product design

The Enduring Genius of Dieter Rams

Dieter Rams is a living legend. As Braun's head designer for almost 35 years, he defined what simple, functional products should look like. On Friday, London's Design Museum opens a mammoth survey of the more than 500 objects that Rams designed in his 50 year career, "Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams." Here are some highlights.READ»

Opening Today: Konstantin Grcic's "Decisive Designs" at the Art Institute of Chicago

Konstantin Grcic has quickly established himself as a master of contemporary design in the last twenty years. His grand theme has been a hyper-logical, ultra high-tech approach. Today marks his first U.S. retrospective, "Decisive Designs," at the Art Institute of Chicago. Here's a taste.READ»

Sleep Tight, Feel Bad, Do Good: Cardboard-Themed Sheets Help the Homeless

Sheets designed to look like cardboard and pavement--with the proceeds going to a homeless charity.READ»

Litl Video Tour: A Design Miracle, a Challenging Sell

The company's CEO offers a video tour of a computer designed for the way we live now.READ»

Geekiest Chic: Computer-Generated Jewelry

Nervous System designs custom, high-tech jewelry on the cheap using rapid prototyping.READ»

Phaidon's 100-Year, 1000-Product Survey of Design

Phaidon's most recent design compendium landed in bookstores with a thud: Spread over three volumes, it's a compendium of 1000 design classics, under three themes: Pioneers, Mass Production, and New Technologies. Here is a preview of what's between the covers.READ»

A Japanese Design Master's Disappearing Act

Oki Sato, who heads the firm Nendo, is one brightest talents in a new generation of Japanese minimalist designers. His designs have seldom been seen in the U.S.--but that changes with "Ghost Stories: New Works from Nendo," a new show at New York's Museum of Art and design which runs through January 10.READ»

Air Filter Uses Plants to Filter Toxins

Two years ago, when this concept was first shown off, we never thought it had a chance. But this week, the Andrea air filter has finally gone on sale--for $199. The idea is simple enough: Plants naturally filter toxins. So the ...READ»

Bauhaus: A Hot House for Ideas

A new exhibition at MoMA tracks how the Bauhaus ethos sprang up and blossomed.READ»

Bits 'n' Pieces: High-tech Design

If you're curious about high-tech design techniques, a new exhibit should appease your appetite. READ»

12 of the World's Coolest Packaging Designs

Two packaging design encyclopedias hit the shelves this month. Here's a sneak peak.READ»

Not So Heavy Metal: Three Experimental Designs

Good designers have a way of fashioning surprises from familiar materials. Here's three new projects--all of which elevate metal into something wonderfully strange--that made us sit up. Tim Parson's zooms in on materials with a ...READ»

Will the World's Cheapest Solar Lantern Pull in Profits While Igniting Economic Development?

When the sun goes down, much of the world goes dark. At-home productivity sinks--you can't read or learn without light--unless you can afford to buy kerosene, which emits noxious fumes. D.Light, a company that originated as a ...READ»

Dutch Design Masters, in Their Own Words

A delicious video archive for anyone interested in Dutch design, featuring studio visits with Philips, MVRDV, and 15 others.READ»

SVPPLY: High-Style Shopping, Curated by the Crowd

The new site works like Ffffound, the well-loved visual resource--except for productsREAD»

"Retail Experiment" Turns Shopping Into Scavenger Hunt

Unless you're a design-crazed hipster, Subports is bound to make you feel very, very old.READ»

The New Work Space: Will Lounge-Like Office Furniture Inspire Big Ideas?

The new pieces reflect changes in the way work gets done: It's less about the desk, and more about the coffee-break gabfest.READ»

Philippe Starck Emblazons LaCie's New Drives With Egregious Logo

The new design shouts, "Hey guys! I was designed by someone famous!!!"READ»

Beverage Package Designs and the Fashion Shows They Inspire

They taste delicious, but how do they look? In a universe of beverage options, packaging helps separate a brand from its competitors. READ»

Portfolio of the Day: Joey Roth

How one young designer creates products that celebrate ritual, using materials that break-in slowly.READ»

Cute Design That Isn't Dumb

The portfolio of Merry, a Spanish firm, offers clues about how cutesy can be elevated into something higher.READ»

Creative Deconstruction: Why Dell's Designers Tear Apart Their Own Computers

Most designers' time is focused on creation when it comes to a product's lifecycle. But it is just as important to look at the other end of the lifecycle--the deconstruction of the very products that they create. READ»

• Ken Musgrave's Think.Design blog

Design Globally, Manufacture Locally: A New Paradigm for Sustainability

A new chair concept exemplifies one interesting strategy for green design: Letting locals do the manufacturing.READ»

Tablecloth That Doubles as Dishware, and Other Re-usable Ideas

Intriguing and poetic designs by Maezm, a young South Korean design duo.READ»

Tasty Design Treats for the Fall

What's new at the MoMA design store.READ»