Today was the perfect day to be on conference calls while looking at Etsy. So I did! Here are some lovely design goodies. ••••
Not an original post idea, but I still get a kick out of seeing peoples business card designs. Always inspiring. Enjoy some of these. More to be found here. ••••
Sure enough, Twitter employees were handing out business cards at SXSW this year!
"That may seem like a silly bit of news, but first consider the context. At SXSW, everything is going digital. Instead of handing out cards, many tech professionals just download a smartphone app called i-Nigma and then scan a barcode on other attendee's name tags. [In the past, Twitter] Employees just gave out their Twitter names instead."
That being said, I do like the card design and long live print!>••••
A couple weeks ago my friend Mark and I went to a BBQ/open house at the Because We Can Studio in Oakland. I recently came across their work while surfing the web one night and was instantly inspired and mesmerized by their impressive portfolio. Because We Can specializes in Sustainable Interior Design and Custom Furniture. By working collaboratively with a mix of artists, designers, fabricators, and builders the people behind Because We Can are able to create just about anything you can imagine. I brought Mark with me because he is a master craftsman (he builds boats as a hobby. no big deal.) and I knew that he would be interested in the actual engineering behind their work -- I just wanted to look at all the cool stuff. The low-key BBQ was the perfect setting for mingling with fellow creative masterminds, as well as the opportunity to see some of their current projects still in development. The awesome folks at the studio were friendly, welcoming, and took the time to walk us through their process. Click here to learn more about their studio and impressive business model -- seriously inspiring!
[The image above is a project in the works for the offices of Wikipedia, a little website you might have heard of. You know their famous globe icon? Well, Because We Can is making it 3-dimensional. So cool.]
Similarly, while at the Because We Can open house I was introduced to Ponoko, another amazing and creative company. Ponoko.com is an online shop for individualized goods. An individual submits their designs and Ponoko helps bring them to life!
"Ponoko manages every detail for you to buy, make and sell stuff. This service includes a marketplace for shoppers to find the most original designer crafted goods, match making between shoppers and designers to get exactly what you want, a personal online factory for you to 'click to make' whatever you can draw, and a personal online shop to show, share or sell your stuff."
Although based in New Zealand, the wise people at Ponoko sent Dan (see his own designs here) over to the United States to set up shop in an effort to expand their business. Because We Can opened up their studio and is now sharing their space with Ponoko. Dan took the time to tell us all about the company and showed us examples of their work. Ponoko offers a platform to help artists professionally develop and manufacture their designs; what an encouraging and exciting new opportunity for artists of all types. I have no idea what to design first, but I hope to submit something soon. ••••
In the wake of this economic crisis, I guess it's natural that our minds have been turning to the contents of our wallets. Everyday, Steve Heller writes a post relevant to design or art, called the Daily Heller, brought to you by Print magazine (if you are interested in having it mailed to you, visit the website here— I personaly love to see it show up in my inbox!) The other morning, he featured examples of emergency money made by the Germans and Austrians during their inflations after WWI. The Notgeld from Germany and the Heller from Austria are examples of the worthless but incredibly beautiful currency created during this period. But as much as I would love to see new money designed for the US (the penny is a nice start), I certainly hope it doesn't come to this! ••••
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