Every fashion week the presentation of the presentation is key and venue choices are as important as ever. The latest men's collections in Paris and Milan were certainly no exception. From Moncler Gamme Bleu's commandeering of the Piscina Cozzi to DSquared's recreation of a campsite - the venues were talked about almost more than clothes. See a round-up of our favourite…
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Wallpaper.com
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Men's S/S10 fashion show venues
2 Jul 2009 | 4:29 am -
Transitory Objects exhibition, Vienna
1 Jul 2009 | 6:48 amWith mini-dwellings and public pavilions springing up everywhere (take for instance SANAA's pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery, which is currently under construction), architectural art spaces and semi-buildings are writing a new language for architects around the world. Taking this cross-pollinatory shift between art and architecture as its cue, Vienna's Thyssen Bornemisza… -
MurmurART pops-up at Selfridges
30 Jun 2009 | 11:45 pmSelfridges, now in its 100th year, has a long and illustrious history of artistic patronage. For the next two weeks, in proof of this point, the high street stalwart will be hosting its most philanthropic artistic event to date. See more work from emerging artists, as chosen by established artists Produced in collaboration with Will Conibear and Donald Eastwood of… -
Le Corbusier's furniture from Chandigarh
30 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pmIt happens so rarely these days but every now and then you hear of someone stumbling across a classic piece of furniture that has been discarded or taken to charity, unbeknownst of its true value and selling for tenths of its worth. In a discovery the design equivalent of Howard Carter’s unearthing of Tutankhamen’s tomb, Richa Mukhia stumbled across a host of original one… -
Jeff Koons: Popeye series exhibition, London
30 Jun 2009 | 10:03 am‘The spinach is the art,’ says Jeff Koons in a press conference this morning, attempting to explain his latest collection of work, the Popeye Series, which goes on show at the Serpentine gallery from Thursday 2nd July. See more of Koons' works on show at London's Serpentine gallery Whether the New York-based artist and former guest editor of Wallpaper*, is saying…
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Cool Hunting
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Alastair Callender's Soliloquy Super Green Superyacht
2 Jul 2009 | 2:30 pmKeeping luxury afloat, Alastair Callender's eco-friendly Soliloquy superyacht proves that future pleasure vessels can maintain opulence without damaging the earth. The 58-meter-long, rigid wing super yacht is powered by wind, solar and hybrid marine technologies, resulting in a zero emissions capabilitity, lower fuel costs and a quieter journey. Originally intended for the environmentally conscious crowd, the Soliloquy is attracting attention worldwide not only from activists but also designers and sailing enthusiasts for its innovative use of a rigid wing rig of three solar sails, which can… -
Poketo Pop-Up Shop
2 Jul 2009 | 2:11 pmSubstantially-sized, fully-stocked and visually-engaging, Poketo's first Pop-Up Shop debuted this past weekend for a three-week stint at Royal/T in Los Angeles, the Japanese-style cafe and gallery known for its waitresses in French maid costumes. In addition to offering Poketo's trademark artist-designed wallets and tees, the launch kicks off a new line by Apak, with tees and a mug, plus a new shirt by James Gulliver Hancock. Poketo convinced Royal/T to allow them to design a special menu of Japanese-inspired street food, which includes ramen, a chicken katsu Cordon Bleu and green tea flan. -
Furnigraph Mumbletronic Digital Watch: Interview with Bob Kronbauer
2 Jul 2009 | 1:28 pmCanadian-based skateboarding blog Club Mumble and custom furniture designer Furni recently teamed up for some awesome ventures, including Contributor, a skateboarding charity for underprivileged youth, and the newly released (today) Furnigraph Mumbletronic Digital Watch. We had a chance to chat with the founder of Club Mumble, Bob Kronbauer (pictured right), and learn a little more about these projects. Let’s start simple, what kind of message or culture does Club Mumble play around with?As a designer and a documentarian, I come from a skateboarding background, and almost all of the… -
Otto Real-Time Beatslicer
2 Jul 2009 | 11:37 amTaking the remix to the next level, Otto is a new prototype that enables real-time manual beat slicing. The brainchild (and master's thesis) of Luca De Rosso, made using open-source hardware, the handheld electronic instrument lends the user the sense of holding the sampled music in their hands. It works by connecting to a computer and using software to feed the sample into the device, which then displays a visualization of the music in lights. To see a demo, watch the above videos. The graphic representation enables precise cutting and manipulation, an interface sure to win fans among… -
Mac Icon Typeface
2 Jul 2009 | 10:19 amby Laura Neilson Thanks to the character-inspired icons for various Mac-related applications, there's a new word-building form of entertainment to get bored workers through the doldrums of the day. Like a contemporary version of the grade school novelty of spelling out words on calculators (it actually had a name, beghilos), art director Mike Giepart's posts examples of the new "typeface." While the technique seems too recent to have been given a common name, Vermacular sounds about right. Check it out and add to the character-building experience on Giepart's site.
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TREND HUNTER - The Latest Trends
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Capturing Stunned Kids - Kyriakos' 'Blue Mantle' is Full of Frightened Faces (GALLERY)
2 Jul 2009 | 3:39 pm(TrendHunter.com) I can't be too sure what is making the children in Kyriakos' 'Blue Mantle' look so frightened, but their stunned faces tell the story far better than any words could. Image after image, each kid looks… -
Stop-Motion Fireworks - PES Rings in July With Fun Edible Fanfare (VIDEO)
2 Jul 2009 | 3:29 pm(TrendHunter.com) PES' 'Fireworks' was uploaded to the stop-motion master's YouTube channel yesterday, so while we can't tell whether PES meant to honor Canada Day or Independence Day, we'll assume he meant both. 'Fireworks'… -
Knife Holder Noses - Newest Body Bod Gets Large and Sliced
2 Jul 2009 | 3:19 pm(TrendHunter.com) These creepy nose piercings are not for everybody, but they are loved by some. The spaced nostrils are extremely large when considering the surface of the nose. He could literally eat his dinner from… -
Shadow Puppet Accessories - DIY Entertainment Designs by Lola & Bailey (GALLERY)
2 Jul 2009 | 3:09 pm(TrendHunter.com) This “Shadow Puppet” collection by Lola & Bailey was spurred by the current economic doldrums and the spirit of DIY home entertainment back in the good old days when there was no TV or computers. Lola… -
25 Multifunctional Fashions - From Interchangeable Dresses to Convertible Shoes (CLUSTER)
2 Jul 2009 | 2:59 pm(TrendHunter.com) Recessionistas know that the easiest way to stretch a thin budget is to invest in multifunctional fashions that can be worn in several different ways. These transformer fashions include interchangeable…
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Toxel.com
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17 Larger Than Life Giant Objects
1 Jul 2009 | 6:15 pmCollection of unusual and creative giant objects from all over the world. Giant LEGO Man This giant 8-foot smiling Lego man was fished out of the sea in the Dutch resort of Zandvoort. [link] Giant Spoon This creative giant spoon with cherry on top is located in a park close to downtown Minneapolis. [link] Giant Soccer Ball Nike likes to use [...] -
Beautiful and Creative Book Sculptures
30 Jun 2009 | 6:39 pmSee what happens when talented artists use books as their artistic medium, the results are truly impressive… Book Sculptures by Su Blackwell This remarkable artist employs this delicate, accessible medium and uses irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions. [link] Book Face Sculptures [...] -
10 Unusual Computer Keyboards
29 Jun 2009 | 5:47 pmCreative and unusual computer keyboard designs from all over the world. Virtual Laser Keyboard Keyboard based on optical recognition mechanism that enables the user to tap on the projected keys, while producing real tapping sounds. [link] Scrabble Keyboard Most of the keys are made from real Scrabble tiles that were all hand-beveled and built onto USB mechanical-switch keyboard. [link] Optimus [...] -
Beautiful and Creative Origami Creations
28 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pmOrigami is the art of paper folding. This post showcases beautiful and creative origami creations. Grulla Origami Designed by Roman Diaz and Daniel Naranjo, folded by Emre Ayaroğlu from 37*37cm MC treated tissue. [link] JUCUMARI Origami Made from black “Elephant hide” paper, the back side painted with white acrylic. Dry folded. [link] Scorpion Origami Excellent origami design created by Robert J. [...] -
10 Unusual and Creative Fountains
27 Jun 2009 | 5:40 pmBeautiful fountains and creative fountain designs from all over the world. Bellagio Fountains Breathtaking fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas were destined to romance your senses. [link] Swarovski Face Fountain This amazing fountain forms an entrance to the Swarovski headquarters in Wattens, Austria. [link] Floating Fountains Isamu Noguchi took the concept of water supported fountains to another level when he created [...]
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JoshSpear.com
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ClickForArt Pillows
2 Jul 2009 | 2:29 pmWhat happens when you let folks like Vault 49, Tara Mcpherson and Alberto Cerriteno make limited-edition pillows? Pure awesomeness. -
The All New TheFader.com
2 Jul 2009 | 9:18 amMajor high fives to my friends at The Fader for a successful relaunch of their .com. It has been great fun to watch their digital presence evolve. Stop by for great music (lots of exclusive tracks) and art/culture features. Congrats guys! Related: The Fader Goes Digital -
Q Tonic
2 Jul 2009 | 7:37 amIdyllic summer nights in Brooklyn leave little to be desired–unless you’re Q Tonic founder Jordan Silbert, that is. The gin and tonic lover discovered that the tonic water he was drinking four summer ago was chock full of artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup, and in the name of not standing up for something so undignified, he set out to create a crisper tonic. After pulling together quinine from South America, organic agave and lovingly designed floral-inspired glass bottles, Silbert’s concoction can now be found at Gramercy Tavern and the Four Seasons in New York… -
Frerk and Mark C Woehr
1 Jul 2009 | 12:21 pmFrom beginnings in Stuttgard, Frerk and Marc C. Woehr have developed a style bringing street art into a realm of off-balance darkness. The atmosphere of their collaborative work looks like the product of the Brothers Quay reshaping an urban environment and all the characters emerging from it. While their work has appeared in publications and galleries all over Europe, their first show in the US will kick off at LA’s Carmichael Gallery on July 9th. Also, check out some of the Woehr’s work alongside Shepard Fairey’s at Art Basel Miami. -
Lee Memorial: Lives of Lee Memorial
1 Jul 2009 | 12:19 pmLee Memorial’s new album took me by surprise twice over. First off, I’ll admit that I can’t think of a single Australian act that struck me since I heard Yeo and the Fresh Goods last year. Secondly, a mellowed out acoustic sound with poetic lyrics is not style of music that often captivates beat snobs like myself. You may be familiar with Sodastream, a duo that’s dropped releases in this vein for a decade before breaking up. Half of that now-defunct band, Karl Smith, assembled a band with a decent resume and put together The Lives of Lee Memorial, possibly named for a…
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ZURBlog
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ZURB Has a Fresh Batch of Interns
1 Jul 2009 | 9:15 amWith summer upon us, the intern floodgates have opened and ZURB is hosting not one, but two summer interns. Meet Boris and Josh. Josh and Boris present the most recent version of an internal app they've been working on. The Interns give a once weekly presentation to the ZURB team where they solicit feedback on their tool and get chopped up on their preso skills. The duo are chugging away on some top-secret internal applications in the same laboratory where Notable was created. They're working in tandem on some of our best ideas to turn them into reality. Like we've said before: ZURB interns… -
Wireframe Faster with OmniGraffle Variables
1 Jul 2009 | 7:18 amWe use OmniGraffle to bust out fast, high quality wireframes here at ZURB. To help us crank those bad boys out, we rely on a few core features of OmniGraffle that allow us to stay focused on what really matters—the wireframing. As is the case with all our deliverables, we do our best to maintain presentation and context with every deliverable (sketches, wireframes, mockups, etc) as they'll typically be emailed around without the original message. To keep as much context as possible, we put our logo, project name, document name, and task in the headers of our files like so: Here's the… -
When do I get to use Notable? Can you give a sneak peek?
24 Jun 2009 | 4:42 pmGuest blogger and future ZURBian Dmitry Dragilev steps in to offer this introduction to Notable, ZURB's web feedback product currently in a private release. We know all of you are wondering—when am I going get a chance to try out Notable? When is Notable going public? What features does it have? So, for all of you who cannot sleep anymore: here's what we can tell you. When do I get to try it out? We’ve had an overwhelming response since we announced Notable just weeks ago! Hundreds of people signed up for a private invite and we’ve had tons of great feedback (with some people… -
Request Early Access to Notable
2 Jun 2009 | 5:34 pmWe're excited to announce the private release of Notable, the easiest way for teams to provide feedback on a website. Over the last few months we've put significant time into building what we think is a pretty cool utility for teams that build websites and products online. Why did we create Notable? After years of struggling to exchange quick feedback on dynamically changing websites, we were determined to come up with a solution that made it incredibly easy to get stuff done. Photoshop, Powerpoint, screen capture tools and email are useful tools, but they're not great for exchanging quick… -
Making Forms Convert Through Awesome Inline Labels
30 Apr 2009 | 11:43 pmForms are everywhere on the web – it's the primary way users can interact with a web-based system. If your site or app uses forms (and we'd bet that it does) those forms need to be well designed, or users aren't going to follow through. They may not sign up for your service, they may not fill out their demographic information, they may not even log in again after sign up. We love well-designed forms here at ZURB, and recently we've been exploring some cool new tricks for how we can display form inputs and labels in a concise, usable and totally awesome way. Inline labels are nothing new…
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Yanko Design
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My Body Paint Communicates With Lights And Music
2 Jul 2009 | 1:54 amImagine painting your body with a specially formulated ink and your gestures, movements or touch allowing you to communicate with electronic devices directly. Bare is this new parasitic technology being explored where you apply the special paint to your body via brush, stamp, or spray. The paint acts as a medium to send information from a person to another, transmit data from a person to a computer, or power small LEDs. It’s however limited to simple applications such as switching and data transfer that consume less power, but the potential is unlimited. In the future we can see this… -
Kitchen Island
2 Jul 2009 | 12:05 amFlamboyance in prepping the food, presenting and entertaining guests from the kitchen space is an art in itself. Pelago Kitchen Island is for those who like to show-off their cooking skills but have limited space. The workstation features multiple counter surfaces that slide away to reveal the sink and has drawers for specific tasks. Granite countertops and aluminum sinks are the obvious choice of materials as they are easy to maintain. It even has a niche space for 2 people to sit while you do the cooking. The Main Features: A sliding counter-top surface hides prepping sinks when closed,… -
Super Green, Super Dangerous, Super Bike
2 Jul 2009 | 12:02 amSo you’d like to have a tiny motorcycle. So you’d like to have a fast motorcycle. So you’d like to have a safe motorcycle. I am sorry you cannot have all three! What you’ve got here is a very fast, very dangerous vehicle. It’s called the Halbo, and it’s got a BMW stamp on it. It’s tiny and it’s got a front wheel motor combined with a sphere form rear wheel. The target user for this vehicle is a “vibrant eco-minded young individual.” Speed on! It’s half the size of the “regular high end motorcycle,” and it’s… -
B- For Briefcase Baby Seat
2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 amStyled as a sleek looking Samsonite Briefcase, the B-Seat is in fact a baby seat for infants and children up to 6 years. The focus of this concept is mainly on safety, ergonomic details, comfort and looks. Designed to be molded from strong plastic with chrome details, the guise of an elite briefcase befits the globe-trotting mamas and dads. Two things missing: comfy, cushioned seating that most baby seats require and handles to carry it. However the exterior design is totally with it! Designer: Cesar Estrada -
Zen Audi
1 Jul 2009 | 1:26 pmWhen I first learned to ride a horse, I was told that I needed to move with the horse, as if of one mind. I was bucked off twice before I finally let go and learned to let go and move with “Davis” the horse, as opposed to trying to force her to bend to my will. That lesson seems to be apparent in Designer Andrea Mocellin’s latest “EXO- AUDI” concept. Andrea feels that the best way to drive is to be at one with your machine. By “Taking advantage of the exoskeleton and nanotechnology evolution, we can create a potential energy source and produce a…
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Design Mom
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Mayflower Giveaway
2 Jul 2009 | 11:18 amDoesn't it feel like a good day for a Giveaway? I think so too. So how does this sound: win a $150 Gift Card to Home Depot by leaving a comment below. I'm not even kidding. $150 to spend as you please. On new paint. Or a new drill. Or maybe the materials to build a giant table.Remember how awesome Mayflower was during the big move from New York to Colorado? Well. To thank them, I offered up a Giveaway spot. And they said: Sure thing! How about a gift card to Home Depot because we know how often home improvement projects are part of a move — both before and after. And I said: Right on.I can… -
Stephanie Levy
2 Jul 2009 | 11:17 amLoving the sunny collage work of Stephanie Levy. See her portfolio here. And her etsy shop here.I want this one. It's little (about 6" x 6") and the price is a bargain ($35) for original artwork. It would be lovely in a square, white frame. -
8 to 5 Sandwich
2 Jul 2009 | 9:47 amYou ask. I answer. Here are directions to the famous 8 to 5 Sandwich. And a little background.Ben Blair and I moved to Greece just weeks after I discovered I was pregnant with my oldest child. I was working as an art director at Ogilvy & Mather and everyday we'd order out for lunch. One of the nearby restaurants was called 8 to 5 — because they were only open during business hours and catered to the working peeps in the area.I ordered their signature sandwich, also called the 8 to 5, on my first day of work. It was delicious. Maybe even heavenly. And it was one of the first meals that… -
Welcome July!
1 Jul 2009 | 11:24 amJuly is looking hot. Also hawt. Here's a peek at my calendar. 4thIndependence Day. This weekend, we'll celebrate our independence with our cousins at a lake in Fort Collins, Colorado. Sailing. Fireworks. Hotdog roast. Perfect.7th & 8th Home Design Summit in Chicago. Anytime I see a good ol' American company focusing more on design, I want to give high-fives all around. I'm really looking forward to this. Hosted by the Sears Corporation.9th & 10thRevenue Bootcamp in Silicon Valley.Kirtsy is sending me straight from Chicago to San Francisco for this one-day conference. I know a decent… -
30 Stangers Exhibit
1 Jul 2009 | 10:45 amThis is what I wish I could attend tomorrow (Thursday) night:The 30 Strangers Exhibit by Justin Hackworth Thursday, July 2nd from 6-9pm1 East Center Street - Suite 215, Provo, UTThis is why I wish I could attend:1) The event is going to be lovely. 2) I know several of the Mother and Daughter pairs in the photos (like Liz & Betsy and Courtney & Cindy) and would enjoy seeing them celebrated.3) Anyone attending the event who makes a $25 donation to the Center for Women and Children in Crisis, can schedule a free mother/daughter session of their own with Mr. Hackworth. Which is a…
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Graphic Design Blog
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Tutorial - Create a Folding Circle
1 Jul 2009 | 2:14 amAuthor Name: Jahangir agha Post Category: Tips for Graphic Designers May be you find this kind of tutorial on other sites but I have written it myself for the first time This is what we are going to design: [B]Step 1:[/B] Create a new document of any size and draw a circle in there. Step 2: Ctrl + Click the layer to make the selection and choose the Polygonal Lasso Tool and also choose the “Substract From Selection” Tool from the top menu Step 3: Now cut the selection as shown in the image below Now right click and select “Layer Via Cut”. It will cut the selection from… -
A Tribute to King of Pop ‘Michael Jackson’ – Though you’re far away
30 Jun 2009 | 12:44 amMichael Jackson……it’s a heartbreaking truth that this iconic legend is not among us anymore (may his soul rest in Peace). We have lost the person whose music has been entertaining generations from last 3 decades. As soon as his death was confirmed on 25th June, 2009, Michael Jackson’s fans, an army of admirers undivided by language, religion or national differences, reacted with tears. Even before Michael Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PST on Thursday, thousands of fans sang his songs and stood vigil outside L.A.’s Ronald Reagan UCLA… -
Fresh college grad nerves
25 Jun 2009 | 1:51 amAuthor Name: Amy Post Category: General Graphic Design Is anyone else getting ready to graduate with a degree in graphic design and just feel… utterly overwhelmed?? I am graduating in December, and felt very confident in my work until I started browsing through the endless online portfolios and reading through job descriptions, and I suddenly feel like I have learned NOTHING! And the worst part is, I’m not sure where to go next. Do you go back for more schooling…?? They say in graphic design, you don’t need to get your Master’s… -
Redesign your logos - A new approach to fight back Recession!!
24 Jun 2009 | 1:11 amI am sure my topic will bring you to a halt for a moment and make you think how true this statement is. Well, you must be wondering what made me think this way. Lately, while looking at some major redesigned logos taking place during recession, I noticed a particular strategy, which I believe is meant to stand tough against recession’s strong blows. As Douglas Bard, manager of strategic partnerships at the Pennsylvania firm Logo Design Guru, puts it this way. "It is happening on a lot of levels. Some clients want to convey a more positive image because of the tone of politics in… -
20 Creative Twitter backgrounds & 10 Graphic Designers to follow – Twitter treats!!
19 Jun 2009 | 12:22 amTwitter and twitter fans are growing enormously nowadays. I am sure each one of you is available on twitter and would agree with the wonders it can do for us. The most interesting part of twitter is those amazingly creative backgrounds which bigheartedly invite you to follow the user. Undoubtedly, we all would love having custom created backgrounds for our twitter page. So, here is my effort to compile some of the most imaginative and appealing twitter backgrounds. Before you start with the Twitter Tour my friends, I would like to inform you that I plan a similar post in future…
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BehanceMag.com
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Airside: Inspired Collaboration
30 Jun 2009 | 9:16 amYou know those dentists who don’t explain a thing, and suddenly they’re holding the tooth they just pulled from your mouth? That’s exactly the sort of pitfall that cross-platform design agency Airside tries to avoid in their client relationships. -
Tip: Reduce Your Level of Insecurity Work
22 Jun 2009 | 12:12 pmCreative professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone else trying to make a name for him or herself have likely spent substantial amounts of time repeatedly checking their website's analytics, Googling their name, perusing email alerts and Twitter search results, or reviewing bank account balances and sales data. Admit it, you know you check some of this stuff a little too often. -
Hush: Structural Inversion
8 Jun 2009 | 8:39 amHush, a content creation studio out of NYC, has delivered its clients eye-catching content for commercials, music videos, broadcast, and integrated campaigns for over ten years. And Hush’s clients aren’t just anybody. With Nike, Estee Lauder, American Express, and Sony Ericsson in the mix, clearly the Hush team knows what they’re doing. They know what they’re talking about too. -
MagicRockLA: Mixing Beats and Art
26 May 2009 | 8:09 amIn LA, where the lure of fame is enough to pull almost anyone off track, DJ’s Magic Wong and Rock 1 are devoted, surprisingly, not to the glitz that comes along with their job, but to the craft itself. Operating together under the name MagicRockLA, the duo is the real vinyl-spinning deal. Everett Wong and Gerardo Machado (as they’re known outside of the booth) came to DJ-ing at a time when it’s cumbersome equipment and complicated mixing techniques eliminated all but the most eager to spin. -
Tip: Fight Against Your Short-Term Rewards
14 May 2009 | 8:03 amFrom a very young age, we are developed with powerful short-term reward systems. We are incentivized to eat on day one with the reward of satisfying our hunger. Such immediate gratification teaches us to always eat when we are hungry. As we began our education, we were rewarded to learn with grades. And grades, we soon realized, yielded the reward of approval (and love, we suspect) from parents, teachers, and peers. We would study non-stop for days to take an exam, with the assurance that we will receive a grade within a week. As we entered the job-market, a day's work was rewarded with a…
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Behance: Featured Projects
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ILLYWORDS
2 Jul 2009 | 2:15 pmArt direction of illywords magazine. -
Alien Dolls
2 Jul 2009 | 11:15 am -
Anti
2 Jul 2009 | 8:15 am -
Typography
2 Jul 2009 | 5:15 amTypography project is my new way of using typography... All hand-drawn mix with bits of computer stuffs. I'm not really big fan of real typography so this way it's make me enjoy more... -
Spades kingdom
2 Jul 2009 | 2:15 amPlaying card set. Spades kingdom.
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Industrial Design Served
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3x2 brown
2 Jul 2009 | 12:15 pmCollection of glass plates -
clock
2 Jul 2009 | 4:15 am -
Motorcycle Work
1 Jul 2009 | 8:15 pm -
lamp_Position1
1 Jul 2009 | 12:15 pmMain material: cement Wiring molded inside the concrete. Unique / handmade -
"Skins" Footwear
1 Jul 2009 | 4:15 amSkins debuts early 2007 with an entirely new footwear concept. An amalgamation of luxury, technology and design, Skins has created an innovative two-part, interchangeable footwear structure consisting of outer collapsible "skins" (shell and sole of shoe) and a highly engineered flexible foot form, the "bone", that cradles the foot. Studio Dror has contributed to the overall design of Skins' brand identity, packaging and display design, as well as the styling of the bone.
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Customized Marketing
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Why Go to BlogWorld?
28 Jun 2009 | 6:22 pmAll About BlogWorld BlogWorld & New Media Expo will be hosting the 3rd annual Conference October 15-17, 2009 in Vegas. Having attended the 2 previous BlogWorlds, I can give you the inside skinny on why you must be there and some helpful advice for attending. Why Go? Simply put, you can’t get this much value for the investment any other way. In the past, I have had a chance to attend sessions with industry leaders like Jeremy Schoemaker (Shoemoney), Darren Rowse, Brian Clark, Chris Brogan, and Stephan Spencer. Add in keynotes from Gary Vaynerchuk and Tim Ferris, and I got… -
Designers: Get Inspired With Goe
20 Jun 2009 | 1:52 pmJust got the Pantone Goe Bridge. Best price and free shipping was at Amazon. I find the deck very inspirational to play with different color palettes. With 2058 colors, there are so many new colors to give you ideas. Couldn’t believe the number of greens and blues. That is a true improvement over the collection of other decks, and there is a free download of the Goe colors for Adobe CS3 or CS4 products. -
10 Steps to a Successful Wordpress 2.8 Upgrade
12 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amBefore doing the upgrade, be sure to do these ten things: Make a complete backup including your theme. Perform any updates that WordPress notes to your plugins. Check the compatibility of your plugins. This site is useful as is this WordPress site. Deactivate all plugins Check the compatibility of your theme. This site is useful. If there are theme compatibility issues, check for fixes from the theme developer. FTP the updated files (be sure you don’t overwrite customizations). Perform the automatic update to 2.8 from within WordPress Reactivate only the compatible plugins. Check… -
The Importance of Favicons
7 Jun 2009 | 10:35 pmMost people know what a favicon is, but many people aren’t sure what it is called, and even if they do know it is a favicon, they might not know how to pronounce it. Favicons are the cute little icons that show in your browser window on the extreme left of the address bar, or with your bookmarks. Although it is not a hard task, many people forget to use one with their site, and they are missing a great little branding technique. I know my eye always gravitates to the favicons in a list of bookmarks, and other sites get passed over. So don’t forget the tiny favicon! I use… -
Best Web Design Tools and Resources
31 May 2009 | 9:59 pmThese are some favorite and suggested tools for web design: Shoemoney Tools - Internet marketing tools to help you analyze and improve your site SEO Automatic - In depth reports and suggestions for improvement SEOmoz - Test how accessible your site is to search engines Color Scheme Designer - tool for color schemes for your site SEO in Practice - DIY book on search engine optimization Bluehost - Inexpensive, reliable hosting with unlimited space, transfer, and free domain Email Program - Auto-responder with many additional capabilities Woo Premium Themes - Best site for premium and free…
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NYT > Art & Design
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Bidding Is Thin at Christie’s in London
30 Jun 2009 | 10:32 pmThe summer season of evening contemporary art auctions ended in London at Christie’s on Tuesday when collectors went bargain hunting. -
Art: A Round Peg
30 Jun 2009 | 12:20 pmFramed by a retrospective, the artist Dan Graham insists that he’s just playing. -
Michael Martin, Subway Graffiti Artist Iz the Wiz, Is Dead at 50
30 Jun 2009 | 8:45 amIz the Wiz was a legend among graffiti artists, by almost all accounts “the longest-reigning all-city king in N.Y.C. history,” as a graffiti Web site put it. -
Picasso Musketeer Tops Sale by Sotheby’s
30 Jun 2009 | 7:48 amIn a crisp, 50-minute sale Wednesday, Sotheby’s managed to sell more than $55 million worth of Impressionist and modern art. -
Arts Review | Long Island: New Zealand’s Vistas, Interpreted in Abstract
29 Jun 2009 | 9:02 amDan Welden’s paintings can be seen at a small but beautiful exhibition spread across two galleries at Adelphi University in Garden City.
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Picocool
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Portrait Machine - Interactive Photography Installat
2 Jul 2009 | 4:11 amPortrait Machine is an interactive photography installation that visualizes the connections between visitors. It makes these connections based on a number of features, such as clothing choice, hair color, facial expression, and composition within the frame. It presents both similarities and differences in these characteristics, remdining us of our connectedness and uniqueness, creating strong visual patterns and playful juxtapositions.2 Vote(s) -
Sputnik Observatory: Contemporary Culture Examined
2 Jul 2009 | 3:41 amJonathan Harris' latest project, Sputnik, is an “observatory for the study of contemporary culture" — an effort to document, catalog, and share ideas that shape our cultural era by interviewing global thought-leaders in the arts, sciences and technology.2 Vote(s) -
Typography Jewelry
2 Jul 2009 | 3:41 amCool typography and graphic jewelry by Jen, a graphic designer living in Los Angeles.3 Vote(s) -
A Day In The Life of Mark Gonzales
2 Jul 2009 | 3:33 amEver wondered what a regular day in the life of Mark Gonzales would be like? Well, here you go. The guy doesn’t need any intro or so. We all know he’s a legend right? Just watch.3 Vote(s) -
weScare Tshirt: 58 Icons of Celebrity Creatures
1 Jul 2009 | 2:25 pmThe first of a new three part series featuring MONSTERS…! 58 celebrated creatures from the various genres of horror, fiction, fantasy and even comedy. As usual the reference sources are wide-ranging from film, television, children’s literature, video games & gaming, comics and more.5 Vote(s)
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Picocool - Most Recent
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Mike Oa4Meally is your Far From Home guide
1 Jul 2009 | 11:07 pmMike O’Meally talks about his own compilation of best photos he made far from home somewhere around the globe in pursuit of documenting the skateboarding culture.1 Vote(s) -
Drag n Drop to label in Gmail
1 Jul 2009 | 7:32 pmNow one can drag messages into labels and labels onto messages in Gmail1 Vote(s) -
appleton estates drink generator
1 Jul 2009 | 7:36 amthe appleton estates drink generator is a clever concept that could be applied to any number of consumer goods - it asks a battery of questions to concoct just the right cocktail to suit your mood.1 Vote(s) -
Being Ed Templeton
30 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pmWe found this via Rad Collector and wanted it to share it with you. A ESPN vid about being Ed Templeton.1 Vote(s) -
Circleculture Berlin exhibition
30 Jun 2009 | 10:54 pmLast weekend we were in Berlin for some relaxation. Besides chilling in Tiergarten, drinking and dining in Mitte, enjoying crazy minimal clubs and walking between hippies over the Mauermartk we had some time to visit the Ed Templeton, Barry McGee and Raymond Pettibon exhibition which is set up in the Circleculture gallery in the Gipsstrasse in Berlin. See some pictureby hitting the read more link. The gallery worked with profific curators and artists suchs as Aaron Rose, Shepard Fairy, Adrian Nabi and JR Circleculture represents a whole group of artists standing for the rising urban art…
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Picocool - Most Popular
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Portrait Machine - Interactive Photography Installat
2 Jul 2009 | 4:11 amPortrait Machine is an interactive photography installation that visualizes the connections between visitors. It makes these connections based on a number of features, such as clothing choice, hair color, facial expression, and composition within the frame. It presents both similarities and differences in these characteristics, remdining us of our connectedness and uniqueness, creating strong visual patterns and playful juxtapositions.2 Vote(s) -
Sputnik Observatory: Contemporary Culture Examined
2 Jul 2009 | 3:41 amJonathan Harris' latest project, Sputnik, is an “observatory for the study of contemporary culture" — an effort to document, catalog, and share ideas that shape our cultural era by interviewing global thought-leaders in the arts, sciences and technology.2 Vote(s) -
Typography Jewelry
2 Jul 2009 | 3:41 amCool typography and graphic jewelry by Jen, a graphic designer living in Los Angeles.3 Vote(s) -
A Day In The Life of Mark Gonzales
2 Jul 2009 | 3:33 amEver wondered what a regular day in the life of Mark Gonzales would be like? Well, here you go. The guy doesn’t need any intro or so. We all know he’s a legend right? Just watch.3 Vote(s) -
weScare Tshirt: 58 Icons of Celebrity Creatures
1 Jul 2009 | 2:25 pmThe first of a new three part series featuring MONSTERS…! 58 celebrated creatures from the various genres of horror, fiction, fantasy and even comedy. As usual the reference sources are wide-ranging from film, television, children’s literature, video games & gaming, comics and more.5 Vote(s)
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Six Revisions
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10 Things Every Web Designer Just Starting Out Should Know
30 Jun 2009 | 9:36 pmThere are many aspects of creating a website design. Web designers often have to play multiple roles and be very knowledgeable about building effective and usable site layouts. Most of the lessons you’ll learn in web design comes from work experience; learning is an iterative process and there is no better way to gain knowledge than to make mistakes (and then and learning from them). In this article, we discuss 10 essential and general tips that every novice web designer should know. 1. Optimize Web Graphics for Better Page Load Times Learn how to optimize your web graphics by selecting… -
Manage Your Business on Your Mac & iPhone Giveaway
29 Jun 2009 | 5:06 amMarketcircle, a company who won an Apple Design Award this year in WWDC09, has teamed up with Six Revisions to give away three packages of the Daylite 3 productivity suite bundled with the Daylite Touch. For those unfamiliar with Daylite, it is a business productivity suite designed to help you manage your business and your team: project collaboration, shared calendars, task delegation, and sales tracking, you can do it all from within Daylite’s super intuitive interface. With the award-winning Daylite Touch iPhone app (which won a Macworld Best of Show award), you can do all of this… -
10 Impressive JavaScript Animation Frameworks
28 Jun 2009 | 3:35 pmComplex and slick JavaScript-based animation has been made easier with the emergence of frameworks and libraries that give developers the ability to create stunning and eye-grabbing animation and transition effects that make it easy these complex tasks. In this article, you will read about the top 10 JavaScript-based animation frameworks and libraries that will enable you to create engaging and captivating user experiences. 1. $fx $fx is a compact and lightweight JavaScript animation library which extends native JavaScript DOM methods with its own animation methods and functions. Its small… -
25 Stylish Examples of Headers in Web Design
26 Jun 2009 | 3:29 pmA website’s header is one of the first things a user sees when opening your website so it’s important to get it right; if a user doesn’t like your header design, they may just leave your website before even looking at what content you have to offer. There are many different types of headers, and in this collection, we’ll show you 25 beautiful header designs from various types of websites in the hopes of inspiring your creativity. 1. 61 Pixels 2. Abduzeebo 3. Ali Felski 4. Basmitree 5. British Space Organisation 6. Dev Thought 7. Ellis Lab 8. Jason Reed 9. Jayme 10. -
30+ Creative Typography Art
25 Jun 2009 | 5:45 amTypography is the ultimate form of science meeting art. Space, size, type treatment/effects, contrast, color selection - and much more - go into every piece of design that involves the use of type. In this showcase, you’ll be able to feast your eyes on over 30 stunning and amazing artwork centered on typography with the aim of jumpstarting your creative juices. mos def lyric portrait A Tribute to Yulia Brodskaya Fact Magazine (cover typography) Bad Typography is Everywhere Soft type Heist Ink and Water Don’t Mix typography whore Love your body BLACKOUT POSTER Brown Fox PINK PARTY…
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Better Living Through Design
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Loll's Adirondack Chair
2 Jul 2009 | 7:07 amIf you're shopping for outdoor furniture, you might consider this reinterpretation of the classic Adirondack chair. Made out of 100% recycled polyethylene, it'll stand up to the weather just fine with no maintenance. It should also be noted that if you ever tire of it (not that you would), it's fully recyclable as well. A new take on a classic form, Loll's Adirondack Collection (2008) has a familiar look - but a uniquely modern green story. Greg Benson and Jeff Taly of Loll Designs have taken the time-tested shape of the Adirondack Chair and made it out of 100% recycled polyethylene. They… -
All-In-One Recycling Center
2 Jul 2009 | 5:56 amIf you do a lot of recycling, at times it can take up quite a bit of space. Enter in the recycling center, with a few bells and whistles to organize your paper and plastic. If you don't need fanciness and/or have a tight budget, I'd recommend these bags for sorting (I have them and they work out just fine). Premium All-In-One Recycling Center (left), $229.00-$269.00, Buy it here. Compaction System 3 Compartments for 17-gallon total capacity Nesting Bins H: 30" W:15" D:17" Deluxe All-In-One Recycling Center (shown middle), $179.00, Buy it here. Nesting Bins 3 Compartments for 17-gallon total… -
DenHaus Pet Furniture
2 Jul 2009 | 5:40 amJust how much would you pay to replace that unsightly pet crate or litter box? $400? $500? ZenHaus, $525.00, Buy it here. Sleek and smooth design hugs your pet Perfect for dogs or cats to sleep in or to hide a litter box Well-ventilated environment Handcrafted from fiberglass TownHaus, $399.00, Buy it here. Solid wood furniture with a glossy finish. Antique brass hardware Well-ventilated environment Perfect den for dogs or cats to sleep in or to hide a litter box [posted by katie] -
Areaware Wall Art (Vinyl)
1 Jul 2009 | 6:41 amFor inexpensive art, take a good look at Areaware's vinyl wall decals. The 98" x 18" wall panels might be the perfect thing for the end of a hallway or a ho-hum room. I'll post the larger wall vinyls in the remodel section later on this week (since they would work/look more like a wallpaper as far as coverage). Fountain of Desires, by Coco Tassel, $120.00, Buy it here. Light Mix, by Florence Manlik, $120.00, Buy it here. Verde (not shown), by Florence Manlik, $120.00, Buy it here. Dimensions (all): 98.5 x 18.5 inches [posted by katie] -
Dror for Target®
1 Jul 2009 | 5:21 amIn select stores for a limited time, Target will showcase the bedding, home décor & stationery line of products by NYC-based designer Dror Benshetrit. Some items are available online now, I'm assuming the others will show up soon. Four Chore Dry Erase Board, $16.99 Plastic Wall Clock - 12", $24.99 Wood Accent Table - 20.4x16.9x22.1", $59.99 Present Portfolio Folder, $0.99 each Toss Pillows, $19.99 each Expand Accordion File Box, $5.99 Stick Table Lamp - 15", $19.99 Nesting Bookcase - Walnut (22x11x18.125"), $89.99/set (3 sets shown on right) Buy it here. [posted by katie]
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Simply Stated
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Five Things You Can Unclutter Right Now
2 Jul 2009 | 5:15 amIt doesn't have to take you weeks or months to get your clutter under control. You can do a little bit at a time, and you'll start to notice a difference. If you have a few minutes, take on one of these five projects right now. Every little bit helps. Five things you can unclutter right now Clear the sticky notes. Do you have sticky notes on your monitor, bulletin board, or calendar? Put them in a pile and enter the data into a more appropriate (and permanent) location. Write the appointments in your calendar. Type the dentist's phone number into your Contacts program. Download 1Password… -
How Do You Store Your Wine and Spirits?
1 Jul 2009 | 2:43 pmWith the holiday weekend rapidly approaching (I can't believe it's July already), many of you will probably be doing some entertaining. Which also means you'll probably be drinking beer or wine or mixing some kind of cocktail. So in the spirit of that (no pun intended), I want to know where you keep your wine and spirits? Right now, in my tiny apartment, we keep our liquor in a cabinet above our refrigerator simply because that is all the space we have. Our wine, we keep on a couple of small racks in the living room. But eventually, I would love to have a bar cart or cabinet in my… -
New: Angela Adams Pillows & Totes
1 Jul 2009 | 3:04 amI'm sure you're no stranger to Angela Adams. If you aren't sure who she is though well you'd be interested to know that this wonderful Maine-based designer is best known for designing some of the most desirable throw rugs on the market today. In addition to her rugs, she creates handbags and a homewares collection using her signature prints which include pillows, bedding, trays, prints, paper and fabric. And did I mention clothing and handbags? Oh yes. There is even wallpaper designed for MDC and exquisite tile collection for Ann Sacks -- Adams never rests! Recently her office… -
The Myth of Work-Life Balance
30 Jun 2009 | 5:15 amWhenever someone asks me if I have "work-life balance," it makes my skin crawl. My work is an essential component of who I am. There isn't a work me and a personal me. I'm just me, all the time. When I'm at work I often think of non-work stuff, and when I'm not at work I often think of work. I don't have a work/non-work switch and there certainly aren't two of me who can climb onto different sides of an imaginary scale to evaluate my "balance." An uncluttered life is not a balancing act. When you decided to get clutter out of your life, you made this decision because you felt that clutter… -
EcoSalon: Top 20 Greenest Materials
29 Jun 2009 | 11:15 amIn light of the economy, I feel like we've been hearing slightly less about being eco-friendly. But that's not to say that there isn't a lot of green-themed news out there, or that we should ignore it. Last week, EcoSalon shared a round up of the top 20 greenest materials. Not surprisingly, recycled paper and organic cotton are on the list. But so are some other more surprising materials like plantation grown teak and low VOC paints.Here's the complete list: 1. Bamboo Fiber 2. Bamboo Hardwood 3. Cork 4. Plantation Grown Teak 5. Corn Starch…
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digg.com: Stories / Design / Popular
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40 Free High Quality Hand-drawn Fonts
2 Jul 2009 | 1:40 pmUnlike the serif font family, these hand drawn fonts looked less serious but they tend to give and convey strong human touch wherever they are applied. Hand-drawn fonts are hard to stand on it’s own, but they are utmost perfect for these following situations... -
Ceiling Porn (SFW)
2 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am(put your trousers back on little fella. it's not what you think) It's incredible how some people live their lives looking either straight ahead or down at the ground, the only ceiling they ever notice being the one above the bed.Luckily it hasn't stopped people designing stunning ceilings. -
50 Inspiring 3D Desktop Wallpapers
1 Jul 2009 | 1:10 pmDesktop wallpapers suggestions are always welcome since sometimes we don't have time to browse to find one, so we check on the suggestions available at our favorite websites! We know that we can find tons of great wallpapers online to choose from, so here -
Creative Resume Design for Geeks.
1 Jul 2009 | 2:40 am***** -
Bursting soap bubbles Amazing pictures
30 Jun 2009 | 3:30 pm:O
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Uncrate
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Timbuk2 Dolores Chiller
2 Jul 2009 | 2:08 pmNot all messenger bags are for business. The Timbuk2 Dolores Chiller ($110) is a portable cooler disguised as a messenger, offering a fully insulated interior, a metal bottle opener on...Visit Uncrate for the full post. -
Stealth MacBook Pro
2 Jul 2009 | 2:02 pmIt's great that Apple has moved almost all their laptops over to the über-solid Unibody aluminum format, but not so great for those that liked the understated black models of...Visit Uncrate for the full post. -
300: The Complete Experience
2 Jul 2009 | 1:57 pmWatch the Spartans battle in the highest quality possible with 300: The Complete Experience ($28). This packed Blu-ray set includes a digital copy of the film, a 40-page book including...Visit Uncrate for the full post. -
Nike Air Zoom Hayward + 3
2 Jul 2009 | 10:18 amBased on a sketch from Steve Prefontaine's notebook, this running shoe combines throwback styling and the latest Nike tech for impressive results. The Nike Air Zoom Hayward + 3 ($82)...Visit Uncrate for the full post. -
Harley-Davidson Iron 883
2 Jul 2009 | 9:43 amBlacked-out from fender to fender, the 2009 Harley-Davidson Iron 883 ($7,900) is an affordable, no-frills chopper that's begging to be customized. The latest Harley Dark Custom motocycle, the Iron 883...Visit Uncrate for the full post.
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Outblush
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SimpleTech [re]drive External Hard Drive
2 Jul 2009 | 2:04 pmSee, one of those little things about living in the information age, our lives are really tied up with computers. So if something happens to said computers...poof, we have no...Visit Outblush for the full post. -
Sales & Steals: 7/2/09
2 Jul 2009 | 11:37 amIt’s 4th of July weekend, and to us, that means celebrating our right to shop, shop, SHOP. Just don’t forget to take a break to do some BBQ-ing and pool...Visit Outblush for the full post. -
St. Germain Liqueur
2 Jul 2009 | 11:16 amWe're aware that St. Germain ($25) elderflower liqueur has been a favorite of snooty french bartenders for ages . . . but the new St. Germain packaging might just warrant...Visit Outblush for the full post. -
Keel's Simple Diary
2 Jul 2009 | 11:15 am"Dear Diary... today was Wednesday and I went to work." Feeling like your journal could use a little creative energy? Keel's Simple Diary ($15) helps you beat the mundane aspects...Visit Outblush for the full post. -
Nic's Sticks by Opi
2 Jul 2009 | 11:09 amWe’re longtime fans of Opi nail polishes already, but they’ve just earned our loyalty for life with the introduction of Nic's Sticks. ($7) The polish is pre-loaded into an applicator...Visit Outblush for the full post.
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MoCo Loco
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Shelter House by Franklin Azzi
2 Jul 2009 | 12:37 pmA while back we wrote about Architect Franklin Azzi's Shelter House, "a sustainable design for a house in Normandy in Yport, where the structure is entirely made of wood, with water recuperation and solar panels for all domestic needs. The external skin will be made of a fabric, it's a convertible house.". The render is now built, here's what it looks like finished. -
Altrove by Carlotta de Bevilacqua
2 Jul 2009 | 7:57 amNew lighting from Artemide this year includes the Altrove by Carlotta de Bevilacqua, a decorative wall or ceiling light that uses transparent wires to allow the light to flow. It's the type of lighting that begs the question, "Is it really there?" More substantial is Ross Lovegrove's Cosmic Leaf, available as a table, floor or ceiling lamp. Each version is made of textured methacrylate set in a chromed steel structure, with an inviting come-hither curve. Also shown from the ceiling is a variation, the Cosmic Angel. The Chilone in brushed steel is designed by Ernesto Gismondi. The outdoor… -
2 (or 3 ...) Questions for Fredrik Färg
2 Jul 2009 | 4:53 amFredrik Färg has been designing steadily over the past few years, but really seemed to burst onto the global scene with Coat, an armchair that represented the idea of slow fashion that could be updated gradually, and RE:cover, a series of chairs that borrowed from the past. Lately Färg has turned to current fashion as inspiration for his Modus Cover cabinets that incorporate fashion magazines. And if you'd prefer to read them, well, then there's the newly released Skyscrape magazine rack. How could we resist asking Fredrik a few questions? -
History Chess by Boym Partners
1 Jul 2009 | 8:53 amVia The Apartment Broadcast, Constantin and Laurene Boym's new History Chess is a set of oversized chess pieces that "alludes to a particular icon of the century's history, from the sinking Titanic to the scarred towers of the World Trade Center." Above, a video reenactment of the 1956 "game of the century" between Bobby Fischer and Donald Byrne using History Chess pieces. -
This Week from Tokyo
1 Jul 2009 | 7:43 amFruit-shaped sticky notes that you can buy individually or in "crates" of six. More from Tokyo after the jump.
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Design Observer: Main Posts
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Take Me Out to the Old Yankee Stadium
2 Jul 2009 | 4:32 amThe new Yankee stadium, like most retro stadiums, bears the burden of being faux, a recreation, like a Disney version of reality. It works and it doesn’t. -
Alan Rapp: Personal Space
29 Jun 2009 | 1:41 amRobert Sommer’s Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design was published in forty years ago, and its compact title concept — an invisible but perceptible security zone surrounding an individual — caught on. But where is Sommer now? A recent study in Perception finds that listening to music on headphones alters our sense of sociospatial relations. Until these more contemporary strands of inquiry result in a truly new analysis of how we perceive our interpersonal zones today, Personal Space is now available in a new edition, with some additional commentary by Dr. Sommer, from Bosko… -
Today, 06.27.09
27 Jun 2009 | 4:52 amEach morning, before starting work, I spend 30 minutes looking for images that are beautiful, funny, absurd and inspiring. Here's Today. -
Angela Riechers: Hot Ticket
25 Jun 2009 | 2:34 amTo see a play or movie, or ride the Twentieth Century Limited, you needed a ticket, and the development of ticket-dispensing machines paralleled the growth of popular culture. -
Mad Music
23 Jun 2009 | 3:23 amIn 1962, I spent hours listening to Mad magazine’s first LP (Big Top Records), Mad “Twists” Rock ‘N’ Roll. Owning the record made me feel like I was part of a club, which latter evolved into the sardonic, ironic sixties youth culture. It brings me back to a time before art, design, and humor had to be sophisticated to be good.
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metacool
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Leading from behind
2 Jul 2009 | 2:45 pmBusinessWeek just ran a good article about Mozilla's development process for Firefox. As readers of metacool know, I'm a big fan of Mozilla, and look to them as a living example of many of the organizational trends that will become more widespread over the coming years.I particularly like the idea of "leading from behind" mentioned in the article: How Mozilla channels those efforts is a model for a growing number of companies trying to tap into the collective talents of large pools of software developers and other enthusiasts of a product, brand, or idea. -
Once, and the triumph of heuristics
1 Jul 2009 | 11:11 amOn a friend's suggestion, I just watched the DVD of the film Once. I really liked it.It's a musical. A musical! But not in a South Pacific kind of way, with big production values and mountains of dollars behind each scene. Rather, the music is just there, and it is written and performed by the actors. I found the result incredibly moving and poignant, and meaningful in a way that a slick, over-thought production could never be. There's such value to be had in taking talented people and letting them do their thing, and taking what they do on the spot and accepting it… -
More on teams...
30 Jun 2009 | 3:51 pm -
16: Grok the gestalt of teams
29 Jun 2009 | 2:37 pmIf you're going to get innovative stuff done in the world, odds are you're going to do it with other people. If you haven't looked out the window lately, we're living in an ever more connected and interdependent world. If there ever was a time for lone inventors to thrive, this is not it: smart, action-oriented, high-EQ, multidisciplinary, interdependent teams are uniquely positioned to take on the broad, systemic challenges so in need of innovative thinking today. So if you're going to do remarkable stuff, you've got to learn to grok the gestalt of… -
The Twitter thing...
19 Jun 2009 | 10:27 amI've started using Twitter again. I first began using it about two years ago, but did not manage to make a habit of it. But now I'm back on, and I'm really on.I'm hoping that my Twitter stream acts as an extension of what already goes on here when things are running right at the metacool blog. I promise I won't use it to update you on the type of breakfast my dog just ate (I don't have a dog). I guarantee you I will focus on the art and science of bringing cool stuff to life, because at the end of the day all of this material has to come from somewhere,…
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Jeremy Scheller
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Logos are the chief of all gossipers.
24 Jun 2009 | 1:44 pmIt’s tough to create a good logo. Even tougher to create a great logo. Logos are important for what they communicate. They’re important for creating mnemonic relationships between people and your organization. They are important to communicate for you when you can’t communicate for yourself. So here’s the question I’d ask you to answer if you’re jumping into a logo project for your organization: What will your logo SAY ABOUT YOU…when you’re not there to SPEAK FOR YOURSELF? Logos are gossipers. They talk about you behind your back like an 8th… -
The biggest tragedy of the modern era…
18 Jun 2009 | 9:34 amis that I don’t own this: -
Reflections on DC09
15 May 2009 | 1:54 pmSpent the last few days at the Dynamic Church Conference in Dallas. It’s a conference for users of Fellowship One, a Church Management software from Fellowship Technologies. Here’s what I like about this software, these people, their passion: Passion drives their purpose. There is a genuine heart and belief that technology can be harnessed to help people become more fully devoted followers of Jesus. They know that their technology is not the end but the means. Fellowship One is about all about helping the church clear the administrative barriers to make way for real… -
Full-Court Press
13 May 2009 | 10:00 amMalcolm Gladwell’s recent article in the New Yorker highlights the Full-Court Press. How a rag-tag team of middle school daughters of Silicon Valley programmers, went to a national basketball championship game, because of an outsiders strategy: Effort trumps force, and responding in real time. Gladwell follows the story with coach Ranadive, a father to one of the girls on the team. Ranadive didn’t take the usual approach to winning basketball games. He wasn’t a basketball player himself. Most of his team were made up of first year players. There were no plays that were… -
This Week in Prefab: iHouse
4 May 2009 | 10:42 pmPrefab, Affordable? The promise of eco-friendly modern prefab housing is also it’s current downfall: low prices. In order to lower the price, you need to ramp up production. Classic issue of supply and demand capitalism. A new player in the market. In walks Warren Buffet and his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway…One of their companies is called Clayton House and they launched a much anticipated Eco-friendly Prefab model called the iHouse, intended to be affordable and accessible as a modern dwelling place. Personalize it. I went to the website and configured my own model which…
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Design*Sponge
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before & after: ashley’s pallet daybed
2 Jul 2009 | 11:00 amtoday's final before & after belongs to photographer ashley campbell of ashley ann photography. ashley turned this basic wood pallet into a dreamy, colorful daybed for her soon-to-arrive daughter's nursery. talk about turning raw materials into something beautiful- and i love that sideways door as a headboard. great work ashley! CLICK HERE for the full post! -
before & after: diana’s bench + jessica’s facade
2 Jul 2009 | 10:00 ami’ve got a bit of an obsession with stripes. ac had to practically pry my favorite striped sweater out of my hands when it got too shrunken and faded to wear, and i seriously squealed when i saw the colorful stripes in bonnie’s stereo cabinet. so you can imagine my delight when i saw this [...] -
before & after: bonnie’s stereo cabinet + megan’s nursery
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 ami’ve always wanted to find a good stereo cabinet we could use for ac’s old albums and record player, but haven’t found one that was in good-enough shape to take home yet. but this project from bonnie van voorst is great inspiration to try upgrading something that’s in less than perfect condition. bonnie’s husband bought [...] -
before & after: martina’s bench + kelly’s dining room
2 Jul 2009 | 8:00 ami love this creative before & after re-use project from designer martina ahlbrandt. martina’s husband found three of these black office chairs in a dumpster and decided that they had potential. so with only some silver spray paint and a few 1×4 boards, martina and her husband turned them into an outdoor bench! i don’t [...] -
before & after: a tale of 2 kitchens (and a bath)
2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 amour first before & after post of the day is all about 2 great kitchens. first up is lisa fontaine of picnic. she recently remodeled her berekely, ca kitchen and bathroom with dramatic results. i am loving the tile in both rooms and the clean modern look she’s got now. and all that light in [...]
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Design Sojourn
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What I figured out after Meditating in the Mountains!
29 Jun 2009 | 8:48 amSorry friends. It has been a while since I made contact with anyone via this blog. It was partly due to the fact that I got pretty sick and sadly I still am. It’s one ailment after another in never ending vicious cycle. I cannot seem to shake it off completely. I must be a germ magnet! Fortunately during my sick leave, I had the opportunity to do some serious thinking and reflection. In particular, what I wanted to do with this blog and it’s role in my life. Early in January this year, I announced the launch of Design Sojourn Version 4.0. It was a good revamp of the site and as well as… -
Which Design Student are You?
18 Jun 2009 | 12:26 amChuck Dillion, a lecturer at The Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, has sketched a cartoon of the different Design students he has encountered in his 10 year teaching career. Great Stuff! Here are my favorites: Check out the rest of his great sketches at Blog 30 x 30. Via: Blankanvas -
Did you have your Sustainability Discussion Today?
9 Jun 2009 | 9:26 pmImage by: tamachanhaazarashi. Designers these days face a lot of pressure to not only do good design, but also to do the right thing. Indeed the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly products cannot and should not be underestimated. However, while Designers are central to the creation of these products, it takes a lot more than just having the “Will” to do it. Experience has shown me that Consumerism is such a humongous engine, with so many factors influencing or controlling it, that a Designer and his “Will” is but a drop in the ocean. Regardless, Designers… -
So the Inductees to the Designer Mentoring Program are…
2 Jun 2009 | 8:56 amImage from AllMoviePhoto Wow! The response to the Designer Mentoring Program has been an overwhelming success. Over 30 designers of all levels have expressed interest in taking part. It was a really tough decision and I spent a lot of time agonizing over the decisions. At the end of the day the following designers were selected based on a few simple criteria: 1) The Designers can leverage off each other. The Designer Mentoring Program is not only about spending some time with me, but will also be a small community of designers with a similar passion and attitude towards design. Part of the… -
IDEO on Design Thinking at The Harvard Business Review
27 May 2009 | 10:05 amIDEO’s Tim Brown has written a great article on Design Thinking for The Harvard Business Review. This one sure did the rounds in the studio! Recently, I discovered that there is a pdf version available right on their IDEO website. Do Enjoy!
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A(nother) renovation blog
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A good cuppa joe
1 Jul 2009 | 12:09 pmI like coffee. Most mornings I have a short espresso, and on weekends spend time frothing a smidgeon of milk to have a macchiato. Recently I was reading Easy Living magazine (I was on holiday. I don't usually read it) and there was an article on how to make the best coffee at home. The "experts" reckoned that you should grind your beans with a burr grinder, and then put them into a cafetiere ( -
Lemonade Award
25 Jun 2009 | 7:25 amI am deeply cynical about awards. Particularly work related ones. I usually think they're political and having been on the judging panel for last years AOP Awards very, very difficult to win if you don't follow a strict formula. Of course, that cynicism evaporates when something I've worked on actually wins an award. On the blogging front most awards revolve around some kind of viral marketing -
An inconvenient truth
22 Jun 2009 | 6:31 amWe've just had the longest day of the year, with an inky sky just getting dark at 10.20pm last night. It's definitely a warmer summer than previous years and notably so because of our glass extension. This photo was taken at 8.20am one day last week. Yup, it was a very balmy 30 degrees, even though we'd left the three roof vents (big windows) open all night. This explains why most of our pot -
German sojourn
18 Jun 2009 | 5:26 amThis blog is currently less about renovation and more about my holidays. But as there's been no sign of any actual building work for some months I feel as though I should post something. Last week was spent in Germany, first in Berlin then in Munich, as I left the kids at home with Rob and went on a whistle stop tour, meeting up with two of my favourite girlfriends. (I should mention that the -
French sojourn
7 Jun 2009 | 1:59 pmTwo years ago we had a two-week holiday to a musty old farm house in the Dordogne. It rained almost every day in August (when it's supposed to be hot) and the house was so horrid we swore we'd never go back. Friends from NYC stayed in a holiday villa in South West France last year and said we'd love it, so we decided to go with their recommendation and duly booked the house months in advance.
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DesignM.ag
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Interview with Walter Apai of Webdesigner Depot
2 Jul 2009 | 10:49 amI’m sure most of you are familiar with the popular design blog Webdesigner Depot. In much less than a year WDD has become one of the leading blogs in the niche. I recently had a chance to interview the man behind WDD, Walter Apai. How long have you been designing and how did you get started? As a kid, I used to draw cartoons for fun. In 1999, I started designing CD covers for my music compilation CD’s. Almost by accident, I discovered that I have a talent and real passion for design. I’ve always been attracted to art, in all its shapes and forms. Web design was the natural… -
15 Essential WordPress Plugins for Portfolio Sites
1 Jul 2009 | 1:20 pmWith the right plugins and a bit of know-how, WordPress can be used to create almost any type of website imaginable. It’s the perfect platform to use for creating an online portfolio: it looks great, it can be managed remotely from any computer, it requires very little knowledge of HTML and, most importantly, it’s completely free. Artists, photographers, graphic and web designers can use WordPress to create an online portfolio that perfectly suits their work. Plugins can be used to convert a plain, standard WordPress blog into an interesting and unique portfolio that end-users… -
25+ Examples of Inspirational Text Art
29 Jun 2009 | 6:31 pmCreative designers can use typography in amazing ways. In this post we’ll feature inspiration text art from various artists. When you see something you like, click through to see more of their work. For more typographic inspiration, see our new gallery TypeInspire. For more inspiration, please see: 30 Top Sources of Typography Inspiration 35 Type Based Logos Inspirational Text Effects Typography Inspiration Showcase Looking to Hire a Designer or Developer? Post a free job listing to the DesignM.ag job board for freelance, part-time or full-time positions. Your listing will be seen by… -
Freebie: Grungy Paper Brushes for Photoshop
25 Jun 2009 | 3:40 pmA few weeks ago Caleb Kimbrough of Lost and Taken released a great set of hand-dyed paper textures. Caleb has allowed me to distribute a set of Photoshop brushes that I made using those textures. There are 12 brushes in the pack, most are 2500 pixels. These brushes can be used for both personal and commercial projects. No attribution is required, although links are always appreciated. Download the brushes for Photoshop CS2 (41MB) Download the brushes for Photoshop CS4 (41MB) For more brushes, please see: High Res Cracks Brushes for Photoshop 500+ Watercolor Brushes for Photoshop 500+… -
Design Inspiration: Nike
24 Jun 2009 | 4:42 pmIf you pay attention to advertisements, or if you browse through sites like Behance and deviantART, you’ve probably seen some very inspirational work involving the Nike brand or products. In this post we’ll feature 30 pieces of work for your design inspiration. Some are actual advertisements used by Nike, and others are experimental projects done by designers. For more design inspiration, please see: 30 Top Sources of Typography Inspiration Design Inspiration: Watercolors Advertising Design Showcase Looking to Hire a Designer or Developer? Post a free job listing to the DesignM.ag…
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The Best Part
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Sam Flores Sneak Peek
2 Jul 2009 | 3:43 pmHere's a sneak peek at Sam Flores' illustration for OM Records 15th Anniversary compilation album release. -
Mundane Details
2 Jul 2009 | 3:36 pmPhotographer Ben Voorderhake's Flickr photostream "Mundane Details" is full of the simple, captivating imagery that makes up our everyday lives. -
Poster of the Day
2 Jul 2009 | 3:34 pm -
Vikki Chu
2 Jul 2009 | 3:17 pmCheck out the fantastic illustration/sketch blog of artist Vikki Chu. -
Heike Weber
1 Jul 2009 | 3:56 pmEnjoy the crazy-intricate installations and papercuts of German artist Heike Weber.
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ValleyZen.com
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The Zen Art of Sitting
9 Jun 2009 | 10:58 amGuest Post by Esther Gokhale Author, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back Whether in Zazen or Valley Zen, sitting is very much a part of our lives. In Zen sitting, each muscle, bone and ligament has a natural place. The design of the skeleton, the end product of millennia of collaboration between gravity and structure, has a natural balance and harmony. When we restore that balance, the result is stillness and flow. No part of the body is pinched or pulled, no part signals the brain that it needs to shift, toss, turn, tighten or be protected. Structure informs function. Blood, lymph, cerebrospinal… -
Meg Whitman for Governor – MEGa Women Launch Rocks Redwood City
28 May 2009 | 1:01 am“It’s not brain surgery—It’s economics,” Meg Whitman recalled the take of her brain surgeon husband, Dr. Griffith Harsh, on California’s budget crisis. With a wry sense of humor, and authentic personal stories, Meg shared her impressive vision for a new California at the MEGa Women Bay Area Launch. What is MEGa Women? MEGa Women is a grassroots movement in support of Meg Whitman’s candidacy for Governor of California. Pumping up the audience was Statewide Chairwoman Jillian Manus: “there’s so much estrogen in this room, it could blow off the roof.” A diverse audience… -
Top Women in Tech - Backstage at Anita Borg Institute Vision Awards
8 May 2009 | 8:07 amWho are the most influential women in technology for 2009? You had to be with ValleyZen in the Fairmont San Jose last Thursday to be able not only to see but to experience the answer. Women have gone a long way in tech, and the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology’s Women of Vision’s Award celebration and dinner presented ample evidence of the distances women have traveled. The event was beautifully emceed by CBS News Anchor, Sydnie Kohara with inspirational opening remarks by Telle Whitney, President & CEO of the Institute. The 2009 Women of Vision Awards honored… -
ELON MUSK – The Über Entrepreneur’s Next Ideas
9 Apr 2009 | 7:29 pmYou already know it all about the fabled “Über Entrepreneur” (as he was billed by the Churchill Club yesterday) Elon Musk. How he dropped out of the graduate program in Physics at Stanford after only two days, how he co-founded PayPal and was the largest shareholder when it sold to EBAY in 2002 for 1.5 billion, and all about his latest accomplishments and adventures with Tesla and SpaceX. At ValleyZen we like to report on what we don’t know about yet, what’s new, what is in the imaginative space. In a Sumi-e painting that’s like the negative space, the space between brush strokes… -
CookFest 2009 in Silicon Valley
5 Apr 2009 | 12:03 pmFast-paced action and friends took center stage at CookFest 2009 hosted by Wellsphere Co-Founder Ron Gutman and Miri Gutman. Digerati descended on the Gutman home to celebrate Wellsphere’s recent acquisition by Virginia-based HealthCentral with a homey homestyle digerati hoedown. The Zen of Process It wasn’t a slick East coast styled cocktail party and sitdown dinner (although there were many friendly ex-New Yorkers there). Instead the day began with a communal trip to Whole Foods led by Ron and Miri. Next engineers and product designers alike pitched in to chop vegetables and talk about…
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Arkitip Intel
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Tangier, my restaurant opens Saturday!
2 Jul 2009 | 1:44 pmAfter 6 months of work, I am opening finally my restaurant… For this project, I decided to design everything, from the plates to the tables and chairs… The food will be a mix of french and Morrocan food… For this project, I hired the right hand of one of the best chef in France… I will keep you updated! -
Additional print offer
2 Jul 2009 | 12:05 pmToday we are making an additional print available with the edition. This second print is a completely new design that has never been seen before. It is the same size as the first print (7.5 x 10 In.) and fits snugly in it’s intended packaging. Customers who pre-ordered the issue can purchase the additional print for $10.00 (inside USA) and $15.00 (outside USA) and these prices include shipping. You cannot buy this print as a stand alone product, you must enter your order number in the notes field during checkout to confirm your original order. Any orders that do not have this… -
Lameness
2 Jul 2009 | 1:33 amGetting towed. Some asshole fucked up my spark plugs with pliers for no reason. I understand stealing them (well, they cost $2) but really. This ruined half my day on Saturday. Ended up going to a gas station where a guy with one arm used his foot and arm to get them out, so it was kinda worth it to see this guy at work. -
Anna Wolf and Mike Perry
2 Jul 2009 | 1:10 amAce Hotel is the crossroads of the world, I swear. Had a couple fun nights with Anna and Mike this week. Mike has a show in Portland on Friday at Grasshut and did a workshop today at Weiden. Such a cute couple it makes me sick. I don’t use the word ‘cute’ lightly. -
Broke.
2 Jul 2009 | 12:02 am(First image found under “berlin track bike” search on Google Images, and one Lily and I worked on for the Macaframa Premier here in Berlin) Berlin Polizei have been in a love affair with confiscating track bikes and fixed gears throughout the city recently. I first heard through emails from friends while I was traveling in the States, that fines were being issued and bikes withheld for indeterminate amounts of time. After getting back, and post ECMC, I found out that they had taken about 18 bikes from various people throughout the city. Luckily, from what I know, a lawyer stepped…
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+KN | Kitsune Noir
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The Desktop Wallpaper Project featuring Joe Hinder
2 Jul 2009 | 11:26 amName: Joe Hinder Degree/College: Graphic Communication, Bath Spa University UK Website: www.joehinder.co.uk About Your Wallpaper: Imagery inspired by Yuri Suzuki’s ‘Sound chaser’. Bobby -
CarGo Concept Vehicle
2 Jul 2009 | 11:20 amIf you’ve read this blog long enough I have an absolute affinity for small cars. I firmly believe that big cars are just stupid, unless you’re a construction worker or some kind of logger. We were all raised in smaller cars, that had no airbags, and I’m sure many of you didn’t even wear seat belts when you were growing up, and yet here we all are. Anywho, I love this concept vehicle by dam Schacter called CarGo.. It’s kind of like a Smart car and a pick-up truck mixed into one. The truck bed sort of area can sit in three different positions; there’s a… -
Platoon Kunsthalle
2 Jul 2009 | 11:01 amCreating buildings and spaces out of shipping containers isn’t necessarily a new idea, but I feel like it’s still a field that can be explored more thoroughly. You have things like the illycafe, or Freitag’s beautiful store in Zurich, and to that list I’d like to add Platoon Kunstahlle. This space in Seoul is meant to be many things, an exhibit space, a bar and restaurant, a studio, offices, and even a roof top bar. While you can still clearly see the shipping containers, the people at Platoon and Graft Architects have done a wonderful job at making it feel like a… -
The Runner
2 Jul 2009 | 10:15 amToday is feeling a bit scif-fi (god I’ve been playing too much We -
Laser-etched Wood Panels by Frank Chimero
1 Jul 2009 | 6:41 pmIt’s really pretty stupid that I haven’t posted about Frank Chimero before. I’ve seen and loved his work for about a year now, I follow him on the Twitters, there’s really no good reason. But I was browsing his Flickr yesterday and I came across his new laser-etched wood panels he’s in the process of making and I thought it went well with the things I’ve been posting today…. oh yeah, and they’re freaking beautiful. I’m not sure what size these will be or when they’re going to be released, but I’m sure I’ll re-post about…
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Core77
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The End of Driving: Mike and Maaike introduce the Autonomobile
2 Jul 2009 | 4:41 pmEither the Thunderbird or the Beetle had to go. With a baby on the way and two vintage cars in our garage, one a red 1963 VW Ragtop Mike's owned since age 15 and the other a champagne 1963 Ford T-bird, a tough decision had to be made. One of them had to be replaced... The year was 2006, and, believe it or not, these old-timers were pretty much the only cars we'd ever owned. With our purchase of a new car that winter, we made a 43 year leap in automotive technology overnight. Today's car industry is brainwashed by its own car culture, with its obsession for speed, styling and fantasy. The car… -
Allan Chochinov at Compostmodern Video: The Prosthetic Arm Project
2 Jul 2009 | 4:40 pmI was proud to present at this year's Compostmodern Conference in San Francisco, and prouder still of the student work I was able to share with the attendees. Now the videos of the day's presentations are up on the site, and the talk I gave, "Denting an Impossible Design Problem in 10 Sustainable Steps" is there to share. The presentation centers around a 10-week project my graduate students in the SVA Designer as Author program completed around "designing a prosthetic arm," and we were incredibly privileged to have Aimee Mullins, Frank Wilson, John Kunniholm, and Elliot Washor come in as… -
Core-Toons: Unsolicited Proposals to Detroit
2 Jul 2009 | 4:39 pmArtist: lunchbreath More: View all Core-toons(more...) -
Entrepreneur and ID students win invention award
2 Jul 2009 | 12:20 pmAustralian entrepreneur Bradley Wein had an idea for a device that would make changing halogen lightbulbs, which are trickier to replace than regular bulbs, easy. His ladder-free concept would also eliminate a common cause of injury among the elderly. Wein approached a team of industrial design students at Swinburne University, who spent eight months developing the concept into a workable prototype. The resultant product, "Down to Earth Lighting," won the People's Choice Awards on Australia's New Inventors program. How does the device work? Check out the (alas, unembeddable) video here. via… -
Letter from Finland: Wired to care - meeting and exceeding customer expectations
2 Jul 2009 | 11:53 am"Wired to Care", a recent book by Jump's Dev Patnaik, is the response that came to a young grad student's lips after she heard my answer to her question yesterday on how I was liking being in Finland. Her explanation was that the book talked about small companies that grew around really really wanting to meet and exceed their customer's expectations but facing the challenge of holding on to this quality after growing beyond a particular size. Yes, that can be a problem but the topic on hand was the Finnish bureaucracy. Let me explain: My answer to her question led me to expound on the biggest…
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Presentation Zen
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Who says technical presentations can't be engaging?
29 Jun 2009 | 7:45 pmPeople often ask if technical or science-related presentations can be as compelling as presentations covering other less technical topics. Now, not every presentation has earth-shattering, Nobel-Prize winning significance, but I assume if you are talking about your research or current issues in your field, etc. that your words have a benefit for someone else. I assume it is important, otherwise why waste your time and the time of others? And if it is important, then being effective matters. No one ever said that clarity and a connection with the audience were sufficient conditions for an… -
Simplicity in Las Vegas
23 Jun 2009 | 2:16 amAs our world gets more complex, discussions about simplicity grow. Yet, ironically the issue of simplicity itself — what it is, how we attain it, etc. — is not at all simple. Or perhaps we should say it is not at all easy. Simplicity means many different things to many different people, and it seems difficult to ever get people to agree exactly what it is. Simplicity is elusive and words are often inadequate to illuminate its essence, yet most rational people agree that simplicity (how ever you define it) is a worthy goal so long as "it is not too simple." Like you, I'm very interested… -
TED talk: How social media is making history by helping citizens report the real news
21 Jun 2009 | 9:08 pmClay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, has a new TED talk that is not just appropriate for our times in general, but given what is happening in Iran, it's actually perfectly poignant for this particular week. The Internet and social media changed everything, as we know. For generations communication was one-to-one or one-to-many — the one-to-many being largely the domain of the professionals. Today, as Shirky points out, the new dimension is the many-to-many, where people for the most part have the ability to bypass censors. This talk… -
Felix Jung's Pecha Kucha presentation Tips
19 Jun 2009 | 1:51 amRecently Felix Jung gave an interesting talk at Pecha Kucha Chicago, Volume 9. Felix told me that he became so interested in the process of developing his 6-minute and 40-second presentation that he created his own guide of sorts to help others. I think there's some good stuff in there worth sharing. First, let's take a look at Felix's presentation below. (The presentation is good, but the audio capture was very poor which is a bit of a distraction; try to get past that and just imagine yourself there at the live event in chicago. Go here just to see the slides with the same audio. You can… -
Portuguese & Finnish PZ books now available
17 Jun 2009 | 10:16 pmThe Presentation Zen book is now out in about 13 languages other than English. Portuguese and Finnish versions have just been been released.Apresentação Zen: Idéias Simples Sobre O Design de Apresentações e Performances I have a couple of copies of the Portuguese version of PZ. The Alta Books people did a great job with the design; the book feels really nice in the hand. Below is an iPhone snap of the cover and the opening to Chapter 3 (Planning Analog). The book is available here.Esityksen suunnittelu - zen ja pelkistämisen taitoI have not received a copy of the Finnish version yet,…
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Decor8 Daily Updates
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Marie Claire Maison & Your Dreams
2 Jul 2009 | 10:52 amI thought we’d have a little fun today and discuss dream destinations and how you feel about this topic. I am hugely inspired by magazines, like all of you, and appreciate the beauty that they so effortlessly showcase on a monthly basis like French decor magazine Marie Claire Maison. It’s one of those glossy beauties that instantly transports me a thousand miles away whenever I pick it up. This is the allure of such magazines, the lifestyle they’re showing — it’s exciting to imagine that we can also live like this if we style things just so and experiment a… -
Introducing Lonny Magazine
2 Jul 2009 | 9:23 amHave you heard the news? Lonny (decorating/lifestyle mag) is soon to hit the web in September with a new online magazine rounding up the best of the best editors, designers, artists, bloggers and friends. Designer Michelle Adams of Rubie Green just announced it — you can read more about it over at Rubie Green. Yay! Sounds pretty exciting, I can’t wait to see what inspiration they have in store for us! I’ll try to post the link as soon as they launch, so stay tuned.. Congrats Michelle and Patrick — go get ‘em! (image: lonny magazine) © Decor8. For personal,… -
6 Gifts From The Curiosity Shoppe
1 Jul 2009 | 6:43 pmI needed to replace my stapler recently so I thought I’d look for something to match my wood rolodex from Margaret and Walter in Scotland. Searching online for what felt like ages, I came across the perfect wood stapler over at The Curiosity Shoppe and cha-ching, in my cart it went. Score! Of course paying for an international move is not cheap so I’m watching what I spend and sadly I had to stop with the stapler. However you may have a few extra coins in your pocket than I do right now and if so you must pay them a visit. Especially if you’re looking for some pretty things… -
Sweet Art
1 Jul 2009 | 1:20 pmI pulled together a tiny selection of prints with a painterly wash of pink pastels that feel like Summer and I thought I’d take a moment to share them with you. Get a load of these glasses and the giant bubble blowing kid. I was looking at the Bakers Dozen recently and came across illustrator Valerio Vidali from Lisbon and well, I adore the #2 print shown below. Please take a close look at it. I’ve added a second image to show an enhanced view below. Notice the paper shape? #1 Volcano, #2 Valerio Vidali #3 Lydia, #4 Gemma Correll. Oh yes, Valerio has cut this print to mimic a… -
Plümo
30 Jun 2009 | 9:19 pmI came across Plümo a few weeks ago but was unsure as to whether I should blog them or not since it appears they don’t ship outside of the UK… but now I’m thinking why not? We don’t have to purchase every single thing we see, right? I mean window shopping is absolutely allowed for those of us not living within their shipping zone so let’s drool and browse. No harm in looking plus I find their selection inspiring as everything seems to be inspired by the exotic vacations of a lady with exquisite taste, don’t you think? I’ll be in London in August…
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TheDieline.com
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Odell Brewing Company
2 Jul 2009 | 10:37 amTBD Advertising in Bend, Oregon created the packaging for Odell Brewing Company, a brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. See more after the jump. -
Ciel Pur
2 Jul 2009 | 10:35 amBeautiful design and structural packaging for Ciel Pur, a line of bath products, designed by Yael Miller of Miller Creative. -
Wurrook
2 Jul 2009 | 6:36 amElmwood, a multidisciplinary firm with offices across the world, sent in this packaging the Melbourne branch recently created for a local farmer:"We designed and printed our pack for a local farmer/lamb producer. The box contains cuts of lamb that are plastic cryovac sealed, labelled up and placed in their cardboard box with branded sleeve. The brand story, as below: Paul & Kylie Walton own a one hundred and fifty year old sheep farm in country Victoria that has been in their family for four generations. Their farm is set on 7,500 acres and they have 22,000 Superfine Merino sheep that… -
Cannes Lions Packaging Winners
1 Jul 2009 | 4:34 pmThe 56th annual Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival has just announced the winners in the Design Category. This was only the 2nd year the festival has included a design category. Take a look at some of the package design winners from the Design Category:Jamie Oliver range by Pearlfisher, Gold:Gut Oggau Wine Packaging by Jung von Matt, Gold Flowerbomb Safe, Raison Pure, GoldKarlsson's Gold Vodka, Silver Willie's Cacao, Taxi Studio, SilverDr. Moeller's Quince Brandy, Serviceplan, SilverAcerola Drink, DRILL Tokyo, SilverHoneytube by Anthony's Garage Winery, Kolle Rebbe, BronzeSilver… -
You’ve Got 20 Seconds Or Less to Live.
