By Mouncey Ferguson

Great design makes it easy to not think about design. But sometimes it’s good to go deep on the processes and people it took to get to perfect.

• Know your colors. The New York Times takes us deep into the history of Pantone and their process for making the color bible that every product designer and manufacturer depends on.
• This really sucks. James Dyson recounts how he created his industry-changing eponymous vacuum back in the days before digital modeling or simulation. Answer: By making 5,127 different prototypes, that’s how. Part of NPR’s excellent podcast series, “How I Built This.”
• How do they do it? Learn how Domino’s makes dough, how Lush sources soap, and how IKEA crafts efficiency with cardboard. This Quartz series takes us inside some of the world’s most successful companies to learn how they do what they do, and how they’re adapting to change.
• Going big in Birmingham. Autodesk opened an Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Birminghham, England recently. GraphicSpeak, TCT Magazine, and 3D Printing Industry all shared their observations.

• That’s my jam. If you’ve ever lost it trying to clear a paper jam in the office printer, you’ll enjoy this New Yorker pieceabout the teams that combine physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, design, and computer programming to solve this seemingly eternal problem.
• Build on knowledge. Digital tools and cloud collaboration platforms are revolutionizing the otherwise fraught—and expensive—preconstruction process. ConstructionDive explores what’s possible and who’s seizing the opportunity. Autodesk customer PARIC certainly is. Read on.
• Animated chairs. Dezeen commissioned France’s Jullien brothers to animate this lovely video relating the story of EMECO and the iconic chairs they make.