TAXI Daily News

Cheeky Budget Airline Ad Tells Unhappy Customers To ‘Shut The F**k Up’

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:04:54 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Stockholm-based Austrian advertising student Hugo Gstrein has created a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign for European budget airline Ryanair that basically tells disgruntled passengers to “shut the f**k up” because “beggers can’t be choosers”.

Instead of trying to attract customers with quality service and in-flight facilities, this brutally honest ad campaign simply reminds people that with “prices this cheap”, one really shouldn’t be complaining.

In addition to its controversial slogan, the ad campaign also consists of a website overhaul that would segregate the “complainers” from regular customers—to make it difficult for anyone to lodge a complaint, the “complain page” would lock down after just 10 seconds.

There are also print ads and billboards that display common complains from passengers,—such as “8 Euros for a sandwich? I want a snack, not a gold brick.”—all of which are answered with the campaign’s provocative tagline of “Shut the f**k up”.

Watch the video below to learn more about this tongue-in-cheek, award-winning ad campaign and scroll down for images of its publicity materials.

[via Vimeo]

Haunting Photos Of The Antarctic Resonate Its Peaceful Barrenness

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:53:14 -0500

The Antarctic is a place devoid of much color or activity, much of it covered with snow.

Occasionally though, in the freezing and peaceful place, you’d find human life—such as, in these photos of German Antarctic research base, Neumayer Station II, captured by German designer and photography enthusiast Lars Focke.

The pictures that seem to be overexposed and contain lots of negative space truthfully highlight The Antarctic’s barren landscape of white snow.

[via Lars Focke]

Design Studio Reveals The Branding Process Of ‘The Great Gatsby’

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:54:20 -0500

Sydney-based design studio Like Minded Studio was given the opportunity to collaborate with Australian film director Baz Luhrmann for the recently released film ‘The Great Gatsby’.

With the help of production company Bazmark, the studio created the branding for the film—including the design of ‘The Great Gatsby’ logo and the typeface for the movie.

To show the branding process, the studio recently published images that showcase the work that went into the production of ‘The Great Gatsby’.

Check them out below:

[via Print Bench and Like Minded Studio]

Infographic: The Cost Of Adobe Creative Cloud VS Box Set

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:11 -0500

Adobe caused quite a stir a couple of weeks ago when it announced its subscription-based ‘Creative Cloud’ service.

To help you understand Adobe’s confusing pricing systems, Digital Camera Info has put together an infographic that compares the cost of the boxed set and the cost of subscribing to Creative Cloud.

Click to view full image

Click to view full image

[via Digital Camera Info]

Japanese Coffee Artist Creates Adorable 3D Latte Art, ‘Pops Out Of The Cup’

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:38:37 -0500

If you don’t like your coffee shaken nor stirred, but don’t mind it with art—you’ll like Osaka, Japan-based coffee artist Kazuki Yamamoto’s 3D renditions that look too cute to be drunk.

Already known for his wonderful 2D coffee art, Yamamoto took his creations to the next level—to literally ‘top’ them off, with foam.

Made mostly of milk foam found in cappuccinos and lattes, his adorable 3D sculptures feature animals and sometimes cartoon characters.

[via Bored Panda]

‘Landscape With A Corpse’, Hauntingly Beautiful Photos Of Death

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:51:29 -0500

In his photo series called ‘Landscape with a Corpse’, Japanese photographer Izima Kaoru combines the subject of death and fashion in a hauntingly beautiful manner.

Kaoru first invited female models to fantasize about their perfect way to die.

He then asked them which designer clothing they would like to wear when their ‘dead’ body gets discovered.

With the information, the photographer recreates the models’ fantasies—capturing them in death as they lay motionless, dressed in their very best.

Kaoru has been working on this series since 1995.

[via Izima Kaoru and My Modern Met]

Adorable Novelty Rings Let You Wear Your Favorite Food On Your Fingers

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:44:03 -0500

Inspired by the “kawaii”—which means cute or kitsch in Japanese—movement in Japan, Fukuoka-based Canadian artist Sofia Molnar has created adorable novelty rings that feature quintessential Japanese meals in miniature.

Paying attention to the color and composition of these dishes, Molnar adds another dimension to her work by depicting the food in mid-motion—for instance, one of her rings shows a can of beer being poured into a glass.

While these rings may look good enough to eat, they are actually made of plastic, wood, clay, pottery shards and Japanese Chiyogami paper.

Scroll down to view the rest of her collection.

[via Daily Art Cocktail]

Rejected Early Drafts & Alternate Versions Of Famous Movie Posters

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:02:27 -0500

Batman

In some cases, a popular film’s poster can be every bit as iconic as the movie itself—which makes poster design a very important part of a movie’s branding.

Events website Daybees has put up an online gallery to showcase the rejected early drafts and alternate versions of famous movie posters.

Featuring both the rejected posters and the final official poster for each movie, the virtual exhibition includes the posters of well-known films like Pulp Fiction, Batman amd The Exorcist.

Many of these posters are designed by veteran graphic designer Bill Gold, who previously worked for Warner Brothers and has made over 2,000 posters for movies of every genre in a prolific career that spans eight decades.

The rejected drafts give us a rare glimpse into the process of designing movie posters—some posters go through 20 to 30 versions before a final design is chosen for the official poster.

View more rejected movie posters that “always were” overe here.

Official poster

A Clockwork Orange

Official poster

The Exorcist

Official poster

Pulp Fiction

Official poster

[via The Guardian]

Filmmaker ‘Clones’ Himself, Makes Surreal Hypnotizing GIFs

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:55:01 -0500

Filmmaker Erdal Inci takes the idea of the GIF to its fullest potential by “cloning” himself digitally and then creating GIFs with this “clone army”.

The resulting moving images are eerie yet hypnotizing—they depict the Turkish artist performing mundane tasks—such as walking through the streets or sliding down stair banisters—in endless loops.

He has also made other GIFs that feature beautiful and complicated patterns of light, created with the aid of flashlights.

His work will be exhibited at the Action Gallery in Milan and Naples on 25 and 30 May 2013 respectively.

Scroll down to see more of these mesmerizing and disorienting GIFs.

[via This Is Colossal]

A Bookcase That Suspends Books On Threads

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:49:14 -0500

Designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay of Raw Edges have designed a bookcase shaped like a weaving loom that suspends books on threads.

Called ‘Bloom’, the bookcase was commissioned by the British Council to display fictional titles by young British novelists, picked by literary magazine Granta.

Each thread on the bookcase is able to hold a single book, which is held in place by a sliding black stopper.

[via Dezeen]

Gorilla Wants To Be A Panda, So That It’s Cute Enough To Be Saved

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:28:49 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

According to ad agency Ogilvy & Mather Chicago, wildlife organizations have jumped on the bandwagon in recent years to ‘save the pandas’—forgetting that there are other endangered animals in the world.

As such, Ogilvy Chicago created an ad for APES (A Project of the Conservation Trust) to highlight the ‘favoritism’ some animals receive, and the importance of conserving all wildlife—not just ‘cute’ animals that everyone adores.

In the cute but sad 60-second spot, a gorilla paints himself white, only to look more like the much-loved panda—striking a chord in its viewer.

“A panda is the ‘poster child’ for wildlife conservation—and when it comes to preservation and protection, it really is ‘survival of the cutest’, not the fittest,” APES founder, Lee Theisen-Watt said in a statement.

“We wanted to shine light on the ‘forgotten’ primates, centering our story around a gorilla who sadly knows his chances of protection are greater if he appears more like a panda.”

Are we all guilty of only liking the cute ones?

Watch the ad below:

[via Reuters]

Fiat Teams Up With DC Comics To Keep Kids Safe

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:30:07 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Car crashes are one of the leading causes of child mortality in Brazil.

To combat this, leading car manufacturer Fiat has joined forces with the DC Comic’s Justice League to ensure children wear their seatbelts.

In the comic-styled advertisement made by Leo Burnett Brazil, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash come together to keep children safe with the ‘Hero Hug’—a special seatbelt cover modeled after the hands of a superhero.

The use of superheroes will “encourage children to protect themselves in traffic in a fun and entertaining way” and educate them on the importance of road safety.

Click here to watch the video:

[via YouTube]

Old Postcards Layered Over New Photos To Create Surprisingly Coherent Images

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:27:21 -0500

Photographers Mark Klett and Byron Wolfe have collaborated on a reconstructive photography project named ‘Reconstructing the View: The Grand Canyon Photographs’, where old postcards and pictures are layered over modern day pictures to create intriguing new images.

Using vintage postcards and photographs of the Grand Canyon shot by the likes of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston—the duo arrange the older image precisely against the more recent photograph, so as to create the illusion that the two blend into one cohesive picture.

These “reconstructed views” bring together the old and the new in a creative manner that shows how natural wonders like the Grand Canyon has remained more or less the same over the decades—on the other hand, the appearances of people in these pictures have changed a lot.

Head over to the photographers’ blog to view more of their hybrid, “time-traveling” photography.

[via Faith Is Torment]

New York City To Update ‘Handicapped’ Icon

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:26:00 -0500

The City of New York has decided to update the familiar blue-and-white ‘handicapped’ logo with a newer design created by a team from Gordon College, Massachusetts.

The old logo, which features a stick figure in a wheelchair, has been criticized as portraying the handicapped as “passive” and even “helpless”.

The Gordon-created logo hopes to change all that: It is dynamic, with a stick figure leaning forward and active.

Victor Calise, commissioner of the Office for People With Disabilities in New York, calls the new design “a forward-moving thing” and in contrast, the logo now in use is “stagnant”.

Elaborating, he said, “There’s no movement, and it makes people seem like they don’t do much with their lives”.

Proponents of the new logo hope that its success will be able to kickstart a discussion and re-evaluation of disability issues.

The old logo

[via The Chronicle Of Higher Education, image via Shutterstock]

Photographer Captures Interesting Point-Of-View Pictures Of Himself

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:06:34 -0500

Kazakhstan-based photographer Timur Zhansultanov has created a photo project that features interesting point-of view-pictures of himself performing various activities.