1 Jul 2009 | 9:49 amThat is, your package design does. If that sounds melodramatic, think again. It’s true. Consumer product packaging exists in fast-changing retail channels loaded with competitive products and increasingly skittish shoppers, to boot. When customers make purchase decisions, they’re spending anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds—that according to repeated surveys and research conducted by consumer behavior experts. Okay, so maybe in our currently contracting economy, they’re investing a couple seconds more to further assess their options. But ask yourself: is it any wonder so many products…
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information aesthetics
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Sputnik Observatory for the Study of Contemporary Culture
2 Jul 2009 | 3:09 amSputnik Observatory for the Study of Contemporary Culture [sptnk.org] is the latest project from interactive information design hero Jonathan Harris, well known from other info-aesthetics pieces such as I Want You to Want Me, Whale Hunt, Universe, Love Lines, We Feel Fine and Ten by Ten. If you want to know more about some perplexing themes like Interspecies Communication, Urban Metabolism or 21 Senses, then this site is for you. According to Chris himself: "The project is the result of a 2-year collaboration with New York-based Sputnik, Inc., an organization that documents contemporary… -
DD4D Conference Best-Of Coverage (Guest Post)
1 Jul 2009 | 2:25 amFrom June 18-20 we attended the DD4D (= Data Designed for Decisions) [dd4d.net] conference at the OECD Conference center in Paris. The conference was organized both by the IIID and the OECD with the goal to bring together statisticians, information designers, visualization researchers, and practitioners (or as the conference stated: "intermediaries between data, knowledge and empowerment"). The conference organizers had invited a number of amazing speakers, including such celebrities as Hans Rosling and Robert Horn. The overarching question raised by most speakers was how to go from data and… -
Typographic Reinterpretation of Cunningham's Dancing Hands
1 Jul 2009 | 1:51 amAscenders & Descenders is a typographic reinterpretation of Merce Cunningham's dancing hands as recorded by OpenEnded Group for the Loops project. The piece is a Cunningham dance work reconstructed from textual deconstructions of other Cunningham dance works. Each finger has an associated excerpt from an article, review, or essay on Cunningham from the last 5 decades. These texts become the "ink" with which each finger manifests its movements. Each text is dynamically typeset in 3 dimensional space along the curves traced by his fingertips. The software keeps track of various movement… -
Cykelbarometer: Public Copenhagen Urban Bicycle Counter
30 Jun 2009 | 12:23 amThe City of Copenhagen recently launched a public bicycle counter [copenhagenize.com], completely equipped with an air pump for the convenience of cyclists. The urban display counts the daily number of cyclists that use the new Green Path that slices diagonally across the Copenhagen and Frederiksberg pathway system. There is a 'sensor line' in the asphalt on the bike lane a few metres in front of the counter which registers the cyclists, probably via a motion sensor. The idea is to encourage more people to ride by showing how many are using it. The numeric displays show the total so far today… -
Communicating the Noise Levels Caused by Heathrow Airport
30 Jun 2009 | 12:05 amThe book Unseen Networks of Heathrow Airport [iancarr.net] is accompanied by a small collection of simple data visualization posters that illustrate the noise levels at different locations in and around Heathrow airport buildings and boundaries. The "Spheres" poster portrays noise levels recorded at a Sound levels (dB) location in and around Heathrow Airport by colored circles. The "Matrix" visualization displays the link between each Sound levels (dB) location and the type of sound recorded over two minutes. In "Density", each column portrays noise levels and each line represents when the…
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We Heart Stuff
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Hotel Missoni, Edinburgh
2 Jul 2009 | 3:45 pmThe fashion and hotel industry’s ongoing ‘love-in’ continues with the recent launch of Hotel Missoni on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh. The first of a proposed international chain for Missoni, the Italian fashion house famed for it’s colourful fabrics and knitwear, Hotel Missoni, Edinburgh, is a visual onslaught of colour, vibrancy and retro chic that challenges [...] -
Non-Format
2 Jul 2009 | 2:50 pmThe ridiculously talented Norwegian/British duo Non-Format have updated their embarrassingly good portfolio with yet another fine selection of cutting edge graphic design that stands head and shoulders above the crowd. -
Skinflint Design
2 Jul 2009 | 2:44 pmSpecialising in reclaimed lighting and salvaged lights with a strong emphasis on the industrial, Skinflint Design are both dealers and a lighting design consultancy. From 1950s, M.O.D floor lights to desk and table lamps right through to architectural installations, if you are in the market for lighting with a little bit more character then you [...] -
The WHS Weekend Mixtape Vol.2
26 Jun 2009 | 1:46 amThere was only going to be one theme for this week’s WHS Weekend Mixtape, but as always we’re open to suggestions for next weekend’s selection, don’t forget to send the requests through to our Twitter account. Here’s this weeks tracklist; 01. Neil Young: The Needle And The Damage Done 02. Fleet Foxes: Mykonos 03. Fucked Up: Year Of The [...] -
Gone Camping
24 Jun 2009 | 12:23 amNo more posts until next week as we’re on our way down to the season’s flagship festival, don’t forget to follow our Twitter account for updates, at least until the battery on our iPhone runs out, that’ll be in a few hours then!
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Chris Wallace // Designer&Developer
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Woodgrain: A Free Social Media Icon Set
30 Jun 2009 | 12:17 amAfter releasing the super-cool chrome icon set, I am happy to release a new set of 19 wooden social media icons for your enjoyment. With 18 social networks represented alongside astandard RSS icon in PNG format, this is a beautiful collection that can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Download Woodgrain Social Media Icon Set If you have any suggestions to add to the set, feel free to suggest in the comments, but I may or may not decide to add to the set. There are two sizes, as shown below, 70×70 and 40×40. Facebook Digg Technorati DesignFloat Posterous twitter… -
10 Greatest WordPress Themes Ever
28 Jun 2009 | 10:05 pmI love WordPress. That’s why I put together my list of the 10 greatest WordPress themes ever. I tried to avoid having too many “frameworks” and obviously excluded my own themes, Gallery, DesignFolio+, and Absynthe, which could possibly have made the list (in my dreams). Please enjoy and as always, add your own suggestions and omissions in the comments. Agregado – A beautiful and feature-robust theme from Darren Hoyt and Matt Dawson released with Smashing Magazine which includes a lifestreaming component. Grid Focus – One of the most well-known and most-used… -
A Little Old School, A Little New
25 Jun 2009 | 5:15 amIf you visited my blog 6 months ago, you would have seen a theme similar to the one you see today. I transitioned away from this theme to work on a new Lifestream-style theme that I planned (and still plan) to release on ThemeForest. Now that the development for that theme is complete, I have redesigned this site, though, a lot of what you see you would have seen 6 months ago. The new theme is called “Scratched Up” for obvious reasons. I plan on making subtle updates over the coming weeks to make everything really gel. I hope you enjoy and if you don’t, please tell me why in… -
DesignFolio+, The Ultimate WordPress Portfolio Theme
22 Jun 2009 | 5:02 amDesignFolio Plus is a beautiful and highly customizable portfolio theme great for displaying logos, websites, print work and much more. Perfect for the design professional with little or advanced knowledge of HTML /CSS and WordPress, DesignFolio Plus comes with the following features: jQuery Slider for Portfolio Items Easy portfolio uploading (create a portfolio category and upload an image for each post and the theme does the rest) Museo Sans headings using Cufon text replacement Theme Options page with Flickr integration Colorpicker to change colors of “The Stripe” and other… -
Gallery 1.2 Released
21 Jun 2009 | 11:05 pmIMPORTANT: Upgrading from earlier versions of Gallery requires removal of /gallery/ theme folder due to removal of page templates in prior versions of Gallery. IMPORTANT: Gallery 1.2 only works with Thematic 0.9.5. Make sure to download and upgrade to Thematic 0.9.5 first. It’s been a while since I’ve released any updates for Gallery and I’m sure some of you have been wondering what’s going on. In the past month, I’ve been working with Ian Stewart and Chris Gossman, lead developers for Thematic, to help improve both the amazing Thematic framework and the awesome…
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The Groundswell Blog
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A Call to Stencil with Mud
2 Jul 2009 | 7:14 amI recently added a new page to my mud stencils blog inviting other artists to submit images of their mud stencils. If you want try stenciling with mud, directions can be found on my blog. Send images to jessegraves@gmail.com Inspired by Rebecca… Related posts:We Want Political Posters That Work!: A Call to Open Critique of the TAMMS Year Ten/Justseeds ExhibitionGraffitti Research Lab’s James Powderly Detained for Planned Pro-Tibet “L.A.S.E.R. Stencil” art protestChicago’s Version Fest ‘09: Call for Participation -
Fifteen Sounds of the War on the Poor
1 Jul 2009 | 9:45 amUltraRed’s online label, Public Record, released the fourth and final installment of their Fifteen Sounds of the War on the Poor series, an electronic music exploration of the question “What is the sound of the war on the poor?” Comprised of… Related posts:SCAPEGOAT architecture/landscape/political economyPablo Neruda’s “Standard Oil Co.” -
LAND/ART: A Collaborative Exploration of Land-based Art in New Mexico
30 Jun 2009 | 9:43 amThe Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) opened the six-month environmental art project LAND/ART on Saturday with a guided bus tour through New Mexico’s built landscapes. Appropriately set in the American Southwest, where pioneering land-based artists created the first generation of… Related posts:Poster Dwelling: Land, Market and EconomyDownload “Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land” Free from MEFNYFA Current: Public Art Off the Grid -
Groundswell Talks: Rebecca Lerner, Urban Forager
29 Jun 2009 | 11:41 am(Milwaukee-based street artist and object maker Jesse Graves is a guest blogger for Groundswell.) Rebecca Lerner, a reporter and urban forager living in Portland Oregon, recently attempted to survive only on wild edibles she gathered in her city. Lerner wrote about her… Related posts:Groundswell Talks: Don Russell of Provisions LibraryGroundswell Talks: Better World AdvertisingGroundswell Talks: Mark Tribe -
Groundswell Weekly Review: June 21 – 27, 2009
27 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amNo Soul for Sale: A Festival of Independents began June 24 in NYC. Billed as “a celebration of the independent forces that animate contemporary art,” more than 30 art spaces from around the world will be represented. Everyone’s talking about it,… Related posts:Groundswell Weekly Review: June 14 – 21, 2009C.R.A.S.H London’s Financial District this June!ECMA 2009 Performers’ Webcast!
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PagePlane.com
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The use of symmetry in graphic design
1 Jul 2009 | 9:59 amI like the way David Pearson used asymmetrical illustrations to create these unique, decidedly symmetrical book cover designs. The use of symmetry in design has long intrigued me. I guess it is some deep psychological attraction to the foundational balance and order of nature. It pays to recall how profoundly we are influenced by design. Have you seen any other good examples you can point us to? David Pearson's Great Journeys series for Penguin... A passage from The Elements of Graphic Design by Alex W. White on Symmetry and asymmetry... Visit the Ideabook.com… -
My drug? Sideways web pages
29 Jun 2009 | 1:36 pmI must get some kind of endorphin rush from "different." I like to see people break the mold, send the conversation in another direction, turn the tables, innovate, and so on. Web pages that scroll sideways are no longer revolutionary but I still love the fact that they are so counter-intuitive. Here is yet another excellent example pointed to by my brother Jim (thanks buddy). Music ain't bad either. Elvis Costello's site... If you're curious, here's the background image... The illustrations are by (the strange) Tony Millionaire... Visit the Ideabook.com… -
Interesting typefaces, interesting navigation
26 Jun 2009 | 5:28 pmIn addition to the fact that OurType offers some interesting typefaces, their web page offers some unique ideas about navigation. I must admit it took me a couple of beats to figure out that you click and drag the orange arrows to move up and down, but other than that I like how the designer has made everything accessible from one screen. The only downside being I can't point you to specific information--no variable URL. OurType... Visit the Ideabook.com Store | Subscribe to the newsletter -
Brevity and graphic design
24 Jun 2009 | 7:13 pmThere is a theory that pose that making something complex makes it seem more valuable. But that is not always the case. This web page--a single page--is a great example of how effective it can be to tell a complex story in simple terms. You condense your message to its essence and in doing so show respect for the fact that I don't necessarily have the time to read ten or twenty pages and condense it myself. That (in many cases) is what you want your reader to come away with correct? If you can do the condensing for me if would seem I am far more likely to get an accurate account. The First… -
Great typographic inspiration
22 Jun 2009 | 6:34 pmArt director and designer Kent Henderson has assembled a wonderful collection of type specimens via Flickr under the umbrella of Depression Press. Kent's “Typecase” set... More print- and type-centric sets... Visit the Ideabook.com Store | Subscribe to the newsletter
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Ponoko - Blog
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How To Give Yourself a DIY Laser Cut Tattoo
29 Jun 2009 | 1:15 pmdisclaimer: do not try this at home, not a Ponoko service……. We have all heard of laser tattoo removal to get rid of those embarrassing love/hate tattoo’s off of one’s knuckles, or to change Winnona into Wino Forever. But the democratization of access to tools of manufacture and self mutilation have now converged on the instructables site by Tetranitrate. Click on the image or link above to see what looks like a couple of students experimenting with their school’s epilog laser cutter (there is a plug for them). The Instructables post steps through how to set up,… -
Undulating Layered Cardboard Desk
29 Jun 2009 | 10:27 amBoolean Construction by the Celebrated Ball-Nogues Studio. This may not be the most economical use of cardboard produce a structure but the undulating form of the new reception desk for The Edward Cella Art + Architecture Gallery in Los Angeles by Ball-Nogues Studio is an interestingly raw use of layered cardboard. The undulating functional object was crafted from assembled layers of diecut cardboard and Koskisen plywood. Seeking to affect the white cube space of the gallery with the minimum of materials, Ball-Nogues utilized the surging repetition and pattern created with stacking two shapes… -
zipit
29 Jun 2009 | 4:32 amziplocked flatpack chair zipit is a unique “do it yourself” chair by viktormatic based on a kit of wood modules, cardboard seat and backrest cushions, to be easily built up and disassembled only with zip ties connections. “A new undefined human personality needs in my mind objects that own a variable adjusting and transformable character. thereby i developed this kit based chair whose connections are fixed with adjustable zip-ties. because of these uneasy connections, this chair tends to be loose and wobbly, but this is part of “a new way of sitting” idea.”… -
The Fundament Lounge
28 Jun 2009 | 9:40 pmFlat Pack Furniture with Danish Influence The Fundament Lounge by Acronym Designs is a pack flat lounger that was inspired by some mid-century pieces where simple lines and a low slung stance. The oak use for this piece is reclaimed and is currently being sourced from a company that makes tractor trailer beds. They have immense amounts of cut off waste that is too small for their purposes, but suits furniture design. Instead of this wood going to the landfill or being burned, it is converted it into functional and attractive furniture making it a sustainable design. The chair is a pack flat… -
Hand Printed Photos
28 Jun 2009 | 6:06 pmrethinking technology and speed one pixel at a time thehumanprinter is a group of people who print photos in CMYK or B&W by hand. Simply send in your images via email and they will very slowly convert your images to your preferred format, either greyscale, CMYK or Spot Colour, very slowly. Why? In the words of the human printer team… Technology is an integral aspect of modern day life, so much so that without it we may not be able to function. We have constructed these machines to aid our lives, making simple productions/tasks easier to accomplish. Though these developments were…
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SensoryMetrics
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Kid-tribution House Party
25 Jun 2009 | 12:56 pmWe’ve written before about SM friend Gene DeRose’s House Party. House Party launched a Kid-tribution House party hapenning August 15. Apply to host a Children International party to explore child sponsorship. The party pack from House Party includes a Family Feud game! Woot! Apply now! Social Media for the social good. Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Stumble This Post -
Whenever I’m away, I’ll keep you in the small of my heart
24 Jun 2009 | 5:20 pmWe’re so sorry SM readers!! The posts have slowed to a drought. But we’re back. Here’s a video of a terrific pop/folk duo – Madison-Violet. In this live video they get audience participation but the women and guys are singing different keys. Really nice how they accomplished that! If you’re in Wakefield, Canada on August 2nd, catch this duo at the Black Sheep Inn!! Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Stumble This Post -
The Future According to Cisco
2 Jun 2009 | 8:07 amIt’s a busy week at Cisco. First the networking giant joins the elite Dow Jones, and today it opens its Partner Summit Conference in Boston. CTO Padmasree Warrior kicks it off with a profound statement: “Great execution is almost always a competitive advantage over a good idea. Vision without execution is just a dream.” So, Cisco will be executing on its vision (as reported by Var Guy): Future of Work: Cisco and partners will focus on inter-company collaboration, mobile experience, clusters of experts and millennials. Voice, data and video must be integrated with consistency and… -
Eraserhead Road Movies: David Lynch’s Interview Project
2 Jun 2009 | 5:28 amDavid Lynch has long understood the potential of the web for media and storytelling. In his latest Interview Project, he has assembled a team headed by son Austin to travel the US and collect remarkable stories from seemingly unremarkable people. 121 short episodes have been recorded. The first one, “Jess” debuted this week. It’s an interview with an older man looking for peace and hoping to find it in the desert near Needles, California. Needles? Isn’t that where Snoopy’s brother lives? Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Stumble… -
Twitter Ecosystem: Parody or Piracy?
28 May 2009 | 4:33 pmIt’s too fun too ignore! Like a late-night info-mercial!! Twitter-Power System WILL make you successful, and only cost you $77. C’mon it’s gotta be a joke – 10 CDs of Twitter marketing insights??? The spelling mistakes alone are worth it… ”Barack Obama become the president thanks to Twitter…” OK – judge for yourself… Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Stumble This Post
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Designers who Blog
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Creative Opera
25 Jun 2009 | 8:23 pmCreative Opera Manda Szewczyk There is nothing quite like opening an email from a talented blogger. Especially when they sharing a blog of the quality of Creative Opera. Creative Opera features creative advice and inspiration for graphic designers and web designers. Creative Opera is a blog for new designers, future designers, and anyone who loves design. Creative Opera posts are full of useful information, creative inspiration, and professional advice. Because Manda spent years teaching design, many of her posts are targeted toward students and new designers. It is fantastic, however, when… -
NO!SPEC on Twitter
19 Jun 2009 | 2:54 amNO!SPEC on Twitter Blogs, Mad about Design I keep waiting for my copy of Blogs, Mad about Design to arrive to I can write a post about it on DWB. Sigh. I must be the LAST person in the whole wide world who hasn’t received theirs yet! But, no matter, I contacted Macarena at www.maomaopublications.com and she says it’s on the way. And if not, she’ll send me another. Twitter, twitter, twitter… In the meantime, I thought I’d share a designer’s new best friend: Twitter. And better yet, NO!SPEC on twitter: nospec If you are looking for other designers on twitter,… -
ideasonideas: Drones at the karaoke lounge of design
23 May 2009 | 3:22 amEric at ideasonideas A reminder to pre-order Eric’s book It’s been awhile since I’ve heard from Eric Karjaluoto, and now I know why: he’s been mighty busy. I know I mentioned it the last post, but I’m getting close to releasing my first book. As such, I want to make sure that you’re in the loop. The upcoming book looks at how small companies can out-market bigger ones, which is a topic I’m quite excited about. So if you want to stay in the loop, contact Eric asap. I know I will. Drones at the karaoke lounge of design Eric Karjaluoto is a dream of a design writer,… -
Wolda ‘09 Open for Entries
13 May 2009 | 7:02 amWolda 09 Wolda ‘09 is open for entries Hey all, this just came across my virtual desk… Wolda ‘09 is now collecting logos from all over the world designed both in 2008 and 2009 accepting submissions in two separate deadlines: June 30, 2009 for logos designed in 2008 January 31, 2010 for logos designed in 2009 The core of excellence generated by this process is collated in a printed annual, printed on SAPPI acclaimed papers by Fontegrafica, winner of numerous worldwide awards. Entry to Wolda includes a ‘09 book copy for each participant completely free of charge,… -
Pikaland: The Illustrated Life
5 May 2009 | 6:00 pmPikaland Amy Ng Amy has a dream… Pikaland is a blog about living the illustrated life — an art and illustration blog that’s a collection of beautiful things and inspirations that I stumble upon on the internet that’s made/designed by illustrators and artists, and is updated almost daily. I also love thinking of new ways and projects where I can connect illustrators + artists with their audience, so the first one that I’m organising is the PikaPackage project. There are more in the works! ;) Pikland is such a wonderfully written blog, head over to Amy’s about page for the…
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Wise Elephant: Design and Influence
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Be Magnetic
Increasingly the trend is that people prefer to gain information from other "people" and have a growing interest in "the personal." It could be a symptom of reality TV saturation, or a natural pendulum swing towards perceived authenticity after twenty+ years of advertising and PR bombardment from ever increasing media ... -
Wise Elephant’s Jason Moriber, LIVE! (NYC)
Wise Elephant's Jason Moriber, LIVE! (NYC) Build digital relationships that drive the traffic to your portfolios/sites! Be actively marketing your work in the manner that matches the behavior of the buying audience. Project your verve, skills, and passion for your craft. Please join us on JUNE 25 from 6-8PM @ WORKBOOK's NYC ... -
Analysis: The YouTube Tea Leaves: Stock Imagery, as a Business, is Not Sustainable
Analysis: The YouTube Tea Leaves: Stock Imagery, as a Business, is Not Sustainable The recent analysis of YouTube's earning potential by Credit Suisse (reported here and here) points to a big red blot of ink, YouTube is losing lots of money, remains totally subsidized by Google earnings, and might always be. ... -
Please don’t skimp your clients
Last night my family chose to get together at a restaurant we've enjoyed in the past. Food has been good, the service, the atmosphere, all good. The waitress asked us for our drink order, during the round it turned out they had only one type of gin available, and it ... -
Google, Artists, & a Value Grade
The creative "value grade" Everybody wants a piece of the creative arts (from Popes to moguls) some would pay for it, some would enslave for it. It has always been a path of passion to be creative, in some cases a decent living, but always with a mix of pitfalls, traps, ...
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uselog.com | the product usability weblog
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Usability as sales argument for Sharp copiers
2 Jul 2009 | 4:55 amIn addition to Xerox - just push the green button - and Océ, who have been paying attention to the usability of their copiers and advertising that, we can now add Sharp to the 'usable copiers' list. Or at least advertised as usable. In the commercial above, the protagonist asks the following question:Why does my company have so many different printers and copiers, all different brands, with different controls? Give me one product line with a big colorful LCD screen and common controls. [...] And I don't wanna use one of those mini-screen keyboards! How about: a built-in keyboard? Was that… -
Designing usable money is not nickel and dime stuff
29 Jun 2009 | 5:18 amOne of the perks of spending some time abroad is that you get to be naive again. You are not accustomed to the design of what you interact with in daily life, so you see new things. I've had the opportunity and pleasure of spending two months at Northwestern University's Segal Design Institute and MMM-program. And for all the things I thoroughly enjoyed in the US, I must say, it was not the design of the coins and banknotes.What confused me about US coinsFirst of all, looking at the coins (pictured above) you can see that it's not very clearly indicated what the denomination of the coins is. -
How to dial phonewords on a Blackberry?
26 Jun 2009 | 6:03 amOn phones with a regular keypad (left) on every numbered key there's three letters as well, allowing for the use of phonewords or vanity numbers. Think 1-800-flowers or 1-800-rent-a-car. In the US, advertisers often only list the phoneword (as in the photo below). But I was just wondering: how do you enter a phoneword number on a Blackberry keypad (pictured right), where the distribution of letters and numbers over the keys is different? As it turns out, you need to use a workaround. -
FoodUX: for UX designers that are hungry for more
23 Jun 2009 | 5:34 amIt's good to get inspired by other disciplines once in a while. Here's a combination that I hadn't seen before, but that put a smile on my face when I did: FoodUX - gastronomic inspiration for UX designers. As the author puts it: FoodUX is a passion synergy of the creation of memorable culinary experiences and the design for compelling user experiences. -
When graphic design gets in the way
18 Jun 2009 | 11:16 amWhen I first saw the products pictured above I was not sure what to make of them. You are wondering what you are looking at? They're actually fire extinguishers from Fire Design. However, in case of fire I would like anyone who's around to be able to find the fire extinguisher in the blink of an eye. And a cool graphic design doesn't exactly help to identify these objects as being fire extinguishers. They might as well be one of those hip 'design' SIGG bottles.When someone has to find something quick, it helps if the 'something' is looking like they expect it to. In which case it helps to…
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ABCD Design
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Côte d’Azur and Monaco {we’re off!}
1 Jul 2009 | 5:22 amFact is … we’re both pretty big cycling fans (him more than I) and last year (back when Mr. D worked for a London based company) we scheduled a trip to the United Kingdom for the weeks straddling the 4th of July. The two of us figured we’d pop down to Monaco for the start of Le Tour De France within that business trip. *Obviously* things have changed drastically since that plan was made. Mr. D has been officially “off” from work since June 1st. At the start of June we spent a few weeks in Knoxville with his family. During that time we realized the two of us have… -
Bespoke Stationery {featured} Diagnosis Deferred
30 Jun 2009 | 5:31 amCan I tell you how delighted I was to find that Bespoke Stationery was featured at Diagnosis Deferred for a second time? I am completely pleased that my designs are STILL on Teresa’s radar and she thinks enough of the designs to share my work with her readers. Hip-hip-hooray! Teresa, thank you ever-so-much for shining the light on ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery - AGAIN! -
J. Morgan Puett “artistic domesticating” at it’s finest
29 Jun 2009 | 6:21 amI first learned of J. Morgan Puett as a student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is an alumni of SAIC and while I did not attend The School at the same time as her, she has long been someone whose body of work I hold high up on a pedestal. J. Morgan Puett’s work spans from architecture and interiors to fashion and art installations. I believe from the center of my core that it is truly incredible work. Just looking at these images while putting this post together makes my heart sing. She lives day in and day out within her artistic expression exploring her involvements… -
Mad at Madoff? Say it on your shirt!
28 Jun 2009 | 9:20 amThe man responsible for turning our “perfect little world” on it’s ear is being sentenced this week. Are you mad at Madoff? Say it on your shirt! Muck Fadoff t-shirt’s are available at Cafe Press. There are several different styles - check them out here. I wore my “Subtle T” (charcoal grey on black) all day Saturday. The cheers and inquiries came rolling in. I have a feeling I sold a few! It would be completely ironic if Mr. D and I made money off of these T-shirts, wouldn’t it? The good news: The 9am meeting I was wishing on last Friday went really,… -
ABC Dragoo {Featured} Creatives Cook
26 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amHow often to I sing the praises of Twitter? Yet again, I have to say it is a wonderful place! As part of my Nesting “Twibe” I like to Tweet and RT (re-tweet) items of interest that I think my Nesting Group would like. The key topics in this group are Nesting, Design, Home and Recipes. One morning last week I was “Tweeting” back and forth with interior designer Tobi Fairley (@tobifairley) about banana bread and spaghetti carbonara recipes - when lovely Ms. Shani aka (@camillemaurice) chimed in. She had decided to start a whole series of blog posts about creative…
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Un Cool Hunting
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Knife Holder Noses - Newest Body Bod Gets Large and Sliced
These creepy nose piercings are not for everybody, but they are loved by some. The spaced nostrils are extremely large when considering the surface of the nose. He could literally eat his dinner from… -
10 Examples of Marker Madness - From Body Art Videos to Sharpie Decor
There are a ton of creative things to do with markers. This gallery goes through everything from marker-drawn body art to decorating with Sharpies and bags made of drawing utensils. The next time someone… -
Syringe Chandeliers - BUGHOUSE Makes Unique Furnishings From Household Items
Jeff Klarin and Rebecca Johnson, two designers from BUGHOUSE, have made some extraordinary house furnishings. All their pieces are limited edition and flips the traditional expectations of furniture. From… -
Gold Gasmasks - MathMatiks Makes Everything from Moneyclips to Cufflinks Badass (UPDATE)
If you’ve ever wanted some money weapons, MathMatiks has a fierce collection for you, with everything from an AK47 money clip to golden gas masks -- they even make grenade cufflinks! We featured several… -
15 Peculiar Padded Products - From Uplifting Underwear to Padded Unisex Shirts
The padded products in this slideshow are here to remind us that it's easy to supplement Mother Nature's good work with a little bit of creative cushioning. Some of the innovations below do just that.…
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Bits or pieces?
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Our cloud offering is ... a stamp.
30 Jun 2009 | 3:34 pmI was all excited about Red Hat's entry into the cloud computing space until I read the press release.Here's my problem ... Today, a whole range of public cloud providers offer Red Hat as a virtual machine operating system (along with every other operating system). Tomorrow, Red Hat will certify some of those cloud providers.Either I'm missing the point, or this is just the same as before but with a stamp of approval from Red Hat? Is it me or does that just seem incredibly arrogant? We can fix the cloud by applying our magic pixie dust stamp of approval.I've worked extremely hard with the… -
Black is the new ... black.
22 Jun 2009 | 6:44 amMy friend James is reported to have said :-"as far as the enterprise is concerned, cloud [computing] is the new VMWare, and IBM wants a fat slice this time".According to another friend of mine, James Urquhart, it looks like the new slice IBM is getting is based upon .... VMWare. -
Numb Nuts ...
22 Jun 2009 | 4:01 amNumb Nuts are those people whose mental faculties have somewhat been pacified by the onset of an easy culture. It would be unfair to describe them as feeble-minded as it's more about an unwillingness to think.In the "cloud" world there are many examples of second sourcing failure through proprietary technology (e.g. Zimki, CogHead & Virtual Iron). Equally there are many Numb Nuts who still believe that proprietary is the way forward.A femtogram of thought would show that in the service world, competition and value should be around services whilst the bits are free.If you're building a cloud… -
The cloud isn't just vapour.
15 Jun 2009 | 7:23 amI was recently asked whether I thought cloud was vapour, whether open sourced cloud systems could solve many of the adoption concerns over cloud computing, whether it was likely that such systems would appear, what standards would they support and which distribution would make the first move?I know I haven't been blogging much recently but I was surprised by the questions.First, regardless of whatever definition you use to describe cloud computing (a fairly hopeless task in my view), the term merely identifies an underlying shift of I.T. from a product to a service based economy. It's a… -
Double, double toil and trouble ...
3 Jun 2009 | 12:53 pmIt seems that the witches of Westminster have been caught with their hands in the cauldron. To avoid being burnt at the stake they've been resigning from the coven in an unnatural haste.In some warped plot twist that would make Shakespeare squirm these blackened souls have decided that they have been wronged."Fair is foul, and foul is fair" these harpies cry as they organise the hapless master's doom.You just couldn't make this stuff up. Are there no depths that MP's won't stoop to? Have they no shame? Not even a tiny sliver?"Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's…
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freshvintage
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Sparkles for a Steal
20 Jun 2009 | 6:44 pmSo much fabulousness, I don't even know where to start...Here's a pair of Lemaire Fabt Paris opera binoculars with leather casing. If these didn't say "Paris" on them, I probably wouldn't have bought them. Three Horse Show Ribbons from 1949 in cream, pink and olive green. As soon as I saw them, I thought of this post on Andrea's Everyday Beauty blog. I scooped these up on the last day of a three-day estate sale in Delaware, when everything was 20% off. How could these have slipped through the cracks? They would look so cute hanging in a little girl's room.A silver baby cup:It is engraved with… -
freshfind: vintage jack & jill lamp
18 Jun 2009 | 12:57 pmVintage Irmi Jack & Jill lamp with light-up wellFind more Irmi goodness on Flickr -
Crazy Keywords, eBay Interview & Vote for Me
12 Jun 2009 | 5:34 amI finally wrote a new post on my freshblogtips.com blog about the advice I gave my mom when she decided to start a blog. I thought I'd celebrate by sharing some of my favorite keywords that have brought readers to freshvintage in the past few months (unexpectedly, I am sure). I've done this before, and they keep getting better.I'm still not sure how some of these phrases brought people to my blog. Especially the first one: am i offending blacks with my clothing big tits wool clothes vintage clothing for traditional catholics you're dumb where do the crack whores hang out in charlotte nc… -
The rumors are true.
7 Jun 2009 | 4:56 amMy mother started a blog: BoggleMama.com. It sounded like a good idea when I first suggested it to her. I even helped her come up with a name for it. But I fear that I have unleashed a blogging beast. She has the potential to share an ungodly number of stories that could be very embarrassing to my siblings and me. In fact, I would say I am on the top of their collective shit lists right now. If you love cringe-worthy childhood photos, tales of medical mishaps, brushes with famous people, and life stories of a former prostitute who braved it all to eventually become a loving mother of five… -
Mid-Century School Chairs, Brownies & Ninja Maeve
2 Jun 2009 | 2:45 pmHere are some finds from the last few weeks of junking. I spent $30 for everything in this post... I bought these four Brunswick children's chairs for four bucks at a fancy private school's yard sale. It is difficult to see the colors, but there are two light green, one pale yellow and one beige. They are a little beat up - the legs have some rust on them. But the plastic seats cleaned up very well with the Magic Eraser. Love that thing.They have that mid-century modern Eames-era thing going on. You know that I am not necessarily into that style, but that it is selling a lot these days. And…
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DesignNotes by Michael Surtees
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Studying Process Type Foundry
2 Jul 2009 | 6:59 amThis post is a bit of an experiment for me. It’s also has taken a couple days to complete hence the slow down in posts this week. I started off digging around the podcast U from iTunes checking out what I might have missed while listening to my regular podcasts. I came across what the Walker Arts center had and was impressed. One of the more interesting lectures to me that I saw was from the people at Process Type Foundry. I’d bought Locator back in the days when I was in Canada so I thought that talk was one that I should start off with. So walking back and fourth to work for a… -
Mapping my iPhone space
30 Jun 2009 | 6:13 amWarnings on iPhones come in a different couple flavours. There’s the blue dialogue box that mentions how a person has surpassed their 100 twitter api calls per hour or mentioning that there was a loss of internet connection. There’s also those red pop up’s that cover the corner of an app mentioning how many “things” are inside to be clicked. I think those red dialogue boxes have been there from the beginning of the iPhon UI. As I was looking at them I kind of wondered why they were placed on the top right of the app? Was it more likely that there would be action taken if… -
Link Drop (6·26·09)
29 Jun 2009 | 3:53 amOk, this Link Drop is even too late for my liking… But it’s better to publish it three days late as opposed to not posting it all or doing a double issue this week. With the amount of rain NYC has been getting in June, if there’s a day of sun it’s worth trying to make the most of it. This weekend there was a lot of it—hence this post is coming out on a Monday. I’ve got UX on my mind and it seemed like that came across with a lot of the posts that I thought were worth saving. But isn’t everything about some sort of experience? Chris Anderson Interview… -
This week
25 Jun 2009 | 6:29 pmkensands wrote “Most significant death of the week? You decide: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Neda Agha Soltan.” -
REVIEW COPY: I Miss My Pencil by Martin Bone and Kara Johnson
24 Jun 2009 | 6:13 amI Miss My Pencil, by Martin Bone and Kara Johnson is a highly unusual design book in that it’s not just about the final product, it’s not about dry process and it’s not about trying to build a egocentric design legacy. Through all the modern day technologies of today like IM, email and face to face communication, Bone and Johnson work in parallel talking about projects that don’t yet exist. They use their discussions as starting points for experiments that in the end may or may not become products and may or may not be successful. For a number of topics they…
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House Enthusiast
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Salem Farmers' Market
26 Jun 2009 | 9:31 amWith yesterday’s opening of the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Main Streets has revived a Salem, Massachusetts tradition, dating back to 1634.The Old Town Hall in Derby Square, behind Artists Row, was formerly known as the Market House. It is the site of both the original and the new market, which encircles the stately 1816 Federal Style building (credited in part to both Charles Bulfinch and Samuel McIntire).The historic venue in downtown Salem is an ideal showcase for local food and handiworks, all within walking distance of Essex and Front Street retail and… -
Design snapshot: Driveway nuance
19 Jun 2009 | 6:04 amAll too often the driveway is a design throwaway.Not this one.Here there are three clearly considered zones: the outer area for passersby; the large, intermediate area for a car; and the more intimate, inner pathway for guests or occupants. The old, masonry sidewalk and curbstone, which accommodate the passing public, set the scene with authentic, worn, brick and granite. The intermediate zone is defined by a Belgian block border, which frames a pea-stone car pad, and continues off-camera to the left in the form of a Belgian block footpath leading to the front entry. The… -
Art in the Barn
15 Jun 2009 | 2:01 pmMy "Art of a Barn"A few years ago I went to my first Art in the Barn in Essex, Mass. on a gorgeous June afternoon and was enthralled.I asked my husband if he wanted to go back to the barns the next weekend too.That’s when I learned, to my dismay, that it’s an annual fundraising event.As much as I would like to spend many weekends each summer at the Greenbelt’s exquisite Cox Reservation, browsing inspirational art within venerable structures perched above salt marshes, I (and you) must make do with only one weekend per year.This summer’s event wrapped up… -
Web tour: Boston Globe: Gardeners for hire
12 Jun 2009 | 11:04 amWednesday's Globe highlighted a growing phenomenon which is win-win for everyone. Michael Prager's article features three "urban ag outfits" in the Boston area that participate in lawn farming. Their innovative business models range from full care, using homeowner property for community supported agriculture (in which property owners get a share or portion of a share depending on garden size); to garden creation, so homeowners can grow their own produce; to consulting. Living in a condo, with only a tiny patio, a lawn farm isn't an option for me, but I'd… -
Launching KHS photography: prints and note cards
7 Jun 2009 | 9:40 amI first discovered the bliss of photography while a student at RISD.For years afterwards I focused on black & white photography and the techniques of the zone system.Along the way, I dabbled with Polaroid transfers, photo polymer etching, the Holga toy camera, and pinhole photography.I came to digital photography and the world of color slowly.Today, I’m a happy convert. My favorite subject matter, as you might expect, is home: exterior & interior, garden, landscape, seascape, and farm.I’m now offering select fine art photos for sale in the form of prints and note…
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c'est jolie
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happy father's day!
21 Jun 2009 | 9:09 pmDear Dad,I love you.xoxo,your blue-eyed blondie -
i love mexican food
19 Jun 2009 | 12:23 pmIt is no secret....I love mexican food. It's probably from my So Cal upbringing and the fact that everyone in my family loves it too. I want to serve this at my next fiesta. -
the best e-mail I have recieved in weeks
19 Jun 2009 | 12:13 pmI often enjoy "recommendations" for the blog. I never do anything for monetary gain...I just post things I find lovely, useful, or darn right amazing. Well, I recently received an e-mail from my Dad raving about a certain Sephora hand cream. It has his seal of approval...just read below to see for yourself:Dear Erin {my most favoritist daughter.....ok, I added that},While visiting Emily {my younger sister} last month I was looking for a hand cream to deal with my hands that were rough and cracking. I came across a Sephora product that Emily said no one uses. I tried it and my hands were soft… -
tag....you're it.
19 Jun 2009 | 12:10 pmTags, tags more glorious tags from Every Jot & Tittle. -
anson
16 Jun 2009 | 9:44 amMy dear friend Jen had her youngest photographed by neighbor and photographer Laura Bunker recently. My sister called me up WAY too early one morning to look at something online and mumbling and grumbling I opened my computer and went typed in some random blog address and my heart absolutely soared! Anson is so flipping cute I could have died! Needless to say, I was fully awake then. Look at those eyes, that face! I want to give him kisses right now! Great work Laura! If you are in the American Fork area call her to capture your kids!!!
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design:related - posts list
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Pop-Up Typography
2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 amA recent addition to my book collection was a pop-up typography book, ABC3D by French designer Marion Bataille, video shown above; a brilliant exploration of the process of construction and interaction, through the letters of the alphabet. Each letter is carefully constructed using only paper and minimal colour (red, white and black). Its ability to combine a primitive feel through it's use of -
In Three Words
2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 amLast weekend saw the graphic design graduates from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth, newly named as the Arts University College, move their end of year exhibition in Bournemouth to the D&AD New Blood exhibition in London this week.Entitled 'In Three Words', each student has identified themselves and their work by describing their individual aptitudes, methods and virtues in three words. The -
MTV's new look: Pop x 1000%
1 Jul 2009 | 11:57 pmMTV International is launching a new look this week across all 64 of its worldwide channels, led by UK studio Universal Everything. -
Free Icon Sets Links and Resources
1 Jul 2009 | 10:43 pmThe one who are in the field of website designing and web developing has requires some quality icons. As icons are very necessary for saying about something in terms of small image. Icons are use in website widely but for some time that trend gone and people prefer simple text link. But now that trend is return as in web 2.0 style design’s one... -
Dating
1 Jul 2009 | 10:11 pmLearn FREE Dating Tips & Advice for Men & Women. Boost your confidence and meet the mate of your dreams.
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Ponoko - Blog
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How To Give Yourself a DIY Laser Cut Tattoo
29 Jun 2009 | 1:15 pmdisclaimer: do not try this at home, not a Ponoko service……. We have all heard of laser tattoo removal to get rid of those embarrassing love/hate tattoo’s off of one’s knuckles, or to change Winnona into Wino Forever. But the democratization of access to tools of manufacture and self mutilation have now converged on the instructables site by Tetranitrate. Click on the image or link above to see what looks like a couple of students experimenting with their school’s epilog laser cutter (there is a plug for them). The Instructables post steps through how to set up,… -
Undulating Layered Cardboard Desk
29 Jun 2009 | 10:27 amBoolean Construction by the Celebrated Ball-Nogues Studio. This may not be the most economical use of cardboard produce a structure but the undulating form of the new reception desk for The Edward Cella Art + Architecture Gallery in Los Angeles by Ball-Nogues Studio is an interestingly raw use of layered cardboard. The undulating functional object was crafted from assembled layers of diecut cardboard and Koskisen plywood. Seeking to affect the white cube space of the gallery with the minimum of materials, Ball-Nogues utilized the surging repetition and pattern created with stacking two shapes… -
zipit
29 Jun 2009 | 4:32 amziplocked flatpack chair zipit is a unique “do it yourself” chair by viktormatic based on a kit of wood modules, cardboard seat and backrest cushions, to be easily built up and disassembled only with zip ties connections. “A new undefined human personality needs in my mind objects that own a variable adjusting and transformable character. thereby i developed this kit based chair whose connections are fixed with adjustable zip-ties. because of these uneasy connections, this chair tends to be loose and wobbly, but this is part of “a new way of sitting” idea.”… -
The Fundament Lounge
28 Jun 2009 | 9:40 pmFlat Pack Furniture with Danish Influence The Fundament Lounge by Acronym Designs is a pack flat lounger that was inspired by some mid-century pieces where simple lines and a low slung stance. The oak use for this piece is reclaimed and is currently being sourced from a company that makes tractor trailer beds. They have immense amounts of cut off waste that is too small for their purposes, but suits furniture design. Instead of this wood going to the landfill or being burned, it is converted it into functional and attractive furniture making it a sustainable design. The chair is a pack flat… -
Hand Printed Photos
28 Jun 2009 | 6:06 pmrethinking technology and speed one pixel at a time thehumanprinter is a group of people who print photos in CMYK or B&W by hand. Simply send in your images via email and they will very slowly convert your images to your preferred format, either greyscale, CMYK or Spot Colour, very slowly. Why? In the words of the human printer team… Technology is an integral aspect of modern day life, so much so that without it we may not be able to function. We have constructed these machines to aid our lives, making simple productions/tasks easier to accomplish. Though these developments were…
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Dezeen
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Pond Meadows Special Needs School by DSDHA
2 Jul 2009 | 4:04 pmPond Meadows, a special needs school designed by London architects DSDHA, has opened in Guildford, England. (more…) -
Duplex by Pugh + Scarpa for Make it Right
2 Jul 2009 | 9:09 amAmerican architects Pugh + Scarpa have sent images of their duplex home design for actor Brad Pitt’s Make it Right charity. (more…) -
Vaisselier Système D by Matière A
2 Jul 2009 | 8:04 amFrench design collective Matière A have designed a kitchen storage system using a tree branch and some timber batons. (more…) -
Christmas Tree Furniture by Fabien Cappello
2 Jul 2009 | 4:07 amRoyal College of Art graduate Fabien Cappello has created a collection of furniture from unwanted Christmas trees. (more…) -
Campanas + LACOSTE
2 Jul 2009 | 1:03 amBrazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana have create a range of polo shirts for fashion brand Lacoste. (more…)
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New at Pentagram
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New Work: ‘Mannahatta/Manhattan’
30 Jun 2009 | 6:07 amWhat was Manhattan like 400 years ago, before the first settlers arrived? Designed by Abbott Miller, the new exhibition Mannahatta/Manhattan: A Natural History of New York City at the Museum of the City of New York reconstructs the ecology of the small wooded island originally known as Mannahatta ("island of many hills" as the Lenape Indians called it) before it became one of the most densely built places on earth. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society and is based on the Mannahatta Project, scientist Eric W. Sanderson’s decade-long research of… -
Michael Gericke Honored by the American Institute of Architects
26 Jun 2009 | 6:04 amMichael Gericke has been named the recipient of the Harry B. Rutkins Award for his design, service and professional contributions to the AIA and its New York Chapter's activities. Michael has collaborated with the AIA since 1994. His work includes the Center for Architecture's iconic key symbol, posters, and graphics for many of the New York Chapter's publications, initiatives and events. Honorees for other AIA New York awards at this year's annual meeting included Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Ada Louise Huxtable, Robert Yaro, Susan Szenasy, Jerilyn Perine, David Resnick and Chris Ward. A… -
Quick Link: Michael Bierut's AIGA Philly Interview
26 Jun 2009 | 4:59 amMichael Bierut's AIGA Philly Interview -
Quick Link: Review of Harry Pearce's 26 Talk
26 Jun 2009 | 2:43 amReview of Harry Pearce's 26 Talk -
Quick Link: Signs on Ace Jet 170
24 Jun 2009 | 8:01 amSigns on Ace Jet 170
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Just Creative Design
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9 SEO Tips You’ve Probably Forgot About
29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amThis is a guest article by David Walsh*. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has, as most of you probably know by now, become one of the most important elements when setting up a website. Still we notice that many website owners, for some reason, tend to neglect implementing it in their creative process. Jacob published an all important SEO rules for designers but there is always lots to learn. I thought that it was about time to write another nine tips on the topic. 1. Proper use of <h1> and <h2> tags Headers and sub-headers are not only useful for making up a good layout. Search… -
Designer’s Favourite Fonts & Why
22 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amI sent out a tweet (follow me) asking my followers (and Facebook Friends) what their favourite font was and why - these were some of their replies… what about you? For the record, at present, my favourite is Gill Sans as I find it so versatile, especially when working with other fonts. Times. Simple, but not boring, and timeless. Via @Carmabella Franklin Gothic Medium and Verdana. Both are just so easy to read even at small sizes. Via Adrian Lujan (Facebook) Franklin Gothic Book Regular. Easy to read. Via Dylan Lee Hodges (Facebook) I really love the clean lines of Franklin Gothic… -
Logo Design Book Recommendations (+Video)
15 Jun 2009 | 12:04 amI’ve recommended some of the best graphic design books before here on Just Creative Design however I have not recommended logo design books before. In the video below, I give an insight into 4 highly recommended logo design books along with a flip through of what you will find in each book. Click here to view the Logo Design Book Recommendations Video from Jacob Cass on Vimeo. Recommended Logo Design Books Below you will find the 4 recommended logo design books mentioned in the video. Logo An awesome showcase of the best logo designs, shown in black and white. A must for anyone that has… -
Guess The Logo Game
8 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amI recently watched a game show on TV and one of the mini games shown on the program was based around guessing logos. The host showed a small segment of a recognisable logo and the contestants had to guess what the logo was. I was quite fascinated at how you could instantly recognise the logo by being shown only a small segment of it. I’ve tried to recreate the game here in this blog post. It just goes to show how crucial an effective & recognisable logo design is for your business - unlike like these bad logo designs. There are 10 logos in total… please do leave your guesses /… -
Fake Logo Designs: Revisited
31 May 2009 | 10:31 pmIt was about 5 months ago when I brought up the topic of ‘fake logo designs‘. Basically the point was that many logo designers are placing ‘fake’ logos, for made up companies, in their portfolio. It isn’t the fact that the logo is ‘fake’ but rather the company and whether that these fictional designs are actually a measure of the designers skill and /or experience. I would like to quote Steve from Logo Factory on his view of fake logo designs as his opinion is exactly where I stand. All in all, the idea of creating pretend company logos isn’t…
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DesignKloud
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[PRODUCT] Fruit on the Bottom, Marketing Spin on Top
8 Jun 2009 | 5:47 pmWhich came first, the slogan or the product? Or maybe in this case, the process. Did the fruit naturally setlle to the bottom of this iconic yogurt and thus leave the marketing folks a bit on edge?... [CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE] -
[PRODUCT] Refining a Giant
5 Jun 2009 | 7:15 pmI noticed recently a subtle change in the typefaces used on various Google sites. You can see in the image above the subtle change I’m talking about. I wonder if this was the shade of blue that... [CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE] -
[PRODUCT] Fins for MPGs
3 Jun 2009 | 7:55 pmSee those little fins at the bottom of the box on your UHaul truck? Those are actually intended to help reduce the turbulence of the airflow around your truck while driving and ultimately increase... [CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE] -
[PRODUCT] Hardware is the New Software in the Start-Up World
27 Mar 2009 | 9:37 pmToday I stumbled upon an interesting article from Wired Magazine discussing the rise of the gadget start-up culture. This is an interesting premise considering that most people instantly think of... [CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE] -
[PRODUCT] Honey, I Shrunk the Projector
2 Mar 2009 | 7:07 pmWe recently procured a new projector at the office and I snapped the picture above to show the hilarious decrease in the footprint from the previous model that was included with the office suite. ... [CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE]
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Supermarket Blog
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Artefacture Launches New Summer Line, New Website
2 Jul 2009 | 2:29 pmArtefacture is excited to announce the release of it’s Summer’09 t-shirt line. In addition to this new line, the company also launched a new logo and website. With this new release, Artefacture is introducing their new “E+ Series” t-shirts, which feature silky soft, organic cotton fabric created under fair trade policies and by sustainable manufacturing processes (climate neutral tee made in the USA from global organic textile standard Indian cotton). -
Attention typephiles!
2 Jul 2009 | 12:51 pmBetter Homes and Gardenshad a great story about type-inspired on home decor items in the June issue. My Eye Chart pillow made it into the story as well as a lot of other great type-inspired home accessories. -
Welcome: Wish You Were Here
2 Jul 2009 | 8:41 amWish You Were Here (WYWH) is an exciting venture created by UK based husband and wife team, Fiona and Ben O’Brien. Ben is the illustrator extraordinaire and Fiona, with her background in Advertising and a penchant for ideas, design and interiors, conceptualises and manages their business and products. -
New Tank Top
2 Jul 2009 | 7:52 amBeat the heat this summer with this deliciously cool Candyland Tank! Loose fitting and lightweight, this tank will keep you cool on the hottest of days. Get it here! -
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE LABELS ON A BAG
1 Jul 2009 | 4:18 pmwe made light-reflecting dots and hearts for safety cycling :)
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NewWork
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Hot or Not?!
2 Jul 2009 | 9:30 amSelect your favorite pit babe with the ‘Bavaria Zo Factor’ campaign. Packed with F1 race cars, beautiful ladies, explosions and smoke we had a lot of fun making this. -
New Heineken
2 Jul 2009 | 9:18 amHeineken just launched their new Dutch site. It’s mainly about music and sports events, with an agenda, tickets + music store and the e-program. It’s a big difference compared to the old site which was mainly about the beer and their campaigns. I like the music agenda, but not as much as I like TipSpot. What do you think? -
MTV
2 Jul 2009 | 2:37 amUK-based Universal Everything got the chance to re-fresh MTV’s brand across all 64 channels. -
Alain Delon
2 Jul 2009 | 1:38 amToday the Filmmuseum starts a large retrospective about one of the great moviestars of 60’s & 70’s European cinema, Alain Delon. This French actor played in classic films like Borsalino, Plein Soleil, and Le Samouraï. Films starring this genuine bad boy of cinema (bad reputation, criminal connections etc) can be seen in this beautiful theater all summer long until the 26th of August. -
Blocter
1 Jul 2009 | 5:49 amIf you’re interested in the people behind blogs then Blocter is the place to go to. Since February Jorrit Spoelstra is making short video interviews to find out what drives certain bloggers. Not about NewWorkers as you can already clearly see who we are. The latest portrait is about Koert van Mensvoort from Next Nature.
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Design You Trust. World's Most Provocative Social Inspiration.
