A good friend and extremely talented designer, Josh Balleza, informed me of the site redesign he took part in at Owen Jones. From a user’s standpoint, the site is truly captivating. It is easy to navigate with lots of beautiful and interesting little details. The site design is so neat, I forgot to mention the work is equally amazing. Go take a look for yourself!

For Mother’s Day this past weekend, Brad spoiled me and got me some beautiful notebooks and a card from Rifle Paper Co. We have admired the stationary and other products done by Rifle Paper Co. for some time now, but just have never purchased anything. I love my new notebooks. They are perfect bound, gorgeous covers, high-quality paper, and pretty sturdy. I love the attention to detail with gold impression on the cover and even surprise gold stripes on the inside cover. The card was lovely with a hand-painted look to it, and the colors of both notebooks and the card are beautiful. Overall, just really quality products and a wonderful print job. I can’t wait to get something else from Rifle Paper Co. now (there is an iPhone case I am eyeing).

“Anything can be created from yarn as long as it is made with love,” at least that is the philosophy of artist Kate Jenkins. In this digital age, hand-made work is becoming much rarer, and it is refreshing to see art made entirely without all of the programs. Jenkins’ unique style makes her bright, fun, semi-nostlagic, and mostly food-related art stand out in a world of 2d. Each piece is completely unique and original, crocheted for various client work, cards, and prints. See more of her portfolio here and here.

I can’t get over these clever forms of these circus performers. Despite the characters being created out of such plain shapes, with a little help from smart shading and lost and found shapes, these turned out so full of life! Those textures and hints of colors are perfect. And yes, this is another series I have posted of illustrator, Jonas Bergstrand. Go see his whole gallery of work here.

Like most design-loving parents, we are always keeping an eye out for well-designed, educational toys for the little man. The Creative Wooden Creatures Kit fits both the functional and educational aspect, while looking cool. Made from sustainable wood, this kit is a myriad of animal body parts and connectors for kids to play with and create. They can either be literal and create the animals as they are “supposed” to be, or can use their imaginations to make up their own new creature. It is a great way for kids to learn the form of animals while still being creative.

The Creative Wooden Creatures Kit was designed by Hakan Gürsu, a designer from Turkey. The materials are all-natural, 100% recycled sustainable, made from left over industrial wood blocks, rope and wires. The set comes in three types: creatures of land, creatures of sea, or amphibians. The kit’s A’Design Award and Competition profile says it is for, “Improving motor skills, memory, imagination and basic shape recognition abilities, design also fosters love and care for animals. Abstract shaped blocks enable children to create both real and fiction with unlimited 3d form and character generation.”

We are all designers. This is something I feel strongly about. Design is everywhere, and everything we do is designed. Whether we call ourselves artists or whether we feel we have no artistic capabilities, we are still designers.

This TED talk from journalist John Hockenberry really got me to think what design is. Design is in every single aspect of this world. It is amazing how changing the design of something, changes everything. Hockenberry shares a few personal stories to get this point across. He says ”acting with intent conveys authorship” and makes the point that doing things with intent and by design is human nature.

I appreciate hearing about design from someone who is not a designer. It is a deep talk that definitely gets you thinking. Design has power beyond beauty. Design is way more that what we create in Illustrator or Photoshop. Design is intent, and is everything.

We apologize for being MIA the past few days. We have been in Austin, TX. We had a wonderful trip hanging out in the city, spending time with some designers that we have been dying to meet in person, and eating at some of the most delicious restaurants. Austin is such an artistic city. Everything seems to be bursting with creativity and beauty. Every sign, store-front, airstream, building, and restaurant is artwork.
We got to meet up with the ever talented Ty Wilkins and his family for Rudy’s BBQ. It was delicious, and they were so fun to spend time with. Ty even showed us around town a bit so we could really get to know the city and it’s surrounding areas. We also got to meet the ultra-creative Brady Clark and have breakfast with him at the Magnolia Cafe. It is always nice to meet people whose work you have been following for a long time, in person, and find out that they are just as awesome as their work.

We definitely fell in love with this quirky city and all of the design it has to offer. Some other highlights from our trip include taking a house tour at the open house for this amazing mid-century modern home (see more pictures here):

Checking out Frank for brunch. Frank is a hot dog and beer restaurant created by Christian Helms of Helms Workshop. The branding is awesome. Everything from the signage to the art on the walls goes together in a fun (well-designed) eclectic way, and the food is dang good too.

Eating from Ms P’s Electric Cock on South Congress. Seriously half of the restaurants are air-streams and busses in Austin. People get really creative with the signage and decorations of their busses.

And, because everyone needs an Elvis shrine in their lives, we went to Chuy’s for Cinco De Mayo.

These simple little characters caught my eye the today because they  have so much movement and feeling to them that I had to share them. It is incredible how much of a story one can tell with human forms. The series was created as a personal project by Eiko Ojala, who has created some landscape pieces as well in this same cut paper style that have received a lot of attention lately.

Happy Friday!

A couple of weeks ago we posted the Drawnimal app for kids that encourages them to think outside the box. Going along with the theme of interactive learning, we found an interactive book for iPad and iPhone called Petting Zoo. Petting Zoo is a book concepted and animated by Christoph Niemann that allows kids to interact with the story. Kids tap and swipe the animals to see how they react. The illustration has marker-drawn look that  is very simple and friendly for kids to enjoy, and each animation is complete with music and sound effects, as well as a little humor. It is basically an electronic petting zoo.

Illustrator, designer, and author Christoph Niemann teamed up with developer Jon Huang, Music and sound designer Markus Wormstorm, and Design Indaba (the executive producer) to bring his concept to life. It is amazing how far technology has come. When we were kids, animated stories meant that there was a soundbox in the book that repeated the same phrase when we pushed the button. I am excited to get this story app for my son. Check it out at the iTunes Store.

Can Krystal and I get married again!? Seeing this incredible set of prints created by Austin Petito for his own wedding makes me wish I had gone through design classes before I got married. The breadth and the quality of the entire set is stunning. As you continue to examine each element in the wedding package, you continue to find little gems in the form of illustrations, flourishes and typography. This nautical themed wedding package blew me out of the water.

There is still time to sign up for the Skillshare course Learn the Ins and Outs of Illustrator.  Enrollment has been moved back a week so the class doesn’t start now until May 13. One of the great things about Skillshare is that you can learn at your own pace. It is a 2 week course, but you have the materials indefinitely to refresh or learn from whenever you want. The purpose of this class is to help teach Adobe Illustrator to those who haven’t touched the program, or who have but still feel intimidated and need some help. This class will be a perfect prerequisite to any design or illustration course that requires Illustrator. It is a 2 week course for only $20! All the video tutorials will be short and cover a large range of tools and tips to make you more efficient and comfortable in the program.

Use the promo code: BLOGGED to get 25% off your entry fee. Please help spread the word if you know of anyone who would benefit from this course!

Here is a little something to brighten up your Monday. Seriously, try not smiling when you see this fun experience bot. It’s name is the Smile-Bot and it is based off of the theory that smiles are contagious.

Smile-Bot is all about the experience. It was specifically designed to be approachable with a wood body and friendly smiling faces on top, so people want to look inside. It depends on the natural curiosity of passerby’s. When someone puts their face into the Smile-Bot, they are able to see the geometric world of the Smile-People (which is very reminiscent of an 80′s David Bowie video, prisms and rainbows included). When the viewer smiles, they trigger a response from the Smile-Bot of sound effects and happier color changing. Multiple smiles from different people create a larger response with more sound effects and even a rainbow. Each smile is recorded on a Smile-Counter. The project description on Vimeo says “The Smile-People live in a very rigid, geometric world so the contours of a smile are very unique and cherished and are therefore collected through images and a Smile-Counter.”

The Smile-Bot was created by creative studio We Are Matik, who specialize in multi sensory design, interactive experience and experiential campaigns. We are Matik says on their Vimeo page that the Smile-Bot was created to bring happiness: “Much like how the Monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” affected an entire species by introducing a new level of consciousness, We Are Matik’s “Smile-Bot” was created with a similar objective in mind: to instill a sense of happiness in those around it.” The idea of design being an experience is very refreshing, and the idea of the experience being solely to bring happiness to this world is even better.

You may know John Cleese from his comedic Monty Python fame. Being a Monty Python fan, this lecture caught my eye, and I was happily surprised to find how wonderful the lecture was for creatives. Cleese discusses how to be creative and the ways to create creativity. He has some great points.

The awesome meat of the lecture is around the 10 minute mark, where he gives his 5 factors for creativity:

• Space
• Time
• Time (yes it is both factors in different ways)
• Confidence
• Humor

I love how much emphasis he puts on being playful in order to have creativity. It is a witty and inspiring lecture, definitely worth the full watch. If you are short on time, this clip is a small section of where he discusses just the 5 factors for creativity.

Say what you will about iPhone camera apps and all their hipster filters, but not everyone is complaining. Timo Meyer, an artist based in Germany, took on a neat personal project using only Instagram and VSCO Cam (no Photoshop). The natural restrictions of his tools led him to some pretty intriguing photographs that made me look twice.

His project is explained through the title: 100 Days, 100 Pictures. Naturally some turned out more interesting than others, but it is quite the collection. My interest in the series is not necessarily in the quality of the images, but in the concepts. As an artist, this project is an excellent exercise to open your eyes to what is around you. Finding what makes the ordinary special is a talent. We have the best job in the world. We get to point out to everyone everything they are missing all around them, everyday. So thanks Timo, for re-inspiring me to see something interesting everyday.

Below are just a taste of Timo’s full project. See all the images here.

Let’s Make Some Great Fingerprint Art from Animade on Vimeo.

It seems only fitting that the branding of products focused on the simplicity and healing beauty that the earth has to offer, would be simple and beautiful. The bright colors alone set them apart. Moon Valley Organics website says, “our products are developed with the intention to nourish and heal your body, mind, and spirit, as well as to care for the Earth.” The brand definitely has a calm, happy vibe. I especially love all of the hidden treasures throughout the branding, like the design on the soap, the exposed back information panels, and even the inside of the packaging was considered. It is also such a refreshing design with all of the white, which is something I am not accustomed to seeing on organic products. “Our approach centered on the idea of folk wisdom—simple, time-tested and connected to the earth—to present their products as both wholesome and effective. We combined this with a fashionably fresh color palette to stand out in a drab sea of natural products,” Partly Sunny says about the project on their website. I think they accomplished the simple, folky, wholesome look they were going for.

Images from Partly Sunny

There is a recent trend in research finding, that kids are using their imaginations less, and not thinking outside the box and being creative as often. Some researchers blame technology for this sad new trend, saying that kids don’t have opportunities to use thier imagination and creativity due to overstimulation. Drawnimal may be the start of a movement for kids apps, to push kids out of just the device.

Drawnimal is children’s app designed by designer and animator Lucas Zanotto. It marries e-learning with good old fashioned pen and paper, combing the two in a fun, creative and educational experience for children. Children learn the alphabet by seeing basic parts of an animal (representing a letter) and then using pen and paper, draw the rest of the animal around the device. Zanotto got the idea from playing with his daughter and her alphabet origami book. He decided to see if he could apply a hands-on, fun learning approach to digital devices. The solution, was Drawnimal; literally teaching kids to think “outside the box.”

What a nice surprise it was to receive a package from 55 Hi’s! A little while back I had the opportunity to collaborate on some greeting cards for the 55 Hi’s shop. I illustrated these two, screen printed congrats cards for expecting parents. You can buy both the little girl version here, and the little boy version here. Then to make things even better, they came in a care package with other 55 Hi’s swag. See the full project here.

The other day I happened upon this poster designed by Justin Schafer. Being the cool guy he is, he sent a copy of it to my doorstep after I told him amazing I thought it was. Little did I know that it was 24″ x 36″! Now I am going to have to make room on my wall. I love the intricate use of minimal shapes and lines that make up the card design. Thanks again Justin!

Great news everyone! I am teaching a new online Skillshare course, and it is now open for enrollment! The course is called, Learn the Ins and Outs of Illustrator, and its purpose is to help teach Adobe Illustrator to those who haven’t touched the program, or who have but still feel intimidated and need some help. My last course, Communicating with Color, Pattern and Texture, was an absolute blast to teach, and I will be teaching it again in about a month. But I realized that a lot of my students either didn’t know how to use the program at all, or were just so new to the program, that it made it hard for them to complete the project. This class will be a perfect prerequisite to any design or illustration course that requires Illustrator. It is a 2 week course for only $20! All the video tutorials will be short and cover a large range of tools and tips to make you more efficient and comfortable in the program.

Use the promo code: BLOGGED to get 25% off your entry fee. Spread the word if you know of anyone who would benefit from this course!

I just received a pleasant surprise in my email inbox today from my friend, Frank Ferrao, owner of Simplex Opera. As a developer and software designer, he created this incredibly handy extension called Preview Pix. If you are anything like me, I clutter the space around my Adobe Illustrator art board with reference images for my projects. Either that or I have my images up via the previewer. Preview Pix is an extension you can open within your programs that can showcase your reference images in one area without ever leaving your program. See all the features on the extension, along with the other extensions by Simplex Opera here.

The new business cards just came in the mail today! I finally convinced myself to design these little puppies after writing down my email address on enough napkins. Though I didn’t go all out and have these letter pressed, I was impressed with the quality of the print and paper. There is nothing worse than a flimsy business card so I was intrigued when I heard about the Luxe cards by MOO. Because of the beautiful, black sheet of paper sandwiched between the white, the cards are the perfect thickness. Then, to make things even better, the price is very attractive as well.

Just thought I would post this little experiment of mine that I did for the University of Phoenix. I used a few more textures than I normally would, along with some new ones like the film grain overlay. After teaching my Skillshare course, Communicate with Color, Pattern and Texture, I figured I needed to play around a bit more out of my comfort zone. This piece where I visualized a phoenix out of matchsticks was a great exercise and really made me wish I had more time to play. Look for opportunities to get your hands dirty and experiment. I just read a fantastic article about taking advantage of downtime as a freelancer on How Design. Best time to pursue your own work is when you don’t have work from clients. Take advantage of that time. The more mileage you have under your belt, the better you will become.

At first glance, you may think that this piece of typography is a mixed media installment. I did. I was even looking where I could purchase it for my wall. It’s not real. (Don’t worry, my mind was blown too.) This piece of art is the collaboration work of Welsh digital artist Craig Minchington of Adora Design, and London designer and illustrator Tim Miness.

The project was a commissioned piece for Digital Arts magazine based on the quote “50 things they never taught you in design school.” Using a sketching process, and the Photoshop CS6′s 3D tools and Cinema 4D, they created this super realistic piece. It is amazing how much depth was created and even the shine and subtle, and I’m sure highly intentional, imperfection of the “materials” is incredible. The typography alone is pretty beautiful, so the digital work takes it to a whole new level. You can get the tutorial from Craig Minchington on how he created the 3D type at Digital Arts.

Source: Behance

Chip Kidd is arguably one of the most famous book designers out there. He has worked on everything from Batman to Jurassic Park. Not only is he incredibly talented, it turns out he is pretty funny too. In this video he talks about what goes into designing the cover of a book, and how it is a whole lot more than a pretty design. There are so many things you don’t think about that have to be considered when designing a book cover. Watch for a good laugh, and even better inspiration.

Source: TED Talks

Bethan Janine Westran

Sadly, my online Skillshare course, Communicate with Color, Pattern and Texture, is now over. I can’t express how truly enjoyable the process of teaching and interacting with this class was. There was over a thousand students who ended up attending, which was exciting and terrifying. This was my first time teaching a course, and having that many people interested in what I had to share was humbling. I don’t know how many of my students read my blog, but I want to thank each of them for participating and helping me learn as well. Most often in my life, if I have to explain what I am doing, I end up understanding it so much better. This was an amazing experience that I will definitely take part in again in the near future. So stay posted for my next course.

With such a range of experience and background with the students in my class, I couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of work displayed in the projects that were created. As a result, I chose a handful (maybe two handfuls) of projects that I felt really exemplified the theories taught in the class. Choosing 14 out of 300+ projects wasn’t easy, so please, see all the rest of the amazing work done here.

Anna Dunn

Stephanie Banszky

Christine Fleming

Kimberly Carney

Kate Holloway

Carey Pietsch

Trina Dalziel

Tanya Sevas

Marie Mainguy

Ez Pudewa

Jen W

Scott Franson

Erica Mulherin

Well designed packaging makes all the difference. It doesn’t matter how great your product is, if the packaging is awful I won’t buy it. Inversely, if the packaging is good, I will buy something and take a risk on the quality of product. Packaging is everything. Luckily for Balzac’s Coffee Roasters, their packaging is pretty great. Both their signature line and the Atwood blend are full of nice typography and hand drawn flourishes. I especially like the signature lines “brown bag” style. The packaging was designed by Chad Roberts Design.

Chad Roberts Design is a Toronto based design studio that specializes in visual identities. Their pairing is Balzac’s is a match made in design heaven, as Chad Roberts favorite type of work is for food and chefs, even studying to be a chef before becoming a designer. His work with Balzac’s is sophisticated, while still feeling organic. Balzac’s Coffee Roasters is the brain child of Diana Olsen. The name comes from 19th century French novelist, Honoré de Balzac, a coffee aficionado. The company focuses on making a local, sustainable product with artisanal flair. I’m considering buying some just for the sake of having the packaging on my counter as decor.

Not often do I find myself longing to be in Philadelphia, but today I am. For the first time ever, Paula Scher of Pentagram and Seymour Chwast of Push Pin will be featured in a joint exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The show, dubbed Double Portrait, showcases over 300 design pieces the two have created over the years. I am especially excited for all the wonderful typography that will be on display. Then to make the show even more special, Paula and Seymour designed the entire experience. If you are around before April 14th, you should go check it out and tell me how it went.

We all love a good typographic experiment. This faux fossilized typography, created by Austrian designer Andreas Scheiger, is a treat for the 8 year-old fossil hunter in all of us. I remember getting those fossil sets for my birthday where you chip away at a block to discover plastic dinosaur “bones”; this is much better. Sheiger created the series as part of an ongoing project called “Evolution of Type.”

Using plasticine, a flat wooden letter, stones and chicken bones, Sheiger created a fossilized typography set. The detail is quite spectacular, with each bone looking authentically aged and form chipped away perfectly. The small pieces creating the shapes of the letterforms are so carefully placed, and every serif and terminal looks just right. Overall it is a very cool typographic expeeriment, and the set-up of the photos adds to the effect. Read more about Sheiger’s fossilized type on Visual News, and more on his process on his blog: Grafisheslabor

These stunning characters were too neat to pass up. The minimal forms and skillfully placed gradients remind me of the era of vintage travel posters. Illustrator, Mads Berg, has a knack for using vivid colors and beautiful body forms. In conjunction with the skillful use of typography, these posters he did for Hansen’s Ice Cream are a grand slam. See more of his Berg’s work here.

Seeing this Black and Red series by Luke Pearson immediately made me stop and want to look closer. I love the opportunities that limited color palettes create for an illustration. The lack of color options forces you to find ways to add interest and variation into the piece by using patterns, textures and line work. Not only do these examples prove that, but they each have imbedded within them, an element of wit. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I did.

I am a big sucker for illustrations that do an amazing job of depicting nature. Not everything from this New Zealand based illustrator, Angela Keoghan, is nature themed, but her choice of colors and painterly texturing is so lovely. As if all her work was taken from old story books, she mentions that she passionate about illustration as being a form of storytelling. Her work has been in galleries, magazines, books and more. See here full portfolio of work here.

This year I had the wonderful opportunity to brand (everything but the website) Camp NaNoWriMo 2013. The camp is run by The Office of Letters and Light who organize web-based events for children and adults to be inspired and encouragement they need to reach their creative potential. So for the Camp, they offer free, online resources to help you write a novel in one month. At nearly 15,000 writers already having signed up, the Camp has been a hit. If you need that extra motivation and support to start writing that novel you always wanted to write, join Camp NaNoWriMo!

My inspiration for this project was more traditional camping. I myself being an avid camper and backpacker, this was such a neat project to take on. More accurately, the elements and styling of the artwork was from my Boy Scout days. The lean-tos, teepees, and retro tents were my boyhood experiences that I pulled from. I chose the vibrant colors because colors are so much richer when you are out in nature, uninhibited by urban noise and smog. Overall, the project was very nostalgic in a way. I had a blast working on it, and working with The Office of Letters and Light.

See my answers to their interview on their site here. And if you want to see the full project go to the BTW site!

I am a sucker for unconventional websites. The website for Island Creek Oyster Bar is such a neat portrayal of their brand. I bet if I was shown each of these brand elements separately I wouldn’t think they felt cohesive. But all together the brand really comes alive. Go see for yourself.

Today I had the amazing opportunity to take the one-day course, Presenting Data and Information, by Edward Tufte! I have been using his books as bibles for visualizing information ever since college. Unfortunately I never owned the books myself because everyone else around me who I worked with had them. But, as part of the ticket price to Tufte’s course, I was given all four of his books. Though the real highlight of this whole experience was the opportunity to take feverish notes from such a master in this field. Here are a few key takeaways that I got from this course…

• People can get through information on their own. They can use their intellect to find their own relevance in your data. Give your audience more credit and set up a domino relationship with your information so they can glean the jewels from the data.

• Don’t underestimate the power of words while visualizing data. Many times they can be much more descriptive and clear than any figure or icon you try and come up with.

• Slide shows are inefficient and boring. Let the viewer see and hold all the data before the presentation.

• The point of information design is to assist in thinking.

• Do whatever it takes to get the information across. Never ask about how you can fit data into a certain format. Ask what the data means. After you have defined it, then decide how to best represent the data. Don’t pre specify the visualization method.

• There is beauty in functionality.

• With statistics the ideas is to be approximately right rather than exactly wrong.

• No amount of good design will save poor content.

Hail Pixel has to be the easiest, and largest online color palette generating tool I have ever used. You simply drag your mouse around the screen to reveal the full spectrum of colors, and then you just click to save that color. Scrolling adjusts the saturation. Then you just keep repeating and making swatches. The best part is that you can see all the colors full screen and right next to each other. It is the simple things in life right? Enjoy it here!

Multitasking is all the rage right now. We want to be able to talk on the phone, while sending an email, while uploading a picture, and all at the same time, playing catch with our firstborn. Multitasking is great, or is it? What are we missing while trying not to miss out on anything? Product designer, Paolo Cardini explores this concept with monotasking smartphone covers.

