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Here at Core77 we love to showcase student work. Troll readers love it too, because they get to insult kids. ID students among you, don't listen to them. Design school is your time to explore, to experiment fearlessly. So build up your resilience now, and it will stand you in good stead when you eventually enter the workforce. (And remember that designers who take potshots at students probably aren't very good designers.)Here's some good and great ID student work we saw this year:A Chair Designed for PaintersBy Teo Primo Frizzarin, an Industrial Design student at ECAL

It used to be that we had a design category for cars, and another for bikes. But in recent years, automotive brands and independent inventors have pivoted towards "mobility"—ways to move people and objects that are neither car nor bike. Here's some of the wilder mobility designs we saw this year.In Japan, Buses That Can Also Ride the Rails Robots That Use Balls to Get Around

Even as our world becomes increasingly digital, physical tools have exploded in popularity. Though once the domain of tradespeople, modern tool companies now target both them and the consumer sector—not to mention the rabid EDC crowd—with a seemingly endless supply of new product. Here are some of the standouts we saw this year, placed into subcategories:Beautiful/DesigneyOnce Known for Scissors, Fiskars Produces a Sought-After Demolition Tool A Designey Divot Tool from Formawerx and Discommon Goods

Not every furniture piece will make it to the MoMA, and we always enjoy seeing the surprising, experimental swings that some designers are willing to take. Here are the pieces we saw this year that did things differently (for better or worse, you be the judge).French furniture brand Maximum, whose raw material is municipal waste, creates this Bultan seating from discarded crowd control barriers. NYC-based industrial designer Nik Bentel's Loopy Chair was inspired by city bike racks.

At the intersection of atoms and bits lies a growing frontier—and one venture studio is laser-focused on it. They aim to apply AI, sensory technologies, robotics, and advanced metrology to the physical world, tackling challenges across manufacturing, energy, human performance, medical devices, and industrial systems. They're not just incubating ideas—they're helping startups scale, bridging the treacherous "commercialization valley of death" that so often claims hardware-based ventures.Amish Patel, founder of Conduit Venture LabsThe reality is, most i

As usual we spotted a lot of new furniture this year, whether from famous designers or up-and-comers. We also looked back at at least a dozen classics, some well-known, others less so, that came across our desk.Brooklyn-based furniture designer Matthias Pleissnig revealed the sketches behind his crazy steam-bent masterpieces. Ronan Bouroullec's airy, elegant Ancora Tables gave concrete a new look.

This year we saw a lot of new concepts, models, features and even vehicle types.Mercedes-Benz's Vision Iconic concept showed off their new retro design language. The company also unveiled their Vision V concept, a rather over-the-top executive transport vehicle. Hyundai revealed their wild-looking, video-game-inspired Insteroid concept.

When we talk about the rise of AI in product design, I like to think of it less as a checklist of right or wrong approaches and more as a framework. The transformations we're witnessing today aren't entirely new—disruptive technologies have been shaping the design landscape for decades. But of all the innovations I've encountered in my career, AI is easily the most disruptive.Chris Wlezien, Senior Director of Product Design & InnovationUnderstanding where we are today, it helps to trace the evolution of product design over the past 30 years. Whi

Worldwide, two-wheeled transportation is growing in popularity; depending on who you listen to, the market for two-wheeled transportation—bikes, scooters, motorcycles—is growing by 6% to 11% per year. Cities are taking note, and adding bike-friendly infrastructure. Manufacturers are also taking note, and piling into the market with new bikes and bike accessories.This Choppy Bicycle, by Latvian design brand Stum, is made of plywood. You'll notice it lacks pedals; this bike is designed for kids who don't know how to ride a bike yet. As they propel themselves around using their feet, their bodies naturally gain the required balance. Or maybe you

This year brought its fair share of over-the-top architecture projects. Top-of-the-list is Saudi Arabia's Shebara Resort, a net-zero facility with stainless steel pod villas. In Brazil, this VIW Building is also for people that want to be near the water. The apartments all have in-balcony swimming pools. In Albania, Dutch firm JA Joubert Architecture and local firm UNS Architects teamed up on this