Innovative Solutions we can all Digest

Whether you’re an academic statistician or a commercial designer, no one can avoid the data dilemma when starting a new project. Thankfully, the field of Information Design is getting a real boost. Last month, President Obama appointed “Master Information Designer” Edward Tufte to help explain recovery spending. Showcasing some of the most creative examples on the market, Jessica Glaser and Carolyn Knight recently co-authored the book Diagrams: Innovative Solutions for Graphic Designers. Whether you’re comparing bankrupt nations, making a personalized annual report or just want to know how much water you consume, there are fun and quirky ways to navigate the clutter.

March 31, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Follow-up: Tribalizing Tanagrams

On the heels of last week’s tanagram post, it’s only appropriate to highlight Elana Giavaldi’s new vector art. Giavaldi is a master at geometric patterns and truly sweeps the house when it comes to new artistic content for her blog, One Day One Pattern. Not only is it refreshing to see tertiary colors being used in such a primal way, but the palette mimics the season’s transition, welcoming spring with open arms. Check out Giavaldi’s tumblr site for the full reel of her brilliant repeats.

March 30, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Creative Tour: Jersey City, NJ

Oftentimes the cities surrounding New York are overlooked, as travelers don’t always know where to go or what they’ll find beyond the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines. Today we’re featuring a creative city tour by Don Sipley, a freelance illustrator and FIT instructor who currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey. Sipley’s illustrations are fantastical and extremely print friendly. He’s designed countless book covers and has been supplying the glossies with illustrations for over a decade now. This photo series was taken over a period of time over the past winter while Sipley walked his dog at sunrise. She’s an older dog and walks at a slow pace, so Sipley started taking photos to amuse himself. Follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

1. View of downtown Jersey city from top of 150 Bay st building, looking West
2. Deli, corner of Erie st and 4th st
3. Number 8 on payphone, Erie btw 3rd and 4th st
4. Details of 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, parked on 1st st btw Erie and Grove
5. Stockinette Knitting Café, 581 Jersey Ave
6. Details of 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, parked on 1st st btw Erie and Grove
7. Brownstone, corner of Erie st and 4th st
8. Broken payphone, Jersey ave and 4th st
9. Saffron Building, Dixon mills smokestacks, the Beacon-downtown jersey city
10. Colgate Clock, on the waterfront near Hudson st and Essex st
11. View of Newark ave, Newark ave and Bay st
12. North Baptist Spanish Church, corner of Jersey st and 3rd

March 29, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Sample Sale: Sitting Bull Beanbag Chairs

I’m truly a sucker for beanbag chairs, so you can imagine the tease that was today’s sample sale on One Kings Lane. Sitting Bull is selling a wide variety of floral, striped, houndstooth and camoflauge bags, all perfect for casually chic seating. Unfortunately my apartment isn’t suited for one of these bad boys, as every square inch is precious. If you have room to spare though, this seems like an affordable and functional way to liven up a hardwood floor.

March 26, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links

1. Love this illustrated look book for Lamija, via Kris Atomic
2. These flower walls are perfect for spring, via All The Mountains
3. Grow House Grow’s gorgeous new wallpaper collection, via Design*Sponge
4. Modular wall A.R.T, via Design Milk
5. Perfect floral slipcovers for spring by Lisa Bengtsson for Bemz, via Poppytalk
6. Lost inspired paintings by Lauren Gregg, via My Adventure is Your Advantage
7. Dan Funderbergh is the first in a series of artist collaborations with clock-makers Furni, via Kitsune Noir
8. Paul Fuvska designed 178 vintage-styled matchboxes for a music video, via Design Related
9. The multi-dimensional textural works of Ehren Elizabeth Reed, via My Love for You
10. Stunning Victorian microscope slides, via Automatism
11. Amazing digital visualization art by Stephanie Posavec, via Information is Beautiful
12. Palettes of color in Michael Wolf’s “Architecture of Density,” via Cyana Trendland

Coverage by: Emily Gup

March 26, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Tribalizing Tanagrams

When was the last time you thought to yourself, bold and simple’s the way to go? Perhaps yesterday? Dusen Dusen, a new label by Brooklyn designer, Ellen Van Dusen was featured in a Daily Candy mail out this week, adding fuel to a quickly growing fire that graphic designers are embracing triangles, squares and circles again.

Whether the patterns are primal and bold, as exhibited by Dusen Dusen and Suki Cheema, or being used to manipulate text, as evident by Urban Outfitter‘s most recent logo design, one thing’s for sure, mismatched shapes aren’t going away anytime soon. Suki Cheema’s recently launched home collection was one of the best displays at this year’s gift show, and a breath of fresh air from endless aisles of Tory Burch-like geometrics. Using just a grid and creative geometry, designers are proving that primal can be interesting, so long as the shapes convey color and movement.

March 25, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik