There are two main aims with the tiny house movement. The first is to reduce your footprint, doing more with less. The second is that it's supposed to be cheap, as in sub-$50,000. But looking past the second aim, a company called New Frontier Tiny Homes is betting that there's a market for luxury versions, and has thus created a $95,000 model.

Called the Alpha, it features reclaimed barnwood, walls that are spray-foam-insulated, hardwood floors, a ductless mini-split for the A/C and heat, granite countertops in the kitchen and a few interesting design tricks. Let's take a closer look.

Here's the front of the Alpha, which features sliding glass doors.

On the back we see this shou-sugi-ban-finished center portion.

That flips down to provide a deck.

Just inside the deck is a glass garage door that slides open.

Moving to the interior, on one side we've got the kitchen, which you'll notice is elevated. We'll get to why in a minute.

Inside the kitchen is a 33" stainless steel sink;

a drawer-style dishwasher;

an 11-cubic-foot stainless steel 'fridge;

and a sleek-looking induction cooktop.

Opposite the kitchen we've got the bed loft.

You ascend it by means of this ladder.

When it's not in use, you can put on a felt ladder-moving hat and tuck the ladder away in this compartment.

The bed loft will fit a king-sized bed.

Beneath the bed loft is the bathroom, which contains a washer/dryer combo unit;

a small sink;

a composting, separating toilet that vents to the outside;

and a full-sized Jacuzzi tub.

Here's the view from the throne.

And at the front of the bathroom is a tiny, and I mean tiny, closet. There's room for two of Indiana Jones' jackets and little else.

Now we get to why the kitchen is elevated. Anytime you want to have people over for dinner, Chris Hemsworth's body double comes over and pulls out these benches.

The stairs to the kitchen pull out…

…revealing a folding table hidden within.

Now you can host dinner parties. 

But whomever's house this is apparently has lousy friends; while you can see that the table has clearly been set in the evening…

…these jerks don't even show up until morning the next day.

I'd never invite them back. I'd be like "Why are you animals standing on my animal furs with your filthy shoes on?"

You can learn more about the Alpha, including lower-priced versions of it, here.

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.

Time Magazine Publishes the 100 Most Influential Photos of All Time

Lunch Atop a Skyscraper, Unknown, 1932 

An incredible collection showing pivotal moments in history and culture over the past 200 years. 

From the web site: "There is no formula that makes a picture influential. Some images are on our list because they were the first of their kind, others because they shaped the way we think. And some made the cut because they directly changed the way we live. What all 100 share is that they are turning points in our human experience."

—Stuart Constantine, publisher and managing partner

The New Like

A dense history of the word like—where it began, how it has evolved over time and how we use it today. This article serves as a thorough reminder of the power of language, its ever-changing nature and how deep the roots of one word can be. 

"The new like is associated with hesitation. It is common to label the newer generations as harboring a fear of venturing a definite statement."

—Emily Engle, editorial assistant

Global Warming's Affect on the Fashion Industry

Don't believe in global warming? Fund managers are bailing out of winter apparel manufacturer stocks. "Fifteen of the 16 warmest years on record have been in the 21st Century," and as winters become shorter and warmer, those who make cold-weather clothing are having a harder time selling it. For instance, Uggs "will expand its non-shearling styles next year to extend the brand's seasonal relevance."

—Rain Noe, senior editor

Add to Your Reading List

Hopeful of the idea that some of us still partake in long-form reading, sharing here the New York Times' Best Books of 2016 list. Any of these already on your list?

—Allison Fonder, community manager

It's our third week of the Pick 5 Ultimate Gift Guide and boy have we gotten a number of great themed lists from our readers! A special thanks to all the Core77-ers out there helping us find some great and unexpected gifts for the holidays. 

Make your own Ultimate Gift Guide here

This week, we've chosen one winner to take home an awesome insulated, leak proof stainless steel growler from Seattle-based outdoors company MiiR (whose CEO Bryan Pape created his own helpful gift list for us this year). 

MiiR's 64 ounces of beauty

So without further ado, here's our weekly winner who will also be in the running for one of our grand prizes.... 

We loved Mike Mongo's fun gift guide featuring plenty of creative gifts that range from educational to just plain goofy. We can't help but love the mention of the Fundoodler, the cheese glue gun we had our eyes on this week. Thanks for some awesome toy recs Mike!