Looking at these pieces of art, you probably would never assume that an animal actually created them. Animals, especially our close relatives the primates, are much more creative beings than we give them credit for. These artworks, created by Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Orangutans, are the product of the animal’s innate creativity, not coaching and training from their caretakers like the popular elephant painting videos.

“We give these chimpanzees a canvas, and they do what they’re going to do. They pick their colors, they pick their tools. There’s usually some sort of symmetry. There’s always white space. It’s really interesting to see how they do all this,” Chimpa Haven communication direction Karen Allen told WIRED. This art really questions our definition of art. From looking at these paintings, I would argue that art is anything that is creatively created. In most of these cases, the animals were given canvases and paint to keep them entertained, and what they created came out to be actually pretty cool, with elements of balance, complimentary colors, unity and variety, and overall nice composition. So, is it possible to also argue that creativity is one of the most primal qualities? It is interesting to consider.

All images and information from WIRED

Illustrating on iPads is being taken to a whole new level. This is the second illustrator I have found in the past two weeks that has done amazing things using nothing but an iPad to create their work. (see also iPad finger paintings of Jorge Colombo) At first glance, my mind didn’t even register this art as digital. The uneven edges and shapes gave it a woodblock feel almost. Siggi Eggertsson is responsible for these works titled, Channeling. It was originally exhibited at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Madrid in October 2012. He said he actually prefers drawing on the computer now, over drawing by hand. Well, I don’t care what he uses, if this is the result. These prints are going to be up for sale soon as well, so stay tuned. See all the works from the exhibit here.

Tomorrow is the first official day of class on Skillshare! If you haven’t already signed up, here’s your chance! We already have a fantastic turnout, so thanks so everyone who has already joined! The digital illustration course is going to be on how to communicate using color, pattern and texture. I will let you in on my own creative process and provide lectures, outside resources, and custom tutorials.  Go sign up at Skillshare and use the promo code BRAVE for 25% off! See you in class!

As soon as I saw these character illustrations I had put them up on my blog. I just think the textures, colors and forms of these animals are simply amazing. Andrew Shek is a character designer, living in Toronto, Canada,  who has worked with big names in animation such as Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, Walt Disney Pictures and many more. He has been drawing since 2 years old, and has always had a fascination with drawing elephants. He works with watercolors, ink, and photoshop in his work, but likes to work with markers the most because of the organic feeling they have.

All images: Andrew Shek

openstudioclub.com from Open Studio Club on Vimeo.

Have you ever been on vacation and needed a place to work for a bit? Or, have you ever thought it would be super cool to have a Couchsurfing or Craigslist type site for a desk or even for studio rentals. Open Studio Club is that site. Open Studio Club allows designers and artists to post and search for desk or studio space. Their goal is to help creatives find affordable studio space. With their ultra-simple website, you can easily search for space by location, browse studios, browse desk space, browse work cafes, or upload your own listings. The service is completely free, private, and for creatives only.  Be careful, planning out a freelance life on the go, traveling worldwide sharing studio space, can get tempting after spending any amount of time on Open Studio Club.

These caricatures of the actors who played Batman throughout the years made me laugh. I found this incredible little series while perusing the gallery of work done by the illustrator, Jonas Bergstrand. Inevitably I will be featuring much more of his work on the blog, but there is just so much amazing work to choose from, in so many styles, that I am going to have to space it out for you. If you absolutely can’t wait, here is his website.

Tonight I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Adobe’s Create Now conference at MIT. The speaker was Rufus Deuchler, Sr. Worldwide Evangelist for Adobe Creative Solutions. He did a superb job of not only explaining the ins and outs of the Creative Cloud, but really inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and try out the other Adobe products. And, thanks to the Creative Cloud, with your subscription to the service you can have access to all of them! I could go on all night about all the amazing features offered, but you explore that on your own. Just know that if you knew about all of the amazing things you can do with Creative Cloud, you would be a fool to buy the boxed Adobe software ever again. My mind was officially blown, and I am signing up for the service tonight. See when the conference comes to your city and don’t miss it.

Oh the wonderful world of, LA based illustrator, Andrew Holder. Every time I see this guy’s work it just makes me happy. I like to pride myself in being good with colors, but he makes me jealous. His success comes from gutsy, wide range of colors used in his work. That in combination with the textures and shapes makes some really interesting compositions that leave you with a lot to stare at. Check out all of his work here.

A new documentary called Design & Thinking has been released for screenings! The film was born in result of the lack of creativity and collaboration we are seeing in today’s business, society and cultural landscapes. Interviewed in the documentary is an all-star cast of creative entrepreneurs, who break down the importance of “design thinking” in the 21st Century. Unfortunately it doesn’t come out on video for a bit, but you can pre-order you dvd now. Check out screenings and pricing here.

Finger painting is often thought of as something little kids do, smudging colorful paint in messy patterns during kindergarten art class. Jorge Colombo has not only perfected the art of finger painting, he has also done it without paint. Colombo uses his iphone and ipad to illustrate magazine covers and create pretty incredible art work. He originally used just his iphone to create entire illustrations but has since switched to using the ipad for his finger paintings. His first cover illustration for The New Yorker was published in 2009. The main subject for his finger painting illustrations is New York City, but he has scenery paintings and even portraits in his repertoire. Looking at Colombo’s work, it is hard to believe that they were created with fingers on a tablet or phone screen. Technology is amazing, but what people can do with it is even more spectacular.

Along with his finger paintings, Colombo is a watercolor artists, graphic designer, photographer, and has recently began making short movies. His work is in worldwide galleries. Colombo has also published three books: Fullerton, Of Big and Small Love, and Lisboa Revisitada.

All images by Jorge Colombo

Mikael Olsson’s website describes the project, it says:

“The work is an attempt to dig deep into the architecture and body of the buildings, and to uncover their intrinsic character amidst the omnipresent palpable deterioration. Through the photographic reproduction of the buildings, their subjacent architecture is revealed. They become psychologically charged stages and objects of projection for personal memories and histories…The houses display a characteristic obsession with air, sun and oxygen, and performed for Mathsson as setting for his interests in naturism, fitness and nudism. In this sense the photographs provide a condensation of modernist biologically oriented preoccupations, for which the houses are an extreme Swedish concentrate.”

The photos are featured in galleries and in a book Mikael Olsson: Södrakull Frösakull, that tells the history and legacy of the home’s designer Mathsson, and also tells the story of these two homes, and what happened to them since the mid-60′s when they were built. The houses were abandoned after Mathsson’s death in 1988 and were subsequently not taken care of by his estate. The photographs tell the story of these homes, and you can almost see what they were like in their glory, full of life and the functional beauty of the mid-centry modern age.

All images: Mikael Olsson

Is it safe to say that we have all, at least once, cursed out our phones for its clumsy autocorrect technology when texting? You better believe I have…a lot. So I am happy to report that someone is trying to improve that. Fleksy is a brand new technology that can detect the words you are entering, even if you miss every single key. But what is most amazing about Fleksy isn’t the cutting edge technology, but the reason behind its creation. It was designed with the user in mind. If you think this makes things more efficient for you, think of what this means for someone who is blind. Human centered design has always fascinated me, and Fleksy did not disappoint. Download the free app at the App Store.

Discovering beautiful type specimens is always exciting. This one in particular was an experiment of trying to merge both the carved nature of serif fonts, with the natural form of a brush script. Though the influence of the brush script is subtle, the serif typeface that was once was very classic, now feels fresh and contemporary. And what I love most about this is the fact that they made up a challenge for themselves to create this on their own. Always inspiring to see designers produce amazing work without a client.

The typeface, named Esmeralada, was the work of the Yani Arabena and Guille Vizzari of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I happened upon their beautiful range of typographic work on their Behance portfolio. You are going to want to check out the rest of their projects. They are quite the talented duo.