This Quilted Furniture project is by Sapna Tayal, an Industrial Design student at Carnegie-Mellon University. I'd give her an "A;" Tayal has imaginatively harnessed production technology, collaborated with non-ID-department bodies and produced a highly professional level of documentation.Tayal's central question was: "How can we harness the unique capabilities of the overlooked CNC sewing machine, traditionally only used to make soft blankets, and expand its fabrication possibilities?" To get to the answer, she worked with researchers from CMU's Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and Robotics Institute (RI).Flat-to-shape objects fabricated with a CNC sewing machineHow can we harness the unique capabilities of the overlooked CNC sewing machine, traditionally only used to make soft blankets, and expand its fabrication possibilities? Deployable objects allow quick activation and compact storage but often require intricate assembly processes. We establish a novel rapid, scalable method to fabricate functional objects using a large computer-controlled quilting machine (11 ft / 3.4 m wide). Rigid materials like plywood or acrylic are sandwiched between fabric layers and secured through sewing, forming soft hinges. These hinges allow smooth transitions into three-dimensional forms with minimal post-processing. Flat-to-shape steps of the side table Method OverviewLongarm Quilting Machine. Fabric is tensioned over the rollers. Leveraging the machine's strengthsModern CNC quilting machines, offer precision, reliability, and scale. However, their potential remains largely untapped beyond flat, fabric-based products like quilts. We take advantage of the machine's unique features to craft unique, surprising, fully functional objects. Computer-controlled sewing and panel insertion for the backpack design (10x speed).Human-machine co-creation Establishing an incremental fabrication process with alternating passes of sewing pockets and placing inserts.Designed Objects1. Lamp Made up of four panel types for localized functions to achieve dynamic functionality: plain acrylic at the base, cardstock-laminated panels in the inner ring, LED-integrated "active" panels in the upright section, and open spaces at the top for a graceful fabric drape as the lampshade.2. Backpack Inspired by packaging design, a tendon cord system transforms the bag from flat to 3D and doubles as the straps. Made of 3/16" plywood inserts. Gusset panels remain flexible with Velcro for selective attachment and locking.3. Side Table Transforming with a simple tug secured with a spring cord lock while in use. The cord acts on short rectangular struts, which meet in the center under the tabletop when fully deployed, stopping further movement.4. Lounge Chair A large (60" by 56" when flat) chair designed to support an adult's weight.The insert panels, made from 1/2" plywood cut on a CNC router, are designed to meet face-to-face when deployed. Neodymium magnets, glued into milled pockets, allow the chair to "snap" into place, aligning the panels, while the fabric and panels carry the primary loads.Design ProcessSewing PossibilitiesA research-through-design process to play with different sewing and gathering methods and studying their effects. Geometry and Method TuningPrototyping possible forms. Technical ProcessChair fabrication process where a table and weights are used to build objects larger than the bed size.Scaling upWe adapt the machine (11 ft x 25 in sewing area) for large scale rigid panel fabrication by replacing the typical fabric rolling method with a height-adjustable table. A weighted rod threaded through the fabric edge maintains tension and alignment during stitching.Original machine set up: Our modifications to expand fabrication scope: Path and Panel Sequence AlgorithmIn the full research paper, we formalize a repeatable design space to share our discoveries. Reach out for more information! Putting the CNC Sewing machine together! Mid-project we needed to move the machine (~13' by 5') from its original home in Robotics to the HCI lab across campus.Taking the machine apart and putting it back together was an incredible opportunity to learn about its workings and nuances of operating it! You can see more of Tayal's work here.

This FoldSeat is by Aidan Reinhold. The NYC-based furniture designer moves a lot, and tasked himself with designing an easy-to-transport chair. Furthermore, he wanted the chair to be monomaterial for ease of recycling, to come together without the use of tools, and to fold down to fit inside a 12" x 17" FedEx box. The entire chair—the sheets, the hinges, the rivets—are all made of aluminum. It's available for purchase through Reinhold's company, FlatFlat, for $350.

Here's what we looked at this week:Why tariffs can be tricky: The Honda Ridgeline is a more "American" truck than a Ford F-150. Three Humanscale solutions for neatly delivering power to your desk.Practical Industrial Design student work: This much-needed "Basic Knowledge of Product Development" course tasked students with designing connectors that met strict criteria.A clever, open-source design for an easy-to-use 3D-printed solder dispenser.Tree transplanting, the old way and the new way.This rotary-printed HIVE lamp is by Dutch designer Stijn van Aardenne, who invented a new production method to make it.This timeless, visually light Liviana chair is by veteran industrial designer Gabriel Teixidó.The AfricroozE: A German e-bike designed specifically for the African market.Oatey's pop-down sink drain: Easier to install and clean, less leak prone.ToughBuilt's folding Japanese pull saw protects both sets of teeth in transit. It's a better design than competitors', and actually costs less (until the tariff war really gets going).Researchers "discover" a never-before-seen color.Single flippable lens eyeglasses for applying eye makeup.These lightweight stone-like furniture pieces are by Karim Rashid and Zachary A. Design.Horizon, by industrial designer Louis Filosa, is a sunset-inspired table lamp.1970s Italian design classic: Angelo Mangiarotti's Molla lamps.A 3D-printed Starbucks opens this month in Texas.Excellent Industrial Design student work: Sapna Tayal's Quilted Furniture expands the possibilities of existing fabrication methods.Furniture designer Aidan Reinhold's Foldseat is a fold-flat aluminum chair that fits in a FedEx box.Industrial design case study: Mixer Design tackles a communications analyzer.

