds is that they have to stay in your ear. I think it's marvelous that Apple was able to somehow sneak a functioning microphone into the bottom of the tiny cylindrical part, but I can't let awe of technological might make me forget the object's original purpose.

I suppose it's not fair for me to judge Apple on that last point, because I've admittedly not tried a pair of AirPods on and am judging them by the non-fit of their previous product. Maybe they really have come up with a one-size-fits-all solution. I'll need to wait and see.

The bottom line is, I'm impressed at Apple's engineering prowess and willingness to take risks, but this is one of those products where I cannot immediately see the benefits and suspect they've missed the UX mark. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong.

No one alarm clock will work for everyone. While many of us use the alarm clocks on our smartphones,  physical alarm clocks (vs. just apps) work better for some people. And there are some interesting designs that go way beyond the basic alarm clock.

As I've noted before, some alarm clocks wake people up with light; the Sensorwake wakes them up with pleasant scents. The end user selects one of seven capsules to wake up gradually to the scent of espresso, toast, chocolate, grass, etc. The scent diffusion lasts for three minutes, but on average those who tested the clock woke up after two minutes. After three minutes there's a musical emergency alarm, so the end users' mornings aren't totally blown if the scent isn't quite enough to get them out of bed. One drawback: Those capsules only last for 30 uses, so regular replacements are required. 

Other alarm clocks meet other specific end user needs. Those whose schedule varies from day to day (such as college students) could use the bank of alarms on the Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock; it lets two end users each set a different alarm time for every day of the week. (There's also one alarm that is constant over all days.) There are four buzzer ring tones and 20 radio station presets; end users can choose something different for each day, if they so desire. And there's lots of additional customization: snooze duration, alarm volume, backlight brightness, etc.

The downside: All that customization makes the clock a bit complex; the manual has eight pages explaining how everything works. And a number of purchasers say even the lowest brightness isn't dim enough for them.

The Kikkerland wood cube alarm clock could be a solution for those end users who want a totally dark bedroom, with no light from the alarm clock. It looks just like a wood cube until the end user claps, causing the face to light up for eight seconds.

However, this alarm clock has no snooze function, which will rule it out for some end users. And some purchasers have noted that it requires frequent battery replacement.

Some end users will prefer an analog clock over a digital one. The Arne Jacobsen Station Alarm Clock from Rosendahl has a silent movement, which many end users consider to be a critical feature. Touching the top of the clock lights up the clock face, which is handy at night. 

One weird thing: The end user needs to remove the back of the clock to change the alarm time. Purchasers say that's easy to do, but it's one extra step for no obvious good reason.

The Electrohome Jumbo LED Alarm Clock Radio will work well for end users whose eyesight requires large numbers. And it still has features that many people want: dual alarms, weekday-vs.-weekend alarm settings, 20 radio presets (10 FM and 10 AM). This is another one where some purchasers had problems figuring out how to use it, though. And, of course, an alarm clock with large numbers means an alarm clock that takes a lot of space on a nightstand.

In contrast, the Lexon In-Out Alarm Clock, designed by Hector Serrano, has fewer features but is as easy as could be. When the end user pushes down on the top, the alarm pops up, so both the current time and the alarm time are readily visible. Setting the time (for the clock or the alarm) is as easy as pushing plus or minus button on the back.

The 4-in-1 Twist Clock shows the end user the current time, alarm time, date and temperature as the top is twisted; that's a nice intuitive design. There are four black buttons on the back, along the bottom, for the settings. The buttons are labeled, but the letters and symbols are black on black and therefore hard to read. 

With the Scribble Alarm Clock, the message (written with the dry-erase pen provided) glows when the alarm sounds. This could be useful for anyone who's fuzzy in the morning and could use a reminder about early appointments or to-do items. The scrolling display shows the temperature, year and date as well as the time; there's also a birthday reminder. (Birthday reminder? That's unusual.) Some purchasers had trouble setting it up and at least one wishes that scrolling display could be disabled. 

The Cubietime Alarm Clock and Charger from Brandstand Products was designed for hotel guest rooms; it has an easy-to-set alarm, a display dimmer, power and USB outlets and surge protection. That sure sounds better than the alarm clocks I find in most hotel rooms. And plenty of people are buying these for home use after first encountering them in a hotel. One purchaser noted that "even when dimmed, the numbers are sharp and crisp, unlike other clocks whose light appears fuzzy."

Apple's new iPhones don't have the 3.5mm jack. Neither does Motorola's Moto Z. Get over it. These companies, and others in China, ditched the standard jack for a very simple reason: It's obsolete, and it's going away. Intel's been pushing their USB-C standard as the best choice for a replacement, while Apple reckons their proprietary Lightning connector is better.

I don't want to re-buy my pricey, treasured Bose noise-canceling headphones, but this is what progress looks like. The 3.5mm jack requires bulky shielding to prevent interference as it's analog. It eats up space that could be better used with a larger battery or camera hardware.

And by moving to a digital standard like USB-C or Lightning, more functionality can be crammed into the pipe. More companies can get into the noise-canceling game without having to license Bose's technology, and this will hopefully increase competition and drive prices down. It's a lot easier to enhance digital audio than analog.

Apple will of course take the backlash for being among the first to ditch the port. The same thing happened when they got rid of the floppy disc drive and the CD drive. How sorry are we that those things are gone?

PERTITUNE is made froman exhaust, an old shower, a folding metal chair and a little creativity.The lamp made from an old shower reimagines the shape and function of typical floor lamps, providing a fresh perspective on the often boring furniture category.