Co.Design

Ikea’s extremely chill new collection just hangs out on the floor

Write people up for their design crimes with this ticket book

Type designers at Hoefler & Co. created the novelty gift item as a send-up of type abusers and snobby designers alike.

The No. 1 thing you’re getting wrong about inclusive design

In the new book Mismatch, designer Kat Holmes demystifies the buzzy design process embraced by companies, from Microsoft to Google.

Fast Company magazine has a new look

Creative director Mike Schnaidt offers a peek under the hood of the new Fast Company.

Paul Barron’s wool surfboard is cleaning up surfing

The cutting-edge board could change the design of many products, from yachts to cars.

Ban passwords

The solution to internet security doesn’t have to be hard. Just ban passwords on a vast majority of services.

Want a healthier digital life? Try building your own smartphone

The makers of a DIY phone kit think building your own not-so-smart phone could foster a healthier relationship to screens.

The secret history of Ctrl+Alt+Del

Codes of ethics probably don’t work

A new study suggests that asking software engineers to read codes of ethics doesn’t change the way they think about problems–but awareness of real-world technology scandals just might.

Stand down skeptics: Wineglass shape really does matter

I was the ultimate doubter about fancy wineglasses. Then I got schooled by an eleventh-generation glassmaker.

Can Knix win the $12 billion underwear wars?

Joanna Griffiths wants her products to help women speak freely about miscarriage, double mastectomies, and post-pregnancy bellies.

Can a typeface help your memory?

The researchers behind the typeface Sans Forgetica claim it can help you remember your notes.

Why designers should stay in the “problem space” as long as possible

The more time you spend devising goals, the less time you need to spend on solutions, says thisisopenspace’s head of product Morgan Fraser.

See what U.S. bills would look like with all women on them

The former U.S. treasurer teamed up with Google to bring women to our bills using augmented reality.

This eerie visualization tracks space junk across the night sky

Artist Daan Roosegaarde’s new project has already been mistaken for a UFO. But the shimmering green lights highlight an entirely human problem: Space trash.

See a bizarre robot make a building out of loose rocks and string

No cement. No nails. No screws. This robot arm needs just two things to build structures: gravel, and a really, really long string.

Pantone’s latest colors are the ultimate sign of the times

From rose gold iPhones to shimmery cosmetics, metallics are everywhere. Now, Pantone is expanding to standardize those colors, too.

A new Ikea report is an unsettling look at life in the 21st century

“Almost half of Americans (45%) go to their car to have a private moment to themselves,” the company reports in a new survey of 22,000 people in 22 countries.

How the Beatles got their famous logo

The path to the iconic Beatles logo was a long and winding road in which everything came together, with a little help from some friends.