Sep
25

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PlayStation Pulse Elevate Minimalist Wireless Speakers Echo the PS5’s Unique Design

Category: YankoDesign

Gaming audio continues to evolve beyond the traditional headset experience, with many players seeking desktop setups that deliver immersive sound without sacrificing visual appeal or comfort. The challenge lies in finding speakers that match the aesthetic sophistication of modern gaming hardware while providing the audio quality that serious gamers demand.

What makes the PlayStation Pulse Elevate particularly compelling is how it addresses both needs simultaneously. Sony’s first wireless desktop speakers bring studio-quality planar magnetic drivers and ultra-low latency connectivity to a sculptural, trophy-like form that feels like a natural extension of the PlayStation 5’s futuristic design language.

Designer: Sony

The aesthetic immediately catches your attention with its tall, vertical silhouette and gently rounded edges. The speakers feature a subtle backward tilt that gives them a sense of upward movement, echoing the spaceship-inspired design cues that make the PS5 so distinctive. Available in both Midnight Black and White, they mirror the console’s iconic two-tone palette perfectly.

The minimalist approach extends to the controls, which are integrated seamlessly into the form without disrupting the clean lines. You get the sense that these speakers were designed to be displayed rather than hidden, transforming functional audio equipment into sculptural desk accessories that complement rather than compete with your gaming setup.

Of course, the real innovation lies in the audio technology powering these elegant forms. Each Pulse Elevate speaker houses studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers, a premium technology typically reserved for high-end audiophile equipment. This delivers exceptionally detailed, lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum, ensuring you hear games exactly as developers intended them to sound.

The integrated woofers add the bass depth that desktop speakers often lack, while 3D audio support enhances spatial awareness during gameplay. The combination creates an immersive soundscape that rivals dedicated gaming headsets while allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings and communicate naturally with others in the room.

Connectivity feels refreshingly straightforward despite the advanced technology underneath. PlayStation Link wireless provides ultra-low latency and lossless audio for perfect sync with on-screen action, while Bluetooth support allows simultaneous connections to multiple devices. You can have game audio streaming via PlayStation Link while taking calls or playing music through Bluetooth simultaneously.

That said, the portability factor sets these speakers apart from typical desktop audio solutions. Built-in rechargeable batteries let you undock the speakers and use them with a PlayStation Portal or smartphone, while the included charging stands make returning to your desktop setup effortless. This flexibility means your audio investment works across different gaming scenarios.

The customization options reflect Sony’s understanding of diverse gaming environments. You can adjust the speakers’ orientation for optimal sound positioning, while system-level controls on PS5 and PC allow fine-tuning of EQ, volume, and sidetone settings. The integrated microphone with AI-enhanced noise rejection ensures clear voice chat without needing a separate headset.

You’ll notice how every design decision reinforces the PlayStation ecosystem’s visual cohesion. When flanking a PS5 on your desk, the Pulse Elevate speakers look like they belong there, completing the futuristic, trophy-like aesthetic that makes PlayStation hardware instantly recognizable.

The Pulse Elevate speakers offer a glimpse into how gaming audio can evolve when form and function receive equal attention. You might find yourself appreciating not just the exceptional sound quality, but how these speakers transform your entire gaming setup into something that looks as impressive as it sounds.

The post PlayStation Pulse Elevate Minimalist Wireless Speakers Echo the PS5’s Unique Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sep
25

By

Ollee Watch Gives a Classic Casio a Clever, Open-Source Smart Upgrade

Category: YankoDesign

The Casio F-91W has maintained its status as an affordable, reliable timepiece for decades, beloved by everyone from students to presidents for its simple functionality and retro charm. Yet in an age of smartwatches and fitness trackers, many users find themselves torn between nostalgia for classic design and the convenience of modern features.

What makes the Ollee Watch particularly compelling is how it bridges this gap without compromise. This open-source project transforms the iconic F-91W into a customizable, connected smartwatch through a clever mainboard swap, preserving everything people love about the original while adding the smart features they actually want.

Designer: Ollee Watch

The upgrade process centers around replacing the F-91W’s original circuit board with a custom-designed PCB packed with modern sensors and Bluetooth connectivity. You keep the lightweight resin case, the classic LCD display, and even the water resistance, but gain step tracking, smartphone notifications, and customizable features. The installation requires basic disassembly skills, making it accessible to most DIY enthusiasts.

