Design Decoded

World War I: 100 Years Later

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

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 8, 2013

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 6, 2013

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 1, 2013

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

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

Jicky, the First Modern Perfume

Tfirst fragrance to incorporate synthetic ingredients and natural extracts, making it one of the most significant perfumes in the history of scent design

January 17, 2013

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

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

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

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 8, 2013

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

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

Holiday Gift Guide: Ideas for the Design Enthusiasts in Your Life

In preparation for the holiday season, a selection of gift ideas related to some of our favorite Design Decoded posts

December 6, 2012

Collecting the World’s Collections of Small Oddities One Day at a Time

A Q&A with Diana Zlatanovski on how she came to collect collections, what they say about design, and how to be a collector without becoming a hoarder

December 4, 2012

A New Life for Old Breweries

In response to a changing economy and demographic shift toward urban areas, the deserted homes of Schlitz, PBR and other beers are being repurposed

November 28, 2012

Where Did Pabst Win That Blue Ribbon?

The origin of Pabst’s iconic blue ribbon dates back to one of the most important gatherings in American history

November 20, 2012

The World’s Largest Collection of Coffee Cup Lids

With over 500 different disposable plastic lids, the architect-collector has pieced together a history of American innovation and culture

November 15, 2012

In the Future, You Will 3D Print Yourself as an Action Figure

In Tokyo, a reservation-only photo booth spits out three-dimensional replicas of its subjects

November 13, 2012

Designing a 51-State Flag

Even in 1958, the American flag was designed through crowdsourcing amateurs. If Puerto Rico joins the union, who will design the 51-star flag?

November 12, 2012