Honorable Mention

We're eating right out of Lou Costa's aka 8Lion TV's hand with his "Gifts You Can Build" gift guide—what gift could be more valuable than one you make yourself? With this list, you'll be creating clever, high-quality and treasured presents in no time. Lou: for your honorable mention, we'll be including you in the mix for possible grand prize winner.

_______________________________

ONE WEEK LEFT TO WIN

Only one week left of weekly winners before we announce the gift guide taking home the grand prize of an Amazon Echo or GoPro! 

Next Friday, 4 winners will be taking home a Keap candle as a weekly win, so make sure you don't miss out on two separate opportunities to win big by making your gift guide now!

Click here to create your Pick 5 Ultimate Gift Guide 

DIY Sawhorses 1: DiResta, Stacking

Jimmy DiResta shows us how he makes his low-cost stacking sawhorses:

DIY Sawhorses 2: Izzy, Three-Legged

Izzy Swan's sawhorse design is three-legged (so they always sit flat on uneven surfaces):

Quick Wood Storage Bench

A simple project from Izzy, turning 2x4s into a cart to store cut-offs:

Table Saw Tricks

Izzy Swan shows you some simple jigs that allow you to make cove cuts—and even curved cove cuts:

Building a Large Outdoor Staircase

April Wilkerson gamely tackles a rather large project: Ripping out a dilipidated exterior staircase, then building a new one from scratch.

Burnt Wood Siding Technique

The Samurai Carpenter breaks out the blowtorch, demonstrating the Japanese shou-sugi-ban method of burning a protective finish into wood:

Arduino-Powered Christmas Advent Calendar

Gearing up for the holidays, Bob Clagett makes an Arduino-powered, LED-lit advent calendar for the household:

Workbench Production Shop Tour

For those who remember the saga of Ron Paulk's workbench design, this is pretty cool to see: Paulk visits the FastCap shop where his bench design is now in production (and apparently selling like hotcakes):

Steadicam, the original camera stabilization device, is known for its prominent role in capturing iconic film moments, including the hallway in The Shining, the stair climb in Rocky, and the speeder bike chase in Return of the Jedi. The Steadicam was introduced in 1975 by inventor (and our favorite cinematographer), Garrett Brown, in order to solve a serious problem all filmmakers regularly face—filming consistent, steady scenes. This year, Steadicam is celebrating its 40th birthday, and there's no better way to celebrate than taking a look at its exciting history!

Before Steadicam, camera stabilization options were limited—think rolling cart or simply holding the camera in your hands, which both still allow some shakiness. Steadicam combines the two uneasy methods to create a mobile, stabilized system worn by the camera operator.

Below is a basic diagram of Steadicam parts. The parts shown have remained key in all Steadicam models throughout the years: 

While the parts seem basic, they combine to create a complex stabilizing system that works to eliminate jolts that naturally happen while holding a camera.

Over the past 40 years, the Steadicam has gone through quite the evolution. It all began with Garrett Brown testing the first Steadicam model, filming his wife while she ran up the Philadelphia Museum of Art's stairs in the mid 70's. After watching this footage, Rocky director John G. Avildsen decided to incorporate this exact run into his film, thus inspiring inspiring one of the most iconic moments in film history—the Rocky stair climb:

As you can see in this footage, the first iteration of the Steadicam was on the clunkier side, partially due to the shape of cameras at the time. Also note that Brown is only wearing half of a harness, not a full harness like you'll notice in later years/models. There's also some sort of headpiece involved that humorously resembles a jock strap. (Readers, if you know what the headpiece is for, please chime in).

Brown on the set of Rocky. Look at those jackets!

A few months after filming his wife, Brown got the chance to film Rocky using his Steadicam. Note that the part where Rocky passes the huge ship is the first Steadicam scene shot from a moving vehicle. Also note that the headpiece is no more during this shoot.

Brown on the set of Bound for Glory

While filming Bound For Glory, Brown was tasked with filming on a moving elevated platform. Once the platform reached the ground, he was required to keep filming. This footage further proved Steadicam's versatility and stabilizing capability. 

Brown on the set of The Shining

During the filming of The Shining in the late 70's, Steadicam evolved into this funky wheelchair in order to film the infamous low-to-the-ground hallway scene. The creation of a low mode bracket for The Shining is probably the most notable added feature to the Steadicam since it was created. This feature widened the range of angles Steadicam could capture, making it an invaluable tool.

Brown on the set of Return of the Jedi. Look closely for the string.

During the filming of The Return of the Jedi in the early 80's, a rather low-tech method was used to further stabilize Steadicam's efforts. A string was used to help make sure Steadicam stayed completely level while filming, which was necessary to achieve the smooth speeder bike chase footage. This scene in particular proved that Steadicam could help create the illusion of speed.

Look at McConkey go! On set filming Goodfellas.

In 1989, the Stedicam transformed into an uber-cool segway to film the Copacabana scene in Goodfellas.  In this extensive interview, Goodfellas camera operator, Larry McConkey, discusses the importance of the Steadicam in filming this particular scene.

The Steadicam heads to the wilderness to help shoot The Revenant.

And finally, a current version of Steadicam was spotted in the wild during the filming of The Revenant in 2014. The Steadicam is so popular, even ravenous wolves want to learn more about its stabilizing capabilities.

Since Steadicam solves a core issue, its function and general design really hasn't changed much over time. Since the beginning, the mechanism has had "the ability to tilt, pan, and evenly distributed weight to whom it was harnessed on." The main difference between Steadicams throughout the years has been their various adaptations during different shoots. Garrett Brown not only created a mechanism that changed the way cameras are used, he also created one that can easily adapt to different environments, from descending from the sky to reaching a few inches above ground.

Happy Birthday Steadicam! To celebrate Steadicam's big 40, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is hosting "Going Stedi,"a film series celebrating the Steadicam and the groundbreaking films it has contributed to. The series begins December 16 and runs through January 3.

 Sources: Gothamist, Tiffen

Making a Box with a Pop-Up Insert

Swan conceived of a low-tech mechanism to add a small surprise to these boxes. Here he shows you how he made them and how the mechanism works:

DIY Retractable Ceiling Bed

Using a garage door opener and sliding-door hardware, Ana and Jacob White figured out how to rig up a retractable ceiling bed for their latest tiny house design:

Shop Tour

Linn from Darbin Orvar gives us a tour of her shop—or shops, I should say, as her work is divided (hand tools/power tools) between two freestanding structures outside of her house:

DIY Wood-Fired Hot Tub in Progress

This one's really just a bit of a teaser, as the finished build video isnt done yet: Ben Uyeda has been working on a design for a wood-fired hot tub. Here he's testing out the heating mechanism:

Using Biscuits For Shelf Pins

John Heisz has worked out a way to retroactively drill shelf pins, by not drilling at all: He uses a biscuit joiner and a couple of simple jigs.

How To Cut Mat Board

Chris Salomone shows you how to gussy up your walls, by framing your artwork in custom-cut mat boards:

Moving Into The Colorado Shop

If you've got a shop, hopefully you'll never have to move it. The Wood Whisperer famously built a huge "dream shop" outside his home in Arizona, but several years later he's now had to move to Colorado. Here he shows you the garage that will be his new shop, and some of the $6,000 moving process:

Turning an Ice Cream Scoop on a Foot-Powered Lathe

If you've got a lathe, that's a fast way for making last-minute gifts (assuming said gifts require handles). Here Shannon Rogers explains, then demonstrates:

Should any of us be surprised that the late great David Bowie was a collector of Memphis Group housewares? Of freaking course not. While we may still be feeling the loss of the artist and the cataclysmic year his ascendance has thrown us into, there are a few small silver linings to letting him go. Chief among them are the peeks at his thoughtful taste and curation provided by auctions like this one. 

Michele de Lucci, Continental Side Table 

When Bowie wasn't recording generation-defining albums, filming cult classics, or inspiring whatever party scene he currently graced, he supported and bought amazing art. One of the up and coming designers he took particular interest in was Ettore Sottsass. Work by Sottsass and the Memphis Group makes up the bulk of the 100 piece selection recently auctioned off at Southeby's. 

