I love when design sites/magazines/writers venture from not only covering inspiring design to helping bring it into the real world! In this case, our friends at Stilsucht, have just launched the Cliffhanger by Thomas Schmitz! A brilliant little hook that slips in between two pipes/slats/etc and lets gravity lock it in place… it was designed with a German “Altbau” in mind (think high-ceilinged, warehouse/loft like pre-war apartments that often have pairs of water pipes running vertically!) “The first batch comes in five different colors and each is an ode to the heart of cities. Berlin is represented by an urban Kreuzberg gray, Munich is a friendly Schwabing blue, Cologne has a sunny Ehrenfeld yellow, Frankfurt hails with a cordial Bornheim red and Hamburg shows a maritime Schanze blue.” I love that beyond helping designs become a reality, these are made in Berlin (also home of Stilsucht!) in the Stephanus workshops Berlin, a non profit workshop for social and vocational integration and rehabilitation of disabled people.

I had the pleasure of getting a pre-release Cliffhanger from Stilsucht when i ran into him in France last weekend ~ and i must say it feels nice and solid, with a rubbery coating that keeps it from slipping through the cracks, so to speak. While i may not have the same vertical pipe set up, i have actually found it quite useful hanging from my puppy gates (yes, they are basically the same as baby gates) and even between the back of the emeco navy chair! Take a peek at the details on the next page.

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org roundup includes knitted taxidermy, volcanic eruptions, and the subtle impressions left by clothing on skin and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes vegetable leather, a pendulum choir, centrifugal paint flinging and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Wow. Tonight Emilio Garcia presented ARThropod Brain by Tokyoplastic at the Toy Art Gallery… and it is spectacular. Brains + bugs + 3D printing + hand painted high gloss metallics + skull faces + giant jumping brains and so much more… and a chance to meet the artists who have inspired NOTCOT for years now in person! It’s crazy to see that after 8 years of NOTCOTness, and over 53,000 posts that have made the front page of NOTCOT.org over the years, we’ve been geisha drum machine flash piece is a classic, and we still reference it regularly) There has also been much love for Emilio Garcia’s Jumping Brains on NOTCOT for years, and they adorn the walls and shelves in NOTlabs too! Fanboying aside - these guys have been great inspiration over the years, and meeting them in person, and seeing this latest collection of work was incredible!

So back to the ARThropod Brain opening tonight is not only a beautiful collection of work, but technologically, it was great to hear that this collaboration came together through their digital models (where you can easily see Emilio’s brain motifs merging with the anatomically precise anthropods of Tokyoplastic) ~ which were then 3D printed by Shapeways, and then hand painted to have their metallic sheens. A nice example of taking 3D printing to the next level to create beautiful works of art - and digital collaboration from across countries! Take a peek at the show details on the next page, as well as Emilio’s new Skull Brains, and some huge jumping brains too!

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes Pantone food pairings, virtual wire typefaces, a look inside the Dyson superfactory and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Tonight’s graphic design lust object ~ Spencer Charles’ Map Of The Known Universe which he designed as an intern for the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. in Seattle, WA (part of the 826 National family) 30” wide x 20” tall map. Double-sided, four-color offset print on fine 85-lb. paper sealed with a matte fingerprint-resistant finish. Flat, for easy framing… check it out on the next page!

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Here’s the latest from London-based editor and resident zoologist, Justine Aw!

Last night I got a sneak preview of this year’s Kinetica Art Fair, celebrating the intersection of science and design and an incredible showcase of innovative sculptures and installations. More photos of the vast array of some of the optical illusions and playful kinetic sculptures that toy with light and design on the next page!

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes animation on oreos, herringbone kitchen stamps, how to tie a bowtie and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes the cars of Archer, weaver bird nests, meteors falling from the sky and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes IQ testing for your dog, thermosensitive business cards, Antarctic research stations and more. to find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

There is an amazing Gorilla that appears to be leaning on an ad/bench at Pacific and Brooks in Venice that i drive by every few days and have been meaning to stop and take a pic of for ages! To my delight, today on Yo! Venice!, they have shared the new mural above that just popped up on Abbot Kinney on the side of Isabelle Alford-Lago’s amazing gorillas! This Santa Cruz native went to USC, and currently works and lives right here in Venice, CA ~ which explains why so many of her gorilla murals have been popping up nearby. Take a peek at some of my favorites on the next page!

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes folding bikes for paratroopers, the coffee machine museum, big wave surfing and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes half-pipe carving contraptions, programmable glass floor for sports, Shetland ponies in sweaters and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Here’s the latest from Shawn Sims, Director of NOTlabs and resident car aficionado.

Back in October 2012 in Toronto’s Royal Bank Plaza, a shipping container sized structure popped up alongside a new Audi Quattro A4. In the glowing glass container, you’d find quite the slot car track, essentially a tiny Audi wonderland, which you could race through via iPads. Audi Canada and Slot Mods USA took the traditional slot car track to a new level, as this one included 3D printed 1:32 scale Audi A4s that you drive with an iPad and custom cameras. Bummed you missed it? Me too. Lucky for you and I they released a great making-of video about the process of creating the interactive installation.

The short film, Painting Coconuts - The Audi Quattro Experience, is filled with inspiring craft and passion. It follows David Beattie, owner of Slot Mods USA, and his team as they produce the one of a kind interactive artwork. Every detail is painstakingly hand crafted. The trees are made from dried Japanese Sedum flowers, custom circuits were built for the POV cameras, and when sourcing a 1:32 scale model of the current A4 proved difficult, they 3D scanned a real one and used the digital file to 3D print the slot cars. Check out the making- of video and lots of close ups on the next page…

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org features an egg in an egg, inhalable cocktails, an LED made from remote controls and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.