The phone market in the United States is saturated with different brands of phones to meet the needs of consumers. However, one device seems to rule them all: the Apple iPhone.
All in Good Design
Design in Christmas Movies: Elf and the Forced Perspective
Have you seen the movie Elf? If not, you’re missing out on a good story with some neat applications of forced perspective. The designers of the film did some good design.
Good Design: Fender Precision Bass Guitar
The Fender Precision Bass Guitar has been a best selling bass for 70 years. What made this design so good?
Casino Design Royale
If you find yourself in Las Vegas, whether you plan to gamble or not, don’t miss out on the opportunity to observe some design choices made by casinos that influence behavior. However, don’t forget those same behaviors can be manipulated outside of casinos too…
Good Design: Dodge Viper
A well-designed product seems to fill a gap in the market so perfectly that it almost has a sense of reverence about it. It just works; it just fits, and it plays a role in the consumer’s life that makes it worth fixing and cherishing. These are products like the iPod/iPhone, the KitchenAid Stand Mixer, the Swiss Army Knife, and in this designer’s opinion, the Dodge Viper.
Design in Data Figures: Multi-Axis Figures
Multi-Axis Figures can be powerful in telling a story, but there are some real pitfalls that we see people fall into time and time again. Be careful and know the mistakes that others have made in order to keep your data figures well designed.
Designing Sailboats to go 60 mph
America’s Cup is one of the most interesting sporting events in the world, from a design perspective. No, it isn’t the hardest-hitting sport, and the boats don’t reach Formula 1 speeds. The interesting part is that the winner gets to make the rules, and set the location for the next competition.
7 Timeless Principles We Can Learn from WD-40
In this article I look at WD-40 as a model of innovation. Why? Its popularity has stood the test of time, and its story is simple enough for us to extract out what WD-40 did right during its long history. Of course every product is different, but the principles observed from WD-40 are at least worth considering in any innovation setting.
Good Design: Chaco Sandals
The Chaco is an adventurist’s sandal designed to last a lifetime. They were first made in 1989 in the garage of a river rafting guide. Due to their cultish-like devoted customer base and high prices many people seek to stay clear of them. However, I caved about 3 years ago and bought my first pair.
Good Design: The VODA Heat Powered Stove Fan
A common deficiency in heating a room with a wood stove is that the heated air accumulates around the ceiling or dissipates off of the exhaust pipe instead of spreading out to fill the room. Stove top fans solve this problem by blowing hot air next to the stove into the rest of the room. Let’s look into the relationship between the fan, the stove, and the consumer for design principles we can apply to our future projects.
Good Design: The NRS Tie Down Strap
I heard and read that NRS makes very reliable and robust cam straps, so I bought a few NRS tie down straps earlier this summer to try out in a variety of places.
Where have All the Nuclear Power Plants Gone?
Is nuclear power a dying option for our energy needs? Will this technology be completely abandoned in the near-term? Dr. Munro’s answer is exciting: The future is promising for nuclear power with new investments, new reactor designs, and new allies.
Good Design: The Milwaukee Fastback Utility Knife
Although the knife has been on the market for 10 years, I bought my first one only 3 years ago after seeing a friend rely on his utility knife way more than I relied on mine.
The LEGO Brick
The creation of the LEGO Unit was not only a meaningful piece of LEGO history but rather a fundamental player in modern LEGO design culture. It’s no surprise the market loves this toy. It’s proven so by buying more than 600 billion bricks produced to date. Enough for every person on the planet to have 81 pieces.