The More You Smoke...

...the less birthdays to celebrate. I wish my boyfriend could understand that as well as Jeseok Yi!

Icaro Doria - Meet The World

Icaro Doria is Brazilian, 25 and has been working for the magazine Grande Reportagem, in Lisbon, Portugal, for the last 3 years.  Together with  Luis Silva Dias, Andrea Vallenti and João Roque he created the flags campaign, using the national flags to show the social disproportions and facts we are not always aware of. Brazilian Artists -  a website promoting Brasilian culture in the UK - managed to get some background from Icaro on the project:
We started to research relevant, global, and current facts and, thus, came up with the idea to put new meanings to the colours of the flags. We used real data taken from the websites of Amnesty International and the UNO.

The campaign has been running in Portugal since January 2005. There are eight flags that portray very current topics like the division of opinions about the war in Iraq in the United States, the violence against women in Africa, the social inequality in Brazil, the drug trafficking in Columbia, Aids and malaria in Angola, etc.

With regards to the email presenting the campaign as being done by a Norwegian diplomat, this information is completely wrong. There is no Norwegian diplomat called Charung Gollar, there was no presentation in the UNO, and the campaign is not called ‘The Power of the Stars’. This was all invented and is going round the world via email.

That’s it, basically.
ICARO DORIA

Joao Richardo Machado

Very nice wine packaging from a talented brasilian designer and illustrator Joao Richardo Machado.

Animals On The Underground

You're on your way to work / school / fun. The train ride drags forever. The only thing you can focus your attention at are the faces of your co-commuters or the underground map. Chossing the second option, you look at the lines, follow their destinations, until the whole thing starts to live its own life. You see things that you're not supposed to see, shapes take form of animals and faces. Well, at least that's what happened to Paul Middlewick which leads us to Animals On The Underground. Smart and funny concept of drawing animals on the map of the London Underground. Since I'm going to London in a couple of weeks myself, I need to practice my ability to see them for the long rides in the tube.

The animals, created using the tube lines, stations and junctions of the London Underground map were first spotted by Paul Middlewick in 1988. The original animal, the elephant was discovered while Paul was staring at the tube map during his daily journey home from work. Since then, the elephant has been joined by many others from bats to bottlenose whales.

Kaboom Organic Juices

I'm not sure who designed this packaging, I found it at Tribeca Imports page and felt it's worth sharing.

Elena Kalis In Wonderland

I thought I'd post something beautiful and magical for the weekend, to feast your eyes and imagination - amazing photos by Elena Kalis.

Wooden Headphones

I always listen to music - at work, at home, on the bus. I used to do music journalism before diving into the world of design and the passion for music remained. Silence doesn't seem too appealiong to me, I need good tunes in the background. At work I can't listen to all of my favourites, as my co-workers do not share my love for all of the bands, therefore I go for the headphones. Don't these look amazing?

The headphone company The Perfect Unison has partnered with Dutch artist Parra to produce a set of incredibly beautiful wooden headphones. The Perfect Unison x Parra headphones are being made in a limited number – only 50 are being made. The headphones are made of 9 layers of birch and was silkscreen printed by hand by Parra. (found at Look Like Good Design, description from Synthgear)

Daylsford Organic

Don't you get hungry, just looking at these...?
From Daylsford Organic, British producer of organic, fresh, seasonal and local food.

Special Kitty

Couple of weeks ago we were taking care of a little cat. He was very handful, but I'd take him right back!
We didin't have food packed as nicely as this one though, by a graduate of Portfolio Center.

Gypsy Chandelier

Living in a small apartment I am constantly looking for something small, that conveys a bold design message.
One of these, by Dutch By Design, might just be enough...

Gypsy Chandelier adds a touch of outrageous baroque class to any interior. A delightful tumble of decoration, beading and elegantly positioned lamps, the Gypsy Chandelier is ideal for those who want to make a dramatic statement in their interior spaces.

Jiggery Pokery

I'm not quite sure which label should I apply for this, but we'll go with photography just because the arrangement was pictured so beautiful... I found it at the Jiggery Pokery portfolio at the ycn agency website. There's one more photo after the break, so make sure you follow the link.

Go Wild at the Bronx ZOO

It's been almost two months since I've been to New York and I can't believe how time flies... One of the things we saw, among endless museum tours which I loved, was the Bronx Zoo. We went there on the free day and it was packed with families and kids and strollers. I never thought then they would need advertisement to attract any more traffic, but here it is. These beautiful illustrationsby  Leonardo Rodriguez are sketches for the tv ad, but I think they work better as illustration than the actual animation.
Check out one more cute and adorabe character in the illustration of Leonardo after the break.

Envie

Envi was one of the 58 projects (on 1074 entries) shortlisted for the second round of the BraunPrize competition. Designed by Julien Bergignat.

Today, due to climate changes, political issues, social evolution and the emerging markets, we are fighting against the clock with our waste. Design becomes responsible for a green and environment-friendly future more than ever. That’s why today’s designer can be more like an “ecological father” of new ideas, for the next coming generations.


Envi is a foresight urban dustbin, promoting composting from biodegradable waste. It makes waste into nutritious compost for the plant which it carries and lives in harmony with. The big part of the produced compost can be separated from Envi for usage in other occasions.

Marc Atlan's Vase

To change the alcohol subject from yesterday (even though I'm still remembering the amazing wedding I have been to this weekend), here's something on a home design subject - a vase that Marc Atlan designed  for Fondation Cartier.

Children's Book

I'm already getting used to the fact that designs by Peter Gregson studio are always charming and well designed. This one is no exception!

Marijana Zaric is currently working on illustrations for new children’s book. Characters and all scenes are done . We hope that ready to print version will be finished soon. Marijana pls hurry up or kids will start crying and we won’t know what to do!

Rousse Winery

This Saturday we participated in my best friend's weeding. I'm sure this occasion will appear somehow at this blog again, but for now something based on the party mood I'm still in - wine package design by Jordan Jelev.

With some 15 years experience, Bulgaria-based Jordan Jelev – aka Epixs – is an expert in wine package design and custom calligraphy. He created the Rousse Rose labels in response to a request from the Rousse Winery to produce something “really extraordinary”. Targeted entirely at young people, the challenge was to create an ultra-modern label design – so Jelev opted for a “disco-style” effect. “I used special ‘puff-up’ transparent varnish. It not only gives the whole label a visual identity, but also lends a sensual quality when touched,” he explains. “Each letter consists of small dots, like LED lights. The material is a metal-coated self-adhesive, giving all those small dots a metallic sparkle.

Salmon Research...

Recentlly our studio started working on salmon packaging (oh my, it's going to be beautiful...) and while looking around to see what's new in the salmon market, I found this pretty packaging by Stromme Throndsen Design.

Zipper Jewlery by Kate Cusack

Brooklyn designer, Kate Cusack, approaches jewelry design as a visual artist, rather than as a fashion designer. “In art school,” Kate explained, “I realized that once you allow yourself to use materials in unconventional ways, then, just about anything is possible. It’s ironic that most fashion designers try to hide or disguise zippers in their creations. However, I love zippers’ shiny metal teeth and I want to show off, not hide, their sparkle and their sinuous flexibility.”

AR008 Board-book

Don't you ♥ the rough, brown packaging tape going over the design? I adore it. It creates such a great contrast with the immaculate design. Designed by the Peter Gregson studio from Serbia.

Board-book concept and design developed for SPARK Annual Report 2008 with CD inside.

Long Live The Colour

I recently read an article in Elle Decor about changing your old furniture with a little help from ...an upholster. These beautiful pieces of furniture were designed by well establish companies - Bokja Design and Squint Ltd  - but why not take matters in your own hands...

Barbie Jewlery

I'm not quite sure whether these brooches are funny or a little bit creepy since they're made of ...Barbie Dolls. The whole collection of accesories was designed by Margaux Lange from New York. Margaux' portfolio consists of necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc, so there's plenty ways to show the sentiment towards your childhood friend Barbie. Here's a few words from Margaux herself:

Barbie dolls played a fundamental role in fueling my creative life growing up and are what cultivated my interest in adornment. An invaluable tool for my imagination as a child, ironically, Barbie continues to be such for me as an adult. Whether revered or despised, there are few who feel neutral about the plastic princess. I am fascinated with who she is as a cultural icon and the vast impact she has had on our society. I also enjoy the funny juxtaposition of wearing the body, on the body. Barbie has become the accessory instead of being accessorized. I take pleasure in the contrast and contradiction of mass-produced materials transformed and revealed as handmade, wearable works of Art.

The Talking Horse

There's a Chumbawamba song I really like, called "Everything you know is wrong". It starts with an audio clip that goes like this:  It's like the time that this, uh, minister in Indiana claimed that the theme song for Mr. Ed, that old television show about the talking horse - if you played the Mr. Ed theme song backwards it said "Satan is the source". I just wanted to say these photos by Julian Wolkenstein remind me of that audio clip...

Naija

Davies Leslie-Smith came up with this African influenced package design and I'm ♥'ing its spirit. It's not often you see musical instruments or sculptures on food packaging!


A brand of authentic African and Carribiean sauces. Striking artefacts and distressed typography brought the packaging to life.

Gry Fager

This lovely set of ceramics was designed by Gry Fager for Norman Copenhagen. The print used on the tableware comes from a typical tea towel print, present in kitchens all over the world. How cute.

Not only do I like products designed by Gry, but I also thought her website layout was adorable. You can see on the small preview underneath how Gry pictures herself as struggling with designs, small in comparison with her big designers issues! She is obviously the underestimated Cindirella of the design world...
 

Lambda Olive Oil

Even though it looks like recent perfumes from Dior, this bottle contains extra virgin olive oil.
I have to say I was misled myself. I would never have guessed what looks like perfumes, is actually high quality (and pretty expensive)  Lambda Olive Oil. The package design  takes a leap away from the typical rusticity of olive oil packaging. Escaping the cheap and easy connections with landscapes and tradition, Lambda shows great quality through ultra modern design.

Bomb Sharpener

An explosive idea - a bomb sharpener by Joel Escalona from Mexico City.

A humorous concept, between holding a cartoon bomb in your hand and making your homework kind of fun, specially for kids, between 5 and 15 eleven years old; the bomb has enough room to hold all the waste left for the pencil and it can be made of soft plastic, transparent plastic, and in any color. It's just the same measurements as a normal sharpener, easy to produce, low set up cost, and can do volumes.

Gocher Lazybag Business Cards

Great funky business card by Peter Gregson, found at his blog.
Full identity for Gocher Lazybag. Business cards just came out of print, and the website will be soon online.

Jonathan Crisp

I am not a big fan of crisps in general. Everytime I pass the isle with them in a supermartket I'm also put off but the package design that seems to dominate the crisps market. Don't they all look the same...? Splashes of colour, brand in the middle, swirls... Each time I find something standing out on the shelf then I'm intrigued. Jonathan Crisp by Ziggurat Brands (winner of multiple design awards) show amazing illustration on the face of the packaging, creating personality for each flavour. You can choose one that reflects your mood that day!

Gunther Philipp

I fell in love with these photographs by Gunther Philipp... I'm going to leave you with these for the weekend then. May they inspire you to do something truly beautiful.

guenther started to work as a freelancing photographer with his own studio “STUDIORANGE” in the early 90s in the south of germany – guenther carries out post production for his works. since the end of 2008 he works with his own management “ORANGEPEOPLE”.

Eggdesigns And The Bugs...

I am definitely NOT a big insects fan. However, the work by eggdesigns studio from the Republic of South Africa has some charm in it, even thoug it revolves around the bugs idea. Listen to that: Dung beetles belong to the scarabaeidae family of beetles. There are 4,500 species worldwide, with most found in Africa where they have evolved with large herbivores such as buffalo and elephants. No wonder we were inspired to create a whole bug range! The shelf featured above has a routed groove so that the L-sections can be fitted in any configuration. The more L-sections you use, the more decorative the finished piece.

I think we have to believe when they say Whatever we make is made with such love.
Because when love is involved, even the bugs become charming.

Yogomix by Vanessa Prezoto

This concept for Yogomix, was designed by Vanessa Prezoto. I like the diagonal position of the logo, this way it can take more space on the narrow face of the packaging. The design is clean, fresh and not cluttered. Also the litle drawings - absolutely adobrable!  Found at PopSop.

Sexy Tina - Milky Vodka...

I don't think that design requires much comment... Sexy Tina. 35 % vol. Milky strong liquor (irish cream). For men who still have the breast milk sentiment...? By Pavel Gubin.

Smoke Till You Drop

My boyfriend and I have a constant, on-going battle about his smoking. I gave up the persuasion efforts recently and only give him hard time about it occasionally, because fighting an addicted smoker can drain virtually all your forces and patience.
Ukrainian designer R. J. Reynolds designed packaging for cigarettes that says more about the smoking nonsense, than many government sponsored advertisements. I seriously doubt it can change a smoker's attitude towards his habit, but at least it doesn't hide the ugly truth behind some beautiful yet misleading design.

Emil Kozak

Emil Kozak is a graphic designer from Denmark, currently residing in Barcelona, and in his own words he was inspired to take on graphic design as a result of his life long passion for skateboarding. Skateboard designs indeed play a great role in his portfolio. This one, however, is a beautiful concept for lamps, for the Danish furniture designer Brian Kirk.

Check out also his packaging design for Les Ettes parfumes I posted to The Dieline a while ago here:

Mattress Wallet

You know how in the dire times of crisis people stop trusting their banks, stop spending the money, instead they hide it in their mattress? Here's a solution helping you spend and mattress-hide it at the same time. Using the mattress wallet you'll go shopping feeling safe, your money won't fear the cruel and reckless banks!

EOS Lipbalm

Recently I'm drawn to the round shapes, as you might've guessed reading the previous post about Pom Wonderful. This little lip balm by EOS looks more like a deodorant, but perhaps this kind of packaging (with a roll-on) works as well in a lip balm. Can't tell untill i try it out. I ♥ the three colours combination and, again, the simplicity of the design.

Pom Wonderful - The Pomegranate Hero

Thie packaging design for Pom Wonderful has been around for a while, but I still find it interesting and well designed whenever I see it. First of all the curvy shapes, referring to the roundness of the fruit. Second, the simplicity of the logo and the overall look. And after seeing the super hero pomegranate at their website (pictured above), I always expect the package to go save lives!

Iain Crawford

Here's an amazing splash of colour for a powerful start of the week. I hope this little set of photography by Iain Crawford fills you with energy and joy.

Pumpkin Chairs

Pierre Paulin designed for the biggest of this world. Or to be more specific, the biggest in France. He designed all the furniture for the official office of François Mitterrand, and renovated the dining room for Jacques Chirac. His Pumpkin series was designed for president Georges Pompidou, but is now available for the masses. If you want to feel like a president then, you might buy one of them at Ligne Roset.

For the very first time, Pierre Paulin's 1971 design for seating for the private apartments of Claude & Georges Pompidou at the Elysée Palace is being put into large-scale production. Pumpkin is characteristic of Paulin's revolutionary style, as initiated at the end of the 1950's, and as its name suggests is evocative of a giant pumpkin, welcoming the user with its protectively voluptuous - and voluptuously protective - shell. Resisting its appeal is an impossibility!