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Decoding The City: The Road Graffiti Placed by Utility Workers
These infrastructural lines mark the pathways of pipes and wires beneath the paved surface -- but what does each color mean?
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The 64-Square Grid Design of ‘Through the Looking Glass’
The sequel to Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland was designed to be a playable, albeit whimsical chess problem
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When Modern Art Met the Classic Chess Set
How far can you push the design of a knight before it stops looking like a knight?
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Decoding the City: The Fire Diamond
Just what are those red, blue, and yellow diamonds hanging outside warehouses and factories?
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How the Chess Set Got Its Look and Feel
The vaunted Staunton Chess Set, the standard chess set you probably grew up with, has its roots in neoclassical architecture
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Now You Know the History of G.I. Joe. And Knowing Is Half The Battle
The evolution of the All American Hero from artist's mannequin to action figure
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The History of the Minivan
The iconic car changed the way families drove
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The Debate Continues Over How to Rebuild New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward
Five years in, the merits of Make It Right's housing project are under new scrutiny
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A Partial History of Headphones
Modern headphones have their origin in opera houses, military bases and a kitchen table in Utah
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A New Meaning to Green Urban Design: Dyeing the Chicago River
The story behind how the Windy City gets its yearly watery makeover
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Who Really Invented the Smiley Face?
It's supposedly the 50th anniversary of the original design of the iconic image, but its history since then is surprisingly complex with millions of dollars at stake
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An Early History of the Parachute
It wasn't a military expert or an aviation pioneer, but a Russian actor who developed the first viable parachute
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Hot Air Balloon Travel for the Luxury Traveler of the 1800s
Visionary designers of the 19th century believed that the future of air travel depended on elaborate airships
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Digital Files and 3D Printing—in the Renaissance?
3D printing is a new technology that seems poised to change the world, but its origins date back all the way to the 15th century
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How to Survive China’s Pollution Problem: Masks and Bubbles
The air quality in China's biggest cities is famously atrocious, but designers think they may have found a way to combat the issue
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Micro Apartments Are the Future of Urban Living
To combat the housing crisis in major American cities, architects are designing smaller, more efficient apartments that will change the way urbanites live
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The Drones of the Future May Build Skyscrapers
Innovative architects are experimenting with small unmanned aerial vehicles to prove that drones can do more than cause destruction
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Unmanned Drones Have Been Around Since World War I
They have recently been the subject of a lot of scrutiny, but the American military first began developing similar aerial vehicles during World War I
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Imagining a Drone-Proof City in the Age of Surveillance
As drones become common as tools of the military and intelligence agencies, how are architects and designers responding?
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The Privacy Wars: Goggles That Block Facial Recognition Technology
For designers, the battle over what it means to be private in a very public world is a new frontier to be conquered
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