Design news, culture, events and resources. A daily must-read for designers world wide.
Form Follows Function: Gustaf Westman's Chunky Coffee Maker
19 May 2026 @ 3:00 pm
This startling ceramic object is actually a drip coffeemaker. 
With a glossy, tactile appeal, it speaks of low tech and high craft at the same time. It's also pretty form-follows-function: If the thick ceramic cylinders are the predetermined source material, you pretty much can't imagine this being shaped any other way.
With a glossy, tactile appeal, it speaks of low tech and high craft at the same time. It's also pretty form-follows-function: If the thick ceramic cylinders are the predetermined source material, you pretty much can't imagine this being shaped any other way. An Artist/Designer's Sick NYC Apartment, Renovated from Maid's Quarters in The Dakota
19 May 2026 @ 2:00 pm
Located at 72nd Street and Central Park West, the Dakota is the oldest luxury apartment building in New York City. The German Renaissance structure, which dates to the 1880s, was designed for a time when the wealthy had servants. They lived in the undesirable parts of the gables, up six or more flights of stairs.
Image: Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0 In the 1960s, artist and furniture designer Ward Bennett purchased several of these maid's rooms, and renovated it into his own duplex apartment and studio.
Image: Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0 In the 1960s, artist and furniture designer Ward Bennett purchased several of these maid's rooms, and renovated it into his own duplex apartment and studio.Library Tables Meant to Accommodate Coffee
19 May 2026 @ 1:00 pm
The Kadoma City Library, outside of Osaka, Japan, was designed with a café-like vibe. The library's concept is "enjoying reading with coffee."Because beverages and books don't always go together, furniture designer Tatsuki Kokubo designed these for the space, minimizing the chance of accidents:
Anker Bak and Takumi Kohgei's Gorgeous Gaze Highback Chair
18 May 2026 @ 3:00 pm
\From a distance, this might appear to be a Scandinavian Midcentury classic that you missed. 
But a closer look reveals something startling: What appears to be a gigantic slotted screw, the likes of which you'd never see fully exposed in that era.
In fact the chair is modern, by Danish designer Anker Bak and Japanese manufacturer
But a closer look reveals something startling: What appears to be a gigantic slotted screw, the likes of which you'd never see fully exposed in that era.In fact the chair is modern, by Danish designer Anker Bak and Japanese manufacturer Unitree Develops Production-Ready Mech Suit
18 May 2026 @ 2:00 pm
China's Unitree produces both humanoid robots and dog-bots. Now they've scaled up the former, into something that a driver can climb inside (albeit quite awkwardly). They've just unveiled their GD-01, "the world's first production-ready manned mecha," the company says. It's both drive-able and autonomous (or at least remote-controllable).
The demo video is straight-up weird. First off, they're branding it as a "civilian vehicle." Imagi
The demo video is straight-up weird. First off, they're branding it as a "civilian vehicle." ImagiRenault Brings Back the Canvas Roof
18 May 2026 @ 1:00 pm
In the mid-20th century, when American carmakers were churning out convertibles, European manufacturers had a thriftier solution: The roll-back canvas roof. It was a much more economical way to provide an open-air experience. The Citroen 2CV and the Renault 4 offered them.
Today Renault has revived the Renault 4 as an EV. And the Plein Sud ("Due South") version of the Renault 4 E-Tech, as it's called, has also brought back the canvas roof.
Today Renault has revived the Renault 4 as an EV. And the Plein Sud ("Due South") version of the Renault 4 E-Tech, as it's called, has also brought back the canvas roof.Core77 Weekly Roundup (5-11-26 to 5-15-26)
15 May 2026 @ 3:00 pm
Here's what we looked at this week:Alessandro Stabile's beautiful Areo Chair for Kristalia: The Thonet No. 14 of our time? 
David Chipperfield Design's plywood bathtub for Agape.
A clever add-on spout for camping vessels.
David Chipperfield Design's plywood bathtub for Agape.A clever add-on spout for camping vessels.A Folding Travel Lamp Design from the 1950s
15 May 2026 @ 2:00 pm
This wonderful, utilitarian design from the 1950s was made by a company called Blue Seal. 
It's a handy portable lamp that can be used on a desk, or clamped to a surface. The reflector seals against the underside of the base, like a clamshell, protected the bulb within during transit.
It's made of aluminum, and this particular version has had its original finish stripped off.
It's a handy portable lamp that can be used on a desk, or clamped to a surface. The reflector seals against the underside of the base, like a clamshell, protected the bulb within during transit. It's made of aluminum, and this particular version has had its original finish stripped off.Momentum Studio's Low-Waste 06 Sidetable
15 May 2026 @ 1:00 pm
This 06 Sidetable is by German industrial design firm Momentum Studio. 
To create it, minimal cuts were made in a 5mm aluminum sheet:A major focus during the development was the efficient nesting of the laser-cut parts. We managed to use 96% of the raw material area for the final product, leaving only 4% off-cuts. This minimal-waste approach not only saves valuable resources but also allows us to offer a fair price while keeping the entire production strictly "Made in Germany".
To create it, minimal cuts were made in a 5mm aluminum sheet:A major focus during the development was the efficient nesting of the laser-cut parts. We managed to use 96% of the raw material area for the final product, leaving only 4% off-cuts. This minimal-waste approach not only saves valuable resources but also allows us to offer a fair price while keeping the entire production strictly "Made in Germany". Completely Flush Fasteners with a Surprising Mechanism
14 May 2026 @ 3:00 pm
Jeff and Brandon Serle are engineers from the cleanroom industry. Cleanrooms are used for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, medical devices and aerospace parts, where the environment needs to be pristine. Even the slotted heads in fasteners must be fastidiously cleaned, lest they capture any dust.The Serle brothers thus invented Flush Fasteners. Here's what the heads look like:
So where does the driver go? You're not gonna believe this:
So where does the driver go? You're not gonna believe this: