Here's what we looked at this week:Sleek portable cutlery by Zoku, an industrial-designer-led brand.Crowdfunding smash: These Xlaserlab X1 desktop laser welding machines.Breakfast's Billion Dollar Arcade Series are Interactive classic videogame art pieces that reference the stock market.Brompton's hide-away bike toolkit, by industrial design firm Goodwin Hartshorn.The Tool Swing, a heavy-duty disappearing swing mount for fixed tools.The Snackuum, Unnecessary Design Studio's arm-mounted vacuum for neater snacking.Surprise: There's still a huge market for ashtrays.Where to source specialty washers with no additional tooling costs? Boker's.The CenWatch: Yet another attempt at a gesture control device, with a pretty awful form factor.An actually useful application for gesture control: Headlamp activation, as seen in the NightBuddy 230.Design competition: "Redesign Democracy" calls for better voting booth designs.Architect, industrial designer and sculptor Robert Obier's Deco-esque creations.The Brat, an alternative "lo-fi" take on the wallet.Form follows function: Snow Peak's folding butane stove for camping.Industrial design case study: The Rubbish Beam, a smart litter picker-upper by ID consultancy Hatch Duo.

For some campers no cooking stove is necessary, as meals will be cooked over an open flame with fuel gathered on-site. However Snow Peak, the Japanese high-end outdoor gear brand, primarily targets car campers who will be bringing their own fuel. They've thus designed this Home & Camp Butane Stove, which is based around the form factor of a butane canister. The cooking platform folds out of the body, providing enough spread to hold a pot or pan steady. Unfolded, it can support a vessel up to 12" in diameter. You won't be needing your firestarter; the unit features an auto-igniter. And you can literally dial in the flame level.Comes in three colors. It's made of stainless steel and weighs 3 lbs. The asking price is $130. You can find lesser-quality Chinese knockoffs on Amazon for less than half that, from companies you've never heard of, and with no guarantee. In contrast, Snow Peak offers a lifetime guarantee on their products. You get what you pay for.

The mission of San Francisco-based startup Rubbish is to rid the world of litter. They created the Rubbish Beam, a primitive version of a smart litter picker-upper, which can pair with a smartphone over Bluetooth. The idea was to register and categorize photos of litter, collecting data that would hopefully lead to greater insights about how to prevent litter.To improve upon their existing design, Rubbish worked with industrial design consultancy Hatch Duo. Clean-up in style.Through brand-focused design and engineering, we went through the process of redesigning Rubbish's current beam to prepare it for scaling the brand. We emphasized Rubbish's fun and playful nature and encourage others to clean up their communities.However, it's important to note that we worked on this entire project remotely, during the Covid-19 Pandemic. You can see in this case study how we not only used digital tools and remote tools to design, we virtually collaborated to maintain everyone's safety.In the spirit of Rubbish's social platform, Hatch Duo collaborated openly and socially, documenting the whole process via our Hatch 22 docuseries. We invested time, love, and some design capital to get Rubbish to a functional/cosmetic prototype stage, as they enter their next funding milestones.?Role: Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Cosmetic Prototype, and full documentary series. (Note: HD is invested in Rubbish) ?Behind the scenes of remote work at Hatch Duo. Understanding the needs of the Client.The Hatch Duo team studied the Rubbish app to get a sense of its brand identity, and created stylescapes that represent the brand. Remote, yet hands-on product development.Mockups are made and tested at the office and at home. The results are then shared with the team so problems can be identified and resolved. That's it!The Hatch Duo team would like to thank you all for joining us along on the journey! Designing a hardware product during a global pandemic had many challenges, but seeing all of the hard work from our team and the Rubbish team, makes us feel grateful and proud of the final product. Thank you again to the Rubbish team for giving us the opportunity and allowing us to document this process. It has been a fun journey, and the best part is, we're just getting started. You can see more of Hatch Duo's work here.

This "Lo-Fi Zipper Wallet," a/k/a the Brat Wallet is by Archie & Dennis, a Tel-Aviv-based bag brand. The titular founders are brothers who draw influences from items you'd find in an old Army-Navy store. The wallets are made from vegetable-tanned leather that has been artificially distressed. The zipper is YKK, and a beefy "industrial-grade" grommet signals that the wallet is meant to be hung rather than stuffed in a pocket. The cardholder tucked inside has four slots. It comes in a number of finishes.That said, the object is limited edition; they're only making 100, each stamped with a serial number. The wallets run $165, and the strap is another $35.

Each morning on the farm I clean out coops and change waterers, messy business that requires gloves. And, because corners of the coops are dark, a headlamp. The pain is turning it on and off; the button on my BioLite headlamp is tiny, and my gloves are often dirty, so I have to pull the gloves off to activate/deactivate the headlamp.Tradespeople also run into this problem, and their needs have been answered by this NightBuddy 230. A quick swipe of the hand in front of a sensor turns the light on or off: The $35 unit features five lighting modes, including a red light that won't attract bugs or animals. Overall it draws rave reviews online from mechanics, plumbers, installers, campers and more. Companies pushing AR and VR products are still working out gesture control, but here's an example of an existing application that already makes a difference in people's daily lives.

Robert Obier has taken an unusual vocational path: Architecture degree from LSU, followed by a Masters of Industrial Design from ArtCenter. After all that, he opted to become a fine artist. Hopefully that's more to do with Obier's passions than being a damning indictment of the two fields closest to us.The prolific Obier produces sculptural artworks that bear hints of Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright, with a dash of 20th-Century-sci-fi thrown in.My exploration of form is rooted in my passion for design, invention and technology. From the artful drawings of Leonardo Di Vinci to the computer generated creations of Industrial Light and Magic, I am inspired by the human imagination and I strive to understand the hidden unifying principals that shape our understanding of the world and are the genesis of our best creations. Formula XW-1 My work explores the fusion of the disciplines of architecture, industrial design and fine art. Each piece is as much a realization of an abstract design concept as it is a unique work of three-dimensional art.Citadel Iteration #1 A strict and systematic organization of components define this work and manifest a distinct unifying methodology that has both physical and spiritual origins. At first glance, the geometric forms seem strangely familiar as if seen somewhere before - but where - when? Upon closer examination - perhaps the designs are remnants of some distant and secrete civilization or even an, as of yet, unknown and mysterious future. The forms are intentionally abstract giving shape to that initial "spark" of design inspiration. Schematic concepts emerge as built objects without the practical or functional restrictions that necessarily accompany the development of an architectural or industrial product. Flying Fortress The final sculpted artwork is usually derived from an initial "thumbnail" sketch. The preliminary shapes are often explored and refined through multiple iterations as 3-d computer models. The work combines the "tried and true" techniques of old-fashioned craftsmanship with today's most advanced rapid prototyping technologies such as CAD modeling, 3-D printing, and CNC fabrication. From creation through completion this dichotomy of 'handmade' and 'computer generated' informs the development and execution of the work.Citadel Iteration #2 Particular finish applications such as weathering and rust recall an 'earlier time' in the story of certain pieces - the scars of a past life. Nevertheless, the work has a timeless quality - seeming to exist in the past, the present and the future - simultaneously.Industrial Icon Obier has plenty more to see here.

The Core77 Design Awards Sports & Outdoors category features consumer products or services created to encourage play, movement, or learning. Examples include toys, games, athletic equipment, athletic wear and accessories, outdoor gear and equipment. Enter today.Tyler Gilbert has spent 20 years in design asking 'how' and 'why.' He recently launched his own design studio, Tyler Gilbert Design, building on a career as an industrial designer passionate about creating products and experiences that engage consumers with brands in a meaningful way. From his base in the Pacific Northwest, Tyler has worked across categories, including consumer electronics, food and beverage containment, and e-bikes. Surveying the current state of the design industry, Tyler finds the number and breadth of new and emerging tools and technologies that can be leveraged for design work "exciting, though possibly overwhelming." He believes that "strong design skills will be critical to employing these tools appropriately to generate results that benefit the consumer (or client) and the design industry." Tyler feels more concern over what he considers "the contradiction between the energy resource demands of the emerging AI tools and the imperative to sustainably create new products." In his opinion, that fundamental conflict requires designers to focus on the "important discussion of 'how' and 'why' to the decisions around product creation and production." Tyler's advice to entrants in the Core77 Design Awards? "Create a picture of the problem the solution is intended to solve, and discuss how it has met, exceeded, or even missed the mark. This could include how the submission improves upon the incumbent solutions."Stellar Design won the 2024 Sports & Outdoors category for Yardsale P1 Poles.The 2024 winner in the Core77 Design Awards Sports & Outdoors category was Stellar Design for Yardsale's P1 Poles, magnetic modular ski poles that offer convenient packing, handling, parts replacement, and even an integrated GoPro mount in each handle.If you have a design project that will get our jurors asking 'how' and 'why,' submit it to the 2025 Core77 Design Awards.

