A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Gadget Freak

Gadget Freak

July 23, 2010

2 Min Read

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Gadget Freak

Amateur inventors rejoice - your cool project could gain you an extra $500!

It All Starts with An Idea

Here's what you need to know to get started.
First, write a short description of your product (it must incorporate electric, electronics or electromechanical components), create detailed build instructions (including schematics), and be sure to include a detailed parts list that includes products from Allied Electronics.
Next, send your project to Technical Editor Jon Titus and he will let you know if it passes muster.

15 Minutes of Fame

When Design News editors have the project in hand and is ready to publish it in our magazine or online, a photographer will contact you to set up a photo shoot - you must have your gadget built and ready to go!

Working Our Magic

In many cases our design teams use photoshop to make a cool photo even better. Take for instance past Gadget Freak Jerry Baumeister. We wanted an image that would convey his love of flying and a sense of his invention - a model rocket altimeter. Our idea was to show Jerry flying through the air. But how could we make that happen? Well, check it out below.

Past Projects

Still not sure you have what it takes to be a Design News Gadget Freak? Take a few minutes to review some of our past projects. Happy Building!


The original photo of Jerry was taken in digital format. We then ported it to Adobe Photoshop for some illustration work.	We silhouetted Jerry with the clipping path tool, then skewed, rotated and brightened the image to give a sense of daylight.

We cut Jerry's scarf out from the original image, flipped it up and blurred the motion.	We chose a stock image of a blue sky with fluffy clouds. Next, we applied a motion blur (12-14 pixels) to give Jerry a "flying" motion.