Work in Progress

An inside look at the materials, the process, and the travel destinations that shape and inspire our work.
Bar tack reinforcement stitch on nylon webbing, x-ray lightbox
Where the Load Is
The bar tacks on a product are a map. Where the maker places them tells you which junctions were stress-tested and which ones weren't. Read more...
Basque burnt cheesecake, San Sebastián, x-ray lightbox
San Sebastián - One Star Per Kilometre
San Sebastián holds more Michelin stars per square kilometre than anywhere else on earth. Where to stay, where to eat, and how to move through the Parte Vieja. Read more...
X-ray lightbox image of a French Art Deco perfume atomizer bottle in amber-orange and cobalt blue on illuminated lightbox
Paris - The Legible City
A curated guide to Paris for the considered traveller. Where to stay, eat, drink, and shop, based on verified rankings and editorial sources. Read more...
X-ray overhead view of a structured travel backpack showing internal frame, compartments and back panel in amber-orange and cobalt blue
The Shape It Holds
Structure in a bag isn't added; it's designed in or deliberately designed out. The question is what the object needs to do when it's empty. Read more...
X-ray lightbox image of a packable jacket sleeve showing seam tape and waterproof membrane construction in amber-orange and cobalt blue
What the Test Misses
There's a gap between what a product test measures and what field use reveals. Factory tests answer the right questions about the wrong conditions. Read more...
Ballistic nylon briefcase document bag x-ray lightbox
The Ballistic Standard
Ballistic nylon was made for military fragmentation protection. It ended up in daily carry bags because the properties that worked in that context turned out to be exactly right for... Read more...
YKK zipper slider mechanism x-ray lightbox
Read the Zip
There's a test you can do on any bag in about four seconds. Pull the main zip. What you find tells you more about the product than the hang tag... Read more...
Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair in x-ray style on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange translucent outer shell with cobalt blue internal armature and base mechanism visible
Copenhagen - The Long Light
Copenhagen operates at a standard disproportionate to its size. A curated guide to where to stay, eat, drink, and shop in one of Europe's most considered cities. Read more...
Magnetic buckle mechanism in x-ray style on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer body with cobalt blue internal spring and magnetic components visible
The Invisible Fastener
A buckle that requires two hands, in the rain, with gloves on, is saying something about how it was made. Hardware is the interface between the object and the hand,... Read more...
Dressmaker's dummy in x-ray style on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer form with cobalt blue internal armature visible
What the Sample Teaches
The first product sample is never right. That's not a failure of the process, it's the reason to make it. What a prototype teaches about carry goods design cannot be... Read more...
X-ray of a Japanese lacquered bento box on an illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer body with cobalt blue internal compartment structure
Tokyo - East of Here
Tokyo rewards the prepared visitor and offers no concessions to improvisation. A Canard edit of where to stay, eat, drink, and spend time in one of the world's most considered... Read more...
X-ray of precision vernier calipers on an illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer body with cobalt blue internal measuring mechanism
To the Millimetre
The IATA carry-on standard, 56 by 36 by 23 centimetres, shapes every travel bag designed for overhead use whether or not the brand acknowledges it. Designing within that limit is... Read more...