Target Makes Art out of Own Products in Pop Up Store

Oh this is a good combination of trendy marketing tools. US retailing company Target created a pop up store with artsy productions made out of their own products. "Target loves getting creative by way of the small-scale pop-up. In 2013, a life-size dollhouse took over Grand Central Station to show off Target’s Threshold furniture line; during back-to-school season, Target tapped into the college-student market with “Bullseye University,” a 3D dorm simulation outfitted with Target goods.
This week, you can visit an art gallery made entirely of Target products in Chelsea.Called Target Too, the art gallery-meets-pop-up-store is meant to promote the wide array of items you can buy at Target, as well as push the retailer’s dedication to design. The company described it as a “design-to-digital playground.” Chief Creative Officer Todd Waterbury said in a statement: “I like that it begins to loosen and play with the meaning of what a gallery, a store, a playground, even what an Instagram feed is, and what the integration of technology can do within a bounded space—how it can deepen and expand the meaning of each of these.” Pop-ups have become a popular way for a small brand or e-commerce retailer to get its collections in front of customers and boost sales without the commitment of a lease. Target’s pop-up, however, doesn’t sell anything at all (instead, it is giving away gifts for free), but according to Jason Goldberg, group vp of commerce strategy at Razorfish, larger companies find great value in the pop-up purely for brand-building purposes." You can read more here: https://digiday.com/brands/target-makes-art-products-pop-store/

Favorite Illustrator of the Week : Benjamin van Geem

Studio van Geem

It took me a little while to figure out where this guy is from (Belgium), but his Twitter account finally gave him up ;-). Benjamin van Geem (Studio van Geem) added me on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and I was immediately a fan of his work. I'm a big lover of the comic style, so you will soon know why I dig this artist. He's also added a nice little article on how he made the logo of his own studio. "To come up with a logo that represents your own work is not an easy job. In 2014 I started the studio and with my roots in product design and a passion for illustration I knew I didn’t want to restrict myself to only small meaningless drawings. I wanted the studio to represent more than “that’s the guy that makes cool drawings”. Studio Van Geem is a brand, a webshop with cool gadgets and a company that thinks beyond bounderies. Thats’s why I came up with the name ‘STUDIO VAN GEEM – Beyond Illustration” See more here: http://www.studiovangeem.com/

Trash Art: How ReUsing Material Can be Gorgeous

Bordalo II

Easter is coming! Love this guys work. His bio states: Bordalo II presents us a figurative painting full of vivacity and movement, where he paints his own interpretation of urban landscapes and city entertainment. He's exploring his own mixed media on wood stand base, and are thus made a series of collages of objects (garbage). It is not only a way to recycle, but also a critique of the world we live in, where we often have nice things, which are based on junk without realizing it." See more here: http://bordalosegundo.com/

Isobelle Ouzman Turns Literature into Sculptures with their Own Stories

Isobelle Ouzman

How do you turn literature into a literary sculpture? Artist Isobelle Ouzman will show you. "Isobelle Ouzman is committed to working with reclaimed materials. The Seattle, Washington-based artist upcycles old hardcovers for her “Altered Books” series, which combines illustration and sculpture to create enchanted hollows inside of discarded titles. With a blade, Ouzman cuts away layers of pages, converting them into passageways into mysterious worlds. She is drawn to organic shapes and often decorates her “Altered Books” with opulent flora. The books become magical forests that evoke the ways reading fiction allows one to dive into an alternate universe." And isn't it just beautiful? More here: http://hifructose.com/2015/03/27/isobelle-ouzmans-altered-books-series-turns-literature-into-sculpture/

Push that Button : Red Cross Stockholm Airport Arcade Marketing Campaign is a Big Win!

This one is awesome! "Sometimes the most simple ideas are the best and this campaign from the Red Cross hits the mark with their latest campaign, the Charity Arcade. Often times when we travel, we bring back loose foreign change. It’s often too little of an amount to exchange so it usually just sits in our pockets ready to be dumped out at home. Sometimes there are donation boxes at the baggage claim so that travelers can make a donation with their loose change if they choose to. The problem is that few people actually do so! The Charity Arcade reinvents the way we donate by making it a game. Red Cross created old school arcade games that ran on donations which encouraged people to make a donation while making the wait for your bags more fun and interesting. This way people can get rid of their loose change, make a difference and have fun doing it!"
Source: http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/ambient-advertising-2/red-cross-creates-airport-arcade-games-for-good/

London's Magic Mushroom Maze : How Art Will Make You Playful

Selgas Cano Architects

London sure knows how to draw positive attention! "A psychedelic labyrinth will land in Kensington Gardens this summer, courtesy of young Spanish architects Selgas Cano, whose plans to weave a colourful plastic cocoon for the 15th annual Serpentine pavilion have been unveiled today. Formed from layers of jazzy plastic fabric and coloured webbing stretched over a framework of interlocking tunnels, it looks as if an exotic caterpillar might have nibbled on a magic mushroom before spinning its chrysalis. “It will be absolutely experimental from every angle you look through it,” Jose Selgas told me, when he and his partner Lucia Cano were selected for the prestigious commission in December. In today’s announcement, the architects (who work in their own cocoon, buried in a forest outside Madrid) say they have “sought a way to allow the public to experience architecture through simple elements,” creating a “journey through the space, characterised by colour, light and irregular shapes with surprising volumes.” It follows on from another cocoon-shaped pavilion last year, designed by a similarly little-known architect, the Chilean Smiljan Radic. While his papery pod had an organic quality, this year’s supercharged structure couldn’t look more synthetic, in keeping with the Spanish architects’ penchant for playful plastic structures." The structure is called: The 2015 Serpentine Pavilion and will be on show 25 June – 18 October at the Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2. Source: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2015/mar/25/magic-mushroom-maze-2015-serpentine-pavilion-psychedelic-trip?CMP=share_btn_tw
Visit the gallery website here: http://www.serpentinegalleries.org/

Top 10 Inspirational Sites for Designers and Creatives

Oh this is fun. I just came across a top 10 list for designers. So if you're looking for some extra input, here you go: "In this month’s “Top 10″ list of websites for designers you’ll find websites with home pages that stand out thanks to attention-grabbing imagery, and others that utilize the power of color, whether bold or muted. Read on for the good stuff.

Graphic Means
Learn more about the history of graphic design through this information site promoting the video’s Kickstarter campaign. Great use of color to evoke a bit of nostalgia
Fuzzco
Creative agency, Fuzzco, keeps your interest in this clean site full of subtle motion and scrolling.
Lounge Lizard
Getting your attention, you have to digest this unique full screen homepage image a bit before uncovering that this is for a digital agency and their services.
INCH X INCH
With a simple and appropriate industrial aesthetic, INCH X INCH promotes their mission of helping educational youth programs. (Great logo too.)
Teamgeek

With a moody background image, their logo explodes and shifts as you mouse over it, making you want to engage with it.

Relax, we are the good guys
This Copenhagen-based digital agency presents themselves with some unconventional touches like large, typographic navigation and futuristic sound effects.
Stampsy
Described as a single place to share and discover visual content that tells a story, Stampsy draws you in with bright colors and cool opening video.
Workspiration
Workspiration gives you insight into how creative professionals work, what tools they use and other tidbits of information.
Freebbble
Find over 1,000 design freebies made by Dribbble users.
WAYHOME
Bold and loud colors, graphics and type carry out the message for this music festivals site."
Via: http://www.howdesign.com/design-creativity/top-10-sites-for-designers/top-10-websites-power-of-color/

Lovely 70s Flashback : Jack Garofalo Photography

Jack Garofalo

This was my inspiration of the day! "Jack Garofalo (1923-2004), one of the leading photographers for Paris Match magazine, spent six weeks in Harlem, New York, in the summer of 1970. His images were the cover story for Match in October that year. In the 1960s, large numbers of residents left Harlem for neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, seeking better schools, improved housing and a stronger sense of safety. Left in Harlem were the people who couldn't afford to or chose not to move.Despite massive federal investment throughout the 1970s, in 1978 the New York Times would publish an article titled "Harlem's Dreams Have Died in Last Decade, Leaders Say.Yet, as these pictures show, that didn't mean Harlem in 1970 was lacking in vibrancy. In the words of Camilo José Vergara, another photographer documenting Harlem during the decade: There was something vital going on in Harlem in the '70s." Source: http://mashable.com/2015/02/10/harlem-1970s/

Hyper Design : Wrapped Up with Neon Colours!

Demecs Fanni

Woa...Demecs Fanni made this for a 'school project'. Nailed it! "T-shirt and sock packaging is taken to the next level with a colorful wooden substrate. Designed by Demecs Fanni, the "Fi" logo is lazercut on plywood and highlighted with an array of neon colors. The overall design caters to a more youthful audience in their teens to early 20s.  "It's a school project. The task was to pack 2 things together. First I made a packaging for 2 t-shirts. I choose a ligature to use, as a symbol of together / apart. Later I expand the project to 3 packaging brand. Simple t-shirt & socks packaging with simple typography and neon colors."
Via: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2015/3/20/student-fi-clothing 

Weekend Inspiration : Surrealistic Sculptural Art by Ellen Jewett

Ellen Jewett

Visited a couple of art galleries this weekend in Amsterdam. Saw a reference to this artist, so I wanted to share this. "Artist Ellen Jewett refers to her sculptural work as “natural history surrealist sculpture,” a blend of plants, animals, and occasionally human-made structures or objects. Her artwork is deeply informed by an extensive background in anthropology, medical illustration, exotic animal care, and even stop-motion animation, all of which accentuate the biological structure of each piece, while freeing her imagination to pursue more abstract ideas. Over time, Jewett has become more focused on minimizing materials and relying a negative space. “I find my sculptures are evolving to be of greater emotional presence by using less physical substance,” she shares. In addition, she eschews any potentially toxic mediums like paints, glazes, and finishes, opting to use more natural, locally-sourced materials. “This, unavoidably, excludes most of what is commonly commercially available, and has sent me on a journey of unique material combination and invention.” By employing these more uncommon materials, and leaving traces of fingerprints and other slight imperfections Jewett hopes her work leaves a more authentic impression." Source and more beautiful photos here: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/03/surrealist-sculptures-by-ellen-jewett-merge-plant-and-animal-life/
 

