Family Tree

“Violence breeds violence. Help control firearms.”

Advertiser: Amnesty International
Agency: DDB Budapest

Coasters for the typophiliac

Coasters for the typophiliac. Download the eps if you want to try this design in acrylic, or want to put your own finish on your coasters. EPS includes 4 unique type coasters about 3.5 inches in diameter. Go to: http://www.ponoko.com/showroom/acd/type-coasters-1749

Custard Factory Flea Market

This weekend I went to the Custard Factory flea market in Brum, which is held every Sunday from 11am-4pm. I've been to flea markets before, usually the kind where there's only a couple of stands worth lookin at amongst another hundred or so sellers, however, at this flea market there are only a hand full of sellers, most of whom are artists/illustrators/photographers/fashion designers, all trying to promote themselves by selling canvas', postcards, handmade jewellery or antiques. I was pleasantly surprised! Well worth going to, if only to meet the friendly faces. One leaflet I picked up led me to http://www.wonderleague.co.uk, also worth a look!

It's Jello time!!

www.jellotime.com

Telescopic Text: I made tea

An interesting little web toy by Joe Davis called Telescopic Text: www.telescopictext.com

YCN Live

YCN LIVE is starting to gather momentum, a great event at the end of the summer and well worth getting involved in. Check the site for all the details.

‘Over the last week of August and the first week of September, YCN LIVE will create platforms for emerging talent internationally. Partners including creative agencies, studios, retailers and other organisations will show the work of emerging creatives within their workspaces, environments and media.’

www.ycnonline.com/live

Sustainable Graphic Design widget

Divided into three sections; “paper”, “print” and “more info”, the sustainable graphic design widget delivers basic information about the environmental impacts that design methods and techniques have.

Designed primarily as an easily-accessed working tool for designers, the widget also has some ethical tips and links to other websites with more information.

Andrzej Dragan

I love stuff like this; people who are long gone being brought back to life, its kinda scary though! Fantastic photography and a good deal of photoshopping by Andrzej Dragan at http://www.andrzejdragan.com/

Laurel Denise Stationary

I'm into stationary big time at the mo, I know all designers are but I seem to be spending all my money on nice papers and stuff I'll probably never use because it's 'too nice'; I've already bought 2 notebooks, a journal, a very nice recycled jotter pad and a calendar this week, and its only Tuesday! Anyway, this stationary caught my eye, see more at http://www.laureldenise.com

Alison Carmichael

This poster design's a bit deceptive. From a distance it seems all jovial and carefree with it's balloon, but the text spells out something sinister. This kind of contrast seems to repeat itself Alison's work, see more at http://www.alisoncarmichael.com/

YES!!!

By Anthony Burrill

Collage

Fantastic collages by Sr.Garcia

Absolut LA

From this month everyone can have a taste of the LA lifestyle as the world's most iconic vodka introduces ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES, a limited-edition, city-inspired flavor honoring the City of Angels. Celebrating the city's trend-forward ideals, the bold, new flavor is made with an all-natural symphony of blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity notes of pomegranate. ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES will be available beginning in July at bars, restaurants, nightclubs and retailers nationwide across America.

I love the ABSOLUT branding design and packaging, but I'm really against selling the 'LA lifestyle'. So we all want to be size zero, eat nothing and be surgically enhanced? I don't think so. I realise that ABSOLUT are simply cashing-in on the latest trends, but for me this is a trend that shouldn't be pushed; it's dangerous, and one I certainly won't be buying into.

Kurt Wenner

Kurt Wenner is an international master artist who interprets Renaissance classicism in a very unique (3D) style. Unlike any other contemporary talent, Wenner fuses the visual patrimony of the past with 21st Century imagination and stunning originality.

Last week he caused a bit of a stir at Waterloo station with his latest masterpiece; a open vault spilling out cash. Clever.

He's also an architect. See more of his work at http://www.kurtwenner.com

Linda & Harriet Stationary

Lovely stationary by Linda & Harriet. Great website too: http://www.lindaandharriett.com

A charming piece of ethnic cleansing by The Sun.

Coca-Cola 2L Contour Bottle

Coca-Cola North America announced the pilot of its signature contour bottle in a convenient two-liter size, in Birmingham and Chattanooga. The new two-liter form of Coca-Cola's iconic package was preferred over the straight wall two-liter bottle overwhelmingly in recent consumer tests, and offers a significant advantage for consumers beyond its classic good looks -- it is also easier to hold and easier to pour. Research conducted by Coca-Cola with consumers suggests that the two-liter contour package has the potential to re-energize sales.

Nearly 92 years after its creation, the contour bottle remains a symbol of innovation, instantly differentiating the world's best known sparkling beverage from all other products. Widely recognized as a pioneering example of package-driven branding, the contour bottle is one of the few packages to ever receive a trademark from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Samuel Green

I miss seeing work like this, everything is so digitally enhanced nowadays and these amazing pencil drawings by Samuel Green is illustration at its greatest.

Art School Made Me Do This

By Rutger De Vries - more great work at http://www.perongeluk.com

The Keep Calm Gallery

The Keep Calm crowd have recently redesigned their site and added some beautiful new prints. I especially love 'The Scarlet Letter', by Douglas Wilson. I would be entering my card details right now if it weren't sold out!

Helen Musselwhite

Helen works from her studio in the North West. These little scenes look amazing. By cutting and folding paper Helen creates these incredibly intricate wallhangings.

Each piece combines the hand cutting, folding and scoring of a wide range of papers and card that are further worked on to create patterned and textured surfaces. They are then used to build scenes in box frames which are often complex and consist of many layers. This process means that each item of work is truly individual with no two pieces the same.Influenced by the natural world each piece is manipulated to become an intriguing place, a glimpse into another world of fiction and fairytale.

Red n'Black Journal

By Kate Moross
"A lined book that I take everywhere. Notes, drawings, anything you can think of. Some of my original master copies of flyers were drawn on these pages, and some have been printed in Graphik"

PES Western Spaghetti

By PES. Really like this, so original and very well thought out. Takes me back to the days of pingu and morph...

Rhyme & Reason

"rhyme&reason" is an exploration in using light as a material to create transformative fashions. Reflecting on the change from day to night, inconspicuous white knitwear is enlivened by illumination, creating a sense of magic and mystery for the wearer. When not being worn, the pieces double in function as lamps, avoiding the fate of hanging neglected in a closet.

designs by mary huang
photography by michael sun

Emoticon Transforming Stamp

I know this isn't that new, but I really like it. It’s made of 100% silicone so it’s flexible enough to squish the standard face into whatever emotion you might need to express on paper. That way, instead of relying on proper grammar and prose to convey your feelings, you can just fill the page with frowns and smiles. I like the idea that no two faces would be identical, and I prefer this to the digitally created emoticons that seem cold and impersonal.

Against Abuse

An extremely powerful, yet simple design concerning child abuse. It seems that this design for the German anti abuse organisation 'Gegen Missbrauch' has been done before. Gegen Missbrauch means against abuse.

Copy: “More than 300,000 children are sexually abused in Germany every year.” Hamburg based agengy Grabarz & Partner won silver in the category Press, Poster & Techniques at this years Epica Awards.

Grabarz & Partner also have an uber cool website: http://www.grabarzundpartner.de

Kate Beaton comic strips

This morning I was feeling a bit down in the dumps, and these comic strips by Kate Beaton who is based in Nova Scotia, really made me smile. There's lots more to see at: http://www.katebeaton.com

Creating Page Layout

Matt Willey recently recorded his decision-making on a feature design for the Royal Academy magazine. It provides a very useful insight into how page designs are created.

A Presentation by Beau Bergeron

This a great self-promo interview/presentation by Beau Bergeron. Quite original, and is definitely memorable. When presenting to poential employers and clients, Beau stands at the front of the room and this presentation is projected onto his white T-Shirt.

FOZI Tripod

FOZI Tripod is a simple solution to use your camera, iPod and iPhone on the go, 6 colors to chose from.

Design won't save the world

Poster by Frank Chimero.

Casa 11 Mujeres

Casa 11 Mujeres, recently featured in Short List magazine, is home to Chilean architect Mathias Klotz. It occupies a 45-degree site on the cliffs overlooking Cachagua beach, 86 miles north of Santiago. His 11 daughters have their bedrooms on the middle flour, the lower floor holds a games and TV room, while the top layer comprises the master bedroom, living room and family dining room. Overall, the house covers 5,200 sq ft, bear in mind the average one bed flat comes in at about 550 sq ft, and every bedroom's window looks over the Pacific ocean.

FLOWmarket

FLOWmarket is a shop designed to inspire consumers to think, live and consume more holistic. The core of FLOWmarket is the scarcity goods collection where present imbalances from the 3 FLOW dimensions (individual, collective and environmental flow) have been adressed and transformed into physical products. Scarcity goods products in the shape of aesthetically designed (empty) packings with humorous and thought awakening prints that consumers can buy in the venueshops or via the online shop. Further on FLOWmarket collaborate with designers and artists around the globe that fits with our mindset, humour and aesthetics.

Trillium Absinthe

Trillium Absinthe is one of the first legally produced absinthes in the United States. Its from Integrity Spirits in Portland Oregon and was designed by ID Branding.

"The bottle has a distinct shape that communicates the elegance and ritual of absinthe. The botanicals used to make the absinthe are represented on the outside of the bottle in the label design. The bottle itself, is sealed with a wax cap. The layers of the design echo the complexity of the absinthe within."

Pond’s Anti-Bacterial Facial Scrub

By advertising ggency: Ogilvy & Mather Phils.

Always Drive Sober

Optical illusion got into advertising. Take a close look at this ad to see the effects of driving drunk.

Jewish Museum, Berlin

On a recent trip to Berlin, I was treated to a visit to this fantastic museum. Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the Jewish Museum Berlin is one of the most spectacular museum buildings in Germany. Since the beginning it has been a magnet for the public, attracting 350,000 people even as an empty shell before it opened in fall 2001. The architecture was undoubtedly the cause for this initial popularity.

The 'zig zag' structure of the building lends itself well to the disorientaing feeling I had whilst walking through. The sharp lines and angles, the lack of natural light, and dark atmosphere create an experience that is reflected by that of the holocaust victims.

My favourite part of the museum, and for me the most memorable, is the Menashe Void with the art installation Shalechet (fallen leaves) by Menashe Kadishman (pictured in the last image above). The tall dark void is littered with thousands of metal faces, layered upon one another. As people tread over the faces, the sound of the metal 'clinking' together is echoed throughout the void and, to me, sounded like crying. This illusion of a mass grave was extremely effective, and gave me a real sense of the scale of the holocaust.