Freedom Communications is an American manufacturer of communications gear. To create their R-9000 analyzer, they turned to industrial design consultancy Mixer Design. Freedom R-9000 Communications AnalyzerThe Freedom Communications R-9000 brings together a wide range of radio equipment testing capabilities--whether out in the field or on the test bench. The rugged R-9000 high-performance device allows for multiple orientations and configurations. Our Industrial Designers developed a benchmark visual language for the Freedom Communications brand while our Mechanical Engineers tackled high power thermal dissipation, durability and manufacturability. Users First The User Experience of this device addresses the many environments where it operates. This could include an electrical bench in a lab or high atop a communications tower. The Mixer team built many weighted prototypes to experiment with strap locations and adjustable feet until they came upon a just-right mix of features. Build - Learn - RepeatOur designers and engineers have direct access to our well-equipped shop to discover new ideas, build complex assemblies and trouble-shoot designs. We are open to many sources of inspiration and believe that if a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures. Beyond the BoxThe Mixer Design team helped Freedom set the benchmark with the R-9000's new brand look. We also helped them project their new brand with the design of a trade show booth, product graphics and digital assets for their marketing team. You can see more of Mixer Design's work here.

These Polli monolithic outdoor furniture pieces were designed by Karim Rashid and Zachary A. Design, a Chicago-based manufacturer of sculptural furniture. The Polli line appears to be made out of stone, but they're actually a proprietary blend of resin, stone aggregate and fiberglass; company founder Zachary Bitner, a furniture designer and SCAD grad, began experimenting with the mixture in the 2000s. The resultant pieces are all-season weatherproof and, unlike stone or concrete, lightweight enough that the pieces are easy to move. The apostrophe-shaped backless version weighs 27 pounds, and the backed version isn't much more at 35 pounds. Each seat is available in both left- and right-oriented versions. They're made-to-order in Chicago, and available in a variety of colors.

This beautiful Horizon Table Light is by Brooklyn-based industrial designer Louis Filosa. Two basic shapes and the judicious use of negative space create a pleasing form that draws the eye. Its form inspired by the setting sun, the LED lamp has a warm temperature of 2700K and is, appropriately, dimmable. The Horizon is in production by lighting manufacturer Gantri, who makes their products from non-GMO sugarcane-based polymers.

This month Starbucks is opening their first 3D-printed storefront. Sited in Brownsville, Texas, the structure is by German 3D printing construction company Peri 3D. As with a lot of 3D-printed construction projects we've seen lately, this seems to be more about novelty than the cost-savings that was once promised for 3D-printed construction. The building was erected at an estimated cost of $1.1 million. That said, it was built quickly; the shell was printed in under a week. The strange part is, no customer will ever get to set foot inside of it. The 1,400-square-foot building was designed as a drive-thru and also has a walk-up window, but there's no interior seating. It's due to open on April 28th.

Angelo Mangiarotti, a 20th-century Italian architect and industrial designer, liked industrial materials and had a sense of humor. Both are embodied in these Molla lamps, designed in 1974. The construction of the Slinky-like lamp couldn't be simpler: It consists of little more than a spring ("molla," in Italian) and an E27 socket. I bet shipping them was easy.The pieces were in production by Italian lighting manufacturer Candle.

This Dearborn Pop-Down Drain is designed to improve not only the UX of the end user, but of the person who has to install it. In the works by Cleveland-based plumbing products company Oatey, It's a bathroom sink drain with a stopper that sits flush with the bottom of the sink—when it's open. Pushing it down, beneath the surface of the sink bottom, seals it shut. The stopper can be removed for cleaning or maintenance by hand, without the use of tools, a boon for users; there's no pivot rod to detach first.By doing away with the pivot rod arrangement used by most sink drains, the design also eliminates a potential leak path. It additionally eases installation for the plumber; no tools are required beyond putty for the seal, as the body is knurled for hand-tightening. Perhaps best of all for the plumber, it reduces the need to carry inventoryf. While other pop-down drains exist on the market, Oatey's design is universal in that it can be used with sinks with or without overflows; in other words, the plumber only needs to stock one SKU, rather than be prepared for both options.One thing the user might not like is that after filling the basin for a cleaning task, a finger must be immersed into the water to open the drain. This might be a dealbreaker for the finicky.The Dearborn is designed to fit all 1 ¼" bahtroom sink openings, and can be used with both thick and thin sinks. The user-facing components are made from machined brass for longevity.The product isn't yet market-ready; Oatey unveiled the design at the recent KBIS show (see below). They say the Dearborn will hit store shelves later this year.