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10 Inspiring Small Business Websites That Set New Webdesign Standards
2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 pmNow if you want to start a new business these days you sure have a few good examples on how your website should look like. Here is a roundup with our favorite small biz web designs. Design You Trust sponsors: W3 MARKUP - CSS & HTML for Your Designs | LightCMS - Web 2.0 Content Management System for Designers | Wix.com - Create a Free website, Flash website builder & Flash MySpace Layouts | Shutterstock - Over 7 Million Royalty-Free Stock Photos | HypeForType - Online Digital Type Foundry Advertise with Design You Trust! - DYT on Twitter - Facebook -
Growing Up
2 Jul 2009 | 4:07 pm[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.] Another great film by Jr. Canest. Script by Vincent Lui, Kasey, Marisa, Alex, and Jr.canest. Music by Luc. Off-voice by Mikayla Faria. The storyline is about “Growing Up,” and the challenges that we face. More amazing art and design at Scene 360 Illusion Design You Trust sponsors: W3 MARKUP - CSS & HTML for Your Designs | LightCMS - Web 2.0 Content Management System for Designers | Wix.com - Create a Free website, Flash website builder & Flash MySpace Layouts | Shutterstock - Over 7… -
Interview: Kevin Dart
2 Jul 2009 | 3:31 pmAn interview with artist Kevin Dart. Design You Trust sponsors: W3 MARKUP - CSS & HTML for Your Designs | LightCMS - Web 2.0 Content Management System for Designers | Wix.com - Create a Free website, Flash website builder & Flash MySpace Layouts | Shutterstock - Over 7 Million Royalty-Free Stock Photos | HypeForType - Online Digital Type Foundry Advertise with Design You Trust! - DYT on Twitter - Facebook -
Shohei
2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 pmVia LooksLikeGoodDesign Design You Trust sponsors: W3 MARKUP - CSS & HTML for Your Designs | LightCMS - Web 2.0 Content Management System for Designers | Wix.com - Create a Free website, Flash website builder & Flash MySpace Layouts | Shutterstock - Over 7 Million Royalty-Free Stock Photos | HypeForType - Online Digital Type Foundry Advertise with Design You Trust! - DYT on Twitter - Facebook -
Isolation Unit
2 Jul 2009 | 1:59 pmNew website for Isolation Unit: Teruhiro Yanagihara Design You Trust sponsors: W3 MARKUP - CSS & HTML for Your Designs | LightCMS - Web 2.0 Content Management System for Designers | Wix.com - Create a Free website, Flash website builder & Flash MySpace Layouts | Shutterstock - Over 7 Million Royalty-Free Stock Photos | HypeForType - Online Digital Type Foundry Advertise with Design You Trust! - DYT on Twitter - Facebook
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Cherryflava
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More 'Shop-in-a-box'
2 Jul 2009 | 1:19 amLooking almost exactly like the Illy pop-up store from a few years ago, here's another example of a solar-powered lunch box - this time from Montreal Canada.It goes from shipping container to fully-working restaurant in less than two minutes - which is just about 30 seconds faster than the motorbikes that turn into sidewalk stirfry bistros in Thailand.Cool music in this promo video for the concept. Sounds like something out of El Mariachi or From Dusk till Dawn. Throw in a Desert Eagle .50 and a few snappy one-liners and we'd be there like a 'cleaner'.via -
NSFW: More Wrangler 'We are Animals' ads
1 Jul 2009 | 2:10 amNot as elegant or 'sexy' [for most of us] as the original Grand Prix award winning versions, but they still manage to drive the point home. We are animals - so wear and pair of Wranglers and avoid getting lassoed by a cowboy. [thanks Alexis] -
Cherryflava marketing workshop: How to get to SECOND BASE
1 Jul 2009 | 2:00 amHere's your five step guide to getting your brand to SECOND BASE:Step 1: Buy a ticket [how to do that here]Step 2: Arrive on Wednesday 8 July at the Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town ready to scoreStep 3: Absorb the experience of our presenters [here's a taster of what they'll be covering:]Mike Ratcliffe - Seen in the wine industry as somebody who is using innovative thinking to carve a unique niche for his Warwick and Vilafonté brands, Mike has been using tools like blogging, innovative packaging design, special events [like the Design Indaba], video and t-shirts to break the… -
Improv Everywhere: An MP3 urban experience
1 Jul 2009 | 12:09 amWe've never been a big fan of flashmobs. The idea of a group of people pitching up at some random venue and acting like idiots without being fueled by copious amounts of beer seems pointless.But something called the Improv Everywhere MP3 Experiment makes a lot more sense when it comes to a collective urban experience. The idea is that a whole bunch of people download an MP3 episode, gather at a specific location and at exactly the same time hit play. They then follow the instructions given and see where is takes them. It's a bit whoop whoop and would definately appeal to Americans… -
Philips' Carousel commercial is one hellava shot
30 Jun 2009 | 1:51 amBehold the Cannes Grand Prix Film winner, which is a 2min 19sec long promo for the new Cinema 21:9 LCD TV.A mixture of Heat, The Matrix and The Dark Knight - the short feature is filmed in one continuous tracking shot and offers an exploration into the world of movies being made for the cinema screen through the eyes of the director and the special effects and lighting experts. During playback of the movie [at www.philips.co.uk/cinema], users have interactive touch points in which they can access additional content and feature demonstrations.Video linkCheck out the 'making of' video…
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Design is Kinky
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Rik Lee
1 Jul 2009 | 7:17 pmAnother Melbourne based illustrator for you to check out… Rik Lee. -
Karan Singh
1 Jul 2009 | 5:34 pmIllustration work by Melbourne based Karan Singh. -
Empty Magazine Issue 16
29 Jun 2009 | 6:44 pmWe’ve released the new issue, Issue 16, of Empty magazine. Can be bought here. -
Demo Two
29 Jun 2009 | 6:20 pmIt’s taken two years, but Demo Magazine has finally released Issue 2. -
Kelly Thompson
24 Jun 2009 | 5:14 pmKelly Thompson is a talented illustrator from New Zealand. She has a show at Gorker Gallery in Melbourne opening on 2 July (as shown in our exhibitions column).
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Color + Design Blog by COLOURlovers / Feed
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Vintage Color And Design: Epherma
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am"Stuff I find here and there, scanned and cataloged for your enjoyment and mine." Collection from flickr user Big Red Robot. -
RYZ Shoe Design Contest: Voting Begins!
1 Jul 2009 | 5:57 pmWell, we broke another contest entry record with the RYZ shoe design contest. 1,600 designs were submitted... awesome work. Now comes the hard part of trying to find a winner from so many great designs. This is where you spread the word about your designs and get your friends and family to vote for your shoe. Good luck! Remember, winner takes home the grand prize - $750 cash and $250 store credit to the RYZ shop - plus free sponsored memberships at COLOURlovers. Vote Now at RYZ Details from RYZ It was tough work, but with the help from our friends at COLOURlovers, we were able to find… -
Color From The Venice Biennale
1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amThis is a guest post written by Howard Sullivan who together with Tom Phillipson make up the London based design agency Your Studio. You can see the original post on their blog. “Underneath Day’s azure eyes, Ocean’s nursling, Venice lies, A peopled labyrinth of walls, Amphitrite’s destined halls.” As the sun rose and the art-crowds flocked, the great palazzos threw open their doors this weekend marking the opening of Venice’s 53rd Biennale, curated by Daniel Burnbaum and open Francis Upritchard’s ‘Yellow Dancer’ from ‘Save Yourself’, installation for the NZ Pavillion,… -
118 Complex Patterns
30 Jun 2009 | 9:40 amA selection of patterns from the COLOURlovers' group Complex Pattern. Oops, I didn't read the rules of this group before selecting these and I've included some patterns other than x_1013_x. Group devoted to Complex pattern by x_1013_x. What it means to us, showcasing and picking our favourites. For me it was like discovering a brand new island. Lovely experience. The pattern's secrets are inside, ways to use it and categories for you to post your patterns in. The complex pattern is by hard the hardest pattern to master. It has so many options to it. It's just impossible to find the perfect… -
Color Inspiration: Indian Matchboxes & Film Posters
29 Jun 2009 | 8:10 amHere's a great collection of film posters and matchboxes from India. They were collected by English artist and illustrator Matt Lee. Matchboxes Matchboxes from the Subcontinent. Collected during my time working from Bangalore, these matchboxes are the tangible memories of my various travels and experiences through India. The random and disparate juxtapositions of the imagery encapsulate the mix of historic, mythological and contemporary visual culture in India. New matchboxes are added regularly. An interview about this matchbox collection can be read over at www.60over90.com. South Indian…
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honozooloomedia
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vans launch.
1 Jul 2009 | 4:12 amlast week thursday i was hired by kicks hawaii to shoot the official hawai`i jump off party for the new Vans Shoes X Kicks Hawaii X DQM X HUFSF half cab collabo shoe. a few of my favorite people were out and in full effect at the launch party at thirtyninehotel, and the legendary DJ j-rocc aka the funky president of the world famous beat junkies was there putting his special aural blend in everyone’s ears. i snapped a few pictures, kicked it with a few friends, and called it a night. big ups to the kicks and DQM fam, this was the dopest thursday i’ve had in months, hopefully there… -
ko’ele lodge.
27 Jun 2009 | 12:33 pmthis past weekend, i was in lanai on assignment. i was there to shoot a story about a perfume maker at the four seasons manele bay. after the shoot was over, i had a chance to cool it on out with a few of my favorite people, and enjoy all that a five-star resort destination has to offer. sometimes, life is so unfair. while i can’t show you the images from the shoot (yet), i did have a chance to cruise through lanai city, and before heading back to the hotel for dinner, i stopped in at the pastures by ko`ele lodge in upcountry lanai. the sun was setting, low-flying clouds were overhead,… -
2059.
16 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmthis friday, june 26th, from 6-9PM airspace workshop X honozooloo are showing a collaborative display piece at the academy of the arts at june 2009’s art after dark, alongside visual artist mark chai in the kinau courtyard. so stop in, peep the work, have a bite to eat at the pop up town restaurant, and enjoy some great art. twothousandfiftynine.com for more information…can’t say much more about it but mark your calendars and stay tuned… -a -
contrast issue one.
16 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pmabout a month ago, issue one of contrast magazine dropped. i was a contributor to this issue, and i was even instax-icised on the cover. race really had a lot of nice things to say about me… i’ve included a few images from the issue that i contributed, the idea being that i probably should start accumulating tearsheets. images include the bad brains show (epic!), mstrkrft, sean payne, dj swamp, and of course the b-ware where’s waldo campaign. so enjoy, and bigups contrast! i’m happy you’re doing it, and doing it proper! Technorati Profile -
rock shop.
11 Jun 2009 | 12:00 pmis it june already? it seems like it was the first week of may, well, last week? it’s already the 9th, nearly 1/3 of the way into june. time, she flies. i stopped into first friday to check out a few galleries, including a dope showing at ong king featuring the work of my homegirl carol. then i hopped over to little village for a bite to eat before browsing a few other galleries before ending the night early at the soho launch party/rock shop fashion party. it was an early night but sometimes you have to know when to take some time off to enjoy life beyond the party. the…
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Fluidesign Blog
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our new identity: expression replaces consumption?
24 Jun 2009 | 12:59 pmGood Magazine recently published a quite interesting article on how social networking is changing the way we identify ourselves, leading to a behavioral shift. For the last hundred years, we’ve distinguished ourselves by our car, clothes and houses. Now we’d rather spend our time expressing our ideas, opinions, the causes we support and showing photos of our life, instead of tending to the lawn. Read more and join the conversation.. -
SMC graduation video/microsite
23 Jun 2009 | 12:25 pmSanta Monica College Graduation 2009 from Santa Monica College on Vimeo. We produced this highlight video for Santa Monica College’s 2009 graduation. It was a fun project w/ an accompanying microsite which aggregates social media around the event. -
the cost for exciting print work
18 Jun 2009 | 3:09 pmEver seen a really cool business card and wondered, “How’d they make this? And how much do these things cost?” FPO - For Print Only (a division of Under Consideration) is a handy website showcasing gorgeous print work, who printed it, what processes/fonts/paper were used and how much it all cost…right at your fingertips. -
SustainAble Goodness
15 Jun 2009 | 4:22 pmRockport Books and author Aaris Sherin have joined forces to release a guide on sustainable materials and techniques for graphic designers. Being over a decade since the last release of a handbook of this kind, this book is a great resource and example of sustainable implementation : every cover is created from the unused spreads in production. Great effort toward eco-friendly printing and production. Solid work. SustainAble -
Hype for Type
15 Jun 2009 | 9:18 amInspiring and truly original fonts from Hype For Type.
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NOTCOT.ORG
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#22946 - Poked Studios do some really incredible...
2 Jul 2009 | 11:22 amPoked Studios do some really incredible illustration work in both vector and 3D. Some of the 3D stuff looks like a Pixar film... if they were on something. (Want more? See NOTCOT.org and NOTCOT.com) -
#22945 - Sneak peek at this year’s Architectural...
2 Jul 2009 | 10:41 amSneak peek at this year’s Architectural Association summer pavilion in Bedford Square, London - due to be unveiled tomorrow. (Want more? See NOTCOT.org and NOTCOT.com) -
#22944 - Gray Organschi Architecture, designed a simple...
2 Jul 2009 | 10:01 amGray Organschi Architecture, designed a simple barn structure where the lumber is organized on the exterior of the building, creating a wonderful mosaic-like texture that proves that functionality and aesthetics can go hand-in-hand. (Want more? See NOTCOT.org and NOTCOT.com) -
#22943 - Monster Pillow Fight! Amazing new giant floor...
2 Jul 2009 | 9:18 amMonster Pillow Fight! Amazing new giant floor pillows and scatter cushions from Vault49, Alberto Cerriteño, Poked Studio and more... (Want more? See NOTCOT.org and NOTCOT.com) -
#22942 - Always a sucker for nice stationery, I love...
2 Jul 2009 | 8:37 amAlways a sucker for nice stationery, I love this article on custom stationery from the NYTimes. (Want more? See NOTCOT.org and NOTCOT.com)
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Designboom - Weblog
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bernard tschumi architects: new acropolis museum
2 Jul 2009 | 11:22 amexterior shot of the new acropolis museum (photo credit: christian richters) the new acropolis museum designed by bernard tschumi architects opened at the end of last month in athens, greece. the new museum was specifically designed to house the unique collection of archeological remains and boasts over 150,000 square feet of exhibition space. tschumi deliberately created a non monumental building, allowing the importance of the artifacts within to be the feature. the final design evokes the classical clarity of ancient greek architecture, updated for the context of today. the project began… -
are mokkelbost: ion series
2 Jul 2009 | 10:17 amdetail from ion - omni, no. 05 (paper collage) 2005-2008 the paper collages by norwegian artist are mokkelbost prove cut and paste is not just childs play. mokkelbost started the ion series of paper collages in 2000 as a student. his latest works in the series were made over a long period of time, some over three years. mokkelbost collects small scraps of paper from magazines and slowly builds them into large scale artworks. most of the imagery is found in fashion and lifestyle magazines and categorized to make assembly easy. however instead of simply pasting them down to create a 2-d… -
SA Baxter
2 Jul 2009 | 9:45 amSA Baxter designs and manufacturers architectural hardware by merging traditional techniques with cutting edge technology. the company has a team of artisans trained in jewelry making, metalsmithing, furniture and product design working to create custom and semi-custom designs. the team begins by designing pieces in cad, producing 3-d models working with clients throughout. from this point on the designs are sent to the company_s foundry located in the new york hudson valley. the foundry allows the company to keep every aspect of their products in house. the artisans employ a unique… -
michael jackson christian audigier clothing-line
2 Jul 2009 | 8:57 ammichael jackson, 'the king of pop' died aged 50 after a cardiac arrest at his LA home, USA, 25 june 2009 image © designboom michael jackson and christian audigier the european pressphoto agency / epa michael jackson was in the process of designing a clothing collection with french fashion guru christian audigier before his untimely death last week. referring to the comeback shows michael was due to perform in london this month, christian explained : 'I was working on merchandising with him and launching a new line of clothes, which was actually michaels dream. it was based on various types… -
kitchen ecology designboom exhibition in los angeles
2 Jul 2009 | 6:15 amlast weekend in los angeles, designboom in collaboration with dwell on design hosted the 'kitchen ecology: recipes for good design' exhibition 'stem herb planter' by peter pless http://www.peterpless.com grow your own herbs in a home-planting-device, like a broom it leans against the wall. inside the exhibition seth grizzle and jonathan junker (graypants) hang their scrap lights made out of salvaged pieces of corrugated cardboard http://www.graypants.com kitchen ecology - recipes for good design, curated by designboom exhibition of 150 'eco-proposals' eames demetrios (grandson of charles and…
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Luxist
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Spending Time With The Berry Butler
2 Jul 2009 | 5:01 pmFiled under: Dining, JourneysThere's nothing like summer berries. It's no surprise that July is National Berry Month. This is the month of strawberry shortcake, fresh blueberries in your cereal and raspberries that leave your mouth stained a happy red. To celebrate this month of berries the the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California will host an official Berry Butler courtesy of Driscoll's, the nation's leading provider of fresh berries. The Berry Butler will be on premise every Friday and Saturday, July 3 through August 1 to greet guests with fresh berries. The Berry Butler will… -
Philip Johnson Hamptons House for Sale at $35 Million
2 Jul 2009 | 4:01 pmFiled under: EstatesA Hamptons beach house designed by Philip Johnson three years before the architect built his famous Glass House in New Canann, Conn. has come on the market for $35 million. Built in 1946 and based on plans drawn up by Mies van der Rohe, the modernist Farney House (above) is nestled in the dunes of Sagaponack supported on raised log piers. The house, which was expanded and updated by local architect Mark Matthews in 1989 - perhaps spoiling the purity of Johnson's work in the eyes of some - features a stunning glass-enclosed living room with spectacular ocean views. The… -
Carlos Falchi Oversized Python Clutch, Handbag of the Day
2 Jul 2009 | 3:01 pmFiled under: HandbagsHere's a clutch that's a little different than what I normally pick out -- it's luxe and glamorous but in an edgier, more organic way. It's the Oversized Python Clutch by Carlos Falchi and it has a very tribal vibe with the multi-colored hands showing off their large rings of brightly colored jewel appliques. Thanks to its neutral color palette this bag will go with quite a few outfits, although it's a bold piece that probably shouldn't be paired with too many other patterns or you could end up looking way too 'busy.' $1,510Carlos Falchi Oversized Python Clutch, Handbag… -
Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Watch Set Safe
2 Jul 2009 | 2:02 pmFiled under: Timepieces I recently spoke about how the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grand Sonnerie watch and set (the most complex wrist watch in the world that comes with two other watches) was going to arrive in a safe as the presentation box. Well here is what that safe is going to look like, and there will be only 30 of these made. Each safe will be specially made by the German luxury safe company Doettling. Trust me that this is not even the most impressive watch safe that they have done. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica set safe will be made to look like a travel chest,… -
Watergate Hotel Facing Foreclosure
2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 pmFiled under: Real Estate DevelopmentsLast time we checked out the Watergate hotel back in 2007 the hotel was holding a liquidation sale in advance of a major renovation. Now the Washington Post reports that the infamous Washington D.C. hotel could be the latest hotel to head for foreclosure. Washington developer Monument Realty defaulted on a $70 million loan that came due this week. Monument bought the hotel five years ago and it has been closed ever since. Initially the developer planned to cash in on the real estate craze by turning it into luxury co-op apartments. Last year it decided to…
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Hatch: The Design Public ® Blog
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New Canaan Preservation Update
2 Jul 2009 | 10:21 amI was so excited to see that New Canaan Connecticut is making great strides in preserving its inventory of modern homes (think The Ice Storm, The Harvard Five, modernhousenotes). The New York Times reports today that “Modern Homes Survey: New Canaan Connecticut” is now available online. Lose yourself in this site for hours, and hope that it will help with the McMansionizing of this iconic NYC bedroom community will cease. I’ve mentioned them before, but my blogging friends Tom Anderson and Gina Frederico do a great job of keeping us up to date on the modern preservation… -
Extra Veggies? Don’t Fret!
2 Jul 2009 | 2:35 amDid you overplant your veggie garden in an overzealous micro-local food movement frenzy this year? Do you want to plant a vegetable garden but wonder what you’ll do with 25 cucumbers all at once? These are not problems. Check out Plant a Row for the Hungry at gardenwriters.org to find out where you can donate your excess harvest. -
Green Product of the Week: Art for Your Walls
1 Jul 2009 | 8:44 amIn a continuing attempt to find green products that are right under my nose, I’m concentrating on art this week. Here are a few of my favorite sustainable products for adorning your walls: Columbia Forest Products Alexander Girard PLYprint® - Love Heart: In collaboration with the estate of Alexander Girard, and Pfeiffer Lab, Columbia Forest Products reissues select artwork, by Alexander Girard, first used as part of the 1970’s Herman Miller® Environment Enrichment Panel program. For the first time since 1972, these graphics are now available as wall art. Amenity Willow Large… -
Monty’s House
30 Jun 2009 | 9:29 amA friend of ours up in Maine told us where he was working on a house so we went and checked it out. At the edge of the forest where the dark, moss-covered spruce trees meet the cliffs of the rugged coastline, Marty’s house is perched on a bunch of footings. The house was built, I believe, in the sixties, and the renovation was more for safety than anything else. Most of the original feel appears to remain - it seems like a modern Scandanavian kit house, and it has such a perfect relationship with its sublime site. These were the best pictures I could get from outside on the deck of a… -
Flickr Faves on Fridays
26 Jun 2009 | 7:32 amI love this use of beautiful reclaimed wood. This is from Flickr member laurasmera. Wait, that name sounds familiar, I’m having serious deja blog right now, I think laurasmera has made it to favorites before. I just hope it wasn’t this image! Back to the photo, I would never be able to tuck sheets and blankets in that neatly, I love that blanket. Pointing the lights up onto the wood is a great idea… As you can tell from my lame writing today, I desperately need my morning coffee. Back with more Flickr faves later!
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Fubiz™
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Tom Geraedts : Eros
2 Jul 2009 | 10:48 amUn court-métrage réalisé par le motion-designer Tom Geraedts, actuellement chez Onesize. Autour de la perception du monde par les personnes aveugles et basé sur l’histoire d’Eros un jeune homme qui va imaginer les choses autour de lui grâce à une jeune fille curieuse. Un travail de 2 mois et demi, seul du casting à la direction d’effets visuels. -
Play More Notebook
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amDans la lignée des différents Skechbooks (T-Shirts & Webdesign), voici ce bloc-note original imaginé par le studio néerlandais Trapped in Suburbia. Un espace pour écrire, et un autre coté avec différents motifs et modèles de balles permettant une partie de jeu et d’évasion au travail. Conçu par Trapped in Suburbia. -
Bottle Clip
2 Jul 2009 | 7:45 amVoici une astucieuse idée pour faire tenir les bouteilles d’eau de taille standard sur les cadres de vélos. Efficace et pratique, ce concept a été mis en place par le designer allemand Matthias Ries. Plus de visuels à découvrir dans la suite. -
We Are Start
2 Jul 2009 | 6:20 amStart est un collectif de design spécialisé en typographie, en direction artistique et en motion-graphics. Les deux fondateurs, Phil Robson et Mathieu Carlot, mettent en avant de superbes travaux en découpe laser, avec du vernissage et du collage. -
Virgile Animation
2 Jul 2009 | 12:51 amUne collaboration entre Clément Soulmagnon et Gary Levesque, respectivement auteurs de Gary et Yankee Gal, pour leur premier film intitulé Virgile. L’histoire est celle d’un garçon timide qui essaie de charmer une jeune femme, tout en se transformant en de multiples personnages. Deux étudiants issus de la promo 2008 de Supinfocom. Production par Wizz Design.
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TrendsNow
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Lancement de la page publique Netvibes
2 Jul 2009 | 6:54 amAvis aux utilisateurs de Netvibes, la page publique de TrendsNow vient d’être créée, vous pourrez retrouvez l’actualité de notre résau en un seul coup d’oeil par ici. Et si vous préférez recevoir les actualitées spécifiques à l’un de nos sites en particulier, 5 nouveaux widgets compatibles avec Netvibes, Google Reader, Opera, live Messenger, Vista, … ou encore Mac sont disponibles en téléchargement dans la suite ! Vous pouvez télécharger tous nos widgets individuellement par ici : – http://eco.netvibes.com/widgets/309220/trendsnow –… -
Bottleclip
2 Jul 2009 | 6:52 amCréation du designer allemand Matthias Ries, le concept « Bottleclip» est aussi astucieux que pratique pour transporter votre bouteille d’eau lorsque vous êtes en vélo. Le principe ? il suffit de remplacer votre bouchon par le clip qui se fixe à la barre du cadre. Simple et efficace, on adore ! Une idée simple et plutôt intéressante même si on y trouvera un grand nombre de défauts et limites comme la question de la compatibilité avec les différents diamètres de cadres ou encore la possibilité de le fixer sur un vélo de femme. Et bien au delà de… -
Curious Story
2 Jul 2009 | 4:02 amPour promouvoir les nouveaux coloris tendances de papiers techniques et de création de la nouvelle collection Curius, le fabriquant Arjowiggins a fait appel aux talents créatifs du photographe français Grégoire Alexandre pour mettre en scène les nouveaux papiers autour d’une histoire « Curius Story« . Un superbe shooting photo à découvrir en images et en vidéo. Plus d’infos sur : curiousstory / pitchengine Dans la même thématique Evian Live Young Sneakers by Louis Vuitton & Kanye West Platinum Concept 1881 Ryuji Nakamura -
Collection « Euro Shelter» by Vincent Poujardieu
2 Jul 2009 | 3:56 amPrésentée lors des designer’s days qui se sont tenus du 11 au 15 juin derniers à Paris, cette collection de meubles conçue en structures d’aluminium a su attirer notre attention. Imaginée par le designer français Vincent Poujardieu en partenariat avec Euro-Shelter, la collection aborde des formes angulaires où déséquilibre est le maitre mot. Découverte en images dans la suite ! Grâce au savoir faire de l’entreprise Euro-Shelter, Vincent Poujardieu a su être conseillé sur les savoirs-faires issus de la technologie aéronautique, utilisant ainsi des matériaux… -
It fell down the stairs
2 Jul 2009 | 3:53 amLes oeuvres de Jean Jullien seront exposées à la Galerie des Arts Graphiques du 26 juin au 5 septembre 2009. Pour sa première exposition au GAG, l’illustrateur dévoile 5 personnages sérigraphiés. Jean Jullien est un designer qui vit et travaille à Londres. Actuellement, il fait un Master au Royal College of Art de Londres. L’exposition Galerie des Arts Graphiques, 4 rue Dante 75005 Paris Dates : du 26 juin au 5 septembre 2009 Dans la même thématique C'est le pied ! Sølve Sundsbø Exposition de concept cars Sockho / Stéphane Bucco Unique(s)
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UIE Brain Sparks
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Wondering What UIE’s Research Says About Designing for Search?
1 Jul 2009 | 12:31 pmThere’s lots to say about Search and how to best design for it. Folks often reach out to our own Jared Spool for his thoughts and sage advice on Search. Want to know what he has to say? Jared will be presenting at our July 9 UIE Virtual Seminar - Search, Scent, and the Happiness of Pursuit. Users arrive at your web site with the simple goal to find something that’s important to them. If they find it, whether they search or not, they’ll be happy. When they don’t find it, frustration follows. Teams often turn to a sophisticated built-in Search capability to help their… -
UIEtips article: Producing Great Search Results — Harder than It Looks, Part 2
29 Jun 2009 | 12:38 pmLast week we re-published part 1 of Producing Great Search Results. As I mentioned last week, producing a great search results page takes a ton of hard design work. It’s critical to study the users’ goals and needs, and watch how the user interacts with the results the engine produces. In almost every instance, Search is not the user’s end goal. It’s just one tool they can choose to help achieve their objective. Without a deep understanding of their objectives, it’s really difficult to design a great tool for them. In this week’s UIEtips, I conclude… -
Old News about Icons
28 Jun 2009 | 6:39 pmJoe wrote us: I was just in a pattern review meeting, and the age-old discussion of whether to use icons and labels vs. just icons or just labels came up. Years ago, I recall Jared Spool and UIE posting an article in which their tests showed that icons and labels together were generally better. I can’t seem to find it…. could you folks point me to it? Thanks! – Joe P.S. FWIW, I prefer a design *guideline* that would state to use icons + labels unless there is a obviously standard icon, such as email or pdf icons. Of course, even those might not be clear to some user groups. -
UIEtips article: Producing Great Search Results — Harder than It Looks, Part 1
25 Jun 2009 | 8:26 amWhen you study how designs get made as much as we have, you start to notice something: good design is directly related to effort. Good design takes a lot of work. Bad design, as the bumper sticker says, “it just happens.” You won’t find this to be any more true than in the design of effective search results pages. Search results look easy. After all, the engine has done all the heavy lifting. It’s taken the user’s query and scoured through the millions of bits of data to narrow the results down to a presentable set. All you have to do now is just display the… -
UIEtips: Deriving Design Strategy from Market Maturity, Part 1
18 Jun 2009 | 11:52 amOnce I understood how the Market Maturity model worked, life became much easier. The theory, which describes how organizations prioritize user experience over time, makes it easy to know what to suggest to team managers. Using the model is easy. First, you ask a few questions to determine where the organization’s products are relative to their market maturity. The theory then tells you what recommendations are most likely to get attention. For example, getting resources to conduct in-depth user research on users and scenarios is much easier in stage 3 (experience) than it is in…
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coochicoos
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Follow Our Weekend at the Dwell on Design Show
27 Jun 2009 | 7:44 amdwell on design @ los angeles Coochicoos is at the Dwell on Design Show (@dwellondesign) this weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Visit us in the Modern Family Lounge and see the latest children’s books from Chronicle Books, and furnishings from Boodalee, notNeutral, Wallcandy Arts, and Monte Design. -
Compact and Modern: Alma Urban Crib by Bloom
23 Jun 2009 | 9:03 pmThe new Bloom Alma crib is a bit deceiving in its form and function. It looks like a beautifully built stationary crib, but is cleverly designed to easily fold up for space-challenged living situations. While I’m not sure of the benefit of folding and storing a bassinet/crib for a new baby that’s always sleeping, I see the Alma as a nice solution for travel and visiting guests. The Alma is made with birch from sustainable sources, uses low VOC finishes, comes with lockable caster wheels, and is adjustable to two mattress heights. Available for delivery… -
Culla Sinue Crib by Daniela Avaltroni
23 Jun 2009 | 2:16 amFound this totally cool crib on Mocoloco – the Culla Sinue by Daniela Avaltroni. image via Mocoloco -
Ziggy Marley’s Family Time is Family-Friendly Reggae
22 Jun 2009 | 10:39 pmAmazon.com Widgets As an occasional fan of the world music category, I’m more than a little intrigued with Ziggy Marley newest CD, Family Time, that is self-described as music for young people. For myself, I’m looking forward to exposing my daughter the the unique rhythms of reggae, just as I’ve watched her enjoy the Brazilian-influenced mixes of Sergio Mendes’ Timeless CD. "Growing up music was an important part of my childhood, Marley says. I see it being just as important in my children and all children growth and development. Music helps children… -
Keds Gets Eco-Friendly with Loomstate
22 Jun 2009 | 12:23 amCheck out the new eco-friendly line by Keds designed by Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn for Loomstate using their certified organic cotton. The shoes are eco-friendly with organic uppers and linings, nickel-free eyelets, recycled insole board and shoe boxes and no tissue paper in the packaging. Also, a percentage of sales go to the Organic Exchange. [LA Times] Available at Barneys.com. image via Keds/Loomstate
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Computerlove | Connecting Creative Talents
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MTV Identity Reboot
2 Jul 2009 | 4:29 pmTronic , Zeitguised , Universal Everything and many others, deliver a fresh look and approach to MTVâs Identity Reboot . From FWAtheater : âMTV Networks International (MTVNI) is refreshing MTV with a single look and feel. The intent of the refresh is to embrace change and express what MTV means today.â -
Visvim
2 Jul 2009 | 2:02 pmVisvim.tv With the growth of the internet, the world around us has changed very quickly. Communities and markets that share a similar concept of value are no longer bound by national borders or language. What sort of platform would be ideal for the dissemination of information? What kind of website would be inherently Visvim? It has all finally come together. -
Fiction Department Vs. Si Begg
2 Jul 2009 | 1:00 pmFiction Department has created 2 x 25 Hand printed & manufactured limited-edition, box sets as numbered series for the new Si Begg EP 24-Bit Error Collection -
Pleats Please, by Taku Satoh
2 Jul 2009 | 9:36 amTaku Satoh Design Office made these beautyful campaigns for PleatsPlease . In fashion industry, in the late 80's, Issey Miyake is at the birth of a new technique of pleating garments to make them more flexible. A dedicated brand called Pleats Please were created. Via View On Fashion -
Clusta Update V7
2 Jul 2009 | 8:45 amTake a look at the latest update from Clusta. I have been following Clusta's work for sometime. This update sees some impressive work and an impressive client list gained over a decade. clusta.com/v7
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Brand New
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Smile, You are on Security Camera
2 Jul 2009 | 4:39 amIn October of last year Brink's Home Security, the 26-year-old consumer and residential division from security and protection company Brink's, was spun off as its own company and went public. As part of the agreement, Brink's Home Security would have three years to drop "Brink's" from its name. This week the company announced its name change to Broadview Security. Midway through their FAQ section, Broadview Security gives a little insight into the process: Last year, we hired Landor, a top-tier branding agency, to help us develop our new name and brand. As part of Landor's research and… -
Cheap Printing, Cheap Logo to Match
1 Jul 2009 | 4:36 amFor most identity designers, companies like LogoWorks, LogoBee or whatever other cute name they acquire, are not to be taken seriously and are only seen as damaging to the industry by lowering (rather ridiculously) prices and quality. For offset and other specialty quality printers, companies like Vistaprint hold a similar position: cheap, fast, mediocre quality. If you have ever printed anything with a quality printer and anything with Vistaprint you know the difference but, let's face it, most civilians (non-designers) people don't — which is worth more than $400 million in 2008… -
Radio Ambigram
30 Jun 2009 | 7:49 amWith over 40 stations covering all of Mexico, a handful across north of the border in the U.S., and over a dozen south of the border in Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador, EXA FM is one of the largest radio networks in Latin America. This month EXA presented a new identity that takes advantage of its amazing short name — anything with an "x" in it is awesome — to create a simple and bold ambigram. The final execution is a little wonky, I think the shapes (particularly the counterspaces) could have been better resolved but the design concept is exa-llent. (Sorry,… -
Standing Stilt
29 Jun 2009 | 4:26 amNo matter where you are right now — specially on a Monday — the thought of being in a Caribbean island surely does not sound like the worst alternative to reading about logos on a blog. But if, like the rest of us, you are stuck in front of your monitor the least we can do is show you some design related to Caribbean islands. Earlier this year the Department of Tourism of the U.S. Virgin Islands launched a new identity, designed by J. Walter Thompson, with a Mocko Jumbie, a traditional stilt dancer, as its main icon. "We decided it was time to adapt to the changing marketplace and… -
Words. Periods. Arial. Company Name.
25 Jun 2009 | 5:36 amThe background on this will be brief as I lack in German fluency. Namics is a web design and development, and information technology company based in Frankfurt, Germany and from what our generous tipster informs us it is one of the biggest in Europe. They recently launched a new identity, designed by Zurich based firm Heads, that replaces their ambiguous icon for an ever-changing wordmark. Labeled by Head as "the world's first 'Real Time Corporate Identity'," the Namics logo is a constantly fluctuating identity based on words preceding the Namics name, that are input by its employees through…
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FlowingData
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Who’s Going to Win Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest?
2 Jul 2009 | 12:22 amIt's July 4 this weekend. You know what that means, right? It's Independence Day, and really, there's no better way to celebrate than to stuff down as many hot dogs down your throat as you can in ten minutes. Or if that doesn't sound appetizing, you can just enjoy watching the annual Nathan's hot dog eating contest on Coney Island. Joey Chestnut won the hot dog crown for a second time last year. Will he win again or will Takeru Kobayashi take back the crown? Punch your ticket in the poll below. Take a look at the full version of the graphic above to make a fully educated decision. Who will… -
X-Men Universe Relationship Map
1 Jul 2009 | 12:15 amContrary to what a lot people might think they know from the movies, the X-Men universe stretches out quite a ways with lots of characters and lots of relationships. This super detailed relationship map for all X-Men characters from UncannyXmen shows just that. Connections are color-coded to show the type of relationship between a pair of characters. For example, green is a one-sided infatuation, pink is a flirtation by both parties, and a dashed line signifies one of the characters is from an alternative reality. Wolverine sure gets around. [via VizWorld] -
Infographic Provides a Twitter History Lesson
30 Jun 2009 | 12:14 amManolith, in collaboration with InfoShots, tells the story of Twitter. The graphic starts at Twitter's humble beginnings and ends at present day where you pretty much can't go a day without hearing about that little bird. I wonder what this Twitter tree will look like next year. [via Techcrunch] -
Workshop: Visualization on the Web – Join Me at VisWeek
29 Jun 2009 | 7:13 pmVisualization on the Web is growing, but a lot of the really good stuff is just sitting around on someone's computer. So to get a discussion going about how we can get more visualization out there - theory and application - Robert Kosara of Eager Eyes, Andrew Vande Moere from information aesthetics, and myself are heading up a workshop at VisWeek in October. It's in Atlantic City. We'll share some of our experiences, but mainly we want to know what's on your mind. Submit your one-page position statement and tell us about your experiences, propose discussion topics, or ask questions that… -
Review: RoamBi, Seeing Your Data on the iPhone
29 Jun 2009 | 12:37 amThis is a guest review by Peter Robinet of Bubble Foundry, a web design company that specializes in building websites for Web startups. What It Is RoamBi is a free data visualization application for the iPhone by MeLLmo. You download datasets to the app and it creates visualizations so you can drill down into the data. The app is pitched as a mobile business tool for viewing sales reports and the like, but the sample visualizations included with the app suggest another possibility: RoamBi could easily be a killer app for statistics-minded sports fans, such as sabermetrics devotees!
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InspirationKing
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Blogsolid
Not an entirely new concept, but beautiful nonetheless. -
Emeril's
A great website with a very pleasing design. -
Trale
Something is very soothing about this website. Good design and usability at it’s best! -
Web Designer Wall
Amazing eye for detail and colour. A must see! -
Portfolio
Boring? Perfect? Either way it’s drop dead gorgeus.
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Matter/Anti-Matter
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Get social now!
28 Jun 2009 | 12:41 pmSeveral blog posts this week, combined, pinpoint what are arguably the two most influential trajectories for the impact of communication technologies on business these days: from real-time web to real-time business, and from social media to social business design.Let’s start with the former. Referring to Salesforce.com ... -
Father's Day special: Baby care and meaningful marketing
21 Jun 2009 | 11:20 am(Credit: Unicef) The $10 billion market for baby and young children’s furnishings (cribs, other case goods, layette, nursery decor, and the like) and accessories (car seats, strollers, baby monitors, diaper bags, etc.) is a lucrative market, and the baby stroller is one of its most competitive sectors. Hundreds ... -
Less is more. The tweet(ed) revolution.
15 Jun 2009 | 9:59 pm(Credit: Multileveler) Looking at the many positive responses it received, Pico Iyer’s recent NY Times blog post on "The Joy of Less" appears to have struck a chord:"But at some point, I decided that, for me at least, happiness arose out of all I ... -
The iPhone is a subscription
11 Jun 2009 | 1:55 pmThe NYT’s Bits Blog spells out how the pricing for the iPhone basically turns it into a subscription, at least for people who want to upgrade their phone regularly. With the new prices and GS model announced Monday, there are now three tiers, as described by Bits:The $... -
Is advertising dead? The third way of building brand equity
7 Jun 2009 | 10:44 pm(Credit: Element 22) There seem to be three (non-mutually exclusive) models for marketers tasked with building brand equity: marketing scarcity, marketing artificial scarcity, or marketing relevance. Scarcity seems to be at the core of all marketing: an exclusive, unique value that can be reproduced; an original idea replicated for many. ...
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Orange Cone
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When bits meet atoms: Making things in a Read-Write World (LIFT09)
28 Jun 2009 | 10:24 pmA couple of weeks ago Liz and I had the pleasure of speaking at LIFT+Fing France, a great conference about technology, design, society and the future. The lineup was fantastic and both the in-band and out-of-band conversations were great. I would not have predicted ahead of time that I'd end up discussing crowdsourcing techno-anarchist eco revolutions, but there we were and it wasn't even that many glasses of pastis in. ;-) My short talk focused on how Lawrence Lessig's concept of read-write culture applies to the computer-driven making of physical things, rather than just media, and how this… -
When atoms meet bits (LIFT 09 talk summary)
15 Jun 2009 | 2:40 pmI'm going to be speaking at LIFT France 09 later this week. The talk is an intro to presentations by Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino of tinker.it and Michael Shiloh. I'll post the actual talk when it's done. Here's the summary: According to Lawrence Lessig, the 20th century is a brief period of Read-Only culture in a world that in the past has been Read-Write. He draws his examples from media, but the same ideas apply to other products. The definitions of "producer" and "consumer" change when information is cheaper to move than objects. Thus production becomes less centralized as knowledge is… -
Companies that provide information shadow/Internet of Things tracking
24 May 2009 | 6:36 pmIn writing my book, I've been trying to keep track of companies that are creating consumer-facing information shadows for various kinds of products (as opposed to the other kind of item-level identification technologies that are primarily for use by businesses in their logistics operations). Here are several of them, and the products they're tracking: - High Fashion, CertiLogo (a client of mine) - High Design, ThingLink - Food, TraceTracker (and a BusinessWeek story about them) - Food and high technology, YottaMark - Food, FoodLogiQ - Pharmaceuticals, mPedigree (another BusinessWeek story… -
Information shadows, a mini-bibliography
6 Apr 2009 | 3:56 pmThanks to Tim O'Reilly's generous promotion of my Etech talk, the concept of information shadows has been mentioned a bit in the last couple of weeks. I'm very flattered, and although the coinage of the specific term is roughly mine, I did not originate the concept. The idea of data entities associated with objects, but having lives of their own, probably goes back as far as the oldest identification technologies, but there are several precedents that deserve mention (especially Adam Greenfield's). Here's a tiny bibliography of two of them (and thank you Google Scholar for helping me find… -
Mashups with Atoms: Ubiquitous Computing and Web 2.0
3 Apr 2009 | 4:43 pmI gave a presentation at the Web 2.0 Expo today where I tried to tie together the basic tenets of Web 2.0-style thinking about sharing data through open APIs and the promise of embedded information processing and networking distributed through the environment (i.e. ubicomp). Here's the description: Ubiquitous computing has been here since at least 2005, but we may not have noticed it. Computers are rapidly fragmenting from expensive general-purpose devices to cheaper specialized networked tools (phones, netbooks, desktop RFID readers, MP3 players, running shoe sensors, etc.). These tools…
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PSFK
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Facebook Turns To The Crowd To Translate Its Service
2 Jul 2009 | 1:41 pmI just noticed this message from Facebook wondering if I’d like to get involved with translating the Facebook service from English (US) to English (UK) - I guess that’s because I just logged in from the English south coast. Facebook’s new Translations application allows users all over the world to translate Facebook into different languages. Their Application’s About Page reads: Join our community of translators and make Facebook available in your language. Add the Translations Application to translate, review, and vote on translations in your language. Once the… -
100% Renewable Energy For Sony Europe
2 Jul 2009 | 11:12 amSony Europe announced today that it will power its 32 largest sites throughout Europe, large meaning more than 100 employees, entirely from renewable resources. In a press release, Serge Foucher, Executive Vice President of Sony Europe, stated that the company has reduced its Co2 emission from fiscal year 2000 - 2008 by 90%. The company has achieved these reduction through energy saving programs on all sites, “eco-thinking” as well as looking at shipping, reducing packaging and product energy use. Via Environmental Leader By Ebba Akerman | © PSFK, 2009. | Article Link | Comments… -
Ann-Sofie Back to Design for Cheap Monday
2 Jul 2009 | 10:04 amDespite a general downturn for most retailers this year, affordable Swedish denim purveyors Cheap Monday have seen dramatic rises in not just their sales, but also in an overall interest in their brand. Rumored to have been bought by H&M, Cheap Mondays were orginally a capsule collection for Stockholm based counter-culture fashion mecca Weekdays and it hasn’t been until recently that they’ve started invested their resources into their beloved cult- women’s line- which in NYC is almost impossible to find except at Urban Outfitters and Greenpoint- boutique Alter. In… -
(Pic) Nonsesnse Infographics
2 Jul 2009 | 9:55 amArtist 1chord & a fib has created a wonderful series of “infographics” that don’t contain any information. Playing off of information design’s current wave of popularity, the fake infographics maintain all the beauty of the medium but lack actual meaning or content. [via GOOD] By Dan Gould | © PSFK, 2009. | Article Link | Comments | More stories in: Arts & Culture, Design and art, Design, infographics -
Recession Proof Spending
2 Jul 2009 | 9:15 amWhile the state of the economy is having a negative effect on most areas of the retail sector, more than a few industries are experiencing an uptick. Time examines recent trends in consumer spending, discovering that products and services that fulfill needs like escapism, inexpensive luxury and stress relief are reaping the most benefits. Though it’s not exactly clear what methodology the magazine used to draw their conclusions, it’s interesting to note the contrast between purchases that reflect a desire for personal improvement - yoga classes, gardening supplies and mobile…
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The Serif
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Pablo Abad
2 Jul 2009 | 12:36 pmPablo Abad has some lovely work with solid typography. -
Adam Rix
2 Jul 2009 | 12:34 pmMy friend Adam Rix has just gone freelance. He’s a talented bloke and I can’t wait to work with him on something. -
A+B Studio
2 Jul 2009 | 12:30 pmA+B Studio have a solid folio of work, really nice stuff! -
Andrew Droog
2 Jul 2009 | 12:21 pmNice work from British designer Andrew Droog -
Sam Frith
1 Jul 2009 | 2:03 pmQuality work from Sam Frith
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The Dieline
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Odell Brewing Company
2 Jul 2009 | 10:37 amTBD Advertising in Bend, Oregon created the packaging for Odell Brewing Company, a brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. See more after the jump. -
Ciel Pur
2 Jul 2009 | 10:35 amBeautiful design and structural packaging for Ciel Pur, a line of bath products, designed by Yael Miller of Miller Creative. -
Wurrook
2 Jul 2009 | 6:36 amElmwood, a multidisciplinary firm with offices across the world, sent in this packaging the Melbourne branch recently created for a local farmer:"We designed and printed our pack for a local farmer/lamb producer. The box contains cuts of lamb that are plastic cryovac sealed, labelled up and placed in their cardboard box with branded sleeve. The brand story, as below: Paul & Kylie Walton own a one hundred and fifty year old sheep farm in country Victoria that has been in their family for four generations. Their farm is set on 7,500 acres and they have 22,000 Superfine Merino sheep that… -
Cannes Lions Packaging Winners
1 Jul 2009 | 4:34 pmThe 56th annual Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival has just announced the winners in the Design Category. This was only the 2nd year the festival has included a design category. Take a look at some of the package design winners from the Design Category:Jamie Oliver range by Pearlfisher, Gold:Gut Oggau Wine Packaging by Jung von Matt, Gold Flowerbomb Safe, Raison Pure, GoldKarlsson's Gold Vodka, Silver Willie's Cacao, Taxi Studio, SilverDr. Moeller's Quince Brandy, Serviceplan, SilverAcerola Drink, DRILL Tokyo, SilverHoneytube by Anthony's Garage Winery, Kolle Rebbe, BronzeSilver… -
You’ve Got 20 Seconds Or Less to Live.
1 Jul 2009 | 9:49 amThat is, your package design does. If that sounds melodramatic, think again. It’s true. Consumer product packaging exists in fast-changing retail channels loaded with competitive products and increasingly skittish shoppers, to boot. When customers make purchase decisions, they’re spending anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds—that according to repeated surveys and research conducted by consumer behavior experts. Okay, so maybe in our currently contracting economy, they’re investing a couple seconds more to further assess their options. But ask yourself: is it any wonder so many products…
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trendwatching.com
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June 2009 | FOREVERISM
11 Jun 2009 | 6:01 pmGet ready for 'FOREVERISM': consumers increasingly embrace lifestyles, relationships and products that are 'never done'. It’s a fluid ‘trend’, guaranteed to spawn new ideas. Read FOREVERISM » -
May 2009 | INNOVATION JUBILATION
3 May 2009 | 6:01 pmThere will never be a shortage of smart new ventures, goods and services that deliver on consumers’ wants and needs. Just take a look at the dozens of recent innovations we’ve rounded up, courtesy of our sister-site Springwise. Screw the recession! ;-) Read INNOVATION JUBILATION » -
April 2009 | SELLSUMERS
1 Apr 2009 | 6:01 pmWhether it’s selling their insights to corporations, hawking their creative output to fellow consumers, or renting out unused assets, consumers will increasingly become SELLSUMERS, too... Read SELLSUMERS » -
March 2009 | ECO-BOUNTY
2 Mar 2009 | 5:01 pmECO-BOUNTY refers to the numerous emerging opportunities for brands that participate in the epic quest for a sustainable society. Downturn-obsessed brands who lose their eco-focus will find themselves left out when the global economy starts recovering... Read ECO-BOUNTY » -
February 2009 | GENERATION G
18 Jan 2009 | 5:01 pmHas there ever been more urgency for corporations to ditch the greed and embrace generosity? After all, giving is the new taking, and sharing is the new giving. Which is why we’ve dedicated our February 2009 Trend Briefing to GENERATION G and many of its sub-trends... Read GENERATION G »
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visualcomplexity.com
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Networkism
There's an undeniable aesthetic quality to many network visualizations featured on VC, but what's interesting is to notice how the allure of intertwined complexity is contaminating many artists from more traditional realms (painting in particular) in what seems to be the emergence of a new artistic trend or movement. You can either call it Complexism or Networkism, but regardless of the name, this influence is clearly visible in the works of Sharon Molloy, Emma McNally, Janice Caswell, to name a few, where imaginary landscapes of interconnected entities are the prevailing theme.Shown here is… -
Concurrency and Reachability: Transmission in a dynamic network
These images are part of a five minute movie representing an infection spreading through a transmission network over time. The data comes from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health. The animation uses a new method of network analysis to demonstrate that small differences in reported behavior can potentially explain the large racial disparities in HIV infection observed in the United States.Circles are women, squares are men. Grey and white coloring are indicative of race. Active partners are indicated with a grey line and people move closer to the person they are partnered… -
subblue
Ex-physicist Tom Beddard showcases in his website many interesting mathematical and generative graphics that are inventive and inspirational. Among the works, his experiments in Fractal Art seem to be the more engaging ones. -
Force-Directed Edge Bundling for Graph Visualization
Graphs depicted as node-link diagrams are widely used to show relationships between entities. However, node-link diagrams comprised of a large number of nodes and edges often suffer from visual clutter. The use of edge bundling remedies this and reveals high-level edge patterns. Previous methods require the graph to contain a hierarchy for this, or they construct a control mesh to guide the edge bundling process, which often results in bundles that show considerable variation in curvature along the overall bundle direction. In a paper presented at Eurographics' Symposium on Visualization… -
IMITATE+INFORMATE
Imitate and Informate is an initiative that aims at transforming formal aspects of natural phenomena into data visualization methods. Noticeably inspired by Nature, the authors initially asked themselves a series of questions: "Do our graphical systems reveal other information than classical statistics?", "Do they distract from data?", "How much graphical uninformation is allowed for the sake of a certain visual style?".By applying a variety of computational and generative strategies for managing data, they were able to produce a series of experimental visualizations that are extremely…
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Viewers Like You
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Reference library shots by The Selby
30 Jun 2009 | 11:24 amCongrats on the show Andy. -
Ryan McGinley for Levis
30 Jun 2009 | 9:00 amDesigned and concepted by w+k portland. -
The Potential of Web Typography
29 Jun 2009 | 7:54 pmFirefox 3.5 is out now- go get that sucker! The Mozilla Japan team asked that Craig Mod and I jointly write and designthis demo page of what is now possible using Firefox's new @font-face, aCSSrule implemented in Firefox's latest 3.5 release which allows web designers to reference fonts not installed on end user machines. (In other words: it allows web designers to store fonts on their server and reference them inCSS, regardless of what fonts the user browsing the page has installed.) Look at it in Firefox- it is designed for that. It looks OK enough in Safari, but we'd rather have you… -
Pettingell Book Bindery
28 Jun 2009 | 8:20 pmAnother must-see when in the Bay Area: Pettingell Book Bindery. Klaus-Ullrich S. Rötzscher runs Berkeley''s most prestigious book binding shop. I always stop in to snag some super-heavy duty hand-bound sketchbooks with custom foil stamping and to see what HerrRötzscher is up to. -
Bibliomania
28 Jun 2009 | 8:15 pmI freak out over old books. When in Oakland, I never fail to make a stop at Bibliomania, located in the heart of Oakland's old downtown. Surly owners and stacks of great quality vintage books at more than fair prices.
