John Caswell Design

Ice Cube Celebrates The Eames

2012-01-01T16:58:00.000Z

I like hip-hip, I like architecture but what I like more is hip-hop and architecture. Go Ice Cube!

Rob Ryan at Work

2012-01-01T16:50:00.001Z

Like many others I am a big fan of Rob Ryan's work. Seeing him working in his London studio is just great.

Berg's Little Printer

2012-01-01T16:39:00.001Z

I'm not sure what to make of Berg's little printer. Part of me loves it and part of me thinks it's the type of object that could very quickly become obsolete. I do love the design though. Minimal with a touch of fun, just the way I like things.

Woodgears Jenga Pistol

2012-01-01T16:25:00.000Z

I started exploring the woodgears website the other day. It's a treasure trove of wood related making and workshop niceness. The Jenga pistol is one project that particularly stood out. Fantastic stuff!

Power of Making

2012-01-01T16:06:00.000Z

Go Makers!

Mr Cameron, it's time to get the designers in

2012-01-01T15:57:00.000Z

'Mr Cameron, it's time to get the designers in' Another great article by Justin McGuirk over on the Guardian website.

In The Make

2012-01-01T15:43:00.000Z

There are some great studio visits on inthemake It's well worth a look.

The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera

2012-01-01T15:34:00.001Z

Sadly this is still only a prototype. I'd snap one up if not.

Two Nuns Bike by Ron Arad

2011-12-04T20:55:00.000Z

Ron Arad you crazy mother.

Stick Bomb

2011-12-04T20:48:00.001Z

Little wooden sticks are brill!

Nice bikes

2011-12-04T20:38:00.001Z

I like these bikes. They are nice. Link

Mathew Lim's Eco-Vinyl

2011-12-04T20:21:00.001Z

I only wish this eco turntable by Mathew Lim wasn't a concept. I like.

Bite, Pook and Match Munchers on Nspired

2011-11-15T22:13:00.001Z

Nspired has just gone live and three of my designs are currently up for voting. With enough votes they have a chance to make it into production as part of the Nspired range. You can vote for them here and If you do it'll make my day. Thanks!

Yaron Steinberg - The Brain as City

2011-10-25T22:26:00.002+01:00

I'm loving this sculpture by Yaron Steinberg entitled 'The Brain as City'. Nice work.

The Best Halloween Mixtape Ever?

2011-10-25T20:57:00.000+01:00

Maybe not the best ever but well worth downloading here.

Wowzers!

2011-10-11T21:14:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I sent a little email to swissmiss (one of my favorite design blogs) about some little buttons I'd made. I thought if I was lucky it would get posted and generate a few sales. Well it did get posted, and it certainly has generated some sales! Lets just say it looks like I've got a long weekend ahead of me packing and posting. It's also been posted on a number of other sites and the orders seem to still be coming. All I can really say is thank you swissmiss and thank you internet :)

New Work - Little Red Sled, Match Muncher, Mr Button & Handy Ruler

2011-10-10T11:27:00.001+01:00

I recently added four new designs to my website, two of which are available to buy in the shop. The 'Handy Ruler' and 'Mr Buttons' are two simple little pieces that I've produced myself. They're fun little items and not to be taken too seriously. The 'Match Muncher' is a product I made last year as Christmas presents for friends and family and I hope to produce some more of these for sale in the future. The 'Little Red Sled' was also developed last year. Fingers crossed for lots of snow soon!

Josh Vogel

2011-10-01T16:09:00.000+01:00

This film about wood turner Josh Vogel is not only interesting but beautifully shot by The Scout.

City Cottage by Verstas Architects

2011-10-01T16:02:00.000+01:00

To me this 'City Cottage' located in Helsinki is a beautiful example of micro architecture. I could quite happily live here (with the addition of a workshop). Well done Verstas Architects.

via designboom

How to make a vinyl record

2011-10-01T15:52:00.000+01:00

Recently I've been getting into vinyl again. There's something about listening to an LP with a hint of crackle and pop that can't be beaten. I even like having to flip it over half way through. It's like taking a half time break during a football match. After doing a little googling I found this great article and audio slideshow about the vinyl factory in Hayes, Middlesex, the last major plant in the UK that presses about 25,000 records a week. Great stuff.