Of course, the real appeal lies in what the new mainboard enables. The Ollee Watch adds a step counter with daily goals and vibration alerts, Bluetooth syncing for automatic time updates, and customizable alarms that go far beyond the original’s basic functionality. World time zones become easily accessible, and the companion app lets you configure everything from your smartphone.

The open-source firmware opens up even more possibilities. Community developers have already created mini-games like Blackjack, custom watch faces, and additional features that expand the watch’s capabilities over time. You get a device that can evolve and improve through community contributions, something traditional smartwatches rarely offer.

That said, the user experience remains refreshingly familiar. The Ollee Watch looks and feels exactly like a classic F-91W, maintaining the lightweight comfort and discreet profile that made the original so popular. The rechargeable battery provides days of use per charge, while the retro aesthetic means it works with any outfit or occasion.

The affordability factor makes this particularly attractive. You can transform a $20 watch into a feature-rich smartwatch for a fraction of what most connected devices cost. This approach appeals to both nostalgia enthusiasts who love the F-91W’s classic design and tech-savvy users who want modern functionality without the bulk or expense of traditional smartwatches.

You’ll notice how the Ollee Watch embodies sustainable design principles by giving new life to existing hardware rather than creating entirely new products. This upcycling approach reduces waste while celebrating the enduring design excellence of the original Casio.

The Ollee Watch taps into something fundamental about how we relate to our favorite gadgets. You can see how a simple mainboard swap transforms a $20 classic into something that feels both familiar and surprisingly capable. This kind of thoughtful upgrading respects what people already love while giving them exactly what they didn’t know they wanted.

The post Ollee Watch Gives a Classic Casio a Clever, Open-Source Smart Upgrade first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sep
25

By

seoul design award 2025 announces top 10 finalists with early voting for grand prize

Category: Design Boom

seoul design award 2025 opens global early voting

 

Seoul Design Award 2025, the global platform dedicated to design for sustainability, has announced its Top 10 finalists projects and opened global early voting for the Grand Prize. Out of hundreds of submissions worldwide, the international jury of 32 experts selected outstanding projects for their creative approaches to social, environmental, and urban challenges. Until October 22, 2025, citizens around the world are invited to take part in shaping the outcome by early voting for the Grand Prize among the Top 10 projects via the official Seoul Design Award website.

 

Some of the highlights include China’s first 3D-printed concrete structure, modular solar-powered stations meant for rural, underserved communities, the transformation of unwanted Iranian women’s headscarves into stadium seats, and upcycled chicken feather waste. 

set for October 24, 2025 at the iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the Seoul Design Award 2025 Conference & Top 10 Competition spotlights the Top 10 projects | all images courtesy of the Seoul Design Award

 

 

Pre-registration is open until October 20

 

Seoul Design Award represents designs for sustainable daily life that aim for harmony between people, society, and the environment, spanning areas like Health & Peace, Equal Opportunities, Energy & Environment, and Cities & Communities. Set for October 24, 2025 at the iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the 2025 Conference & Top 10 Competition spotlights the Top 10 projects through live presentations streamed worldwide, with citizens playing a key role in selecting the Grand Prize winner through both early and live voting. Beyond the competition, the conference brings together designers, scholars, industry leaders, and the public to explore how sustainable design can scale to transform communities and daily life.

 

Early voting contributes to the Grand Prize, ensuring the voices of people worldwide are reflected in the outcome. Alongside the professional jury’s assessment, the integration of citizen input highlights how design can inspire collective responsibility and foster a truly global dialogue. This is what makes the Award unique and special in the world. By engaging with users and expanding the reach of projects, it encourages designers to participate more actively and be inspired in creating sustainable projects.

out of hundreds of submissions worldwide, the international jury of 32 experts selected outstanding projects for their creative approaches to social, environmental, and urban challenges

 

 

Top 10 seoul design award finalists projects

 

Desert Ark by designRESERVE (China, USA): China’s first 3D-printed concrete structure in a desert environment, designed to restore fragile ecosystems in the Tengger Desert

Alusta Pavilion for Multispecies Encounters by Suomi/Koivisto Architects (Finland): a clay-based pavilion that creates habitats for humans, insects, and birds, encouraging ecological dialogue and multispecies co-living

Anako – Emergency Folding Cradle by Anako team (Italy): Humanitarian design co-created with vulnerable communities, providing dignity, safety, and resilience in crisis conditions.

