Here's what we looked at this week:

Startup Humane has debuted their Ai Pin, to damning reviews. The UI/UX design is just insane.

Form follows function: NASA's zero-gravity drinking cup, prototyped in space.

Some wonderful scans from "The Function of Colour in Factories Schools & Hospitals," a British book published in 1930.

DeWalt's Carbon Fiber Staple Gun weighs 50% less and can take a beating.

Whole lotta welding going on with architect/furniture designer Leif Jørgensen's LJ Spider Chair.

Form follows function: This no-tools-required hanging hook from the early 1900s.

The PSF1 is a stylish folding e-bike by Taiwanese manufacturer BESV.

Here's a bit of weirdness: A Japanese automotive supplier has successfully Kickstarted a titanium cutting board.

There are some unusual design details in this Hans J. Wegner sewing table.

Nendo's mesmerizing '50 Manga Chairs' animation, inspired by the visual representation of kinetic energy.

Porch piracy deterrent: A security camera that fires paintballs and tear gas. What could go wrong?

This one-legged desk design, from 1970s France, would make sense for a resource-poor environment.

From the "Walking Sticks & Canes" exhibit at the Triennale Milano, here are four experimental walking stick designs that seek to increase functionality.

Wera's Screw Gripper holds non-magnetic screws on the tip of your driver.

This Lee Bench, by experimental designer Marco Campardo, is a Nakashima-inspired walnut bench with unusual details.

Cloche, by industrial designer Guillaume Bloget, is a low-tech, designey food smoker.

Surprisingly this Tove Lounge Chair, a beautiful Mid-Century design by Madsen and Schübell, features a sprung reclining mechanism.

Boston Dynamics unveiled their new Atlas robot, which features some pretty inhuman movement capabilities.

Packaging design case study: Zenpack's sustainable solution for coffee pods.

Zenpack is a packaging design firm with a key difference from competitors: They also handle fulfillment, bringing design and manufacturing under one roof to offer clients a turnkey solution.

They were recently hired by coffee retailer Cambio Roasters. "When Cambio Roasters was getting ready to launch their organic coffee pods to the k-cup market, they needed a sustainable packaging solution to match their mission," the firm writes. Here's their case study of how they tackled the project:

The ProblemKeurig coffee makers are now a kitchen counter staple for many homes throughout the world. Simple and fast, it doesn't get much easier to make yourself a morning cup. Some coffee pod brands, however, have their drawbacks like coffee quality, worker equity, and pod recyclability. The founders of Cambio noticed these issues and responded by starting their own coffee company committed to "Eco-Friendly, People-Powered, Profit-Sharing Coffee Pods". The next step was finding a packaging material that would encourage customers to recycle the pods.The OutcomeThe Zenpack design team engineered a molded pulp container and lid, secured with a glue-free paper belly band. Once customers open the packaging and start using the pods at home, it transforms into a convenient countertop recycling bin. It's a simple reminder to collect Cambio's new pods that were redesigned for easy recycling. When they're ready to dispose of the bin, customers can toss the pods and bin into the recycling, or use the paper pulp bin in their at-home composting or curbside composting program.

ChallengesWe all know that changing habits can be an uphill battle, especially when it comes to simple tasks like throwing things away into the right recycling bin. Some cities are single stream while others require separation before pickup. But once the waste arrives at the local facility, there's a good chance it's not being recycled as intended. Experts estimate that only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled—the other 91% is incinerated or left in the landfill to leach into the earth.

As coffee drinkers across the world fell in love with their coffee pod machines, landfills welcomed yet another plastic shape. Most coffee pods are very difficult to recycle because they're made from multiple types of plastic, including a thin lid that's heat sealed onto the pod, making it difficult to remove and dump out the grounds.

Perfect for coffee pod machines, but terrible for the environment, to the tune of over 30 million pods in the landfill per day. Before Cambio even put their coffee inside a pod, they knew they had to make a better version. They developed and patented a proprietary pod using only two materials, #5 polypropylene plastic and aluminum.

Cambio did their part; now it was our turn. We love a sustainability challenge, so we poured our energy (along with many cups of coffee) into figuring out how to encourage customers to quickly and easily recycle Cambio's new pod. Our heart was set on molded pulp container, but even the most versatile materials present challenges. The Zenpack engineers would need to focus on rigidity and stack-ability while the branding team would figure out the best way to brand the Cambio family of roasts.

SolutionWhile molded pulp is just water and paper fiber, it requires specific structural engineering to achieve maximum functionality. In this case, we needed more rigidity, so we added vertical ribs to provide more structure. We then put the container through various stacking and fitment tests to determine the optimal wall thickness to keep lids tight during shipping. The resulting container can hold 10 pods, remains strong during shipment, and continues to be useful long after delivery.

The pulp bin is universal, meaning that Cambio can use it for every product. To distinguish the roasts, we designed a glue-free belly band with a tear strip. It's a visually effective system, but we encountered color-matching challenges under the constraints of the 4-color lithographic printing process.

We worked closely with Cambio's graphic designer to develop a method for setting up the artwork. This color management process helped to reduce color shifts, resulting in accurate, vibrant colors.When a Cambio delivery arrives, customers open the cardboard shipper, pull the belly band tear strip, and start brewing. Once the pod has cooled down, they pull the aluminum tab, compost or discard the grounds, and toss the pod and lid into the recycling bin. For many, the paper pulp bin becomes a mini recycling bin. When it's full, they can toss the entire thing into their larger receptacle. And since paper pulp is an ideal brown ingredient for composting, some customers use it as a temporary compost bin where they can discard the grounds and other kitchen scraps.

ResultWe delivered an efficient packaging system for six products using the same container with belly bands printed specifically for each SKU. The result is a cohesive family of coffees that has helped Cambio expand their customer base to all 50 states in only six months. With the rapid growth, they can continue making good on their mission to contribute 20% of profits to Cambio coffee-farming families across the world. In 2024, the iF Design Awards recognized Zenpack and Cambio with honors in the Beverages Packaging category. Zenpack will continue working with Cambio for their next generation packaging as they keep on changing the coffee world, one pod at a time.

You can see more of Zenpack's work here.

This screw gripper, designed and manufactured by Wera Tools, is for holding non-magnetic screws on the tip of your driver. It slides over cylindrical and hexagonal shafts with a diameter of 4.5mm to 6mm.

Made of soft plastic, they won't mar the surface of your workpiece as the screw reaches home.

They also have an insulated version, sold as a pair; this includes the 4.5mm-to-6mm-sized unit and a larger one that can handle 6mm to 8.5mm.

They run $6 and $12, respectively.

This Tove Lounge Chair was designed by Arnold Madsen and Henry Schübell*, a 20th-century Danish design duo.

Produced in the 1950s and '60s, it's finely designed and made, with a well-balanced blend of curves and straight lines. The frame is Oak and the sculpted armrests are made of Teak, and the transitions between the two have been beautifully done. The armrests flow gracefully into the front legs, and are joined to the rear legs via wedged tenon.

Looking at the underside, you can see this piece has been repaired at some point. The telltale is the screws that attach to the seat. The pair of larger slotted screws are undoubtedly the originals; the smaller Pozi-head screws are practically swimming in the original countersinks.

Below is a rare variant of the Tove chair with a mechanical feature. From the left side and the rear, it looks like an ordinary Tove…

…but from the right you'll spot this lever with a knob.

This variant incorporated a sprung reclining mechanism. It provided eight different angles of recline.

It's hard to spot in the photos above, but in the shots below, you can see that this reclining version of the chair does not have the wedged-tenon joinery where the armrest meets the rear legs.

There was a companion footstool that could also be tilted.

Looking at the underside of this specific chair, it also appears to have been repaired; while it's possible that the clunkily-integrated piano hinge was used, the support pieces look to be stained, and I have a hard time believing a manufacturer would go to the trouble of staining unseen pieces, in a different color no less. My guess is the repairer had these pieces on hand.

*Note: The Tove was designed by Arnold Madsen and Henry Schübell. On numerous vintage sites I've seen it attributed to Ib Madsen and Acton Schübell, which is incorrect.

Ib Madsen was Arnold's son, and the two did eventually go into business together--years after the Tove design was introduced. Henry Schübell had sons named Flemming and Preben, and Flemming eventually worked for his father, but there's no Acton that I can find a record of. So I'm not sure where the "Acton" attribution comes from…unless it's Danish for "Hank?" (Flemming, who was still alive as of 2021, is known as Flemming.)

This low-tech Cloche table smoker is by Paris-based industrial designer Guillaume Bloget. It's made of Beech and stainless steel.

"CLOCHE is for cold smoking food from aromatic plants or wood chips. It preserves the intrinsic flavors of each food while perfuming them with a smoky note."

"The smoker becomes both a preparation and presentation utensil. Placed on a table, it establishes a sort of ritual. We arrange the food, we light the fire in the hearth, then we put out the fire with the bell to stifle the combustion and create smoke. After about thirty minutes, the bell is lifted, a residual wisp of smoke escapes and reveals the food ready to be enjoyed."

"Turned in beech by Luis Morgado, French craftsman, CLOCHE is a more poetic and friendly alternative to electric smokers and barbecues."

Cloche runs €485 (USD $516) and is in production by French manufacturer Oros.

Despite the name, the UK's Grimsdyke Farm is actually a research facility and experimental fabrication workshop for artists, designers and architects. "Established in 2004 by [architect and RCA instructor] Guan Lee, it has been hosting workshops, seminars and residencies with the aim of exploring the essential connections between materials, processes of design, and place," they write.

One participant in Grimsdyke Farm's programmes is London-based designer and design researcher Marco Campardo. "Marco's work starts with hands-on experimentation and research to question the nature of contemporary models of production," his bio reads. "With a keen interest in materiality, his research seeks to subvert or adapt industrial manufacturing processes to propose an alternative to standardised, mass production. The final result of this process is aesthetically and conceptually refined objects, whose final form is determined by the very process of making."

One such object is this Lee Bench, fabricated from a Walnut tree felled on the Grimsdyke property.

"Keeping the wooden planks in their original state, the edges have been [gouged] to highlight the qualities of walnut, while evoking sculptural detailing and high-end craftsmanship."

"Inspired by the work of George Nakashima, the iconic American architect and woodworker, the collection features an interpretation of the butterfly joint. Popularised by Nakashima, the butterfly joint has become a decorative, as much as structural detail, in woodworking. Replaced here by a squiggly brass joint, called 'Caterpillar joint', this unexpected detail seeks to reinterpret classic woodworking techniques."

The tree yielded more material than the bench needed, and the remaining wood was shaped into a buffet, a wall shelf and a mirror frame using the same techniques.

Early sewing machine designs failed because the inventors attempted to replicate human motions with mechanical parts. The way humans sew is by drawing a needle all the way through the fabric, thus the needle's eye is at the tail end. There was no workable way, using 19th century technology, to mechanically grab the needle on the underside of the fabric. But by moving the eye to the pointy end of the needle and having it only partially pierce the fabric, while a hook beneath it grabbed only the thread, the designs eventually succeeded.

Similarly, right now humanoid robots are trending, with their motions modeled on hours. But just because they're shaped like humans, doesn't mean they have to move like humans, as Boston Dynamics' engineers have realized. They've just unveiled their new design for their Atlas robot. Check out the way it gets up, and moves around:

It's creepy, like something out of a horror movie, but using fully-rotating joints is a much smarter method than the way we humans clumsily get off of the ground.

Of course, the old Atlas did make some incredible strides, as the company reminds us with this send-off video for the retired design. It includes a lot of never-before-seen bloopers that are horrendous and funny; I never realized that if it falls, it can sustain vicious wounds that cause it to spray hydraulic fluid rather than blood:

Produced in the 1950s and '60s, this AT-33 sewing table was designed by Hans J. Wegner. (The "AT" is for manufacturer Andreas Tuck, and "33" is the model number.) The frame is oak, and the tabletop and shelf are made of teak.

Up top, the design is straightforward and conventional. There are two drop leaves. The drawer is compartmentalized for sewing notions. The rightmost compartment features two types of wooden pins, for holding both cylindrical and conical spools of thread.

Moving down below reveals a couple of design details that will seem strange to modern eyes. The first is the slide-out, removeable basket, handwoven out of rattan, for holding skeins of yarn.

