Tag: Inspiration

London-based Scott Richler's design background is atypical: He's worked as both an architect and a jewelry designer. Both disciplines have clearly informed his Harlow Chandelier:

Italian industrial designer Bruno Munari designed this radical Cubo posacenere ("Cube ashtray") around 1954:Image: Di Albertozanardo - CC BY-SA 4.0 Placing the butts inside the box was completely outside-the-box; up until that point, anything we'd call an ashtray was an open dish, with the crushed butts and ash clearly visible.

Designer and manufacturer unknown, but this chair hails from 1970s Norway, according to reseller Møbelhøker.It demonstrates mastery of steam bending and, surprisingly, it's listed as a folding chair. You can guess where the pivot point is, though the hardware is unseen. The armrests must have been fiendishly difficult to make. Using a shaper or router to remove the material to create the armrest lip would've been straightforward, but the bend angle is cra

This article was written by Scott Jenson and Michael DiTullo A few recent tech writers have leaked that the new AirPods case will likely have a touch screen. Other earbud makers have tried this as well but it's Apple, so people will naturally have strong opinions, and we're no different. Designers always see what could be, and the two of us having worked with brands like Apple, Google, Motorola, and Nike had some thoughts on what it takes to make a beautiful and intuitive tactile experience in an increasingly digital world. While Apple may or may not decide to put a screen on the AirPod case, it's unfortunately the expected, even safe answer for almost any electronic product today. But is it the right choice? That's the purpose of this exploration, to push at this assumption and see if w

Interior design magazine RUM posted these shots of an NYC apartment renovation: While the newer furniture pieces are credited, this vernacular chair in the second shot is not:Image: Piet Albert Goethals The seatback flows downward to become the front leg, of which there are only three, to handle uneven flooring. It is a fascinating piec

We don't often see softgoods in ID students' portfolios, so this one jumped out at us. This M–W256 project was done by Sven Abplanalp while studying Industrial Design at ECAL:"M–W256" is a project resulting from a global analysis of connectors from the textile industry. This research resulted in the development of an androgynous clip in order to exploit its advantages.

"In perhaps one of the great ironies of human civilisation," writes Brian Kaller, "mechanical devices to truly magnify human power came along as soon as we didn't need them." Kaller's article, "The Hidden Potential of Bicycles," is well worth a read.To Kaller's point, bicycles came around in the late 1800s, and the motor car followed soon after. This makes it easy to overlook that bicycles are, in Kaller's opinion, "the most efficient method of using our bodies, allowing us to attain higher machine speeds for longer than we would on muscle power alone – and without using any more fuel or causing any more weather to go haywire."Speaking of bicycles, remember industrial de

On a Wire is a record stand as unique as your collection: the only record stand available today that organizes and displays your records simultaneously. On a Wire lives near your turntable, organizing your new, favorite, and new favorite records, while also displaying a record of your choice.On a Wire was designed for vinyl records and the people who collect them, play them, and love them. Our collections grow and they grow quickly, with new records filling up our shelves, milk crates, plywood boxes, and floors faster than we can listen to them. That's where On a Wire comes in.On a Wire is a home for your special records, whether they're your frequent listens, rare collectors' pieces, new records, or your whole growing collection. On a Wire keeps these records organized and accessible, your selection visible at a glance without having

Yet another AI genie's out of the bottle. The…geniuses over at Microsoft have unveiled their new VASA technology for "Lifelike audio-driven talking faces generated in real time." The tech can use a single snapshot, then animate it to match whatever audio is plugged into it. "Make anyone say anything," is how this reviewer describes it.It has to be seen to be believed (obviously you need to click the sound on):Male:Female:

Yet another bizarre design origin story.People come to product and furniture design through different routes. Some go to school and get a degree in Industrial Design. Others become architects, then decide working on smaller-scale stuff is more interesting. In Europe and Scandinavia, some apprentice as cabinetmakers, then discover they've got a knack for design as well as craftsmanship. Still others are simply born relentlessly creative, and by pursuing their passions, fall into a series of wildly unlikely accidents that leads to them becoming designers.One designer I've met who falls into that latter category is Jory Brigham, his story is nuts. Another designer in that category is Danish designer Arnold Madsen, who passed away in 198