Travel needs a lot of planning and organization, but it should still be a magical experience. That's what now is about. As AirBnB transitions to the provider of 'magical trips', now offers a complete adventure for the solo traveler: from booking a home that is safe and verified for solo travelers to finding unique experiences at your travel destination. The hardware called now gear becomes an enabler of the experience. A true integration of physical, digital and experiential spaces to provide a magical trip for every solo traveler.

View the full project here

This article was originally published on Makefast Workshop's blog. Check out the original article here. 

Note: If you just want to make some midair springs, skip ahead to the G-code generator.

Most 3D printable parts are designed to limit overhangs to 45 degrees or less. That's because maker-style 3D printers (technically FDM) build each layer from the bottom up, fusing the current layer onto the previous, and if there's nothing below a layer, the plastic will sag (or worse yet, form a glob and potentially ruin your part).

To get around the overhang limit, parts are often significantly modified (with chamfers to reduce overhangs) or support material is used to hold up sections that extend too far. But neither approach works all the time; sometimes you can't chamfer away the overhangs and/or rely on support material to bail you out.

Going Midair

Have you ever noticed that at the end of a print there's sometimes a small thread of plastic that seems to follow the exact path of the extruder after it finishes printing? This is often caused by a little extra filament continuing to flow/ooze as the print head pulls away. The plastic is thin enough to cool as it moves, tracing out the path in midair.

While those little threads aren't likely to be very useful, we wondered if we could apply that same approach to purposely trace out a 3D contour.

Note that this isn't something most STL/G-code slicers are going to do for you (yet). Slicers are focused on fusing layers together to create solid parts or shells and don't typically try to extrude filament in midair (with the exception of bridges that are supported on two sides).

Making Springs

We figured an extreme test of printing in midair would be to print a coil spring (specifically a helical compression spring).

Besides some high-end research using metal and lasers and a few one-off demos, midair printing seems rather underexplored -- the perfect opportunity to get hacking!

After a few quick refreshers on generating custom G-code, we made a short javascript function that traces out the desired 3D path, setting temperature, feedrate, fan speed, etc. along the way.

It took several iterations to dial in the parameters and sort out what worked/failed. Eventually we were able to consistently produce springs of various sizes and shapes.

The spring constant is admittedly tiny (i.e. it pushes back very lightly), but it's by far the springiest print we've ever made (incredibly smooth, consistent, and doesn't show any major signs of fatigue after lots of squeezes). And since the coil itself is a single strand, there's no worry of delamination along the coil (as is the case with most 3D printed springs).

Lessons Learned

Go with the flow.

The ideal extrusion flowrate should be pretty close to 1:1 for the distance traveled. 

Not extruding enough material pulls on the part, deforms it, and sometimes gets too thin or breaks. Extruding too much material causes uncontrollable ripples, sags, or globs if it collides with previous layers.

Move slooooowly and evenly.

Plastic takes a significant amount of time to cool (even with the fans on) and that means the print head must move slowly to allow time for the plastic to harden in midair as it goes.

Many plastics also ooze differently as the feedrate and temperature change, so once the midair section is started (or even slightly before), keep things steady. 

To give a sense for the time scale, each of the springs shown above took between 3-7 minutes to print (the first few layers are quick, then the midair coils move much more slowly).

Bubbles Break Things.

New filament should be dry and unlikely to bubble, but older filaments can have moisture trapped in the plastic that boils and sputters as it gets heated (causing uneven flowrate and weak sections).

When printing solid parts, small bubbles are usually just a cosmetic concern since other layers can share the load. But with midair printing which leverages a single continuous strand of filament, weak spots caused by bubbles can cause the part to fail.

Compensate for the extruder's pull.

As the filament is extruded, it tugs slightly on the existing cooled strand. Near the bottom where the part is well supported this has very little impact, but as the part grows taller the force displaces the strand more (think of it as a vertical end-loaded cantilever beam, with a growing lever arm as the print proceeds).

This means that the gGcode for a cylindrical coil spring actually flares out slightly near the top to produce a spring that is straight when completed.

Note that fully modeling the extruder's pull (or even push in the case of over-extruding) is tricky. Prints that only stretch out into midair briefly probably don't need to compensate much, but others (like very tall springs) require it to produce accurate parts.

Midair Spring G-Code Generator

Note: To view and experiment with the generator, visit the original article here.

One of the main reasons why I don't want a cat (besides being allergic, which is a pretty big reason) is the ugly furniture cats require. I'd rather not invade my apartment with fragrant litter boxes, tan carpeted climbing posts and whatever else cats need so stay content with their indoor lifestyles. 

My mind is slowly changing, though, thanks to cat furniture and accessories brand Tuft + Paw. Instead of sticking with designs and materials that have sold well for years, Tuft + Paw saw a need for cat furniture that fits in with a modern home. To fill this need, they've designed a full collection of furniture and home items for cats, consisting of beds, shelves, scratching posts, litter boxes and more. Of course, the price points are higher than your typical plastic litter box, so you'll need to carefully consider how much (in dollar amount) your cat's luxury means to you. 

When asked if there are any special considerations when designing furniture for cats instead of humans, Tuft + Paw's design team responded with the following:

"Usually when you're designing a product, you start by asking potential users about their problems. Cat furniture presents a unique challenge because we can't actually ask cats what they want, what makes them happy, or the issues they have with current products. The way we solve this is by starting from the ground up and researching basic questions like 'what makes cats happy? why do cats scratch?'.

We work with cat behaviorists and local shelters to find the answers to these questions so that we can make some calculated design choices. And finally, the most important step is to test our assumptions by creating product prototypes and carefully observing cats use the product before moving forward with production."This cat shelf focuses your cat's jumping desires to a single, comfortable placeThis is a litter boxThe front opens up for easy cleaningThis cat is so cozy it's almost cuteA scratching post that's more friendly on the eyes than the typical ones you find in pet stores or your grandma's living roomA subtle, wall-mounted scratching post

Explore more here.

There's an unfortunate trope that freelancers sit alone in coffee shops all day doing "computer things", like poring over the minuscule details of their work, scrolling through portfolios of fellow creatives for inspiration, or sending cold emails out to people who could potentially offer them their next freelance project. At the end of the day, they return home only to realize they haven't used their voice at all for warm conversation, and all that typing on their computer has been nothing close to personal or meaningful. 

Here's where Shapr comes in. Shapr is a free networking app that's designed to help creatives—and aspiring creatives—to connect with the right people. If you're a producer looking for freelance DPs, or a photographer hoping to team up with a writer on your next documentary project, chances are you'll be able to find someone on Shapr. 

The best part is that, unlike LinkedIn where people portray an image of professionalism and success in their headline (think: "seasoned industry professional with track record of boosting business sales"), Shapr takes a more personal approach served with a dash of vulnerability. You don't have to be at the top of your game on Shapr; instead, you should be someone who's working towards something and interested in learning more. When setting up your profile, the app asks you to describe your goals as well as how you can help others. It promotes a caring and sharing community, with no pressure to put your best face forward.

Shapr is also designed to encourage users to network for a small amount of time every day, instead of in spurts of hours. To make networking a daily habit, users are presented with a maximum of 15 profiles (or double that for a premium account), and then have to come back again the following day day for their next batch of people. The point is that these connections should be meaningful, and not mindless thumb swiping left and right when you're bored. 

The app also presents a lot more interesting information on each user's profile page to encourage you to take pause, read, click around, and get to know someone. Click on their LinkedIn if you want to learn about their career path. Click on their Instagram if you want to see where they like to go on vacation. The point is that Shapr makes an effort to present a multi-faceted image of a person. 

If you just matched with an awesome, super inspirational person who's juggling 5 projects that you'd LOVE to be a part of, and you don't know how to start talking to this person, Shapr's got your back. The app takes the awkwardness out of first conversations through a user interface that offers suggestions on conversation starters. Here's an example first liner, short and sweet: "Thanks for swiping right! Are you up for grabbing a coffee?" 

Another lovely feature is the "How we can meet" portion on everyone's profile. Users can choose up to 4 options, these include: "on a walk," "video call" "breakfast" and "weekends." Alas, no more being afraid of encroaching on personal time by suggesting a weekend rendezvous. Go ahead and have an early morning meetup over croissants right before work, if you know your match is a breakfast person too! 

If you think that Shapr is not for you because you're not creative or cool, take a pause and listen up. While targeting creative professionals and freelancers, the app is also remarkably popular in other industries as well. In just a few days on Shapr, I've come across lawyers hoping to make a career change, businessmen looking to invest in a new project, executives offering mentorship, and even a health coach who's interested in discussing ideas about how to live a life of wellness and meaning.

A close friend of mine who has been in the finance industry for the past 6 years recently asked me for some advice. He's hit a stalemate. He wants to branch out, meet new people, and work on a creative project—it's about time for a change! The problem? He doesn't know how to get started doing that. He needs mentors and partners but his social circle is so limited to the same people. My advice to him? Try Shapr! You should too.

So what are you waiting for? Download Shapr today and get started!

To provide advanced-level professional graphic design solutions that convey information about Metro’s wide ranging programs, projects and services. Leads design teams from concept to completion of small, medium, and large-scale projects including defining design criteria, conducting research, creating team assignments, and schedules, providing design direction and refining presented concepts and designs. Conceptualizes, designs, refines, and produces creative work for Metro’s internal and external clients and/or employs Metro’s existing design standards and templates.

View the full design job here

Paul Kirtley is a professional outdoor skills instructor in the UK. Founder of Frontier Bushcraft, Kirtley teaches wilderness skills and self-reliance to both camping enthusiasts and hardcore survivalists.

In an old Swedish book, Kirtley uncovered a description of unique type of fire called Nuorssjo, and referred to as den bästa stockelden (literally, "the best logfire") by the Swedes. This type of fire differs from others in both its configuration and its long-lived design; it is intended to be used in deep snow when it's time to get some shuteye, and the way it's constructed provides enduring heat. Check out the technique:

Kirtley's tip-loaded blog is here, and he's got a dense and informative YouTube channel here.

The last time we looked at a home built inside a former missile silo, it was Matthew and Leigh Ann Fulkerson's "Subterra" home, which was then listed on AirBNB. But the Fulkersons have nothing on developer Larry Hall, who purchased a decommissioned Atlas missile silo in Kansas and converted it into 15 stories' worth of Luxury Survival Condos.

Take a look inside, and note that many of the condos are already sold:

I do like how they call it an "undisclosed location" in Kansas, yet if you Google "luxury survival condo" the address pops right up.

London-based product design firm Special Projects has developed an experimental phone UI that's simultaneously forward- and backward-looking. I mean that figuratively, not literally. The designers focused on the non-intuitive nature of switching between apps, and came up with this Magic UX alternative:

?Magic UX by Special Projects from Special Projects on Vimeo.

On the one hand it's undeniably clever. On the other hand, technology has reached the point where I can no longer tell if we're moving forwards or backwards.

"Shelf presence" has driven the design of bottles for decades. That's because consumer product bottles were traditionally sold on store shelves, as discussed in the previous entry on this topic. But now that online shopping is growing exponentially, bottle designs are changing to meet the very different needs of e-commerce.

Once shelf presence is removed from the equation, designers can now focus more on efficiency, as seen with Proctor & Gamble's new Tide Eco-Box for e-commerce. Since consumers aren't picking these off of a store shelf but have ordered them online, all the packaging needs to do is store the maximum amount of liquid using the smallest amount of packaging materials that will get the contents there safely, and be functional in the end user's laundry routine.

"Products sold online typically need to be packaged with a second or third layer of packaging like cardboard boxing and bubble wrap that's then discarded by the consumer. To address this, P&G designed the Tide Eco-Box to ship as efficiently as possible on its journey from a manufacturing site to a retailer's warehouse to a consumer's front door.""The Tide Eco-Box arrives on a shopper's doorstep in a sealed, shipping-safe cardboard box. Inside the box is a sealed bag of ultra-compacted Tide liquid laundry detergent. To use, a perforated cardboard flap is peeled off to reveal a dosing cup and a new "no-drip" twist tap. To make dosing simpler on flat surfaces, the box includes a pull-out stand to raise the height of the box so the cup fits easily beneath the tap."

I guess it's good that I got in the work experience I did with structural package design prior to this development. If all of my former employer's products were sold this way, I estimate that me and at least two other guys in the department would not have had jobs. Designing a cardboard box, and using what's probably an off-the-shelf Doi pack inside, would not have required the manpower of what was already a small team of designers.

h/t Gizmodo

Exciting opportunity for a newly created role to lead the reimagination of our World of Coke museum and expand the retail prescence of our brand locally, nationally,and potentially internationally. Projects include the creative design and production of new exhibits and shopping experiences, including audio-visual media, permanent and temporary exhibits/fixtures, way-finding signage and consumer messaging, artwork, and interactive applications. Function Specific Activities

View the full design job here

The branch of industrial design I spent the most time working in was called "structural package design," i.e. bottles. Our SPD department was small compared to Graphics and Marketing, which is typical for most corporate I.D. gigs, and that was partially a function of how bottles were sold prior to the emergence of online shopping.

Just the five of us in SPD designed all of the bottles sold around the world by the global corporation that employed us. All of our consumer products, whether sold in Thailand, Peru or North America, were sold on store shelves. Consumers looked at our bottles, and looked at our competitors' bottles standing next to them, and made a decision on which to purchase.

So we didn't design our bottles in a vacuum. Marketing reviewed everything for "shelf presence"--when designing a vessel to hold 500mL of product, could we make it taller and wider than a competitor's 500mL bottle? Could we provide enough label area for Graphics to create an eye-catching display? This is why, if you look at most consumer product bottles today, they are usually wider than they are deep--even where a cylindrical shape would make better ergonomic sense. (Note that this does not apply to carbonated beverages and aerosols, which are always in bottles with circular cross-sections for the same reason airplane fuselages are: To evenly distribute pressurization.)

The labeling is always, obviously, on the wider faces of the bottle. Which presents a problem for end users: Face labels really don't make sense for storage. 

Look inside your medicine cabinet, pantry or garage. How are your bottles stored? Do you store them like this…

…so that you can see what each product is? Probably not. Imagine storing your books in this way; it would be ridiculous. You probably instinctively turn your wide-and-shallow bottles sideways for greater space efficiency. And unless you have memorized each bottle's color and profile, you fish through them to find the one that you want.

Ideally bottles would be labeled like books, on their "spines" or handle sides so that they could be stored more space-efficiently.

In situations with standalone bottles, like with dishwashing soap or liquid soap hand pumps, I think most people instinctively place them face-out, presenting the label. Go into anyone's bathroom and if they've got a liquid soap hand pump, I bet it's placed face-out--even though this needlessly eats up a disproportionate amount of real estate on the sink.

In other words:

Bottles were traditionally sold on store shelves. And that shopping modality drove the design--which is not the best design for actual consumer convenience, but the best design to get you to buy them off of a store shelf.

But as we shall see in the next entry, this is beginning to change.

Monets, Munchs and Mondrians: The Art Institute of Chicago has photographed over 50,000 artworks in their collection and made all of them freely available online, in high definition.

In addition to paintings and drawings, there are shots of architectural interiors and exteriors, floorplans, sculptures, writings, objects, draftings and sketches. At press time the site was a little buggy, with some of the images failing to load; but with some 52,446 works and counting to choose from, you're bound to find, for free, something you'd have paid good money to have a print of. Dive in here.

via Kottke

It's a pretty weird toy, if you think about it: An ink-filled, oversized billiards ball that predicts the future when you shake it. But as with a lot of successful product designs--and make no mistake, the Magic 8 Ball is successful, with over one million units still sold each year--it went through several iterations before its current form was realized.

In the 1940s a woman named Mary Carter was earning a living as a clairvoyant in Cincinnati. She came up with an object that she'd use with her clients, a container that held a small chalk slate. It's not clear how she managed it, but she would reportedly shake the container, then open it to reveal the answer to a client's question written on the slate.

Mary's son Albert saw commercial potential. He advanced the design into something anyone could operate: A simple cylinder filled with molasses, and two dice with answers written on each face. Both ends of the cylinders were transparent. When it was shaken and up-ended, one of the dice would drift to the top, revealing a random face/answer. Carter called it the Syco-Seer.

Albert brought the idea to a local merchant, Max Levinson. Levinson was enthused by the product and contacted his brother-in-law Abe Bookman, a graduate of the Ohio Mechanics Institute, to figure out how they could mass-produce them. Somewhere during this process Albert died, leaving Bookman and Levinson to patent subsequent designs of the object.

Bookman first reduced the number of windows to one and changed the product name to the Syco-Slate. Molasses was swapped out for inky water. 

He then struck upon the idea of changing the overall shape to that of a crystal ball. In 1950 this attracted the attention of a Chicago-based company called Brunswick Billiards, who were seeking a unique promotional item for the company. They contacted Bookman, who produced an 8 ball variant. The design was so successful that after the Brunswick contract was up, Bookman continued producing the design as an 8 ball.

The product was a big hit with children, and the Magic 8 ball went from novelty store to toy store. Today it's owned by Mattel, and it's just been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Fun Fact: Of the 20 possible answers provided by a Magic 8 Ball, ten are affirmative, five are negative and five are those lame non-committal answers.

Dutch Design Week is the largest design event in Northern Europe and presents work and concepts from more than 2,600 designers to more than 335,000 visitors from home and abroad.

This year's event took place from 20–28 October 2018 with the annual theme "If not us, then who?" the Dutch Design Week is addressing its role and responsibility of design(ers) in creating our future world.

We covered the main exhibitions from all over town in this gallery including material experiments, a few installations and product concepts. We'll follow up with a closer look on three major exhibitions.

If not us, then who?This year's theme focuses on the impact and responsibility of design(ers) in defining how our future world will look like.
Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
Making and Metal
The national Crafts Council organization is sharing results of a five day masterclass where eight curious designers collaborated with experienced metalworkers. These metal/wood experiments are by Nane-Sophie Bergmann.Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
Making and Metal
The national Crafts Council organization is sharing results of a five day masterclass where eight curious designers collaborated with experienced metalworkers. These metal/wood experiments are by Nane-Sophie Bergmann.Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
What Matter_sTen design studios and ten material researchers from southern Sweden have been collaborating at the intersection of art and science during six months.
Designer Anny Wang and architect Tim Söderström have been working with the NanoLund company. They were impressed with the (invisible) nanowire structures mimicked them into something visible, a heating element to regulate room temperature.Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
What Matter_sTen design studios and ten material researchers from southern Sweden have been collaborating at the intersection of art and science during six months.
Industrial designer Petra Lilja collaborated with bioscientist Ramune Kukaite and developed bioplastic recipies based on wheat-derived gluten. This material exploration titled "Gleather Glubber" demonstrates a wide range of shapes, colors and textures for future design applications.Photo credit: Photo by Marina Jackler
VEEMThis year, the Dutch Invertuals were invited as curator to transform the parking garage of the VEEM building into an impressive exhibition. Endless flows of visitors used the glowing car ramps to move between floors.
Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
This Is UrineSinae Kim (Central Saint Martins) is demonstrating her Urine Ware, a collection of decorative vessels glazed with urine-based minerals. Her project demonstrates the potential use of 2,8 billion gallons of human urine which is currently unused/wasted per day on a global scale. The shape of the vessels is inspired by the human bladder.Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
This Is UrineSinae Kim (Central Saint Martins) is demonstrating her Urine Ware, a collection of decorative vessels glazed with urine-based minerals. Her project demonstrates the potential use of 2,8 billion gallons of human urine which is currently unused/wasted per day on a global scale. The shape of the vessels is inspired by the human bladder.Photo credit: Photo by Aart van Bezooijen
This Is Not A VaseRobert Hahn (Burg Giebichenstein University Halle) takes an artistic approach to the industrial extrusion technology. Unlike creating perfect/straight profiles, his objects (not vases) are formed using the pasty behavior of various clays.Photo credit: Photo by Robert Haslbeck
150 Wooden ShoesMax Stalter (Burg Giebichenstein University Halle) has been exploring the symbolic power of the wooden shoe. He manipulated various wooden shoes to reflect contextual issues such as climate change, personal identity, political views, social status and advertising, or better said: "branding".Photo credit: Photo by Robert Haslbeck
View the full gallery here