The second is more puzzling, and concerns the shelf at the bottom. From the front, the shelf appears to be captured between the two stretchers.

However, from an angle we can see that the ends of the shelf protrude through the stretchers.

In this shot from the bottom, we can see it's fastened in place with screws.

So the stretchers have each had a long slot routed through them to capture the shelf. I can't think of any benefit this arrangement would provide to the manufacturer or the end user. We can conclude it was done purely for visual effect.

This piece was mass produced and is widely available on secondhand sites (though occasionally with the basket missing).

While this design of desk doesn't provide much flexibility for room layout, it is a good example of doing more with less.

Made of rosewood and chromed steel, the vintage furniture site reselling it describes it as a wall desk from 1970s France. Although France was not a resource-poor environment, this design of desk, created with more humble materials and a simpler drawer, would make sense in one that was (for instance, a school in a developing nation). While you'd need battens and fasteners, or L-brackets, to secure the desks to the walls, that cost could be outweighed by the savings on three legs per desk.

This piece may have originally come with a corresponding bracket or cleat, but none appears in the listing.

They're asking $5,671 for it, which sounds kind of pricey considering both the designer and manufacturer are unknown.

For the record I think this is a terrible, terrible idea. Sadly I think it's one that a subset of Americans will love, particularly those who suffer from package theft.

The PaintCam is a night-vision-equipped security camera that uses facial recognition and "deters intruders with paintball markers," write the developers, OZ-IT. When it spots someone it doesn't recognize, it issues verbal instructions to skedaddle via its speaker. If the intruder chooses to stick around, it fires a paintball at them. Alternatively, you can load it with tear gas projectiles. I'm not kidding, that's what the company says.

If you don't fancy autonomous operation, the device can be set to ask you for instructions during an intruder event; it pings your smartphone, then you decide whether to pull the trigger. "If an unknown face appears next to someone known – perhaps your daughter's new boyfriend – PaintCam defers to your instructions. It's security on your terms, even if your kids don't always follow them."

The company, which consists of "experts in security and software development," say that the system can also detect pets, but doesn't elaborate on how the facial recognition applies to animals. Are we meant to believe this thing (which of course has "advanced AI technology") would tear gas a racoon and not your dog?

By the bye, OZ-IT hails from Slovenia, a country with citizens perhaps less litigious than America's.

Here's the demo video. (Pixar will be unpleased that they've given the camera a white body, a black face, a female voice and named it "Eve.")

The PaintCam will go live on Kickstarter next week, where I imagine it'll be crowdfunded the same day.

Designed by Carlos Jimenez during his internship at NormannCopenhagen and codesigned with the Danish designer Simon Legald, Junto is a collection of carafe and cups that captivates with its traditional charm, revitalized through contemporary approaches. One piece of the collection in particular stands out, and that is the botijo. The design upholds the characteristic elements of the traditional botijo while infusing it with a unique and revitalized aesthetic.

As Carlos states "When looking at the pieces from Junto collection people can easily recognize elements and details from traditional pottery pieces such as the botijos. However, at the same time, the soft shapes give these pieces an elegant look so they can fit in many different environments." My first glimpse of the Junto series left me spellbound by its refined allure. It preserves its classical roots while undergoing a redesign that exudes sophistication.

Despite my fascination with the botijo, I find myself unable to muster the same enthusiasm for the cups. Nonetheless, they still possess a certain beauty to them. While they share design elements such as the use of dual tones and vertical lines along the surface, I believe both the botijo and the cups fail to harmonize together. The carafe boasts meticulous curves around the spout area, creating an organic form that perfectly contrasts with the vertical lines running along the body, resulting in a captivating ensemble. Conversely, the cups only feature vertical lines along the body, lending a rigidity to the design that, combined with a pronounced verticality, renders the final design rather static. I yearn for more organic and rounded shapes that would harmonize with the botijo and create a cohesive whole.

Steeped in the rich tapestry of Spanish culture, the traditional botijo has long been revered as a symbol of heritage and tradition, its clay construction echoing centuries of craftsmanship and utility. Now, from this legacy of tradition and craftsmanship, emerges a new collection that seamlessly blends the timeless allure of the botijo with a contemporary sensibility.