Interactive Robotic Painting Machine

2011-10-01T15:32:00.000+01:00

This Interactive CNC Robotic Painting Machine blew my mind. The thing I find amazing is how the g-code that controls the machine is generated by audio input? Top skills Ben Grosser.

London Design Festival

2011-10-01T15:23:00.001+01:00

I Had a great time at the London Design Festival last weekend. Taking a good look around and getting very inspired. Suzie Hogan's film on Vimeo sums up the design festival brilliantly.

Mixcloud

2011-09-12T21:47:00.003+01:00

As well as design, another great passion of mine is music. I recently joined Mixcloud and have been enjoying listening to some amazing mixes as well as adding some of my own. Mixcloud is a great way to discover new music and keep in touch with some of your favorite DJs and labels.

40 year old CGI

2011-09-08T21:23:00.000+01:00

I found this pretty impressive. I can't quite believe it was done in 1972. Imagine what another 40 years will bring!

WikiHouse CNC Home

2011-09-08T13:31:00.001+01:00

WikiHouse sounds like a great idea to me. It's idea is open source house construction based on CNC routed 18mm plywood. This is a method of construction that I'm pretty familiar with from my day job. I'd be interested to see how some large structures are built using this method and what the costs are compared to traditional methods. I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

via Ponoko

Lego Camper Van

2011-09-08T13:20:00.001+01:00

Two of my favorite things combined. Available from the Lego shop in October.

Clients From Hell

2011-09-05T13:32:00.000+01:00

If you have a spare few minutes I thoroughly recommend reading some of the posts on Clients From Hell.

The Making of 'Aufschwung'

2011-09-05T13:23:00.003+01:00

The other day I stumbled across the website of Heavy Industries who specialize in large scale installations. One of their recent projects was Inges Idee 's 'Aufschwun', A spiraling extruded cherub sculpture. Having worked on a number of public art pieces it was great to see behind the scenes of just how this thing was made. Link

See No Evil

2011-09-04T17:54:00.000+01:00

72 artists, lots of buildings, a bridge, 6 mega cranes, 326 metres of street, 26 scaffold towers, 325 litres of emulsion & 13,400 cans of paint. Good old Bristol!

The Art of Craft: The rise of the Designer-Maker

2011-09-04T17:49:00.001+01:00

Yet another great article on the Guardian website. Link

Andrew Ainsworth aka Mr Stormtrooper

2011-09-04T17:42:00.000+01:00

Andrew Ainsworth is a Model Maker who recently won a court battle against Lucasfilm to continue to produce Star Wars helmets using the tools he made to produce the originals for the films. His YouTube channel goes into great detail to show you how these are made. Although this is probably quite dull for most people I found it amazing how every piece is a relatively simple vacformed part. Great work.

via core77

Stanislaw Ploski's Bonobo Bike

2011-09-04T17:27:00.000+01:00

Something about this bike really made me stop and look. It seems like there are a lot of wooden bikes beeing designed at the moment but this one really does look great. I just hope it would be able to put up with the stresses and strains of everyday use.

via designboom

Photofly 2.0 3D Scanning

2011-09-04T17:18:00.000+01:00

A bit of a dodgy video but an amazing tool for reverse engineering and 3D scanning. Link

via ponokoblog

Touch Wood Forest Xylophone

2011-09-04T17:04:00.001+01:00

One of the best adverts I've seen in a long time. Lovely stuff

via spoon&tamago

Design & Thinking Film

2011-09-04T17:00:00.000+01:00

It looks like Design & Thinking has reached it's funding goal on Kickstarter. I look forward to watching this in full when it's finished. Great stuff.

via core77

Jaime Hayón on Dezeen Screen

2011-09-04T16:48:00.000+01:00

It's always nice to hear a designer talking about his own work.

via dezeenscreen

D*Face Pool Painting

2011-09-04T16:42:00.001+01:00

What a great idea.

Via notcot

Claus Mølgaard

2011-09-04T16:38:00.000+01:00

It is often the technical aspects of making a design work that are the hardest things to get right. This is where Claus Mølgaard comes in. Take a look at some of the work he has done with top designers to help them make their ideas a reality. Link

3D Printed Chocolate

2011-09-04T16:30:00.000+01:00

3D printed chocolate anyone?

