By Allison Fonder - Feb 12

Alexis Houssou on How to Know If Your Company is Right for Venture Capital Funding

"Every overnight success is usually a company that almost died five times."

Alexis Houssou, co-founder of the venture firm Hardware Club, worked with his business partner to upend the typical structure of venture capital firm. They didn't just want to fund successful hardware companies—they wanted to start a community for these startups looking for others to talk to about the daily challenges of trying to fund a successful tech startup.

By Allison Fonder - Feb 07

How Holistic Design Can Help Break Stigmas Around Therapy

Two Chairs is a new mental health model that prioritizes access and client-therapist relationships

Therapy as a component to health and wellness is something the world at large is gradually warming up to, and many emerging companies are seeing the opportunity for improvement through design and consumer research. A new mental health company called Two Chairs (which recently received Series A funding from Maveron,

By Allison Fonder - Feb 04

The Vermicular Cast Iron System Introduces Induction to Traditional Japanese Cooking Methods

Cooking is one of those rare areas where many ancient tools tend to hold up just as well as their modern counterparts—take, for example, bamboo steamers, wrapping fish in banana leaves, or—a slightly more modern innovation— the mushikamado, a predecessor to the modern rice cooker developed in the early 1900s.

By Allison Fonder - Jan 04

How Machine Learning Is Transforming Skincare to be More Effective and Sustainable

An interview with the CEO of up-and-coming skincare line Atolla

Meghan Maupin, CEO of Atolla, will be speaking at Core77's speaker series at CES 2019, "Reaching Future Customers Using Design and Tech" at 2:00 PM on the Design & Source Stage, Wednesday, January 9th. The dilemma of finding the right skincare is an age-old rite of passage that often involves

By Allison Fonder - Dec 11, 2018

MakerBot's New 3D Printer Puts Accessible High-Quality Prototyping in the Hands of Industrial Designers

METHOD will "bridge the gap between desktop and industrial 3D printing"

Typically, small studios and independent designers have only had a couple of choices when it comes to producing performance-quality 3d prints in the process of prototyping—either use a standard desktop 3D printer and expect to do some serious touch-up, or turn to an industrial service bureau where designers work with

By Allison Fonder - Sep 19, 2018

Sina Sohrab & Joseph Guerra of Visibility on Working with Clients While Preserving Your Design Identity

"The best thing you can do is make excellent work; hold yourself to the highest standards and make sure people see that work"

This interview is part of a series featuring the presenters participating in this year's Core77 Conference, "Now What? Launching & Growing Your Creative Business", a one-day event aimed to equip attendees with tangible skills and toolkits to help produce and promote their products or services. Joseph Guerra and Sina

By Allison Fonder - Sep 06, 2018

Alex Daly on How to Successfully Pitch Your Product to Media and Find the Right Audience

"That crowd that will show up when the product is done is what creates longevity. That's how you get people coming back, and championing for you."

What began as an opportunity to help out a colleague on their crowdfunding campaign not only ended up leading Alex Daly into a new career, but also helped her carve out a job title that was previously completely unheard of. As the founder of Vann Alexandra, a firm that helps

By Allison Fonder - Aug 10, 2018

HAWRAF's Carly Ayres and Pedro Sanches on How Unconventional Ideas Can Help You Land Your Dream Clients

"Young designers' idealism is a double-edged sword; some dismiss their ideas as impractical when they might just be on the edge of what's next"

The tale of launching a creative studio is age-old, and yet, somehow the ins and outs of that journey are still cloaked in mystery, and the helpful, frank tips young designers hunger for are often out of reach. It's easy to view this lack of knowledge as a serious disadvantage,

By Allison Fonder - Apr 04, 2018

This Kickstarter Hit Finds a Way to Unlock a Whole New Coffee Market

The designers behind the Humanscale manual relaunch return to crowdfunding with an idea for coffee

On Kickstarter, it feels as if designers are constantly coming up with new ways to redesign a device to brew your coffee or a product in which you can enjoy your beverage. In a world rife with likely unnecessary coffee products, it's hard to imagine something that actually creates new

By Allison Fonder - Nov 06, 2017

Wintersmiths' Crystal Clear Sphere Ice Maker Is a Kickstarter Hit

This is their first product that allows you to make up to seven spheres at a time and more

For many, an ice cube is simply a tool to help keep your drinks cool, but to professional and passionate home mixologists it can be a creative opportunity. This is one of the reasons why four years ago, brothers Chris & Pat Little started prototyping models for the perfect ice

By Allison Fonder - Oct 10, 2017

frog's 'Yona' Project Reimagines the Awkward Gynecology Visit Experience

And a redesign of the speculum, a medical instrument that hasn't been refined in years

For anyone who has experienced it firsthand, a visit to the gynecologist can easily be a dreaded one. Some purport the experience to be so awkward, they skip the opportunity to visit a doctor entirely, which can be seriously detrimental to a woman's overall health. Last week designers at frog

By Allison Fonder - Oct 02, 2017

Levi's x Google Jacquard's Jacket with Conductive Yarn Is Finally Available

This is perhaps the first wearable to come out you'll actually want to wear

Over two years ago, Google's Advanced Technology And Projects group began developing Project Jacquard, an effort to transmit the idea of futuristic wearables from tech to the textile world. Head of the Jacquard project Ivan Poupyrev (who spoke at our 2015 Designing Here Now conference about it) along with his

By Allison Fonder - Sep 28, 2017

What's the Likelihood That Your Job Will Be Automated in the Future?

This list shows probability by percentage and includes some surprising job titles

Early last year, we came across a video that broke down generally which types of jobs would be in danger with the adoption of automation in the workforce, and it basically told us that all repetitive blue collar jobs were at risk. Yesterday, the Telegraph released a comprehensive list of

By Allison Fonder - Sep 22, 2017

Tinda Finger is an Invention Designed for Sad, Desperate Singles

Yes, I said it

Those of us who have seen the Tinder Meat Robot video from a couple year's past know that it is nothing short of sweet, satirical gold: A robot created by artist Marcelo Gómez Moreira in 2015, this revolting allegory spoke to our worst behaviors exacerbated by technology. It's visceral.

By Allison Fonder - Sep 19, 2017

Tiller Designs a Physical Solution for Digital Time Tracking

The team behind the Kickstarter project explains why tech companies should pay more attention to physical UI

Anyone familiar with the woes of freelancing knows that hourly time tracking can be a genuine hassle. While it's true that many common software programs for personal accounting are trying to tackle this with digital solutions, it can still at times feel difficult to accurately track your time on the

By Allison Fonder - Sep 06, 2017

Silicon Valley Startup Juicero Throws In the Towel

A lesson in do and don'ts of IoT

As a strong indication of the powers of journalism and the sometimes superfluous nature of the Internet of Things, Juicero has officially shut its doors. Last Friday, the company announced that they would be shutting down production of their $400 juicing machines and offering full refunds to customers within the

By Allison Fonder - Jul 12, 2017

Do DIY Computer Kits Really Teach Kids About Coding?

Our in-house Software Architect tests the new Kano Pixel Kit with his kids to find out

In 2014, DIY computer company Kano released their first product, the Kano computer, after an impressive run on Kickstarter, raising $1.5 million to manufacture. The computer is, essentially, a series of basic parts needed to make a simple operating system with a guide simple and clever enough to teach kids

By Allison Fonder - Jul 10, 2017

The Exposed Plywood Trend in Architecture and How to Make It Look Great

Where and how did this trend emerge?

Sheathing plywood: an incredibly practical and long lasting material when it comes to building the exterior of homes but rarely has it been lauded for its refined look. If you're one to frequent architectural magazines or Pinterest, you may have noticed in the past couple years the material showing up

By Allison Fonder - Jun 30, 2017

How to Meaningfully Use Your Mornings: Daily Rituals of Successful Creatives

12 designers and creative professionals weigh in

Whether you're a morning person or not, facts show if you want to have a productive day, what you do to start it off truly matters. We've certainly seen article after article dispel the secrets for those in the professional world about how to start your morning, but how specifically

By Allison Fonder - Jun 16, 2017

Office Seating That Challenges the Reign of the Aeron Chair

The Pacific Chair by Barber & Osgerby and Vitra is much more complicated than it looks

Very rarely do people buy office chairs simply for the look of them—this type of seating belongs more to the office supplies department than it does furniture design. "Office chairs look like machines. They always look slightly aggressive. It's a bit like car design these days... [the chairs are] overtly

By Allison Fonder - Jun 02, 2017

Bernhardt Design Gives Creatives Outside of the Industry a Chance

How a co-founder of Airbnb, a television star and a Grammy-nominated musician teamed up with the furniture company to debut collections at ICFF 2017

I was surprised to hear who was collaborating with the furniture company Bernhardt Design this year for their ICFF booth display, which is also perhaps precisely what intrigued me about it. On the first day of the fair, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, singer-songwriter Tift Merritt, and finally NFL linebacker-turned-Brooklyn Nine-Nine star

By Allison Fonder - May 23, 2017

IKEA Head Designer Marcus Engman on How Their Team is Working to Fight Climate Change

Engman will be speaking today at the What Design Can Do conference about IKEA's sustainability initiatives

Since taking the role of head designer at IKEA several years ago, Marcus Engman has led a great effort to match the most well-known furniture company in the world with the best designers working in the business today. Why? Because he believes that high-quality design should be accessible to anyone.