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wrongdistance.com
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Billy and Steven Dufala
7 Jun 2009 | 4:08 pmTrophy 2009 / electrical conduit, junction boxes Billy and Steven Dufala came to my attention for their ice cream tank at space 1026 in philly earlier this year but I missed the above piece over at the pretty reliable Fleisher Ollman gallery back in March. Images pilfered from Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof’s flickr. -
Justin Kemp
4 Jun 2009 | 2:33 pmPsuedoevent (detail from much longer jpeg) Link (or if you prefer a non-scrolly version look here) A rhizome selection in the 7×7 series up at Why and Wherefore. Nicely done. In general there are lots of nice things over at the w&w site. well worth browsing around. -
The Blue Noses
3 Jun 2009 | 7:58 amMind Games (har har) Mind Games: Freud Link -
Shaun O’Dell
2 Jun 2009 | 8:56 pmInvitations From the Sky Invitations from the sky hymn of oblivion we remember the sun Link -
Brad Moore
2 Jun 2009 | 8:57 amKorean Methodist Church Barbara and Brea Trini Circle Totally loving this work by Laguna Beach based Brad Moore. Absolutely great eye + composition (Link via This isnt happiness)
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Innovationlab.dk -
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Opdrag en hacker og vind et sundere digitalt samfund
2 Jul 2009 | 7:31 amlæs mere -
Mød de rigtige Transformers
29 Jun 2009 | 4:35 amMan kan sagtens få en robot til at ændre form Vi er nok stadig langt fra Optimus Prime og Megatron. Mindre kan heldigvis gøre det. Selvom Michael Bays film er visuelt imponerende, så tager det bestemt ikke wow-faktoren ud af virkelighedens modstykker. Og de findes – i hobetal endda – de rigtige Transformers. Robotter, der kan ændre form og funktion på få øjeblikke. LabConfidential har kigget nærmere på tre af slagsen. læs mere -
Kørestolen stabiliserer dit drive
29 Jun 2009 | 4:26 amSpeciel kørestol stabiliserer, så lamme brugere kan spille golf Et liv i kørestol er ikke nødvendigvis ensbetydende med en inaktiv tilværelse. Et af de mest kendte eksempler herhjemme er racerkøreren Jason Watt, der efter en motorcykelulykke blev lam i benene. Han drøner dog stadig rundt på de danske motorsportsarenaer, godt hjulpet af en masse teknologi. Men hvad gør man, hvis ens yndlingssport er knap så brændstofkrævende? Engelske Graham Hunt har mere end et golfhandicap, men det holder ham ikke tilbage. læs… -
Chok! Twitter-brugere er mere digitale end andre
29 Jun 2009 | 4:20 amSpændende forbrugsmønstre hos statusfreaks Musiksalget daler, og det har det gjort de sidste ti år. Lige siden Napster begyndte at gøre indhug i markedet, har internettet fået skylden for det faldende salg. Og internettet har helt sikkert en stor andel i branchens trængsler. Men det er også internettet, der skal vende skuden. Én gruppe internetbrugere går foran – Twitterfolket. læs mere -
Borgerløn: Fremtiden er nær!
26 Jun 2009 | 4:05 amDanmark er på flere områder på forkant med tiden og borgerløn er et eksempel på, hvordan vi i fremtiden vil se flere former for aflønning eller rabatter via selvbetjening og salg af - sig selv. læs mere
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the johnson banks thought for the week
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Nigaz with attitude
2 Jul 2009 | 6:05 amA colleague send us this link to this story about Russian energy giant Gazprom’s latest venture in Nigeria. We’re continually creating names ourselves for projects, and one of the great paranoia’s is that that the name that you’ve dreamed up, and the client loves, falls over ‘in legal’ or translation because it means something ridiculous in another language. The classic of course is the Vauxhall Nova, which didn’t really work in Spain, given that ‘no va’ translates as ‘doesn’t go’. Ooops.But we’re wondering… -
Everyone starts somewhere
29 Jun 2009 | 10:26 amThere’s rather entertaining mini-exhibition that D&AD have put together where a host of well known designers and ad-men have dug out slightly dodgy early work, with accompanying captions. It’s called Everyone starts somewhere and is on show at New Blood this week, or online here.Johnson banks’ Michael Johnson was asked to find something early and embarassing from the back on his plan chest: here’s an over-worked agency brochure from the late 80s, followed by some choice exampes from other designers. Michael JohnsonPrior to working at Sedley Place I had been out of… -
More than half is wasted
24 Jun 2009 | 6:59 amThere’s that infamous quote attributed to everyone and anyone about ‘half my advertising is wasted but I don’t know which half’...*Long and tedious train journeys this week revealed that perhaps more than half is wasted when it comes to underground adverts. Of course when you’re stuck on a platform you’ll often read the large posters facing (or cross-tracks as they’re known). But when you’re inside a carriage, you can’t see them, so you don’t. Travelling to and from Clapham Common this week we noticed at one stop how perfectly the… -
Piece of cake
19 Jun 2009 | 9:59 amIn April we mentioned an odd project that fell out of this year’s Design Auction, when young design company Teacake offered their design services for free on a project of the bidder’s choice, a lot that drew the attention of the marketing team at Land Securities.We offered to show the final product here on Thought for the Week, so as promised, here we are, with a few of the original ideas for good measure. The brief was for a poster set for the Land Securities environmental conference, themed ‘Past, Present and Future’. Some of Teacake’s early ideas covered these… -
Behind the seen
16 Jun 2009 | 1:13 pmStroll down London’s Dover Street and this rather imposing chap will stare out at you from the window of Philip Mould’s Gallery. If you’re a regular Antiques Roadshow viewer (and more people watch it than they might admit), Mould himself is a regular expert providing on-the-spot provenance, insight, yarns, and yes valuations too.Anyway, go inside the gallery (if they’ll let you in - pretend you’re loaded) and this imposing painting of Sir John Conroy by Henry Pickersgill, RA (1782-1875) reveals its other side - the most incredible ‘back’ which …
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Sireh Dan Cengkeh Terpilih
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Yuna. Singer & songwriter.
26 Jun 2009 | 6:51 amThis talented singer & songwriter have mesmerized listeners with her brand of honest, shoe gazing poppy songs. Check out the video above to learn more about her. The video was produced by, a freelance film maker and was also part of the Hoppers dan Ahli Muzik team. Via The Wknd.Similar Posts: 12 wonderful & ultra cute toy cameras. Wordpress Themes made by Malaysians Part 2. The Wknd. 12 classic music videos by director Spike Jonez. The Musalman. -
12 wonderful & ultra cute toy cameras.
11 Jun 2009 | 4:54 amLomography is SO overrated. But due to their active community, the popularity of obscure and affordable film cameras have steadily risen in the midst of affordable digital camera market. Here are some cool toy cameras that not only fun to use but also an eye candy.(above: Current Toy Camera Collection by Slightlynorth) Holga TLR. I guess by now everyone should already know what SLR means, but TLR? Instead of single lense this type of camera has two lenses. Now, the uber-cool guys at Holga have produced another masterpiece when they combine the cult Holga 120 camera with an extra… -
12 classic music videos by director Spike Jonez.
2 Jun 2009 | 9:34 amSpike Jonez is a multi-talented director and producer that have produced gems like the iconic music video ‘Buddy Holly’ by Weezer and ‘Sabotage’ by the Beasties Boys. Check out these classics plus that new video from UNKLE. Buddy Holly -Weezer Praise You - Fatboy Slim Sabotage - Beasties Boys It’s oh so quite - Bjork Björk - It's Oh So QuietUploaded by Bjork. - Watch more music videos, in HD! Weapon of choice - Fatboy Slim The Rockafella Skank - Fatboy Slim FatBoy Slim - the rockafeller skankUploaded by kaz1988. Undone (the… -
Boonga Art Shoes.
23 May 2009 | 4:32 amWhat’s cooler the a nice, fun and funky pair of sneakers? If you are bored with the usual shoes and sneakers that are widely available in shoe stores around you, why don’t check these colorful shoes from Boonga Studio? The shoes are all lovingly handpainted and are exclusively done with the basis of made-to-order. So, please check out their blog for more details. Thank you to Firdaus for answering my questions. All the best! Q. Can you kindly introduce yourselves and what boongashoes is all about? A. We are actually from Boonga Studio and Boonga Art Shoes is one of our unique… -
5 essential free ebooks for designers & freelancers.
16 May 2009 | 7:15 amCheck out these 5 essential free ebook for designers & freelancers. 1. Business Start-Up Guide for Designer and Makers by The Design Trust 2. Time management for creative people by Mark McGuinness. 3. Why Design? by AIGA 4. Web Designer’s Success Guide by Kevin Airgid 5. A Manifesto for Meaningful Design by Stephen Hay Similar Posts: Excelent typography and font-related websites. 13 Excelent design magazines. Wearenvy. Artzmania. Kuala Lumpur Design Week 2009.
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Tcritic by Karl Long - The Daily T-Shirt Blog Covering Indie Fashion and Design
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T-Shirts for baby Twins
26 Jun 2009 | 11:25 amWhat a great concept, t-shirts for twins, another example of the power of niche marketing on the internet The shirts come in sizes from newborn to todler and are $36 for the pair, amazing gift if you know anyone with twins. Advertisement: Busted Tees: Funniest T-Shirts AnywhereMore Cowbell, Jesus Hates the Yankees, Great Gifts! -
Some San Francisco T-Shirts from Headline Shirts
25 Jun 2009 | 2:45 pmThis is genius, San Francisco really is cloud city Nuff said if you know about biking in this town, luckily I ride a pretty fugly bike so no one really wants to steal it Ahh, the joys of the 22 bus Advertisement: Wholesale Screen Printingwith online design tool. Free shipping ,set-up and art. -
Stove Monkeys - T-Shirts for the Chef in You
23 Jun 2009 | 3:19 pmI think these chef themed T-Shirts from Stove Monkeys are a great example of niche t-shirt marketing that, given the right designs, could be very successful using the web. I love the Save the Foie T-shirt and I’m sure Anthony Bordain would approve -
Friday Favourites - June 19
19 Jun 2009 | 7:27 pmBonjour! I’ve got some cute tees for you this Friday! I was going through the e-mails & found this entertaining site, Tolky Monkys. The tee designs are cute & they’ve got these great engrish-esque stories that go along with them. Vampire bunnies? Confused Aliens? Mimes? Sold. Upper Playground just released their June line of tees, and Shy Diving charmed me. Like the tees on Tolky Monkys, this one has a story: You will never feel safer when jumping out of an airplane than when you are equipped with a friendly giant hedgehog, who happens to have a bad feeling about the… -
Eat Like You Give a Damn from Herbivore Clothing!
17 Jun 2009 | 1:09 pmHey Tcritic! Been a little while - I’ve been spending a lot of time in meatspace (gotta use this word more - meatspace), and i’m finally returning to post about t-shirts vigorously. I was looking through vegan tees, trying to get back into the vegan mindset & stumbled across this great shirt, Eat Like You Give A Damn. SO AWESOME. And for animal cuteness overload, i loved the “I’m Vegan and I Love You” shirt. All i gotta say is - i think you should eat what is best for your body, but EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN! ♥ & mashed potatoes, Mary Bee
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Ponoko - Blog
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How To Give Yourself a DIY Laser Cut Tattoo
29 Jun 2009 | 1:15 pmdisclaimer: do not try this at home, not a Ponoko service……. We have all heard of laser tattoo removal to get rid of those embarrassing love/hate tattoo’s off of one’s knuckles, or to change Winnona into Wino Forever. But the democratization of access to tools of manufacture and self mutilation have now converged on the instructables site by Tetranitrate. Click on the image or link above to see what looks like a couple of students experimenting with their school’s epilog laser cutter (there is a plug for them). The Instructables post steps through how to set up,… -
Undulating Layered Cardboard Desk
29 Jun 2009 | 10:27 amBoolean Construction by the Celebrated Ball-Nogues Studio. This may not be the most economical use of cardboard produce a structure but the undulating form of the new reception desk for The Edward Cella Art + Architecture Gallery in Los Angeles by Ball-Nogues Studio is an interestingly raw use of layered cardboard. The undulating functional object was crafted from assembled layers of diecut cardboard and Koskisen plywood. Seeking to affect the white cube space of the gallery with the minimum of materials, Ball-Nogues utilized the surging repetition and pattern created with stacking two shapes… -
zipit
29 Jun 2009 | 4:32 amziplocked flatpack chair zipit is a unique “do it yourself” chair by viktormatic based on a kit of wood modules, cardboard seat and backrest cushions, to be easily built up and disassembled only with zip ties connections. “A new undefined human personality needs in my mind objects that own a variable adjusting and transformable character. thereby i developed this kit based chair whose connections are fixed with adjustable zip-ties. because of these uneasy connections, this chair tends to be loose and wobbly, but this is part of “a new way of sitting” idea.”… -
The Fundament Lounge
28 Jun 2009 | 9:40 pmFlat Pack Furniture with Danish Influence The Fundament Lounge by Acronym Designs is a pack flat lounger that was inspired by some mid-century pieces where simple lines and a low slung stance. The oak use for this piece is reclaimed and is currently being sourced from a company that makes tractor trailer beds. They have immense amounts of cut off waste that is too small for their purposes, but suits furniture design. Instead of this wood going to the landfill or being burned, it is converted it into functional and attractive furniture making it a sustainable design. The chair is a pack flat… -
Hand Printed Photos
28 Jun 2009 | 6:06 pmrethinking technology and speed one pixel at a time thehumanprinter is a group of people who print photos in CMYK or B&W by hand. Simply send in your images via email and they will very slowly convert your images to your preferred format, either greyscale, CMYK or Spot Colour, very slowly. Why? In the words of the human printer team… Technology is an integral aspect of modern day life, so much so that without it we may not be able to function. We have constructed these machines to aid our lives, making simple productions/tasks easier to accomplish. Though these developments were…
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LifeClever ;-)
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The “Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight” Giveaway—Winner Chosen!
10 Jun 2009 | 11:18 amThank you everyone for the great comments. I’ve selected a winner and it’s Jimmy Vu Nguyen. We’re looking forward to that mind map! I’m running a little contest for my friends at Art House Films to promote their new documentary, Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight. Yes design nerds, that’s the Milton Glaser—the designer who created the famous I ♥ NY logo. The prize is Milton Glaser’s latest book, Drawing is Thinking. The film will be playing on June 19th in San Francisco at the Roxie. Here’s the official synopsis: For many, Milton Glaser is… -
Meet me at AIGA SF Portfolio Day 2009
6 May 2009 | 11:36 amI’ll be reviewing portfolios for the AIGA San Francisco chapter on Saturday, May 30, 2009. It’s an all day event, and it’ll be my sixth year as a reviewer. I enjoy it every time, and I’ve yet to make someone cry. Am I too nice? Perhaps, this will be my lucky year. ;-) It looks like reservations are still available. So sign up if you’re looking for a job in this terrible economy or if you simply want portfolio feedback from Bay Area design studios. Space is limited, so register soon: AIGA SF Portfolio Day Registration -
Say bye bye to Hallmark!
22 Apr 2009 | 4:25 pmCan’t find greeting cards that live up to your design standards? Check out Paper Culture, a new greeting card company co-founded by my friend and former MetaDesign colleague, Hui-ling Chen. The cards are modern, cute, and delightful. Best part, you can even personalize them with your own photos or text. Right now, a majority of the cards are baby-oriented. But I expect to see a larger variety of different event cards once the business gets going. Here are some more sample images: Don’t forget to check out my previous post on other cool greeting card companies: Where to Find… -
Why design is political
2 Apr 2009 | 6:05 amHere’s a little something I wrote ages ago which I should have shared with you. Never too late: Simple problems (problems which are already defined) are easy to solve, because defining a problem inherently defines a solution. The definition of a problem is subjective; it comes from a point of view. Thus, when defining problems, all stake-holders, experts, and designers are equally knowledgeable (or unknowledgeable). Some problems cannot be solved, because stake-holders cannot agree on the definition. These problems are called wicked, but sometimes they can be tamed. Solving simple… -
How to write a positioning statement
1 Apr 2009 | 9:58 amI don’t have a prank or joke for you today. But, I do have a new post on the SMB Marketing Guide blog. It’s a short, but practical, guide on how to write a positioning statement. I even wrote like a poem. Here’s a little teaser for you: Your product is one among millions. With so many products, why should a customer choose yours? Positioning answers this question. A product’s “position” is the place it occupies in the customer’s mind. All products have a position— even if it’s the position of “unfamiliar” or “irrelevant to me” or “not very good”.
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ideasonideas
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Epitaph for a plastic man
26 Jun 2009 | 1:19 pmThe King of Pop is dead and a product of the media has ceased to be. From his debut with the Jackson 5 in 1969, to his moonwalk at Motown 25 and the later allegations of child molestation, we as a culture have reveled in his actions. Not only have we consumed Michael Jackson’s prodigious musical output, but also his public (and quite possibly criminal) foibles. (more…) -
Sweatpants forever?
15 Jun 2009 | 11:45 amYou’ve been struggling with your marketing for years. Every time you take on a new initiative you hope for it to make a difference, but somehow you’re left back at square one. Although you have a new website or piece of collateral it hardly ever seems to make a difference. Where’s the disconnect? I suspect it’s in your story and the value you put on it. (more…) -
More mess; less B.S. (or: Nine simple suggestions for using social media)
1 Jun 2009 | 9:42 amThere are a lot of social media experts out there, and I’m not one of them. I don’t think your business needs a Facebook Page (actually, I say that they’re largely bunk); meanwhile, I feel that a lot of “blogger outreach” is an outright waste of time. In fact, I argue that you should probably ignore a lot of tools and features out there. (more…) -
Random Observations - Part 6
25 May 2009 | 11:21 amLast week’s post resulted in a number of lovely emails and positive feedback. Thank you for all of your kind words! Writing these articles is a lot of fun, but getting little notes from you makes it even more enjoyable! It’s a beautiful day here in Vancouver, and what better way to start it than with a few random observations? (more…) -
Drones at the karaoke lounge of design
21 May 2009 | 2:02 pmThe invasion of design has begun, fueled by an army of talented newcomers and low-cost offshore services. This new breed trades methodology for mimicry and by doing so radically undercuts pricing, sometimes even working for free. Like it or not, supply and demand in the design industry is undergoing upheaval. Worse yet, for design buyers it’s getting harder to differentiate between good and bad design. (more…)
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Topsy Turvy
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Yves Gastou Decorates with Red, White & Blue
2 Jul 2009 | 3:50 amFrench antiques dealer Yves Gastou shows us all how to decorate with patriotic color. Just throw in one simple André Arbus rug, add a sprinkling of designer antiques, and voila ... instant fireworks!The sculptural forms and soft colors of the neoclassical commode by Gio Ponti, coffee table by Jansen, and armchairs by Jean-Charles Moreux set the stage for the sophisticated heat provided by the red-white-and-blue rug, in the living room of Gastou's house in Biarritz. I love how the rug acts as a giant, abstract painting, and the large scale of the pattern pulls the room together.Switch to his… -
Making Peace Personal
30 Jun 2009 | 4:00 amInstead of a peace button, I think I'll wear one of these great bracelets.Max&Chloe Ettica Leather Peace Wrap Bracelet. I love the wrap style, and this would go with most everything (perhaps a pair of brown leather gladiator sandals).Also from Max&Chloe, the Ettica Leather Peace Bracelet comes in your choice of 16 colors.I'm partial to the white.Max&Chloe Blu Bijoux Rock N Roll Peace Cuff, $22.If you like cuffs, this one is cute with a little bit of cool.What a nice way to provide a subtle, constant reminder of your personal vision for the world!It is said that visualizing can… -
Bringing Peace Home
29 Jun 2009 | 4:00 amA small, simple gesture – like incorporating peace signs in your everyday life – can have an effect on your own way of thinking, and that of those around you.Jonathan Adler's Peace Pillow is available in magenta/brown or black/white. Or – you can choose from quite a few custom color swatches to match your decor. -
Coming Together for Peace
28 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amThis candle-light peace sign, in Budapest, 2006, is such a beautiful way to make a peaceful statement."When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix -
The Peace Sign
26 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amYesterday was the first in a series of posts I'll be doing about peace. I can't stop thinking about what this world would be like without war, violence, hate, intolerance and the struggle for power and control of others.Did you know that the British were marching with peace signs, guitars and babies in 1958?Designed in 1958 for the British nuclear disarmament movement, the peace sign was brought to the US by a member of the Student Peace Movement, in the form of peace buttons. Thousands of those buttons were sold on college campuses, and it was soon adopted by the baby boomer anti-war…
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WebUrbanist
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Futuristic Mobile Homes: Trailer Trash or Treasure?
1 Jul 2009 | 2:26 pmWith global warming threatening coastal cities and a new era of mass migration on the horizon, going mobile just might be today’s bright idea - and tomorrow’s way of life. Those who want to get rolling right away have a tantalizing choice of ambulatory abodes from which to choose. Here are a dozen tech-packed trailers that are full of Win… without the Winnebago. Rolling Stone Home Gathers No Moss (images via: Dornob and Inhabitat) Slovakia-based Nice Architects has a nice idea for future mobile-homers: the Rolling Stone eco-capsule. Though not connected in any way with a… -
Your Future Is Calling: 15 Cool Cell Phone Concepts
29 Jun 2009 | 3:12 pmCell phone technology and styling continue to progress by leaps and bounds bu that still leaves a lot of wiggle room for creative engineers eager to answer the call for ever odder phones. Here are 15 of the hottest cellphone concepts around. Your future’s calling! The Hot Line (images via: Hulger) Concept cellphones aren’t always feature-packed and futuristic - sometimes they’re just the opposite. Maybe UK-based designer Vladimir Rachev misunderstood when someone requested he create a cellphone tough as iron. Maybe he wasn’t listening; lost inside his own bizarre,… -
Fauxtoshop: 15 More Real Photos that Look Faked
28 Jun 2009 | 3:09 pmA man walking on water, a bunny the size of a dog and a fetus floating in a starry sky – none of these things can actually be real, right? In an age when almost anyone can effectively manipulate images in Photoshop, it’s easy to scoff at every incredible photograph that you see on the internet. Don’t let your cynicism get the best of you. Some are the result of sheer dumb luck, others from hours of careful preparation and some exist because reality is simply stranger than fiction, but these 15 images are 100% authentic. Walking on Water (image via: marianitoz) Speedboat driver Joe… -
Skooly DK: Conception Graphique de France
26 Jun 2009 | 2:30 pmJulien Babigeon is a French graphic designer going by the name Skooly DK. What does Skooly DK mean? How did Julien get that name? “Don’t ask me why. It’s a little bit complicated.” The most-likely tangled and twisty origin story of Julien’s “Skooly DK” moniker is an apt metaphor for his art–vintage, strange, hard to describe and, at the end of the day, simply awesome. Music Makes Him Lose Control (images via: ARTST) If we start to unpack the box marked “Who Is Skooly DK,” sitting at the very top will be a stack of LPs. Some of his… -
The Art of Photoshop: A Dozen Fantastic Photographic Manipulations
24 Jun 2009 | 8:12 pm“This looks shopped. I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time”… This classic 4chan meme captures in one sentence the pomposity and ignorance of countless self-styled image critics. There’s a nugget of truth in that annoying meme, however - poor ’shops ARE obvious, even to 4channers. The better ones, on the other hand, can be mind-boggling. Here is a selection of great and notorious photoshopped images guaranteed to provoke wonder, amusement and eyestrain. Beyond Imagery, Almost Imaginary (images via: Oogle Tutorials, PSD…
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DESIGN 21 Recent Activity
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Finding Technologies in Rural India
2 Jul 2009 | 9:33 amI recently had the wonderful privilege of trekking through rural and tribal village in Gujarat India... -
Rubbish Never Looked So Good
2 Jul 2009 | 4:00 amA mobile campaign to encourage and celebrate recycling was created earlier this year through a joint... -
Socially and environmentally aware?
2 Jul 2009 | 2:17 amWe're looking for designers who are dedicated to social change. The onion network is a mixture of fr... -
Green Screen studio
1 Jul 2009 | 7:55 pm• Atomic Studios just moved to a 15000 square foot facility with 3 times the shooting space of the f... -
Dizajncafe
1 Jul 2009 | 2:46 pmZona tortona 2009 photogallery, Zaha Hadid, design for blind person ... go on http://www.dizajncafe....
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Baekdal.com
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Amazing Designer Lights
30 Jun 2009 | 4:41 am7Gods, a London based design firm, has created a number of really striking lamp. They are made by hand of mostly paper or veneer, and each one of them is a work of art. The latest light is this lamp called "Puku", which you can see below. I am very interested in letting the material do the work, I always look for grain in materials, knowing this let me take advantage of how far I can push them. All the ideas for the design come form the materials itself, I spend a lot of time experimenting with different papers and materials, I keep everything simple, One the most important aspect of the… -
Who Said a Yacht has to Look Like a boat?
28 Jun 2009 | 3:13 pmIt's hot and summer and what better place to relax than on a yacht - especially one with a striking design. Here is some ‘inspiration' for what you might buy. Oculus The Olucus is a very futuristic looking yacht from Schöpfer Yachts. Its 250-foot, can accommodate 12 guests and can travel at speeds up to 25 knots. It got a double-height dining room, an elevator and a special area for ‘the owner' + a lot more. Infinitas If that design isn't striking enough, then can you always opt for the bigger and more spacious designed Infinitas. It's 300-foot with a massive recreational pool area in… -
What the Heck is Twitter?
20 Jun 2009 | 2:00 amThere is a bazillion articles and videos, trying to explain what Twitter is all about. There is also a ton of surveys, most noticeable a recent one telling you that only 10% of all Twitter users actually post tweets on their own. But here is the thing... They are all giving people the wrong ideas! Twitter has changed tr