Design is Blank

Hanauchi-ya renovation project by Tadashi Yoshimura Architects

Spoon & Tamago — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:00:01 +0000

In renovating a 200-year old town house, an architect looks to the past Late last year Tadashi Yoshimura Architects ended a year-long renovation project of Hanauchi-ya, a 200-year old wooden home located in Nara prefecture, about an hour out of central Osaka. Despite undergoing what was thought to be several thoughtless prior renovations and decades of water damage, the plan – all along – was to reuse existing materials as much as possible. As expected, this proved to be a technical nightmare with recurring surprises (“oh look, another wall behind the wall we just tore down”) making it virtually impossible for the architects to ever leave the site. But look at those results! The seamlessness between old and new materials makes it feel like we’ve been transported back to the 1800s. There are some fascinating pictures of the process up on the architect’s blog. Of note, these pictures of taking reclaimed mud and using it to make walls. Source: ArchDaily | Tadashi Yoshimura Architects and their blog

ON-TYPE

Blank Designer — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Fiss Family by My Own Super Studio

Blank Designer — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:44 +0000

Hailing from a long line of skilled carpenters, Portuguese designer Rui Alves studied industrial design and began his furniture and product design company, My Own Super Studio. The Fiss Family consists of four wood tables, each a different size with a pop of color – blue, yellow, green, or orange. I love the contrast of the wood, and the bright color underneath that reveals itself at various angles. Not only do they function as tables, they also light up. Each table features a light that gives a downward glow and offers ambient light. © 2012 Design Milk | Posted by Caroline in Home Furnishings

South Texas Jazz identity

Blank Designer — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:00:39 +0000

South Texas Jazz is a collaborative that performs under various monikers with different size ensembles. Austin-based FÖDA Studio created a dynamic identity system that allows for variation, improvisation and expansion and gives the client the ability to create the parts they need—it literally embodies the nature of jazz improvisation.

Western key signatures have seven notes (and an eighth octave that repeats the first). A heptagon represents the seven-note scale; taken apart, each triangle is an individual note. The triangles can be configured into nearly infinite forms, signifying modal sequences in music. Three of these modes resemble the letters S, T and J and are used as the root of each set of configurations. Any given mode can be overlapped with another and each component can be color-coded at will to expand or collapse the identity based on promotional need. The system intentionally allows for eye-balled placement of forms and works on two simple proportional guides that are included in a comprehensive graphic standard package that sets all the rules for typography, color use, image use and overlapping.
Credits: southtexasjazz.com

iOS ’86 by Anton Repponen

Blank Designer — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:36 +0000

Designer Anton Repponen made my dream iPhone interface, which he calls iOS ’86. I wish with my whole heart that this could become reality.

Also, his “About” page is pretty awesome.

[via ManMade]

Rifle Paper Co.

Grain Edit — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:29 +0000

I love the work coming from Rifle Paper Co., the small studio of husband & wife team, Anna & Nathan Bond. Sweet and charming, they make work that speaks well to the sentimentality of their illustration style, and embodies the idea of nuanced design.

Of course, Rifle Paper Co. is a shop, so any (& every!) thing is available for sale. Also, be sure to check out their blog of current inspirations for tips to make your life a bit more lovely!

Hey Studio – Selected Works

September Industry — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:00:03 +0000

△ Teatre CCCB The Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona was expanded by the construction of a Theatre. We were asked to produce a typographically led design for the opening campaign. We created sentences based on the entertainment business onomatopoeias. Typefaces: Benton Modern Two / Futura Bold △ Gandules’11 The Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona contacted us three years ago in order to design the outdoor cinema season called Gandules; the campaign we designed in 2009 would set the basis for the following years. This cinema season is based on a different topic every year and for Gandules 2011 the topic was based on ‘Action’ and how crisis generates new approaches and possibilities. Our illustration of a “new dawn” is representative of this idea. Typefaces: Haas Unica △ Taurus Publishing Every year we design several book covers for long-time client Taurus, a book publisher based in Madrid, Spain. We enjoy working with them because we are given a lot of creative freedom. As a result every book cover has a unique design and visual language that will continue to evolve in future publications. Typefaces: George Soros: Benton Modern One Breve Historia de la corrupción: Beton SH Peor que la Guerra: Plakat & Scout Condensed △ Projecta’t Projecta’t is a program, which supports 1,000 entrepreneurs’ projects that have consolidation and growth potential, carried out by Catalonia’s Government. The briefing was quite simple and clear — they wanted an image that summarized their project. We expressed the idea of growth by means of an illustration consisting of a layered composition of squares that stress the idea of growth and expansion. Typefaces: Helvetica Neue 75 Bold △ Monocle Illustrations Some time ago we sent a PDF document with a selection of our illustration work to Monocle’s Art Director thinking that we would not get an answer. But after a few months we were asked to create a few illustrations for the magazine; we could not believe it! For us Monocle is top class in every sense of the word and to be able to work for them was such a great opportunity. The style of the illustrations themselves were created in collaboration with Monocle’s Art team and we continue to develop and refine this style with each issue. We have had such a great experience working with Monocle so far and we thank them for the exposure the magazine has given us. △ Laus Bases

This brochure is part of the identity of the Spanish Laus Design Awards which turned 40 in 2010. When we were initially asked to design the campaign, we could not believe it — for us it was a real challenge to design something for designers because all eyes would be on our design. We created an abstract campaign that reflected the passing of time. The “L” that stands for “Laus” was represented in different color paper sheets in the shape of a die.

Typefaces: Benton Modern One

A Few Words from the Editor

Hot off the heels of Mucho’s SI Special, we head back to the vibrant, cosmopolitan city that is Barcelona, featuring the work of Hey, a small studio, with big ideas who are producing crisp, contemporary work that gives a nod to classic Modernist design principles.

Estoy enormemente agradecido a Verònica for providing the high-res imagery, projects texts and for helping me brush up on my Spanish ;)

About the Studio

Hey is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Barcelona, Spain specializing in brand management and editorial design, packaging and interactive design.

They share the profound conviction that good design means combining content, functionality, graphical expression and strategy. As a result, they offer their clients a personal service based on mutual understanding and trust, working to innovate from rationality and directing advice to meet actual needs.

hey

Studio Lin — High-res Special

September Industry — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:00:44 +0000

△ 2012 Calendar Studio Lin teamed up with our favorite NYC newspaper printer to create a 2012 calendar. Each of the 12 poster sized months features a different spot color and paper. All together, the package represents everything that Linco Printing is capable of and serves as a great reference for designers looking to see actual paper and color samples. Typeface: AG Book △ Fab Print Suite Fab is an e-commerce site that features new designs every day. Fab commissioned us to come up with a set of printed materials to be used in each of their product shipments. We came up with a shortened “Fab” language and applied it in bold typographic way. The use of foil stamp on thick card stock and PVC helped elevate the print pieces into keepsakes. Typeface: Avant Garde △ Core 77 Design Awards Identity and Call for Entries Core77 Design Awards is a newly launched competition for design. The brief called for an identity that felt established yet new. The logotype was created as a flexible system allowing various configurations of the name to function on different collateral. Once the full identity system was worked out, it was printed on the back of the very first call for entries, thereby revealing the entire process of the identity’s creation. Two versions of the call for entries were created, one was a luxurious cloth mounted piece and the other a more economical 1 color poster which was sent to everyone that registered for the competition. Typeface: “Proficiat” by Dries Wiewauters, Dutch 801, AG Book △ United Bamboo S/S & F/W Invitations United Bamboo is a New York City and Tokyo based fashion house founded in 1998. We were commissioned to create invitations for their seasonal fashion shows. Our solution is based on only one design, which we produced in a different way for every season. For Spring/Summer the invitation took the form of an embroidered iron-on patch. After the show, it could be ironed on to clothing or bags. The shiny embroidered type and blue color scheme was reminiscent of a bright day on the ocean, the inspiration for the S/S collection. For Fall/Winter the invite was produced as a flexible refrigerator magnet to reflect that season’s masculine and somber mood. Typeface: Custom “UB” △ United Bamboo 2011 Cat Calendar United Bamboo is a New York City and Tokyo based fashion house founded in 1998. We were asked to design their second annual Cat Calendar, featuring cats dressed in exact miniatures of their ready-to-wear collection. Our solution featured months which were blind embossed onto each page for a subtle effect allowing the cats to be the main focus. On the back of each page, there is a story about each cat model. Comes in a silkscreened sleeve with foil stamped backing. Photography by Noah Sheldon. Typeface: Custom, FF Bau △ Stampa Identity A new e-commerce site created by the founder of the Illustration Division of Art Department. Stampa sells limited edition prints by artists. We were commissioned to create an identity and website that was bold, simple and functional. The logo is based on a rolled up print in an “S” formation. To keep the optical “vibration” in all sizes, we drew 4 versions accommodating a 2 inch logo all the way up to 10 inches. Typeface: “Stampa” by Benjamin Critton/Colophon Foundry △ Studio Museum in Harlem Artists in Residence Catalog The Studio Museum in Harlem is the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally and internationally. This catalog was commissioned for their annual Artists-in-Residence program. The catalog’s content is split into 3 artists essays in 1 color and an insert of 4 color images from each artist. Typeface: Raisonne, Dutch 801, Bau △ AmDC DEMO Newsletter A self published piece created with the American Design Club, a loose collective of New York’s leading young design talent. DEMO is a quarterly newsletter which highlights new products, up-and-coming designers, and influential industry professionals, offering news and insider details, all courtesy of the AmDC. The first issue featured interviews with David Alhadeff/The Future Perfect, Artist; Glenn Ligon, and Rich Brilliant Willing. Primarily distributed as a PDF, it is also produced in a limited run on colored stock. Content and editorial completed in conjunction with AmDC, William Bostwick and Kelsey Keith. Typeface: Trade Gothic, Baskerville

△ Roll & Hill Catalog

Roll & Hill is a New York City based manufacturer of high end contemporary lighting which produces original lighting products by American and international designers. As part of a project involving various print materials and a website, we were asked to create their catalogs. The catalogs needed to function as individual spec sheets as well as one full catalog. By punching notches into each spec sheet, they could be used individually as well as collated and bound by a rubber band. The solution allowed the catalog to expand or be customized according to each customer’s needs. The deluxe version is enclosed in a foil stamped cloth cover.

Typeface: Plantin, Akkurat

A Few Words from the Editor

Believe it or not, this feature has been in the works for while now (many months in fact!) So it’s nice to finally get this piece out into the world alongside the launch of Alex’s shiny new website. Big thank you once again to Alex for making this feature happen :)

About the Studio

Before opening Studio Lin, Alex Lin laid the foundation for his own design practice by collaborating with some of the field’s greatest minds. After receiving an MFA in graphic design from Yale University, Alex spent six years at the design firm 2

Anamorphic Illusions by Felice Varini

zeutcher — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:00:24 +0000

Des illusions de l’artiste suisse Felice Varini. Un artiste qui depuis 1979 utilise la technique du trompe l’œil. Que l’on nomme également anamorphose, et qui exige du spectateur d’occuper un point de vue spécifique afin de reconstituer l’image.

Nikos Vasilakis

zeutcher — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:45:11 +0000

Des images incroyables du photographe grec Nikos Vasilakis. On peut saluer également le travail des maquilleuses Regina Rengi et Eleni Vasilaki.

Nikita Nomerz

zeutcher — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:35:06 +0000

Nikita Nomerz est un street artiste qui nous vient de Russie, dont voici la dernière série.

Fancy Antique Display by Infamous Foundry

Grain Edit — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:00:39 +0000

From the Infamous foundry, the same studio that brought us Bolda Display, comes a beautiful new display font inspired by French decorative alphabets from the 1940’s and 1950’s. I gave Fancy Antique Display a test run this morning and instantly fell in love with it. Congrats to Morten at Infamous for this stunning piece of work! Fancy Antique Display is available for purchase at Infamous Foundry. ———— Also worth viewing… Bolda Display New Fonts Available at YWFT Part 1 New Fonts Available at YWFT Part 2 Like what you see? Sign up for our Grain Edit RSS feed. It’s free an yummy!

Four Eyes House by Edward Ogosta Architecture

Blank Designer — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:04 +0000

Instead of being built for interior functionality, the Four Eyes House was designed to enhance the homeowner’s experience of the surrounding landscape and the phenomenal natural events that occur. Designed by the Los Angeles-based Edward Ogosta Architecture, the weekend family home is located in California’s Coachella Valley desert. The unique design is based around four “sleeping towers,” each with a small bedroom on the top floor that you reach with either a ladder, spiral stair, switchback stair or shallow-riser stair. The bedrooms come with a window that frames a specific optimum view including: morning sunrise in the east, mountain range to the south, city lights to the west in the evening and overhead nighttime stars. The main floor houses the common areas and connects the four towers and it also features floor-to-ceiling frameless windows that offer their own amazing landscape views. The bedrooms are equal in size and remain unassigned for family members to rotate throughout based on their desired viewing experience. Photos © Edward Ogosta Architecture. Share This: Twitter | Facebook | Discover more great design by following Design Milk on Twitter and Facebook. © 2012 Design Milk | Posted by Caroline in Architecture | Permalink | No comments

AdLib CD Package

Blank Designer — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:05 +0000

Up and coming Norwegian jazz band AdLib gets rockstar treatment in this CD sleeve design. Metallic Pantone ink gives the band a professional edge—this wasn't printed on your mom's inkjet printer. The frontpage is printed in Pantone Metallic, to give it even more expression. The printers customized the paper, by not adding protecting foil to the paper. So it turned out really matte and raw. Project Overview DESCRIPTION Cd sleeve CLIENT AdLib DATE October – November 2010 DESIGN CREDITS Thomas OesterhusMelvaer & Lien PRINT CREDITS Daniel Engen Productions TYPE CREDITS Custom logoAkkurat MonoNull Production Details QUANTITY PRODUCED 1,000 PRODUCTION TIME 1 month DIMENSIONS: WIDTH

Everything about this project is beautiful – UMA Japan

Blank Designer — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:00:35 +0000

ProjectOkumura Akio & Works DesignUMA Link umamu.jp