In 2025, per usual, Milan Design Week, the Salone, delivered an overwhelming banquet for the creative appetite, here's what Core77 found particularly tasty.In the category of national exhibitions, a highlight was House of Switzerland Milano. It was organized by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and Presence Switzerland. The theme of collaboration ties together a broad range of work and talent:https://ecal.ch/en/feed/projects/8162/designed-in-ch-made-in-jp/"Designed by ECAL and produced by Karimoku New Standard for the Swiss pavilion in 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.Designed in CH Made in JP is a cross-cultural collaboration from the MA Product Design programme at ECAL, Karimoku New Standard (KNS) and Presence Switzerland. Asked to design wooden chairs for the Swiss Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Osaka, Japan, ECAL's students presented their designs with one selected for production in partnership with Japanese furniture makers KNS. With some designs taking stimulus from the pavilion's scenography, others reference cultural iconography while celebrating the symbiosis between the two nations. Each chair's unique narrative displays how the heritage of both nations are aligned to values of craftsmanship and innovation."Press Picture: Andre Hoenicke & Zoe Ammann CoLAB: ICDP Prospects Unfoldedhttps://www.instagram.com/hgkbasel_industrialdesign SWISSWOOL X CLAUDIA CAVIEZEL http://www.caviezel.cc/ https://www.instagram.com/cecilefeilchenfeldthttps://www.instagram.com/adrienroverostudio/"LIGHT KNIT Cecile Fellchenfeldt (Franco/ Francia) & Karla Huft (Germany / Germania)In collaboration with Adrien Rovero Studio (Switzerland / Svizzera)Textile creation/ Creazione tossile.Sequins, Lycra yarn / Paillette, filato di lycraEach of these standing lamps has a different base and textile covering. The highly elastic 3D 'pockets' were engineered on knitting machines and stretched out by pastilles (sequins without a hole), making them transiucent."https://www.instagram.com/raphaelkadid/"Bringing together Swiss gallery Raw Senses and surface specialists BWB, initiated for Zurich Design Week, the Philae Bookshelf by Raphael Kadid is crafted entirely from hand-anodised aluminium. With its structure mirroring architectural principles, the piece is assembled with triangulated connections akin to a card tower, ensuring stability. Taking inspiration from aerial photography of aluminium mining sites, Kadid has created an abstract pattern across the surface through hand-anodising processes developed with BWB. Becoming an ode to its mineral origins, the bookshelf has also been created with modularity in mind and can be easily extended or recycled at the end of use."* * * See more of our 2025 Milan Design Week coverage here * * * /// - - - - M-I-L-A-N-O - 2-0-2-5 - - - - ///

Thanks to Designboom founders Birgit and Massimo we toured the Milan showroom of Japanese furniture company Time & Style, a treasure-filled space we likely would have missed otherwise. The presentation was library-like, dense with materials and finishes that demanded to be touched and craftsmanship worthy of lingering scrutiny. Time & Style, the company, is based in Asahikawa, on the island of Hokkaido, and handles production in house, from "log purchasing to lumbering, drying, woodcutting, wood assembly, polishing, and finishing." Its showroom opened in Milan in 2022.Here are some standout pieces from our visit, first in shelving ...... and in seating, table finish and joint details ...... in ceramic, glass, wood, lacquer, small objects ...If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know how the above checks many of our areas of interest: Time & Space was very much a nexus of that in the wide expanse of Milan Design Week. At the center of that was one chair in particular which we broke out to a post of its own here: A Plywood Chair That Goes Against the Grain — The Wooden Cantilever Chair from Time & Style* * * See more of our 2025 Milan Design Week coverage here * * * /// - - - - M-I-L-A-N-O - 2-0-2-5 - - - - ///

A part of Time & Style's 2025 Collection, the Wooden Cantilever Chair is a singular creation that erases and rewrites the aesthetic of plywood furniture.Lightweight, strong, resource maximizing; plywood is a revolutionary material of unquestionable benefit to furniture manufacturing and home construction. It does have an ugly side though. And we aren't talking the adhesive which binds the plies together, which were bad, but are getting better. The ugly side is ugly, un-asethetic. It is the edge. The ply. Its malignant presence marring many otherwise exemplary furniture designs. From the Eames through Yanagi, to Stark, designers have shaped the material into new forms, but almost uniformly within the natural bounds prescribed by its planar nature. No matter how far it is contorted and formed it retains that sliver of evil, the ply, often gap-toothed ... even if the outermost plies have been pinched to a single pursed seam, it is lurking ... even veneered, it is there, the planar specter, stubbornly inorganic.The genius here is flipping it, taking that sliver and making it the whole, then shaping it till no hint of rectilinearity remains. A pillow mint profile that converts the ersatz growth rings of ply into delicate contour lines describing the form. This must require who-knows how much care and, likely, waste in achieving such consistent beautiful strata, but in our eyes the outcome justifies the expenditure.From their website: "Molded plywood technology makes it possible to create curved shapes that solid wood cannot achieve while keeping the warmth and natural feel of wood. This technology also provides strength and flexibility. We have re-examined this method to explore new ways to express the beauty of wood, leading to the creation of The wooden cantilever chair.""This chair features a Bauhaus-style cantilever structure, in which the seat is supported by the frame without back legs, creating a floating effect. Molded plywood gives the chair both strength and flexibility, allowing it to bend slightly for a comfortable sitting experience. This natural bending makes the chair gently adapt to the body. To enhance the feel of the wood, we shaped the plywood into an oval form, just like solid wood, resulting in a soft and warm texture. The seat shell, supported by the frame, is made of carefully shaped wooden parts that connect to create a beautiful whole. These elements come together in a single flowing form, making the chair not only comfortable but also visually elegant."Amen, Brother.* * * See more of our 2025 Milan Design Week coverage here * * * /// - - - - M-I-L-A-N-O - 2-0-2-5 - - - - ///

