No one wants their car doors to make a "thwong" sound when they close. "Thunk" is the gold standard.

Chances are the sound of your car door closing is designed to sound precisely how it sounds.

Eye lenses last 10 times longer than they used to because of NASA.

Scratch-resistant transparent coatings were developed to protect astronaut helmet visors and other equipment from space debris. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating is most commonly used on lenses, but we also see Siloxane-based coatings and hybrids of the two.

Here are some other products that use technology developed by NASA:

Technically you could drive a nail with a block of metal like a caveman, but we use hammers instead.

Yes, a handle amplifies power and accuracy with each strike. It also decreases user effort, risk of injury and improves grip.

The hammerhead is the technical solution, whereas the handle is the usability solution.

It's hard to give away an old mattress for free.

Selling one for $200 makes it seem less like you're getting a dirty, broken mattress.

The BIC pen has looked nearly identical for over 70 years.

There were two subtle design changes, aside from new ink flavors.

Building a house by yourself is technically possible, but would require significant effort and many months or years of your time.

Finding 10 experienced workers to build it with you would make the project much more plausible.

I don't think many successful designers feel like they wouldn't change a thing about the products they've designed.

Every iteration has potential for improvement. And learning and improving the experience you deliver is a major component that drives the design community.

In a broad sense, innovative products that feel familiar tend to be successful.

Keyboards are kind of like typewriters.

Instant Pots are kind of like Crockpots.

Why is a shiny, red button so tempting to press?

The color red can be associated with danger, excitement, urgency and action, making it visually stimulating and psychologically intriguing.

Today is perfect for reflection and setting new expectations.

Whatever it is that you wish to accomplish this year, keep tabs on the progress you make. Build momentum and don't stop after 3 months like we usually do. Or if you do, start again before the next New Year.

As AI steadily becomes more adopted, designer focus may shift as routine user tasks become automated.

Car designers will place more focus on the passenger experience as self-driving cars develop.

Steve Jobs created anticipation and excitement when he would announce "one more thing" at the end of a presentation.

Do you have a tendency for procrastinating or getting work done early? How about choosing the healthiest options at a grocery store or restaurant? We all have something we want to get better at that we haven't gotten around to.

The tools we use influence how we experience the world. Habits revolve around what is available— this has been true since early human ancestors discovered that rocks with a sharp edge could be wielded for hunting.

If you could master one skill instantly, which would you pick?

You might opt for learning other skills quickly. That would still require some effort to learn them. Learning to cook, speak a language or play guitar within weeks would have great payoffs.

Deadlines dangle over us like icicles, sharp and unforgiving. Today is a good day to close the laptop and set down the Pantone swatch.

Sometimes the best move for making progress is to step back and try to relax for a day. Press the reset button, the work will still be there tomorrow.

It's tradition to open presents on Christmas morning, but Midwesterners are more likely to open them the night of Christmas Eve.

Going to a museum at noon means you can take your time to look at everything you want to see.

If you go 15 minutes before closing, you'll have to run to catch a glimpse of all the artwork. Nothing will really resonate.