The Borrowing Project by hidden-domain studio (Taiwan): A circular exhibition model that reuses borrowed materials through reversible design, minimizing waste.

The City of Indigenous Arts by Estudio MMX (Mexico): An urban revitalization project celebrating indigenous heritage through architecture, public spaces, and cultural restoration

Crafted Liberation by RK Collective (Australia, Iran): A participatory project transforming unwanted Iranian women’s headscarves into symbolic stadium seats, turning oppression into empowerment

Jaza Energy Hubs by Nonfiction Design (Nigeria, USA): Modular, solar-powered hubs delivering clean, affordable energy to rural communities while empowering local economies

LADIS Lamp DISinfection by Hwanjong Oh (Lao PDR, Republic of Korea): A portable UV water sterilizer that prevents infectious diseases and ensures safe drinking water in underserved areas

Soft Solids Lighting by Daydreaming Objects (Denmark, Lithuania):  Lighting design crafted from natural wax and upcycled components, combining durability, softness, and emotional connection to nature

Golden Feathers by Golden Feathers – 6th Eco-Fiber Pioneers (India): A circular solution that upcycles chicken feather waste into sustainable fibers, reducing landfill and pollution

 

 

project info:

 

name: Seoul Design Award 2025 | @seouldesignaward

early voting deadline: October 22, 2025

conference venue: DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza)

conference date: October 24, 2025

The post seoul design award 2025 announces top 10 finalists with early voting for grand prize appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
25

By

models encased in oversized transparent eggs pop up across milan for diesel’s SS26 show

Category: Design Boom

Diesel ss2026 turns Milan into an interactive runway egg hunt

 

Creative Director Glenn Martens pushed Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway show entirely off the catwalk and into the streets of Milan, transforming the city center into a public egg hunt. On September 23rd, 2025, 55 transparent, egg-shaped vessels were hidden across the city, each containing a complete look from the SS26 collection. 

 

The spatial design is led by Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck (SDV), continuing its collaboration with Diesel in staging fashion performance presentations. Here, the set, free and open to everyone, was dispersed across the city, with discovery and participation replacing the seated runway.

images via @diesel

 

 

Martens’ Playful Experiments in form and fabric

 

Conceived in the spirit of democracy and disruption, the project invited audiences to move, search, and take part in the show’s unfolding. Models, players, and Martens himself joined Diesel’s city-wide hunt, blurring roles between designer, performer, and spectator.

 

Inside the eggs, Martens’ SS26 collection for the Italian fashion brand revealed its emphasis on experimentation and play. Apron dresses in distressed satin denim, tailored jackets overloaded with biker details and utility pockets, and knit dresses appearing barely held together as if by a fragile web all highlighted the designer’s push for new treatments and techniques. The use of vibrant colors and unconventional materials reinforced Diesel’s disruptive spirit, extending beyond garments to the way they were revealed.

Glenn Martens pushed Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway show entirely off the catwalk

the city center was transformed into a public egg hunt

Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck (SDV) leads the spatial design

Martens’ SS26 collection for the Italian fashion brand revealed its emphasis on experimentation

the use of vibrant colors and unconventional materials reinforced Diesel’s disruptive spirit

models, players, and Martens himself joined Diesel’s city-wide hunt

 

 

project info:

 

name: Diesel Spring Summer 2026 Runway Show — The Egg Hunt

designer: Diesel | @diesel

creative director: Glenn Martens | @glennmartens
spatial design: Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck | @studiodennisvanderbroeck

location: Milan, Italy

The post models encased in oversized transparent eggs pop up across milan for diesel’s SS26 show appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
25

By

round-eyed tiny binocles homes bring compact living on wheels

Category: Design Boom

tiny binocles blend carpentry craft with ecological freedom

 

Founded in 2024 in Guidel, Brittany, France, the company Tiny Binocles designs and manufactures compact mobile homes characterized by their distinctive round windows and use of bio-based construction methods. The structures combine practical living spaces with sustainable materials, reflecting a design approach rooted in carpentry craftsmanship and ecological responsibility.