The botijo is a traditional ceramic vessel that is widespread in Spanish culture, used primarily for storing and cooling water. Characterized by its distinctive shape, the botijo usually has a bulbous body, a spout for dispensing water and a small hole for pouring the water through. Its design is ingeniously conceived to facilitate evaporative cooling, as water seeping through the porous clay walls evaporates, thus extracting heat from the interior and effectively cooling the contents. Revered for its functionality and practicality, the botijo has endured as a quintessential element of Spanish heritage, especially in hot climate regions, where it is a reliable and refreshing means of hydration.

To embark upon a redesign of an object as ancient and deeply ingrained in culture as the botijo, a designer must consider, among other factors, form and functionality. Historically, the botijo served as a vital tool for peasants, effectively maintaining the coolness of water. However, its relevance has dwindled over the years with technological advancements, rendering its use virtually obsolete in modern times. Today, the botijo exists solely as a nostalgic relic, passed down through generations with fading recollection, remembered only by the elderly. Today it is used as a decoration or as a jug, which leaves us with an interesting question, if it's functionality changes, is it still the same object?

Concerning the botijo's form, attention is drawn to its meticulously designed spout and filling orifice. Positioned at a precise 90-degree angle to each other and tilted at 45 degrees relative to the horizontal axis, this configuration serves as a testament to the botijo's ergonomic and functional considerations. The rationale behind such placement lies in the practicality of facilitating water flow while minimizing the physical strain of handling what could potentially be a substantial weight. It is remarkable how the evolution of design priorities has shifted over time; once emphasizing functionality over aesthetics, the contemporary ethos now often prioritizes visual appeal.

Despite having other distinguishing features such as the handle or the bulbous body, I believe the designers made the right decision in focusing solely on the spout and the filling orifice. By retaining only these elements, they have ensured the botijo's relevance in contemporary settings, while also providing them with a subtle redesign while maintaining the original essence.

"Junto series was born inspired by the traditional Spanish botijo. The main goal was to create a new home accessory inspired by the botijo, so the main material should be terracotta. During the design process, many different shapes were studied by checking different old botijos and pottery objects.

The result combines the two spouts from the classic botijo with sophisticated and contemporary shape" the company writes, on a section of their website.

The brand aimed to craft a collection inspired by Southern Europe with a Scandinavian twist, maintaining the terracotta essence of traditional Spanish botijos while infusing the earthy hues reminiscent of clay. This fusion brings Mediterranean warmth to the table while infusing light Scandinavian decor.

Junto establishes an harmonious visual aesthetic by combining matt and glazed surfaces, as well as grooved and smooth finishes. However, beyond aesthetics, the grooved surface offers enhanced grip, while the glazed surface ensures a pleasurable drinking experience.

The entire Junto collection is available for purchase directly from NormannCopenhagen.

From Nendo, here's a fun imagining of 50 different chair designs, inspired by the way that kinetic energy is visually represented in manga. They've presented it in animation form, as one chair that morphs into all 50 designs:

"50 manga chairs is the result of adapting the strong symbolic nature of manga comics to furniture design.
"Manga consists of a series of frames on a single sheet of paper that creates a sequence. Similarly, 50 standard chairs are lined up in a grid, each one conjures up a sense of story, and each with a design element from manga. For example, a 'speech bubble' or 'effect line' are added to visualize sound or action. Or emotional symbols from manga, like 'sweat' or 'tears', are formed so that a sense of story and character can be felt."Manga is a means of expression with a high degree of flatness and abstraction, and which is composed of a series of lines. We could say that manga comics are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, since they can be traced back to Ukiyoe prints developed during the Edo period (1603-1868 A.D.)."

Industrial designer Kenji Takeuchi curated "Walking Sticks & Canes," a research exhibition currently running at the Triennale Milano. Takeuchi asked 17 fellow designers to re-imagine the titular object, considering the following:

"[The first walking stick] must have been one of those primitive objects that people made on the spot as needed. As time passed, it evolved in step with social changes and cultural developments, naturally taking on different purposes and meanings. At some point, it became a symbol of power and authority or religious status and later an icon of fashion and wealth.""Today, it is commonly associated with older adults, who tend to be viewed with pity. However, some have found novel and fascinating ways to express their personalities and stories through their canes, making them a source of pleasure and pride. Some people have canes that are almost self-caricatures, some completely customise them to suit their needs, and others go to great lengths to find a perfect match for their taste. It is a universal yet understated subject with limitless potential for exploration."

