Papa Products

The lovely folks over at Papa Products sent me an amazing custom embroidered Baby Carrier Cover sporting a big giant white cross. Yes, of course, I am loving it!

The 1Z is a cover for the industry’s most popular carrier brands, including all models of the Baby Bjorn, the Infantino Comfortrider, Chicco, as well as several other structured front carriers. Protect the carrier from spit-up and drool! Machine-wash the 1Z when baby makes a mess to minimize the need to wash the carrier.

Brilliant! PapaProducts Baby Carrier Cover.

Jim Coudal on “What’s Next?”

The Design Glut ladies asked Jim Coudal in this interview “What’s Next?” His answer:

I don’t know what’s next! It’s kind of a joke, but we’re proudly “without business plan” in our 13th year. We’ve had a lot of things not work, and that’s OK too. If it’s a good idea and it gets you excited, try it, and if it bursts into flames, that’s going to be exciting too. People always ask, “What is your greatest failure?” I always have the same answer – We’re working on it right now, it’s gonna be awesome!

Jim Coudal on DesignGlut

Nook

The Pebble Mattress by Nook is supposed to be the world’s most considered infant mattress. From a unique air layer that fosters oxygen flow inside the mattress, to the superior softness of all-natural eucalyptus fibers, to the unique pebbled surface that promotes air circulation, every detail is examined for maximum breathability, non-toxicity and smart design in the crib.

All I know is that it looks pretty darn cool. Made me Nook.

(via coolmompicks)

Be a virtual guest

Preparation for our upcoming swissmiss-blog-birthday party on may 26th, 2010 are in full swing. Get ready for Alphorns, Cheese and Photo Booth Fun! Did you buy a ticket yet?

Not in NYC? No problem, join us virtually, like the lovely folks on the images above.

Take a photo of yourself holding up a sign saying either where you’re from, your url, twitter name or any other type of birthday message that you wouldn’t mind displayed on a huge giant screen. The photos in this Flickr group will be rotating on the screen during the event. Add your image to the group or if you do not have a Flickr Account, email it to me and I’ll add it on your behalf.

(While I love the collages people have sent in, it’s all about having you be part of the festivities, so please include yourself in a photo…)

The Vanishing of the Bees

Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, literally vanishing from their hives. Known as Colony Collapse Disorder, this phenomen has brought beekepers to crisis in an industry responsible for producing apples, broccoli, watermelon, onions, cherries and hundred of other fruits and vegetables. Commercial honeybee operations pollinate crops that make up one out of every three bites of food on our tables.

Vanishing of the Bees follows commercial beekeepers David Hackenberg and Dave Mendes as they strive to keep their bees healthy and fulfill pollination contracts across the U.S. The film explores the struggles they face as the two friends plead their case on Capital Hill and travel across the Pacific Ocean in the quest to protect their honeybees.

Here’s how you can take action:

Brighten up your garden with some bee-friendly flower seeds. Plant wildflower seeds in your garden, patio pots or window boxes to provide essential nutrition for bees.

vanishingbees.com (<-- this site needs help)

Gashole

Topos Graphics together with friend Sarah Riegelmann designed this “Gashole magnet”, as part of a personal anti-SUV guerilla campaign.

Yes, made me smile.

GIVE

How incredibly stunning is this GIVE graphic by Topos Graphics?

Inspired by the act of giving rather than by giving a gift, Topos Graphics gifted an idea for their 2007 mailer—GIVE. The lettering to them was both a form of giving the gift that keeps on giving and wrapping their intention—the ribbon having no clear beginning and no defined end. And to point at their intention (rather than the gift) we took away the preciousness of the print by adding a marked history to the paper. By crumpling and re-flattening the print it was as if the gift had already been given and the wrapping paper already effectively been tossed into the recycling pile. With that in mind, it was the thought that counted—and still counts.

Their edition numbered 212. Every package included a signed and numbered print within acid-free plastic, each labeled with a Happy Holidays sticker that they had custom-printed to be used within a pricing gun.

Kolelinia

Kolelinia is a concept for riding bikes on a new type of bicycle-lanes, based on steel wires. Definitely made me look and chuckle.

48 Hour Magazine | Issue Zero

The first 48 Hour Magazine is out! What a fantastic experiment in using new tools to erase media’s old limits. As the name suggests, 48h was written, photographed, illustrated, designed, and edited in two days.

From noon on May 7th through noon on the 9th, a team circled up around the original Rolling Stone conference table in Mother Jones’ offices to transform 1,502 submissions from around the world into a chorus of voices, all harmonizing around the same theme: hustle. 48 Hour Magazine features 60 pages of writers and artists from your favorite magazines sharing space with previously unpublished new talent, shaped by some of the best editors in the business.

Phenomenal. Refreshing. I love it.

Preview the issue on MagCloud.
Buy Issue Zero.

Check out the images of the making of over on flickr.

Pixels



(via @ideas_economy)

a very special visitor

We had a very special visitor at the studio today: The space-suit-loving StarDuck!

(thanks for the smile Florian)

Growing a Beard

(via mailchimp)

“Daddy, What’s a Brand?”

We live in The Age Of Everything. Why commit? There are 80 milllion Millennials aged 9-28 in the U.S. alone. Half are already in college or the workforce, and the women will be a tornado. They group around shared affinity more than shared nationality, they’re prosumers not consumers, and they care more about peer recommendation than corporate reputation. They grew up in a world where change is too fast to process, but they know one thing: if you wait a minute or two, something better is sure to be along. They live on an IV drip of real-time connection, and are fiercely interdependent. If you’re a company, failing to consider their preferences would be, in their own vernacular, WOMBAT–a waste of money, brains and time.

