The Art of Giving with Megan Herbert

Megan Herbert‘s a force to be reckoned with. Not only is she a fantastically talented artist and writer, she’s a good friend and a discerning creator. Megan’s made Reykjavik her home over the past few years, proving that minimalist surroundings and limited resources can spark tangible creativity.

Her latest commercial endeavor taps our unending human desire to give and I can say first hand that the wrapping paper’s a durable conversation starter that’s without fail, a fun experience on the receiving end. Each design in her latest series explores ways to give love and gratitude beyond the often holiday-induced act.

February 28, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links!

1. Fascinated by the movement used in Alessandro Botto’s paintings via Trendland
2. Margaux Lange turns Barbie Dolls into jewelry via Yatzer
3. Clean lines, great color and a fun wire pattern all add up to a collection of chairs via design*sponge
4. Fun car toile wallpaper via Design For Mankind
5. Loving Heather Dahl’s striped ceramics via My Adventure is Your Advantage
6. Charmed by Indigo’s wooden box drawings via Poppytalk
7. Mesmerized by Ron van der Ende’s pieced together wooden diamonds via The Jealous Curator
8. Tessa Hull’s bright and folkloric new series is rich with color and pattern via My Love For You
9. Carolina Torres’ deliciously mythical, saturated with color illustrations via designworklife
10. How could we not love an Orly Kiely pattern covered car via Style Bubble
11. Tina Tsang’s fabulously surreal ceramics via Sweet Station
12. Nick Gentry’s floppy disk portraits are kind of awesome via CMYBacon

Coverage by Emily Gup

February 25, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Repetition Elsehere: Retail Realities

At the pilot in the Milan fashion store the client noticed that almost all Asian customers enter the store through one particular door, even though five are available.

‘We thought it was a mistake, but we checked it out and it was right and it continues to happen,’ Mr. Bozzi said. ‘We don’t know why yet but, in the meantime, the store is considering positioning products by that door that are known to appeal particularly to Asian shoppers.’

This excerpt alone pulls you in, as the IBM AI developments are fascinating and wholly informative. Retail and it’s convergence with technology is continuing to grow, and this NY Times article entitled, Biometrics Take on a New Style, by Eric Sylvers shouldn’t be missed. For the full read, click here.

February 25, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Twitter Influencer: Kate Wilson

Illustrator Kate Wilson may have named her site Little Doodles, but her talent and charm is anything but diminutive. An excellent eye for detail makes her work shine, whether it’s quirky birds in humorous senarios or lovely watercolor fashion illustrations. An impressive array of clients including Marc Jacobs, The New York Times, Vogue China, The Guardian and Links of London all ascribe to Kate’s distinct illustrative style, where nature, fashion and the cute and kitsch are integral. Her unique approach isn’t only technical, as following her twitter feed or glancing at her blog reveals a funny, friendly and warm personality. Follow along for daily musings, suggestions and queries.

February 24, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Street Finds: Typographic Textures

Today’s post is New York centric, typographic and choc full of texture. After coming down from the high that’s been New York Fashion week, I’m here to share a snapshot from Milk Studios‘ kick off event. I had the good fortune of tagging along with Stephen Budd, a friend who was over from London. In between hearing The National and looking for a lost jacket in coat check, one of my favorite moments of the night was laying eyes on the typographic decor.

Bringing type to life with knitting needles rather than life-sized decals, Donna Wilson, of the UK was commissioned to interpret the New York Times infamous logo this past October. The patterns are mismatched, colorful and perfectly combined. Keeping things fresh, monochromatic and theme-based, Jessica Hische, of Daily Drop Cap reminds us on a near-daily basis how to infuse life into text, an inspirational read for anyone looking to up their typographic ante.

February 24, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Papercraft: Design & Art with Paper

The renaissance of paper as an experimental medium has simply skyrocketed over the past few years. If you have a soft spot in your heart for all of the fantastic creations artists have been producing, then Papercraft: Design and Art With Paper is an excellent find.

The book gathers the most extraordinary creations ranging from small objects and figures to large-scale art installations and urban interventions. The vast spectrum ranges from character design, urban art, fine art, graphic design, illustration, fashion, animation and film. Paging through the book and accompanying DVD, it’s easy and thrilling to get caught up in all the things you can do with this budget-friendly medium.

February 23, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik