Design
Unmanned Drones Have Been Around Since World War I
They have recently been the subject of a lot of scrutiny, but the American military first began developing similar aerial vehicles during World War I
February 12, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The Masked Merriment of Mardi Gras
For centuries, the day's revelry has featured the liberated feeling of hiding in plain view
February 12, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
Imagining a Drone-Proof City in the Age of Surveillance
As drones become common as tools of the military and intelligence agencies, how are architects and designers responding?
February 08, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The History of the Flapper, Part 2: Makeup Makes a Bold Entrance
It's the birth of the modern cosmetics business as young women look for beauty enhancers in a tube or jar
February 07, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
The Privacy Wars: Goggles That Block Facial Recognition Technology
For designers, the battle over what it means to be private in a very public world is a new frontier to be conquered
February 06, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Drone Couture: Designing Invisibility
While scientists work toward perfecting the invisibility cloak, one designer has already developed a line of clothing that makes people invisible...to robots
February 01, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
A Nike Shoe, Now a Part of the Smithsonian
The Flyknit racer is currently in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
February 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
American Myths: Benjamin Franklin’s Turkey and the Presidential Seal
How the New Yorker and the West Wing botched the history of the icon
January 25, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Who Designed the Seal of the President of the United States?
We see it on the President's lectern and in the Oval Office, but who came up with the look and feel of it in the first place?
January 23, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Why Hypercolor T-Shirts Were Just a One-Hit Wonder
Heat-sensitive color made this sportswear a hot item—but it didn't last
January 22, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
Jicky, the First Modern Perfume
Jicky is the first fragrance to incorporate both synthetic ingredients and natural extracts, making it one of the most significant perfumes in the history of scent design
January 17, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The First Major Museum Show to Focus on Smell
“The Art of the Scent” recognizes and celebrates fragrance as a true artistic medium rather than just a consumer product
January 16, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How Kraft Uses Patents to Dominate the Mac and Cheese Wars
A tour through the patent files reveals a wide range of odd shapes, which collectively are a far cry from the elbow-shaped pasta of your youth
January 15, 2013 |
By Dan Lewis
The Fisher Space Pen Boldly Writes Where No Man Has Written Before
The Fisher Space Pen has been made famous by Apollo astronauts and Jerry Seinfeld. But just how does it work? And is NASA really spend millions making it?
January 11, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
President Obama’s Autopen: When is an Autograph Not an Autograph?
When the President signed the fiscal cliff deal from 4,800 miles away, he did it with the help of a device that dates back to Thomas Jefferson
January 08, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
A History of Sequins from King Tut to the King of Pop
As you don your sparkly holiday fashions, think of the trend's start in an Egyptian tomb
December 28, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Architecture to Watch in 2013
Whether they're breaking ground or topping off, these are the biggest building projects we'll be watching in 2013
December 26, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How to Bring Manufacturing Back to the USA in Small-Batch Format
Aspiring makers are now finding ways to manufacture their designs in American factories
December 13, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Your Guide to Selecting the Best (or Is It Worst?) Ugly Christmas Sweater
Holiday cheer with a touch of nostalgia celebrates garish knitwear from the 1940s to '80s
December 11, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Motopia: A Pedestrian Paradise
Visit the futuristic town where drivers and non-drivers live in perfect harmony
December 06, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
