Amy recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with Beyond Design and was promoted to Vice President of the company! She manages our client communications and excels as the bridge between the design team and client objectives. She has played a key … read more

Solving a problem through design research, brainstorming, and, ultimately, coming up with a big idea that incorporates design, manufacturing considerations, and marketing plans (and, later, getting to manufacture and sell one selected design) is unheard of for the majority of … read more

Lane Tech showed up strong to the World Championships in St. Louis! As mentioned in a previous post: Lane Tech’s Robotics Team Takes Home the Rookie All Star Award, the team received the Rookie All Star Award at the Midwest … read more

As someone who recognizes the importance of STEM education, President Obama announced the first-ever White House Science Fair in 2009, an event that honors kid-innovators who have created some of the best inventions. This year, nineteen-year-old Anthony Halmon from Chicago … read more

Last weekend, hundreds of students, designers, and other business professionals attended the IDSA Midwest District Conference in Indiana. Over the three-day event, a number of influential speakers shared their stories and experiences with a crowd of nearly 300. I had … read more

On Friday, April 12th, we hosted the UIUC Senior Design Show at our studio. Thirty-eight graduating seniors showcased their thesis projects that represent the culmination of their undergraduate degrees. A number of friends, family, and design professionals were in attendance … read more

It seems that a lot of today’s wearable technology is mainly in the fitness space, including the Nike Fuel Band, Jawbone Up, and Fitbit One, to name a few. However, we are starting to see wearable technology start to enter … read more

Last year, we worked on a program with Remington for a new waterproof rotary shaver. The electric shaver, called the WetTech™ Rotary Shaver, has a waterproof design and non-slip rubber grip that allows you to shave wet/dry and with or … read more

On Friday evening, April 5th, Beyond Design hosted Purdue University’s annual senior show. Students from the Industrial Design Department exhibited their portfolios for their classmates, friends, family members, and industry professionals. The night was a celebration for the seniors, allowing … read more

Congratulations to Lane Tech’s Robotics team, “X-Machina”, who took home the Rookie All Star Award at the Midwest Regional Tournament over the weekend. In this year’s competition, Ultimate Ascent, teams from all over the Midwest and three teams from Turkey … read more

The 2013 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Senior Design Show will be at our studio this Friday, April 12th, from 6pm to 8pm. Seniors from the Industrial Design program will showcase their work for friends, family, and professionals in attendance. … read more

Nearly fifty students from the Industrial Design Center at Howest University, located in Belgium, visited Beyond Design this morning for a studio tour and presentation. It was the first time we have ever had a group visit from Belgium and … read more

An infographic can make all the difference in whether or not someone understands data that was collected. As a product design firm, our research programs provide a lot of information for our clients to use going forward. Over the past … read more

Wishing a happy 50th birthday to Michael Prince from our team at Beyond Design!

New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) partnered with design firm Control Group to create a system of touch-screen kiosks that features all sorts of real-time information you might need to navigate the city via subway, including delays, outages, transfers, countdown … read more

As an old Sony fan as a boy, I have tried my best to support the company over the years by purchasing their dying TV’s, PlayStation (along with the games), and even a Sony Xperia smartphone that it seems very … read more

Creating a new product or service is an exciting and challenging time that is necessary for any business to not only survive, but also grow in today’s economy. For those companies that do not have an internal product development team, … read more

There is no better way to learn than to experience something first-hand and work through a problem in the real-world. The Design Thinking and Communication (DTC) course at Northwestern University gives students the opportunity to work with real clients to … read more

The 2013 Purdue University Senior Design Show will take place at Beyond Design on Friday, April 5, from 6pm to 9pm. Graduating seniors from the Industrial Design Department will exhibit their concepts for the attending students, family, friends, and professionals. … read more

We put together some highlights from the International Home + Housewares Show (feel free to download the PDF at the end of this post) and wanted to follow up with some more trends and new products we discovered at the … read more

While there have been many incremental changes to SolidWorks over the years, the 2013 version offers a new feature that will make a big change: the conic section sketch entity. Since sketches are the building blocks for features, they are … read more

This year the International Home + Housewares Show featured products in a wide range of colors, and included more accent colors than in past years. From kitchen gadgets and dishware, to cutlery and small appliances – color was EVERYWHERE.

StoreBound’s … read more

Each year at the International Home + Housewares Show, student designers are recognized for their work through the International Housewares Association (IHA) Student Design Competition. Students’ projects involve user and market research, design thinking, sketching, engineering, and prototypes. The competition … read more

On Monday, IDSA-Chicago and Beyond Design hosted a Home + Housewares Show Innovation Mixer at the UIC Innovation Center. Jim Kendall from Whirlpool talked about a few designs from their brands, including KitchenAid and Maytag, as well as the new … read more

When developing products, especially from concept, a common problem arises for designers who work with Computer Aided Design (CAD) – an incorrect sense of scale. Common practice in concept sketches is to provide a way to convey scale of the … read more

Congratulations to all of the 2013 IDSA Board members! A special congrats to Michael Prince, Beyond Design’s President, for his win as Midwest District VP! For more information on all of the winners, click here.

Michael Prince, IDSA

Mike Friton has designed Nike footwear for 30 years and helped start the Innovation Kitchen at Nike. The purpose of the Innovation Kitchen, as the name implies, is to come up with new ideas for footwear, gadgets, apparel, etc. This … read more

IDSA-Chicago and Beyond Design are co-hosting a Housewares Show event in Chicago on Monday, March 4th, from 7pm to 10pm at the UIC Innovation Center. Representatives from Whirlpool will be presenting at the event.
Attendees will include Housewares Show attendees … read more

Google’s Project Glass is moving closer to completion and they’ve released a new video to show us just how far they’ve come. The video shows Google Glass’ UI in real world situations, from action adventures (much like Go Pro cameras … read more

In January, we posted about Lane Tech’s Robotics Team and their mission for this program (Beyond Design Sponsors Lane Tech Robotics Team and Lane Tech Robotics Team Prepares for Robotics Challenge). This week, we were invited to attend the unveiling … read more

Sometimes function isn’t enough. People want their products to look good too. Business Insider recently revealed their choice for the best examples of gadget design in recent years. From video game consoles and controls to smartphone design and e-readers, you … read more

Yesterday, Adidas announced their new Boost Technology for running shoes. The foam material is “a revolutionary cushioning technology which provides the highest energy return in the running industry.”
The new material promises higher energy returns than anything currently on the market … read more

We mentioned in a December post that Michael Prince and Jody Libman, owner of Trianon Development, were working with the DTC (Design Thinking and Communication) class at Northwestern University to solve a real-world problem through design and engineering. The project … read more

“Our annual most innovative companies list isn’t simply a ranking; it is constructed to represent the state of innovation in our economy. In the Age of Flux, continuous improvement, speed of change, and breadth of ambition are more important than … read more

“Interaction design implies that what we design as a man-made object is only complete when there are people who are using it.” –Younghee Jung, Research Leader, Nokia
It’s amazing how quickly things change with the advancement in technology and … read more

The automotive industry, especially the high performance sector, is constantly pushing the technological limits of design, engineering, and manufacturing processes. One car that especially demonstrates this is Chevrolet’s new 2014 Corvette Stingray. This car has been completely re-thought from the … read more

Keeping with an ongoing trend, Android solidified its global smart phone dominance versus iOS in the fourth quarter and for all of 2012, according to Strategy Analytics.
During the fourth quarter, iOS share fell to 22% from 23.6% a year earlier. … read more

Today, more and more people are capturing images and video with their smartphones as opposed to digital cameras or camcorders. The Miveu, which we mentioned in a post about CES last month, utilizes this aspect of consumer behavior and provides … read more

The Disciplines of User Experience Design is a mega Venn diagram by Dan Saffer (given a makeover by Thomas Gläser) that explores all of the overlap between UX and other fields of design.
In the chart you’ll see that Industrial … read more

You may have heard rumors that the next iPhone will have a larger screen, however, the latest comment from Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook hinted that the next-generation iPhone will not be any bigger. He believes the iPhone 5 has … read more

Last year, Northwestern engineering students implemented a pilot program at Nettelhorst School called SEE Chicago where students learn how to invent products and sell them with the help from real world professionals. The program is led by Northwestern engineering professor, … read more