If you're a politically-minded industrial designer, it can be tough to draw a straight line between the work you do and the political system. However, Germany's University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HFBK Hamburg) along with their Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, are trying to bridge the gap. They're sponsoring "Redesign DemocracyReimagining Voting," a design competition that seeks to create a better ballot box.Democracy thrives on participationthe moment when citizens cast their vote in an election is one of the most central expressions of democratic participation. But how does the act of voting affect us? Currently, there is often a gap between aspiration and reality: in some places, simple containers, sometimes converted garbage cans, serve as ballot boxes. It is time to rethink the meaningful act of voting and its contextin terms of design, space, and performance. As part of the research project ReDeRe, the HFBK Hamburg is organizing a competition for the re-design of the voting process. We are inviting all designers, artists, students, researchers and citizens to take part in the competition Redesign DemocracyReimagining Voting. The aim of the competition is to develop appropriate and visionary concepts that enhance the democratic act of voting. With your designs, you are actively shaping the future of democracy. They help to redefine the relevance and symbolism of voting. Be part of this forward-looking project and help to make the act of voting a visible expression of democracy!The deadline for entries is April 14, 2025.

People's imaginations have been captured by gesture control since at least the 2000s, when Minority Report and later Iron Man showed characters using it. Today, 23 years after Minority Report's 2002 release, the technology has yet to become ubiquitous. Companies as large as Nintendo, Google and BMW have all launched and rescinded gesture control interfaces that got less than stellar reviews. That hasn't stopped people from trying. The latest entrant is from Chinese startup Cenwatch, who makes no bones about their influence: Their eponymous device was inspired by, yes, Iron Man. For form factor they've gone with a watch, with a bulky under-wrist LiDAR scanner. Combined with an inertial measurement unit, this reportedly offers the gesture-tracking accuracy that has stymied other developers. Here's what they say the thing can do:I find the design, particularly of the LiDAR scanner, almost shockingly primitive; it doesn't inspire confidence in the product. As usual Kickstarter backers don't share my skepticism, and the $300 devices will start shipping in June.

f you're spec'ing out a product and need a non-standard washer size, where do you turn? Boker's is a Minneapolis-based outfit that specializes in precision metal stamping and washer production. They've been around for over a century, and they offer "more than 32,000 non-standard washer sizes, spacers and shims that are available with no tooling charges." Additionally, they do custom work:Boker's manufactures a range of made-to-order washers with outside diameters of 0.080" to 5.140" that come with a wide variety of inside diameters. Special shapes and sizes up to 12" in diameter can also be produced with a broad range of inside diameters and thicknesses. Boker's covers a complete range of stamping sizes up to 12" x 12" (flat) with thicknesses from .005" to .190", dependent on the material, and draws up to 3" deep and 8" in diameter. The company is a go-to for multiple industries: Aerospace, defense, robotics, medical, dental and more. They've just released their 2025 catalog, which you can see here.

This amusing arm-mounted vacuum is by Unnecessary Design Studio, a/k/a Matty Benedetto. It allows you to keep your fingers clean while picking up residue-laden snacks. "The Snackuum? The first handheld vacuum for picking up all your favorite snacks and delivering them directly to your mouth while keeping your hands pristinely clean. Our wrist mounted vacuum features a high suction hose just beyond your own finger. So now when you sit down with your snacks simply press the power button and dive into your dusty snack bag to firmly grip your chip without any human contact before your lips. No matter what the snack may be or where it's located, get a firm grip every time with the Snackuum."With any luck it will draw Katy Perry's attention. Here's what she wrote about a different UDS invention: For now, Benedetto isn't selling these. I think he's leaving money on the table--America surely has the market for this.

