Here's what we looked at this week: A good example of improving an existing product's UX by listening to customers' pain points: Star-M's special Raceway Bit speeds installation times for electricians. Milwaukee's alternative designs for vacuum-based drill dust shrouds. Elements Eden pitches airline galley carts as objets d'esign. This electric, off-road...

"We are completely revolutionizing air conditioners," writes startup Transaera, "with advanced materials that remove moisture from the air before cooling it. Then we use the heat generated by the air conditioner – instead of wasting it – to dry the material for the next cycle. The process uses less electricity, resulting in long-term cost savings and...

This is an interesting furniture form, designed for the masses, and always poorly executed. (I have a hard time admitting those two qualities are now permanently linked.) Aimed at the outdoor grilling crowd, it's a height-adjustable outdoor side table with a cooler in the bottom for beers. I'd love to know who designed the first one, but at this point...

You've seen pit stop footage with crew members zipping tires on and off. But you may not have seen this thing being swapped out:That's a bottle filled with water, usually mixed with some combination of vitamins, minerals and/or glucose. Races can be long and grueling, and drivers need to stay hydrated.The bottle plugs into a hydration system built into...

SHFT is the handle of a South Korean product designer who produces objects in sheet metal. Their m.o. is to post shots of prototypes on Instagram to gauge feedback, then batch-produce the things people like. One such object is this stainless steel Fold B clipboard for sketching, which uses two magnets to hold A4 paper. With the profile of an Imperial...

This Ourou shelving system employs an unusual wood joint. It was developed by French industrial designer Guillaume Bloget, working with craftsman Antoine Rivie`re. "I wanted to make a wooden shelving system, without nails or screws, completely removable so that it could be stored flat," Bloget explains. "After going back and forth between drawing and...