This bookshelf called Hold On Tight by Colleen & Eric took my breath away. It comes with an integrated bookend (a cube with an oversized wing-nut that you can loosen and slide on a track to make room for more books). It’s minimal and brilliant. Make that cube white or red and I am in heaven.
Our little family had the pleasure to take part in Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan’s latest Apartment Therapy book project: Big Book of Small Spaces. During a photo shoot last year they captured our bedroom, home office and Ella’s bedroom. (above)
I was so excited to see the final product, having heard so much about it! The apartments they feature are truly inspiring. Wonderful to see how everyone embraced the challenge of ‘small’.
The inspiring book is coming out this week! Yay!
You can preview the book here.
The lovely folks of PAWLING print studio sent me a set of their adorable onesies which have quickly become our favorites at casa swissmiss. They are on heavy rotation on the little man. (He is sporting on in the above picture) The front of each onesie features a screenprinted minimal animal illustration. Yes for simplicity!
My friend Douglas Levere pointed me to one of his new projects called PrintCollection.com.
Print Collection publishes new images each day. Fall in love with one? No problem, order a museum quality print for your home or office. I wouldn’t mind a copy of this Flatiron Print, or this Amundsen Blimp.
Now that’s a stylish diaper bag. Hello there, Charlie. It’s by a new brand called Timi & Leslie.
Hyperactivitypography from A to Z is an activity book for typographers
illustrated in a nostalgic vintage style to give it a sweet and childlike look.
The book is packed with activities, ranging from silly to hard core nerdiness.
It’s great to test your skills on and to learn new things while having fun.
Who said typography had to be stiff and boring?
You can flip through the book or buy it on www.hyperactivitypography.com!
(via thinkingaloud)
I had the honor to be part of this very cool project by The Type Directors Club called Beautifully Banal.
TDC and Cardon Copy asked 16 designers to find a classified/personal newspaper ad from our local community to “hijack” typographically. When redesigned, the once banal and disposable classified ads are reinterpreted by the designer into a one-of-a-kind collectible poster. Each poster will be auctioned on Tuesday evening, May 11th (starting at 6:00 pm), with proceeds to benefit the TDC Scholarship Fund.
I also happen to give a talk that night, right before the auction. To register please email the TDC (email on the bottom of this page) or call 1-212-633-8943.
The original classified:
UPDATE: One of my readers, Erik Wessel, pointed out that my classified seems to be from a puppy mill. I had no idea and am sorry to be giving this breeder additional attention with my poster. If you do get a puppy (or a poodle for that matter) please make sure to go through breeders that treat their animals with respect and dignity.
I am *not* endorsing the sale of puppies like this or this breeder, and I simply chose this ad because the idea of “poodles, all colors” was attractive to me as a designer.
Two of our wonderful studio mates are leaving us. One of them needs more space and the other is moving across the Atlantic! (Booo!) This means, two desks are becoming available, one on june 1st and one on july 1st. If you know anyone that would make a good addition to our awesome collaborative workspace, send them our way.
Who are we (currently) at #612a?
Cameron Kozcon of FictiveKin (my partner in crime on TeuxDeux), Chesley Andrews* of Dossier Studio, Max Ritt of swissmiss studio, Chris Shiflett of Analog, William Spencer Copy Writer Extraordinnaire, Jessica Hische* Type Goddess and Jennifer Ward of Minor Details.
* = studiomates leaving us
We are located in DUMBO, Brooklyn, right on the water. Here, this could be your view: EveryDayEastRiver.Tumblr.com
For a mere $500 a month, you get:
- An approx 6ft long desk
- Did I mention the east river/manhattan view already?
- Wifi
- Water
- Access to a scanner and laser printer
- For all of you coffee addicts, we have an amazing Nespresso Coffee Maker.
- A HUGE Ideapaint wall for brainstorming
- And then, here’s one of our best assets, you get to stream music to our Geneva XL.
- On Friday’s we usually have Beer and Beetles Rockband evenings.
- Lots of geek talk over lunch
- Oh, and let’s not forget our awesome new neighbors, Workshop, which we totally consider an asset as well to have next door!
Interested in renting a desk at @612a? Email me and tell us why you think you’d be a good fit! (We secretly hope for some developers to join us!)
UPDATE: Chesley (dossierstudio) will be moving to Stockholm, Sweden beginning of July. She is hoping to find a similar shared studio space. Know of any? Get in touch with her: http://scr.im/235h (Oh, and she’ll also need an apartment in case you hear of anything!)
If this bib doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what does. (Com’on Tilo (swissmister), don’t let anything stop you, you’re only 3months but hey, Live your dream!)
Lisa Strausfeld of Pentagram has designed an interactive data visualization for GE, a calculator that converts energy consumption into accessible units like cupcakes baked, sitcoms watched, etc.
Learn more about the project over on Pentragrams blog.
The Rhode Island School of Design just announced their Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition. The show opens May 20 and is on view through June 5, 2010.
For the first time, the 2010 RISD Graphic Design MFA candidates have elected to stage a special extension to the exhibition in the form of a fully-functioning shop called “Make, Do.” During the course of the exhibition and in other cities throughout the summer, these designers will apply formal and conceptual research from their thesis projects to a variety of products including books, T-shirts, office products, housewares, and more. In so doing, “Make, Do” acknowledges the exhibition’s Convention Center context and design’s role in the marketplace more generally. Taken along with the exhibition’s highly interdisciplinary curatorial strategy, “Make, Do” serves as a platform for questions about art and commerce, theory and practice, and design’s value both within the academy and beyond.
For more information on the graduate exhibition visit: GradExhibition2010.risd.edu.
For more info about Make, Do, visit makedoshop.com, and blog.makedoshop.com
This is a video of a marketing stunt that KLM did in Manchester Airport last month. It shows a guy reclining in an “invisible chair”. (There must be a metal tube going down his extended leg with an area to sit on, all hidden in his pants. Clever.)
(via likecool)
This durable tote is modeled after the plastic bag you’ve seen everywhere, with one important difference: it’s reusable. Made in the USA of natural organic Grade A canvas, it measures 16.5” x 16.5” and has a roomy 6” gusset to hold plenty of groceries. The design is screen printed and faithful to the original, right down to the last “s” (it’s upside down)
How clever is this Wheel of Nutrition plate, using visualization to support healthier eating habits. It was created by Hafsteinn Juliusson, Rui Pereira and Joana Pais.
(via brainpicker)
I am currently working on a short talk for the upcoming swissmiss birthday bash as well on a book proposal and have the following question for you:
Do you have a swissmiss story? Did I cover a product/idea/design of yours and it impacted your life? Did a post on my blog inspire you to pursue an idea/dream you had? Did a post of mine kick off a new side business that turned into your new fulltime gig? …
If you, or anyone else you know has a ‘swissmiss story’ please have them email me.
Yay Internet!
Created exclusively for the Royal We by Oliver Jeffers, this is a signed print of a hand painted map of America. With pins. Each print comes with 102 pins to chart your path to total American domination. 100 of the pins are orange, one of them is red and one of them is blue. Orange is for states conquered, red is for headquarters and blue is for state of origin.
Oh so analog. Oh so beautiful!
Being a big believer in following my gut feelings when making decisions, I wasn’t surprised in reading this fact:
Did you know that one half of all our nerve cells are located in the gut? You have as many neurotransmitters there as you do in your brain. Your gut produces 95% of the serotonin in your body, and can function even if it’s detached from the spinal cord. (Read The Second Brain, by Michael Gershon, for more details.)
5 Clear Flags of Hidden Intuition, by Erica Heinz
I have mentioned this project before and I think it deserves another shout-out:
Rachel Sussman is working on a project called The Oldest Living Things in the World. She is researching, working with biologists, and traveling all over the world to find and photograph continuously living organisms that are 2,000 years old and older. She started the project 5 years ago, and has since photographed nearly 25 different organisms, ranging from the Bristlecone Pine and Giant Sequoias that you’ve surely heard of, to some truly unusual and unique desert shrubs, bacteria, a predatory fungus, and a clonal colony of Aspen trees that’s male and, in theory, immortal.
As you can imagine, this is a very expensive undertaking. Thus far the project has been largely self-funded, and helped along by some generous friends and family. Rachel started a Kickstarter campaign and I encourage you to support her wonderful cause..
(thank you sorella)
Before starting WINTERCHECK FACTORY, Kristen worked on a construction site in Tribeca managing a real estate development project. She dug the architecture, design and humongous machines but could pass on the loan requisitions, punch lists and filing. After about four years of this, she decided to embark on a new and independent venture. Two weeks later she put down a deposit on a workspace in Bushwick, bought a jigsaw and went to work. The name “WINTERCHECK” was used as an attempt to simplify her heavily consonated real last name, Wentrcek.
Check out this minimal and elegant desk. Or the nifty scarf with built in pockets.
How much respect and admiration do I have for young folks like Kristen? ‘Doers’ like her get a hat tip from me!
(thank you amit)
It’s a retro resurgence with a modern twist. Pong is back. But not just any old Pong. Oh no. It’s TypePong! Pong. With type. This time, it’s on the iPhone!
TYPEPONG IPHONE APP #HFT003 IDENT from HypeForType on Vimeo.
(thank you Jake)