If you do an online search for ashtrays, you'll be shocked at how many offerings are on the market. If you're American, you'll likely find this strange; only 11% of us smoke cigarettes. In the rest of the world, however, smoking rates remain startlingly high. A company called Provape combed through data from the World Health Organization to see which European countries have the highest rates of smoking: In first place is Belgium, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 33.9%. Belgium has implemented multiple anti-smoking measures, such as plain packaging for cigarettes, high tobacco taxes, and public smoking bans. Sweden takes second place, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 33.8%. Cigarette packages in Sweden must carry health warnings and advertising has strict regulations in a bid to reduce smoking. Third place is claimed by Austria, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 31.3%. Smoking remains a large public health issue in Austria, with significant rates of tobacco-related diseases.Bulgaria is in fourth place, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 29.8%. Bulgaria is home to several large tobacco companies which have complicated efforts for a reduction in smoking. However, tobacco taxes have been implemented to reduce the proportion of adults who smoke. Taking fifth place is Finland, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 29.3%. Smoking has been banned in all enclosed public spaces,and Finland has high taxes on tobacco products. Denmark is in sixth place, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 28.8%. Denmark aims to be a tobacco-free country by 2030, with a goal of fewer than 5% of the population smoking tobacco products. To do this, they have invested in numerous public health campaigns, raising awareness about the dangers of smoking. In seventh place is Iceland, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 28.7%. Iceland's national Quitline service offers free advice and guidance for smokers trying to quit, and the country also offers smoking cessation programs that offer counselling and prescription medications. Italy takes eighth place, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 28.5%. Italy has banned all tobacco adverts on TV, radio, and print media, as well as implementing high taxes on all tobacco products to reduce smoking. Ninth place is claimed by Georgia, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 28.2%. With a long history of tobacco farming, efforts to reduce smoking in Georgia face challenges due to economic interests.Russia is in tenth place, with an estimated cigarette smoking prevalence of 24.8%. Smoking is heavily ingrained into Russian culture, but the government has launched campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. Cigarettes are also required to have graphic health warnings on their packaging as a deterrent. Fairly shocking. Scandinavian countries routinely rank as the happiest in the world, and they dominate the top ten. The figures aren't much better in Asia. Japan is at 30.8%, China at 45.6%. South Korea is at 22.6%, but with a weird gender split: 39.7% of men smoke, but just 5.2% of women. You might think America is doing pretty good at just 11%. But the UK has us beat, at just 5.1%. The three countries with the lowest smoking rates are all in Africa: Ghana at 3.7%, Ethiopia at 4.6% and Nigeria at 4.8%.

This sleek, modern take on portable cutlery is by New-Jersey-based housewares brand Zoku. Their Pocket Utensil Set comes in a pocketable carrying case made of polypropylene, with a silicone seal. The utensils themselves are stainless steel, and the entire set is dishwasher-safe. They come in different colors, and they offer kids versions as well. I was happy to learn that Zoku is a brand founded by ID'ers. Industrial designers Ken Zorovich and Yos Kumthampinij ran Propellor, a product design studio, in the 2000s; around 2007, the duo decided to stop designing for clients and to start designing for themselves. "We were very good at creating value through great design," Zorovich explains. "The projects that we worked on were making money for our clients and that in turn was turning into more business for us. What we were getting frustrated with was the value we were creating was so much more than we were getting."They launched Zoku with their inaugural product, a popsicle maker that they spent two years developing. It paid off; in 2009, Williams-Sonoma placed a major order, and the company's been a going concern ever since. The Pocket Utensil Set runs $16.

This Tool Swing was invented by Rich Meyer, a Nebraska-based fabricator. It's a way to store fixed tools like vises, bench grinders, chop saws, planers, tubing notchers and benders beneath your worksurface; when you need to access the tool you simply swing it out and up.Turning these two handles locks it into place.There's no word on cost, because there are no units in production; Meyer is looking to license his invention.

When Brompton wanted to develop an onboard toolkit for their folding bicycles, they turned to British industrial design firm Goodwin Hartshorn. "We took advantage of the bike's foldability to create a toolkit which fits inside the frame," the firm writes. "This protects it from theft and from the elements." "The kit includes all the tools necessary for most roadside repairs in a compact, lightweight unit. Perhaps the most innovative features of the kit are the space-saving double-ended driver bits and the unique tyre levers. These not only make removing tyres substantially easier, but also incorporate 10 and 12mm spanners. "Brompton retails these for $100.

The Core77 Design Awards Visual Communication category features all visual and graphic design, branding and identity projects for print, digital or physical environments. Examples include logos and identity systems, environmental graphics, signage, typefaces, infographics, motion graphics, print design, advertising, etc.The Core77 Design Awards Branding Identity category features a visual design system, or elements of a system that communicate brand philosophy and values, visually and experientially conveying a desired image of a product, company, or organization. Examples include logos, custom typefaces, color palettes, complete brand identity systems.For YanYan Zhang, design is deeply rooted in care "whether for the craft of or for the human problems they address." In her mind, when a project is approached with care, the purpose and thought behind that work shines through. From Core77 Design Awards entrants, she looks forward to seeing "work where care has been applied no matter where one is in their career."Today, YanYan leads the Brand Design Group as an Associate Partner and Executive Creative Director at VSA Partners, where she has spent almost two decades delivering strategic brand-centered solutions for clients ranging from the financial, tech, and commodities sectors to local non-profits. She has led teams in developing brand experiences for clients including the CME Group, IBM, and Sappi. From brand building to brand management and evolution, YanYan works across traditional and digital mediums to deliver smart solutions that lead to meaningful impact.Reflecting on her design practice, YanYan is curious about the evolving role of AI in design, which not only affects the practice of design but also has significant impacts on the world. Says YanYan, "It affects the authenticity and validity of information (visual and verbal), and since information can be communicated at such expedited speeds, so can miscommunication." More optimistically, she feels encouraged by the continued diversification of designers and the perspectives they bring.Play Design Lab won the 2024 Visual Communication category for Unboxing Daxi.The 2024 winner in the Core77 Design Awards Visual Communication category was Play Design Lab, which created a dynamic visual wall for the Unboxing Daxi exhibition at Taiwan's Daxi Wood Art Museum. The dynamic display was intended to encapsulate the essence of woodcraft, utilizing 3-D wooden materials and synchronized digital displays.Shuka won the Branding/Identity category for their packaging for Halsa.The 2024 winner in the Branding/Identity category was Shuka and its striking design for Halsa, a subscription service delivering customized vitamin sets.Our jurors want to know how much you care about your work. Show them by submitting your heartfelt project to the 2025 Core77 Design Awards. Enter your carefully created projects today!

A Chinese company called XPhotonics has developed these Xlaserlab X1 machines. They're desktop laser welders that can also cut, clean, and remove rust. They come in two flavors. The base-level $1,7000 X1 can be used with stainless steel, carbon steel and aluminum sheets up to 2mm thick. This unit is primarily good for spot-welding.The larger $2,500 X1 Pro can handle the materials above, along with galvanized steel, up to 3mm in thickness. This unit is designed for continuous operation.Kickstarter backers have gone nuts for these things: At press time they'd racked up $1.8 million in pledges, with 37 days left to pledge. They expect to ship in April.

Breakfast is a Brooklyn-based kinetic art studio. They've created this Billion Dollar Arcade Series, a collection of interactive art pieces that recall the earliest videogames: Pong, Breakout and Space Invaders. A flip-disc display is used to provide the "pixels." Motion trackers concealed within the frame read the user's motions, allowing them to play the games using gestures.For me it's a bridge too far, but in creating these pieces, Breakfast is trying to make a statement about how videogames have gone from humble curiosities to generating billions of dollars in revenue. To that end, these pieces are apparently connected to the internet and track the stock market in real time; when the market goes up, the difficulty level of the games is increased. "The higher the value, the faster and more challenging the gameplay," the firm explains. These are being released as limited edition art pieces, with just 8 units made for each of the three games.

Here's what we looked at this week:FOLD is an origami-based recyclable cardboard alternative to EPS foam packaging. Apple research yields "expressive and functional" non-anthropomorphic robot, inspired by Pixar's logo lamp.Architecture student Lotte Scheder-Bieschin has invented "Unfold Form," a brilliant formwork that reduces concrete & steel usage in vaulted structures.Re-Grip is a cleverly-designed product for installing new handles on old tools.The VanAir Door is a sleek-looking door with a hidden ventilation channel. It offers privacy without compromising airflow.The Optima Steamer: A better way to clean your car (and more) using steam, not chemicals.Maker Pipe: These single-tool connectors make it easy to build things out of conduit.A brilliant UX detail on these Shinwa "Pick Up" rulers.Tool & technique tips for quickly removing carpet staples.The Tellus bench, by Swedish designer Emma Olbers, is the world's first piece of furniture made from fossil-free steel.Brought back from the '90s, industrial designer Sebastian Bergne's simple Candloop is a low-tech candelabra.Architects ask: What to do with these decommissioned marble fireplace mantles?This "Illoominated II" installation is by Todd Moyer Designs, an "experiential design" firm.The Planck SSD rethinks the form factor of the USB flash drive, altering the orientation to improve UX for video capture.Yea or Nay? Tile-based lamps, by industrial design firm Unknown Untitled.Industrial Design student work: Avants, by Juliette Masson of ECAL, is technical clothing made from natural materials.Aluminum tariffs will mean more expensive beer.The Honey Dipper, by Dutch designer Stijn van Aardenne, was 3D-printed using a unique tilting bed he designed.Industrial design case study: Spanner tackle's iFixit's sleek soldering iron system.

Take a look at this object, which is obviously 3D-printed. Ask yourself: How did they do it?In this case, "they" is Dutch designer Stijn van Aardenne, whose Maze Lamp caught our eye last year. More recently, van Aardenne has been teasing a new "revolving print bed" he's developed:It was used to produce the piece shown up top, which he calls the "Honey Dipper:""The Honey Dipper is the first output and proof of concept of a new 4-axis rotary printer prototype I've been developing, designed to align layer orientation with the flow of the geometry. A perfect match with transparent materials and light!"Aardenne is pretty prolific, so with any luck we'll see market-ready product soon.

iFixit, the company dedicated to teaching people how to repair their own products, has plenty of engineering expertise. What they don't have is industrial design chops. When they wanted to create their own soldering iron system, they turned to ID consultancy Spanner to create a powerful unit that would be consistent with their brand. The resultant product is called the FixHub.iFixit FixHub At Spanner, we're passionate about collaborating with innovative companies to bring amazing products to life. That's why we were thrilled to partner with iFixit on the FixHub, a soldering iron that's more than just a tool it's a portable powerhouse designed for the modern fixer. It reflects a commitment to empowering people to take charge of their repairs. The FixHub isn't your grandpa's soldering iron. It's a high-performance system that combines rapid heating, portability, and smart features to meet the exacting standards of today's repair warriors. This is the tool that makes soldering as mobile as your gadgets, letting you conquer fixes wherever you roam, from the field to your workbench. Spanner played a pivotal role in bringing the iFixit FixHub to lifeOur expert team was instrumental in devising, designing, and engineering this innovative, portable soldering iron. We worked closely with iFixit to ensure the FixHub aligned perfectly with their brand, delivering a product that was not only high-performing but also visually appealing and affordable. Our contributions to the FixHub included:- Strategic Design Direction: We helped define the overall product vision, ensuring that FixHub was a perfect fit for the iFixit brand and the needs of iFixit's customers. - Mechanical Engineering: Our engineers designed and refined the FixHub's mechanical layout and feature details, considering factors like manufacturability, assembly, cost, and, repairability (of course). - Industrial Design: We established the general design aesthetic for the FixHub with considerations for a broader product line, ensuring a consistent and visually appealing look. - UX Design: We played a key role in designing the seamless interaction between the soldering iron and the hub, including the innovative cap that doubles as a stand. Together with iFixit, we created a portable soldering station that empowers people to repair their devices with ease and efficiency. The FixHub's success is a testament to our collaborative approach and our commitment to delivering exceptional products. "Like the soldering iron they helped design, the Spanner team was fast, responsive, and highly skilled. They quickly grasped our users' needs and delivered an intuitive, user-friendly design with impressive efficiency." Brett Hartt, Chief Engineer, iFixit "Working alongside the iFixit team to bring the FixHub to life was an incredibly rewarding experience. We were driven by the goal of creating a tool that would empower people to repair their devices with ease and efficiency. Spanner was proud to contribute our expertise in design, engineering, and manufacturing to ensure the FixHub met the highest standards of quality and performance. Enabling the positive impact that the FixHub will have on the repair community is truly inspiring." Spanner Senior Product Designer, Alyssa KinoshitaYou can see more of Spanner's work here.

An unfortunate knock-on effect of Trump's tariffs on aluminum imports will hit the packaging sector. While Coca-Cola is currently available in aluminum cans, the company revealed in an earnings call that "if aluminum cans become more expensive, we can put more emphasis on PET bottles." Reducing plastic use is not a priority of this administration, and Coca-Cola's shift won't ruffle any governmental feathers. Breweries and beer drinkers will also be affected. Tour average beer manufacturer doesn't have the diverse portfolio of packaging options of a Coca-Cola, and those breweries heavily invested in aluminum packaging will have no choice but to raise prices.Microbreweries in particular will be hard-hit. These smaller outfits lack the deep pockets of name-brand breweries, and being on the crunchier side of the market, have largely shifted to aluminum over bottles for environmental reasons. They also use tanks, kegs and brewing equipment made of steel, which is also subject to the new tariffs. They will need to raise costs in order to survive. Also: Did you know that Coca-Cola has been experimenting with reusable glass bottles? Those make up 8.8% of their packaging portfoliothough sadly, they're primarily used overseas, in countries like Germany, Austria, Spain, South Africa and Vietnam. The company says they're available in "select restaurants" in the U.S., but doesn't name any. America remains a laggard in recycling concerns.

British industrial designer Sebastian Bergne designed this Candloop way back in 1999. Made of stainless steel wire and aluminum for the candle holders, it's a simple way to turn a wine bottle into a candelabra. This is low-tech '90s design, when design was still fun. It's recently been brought back into production by German housewares brand Details Produkte. They run 20/$20 a pop.

This excellent Avants project is by Industrial Design student Juliette Masson. Done as her diploma project at ECAL, the project expores the use of more environmentally-friendly materials for technical clothing. "Synthetic fibers are now a common feature of sportswear, including in the hiking world. These are popular for their technical properties: lightness, elasticity, low absorbency, and wrinkle resistance, among others. However, the environmental impact of these materials is significant, both during manufacture and throughout their life cycle." "In response to this issue, Avants propose an alternative hiking outfit made from natural materials: Linen, selected for its thermo-regulating and hypoallergenic properties; waxed cotton, known for its durability and water-repellent qualities, chosen to provide protection against rain and abrasion." "The design of these outfits drew inspiration from historical garments and their fastening systems, while being adapted for contemporary and functional use."

These UU Tiles are by Unknown Untitled, a Paris-based industrial design firm. They're essentially tile-based lamps. "UU Tilesbegan as a research initiative and evolved into a full tile collection thanks to a collaboration with a historic Normandy tile manufacturer. Challenging the prevailing focus on mobility and flexibility in interior design, UU Tiles explores sustainability via permanence and integrated functions. It comprises plain tiles, ceramic hooks, and lamps. A sense of modernity arises even though the enduring quality of the material supports the search for timeless forms." They've yet to release images of the hooks.While I understand the importance of experimentation in design, is it just me, or is this product crazy? Your average wall-mounted lamp can easily be installed and moved, with the biggest pain being the snaking of in-wall wiring. This one adds another level of installation complexity: It has to be part of a larger tile body, and now we're getting mastic or mortar involved, so it's never coming off of the wall.That said, the product is currently sold out, so apparently there's demand.

The Core77 Design Awards Sustainability category features any designed product, service, or system tackling issues around sustainability in a thoughtful, research-backed manner through strategies ranging from materials, production methods, efficient systems, packaging and shipping, etc.If there is one thing Kara Pecknold worries about in the world of design, it is: "that we will avoid some of the deep work and thoughtful intention that is required to be active participants in supporting the shape of a livable future that sustains both people and planet." This concern for sustainability has shaped Kara's career path and motivates her future. As the VP of Regenerative Design at frog (the reinvention and experience partner part of Capgemini Invent), Kara has spent 20 years helping clients develop new products, services, and businesses particularly those that will benefit people and planet in the Eco-Digital Era. Kara serves as the global lead for sustainability and focuses on insights that exist at the intersection of people, products, and systems. Her work has touched organizations across industries, from consumer products and services to health care, energy management, mobility, and education. Earlier in her career, Kara pursued a master's degree in design and operated her own research design consultancy in Vancouver, Canada. Today, she is based in Germany, where she leads a design team and speaks, teaches, and writes about design, sustainability, and building creative capabilities in organizations.Kara finds herself most enthusiastic about the "intentional and blended emergence of science, nature, and business" in her practice, which she believes is "setting a tone for a refreshed narrative for design." To designers entering projects for consideration in the Core77 Design Awards, Kara advises: "Be intentional with the holistic story of your design. Ecosystems thinking reveals how your design will journey through the world and highlights both social and environmental impact."Butlr 2024 winner of the Sustainability Category fuses AI and body heat sensing technology to shape the future of sustainable buildings for working and living.The 2024 winner in the Core77 Design Awards Sustainability category was Butlr, the AI Data Platform for Anonymous People Sensing. This system combines AI with body heat sensing technology to understand movements in a space, generating insights about how a space is being used and ultimately helping improve a building's safety, comfort, and energy efficiency.If you have a design that could help people and planet thrive together, submit it to the 2025 Core77 Design Awards.Enter your best work in the Core77 Design Awards today!

Todd Moyer Designs practices "experiential design," combining art and technology to create installations. Their "Illoominated II" piece, below, caught my eye. It was inspired by textile looms, and gives the illusion that the threads are lasers:An earlier iteration of this piece, "Illoominated I," featured just the thread spools. The newer iteration added the woven rug. "Illoominated II" is currently on display as part of the Portland Winter Light Festival.

A lot of architecture think-tank stuff loses me, but this one I can both follow and get behind. Amor Immeuble is a Paris-based quartet of architects interested in material research and experimentation. They recently encountered a series of beautifully-crafted marble pieces that were once prized and are now considered waste. With their "Deposees" series, the group considers how best to preserve these pieces and integrate them into modern life.Essentially, the group notes that as fireplaces are no longer needed for heat, they're often removed during renovations to free up floor space. However, they often have ornate marble mantles that were the must-have interior design feature of the 19th century. They were sold by catalog, as the group explains:"Nineteenth-century marble-makers flooded France with these kit dressings by the wagonload, standardizing catalogs with a limited series of model-types, utilitarian syntheses of historical styles.""The ambivalent status of these standardized ornamentsarchitectural archetype or decorative product, indispensable figure in the domestic landscape or cumbersome antiqueis inevitably debated during interior renovation projects.""What position should we, as architects, adopt in such situations? What is the value of this ornamented interface, ultimately stripped of all function when the ducts are condemned? What place should be given to the many pieces that have been deposited? Among these sheet-rock facings, consoles and modillions stand out, more elaborate and massive in their function as projecting supports." "The generic nature of the fragments collected enables us to turn them into three-dimensional assemblies that temporarily occupy the domestic space of the gallery: the rock, reduced to an ornamental motif, is used here for its structural capacity, and the contoured form becomes a framework component, abstracted from its original orientation and symbolism." At present there's no practical application for the salvaged mantle fragments, but the constructions pictured here were exhibited at the DNL Gallery in Paris.

This Planck SSD (Solid State Drive), by mobile accessories startup Planck, rethinks the form of the USB flash drive. The change is a tiny one with a major impact: Moving the plug from the short end to the center of the long end. This was done so that you can plug it into the bottom of your phone, without adversely affecting the overall form. (Imagine trying to do this with a standard flash drive.) It's aimed at those who shoot lots of video, and it allows you to record directly to the flash drive rather than eating up your phone's memory. Of course, it can also be connected to your tablet or laptop. They also offer a hub if you want to connect multiple units. The Planck SSD will be available in 1TB ($125) and 2TB ($199) capacities. It's supposed to launch on Kickstarter this month.

Plastic is made from fossil fuels. Steel isn't, but we must burn an awful lot of fossil fuels in order to produce it. Iron ore must be pulled out of the ground, typically using gas-powered machinery; we then have to burn coal to make coke, in order to extract that iron in a blast furnace, which is also powered by coal.Incredibly, Swedish Steel AB has come up with a way to make fossil-free steel. Their ore supplier, LKAB, pulls the stuff out of the ground with electricity-powered mining equipment. Rather than coke, green hydrogen (made using wind, hydro and solar energy in Sweden) is injected. The furnaces are electric, also powered by renewables. The casting is done using electric induction heating rather than the material being molted in a coal-fired furnace. Veteran Swedish furniture designer Emma Olbers has designed the world's first piece of furniture made from fossil-free steel. Her Tellus bench, intended as street furniture, features armrests wide enough to rest a cup of coffee on, and the seating angles were created with ergonomics in mind. The Tellus bench is in production by Norwegian outdoor manufacturer Vestre. Below Olbers discusses her design philosophy and what she was going for with the bench. (Interestinglyperhaps this is a translation thingher take on "form follows function" is "forms follow planetary boundaries.)