By Allison Fonder - May 18, 2017

Good Thing Teams with Shaving Brand Harry's to Revive a Classic Design Object

New and experimental takes on the traditional shaving brush will be on display this week at WANTED Design

Household accessories brand Good Thing is busy for this year's edition of NYCxDesign, kicking things off with an elegant collaborative exhibit at WANTED Design Manhattan featuring one classic design item: the shaving brush. This redesign is not by chance, as they've teamed up with shaving accessory delivery giant Harry's to

By Allison Fonder - May 05, 2017

The Best of Collective Design 2017

This year's offerings were a mixture of wacky, weird and wonderful

The early May opening of Collective Design in Manhattan always feels like the official kickoff to several weeks worth of design events attached to NYCxDesign, New York's extended alternative to Milan Design Week. Often a presentation of objects demonstrating both style and concept, Collective Design brings together works of designers

By Allison Fonder - Apr 03, 2017

Kvadrat x Really and the Rise of the Circular Economy Mindset

At Milan Design Week, Max Lamb and Christien Meindertsma are working with a new manufactured material that brings to light design's impact on sustainability

At the beginning of 2017, IDEO launched a website meant to serve as a guide and resource for designers hoping to support the "circular economy", or, the idea that designers and industries must begin to imbue in their design consciousness that products should be created with the intent of continually

By Allison Fonder - Mar 31, 2017

MINDCRAFT Exhibition in Milan Will Explore Notions of Time

The annual exhibit will display works from 18 Danish designers next week at Milan Design Week

An arguably refreshing aspect of Milan Design Week's smaller contender shows are their concentration on the importance of spontaneity and experimentation—Salone offshoots such as Ventura Lambrate and Rosanna Orlandi embrace the unconventional, giving way to a new understanding of designers' processes and research. A view of MINDCRAFT's 2015 exhibitionIn

By Allison Fonder - Mar 29, 2017

Tapping Into the Audience Who Will Actually Fund Your Kickstarter Project

Alex Daly's new book "The Crowdsourceress" reveals how to reach your built-in audience and much more

When it comes to funding successful crowdfunding campaigns, Alex Daly is known for having an impeccable record. She's helped run some of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns to date, such as Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda's iconic/cult-status New York City Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual and Neil Young's PONO Player

By Allison Fonder - Mar 08, 2017

MIT Media Lab Wants to Reward One Citizen's Disobedience with $250,000

An award for innovators and activists in "the age of rebellion"

2016 undoubtedly marks a moment in the modern era when the global population was not only blatantly confronted with a number of troubling problems, but also stimulated by a heightened sense of direct responsibility for what the future holds. "This is the age of rebellion," civil rights activist Van Jones

By Allison Fonder - Mar 03, 2017

An Art Fair Unlike the Rest

New York's "Spring Break Art Show" packs in lots of art, some design and a pretty fun time

Sometimes it feels difficult to attend an art event that feels equally inclusive of the serious and the lighthearted, or even a place that feels interactive and low-key enough to spend a fair amount of time in. For those participating in the New York Armory Arts Week scene this weekend

By Allison Fonder - Jan 11, 2017

Fuseproject Creates Intuitive Robots and Wearables for Older Adults

With two new projects, Yve Behar's studio bridges the gap between aging populations and technology

Fuseproject studio's newest debuts tackle a challenging question: how can designers help aging consumers reap the benefits of the newest technologies in a way that feels intuitive, friendly and unobtrusive? With the announcement of two of their newest projects—ElliQ and Superflex—Yve Behar's team continues their recent fascination with robotic technologies

By Allison Fonder - Dec 30, 2016

The Best #ProcessPorn GIFs of the Year

Our top ten most satisfying process videos

2016 was the first year we really embraced the form of video out there on the web that we like to call process porn. If you became a follower of our Instagram this past year, you're probably familiar with this term: "process porn", or, a short, highly satisfying short clip

By Allison Fonder - Dec 29, 2016

2016 Marks the First Year in the "Age of the Drone"

The best and weirdest drone news of the year

The introduction of drones into the consumer market really only took place around this time last year, so 2016 could effectively be deemed the first year of the drone. And as drones proliferated into the mainstream, interesting, creative uses for the new technology were inevitable—thus resulting in a ton of

By Allison Fonder - Dec 28, 2016

10 Things 2016 Had to Offer to the Future of Transportation

Trains, drones and automobiles

If this year was any indication, the way we look at traveling from our daily commute to long distance trips is about to completely change. With the introduction of self-driving cars into the market as well as announcements of a revolutionary pneumatic train system that can get you from 0

By Allison Fonder - Dec 28, 2016

The 16 Best Stories from 2016

Core77's most popular posts of the year

2016 has been quite the, uh, interesting year (to say the least)—so to commemorate this year full of fascinating and shocking news, over the next week we'll be looking at several different hot topics in design over the past year. Through our Year in Review series, we'll highlight some of

By Allison Fonder - Dec 06, 2016

Furniture Made from Recycled Newspaper Offers Up Eco-Friendly Elegance

WooJai Lee's PaperBricks project, fresh out of Dutch Design Week 2016

Despite a currently bleak-looking sustainable climate, designers' forays into eco friendly architectural and building solutions can sometimes offer a quick glimpse of hope for our future. This is perhaps most evident in projects where one man's literal trash becomes another man's treasure (one example that comes to mind are recycled