Titled ‘In My Own Eyes’, it shows images of him working, driving a car, eating, playing basketball, and much more.

According to Zhansultanov, the aim of the project was to capture pictures of everyday human actions from an unusual perspective—his eyes.

[via Timur Zhansultanov]

Surreal Photos Created By Projecting Stunning Outdoor Views Onto Rooms’ Walls

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:22:21 -0500

Based in the US, Abelardo Morell started his photo project ‘Camera Obscura’ in 1991 by projecting the view outside onto the walls of his living room.

22 years later, he has gone on to photograph rooms all around the world, using this unusual camera obscura method.

He achieves such fascinating images by covering all the windows of the room with black plastic—a tear is then made in one of the plastic sheets to let in an inverted image that would be displayed on the wall.

These days, the photographer uses color film to push his project further—other enhancements include using a prism to project an upright image, and placing his lens above the hole in the plastic to get a crisper image.

Scroll down to see more of these wonderful images where the outdoors comes indoors.

[via Fubiz]

Nike Logo Gets 3D, Sneaker-Inspired Makeover

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:48:25 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

There are few logos that are as iconic or readily recognizable as the Nike Swoosh—however, the sporting goods company is not at all precious with it and has commissioned Brazilian typographer Marcelo Schultz to give it a makeover.

The result is a vibrant new design that has been created entirely on Photoshop—obviously inspired by the brand’s famous footwear, these exciting fresh versions of the Swoosh feature sneaker-inspired elements like shoelaces and rubber soles.

Schultz has also created a clever typeface that spells out the word “Nike” with what seems to be leather or plastic letters that have been stitched onto canvas.

Watch Schultz work on another design below to get interesting insights into his creative process:

[via Creative Bloq]

An App That Wakes Sleepy Drivers Up, Directs Them To Nearest Coffee Place

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:44:59 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car crashes each year.

To help curb the numbers and help travellers get to their destination safely, Thai coffee shop chain Café Amazon—with the help of creative agency BBDO Proximity Thailand—has created an app that helps wake up sleepy drivers.

With the use of eye- and face-tracking technology, the app called ‘Drive Awake’ is able to detect when a driver is dozing off while behind the wheel.

When a driver starts to doze off, the app will wake the drowsy driver with a loud alarm, and navigate him/her to the nearest Café Amazon for a coffee break.

‘Drive Awake’ is available on iTunes.

Check out how it works in the video below:

[via Creativity Online]

Surreal Architectural Collages Mesh Different Worlds Together

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:46:04 -0500

Based in Lisbon, collage artist Hugo Barros challenges the limits of reality with his artworks that show the surreal “clashing” of vastly different worlds.

Inspired by modern art movements like Constructivism, Futurism, as well as post-1968 architecture, Barros creates his otherworldly and apocalyptic scenes using only two or three images.

View more of the artist’s mind-bending collages below:

[via Architizer]

10 Photographers To Follow This Week

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:54:19 -0500

From all around the globe to travelling all over the globe—covering all sorts of angles in various lightings, sometimes with bokeh, sometimes with film, and some other times in black and white—there are those who capture what we see everyday from their own unique perspective, and add flavor to the ordinary.

In this visual feast, we present the ‘Photographers of the Week’, whom we recommend for you to follow on The Creative Finder.

If you’re not yet part of this great social network for creatives, why not sign up and immerse yourself in creative inspiration.

Kevin VanEmburgh

Jordan Hollender

Stefen Turner

Johnny Burnett

Alfonso Azaola

Mishu Vass

Someone

Leonardo Spinetti

Paolo Lafratta

Rune Wold

Aston Martin Celebrates 100 Years With Sleek Roofless Speedster

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:35:02 -0500

While the folks at Lamborghini have rolled out a limited edition road bike for their 50th anniversary, Aston Martin is celebrating its centenary with the sleek and stylish CC100 Speedster.

Unveiled at the Nürburgring race in Germany, this beauty was inspired by an old model—the Aston Martin DBR1.

Equipped with a 6.0-liter V12 engine, this car goes from 0-60mph in four seconds, reaching top speed at 180mph.

Aston Martin’s CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez states that parts of this design will be incorporated into future models, although the company has not disclosed whether this commemorative model is available for sale.

Scroll down for more images and a video of this drool-worthy speedster.

[via Wired]

Funny, Politically Incorrect Illustrations That Say It Like It Is

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:19:23 -0500

While so many illustrators have chosen to say something nice with their drawings, London-based illustration student Lyvia Aylward-Davies decided to be brutally honest—to the point of being politically incorrect—with hers.

Her quirky hand-drawn illustrations often feature short phrases that express not-so-nice emotions that most people would admit to feeling at times, even if they are not bold enough to verbalize them.

From an indecent proposal that cuts to the chase—“You are pretty, so sex”—to the anti-social and selfish tendencies that may strike even the best of us once in a while, these funny illustrated prints remind us that we are all just human.

Check out more of the talented illustrator’s work on her blog and Tumblr page.

[via Lyvia Aylward-Davies]

Vintage-Inspired, Typographic Advertisements From The ‘Legend Of Zelda’

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:11:28 -0500

“Geek artist” Barrett Biggers imagines what advertisements would look like in the universe of the classic video game, “The Legend of Zelda”.

Drawing inspiration from vintage typography, particularly “Snake Oil” posters, each of the advertisements looks like it hails from a half-forgotten era.

The posters are infused with a sense of humor and poke fun at various aspects of the “Legend of Zelda” universe—they also feature interesting typography that will delight the font nerd in you.

Scroll down for a closer look at these posters.

[via Creativitea]

Infographic: The Impact Of Color In Logo Design

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:39:27 -0500

Marek Mis of British Design Experts has created a highly accessible and informative infographic called, 'The Impact Of Color In Your Logo Design'.

It helps one understand how influential color might be when it comes to expressing a brand's characteristics. It may seem quite obvious, but not everyone remembers that every decision made about a brand or branding in general, is an important one.

Specifically, logo or brand color awareness goes a long way. It will affect the initial customer response to your brand's identity, when it joins the millions of other brands and logos out there in the market—It's the logo equivalent of the first impression.

You may have the best brand identity concept, but without something relevant in terms of color, the future impact of your brand might be affected—especially in today's highly competitive and bustling online business environment.

Learn more or have a refresher about the importance of color in branding, with the infographic below:

Click to enlarge image

Click to enlarge image

[via Amy Harding / British Design Experts, images via Marek Mis]

Give Us Your Best Caption: Don't Mind Me, I'll Just Lie Here...Alone

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:18:42 -0500

Today’s ‘Image of the Day’ belongs to Jeffrey Lamont Brown. Congratulations!

To help you get off on the right foot every morning, DesignTAXI will be featuring an image everyday from its social network for creatives, The Creative Finder, to keep you inspired.

In this segment ‘Image of the Day’, you—our very lovely readers—are invited to submit captions to describe the selected image above: just simply tweet it with the page's URL and hashtag #tellapictale, or leave a comment at the bottom.

Winning captions would be featured the following day.

Yesterday's winning caption goes to Shane Placentino: "I ❤ wall hanging."

Minimalist Graphic Posters Of Classic Video Games

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:18:27 -0500

Ari Martinez, a graphic designer based in Spain, has given classic video games fresh new looks with his latest poster series.

Created in a minimalist style, each colorful poster reflects the most iconic elements of the game it represents.

Featuring a mix of familiar classics like “Sonic the Hedgehog” and newer games, such as “Minecraft”, they update the visual identities of these popular games with interesting twists.

Scroll down to view the rest of the posters in the collection.

[via Tumblr]

The Most Disgusting Teen Drinking Ads Ever?

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:48:06 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

To show the negative impact of alcohol abuse on teens, Spanish non-profit organization for drug prevention FAD created these two commercials that might make you sick in the stomach.

In the ads, it shows two young teens throwing up after a night of binge drinking.

However, things take a turn for the worse when they start to puke out a person—something you would only see in a horror film or game.

According to Buzzfeed, the voiceover in the videos say, “Every time you get drunk, you separate yourself from the things that matter. Like your family.”

What do you think? Worst drinking ads ever?

Click to watch the videos below:

[via Buzzfeed]

Pokémon Characters Re-Drawn In Tim Burton’s Signature Style

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:46:48 -0500

Aspiring illustrator and design student Vaughn Pinpin has embarked on a side project in which he re-imagines Pokémon characters in the artistic style of famous film director Tim Burton.

Fans of either Burton’s work or the Pokémon franchise are in for a treat—for instance, crowd favorite Pikachu has the trademark wide-eyed look of Burton illustrations, while Charizard looks both menacing and disdainful.

The project is still on-going—Pinpin intends to re-create all 151 of the original Pokémon characters.

Browse through the rest of his Pokémon re-creations over here.

[via Ned Hardy]

Photographer Brings Wooden Mannequin To Life In Imaginative Photo Series

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:46:02 -0500

Minneapolis-based photographer and design manager Nicolas Vallejos has been capturing imaginative photos of a wooden mannequin called ‘Woody’, which represents his alter-ego.

In his life, Vallejos had always dreamed of becoming an astronaut, a sushi chef and getting a tattoo—but he never had the chance.

However, with Woody, he has the opportunity to live out those fantasies vicariously.

He said, “[Woody] basically can be anything that I wanted to be and didn’t have either the time, patience or skills. And taking those pictures are the most fun.”

Since discovering Woody in 2003, Vallejos has created over 300 shots.

He brings Woody to life by placing it in various scenarios and even portraying the mannequin as famous celebrities.

Check out his album of Woody pictures here.

[via Nicolas Vallejos]

NSFW: Artist Creates Beautiful Calligraphy On The Bare Bodies Of Girls

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:44:23 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Moscow-based “calligraffiti artist” Senia—also known as Pokras Lampas—has started a lettering project, ‘Calligraphy on Girls’, where he paints gorgeous calligraphy onto the bare bodies of girls.

Using the skin of his models as his canvas, the artist creates sensual living artworks that bring the beautiful female form together with beautiful letters.

Covering the skin of the models like intricate tattoos, each piece of calligraphy body art is unique—working with photographers and make-up artists, Senia shoots these temporary artworks after they are completed to record them for posterity.

Watch the videos below to see the artist at work on the ‘Calligraphy on Girls’ project—or head over to the project’s Facebook page to keep up with new creations.

[via Calliagraphy On Girls]

3D-Printed Sugar Sculptures Look Too Good To Eat

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:24:59 -0500

3D printing is the next big thing, and we’ve heard of all manner of things being printed, from shoes to skulls. But what about sweets?

The husband and wife team over at The Sugar Lab, Kyle and Liz, have managed to do just that.

It all started when they tried to make a birthday cake for a friend, but they didn’t have an oven—so, they decided to 3D-print it instead.

Much trial and error later, they succeeded in printing a tiny cupcake topper made of sugar.

Figuring that others might appreciate 3D-printed sugar too, they have since perfected their technique and set up ‘The Sugar Lab’.

[via The Sugar Lab]

Tokyo’s Landscape Combined With Its Soundscape Makes One Amazing Video

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:56 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

For the 10th year anniversary of Roppongi Hills, an urban complex in Tokyo, an amazing project titled ‘Tokyo City Symphony’ has been created.

One part of the project is the stunning video in which a psychedelic 3D projection is mapped onto a miniature model of Tokyo city at a 1:1000 scale.

This is set to a soundtrack made from everyday sounds heard in Tokyo.

The second part of the project allows you to create your own symphony, using your keyboard as a piano to control the music and 3D projections. You can then share your creation with the rest of the world.

Hop over to ‘Tokyo City Symphony’ and give the online synthesizer a spin.

Click here to watch the video:

[via Tokyo City Symphony]

Grieving Through Art

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:10:44 -0500

There might come a time when the safe cushion of our routine lives is suddenly jolted by a loss. It could be an unexpected loss of a job, an ending to a relationship, a death of a loved one or a dream we watched slip out of our reach. In either situation, grief can result and often consume our lives during such times. This can disrupt the flow of our routine especially in our artistic life. Startled and paralyzed, we are unable to tap into what was once a river of creativity. Although, grief is a natural remedy to move us towards healing and recovery, it can often put a suddenly halt to our creative process.

Grief may require us to shut down both physically and mentally in order to cope. The very same energy that once cultivated inspiration is now forced to focus on recuperating. This can often leave us feeling creatively dried up and dull. Yet, in the midst of suffering also lies an opportunity to heal from it and what better avenue then to try to express it through our art.

During grief, our creativity pulls from a different source, our own emotional suffering. Sometimes emotional pain and trials can force us to become more introspective, present and sensitive to our internal world, allowing feelings to be closer to the surface making it much easier to tap into. We can clearly see this occurring in the pieces of some of our old masters.

For example, Picasso’s well-known “Blue Period”, was prompted by the sudden suicide death of his friend Carlos Casadgemas. His grief can be felt through the blues and greens that dominated his paintings during this period. Picasso also painted multiple portraits of Casadgemas as an avenue to express the deep loss and yearning for his friend. Another example is a writer telling the story of his own trauma over and over again as a reoccurring theme in his writings. For instance, Shakespeare’s repeated theme of death that shows up in his plays can be attributed to witnessing multiple fatalities in his family. Because of the high mortality rate during his time, many of his brothers and sisters died at an early age.

The intense feelings of loss and grief can be overwhelming. Being able to process some of these feelings through our art can help lesson the intensity as well as bring some relief. Creatively expressing our grief can help us work through the pain and bring more meaning and depth to our experience.

Just as Picasso began his Rose Period soon after his Blue Period, we too can have hope that there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Top image from Imgembed.

This is a cross-post from The Art of Mind.

Lisa A Riley, MA, LMFT is a Creativity Coach and has spent more than nine years working with creative individuals such as artists, actors, designers, musicians, writers, and actors. She “helps to empower clients to take steps towards enhancing their creativity and move closer to becoming the artist they envisioned themselves to be”. See her multiple ‘Products for Your Creative Success’ on her site The Art of Mind.

Man Creates An Amazing, Comic Book-Like Spiderman Costume

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:12:56 -0500

Cosplayer MoonSpider has created an impressive Spiderman costume that definitely puts all other Spidey costumes to shame.

Looking like he just popped out of a comic book, the amount of detail put into the design of the costume is ‘out of this world’.

Created with the help of other prop makers and printers, he spent about $600 to create this one-of-a-kind costume.

To find out how he did it, please click here.

[via Imgur]

In Photo Series, Bauhaus-Influenced Food Designs

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:46 -0500

The German school established in the 1920s, Bauhaus, was known for its approach to design, and its influence on modern design.

Inspired by Bauhaus, Berlin-based photographers Nicky&Max created a food photography series.

The series features interesting yet minimalist color and compositions made up of food.

[via Trendland]

Thought-Provoking Photos Document South Korea’s Obsession With Plastic Surgery

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:04:17 -0500

South Korean photographer Ji Yeo has created a thought-provoking photo series—entitled “Beauty Recovery Room”—that documents her country’s heightening obsession with cosmetic surgery.

As more and more Korean women are willing to go under the knife to attain the “ideal beauty” portrayed in the media, the cosmetic surgery industry in South Korea is booming.

Featuring post-surgery women sitting in their recovery rooms, the bruises and scars on these subjects tell of the pain that they had to go through in pursuit of the good looks that is deemed to be increasingly important by society.

These poignant photographs reflect on the powerful influence of the media on body image—view the entire series over here.

[via It’s Nice That]

Photographer Catalogs The People Of New York City

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:36:16 -0500

You've got to respect a man who refuses to pretend like he's having a good day.

‘Humans of New York’ is a photo project started by photographer Brandon Stanton in 2010, where he captures portraits of people who live in the ‘Big Apple’.

Armed with a camera, he travels around NYC, capturing the quirky and unusual characters that he encounters on the streets—cataloging them in his personal project.

“I thought it would be really cool to create an exhaustive catalog of the city’s inhabitants, so I set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map,” wrote Stanton.

Besides photos, Stanton also collects quotes and stories of the people he photographs—giving his viewers a more personal glimpse into the lives of strangers from New York.

"Before it was all about us. Now it's all about him."

"Every country is good for different reasons. They are like different fruits. But Egypt is my favorite. Egypt is like a mango."

Seen in Jackson Heights

Seen in Jackson Heights

"I worked hard, I was honest, I provided for my family, and I took care of my parents."

I sat by that stroller and called out her name for three minutes: "Julia, Julia, Juuulllliiiiiiaa." But she wouldn't emerge. Finally this happened.

Turning Pink

One of them pointed at a passing rollerblader and said: "Why don't you photograph him instead?" Another one answered for me: "Because he's not a Hasid with a chihuahua."

"I really started running when I was 18, right after my dad died. I was doing 17 miles everyday. It was my own way of facing death each night and beating it."

"I want to be an artist."
"What kind of art do you want to make?"
"I want to make different versions of myself."

"What's your greatest struggle right now?"
"Interacting with other people."
"In what way?"
"In this way."

We talked for a few minutes. She told me that she'd had a plan to join the Navy out of high school, but that fell apart because her knees were bad. She told me that she'd just finished working a 12 hour shift on a food truck. She told me that she'd moved to New York for no reason, just to get out of Kansas. "But I'm so glad I came," she said.
"Why's that?" I asked. Her eyes began to water.
"Because I'm so in love with a girl right now."

"I ain't never made a doll before, and it came out perfect!"

"You look kinda like Ernest Hemingway."
"And we're both from Key West."
"You're from Key West?"
"Well, I used to smuggle coke out of there."

"I never married."
"Why not?"
"Because you didn't come along until today."

[via Humans of New York]

Infographic: The Multiple Personalities Of Coffee Drinkers

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:17:23 -0500

Ever judged someone by the type of coffee they ordered?

To help you accurately associate the kind of person one is from the kind of coffee one orders, local guide Loku created a chart.

‘The Multiple Personalities of Coffee’ points out the ‘Snob’, the ‘Gossip’, the ‘Addict’, the ‘Businessman and Woman’, the ‘Night Owl’, the ‘Early Starter To Tonight’, the ‘Europhile’, and the ‘Ex-tea drinker’.

All in good fun, the Snob usually orders: an espresso, a French press coffee, freshly ground coffee, or café sua da.

The Businessman or woman: black because it's no frills, to-go because he/she is in a hurry, an Americano for political reasons.

The Night Owl: triple shot for three times the productivity, black eye for those who leave at 2 in the morning, or caffeine of any kind.

Coffee drinkers, is this chart accurate? What kind of coffee do you drink?

Click to view full image

Click to view full image

[via Visual.ly]

Fantastic, Otherworldly Sculptures Of Animals

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:03:28 -0500

All her life, Ellen Jewett, from Ontario, Canada, has been in love with sculpting.

For her, “sculpting has always been about life; biological narratives, emotions, movement, balance and observations about life's subtleties and overtures”.

Jewett has been creating these fantastical masterpieces since 2007, when she graduated with a degree in Biological Anthropology and Fine Art.

The sculptures are otherworldly in nature, and her imaginative creations bring to mind creatures from ‘Princess Mononoke’ and ‘Pokemon’.

Made from clay, and sculpted over a handmade metal frame, the sculptures are then painted with acrylic or oil paints.

[via Ellen Jewett Sculpture]

Saturn-like Rings Around Earth Would Make For Spectacular Landscapes

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:02:39 -0500

Ron Miller from io9 has created some stunning looking illustrations that imagine what having Saturn-like rings around the Earth would look like.

Miller puts forward several hypotheses that explain the formation of rings around a planet.

One theory says that the rings were formed from material that were unable to form a moon, while another puts forward the possibility that the rings may be remnants of destroyed moons.

Any of these scenarios would be possible in forming a ring around the Earth.

Miller goes on to say that it would be easy to imagine what they would look like from Earth if they were the same proportion as those on Saturn.

Head on over to io9 to find out more about the rings around Saturn.

Quito, Ecuador

Guatamala

Polyneisia

Washington, DC

Nome, Alaska

[via io9]

Chandeliers Made Of Bicycle Parts Create Wonderful Light Show Beneath Overpass

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:37:57 -0500

Based in Arizona, artists Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock have installed six shimmering chandeliers under an overpass in San Antionio, Texas.

Entitled ‘Ballroom Luminoso’, these chandeliers cast mesmerizing, colorful silhouettes over the bare concrete space as the viewer wanders through the display.

Made from recycled bicycle parts, LED lights and custom-made structural steel, these carefully crafted chandeliers allude to the area’s agricultural history.

Each chandelier sports a medallion, reminiscent of the iconography of La Loteria, a Latin American game similar to Bingo—each symbol is inspired by the community’s farming roots, celebrating its eco-friendly achievements and cycling culture.

Scroll down for more images of these unconventional and visually arresting chandeliers.

[via This Is Colossal]

Artist Creates ‘Self-Portraits’ Using His Own Bacteria

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:49:11 -0500

Finnish artist Erno Erik Raitanen—who brought us edible cotton candy sculptures—created ‘self-portraits’ out of his own bacteria.

What he calls ‘Bacteriograms’, the brightly-colored images—that are more like photograms, and not so much like photographs—were made by collecting bacteria samples from his own body, and cultivating the bacteria samples on photographic film.

The bacteria consumed the film surface to produce the unusual images.

“I have been removed from the process but, at the same time, the images are a product of my body,” Raitanen said in a statement.

“With this work I want to raise questions about representation and reality; the nature and the place of photographic medium in contemporary society.”

[via Erno-Erik]

Strikingly Soulful Black & White Portraits Of Wild Animals

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:43:28 -0500

Connecticut-based photographer Stephanie McDowell has shot some incredibly intimate, black-and-white portraits of wild animals from the New England region.

In addition to photographing the injured wild birds housed at the Connecticut Audubon Society, she has also captured some beautiful pictures of other wildlife, such as wolves, monkeys, horses, and even tigers.

These portraits freeze surprisingly tender moments in the brutal wild and bring out the beauty and personality of their animal subjects.

View more of the photographer’s stunning work on her Facebook and Flickr pages.

[via Photographyblogger]

Portraits Of Iraqis With Faces Covered With A Photo Of Saddam Hussein

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:37:34 -0500

Iraqi-Kurdish photographer Jamal Penjweny’s project ‘Saddam is Here’ takes an uncanny look at the relationship between Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people.

“Generous” yet “cruel”, a “good father” and a “criminal”, Saddam Hussein still elicits complex feelings among the population, years after his death.

In Penjweny’s words, “his shadow is still following Iraqi society everywhere”.

Penjweny says that “Iraqi society cannot forget him even after his death because some of us still love him and the rest are still afraid of him”. While in Baghdad, he felt that Saddam still lives through the way the people acted and interacted.

This inspired him to start the project ‘Saddam is Here’, where he photographed people covering their faces with a photo of Saddam Hussein’s face.

Naturally not everyone was keen to participate in his project, but Penjweny believes that art plays an important part in confronting the past and overcoming it.

[via The Guardian]

‘Plus-Size’ Blogger Challenges Abercrombie & Fitch's ‘Skinny’ Image

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:46:45 -0500

Seems like Abercrombie & Fitch just can’t catch a break—another person has decided to make a stand against A&F and its claim of not wanting “unattractive” and “larger people” shopping in its stores.

Arizona-based blogger Jes—who goes by her online moniker ‘The Militant Baker’—has taken the fight to CEO Michael Jeffries by publishing an open letter to him, and also recreating stereotypical A&F ads with a twist.

Adding the tagline “Attractive & Fat” to the ads, the self-proclaimed “fat model” is seen posing with a typical Abercrombie male model—in some of the pictures, Jes even appears topless.

She writes: “I didn’t take these pictures to show that the male model found me attractive, or that the photographer found me photogenic, or to prove that you’re an ostentatious dick. Rather, I was inspired by the opportunity to show that I am secure in my skin, and to flaunt this by using the controversial platform that you have created.”

“I challenge the separation of attractive and fat, and I assert that they are compatible regardless of what you believe. Not only do I know that I’m sexy, but I also have the confidence to pose nude in ways you don’t dare. You are more than welcome to prove me wrong by posing shirtless with a hot fat chick; it would thrill me to see such a shoot.”

Last week, LA-based writer Greg Karber started a campaign to give A&F a ‘brand readjustment’ by donating A&F clothing to the homeless.

Similar to Jes, he started the campaign after reading Jeffries’ statement about not wanting ‘undesirable’ people shopping in his stores.

To read the full letter and view the rest of the pictures, visit The Militant Baker.

[via The Militant Baker]

Nifty ‘GIFTY’ Camera Produces Instant Polaroid Flipbook

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:43:57 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Believing that “memory is not a movie, nor a photo”, but instead closer to being like a GIF animation, Jiho Jang has created a Polaroid camera that produces physical GIF animations in the form of a flipbook.

Jang’s design is part of his thesis project, and works by taking a sequence of Polaroid pictures, which are developed and printed instantly. This is then combined into a flipbook.

Unfortunately for all you GIF lovers out there, there is only one copy of the GIFTY in existence right now, and Jang has made a video showing how it works.

Click here to watch the video:

[via YouTube]

Popular Cartoons Reimagined As Horrifying Monsters

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:29:01 -0500

American digital artist Dan LuVisi has reimagined several cartoon characters as terrifying monsters in his illustrated series ‘Popped Culture’.

In his horrifying illustrations, characters such as Bert & Ernie, Cookie Monster and Donald Duck have been transformed into nightmarish creatures that will probably scare you as a child.

According to LuVisi, his characters live in an “alternate wildly disturbing universe”.

Check them out below:

[via Dan LuVisi]

A Clever Packaging For Cookies That Looks Like An Old-Fashioned Oven

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:28:37 -0500

Iowa-based creative studio Saturday MFG has created a great retro-themed branding design for Thelma’s Treats, a warm cookie delivery business that is named after the owner’s great-grandmother and her famous snickerdoodle cookie recipe.

Considering the cookie company’s heritage, the delivery box that holds the cookies is made to look like an old-fashioned oven, complete with graphics of hobs and nobs on the top.

Designed to bring on warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia, the brand’s tasty products even slide out of the box in the same way that cookies are removed from an oven.

For an added dose of grandmotherly love, the box is also printed with a few words of wisdom from Grandma Thelma on the back.

[via The Dieline]

Wacom Unveils Photo-Messaging Smartphone App ‘Bamboo Loop’

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:29:42 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Wacom has unveiled a free smartphone app that lets users send customized photos to each other.

Called ‘Bamboo Loop’, the photo-messaging app lets users take pictures, add graphics and write messages on them with various tools available on the app.

Users can choose to send their creation, which would be known as a ‘Loop card’, to any number of their friends.

Upon receiving the Loop card, friends can either create their own card as a reply, or ‘loop’ it back with added scribbles or graphics.

Users can also share the Loop cards on their social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

Bamboo Loop is currently available on iTunes, and will soon be available for Android.

[via BambooLoop]

Yahoo Revamps Flickr, Promises To Be ‘Spectaculr’

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:31:36 -0500

Hot on the heels of Google Plus’ photography focused redesign, Yahoo has unveiled a revamp to its photo sharing website, Flickr, in a bid to make it “awesome” again.

The new Flickr gives you 1TB of storage space free, so that you’ll be able to share all your images in full resolution. That’s more than 500,000 photos, assuming a 6.5-megapixel camera.

Flickr has also redesigned its ‘Activity Feed’, placing an emphasis on large, high-resolution images.

The ‘photostream’ also got a new coat of paint, now looking like a mix between 500px and Facebook, with the ability to insert a cover photo.

The new design also focuses on the mobile experience, with Flickr releasing an ‘Android’ app to join the iPhone app released last December.

Will this impressive new redesign, together with Yahoo’s recent acquisition of Tumblr be enough to earn Yahoo a younger demographic and keep it relevant?

[via Flickr Blog, Yahoo Blog]

Coca-Cola’s Heart-Warming Video Shows That It’s A Small World After All

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:32:59 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

We have featured cool Coca-Cola vending machines before, but the latest advertisement in its ‘Open Happiness’ campaign aims to help resolve the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan.

Directed by American advertising company Leo Burnett, the video features two vending machines, equipped with webcams and touchscreens, in India and Pakistan.

In the heart-warming video, participants get a free can of soda if they engage in some simple and fun activities, like drawing peace signs or dancing, with their counterparts across the border.

Coca-Cola is trying to foster greater understanding between the participants by encouraging communication and the realization that they are more alike than not.

But can this campaign really have an effect on cross border relations or is Coca-Cola just exploiting a conflict to sell more cans?

Click here to watch the video:

[via AdWeek]

Illustrated Chart Traces Different ‘Man Of Steel’ Looks Through The Years

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:44:39 -0500

Indonesia-based digital artist Imbong Hadisoebroto, also known as “BongzBerry” on DeviantArt, has created a hi-resolution illustration that traces how Superman’s appearance has changed since 1934.

From the classic caped crusader costume to other lesser-known incarnations, the artist provides us with a comprehensive view of Superman’s style evolution.

Check out the illustration in full below—which is your favorite Man of Steel look?

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

[via DeviantArt]

Fashionable Cat Model Gets All Dressed Up, Poses for Photographs

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:41:02 -0500

A freelance writer turned photographer, Joan Biondi adopted a cat that was left for dead in a garbage can—she soon realized that her new feline friend, Lorenzo, loves to pose for pictures in cute outfits.

Today, her photographs of an all-dressed-up Lorenzo the Cat have been exhibited worldwide and have been even been featured in many media outlets.

While Biondi admits to anthropomorphizing Lorenzo, her photography has also brought out the natural intelligence and grace of cats, which is a far cry from the modern stereotype of fat, lazy house cats.

Scroll down to view more images of the fashionable and photogenic Lorenzo the Cat.

[via Photography Blogger]

Carpenter Rubber-Stamps Business Card Information Onto Wooden Blocks

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:11:24 -0500

Inspired by how construction workers scribble notes on pieces of leftover material, Canadian advertising studio WAX has created an attractive, effective and economical business card for cabinet-maker Brad Haniak of BDH Millwork.

Considering the client’s tiny budget, WAX came up with a brilliant solution: to rubber-stamp Haniak’s business card information onto pieces of leftover wood, found in abundance at his carpentry workshop.

The result is a statement-making wooden-block business card—although the 0.25 inches thick card does take up a lot more space than a regular business card, but it will definitely make a lasting impression.

The production costs came up to just CA$40, a bargain by all standards—check out more images of this great business card design below.

[via For Print Only]

Delightful 3D Chalk Art Of Adorable Little Creatures Pop Up On Streets

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:39:59 -0500

Michigan-based artist David Zinn has been involved in a wide range of creative work—including graphic design, illustration and even acting—but it is his very cute chalk street art that have caught our eyes.

Drawn in 3D, these chalk illustrations feature a collection of quirky and adorable characters, such as winged pigs, aliens, dinosaurs and even a leprechaun.

The 3D chalk art that we have came across previously are usually large-scale and awe-inspiring pieces, which make these miniature ones a refreshing change.

As these pieces often fade away easily with the rain or stepping feet, the artist would photograph them and put them up on his Facebook page.

You can also check out his website for more of his chalk art and other work.

[via David Zinn]

It’s Official, Yahoo Acquires Tumblr In $1.1 Billion Deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:45:35 -0500

Guess the speculation was true—Yahoo has officially acquired Tumblr in a $1.1 billion deal according to an official statement from Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

Promising to “not screw up”, Yahoo said: “Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently. David Karp will remain CEO. The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve. Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster.”

It also said that Yahoo has plans to “deploy its personalization technology and search infrastructure to Tumblr”, allowing users to find relevant content more easily.

As for Tumblr, it will bring “50 billion blog posts, 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 daily signups” to the search engine giant.

As previously mentioned, Yahoo reportedly had an “aging demographic” and it believed that a Tumblr acquisition would help attract more users from the “18-to-24-years-old age bracket”.

What do you think of Yahoo’s acquisition of Tumblr? Would it benefit both companies?

[via Yahoo Tumblr]

Discipline Is An Illusion; Motivate Yourself Instead

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:06:04 -0500

Reader Kamal posted a great question in response to my call for topic suggestions:

“I think discipline would be a good topic, as much of what you talk about requires a certain amount of it.

The Army was good for teaching me discipline, but I realized that in the end, it comes from within.

But still, like most things, it is a habit that one can work on over time.

Would love to hear your thoughts and experience on the subject.”

Let me start with the conclusion first: if you think you don’t have discipline, you don’t need it. What you need is to commit to your goal or habit and fully motivate yourself. Read on for more.

I think that most of us believe that discipline is something you either have or don’t have—some believe you are born with it, and some, like Kamal, believe it is something you can develop as a habit. But what exactly is it we’re talking about when we say the word “discipline”?

If I wake up early every morning to run, do I have discipline? Most people would say that I do. But, as someone who regularly wakes up early, and who runs frequently (not every day), I can testify that I for one do not have discipline. I am anything but disciplined, and never have been.

So how do I explain my ability to wake up early, and to run on a regular basis? Simple: I have adequate and varied motivation. I get up every morning, not out of discipline, but because I really want to—and have tricked myself into doing it. I get out the door and go for a run not because I’m super disciplined, but because I really want to.

Let’s take the example of someone in the military—the typical example of someone with discipline. Let’s say Sgt. Lamar is a tough Army man. He wakes up very early every day, goes through a strict morning routine, runs and does his pushups and sit-ups, eats a moderate diet and keeps his clothes and living area spotless. He’s the epitome of discipline.

But I say he has motivation instead. Review the Top 20 Motivation Hacks for some of the reasons why:

Sgt. Lamar has signed up for the Army and all that that entails. He is a full-time military man, and everyone he knows is aware of this. He has fully committed himself to living a life of discipline, meaning he’s fully committed to all the habits of the Army: waking early, exercise, cleanliness, orderliness, etc. That’s the No. 2 of the Top 20 Hacks.
He’s in the middle of a mutually supportive competition. There is competition among his fellow officers about who has more discipline (wakes earlier, runs more, etc.) — Hack No. 3.
Sgt. Lamar has powerful reasons (Hack No. 8) to keep those habits going — to keep up his reputation in the Army, to promote his advancement in the organization, to set an example for those under him.
There are many more, but let me quickly point out others: there’s a system of accountability, public pressure, others above him who he must report to, rewards for sticking to the habits, the pleasure of accomplishing his goals and habits, workout buddies, visualization of his goals (even if he doesn’t realize it, Sgt. Lamar has a picture of what an Army man should be, and keeps that in his head each day). And then there’s positive thinking (Hack No. 1) — Sgt. Lamar doesn’t allow himself to think negatively, or to tell himself he can’t do it. He has no choice. If he does start thinking negative thoughts, he will soon be former Sgt. Lamar.

If you removed all of these motivations — the public pressure, the rewards, the positive thinking, the powerful reasons, the accountability, the full commitment, the mutually supportive competition—I believe that Sgt. Lamar would have no discipline.

Now, some people will think, “But Sgt. Lamar was disciplined even after he was in the Army. He’s still the most disciplined person I know, as a former military man.” That may be true (it’s not true in every case), but I would argue that he has maintained his habits from many of the same motivations—he is still committed, to everyone he knows, to being a disciplined former military man, and he has this public reputation to maintain. He probably also still finds pleasure in being an early riser, in exercising and staying fit, in looking clean and being orderly. I also argue that those who do not have those same motivations are those who are former military men who aren’t disciplined—and we all know just as many of this type as the former.

So how can you be “disciplined” about your habits? Get the right motivation (See the Top 20- Motivation Hacks for more). Here are a few tips:

Pick one habit, and fully commit to it. Don’t try to be “disciplined” for a whole lot of things at once. I’ve tried this (many times) and it always fails. I’m re-evaluating my goals for this year for that reason alone. Try one habit at a time, and really focus on it.
Come up with a plan for that habit. See how many of the Top 20 Motivation Hacks you can apply to this habit. Write down your goal, and set a measurable and achievable goal, with a deadline. Write down mini-goals along the way, with rewards for each. Write down a plan for monitoring your urges to quit the habit, and for how you will overcome those urges (write it down beforehand!).
Maintain your focus on that habit for as long as possible. Try not to get distracted from it by other things. Post up pictures, motivational quotes, your plan, a list of rewards, your list of reasons, etc. Send yourself email reminders. Get others to remind you of your focus. Blog about it. Whatever it takes.
Set up your environment so that you maintain your motivation for your habit over time. Look at the example of Sgt. Lamar above. His life is set up so that he can’t fail. Set you life up like that too, with motivation all around you, in many forms. Set it up so that that motivation continues for as long as possible, not just for a couple weeks or a month. Maintain that environment of motivation.
Celebrate your success!!! Woo hoo!!!!

Top image from ImgEmbed.

This is a cross-post from zenhabits.

Leo Babauta is a simplicity blogger & author. He created Zen Habits, a Top 25 blog (according to TIME magazine) with 200,000 subscribers, mnmlist.com, and the best-selling books focus, The Power of Less, and Zen To Done. Babauta is a former journalist of 18 years, a husband, father of six children, and in 2010 moved from Guam to San Francisco, where he leads a simple life. He started Zen Habits to chronicle and share what he’s learned while changing a number of habits.

Give Us Your Best Caption: Bad Luck You Say?

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:01:03 -0500

Today’s ‘Image of the Day’ belongs to Tristan Henry-wilson. Congratulations!

To help you get off on the right foot every morning, DesignTAXI will be featuring an image everyday from its social network for creatives, The Creative Finder, to keep you inspired.

In this segment ‘Image of the Day’, you—our very lovely readers—are invited to submit captions to describe the selected image above: just simply tweet it with the page's URL and hashtag #tellapictale, or leave a comment at the bottom.

Winning captions would be featured the following day.

Yesterday's winning caption goes to Lewis Rickman: "I have bagged myself a good one!"

A ‘Landscape Hotel’ Designed To Let You Enjoy The Spectacular View Outside

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:49:33 -0500

In Norway, architectural firm Jensen & Skodvin has built what is arguably the world’s first “landscape hotel”, which is designed around what is outside instead of inside.

The Juvet Landscape Hotel is based on the idea of a property with minimalist design, with a structure that blends into its environment and “offers amenities that are oriented outwards towards the surrounding nature”.

The most outstanding feature of the hotel is its floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows—installed in all rooms and even the hotel’s spa—that give its guests a splendid, uninterrupted view of the forested landscape outside.

The rooms are stylishly but sparsely furnished and poorly lit on purpose—there is basically nothing much to do in them—so as to keep the focus on the outdoors.

To book a room at this gorgeous hotel, check out its website.

[via Spot Cool Stuff]

Amazing, Incredibly Detailed Macro Shots Of Bugs And Other Wildlife

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:46:56 -0500

Using a technique called ‘focus stacking’, Spain-based photographer Nicolas Reusens captures amazing macro shots of insects and other wildlife.

According to PetaPixel, Reeusen uses anywhere from “2 to 200 exposures” to create his photos and that they would be “physically impossible with normal imaging equipment”.

To check out more amazing macro photography, please visit Reusen’s website.

[via PetaPixel]

Infographic: Inside The Brain Of An Entrepreneur

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:47:33 -0500

The bloggers at Grasshopper have created a tongue-in-cheek infographic that shows what entrepreneurs think about—have you wondered what goes on in the heads of these frontier-pushing individuals?