Here's a rare example of a superior tool design that costs less than an inferior design.First off, we'll start with the lesser design. Japanese tool brand Suizan makes this Folding Ryoba (double-sided) pull saw. The handle folds for transport but, once folded, they only protect the teeth on one side. In order to protect both sets of teeth, you need an additional sheath or case. It retails for around $50. ToughBuilt, a U.S. tool brand that seemingly came out of nowhere a decade ago and has exploded across the marketplace, offers this Folding Pull Saw. Like Suizan's offering, it has both rip and crosscut teeth; unlike Suizan's the handle folds to protect both sets of teeth, like a gigantic butterfly knife. And the folding handles are actually made with steel, unlike Suizan's, which are polypropylene. Here's the kicker: The ToughBuilt saw retails for $30. How are they able to offer more tool for less money? My guess is that they manufacture in China; until recently the saw was sold for as little as $18, and the price bump is probably in reaction to the tariff war. Depending on how things go, this tool might eventually end up costing more than Suizan's.

If you wear corrective lenses and are applying eye makeup, you've got a dilemma: You need the glasses to see what you're doing, yet you can't apply the makeup with the glasses in the way.These Magnified Makeup Glasses with Flip Lens, by cosmetics company Donna May London, are designed to solve that. They contain a single lens that can be rotated over each eye, allowing easier application. The units run $14, and the lenses are available in a range of diopters from +1.5 to +4.

In today's competitive consumer products industry, incorporating sustainability considerations into the product design process is not just a buzzword but a necessity. However, for many design firms, achieving sustainable outcomes can feel daunting and unachievable due to preconceived notions of cost or what sustainability "should" look like during the design process. Selecting more sustainable materials tends to be the first path forward that springs to mind, but that’s not the only way to integrate sustainable practices into the product design process. Today, designers are leveraging digital tools to eliminate paper trails, streamline processes, and more. Here, we highlight three companies that demonstrate sustainability is not only attainable but also actively practiced in various ways by product designers today. Leveraging sustainability analytics for informed decisions R&S Robertson, renowned for delivering exceptional lighting solutions for the hospitality and leisure sectors since 1939, recently decided to branch out and design its first lighting collection with the design firm Vivid Nine. The Vivid Nine team utilized the Manufacturing Sustainability Insights (MSI) add-on for Autodesk Fusion to calculate the environmental impact of their designs in real-time, even before prototyping and manufacturing. By selecting different materials, manufacturing processes, and locations, MSI provides a comprehensive cradle-to-gate analysis of the product's carbon emissions. This real-time feedback allows designers to experiment with various materials and processes, helping them identify the most sustainable options. MSI’s analysis highlighted the biggest carbon contributors in the designs, indicating areas for significant improvements through material choice changes or design optimizations. Additionally, the team could compare the environmental impacts of manufacturing in different locations. They concluded that it was more environmentally beneficial to manufacture in Portugal compared to Asia, aligning with R&S Robertson’s manufacturing partner in Portugal.The Vivid Nine team utilized the MSI add-on for Autodesk Fusion to calculate the environmental impact of their designs in real-time . “We can go through each component piece of the light and run calculations of different CO2 values to try and reduce it,” says Jonathan Pearson, co-founder, Vivid Nine. “We can compare different manufacturing methods or different sizes to reduce the number. You can have a load of parts. But, with MSI, it’s easy to see what stands out as a really high value from a CO2 perspective and focus on what to change and impact the overall value.” Reducing the production paper trail Termobrasa, a Portugal-based manufacturer of heating systems, has eliminated its paper trail by designing its products in Fusion and tracking their production with Fusion Operations. Fusion Operations provides real-time insights into materials, production schedules, and inventory levels, facilitating efficient resource planning. By digitalizing their operations from design to production, Termobrasa has significantly reduced its reliance on paper, thereby cutting down on resources and embracing a more sustainable. Easy repairs to support the circular economy Native Instruments, a leading manufacturer of software and hardware for music production and DJing, offers a repair program for its products. This initiative focuses on extending the lifecycle of their products, thereby reducing electronic waste. “Usually, customers ask us to ship a spare part that they need to repair their own instruments,” says Matthias Geserick, senior customer care agent, Native Instruments. “Fusion Manage enables me to just find it directly in the database and send it to the customer with all the specs they need.”This approach aligns with the principles of a circular economy, where products are designed to be reused, repaired, and recycled, ultimately minimizing environmental impact. By focusing on access to easy repairs or replacement parts, Native Instruments can be more sustainable and keep customers sampling, composing, and mixing on their beloved instruments for years to come.By incorporating sustainable practices into the design process beyond just considering material type, design teams can reduce their environmental impact and enhance their reputation in an increasingly competitive market where consumers expect more from their products and the teams that create them. Learn more about Autodesk Fusion here.

