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What do you do when you're bored? When a trio of Australian friends, Hoss Siegel, Josh Spiegel and Ross Koger, found that they "had a severe lack of creativity in our lives" they decided to do something about it. Their solution: Get a bunch of friends together, build cardboard suits of armor and get into a Braveheart-style battle.
That was way back in 2002 and Boxwars, as it's come to be known, has exploded in popularity, featuring regular battles with ever-crazier constructions entering the fray.
Here's what this lunacy looks like in action:
There are only four rules in Boxwars:
"Boxwars is both art and destruction using the near perfect medium of cardboard. The point is to build something from cardboard, then destroy it, which destroys the point. The battlefield is a place of contradictions + borrowed originality which sets a perfect stage for war."
I love how this is a more accessible version of those Tibetan Sand Mandalas, where they create an elaborate artwork and then destroy it.
"Don't do to someone what you wouldn't want done to yourself."
This, and Australian hardiness, is presumably how injuries are avoided.
It's fun…and eco-friendly!
While participants must be 18 or older, after a battle is concluded children from the audience swarm onto the battlefield to plunder. This fourth Boxwars rule states that "Warriors are requested to forfeit their armour (intact, damaged or destroyed) to any minor who desires it post battle. Kids are the next generation of warriors, and although they cannot participate until they are older, the flame is passed in this ritual of Boxwars."
To that end, the group also regularly hosts workshops for kids, where they help them realize their own cardboard pieces.
As for the adult armor, while some go all-out for their costumes…
…others are a bit more ad-hoc:
For some reason I think the Kleenex guy looks way scarier.
You can keep up with the Boxwars group and their events, and look through their photos, here.
If we want to see the best of design sketching around, we never have to look much further than Coroflot's wide range of portfolios. After scouring the site on a daily basis, searching for interesting products and sketches from our direct community, we've racked up lots of awesome hand-drawn visual delights. From work by illustrators, industrial designers and graphic designers alike, the inspiration is endless.
We thought it would be rude not to share the spoils of our browsing binges, so here are a few of our favorite sketches up in the Coroflot-sphere as of late:
Automotive designer Mauricio Cavalheiro's attention to detail on his vehicular creations are remarkable—we also can't help but want to hop into whatever ride he's designed within his portfolio.
Designer Andreas Mehne's accompanying sketches for the products he designs are fun while making the functionality of a product that much more comprehensible. They playfully seem to borrow from the aesthetic of airline safety cards, demonstrating all the different ways his products can be used.
Ryan Mather's sketches are a great source of inspiration for those interested in the realm of soft goods. The drawings show lots of interesting structural and material experimentation while the final renderings are not only realistic, but also super fashionable.
Speaking of fashion, we would love to own any of the sneakers that Gabriel Nicasio sketches or design.
We love seeing designers' outlandish concept sketches as well, like Zach Handziak's 'Interstellar UPS' spaceship design. As the designer so aptly notes, "as time goes on and our home expands, a constant is our desire to share with one another and let them know we are there... even when they're 200,000 light years away." Way to be thinking head, Zach!
Zach Hastings' impressive attention to detail shows that when it comes to design, you have to sweat the small stuff. We also like some of his drawings that delve even further into brand identity exploration.
Industrial designer Kelly Custer's illustrations are straight-up eye candy—she also has a great step-by-step tutorial within her portfolio to show you how she builds up a life-like rendering from start to finish.
Finally, we get lots of joy from seeing everyone's sketches for vehicles ranging from ultra glossy sports cars with high horsepower to fantastical steam-powered automobiles, helicopters and tanks.
I don't think my workshop tweaking will ever truly be done, but one of the things my remodel did was give me a blank slate to start working from. This also helped to clearly identify wasted spaces in my shop. One of the most obvious was the door into my shop from our laundry room. There has to be some way I can better use that real estate than just hanging my shop apron there, so I set out to find a better use of the space.
This past weekend my wife and I visited The Container Store. Once you get past the ridiculous items—anyone need a tiny acrylic lidded box big enough to hold only a single ring?—there are actually some really cool storage solutions to be found.
I kept walking around and thinking about how I might employ these various solutions in my own shop and then coming to the typical woodworker conclusion that I could build something myself to do the same thing. Then I checked the prices and realized that I should just get out the wallet because a $9 storage bin is a better deal than me spending a day to make something similar when I have other pressing projects.
So I loaded up on these narrow and slim profile drawer systems. They were the perfect size to hang on the back of my door to hold various and sundry things like screws, cut nails, hinges, riven pegs, wedge stock, etc. Plus the drawers pull out completely so I can take it over to the bench with me instead of grabbing handfuls of screws/nails and dumping them on the bench to get lost under chips or to bite that freshly honed chisel.
