Core77

A Minimalist Low-Cost Japanese Sketchbook

Rain Noe

These Blank Note sketchbooks by MUCU, a Japanese stationery brand, almost look like some kind of military surplus. But in fact they're just as minimal a sketchbook as possible: Two pieces of recycled paperboard for the covers, a canvas strip for the spine, and 60 pages of recycled "comic paper" (what manga is printed on in Japan).

They come in three sizes, and have the model numbers printed on the spine, presumably for manufacturing/inventory purposes.

These run ¥770 (less than five bucks) in Japan, but there's no U.S. distribution. Tariffs and shipping would eat up any cost savings.

The images here are from New Zealand importer Kiosk.

Motomorphosis: MSCHF's Radically Modified Lexuses

Rain Noe

Art collective MSCHF is at it again, this time with Lexus. For their Motomorphosis exhibit, which opens tomorrow at NYC's Armory Week art fair, they've stretched two real cars into unlikely forms.

Motomorphosis presents sculptural transformations of two Lexus vehicles, altered into impossible shapes through a recurring MSCHF motif: the application of the vernacular of digital-native operations to physical objects.

The resulting works, Twisted Car and Circle Car, are installed alongside their unaltered versions - the RX 450h+ Plug-in Hybrid and the All-Electric RZ 450e, respectively. Twisted and stretched, the cars become abstracted, blurring the lines between consumer luxury and sculptural form.

MSCHF takes the world around itself as raw material for sampling, recombination, transformation and collage. We live in a world of objects, and exist against this ubiquitous background noise of utilitarianism; it is only reinvention, transformation, that abruptly defamiliarizes these things in our lives and suddenly calls our attention afresh to the full suite of details and decisions that make up our experience of a car.

The works are dynamic, implying their motions. In animation smear frames are intermediary images in which objects and characters distort beyond their realistic shapes and boundaries so that, when played back, motion becomes fluid. The sculptures capture an idea of motion that exists in our mind's eye - true to the car's nature rather than the constraints of reality.

The vehicles, if you can call them that, will be on display at the Chelsea Industrial event space from Sept. 24th to 26th.

Cory Johnson's Infinite Pocket Jeans

Rain Noe

Remember these ridiculous jeans created by Werther's Originals? They had 30 coin pockets up and down the legs, intended to provide stash space for the candy company's treats.

Now Cory Johnson, a Missouri-based fashion artist who works with found materials, has gone a step further. His Infinite Pocket Jeans have been Frankensteined together from thrift shop jeans, yielding some 41 pockets.

Constructing the pants out of the most substantial parts of jeans brings a trade-off. "These jeans are very thick and are warm," Johnson writes. "Best for fall and winter."

These are a one-of-one creation, sized for a 38" waist with a 32" inseam. Johnson's selling them for $5,000.

Early Transforming Furniture: Richard Neutra's Camel Table

Rain Noe

In the 1930s Richard Neutra, the Austrian architect who'd made his home in California, designed an early example of flexible-use furniture. Neutra conceived of a table that could transform from dining height to coffee table height, using a simple mechanism in the legs:

Neutra made no secret of his inspiration for the design:

He had it prototyped in 1940, and in 1951 designed a steel-leg version for a client.

The table never went into mass production, but was occasionally produced for clients; occasionally these pop up on auction sites.

The UI of a Stencil Machine

Rain Noe

Just over a century ago, Illinois businessman John W. Marsh launched his Marsh Stencil Machine company. His firm produced stencil-cutting machines, inks and oilboards (the oil-treated paperboards stencils are made out of).

Their Marsh Model H machine, which rolled out in 1940, is still in use and sold today.

Inside are case-hardened steel dies and zinc alloy punches designed to maintain crisp edges over time.

The interface is quite interesting, and perhaps a function of 1940s UI design, when rotary phones were a thing. Here's how it worked:

via Typewriter Chicago

Today a Model H will set you back around $2,400.

What an Anodized Aluminum Baseball Cap Holder Says About Our Product Landscape

Rain Noe

You have to wonder what the pioneers of industrial design would make of this day and age.

