Established 2002

Third Culture Design

Small, useful things. Software, objects, and experiments worth making.

01 / Approach

Same approach. Different materials.

Start with a real need or a persistent curiosity. Pay attention to the constraints. Make the thing, learn from it, and improve the next one.

This works for software, furniture, and musical instruments. A mission statement has never fixed a button or squared a joint.

02 / Software

Tools for ears, attention, and practice.

iPhone app / Coming soon

EarBalls

See with your eyeballs, listen with your earballs.

Support Privacy

Web utility / 2018

Contemplate

A bookmarklet that emails you something to read later. Whether you read it is between you and your inbox.

Practice experiment / 2025

Guitar Fingers

Randomized finger and rhythm exercises for hands that have memorized their favorite mistakes.

03 / Objects

Things that require clamps.

Furniture and musical instruments. Both make a persuasive case for measuring twice.

A handmade electric guitar in figured maple with three chrome pickups — **St. Vincent-inspired guitar**Maple, chrome, and three pickups because two were not enough

**St. Vincent-inspired guitar**Maple, chrome, and three pickups because two were not enough

A handmade white oak desk with splayed legs — **White oak desk**White oak, tapered legs, and a lot of grain matching

**White oak desk**White oak, tapered legs, and a lot of grain matching

A handmade ash lounge chair with red cushions — **Lounge chair**Ash, dowel joinery, and red upholstery

**Lounge chair**Ash, dowel joinery, and red upholstery

A low coffee table made from a spalted maple cross-section — **Coffee table**Spalted maple, walnut, and brass pins

**Coffee table**Spalted maple, walnut, and brass pins

04 / About

A company with a long memory and a short agenda.

Third Culture Design, Inc. is an independent design and making practice founded in 2002 by Nick Olejniczak. It is the home for small software products, useful objects, and occasional experiments.

The work changes. The interest does not: make thoughtful things that work well.

05 / Contact

The inbox is open.

TCD is not currently taking on consulting work. Questions about an app or a project are welcome.

hello@thirdculturedesign.com