 

The twin circular windows, a defining element of the Binocles series, provide daylight, natural ventilation, and framed views of the surrounding environment. This feature not only establishes the houses’ recognizable identity but also enhances their environmental performance. Founder Ambroise Humeau, trained with the Compagnons du Tour de France and in Switzerland, applies techniques influenced by boatbuilding, emphasizing compactness, efficiency, and durability while incorporating natural finishes.

all images courtesy of Tiny Binocles

 

 

the design emphasizes compactness, efficiency, and durability

 

The Binocles collection consists of six variations. Grand-Duc (22.18 sqm) spans two mezzanines, accommodating four to six occupants. Lapone (17.39 sqm) is a single-level model designed for step-free accessibility, while Chevêchette (12.94 sqm, 4.28 m length) offers a compact solution for two. Each unit is mounted on a 3.5 t trailer, keeping them legally towable under Europe’s standard B(E) license. Alongside the Binocles series, the company also produces the Classiques collection, which adopts more conventional aesthetics.

 

Sustainability principles are integrated into every design. Timber is sourced from responsibly managed regional forests, insulation is made from bio-based materials free from petrochemicals, and natural oils are used to protect wood surfaces, allowing them to age without synthetic coatings. Prototypes were presented at the 2025 Grande Expo du Morbihan in Vannes and the Foire Internationale de Bordeaux, where visitors could explore the first series of models. With its combination of modular design, ecological materials, and distinctive architectural identity, Tiny Binocles positions its houses as adaptable mobile dwellings suited to diverse contexts.

Tiny Binocles specializes in compact mobile houses

each design is defined by its distinctive round windows

the houses combine practical layouts with ecological materials

circular windows frame views of the landscape

bio-based construction methods are central to the approach

the design emphasizes compactness, efficiency, and durability

timber is sourced from responsibly managed local forests

the round openings also provide daylight and natural ventilation

natural oils protect wooden surfaces without synthetic coatings

 

project info:

 

name: Tiny Binocles | @tinybinocles
designer: Ambroise Humeau

location: Guidel, Brittany, France

 

models (Binocles): Grand-Duc, Lapone, Chevêche, Noctua, Hulotte, Chevêchette

models (Classiques): Masquée, Oural, Épervière, Pagodes, Petite-pagodes

dimensions & areas: 12,94 sqm–22.18 sqm

materials: timber frame, bio-sourced insulation, natural finishes, locally sourced woods

mobility: 3.5 t trailers; permit B(E) category

status: in production, showcased Vannes 2025 & Bordeaux 2025

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post round-eyed tiny binocles homes bring compact living on wheels appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
25

By

foam-made delorean car from back to the future hovers in the air using drone technology

Category: Design Boom

drone technology makes foam DeLorean car fly

 

Designer Brian Brocken recreates the DeLorean car from the Back to the Future movies in foam and makes it hover in the air with rotating wheels. The full-scale model lifts off the ground using drone technology, and it is able to because the chassis is made of EPS foam, which is lightweight. To make it robust enough, the designer covers the foam with fiberglass sheets, which weigh around 25 grams per square meter. It protects the foam and makes it possible to paint the surface (because the paint dissolves plain EPS foam), allowing the user to also recreate the styling of the DeLorean car from the movies. 

 

Brian Brocken designs the foam-made car’s body using the program Fusion 360, where he uses the exact measurements from the original Delorean. The 3D model is then cut into slices that could fit on a CNC machine; each slice is cut with the help of an industrial robot, which is turned into a CNC machine for the project. The car body is hollow at the front, middle, and back, and this reduces weight and allows air to pass through to the propellers when the car is in flight. The wheels rotate during flight, faithfully following the original model’s design.

all images courtesy of Brian Brocken

 

 

Recreated vehicle with original model’s gullwing door design

 

The foam DeLorean car takes flight using motors and propellers, similar to the ones used by drones. Before that can happen, the body needs a strong airframe, so for the first test, the designer uses an aluminum frame with 3D printed plastic parts. It isn’t strong enough, Brian Brocken concludes, because the aluminum flexes during yaw movement. He’s now developing a carbon-fiber frame, hoping to reduce the weight to about two kilos and solve the twisting issue. For the flight system, he uses four large drone motors with a 30-inch propeller. Each motor can produce about 13.5 kilograms of thrust, and so with four motors, the total thrust is about 54 kilograms.