The original promise of ID was to harness the power of mass production to create useful objects for the masses. But now, in the second (or arguably third) century of ID as a field, we're awash in disposable junk, much of it plastic, none of it durable enough to be passed down to grandchildren.

And there has been a reaction. So accustomed have we become to junk, that to design something durable is practically seen as subversive. As a case in point Hidden NY, an online tastemaker turned product brand, commissioned this aluminum Hat Organizer from industrial design studio Caliper:

It's not clear if it will actually go into production; the product appeared on Caliper industrial designer Yumy Gu's account, and is part of a collection of sheet metal objects designed for Hidden by Caliper which apparently number in the hundreds. "Over the last four years, CALIPER has worked closely with HiddenNY, developing hundreds of home goods for monthly drops and collaborations," the firm writes. "The material database and form language developed via these products has become an integral part of HiddenNY's storytelling."

Given that the Hat Organizer is made of anodized aluminum, you can only imagine how much it'd cost. We're slipping into a bifurcated product landscape with cheap junk on one side, for those who are struggling. On the other side, expensive, overbuilt products for those with discretionary income.

Industrial Designer Alberto Essesi's Pen for Precision Sketching

Rain Noe

This beautiful Exclamation Pen is by industrial designer Alberto Essesi. Both the pen and the rest are made of aluminum with a satin finish.

With the pieces paired, it's easy to see where the name came from.

The point is severely tapered, with sketching in mind; Essesi seeks to provide a clear view of the tip, allowing for precision linework. This is a tool by an industrial designer, for industrial designers.

Essesi self-produces the pen, and has trouble keeping it in stock; the first three batches sold out. Now he's thinking of doing a run with a mirror polish finish:

The pen weighs 68g and takes Fisher Space Pen refills.

No word yet on whether this will make production; Essesi's seeking feedback on his Instagram.

The Celluveyor: A Next-Generation Omnidirectional Modular Conveyor Belt

Rain Noe

Factories, warehouses and distribution centers all use conveyor belts. These are great for moving objects along a single route. However, should you need to turn, sort, descramble, separate or space the objects, additional machinery is required: Diverters, rotators, alignment stations and the like. All of these bring added cost, additional space requirements and of course, installation time.

German company Cellumation has invented a system that does away with all of these extras. Their Celluveyor consists of a hexagonal module containing three omnidirectional wheels, and motors inside.

These modules are built into a line, honeycomb-style.

Working in concert, the modules can sort, divert, rotate and more:

The system provides flexibility, obviating the need for mechanical changeovers. Maintenance, too, is fast; problematic units can be popped out for service, with a fresh one swapped in.

The system was devised over a decade ago at the Bremen Institute for Production and Logistics, then spun off into its own company. Today they've got a subsidiary in Texas and clients on multiple continents, DHL among them.

KAIST Develops a Way to Detect Hidden Cameras Using Your Smartphone

Rain Noe

As a society, we've accepted that security cameras are everywhere in public. But inside hotel rooms or AirBNBs, we still have an expectation of privacy. In 2024, there were some 75 lawsuits against AirBNB filed by guests who discovered they had been secretly recorded by their hosts. The platform subsequently banned hidden cameras, but detection and enforcement remain tricky.

Researchers at KAIST (the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, something like South Korea's MIT) have developed an inexpensive way to detect hidden cameras using your smartphone. The researchers built an LED rig (reportedly costing $7 in parts) called SweepLED that attaches to your phone. You turn it on and sweep the room, with the intention of getting the LEDs to return reflections from glossy objects.

While all glossy objects return reflections, camera lenses, due to their optical construction, return a particular type of reflection. The researchers used AI to train software to recognize these lens reflections and flag them. In their testing, the SweepLED device detected hidden cameras with 94% accuracy.

The team has not announced any plans to commercialize their invention. They should; with a BOM that low, I imagine these would sell well and be hugely profitable.

Core77 Weekly Roundup (9-14-26 to 9-18-26)

Rain Noe

Here's what we looked at this week:

An ice cube alternative: Frozen titanium spheres.

Chinese cars are now achieving 5-star safety ratings (in Europe, where standards are stricter than in the U.S.).

