Map-ography, Skin-ography and...Book-ography!

Here are three examples of innovative and inventive typography I have come
across recently and really stuck in my mind. The first is google maps typography. Created by Australian designer Rhett Dashwood. Incredibly he has used google maps to search for land formations and buildings that resemble each individual letter of the alphabet! And perhaps what's even more incredible is that he has found them all within the state of Victoria, Australia. When I first caught glimpse of this alphabet I at least presumed that it was compiled with aerial snapshots from around the world, not just from one region of one country! A great result from an interesting and unique idea.

The second is this typography created from the skin, officially termed Skinography. I don’t know much about it or where it came from, but I discovered it here. I gave up attempting to guess from which parts of the body theses letters were made. All I could spot was the odd nipple here and odd earlobe there! It’s almost quite grotesque and looks pretty painful. The outcome however is extremely effective, even if it does make you cringe. I couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t done a ‘z’ though…

Last but not least is this book typography, by Amandine Alessandra. She has taken Thomas Fuller’s phrase “A book that is shut is but a block” and built up this series of letters using the spines of different coloured books. In between the coloured books, white books are used to block the letters into their forms. On her website there are more examples of typefaces created from everyday things, such as chairs and hands. It’s interesting to see someone transform such mundane, everyday objects into something of order, and look at I from a different perspective.

Nacho Gil

I really like these illustrations of animals by Nacho Gil - Argentinean artist and designer at MTV with a delicious sounding name!  Illustrations of animals don’t usually grip me, however he takes this fairly (in my opinion) boring concept and turns it into a contemporary one again, with his angular shapes and graphic style.  I like the way he has taken this style of illustration and applied it to create a series, each of which complement and strengthen the others.  When I look at them I feel like I’m looking down a kaleidoscope, in the symmetry and the jagged, 3D ‘diamond’ effect, with sharp points rising up in numerous places.  In that respect, they sort of remind me of childhood.  These are my favourites but you can take a look at the whole series by visiting his website here.

The living wall

Providing a new context to the term ‘green hotel’, is the swanky 5 star Athenaeum Hotel in London’s Piccadilly.  In addition to the green efforts that many hotels incorporate of energy saving and waste reducing, comes the ‘living wall’ presented by botanist turned artist Patrick Blanc.   The wall, or ‘wall garden’ as it is more commonly known, spans the entire side of the building, from the ground floor to the penthouse suite, subsequently rendering it the tallest garden in Britain!  Boasting over 12,000 plants from a range of 260 different species the garden provides a varied sanctuary of flourishing wildlife, in an unusual composition.  Blanc carefully selected the plants, not all indigenous to the UK, in order to suit both the climate as well as the overall aesthetic.  A substantial collection of nettles, the world’s largest in fact, as well as Japanese Iris’s and Chinese begonia’s among many others make up this installation of biodiversity, a treat for the budding botanist.  But it does not just act as a showcase for impressive greenery – it also acts as natural insulation for the building as well as an air purification system...so it really does live up to it’s ‘green’ appearance!

Blanc’s signature gardens can be found spanning buildings all over the world in countries from Paris and Madrid to Tokyo amongst many others.  He has perfected his technique of growing his gardens, not on soil, but on a specially designed synthetic felt material within which the plant roots can anchor and grow.  An automatic fertilization and watering system is also in place, completing the components of an intelligent system and great example of botanical architecture. Personally I think it is quite a fun way of jazzing up the side of a building, almost like a sort of live mural or canvas.  Blanc, pioneer of the wall garden – who knows, you may see a living wall coming to a building near you!

To think we used to say it in a text...!

Teehee!  I spied these card designs online - 'courtesy cards' from Gramkin Paper Studio, sold on Etsy.  Check out their cute, kitsch range of card designs.  This one’s a bit mean…but it does look pretty though!  They aren’t all of the same tone, in fact there are some other charming card designs with peacock illustrations and the like, but these are definitely my favourites.  I like the way they look so delightful, disguised in pretty and colourful typography and printed on nice card stock…until you read what they actually say!  

Description:

"Are you tired of trying to have a good time with your friends and being interrupted by that annoying pick up artist?  Sick of wasting valuable minutes of your life that you can't get back by turning down the overly confident pursuer?  Then try a courtesy card!  These handy little cards are the perfect size to get the job done!  When you don't want to be bothered and can't waste anytime, simply reach for a card and hand it over to the offender...and walk away....just let the card do the rest  What a small price to pay for peace of mind!  And remember when you can't say it to someones face......Say it in a card!"

So if you need to get that little something off your chest, for those of you amongst us who are too shy to say it out loud, Gramkin Paper Studio may just be able to help!

Quirky lionfish lamp

A creative lamp in the shape of a lionfish by Australian design company Alex Earl.  Alex Earl produces a wide range of contemporary lighting and furniture.  The lionfish pendant creates and emits a luminescence in the form of a deep-sea creature.  With the option of being custom made to any size, imagine walking into a room centered around a giant lionfish lamp!  I have witnessed many lights featuring flowers, leaves, swirls and chandelier types, and although no doubt beautiful, they can be rather predictable.  This little critter on the other hand, is a first.  It reminds me of one of those strange and elusive bioluminescent fish that lives in the darkness at the lowest depths of the ocean, and functions as it’s own little lantern. I like the fact that this lamp has a practical function as well as being an art piece. 

Fashion good enough to eat!

On a similar theme to that of the cabbage and brussel sprouts dress by Sarah Illenberger, ‘A Matter of Taste’ is a unique and tantalizing book by Fulvio Bonavia, Italian graphic designer turned photographer, who has worked with the likes of Saab, BMW, Adidas and Heinenken among many others.  Published in 2008, it contains a collection of weird and wonderful photographs of fashion items made from food.  Guaranteed to tease your taste buds, this body of work sees rise to the introduction of fashion good enough to eat…literally.  From rice boots, aubergine pumps and delicious candy shoes to bags made from broccoli and luscious raspberries, there are literally all of the accessories a girl could ever need to create one scrumptious outfit.  I love the bright and colourful photographs and think the concept of fusing cuisine and couture is both imaginative and humorous.  The pics certainly made me giggle.  These delightful images are accompanied with text written by Peta Mathias, an artistic chef, author and broadcaster from New Zealand.  Earlier this year a few of his photographs were exhibited among the exquisitely displayed food at La Grande Epicerire, Paris.  Here are some of my favourites.  To see more of Fulvio’s work visit his homepage here. 

Cabbage dresses and balloon lips

I love the work of Berlin-based artist Sarah Illenberger.  She creates the most wonderful sculptures and visuals from any items that she can get her hands on, or so it seems.  From a burger created with the materials of a tree to a Nike boot made out of odds and bods, Illenberger transforms the everyday and miscellaneous into beautiful pieces of art, full of character.  A multi-talented artist, she seems to be able to turn her hand to anything she pleases with a portfolio bursting full of work, including set design, illustration, both commercial and editorial work too.  There’s so much there I found it impossible to choose my favourite! So instead I chose quite a few favourites:

She manages to create unique three-dimensional pieces of art with a humorous and whimsical flair.  I love the bright colours and playful aspect of her work, and her ability to visualise such imaginative outcomes.  To view more of her work visit www.sarahillenberger.com.

Origami tea

I came across these clever little teabags, designed by Natalia Ponomareva, and think they are adorable.  Based on the principles of the Japanese art of origami, the bag expands as the tea infuses.  So it changes from it’s original shape, such as these birds here made from green berry teabags. The packaging is clean and simple, adding an organic and sophisticated feel to the design.  A teabag is the last place I expected to find the use of origami, but I think that the concept works well and they make a nice novelty product for a tea lover like me!  

The 'real' Daily Prophet

I heard on the grapevine, from some Harry Potter-loving friends of mine, that the real Daily Prophet is being invented.  For those of you who have escaped Potter mania and are not in the know, the Daily Prophet is the most widely read and distributed tabloid across the wizarding world, complete with moving words and pictures.  So I did a bit of digging to see if the rumours were true…

…And while us muggles cannot expect to receive this magical newspaper any time soon, the concept is infact being worked upon by teams both across America and at Cambridge University.  They have been using revolutionary technology to produce the ‘world’s first flexible electronic screen’ according to a report in the Times entitled ‘Moving newspaper on flexible screen to be launched within months'.  Designed to compete with e-books available on computers and phones, the “intelligent plastic” display can be recharged and regularly updated.  However it seems for the moment that this new technology needs a little more developing to produce colour as well as black and white versions.  I found this clip on YouTube ‘The REAL daily prophet’ which speculates on the use of these electronic screens in not only newspapers, but windscreens and spectacles alike!  The short clip is quite extraordinary with incredible advances in technology, the stuff of which films are made.  Although not set to be launched for a few years yet…this is definitely one to watch this space!         

Electrolux presents...

The Electrolux Design Lab Competition is a global competition that invites design students to create innovative inventions for this year’s theme of household appliances over the next 90 years.  From digital wardrobes and washers that paint pictures on your clothes, to greenhouse robots that can walk on Mars, it seems to attract some fairly radical design ideas!  The competition website has listed the top 25 best entries from 2009, 8 of which will compete in the finals in London on September 24^th this year.  Take a peek here to view 25 designs with pictures and information on each.