Nomad by 1/100

2011-09-04T16:22:00.000+01:00

I'm loving this disco caravan that was installed into the gardens of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris earlier this year by Swiss architecture firm 1/100 .

via dezeen

RIP Habitat

2011-07-03T22:29:00.001+01:00

It was a bit of a shock when I heard this week that British design retailer Habitiat is to close down. More information can be read hear

ShapeOko CNC machine

2011-07-03T22:24:00.000+01:00

The ShapeOko is a desktop CNC machine that is completely open source and designed to be build for $300. Although it is clearly intended for small parts this would be a great tool for model making with a Dremel attachment or a cutting blade for vinyl work. I'll be keeping a close eye on this!

Melvin the magical mixed media machine

2011-07-03T22:17:00.002+01:00

Melvin The Magical Mixed Media Machine from HEYHEYHEY on Vimeo.

I love this.

Why has everything gone grey?

2011-07-03T22:14:00.000+01:00

Another great article on The Guardian design site. Link

Hendzel + Hunt 24hr Design Challenge

2011-07-03T22:11:00.000+01:00

This is a great little film about 18 Designers and Makers, 5 Teams, 24 Hours and 1 Epic Design Challenge. Great stuff!

The Legotron

2011-07-03T22:08:00.001+01:00

The Legotron was built by photographer Cary Norton and produces some stunning shots. It has a focus range of 3' to 18" and looks amazing!

via Make

Close, but no cigar

2011-06-12T18:33:00.001+01:00

I was thrilled when I found out that my 'Knot Handle' had been shortlisted from over 6,000 entrants in Designbooms 'Hands on door handles' competition. My design received some mixed comments but was always intended to be a bit tongue-in-cheek! The winning designs were all very worthy and I particularly liked the cool minimalism of Alexander Hoffart's 'Grow' design.

Sylvester in the wild

2011-06-12T18:19:00.000+01:00

These photos were posted up on the Suck UK Facebook pag e back in April. They absolutely made my day. Fantastic!

Designs for life won't make you a living

2011-06-12T17:52:00.000+01:00

There are some sad but true facts in Justin McGuirk's recent article on the guardian website. This is really worth a read. Link

What is a Designer?

2011-06-12T17:46:00.000+01:00

In my mind Michael DiTullo's components of a designer is spot on!

via Core77

In Defense of Delight

2011-06-12T17:39:00.000+01:00

Three cheers for delight! A great article by Ingrid Fetell over at Core77. Link

Jens Risom’s Prefab House

2011-06-12T17:34:00.000+01:00

One day I'd like to build a house like this. Link

Etsy on Vimeo

2011-06-12T17:25:00.000+01:00

Etsy has a great video channel on Vimeo. Their Handmade Portraits films are beautifully shot and give you a great insight into some of its users. Lovely stuff! Link

Louise Campbell

2011-06-12T17:16:00.000+01:00

If you have the time I thoroughly recommend watching this interview with designer Louise Campbell on the dwell website. It's a great insight into here studio in Copenhagen.

via ponoko

From the desk of.....

2011-06-12T17:02:00.000+01:00

Having a good nose at where and how people work is great. From the desk of... has a really impressive catalog of images and write ups from some top creative folk.

The Splinter Bike

2011-06-05T18:24:00.001+01:00

A great little video about a great little idea. This could only have been done by a bloke in a shed. Nice. Link

IdeaPaint

2011-06-05T18:09:00.000+01:00

IdeaPaint looks great. It can be painted onto any wall to convert it into a dry erase board. I'd love a wall like this in my studio.

Product by Process

2011-06-05T17:41:00.001+01:00

I can't remember how I found it but this has been sat in my bookmarks for a while. Product by Process is a fantastic website full of great videos showing you how some great design pieces have been made. If you've got a bit of free time they're well worth a look.

Punched Out Font

2011-06-05T17:34:00.000+01:00

At last a font for 3D designers. Link

A great little game

2011-06-05T17:29:00.000+01:00

This is a great little website I found a while back. Link

In praise of… the Workmate

2011-06-05T17:25:00.002+01:00

A lovely little article I came across in February. Link

3EyedBear

2011-06-05T17:22:00.001+01:00

I found 3EyedBear the other day. It has some great little free paper creatures for you to download, make and enjoy. Lovely.

Slim Jim on Sylefactory

2011-03-23T20:59:00.000Z

Along with Mr Switch you can now vote for Slim Jim over at Stylefactory.

