Introduction
Fall is upon us and we are feeling those cozy vibes coming our way! Every early fall when the leaves start to turn and we get the first wisp of crisp air, it makes us NY’ers want to do two things: explore our city, PSL in hand – and take on some indoor projects! We recently asked all Tomorrow Lab members two questions: 1. What are your top NYC locations for design inspiration; and 2. What are your must-have tools for your at-home shop? We are excited to share these light and merry convos with you!
Design Inspo n’ Tools
First up, Ted Ullrich, one of Tomorrow Lab’s partners looks to some of NYC’s local hardware and design communities for inspiration. Our new office building, the Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center is filled with artists, makers and fabricators of all kinds, of whom we are still meeting! The building itself is from the late 1860s and was originally used for rope manufacturing. The building contains many original details, like high ceilings, wooden beams, brick walls and even the freight elevator (only for show)! We have so been enjoying being in this community and learning what our neighbors are up to – check out our previous blog post on our first studio crawl back in May. The GMDC continues to expand and just opened up a new location in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Ted also likes to attend NY Hardware Startup Meetups to learn what startup folks are working on and always expand Tomorrow Lab’s network of hardware entrepreneurs. You never know what new, exciting designs and products you will see and who you may meet! Finally, Ted likes to walk the streets of SoHo, a downtown Manhattan neighborhood filled with historic buildings, cobblestone streets and lots of high end design brands retail flagship stores. Designers and brands go all out for their window displays in this area as it is a destination for both locals and tourists alike. It can certainly rival Midtown Manhattan during the holiday season.
At Tomorrow Lab, every designer gets an iPad! Here is the team brainstorm sketching together for our YouTube series, Potentially Genius, sponsored by Digikey.
Ted wears many hats at Tomorrow Lab as an interdisciplinary designer and engineer, and his must-have tools certainly reflect that! Ted is an avid Apple fan (we often stream the live annual product launches at the TL office) and cannot go anywhere without his Apple iPad – with the pencil – for quickly illustrating ideas. A pair of trusty plastic pocket calipers for measuring items quickly and accurately comes very much in hand for what TL does on the day to day. And finally, ChatGPT4o has become an indispensable software tool for Ted to help organize notes, rewrite tasks, improve comprehension and even light research. Ted is absolutely embracing the rapid new world of AI – just as a technology company should!
Next, our newest staff member, Shuang joined our team earlier this spring as an electrical design intern and joined our electrical engineering department permanently this summer! We are thrilled to have her! Shuang is a multifaceted designer, curator and writer with a rich background in merging technology with artistic expression. Her work often involves circuit design, sensor integration and the use of microcontrollers to develop immersive, responsive environments that engage her audience both visually and interactively.
For design inspiration, as an NYU ITP alumni, Shuang enjoys visiting fellow-alums MORAKANA scientific and artistic studio and the CW&T shop which designs and sells distinct everyday products. Shuang was introduced to Hoto’s Precision Screwdrivers from both an NYU ITP alumni and former TL’er Jingwen Zhu. Shuang has been using the screwdrivers “religiously,” even fixing her Dyson fan remote control with one. She was gifted Hoto’s rotary kit for her birthday – let us know how you have been using this, Shuang! 😆Shuang also mentioned “recently coming to the realization that I need a caliper in my life – it is just nice to know exactly how big or small everything is.” Why not try that pair Ted likes? 📐
We were lucky enough to have the talented Roshni join our team this past summer as a mechanical engineering intern. While Roshni stayed in NYC, she found inspiration from Little Island, a new 2.4 acre outdoor venue and park in lower Manhattan on the Hudson River – especially the structural design and engineering of the “tulip pots,” and the Museum of Art and Technology (also known as Mercer Labs), which has 15 curated rooms with an interactive experience in each featuring different digital artists’ work.
Roshni has to have a 3D printer at home so she can build and prototype almost anything. Tomorrow Lab recently got a new Bambu printer and we have all been delighted both using it and seeing the results it produces! Roshni worked closely with our industrial designers on several projects with our new printer. And of course, unsurprisingly Roshni must have a Phillips head screwdriver nearby at all times to help fix or build anything from appliances to intricate products. We wish Roshni all the best as she embarks on her last semester at the University of California, Berkeley.
As the only TL member who is not an engineer(!), TL’s People & Finance manager, Liz thought why not share with everyone where she gets inspiration from in NYC and the at-home items she cannot live without! Liz shares Ted’s fascination with SoHo and was lucky enough to work on West Broadway back in college. Liz loved (and still does) walking through the neighborhood after work and dinner, when the foot traffic is light and just the windows are illuminated. It remains one of her favorite places to go in the city by herself when she wants to be visually amazed. For fashion, there is style mecca flagship Kirna Zabete which features emerging and established designers in a curated, yet whimsical experience. And for contemporary art a must stop is Jeffrey Deitch gallery for an instant jolt of revelation – you will walk out seeing the city in a new light!
While Liz does have many at home tools for various home improvement projects, there are a few products that have changed her life and she recommends to anyone and everyone! These Lee Valley forever clothespins are just simply amazing and one has yet to break. She uses these for everything from securing chip bags, hanging artwork or backdrops temporarily, holding cookbooks open to gently propping up shrub branches while pruning. They are her go-to gift as a housewarming gift and everyone that has received these gives her a curious look upon receiving, and then a month later texts her to say OMG! For organization and storage, these white Brute bins have become a household staple for her in regards to organizing art archives, christmas decor, electrical cords, home improvement materials and tools and heirloom dishes. Liz can rest easy knowing that these heavy duty and unbreakable HDPE bins will last the test of time. And lastly, everyone should own a high quality pair of binoculars! Liz uses these for bird watching both in NYC and in upstate CT – it makes what is going on outside your window so much more enchanting!
As a side note, Liz gifted her husband YouTuber Linus Tech Tip’s custom screwdriver, and while she has yet to use it herself, he says it is the best screwdriver he has ever had! Liz can say she enjoys the clicky-ness and grip! It is not often that an influencer’s merch ends up being both practical and high quality.
For more design inspo, check out this excellent Wall Street Journal video featuring Ted about the future of smartphones! And of course, watch the many episodes of Potentially Genius on YouTube!
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