Designs of the Year: Graphics

• Posted by Florencia 13 March 2010
• Part of Designs of the Year 2010

Many nominees this year provided identity and social commentary, while others stood out for their combination of print and new media. The Newspaper Club in particular, started by Ben Terrett, Russell Davies and Tom Taylor did this brilliantly by giving an online platform to small and big publications to print their work cheaply and easily. (Read more)

Designs of the Year: Interactive

• Posted by Florencia 12 March 2010
• Part of Designs of the Year 2010

It should be no surprise that many of this year’s nominees tried to redefine the way we receive and experience content. After all, the publishing, music and film industries have radically changed in the span of a few years, and designers have clearly tried to respond to these changes. (Read more)

Todd Hido

• Posted by Alex 12 March 2010

American photographer Tood Hido’s Homes at Night series is packed with personal sentiment and awash with saturated hues. An expansive and confident range of work based largely on domestic scenes and dwellings, the subjects engage the viewer by enticing with a familiarity that is so sharply recorded it’s tough to stop your trigger finger clicking through the whole bunch.

Hans Hemmert

• Posted by Will 12 March 2010

There’s more than enough work over on the Inges Idee site to keep you busy for most of the day but a recent find through Booooooom was the work of German artist Hans Hemmert.

Pictured is german panther, exhibited in 2007.

Designs of the Year: Transport

• Posted by Florencia 11 March 2010
• Part of Designs of the Year 2010

These days, transport seems to be all about being small and green, but that doesn’t mean that performance and style need to be sacrificed. In fact, all of this year’s nominees pushed the technological and aesthetic boundaries to change the way we see eco-transport. So here is what you need to know about it: It will all be emission free and it will be great-looking. (Read more)

Issue #3 Proofs

• Posted by Will 11 March 2010
• Part of It's Nice That Issue #3

It’s shiny proof time again and we’re days away from seeing the third issue of It’s Nice That on press. A massive thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered a copy or blogged about it, the response has been fantastic.

As always we’ll be documenting the process over on flickr, so keep an eye out there.

Ron Mueck

• Guest posted by Shelly Love 11 March 2010

I really love the way Ron Mueck’s work plays with scale, character and space. I could look at his work forever.

Mitch Blunt

• Posted by Alex 11 March 2010

I stumbled across this image at the Kingston illustration degree show last year and really liked it, flicked a card in my pocket and it fell into the abyss, seemingly never to be seen again. So, when Mitch e-mailed me yesterday with an update I was thrilled to have had my carelessness saved as I found the same image back on my screen. Some lovely print work from a man who seems set to get commissioned until the cows come home.

Designs of the Year: Fashion

• Posted by Florencia 10 March 2010
• Part of Designs of the Year 2010

It could be easy to assume that the fashion industry has not seen significant innovations during the past year since it has been hit particularly hard by the economic climate. But as this year’s nominees proved, it is sometimes under the toughest conditions and in the most unusual places that artists find their inspiration. (Read more)

Emily Forgot for Selfridges

• Posted by Alex 10 March 2010

Parade is the name of Emily Forgot’s latest piece of work for department store giant Selfridges. Filling such a large (and public) space is never an easy task, but one that Emily has taken in her stride. Well worth a look in person if you’re thinking of making a trip to town.

The Martian Chronicles

• Guest posted by Shelly Love 10 March 2010

This really blew me away. I was only six or eight years old when I watched this with my Dad. Late night viewing in pyjamas with hot chocolate. This has always stayed fixed in my head. 1950s science fiction originally written by Ray Bradbury – Directed by Michael Anderson and written by Richard Matheson.

The Church of London Updates

• Posted by Alex 10 March 2010

The Church of London are the studio responsible for designing and publishing the fantastic film bi-monthly, Little White Lies which you’re undoubtedly familiar with. Alongside such well-established output they are also responsible for a whole host of great design and art direction projects, and for your viewing pleasure they have had a big update of their site for you to get jealous over. Invigorating to see a print publisher doing so well, hats off chaps.

Lotta Nieminen

• Posted by Will 10 March 2010

Great portfolio from Lotta Nieminen, a talented graphic designer who’s also got a fantastic illustration portfolio. Living and working in Helsinki she graduated from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki last year and also spent 2007 at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Pictured is the design and layout for Arttu, the University of Art and Design Helsinki’s quarterly magazine designed in collaboration with Mikko Luotonen.

Designs of the Year: Architecture

• Posted by Florencia 9 March 2010
• Part of Designs of the Year 2010

As an opener for our Design of the Year 2010 Feature, where we’ll be looking at one category from the show every day until the winner is announced on 16 March next week, here are the nominees for the Architecture category. This year they included a library in South Korea, a 19th century German museum, and a housing project in Mexico, to name a few. It was an eclectic mix, but there were certain themes that a lot of them shared. (Read more)

Designs of the Year 2010

• Posted by Alex 9 March 2010

Since 2008, the Design Museum in London have hosted the annual Brit Insurance Designs of the Year exhibition, pulling together the best work from the previoous year into one, substantial showcase. This year’s 100 projects span the usual seven categories, and in celebration of the fantastic work on show every day leading up to the announcement of the overall winner, we will be looking at one category in-depth every day.

Thom Ravnholdt

• Guest posted by Shelly Love 9 March 2010

The Skull Dress, created by Thom Ravnholdt. I really love this dress designed for and modelled by Kelli Jean Drinkwater.

Paul Smith for Stelton

• Posted by Alex 9 March 2010

Paul Smith is a master of the art of adding hints of personality to well designed, classic forms. So, when he was asked to work with product designers Stelton to bring his touch to Arne Jacobsen’s Cylinda and Cocktail collections, it won’t surprise you to hear that he’s not gone over the top. The crisp, block colours and some well placed engraving show a real respect for the original collection, and the breadth of Paul’s ability.

Jenny Holzer

• Posted by Will 9 March 2010

American artist Jenny Holzer has a new exhibition that just opened at the Baltic in Newcastle. Displayed over the Baltic’s two largest galleries, the exhibition consists of paintings, sculptures and her spectacular LED installations. Famous for her ‘Truisms’, in the 1970s she began to use text as art, creating provocative writings displayed and distributed through means akin to the mass media – on fly posts, T-shirts and, in 1982, even the LED billboard in New York’s Times Square.

Exhibition runs 5 March — 16 May 2010.
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays NE8 3BA.

Stuart Pearson Wright

• Guest posted by Shelly Love 8 March 2010

I love Stuart’s paintings. He is able to capture so many emotions in one moment, there are so many possible stories to be drawn from this painting, Teardops In My Heart.

The Maccabees feat. Roots Manuva - Empty Vessels

• Posted by Alex 8 March 2010

Again a little more intense than usual from my Monday morning music video selection, this time with Empty Vessels from NME awards tour headliners The Maccabees and Roots Manuva. A nifty bit of lip synching twinned with some great photography leave for a great, if not uplifting start to your week.