Next year will be the Centennial anniversary of the Bauhaus' founding. And 2019 will also be the year that "The New Bauhaus," an upcoming documentary covering the Bauhaus' spread to America, will debut.

László Moholy-Nagy was a Bauhaus professor from 1923 to 1928, after which he started his own design studio in Berlin. Capable of industrial design, sculpture, photography, typography, painting and printmaking, Moholy-Nagy might have had a long career in Germany. But as the Nazis came to power Moholy-Nagy, a Hungarian Jew, fled first to the Netherlands, then the UK.

In London Maholy-Nagy and Walter Gropius hoped to started a UK-based Bauhaus, but could not secure funding. But by 1937 Moholy-Nagy made his way to Chicago to form the New Bauhaus in America, which is now known as the IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) Institute of Design.

Thankfully, architect/director Alysa Nahmias, producer Petter Ringbom and their crew have captured Moholy-Nagy's story--and have successfully Kickstarted enough funds to complete the production. There are still three days left in the campaign if you'd like to contribute, and the film should be released around December of next year.

Here's another "What if" from fanciful rendering firm NeoMam Studios, who this time asks: What if competing car brands came together to create a mash-up vehicle that incorporated both brands' styling cues? Here's their take on 6 Car Manufacturers' Collaboration Concepts:

1. Bentley – Ferrari"British class and Italian passion combined would undoubtedly produce one of the coolest and most truly beautiful cars of all time. The double-breasted face of Bentley's grand tourer, the Continental GT, would temper the impulsive stallion of Ferrari's 812 Superfast, while maintaining the track-driven engineering and aerodynamics that makes Ferrari's road cars handle like a dream at top speeds. Of course, with Bentley being involved, the interior would have to be decked out like the 1st Class drawing room on the Titanic (pre-sinking), which is hardly a bad thing."2. BMW – Lamborghini"With a BMW – Lamborghini mix one would probably expect to take more of the edgier features from the latter, like the Aventador's rear wheel cooling ducts, the air scoop inlaid into the bonnet and the characteristic chiselled jaw-line. Not that BMW wouldn't bring plenty to the party though, with their classic "kidney" grille being a welcome addition and we have no doubt that, with the Bavarian firm's eye for precision engineering, the drive would be smoother than a fine, aged single malt."3. Dodge – Chevrolet"The engine roar from these two major American powerhouses joining forces would make roads shake and lesser cars go weak at the struts. Ostensibly a cross between a Viper and a Corvette, we'd have to presume that the engine of choice would be the former's 8.4L V10, though it would be housed behind Chevy's bonnet and grille design, making this new beast the true face of snarling American muscle cars."4. Volkswagen – Ford"Back in June 2018, Volkswagen and Ford announced that they are working towards building a strategic alliance which could see them co-produce vehicles together. Latest reports confirm that the collaboration will be centered on light commercial vehicles. But what if they decided to collaborate on a VW + Ford compact car? That got us thinking about crossing two compact classics, the Golf and the Fiesta. We'd take the more rounded, hatchback rear of the Fiesta, though we'd stick to the Golf's sportier roots by throwing in a rear spoiler."5. Nissan – Porsche"This engineering partnership would have the whole world licking its lips in hungry anticipation. While Nissan has its own experience of creating sporty cars through the Skyline and the Porsche-esque 350Z, Porsche itself has undoubtedly been a true master of the field for decades. Expect to see plenty of those iconic Carrera curves though with a more substantial body. The only other major question is, with Nissan being the largest EV maker in the world, would this be the first Porsche Electric?"6. Smart – Range Rover"Smart cars are perfect for nipping around, and finding parking in, congested cities but we all know their major downside, they look about as sturdy as a lawn chair made of matchsticks. Well the best way to solve that major image crisis would be to partner up with a marque whose very name has become a by-word for rugged, off-road indestructibility. The linkup would see the little two-seater get a full makeover, with that large Range grille, imposing face and tyres that could actually allow it to mount a kerb."

"In product design, the importance of building mockups and simple prototypes cannot be underestimated," writes industrial designer Eric Strebel. "The knowledge gained from the exercise, to touch, hold and use the object in real life, is legitimately worth the time invested."

"Seeing what you learned from a mockup gives you a leg up in the development process before you get to CAD. It also helps you avoid pitfalls that can't be as easily identified in CAD."

To that end, in this video Strebel creates a mockup of a variant of his backpack hanger design that will ultimately be fabricated in sheet metal. To simulate the sheet metal, he uses simple matboard. Here's his process:

Imagine playing a game of Pictionary with other industrial designers, where every clue is an iconic product design. Something that you could render with a few lines and your teammates could instantly name the specific product. What would those products be?

They'd probably be the products depicted in "Iconix: Exceptional Product Design," a forthcoming book by German industrial designer Wolfgang Joensson.

Apple iPodCoca-Cola BottleIconix is a comprehensive collection of iconic product design objects, chronologically organized from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to the present. In this richly illustrated book, Joensson shares his concept of the term iconicity to help the reader understand what makes these products stand out and why they are considered icons today.Bausch & Lomb Rayban WayfarerBIC LighterMore than one hundred remarkable product designs from all areas, including household appliances, everyday objects, furniture, entertainment technology and office equipment, are presented in this collection. Charming vignettes accompany each product, with amusing insights and fun tidbits of information that discuss how design has been influenced by changes in technology, science, and society.Wester & Co. PocketknifeFender StratocasterFeaturing the Coca-Cola bottle, the Wester & Co pocket knife, the Kitchen Aid mixer, the Le Creuset Dutch oven, the Weber grill, the Bic Cristal pen, the Rolodex address file, Kikkoman soy sauce bottles, the Kodak Instamatic, the Polaroid SX-70, the SONY Walkman, the Apple MacIntosh, the Dyson air-multiplier, and more. Alessi Anna G. CorkscrewK2 Phone BoxKodak InstamaticRolodex Address File

Produced by Skyhorse Publishing, the $20 book will be available on November 20th.

Growing Chairs break ground in Shanghai, in the old worker's neighborhood at Lujiazui Park located on Tongji University's campus. The installations represent organic growth of cities, free spirit within these spaces, and the neighborhood's urban regeneration demand.

View the full project here

Would you like to join the Culture of Design at Eleven? We are a diverse family of thinkers. We create products, brands, and experiences as we peer through the lens of our "Powers of Perspective". Eleven is looking for team players whose

View the full design job here