The pieces span a wide range, from Sottsass' early '50s work and '60s pieces by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni for Brionvega, to the later '80s Memphis collection. There are several lots of gorgeously contemporary ceramics and a surprising amount of classic and funky, if uncomfortable, furniture. 

Andrea Branzi, Gritti bookshelf

Bowie's collections are subject to a good deal of discussion, and this slice shows a bit of the cleanliness, hyper vigilance and whimsy he was known for in his own work. While we might not be able to match his collecting budge or his vision, seeing which pieces he enjoyed is a sweet way to review these wiggly and innovative designers.

George J. Sowden, Potato Serving Tray

Michele de Lucchi, First chairs

Ettore Sottsass, Dinner plates

Peter Shire, Big Sur sofa

As you should also not be surprised to learn, they've all sold. But you can see the full auction listing here.

Whenever someone's referred to as the "architect of destruction" of a particular thing, that person is rarely an actual architect. Except, of course, in the case of the Death Star's architect; last year we heard him mount an impassioned defense of his design for that ill-advised exhaust port.

Now for some more Death Star infrastructure talk. British power company Ovo Energy took a close look at the battle station's operations, contacted experts in a variety of fields, and calculated its daily operating costs in British pounds. While they've obviously considered energy-hogs like that planet-destroying laser, they've also examined the costs of electricity, laundry, garbage disposal and recycling, and food and drink:

It must be noted that Ovo, being a British company, has rather Anglicized the needs of Death Star occupants. For example, in "Feeding the Crew" an allowance has been made for two cups of tea per day, as well as a bizarrely low-protein diet for Stormtroopers: Porridge for breakfast, baked bread (alone!) for lunch, and freaking casserole for dinner. Is it a wonder that New York City and other world capitals don't have any British restaurants?

The Finnish electronics brand Studio Sonik appointed us with the task of developing a class-defining portable speaker that would appeal to European and American audiophiles. The Apex was modeled to be both Bluetooth and waterproof, with the audio output being focus and directed at the angled speaker. This design not only works in harmony with the strategic audio output, but also provides an interesting and aesthetically pleasing look. Adding a rugged and simplistic overmold of durable rubber and oversized controls, the Apex is versatile companion for any audio enthusiast.

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

Monday

Don't Waste Your Time, Apply to: NASA's Space Poop Challenge

NASA is seeking proposed solutions for fecal, urine, and menstrual management systems to be used in the crew's launch and entry suits over a continuous duration of up to 144 hours. An in-suit waste management system would be beneficial for contingency scenarios or for any long duration tasks. The competition ends soon, so sit on your throne at home and start brainstorming.

Get designing! Online competition open through December 20, 2016.

Tuesday

Enter a New World in the: Pixel Forest

Occupying the three main floors of the New Museum, Pixel Forest is the most comprehensive presentation of multimedia artist Pipillotti Rist's work in New York to date. The exhibit includes work spanning the artist's entire career, from her early single-channel videos of the 1980s, which explore the representation of the female body in popular culture, to her recent expansive video installations, which transform architectural spaces into massive dreamlike environments enhanced by hypnotic musical scores.

New York, NY. On view through January 17, 2017.

Wednesday

Come Together During: Remix Rememory

Remix Rememory is a site-responsive exhibition featuring works that assemble, reclaim and reimagine histories from Southeastern Queens and beyond. Remix Rememory is comprised of commissioned and participatory works, sculpture, film, and text, that bring together people, traditions, and stories to show how memories can be recaptured and preserved through actions, objects, and reframed tales.

Jamaica, NY. On view through December 18, 2016.

Thursday

Isamu Noguchi, Grey Sun, 1967, Smithsonian

Connect Past and Present at: Isamu Noguchi, Arcahic/Modern

Isamu Noguchi was among the most innovative American sculptors of the 20th century. Even as he created works that were far ahead of his time, Noguchi frequently found inspiration in ancient art and architecture-from Egyptian pyramids and Buddhist temples to Zen gardens and American Indian burial mounds. Isamu Noguchi, Archaic/Modern explores how the ancient world shaped this artist's vision for the future.

Washington, DC. On view through March 19, 2017.