A few weeks ago we mentioned that we are sponsoring the Lane Tech Robotics Team in their first Robotics Challenge (see story here). For the past two weeks, the team has been working on building the robot for this competition … read more

CES 2013 marked the year of gadget start-ups, bigger TV’s, home automation, connected cars, and smartphone integration. It was a massive event that consumed Las Vegas and was noisier and more crowded than any other past CES. Over 150,000 industry … read more

We saw a lot of innovative product solutions last week at CES and have mentioned quite a few in our posts over the last week or so. Over the next couple of days, we will be highlighting some products and … read more

One of our articles was recently published in the Winter issue of IDSA’s INNOVATION. It addresses the elements of a visual brand language and the challenges faced when translating a brand identity into a product design. Feel free to download … read more

CES 2013 was a massive event filled with even bigger TV’s than last year, gadget start-ups, home automation, and smartphone integration. Some of the products were ridiculously expensive, while others we might be seeing hit the market in the months … read more

Portable Bluetooth speakers are EVERYWHERE at CES 2013. We showed a photo of Samsung’s speakers in yesterday’s post (see it here) and wanted to also highlight BOOM Movement’s Urchin. BOOM is an audio line from the people behind Polk Audio … read more

From what we’ve seen so far, CES 2013 is filled with HDTV’s, Smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth speakers (seems very similar to last year’s show). A few of the products that have caught our eye since we arrived are shown below. … read more

Lane Tech is a large, seventh through twelfth grade public high school, offering students a college preparatory curriculum, with particular emphasis placed upon the technological aspects of a modern education. It is the largest high school in the city of … read more

In March of 2012, I wrote about the design of the Olympic Torch (see post here). The torch was especially interesting in the 2012 Olympics because of the attention paid to symbolic references of numbers, dimensions, materials, and color selections. … read more

“IBM guesses at innovations that will change the world inside the next half a decade, and much of it requires computers that work like your brain.”
“Most interesting of all, IBM predicts that brainlike tech, including chips that can rewire themselves … read more

2012 has been a great year at Beyond! We’ve expanded our team, received recognition for our work, and hosted some great IDSA events and studio tours. Thanks to all those who have supported us through the years. Here’s to a … read more

We are excited to announce that our design of the TS 60 tile saw, in collaboration with Husqvarna, received a 2012 Good Design Award. The project included extensive design research and was developed to be the most user-friendly, precise, and … read more

While service-based design is intangible, tangible product designs provide instant feedback with end results that are more consistent. What happens if we were to apply product design process methods to service-based design?
Service-based products and businesses can be complex as … read more

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

On Saturday, December 8th, Michael Prince, Jody Libman, and the Design Thinking and Communication (DTC) classes from Northwestern University attended the Segal Design Institute’s Design Expo at the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center. In DTC, student teams work with … read more

This week, BuzzCo is featuring their BuzzBrush® and BuzzCloth™ products on Fab.com. Beyond Design created the graphics for BuzzCo, LLC after researching trends and consumers’ wants and needs. We tested our designs with a variety of users, both old and … read more

Each year Pantone color specialists, fashion industry insiders, and design experts choose the color of the year based on society’s mood, home decor, and runway trends. For 2013, the color of the year has been named Emerald.

The 2012′s shade … read more

I came across an article titled 10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2013: How will YOU deliver on consumer expectations in the next 12 months? and found it particularly interesting. Some of the trends mentioned in the article point to direct … read more

Last Friday, we had 5th grade students from Nettelhorst School, a K-8 Chicago public school, visit our studio. Nettelhorst has partnered with McCormick School of Engineering students at Northwestern University to teach students (beginning in the 4th grade) about mechanical … read more

Over the past couple of months, Michael Prince (President of Beyond Design) and Jody Libman (Owner of Trianon Development/Moments Notice Services) have been working with the DTC (Design Thinking and Communication) class at Northwestern University to solve a real-world problem … read more

3D Printing is popping up everywhere. Recently, Staples announced that you will soon be able to print your 3D projects in their store. The program, however, will initially have limited availability in the Netherlands and Belgium in the first quarter … read more

The BuzzBrush® is featured on DIY Network’s show, I Want That, as a Christmas Pick for 2012.
If you’re looking for something decidedly different or cutting-edge for those on your Christmas gift list, take a look at these products from … read more

When the Jawbone UP first came out last year, it had some harsh reviews and spent a short time on the market. It seemed that the biggest issue was its water-resistant properties, or, better yet, lack thereof. The missteps faced … read more

Do you want information on how to protect your industrial designs? We came across an article from the World Intellectual Property Organization that provides some great information on this topic. The article, Industrial Designs and the Hague Agreement: An Introduction, … read more

Can you guess the most popular side dish at Thanksgiving? As rated by the number of mentions on Twitter and Facebook in recent months, the most popular is stuffing.
“Out of more than 150,000 tweets and updates about “Thanksgiving dinner” collected … read more

We hosted an event with IDSA-Chicago at our studio on Monday, November 12th, and had an amazing turnout! Special thanks to our guest presenter, Chris Carani, for taking time out of his busy schedule to discuss design patents and share … read more

For all you Twinkie lovers out there, you better stock up now. Hostess, the makers of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Wonder Bread, is going out of business after 82 years.
The announcement comes after striking workers failed to … read more

Fifty years ago Andy Warhol first displayed his iconic piece of work 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans. Today, 25 years after his death, Campbell Soup Company is honoring his legacy. They have launched four, limited edition Warhol inspired soup cans. The … read more

A few students from the Notre Dame Industrial Design program visited our studio last week to learn about what we do at Beyond Design and get a tour of our studio. One of the students that stopped by, Alisa, interned … read more

This week we had the opportunity to introduce Industrial Design and a career in New Product Development (NPD) to high school students from Fremd High School in Palatine, IL. Thanks to the career counselors at this school, each year the … read more

If you go out and vote today, you will see that the voting process and devices have changed a lot over the past couple of elections. In the aftermath of the Florida debacle in 2000, there has been an emphasis … read more

Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? Now you can find just want you want and order online! The BuzzBrush® and its sister products (the BuzzDrive™, BuzzSpray™, and BuzzCloth’s™) have a revamped website that allows you to order everything you want … read more

Looking for a new way to display your work? Pantone Canvas is a free online creative network powered by Behance that allows you to share your work and see the portfolios of today’s top designers and creatives from around the … read more

Happy Halloween from the Beyond Design team!

The Japanese consumer electronics companies once roamed the planet like dinosaurs. Companies like Sony, Panasonic, Sharp and Nintendo used to be the biggest names in the electronics industry. At a certain point they started to fall and got overtaken by … read more

As we were glancing through the IDSA Fall issue of INNOVATION (which features all of the 2012 IDEA winners), we came across a beautiful chair design by a friend of ours at Feiz Design Studio in the Netherlands, Khodi Feiz. … read more

Last Friday, six students from the Carnegie Mellon Industrial Design program visited our studio for a tour of our building and to check out what we do at Beyond Design. The class makes a trip to different cities throughout the … read more

“A bicycle made almost entirely of cardboard has the potential to change transportation habits from the world’s most congested cities to the poorest reaches of Africa, its Israeli inventor says.” Izhar Gafni, 50, is the man behind the cardboard bicycle … read more

At Beyond Design, prototyping a new product(s) is a key part of our process. Prototypes enable our product development team to test and validate human factors, ergonomics, mechanical features and aesthetics. The process of deciding how to go about making … read more

Remember when you were always behind the camera, filming your loved ones and their life experiences? With so many action cameras on the market today, you now have the option to film your own experiences and share them with others.
In … read more

The “Spork”: that strange combination of the spoon and the fork that dates back to the early 1900’s. It makes sense – two plastic utensils for the price of one. It’s ideal for campers and those who value convenience and … read more

A few of our designers attended the 2012 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas where they walked the show talking to people in the gaming industry and checking out the latest products and trends. It was exciting to see … read more

“Engagement, willingness to take risks, empowering students to believe that they can be creative by practicing, learning and encouraging them to problem solve, prototype, fail and iterate are unheard of ideas for most U.S. school systems.”
–IDSA
How did you first learn … read more