I also had a bit of scrap plywood left over from the pre-finished Birch I hung on my walls which would be a great solution to hanging on my cheap hollow core door. I drilled all the way through the door and fastened the plywood using some allen keyed connector bolts I had laying around from a previous project. This held is much more securely than any wall plug fastener could do.
With the plywood in place I could screw the storage bins directly to it without those pesky wall plugs that came with it. Now I have A LOT of storage in a space that used to be empty. What's more is my visit to The Container Store has given me a lot of additional ideas for how I can more effectively store other things around the shop. I'm eyeing that big useless garage door right now.
Whether you choose to build or buy, keep your eyes open in places like kitchen stores and even retail stores. There are some really clever solutions right in front of you that you just might be able to use and improve for your own shop.
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This "Hand Tool School" series is provided courtesy of Shannon Rogers, a/k/a The Renaissance Woodworker. Rogers is founder of The Hand Tool School, which provides members with an online apprenticeship that teaches them how to use hand tools and to build furniture with traditional methods.
Inauguration Day is tomorrow, and it has us thinking—what objects will our newest President be remembered for post-term? To get a better idea of what will make a lasting impact, we took a look at some highlights from the New York Historical Society's vast collection of political artifacts matched up against their modern day Trump comparisons.
While the 'Make America Great Again' slogan is now iconic, this ill-fitting t-shirt's simple design just doesn't cut it when compared to the cool printed Eisenhower Campaign Dress.
Political pins are probably one of the easiest and most popular ways to show support for your candidate of choice. This election, instead of showing support, many served as a form of protest. No matter how you feel about Trump, you have to admit these Protest Pins are a cute way to voice political concern. If things don't run smoothly, we could see these lil' guys pop up again in the future.
The Trump Scented Candle is more abstract and interactive take on the concept of a presidential lantern. The designers encourage you to, 'relieve stress at work by running your fingers through Trump's hair.' Relaxing, colorful and fun! There is potential here.
Bringing politics into the home is a bold statement, but this $99 ornament made of brass and finished with 24 karat gold takes dedication to the next level. Trump supporters can now adorn their homes with luxury, similar to the ornate William Howard Taft campaign tray from the early 20th century.
Casual game of Pin the Toupee on Trump, anyone? Definitely sounds more fun than its 19th century counterpart...
The end of the list brings us to the most infamous Trump object we've seen so far—the 'Make America Great Again' hat. While not as classy as Harry S. Truman's Fedora, Trump made the red trucker hat the main symbol of his campaign. You might want to stock up on these now—they could easily become an item coveted by ironic hipsters in 2035.
The clear choice for the archives is Trump's hat, but I'm hoping the candle gives it a run for its money.
Uber is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through our apps, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers. In the Uber Everything organization, we’re building Uber’s next set of businesses; whether it’s delivering food within
View the full design job hereI've long marveled that advertisers haven't started plastering their pitches on the insides of bathroom stalls yet. Perhaps companies don't want to be associated with the act of elimination. But bathroom advertising is on the way, just not at the crapper, but at the sinks.
That'll be thanks to these VODXS (Visual On Demand Experience System) sinks, which sport a 7-inch LCD screen that starts playing when you wash your mitts. Rights holder Faucet Impressions Global is targeting "sports stadiums, casinos, airports, theaters, museums, bowling alleys, theme parks, universities, nightclubs and restaurants" as places that can "turn washrooms into revenue streams."
Here's the company's pitch:
Advertising on each faucet can be targeted to promote a wide variety of products, services and offerings to the patrons using the venue's washrooms in very demographic specific areas. Faucet Impressions proprietary software management solution allows ads to be controlled remotely and, unlike most other forms of advertising, can provide an accurate accounting of how many consumers see the ads.
I've not seen one of these in the wild yet, but apparently they've been installed at the MGM Grand in Vegas as well as at certain Sheratons, Flanagans, Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings branches.
So, here's what you'll see when you go to wash your hands:
I want to hack into the video feed and swap in the entire length of Lord of the Rings. I want to see how long people will stand there and watch it.
There's one surfer bar in Budapest, Hungary, and it has a basement. In that basement is a guy in love with 70s polyester-heavy style, old school outdoor gear, and long lasting products. This guy is Balazs Lakotos, and he started making YKRA (pronounced eek-rah) bags back in 2011. Since then, he's been committed to making bags that are simple, functional, less technical, and stitched on quality craftsmanship.