 

For the foam DeLorean car to fly, air should flow to the propellers, so the designer makes the front and back of the car hollow. The hood has slats that can open and close using a flap system. Then, a linear actuator with mechanical linkages controls the flaps. When closed, the flaps cover the holes, and when open, they let air move into the propellers. This system allows the car to keep its shape while still allowing airflow. Brian Brocken also replicated the gullwing doors of the original model, its signature design element, using automatic and 3D printed door hinges hidden inside the roof and doors. So far, the designer has tested the foam DeLorean car for its maiden flight, two years after he first introduced the project and built it one part at a time.

drone technology makes foam DeLorean car fly

the chassis is made of EPS foam, which is lightweight

the designer replicates the gullwing doors of the original model

to make it robust enough, the designer covers the foam with fiberglass sheets

the designer makes the front and back of the car hollow for airflow

the designer has tested the foam DeLorean car for its maiden flight

 

project info:

 

title: First flight of the full-scale flying DeLorean

design: Brian Brocken | @bribro_12

The post foam-made delorean car from back to the future hovers in the air using drone technology appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
25

By

Tomorrowism’s new brand reasserts Heal’s design credentials

Category: Design Week

Heal’s has been a cornerstone of British interiors for more than two centuries. The heritage retailer is best known for bringing contemporary furniture, lighting, and design into British homes, introducing audiences to new styles and ideas long before they became mainstream.

To grasp just how deep its roots run, CEO Hamish Mansbridge offers a quick history lesson. “Heal’s has always been about bringing new ideas to Britain. It was the first to bring proper mattresses to the UK. Before that, you would have been sleeping on a bag of straw, if you were lucky. Otherwise, just the straw.”

The brand, which has moved and evolved with the times, has undergone its biggest repositioning in over a decade, led by independent agency Tomorrowism. The result is a refreshed visual identity, brand position, and tone of voice, brought together under a new campaign, Where Design Lives.

The project was built as a response to the “great flattening” of British interiors, a powerful cultural tension that served as an opportunity for Heal’s to reassert their position as the leading voice in the industry.

“Over time, the interiors market has grown quite homogenised and, frankly, a bit boring,” says Mansbridge. “In that context, we felt people needed a reminder of what Heal’s stands for – that we are the authority on design.”

Tomorrowism’s brand reset for Heal’s

With interiors at risk of losing character and charm, the team noticed a crisis in how we decorate our homes and our spaces, a timely backdrop for reintroducing Heal’s as a heritage name with sharp cultural fluency and the capacity to challenge that conformity.

“Our spaces are becoming generic and less characterful, shaped by algorithms that feed us endless versions of what we already like,” says Beth Bentley, founder and strategy partner at Tomorrowism.

“The result is a worrying sameness – across homes, cities, even continents – compounded by the Instagrammified ‘get the look’ culture, which fuels copycats, dupes and pastiche.”

This homogenisation is fuelled by a race to replicate surface-level aesthetics – the drive to look like everyone else. But good design has always been about more than just appearances; it has the power to shape how we work, play, and live.

“This was the central idea behind the project – the life-changing power of good design,” says Bentley.

“We wanted to position Heal’s as an institution that truly understands what design is for, and what it can do for us in everyday life.” That thinking crystallised in the brand idea – “Where Design Lives.”

The new Heal’s logo lockup

The brand line is seen in the new visual identity, locked up with Heal’s existing wordmark. It is rendered in a free-flowing, handwritten script, which was lifted from the sketchbook explorations by Mark Thompson, creative partner at Tomorrowism.

“The energetic hand-drawn mark evokes the spirit of the design process. Unapologetically real, it’s graceful in its form yet nuanced and full of character,” says Thompson. “It cues the annotation style you may see in the preliminary sketches of a design process.”

Its gestural form creates a point of tension against the structured wordmark, while embodying the human touch and creativity that sit behind every piece of great design.

While Tomorrowism inherited the Heal’s wordmark – and kept it unchanged – it leaned into bolder art direction, felt in how the logo shows up across the brand world.

The wordmark is tweaked and enlarged, taking up space in a way, “this brand has never done before,” says Bentley. “So while we haven’t changed the logo, we’ve very much changed how it behaves.”

A still from the five-episode shoppable documentary series featuring the handwritten typeface

This comes through in the art direction of a five-episode shoppable documentary series featuring leading British tastemakers, which anchors the campaign. The logo, paired with hand-scrawled typography, lends the films a distinctive character while commanding presence on screen.