How can you differentiate between inspiration and imitation? Just how much inspiration can a company take from another before it is patent and trade dress infringement?
The Apple v Samsung case has gained a lot of attention for industrial design … read more

This past weekend marked the 11th annual Ravenswood ArtWalk which took place along the historic Ravenswood Industrial Corridor from Irving Park to Lawrence Avenue. The ArtWalk allowed guests a peek at the creative arts and businesses in the area. There … read more

As mentioned in an earlier post, our design of the TS 60 Tile Saw, in collaboration with Husqvarna, received a 2012 Bronze IDEA award.
The most innovative aspect of the TS 60 is its patented Jet Stream Containment System that … read more

With the holidays approaching, it reminds us once again of the over-crowded stores and traffic that this season brings with it. Designing a convenient retail shopping experience is a large scale design challenge due to the increase in online shopping. … read more

In its latest collaboration, Feiz Design Studio has designed the new Cocoon range for Denon. The wireless sound system is composed of a high performance ‘Home’ version and a smaller ‘Portable’ version with long-life rechargeable batteries. They are the embodiment … read more

With the emergence of new technologies and changes in the business structure, the way in which we go through our workday has changed drastically over the past few years. While the traditional office space with cubicles is still the norm, … read more

1. Keep it visually interesting.
At first look, it takes us about forty seconds to glance through a portfolio. If interested, we will go back and spend more time looking through it. Not only is it advisable to have a … read more

As creative professionals, we are drawn to all different types of design – from product design and interior design to fashion design. With summer coming to an end, and the weather cooling down I thought we could take a look … read more

Solidworks is an amazing tool used by many design and engineering professionals. It is parametric 3D CAD software which allows the user to create and manipulate parts and assemblies and communicate the design in a number of ways with … read more

I recently saw Boston Dynamics four-legged robot called the Cheetah – and it’s capable of outrunning humans. It can reach speeds of up to 29.3mph, which is slightly faster than Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth. Cheetah development is … read more

As designers, we are always looking to expand our knowledge on what is going on in and around the design industry. Last week, we hosted an event at our studio called “IP from a Design Perspective”. We invited IP attorneys … read more

“The mobile revolution is fueled by demanding users who are leveraging the ever increasing processing, connectivity and storage capabilities of their smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks to a greater extent with every day passing.”
– Leyden Energy
Today’s mobile users want and … read more

Several years ago there was a shift within the product development process. For a number of different reasons (cultural + technological) the role and definition of design within organizations began to change. What had previously defined industrial design was no … read more

Ever wonder what happened to that favorite shirt of yours or the souvenir you bought while on vacation? What if you could tag your possessions and keep tabs on them? Well, it looks like that might be a possibility with … read more

It is always interesting to see how technology is being applied in all fields of design. I took a look at how new technology is being implemented in the fashion industry. Some high-tech fashion of the future is shown below … read more

In one of our previous posts on UI and UX, we discuss the differences between the two and how important it is to understand these differences in product development. As more and more products and services are becoming operated beneath … read more

One of our designer’s, Hao Hua, recently decided to move back to China to be closer to his family. He has been with our team at Beyond Design for just over a year and his dedication, creativity, and positive attitude … read more

We worked with MEA to execute a complete overhaul of their brand and and are excited to announce the launch of their redesigned website. The new website provides a cleaner and more modern look with intuitive navigation. The website is … read more

Washing your hands as a medical practitioner should be second nature, so when we first saw this product we thought it was a little odd that they needed something to remind them of such a mundane task. However, there must … read more

Pioneer recently announced their newest product – the XDJ-Aero. This is said to be the industry’s first Wi-Fi DJ system that is capable of wireless playback from smart devices such as Smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The system creates its own … read more

Have you ever been to a LEGOLAND® or visited a LEGO store to see the amazing things that are built out of LEGOs? Such as dinosaurs, Disney characters, super heroes, architecture, and so many other attractions. 2012 marks the 80th … read more

We have some exciting news! In addition to Bed Bath and Beyond stores, the BuzzBrush® 3-pack is now available at Micro Center’s throughout the US.

The BuzzBrush® is a unique 2-in-1 computer cleaning tool designed to easily get in-between the … read more

Do you remember watching Sleeper (1973), starring Woody Allen, or Total Recall (the original version) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger? In Sleeper, Allen plays a man that was frozen back in the 70’s and is thawed out in 2173. Total Recall, on … read more

With so many “smart” products on the market today, it’s no surprise that someone has come up with a smart camera. Nikon is reportedly working on an Android-powered camera that will have Google Play support. The camera will be part … read more

A platform strategy is about creating common shared components and systems throughout a family line, while offering differentiated features and benefits to add value to each unit. This allows a company to reduce manufacturing costs and production time, and also … read more

The padlock design has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. With everything going digital in recent years, Master Lock has redefined the typical combination lock and has given it an electronic UI. The new lock, called the dialSpeed™, has a backup … read more

To many of us in the design industry, 3D printers are commonly accepted and used in many ways. The ability to quickly print objects to test size, ergonomics, etc. has aided in the progression of our field. To many people, … read more

Thanks to all those who came out last night for IDSA Chicago’s summer BBQ! We had a great turnout. Special thanks to IDSA-Chicago for helping host such a great party! Matt Holter cooked up some good burgers and brats while … read more

With night riding becoming more popular among cyclists, I love this glow in the dark bicycle for increased visibility. It’s often very difficult to see cyclists at night and this bike seems to be just what riders’ need.
Pure Fix … read more

Most people see a dirty car window and immediately feel the need to write “Wash Me” on the back window. However, artist Scott Wade sees something a little different than most – he views a dusty car window as his … read more

August is almost here and it’s time for a summer BBQ! On Thursday, August 2nd, we’d love for you to join our team and IDSA Chicago at our Ravenswood studio for drinks, conversation, and great food.
Street parking is easily … read more

Have you ever been in a hospital and had to get a CT scan or an X-ray? For adults, it’s never a fun experience, but we also understand the procedure and what needs to be done in order to get … read more

We love our Cintiq’s and couldn’t help but notice the new Cintiq 24HD touch that offers multi-touch controls. The integration of multi-touch capabilities directly on the Cintiq screen, along with the newly upgraded battery-less pen, makes this piece of equipment … read more

A Visual Brand Language (VBL) helps to communicate a company’s core values and identity through product design with an emphasis on providing a memorable experience to elevate the brand recognition. Our team worked with Zebra Technologies to develop a VBL … read more

Ever wonder how a diesel engine or revolving cylinder work? The site below is one that the engineer in me couldn’t resist. It has animated illustrations that explain the inner workings of variety of steam, Stirling, and internal combustion engines. … read more

Ralph Lauren’s Team USA uniforms may be Red, White, and Blue, but they were also made in China. There has been a focus in recent years of increasing manufacturing in the United States, and many feel that the pride of … read more

3D printing has a come a long way in the past few years (as seen from some of our previous posts – Burritob0t, DIY 3D Printing, and The Power of 3D Printing). Now, someone has figured out how to scale … read more

When you think of Amazon or Zappos, what comes to mind? These are two of the biggest online-only brands that aim to provide a consistent and high quality product experience. We read an article recently that speaks about the rise … read more

Acquacalda, an Italian design group, works in experimental design and uses applied art with the intent to communicate and develop themes to gather and show connections. They recently developed a series of houseware products – including a wine server, bowls, … read more

As mentioned in a previous post, we helped host the first annual CigarBQue in our courtyard last month. Leigh Loftus helped capture the event through her beautiful photos (some of which are seen below). You can check out all of … read more

The current action camera market has been dominated by startup companies like GoPro and Contour. As more and more people are becoming concerned about safety when riding bikes and motorcycles, they often want to have some kind of record should … read more

We are thrilled to announce that our design of the TS 60 tile saw, in collaboration with Husqvarna, was named a 2012 Bronze IDEA Winner. The project included extensive design research and was developed to be the most user-friendly, precise, … read more

Today marks the 5th anniversary of World Industrial Design Day, which was created in 2007 on The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design’s (Icsid) 50th anniversary. Icsid sent out a global call to ask one simple question – What … read more

We are thrilled to have two more summer interns join our team!

Tom Doyle is originally from Baltimore, MD and joined our team from The Ohio State University where he will be entering his senior year in the fall. He … read more

Technology allows us to do so many things never thought possible. A new app from Google Play recently caught my attention – it teaches the user the basics of the human body. The app is a really nice integration of … read more

Just when you thought you had it all, we come across these unusual products. The baby mop is our favorite! You can view more of these products here. Enjoy!

Thanks to all those who celebrated the first annual CigarBQue in our courtyard last night! The night was full of great food, cocktails, wine, and cigars. Special thanks to Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions, Rick Gresh of David Burke’s Primehouse, … read more

These days, getting a manicure is all about playing with on-trend colors and adding a little something more to polish designs. Being in the creative field, it is important to be aware of all different types of fads going on … read more

Summers in Chicago are the best. After a long, cold winter, we get the chance to enjoy the sun on the beach or while kayaking, boating, jet skiing, water skiing, etc. on Lake Michigan. We saw these Jetovators on TV … read more

Marko Manriquz, a New York University ITP graduate student, developed quite the thesis project – a full-fledged 3D printer that assembles made-to-order burritos via a custom iPhone app. His inspiration for the project came about from his interest in food … read more

What do you want to do before you die? If you stop by Lillstreet Art Center (which is right down the street from our studio), 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., you’ll have the opportunity to share your private aspirations in a … read more

As a product design firm, we devote much of our time to the design research process when working with our client’s. We have always believed that the most important aspect of any research program is to immerse ourselves in the … read more

Do you ever wonder how often an image in a magazine has been altered with the use of Photoshop? As designers, Photoshop is one of our favorite tools. Unfortunately, the photo editing software is also associated with some of the … read more

Having been in the product design industry for more than 12 years, I am always fancied about designing a product with an innovative flexible display to enhance the user’s portability. I recently came across Wexler’s Flex ONE, and while … read more

Ever wonder what goes on inside a Formula One car? The Sauber Formula One racing team thought people might be wondering just that, so they decided to cut one of their F1 cars directly in half – which reportedly took … read more

This summer, we are excited to have four interns join our team. This week, Kenny Hsieh from Purdue University started his internship. Kenny will be entering his senior year in the fall.
“I’ve always been interested in art and design, … read more

What makes your brand unique? How is it different than your competition? The brand is the most intangible element of any product or service. Each day the market is being flooded with new products, services, and ideas. In order to … read more

We hope it’s a great year! Enjoy celebrating!

An article in Fast Company, How Touch-Screen Buttons Netted NYC Cabbies A Cool $144M, helps explain the power of user experience design. According to the New York Times, for those New York City cab drivers who have credit card machines … read more

We are excited to welcome back TJ Kim to our team at Beyond Design! TJ played an integral role on our team for many years, and, after a move to Atlanta last spring, he has decided to return to Chicago … read more

“Sleek forms and innovative functions characterized the winners of the 25th Annual Excellence in Design Awards”
- Seth Fisher, Chief Editor of appliance DESIGN
Our team, in partnership with Trane, is excited to announce that we were recently awarded a 2012 Silver … read more

When Nike announced Nike ID it revolutionized the way people could customize their favorite sneakers. An individual could pick from a variety of colors and embroidery options to create a very unique shoe to match their style, personality, or outfit … read more

We came across a product designed by Kumeko, a design studio based in Prague, Czech Republic, that we especially liked for its simple branding. The Knotty is a floor cushion with upholstery made from soft jersey tubes stuffed with high … read more

A bike rack that doesn’t use screws to stay in place? Amazing! We love this design by Delta Cycle’s Michelangelo. His Two-Bike Gravity Storage Rack offers a functional storage solution in a contemporary art deco design. It supports the weight … read more

When thinking about gesture-based computing, our minds are often steered toward sci-fi movies or TV shows. Yesterday, Leap Motion (a San Francisco based start-up) introduced the Leap 3D motion control system that represents an entirely new way to interact with … read more

One of our designers/engineers celebrated his birthday over the weekend. We hope it was a great one, Mark!

Being that May is National Bike Month and today is Bike to Work Day, we thought we would share a photo of those on our team who choose to bike to work every day over taking public transportation or driving … read more

A birthday celebration for our Product Development Manager – HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!

On June 9th, Lurie Children’s Hospital will have their grand opening in Streeterville (225 East Chicago Avenue). The 23-story hospital is nearly double the size of the current Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park. The emergency room can serve twice … read more

Last week we had the opportunity to meet Michelle Ernsdorff, founder and CEO for Compass to Care, and learn all about her organization. Compass to Care is dedicated to scheduling and paying for the travel arrangements families require to seek … read more

Our team, in collaboration with Trane, was recently awarded a 2012 Platinum ADEX Award for our design of the Trane ComfortLink™ II Control.
The ComfortLink™ II Control is designed for today’s busy homeowners. The exclusive, 7-inch interactive, high-definition color … read more

Nutritional initiatives, innovative products, celebrity chefs, and plenty of free tastings drew over 61,000 people to the National Restaurant Association show at McCormick Place last week. The four-day show featured the latest products, trends, and menu items across the food … read more

Just as our team enjoys helping young designers learn in a professional environment as interns at our studio, we thought it would also be nice to help a business student understand and experience grassroots marketing at a tradeshow. BuzzCo, LLC, … read more

As we continue to expand our team, we had a new member join us recently. Eileen graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May of 2011 with a degree in Industrial Design. She has worked as an intern at … read more

After attending the National Hardware Show and seeing so many new products either using or mentioning LED lighting, we found this new product from GE rather unique. GE collaborated with creator of LED cooling technologies, Nuventix, to create a new … read more

Last Thursday marked the close of the 2012 National Hardware Show. With over 2,500 exhibitors in attendance, 100,000+ products, and over 25,000 more attendees that last year, it was a great three day event in Las Vegas. We noticed more … read more

Our team has always encouraged students to participate in internships to gain valuable experience that they can’t learn in the classroom. At Beyond Design, we typically ask students to intern for a minimum of three months to get the most … read more

We have always valued having students participate in our internship program at Beyond Design. We enjoy giving them the opportunity to learn in a professional environment and improve their knowledge and skills in product design.
We are excited to … read more

Last week, a few members of our team attended the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) at the McCormick Place in Chicago. The show was filled with designers, builders, architects, and many more industry professionals interested in seeing what new … read more

A paintbrush that works on your iPad? Seems pretty unbelievable. Artist Hardware, an art design company based out of Skokie, IL, is responsible for some of the most popular paint brushes on the market. The company recently developed a paintbrush … read more

We are honored to announce that we have received an Award of Distinction in the 18th Annual Communicator Awards for the BuzzBrush® animation for our client, BuzzCo, LLC.
The Communicator Awards is the leading international creative awards program honoring creative … read more

In the design world today, the terms “UI” (User Interface) and “UX” (User Experience) are being used more than ever. It is quite common for people to use the acronyms UI and UX as synonyms. In product development, it is … read more

If you have not yet unzipped today’s Google doodle, we suggest you take a minute to check it out. A giant, interactive zipper running down Google’s homepage marks the 132nd birthday of Gideon Sundback, the inventor of the zipper. If … read more

On Tuesday, some students from a Product Design class at Columbia College visited our studio for a tour of our space and to check out what we do here at Beyond Design. The students were given a short presentation on … read more

As creative professionals, we are drawn to all things design—whether it’s interior design, product design, architecture, fashion design, etc. We came across an event that SAIC is hosting in Millennium Park today. Their annual fashion show will be the largest … read more

Several people from our team attended the 2012 Midwest IDSA Conference in Chicago this past weekend. The event, with the theme Exploring Creative Fusion, included a diverse group of creative professionals and students, inspirational speakers, and informational workshops. The conference … read more

Last week, a few members of our team attended Design:Chicago 2012, “ROI by Design”, at Northwestern University. The annual event is an opportunity for design experts throughout the Chicago area to gather and discuss the increasing prominence of design in … read more

Do it yourself, hobbyist 3D printer technology in the past few years has typically been of the Filiment Deposition Modeling (FDM) type—a long plastic wire that is melted through a computer numerically controlled (CNC) applicator layer by layer until a … read more

This photo is for one of our past interns from Sweden, David Bruer. Our tulips have bloomed!

The Beyond Design team wishes a happy early birthday to one of our engineers, Bryson!

Join us for brunch at our studio as we wrap up the IDSA Midwest Conference the weekend of April 13th! Feel free to bring friends. Details are below. We hope to see you there!

Questions? Want to RSVP? Click below … read more

A fully biodegradable shoe? Sounds pretty impressive. A Spanish company called OneMoment (01M) is proposing a new generation eco-friendly shoe, produced exclusively with 100% biodegradable materials. The “product essence comes from the millenary Amazon Wild Forest indigenous inhabitant’s concept, who … read more

Personal fitness monitors are becoming more and more popular and help to encourage healthy habits. However, several of these monitors often get in the way and can be uncomfortable to wear. Over the years, we have seen many software improvements … read more

QVC recently launched a new program called SPROUTS. Basically, there are a handful of products that all visitors VOTE on…and the top vote getter will be SOLD ON QVC. This week, our design of the BuzzBrush® is being featured on … read more

Understanding unarticulated needs is key to product development. As designers, our job is to predict what the consumer’s want or need before they even realize it. We pinpoint the problems customers can’t adequately solve and create and deliver compelling solutions. … read more

Having grown up and lived in London the majority of my life (until my move to Chicago), I am ecstatic that the Olympic ceremonies will be held in my home city this year. The Olympic Park isn’t too far from … read more

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, DC, the gift of the cherry blossom trees, and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. With the festival in full swing this year … read more

After visiting Pantone’s booth at the Home + Housewares Show in Chicago (and getting our free thermos in Tangerine Tango—which we were very excited about!), we couldn’t help but notice that Pantone’s line of products has increased dramatically over the … read more

Exciting news for those in Chicago! As most of you know, Navy Pier is the most popular tourist attraction in Chicago, drawing nearly nine million visitors annually. Navy Pier, Inc., a not-for-profit newly formed group entrusted with the redevelopment and … read more

Every year, we’re excited to hit the aisles of the McCormick Center to check out the latest products, trends, and the hottest colors at the Home & Housewares show in Chicago. This year, there were well over 2,100 companies showcasing … read more

With so much attention being given to 3D printing lately, it is still an expensive option for most people. I came across Roland’s new iModela 3D mill, which can mill small objects up to 8.6cm x 5.5cm x 2.6cm—allowing users … read more

Each year at the Home + Housewares Show, there are more and more unique gadgets and tools for the kitchen and home from both independent inventors and small companies. While walking the show floor at McCormick Place, we came across … read more

Everywhere we turned at the Housewares Show this year there was an abundance of brighter, bolder colors. We saw a lot of the Pantone named color of the year (Tangerine Tango), as well as watermelon, lime-green, yellow, blue, and red. … read more

With the 2012 International Home & Housewares Show soon coming to a close, we want to spend the week highlighting a few key products that caught our eye at the show. Mark Eyman, one of our Industrial Designers/CAD Engineers, … read more

We had a great time at the 2012 Housewares Show mixer held at the UIC Innovation Center on Saturday, March 10! Special thanks to IDSA Chicago, Core77, and the UIC Innovation Center staff for helping to make this event possible. … read more

With Apple’s unveiling of the new iPad 3 yesterday in San Francisco, many entrepreneurs were nervous that their accessories for the device would become incompatible with the new model release.
Two of those entrepreneurs were Brad Melmon and Steve Isaac, developers … read more

I’m sure that most tech-savvy people know that the first-and-only-of-its-kind Lytro camera is hitting the shelf soon (we did a short post on it back in October). It is the first commercialized light-field camera that gives the user the ability … read more

“Design the New Business” was released yesterday (as mentioned in our previous post) and we took some time to watch it today. The documentary speaks about a number of issues that are influencing the design world today, but focuses on … read more

At Beyond Design, our collective passion for providing innovative solutions is the core essence of the company. It has constantly been our teamwork and careful execution of each project that allows us to deliver compelling design solutions for our clients. … read more

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The world is changing and products and things are becoming more and more interconnected. Design helps to manage complexity and is playing a larger role in new business today. A documentary, set to be released online March 6th, titled … read more

We are co-hosting the IDSA Housewares Show mixer with Core77 at the UIC Innovation Center next Saturday, March 10th, from 6pm to 9pm. A few members from our team will be presenting at the event about “Designing in the “Idrealistic” … read more

How can some companies do everything right when identifying user needs and delivering innovative solutions, but yet their product still fails? Many companies fail to look at the big picture and how everyone involved has to work together to develop … read more

For those waiting for the new iPad to hit the market, according to Bloomberg, you won’t have to wait much longer. Apple plans to hold a product unveil on Wednesday, March 7th, in San Francisco.
“We have something you really have … read more

Last Friday, around 15 students from the BYU (Brigham Young University) Industrial Design program visited our studio for a tour of our building and to check out what we do at Beyond Design. The class makes a trip to a … read more

A few months ago we posted that our design of the Remington Pro Power Series Haircut and Beard Trimmer was a finalist for a 2012 Housewares Design Award in the Personal, Health, & Garment Care category (see post here). We … read more

With gas increasingly on the rise these days, this bike designed by Yamaha looks pretty amazing. The Y125 Moegi concept utilizes a very retro styling (which is based off the company’s first motorcycle), while bringing in new technologies and materials … read more

This summer we are hosting an event called CigarBQue in our courtyard. It’s an evening of food, cigars, cocktails, beer and wine with some of the country’s best chefs. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Cigar Family Charity … read more

Our design team attended the Chicago Auto Show this past week to check out the newest trends in the automobile industry. The show is considered the smallest of the five North American auto shows, but the largest in terms of … read more

As designers, we are always intrigued by the work of other artists and those in the design community. We came across an article on Hemmings Blog that speaks about an artist, Jonathan Brand, who built a replica of his 1969 … read more

It’s not every day that artists are given the opportunity to transform a well-known Chicago landmark into an interactive experience. From now until February 20th, “Cloud Gate” (known to many Chicagoans as “The Bean”), is transformed after dark into an … read more

As a strategic design firm, one of our key capabilities is developing a visual brand language for our clients. A great branding strategy helps define who the company is or who they want to be. Recently, Fast Co.Design sat down … read more

At Beyond Design, we can’t stress enough the importance of composition in print for portfolios and online content. A great portfolio should tell a great story. It is important to pay attention to the type size and style, the color, … read more

The importance of prototypes within the design community is unquestionable. Prototypes help prove functionality, highlight trouble areas in the design, and ultimately make the next iteration of the product an improvement. Client feedback helps tremendously as it gives the … read more

Over the past few months, 3D printing has become more popular in the world of technology. For those who may not be familiar with them, 3D Printers are machines that produce three-dimensional objects from digital data by printing layers of … read more

We recently had a costume made for our design of the BuzzBrush® to use at trade shows. It made its debut at CES in Las Vegas. Check out some photos below. To learn more about the product, please visit the … read more

As a product development firm, our goal is to create products and/or services that can ultimately be manufactured with ease. Our design team is skilled in all aspects of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and we offer extensive prototyping services for … read more

When Google Wallet first came on the market a few months ago, I was thrilled. I have been talking about something like this for years. I don’t carry a purse and instead have to stuff my phone, wallet, keys, etc. … read more

The 2012 International Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigerating (AHR) Exposition was a huge event. It rivaled the Auto Show in size, and had well over 6,000 booths. There were common themes throughout the show that many companies were emphasizing and … read more

We saw this story on the news this morning and thought it was pretty impressive. Two Canadian students, Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad, used a weather balloon and foam box to carry four cameras and a toy Lego man high … read more

As blogging continues to be on the rise, and the push to stay connected with friends and followers is as high as ever, Sony unveiled the newest edition to handheld video documenting when they announced the Sony Bloggie Live at … read more

As seen at CES in Las Vegas, the number of companies designing and marketing products that help consumers to stay active or improve their fitness level is on the rise. Nike recently announced their Nike Fuelband—a rubber wristband that aims … read more

I’m sure everyone has had the experience of dropping their cell phone at one point or another. If you have an iPhone, we all know how bad its exterior can react to a fall. Nissan (yes, the car company) just … read more

We took a lot of photos at CES, some of which we have already shared, and even more below. You can also download our highlights from the show in more detail at the end of this post. Enjoy!

Read more … read more

This past week our President, Michael Prince, was interviewed for an article in the New York Times about the Chinese take-out container and its packaging history. At Beyond Design, we are involved in all steps of the product development process—including … read more

After a week at CES, Patrick is back just in time to celebrate his birthday. Happy Birthday, Patrick!

It was another day of innovative concepts and product designs at CES. Below are some highlights from the day. Once we get a chance to go through all of the photos we took throughout the week, we’ll be sure to … read more

After a great week (and weather) in Las Vegas, we come back to this. The first Chicago snowfall of the season!

CES never seems to disappoint. Nearly all of the major electronics brands (aside from Apple) are showcasing new products this year. Day two was full of new technologies and product innovation. An abundance of super thin TV’s, Smart home technology, … read more

Day one at CES proved to be a success! We were able to check out a number of cool products, and are looking forward to seeing even more over the next two days. Below are some photos we took of … read more

Our design of the Trane ComfortLink™ II thermostat, which won a CES Innovations Award last year, and, most recently, a Good Design Award, is on display at CES!

Read more about the highlights from CES 2012 by downloading our recap … read more

We’ve arrived and are so excited to be here! We can’t wait to check out all of the innovative products and concept designs over the next three days. Check back daily for updates and highlights of the 2012 show!

This past Friday we celebrated one of our intern’s, Jae Won Chang, last day in the studio. Jae has been a part of our team for almost a year and initially came to Beyond Design from the Art Institute of … read more

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum hosts a large-scale exhibition of the Chinese dissident artist, Ai Weiwei, with his new work, “Forever Bicycles.”
“As part of what the museum bills as the first large-scale solo exhibition of the artist’s work to be … read more

Since we didn’t get a chance to post this yesterday, we figured it’s better late than never…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY!! We hope it’s your best year yet!

Fab.com, a New York–based startup, is a member-only site that showcases a catalog of unique product designs. Users are able to purchase daily design deals on the site. Most recently, an inspiration wall was launched that allows users to share … read more

2011 has been an exciting year us—receiving a number of awards for our product designs, expanding our team, and launching our new website are just a few of the highlights. Thanks to all those who have supported us this year. … read more

Everywhere you look you are surrounded by products that are designed by someone, or, most likely, a group of people. At Beyond Design, we spend our days designing products and services that fulfill users needs and wants—things that will make … read more

We recently received two Good Design Awards for our design of the Trane ComfortLink™ II thermostat and the BuzzBrush®! The Good Design Awards remains the oldest and most recognized program for design excellence worldwide.

The Trane ComfortLink™ II Thermostat is … read more

We recently had our holiday party at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro—great food, great people, and an entertaining gift exchange! Some photos from the party are posted below.
We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

We are excited to announce that our design of the Remington Pro Power Series Haircut & Beard Trimmer, in collaboration with Spectrum Brands, was selected as a finalist for the 2012 Housewares Design Award in the Personal, Health, and Garment … read more

One of our interns, Andrew Anspaugh, from The Ohio State University finished his 6-month long internship last week. When he first joined our team in June, he was very eager to learn all he could about the design process, as … read more

Google has been experimenting with driverless cars for a number of years, and, after applying for a patent in May of this year, they received word that their patent for driverless car technology was approved. The patent includes a plan … read more

“I chose to study industrial design because I love how much of an impact a single line in a sketch can have in someone’s daily life.”
Rachel Sandoval, from The Ohio State University, had her last day in our studio this … read more

We found the infographic posted on DesignTaxi’s website pretty interesting. It shows how the most popular children’s holiday gifts have gone from teddy bears and board games to more electronic based products—such as the Nintendo Wii and XBox 360. More … read more

Nearly everyone knows about the success Scott Wilson found through Kickstarter for his TikTok and LunaTik wristbands—which turn an iPod Nano into a stylish watch. He is back again with his idea for a touch pen that is inspired … read more

Consumer products need a jolt of energy and boldness, which is why it’s the perfect time for Pantone to name Tangerine Tango—a spirited reddish orange hue—the 2012 color of the year.
Over the past several years, orange has grown in popularity … read more

We often check out Kickstarter’s website to see all of the exciting new ideas out there, and recently we came across the LandingZone™—a docking station for the MacBook Air. The elegant design serves as a dock for your 11” or … read more

This past weekend a few designers from our team gave an introductory presentation to the EDI (Engineering Design and Innovation) students at Northwestern University about Industrial Design and, more specifically, about our proprietary 4XD process at Beyond Design.
TJ … read more

Bryson Stewart joined our team today as a Mechanical Engineer. Bryson attended the University of Maryland and has spent his time since graduation working at a research and development facility in the Maryland area. He specializes in parametric modeling for … read more

Check out the animation for the BuzzDrive™ below! It’s the newest sister product of the BuzzBrush®—offering the LCD screen cleaner with a USB drive. The video was designed, animated, and produced by our animation team at Beyond Design.

To learn … read more

Today is World AIDS Day — a day dedicated for people around the world to unite in spreading awareness about the disease and to contribute towards education and finding a cure. Over the past few years, we have noticed more … read more

We saw an article a few weeks ago on Design Taxi and couldn’t help but think of the BuzzBrush®. The article, titled Did You Know: Computer Keyboards Five Times Dirtier than Toilet Seats?, points out the most disgusting electronic items … read more

Toyota recently launched a concept car called the “Fun-Vii”, which stands for Vehicle Interactive Internet. The idea behind the Fun-Vii is to treat cars like a Smartphone with the touch screen display and customizable skins. It gives the user the … read more

At Beyond Design, the creative design process always starts with a sketch, and later moves on to 3D models to explore the design proportions and volumes. I recently came across a video that demonstrates how CATIA V6 (CAD software) allows … read more

We hope you all have a great holiday weekend!

As an effort to continually stay up-to-date on international design trends, we found an interesting trend report written by CBi China Bridge (a design firm in China) about the 100% Design Shanghai show. The show is a unique exhibition in … read more

Sean joined our team in May of this year with a six-month contract working as a Mechanical Engineer. He spent his last day in the studio on Friday, and left over the weekend for the long drive home to California. … read more

We featured the Blimpus in one of our posts back in July, and we finally have our very own!

Thanks to Tony Ruth for sending one our way!
(More photos to come)

Happy Birthday to Beyond Design! Today marks the start of the 18th year that Beyond Design has been in business. The company was formed in 1994 by Michael Prince, the President of the company. In the beginning, it was Prince … read more

We are excited to have Chris Kulujian join our team at Beyond Design! He has been an Industrial Design Consultant in Chicago for 11 years, with experience in a variety of industries, including: electronics, fitness, housewares, contract furniture, and commercial … read more

I saw this video and found it fascinating that Honda has come so far in developing this robot that replicates human motion. Honda has always been known as a mobility company—first developing motorcycles and then automobiles. Not many people know … read more

For the development of the BuzzBrush®, we are working with manufacturing partners in China to assure implementation and quality control. Injection molding is the method we use most often for producing plastic parts. It is an extremely versatile process that … read more

Our design of the Rubbermaid Paint Buddy was a 2005 IDEA Bronze Award winner and noted as one of the “50 Coolest Products of the 21st Century” by Businessweek. A few years ago, ProMo Costumes, a custom costume company based … read more

Adobe Systems announced that it will stop developing its Flash Player for mobile browsers. Good news for us, as we will now have improved browsing experiences on our iPhone’s and iPad’s!
Adobe says they will focus on the HTML5 web … read more

We are always keeping an eye on the future of materials and how they can improve or influence our industrial design. In this interesting development, BASF has been working with Smart Car to develop polymer wheel rims for their smart … read more

A few members of our team spent this past Sunday at the Kenmore Live Studio in downtown Chicago helping with the Student & Professional Portfolio Review hosted by IDSA. At Beyond Design, we understand the value of a great portfolio … read more

A few members of our team attended Institute of Design’s (IIT) annual Design Research Conference in Chicago last week. The conference started with a half day workshop followed by two days of presentations. Speakers from various disciplines of design (industrial, … read more

I came across a Japanese blog that highlights the major graphical changes between Apple’s ios4 software and their new ios5 software that was released with the iPhone 4S. The photos in the blog show how much attention to detail was … read more

Lizzi Skalka is a 17-year-old student attending the Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) in New Haven, Connecticut. She has been attending ECA for three years and is currently applying to a number of art schools to study drawing … read more

Curve Magazine, a source for industrial design and the latest innovations in product manufacturing, featured our design of the Aero Pakmat® in the October issue of their print magazine. The issue features various products that won red dot awards and … read more

Happy Halloween from our team at Beyond Design!

Yesterday, a few members of our team facilitated a Branding session at DePaul University for a class of MBA students. The goal behind the exercise was to strategically arrive at new market/product opportunities for existing brands. The students began … read more

We recently watched a video on the Photoshop Image Deblurring application that Adobe is currently working on. The advances in photo editing are incredible. The sneak takes a blurry image and exposes more detail—essentially making the image unblurry. Jue Wang, … read more

The BuzzBrush® is currently being exhibited at the Mega Show 2011 in Hong Kong. The show is the most important sourcing trade exhibition for the gift, housewares, premiums and toy industries in Asia-Pacific, and has taken place every October since … read more

We recently came across Lytro’s revolutionary light-field camera and it looks amazing. The camera completely redefines the traditional interaction between photographer and their equipment by allowing the user to select the focus of the image after the photo has been … read more

We saw this video on Gizmodo (posted by Andrew Liszewski) and had to share. Amazing.
“You don’t need to be a physicist, a PhD student, a geek, or even a member of the Insane Clown Posse to appreciate the … read more

There’s a big difference between being a good designer and being a great designer. At Beyond Design, our team is constantly trying to grow, learn, and improve our skills in the design world. We spend time educating ourselves about the … read more

We recently read an article in Product Design and Development magazine, one of many different trade magazines we read to stay up to date on the latest trends in design and manufacturing, about the A5 Amphibious Aircraft designed by ICON … read more

Headphones today are designed to fit the needs and comforts of a range of consumers. Over the past few years, larger, over-the-ear headphones have become extremely popular. In our studio, the majority of designers who listen to music are wearing … read more

Last Friday, around fifty students from the IDSA chapter of Iowa State University visited our studio for a tour of our building and to check out what we do here at Beyond Design. Michael Prince gave a presentation to the … read more

Design trends are constantly changing. Most recently there has been a trend in the workplace, beginning with workers at Google and Facebook, of standing while working. Whether the motivation stems from medical reports claiming that sitting all day leads to … read more

Chicago Ideas Week is making its debut this week throughout the city with more than 100 speakers and big thinkers from forward-thinking companies brought together to discuss innovation. On Tuesday, a few members of our team attended the two-hour Creativity … read more

Looking for a cheaper TV entertainment option? Well, here is an affordable solution. A few months ago I cut my cable account and purchased an Apple TV. The Apple TV was a bit expensive priced at $99.00, and I keep … read more

Stéphane joined our team as an intern in February of this year, and left the States last week to return to France. He is in the process of finishing his second Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in … read more

Last Friday, over fifty students visited our studio from the IDSA chapter of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Michael Prince gave a studio tour, as well as a presentation on who we are and what we do here at … read more

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love … read more

Thank you, Steve, for changing the way we see the world and for showing us that anything is possible.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the … read more

As designers, we can’t help but love anything and everything Apple. A few of us in the studio are especially excited to check out the new iPhone 4S that was just released yesterday. While the design doesn’t look much different … read more

I came across the Mutewatch last year when it was first shown as a concept, and noticed that it just recently arrived on the shelf. The Mutewatch, designed by Norra Norr, is a Swedish company based in Stockholm. The concept … read more

This past weekend was the annual Ravenswood Artwalk where over 200 artists showcased their work at various businesses along the corridor. We opened our doors to the public and had six artists feature their work in our studio.
The artists … read more

As one of the top 75 nominees in the Chicago Innovation Awards, Michael Prince, Beyond Design’s President, had the opportunity to attend The Practical Innovator session at the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston. The daylong event included several inspirational … read more

Check out the story on Trevis in the Fall issue of IDSA’s INNOVATION…along with all of the great designs that received an IDEA Award!

“The IDSA Conference in New Orleans was extremely motivating and focused on co-creation and the future of the designer’s role.” —Trevis Kurz

Trevis Kurz, one of our industrial designers, attended the IDSA International Conference in New Orleans a couple of … read more

Nikon finally introduced its first mirrorless single-lens reflex (SLR) camera this week! The release shows how the company is trying to catch up in this market after seeing what rivals such as Sony and Olympus have achieved. While Sony, Panasonic, … read more

The original tear-open ketchup packet design has been around since 1968. Forty-three years later and Heinz has released a new design—which we really like. It combines the tear-off-the-end technique with a new open-and-dip style. Heinz conducted extensive field research to … read more

The 10th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards drew 410 nominations this year — 100 more than last year’s competition. We are honored to be among the 75 companies nominated for a 2011 Chicago Innovation Award for our design of the Aero … read more

In Fast Company’s 2011 design issue, they focused on American design and highlighted who they believe to be the top 50 designers of today—in both the virtual and physical world. They range from interior designers and architects, to car, clothing, … read more

One great thing about being a designer at Beyond is having access to the latest technology, my favorite being the Wacom Cintiq. It makes sketching and rendering much easier and more efficient. Earlier this week, Wacom announced their new Cintiq … read more

We now have a Twitter account…please follow us!
@beyonddesigninc

In relationship to our earlier post titled, Understanding the Maker Subculture, check out Fast Company’s recent article: 11 Inspiring Examples of Handicraft, From Makers Across the World. It showcases products from an exhibition, The Power of Making, that is all … read more

Khodi Feiz is a good friend of Michael Prince, Beyond Design’s President, and owns a design studio in the Netherlands called Feiz Design. Feiz’s studio handles all areas of design from brand building products to furniture. Most recently, they collaborated … read more

Rachel Sandoval recently joined our team from The Ohio State University as an intern for the fall semester. She is currently a senior in their Industrial Design program.
“I chose to study industrial design because I love how much of … read more

At Beyond Design, we often use consumers as subjects of observational research during the discovery phase of our design process. We found an article from the Huffington Post titled 17 Crazy/Brilliant ‘Life Hacks’ that features some interesting ideas from consumers. … read more

The relevance and impact of research methodologies in our design process at Beyond Design is increasing exponentially. We are constantly searching for new insights that can bring in new experiences to existing paradigms. The annual Design Research Conference held by … read more

We get a number of resumes and portfolios submitted every day for both internships and full-time positions, and there are always a select few that really stand out. Over the years, we’ve found that the way you present your work … read more

Michael Prince, the President of Beyond Design, spent the past two weeks traveling China, meeting with manufacturers, and discovering new global trends. With the introduction of the BuzzBrush® this year, he had the chance to meet with the manufacturer and … read more

At Beyond Design, we constantly stay on top of the latest technology in the design world. One of the coolest new products I’ve seen lately is the Inkling by Wacom. The Inkling bridges the gap between traditional, freehand sketching and … read more

Over the past couple of weeks, Aldis Rauda, who recently relocated from California after working at BoomBang Inc., spent time in our studio and worked with our design team to explore lifestyle trends and technology integration to automotive steering wheels. … read more

At Beyond Design, branding encompasses all aspects of a product, service or business. Through proper branding, including the logo design, identity design, and packaging, we are able to create a personality that identifies a client’s product, service or company and … read more

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,” Mr. Jobs said in his resignation letter. “Unfortunately, … read more

The following two videos show specific videogame hardware hacks that allow for innovation beyond their intended purpose. In the first, the Wii remote is used to create an interactive whiteboard, and, in the second, the free-moving Kinect is used to … read more

We recently read an article on Fast Company that speaks to designers everywhere. In the article, Lee Green, vice president of IBM’s brand experience and strategic design, talks about his three essentials for creating innovative new products.
“Onlookers often think … read more

Check out our design, in collaboration with Encompass Lighting Group, of the railtones® wireless speaker system in the Chicago Tribune. For more information on the speaker system, click here.

I first learned about the Simkom sketch site when I was interning at a small design studio in Austria about three years ago. It was a small site at the time and it seemed to have mainly a word-of-mouth … read more

Rapid prototyping is a big part of what we do here at Beyond Design—clients come to us with an idea or need and we turn it into a tangible item. Along the way, however, we often need to get … read more

We recently read an article on Business Insider titled The Best Gadget Designers Alive, in which they talk about eleven of the most talented product designers responsible for all of the coolest gadgets of the past decade. Some of our … read more

One of our summer interns, Alisa Rantanen, had her last day in our studio yesterday. She started her internship at the end of May and goes back to school next week at Notre Dame. When asked one of the most … read more

The following was written by one of our CAD Engineers, Mark Eyman, about his interest in the “maker subculture”.
“The maker subculture is a contemporary subculture, representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture. Typical interests enjoyed by the maker … read more

Check out Core77 Design Directory’s new look. Very simple and sleek. Great improvement!

You can browse the entire site here.

Every summer we host a party at our studio to show gratitude to our clients, family, friends, and employees. This year we had a reggae DJ, a hula hoop contest (which was very impressive!), and plenty of food and beverages. … read more

With our recent introduction of the BuzzDrive™, we found an article from inspirationfeed.com particularly interesting. The article, titled 55 Creative Examples of USB Designs, showcases photos of a number of creative USB drives. We especially liked the ones shown below.

Our … read more

“The ability to be creative and quickly adapt is crucial for an industrial design engineer at a design consulting firm, where the change of focus and daily tasks can change as swiftly as the winds of the Windy City. What … read more

A few members of our team attended the IDSA Midwest Conference in St. Louis a few months ago, and picked up some iD cards that we have since shared with everyone at Beyond Design. No matter how little or how … read more

Providing students with real-world product development experience is extremely important to our team at Beyond Design. We devote much of our time to mentoring design students from around the world through our internship program. We recently had two students, Joakim … read more

We recently came across this ad in Wired for the Trane ComfortLink™ II. Our team collaborated with Trane to develop both the user interface and the hardware for this cutting-edge thermostat. You can check out details and photos of … read more

Our team collaborated with Waterpik® and designed a customizable water flosser for children. The Water Flosser is intended for children ages 6+, with a small and simple design that makes water flossing easy. It includes removable cling decals that are … read more

We recently saw the Ray Charles animatronic doll that our team designed in 2002, in collaboration with Design Integrity and Cosmodog in Chicago, in a small shop in Arlington Heights. The doll sings and sways along to two of Ray … read more

One of our friends and fellow designer, Tony Ruth, recently launched a new line of inflatable character canvases called Blimpus with graphic designer Mike Serafin. Using Kickstarter, Ruth and Serafin pledged a $7,500.00 goal by March 31st and surpassed that … read more

Last week a few members of our team spent some time at the ASI Show at the McCormick Center in Chicago, to get the word out about The BuzzBrush® and its sister products, the BuzzDrive™, the BuzzWrite™, and the BuzzSpray™. … read more

The concept behind the 4th Amendment Wear is simple: to get a few people to think a little more about their constitutional rights.
One of the more thought provoking designs we’ve seen in a while is the 4th Amendment Wear … read more

At Beyond Design, our designers and engineers work closely every day in order to create a product that is both functional and meaningful to the user. This article was written from the viewpoint of Michael Prince, the President of Beyond … read more

This Friday will mark the end of the first annual Core77 Design Awards. Over the past week, a number of great projects have received recognition in a broad range of categories, from interactive and web-based programs, to service design, product … read more

Twelve of the nation’s most influential industrial designers from the 1930’s to the 1960’s are now being honored with a new set of stamps that highlight their most significant work. The collection, announced earlier this year, honor designers Peter Muller-Munk, … read more

Relating to our post, Creativity in QR Codes that was posted on June 24th, this is something we haven’t seen before.

An Israeli man, Yoav Medan, chose to embed a QR code in the tombstone for his mother’s grave in the … read more

The rapid advancement of technology has had a huge impact on how generations grow up today. Young children are now playing with Xbox’s rather than out in the backyard, and using iPad’s and Smartphones instead of a notepad, coloring book, … read more

What exactly does “design thinking” mean? Over the years, it has been easy to find films about designers, design disciplines, and objects. A film about design thinking, however, is nearly impossible to come by. Thanks to Kickstarter, a team … read more

By now we’ve all seen, heard about, or own Scott Wilson’s TikTok+LunaTik for the iPod Nano that was made an instant sensation last year through Kickstarter. Until now, there has been no real competition out there for this watch. Gadget … read more

The red dot award ceremony took place over the Fourth of July weekend in Essen, Germany and we wish we could have been there! Our team was awarded the red dot seal for two of our product designs, the Aero … read more

How has the discipline of industrial design impacted the way you lead your life? First declared in 2007 on The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design’s (Icsid) 50th anniversary, World Industrial Design Day is celebrated each year on June … read more

We are excited to announce that the BuzzBrush ®, designed by our team at Beyond Design, is now on the shelves at Bed Bath & Beyond!

The BuzzBrush® is a unique 2-in-1 computer cleaning product that incorporates a cone-shaped brush … read more

In recent weeks, you may have noticed a “+1” symbol next to every search result and ad throughout the Google search engine. Nearly a year after Facebook “like” buttons spread in popularity, Google announced its own “+1” button. It allows … read more

The IDEA Award winners were announced last week and there are several really great projects. Out of 524 finalists, 27 were honored with the Gold Award, while 68 received the Silver Award and 96 won the Bronze Award. Our team … read more

This year has kept us very busy and we’ve had some great people join our team. As a reward to everyone who has worked so hard this year, we decided to take the day off and attend the Cubs game … read more

On Monday, June 13, our team attended a NeoCon kickoff event at design firm Minimal in Chicago. Design Bureau was the media sponsor for the event and posted some great photos from the party on their website. You can check … read more

We are excited to announce that we recently won a Green Good Design Award for our design of the Aero PakMat®. The Green Good Design, an extension of the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design competition, awards the world’s leading sustainable design. … read more

Design personas are an imperative part of our strategic development process. They help us to better understand users with varying lifestyle traits and the emotional and physical aspects which define them.
We think this article, Six Ways to Screw Up … read more

If you happen to notice a black and white square on a business card, in the corner of an ad, or even on a product, you might want to get out your smartphone. While QR codes have been popular in … read more

We are excited to have Trevis Kurz back in our studio as a Junior Designer! Trevis joined our team as an intern in the summer of 2010 and chose to extend his internship through the fall/winter of last year. He … read more

Monday night we attended Swagapalooza, an event that consists of a room full of bloggers, tweeters, and digital influencers who gather to judge five-minute presentations from creators of new and unique products. Alex Krupp, the founder of the event, described … read more

We are excited to welcome a few new interns to our design team! Our internship program offers young designers the opportunity to learn in a professional environment. We’ve had interns from all over the world—including England, Sweden, France, Italy, Turkey, … read more

The Trane Hyperion™ Air Handler, which our team completed the industrial design work for, was awarded a Bronze EID Award in the Major Appliances & HVAC category in appliance DESIGN magazine.
“This air handler is constructed more like a refrigerator … read more

“Discover thousands of innovative products and resources for corporate hospitality, healthcare, retail, government, institutional and residential interiors from more than 1,200 showrooms and exhibitors.”
Neocon, the continent’s largest exhibition of contract furnishings, made its way to Chicago yesterday, filling the … read more

Our team recently received a Gold Excellence in Design (EID) Award from appliance DESIGN magazine for our design of the Encompass Lighting Group railtones™. Railtones™ is the first wireless speaker system that is mounted to and powered by a low-voltage … read more

We recently read an article on Innovation Tools website, titled 3D visualization: A potential driver for new product innovation, that speaks about how prototyping may change in the years to come. We too are a big believer in the value … read more

We are proud to welcome Hao Hua to our expanding design team. Hao, who has joined us from Worrell Design, is an outstanding product designer with an immense passion for solving problems and designing for the real world. His background … read more

A few members of our team recently attended the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. On the show floor, the aisles were filled with excited attendees scoping out the latest products and trends while networking with retailers, distributors and … read more

We just launched our new website, and, with it, this Whiteboard section. Please check back often to find out what our team has been up to, as well as what’s going on in the industry!