Konstantin Grcic's industrial-looking grinder for Alessi.

Cea Design's incredibly Modernist hideaway toilet.

How much should you weigh? This 1970s scale told you.

The Rainwater Wall: A space-saving water harvesting tank.

Strutt's awesome powered wheelchair is not a wheelchair (for legal reasons).

Industrial designer Erina Caldeira's steel twist on woven baskets.

Examples of well-worn objects. Ideally, we'd see everything we own reach these states.

Why did the aerodynamic look go away, and will it come back? Volkswagen's Mission Efficiency suggests it will.

Furniture designer Chiara Verde's cork lounge chair.

Pedestal's power strip accessories, by Swiss industrial design firm Big Game.

Allround, by industrial designer Hirotaka Tako, is a minimalist wheeled stool that doesn't look like a wheeled stool.

A 1973 Fiat pickup truck.

A 1973 Fiat Pickup Truck

Rain Noe

Have you ever wondered what an Italian pickup truck would look like? Well, here's your answer:

It's even got a sunroof:

Apparently in the 20th century, a handful of Italian motorists with quirky tastes hired coachbuilders to convert their Fiat 500s into pickup trucks. This example, first commissioned in 1973, was recently restored by French company Parfait Etat.

Check out the speedometer:

I imagine it was used as an ultra-efficient fish hauler. And that's not a dig; if I had an opportunity to own one of these, I'd snap it up and find some fish to haul.

A Minimalist Wheeled Stool That Doesn't Look Like a Wheeled Stool

Rain Noe

This Allround stool is by industrial designer Hirotaka Tako. It comes with a little surprise: Casters hidden beneath the base.

There's also a taller version with a third disc to act as a footrest.

Conceived as a new archetype, this stool is designed to aid communication while embodying ultimate minimalism. With built-in casters hidden in the base, it floats across the floor, moving effortlessly between people in workshops and collaborative spaces, stimulating conversation and fostering creativity.

The name "ALLROUND" carries a double meaning: it refers to the full-round fillet—an engineering term for a curved surface applied to edges—and its character as an "all-rounder" adaptable to diverse settings.

While made with robust metal construction, its softly rounded form combined with a range of colors and finishes creates a delicate, melting impression.

The Allround ships flatpack. It's in production by Japanese furniture brand NII, where Tako is the Creative Director.

From Hexagon to Hive: Designing Play Through the Geometry of Bees

Irene Guerrieri

How can a natural form become a design principle capable of shaping not only the aesthetics of a game, but also its narrative and modes of interaction?

When designing a children's game, the challenge is not simply to create a set of rules. It is to build a coherent system in which the story, the visual language, the physical components, and the actions required by the players reinforce one another. In this sense, product design can transform narrative and visual elements into actual game mechanics, giving children objects that do not merely illustrate a story, but allow them to experience it through play.

Bee Smart, developed by Matteo Paglieri during a game design workshop I conducted for the Master for Children at IED – Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, is an example of this approach. The project started from a creative analysis of primary geometric shapes, from which inspirations and ideas emerged, with several rapid prototyping iterations carried out from the very beginning. Sassi Junior, the partner company of the workshop, selected the project for its catalogue, and we are now waiting for the product to be released on the market. What began as a student design concept became a tangible product, demonstrating how an educational design environment can connect experimentation in the classroom with the manufacturing world.

The starting point was a simple narrative: bees are working hard to build their hive and fill it with honey, while a greedy little bear is waiting for the opportunity to steal it. The objective is therefore immediately understandable: players must help the bees construct the hive piece by piece, placing the honey cells before the bear manages to take them away.

The story provided more than the theme. It became the starting point for designing the physical language of the game.

When a story becomes a physical system

One of the most interesting aspects of Bee Smart is the role given to the hexagon. The hexagonal cell is one of the most recognizable visual elements associated with a beehive, but here it becomes much more than an illustration. It becomes the structural principle of the entire game.

The hexagon defines the visual identity of the product, establishes the geometry of the hive, and determines the shape of the pieces that children must manipulate and position. A natural form is therefore transformed into a design tool.

This is an important distinction in product design. A shape can simply decorate a product, or it can organize its functions. In Bee Smart, the hexagon does both. It communicates immediately what the game is about while simultaneously creating the physical logic through which the game is played.

The hive is progressively constructed by inserting honey-filled hexagons into the larger hexagonal structure. Children are therefore not simply moving pieces around a board: they are physically building the environment described by the story.

The narrative and the mechanics become inseparable.

Designing the game through simple elements

The product is deliberately composed of simple, accessible elements. The game takes place directly on a table, with the components made almost entirely from pressed cardboard, apart from the illustrated wooden die.

The three-dimensional bear is also constructed from simple cardboard pieces that slot together. This is a particularly interesting example of how a flat material can be transformed into a volumetric object through a straightforward assembly system. The result is a recognizable character without requiring complex manufacturing processes.

The preparation of the game already becomes part of the experience. The players assemble the bear, arrange the five larger hexagons that define the perimeter of the hive, distribute the other components, and sit around the table ready to begin.

The product is therefore activated through a sequence of physical actions: assembling, arranging, rolling, selecting, inserting, and building. Each action contributes to the narrative.

The simplicity of the components is not a limitation. On the contrary, it allows the relationship between the child and the object to remain immediate.

The hexagon as a learning tool

For a target audience of children aged three and above, the geometry of Bee Smart also provides opportunities for cognitive development.

Children must recognize different sizes and shapes, understand spatial relationships, and decide where each piece belongs. Which is the smallest cell? Where should it go? Which piece fits the available space?

These are simple questions, but they transform geometry and spatial logic into playful challenges.

The physical manipulation of the pieces also supports fine motor skills. Picking up the components, handling the die, orienting the hexagons correctly, and fitting them precisely into the hive require coordination between visual perception and hand movement.

The design of the game therefore operates on several levels simultaneously. The hexagon is a visual symbol, a structural component, a spatial puzzle, and a learning device.

From individual actions to shared play

The social dimension is equally important.

Bee Smart is designed as a shared experience in which players take turns and work toward a common objective: helping the bees complete their hive before the bear steals the honey. The cooperative structure encourages children to observe one another's actions, wait for their turn, negotiate decisions, and experience the pleasure of achieving something together.

The possibility of losing is also part of the design. The bear introduces an element of uncertainty and tension, creating the possibility that the group may not complete the hive in time. For young children, this can become an opportunity to experience frustration and learn to accept an outcome that does not correspond to their expectations.

In this sense, the physical design of the game supports not only cognitive and motor development, but also social and emotional learning.

Designing from nature rather than simply representing it

What makes Bee Smart particularly interesting from a product design perspective is the way in which a natural form becomes a generative principle.

This suggests a broader question for designers: what happens when we move from representing nature to designing through nature?

A natural element can provide much more than an aesthetic reference. It can offer a system of relationships, proportions, structures, behaviors, and possibilities for interaction. The designer's task is to recognize these qualities and translate them into a new context. This was the work we focused on during the workshop.

In Bee Smart, the hexagon becomes a bridge between the natural world and the designed world. Children recognize the shape as part of the visual language of the hive, but they also discover its properties by manipulating it. They learn through the same form that tells the story.

Designing play beyond the rules

Ultimately, the design of a board game is not limited to defining what players are allowed or required to do. It is also about designing the conditions for interaction.

Objects, shapes, materials, colors, characters, and spatial arrangements can all suggest actions and generate meaning. When these elements are carefully connected, the product itself becomes an active participant in the play experience.

Bee Smart began as an idea developed in an educational design workshop and became a manufactured product through collaboration with Sassi Junior. Its design demonstrates how a simple observation of nature—the geometry of a honeycomb—can evolve into a complete playful system.

The hexagon gives the game its identity, but it also gives children something to do: recognize, choose, fit, build, cooperate, and play.

Perhaps this is one of the most powerful possibilities of product design for children: to transform a visual idea into an action, an action into a game, and a game into an experience of discovery.