Dutch Artist John Breed Creates Amazing Installation Art

Oh look at those colours! This is installation art by Dutch artist John Breed and was created for Shoe salon Breuninger. The piece is currently a hot item.  Breed has been active as an artist for over twenty years now  "John Breed uses a myriad of materials in his work, and mannequin legs and womens’ shoes are on that list. He paints the individual body parts and their accessories, arranging them so they form an eye-catching design from afar. Depending on your vantage point, you might not even realize what you’re looking at. His all-gold piece titled Medusa’s Shoes features the different heels placed closely together so that they collectively resemble the monster’s wild hair instead of separate parts. Breed’s other large-scale installation, titled Shoe Salon Breuniger, features an undulating, rainbow-colored collection of heels that sprout from a wall. Bent at different angles and cut at various lengths, each can be admired individually for its detail and accessorizing. It looks as though it was eventually installed somewhere with an escalator, like a mall. This candy-coated display seems like the perfect way to bring some fresh artistic air into a space that can seem stale."

Current exhibitions:
2015 METROPOLITAN GALLERY
Exhibition with lita cabellut, zhuang hong
yi e.a. January 10th - March 30th
Hamburg, Hafencity, Sandtorpark 2
The artists' website: http://www.johnbreed.nl/
Source used: http://beautifuldecay.com/2015/03/20/john-breeds-surreal-installations-use-heels-legs-eye-catching-arrangements/

Dutch Interior Design of the Future: MVSA Designs Amsterdam's Shoebaloo Store

This design is so gorgeous! It makes you feel like you are in outer space, you can't get it any better! Designed by Dutch firm MSVA architects. The shoebaloo‘s flagship store is located in the heart of Amsterdam. "This is not the first collaborations that MVSA has had with the footwear company in the recent years, known for their unique and futuristic interiors, their design principle is for the interior to reflect the same elegance of that of their shoes therefore, the store’s spatial experience is a crucial aspect. this particular shoebaloo boutique differs from the others. the storefront here is transparent and open, making it possible for everyone to see inside, whereas in the other stores, normally the façade is kept closed to evoke an air of mystery. the concept of the new store is to seamlessly provide a luminous and welcoming space which would fit the high-end shoes and accessories on sale. for the final design, MVSA worked with HI-MACs to create the dynamic flowing wall that is cladded in an innovative acrylic stone that curves around the entire space. the floor is made of marble slabs and the walls are backlit with LEDs which emerge as surfaces where the shoes are displayed at different heights. MVSA has continued shoebaloo’s retail aesthetic with the use of innovative materials to create a distinctive space that will respond to the changing demands of users." Source: http://www.designboom.com/architecture/mvsa-shoebaloo-boutique-amsterdam-03-15-2015/

Luggage Tracking App is a Lift Off for Dutch Startup

Tired of losing your luggage while traveling? Fasttrack is a luggage tracking app designed by a Dutch startup. 'For the Love of your Stuff' is their pay off. The company created the technology that will let you know where your luggage is and gives out an alarm when your suitcase is opened during your travels. The startup managed to receive 1.5 million euro investment through Mainport Innovation fund. Today the news came out that another 1.1 million is invested through a group of other investors. So as off today the sales of Etrack device of the startup had a lift off. The tracker is called Eviate, and it is this device that you put in your suitcase. It costs about 99 euros, but don't forget the data transmitting costs: 25 euros for five flights, 49 euros for one year unlimited and 79 for 2 year unlimited. The pre-orders have started, delivery is in august. The startup also designed the E-tag, KLM, Air France and Saudia Airlines are now using the device in a test-phase. This luggage label allows travelers to check in at home, the tracking device in the label communicates with the airline infrastructure SITA World Tracer and Amadeus so airlines can track where the luggage is. Amazing right? Read more via: http://www.eviate.com/

Coolest Startups of 2015 Run by Students

This is a great article from Inc Magazine about the greatest startups of 2015 run by US students. "From an artisan pet-food maker to a designer of medical inventory systems for the developing world, this year's field of the coolest college startups showcases as much technical innovation as it does social consciousness. These 16 companies aren't just spinning out big ideas. Their young founders are keeping tabs on production systems, marketing, and consumer preferences, all while exemplifying maturity, professionalism, and good old-fashioned gumption--keys to just about every entrepreneurial success story. And lest you think catching our eye is easy, Inc.'s 2015 coolest college startups were culled from a list of more than 100 companies."Among them a lot of apps! Here a few examples: Advyzr "Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Advyzr is a mobile app that seamlessly integrates academic goals and user preferences to provide personalized academic advisement for undergraduate college students. By linking their social-media accounts, we are able to generate a 52-point personality profile for every user, allowing us to build schedules and recommend courses that both satisfy degree requirements and genuinely interest students."And:  "Chalk.com is like the Microsoft Office for teachers. It's a suite of productivity apps for K-12 educators. Used in over 20,000 schools worldwide, Chalk.com solves the problems of lesson planning, assessment, and collaboration designed to ease teachers' pain, facilitate personalized education, and help drive student success." Want to read more: http://www.inc.com/ananya-bhattacharya/coolest-college-startups-2015.html

The Selfie Museum is Here!

Here we are, the first Selfie Museum is a fact. 'Selfie' is not only just a word anymore.
"Most museums across the US and Europe have had a difficult time handling the selfie onslaught. Like early 20th century art critics snubbing Pablo Picasso, they’ve been banning selfie sticks right and left, while begrudgingly allowing or actively encouraging the taking of selfies. But thankfully, a few visionaries in the Filipino capital of Manila are being much more open-minded. They’ve launched the world’s first selfie museum, Art in Island, where the point isn’t to look at art — how boring is that? — but to pose for photos with it. “Whenever you visit an art museum, you are always expected to just look around quietly,” the museum’s founders complain on its Facebook page. “You don’t even have a single proof of you being there. That’s why, for those who think that ‘art museum is not for me,’ we bring you ART IN ISLAND.”Their interactive venue helps jaded museum-goers regain a healthy perspective on art by allowing them to touch, sit on, and climb 3D approximations of paintings like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” With portions of each work slightly altered or left out entirely, the art isn’t even finished until you complete the picture.Best of all, it takes only two hours to get through the entire museum — a refreshingly short trip compared to the literal days you can spend lost inside the Met without a selfie stick. Art in Island is the perfect museum for the world’s selfie capital."
Source: http://hyperallergic.com/191194/an-art-museum-designed-for-taking-selfies/

Discolights for the Dogs! Smartphone Controlled!

Haha Disco for the Dogs! The Disco Dog is a smartphone-controlled LED dog vest that’s both fun AND functional. It can display a variety of colorful animations and scrolling text, making sure you and your dog are highly visible during low-light walks. One of my favorite features (and one I hope no one ever has to use) is the Lost Dog message that is displayed if your dog wanders too far away. Right now, the Disco Dog is in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign, so if you want to see this brilliant product come to light (sorry – couldn’t resist the puns), make sure to pledge your support!" http://dog-milk.com/disco-dog-led-dog-vest/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

All Things Typographic : US Trends in Typeface Styles

Oh I will never get enough of typography. I just read this nice article by Ilene Strizver from New York, "founder of The Type Studio, is a typographic consultant, designer, writer and educator specializing in all aspects of visual communication, from the aesthetic to the technical."
She writes:"Looking back at the past year’s most popular font offerings is a good way to view a typographic moment in time, a snapshot of typography trends. A look at the best sellers reported by foundries and font resellers reinforces, for the most part, what we can observe in printed and digital media all around us. Even though the sources we sampled vary in size from the largest reseller to an independent one-man shop, the most popular fonts of 2014 fall into common categories: organic scripts and handwriting fonts, rustic and distressed fonts, expansive geometric sans families, with a sprinkling of slabs and a dash of serif designs.Here is a sampling of some of the best selling fonts from 2014: not too many surprises or totally new ideas, just the fleshing out and fine-tuning of typographic themes that have been around for the last several years.

Selfie Script

Myfonts.com
This mega font reseller has a friendly, inviting, easy-to-navigate web site. Their popular typefaces from 2014 seemed to come from two opposite directions: either clean and simple, or informal and festive. Clearly rustic, distressed fonts are still hot. They can be seen everywhere you turn, including ads, titles, posters, menus, and branding, in print and on the web. A number of them are best sellers for myfonts.com. Handwriting typestyles, both informal and stylized, are also still selling well.
Fonts.com
This monster reseller with over 150,000 fonts from hundreds of designers and foundries has a very drab, utilitarian list of their best sellers, which appears to be hidden away on their site. They seem to want to pick and choose the fonts they want to market (which is done with more style and flair), and not just leave it up to the numbers, which is probably why this list is hard to find.

House Industries
House Industries typefaces have style and flava’. Whether it be scrawly designs, grungy graffiti, funky 50s and psychedelic 60s typestyles, or a more serious design such as the insanely popular Neutraface superfamily, everything they do is done with an enormous degree of skill, good taste, appropriate humor, and an understanding of how to turn every concept into a well executed, tasteful, and original typeface.
P22
P22 is known for their distinctive and unique art-and-history-inspired typefaces. Their designs can be seen in museums, art books, signage and foundations – any usage that requires historically accurate typefaces. They hold a very unique, and well-respected place in the type world. Two of their most well-known (and still popular) typefaces are Cezanne and Underground." See for the complete article and more visuals: http://creativepro.com/article/typetalk-trending-fonts

Transforming Photography : David Emitt Adams' Beautiful Cans

David Emitt Adams

Love this! Such a great idea. "David Emitt Adams beautifully captures the landscape of the Southwest on the surface of discarded tin cans along with other debris he finds in the desert. Growing up in Yuma, Arizona, he is no stranger to the desert and the objects inhabiting it. Adams explains that deserts, naturally being so barren, are often used as a dumping site for garbage. This is where he finds all of his materials, with some tin cans being up to four decades old. He combines classic and iconic Southwest imagery with the reality of the state of the land today. Although the present day desert still holds immense and vast beauty, it is not without the remnants of urban sprawl left behind. Throughout history, the West has long been photographed and documented due to its breathtaking and often unbelievable, natural landscapes. Adams not only pays homage to this tradition, but to its traditional processes as well. Inspired by the history of photography, the process he uses was one of the first methods of photography invented. Adams chosen method of photography is not your everyday digital photograph. He uses a labor intensive process invented in the mid-19^th century called “wet-plate collodion.” This complicated process not only takes time, but an impressive amount of skill. Adams’ technical talents are only matched by the creativity of his body of work. Each tin can’s rich, red patina is still intact as they bend and twist around their lids, which hold the delicate image of the desert. This series, Conversations with History, is just one of several series in which Adams uses this traditional method of photography to express his artistic vision." For more gorgeous pictures see: http://beautifuldecay.com/2015/03/13/david-emitt-adams-creates-photographs-southwest-tin-cans-found-desert/

The New Revolution : VANMOOF's Bicycle Sharing Technology

VANMOOF

Do you know VANMOOF? The mimimalistic e-bike design company? They came with some revolutionary news today, I'll talk about that a little later in this article. First a bit about the company:"VANMOOF is an ambitious young Dutch company that was born from a love for bicycles and a hunger for change. With a talented young development team and a fresh business approach, VANMOOF pursues only one goal: help the ambitious urbanite worldwide move around town by bike in style...New York, Barcelona, Bangkok, Tokyo or Sydney – wherever you live and work, we want you to enjoy the convenience of commuting by bicycle. In VANMOOF's native
city of Amsterdam, riding a bike to work is a normal part of the daily routine. We believe it can be so in every city around the world. Governments are doing a lot to improve the infrastructure for bike commuters in pretty much every city across the globe. There’s still a long way to go, of course, but we believe we're part of a cycling revolution. At VANMOOF, we're driven – and ridden – by the smartest and most creative people, people who realise that commuting by bicycle is not only good for themselves. Together we believe that a little less car and a little more bicycle will benefit everyone" Today the company added a 'bike sharing' technology: ""New technology from VANMOOF powers global revolution in bike sharing" Imagine being able to locate and rent a state-of-the-art bicycle using just your smartphone, anywhere in the world. When the creators of Spinlister needed a bike sophisticated enough to work with their pioneering app, they knew exactly where to look"..have a look at the company's FB site for a nice videoclip about this new bike sharing concept, it's not uploaded anywhere else: https://www.facebook.com/VANMOOF.BicyclesHere a somwhat older clip about the e-bike itself: http://vanmoof.com/

L'Oreal Takes the Next Step in E-Commerce : Making All Ads 'Shoppable'

Last Friday I wrote about the Dutch app LookLive, the app that is currently a hit in the US right now. What was the app all about again? "LookLive combines online shopping and entertainment media - a place where you can see all your favourite shows, find out what everyone’s wearing - and then shop for the same great products." L'Oréal is now doing this within their own ads : "L'Oreal USA has reached a deal with Powa Technologies that could allow the beauty giant to essentially tag any of its advertising, promotions or in-store materials to allow for instant e-commmerce purchases of the featured products.L'Oreal said in a statement that the PowaTag technology can "transform any consumer touch point, from print and TV advertising to e-commerce, retail stores and social media into a platform for mobile transactions, promotions and more on person's smartphone." PowaTag provides 2-D barcodes that consumers can scan with an app to order products quickly." Everything is about e-commerce right now:  "E-commerce has been one of the fastest-growing channels for the business, alongside such retailers as Sephora and Ulta, but analyst estimates still peg it at between low single-digit to low double-digit percentages of industry sales." http://adage.com/article/digital/l-oreal-usa-moves-link-kinds-ads-e-commerce/297562/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Advertisement or Art? : Oreo Hires 10 Artists to Create Outdoor Illustrations

Oreo Campaign - LA

Oreo's new campaign 'Play with Oreo' is creating quite the sensation. Ten "artists were given words to play off—functional ones like "dunk" and "twist," as well as more emotional ones like "dream" and "wonder"—and asked to come up with a scene that brings those words to life. The only requirement was that the scene include a character with the Oreo cookie wafer as the face/head. The ads will run outdoors in New York, Los Angeles and Indianapolis and shared through Oreo social channels starting this week. The featured artists are Shotopop, Jeff Soto, Ryan Todd, McBess, Andrew Bannecker, Geoff McFetridge, Andy Rementer, Alex Trochut, Craig and Karl and Brosmind."The campaign is getting noticed online! See more pictures here:
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/oreo-gets-10-artists-produce-beautifully-dreamy-outdoor-illustrations-163260

For the Love of Erasers and Artistic Compositions

Present and Correct

When you have always been in love with stationary (pens, erasers etcetera) like me, you will also love this. Grafik magazine published a nice article on artists using stationary in their art work. "Marcius Galan often works with stationery, but it's his eraser pieces which we love the most. Meticulously arranged in frames, he uses them to exacting degrees to ensure a gradation in size. His Eraser Compositions are designed to 'invoke a range of philosophical and art historical precedents to more metaphysical notions of matter and being.’ It is also helpful that they look splendid....As a marginally biased end to this rubber round-up we draw your attentions to our own Present and Correct stationery compositions. Erasers are always great to work with. They’re delivered in pleasing shapes and on-trend colours, barely requiring an arrangement at all." See more rubber-based fun here: https://www.grafik.net/category/feature/rubber-soul  

Innovative Learning : Robot Kit Design for Your Kids

KinderLab Robotics

Oeh this is awesome. "Meet KIBO: a robot kit designed specifically for children ages 4–7 years-old. Created to encourage open-ended play, KIBO allows children to program their robot using a building block system, and they can customize their unit to make it into almost anything—a character from a story, a carousel, a dancer, a race helicopter—anything they can think of. Even better, KIBO does all this without requiring screen time from PCs, tablets or smartphones. KIBO is the brainchild of researcher and professor Marina Umaschi Bers of Tufts University. Working in child development and computer science, she heads the university’s interdisciplinary Developmental Technologies research group. Her research involves the design and study of innovative learning technologies to promote children’s positive development. In order to put the results of her research into practical application, Professor Bers joined forces with her friend Mitch Rosenberg to form KinderLab Robotics. Over the last few years, KinderLab has put KIBO through its paces, testing prototypes with the help of more than 300 children and 50 teachers." - See more at: http://www.inhabitots.com/kids-can-build-and-program-their-own-kibo-robot-using-building-blocks-instead-of-computer-screens/

Scumbag Style : Rotterdam Barbershop Gains International Fame

Schorem: Barbershop

Maybe you've already heard about these guys, or you've seen a documentary on Dutch television about them, if not...and if you interested in old school style, you HAVE to check this out. Schorem (scumbag) is "an old school men-only barbershop in the heart of the working class city of Rotterdam. The shop specializes in the classic cuts that have proven themselves over the decades: pompadours, flattops, contours and the other styles featured on Schorem famous barbershop posters." The Schorem founders are popular all over the world now, barbers in Asia are crazy about them and when you look at the way they present themselves, the way they work and the hair styles they create...you will soon know why. Check out their cool website and photos, it's quite a sensation: http://schorembarbier.nl/

 

The New Kind of Street Art : Wooden Miniature Figures by Joe Iurato

Joe Iurato

Awww these are so amazing and creative! "Here’s a number of recent pieces by street and commercial artist Joe Iurato (previously) who leaves site-specific wooden cutouts in locations around New Jersey. The pieces are often based on photography (his own and the work of others) as well as references to characters found in famous paintings. Iurato currently has work on view at Pop International in New York and you can see more on Facebook. (via Cross Connect)". Source:http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/03/new-miniature-wooden-street-art-figures-installed-by-joe-iurato/

Joe Iurato

 

Meerkat : The Most Trending App

This one is interesting. "Meerkat is an app that allows users to conduct live broadcasts. With the touch of a button, someone can start live-streaming from their smartphone to all of their Twitter (and Meerkat) followers. The app was designed to work exclusively with Twitter. In fact, Meerkat requires users have a Twitter handle before they can use the app.That stipulation hasn’t stopped the app from growing, however. Ben Rubin (27, CEO and co-founder) told Digiday he listed the app on Product Hunt, a website for finding the latest and greatest in technology, on Friday, Feb. 27. By the following Friday (March 6), the app had been downloaded 30,000 times despite no paid advertising for the app, according to Rubin. Publishers and brands have already found interesting uses for it.
Yahoo News has been quick to embrace Meerkat, where it conducted an interview with South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune about Net neutrality. Oregon State University has been using Meerkat to broadcast head football coach Gary Anderson’s press conferences. Brands including JCPenney and Starbucks have also started using Meerkat. The reason those links don’t direct you to videos, by the way, is because Meerkat videos exist entirely in the moment: Once the user is done shooting, the clips can no longer be viewed on Meerkat itself. Users are able to subsequently post their Meerkat videos on other platforms, however." Meerkat's logo looks a lot like Snapchat don't you agree?
Source: http://digiday.com/platforms/brands-publishers-need-know-meerkat/

Vincent Bourilhon : Parisian Photographer Creates Cinematic Narratives

The weekend is almost over unfortunately...here some fabulous images. Love the work of this artist! I think a lot of us can identiy with the picture below on Monday morning, right? "Throughout his work, Parisian photographer Vincent Bourilhon creates cinematic narratives through his use of strategic positioning and image manipulation. Each photograph seems to tell an entire story, yet all of his images are seamlessly cohesive as a complete body of work. Drawing inspiration from dreams, poetry, and film, Bourilhon takes the viewer into him fantastical imagination where human emotions are visually emphasized and the line between reality and dreams is blurred."
Source: http://www.juxtapoz.com/photography/the-fantastic-imagination-of-vincent-bourilhon

Vincent Bourilhon

 



Moscow Biennale Street Art

Have a great weekend everyone. Nice art piece right? Picture is taken at the Moscow Biennale Street Art which runs till April 17th.
More info via: https://www.facebook.com/artmossphere?fref=photo
or: http://artmossphere.ru/

Dutch App LookLive Steals American Shopaholics Hearts

LookLive

The Dutch App LookLive is doing very well in the US. What is the App all about? Well...you know those moments when you watch a cool TV series and your favorite actor or actress is wearing something you could see yourself or your loved one wearing? Like the suit of Frank Underwood from The House of Cards. Or when you see Pharrell Williams on TV and you really like his hat and want it. Well with this App you will immediately know what brand suit, dress or hat you want, where you can buy and and how much it costs: Shop What you Watch is the catchphrase of the app and it's working. "LookLive combines online shopping and entertainment media - a place where you can see all your favourite shows, find out what everyone’s wearing - and then shop for the same great products." LookLive is created by an Amsterdam based Startup. "Founded in Amsterdam, Netherlands by a Canadian and a Dutchman, LookLive was built to be a truly international product from the start. Prior to LookLive, the Co-Founder and CEO, Christopher Archer had spent over 6 years building the online sales organisations for the worlds largest Cable TV provider, Liberty Global. The Co-Founder & CTO, Gerbert Kaandorp has spent the last 10 years as CTO for Backbase building the portals for many of the major banks in Europe. The problem space that is LookLive was so compelling both Entrepreneurs felt the need to leave their successful positions to come together for this new venture." Big American blogs/online platforms like Slate and Mashable are writing about it. http://www.looklive.com/

#LookatMe : Impressive Digital Poster Advertising Technology

#LookatMe

Oh this ad is just brilliant. Apparently I am favouring the topic 'women' today. "U.K. domestic violence charity Women's Aid created this clever digital poster campaign for International Women's Day on March 8. The digital billboard shows the bruised face of an abused woman, shot by the photographer Rankin. It uses facial recognition technology to recognize when people actively pay attention to the image. Those who look at the screen get feedback via a live video feed that runs along the bottom of the ad as a visual ticker tape, registering an increasing number of viewers. As more people notice the image of the women her bruises slowly heal, demonstrating to passersby that they can help confront domestic violence by not turning a blind eye. The ad was created by London agency WCRS in collaboration with Ocean Outdoor; renowned photographer Rankin photographed the woman. It will appear in London's Canary Wharf business district from tomorrow, and in two shopping malls, the Birmingham Bullring and Westfield London, on March 7 and 8. A related TV spot breaks Sunday evening." Isn't that just clever? Via: http://creativity-online.com/work/womens-aid-digitally-activated-billboard/39501

#LikeaGirl and Women's Day Ad Campaigns

#LikaGirl by Always

The International Women's Day (8th of March) is coming up again and brands are actively reminding us. Popular are the Always follow up #LikeAGirl and YouTube's 'Make it Happen' campaigns. " Always has released a follow-up video to its much vaunted #LikeaGirl spot that shows how the phrase has already changed as a result of the campaign. In the ad, we see girls confidently demonstrating all the things they can do "like a girl" -- not just all manner of sports, but science, math, rock climbing, horse riding and more. There's a real international flavor to the film, too, with girls from all over the world, speaking in different languages. It's inspirational stuff." While YouTube's campaign focuses on 'the woman as you are - the self', Always concentrates on empowerment and social awareness. See the complete video of the Always ad here: http://creativity-online.com/work/always-like-a-girl-stronger-together/39500

Beautiful Abstract Architecture

This series of photos is just beautiful. "the concrete jungle of towers, buildings and architectural constructions are transformed by beirut-based photographer serge najjar‘s eye into abstractions, whimsical scenes, and moments of visual pleasure. ‘every saturday, I drive my car towards a destination still unknown and guide myself by my instinct, by light and by whatever attracts my eye’ the photographer describes. ‘this is when I stop, position myself and wait for something to happen. in most cases, what captures my attention are the architectural details. my aim, then, is to try and get closer to abstraction (within the real world). I try to look at my everyday surroundings with a new eye. these photos show what I have seen’. his series ‘abstract realities’ takes a geometrical approach to building, simplifying windows, doors and walls into colors, shadows and materials."
Want to see more? Go to: http://www.designboom.com/art/serge-najjar-abstracted-architectural-realities-03-04-2015/