We fell in love with YKRA bags first for their bright colors, second for the simple design, and finally, we were pleasantly surprised to see just how functional they are. Both bags we're carrying (ha.ha.) have an inner zipper pocket and a 13'' laptop sleeve. They're made of quality canvas, which isn't technically waterproof. However, we took the bags out into the elements and thought they did just fine.
The packs are finished with cow leather, nickel brackets, and polypropylene rope. The colors will fade and the leather will wear in. Some time in the future, hikers and commuters will long not for gear from the 70s, but for some backpacks that came out of Budapest in 2016.
The two packs we have are the Sailor and the Marta Mini. The Sailor is a single strap bag with a rope for synching your goods. It's classic canvas and rope bag perfect for casual day trips. The Marta Mini is a little sturdier—double straps, a synch rope, and a leather bottom.
Lakotos said he was inspired by the early outdoorsmen - the likes of Yvon Chouinard and Jake Burton. Those guys went out there and didn't have high tech gear. They just had passion, desire, and a spirit that was simply excited to be. He wanted these bags to recall those times. And we think he's done well. We're excited to have these bags in the shop and honor, as YKRA calls it, "Vintage Hiking."
The EZ Charge Case was created to solve everyone's biggest problem with their smartphones; they die at the worst times and usually without a charger nearby. The battery/charger case was designed to be the simplest and most convenient solution. For details of the Indiegogo project, visit here:
View the full content hereVisitors to Japan may find themselves befuddled by the control panels on washlet toilets.
There are at least nine different toilet manufacturers, each with their own graphic design team that has individually decided how to communicate various functions. For example:
In an effort to make these less confusing to foreigners, the members of the Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association have agreed to standardize the designs. Here's the new iconography:
And here's what they all mean:
For those of you that can read katakana, this one may confuse you a bit:
In katakana it says "bidet," yet is meant to refer to "Front Spray for Females." This is because in Japan, "bidet" has erroneously been understood to refer to only that part of the job. But consider the graphic design challenge this poses: If we look at the icon for "Rear Spray"....
...that's clearly an ass, which could belong to either gender. How does one flip the image around to indicate "Front Spray for Females [Only]" without drawing something crass?
The designers have neatly solved this by not showing the front view at all, but by simply adding an extra tuft of hair to suggest a female.
Well played. Though we are a bit curious to see what designs ended up not making the cut.
In any case, the standardization of these icons is a welcome measure, and one that will surely go down in the annals of graphic design history.
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.
In the news this week was an announcement from Airbus that they would be testing a "self-piloted flying vehicle platform for individual passenger and cargo transport" by end of this year. That's right—a flying car. Finally the future has arrived! What's more is that they envision these cars being piloted autonomously, after being summoned through an Uber-type app. The intent is to help relieve traffic jams and "revolutionize urban travel for millions of people."
—Stuart Constantine, publisher and managing partner
If you ask anyone about their feelings toward Comic Sans, more often than not you're going to hear a strong opinion. If you're curious as to how this font was ever allowed to be, then you should go ahead and check out this very interesting video by Great Big Story with some facts about Comic Sans you didn't know you needed to know.
—Allison Fonder, community manager
This Reuters article examines the thing everyone's overlooking: That "Over the last decade, more jobs have been lost to technology than any other factor."
President Trump may gain positive press by saving a few hundred air conditioner manufacturing jobs here and there, but outsourcing is no longer the main threat to future employment. Robots and technology are.
This will come to affect way more sectors than just manufacturing. McDonald's touchscreen kiosks are already replacing minimum-wage employees. Uber self-driving vehicles will wipe out taxi and truck drivers. And consider that financial firms are already looking at software that can make financial decisions absent the flaws of an analyst's human emotions. Which jobs, exactly, do you think will remain?
—Rain Noe, senior editor
Here's a lesson in why understanding human emotion is important when designing just about anything. I've played the first level of Super Mario Bros. a million times and never realized how instinctive the UX was meant to be. Shigeru Miyamoto designed a game so intuitive and exciting it won over the entire world, but it was no easy process!
—Emily Engle, editorial assistant
Jimmy DiResta turns a new Estwing hammer into something more custom. Check out how he quickly creates his own contoured scraper to clean up the handle shape:
Matthias Wandel's got a video sponsored by DeWalt this week. With signature honesty he points out another of his battery-operated table saw's flaws as he uses it to create some boxes:
Frank Howarth tackles the massive task of assembling the frame of his new CNC mill:
The Samurai Carpenter builds a very cool toolbox with the Japanese-style sliding lid, then shows you how he's using it as a sharpening station:
Is the Ultimaker 3 3D printer worth the hefty price tag? Does the machine live up to the hype? Here Bob Clagett breaks it down:
Milk paint and similar finishes have seen a resurgence in popularity in the past decade or so. For those unfamiliar with the stuff, here Shannon Rogers uses it to finish up the bookcase from his live build. (Fast-forward to 3:12 if you just want to get to the painting part.) Also: Today, Friday Jan. 20th, is the last day to get 30% off of a Hand Tool School membership. The info is posted towards the end of the video.
