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Most profit-seeking product people pile into the luxury market, creating temporarily-fashionable nonsense objects that rely on artificial scarcity. Those designers aren't solving any problem except their own, and that problem is "How do I get rich?"Thankfully, there are still plenty of designers focused on the usability of humdrum, everyday objects. By making them even a tad easier to use, or more fun to interact with, or easier to maintain, they enrich the lives of everyday people in a small but collectively significant way. That, to me, is the true power of design.Here are some of our favorite UX improvements—or experimental attempts at them, which still deserve credit—that came across our desk this year.Better UX for Barbecue Grills: B

What began as a site-activated installation during Goat Farm's SITE 2025 arts festival—first encountered by thousands over a single night—has evolved into a year-long public exhibition at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Plastic Reimagined transforms locally sourced plastic waste into full-scale seating prototypes, bridging design education, material research, and civic infrastructure at one of the world's busiest public sites. Plastic Reimagined at SITE 2025, Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta.Credit: © Andrew Thomas LeePlastic Reimagined at SITE 2025, Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta.Credit: © Andre

Artificial intelligence in design is no longer a future fantasy—it's a present reality. We already see real use cases where AI meaningfully extends a designer's capabilities. It acts as a force multiplier, enabling individuals and teams to generate ideas, iterate faster, and explore directions that might not have otherwise surfaced.One of the clearest early wins is in concept generation. Tools powered by generative AI can quickly produce mood boards and product concept renderings. It's like having a team of digital interns ready to create visual alternatives immediately. This doesn't just speed up workflows—it expands the scope ofbroadens creative exploration, which leads directly to higher quality solutions down the road. And on the textual side, AI can now simulate something as fundamental as brainstorming. When I started in design in the '90s, it took eight people in a room for

All working industrial designers can benefit by seeing what their peers are up to. Thankfully we live in an age where ID firms freely post case studies online, allowing you to see their research, prototyping, and problem-solving processes. They also give you a look at product categories you may not have worked on yet. Have a look at the following, and see where your work does and doesn't overlap with theirs:A Designey Concrete Firepit with Improved ManufacturabilitySunflower is a twist on the concrete fire pit, designed by Mexican ID firm Shift Studio.

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.