“Daddy, What’s a Brand?” and 9 More Awkward Questions for Uncertain Times, by Graham Button

Colleen & Eric


This bookshelf called Hold On Tight by Colleen & Eric took my breath away. It comes with an integrated bookend (a cube with an oversized wing-nut that you can loosen and slide on a track to make room for more books). It’s minimal and brilliant. Make that cube white or red and I am in heaven.

Big Book of Small Spaces

Our little family had the pleasure to take part in Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan’s latest Apartment Therapy book project: Big Book of Small Spaces. During a photo shoot last year they captured our bedroom, home office and Ella’s bedroom. (above)

I was so excited to see the final product, having heard so much about it! The apartments they feature are truly inspiring. Wonderful to see how everyone embraced the challenge of ‘small’.

The inspiring book is coming out this week! Yay!

You can preview the book here.

PAWLING


The lovely folks of PAWLING print studio sent me a set of their adorable onesies which have quickly become our favorites at casa swissmiss. They are on heavy rotation on the little man. (He is sporting on in the above picture) The front of each onesie features a screenprinted minimal animal illustration. Yes for simplicity!

PAWLING Onesies

PrintCollection.com

My friend Douglas Levere pointed me to one of his new projects called PrintCollection.com.

Print Collection publishes new images each day. Fall in love with one? No problem, order a museum quality print for your home or office. I wouldn’t mind a copy of this Flatiron Print, or this Amundsen Blimp.

Charlie



Now that’s a stylish diaper bag. Hello there, Charlie. It’s by a new brand called Timi & Leslie.

Hyperactivitypography

Hyperactivitypography from A to Z is an activity book for typographers
illustrated in a nostalgic vintage style to give it a sweet and childlike look.
The book is packed with activities, ranging from silly to hard core nerdiness.
It’s great to test your skills on and to learn new things while having fun.
Who said typography had to be stiff and boring?

You can flip through the book or buy it on www.hyperactivitypography.com!

(via thinkingaloud)

CreativeMornings Video: Oliver Jeffers

Our speaker at the April 2010 CreativeMornings was Oliver Jeffers generously hosted by Harper CollinsSy Abudu for offering her video and editing skills.

2010/04 Oliver Jeffers from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

TDC | Beautifully Banal

I had the honor to be part of this very cool project by The Type Directors Club called Beautifully Banal.

TDC and Cardon Copy asked 16 designers to find a classified/personal newspaper ad from our local community to “hijack” typographically. When redesigned, the once banal and disposable classified ads are reinterpreted by the designer into a one-of-a-kind collectible poster. Each poster will be auctioned on Tuesday evening, May 11th (starting at 6:00 pm), with proceeds to benefit the TDC Scholarship Fund.

I also happen to give a talk that night, right before the auction. To register please email the TDC (email on the bottom of this page) or call 1-212-633-8943.

The original classified:

My interpretation:

UPDATE: One of my readers, Erik Wessel, pointed out that my classified seems to be from a puppy mill. I had no idea and am sorry to be giving this breeder additional attention with my poster. If you do get a puppy (or a poodle for that matter) please make sure to go through breeders that treat their animals with respect and dignity.

I am *not* endorsing the sale of puppies like this or this breeder, and I simply chose this ad because the idea of “poodles, all colors” was attractive to me as a designer.

iPads and Family Life

Interesting read: What iPads Did To My Family, by Chuck Hollis

(thank you kevin)

Join our coworking space, rent a desk!

Two of our wonderful studio mates are leaving us. One of them needs more space and the other is moving across the Atlantic! (Booo!) This means, two desks are becoming available, one on june 1st and one on july 1st. If you know anyone that would make a good addition to our awesome collaborative workspace, send them our way.

Who are we (currently) at #612a?

Cameron Kozcon of FictiveKin (my partner in crime on TeuxDeux), Chesley Andrews* of Dossier Studio, Max Ritt of swissmiss studio, Chris Shiflett of Analog, William Spencer Copy Writer Extraordinnaire, Jessica Hische* Type Goddess and Jennifer Ward of Minor Details.

* = studiomates leaving us

We are located in DUMBO, Brooklyn, right on the water. Here, this could be your view: EveryDayEastRiver.Tumblr.com

For a mere $500 a month, you get:
– An approx 6ft long desk
– Did I mention the east river/manhattan view already?
– Wifi
– Water
– Access to a scanner and laser printer
– For all of you coffee addicts, we have an amazing Nespresso Coffee Maker.
– A HUGE Ideapaint wall for brainstorming
– And then, here’s one of our best assets, you get to stream music to our Geneva XL.
– On Friday’s we usually have Beer and Beetles Rockband evenings.
– Lots of geek talk over lunch
– Oh, and let’s not forget our awesome new neighbors, Workshop, which we totally consider an asset as well to have next door!

Interested in renting a desk at @612a? Email me and tell us why you think you’d be a good fit! (We secretly hope for some developers to join us!)

UPDATE: Chesley (dossierstudio) will be moving to Stockholm, Sweden beginning of July. She is hoping to find a similar shared studio space. Know of any? Get in touch with her: http://scr.im/235h (Oh, and she’ll also need an apartment in case you hear of anything!)

Live Your Dream Bib

If this bib doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what does. (Com’on Tilo (swissmister), don’t let anything stop you, you’re only 3months but hey, Live your dream!)