Posts by Simon Martin

feature

Happy 81st Birthday Dieter Rams !

20 May, 2013 by in DESIGN

Perhaps the most widely-respected industrial designer of all time, Dieter has inspired thousands—if not millions of designers with his perspectives on ‘good design’. From Apple’s Jony Ive to budding design school students, the Ten Principles of Good Design is just as relevant today as it was in the early 1980’s when Dieter began to recognize “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colors, and noises” in the world of design and manufacturing. In honor of his 81st, perhaps take a moment to reflect–yet again–on Rams’ ten principles. Like a good book, I find myself reading from a different perspective every time I read them. Enjoy your cake, Dieter!

(more…)

feature

The Sugar Lab: The One-Stop Source for All Your 3D Printed Sugar Needs

20 May, 2013 by in FAB

Have you ever wondered what Willy Wonka’s factory would be making if it ‘existed’ in 2013? After attempting and failing to 3D print a cake for a friend years ago, Silver Lake-based husband and wife design team Kyle and Liz took their understanding of complex geometry and did something Wonka himself would be proud of: they created a 3D printed sugar design lab.

(more…)

EngineerVsDesigner: E69 – Steven Heller

17 May, 2013 by in INTERVIEWS

We don’t even know where or how to start to explain how awesome our guest Steven Heller is. He is currently the co-chair of the MFA “Designer as Author” Department at New York’s School of the Visual Arts, is a former art director for the New York Times Book Review, a contributing editor for many design magazines, and has written over 150 books on the subject of design, including books on writing for design and design entrepreneurship.

(more…)

Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff: Episode 21

16 May, 2013 by in COOL TOOLS

Well, it’s almost that miserable end of the week folks, and in addition to celebrating with four dozen mega-creme doughnuts we also found time to throw out this week’s Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff (sorry, we ate all the doughnuts)!! By the way, we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to share it on SolidSmack? Don’t hide it in your neck skin! Send it on in to smoth@solidsmack.com. Kick it!

(more…)

feature

This Convertible Desk-Bed Encourages You to Sleep at Work…Just Don’t Drool in Front of Your Boss

15 May, 2013 by in DESIGN

Perhaps none of us will top the professional-level squatting recently done by a young entrepreneur at AOL’s headquarters. The then-19 year old Eric Simons was a part of an AOL incubator focused on helping young people with their startups. Having ran out of money, the persistent Simons ended up squatting at AOL…showering in their gym, sleeping in their lounge area, and eating meeting leftovers. Perhaps it was a legal and moral gray-area, but Simons went on to secure more than enough to get his startup off the ground. For most people however, a simple place to nap might be the ideal solution after hammering away for 18 hours on a project with a 5 AM deadline and presentation. Bring on the office-sleeping YouTube prank videos.

(more…)

ksfeature

The Ten Commandments of Kickstarter

15 May, 2013 by in DESIGN, FAB, RESOURCES

When Kickstarter first launched, it was a hotbed for garage hobbyists, indie game developers, and the occasional ‘pro’ who wanted to test the crowdfunding market. More recently, the platform has made its way to more commercial projects that while having been successful, are arguably exploiting an indie-based platform and have led some into a pit of crowdfunding doom. Kickstarter isn’t just a crowdfunding platform…it is a goldmine for free press and exposure, something that both Makers and Hollywood studios would love to get their hands on while promoting project campaigns. However, the openness of this business model is a double-edged sword: while it may allow a creator full creative control for a new project, it is still open to potential claims of fraud, misappropriation, conversion, and embezzlement. Where should you draw the line with Kickstarter ethics and avoid getting yourself into a hotbed of crowdfunded trouble?
(more…)

ssradio

SolidSmack Radio | Tales from the Indie Machine

14 May, 2013 by in RESOURCES

This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’ll be taking a dive into the Indie Pool to cool off from our funky Magical Acid Funk Temple Playlist from last week. We’ll start with some Black Keys and move on through some Phoenix, Dirty Projectors, STRFKR, among others, and wrap it up with an old Dandy Warhols favorite. Strap on your Vans and cutoff jeans shorts….it’s about to get real indie real fast.

(more…)

Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff: Episode 20

10 May, 2013 by in COOL TOOLS

Well, it’s about that time of year to start pitchin’ the ol’ teepee in the backyard for those sugar-infused, marshmallow-happy backyard camp sessions. Before little Timmy gets worked up over how many S’Mores he can have at a time this year, get yourself caught up to speed with our backyard camping edition of Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff! By the way,d we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to share it on SolidSmack? Don’t hide it in your neck skin! Send it on in to smoth@solidsmack.com. Kick it!

(more…)

EngineerVsDesigner: E68 – Henry Petroski

08 May, 2013 by in INTERVIEWS

This week we have the great pleasure of speaking to failure analysis expert, design history aficionado, prolific author, and paper clip extraordinaire, Mr. Henry Petroski! Henry has written over 17 books on design and engineering ranging from the history and importance of the toothpick, to why failure is paramount in the design process.

(more…)