Denny Backhaus

as I said before, I’ll try to update this blog with as many young designers as I can find…and there are plenty out there. if anyone has any suggestions on some, please contact me.

Denny Backhaus is a designer from Berlin, but most notably is a student currently attending the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. (just check out their website, intelligent design far surpasses that of our Canadian counterpart.)

his work is a perfect example of how ones culture and surroundings can influence their design. very beautiful work (but obviously foreign and unfamiliar by our north american standards – but there is a need to embrace such qualities).

check him out by clicking here.

the bubble project

while this is a pretty old project, it’s still very fascinating and should be seen by anyone who hasn’t heard of it.

basically, designer Ji Lee, went around New York City placing speech bubble stickers on ads, walls, phone booths, signs, etc, as a means for the public to fill them in with whatever they thought should be in the speech bubble. it was a means of “anti-advertisement,” taking a stand on how corporate america constantly shoves messages down the throats of the public every day.

I was very interested in bringing this project to Montreal, but, upon speaking to Ji Lee, apparently this cost him approx $15,000. (he told me he had 50,000 stickers, at about 30cents each) …suppose I could still do it on a smaller scale…anyone interested in funding the project? no?

check out The Bubble Project here. there’s a log on some of the responses written in the bubbles.

simply astounding.

a favoured blog I visit, Computerlove, just posted this commercial. I’m blown away by the amount of dedication this must have taken. makes me smile inside.

“1 million Post-it’s, 96 314 digital photographs using 2.5 terabytes of storage, 4.9 kilometers of 35mm film, 3 weeks of editing, and 83 hours in Flame to produce this 60 second commercial”

inspired genius, indeed.

“Brian Dettmer (born 1974) is an American contemporary artist. He is noted for his alteration of preexisting media — such as old books, maps, record albums, and cassette tapes — to create transformed works of visual fine art.”

if there was ever a time you intended to actually click an image to enlarge it, now is that time.

japanese package design

there will no doubt reach a point where this blog will be oversaturated with japanese design/art, for the sole reason that I happen to love their ingenuity and attention to detail. it’s a country whose style can range from being classic and beautiful to outrageous but geniusly inspired.

just take a look at the packaging above for a banana juice box. i don’t think i’d ever drink a banana flavoured juice, but i’d none the less still buy it for the box.

on the subject…

speaking of young and unknown designers, please check out my friend Mohammed Thiam’s blog, which includes many of his works (be it in progress or completed). hopefully we’ll tear concordia university a new one this upcoming year.

clicky-clicky.

welcometo.as

 

each week at the very least, I’d like to post a design studio that is not so commonly known by every person in existence (i.e. Pentagram, Carson, etc), just to get a look at what some other studios are creating. with that, I bring you welcometo.as (the A and S stand for the 2 masterminds behind the collective, Adam and Sebastien). their work is tons of fun.

the potential future of the mixtape?

what an interesting concept. something, I’m surprised was never thought of before. but I suppose with the price in USB keys getting cheaper and cheaper, now is the perfect time. I suppose suckUK beat us all, which is natural, since they have plenty of clever designs.

though it’s not yet available, you can click here to order it.

please hire me, connected ventures.

if i were to ever open up my own design studio, i can only hope for it to be at least half as fun and charming as this one. i saw this many months ago, but i’ve seen it perhaps a few dozen times since, and i smile. each. and. every. single. time.

for a much better quality version of this video click here.

helvetica

i sadly missed out on the Montreal screening of this documentary…but, finally, after much wait and anticipation, Helvetica (the movie), is finally reaching DVD on November 6th! I’m thrilled!

there will even be a limited to 1000 edition of the DVD, which comes in a box with pins, mini posters, a still from the film and an actual letter of helvetica metal type! the nerd in me will definitely be picking up that one (if, by the time I get some more funds, there will still be some left).

anyone interested in design needs to check out this film. whether it be good or bad (though I hear it’s quite good), it’s not often (if ever) that a documentary is released on the subject of the influence design and a specific type face has on culture and the way we perceive visual communication today. please, check it out.