Book Review: Fingerprint

When we first realized we could use technology to bend design, we all went crazy. After years spent in front of computer screen, a backlash has occurred, as a growing number of designers have been opting out of the digital territory for craftier aspirations.

Fingerprint: The Art of Using Hand-Made Elements in Graphic Design documents this change, showcasing a variety of designers that possess the versatility, variety and quality that can be acquired from tangible art. Pick up a copy and you may just be inspired to grab your pen, pencil or paintbrush.

March 18, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Budget Friendly Window Trends

No matter where your brand falls on the luxury scale, if innovation trails creative costs, it’s impossible to keep moving forward. Design teams are constantly on the hunt to balance budgets while keeping things fresh, and today’s example of threaded typography is a simple execution of a job done well. Using laces to spell the tag line, Poorman Weapon, Converse’s limited edition display at London’s sneaker store, Size, gives a fresh budget-friendly take on the brand. Simulating gold threaded stitching to spell out their logo, Louis Vuitton stays on brand with their message of handmade luxury, proving the idea is king, so long as the execution is seamless.

November 4, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Book Review: Marian Bantjes, I Wonder

Marian Bantjes is a star in the design world. As an artist, designer, illustrator, typographer and writer, there’s few things she doesn’t excel at creatively. In making her unique hand-lettering, strange and compelling patterns, intense vector art and thoughtful prose, she’s always pushing the boundaries of what’s expected. You may have read about her recent quandary with Puff Daddy’s rip off of her distinctive hand lettered works.

Bantjes’ new book, I Wonder, is filled with old and new artwork created solely for this publication. The black and gold cover is as compelling as the inside contents. The writings and artwork are interdependent and flow together to create a narrative that’s a delectable feast for the eyes, mind and heart. Click here to buy.

October 21, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Book Review: The Exquisite Book

It’s sometimes assumed that once you’re an adult, you should stop playing games. However, when 100 contemporary artists join together in a modern version of the Surrealist game, The Exquisite Corpse, that notion is shot down with a single glance. Conceived by the ever-talented members of the design company, ALSO, aka, Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski and Matt Lamothe, the book consists of ten chapters of whimsy from ten amazing artists.

The Exquisite Book was conceived as an experiment in collaboration and book-making. Each piece of art was created specifically for the project. Two years and 100 artists later, each of the ten chapters unfold like an accordion for a truly vivid, inspiring viewing experience and serves, on the whole, as a wonderful, unique collection of work from so many of today’s most talented artists and designers. To purchase, click here.

September 22, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Type: Fluid with Photoshop

When’s the last time you had the guts to play with iconic imagery? Brands do it all the time, hoping to strike the perfect balance of clever, familiar and innovative. Very rarely do we pause when flipping through print and online campaigns, as commercial often wins over creative. In the case of Rue La La’s rollercoaster type and Chase Bank‘s blue ribbon Eiffel Tower, my gut reaction was positive! Both brands utilize photoshop to bend the rules and retrofit their brand with familiar imagery. Which brings me to the question, which campaigns pull at your typographic strings?

August 24, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Budget Buys: Louis Reith

A few months ago, Amsterdam-based artist, Louis Reith spun a web of admirers with his typographically inspired works on paper. His masterful merging of geometric shapes, abstract typography, vintage maps and old book pages is a reminder to all designers to take a step back from the computer every once in a while. In today’s world where so much art is digitally composed and intricately dense, the hand-rendered simplicity and obvious restraint makes Reith’s work immensely beautiful and refreshing. Little Paper Planes is presently offering four exclusive limited edition prints from the artist at a delightfully affordable price of $35 per print, with the whole set offered at $120. A lovely opportunity to get your hands on the work of a talented up and comer- take advantage!

June 21, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik