Vivid News

Robert Montgomery

2011-07-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

On his website, Montgomery describes his work-style as 'poetic and melancholic post-situationist'. This is a fitting statement; the choice of words in his creations evoke emotion and make you question the reasoning behind each piece, perhaps wishing to discover a harrowing tale or sincere personal account.

His bold use of typography and a type of dialogue he describes as 'part poetry, part enquiry', photographed beautifully in a series of intriguing locations, produces some truly incredible imagery.

He has been known to take-over advertising space, using the platform often used to sell pointless and unnecessary products to publicize his views on them, encouraging the audience to also question what is really important.

The above images are from his collection known as 'Recycled Sunlight' - where he has created signs using solar-technology, where it charges throughout the day and is recycled at night.

Although all of his typographic pieces are beautiful, it is his bold neon-based signs that I am drawn to the most:

Personally, there is something reminiscent of American Ed Ruscha, who is another personal favorite.

Ed Ruscha

The imitable jelly-mongers: Bompas and Parr

2011-06-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

Bompas and Parr, for those of you who don't know, are two friends who combine architecture, cutting-edge technology, Victorian history and plenty of imagination to create the most spectacular food 'experiences' known to the culinary industry.

Sam Bompas and Harry Parr

Some of their incredible creations include: a giant chocolate waterfall, a sensory rabbit cafe - with actual rabbits, 'flavor tripping', a scratch-and-sniff cinema and a futurist aerobanquet.

One of their most famous projects - The Architectural Punchbowl, saw 4,000 liters of Courvoisier cognac cocktail fill an indoor architectural punchbowl where visitors could raft across the room, race remote-control boats or just drink the contents.

The duo built an artisanal chewing gum factory, where visitors could create their very own chewing gum - they were given a choice of 200 unusual flavors, which included vegetable and meat flavors as well as curry and beer yeast. These could be combined to create a number of wacky and playful new flavor combinations.

Something I am devastated I did not manage to attend was their chocolate waterfall where 5 tonnes of a chocolate 'elixir' made from their favorite beans from around the world were bottled by the guests, and given a choice to add ingredients such as cinnamon or frankincense and then leave to 'brew' for approx. 48 hours to then be mixed with warm milk to create a delicious and unique hot chocolate.

The event 'Alcoholic Architecture' consisted of a room filled with a vaporized cocktail of gin and tonic. Visitors enter the room which has been transformed into a breathable cloud and absorb the alcohol mainly through their eyes, but also through inhalation, their skin and by taking the mist on their tongue. Guests were limited to an hour inside the room down to health ad safety regulations, and the fact that if they stayed any longer, they would become incredibly sticky!

Sweet dreams: Hotel Fox

2011-06-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hotel Fox in Copenhagen, opened as part of the launch of Volkswagon Fox, invited top designers, illustrators and urban artists from all over the world to design and curate a room in the hotel. Dubbed as 'the World's most exciting and creative lifestyle hotel', this pay-per night hotel is not like the usual...

With 61 rooms and 21 renowned artists involved, Hotel Fox is without a doubt, one incredible hotel for its price-bracket.

Genevieve Gaukler

Rinzen

Friendswithyou

Masa

All rooms are rather simple and mostly in-exclusive of the mod-cons, but for what they lack in televisual-pleasure, they sure make up in the static-visual! They also offer some packages which enable visitors to stay in three different rooms over three nights, depending on whether the guest does not mind the upheaval of their luggage!

I have never had the privilege to visit Hotel Fox, but down to my love of travel, graphic design and good hotel experiences, it is definitely something on my wish-list.

For the stationery lovers...

2011-06-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Present and Correct is one of my favorite online stores to visit, and should be known by everyone and anyone who is partial to unusual stationery, great timeless design or those one-of a kind retro finds. Created and run by graphic designers, it is great to know that they believe in the stuff as much as the customers do, plus the site and design direction is just wonderful and so fitting.

All items in the P&C store are created or sourced by the designer-owners themselves, scouring all sorts of locations home and abroad to present us with a truly incredible and awe-inspiring collection of items.

They have a great eye for layout and do some of the best-product shots I have seen! - They also have a fun and light hearted approach to their self-promotion, which I think is also very successful.

So for those of you that have not already, please visit their online store or follow them on Twitter

Spotlight: Morag Myerscough

2011-06-27T03:52:00.000-07:00

Morag Myerscough of Studio Myerscough and Supergroup London is known for her bold and vivacious take on graphic design is currently making quite a stir within the areas of interior graphics and exhibition curation. Some of her most recent successes include Westminster Academy, nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize, Vintage at Goodwood, The Deptford Project and The Design Museum.

In recent times, she has worked closely with London College of Communication curating final exhibitions such as 'Power of Ten', which was shortlisted for a Brit Insurance Award and this years installment: 'Round About'.

Her great sense of strong colour and striking use of typography really works together, creating an incredible 'experience' that wows and engages the audience at every chance. I find her work exciting, especially the way-finding systems, which can excite you at every turn of a corner, whilst being clear and easy to navigate.

Myerscough's graphic interior or 'building narrative' as she calls it, for Westminster Academy has reached strong acclaim, transforming a previously dull industrial-feeling institution into a building for inspiration that students can look forward to entering.

Paper Power

2011-06-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

The level of detail in Yula Brodskayas creations is what first drew it to my attention. It is something that as an aspiring and impatient designer i wish i could apply to my own work. She started creating paper creations to catch the attention of potential clients, something all aspiring designers need to do, and in her case is fantastically effective. It allows her to combine her passions in graphic design, typography, paper and highly detailed hand-made craft objects and you can see how the outcomes are lovingly made, attractive and make you want to reach through the screen and touch it.

Dissecting Our Fundamentals

2011-06-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

The bold picture of a letter in surgery really catches the eye. Seeing how Andrea Scheiger is looking at language as an organic form and visually presenting this through dissecting it is thought provoking. It appears as if the alphabet is getting the ‘Greys Anatomy’ treatment, giving us a peek into how Scheiger views one of the most fundamental elements of what makes us human; our ability to communicate.

Modern Typographic Spectacle

2011-06-08T03:26:00.000-07:00

Reminiscent of ‘The Fighter' Poster (below) Ben Wiseman’s 50th Anniversary cover design for Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s ‘A Coney Island of the Mind’ attracted me with its prominent use of typography. I automatically registered the fact that it was dealing with an Americana spectacle, perfect for the island well known its fun fare. Both posters have taken a traditional old style printing press look, and modenised it for a new generation. It is an interesting twist using the luminous changing colours which stand out and attract attention, whether on a book shelf or in a cinema lobby.

Enjoy Hanns Beers All Day, Every Day

2011-06-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

What caught my attention to Hans Beers ‘The All Day Every Day Project’ was that it seemed to be dealing with the mundane, but using these ideas to create stylish and interesting images. His bold choice of typography and use of colour make all the prints very different, whilst the grainy effect keeps the series consistant, and gives us a visual insight into his life.

Meng Ling’s market search (China)

2011-05-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

Meng Ling got his MA degree of graphic design from Australia, he now work as an art director in W+K Shanghai. He decided to go to some flower markets in Shanghai and Hang Zhou during his holiday break and he had checked 12 of the markets.

These are things he found in those lifely and intruguing markets. Black and white cobblestones and corals pieces that form alphabets, and beautifully shaped wood pieces and leaves.

“I was having this in my mind that i wanted to find really unique things but found that what nature offering is more than what we could expect, things that simple enough you could have miss it easily. I didn’t create them I was just very lucky to have found them.”

Tobias Wong 13,138 dice portrait

2011-05-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

A portrait of the late artist Tobias Wong, using 13,138 dices had created by his friend Frederick McSwain in tribute of him, entitled ‘Die’. This art work is part of the BrokenOff BrokenOff exhibition at Gallery R’Pure in NYC in memoriam to the artist during NY Design Week 2011.

Tobias Wong, the legendary artist who had created controversial art pieces, borrowing forms and ideas from industrial design and luxury objects, which questioned the over-consuming culture sharply. He died last year at the young age of 35, that is 13,138 days he had lived.

The dice giving the message of the randomness of life, and the idea of every decision you make and every step you have taken in your life, defines who you are. It is to be exhibit on the floor to interact with the viewers.

Book : Kazunari Hattori Graphics

2011-05-25T04:30:00.000-07:00

Selected works of Kazunari Hattori, published by IDEA magazine, which is based on the feature article “Kazunari Hattori 100 Page”.

Hattori, the well known designer and art director of the Kewpie Corporation and East Japan Railway Company, also art directed some revolutionery magazines such as Mayonaka, Ryuko Tsushin and Here and There.

A minimalist style, with focus on composition and type that together make engaging design.

Casualties of War by Dorothy

2011-05-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Dorothy created a series of post-war toy soldiers inspired by real-life scenarios. Many front-line soldiers returning home find it difficult to settle themselves into daily life, suffering depression and often resulting to violence.

Those little brave soldiers turned into an amputee in a wheelchair, a beggar on the street, the bully in a situation depicting domestic violence. Perhaps most shocking of all, one of the models shows a soldier sitting on an armchair about to shoot himself. Harsh but real stories told by tiny little green men familiar to everyone.

Type design by Jose Ernesto Rodriquez

2011-05-16T08:35:00.001-07:00

Photocopying whole or part of the human hand, Rodriquez has created alphabet letters and symbols.

A playful and interesting process which explors ways of creating contemporary type design.

Oritsunagumono by Takayuki Hori

2011-05-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Created by Takayuki Hori, Oritsunagumono means folded and connected things in Japanese. It’s a series of the skeletons of eight endangered species which are delicately printed on translucent paper and then folded in an origami animals.

Life’s worthlessness and fragility represented by delicate but fragile paper folds, origami, which is also a traditional Japanese paper arts, representing those old age animals that are now facing extinction.

Writing Without Words

2011-05-10T03:03:00.000-07:00

Stefanie Posavec’s maps capture something above and beyond that of the others. Rather than mapping physical geography, her maps capture regularities and patterns within a literary space. The pieces featured in On the Map focused on Kerouac’s On the Road. The maps visually represent the rhythm and structure of Kerouac’s literary space, creating works that are not only gorgeous from the point of view of graphic design, but also exhibit scientific rigor and precision in their formulation: meticulous scouring the surface of the text, highlighting and noting sentence length, prosody and themes, Posavec’s approach to the text is not unlike that of a surveyor. And similarly, the act is near reverential in its approach and the results are stunning graphical displays of the nature of the subject.

PopShot Magazine

2011-05-09T02:52:00.000-07:00

Popshot is a bi-annual small art publication "intent on hoodwinking poetry back from the clammy hands of tweed jackets and school anthologies". Popshot looks to celebrate the poetry of today and tomorrow with the whimsical arms of illustration wrapped tightly round it.

"We are of the thought that the future of poetry is even more exciting than the past."

Started on a shoestring budget from the kitchen of an Oxford flat, and despite featuring unknown contributors, no adverts or sponsors within only four issues Popshot became the first UK poetry magazine ever to gain worldwide distribution.

"I think it came from a deep-rooted love of children’s books", says founder and editor Jacob Denno. "We learn how to appreciate rhythm and meter as children with the plethora of nonsense poetry and hand-me-down children’s rhymes. I’ve always been a massive fan of rhyme but there’s very few people that can pull it off eloquently."

"Do not read this if you need the toilet," advises the 22-year-old editor, Jacob Denno. "Poetry is an art form that needs complete attention."

Link

A Dictionary Story

2011-05-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

In 'A Dictionary Story', typography extraordinaire Sam Winston created a story that "illustrates the balance between a world that’s safe but boring and a high risk universe full of creative possibilities."

"Like people, the alphabetically constrained words yearn to release their individual potential. They want to escape the dictionary’s regimentation and come together to tell a story. But when the words break free, so do their letters. They scatter and tumble across the page, reflecting meaning through visual representation. For a time it’s wild and exciting but when things look to be getting out of hand the Alphabet arrives to remind everyone of their responsibilities. Order returns… but the world and it’s words will never be quite the same again."

"It’s a illustrated story in which words from the dictionary come to life, take on human characteristics and cause a whole world of trouble on the page. It’s a playful book – full of images – to celebrate our language."

"When it comes to typography language always comes first. This might seem like a fairly obvious statement to make but to find this harmony between content and form is incredible hard. There is a need to achieve legibility but also have a strong visual aesthetic. I don’t think they are exclusive but at times they can be at odds."

"Initially the project started as a short narrative in which certain words from the dictionary became living characters that met each other – “Springs next victim was Lawless who was rejoicing in being knocked away from such a boring neighbour as Lawful. Lawless landed straight on top of Lawn which suddenly became very unruly. After some time Lawn was no longer and in its place sat Jungle, happily spreading its creepers across the page.” "

"From exploring the meaning in writing it was then applied it to its design. As I came to set the type I realised, by creating two columns, you could have the story running in one whilst the definitions of the words ran in the other.

This project hopefully goes some way to explaining some of my thoughts around language and design."

David Bowie Poster Set

2011-05-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Non-Format has produced a reworking of the David Bowie poster originally produced for the UK? OK!! exhibition at Parco Factory, Tokyo. This edition is produced as a silkscreen printed two-poster set in an extremely limited edition of only 25 sets printed. The first covering Space Oddity to Young Americans is printed in gold on black stock, with the second charting the albums from Station to Station to Tonight, printed in silver ink, again on black stock. The visualisation is based on Brian Eno’s concept of Axis Thinking, applied to Non-Format’s response to each Bowie album via a graphic representation of a mixing desk.

Link

The RSC at 50

2011-04-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the Royal Shakespeare Company's 50th anniversary, Hat-trick have teamed up with illustrator Marion Deuchars to create a series of stamps featuring defining scenes from a variety of RSC productions.

"Endeavoring to make my type work at such an intimate scale was an ambitious undertaking and at first I thought impossible. However, I also knew it would create a distinct and engagingly graphic depiction of a very well known subject.

I liked the idea of juxtaposing some very obvious quotes with some less known citations. In the end I tried for an emotive quality between the character from RSC archives and the words, as if they were being sounded out on the stage.  For example, with the design for King Lear, I wanted the type to be fervent and disturbing, as if it had been scratched out, whereas in Romeo and Juliet I concentrated on it flowing round the figures and being more lyrical and passionate.

In the end I hope the stamps reflect the amazing work of the RSC and to appeal to the new and old audiences of Shakespeare."

Hat-trick also designed four additional stamps featuring a miniature paper stage set created and built specially by illustrator Rebecca Sutherland and shot by John Ross. The stamps pay homage to the four stages in Stratford – the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Swan Theatre, The Courtyard Theatre and The Other Place.

A1 Scrabble

2011-04-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

Designer Andrew Capener has redesigned the classic Scrabble board and turned it into playful typographic anarchy, with the ability to for the owner to choose which font their scrabble set comes in, with additional fonts available to order creating an interactive art piece that grows as each word is put down.

The playing board itself is solid walnut with six pieces magnetized to stick together. The bottom is lined with slip-free cork and all pieces tuck away in a minimalist birch box.

"The purpose of this project was to revive an old, but loved game...[and] to excite people about typography".

Shrinkage design

2011-04-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

www.shrinkagedesign.com

Coralie Bickford-Smith Cover designer

2011-04-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

Isaac Salazar - Book of Art

2011-04-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Animation made with Google Doc

2011-04-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

Found at Todayandtomorrow.net

Privacy - AD Campaign

2011-04-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

6500 cd used, more than 200 hours, 6 photographic subjects, an installation and a video: these are the numbers of shows conceived by Mirco Pagano Piracy and Moreno De Turco subjects for which the icons of the music world recreated using the original cd their greatest hits.

Firstfloorunder.com

2011-04-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

(I’d cut off a finger for you, if only this wouldn’t compromise my clicks on the mouse.)

2011-04-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

Bartholot is a Berlin-based freelance designer with an emphasis on photographic illustration and art direction.

http://bartholot.net/

Jonny Wan | Illustrator

2011-04-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

Mental disorder posters

2011-04-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

Patrick Smith

Luca Barcellona

2011-04-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

Type case - Installation

2011-04-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

The installation "Type Case" is a low-resolution display with 125 rectangular pixels of different sizes. These are formed from the reflecting light of digitally controlled LEDs, embedded in each section of a European printers' type case. Due to the standardized fragmentation of its compartments, the density of visual information is decreased towards the objects' centre. Viewed close by, it is nearly impossible to recognize more than a flicker – however after moving some distance away, it becomes distinguishable, that the lights and shadows give a representation of the latest headlines.

Tree of Codes - Jonathan Safran Foer

2011-04-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine a book—in this case the 1934 novel The Street of Crocodiles, a surrealistic set of linked stories by the Polish Holocaust victim Bruno Schulz—whose pages have been cut out to form a latticework of words. The result is a new, much shorter story and a paper sculpture, a remarkable piece of inert, unclickable technology: the anti-Kindle. Reading it is a little like going through an FBI document full of blacked-out passages, except that the excised portions are now holes through which you get glimpses of subsequent text. The format slows your eye down (though it helps if you slightly lift the page you’re on), but the book is so brief that it can still be read in half an hour.

The book is as much a sculptural object as it is a work of masterful storytelling: here is an “enormous last day of life” that looks like it feels.

Guillermo Carrion - Art works

2011-04-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

www.guillermocarrionart.com

Autofacebook

2011-04-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Everyday I would like to share with the world how I feel.
Autofacebook is an application to generate a synaesthetic representation of my mood (everyday I could be a colorful circle, square or triangle on a background).
This is my way to be present on a "voyeuristic" social network.
Built with processing 1.2

www.lorenzobravi.com

Autofacebook - wall

Hand Crafted Paper Animations for Star Alliance

2011-03-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

In an effort to preserve the places they fly to, the airline Star Alliance have donated seats to scientists and field workers to destinations all around the world. The National Geographic Channel has produced a showcase on Star Alliance’s efforts for five specific destinations, and commissioned Andersen M Studio to create stop motion paper films to represent each location. The films produced are stunning, and truly show there are no limitations to what you can do with a sheet of paper, or in this case, two flight tickets. Each paper sculpture comes to life revealing a literal depiction of the destination through paper.

Thorntons Celebrate 100 Years

2011-03-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

This year Britain’s favorite chocolate company Thorntons celebrates 100 years of making delicious chocolate for the great British public. Thorntons have hired Scottish Based Illustrator Johanna Basford to produce fantastic illustrations for the advertising campaign and packaging. Johanna created every piece from ink sketches and her detailed hand drawings are energetic and beautiful. The intricate designs bring to life the brands anniversary and brighten up all the stores across the UK.

Lynx Fallen Angels at Victoria Station

2011-03-23T03:08:00.000-07:00

Lynx new Fallen Angel campaign invaded Victoria station last week to interact with the passing pedestrians. A target was placed on the floor of the station and when people were in the right position the large screen in the station would show an angel falling next to them. It seemed to become very popular throughout the day, and shows a successful use of augmented reality.

Plumen 001 Wins Design of the Year Award

2011-03-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

This week the winner of the Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2011 was revealed as the Plumen 001, the world’s first designer lightbulb. The Plumen 001 beat over 90 entries to win the award, held at the Design Museum in London.

Designed by British designer Samuel Wilkinson and product design company Hulger, the lightbulb is formed by two intertwining glass tubes, which create a new silhouette from every angle. Using 80% less energy and lasting approximately 8 times longer than a typical incandescent bulb, this product is stylish and energy efficient.

The Plumen 001 along with the other shortlisted designs are currently exhibiting at the Design Museum until 7th August 2011, definitely one to check out.

Levi's Go Waterless

2011-02-24T02:16:00.000-08:00

Levi is going all out to do their bit for the environment and have created a brilliant ad campaign in the process. With the help of Lucas Barras, an award winning creative known for his animation and illustration, this collage styled advert is a great success and strongly puts their point across. The adverts hand crafted style adds to its appeal. Lets hope their campaign works and they set an example for others in their field to follow.

T-Post

2011-02-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

Our intern Adam, told us about T-Post - a wonderful combination of t-shirt and magazine. The difference is that an issue is a T-shirt, with an article printed on the inside and an illustration on the front. Subscribers receive a new 'issue' every six weeks, but they have no idea what they are going to get until the issue drops through the post box. We think its a great idea. Find out more here and watch the video here

Exhibitions: Orozco at Tate Modern

2011-02-05T01:43:00.000-08:00

A recent visit to Orozoco at the Tate Modern made for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon. One of my favourite pieces was a vintage Citreon, which had been chopped into thirds length ways and reassambled with the middle third removed - creating an intriguing and fun (but unfortunately not functional) new form. Other highlights included a bicycle assemblage and a found-tyre installation created by Orozoco in response to the space at Tate Modern. I'm no art critic, we'll leave that to Brian Sewell, I'll just say its light hearted, visually interesting, interactive and well worth a visit. Visit the Tate website here to find out more.

Starbucks Logo change

2011-02-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

Not being a coffee drinker myself, I might be behind on the news but I was surprised to recently discover that the Starbucks logo has recently undergone a makeover. Its surely one of the most recognisable and ditinctive logosin our moern everyday lives. The new logo isn't a drastic move away from the old one, I can't envisage a Gap style disaster, it is effectively a simplification - keeping the same green colour and iconography, but dropping the text and moving from 2 colour to one colour. Read more here and here

Olympic Logo 2016

2011-01-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

The Olympic logo was unveiled on New Year Eve 2010. Created by Tatil, based in Rio de Janeiro. The link gives you an idea of the designers thoughts and ideas that went into creating this logo http://vimeo.com/18331485

The designers have even taken a Rio landmark, Pão de Açúcar or Sugar loaf Mountain, and mapped the logo in. It also interestingly spells out ‘Rio‘ too...

TikTok & LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits

2010-12-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

This creation has been developed by TikTok and LunaTik which simply transforms the iPod Nano into the world's coolest multi-touch watches.

TikTok is a simple snap-in design. It allows the user to easily and securely snap the Nano into the wrist dock. It cleanly and simply integrates the Nano and transforms it into a modern multifunction timepiece.

LunaTik is designed and intended to be a premium conversion kit for someone that wants to dedicate their Nano to being a watch and the newest conversation piece with their friends. It is forged from Aerospace Grade Aluminum.

There is even a limited edition red version!

How Colours Affect Purchases

2010-12-10T01:50:00.000-08:00

Pantone released there colour of the year for 2011 as Honeysuckle "a dynamic reddish pink." The colour described by Pantone is Courageous, Confident & Vital. A brave new colour, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a colour for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

This leads to the question of how colours affect purchases?

An infographic designed by online analytics firm KISSmetrics details the impact colour has on purchasing decisions.

KISSmetrics found that each 93% of all consumers place visual appearance and colour above other factors, and that 85% of them place colour as the “primary reason” for why they buy a particular product.

Buyers are also swayed by individual colours. Where red could mean “energy” and “creates urgency”, purple is used to “soothe and calm”, the infographic states.

And for brands looking to home in on the impulse shoppers, KISSmetrics said red, orange, black and blue are the colours that appeal to that demographic.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1llGpU/designtaxi.com/news/33607/Infographic-How-do-Colors-Affect-Purchases//r:t

Vivid welcomes Seb

2010-12-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

There's a new fresh face in town and it's the new member to the team. Vivid Brand welcomes Seb to join us as a junior designer.

A.P.C. + Aésop

2010-12-03T02:16:00.000-08:00

An interesting collaboration between French fashion label A.P.C. and Australian skin-care brand Aesop. Together they have developed the 'Fine Fabric Care', an effective alternative to dry cleaning for delicates.

The analogue Facebook

2010-11-29T01:46:00.000-08:00

In a promotion for French telecommunications company Bouyges Télécom, the 'continually changing' nature of online social networking has been challenged. There are so many strands to a site such as Facebook, with entries getting lost or forgotton. Bouygues Télécom created the option of turning your Facebook profile into an actual book.

Pharrell Williams and Domeau & Pérès

2010-11-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Taking inspiration from love between man and woman, musician and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams teamed up with furniture designer Domeau & Pérès to create the critically acclaimed “Perspective” chairs. They are now on display at the Gallerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris. The contemporary furniture pieces are featured in four colorways with leather, luxurious velour and veal skin wrapped seats.

Apple Destroyed Products

2010-11-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

San Francisco graphic designer Michael Tompert and photographer Paul Fairchild are trying to make people think about their relationship with these universally beloved gadgets.

Having spent the last several months purchasing the newest in Apple consumer technology and then creatively destroying the pricey toys, the results, which they photographed, went on display at a gallery exhibition.

'it's not about destroying old products. it's about our relationship with the new.'

Carnovsky's RGB wallpaper

2010-11-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

Carnovsky's has created wallpapers that react to different coloured lights. They are featured in an exhibition at the Johanssen Gallery in Berlin, alongside more work exploring the same theme.

The designs were created for the Milan shop of Janelli & Volpi, a noted Italian wallpaper brand. Each features overlapping illustrations, different elements of which are revealed depending on whether a blue, green or red light is shone upon them.

Vivienne Westwood and The Brits

2010-11-22T02:10:00.000-08:00

This year's Brits mark a change in direction for the annual British Music Awards ceremony.

As well as changes to the voting academy and overall format, each year will see a different famous designer putting their stamp on the award.

2011 sees Vivienne Westwood designing the trophy. Initial sketches of Westwood's take on the 'Britannia' statue have caused quite the buzz.

Window Installations for Selfridges Shoe Galleries

2010-11-22T01:27:00.000-08:00

Lernert & Sander's latest installations for London department store Selfridges. A humorous exploration into shoe design mixed with an obsession with high heels resulted in the creation of original installations transforming everyday household domestic appliances into fantastical representations of extreme shoe designs.

Moonstruck Chocolate Packaging

2010-11-19T07:39:00.000-08:00

These beautiful chocolate bar wrappers are designed by typographer Kate Forrester for chocolate company Moonstruck. The detail in the illustrations and typography on the wrappers are a hand-cut paper style. Just amazing with their handcrafted quality, visual beauty, multi-sensory experience and imagination.

Scrabble Mugs

2010-11-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

This year's best Christmas gift; Scrabble mugs. Brings a whole new meaning to drinking 'T'...

Bates Gentleman's Hatter

2010-11-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

At the Hilditch & Key store in Paris, Bates Gentlemen's Hatters' artisan packaging takes on a nostalgic typographic approach.

Real Magick in Theory and Practise

2010-11-18T04:02:00.000-08:00

Believed to be the most geometrically complex and aesthetically beautiful structure in mathematics and the most geometrically accurate visualisation to date, the 4_21 polytope is the algebraic form at the centre of a universal theory of everything. I thought this was a really intricately designed, a well thought through and laid out piece of design.

City of London Coordinates

2010-11-17T02:57:00.000-08:00

Caroline Silfverling's City of London Coordinates print is infographics at it's best. The print also features a list of London Boroughs.

Fedrigoni Calendar 2011

2010-11-17T02:28:00.000-08:00

Fedrigoni UK releases its exclusive 2011 desk calendar. This curious desk calendar draws its inspiration from the Matryoshka or Russian Doll and uses the vibrant colours from their range of Sirio Colour papers to make it eye catching. Diecut to reveal the colour beneath, each one is litho printed with metallic silver ink.

Jeeves & Wooster

2010-11-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Designer Jake Phipps reflects on classic British icons, the Bowler and Top hats, making pendant lights from authentic headwear.

Seb Lester's Stars

2010-11-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

Seb Lester, type designer and illustrator has designed this new limited edition screen-print. When looking closely you can see how much time he has put into creating this beautifully hand crafted piece of typography which is made up of tiny stars and inspired by Vincent Van Gough's famous quote.

Boudicca Wode

2010-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Wode, the scent form UK fashion label Boudicca has been coined as 'Art Fragrance' because of it's fading properties. The 'Paint' version sprays on blue, before vanishing.

René Gruau at Somerset House

2010-11-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

An exhibition of the work of renowned illustrator René Gruau opened at Somerset House last week.

Gruau created some of the most iconic fashion images of the 20th Century, most notably whilst working with the House of Dior.

Apple; Most Influential Brand in UK & US

2010-11-15T01:37:00.000-08:00

The TLG annual index report has named Apple as the most influential brand in both the UK and US.

A far cry from Apple's now minimalist logo, this is how they were originally branded. Spot the apple in the tree? Any thoughts on a 'Heritage' collection of offerings from the superbrand?

Hembakat År Båst (Homemade is Best)

2010-11-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

Raw ingredients have never looked so appetising... Ikea's recipe book literally puts the 'art' in the 'art of cooking.'

Emeco with Coke

2010-11-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

U.S. Furniture manufacturer Emeco collaborate with Coca-Cola to produce the iconic '111 Navy Chair' made from 111 recycled plastic bottles.

M/MINK

2010-11-10T02:45:00.000-08:00

Stockholm-based luxury perfumery Byredo collaborate with M/M (Paris), translating a block of solid ink purchased in Asia, a photograph of a Japanese master practicing his daily calligraphy, and a Utopian formula drawn on traditional Korean paper, into a fragrance which at first smells like ink.

TRIFLOW BY ZAHA HADID

2010-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the movement of water, world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid has designed this cutting edge 'tap of the future.'

Onedotzero Adventures in Motion.

2010-11-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

Pioneering festival onedotzero_adventures in motion returns this year to London’s BFI Southbank from 10 – 14 November 2010, presenting the most exciting international moving image work, from the offbeat to the radical, aiming to push the boundaries of creativity, innovation and technological wonder. Check it out: http://www.onedotzero.com/

NEUE HELVETICA ARABIC

2010-11-03T03:45:00.000-07:00

Type Designer Nadine Chahine has created an Arabic companion to Neue Helvetica Latin.
Traditionally presented as ‘script’ or calligraphy, the Arabic alphabet is shown in a contemporary form.

Screen printed posters made from leaked BP oil

2010-10-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Designer Anthony Burrill has designed a limited edition, screen printed poster which will help raise money for the BP oil spill clear-up. The oil was harvested from the beaches of Grand Isle, Louisiana and was used to produce a set of 200 limited edition prints, signed and numbered by Burrill. The posters will go on sale online at a cost of €150 each and all profits will go towards the 'Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana' charity.

Diet Coke produce limited edition bottles

2010-10-22T01:47:00.000-07:00

Diet Coke last week launched a new, limited edition crystal bottle designed by jewellery designer Johnny Rocket to be sold in the 'Diet Coke crystal customisation boudoir' at Selfridges. Each bottle is made with Swarovski elements and will be on sale in the Selfridges food hall, where customers can create their own bespoke bottles in the 'pop up workshop'. The crystal bottle concept has a media value of £24,000 and is supported by a 25 second ad sequence and a facebook campaign.

Woolmark Campaign For Wool

2010-10-15T03:20:00.000-07:00

The campaign for wool is a new initiative by Woolmark that aims to increase the public’s awareness of wool and wool products. To promote the campaign there have been several events in London this week, including a flock of dyed yellow sheep outside Selfridges and on Monday Saville Row was closed to traffic to allow a herd of sheep to graze on specially laid turf.

Along with the on-street promotion, Woolmark has also commissioned a new, more colourful Woolmark logo for use in communication relating to the campaign.

The original logo was designed in the 60’s and it was felt that it needed a facelift to keep it more up to date and appeal to younger consumers.

The art of the optical illusion

2010-10-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

With the use of an Apple IPad and a transparent sheet with black lines being passed over the screen, 5 static images change into great illusions.

Change or Stay..?

2010-10-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

Old?

vs.

New?

Gap released a new brand logo last monday via their facebook page, only for it to be retracted a few days later following a wave of criticism from the business and design world alike. Their current square logo had been in existence for over 20 years and had achieved an almost iconic status, so replacing it was always going to be a difficult task. Gap is now claiming that the release was a crowd-sourcing exercise to seek feedback its customers. The official statement from Gap read “We love our version, but we’d like to ... see other ideas" which suggests that a change is still in the pipeline.

However, with the brand logo being one of the strongest elements of the brand as a whole, is a logo redesign really the thing to turnaround the companies falling profits?

2010-09-17T01:58:00.000-07:00

(Unofficial) portrait of the Pope

An unofficial portrait of the Pope appeared opposite the Royal Albert Hall in the early hours of this morning. This sinister stencil of Pope Benedict XVI stroking a fluffy white cat (a la Blofeld from the James Bond movies) is in relation to various tensions rising with the regards to his arrival in London this week after 25 years.

2010-09-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

eBay's re-usable box

eBay has launched its new re-usable box which inside has space for shippers to write messages to their recipients. Six white boxes provide a space for a message to be written. Along with these spaces the box also contains tips on how to use such things as old phone books for packaging materials.

The box is made from recycled, FSC-approved cardboard and is also designed in such a way to minimise the use of tape. The company will release 100,000 of these boxes in three different sizes as a pilot programme. You can get hold of yours by signing up with eBay Green Team here

Nigella Bites (or should that be Zoe?)

2010-09-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

We are all very sad at Vivid as our Bake-off slowly draws to a close with only one week left. With this in mind (we assume), Zoe made some very comforting chocolate chip cookies to help us ease the pain. As the photo shows, they didn't last long. The recipe for the darker variety is one of Nigellas which you can find here.

Tailored for England

2010-09-06T01:34:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to watch the England v Bulgaria match on friday, which happened to be the first to show off the new england kit which features a subtle addition from Peter Saville. The new kit is emroidered small multi coloured crosses which aim to represent the multi cultural element of England. Its just a pity that from a distance they loose their visibility, which has been a criticism which has been noted by many. However when we look at the England kits through time it is certainly the simpler designs that seem to be the most striking.

Winter Padding

2010-08-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

Yup, its the time of year when diets get thrown out the window and we all have to start embracing the cold once again. This is no exception at Vivid towers where we have been continuing our bake off with some very indulgent (fattening) creations.

Our chairman Andy arrived with some yummy brownies the week before last. Designer Dan later followed with a white chocolate cheesecake. Then most recently Gideon our MD, produced our most cake-like gluten free cake so far, a chocolate espresso.

Only 3 more to go before we decide who will be our in-house masterchef. The prize?... The pleasure of baking us all cakes every week for the foreseeable future. Just Kidding.

Print vs Digital

2010-08-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

After an ad we posted on the YCN website for a design intern, we were amazed by how many responses we received. With over 90 applicants emailing us their PDF portfolios we got to see a lot of great work. People had branded themselves in amazing ways and had spent some time writing cover letters. One thing that we couldn't understand was how much work was just being screen grabbed digitally.

A poster can look very boring when viewed as a flat image, there are many ways in which you can bring life to your work by simply printing it out and photographing it. Some simple ways this can be done include holding it up, hanging it on a wall with bulldog clips or even laying it on the floor. With a little life given to your work you can really bring out the finer details. So what do you think; Print or Digital?

Made for walls since 2010

2010-08-06T05:39:00.000-07:00

Ever walked past the sad remnants of wall painted ads from a time gone by and marveled at their retro beauty? Well fear no more. Anchor butter has embraced this medium as part of their latest ad campaign 'made by cows' as a way to bring heritage back to the brand. It goes to show living in the past isn't all bad. CHI (the ad agency) commissioned illustrator Paul Slate r and hand lettering artist Alison Carmichael to help create the ads.

Straight from the creative kitchen...

2010-08-06T04:54:00.001-07:00

Yes it's that cakey time of the week again...

Our studio bake-off continued with our Creative director Stu, making us this Lemon drizzle number. Presentation wise it probably could have done better (we're hoping that's lemon rind on the top), but we all agreed that content wise it was pretty darn good. We eagerly await (our chairman) Andy's creation next week.

Our intern bakes too!

2010-08-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Our intern Harry baked us all a Chocolate fudge cake as part of our bake-off competition! It went down a treat with a cup of tea and decoration wise, this is probably the most interesting offering so far.

Any design students interested in interning here fear not, baking is not a necessary skill (though we never say no to a bit of cake).

2010-07-29T01:44:00.000-07:00

2010-07-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

Vivid visited the Design Museum for a little bit of inspiration last week. Entries for The Brit Insurance Design of the Year Awards were on show and some brilliant Sustainable Futures exhibits including amazing Puma packaging and the winning insurance design, the collapsable plug by Min-Kyu Choi. Its fantastic, I could go on naming delectable design delights but it would spoil it for you when you get down there, which you should!

London Gate, Commissioned to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics

2010-07-27T02:19:00.000-07:00

This winning entry by studio Donis is a 100 metre-tall structure to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. Named 'London Gate' the structure is designed as a temporary landmark and has been commissioned to be placed in Aldgate, east London from January 2012. Donis is an architecture studio based in Rotterdam and managed to come first in 'A landmark for Aldgate' international design competition, which included around 100 entries. The structure includes a glass elevator, very scary if you ask me.

More info: http://www.dezeen.com/2010/07/26/london-gate-by-donis/

2010-07-26T02:24:00.000-07:00

032c

2010-07-26T02:21:00.002-07:00

Hello! Here is an interesting arty mag for you to check out. 032c is a biannual magazine that was on display at the Design museum on our recent trip. The graphics are amazing and beautiful and the content in their own words 'both timely and timeless—a celebration of and for the most cutting-edge in art, culture, and fashion.' The mag is available at most specialist art and book shops or go on the website,

http://www.032c.com.

Cake gets healthy...sort of.

2010-07-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

This weeks offering in the bake-off was a rather good carrot cake created by Susie. In theory its one of the healthier cakes we've had so far - Carrots and sultanas, thats 2 of your 5 a day surely?

We haven't been able to find susies exact recipe on the web but i'm sure this one's still pretty good for anyone wanting to give it a go:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4425/carrot-cake

Trifle Time

2010-07-19T01:47:00.000-07:00

The second offering in the studio bake- off came courtesy of our accounts director Lawrence! Alas no recipe for this one as we were told it was a secret passed down through generations (or maybe tescos, we cant quite decide). Either way it was very appropriate for a hot summers day.

A skyline for london

2010-07-19T01:37:00.000-07:00

The winner of the TFL competition to design a new skyline for london was announced last week as freelance designer Richard Coward. His illustration depicting "a 21st Century view of London’s famous skyline" will now be used across a whole range of TFL merchandise.

Find more of his work at http://www.rcoward.com/

An example of how the application will work on a mouse mat is shown below:

The Glue Society

2010-07-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

This may not be the most recent of news, in fact it was released about 2 years ago but we though they are worth another mention. These are some ads created by The Glue Society for a vodka brand called 42 below. The tag line is 'because we can' and each ad experiments with this in ways of shear brilliance, from making an arch out of chairs to filling a beach with blow up dolls.

Check out there site: http://www.gluesociety.com/#home/the-work-content/advertising-content/42below-content

2010-07-08T02:09:00.000-07:00

While I was studying at Shillington College in Melbourne, one of the guest lecturers was Timba, a graphic designer, artist, illustrator and independant publisher from Melbourne. (He's the mastermind behind the beautiful magazine Wooden Toy). Timba is currently living in the UK. And tonight, Thursday 8 July 2010, At Black Rat Projects in East London, Timba and Miso – 2 parts of the authors crew– will sign their book STREET/STUDIO. STREET/STUDIO is a book by Alison Young, Ghostpatrol, Miso & Timba Smits featuring work by Niels Oeltjen / Tom Civil / Tai Snaith / Ghostpatrol / Ash Keating / Al Stark / Miso / Twoone / Mic Porter and the Everfresh Crew. It offers an exclusive behind-the-secenes look at how street art has entered the mainstream and become one of the most collectable new art forms. It offers an unparalleled insight into the work of ten of Australiaís most influential, dynamic and creative artists living in Melbourne.

One night only. For more info: http://www.streetstudiobook.com/index.php?id=1

ps: Make sure to check out http://www.timbasmits.com/

The Bake Off Begins!

2010-07-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

So the Vivid Brand bake off got off to a start yesterday with yours truly setting the standard with a Beetroot Chocolate fudge cake! Ok, so it wont win points on the looks front (image above is unfortunately not a true likeness) but tastewise hopefully it scored a little better.

If anyone fancies trying the recipe, it can be found here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/484627/beetroot-fudge-cake?binderbox=forgot

This is the actual cake incase you were wondering.

Your smile for an ice cream

2010-07-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see and try it for myself.

Unilever revealed an ice cream vending machine for the digital age. Branded "Share Happy," it is able to sense when people are near. Using facial recognition technology, it can determine age, gender, and emotion. The machine uses an interactive "smile-o-meter" to rate smiles; those with a big enough smile are rewarded with free ice cream. What is also worth noting is the ability for users to share pictures on Facebook via built-in 3G. In an age of social networking, brands providing new experiences also need to consider ways to promote the sharing of them. (source: http://www.mobilebehavior.com/2010/06/21/unilever-ice-cream-machine-detects-emotion-and-shares-happy/)

Watch "the share happy trailer" on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI-IO3kmxVc&feature=player_embedded

Information is beautiful

2010-06-30T01:54:00.000-07:00

David McCandless is the mastermind behind the website (and book) "information is beautiful". "I’m an independent data journalist and information designer. A passion of mine is visualizing information – facts, data, ideas, subjects, issues, statistics, questions – all with the minimum of words.I’m interested in how designed information can help us understand the world, cut through BS and reveal the hidden connections, patterns and stories underneath. Or, failing that, it can just look cool!"
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/ http://www.davidmccandless.com/

New Designers

2010-06-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

www.newdesigners.com

New Designers is renowned for showcasing the very best in graduate design. This year marks its 25th anniversary, and once again, the July exhibition showcases 3,500 of the brightest and most creative talents from Britain's leading design courses. It is an event for fresh thinking and aspiration.

Part 1 • 01 – 04 July 2010 (Awards Preview 30 June) Textiles, Fashion & Accessories, Contemporary Applied Arts, Ceramics & Glass, Jewellery & Precious Metalwork, One Year On

Part 2 • 08 – 11 July 2010 (Awards Preview 7 July) Product Design, Furniture Design, Visual Communications (including Graphic Design and Illustration), Spatial Design, One Year On

New Designers takes place at the Business Design Centre, London, N1 OQH. Nearest tube Angel.

Creative use of typography

2010-06-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a webpage we came across with examples of creative use of typography in advertisement. Some ads are brilliant, some funny, some confronting, either way: inspiring.

http://creativebits.org/inspiration/creative_use_typography_advertising