Friday

Get Funky at: Fungal Futures—Growing Domestic Bio-Landscapes

Fungal Futures presents the work of artists and designers who develop innovative materials and applications using mycelium. The projects on show have all been developed as part of innovative research processes that operates at the intersection of design and science. The creatives, working in direct consultation with scientists, have adopted and developed unorthodox novel methodologies and techniques as part of their practice.

Enschede, Netherlands. On view through February 12, 2017.

Saturday/Sunday

The Spirit of the Bauhaus Approaches the School's Program Step-by-Step

The last Bauhaus exhibit in Paris happened all the way back in 1969. That being said, The Spirit of the Bauhaus is a nice opportunity to return to the fundamentals of the infamous school that contributed to the worldwide expansion of artistic modernity. The exhibit features over 900 pieces and takes visitors through all of the steps in the Bauhaus' education program.

Paris, France. On view through February 26, 2017.

Check out the Core77 Calendar for more design world events, competitions and exhibitions, or submit your own to be considered for our next Week in Design.

When Tesla announced that every car they produce is now coming out of the factory with full self-driving hardware, I was a little stunned. I figured the relatively easy highway stuff was one thing, but that navigating towns, cities and crosswalks would be another. Nevertheless, while it's true that they'll have to wait for legislators to get their acts together before rolling it out, Tesla has achieved fully self-driving cars that can navigate within complex environments.

In this real-world demonstration video, a guy takes a ride to work (to a Tesla facility, naturally) while his car does all of the driving. It navigates a town environment, tons of traffic and twisty roads while avoiding pedestrians:

While we're only shown three camera views, Tesla's system uses eight cameras that provide a 360-degree view. The camera footage is combined with sonar and radar to provide a "neural net" that "provides a view of the world that a driver alone cannot access, seeing in every direction simultaneously and on wavelengths that go far beyond the human senses."

One temporary setback is that Tesla's updated system doesn't yet have the "experience" generated by their last-generation system. This means that, temporarily, new Tesla owners will actually have less capabilities than first-gen owners. As the company explains:

Before activating the features enabled by the new hardware, we will further calibrate the system using millions of miles of real-world driving to ensure significant improvements to safety and convenience. While this is occurring, Teslas with new hardware will temporarily lack certain features currently available on Teslas with first-generation Autopilot hardware, including some standard safety features such as automatic emergency braking, collision warning, lane holding and active cruise control. As these features are robustly validated we will enable them over the air, together with a rapidly expanding set of entirely new features. As always, our over-the-air software updates will keep customers at the forefront of technology and continue to make every Tesla, including those equipped with first-generation Autopilot and earlier cars, more capable over time.

Mattel, Inc. is seeking a self-motivated Sr. Designer with Industrial/Toy Design experience to join its dynamic Toy Box- Boys product design team. This role will focus on delivering an exciting and innovative product for our Minecraft action figure line. The Toy Box group is focused on creating new product opportunities

Alex Proba's new rugs started as an ambiguous graphic design project over three years ago, under the name A Poster a Day. In that first launch, she aimed to create a year's worth of graphic and collage projects, made after work hours as a personal challenge. Her projects took on more personal and narrative turns in the following several years, translating true stories into visual constructions.

Now she's putting the series to rest with four years of surprising and inventive posters under her belt, but not without a new look at the work she produced. The posters produced included some beautiful arrangements and inviting work with color, and she wisely realized that many would work well if taken off the wall and onto the floor. 

This week, she launched eight rugs drawn from select daily posters. Each combines her modern style and an additionally fun eye for texture, with raised forms and different weaving patterns suggesting a slightly interactive surface. 

It sounds like she's open to interpreting other posters from her collection into textiles, so if the offerings in her rug shop don't have that one you crave, you may be able to work out a custom option. I'd feel a little bad walking on these, but after you run out of wall space for posters maybe this is the only option?

H/T Sight Unseen

Early this morning, President-Elect Trump apparently nixed an order for the next generation Presidential aircraft—via Twitter. Boeing was apparently working on the next version of Air Force One, but Trump isn't having it:

The next-gen version was planned to be a new 747-8, with a range 1,000 miles longer than the current AF1. As for why the costs are so high, well, we are talking about an armor-plated, nuclear-blast-resistant jumbo jet with mid-air refueling modifications, anti-electromagnetic-pulse systems, anti-missile defenses and a shit-ton of communications gear.

As CNN reports:

Asked by reporters Tuesday morning about the tweet, he responded, "Well the plane is totally out of control. It's going to be over $4 billion for [the] Air Force One program," he said. "And I think it's ridiculous. I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number. We want Boeing to make a lot of money, but not that much money."

The 747-8 version Boeing was planning was not scheduled to be rolled out until 2024, which means Trump would only get to fly on it in the final year of his second term, if he were re-elected.

As for what the President-Elect currently flies around in, here's a tour of his private 757, which some refer to as "Trump Force One:"

Is it me, or is that surprisingly understated? I thought it would be way gaudier!

Despite a currently bleak-looking sustainable climate, designers' forays into eco friendly architectural and building solutions can sometimes offer a quick glimpse of hope for our future. This is perhaps most evident in projects where one man's literal trash becomes another man's treasure (one example that comes to mind are recycled "bottle bricks"). 

For Dutch Design Week 2016, Eindhoven-based designer WooJai Lee debuted his PaperBricks Project, which takes a note from this book, after he noticed the daunting amount of paper waste he sees thrown out on a daily basis. "I was taking out [trash] one day and saw huge piles of paper," Lee mentions when discussing his initial inspiration for the project, "most of them were newspapers and advertisements we look at for a few minutes and then throw away. I found it a pity how so many papers are produced yet how many are thrown away so quickly." 

The result of this inspiration was a furniture collection constructed using molded brick structures made out of recycled paper. Uncanny to cement blocks at a distance, the bricks used to construct the furniture surprisingly present themselves as fuzzy, textural and playful as you zoom further in on the final product. Perhaps less surprising: getting there took a lot of experimentation and testing. "I didn't have much knowledge in paper so I had to start with the basics...different types of paper, different mix ratios, etc," says Lee. Created by combining paper pulp with glue, Lee started off by testing tons of different papers and binding materials. He ultimately decided to go with newspaper as it was the most readily available material and would probably make for a lasting sustainable model.

Next, Lee had to test different adhesives, "so that the bricks could be strong but at the same time has that soft, texture-like tactility," the designer notes. 

Different material samples created by Lee

To make the bricks, Lee came up with a fairly straightforward manual manufacturing process: recycled newspapers were made into paper pulp, which was then mixed with glue and pressed into molds the shape of standard bricks (in case anyone was curious, it takes about 6 to 7 whole newspapers to create one brick). Lee emulated the standard dimensions of a cement block in order to, as Lee writes, "minimize the material use and deformation while maximizing the strength." Adding his own twist to the forms, he created molds with their own internal joinery system that allowed them to be easily assembled into furniture—a clever solution that may even ensure more consistency than traditional wood joinery methods.

As for the endurance of these paper articles, there still seems to be a lot of testing left to do. As Lee notes, he has yet to test the weight limits of the furniture, although he does know they are strong enough to support a couple of people sitting on them.

This type of research and more is all part of Lee's next steps in streamlining his PaperBricks collection, in hopes of eventually bringing the pieces to market. The greatest challenge of this project, as Lee noted, was creating these bricks without machines or manufacturing systems: "[I'm hoping to] incorporate machines and tools in the production so that they can be made faster with less labor. I make them all by hand at the moment...The process required to building PaperBricks are already practiced in the paper industry, so I think transferring to bigger scales won't be much of a problem." 

Does PaperBricks have the potential to work in architectural scale? Lee is hoping to figure this out too. "Paper has the potential to be a good architecture material due to it's insulating and sound isolating qualities," which is why Lee is now further developing his concept to include the creation of wall panels and room dividers. 

Although PaperBricks is a student project still in development, the opportunities for innovation and expansion are more than clear—and hopefully in the future, more designers can strive to innovate not only by creating new materials, but also reimagining and reforming old ones. 

Turo is a smart thermometer that delivers quick and accurate real-time hyperlocal temperature and provides customized insights into how you perceive temperature so you can properly layer up for the cold.

Turoincludes a network of products: Turo display, Turo sensor and the Turo app. They work together to provide a better service and empower people to live a more efficient and healthier life.

Over 90% people have felt colder after they leave their house due to inaccurate temperature data and varying temperature perception. The major issue with current weather forecasting products is that they describe a general temperature in a large outdoor area, and they don't connect between people and data. Not everyone interprets 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the same way, which leads to inefficiency, discomfort and even chances of catching a cold.

There's nothing like meeting someone to face to face, but obviously, you can't rely on trade shows exclusively to license your ideas for new products. They're yearly events! Whereas—especially given how important speed to market has become— embracing a sense of urgency will serve you well. That's where LinkedIn comes in. Talk about efficient. On LinkedIn, there are no gatekeepers to get through. You can clearly identify and reach out to people in positions of power whenever you want from the comfort of your home, which is, frankly, incredible. LinkedIn has not only made open innovation more of a reality, it's made getting into the biggest of big companies feasible.

In the past, getting into Fortune 500 companies required a bit of creativity. Because the front door was a fast track to their legal department, harnessing the power of pull-through marketing was almost always necessary (for example, you could get into a large company by reaching out to its ad agency or packaging design firm). That's no longer the case, which is extremely exciting. Using LinkedIn, you can connect with more potential licensees more quickly.

For example, when one of my students reached out to a marketing manager at Conair recently to ask if he could send the individual his sell sheet, he told me he received a reply in the affirmative less than three hours later—on a Sunday, no less! Just like that, his sell sheet and video were in the hands of a $2 billion dollar global manufacturer. That kind of access, not to mention speed, is unprecedented. Really, it's a game-changer.

And it works: Some of my students and coaches have begun using LinkedIn exclusively to reach potential licensees, especially those who are pressed for time. I'm not surprised. Social media increasingly dominates how we interact with each other, including businesses. And that's unlikely to change: Last year, the research institute MarketingSherpa reported that a third of millennials prefer to use social media to communicate with companies.

So, what should you say?

After years of struggling, my student Ryan Diez successfully used LinkedIn to find a licensee for his dog-washing invention, which then became a viral As Seen On TV hit. Now an inventRight coach, Diez shared with me the exact words he uses to reach out to marketing managers on LinkedIn. For him, there is no better way to reach out to companies.

Winning Scripts

Subject: Greetings Mr. Smith Question re: Centurion Open Innovation?

Good morning Mr. Smith,

My name is Ryan Diez. I am a product developer from Los Angeles, CA. I have developed a patented ergonomic shovel that I believe would be an absolutely perfect fit in the Centurion line. Obviously your company is on the forefront of innovation in the garden category, so I was hoping Centurion would be open to outside submissions. If so, I have a sell sheet that will quickly highlight the benefit of this product to your company. Please let me know to whom I may send more information… perhaps that person is you?

Thank you for your time,

Ryan Diez

Subject: GCI Outdoor Open Innovation?

Good afternoon Ms. Smith,

My name is Ryan Diez. I am a product developer from Los Angeles, CA. Is GCI Outdoor on board with open innovation? I have developed an extremely unique yet simple outdoor chair that I believe would benefit GCI Outdoor and fit wonderfully in your product line. Are you or somebody within available to review my material?

Hope all is well,

Ryan Diez

Important Takeaways

1. Give the person you contact a reason to open your message. One of the most straightforward ways of doing that is by creating a curiosity gap. Not an overblown Upworthy-style curiosity gap—just a little nugget that will pique that person's interest. Diez has found that the words 'open innovation' get the job done. People may not know exactly what he means, which isn't a bad thing. Who doesn't like the word innovation? (I previously wrote about how to reach out to companies for product licensing consideration, noting that the best people to reach out to are marketing managers.)

2. Ask for permission before sending your sell sheet or a link to your video. Remember, your sell sheet will do the selling for you if you let it. What I mean by that is: Don't try to sell right away. State that you're a product developer who has professional materials you'd like to send for review and ask if said employee is available to do so. It's really that simple. There's no need to explain more about yourself or your product to get a marketing manager to reply in the affirmative. The only messages that annoy me on LinkedIn are long demanding ones, and I know I'm not alone in that.

In fact, Diez believes not asking for permission first is the worst mistake you can make. I have to agree. Receiving lengthy messages from people I don't know is a major turnoff. Who are you? I have no idea, but you're already asking me to do something—for my time, in other words? That's shortsighted and disrespectful. I'm definitely not going to click on the link you provide, and neither will the potential licensees you reach out to.