Mr Switch on Stylefactory

2011-02-24T23:40:00.001Z

The lovely people at Stylefactory have just added my Mr Switch to their designs that are currently being voted for. With enough votes from people there's a chance it will go into production with them. Take a look at the video to see how it works and don't forget to vote for it here. Thanks!

QuaDror

2011-02-24T23:26:00.000Z

This joint will blow your mind! Link

WeWood Watches

2011-02-24T23:21:00.001Z

Mmmmm woody. Link

ILoveDoodle

2011-02-24T23:14:00.000Z

I'm loving the work of ILoveDoodle. Lots more to see here.

Making an Arne Jacobsen Series 7 Chair

2011-02-24T23:04:00.001Z

A beautifully shot film showing how an Arne Jacobsen series 7 chair is made by Fritz Hansen.

Inventables

2011-02-24T22:55:00.000Z

I found the Inventables website the other day. It's like an Aladdin's cave of weird and wonderful materials that would inspire any designer, artist or maker. I really hope I can have a play with some of these sometime.

Bruno 700c Tour

2011-02-24T22:38:00.000Z

Just lovely. Link

BirdBot

2011-02-24T22:30:00.001Z

Design and make your own BirdBot. Yes please! Link

The House of Marley

2011-02-24T21:23:00.000Z

The House of Marley is a new music equipment brand inspired by Bob Marley's ideals and principals and run by many of his children. Their vision is for eco-conscious products that embody the values of equality, unity, authenticity, charity and sustainability. I'm loving their headphone range, especially the 'trenchtown rock' seen at the bottom of these pictures. Nice.

Extreme Sitting

2011-02-08T21:31:00.002Z

I'm not quite sure what to make of this? It's kind of stupid but part of me would quite like one, Hock 'n' Roll! Link

Robo Rainbow

2011-02-07T21:31:00.000Z

How much would you love to have one of these!

Ikea Hackers

2011-01-31T21:00:00.000Z

I stumbled across the Ikea Hackers website the other day and was amazed at some of the brilliant things people have made from Ikea products. Above are some of my favourites. Go take a look. Link

Who's Banksy?

2011-01-13T23:03:00.000Z

So that's who he is!

EcoSpace Studios

2011-01-13T22:59:00.000Z

One day! Link

The Shadow Cloud

2011-01-13T22:54:00.000Z

This amazing looking rapid prototype is by Drzach & Suchy and has a bit of a hidden secret. Watch the video to the end and prepare to be amazed. Nice!

Rekiem Handmade Skateboards

2011-01-13T22:42:00.000Z

A beautiful video showing how skateboards are made by hand. Link

I'm Expanded Antique? What Are You?

2011-01-13T22:35:00.002Z

Mmmm Expanded Antique, that's me. Take the test and find out what your type is. Link

The Amazing Work of Chris Burden

2011-01-13T22:25:00.000Z

This is quite incredible. Chris Burden is an artist specialising in kinetic sculpture and "Metropolis II" is his latest piece consisting of 1200 Hot Wheels cars and some very impressive engineering. Love it!

Batch Production

2010-11-21T21:09:00.000Z

Well it's taken a while but I'm really please to say that my 'Mr Switch' light switch plates are finally available to buy on-line. They have been lovingly produced by my own fair hands, with a little help from some lasers! Buy them from here just in time for Christmas.

1000 Product Designs by Eric Chan

2010-11-16T21:58:00.004Z

I just received a copy of 1000 Product Designs by Eric Chan and was thrilled to find out that three of my products are featured in it. The book has a really nice look and feel to it and will no doubt be a great source of inspiration.

Back In The Day

2010-11-15T23:17:00.000Z

A couple of rare films showing you just what it was like designing way back when.

Behind The Scenes At Herman Miller

2010-11-15T23:12:00.000Z

Herman Miller take you behind the scenes to look at how the SAYL Chair was conceived and developed by Yves Béhar. Link

Oil & Water By Anthony Burrill

2010-11-15T22:56:00.000Z

Designed by Anthony Burrill and produced by Hapiness Brussels these posters are screen printed with oil from the recent Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill. There is a limiter run of 200 with all benefits going to CRCL (Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana).