A quick one from HomeMade Modern, who use leather in a novel way to create a lampshade:
Fantastic! La Fabrique DIY builds this amusing "tea machine" and uses a couple of surprising techniques along the way (i.e. using spacers instead of having to cut a slot, using clinched nails as a wire guide). Check it out:
Linn from Darbin Orvar returns to the massive project of building out her makerspace, this time working on the cabinets and countertop:
"I love my projector but I don´t like to have the setup visible at all times," writes Laura Kampf. "Especially because the cables look so messy and collect lots of dust. This week I came up with a solution for that:"
This video is only for those of you who've been thinking about building your own workbench specifically for hand tool (as opposed to power tool) use. Here Matt Vanderlist runs down the features of his newly-built bench, going over material selection, dimensioning, where to site it within the shop, and all of those niggling questions that can essentially scare you off of trying to build one.
Another very clever build from HomeMade Modern, who create a small wine bar out of humble big-box materials:
John Heisz designs and builds an unusual sort of vertical drawer with two sections that fold together:
Don't let the simple title fool you: This is an impressive build form Dustin Penner, who uses a lot of cool little production tricks to create this tool.
Love motorcycles? Icon Motosports, located in Portland Oregon, is looking for a talented Product Designer to join our industry leading motorcycle equipment design team. Our highly creative and team oriented in-house product design department needs an individual who will collaborate with the entire design & development group in pushing designs
View the full design job hereThe interface design of automobiles hasn't changed much over the decades. And when auto designers or engineers start mucking around with established conventions, care must be taken; in several cases, people have been killed by unconventionally-designed shifters*, for instance. But now new technology is prompting a new design problem, which is how an autonomous car can communicate the "hand-off" between human and machine.
Automotive safety technology company Autoliv proposes that the design of the steering wheel itself ought signal this, er, peaceful transition of power. But I am not at all sure I agree with their execution. Have a look at their Z Force Drive steering wheel:
Let's tackle these features in the order they were presented. First off, I think the "feature" whereby the LEDs "chase" the driver's hands around the wheel isn't just silly—it's distracting, completely unnecessary and provides no functional value.
That the steering wheel knows when the driver's hands are and aren't on the wheel is certainly an intelligent feature, and one that ought be standard kit.
As for the bit about the different colors: Autoliv is proposing blue for when the driver is controlling the car, green for when the car is driving itself, and red for when the car wants you to grab the wheel. I would argue that there's no need for the blue; you already know when your own hands are on the wheel.
Also, during the act of driving, it seems common sense that you want as few distractions as possible for the driver, whose eyes ought be on the road. When I'm driving—particularly at night—I don't want a circular row of blue lights within my line of sight, and in a closer plane of focus than the dashboard.
The part about answering the phone seems particularly crazy to me--but admittedly, I hold the unpopular view that people oughn't speak on the phone at all, whether by speaker or not, while manually driving; I see too many motorists in Manhattan who are yapping away and allowing their driving to suffer as a result. So I think having the green and red lights on the steering wheel, and having to look down and tap them to engage or disengage a call, would be too distracting. I also think we've got a cognitive dissonance issue here, as green and red are already used to indicate other modes of operation.
There are a couple of additional features not seen in the video above. In the video below, we've cued it up to show you this bit after the phone call part:
As a driver, I don't want to be able to press on the steering wheel to increase or decrease speed; I don't need a second means of acceleration/deceleration beyond the pedals, and I'd worry about accidentally activating these features via the steering wheel. The potential for unwanted results seems too great here.
Here's another segment we've cued up. As a positive, Autoliv has thought out what the car should do if it asks the driver to take control and the driver refuses:
Pulling off the road seems a good solution—where possible. Something I've wondered about is what will happen when someone has fallen asleep during autonomous driving and is then suddenly asked to retake control of the car.
It's probably not fair to criticize Autoliv for the features I don't like, as the Z Force Drive is just a concept. Also, the company has been around for sixty years and thus, when it comes down to execution, presumably gets things right more than they get them wrong. Additionally, they helped pioneer a number of automotive safety features.