3. Be appreciative. Note that Diez takes the time to sign his message with an expression of gratitude or well wishes. Small niceties do not go unnoticed, especially when you're asking someone for a favor out of the blue. His message is structured formally, which reflects his seriousness and denotes respect.

4. Keep the momentum going. If the marketing manager says sure, send me your sell sheet, do so using LinkedIn, Diez advises. If he gives you his email address, use that. Of course, before you reach out to anyone to discuss one of your designs, make sure to protect yourself to an extent you feel comfortable with.I recommend filing a provisional patent application first to test the market cheaply.

Many product developers are under the mistaken impression that a non-disclosure agreement is all they need to protect themselves. They aren't—NDAs have benefits, of course, which I wrote about. But there are also always caveats to be aware of. In any case, you'll throw a wrench into any momentum you get going if you ask your contact to sign a non-disclosure agreement right away, before he's even seen your sell sheet. From a strategic point of view, that doesn't make sense: You've just asked him to look at your sell sheet! A smarter time to ask for an NDA is after you get some initial interest, like when the manager gets back to you wanting to know more about your idea.

5. Steer your conversation towards a phone call as soon as possible. Giving away too much too soon at any point during the negotiation process is one of the biggest mistakes you can make attempting to license your ideas. So get off LinkedIn and proceed slowly. If the marketing manager wants to know more about your idea after receiving your sell sheet, ask to set up a call so you can get to know each other better. How interested are they? What can you learn about their business now that might be helpful later on during negotiations? Do they have any feedback for you at this time? And so on. Developing a relationship will be easier over the phone, and now you have a reason to talk to one another.

At the end of the day, my perspective is: Do whatever it takes to get in. Don't take no for an answer. Get creative, if need be! There are no right or wrong ways to get in. When used in concert, the strategies I've outlined thus far, which include cold calling, trade shows, and LinkedIn, are unbeatable.

As 2016 closes, we reflect on the year and prepare for the best that 2017 will bring. Surely the finest way to celebrate is with loved ones, and the next best way is to give them something timeless, useful, and beautiful to show appreciation for the goodness and undeniable utility they bring to your life. 

Moment Notebooks, Project Planners, TwinPens, Agenda Notebooks...and a cup of coffee

We have new notebooks, Pointer apparel, pocket knives, plenty of mugs and bowls, and other long lasting gear to help us say goodbye to 2016 and offer greetings to the new year.

Project, Moment, & Agenda Notebooks

This year's Holiday Collection feels like an testament to our philosophy. Everything we've included—a lot of new stuff and a few classics—meet our standards of story, utility, and design to a significant degree. All of the notebooks, especially The Project planners, are brilliantly designed with unique covers, tons of internal features, and super soft paper.  

Our newest kitchen apron, the Denim Double Stripe, is just another step in what has become a staple of our shop—high quality, durable, and beautiful aprons. And while we're in the kitchen, we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention our classic Hand-Eye Glass Mugs and Bowls. 

Tons of new Pointer gear and new black styles of the Sonnenleder leather pencil cases fill out the collection, and a handful of pocket knives bring home this year's group of holiday gear. 

Miyamoto Hignokami, Otter Messer Mercator Brass Handle, Otter Messer Mercator Copper Handle

Check out the whole collection here, and feel free to wonder beyond this year's collection of our favorites. Happy Holidays! 

Back in the '80s, spoilers on performance cars were the thing. But now they look kind of crass and they spoil, for lack of a better word, the visual lines of the car.

Aston Martin's design team has thus designed their DB11 with an "aeroblade" feature: Air gets sucked into vents aft of the rear passenger windows, then shoots out of a vent in the deck lid, providing downforce without requiring that absurd whale tail.

The rest of the car doesn't look—nor sound—too shabby either!

If I knew anybody who had this car, I would wait until they left it unattended, then I'd totally load that air chamber up with glitter.

Graphic Designer will work within the FC Dallas Marketing Department in the creation of content for FC Dallas and all concerts and events put on by Toyota Stadium, Toyota Soccer Complex, MoneyGram Park and upcoming National Soccer Hall of Fame properties. This designer is responsible for supporting and helping shape