Pedestal's Power Strip Accessories

Rain Noe

Over the course of the past few decades, we've come to interact with power strips more and more. Despite that the object itself hasn't evolved much, because it doesn't need to, right?

Danish tech accessory brand Pedestal begs to differ, with their collection of Power products. They tapped Swiss industrial design firm Big Game to not only design power strips—their three-plug Power Bar and five-plug Power Beam--but also a series of accessories to make them fit into our daily lives better.

Their steel Power Tray gives you a docking space for the strip, reducing clutter by adding an organizational function. Single- and dual-bay versions are offered.

Their Cable Bagle provides a way both to keep the cord organized, and provide a hanging point for storage.

The Power Tower lets you stand the power strip up, reducing its footprint.

The Power Shell does the same…

…and also lets you use it upside-down, for a neater appearance.

These are yet more items in the growing "Things Americans can't have" category; Pedestal has no U.S. distribution.

Furniture Designer Chiara Verde's Cork Lounge Chair

Rain Noe

dIn the early- and mid-20th century, we saw the advent of chairs slung with leather. These were radical because they did away with supporting surfaces and upholstery, instead relying on leather suspended from a structural frame of metal tubing or wood.

Now Copenhagen-based furniture designer Chiara Verde proposes an alternative suspended seating surface: Laminated cork.

Strata is a lounge chair developed through a material-driven investigation into the structural potential of cork. At the core of the project is a layered composite system composed of thin cork sheets alternated with natural fibre textiles. Rather than functioning as a surface finish or a monolithic block, the cork becomes an active structural component, gaining stiffness and directional performance through the introduction of textile reinforcement.

The seating elements are shaped through a process of lamination and forming, allowing the material to simultaneously provide structure, comfort, and visual identity. By exploiting the complementary properties of cork and natural fibres, the project transforms a traditionally non-structural material into a lightweight load-bearing element.

The chair is organised around a clear and intuitive tectonic logic. A minimal metal frame provides support only where the material requires additional strength, while the cork components remain the primary protagonists of the construction. Consisting of four main parts connected through ten screws, Strata can be fully disassembled, facilitating transport, repair, and replacement of individual components.

Core77

A Minimalist Low-Cost Japanese Sketchbook

Motomorphosis: MSCHF's Radically Modified Lexuses

Cory Johnson's Infinite Pocket Jeans

See Also:

Early Transforming Furniture: Richard Neutra's Camel Table

The UI of a Stencil Machine

What an Anodized Aluminum Baseball Cap Holder Says About Our Product Landscape

Industrial Designer Alberto Essesi's Pen for Precision Sketching

The Celluveyor: A Next-Generation Omnidirectional Modular Conveyor Belt

KAIST Develops a Way to Detect Hidden Cameras Using Your Smartphone

Core77 Weekly Roundup (9-14-26 to 9-18-26)

An ice cube alternative: Frozen titanium spheres.

Chinese cars are now achieving 5-star safety ratings (in Europe, where standards are stricter than in the U.S.).

Konstantin Grcic's industrial-looking grinder for Alessi.

Cea Design's incredibly Modernist hideaway toilet.

How much should you weigh? This 1970s scale told you.

The Rainwater Wall: A space-saving water harvesting tank.

Strutt's awesome powered wheelchair is not a wheelchair (for legal reasons).

Industrial designer Erina Caldeira's steel twist on woven baskets.

Examples of well-worn objects. Ideally, we'd see everything we own reach these states.

Why did the aerodynamic look go away, and will it come back? Volkswagen's Mission Efficiency suggests it will.

Furniture designer Chiara Verde's cork lounge chair.

Pedestal's power strip accessories, by Swiss industrial design firm Big Game.

Allround, by industrial designer Hirotaka Tako, is a minimalist wheeled stool that doesn't look like a wheeled stool.

A 1973 Fiat pickup truck.

A 1973 Fiat Pickup Truck

A Minimalist Wheeled Stool That Doesn't Look Like a Wheeled Stool

From Hexagon to Hive: Designing Play Through the Geometry of Bees

Pedestal's Power Strip Accessories

Furniture Designer Chiara Verde's Cork Lounge Chair