April 2017

Menta is a branding and packaging studio founded by Laura Méndez. Based in Guadalajara, the studio works with small businesses throughout Mexico. I find their work for Manassé, a French-African inspired boulangerie, to be especially charming. For the bakery, Menta crafted a packaging system that blends Parisian-inspired color pallets with traditional patterns from the West African nation of Benin. The designs are lively yet sophisticated, and the gold foil details add an extra dose of elegance to each box.

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Jess Bonham is a still-life photographer that captures stunning images for luxury brands and editorials. Often collaborating with set designers, she uses a variety of materials to create compositions that are sculptural and akin to an art installation. Her photos have illustrated subjects such as death, fetishes, and solitude. In the piece above, she captures the spirit of independence to accompany an article in Evening Standard Magazine about modern attitudes on being alone. In Bonham’s own words, “The article suggests that doing things alone, such as dining and going to the cinema, have now come to represent more of an empowered, independent spirit, than loneliness.”

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Are you a fan of design and type related books? If so, these Kickstarter campaigns might be of interest to you. The first supports a stunning reference book on the 1972 Munich Olympic Games’ identity system. The second is a detailed biography on designer W.A. Dwiggins. Learn more after the jump.

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I love getting lost in Andrew Fairclough’s illustrations. Not only do they hold the drama and charm of vintage comics, but they also possess “true grit” – an expression he uses to describe his love for halftone patterns and grainy visual noise. These elements add a sense of nostalgia and tactility to his art and were prominently featured in his first solo show, Total Control, at China Heights gallery in Australia. In today’s interview, we discuss the exhibition, as well as his passion for teaching and his latest side project – an online shop for textured Photoshop brushes and vectors.

This is the second part in a two-part interview series in collaboration with our friends at Skillshare. For a limited time, you can take Andrew’s class (as well as many other classes) for free. Click here to learn more and receive 2 months of Skillshare Premium for free.

And now on to the interview…

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Farewell

Felipe Posada is a multidisciplinary visual artist living and working in New York City. I am enthralled by his ongoing project, The Invisible Realm, a collection of digital collages inspired by concepts that have captivated him throughout his life. Bursting with celestial imagery and vintage landscape photography, his pieces often revolve around the themes of space exploration, anthroposophy, and metaphysics. As I study Posada’s surreal compositions, I can’t help but reflect on my own connection with nature and the mysteries of the ever-expanding universe. To see more from the series, check out his Instagram.

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The 2017 A’Design Awards winners have been announced! The esteemed award is presented to artists whose work demonstrates excellence in creativity, technology, and design.

This year the contest was divided into 100 categories including Visual Communication, Packaging, Photography, and more. Entries were carefully considered by an international panel of design professionals, scholars, and members of the press. Winners will receive the A’Design trophy, invitations to exclusive design clubs, as well as services to advance their careers. In addition, they will be honored for their accomplishments at the award ceremony in Como, Italy later this year.

Congratulations to everyone who participated! Here are some of this year’s prizewinners:

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Spassky Fischer is a graphic design studio based in Paris. Focusing on identity, photography, and print, they often collaborate with museums and festivals throughout France. Last year, they created stunning work for MuCEM, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilization in Marseille. Layering blocks of color, large typography, and a slew of photographs, the studio crafted an assortment of posters, signage, and brochures that beautifully display the museum’s content. The dynamic collage-like layouts radiate with energy and attract museum-goers, pedestrians, and subway riders.

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Studio Proba is a multidisciplinary studio founded by Alex Proba in 2013. From designing furniture to painting murals, she immerses herself in a variety of projects including collaborations with stores such as Print All Over Me and Aelfie. For the latter, she created two rug collections that feature playful geometric patterns and pastel color pallets.

Another project I’m drawn to is her “A Poster A Day” series. Each day she designs a poster by visually interpreting questions and stories submitted to her website, all of which fall into the given theme of that year. In her own words, “The first year of ‘A Poster A Day’ was about my life, the second year was about Yours and the third about Ours. The next 365 days are going to be Hers.” The project has turned into a beautiful series of photographs and abstract compositions, including the image above, which answers the question, “What is the most important global challenge right now?” To participate in the project, see submission guidelines at StudioProba.com/Hers.

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Caserne translates to “fire station” in French. Like firemen, the Montréal-based design studio believes in dedication and rising above adversity. Building on that theme, the studio has a shop in which they sell fireman-inspired items including tote bags covered in fire hoses and t-shirts that sport the phrase “dedicated”. A personal favorite is a promotional photo calendar they created last year which features an assortment of typefaces found on fire stations throughout Montréal. The charming letterforms accentuate one another and are well balanced.

In addition to their shop, the studio tackles a variety of projects such as food packaging, movie posters, and type design. When crafting the identity for their own brand, they collaborated with the type foundry Coppers and Brasses to create a custom typeface that is “subtler than a siren, but as visible as a fire truck.” Together, they produced a stencil typeface that is applied to Caserne’s entire brand and has won accolades from the Type Directors Club and Grafika 2016.

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Kate Bingaman-Burt is a prolific illustrator, educator, and beacon of inspiration. Her passion for encouraging and cultivating creativity shines through her work as an associate professor of graphic design at Portland State University. This love for teaching also extends beyond the classroom, as demonstrated through her many lectures and workshops on drawing and zine production. In these discussions, she highlights the importance of artistic discovery and giving oneself time to explore and create. Additionally, she promotes rule-based projects that allow for a clear set of constraints. These values form the foundation for her latest endeavor, Outlet, a retail/workshop space. In today’s interview, we discuss Outlet as well as her many contributions to the teaching community.

This is the first part in a two-part interview series in collaboration with our friends at Skillshare. For a limited time you can take Kate’s class (as well as many other classes) for free. Click here to learn more and receive 2 months of Skillshare Premium for free.

and now on to the interview..

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Muskat is a small studio founded by Claudia Scheer and Manuel Federl, designers based in Berlin and Hamburg. The duo has compiled a lively portfolio after stints at design schools and prominent studios such as Edenspiekermann and Upstruct. During their tenure at TH Nuremberg, they crafted a visual identity for a fictional ballet academy. Incorporated into the identity is Benesh Movement Notation, a collection of symbols that represent choreography. These symbols gracefully unite the type and photography as they dance across each layout.

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In our latest round of book picks we feature our favorite titles from Floating World Comics, PIE Books, Gestalten, Unit Editions, Electa, Universe, and more. Included is an enchanting story from our friends at Neighbourgoods, Type explorations from the folks at Spin, and a stunning monograph of the highly underrated Finnish designer Erik Bruun. Enjoy!

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Karan Singh is an Australian artist living and working in Tokyo. Drawing inspiration from graphic design and op-art, he crafts illustrations and animations that burst with vibrant colors and bold patterns. His lively work has led to collaborations with an impressive list of clients including Sagmeister & Walsh, The US Open, and American Express. I especially admire his work for group exhibitions such as The Tōkyōiter and the OFFF 2016 Archetype book. To see more of his work and animations in action, visit his Instagram.

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Do you want to hone your craft or discover new techniques? Join Skillshare, an online learning community with over 15,000 classes in design, illustration, photography, and more. Courses guide students through a series of hands-on and immersive lessons, each divided into short modules, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Featured teachers include logo design legend Aaron Draplin, renown hand letterer Jessica Hische and illustration experts Kate Bingaman-Burt and Andrew Fairclough (Kindred Studio). Premium membership starts at $10 a month (if paid annually) for unlimited access to the curriculum.

Click here to get 2 months of Skillshare Premium for free.

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