01
Not just a product, an experience
Our work goes beyond the physical to encompass the entire user experience, because people interact with their devices not only physically but also through software interfaces on their phones, desktops, and the cloud.
The data generated by Internet-connected devices must be securely transmitted and stored, and users need simple, elegant ways to analyze and comprehend it. Our work across many IoT cloud providers (Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and others) prepares us to find the right provider for your specific needs. We can also apply AI and machine learning to help unlock the hidden value sometimes trapped in large datasets.
02
Open-source components plus custom design equals fast, effective solutions
We are supporters of the open-source software and hardware movements. We use modular open hardware, software, and design tools to the greatest extent possible. There is no sense in reinventing the wheel for every new project, nor in spending a small fortune on closed, proprietary products that lock you into a single vendor forever. We firmly believe that if you cannot open something up and tinker with it, you do not really own it.
Opting for open-source solutions frees our clients and us from negotiating licensing fees, so more resources go toward making your idea real. At the end of our design effort we provide the specifications, schematics, CAD files, bill of materials, and software source code for your project. In short, you own your product. We just help you make your ideas a tangible reality.
We use a wide variety of embedded platforms, sensors, and actuators. We are not going to sell you single-vendor solutions. We also encourage clients to release their products under open-source licenses, showing how open source encourages faster innovation and a greater likelihood of business success than proprietary approaches. We take great care to design products that are pragmatic and elegant, because products are not worth the paper they are drawn on if they are not user-friendly, manufacturable, sustainable, repairable, and secure.
03
Partners, not just clients
We seek to work alongside clients who share our can-do attitude and who want to disrupt the status quo. We specialize in custom, one-of-a-kind solutions and proofs of concept that meet exact specifications when no commercial off-the-shelf option is suitable. We support clients throughout the entire development lifecycle: conceptual design, detailed engineering, prototype fabrication, laboratory and real-world testing, and low-volume manufacturing.
We work closely with our clients because we know the best design cannot overcome poor project management. We leverage rapid iterative design and embrace the counter-intuitive notion that failure is a critical part of the creative process. By failing early and often, you get to a better solution faster. That is better for us, better for our clients, and better for the end user. Our mission is to engineer the best damn solutions for our clients, fast.
04 The maker's credo
Ten principles that guide our creations.
The three above are how the shop approaches a client's product. These ten are the creed underneath the work, the reasons a thing gets made at all.
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01
Polymath mindset
Explore. Experiment. Cross boundaries.
Curiosity-driven making that blends disciplines without permission.
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02
Tradigital craftsmanship
Honor traditional skills. Embrace new technology.
A deliberate fusion of past and future. Hand tools and digital fabrication as equals.
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03
Tools are extensions, not hierarchies
A laser cutter is just a hammer with better marketing.
No tool is sacred. CNC, code, chisels, all means to create.
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04
Anti-gatekeeping creation
Reject and prevent professional priesthoods.
Making is not exclusive. Everyone has the right and ability to build.
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05
Creation as human expression
Make to celebrate being human. It is a ritual.
Not everything needs utility. Creation itself has intrinsic value.
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06
Sustainable pragmatism
Maximize reuse. Minimize consumables.
Design with material awareness and long-term responsibility.
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07
Intentional maximalism
More is more when it means something.
Rich, layered, expressive design that reflects lived experience.
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08
Modular and evolving systems
Nothing is ever finished.
Design for iteration, adaptability, and continuous transformation. The best designs evolve over time; they are not fully planned up front.
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09
Interactive by nature
Objects should invite engagement.
Tactile, responsive, and participatory experiences over passive ones.
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10
Radical transparency
Show the process. Show the flaws.
Expose how things are made. No black boxes.
05 A personal rubric
Ten features of a well-designed object.
We like making things. We also like collecting things that speak to us as well designed, and we have opinions on what earns that word. This is skewed to our own aesthetic and may not work for everyone. But for us, an object is designed well if:
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01
We can immediately tell what it is, what it does, and how to interact with it. No user manual required.
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02
All parts, form, mechanics, electronics, and software, feel like one thing.
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03
It still works and looks right under real-world use.
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04
It invites interaction, not just observation. Interacting with the object sparks a sense of wonder and magic.
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05
We can understand it, modify it, and keep it alive over time.
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06
It uses materials honestly and appropriately.
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07
It has meaning, character, or emotional weight beyond function.
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08
We can see how it is made, and it embraces both traditional and modern tools in its construction.
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09
It is minimally maximalist, rich and expressive, but nothing is unnecessary.
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10
It does not exploit the user, compromise safety, violate privacy, or create downstream harm.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.
Wayne Gretzky