Whether they are thinking about their next big project or tinkering with the latest gadget, the entrepreneur’s mind is certainly a busy one.

From the “Fuhgettaboutit” zone, in which knowledge learned in school is forgotten, to the blank spot “MIA”, where there is a distinct lack of self-doubt, this chart brings us on a tour of the entrepreneur’s unique brain and will be an amusing read, even if you are not an entrepreneur.

View the entire infographic below:

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

[via Grasshopper]

Literally Balanced Diets: Food Precariously Stacked On Each Other

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:32:54 -0500

Salmon

Hamburg-based Italian stylist Elena Mora together with photographer Karsten Wegener created a series that examines what goes into some of your favorite dishes.

The ‘Ricettario: A Balanced Diet’ photo series features the ingredients of Salmon, Apple Cake, Minestrone and Pizza Margherita, precariously stacked on each other that create literally ‘balanced’ diets.

Minestrone

Apple Cake

Pizza Margherita

[via Elena Mora and Trendland]

Artist Uses Keys From Computer Keyboards to Create Portraits of Famous People

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:44:32 -0500

Melbourne-based artist WBK, or Works By Knight, has recently presented his latest project, a portrait series named “Analog to Digital”.

Each portrait in the collection has been painstakingly constructed with keys from computer keyboards and other digital components—the portraits are meant to make a statement about humanity’s technological progress.

Featuring renowned visionaries, athletes and celebrities—including Nelson Mandela, Usain Bolt and Ryan Gosling—the subjects of these portraits were selected because they have influenced the world in various ways.

Scroll down to view more from the ‘Analog to Digital’ series.

[via Design Boom]

Videographer Gets Amazing Footage After Bear ‘Eats’ His GoPro Camera

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:36:54 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Brad Josephs was in Alaska filming, wanting to get up-close footage of grizzly bears for the BBC’s ‘Great Bear Stakeout’.

He got more than he bargained for when a three-year-old grizzly bear decided to chow down on his ‘GoPro’ camera that was strapped to a rock.

In a sterling endorsement of the camera’s capabilities, the camera survived the attack unscathed, leaving us amazing and terrifying footage of a bear trying to eat it.

Click here to to watch the terrifying video of a bear up-close:

[via Alaska Bears & Wolves]

A Cat Toy Powered By The Sun, Keeps Felines Busy While You’re At Work

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:55:22 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

For those of you who are usually at work during the day and don’t have the time to play with your cats, there is an automated toy for your pets that runs on solar energy.

Called the ‘Solar Powered Cat Tantalizer’, the toy has suction cups to mount on a glass window—when the sun shines onto the solar panels on its back, the motor moves the rod with a plastic ball and feathers on its end in spontaneous directions.

The tantalizing cat toy is sure to catch your feline friend’s attention, and keep it amused and busy while you’re gone.

To bond with your cat over playtime, the toy can also be switched off, and its rod can be removed for pet owners to play with their cats themselves.

Watch a cat playing with the toy below:

[via Hammacher Schlemmer and SolarChasers.com]

A Vintage Illustrated Guide From 1969, On Safe Bicycle Riding

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:01:16 -0500

“Cause of many accidents—no control of handlebars.”
“An invitation to the undertaker.”

Some bicycle safety tips from this charming, vintage 1969 Bicycle Safety collection, warns against being overly confident when riding your bicycle.

It also warns against rushing to your destination on a bike.

While the messages are admittedly more explicit that the signs or warnings we see today, they're nonetheless perennially relevant.

Enjoy this timeless collection, below:

[via Brainpickings.org, images via Bicycle Safety]

Customizable Wallpaper That You Can ‘Tear Off’ Anytime

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:57:23 -0500

We’ve talked about customisable wallpaper by ZNAK before, but its new offering gives a new spin to “tearing down your wallpaper”.

Featuring perforations inspired by the transformation of snakes, the ‘Tear Off’ wallpaper can be customized by tearing off only the pieces you choose.

This process also highlights the texture and color of the background, giving you even more creative possibilities.

[via Design Milk]

Creative Agency Builds A City Of Food

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:25:16 -0500

Stockholm-based creative agency PJADAD has built a city out of tiny blocks of food for Swedish restaurant and food project Atelier Food.

Atelier Food’s project involves an exploration of the relationship between food, sustainability, energy, culture, urban development and transportation.

To show this, PJADAD decided on a design based on a city grid.

“The still life represents the work of Atelier Food and the connection between food and society. It links the playfulness and creativity within the project with the ambitious goals and long-term challenges”.

[via De Zeen]

A Versatile And Stylish Micro-Apartment, Designed By Prisoners

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:08:45 -0500

The creators of the Freedom Room project—a 96-square-foot micro-apartment designed to be flexible and adaptable—has teamed up with some unlikely partners: the inmates of a high security prison in Spoleto, Italy.

With intimate knowledge of living in small spaces, these prisoner-consultants helped to create a clever apartment that showcases a new concept for temporary and social housing, hotels and hostels.

Although it is modeled after a jail cell, the interiors of the Freedom Room is cozy, stylish and feels surprisingly spacious—within the tiny area, it manages to fit a work/dining area, two beds, drawers, overhead storage, a kitchen and a bathroom.

Due to the space constraints, most of the furniture are made to be multi-purpose—for instance, the doorway dividing the living and sleeping areas doubles as a shelf.

With apartments becoming more compact as cities become denser, the concepts used to create the Freedom Room would become increasingly important in building quality homes.

[via Dornob]

Beautiful Graphic Symbols That Represent UK’s Major Metro Stations

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:04:41 -0500

Back in 1999, Railtrack commissioned UK-based design consultancy Lloyd Northover to create graphic badges that represent 14 major stations in the UK.

In the ‘National Rail Identity’ project, each circular badge had its own symbol that represent either the station architecture, the vicinity, or historical associations—for wandering wayfarers to more easily identify their location.

According to Creative Review, Lloyd Northover co-founder John Lloyd said that the symbols were to “enhance and communicate the distinct personality of each of the major stations”.

From Edinburgh Castle and Gatwick Airport, to Paddington Station and King’s Cross Station, check out the beautiful, condensed graphic symbols:

Edinburgh Waverley referencing Edinburgh Castle

Paddington Station

Euston Arch at London Euston

Gatwick Airport Station

Manchester Piccadilly Station (Victorian viaducts)

Glasgow Central Station, referencing Mackintosh

Charing Cross Station

King’s Cross Station

Victoria Station

Waterloo Station—Waterloo’s lion used to stand outside, before being moved to City Hall

Liverpool Street Station

Birmingham New Street Station

London Bridge Station

[via Creative Review and John David Lloyd]

'Star Wars'-'Star Trek' Cookies Combine Best Of Both Universes

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:08:56 -0500

'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' fans may not always get along, but Portland based Sarah Trefny has created something that both groups can agree on: delicious looking ‘Trek Wars’ cookies.

Trefny reimagines 'Star Trek' characters dressed as those from 'Star Wars', resulting in a cute combination that works surprisingly well together.

The cookies were made by first printing out the designs, then tracing the outlines before hand cutting the cookie dough.

The next step involves using an iPad to superimpose the reference image onto the cookie and piping the details in.

All that’s left to do is bake, and enjoy eating them.

Spock and Chekov as Jedi

Captain Kirk as Han Solo and a Chewie Tribble

Uhura as Princess Leia

McCoy as C3PO and Scotty as R2D2

Sulu as a Rebel Pilot

A Klingon as Darth Vader

[via Klickitat Street]

Gruesome, Incredibly Realistic Sculptures Of Monstrous Body Parts

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:05:44 -0500

US-based sculptor Karen, better known as “dogzillalives” on DeviantArt, makes switch plates—the covers of electric switches—and other objects that feature gruesome body parts, like bulging eyeballs and fang-filled mouths.

Each disgusting piece is carefully and expertly crafted—apart from switch plates, she also creates wall plaques, nook covers, bracelets, barrettes and buttons.

Her life-like work is truly frightening and not for the weak-stomached.

Head over to the artist’s DeviantArt page to find out how you can get your hands on these horrifying, statement-making accessories.

[via Deviant Art]

Boring Math Equations Turned Into Whimsical Animal Illustrations

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:46:57 -0500

In her illustrated series ‘Drawing Mathematics’, Zurich-based illustrator Kasia Jackowska turns boring math equations and concepts into adorable, whimsical animal illustrations.

These illustrations were created for a brochure published by the Department of Mathematics of the University of Warsaw.

Check them out below:

[via Kasia Jackowska]

Adorable Lifelike Animal Sculptures Made Of Pipe Cleaners

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:55:52 -0500

Artist Lauren Ryan eschews more traditional media when making animal sculptures—instead she favors the humble pipe cleaner.

Ryan bends, curls and intertwines the pipe cleaners together to form amazingly adorable, fuzzy and lifelike critters.

A purist, she never uses glue in her work, thinking of it as cheating, and only sometimes uses scissors.

Continually improving, Ryan has recreated a variety of creatures, from real wolves, to fictional wolf spirits from the video game ‘Ōkami’.

[via My Modern Met, Chenille Stems]

Flowchart: Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Graphic Designer?

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:49:02 -0500

So you want to be a graphic designer?

To help you determine if you are meant to be in this creative profession, Michael Stout has created an entertaining flowchart.

According to the flowchart, besides having a knack for drawing, graphic designers should also have the ability to take criticism well, have good time management, and have a passion for art and design.

Still not sure? Check out the flowchart below to find out more:

Click to view enlarged version

Click to view enlarged version

[via Visual.ly]

112-Year-Old ‘Floating Church’ Sits On Stilts To Be Renovated

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:37:48 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Click to view enlarged version

Previously known as ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’, the Provo, Utah-based 112-year-old building was destroyed by fire in 2010 and is currently being restored.

To add a two-story basement to the over-a-century-old building—that has been converted into a Mormon temple—engineers have dug up the earth around and below it, and had it sit on stilts.

The Provo Tabernacle hasn’t been moved an inch; rather, engineers, architects and others involved in the project secured the entire structure with intricate scaffolding, and drove piles into the ground below it.

After the piles were in place, the ground below the building was excavated—with it raised 40-feet in the air with stilts, the seven million-pound building seems as if it’s ‘floating’.

About the project:

The Fire in 2010:

[via Brian Hansen and Mormon Newsroom, images via Intellectual Reserve, Inc.]

Adorable Illustrations Of Superheroes Walking Their Sidekicks To School

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:39:10 -0500

Paris-based animation designer Andry Rajoelina has re-imagined the relationship between superheroes and their sidekicks—in his ‘Justice Families’ series, he depicted the superheroes as parents to their sidekicks.

In these adorable illustrations, members of the Justice League are seen walking—or in the case of Flash, running at super-human speed—their young sidekicks to school.

Although only their back views are seen, there is no mistaking the famous comic book characters in their distinctive costumes.

This sweet illustrated series portrays the traditional mentorship between superheroes and their sidekicks in a refreshing way.

Scroll down to view more from the Justice Families collection:

[via Andry Rajoelina]

Colorful Latte Art Brings Iconic Cartoon Characters To Life

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:28:45 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Japanese artist Nowtoo Sugi has given latte art an added dimension by using colored bartender syrup to make his characters stand out.

Ranging from the classic Hello Kitty to the Iron Man, the hobbyist latte artist mixes colored syrup to get the shades that he needs to illustrate his coffee characters.

He even has a YouTube channel where he shows you the processes behind all of his creations—wouldn’t you love to find one of these in your morning coffee?

However, as he is doing this just for fun, only his friends and family get to indulge on his awesome coffee art.

[via Kotaku]

Street Artist Takes His Art Off The ‘Streets’ And Places Them On Walls

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:35:50 -0500

Norwegian street artist Anders Gjennestad, also known as Strøk, has created wall art that makes clever use of its context, depicting both the subject and how it interacts with the space.

Using hand cut multi-layered stencils, Gjennestad is able to create photorealistic images with “depth and detail that is complex, tactile and mentally engaging”.

[via Anders Gjennestad]

Weird Paintings By Neo Rauch Are Both Mesmerizing and Beautiful

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:34:20 -0500

An unusual combination of realist and surrealist styles, Neo Rauch’s paintings often depict 1950s socialist era figures against strange backdrops of landscapes and architecture.

His fluid grasp on scale and perspective make the paintings even more unreal, yet there is a puzzling and unexpected familiarity that resonates from within them.

It is hard to figure out what is happening in his paintings, let alone understand it.

Nevertheless, his work is mesmerizing and beautiful and they are definitely well worth a ponder.

[via It’s Nice That, images via David Zwirner]

Ethereal Photos Of Women Unaffected By Gravity

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:21:19 -0500

Ever dreamt that you could escape the clutches of gravity and just float away?

Russian photographer Nikolay Tikhomirov explores that premise in his fanciful photo series ‘Zero Gravity’.

His set of surreal photographs take place in a dreamscape-like setting, giving the photographs an added sense of wonder and fancy.

Do his ethereal photographs depict the dreams of his subjects or are they really unbound by gravity?

[via PetaPixel, images via Nikolay Tikhomirov]

‘Dumb Ways To Die’, Now Available As A Video Game App

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:06:09 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Advertising agency McCann Australia has taken Metro Trains Melbourne’s catchy and adorable animation ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ and made it into a video game app for the iPhone and iPad.

Starring the same ‘dumb’ characters from the video, the game features a series of mini games that requires you to “save as many characters as you can” by protecting private parts from piranhas, cleaning up vomit and feeding rattlesnakes.

You can download the game ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ for free from the iTunes Store.

Click to watch the original video:

[via AdWeek, images via iTunes Store]

Beautiful Illustrations Explore The History Behind English Words

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:39:08 -0500

Window

early 13c., lit. "wind eye," from O.N. vindauga, from vindr "wind" + auga "eye." Replaced O.E. eagþyrl, lit. "eye-hole," and eagduru, lit. "eye-door." Originally an unglazed hole in a roof, most Germanic languages adopted a version of L. fenestra to describe the glass version, and English used fenester as a parallel word till mid-16c.

Designed by Dan Cassaro

‘Illustrated Etymology’ is a website created by Portland-based illustrator Adam R. Garcia that explores the history of words in the English language.

The site features a collection of illustrations that explore the meaning and evolution of certain English words that we use in our everyday lives.

For more, please visit Illustrated Etymology.

Kid

c.1200, "the young of a goat," from a Scandinavian source (cf. O.N. kið "young goat"), from P.Gmc. *kiðjom (cf. O.H.G. kizzi, Ger. kitze, Dan., Swed. kid). Extended meaning of "child" first recorded as slang 1590s, established in informal usage by 1840s. Applied to skillful young thieves and pugilists since at least 1812. Kid stuff "something easy" is from 1913 (The phrase was in use about that time in reference to vaudeville acts or advertisements featuring children, and to children-oriented features in newspapers).

Designed by Lloyd Eugene Winter IV

Digital

1650s, "pertaining to fingers," from L. digitalis, from digitus.

Designed by Grace Danico

Average

Late 15c., "financial loss incurred through damage to goods in transit," from Frenchavarie "damage to ship," and Italian avaria; a word from 12c. Mediterranean maritime trade (cf. Spanish averia; other Germanic forms, Dutch avarij, German haferei, etc., also are from Romanic languages), of uncertain origin.

Designed by Dominic Flask

Cappuccino

1948, from Italian cappuccino, from Capuchin in reference to the beverage's color and its supposed resemblance to that of the brown hoods of the Friars Minor Capuchins.

Designed by Jake Holloman

Bikini

"low-waisted two-piece women's bathing suit," 1948, from French coinage, 1947, named for U.S. A-bomb test of June 1946 on Bikini, Marshall Islands atoll, locally Pikinni and said to derive from pik "surface" and ni "coconut," but this is uncertain. Various explanations for the swimsuit name have been suggested, none convincingly, the best being an analogy of the explosive force of the bomb and the impact of the bathing suit style on men's libidos (cf. c.1900 British slang assassin "an ornamental bow worn on the female breast," so called because it was very "killing").

Designed by Jason Sturgill

Berserk

1844, from berserk (n.) "Norse warrior," by 1835, an alternative form of berserker (1822), a word which was introduced by Sir Walter Scott, from O.N. berserkr (n.) "raging warrior of superhuman strength;" probably from *ber- "bear" + serkr "shirt," thus lit. "a warrior clothed in bearskin."

Designed by Adam R. Garcia

Hack

"to cut roughly, cut with chopping blows," c.1200, from verb found in stem of O.E.tohaccian "hack to pieces," from W.Gmc. *hakkon (cf. O.Fris. hackia "to chop or hack," Du.hakken, O.H.G. hacchon, Ger. hacken), from PIE *keg- "hook, tooth." Perhaps influenced by O.N. höggva "to hack, hew" (cf. hacksaw).

Designed by Levi McGranahan

Marsupial

1690s, from Mod.L. marsupialis "having a pouch," coined from L.L. marsupium "pouch, purse," L. marsuppium, from Gk. marsipion, dim. of marsipos "pouch"

Designed by Margherita Urbani

Kamikaze

"suicide flier," 1945, Japanese, lit. "divine wind," from kami "god, providence, divine" + kaze"wind." Originally the name given in folklore to a typhoon which saved Japan from Mongol invasion by wrecking Kublai Khan's fleet (August 1281). The attacks began in October 1944 off the Philippines.

Designed by Jack Teagle

[via Illustrated Etymology]

Facebook’s Iconic ‘Like’ Symbol, Re-Imagined In Superhero Style

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:24:19 -0500

Have you ever came across something on Facebook that is so awesome that simply “liking” it would not suffice? In such cases, you would need a “super like” option.

Bogota-based graphic designer and illustrator Jaime Calderón has re-imagined the iconic thumb-up symbol with the hands of well-known superheroes.

Dressing up the now ubiquitous Facebook icon with various easily recognizable superhero garb—like the web-print glove of Spider Man—the graphic designer is able to give it an entertaining and refreshing spin.

One of the most amusing of the ‘Super Likes’ icons is that of Flash—due to his super-speed, we only get to see half of the icon because the other half has already moved out of frame.

See below for the rest of the ‘Super Likes’ collection:

[via Character Designed Served]

Hilarious Inflight Conversations Between Passengers

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:03:20 -0500

Virgin Airlines installed an inflight chat app that lets passengers talk to each other, with their seat numbers as usernames.

As such, Imgur user MangoMuffinz has posted screenshot-like images of what passengers might actually write to each other while on a plane.

Whether these are just imagined or real, they are humorous nonetheless.

[via Business Insider]

Singles-Only Train Carriages For Those Looking For Love

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:52:41 -0500

Ropid, Prague’s public transport company, may soon introduce singles-only train cabins for those who are too busy to take time off to find a partner.

Filip Drapal, spokesperson for Ropid, states that he wants to make life “more pleasant” for all commuters who make use of the service.

Details of this arrangement are still in the works—the company is conducting surveys to ascertain which age-groups are interested, and when to make these carriages available.

What do you think—are such singles-only carriages a great modern match-making idea or just “absolute nonsense”?

[via Telegraph]

Photographer Captures Amazing Apocalyptic Skies During Extreme Weather

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:07:47 -0500

Having fallen in love with a small town in America, photographer Sean R Heavey has been capturing Northeastern Montana’s beautiful rural landscapes for the last few years—and some of his best pictures are of the dark, apocalyptic skies seen during thrilling storms.

To document the astounding swirling clouds and even lightning flashes that occur only during extreme weather, he digitally tracks the storms before driving out to meet them.

Venturing out well-prepared with a tank full of gas, an escape route and vital knowledge of storm-chasing, Heavey often returns home with rare images of awe-inspiring tumultuous skies.

By stitching together multiple shots, he is able to obtain stunning panoramic shots that would not look out of place in a doomsday movie.

Scroll down for more pictures from his ‘Sky, Clouds and the Sky Above’ collection—or head over to his website to view the rest of his work.

[via My Modern Met]

Beardvertising: The New Beard Advertising Concept

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:36:37 -0500

Kentucky-based ad agency Cornett-IMS has come up with Beardvertising, an interesting concept of placing ads on beards.

Beardvertising pays men with beards US$5.00 a day to place a small ad in their beards.

Taking the idea from the fact that people love beards, and advertising on your body was not unheard of, the agency created Beardvertising when they realized that beards were untapped media space that consumers interacted with every day.

So far, the strange concept has already gained a supporter. The fast food chain A&W has stamped its approval for Beardvertising by signing up as a business partner.

[via Business Insider]

A Funny Illustrated Survival Guide On How To React When Animals Attack

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:15:11 -0500

Popular health blog Hella Wella has created an incredibly humorous survival guide on how you should react when animals attack.

This funny guide gives precious advice on how to keep yourself alive if you should encounter a wolf, bear, alien, or other animals.

Hella Wella may be a health blog, but in the instance of facing a survival situation, being healthy means staying alive.

View the humorous tips below:

[via Fast Company]

A Butcher Shop With Gorgeous Branding & Identity That Cuts The Competition

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:59:16 -0500

Milan-based graphic designer Luca Fontana has done some lovely branding and identity work for a butcher shop in Milan.

What makes Fontana’s work unique is in the details. For example, a common element of her design is to use a slanted red and white streak across the packaging and collateral items, as if depicting using a knife to slice meat.

Other elements, such as creating the store’s business cards to be ribbon-edged make the store’s identity closely related to what we commonly know of meat and the butcher.

This branding project is for Osso, the first butcher's shop with open kitchen in Milan. It follows a simple concept where one selects a type and cut of meat over a counter, and then watch it being prepared through the open kitchen.

[via Luca Fontana]

Meet Ketchup, The App That Helps You Catch Up With Your Friends

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:44:53 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

A new free app called Ketchup aims to help you make socializing plans in a much simpler way.

Ketchup is a smartphone app on iPhone and Android devices that helps you arrange sessions to catch up with your friends.

By allowing users to connect the app to their Facebook account, they can easily select the friend they want to catch up with, and then choose the activity from a wide list of activities, such as having coffee, lunch, and even doing a yoga class together.

Once you are sent an invite, it gets added to your “table” and can only be wiped off if you check it off as completed, cancel the session, or “flake out” from it.

As Matt Capucilli—the developer of Ketchup—explains, “This is a new protocol. It’s a new way of organizing your social behavior. If you don’t want to enter into an agreement to do drinks with someone, then you don’t have to agree with it.”

What do you think? Will this app help make catching up with old friends and colleagues a much simpler event?

View the demo below:

[via PSFK]

Beautifully Crafted Vintage-Finish Posters Featuring The Characters Of DC Comics

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:01:37 -0500

Iowa-based illustrator and designer Michael B. Myers Jr. has created some vintage-style posters for the characters of DC Comics.

These posters feature the usual favorites from the Justice League—such as The Flash, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin, Aquaman, and more.

They are a part of a personal project of Myers’, and they are certainly well crafted and thoughtful.

[via Michael B. Myers Jr.]

Majestic & Artistic Photographs Of The Rarely Seen Antarctic

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:05:12 -0500

Italian photographer Enzo Barracco has shot some spectacular photographs of icebergs, which he took on his self-funded trip to the Antarctic.

Barracco is known for his fashion and portrait work, but after reading a book by British explorer Ernest Shackleton, he was inspired to take a trip there himself.

"Normally only 'science people' go there," says Barracco. "I wanted to photograph the landscape in an artistic way."

The result of Barracco’s month-long trip in the Antarctic region, where he took most of his pictures on a tiny rubber boat, are these majestic shots of icebergs—they were on show at the Royal Geographical Society earlier this year, as well as in Paris.

[via Creative Review]

A Redesign Concept For UK National Rail’s Train Tickets

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:08:20 -0500

Manchester-based graphic designer David Rutter has came up with a new ticket design for the United Kingdom National Rail.

He was fed up with the garish colors and boring typography of the ticket, so he took it upon himself to redesign it.

In his concept, he had merely wanted to ensure that the ticket was easy to read and identify for train inspectors and passengers alike—and did so, by simply removing all unnecessary information and clearly color-coding various ticket types.

He has also added new features to the design to include provisions for train service updates.

Rutter’s concept not only ensures that tickets can be easily read, it is also easy on the eye.

[via Creative Bloq]

Endearing Photos Celebrate Aging Companions: A Granny And Her Loyal Cat

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:49:48 -0500

A little over a decade ago, Japanese photographer Miyoko Ihara started taking photographs of Misao, her grandmother.

Incidentally, she captured the lovely relationship of her 89-year-old granny had with an adorable tabby cat named, Fukumaru—which is Japanese for, ‘good fortune circle’.

As the heartwarming story goes, Misao and Fukumaru met when the former found her abandoned in a shed. Ihara's granny described the tabby as an “odd-eyed kitten” which naturally caught her attention.

Fukumaru experiences some disabilities and isn't entirely healthy. Nevertheless, both Misao and Fukumaruhave graciously aged together, giving each other the comfort that the other needs.

Meet the charming duo, below:

[More pictures of Misao and Fukumaru enjoying each other's company can be found in Ihara's book, ‘Misao The Big Mama And Fukumaru The Cat’.]

[via Mymodernmet.com, images via Miyoko Ihara]

Artist Creates A ‘Whale’ That Can ‘Float’ In The Sky

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:29:12 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Patricia Piccinini designed ‘The Skywhale’ hot-air balloon for the centenary celebrations of Australia's capital, Canberra.

The magnificent balloon will be journeying to various destinations within Australia throughout 2013.

 The Skywhale is made up of a whopping 3,535 meters of fabric, which holds together well and tight, thanks to approximately 3.3 million stitches throughout the structure.

Creating a streamlined hot-air balloon, to more closely resemble whales in the ocean, didn't make ‘hot-air balloon sense’, so, instead the Sierra Leonean artist imagined huge udders and a large, round body to accommodate all the gas The Skywhale needed to 'fly'.

Piccinini commented about her work, saying that while “The Skywhale may appear fantastic,” she hopes that we can look at it and think about the blue whale—an “air breathing mammal that lives in the ocean.”

If we are able to look at The Skywhale and ponder about what it represents; what it's ‘for’, then it might serve to remind us that, “nature is not necessarily ‘for us’. It just ‘is’ and we're just lucky enough to be around to see it.”

Have a good ride with The Skywhale in the video below:

[via Designboom.com, images via Patricia Piccinini and Theskywhale.com]

102-Year-Old Majestic Ship Becomes Abandoned ‘Floating Forest’

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:45:07 -0500

The 1,140 tonne SS Ayrfield, which currently 'resides' in Homebush Bay, Sydney, is a peculiar ship.

Originally built in the United Kingdom back in 1911 and later registered as a steam collier in Sydney, the vessel was used to transport supplies to American soldiers stationed in the Pacific, during World War II.

Finally decommissioned in 1972, the 'wizened' vessel has been left to its own devices.

In the past few decades, it has achieved an impressive green foliage throughout its deck and haul, adding life and character to the area as its 'Floating Forest'.

Have a look at this enchanting sleeping giant, below:

Photography by: Andy Brii

Photography by: Neerav Bhatt

Photography by: Steve Dorman

Photography by: Rodney Campbell

Photography by: Louise Evangelique

Photography by: Louise Evangelique

[via Mymodernmet.com, images via Andy Brii, Neerav Bhatt, Steve Dorman, Rodney Campbell, Louise Evangelique]

Adorable Photos Of Friendship Between A Japanese Boy And His Dog

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:08:13 -0500

Japanese mother/‘Instragram-er’ Aya Sakai has been lovingly chronicling sweet moments between her son and his best friend—a French Bulldog that's pretty much the same size as he is.

These warm, innocent pictures are too adorable to ignore:

[via Mymodernmet.com, images via Aya Sakai]

Charging Your Cellphone In 20 Seconds May Just Become A Reality

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:07:24 -0500

The young Eesha Khare of Saratoga, California, has invented a nifty energy storage device, known loosely as a 'supercapacitator', that can be 'instantly' charged in 20-30 seconds.

The 18-year-old's invention may just revolutionize the way we charge our devices—If it finds its way into our daily-use devices, like the cellphone, waiting hours for our phones to charge may just become a thing of the past.

The Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awardee related that she was inspired to create this device by her own 'ever-dying' cellphone battery. She wanted something that would charge fast and hold the energy for longer—so she invented it.

The ingenious invention also has a longer life. It can go through 10,000 charge-recharge cycles, which is in stark contrast to the 1,000 cycles of conventional rechargeable batteries.

As of now, Khare has successfully powered an LED light with the supercapacitator, proving the immense potential of her invention. As she explained, “[the device] is also flexible, so it can be used in rollup displays and clothing and fabric.”

How will 20-30 second cellphone/gadget charging, impact your life?

[via NBC News, image via Intel]

App Encourages Sharing Of Food Pics On Instagram, For World Hunger Awareness

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:54:46 -0500

[Click here to view the video in this article]

Manos Unidas NGO, which promotes the development of some of the world’s poorest countries, has created a ‘FoodShareFilter’ app, which empowers users to raise awareness about world hunger by, ‘foodstagram-ing’—or rather, sharing customized food photos on Instagram.

The app, priced at US$0.99 to help fight world hunger, lets users apply a filter that comes with a message that reads, ‘This photo helps millions of people to avoid starvation’ in Spanish. It also comes with the hashtag #foodsharefilter. From here, Instagram users can then easily share the picture with their network.

With each photo shared, Manos Unidas gains nothing monetarily, but hopes that the photos featuring the message will help people become more aware about food poverty.

Is spreading pictures of food with messages on them, a good way to raise awareness about food poverty? Or is it a case of misplaced intentions?

The video below explains more, in Spanish:

[via Springwise.com, images via Manos Unidas NGO]