The Invisible Bike Helmet

2010-11-15T22:41:00.000Z

Nobody really enjoys wearing a bike helmet so maybe this is the answer. Designed by Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin the Hövding bike helmet is worn like a scarf and inflates just before impact using the same technology as car air bags. Check out the video to see it in action. Amazing.

Sir Norman Foster's Dymaxion

2010-10-20T22:54:00.001+01:00

Have you ever seen anything like this before? Sir Norman Foster has just completed the rebuild of Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car, a revolutionary vehicle from 1933. Foster has apparently been fascinated with the Dymaxion since he worked for Fuller during the seventies. More information on the project can be found here.

Tomoko Azumi

2010-10-20T22:41:00.001+01:00

I've always been a fan of both Tomoko and Shin Azumi's work and found pieces like Table=Chest a big inspiration whilst studying at university. Currently Tomoko Azumi has a solo exhibition at the Rocket Gallery in London. I think it's great to see the workings of a designer and the paper and card models are great to see. I also came across a short video commissioned by the Crafts Council of Tomoko talking about how she came to design and develop the Table=Chest piece back in 1995.

Dieter Rams' Principles of Good Design

2010-10-20T22:28:00.001+01:00

Cool Hunting have made a nice little video discussing Dieter Ram's 10 principles of good design during there visit to the Vitsoe headquarters in London.

Dot

2010-09-30T13:09:00.001+01:00

Shot entirely on the new Nokia N8, the film 'Dot' is a collaboration between Aardman and Sumo Science directors Will Studd and Ed Patterson. It has officially set a Guinness World Record for the “smallest stop-motion animation character ever used in a film”. The making of is a lovely peek behind the scenes showing you exactly how it was created. Brilliant.

Making Future Magic

2010-09-30T12:47:00.002+01:00

These amazing images were created by Dentsu London using an iPad some long-exposure photography and some very cleaver animation programming. If you're a little confused watch the video below.

The Illusionist

2010-09-05T14:11:00.001+01:00

I recently went to see Sylvain Chomet's latest feature animation 'The Illusionist'. It's an incredibly beautiful looking film with an attention to detail and hand made quality that many CGI animations lack. For me it doesn't quite match his previous film 'Belleville Rendezvous' but it is a must see for anyone with an interest in animation, film or illustration.

Everyone Loves Toast

2010-09-05T14:04:00.000+01:00

Looking at toasters isn't everyone's cup of tea but the shear amount of strange designs and varieties on www.toastermuseum.com is quite impressive. It's amazing to see how one item has changed so dramatically over the decades.

The Photojojo Store

2010-09-05T13:54:00.001+01:00

The Photojojo Store is jam packed with some fantastic gifts for anyone interested in photography. Some of the items that caught my eye were the bottle cap tripod and the fantastic looking fisheye, macro and wide angle lenses that can be magnecticly attached to your phone! Link

The Land Of Giants

2010-09-05T13:08:00.001+01:00

The Land of Giants by Choi + Shine architects are amazingly impressive. All built from the same generic components they make for a stunning and epic addition to their surrounding environment. I think it just goes to show that if we look at what is around us with new and creative eyes then we can start to make things that people appreciate and don't just take for granted. Link

George Steinmetz Aerial Photography

2010-09-05T12:57:00.001+01:00

Every now and then you see some photography that blows you away. The landscapes captured by George Steinmetz from his motorized paraglider are stunning. More info and photos can be seen here

Augmented Reality For SketchUp

2010-09-05T12:48:00.001+01:00

With advances in CAD technology and 3D displays I think it's only a matter time before we start to see this kind of technology being included in many CAD packages. It looks like a nice way to be able to properly visualise your designs in the real world. Link

New Work - Hercule & Cheese Board

2010-07-25T18:29:00.004+01:00

I've been meaning to add these two pieces for a while. The cheese board was initially made as Christmas presents for friends and family and the doormat was a little addition to our back door. I hope people like them. As with most of my work I am currently looking for any interested producers for both of them.

New Work - Apron Cooking Guides

2010-07-12T21:08:00.005+01:00

I'm really chuffed to let you know that I have a new design in production with the guys at Suck UK . The new design is a cooking apron with lots and lots of really useful information printed on it to help you as you cook. Included on the design are cooking times, freezing guides, temperature and weight conversion charts and even a spaghetti measure. It's not available just yet but will be very soon. Once again thanks Suck UK!