Running through the project was a clear intention to shed the “polite” signals of heritage branding in favour of a more confident, provocative stance.

That shift is evident not only in the logo lockup, but also in the colour palette, which reimagines Heal’s blue alongside brighter shades of yellow and green, grounded by a parchment tone.

“When you put them all together, you get a palette that feels quite divergent and unusual – particularly for a heritage brand,” says Bentley.

The witty, self-assured spirit of the repositioning comes through most strongly in the brand’s tone of voice. With memorable, sharp taglines like “There’s a reason why all the best chairs are always taken”, “One day your grandchildren will thank you,” and “You can stop blurring your background now,” Heal’s now speaks in a language that draws strength from its heritage while signalling a spirited, forward-looking outlook.

Tomorrowism’s brand reset for Heal’s

For Tomorrowism, striking that balance was key – to define Heal’s not only by its history, but by its appetite for growth and evolution.

“We wanted to highlight the idea that this is a brand not held back by its heritage, but is ever-changing, curious, and progressive,” says Bentley.

With the campaign now live both online and out in the world, Mansbridge hopes it will grab attention and prompt people to think. “Our audience already knows Heal’s, but if the brand has slipped from the centre of their minds, I want this campaign to put it back there,” he says.

“The goal is for people to be talking about Heal’s – not just when they’re shopping, but more broadly, so that whenever anyone is discussing design for the home, Heal’s is the first name that comes up.”

Tomorrowism’s brand reset for Heal’s
The refreshed colour palette
A still from the five-episode shoppable documentary series featuring the handwritten typeface
Tomorrowism’s brand reset for Heal’s

Source

Sep
25

By

Angel & Anchor’s multi-mark system for WELD shows more is more

Category: Design Week

WELD, a US-based apparel supplier, has carved a niche for itself by producing distinctive caps and socks, offering both customisable blanks and its own branded pieces for leading independent labels.

As WELD’s reputation expanded, the team set out to update its website and turned to Belfast-based studio Angel & Anchor for support. But what started as a straightforward digital brief soon exposed deeper issues, revealing a brand that felt fragmented and inconsistent.

“We came into the project originally wanting a proper website, but after coming to Angel & Anchor with a ton of odds and ends, it was painfully obvious that we had a pretty scatterbrained graphic system that needed to be sorted before putting together a website,” says Stephen Thompson, partner at WELD.

This called for a comprehensive rebrand, but before Angel & Anchor could get to work, there was a lot they had to consider.

WELD’s monogram by Angel & Anchor

WELD’s visual identity is shaped as much by the brands it chooses to work with as by its own products. Its blanks and branded apparel act as a canvas for independent labels, and the style and personality of those brands are reflected back onto WELD itself.

“In a roundabout way, WELD’s brand is almost like the accumulation of the identities of every brand they work with,” says Ben Connolly, founder and creative director of Angel & Anchor.

These collaborations subtly define WELD’s identity. At the same time, WELD required a brand world strong enough to hold its own among the distinctive personalities of its collaborators, while positioning itself as a cut above its competition.

“The WELD brand itself is still significant, so it was important to have something that stood out amongst a lot of legacy brands offering something similar,” says Thompson.

As a result of a patchwork of influences, WELD’s identity already had a strong, eclectic character. This was palpable in their old website, which “felt like a collage of images and clippings,” says Connolly.

Instead of smoothing over that roughness, the studio chose to harness it, building a multi-mark identity system – a custom logotype and monogram, along with a toolkit of emblems, symbols, and taglines – that could flex across contexts.

Angel & Anchor’s rebrand for WELD

Workshops with WELD confirmed that its values lie in creativity, craftsmanship, and community – qualities better expressed through variety than uniformity.

“The goal was to create a whole brand world,” Connolly explains. “That meant developing loads of marks, taglines, and colours rather than leaning on a single logo, set in stone. We wanted an identity that felt irreverent, flexible, and more like an anti-traditional approach to branding – something that could live in different places without ever being pinned down to just one mark.”

That flexibility also allowed Angel & Anchor to capture the duality at the core of WELD – the grit of its industrial, manufacturing roots and the laid-back, free-spirited personality that runs through its culture.