Did you know that, for most of human history, blue was very difficult to come by? While it is the sky and the ocean's default color, blue is otherwise rare in the natural world. Blue flowers are scarce (produced by less than 10% of flowering plants) as are minerals that produce blue pigment.Image: Delonix, CC BY-SA 4.0 The Egyptians developed a synthetic blue pigment by mixing sand, calcium, copper and ash, but it was labor-intensive and difficult to make. When Europeans first caught wind of indigo in the 16th century, they went wild for the stuff, importing it first from India and then America, where it was produced at a heavy cost—slave labor. Today blue isn't rare. With the prevalence of smartphones and computer-generated imagery, we take colors for granted. You can move a bunch of sliders on a screen and generate whatever color you want. But researchers at U.C. Berkeley have sort of discovered a new color, one that you and I have never seen.What the researchers did was manipulate the cones in the retinas of test subjects in order to get them to see this new color. We have three types of cones, Long, Medium and Short (L, M, S) that receive light and translate those into color within our brains. The L cones are sensitive to red light, and the S cones to blue. Those two cones do most of the heavy lifting, as the M cones have no naturally-occuring light frequency that stimulates them.Image: Rapidreflex, CC BY-SA 4.0 The Berkeley researchers mapped the test subjects' retinas to figure out where their M cones are, then used a laser to send pulses of light directly onto these M cones. The test subjects then saw the "new" color, perceiving it as "a patch of colour in the field of vision about twice the size of a full moon," according to the Guardian.Their description of the colour is not too arresting – the five people who have seen it call it blue-green – but that, they say, does not fully capture the richness of the experience."It was jaw-dropping. It's incredibly saturated," said Ren Ng, an electrical engineer at the University of California, Berkeley.The researchers shared an image of a turquoise square to give a sense of the colour, which they named olo, but stressed that the hue could only be experienced through laser manipulation of the retina."Olo" John Barbur, a University of London vision scientist, was dismissive of the experiment, saying "It is not a new colour" and stating that the exercise had "limited value." Researchers, however, hope it will help them understand color blindness and vision-affecting diseases.I don't know how bulky or expensive the equipment is, but I bet if they set up a booth at a trade show attended by designers, they could charge money. What designer wouldn't pay five, ten, twenty bucks, to see a color they've never seen before?

When you think of a leather and metal chair, you likely picture something heavy. But this Liviana chair, by Spanish industrial designer Gabriel Teixidó, has a striking visual lightness to it: "Liviana" in Spanish means "light" (as in weight/mass, not illumination). The design of the chair seems as timeless as Teixidó himself, who has been an industrial designer for nearly 60 years. The Liviana chair is in production by Spanish furniture brand Perobell.

In the U.S., approximately 30-40% of the food supply is wasted. This translates to about 133 billion pounds of food each year, with fruits and vegetables accounting for around 40% of that waste. The phrase "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch" literally refers to the fact that a single rotting apple can quickly contaminate other apples in a group. This is not due to any morally bankrupt behavior on the part of the apples, but rather that rotting apples produce ethylene gas, which hastens the ripening and decay of nearby apples. Storing fruits in a bowl can trap ethylene gas, which can lead to over ripening and spoiling of a whole bowl of fruit. Designer Agota Jonas wanted to create a better fruit bowl, to try to solve this problem. She literally turned the bowl inside out, and created the Fruitbridge. Most fruits are round, and like trees, the Fruitbridge gently holds them with minimum contact, keeping fruit apart from each other and allowing air to circulate freely.These fruit stands are made of food-grade stainless steel, using low-energy fabricating methods: laser cutting, cold rolling, and hand finishing. Material is not wasted. Leftover pieces are reused for other small products such as tealight holders and keychains.Sold in variations holding two or three rows of fruit, the Fruitbridge is avaialble directly from the Lucky Round Avocado website.

Local transportation remains a challenge for many African regions, which are beset by high fuel costs, low incomes and punishing road conditions. German company AfricroozE aims to solve these challenges with their eponymous e-bike, designed specifically for the African market. The robust bikes were designed to be cheap to produce, using affordable steel and commonly-available components. To weather African road conditions, the bikes are kitted out with thick spokes and fat, puncture-proof tires. With a 350W motor, the single-battery Commuter model has a max payload of 90kg (198.4 lbs), a range of 40 - 60km (25 – 37 miles) and a top speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph). A more powerful dual-battery Allrounder model boasts a 500W motor, yielding a maximum payload capacity of 150kg (330.7 lbs) and a range of 75 - 100 km (47 – 62 miles). To make it easier (and greener) for riders to power the batteries, AfricroozE has set up a network of solar-powered charging stations across Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Togo and Benin. They've also trained local mechanics in those regions both to repair the bikes and operate the charging stations, creating local jobs.The bikes start at €600 (USD $682) and the company has created a microcredit system to help buyers finance the bikes. In contrast, a motorcycle can cost more than $10,000, and bring additional costs with both fuel and maintenance.This video tells the development story of the bikes, and shows the impact they're having:

When it comes time for new construction, enlightened organizations may choose to move a tree rather than cut it down. Here we see shots of a Camphor tree in Minato-ku, Tokyo, being relocated a distance of ten meters. The process isn't quick. Workers dig out around the roots by hand before wrapping and binding the root system. A wide trench leading to the new location is dug, and a wooden dolly track is laid. The tree is lifted onto beams that ride on small logs on the dolly track and guided to its new location. This shot below is not the tree in the shots above (you can spot the differences in the branches, trunk and the size of the battens) but it shows the same process, with the tree in its new resting place. This method can reportedly take more than a year, with the bundled roots being given time to grow within their temporary enclosure for stability's sake. For organizations with less time—and smaller trees to be moved—mechanical systems greatly speed the task. Here we see Australian company Arbor Co. using a mechanized tree spade to do the work:As an interesting side note, the Japanese term for carefully digging out the roots, nemawashi, has become shorthand in the Japanese business world. The phrase roughly translates to "laying the groundwork" in English; within the Japanese context, it means speaking to all of the stakeholders involved to prepare them for an upcoming change, shift or new operation. The people in this case are the roots, and the belief is that great care must be taken with them in order for the organization to thrive in its new disposition.

Earlier this year, we watched in fascination as Dutch designer Stijn van Aardenne developed a new production method. His prototype for a 4-axis rotary printer employed 3D printing on a revolving print bed:That was in February, and the industrious van Aardenne has already developed market-ready product using the new technique. Here's his bee-inspired HIVE lamp: The shell is printed in recycled PET-G, and it's mounted to a stainless steel fixture. The light source is a dimmable 24V LED. The lamp can be ordered with the power cord you see in the photo, or without, if you prefer to hardwire it into a wall. The HIVE lamp runs €720 (USD $819).

Once upon a time American factories, like factories around the world, had raw materials delivered to one end. Out of the other end emerged finished products: Automobiles, sewing machines, appliances.Those days are long gone, and they're not coming back. Manufacturing and supply chains have grown ever more complex in the relentless pursuit of efficiency and maximizing profits; for instance, it's cheaper to have wiring harnesses made in Vietnam than Detroit. And modern manufacturing complexity means components can require multiple fabrication steps in different countries. Some parts for automobiles "made" in the U.S. might cross borders seven times before being finished and installed into the final product.All of which means referring to a car as American, Japanese or German no longer means what it once did. What is the most American car, that is to say, the most American-built car? Automotive journalist Aaron Turpen crunched the numbers for his "Made in America: Vehicles least likely to see impact from tariffs" article on New Atlas. The results were surprising, to say the least.For nearly 40 years the Ford F-150 has been not only the bestselling pickup truck, but the bestselling vehicle in America. But it's not the most American-built vehicle nor truck. That distinction goes to…the Honda Ridgeline. With a U.S.-made engine and transmission, and final assembly done at the company's plant in Alabama, its 72.5%-U.S.-built makeup makes it "the most American-made pickup truck you can buy."Honda RidgelineShockingly the Ford F-150, according to the NHTSA, has a U.S.-built parts content of just 32%--and even some of that percentage is split with Canada.Ford F-150The Honda Ridgeline comes in second place for most American-built vehicle on Turpen's list. Tied for first place are two vehicles, the Dodge Durango and the Tesla Model 3, both at 73% U.S.-made.Dodge DurangoTesla Model YOverall, the top ten on Turpen's list is dominated by Honda, Jeep and Tesla, with a surprising outlier: The Volkswagen ID.4, fourth on the list at 70%. Volkswagen ID.4Read the whole thing here.

We've seen so many blue-sky ID school assignments that this one, which focuses on practicality, is refreshing. It's from the "Basic Knowledge of Product Development" class at Germany's Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, run by professor Mathias Bertram."The task was to design a connector between two predefined profiles with a volume not exceeding 75ccm. This connector was then 3D-printed using FDM and tested for load resistance with a specially defined fixture. The goal was to develop a component under given constraints that could withstand as much weight as possible before breaking. To achieve this, topology optimization analyses were applied, and the 3D printing process was fine-tuned for maximum load capacity.Here's what three different students came up with:Daniel Glatthaar Vincent AckermannAdrian Wiepcke "Although the connector was designed for FDM printing, it could also be manufactured using metal casting. Renderings illustrate how the component would look as a precisely cast part: Noise textures mimic the characteristic surface produced by sand casting, while brushed textures represent polished outer surfaces. Realistic imperfections like stains and nicks further enhance the authentic look of both shaders."This being Germany, where function is every bit as important as looks, the students were required to load-test their creations to prove out their designs.

This clever 3D-printed Solder Scroll is by Victor Designs. You load the pen-like object with solder—it's adjustable to accommodate diameters from 0.3mm to 1.5mm—and can then dispense it precisely via the knob. The files for the open-source design are free and available on Printables.

Here are three novel desktop power delivery solutions from Humanscale Design Studio.The rise of hot-desking means mobile workers need a place to temporarily plug in a laptop and an accessory or two, and don't always need a full power strip. For this market HDS has designed this NeatHub, an easy-to-attach power solution with two AC plugs, a USB-A and a USB-C. Their M/Connect 2 docking station is another way to deliver power to your desk neatly. The hub sits at the base of a monitor arm, keeping a minimal footprint while delivering Thunderbolt power and seven USB ports, of both -A and -C varieties. The top hub is removable without needing to detach the monitor arm. Those with sit/stand desks know the feeling of cable anxiety: Is there enough slack for me to raise this desk without yanking a cable? HDS' solution is this NeatUp 2.0, which attaches to the leg of a sit/stand desk and self-adjusts. There's an integrated 6-outlet power strip. The NeatHub starts at $200; the M/Connect 2, $715 and the NeatUp 2.0 at $140.

