This article continues the discussion on “systems design” and introduces the system design spectrum that is useful to understand where and why multiple people use the word “system” in multiple ways.
Three Unexpected Tips for Writing Better Technical Papers
After you have done good technical work such as discovering something new, or developing a new technology, your goal in a technical paper is to share those findings with other people. This is not as easy as it sounds. In this article, I share three tips for refining your technical writing that you won’t find anywhere else, but that I am sure will make your writing more readable and trustworthy.
Ski Design for the Olympics
When designing a ski for the Olympics, you should know the precise conditions in which that ski will be used and design for those use cases. If not, a sub-optimal ski design will keep you off the podium.
Restraint—a Key to Design Success
Studying the concept art from season one of the Mandalorian, as featured in Phil Szostak’s book The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, is not only thrilling, but a testament to the power of practicing restraint in design.
What is Systems Design?
A lot of adjectives get placed before the noun “design.” This article starts tackling the special meaning and nuances when we use the term “systems design.”
Learn to Sketch: Shading and Shadowing Cylinders
Until recently, how to shade and shadow cylindrical objects has been a mystery to me. I had known there should be areas on the surface shaded lighter and others darker, but I didn’t quite know where those should be. Understanding the physics and practicing the sketches in a detailed way (a few times) helped me lock in the core concepts. Now I can sketch them quickly without trouble. This article shares the physics and provides a step-by-step process for skill building.
Optimizing vs Satisficing: Tips for Product Design and Designing Your Life
Should I optimize my choices or satisfice them? What is satisficing? Find out more about these choices in design and find out how you can become the best in the world at something.
Five Articles From 2021 You May Have Missed
Every year the design review staff decides on some of our favorite articles from the year that may have been overlooked or just didn’t quite make the top-ten most read articles. These are some great articles that will help you be a better designer.
Most Read Articles of 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, and we reflect on the list of the most read articles of the year we see articles as varied as the rollercoaster of 2021. We see articles about great designs, things to move your career forward, inspirational people, and lessons from history.
Design in Christmas Movies: Elf and the Forced Perspective
Have you seen the movie Elf? If not, you’re missing out on a good story with some neat applications of forced perspective. The designers of the film did some good design.
Year in Review of the BYU Design Review - 2021
We want to say thank you for being a part of the BDR community and supporting us! The BDR continues to grow and we hope to make the BDR even better in 2022 to help you be a better designer.
Shigeru Miyamoto: Nintendo’s Super Power
Discover six ways to emulate the world’s most respected video game designer. Whether you’re an engineer, and artist, a coder, or an entrepreneur, these universal designer attributes are sure to power up.
Scissors Design Competition Winners
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Second Annual BYU Design Review Competition! We had some great entries that solved a variety of different pain points for different types of scissor users. Without further ado, the winner is…
Christmas Gift Ideas for Design Engineers 2021
Welcome to the holidays! As exciting and festive a time of year this is, this time of year also heralds end of year reports, final exams and projects, and unforgiving deadlines. We hope this list inspires you to give the gift of creativity to a friend, associate, or family member.
The Tenth Face of Innovation: The Storyteller
The Tenth Face of Innovation is The Storyteller. Life is full of stories and being able to tell a good one can make all the difference in the world.
Good Design: Fender Precision Bass Guitar
The Fender Precision Bass Guitar has been a best selling bass for 70 years. What made this design so good?
What the Music Industry Teaches us About Creative Collaboration
The music scene is one of the most collaborative and communal industries - from writing and performing to producing and touring. Such collaborative products have proven that “the [chord] is greater than the sum of the [notes]”.
The Problem in Pursuing Your Passion
“Follow your Passion.” Is that good advice or not? Like most things, the answer might be a little more complicated.
What is the circular economy? How do I design for it?
At the rate humans are using ecological resources, we would need 1.7 earths to achieve sustainability [1]. The major problem here is that we only have one earth. The circular economy aims to reduce the need for the extraction of new resources.
Getting the Most Out of a Career Fair
Welcome to Autumn! The Fall is the season for trees changing their colors, warmer jackets, and career fairs. Don’t miss out on learning about, and preparing for, an important step that can set you up for an amazing career.