Hasta La Ideas

Les créatifs Ying Zhang et Ida Thonsgaard lancent leur première collection d’inspiration asiatique et scandinave « Playtime ». Modulable grâce à un principe qui rappelle celui des origamis, c’est une collection transformable que proposent les deux designers. Un beau projet à découvrir dans la suite.

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The July issue of Creative Review is a type special, with features on the Hamilton Wood Type Museum, the new Whitney identity and the resurgence of type-only design. Plus the Logo Lounge Trend Report, how Ideas Foundation is encouraging diversity in advertising and more

You can buy the July issue of Creative Review direct from us here. Better yet, subscribe to make sure that you never miss out on a copy – you’ll save money too. Details here.

Rachael Steven recounts how the world’s largest wood type collection, at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Wisconsin, was rescued from homelessness with a new location in which to carry on its work

Michael Evamy takes a detailed look at Experimental Jetset’s ‘responsive W’ identity for the Whitney Museum of American Art

And Mark Sinclair explores the resurgence of graphic design that relies solely on type, as documented in a new book from Unit Editions

Plus, we have our annual LogoLounge Trend Report courtesy of Bill Gardner, analysing some key trends in logo design over the past 12 months, from ‘molecules’ to ‘banners’

The Ideas Foundation works with schools to introduce pupils to the advertsing industry and get children working on briefs supplied by real brands. Anna Richardson Taylor attended one of their sessions in Woolwich, London

Jean Grogan reports from Paris on an exhibition dedicated to the history of the Chanel No 5 brand, from Brancusi-influenced advertising to bottles designed by Dalí

In his regular column on art direction, Paul Belford argues that well-crafted advertising is never ‘polluting”, no matter what digital naysayers may argue. And Gordon Comstock claims that copy that apes the language of the web is doomed as it’s just not ownable

Björn Ehrlemark and Carin Kallenberg report from Stockholm on Hall of Femmes first conference, an event dedicated to women in design

And Jeremy Leslie lifts the lid on Container, an intriguing editioned box of curated items which owes much to magazine culture

Plus Daniel Benneworth-Gray ditches his Mac for the joys of a stubby pencil and the great outdoors

For subscribers-only, our Monograph booklet this month brings together a wonderful collection of posters produced by artists-in-residence at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum

You can buy the July issue of Creative Review direct from us here. Better yet, subscribe to make sure that you never miss out on a copy – you’ll save money too. Details here.

By Ron Goldin / Studio Akko

CONTEXT

This February, Studio Akko, a NYC user experience and design agency, kicked off a quarterly event series we’ve billed as “Artifacts.”

Instead of a fluorescent-bathed conference center with endless rows of chairs or a homogenous “networking mixer” at a bar with likeminded people, we sought to create an intimate happening where creative and innovative people, especially those whose work has transcended the box of traditional disciplines, can drop the pretense and posturing and connect and inspire others with short, visual bursts of inspiration, using the rich and diverse content as an excuse for libation-fueled people engage with people that “don’t do what you do.”

Slide of curator Elizabeth Lapp‘s featured artists’ work

Our practice has many names depending on who you ask—user experience design, interaction design, technology innovation. At its core, our work is about connecting with people, and taps into the social sciences, creative and technical disciplines. At the convergence of left brain and right brain, people that are great in this field have to widen the pool from where they seek inspirations.

When I went to school, I studied design, art history, the fine arts, psychology, computer science, and didn’t know there was a job that in the world that encompassed all of those things. I wanted to create an event that not only showcases work that doesn’t fit into a discipline box, but also sparks new opportunities for people who would typically never cross paths to have a conversation and maybe make an interesting creative connection.

Norwood’s sultry, quirky vibe feels both mysterious and cozy

We chose Norwood as the venue because of its distinct vibe. As a members-only arts space, it is frequented by a mixed crowd of creative types such as commercial directors, actors, designers, writers, entrepreneurs and visual artists in a restored multistory Chelsea townhouse. Norwood founder Alan Linn calls the space “a home for the curious,” noting that “we wanted it to seem that when you walk in the door, you’re somewhere else.”

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Today’s guest post is by Amanda Scudder, Organizing Consultant with the company Abundance Organizing. Please give her a nice welcome.

There is a Yiddish folktale about a man whose house is too small and noisy. Seeking a solution, he consults the wise woman of the village. She advises him to bring a chicken into his house. He does, but it makes his house seem even smaller and louder, so he again seeks her council. She tells him to add a goat. Not surprisingly, the goat makes the situation worse, not better. Each time he returns to complain, she tells him to bring another animal into the house. Finally, in exasperation, he returns to the wise woman and tells her that he can’t stand another minute of living in this increasingly cramped, cluttered, and noisy house. She smiles and tells him to go home and let all the animals out. He does so and as he shoos the last goat and chicken out the door he looks around at his now spacious dwelling and savors the calm quiet that surrounds him.

Not unlike this man, many of us find ourselves living in a space that feels cramped and chaotic. Our closets are overflowing, our children’s toys are everywhere, and our basements are jam-packed. So we add more — bigger closets, a larger house with a playroom, a storage unit to hold the overflow. But the more we add, the more chaotic things seem to get. Take a minute to think about the “animals” that have come into your home over the years, be they more stuffed animals than there are days in the year, clothes that no longer fit or flatter, gadgets that sounded good on TV but now sit in a corner collecting dust, equipment from hobbies long forgotten, or more activities and commitments than you can reasonably accomplish. Some of the “animals” might even be day planners or organizing products you’ve brought home hoping they would make your life less busy and cluttered.

I suggest that today is the day to start shooing those animals out. You don’t need to evict all of them at once. Even a few less chickens and goats will make a big difference. Where to start? Pick a number — any number — and find that many items in your home to let go. You make the rules — it could be 23 things from the junk drawer (bread ties count) or 8 unused condiments from your refrigerator or 16 items of clothing or 5 things from under your sink. The trick is just to do it. I’m willing to bet that when you are done, your drawer or refrigerator or cabinet will seem a little bit bigger. You will feel a little bit lighter. Commit to repeating this exercise on a regular basis and you will soon find that your house is calmer and less cluttered. You might even discover that you don’t need a bigger closet, house, or storage unit once the excess has been removed.

When you first start practicing this exercise, you may worry you will regret giving some of your “animals” the boot. If so, here is a strategy to help: Put the items you are evicting into a bag or box marked with the date. Put the bag or box in a closet, basement, garage, under the bed, or any other out of the way place. On your calendar, mark a date one to three months down the road. If, by that date, you haven’t needed anything in the bag or box, commit to letting it go without looking in it. You may even have forgotten what is in there.

Let Unclutterer help you get your home or office organized. Subscribe to our helpful product shipments from Quarterly today.