The Comeback of Traditional Printing and Letterpress in Packaging Design

Hovard Design

More and more you see these awesome 'artisan packaging' in the world of packaging design. There's a comeback and reappreciation for the traditional printing and letterpress typography. In the new trend this type of presentation is often combined with the use of sustainable materials.
"Packaging plays an important role with any new product. It needs to catch the eye, stand out on the shelf and look beautiful and engaging – all at the same time. Sometimes, the best inspiration comes from the past and that's certainly the case with this old-school soap. Hudson Made packaging references a time in history when every item was individually boxed and packed by hand upon production. Hand wrapped and string tied with a lead seal, each soap is securely protected and unique," explain New-York based makers Hovard Design." Gorgeous example right? Source: http://www.creativebloq.com/branding/artisan-packaging-goes-back-beautiful-basics-31514346

Bookniture - a Book that Folds into Your Coffee Table!

Bookniture

Well goodmorning! Where did you put your coffee cup today? "You know that Seinfeld episode where Kramer invents a coffee table book that turns into an actual coffee table? Well, Bookniture is basically that storyline come to life, and we're pretty pleased about it indeed.The design blends advanced origami techniques with the traditional craft of book-binding, resulting in a fold-out piece of furniture that can be used as a stool, footrest, nightstand and yes, even a coffee table. Plus, it's fully portable and folds down to the size of a regular old paperback, making the idea of moving house a whole lot less daunting and arm-achey than it might have otherwise been.Right now there's a Kickstarter to help get their mass production off the ground. If you fancy a piece of furniture than can be popped on the bookshelf while you vacuum, there's plenty more information over here." It's cute isn't it? Saw this piece on Frankie Magazine, L-O-V-E Frankie Mag's look online! Bookniture is designed by Mike/Plateaus from Hong Kong! http://www.frankie.com.au/blogs/interiors/booknitures-folding-furnishings

Dutch Artist Parra's Solo Show 'Yer So Bad' in NYC

Parra

Cool Hunting Magazine published a nice piece on Dutch artist Parra. Parra's work is interesting and I've been following this artist for a couple of years now. You can clearly see the influence of graphic design and pop art and minimalism in the art pieces. "Dutch artist Pieter Janssen aka Parra knows no boundaries in his work. Spanning the past decade, the Amsterdam-based artist has painted, drawn and sculpted his way into galleries across the world, and partnered with the likes of Nike and Stones Throw while running a successful clothing brand. He also started an old dude-focused skateboard company dubbed Tired and is dabbling in electronic music and video production. This month, Parra brings his sexualized post-pop paintings to NYC's Jonathan LeVine Gallery with his second solo show at the gallery. "Yer So Bad" is inspired by a particular brand of weirdness incurred in everyday life, with Parra's color-blocked paintings carrying with them a purposeful lightheartedness. In Parra's line-heavy world of bold blue and red, eroticism never looked so comically sensible.
The exhibition is open through 7 February 2015, and Parra is releasing a limited hardcover zine in conjunction via NYC's Printed Matter, highlighting the creative process behind each piece in the series. Visit Jonathan LeVine Gallery for more information and be sure to keep an eye out for our interview with the artist in the coming weeks." Image by Hans Aschim. You can read his article here:
http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/yer-so-bad-parra

Parra in Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Why the New CEO is the 'Designer in Chief'!

The markets are changing fast! The term 'manager' will be OUT very soon...fashionable will be the term: designer. A much more honest term if you ask me. "A trends report from Wolff Olins says CEOs are starting to harness the good ideas of others rather than cracking a whip.A century ago, the CEO was a fearsome whip-cracker. Fifty years ago, he was motivator dangling corporate incentives. And now, according to the 2015 Wolff Olins Leadership Report, the CEO has evolved into something new: The designer-in-chief of corporate culture, a mentoring figurehead who gets into the trenches with his employees and inspires them to create the next great innovation. How? By instilling them with the qualities that designers have: the ability to recognize problems or opportunities, propose fixes, and iterate those fixes until they've found the one right solution. I make sure I design the mission for the company," explained Jeremy Doutte, CEO of Nigeria’s top online retailer, Jumia.
Douette is just one of many CEOs saying more or less the same thing. The global brand consultancy Wolff Olins interviewed 43 CEOs from companies like AOL and the agency Huge, and surveyed 10 leadership experts on emerging trends. Wolff Olins published its results for anyone to read, but to sum it up, the firm postulates that the new CEO is almost like some sort of rebel general, inspiring small guerilla-style teams to dream up new products or experiences. They rally the troops rather than outright command them. They empower their employees to think and work like designers, observing problems or scouting trends, and developing coordinating solutions that don't get lost to bureaucracy. In essence, they need to design a culture like Apple's, in which everyone is a designer."
Source: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3042906/the-ceo-of-the-future-is-a-designer-in-chief?utm_source=facebook