You can see all 18 canes (Takeuchi himself designed one) here, but only five jumped out at me for having attempted—with varying degrees of success—to increase their functionality.

Cestino, by Portugese designer Hugo Passos, features a small integrated basket for gathering things in the garden.

Milanese, by Italian architect and designer Maddalena Casadei, perhaps takes inspiration from tablecloth clamps. The design provides a secure way to hang the cane at a table.

Gianni, by Italian architect Marialaura Irvine, playfully uses the material to hold a newspaper.

Off-Road, by Swiss industrial designer Michel Charlot, provides a wider base that doubles as a way to retrieve the cane if dropped. (Care would be required—I can see stepping on this thing too quickly and whacking myself.)

And finally Up, by Takeuchi himself, adds a paper cord wrap to the midsection of the cane. This provides purchase to the user when they are transitioning from seated to standing.

The exhibition was sponsored by Karimoku furniture, which prototyped the Up design.

DeWalt's $33 manual Carbon Fiber Composite Staple Gun is made out of the stuff, and thus weighs 50% less. It's actually 2-in-1 tool as it can also fire brad nails.

As for design features, it's got a little windows on either side of the nose, so you can see when you're running low on staples/nails.

There's also a belt/pocket clip at the back, which can be placed on either side, to accommodate both lefties and righties. The tool is also bottom-loading, rather than slide-loaded (i.e. you pull the slide out, invert the tool, drop the staples straight into an opening in the bottom of the tool, then close the slide).

If you're in the market for a lighter-weight staple gun, in the video review below the guy runs it through its paces. He also beats the crap out of it to see how tough the housing really is (it comes with a lifetime warranty), dropping it off a ladder onto concrete, driving over it, leaving it outside overnight in freezing conditions, etc. The tool seems to hold up.

This PSF1, by Taiwanese manufacturer BESV, is an e-bike that's easy on the eyes.

Conveniently, it folds down for transport or apartment storage.

An LCD display indicates your speed, range, battery life, and which of the four assistance modes you're in.

It's powered by a 250W motor in the rear hub, which can get you up to 20 mph.

The triangular battery housing pops off for recharging, so you don't have to move the entire bike over to the outlet.

It takes 6 hours to top off the 378Wh battery, which can deliver up to 95km (59 miles) of range.

The aluminum bike weighs 18.3kg (40.3 lbs) and runs $2,500.

Sandy Munro criticized the original Mach-E rear motor as being needlessly complex.

The soft skills of problem-solving and communication will be needed, while AI, additive manufacturing, and robot/human interaction will grow in importance.

This video says the convenience of being able to charge your devices without wires comes with tradeoffs.

This wall hook, which was manufactured at least as far back as 1908, is designed to be installed without the use of tools. Though pre-drilling might make it easier, the lower hook is used for leverage to screw it into place, and the wire is of a thick enough gauge to not get bent out of whack.

It's such an elegant piece of manufacturing, made of a single length of wire rod, put through its paces on a bender, then threaded.

The original designer is impossible to track down; it seems no one ever (properly) locked up the copyright, and versions of this were produced by multiple companies in the 20th century, including the Atlas Manufacturing Co,, Dominion Wire, Gem Manufacturing, etc.

You can find vintage versions on secondhand sites…

…and, over a century later, still buy new ones at hardware stores for a few bucks.

This is what I'd call a wildly successful design: Useful, affordable, easy to install, straightforward to source and manufacture, and long-lived.

Leif Jørgensen is the Danish architect/furniture designer who designed that Loop Stand for Hay.

While that piece involved a trio of welds, Jørgensen asks more of the welder for his more recent LJ Spider Chair, produced for his own brand:

It's one of those pieces that's simple and complicated at the same time.

I count no less than 34 rods! I'd love to see the jigs used in getting one of these together.

The chair is available in two finishes, Galvanized Steel and Green, and runs €504 (USD $537) and €530 (USD $565), respectively.