Designed for this year’s competition, The Kitchen Tree, by Australian designer Balin Lee, is one of my favourite entries.  Inspired by the growth of trees in nature, the Kitchen Tree incorporates advanced technology to render it adjustable to meet all of our individual needs when it comes to our daily use of the kitchen.  The model consists of five arms or ‘branches’ attached to independent rings that freely rotate around a central shaft or ‘trunk’.  The user is also able to customise the height of each arm to a level to suit their need.  There is a refrigerator at the top of the central shaft, with connections to each of the five pods and a built-in sensor, which enables them all to become refrigerators if required.  On top of this the pods may also function as cupboards or even freezers, alternating between states when desired.  There is a sink mechanism and a stove pot, which automatically springs into action when a pot is paced on top.  Sensors in-built into the arms detect a pot and illuminate temperature controls ready for use.  

Unlike some of the 25 wacky designs short-listed on the Electrolux Competition webpage listed above, I think the Kitchen Tree presents a useful and unique design that would certainly fit into modern homes today, with many different functions compacted together, saving time and space to assist a modern kitchen user.  However, despite some of the other designs appearing of little realistic use today, it is definitely worth checking them out as there are some great ones that we never know, might become integral over the next 90 years.  All are extremely intelligent and creative, and will definitely knock your socks off! 

Putting the 'sweet' in 'tweet'

Check out this little fellow, the Guardian Robot, created by Ken Lim to keep a watchful eye on your Twitter feed.  In the instance of a happy message it raises its arm in celebration, and in the presence of a sad message, it lowers its head in a bit of a stew.  More than this, the Guardian bot encourages a certain interaction… high-five it in its happy state and it returns to being idle... hug it in its sad state and it returns to being idle as well.

This quirky little thing does retain a certain charm, and will sit on your desk alerting you of your tweets.  Costing in at around £60, a relatively cheap buddy could be a welcome addition to your desk clutter! See below for a demonstration of the Guardian robot by Ken Lim.   

Ken Lim's Guardian Robot from InsideGuardian on Vimeo.

Foods from afar

The Far Foods project, as presented by designer James Reynolds, consists of an interesting alternative to food packaging, incorporating simple graphics reflecting an airport style theme.  Consisting of labels that wrap around food like suitcase stickers, Reynold’s proposes to inform the consumer of the origin of the food, the miles it has traveled and the amount of carbon dioxide released during the journey.  Additionally the receipt features a perforated strip, in the style of a ‘tear-off’ boarding card, summarising the total and cumulative information.

Always one to be interested in anything to do with food, I find this is a captivating approach – packaging that throws another factor into the mix that influences buying decisions, the environmentally-conscious concept of carbon miles, highlighting the distance your food has traveled from source to shelf.  How would this influence consumer behaviour?  Out with the calorie-counting, in with the carbon miles.  Would you pay more knowing the food you were buying had used less carbon miles?

With relevance to recent hype in the media and public eye about the benefits of local produce and buying close to home, food miles backs up the notion of reinvesting money back into the local community as well as helping to combat issues of global warming.

Overall a novel idea – eco-educational packaging –  in providing an understanding of where you food came from, a notion that most of us probably don’t think much about. Click here for Far Foods link.    

Peace Love & Ice cream

Created by Ogilvy & Mather (Singapore) these fascinating and quirky adverts for Ben & Jerry’s are entirely hand-made.  Upon close inspection you can see that everything is composed of day-to-day materials and objects, creating a bright and colourful treat for the eyes! 

Upon first observing these ads, the extra dimension that the hand-crafted visuals delivered immediately struck me.  Not just in terms of the literal third dimension, but this palpable, touchable dimension that you can imagine and really relate to.  Being interested in crafts myself, for me these ads highlight the idea that people may turn away from technology in search for more tactile solutions to creative challenges for a more tangible feel; an increasingly ‘real’ outcome which the audience can successfully connect with and be interested in.  I think that this is certainly the case here. 

Despite Ben & Jerry's ice cream having no need to attempt to entice more than it already does, this set of 4 ads certainly fits the bill, appealing to the viewer by capturing a fun and playful essence, reflective of the brand.  The psychedelic hand-made visuals and retro typography project the idea that your B & J's experience will be full of fun, colour, and just as well crafted.  Which indeed we know, it will!

A 'Snuggle'-ly way to stay

Contemporary German architectural group Raumlaboberlin have designed their own dream mobile hotel for festivals, workshops, symposiums or any other such events which require temporary lodgings. 

‘Snuggle’ consists of a number of modules each secured in a scaffolding area, with platforms for each mattress enclosed by willow meshwork and a waterproof textile coat.  Each room has a separate entrance that is individually closeable, with rooms connected to each other via a series of tunnels.  Open or closed coverings on each module can act as windows, entrance/exits, or tunnels to the next room. 

I love the concept that these dinky little pods are able to adapt to where-ever their surroundings may be, winding in and out of trees or pathways to create a novel and flexible design each time.  For me, this flexibility is one of the main advantages of the design, extendable in terms of size, number of rooms needed, and enabling the accommodation to be removed and rebuilt elsewhere.  The recycling and sustainable element added here is very fitting with the organic feel and ‘at one with nature’ theme.  ‘Snuggle’ provides a unique alternative to a tent, with I can imagine, great views to match.