“Open tabs” is a special post that showcases valuable resources for industrial designers (and other creatives) and products/concepts I came across in the industry.
Hello, everyone! Although today isn’t our usual day for a Creative Unfold post, I felt inspired to share some nice resources and tools I’ve been using as an Industrial Designer. I also wanted to highlight some discoveries in the field of industrial design. As autumn arrives and many people return to work or embark on new adventures, I thought it would be enjoyable to keep this article spontaneous and light-hearted.
I’m calling this new format “Open Tabs,” where I’ll share a mix of things that I’m currently excited about. I hope to bring this back every now and then. If you enjoy it, please drop a like!
For creative inspiration:
I recently discovered Cosmos, and I can’t get enough of it! Cosmos is an online curation tool for beautiful visuals across various fields. Their curation process is well-researched and innovative compared to other discovery tools available. I often find it frustrating to save content from other platforms, but Cosmos has solved that issue with its browser extension. Now, I can save visuals, videos, quotes, and articles from any site with just one click, without having to navigate to their website. I also appreciate their research-by-color option, which is great for creating mood boards and presentations.
To render sleek visuals
I love creating visuals with KeyShot. To this day, I believe KeyShot is the best tool available for producing simple yet effective renderings. It is incredibly user-friendly and avoids the unnecessary complexity found in other software. I can spend hours refining a scene to enhance its appearance. Visune is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to improve their rendering skills. I appreciate their material packages and often treat myself by purchasing one of the scenes they have developed. This is also a great way for me to learn how to set up a scene or materials by observing how they construct their assets. I’ve been using Visune since it was known as Momnt, and I have never been disappointed.
For Knowledge
Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals, by Rob Thompson: This book was the first one I bought when I began my first year at university. My teacher (who’s also a designer) used it in a class focused on materials and processes discovery. I often return to this book to learn more about manufacturing processes for my design concepts. After owning it for 10 years (!!!), I can confidently say it has been a timeless and valuable investment.
Tocco is a material and design platform curating innovative materials and suppliers all over the world. You can access most of their materials informations and reports with a free account. If you’re looking for more sustainable options for materials or just want to be inspired, check out this website.
Industrial design related videos :
Short Video by ark.curate on the iPod mini : When discussing design with other professionals, we often reflect on the early days of Apple’s iPod era, a time when every product launch felt revolutionary. Ark.curate actually purchased and uses a 20-year-old iPod Mini, and I appreciate how passionately he talks about this small piece of art. In the last Creative Unfold post, we focused on the idea of experience. This video explores and explains how a product (even one that’s 20 years old) can endure the test of time: personalised, meaningful and reliable experience.
Nice things in the industrial design world
I love feeling inspired by talented people in the industry. Here are a few things that have caught my eye over the past few days.
Woojin Jang is the founder and industrial designer at woojinjid. Recently, he and other creatives launched an exciting design concept as part of the Samsung Design Membership called “Hotcake.”
Hotcake is all about bringing people together for a fun music-jamming experience, even when they are physically apart. It seamlessly blends hardware and digital elements to enable everyone to play music together. The modular design is awesome, and I really dig the colours and materials he chose. The entire look is simple yet playful, and the various finishes add a lively touch to the design. Definitely check out his work.
Hotcake design visuals
Remember the days when you dreamed of asking your parents for a last-minute pajama party with friends? Well, KARRI makes that dream a reality. KARRI is a screen-free voice messaging device for kids that pairs with a parent app, allowing families to stay connected safely without giving children a smartphone. Designed in collaboration with the design consultancy Pentagram, KARRI was developed with input from kids. The robust device features a minimal interface with clearly identified buttons for each interaction, and its friendly color scheme makes it appealing without resembling a toy. A low-cost monthly subscription is required for connectivity, and the device can be preordered now, with a launch scheduled for March 2026.
I hope you had fun reading this unplanned post! I love using this newsletter as a way to chat about design with people from all around the globe. If you’ve stumbled upon some cool things in the design world that you’d like to share with our community, I’d be thrilled to hear from you! Feel free to drop a comment or send me an email to kick off the conversation!
Wishing you a wonderful week, and see you soon for issue #06!