The design of the Z Force Drive does not appeal to me, but the company is at least trying to tackle a problem that all autonomous cars will have to confront. What remains to be seen is whether their concept will be embraced by manufacturers, or is just an experimental and evolutionary step towards the solution.
*When Bad UI Design Kills: Is Poor Shift Lever Design to Blame for Death of Star Trek Actor?
*Gearshift Lever's Design May have Caused Woman to Drive Onto Train Tracks
- Turning a Steering Wheel into a Feeling Wheel
- Auto Design Fail: Ford's Experimental "Wrist-Twist" Steering Wheel(s) from 1965
LayerLAB, the studio’s future research division, focuses on uncovering behavioral insights to reshape everyday interactions and create forward-thinking new products. During development of the GO wheelchair, the studio discovered that a primary concern of wheelchair users was the strain involved in self-propelling. LayerLAB developed the GO glove system to increase the level of grip between a rider’s hands and the wheelchair’s push rims. The system enables the user to lock into the super tactile push rims of the GO wheelchair and delivers a greater power-to-push ratio.
View the full content hereJumpstart 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.
The major French interior design trade fair returns this year, featuring exciting exhibitors and a program filled with speakers from the industry. Tomorrow is the last day to attend the show—you don't want to miss out!
Paris, France. On view through January 24, 2017.
The social design process is being used by a growing number of funders, designers and social sector practitioners as an approach to solving complex social problems, yet no comprehensive effort has been undertaken to document its benefits. The Measured Summit will attempt to address this issue by investigating the needs and establishing the practice of monitoring and evaluating how the design process contributes to social impact programs.
New York, NY.
Oslo Design Fair (formerly Gift and Interior) is Norway's largest trade fair, and an important meeting place in the design and interior decor sector. ODF will develop strong ties with Norway's centers of excellence in the field—the fair is intended as a showcase for new Norwegian design and production.
Oslo, Norway. January 25 through 28, 2017.
Underlying system is not known features artists who utilize pattern and repetition in their work. The works in this show include elements such as structure, geometry, angularity, obsession, labor, horror vacuii, internal logic, confusion, complexity, labyrinths, architecture, taxonomy, grids and more.
Chicago, IL. On view through February 18, 2017.
A/D/O, a new space for design in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is hosting a three-day festival of talks, films and experiential programming. The event will mark the kickoff to the first season of A/D/O's Design Academy, and will feature conversations with some of the world's foremost voices in the field of design. Keynote speakers inclue Alice Rawsthorn, Yves Béhar, John Maeda, Stephen Burks, Rory Hyde and Marcus Fairs.
Brooklyn, NY. January 27 through 29, 2017.
Take time this weekend to enter the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world. Now heading into its incredible 96th year, these Awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging, motion, photography and illustration, all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Online competition open through January 31, 2017.
Several years ago, we discovered what some had known for decades: That George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy had borrowed, rather liberally and without giving credit, from a French comic series called Valérian and Laureline. Talented illustrator Jean-Claude Mézières and writer Pierre Christin had produced the wildly popular sci-fi comic starting in the 1960s. Here are some of the most egregious examples of shots and concepts that sprang from Mézières' pen and wound up, uncredited, in George Lucas' films:
Mézières was reportedly incensed at the time of the original trilogy's release. (Read the story, and our write-up of him and his excellent work, here.) But now Mézières and Christin, both 78 years old, have had some fantastic news: Valérian has finally been made into a live-action movie directed by fan Luc Besson! (Besson had previously used Mézières concept work for The Fifth Element.)
Here's the trailer, which looks pretty fantastic:
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets will be released this summer.
In other Star Wars "borrowing" news, here's a side-by-side look at the first movie's climax and The Dam Busters, a 1955 British movie depicting a real-life World War II mission to destroy a German dam:
Jeez Louise!
Steve Giralt is the engineer/photographer who rigged up that elaborating "self-assembling burger" video shoot. Now he's back with an equally tricky project, shooting "United Not Divided," a PSA that hopes to calm the political divisiveness America's currently experiencing.
Here's the finished product:
And here's the behind-the-scenes showing how he pulled it off:
Does Giralt have a killer gig or what?
Sadly, America is being roiled by yet another rift: On this weekend's Saturday Night Live, comedian Aziz Ansari compared President Trump to Chris Brown, prompting Brown to go after Ansari on Twitter.
Oh, America.
In more uplifting news, here's a video of 1,000 Kentucky high school students singing the national anthem in an acoustically-pleasing hotel atrium:
Skip Hop is seeking an ambitious and enthusiastic packaging designer to join our growing company. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. Our packaging designer will be responsible for the development and design for all new packaging as well as updates on existing packaging
View the full design job here
