Method of Madness.

By now most people are familiar with Method, the cooly-designed, eco-friendly cleaning and personal products line most famously sold at Target. While visiting my local Target (or “Home” as I like to call it) a few weeks ago I was walking down the body wash and lotion aisle when I saw these crazy, stand out bottles. Turns out Method has a new line called Bloq. And it’s not only body wash, but lotion, shave cream and bar soap as well. Very cool, although I did wonder for just a moment how one would get all the product out of the rigid plastic, acute angled bottle. And questioned if the soap might be painful. Then I remembered how cool it looks and pushed the thoughts out of my mind.


Method is a really cool brand in general. Their products are bio-degradable, but they also work. Besides that they’re also made out of recycled materials and there’s no animal testing. Method’s products are non-toxic, so you can use them around children and pets. And the design is amazing, which makes you wonder why you’ve been hiding your cleaning products under the sink for so long. So breathe deep, knowing that you’re using a quality product – and that it also smells good.

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Aaron Jasinski.

Aaron Jasinski is a self-proclaimed artist/illustrator/musician. I’m really digging his illustrations and his web site design at the moment. It’s very minimalist meets organized chaos. Does that even make sense? I doubt it. The navigation is really unique, too. Anyway, it’s really cool and you should definitely check it out.


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Two Paperdolls.

I’ve talked about Louella before and mentioned that Two Paperdolls is their sister company. The ambience of their studio says a lot about Two Paperdolls and how they go about their work. They really seem to shine when given permission to go outside the lines of traditional design. They’ve even managed to squeeze in some work for Anthropologie, Nicole Miller and Vespa in between creating amazing designs for invitations and social events. Here are a few of their fantastic invitations to check out.



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MOP it Up.

Another thing about me: I’m a product glutton. I seem to rarely finish a bottle of shampoo, moisturizer, etc before buying a new one. And usually a different brand. Usually because I’m just bored with the smell, not happy with the results, or because I see something that’s well designed. Right now I think I’ve got five different shampoos and conditions in my shower. It’s pathetic, I know.


But that didn’t stop me from buying MOP’s Glisten shampoo and conditioner. I have really fine hair, but I have a lot of it, so I’m always on the hunt for something that’s going to volumize without weighing it down. Color protection is also an issue since I don’t want to pay to have my hair colored any more than necessary. Glisten is all those things and more because it’s also an organic product. The shampoo is full of things like linseed, vitamin C, wheat protein, maple syrup and real honey. The conditioner is packed with jojoba, linseed and avocado oils as well as honey and maple syrup. And it all smells awesome – like orange oil.

MOP has quite a few poducts geared towards all different types of hair. It’s all organic and the packaging is modern and simple – a great reflection of the product line.

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Good is Dead. The Work of Chip Kidd.

Chip Kidd is the closest thing to a rock star graphic design has. Kidd is recognized as a master of contemporary book design with his iconic covers, each a marriage of type and imagery. He’s basically influenced an entire generation of designers in every imaginable field.


And now he has a new book out. Chip Kidd: Book One collects all of his book covers and designs for the first time, as well as hundreds of developmental sketches and concepts. The book also showcases Kidd’s work with comics and graphic novels, including his collaborations with leading artists and writers in the field. Featured are projects for DC Comics, including Batman and Superman, as well as Kidd’s award-winning exploration of the art of Charles M. Schulz. Most notable, however, is the books design – a half cover relative to the full page layout. It’s going to be a handful to hold, but well worth it.

Check out Kidds site, too. I love the “design” design of it all.

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Alice Stevenson.

Alice Stevenson’s whimsical art is fantastic. Being a designer who has always harbored a secret – okay, not so secret – desire to design book covers, I can’t help but admire her work. I read a lot and half the time I choose my books based on their cover design. These I would most definitely buy!




Here are some of her other sketches…


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1000 Journals Project.


I love this. The 1000 Journals Project is an ongoing collaborative experiment attempting to follow 1000 journals throughout their travels. The goal is to provide a method for interaction and shared creativity among friends and strangers.

How does it work? Unfortunately, you’ve got a better chance of winning the lottery than of getting a hold of a journal. That’s the problem when there are only 1000 of them.

The project officially launched in August of 2000 with the release of the first 100 journals in San Francisco. Artist Someguy gave them to friends and left them at bars, cafes and on park benches. Shortly thereafter, people began emailing him, asking if they could participate. So Someguy started sending journals to folks, allowing them to share with friends, or strangers. It’s been a roller coaster ever since.



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Tazo Tea.

I’m a big fan of hot tea. I even went through a short phase of preferring it in the morning over coffee, which is saying a lot. The Tazo brand has long been one of my favorites. And its design presence is what initially turned me on to the tea.

The Tazo Tea site is beautifully designed with elegant type and photography. But it’s also got personality with its funky expanding menu, animated details, ethnic music and, my favorite, a Tea Leaf Oracle whose creepy eyes follow the mouse wherever it goes.



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Rethink: Contemporary Art.

Rethink of Vancouver, British Columbia is a cutting edge agency.

The agency’s philosophy – creative and otherwise – is pared down to the essentials. Pencil rough storyboard presentations (no PowerPoint). Notes in client meetings are taken on walls covered in chalkboard paint. Any leave-behinds are tucked into blank white folders, DVD covers, or booklets stamped with a small backwards circle R – the Rethink logo. Even business cards are generic – they’re plain white with blank spaces for the handwritten name of the staffer and a phone number or email address. The web site itself is a blank white screen with a small glyph saying “web site.” Pretty Cool.

This is my favorite project of theirs. Fifty-thousand buttons were displayed, each printed with a single word representing one of a hundred possible responses to contemporary art. The public was free to walk away with as many as they wanted in this installation for the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver.

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