Usefulness in Small Things

A study of everyday objects

Simple but telling, a visual taxonomy of price tags on the cover of “Usefulness in Small Things” cleverly sets the tone for the book, pointing out the subtle differences in a well-designed, but widely overlooked bit of industrial design. This meditation on little objects is the work of Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, co-founders of London design studio Industrial Facility, whose interest in the relationship …

An Interview with Dirk Vander Kooij

Some words from design's robot-driven Dutchman as he preps his live demo for Milan

Dutch designer Dirk van der Kooij is obsessed with rapid prototyping. Best known for his Endless Chair, made from a continuous string of recycled plastic using a 3D printer, the design has grown into a range of products all with the goal of making the production process more visible. Speaking at Design Indaba recently, van der Kooij explained, “the best thing about recycled plastic is …

Ads Worth Spreading

Heat-reactive wallpaper, hacker survival kits, Barcelona's museum of inventions and more in this week's web round-up

The 10 winners from TED’s Ads Worth Spreading competition prove that, if done right, commercials can be a compelling way to share information or promote products worth publicizing. Each two-three minute long intelligent ad runs after TED talks as a way of reversing the trend of online ads forced on viewers.