This intriguing BottleLoom invention, by Chinese manufacturer New Creativity, cuts plastic bottles into clean strips of material. While you need to cut the bottom of the bottle off manually to begin the strip, you can then essentially unravel the bottle. The tiny device can be used handheld, or mounted to a table. The adjustable device can be set to cut 2mm-, 4.2mm- or 7mm-wide strips. To give you an idea of yield, the company says a 1-liter plastic bottle can yield two to six feet of material, depending on the width you choose.The fact that none of the demonstrations show you the beginning of the process, where you first cut the bottom off of the bottle to get the strip started, suggests it isn't easy.So what the heck are you going to do with a bunch of plastic strips? The tool is aimed at crafters who want to make everything from cable tie alternatives to brooms. They've put together this supercut of applications:The BottleLoom has been successfully Kickstarted, with 19 days left to pledge at press time. The $70 object is supposed to ship in June.

"For all of the designers out there, or people who have been privy to a true design program, you will know that the most successful solutions are not born from a linear process," writes industrial design consultancy Whipsaw. "Ideas evolve as new insights emerge, and even the most structured methodologies rely on iteration, feedback, and adaptation. But in practice, time and resource constraints often force teams to formalize ideas early—locking into wireframes or flows before they've had a chance to explore the full range of possibilities."We are now experiencing a paradigm shift, catalyzed by a new generation of AI-powered tools. These platforms make it possible to generate interactive prototypes from simple prompts, helping teams test rough ideas before they're polished and engage stakeholders earlier in the process. Call it what you will…vibe coding, rapid prototyping, whatever new term will inevitably be coined for this process.To explore the potential of these emerging AI design tools, we challenged ourselves to build a fully functional app for Foamcore, our in-house café and community lab. The goal: create a simple digital experience where team members could order coffee, browse company swag, and send Slack notifications for orders in real-time—all wrapped in a brand-forward UI. The twist? We gave ourselves just three days to go from idea to working prototype, relying on AI to accelerate the build without cutting corners.As part of this sprint,we put six leading AI-powered prototyping tools to the test:Replit, Lovable, Anima, Builder.io, Cursor, and V0.dev.Here's what we found:A Glimpse at the Tools: Where They ShineReplit: Developer-Focused, Designer-FrustratingBest for: Developers who want to co-pilot with AI in building functional apps fast.Replit works like an AI-powered Integrated development environment (IDE). You can describe a product idea and watch the tool generate a working React-based app complete with screens, forms, and logic. We loved the speed and the live preview—but hit limits when we tried to integrate Figma assets or enforce consistent styling.Pros:Fast MVP creation via prompt-based generationHandles logic-heavy use cases with easeBuilt-in deploy features for sharing live prototypesCons:Figma integration didn't work consistentlyLimited visual design fidelityLovable: Potential with Polish, But Slower Than the PackBest for: Small speculative prototypes with a polished visual look.Lovable sits in the conversational AI category that emphasizes visual quality. Its results were some of the more aesthetically refined we saw—clean layouts, modern design components, and responsive elements. It also supports Figma imports through Builder.io but with some setup friction.Pros:Visually impressive default designsBuilder.io integration shows promiseCons:Slower than other tools to generate outputsAnima: From Figma to Code, But That's ItBest for: Designers handing off visual mockups to engineers.Anima is laser-focused on one task: turning Figma screens into code. If your designs are ready to go, Anima generates HTML, React, or Vue components for quick front-end development. But it doesn't support co-creation or conversational AI functionality—so it's not helpful in the ideation or exploration phase.Pros:Excellent Figma-to-code conversionClean code output in common frameworksGood fit for late-stage production workflowsCons:No interactivity or logic-buildingNot useful for early prototyping or co-creationDoesn't support generative explorationBuilder.io: Best-in-Class Figma ImporterBest for: Designers who want responsive layouts built from their Figma designs.Builder.io impressed us with its Figma plugin—one of the best we tested. It translated screens into responsive, editable layouts quickly and with high fidelity. However, the integration with other tools (like Lovable) is still a bit clunky, and it's unclear how scalable it is for larger projects.Pros:Responsive design generation directly from FigmaClean layout and CSS handlingA useful companion to tools like LovableCons:Not a standalone prototyping environmentRequires multiple tools to get full interactivityCursor: The Power Tool for CodersBest for: Engineers who want to rapidly scaffold apps using natural language.Cursor is an AI-enhanced code editor that supports multiple languages, including Swift and Python. It's particularly useful when you're working with platform-specific APIs (like Apple's ARKit), and its conversational interface makes it easy to scaffold complex functionality. But it's not for the faint of heart—this is a tool built for people who already know how to code.Pros:Supports any language or frameworkIdeal for integrating platform-specific features (like 3D scanning APIs)Fast code generation with clear logicCons:No visual editor or previewsNo Figma or design system supportRequires external IDEs for compiling and testingV0.dev: The Clear Frontrunner for Real-Time PrototypingBest for: Conversational UX, Figma integration, code editing, and speedV0 balances flexibility, usability, and fidelity. It combines conversational prompts with a visual editor and live code preview, making it approachable for designers but powerful enough for technical collaborators. For these reasons it became our main build environment.Over three days, we built and iterated a fully functional coffee-ordering app with Slack integration, a branded UI, even a dynamic "swag shop" with rotating 3D sticker galleries. V0 handled complex back-and-forths like bug fixing, API connections, styling issues, and UI tweaks—albeit with some limitations (more on that below).Pros:Strong Figma integration: It extracted typography, layout, and branding cues directly from our design files.Code-level access: Helpful when AI couldn't quite get things right—we could step in manually.Deployable: It allowed us to generate real links for testing on mobile devices.Fast iteration: We moved from idea to user-tested version in three days.Cons:Visual precision is frustrating: Simple things like button styling took dozens of prompts and still weren't consistent.Bug accumulation: As features stacked, some legacy bugs introduced friction in the build.Style system support is limited: Enforcing a robust design system proved clunky and inefficient.?Why V0 Was Right for Us—For NowOf all the tools we tested, V0.dev hit the sweet spot for our specific needs: building a real, working prototype for a digital experience that reflected brand, logic, and UX nuance—all on a tight timeline.V0 gave us:Speed, by generating functional scaffolds in secondsFlexibility, through code access and Figma supportIterative power, with version control and conversation historyIt wasn't perfect. Visual precision remains a pain point, and the back-and-forth to fix bugs and styling was time-consuming. But when in a generative phase—sketching with code instead of a pencil—V0 allowed us to build, test, and evolve ideas in ways that traditional workflows can't match.A New Mindset for Design Research and PrototypingWhat stood out most wasn't just the tools—it was the shift in mindset they invited.Instead of treating prototyping as a late-stage validation artifact, we used it as a participatory research method— rapidly co-creating with users, showing interactive ideas instead of static mockups, and gathering feedback rooted in real interactions. We didn't need to perfect every pixel to start the conversation. And that, in itself, made our design process more human. So in full, the promise is real: with the right tools and approach, we can move faster, explore broader, and design with more imagination—starting from the very first prompt.The pace of change is dizzying, and the question on everyone's mind is: what's next? What happens to the designer, the PM, the engineer? We won't pretend to know the future—but here's what we do know: deciding what to build, why it matters, and whether it's any good is still a deeply human act. No matter how powerful AI gets, it can't replace human instinct, taste, or judgment. Insight doesn't come from scraping data—it comes from generative unexpected connections. The future belongs to those who don't just analyze patterns, but who dream beyond them—connecting the dots in ways no algorithm can predict.You can read more of Whipsaw's insights here.

Here's what we looked at this week:An IRL version of the keyboard from "Severance" is supposedly going into production. Because buying one of these will surely fill that void. Luxury…sketchbooks?!? This one is bound with brass rings, not some lame spiral.Why does no one make milk crate accessories, like interior drawers?A window-mounted object that invites birds into your home.Rumpl's burrito-style Wrap Sack: Re-thinking the design of the sleeping bag, for more freedom of sleeping positions.Functional Mad Max bikes vs. the Motototem art bike. Which do you prefer?Researchers develop low-cost robot hands made of measuring tape.Sisto, by furniture designer Edoardo Lietti, is a simple piece of furniture with multiple configurations.Augmented Carpentry: An AR system that tells workers where to cut the wood, no marking. (I don't think this is a good idea.)JPA Design rethinks long-haul flight blankets.1980s design commentary: Ron Arad's Concrete Stereo.A 1960s design classic: Erik Magnussen's Z-Down chair.Ant Mag's Modernist magnetic hooks.French company Strong Locks invented this snap-shut bike lock. It works like a bear trap.If only all charging blocks were like this. The diminutive Torras ZipGo features a retractable USB-C cable.Long-lived design: Todd Bracher and Steelcase's elegant Trea series of chairs, still winning awards ten years on.This BottleLoom gizmo cuts plastic bottles into neat strips for harvesting.Red Rebane's EXO MAX is a bike bag designed to carry unusual-shaped objects.Industrial design case study: Whipsaw on using AI for digital product prototyping.

The last backpack we saw designed specifically to carry odd-shaped items was the Sherman, by Chrome Industries. Sadly it's been discontinued.German manufacturer Red Rebane, which makes bags for bicyclists, is stepping into the breach. Their EXO MAX bag has a simple design and a robust construction. Two Cordura flaps are connected by adjustable straps, allowing the bag to transport larger items. It can hold unwieldy packages, tool cases, a case of beer and even guitars, though the maximum weight rating is just 10kg (22 lbs). It also features shoulder straps, allowing you to wear it backpack-style. The EXO MAX has been successfully Kickstarted, with 18 days left to pledge at press time. The $160 bag is scheduled to ship in July.

Magnetic hooks are typically utilitarian objects, relegated to the workshop, basement or mudroom. A company called Ant Mag produces such hooks… …but also offers models with a more Modernist style, geared towards those with Instagrammable kitchens:This odd pawn-shaped one… …makes for an interesting rolling pin holder: The stainless steel hooks run $3.50 to $8.50 a pop and are sold in pairs and quartets. However, those prices are as of mid-April 2025. Ant Mag is a Chinese company, so once those tariffs kick in, these likely won't be a reasonable add to your shopping cart.