The new identity holds those opposites in tension. A custom logotype and monogram that draws on stitching and structure is contrasted with playful taglines and nostalgic symbols like the galloping horse, which embodies both the hard-working “workhorse” and the freedom of the open road.

WELD’s multi-mark system

“The horse logo really stood out to us,” says Thompson. “It felt unexpected, but it conveyed strength, reliability, and a sense of timeless forward motion – a true representation of WELD without even having to use the name.”

Accompanying the horse symbol is a suite of marks – from a jagged sun that balances imperfection and structure to flags and patches that evoke nostalgia and Americana pride.

“WELD’s story really began with our trademark Field Trip Hat, an unstructured hat in colours and fabrics that are inspired by the hats we remember our dads wearing when we were young,” says Thompson. “So it made sense to have a visual language that called upon some nostalgia and Americana.”

That sense of heritage was paired with a focus on craft in the custom logotype, inspired by machine stitching, which directly nods to WELD’s embroidery and customisation services.

“We wanted it to carry that same offbeat spirit of the brand,” Connolly explains, “so we flipped the expected rules of a serif – making the thick parts thin and the thin parts thick – to give it a subtle, unexpected twist.”

Angel & Anchor’s rebrand for WELD

The ‘W’ from the logotype doubles as a visual motif, expanding into striking patterns and accents across the identity.

The logotype, and the monogram with the wonky ‘W,’ are paired with Activ Grotesk, chosen as the primary typeface. “We wanted something straightforward and utilitarian – the kind of type you’d see on a stitching machine manual or control panel,” says Connolly.

“It didn’t need much personality, because the brand’s character was already being expressed in so many other ways.” Meanwhile, Klim Type Foundry’s Pitch lends a typewriter flavour, functional at its core, but with subtle quirks that give it a mid-century, mechanical quality.

While the visual language was crafted to ground WELD in its industrial roots – structured, functional, tied to the act of making – the brand language gave Angel & Anchor space to mirror the irreverent, free-spirited nature of the brand.

Angel & Anchor’s rebrand for WELD

Taglines like “Garage Goofin’” embody a laid-back tone, while phrases like “WELD, dammit!” – held within the graphic of a waving flag – highlight the brand’s confidence and attitude.

To develop these tagline lockups, the team dug into mid-Century references to make sure the language felt authentic to WELD’s world.

“We looked at how manufacturers used to apply phrases on machinery, packaging, and steel badges,” Connolly explains. “Even small details, like how words were arched or set inside a mark, helped us create lockups that felt rooted in that world while still giving them a playful, modern edge.”

And the response to the new look has been immediate. “We’re already getting requests for retail products that feature our new marks,” says Thompson.

Angel & Anchor’s rebrand for WELD
Angel & Anchor’s rebrand for WELD
The ‘W’ from the logotype holds the ‘MFG’ mark

Source

Sep
25

By

Specialty Tool: The Trend Corner Chisel Quickly Squares Hinge Mortises

Category: Core77

With a sharp chisel, a skilled carpenter can create a hinge mortise in less time than it takes to set up a router and jig to do it. That said, there are still those who prefer to perform the task with a router, and this presents a problem if installing hinges with corners. Since router bits are round, they can only create mortises with rounded corners.

British tool manufacturer Trend Tool Technology invented their Trend Corner Chisel to remedy this.

It’s a spring-loaded corner-shaped steel cutter suspended within an aluminum block.

You square the body against two adjacent edges of the mortise, deliver a hammer blow, and voila.

The tool runs $31.

Sep
25

By

Innovative Toy Design: A Spider-Man-Inspired Wrist-Mounted “Web Shooter”

Category: Core77

Stephen Fazio was an engineering student at the Georgia Institute of Technology when he came up with an idea for a toy. He collaborated with buddy Austin Hillam, then an engineering student at Brigham Young University, to create the ZipString.

It uses a tiny motor to rapidly drive the string in an airborne loop, seemingly defying physics:

Their invention went viral on TikTok in 2021; by 2022 they were on Shark Tank; by 2023 they’d launched the product, including with a Walmart contract; by 2024, they’d landed in Target and shipped a million units.

Fazio and Hillam aren’t sitting still in 2025. They’ve adapted their design into this ZipString Aracna, a Spider-Man-like wristborne model that glows in the dark:

It’s currently up on Kickstarter, where it’s netted $567,817 at press time, with 13 days left to pledge. The units start at $40.

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