Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit up

Don’t really know how this video fell into my lap, divine intervention or by the efforts of an internet geek’s love of things pop-culture and quintessentially 80’s. The answer it seems is that I had been "Rickrolled"... don't know what that is? Someone needs to start surfing the nets and catch the Rick Astley tidal wave.

Rickrolling is an Internet meme typically involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song “Never Gonna Give You Up”. The meme is a bait-and-switch: a person provides a web link that he or she claims is relevant to the topic at hand, but the link actually takes the user to the Astley video. The URL can be masked or obfuscated in some manner so that the user cannot determine the true destination of the link without clicking. When a person clicks on the link and is led to the web page, he or she is said to have been “Rickrolled” (also spelled Rickroll’d). By 2008, it seems that more than 18 million Americans had been Rickrolled.

Source: wikipedia

Rickrolling refers to the original Astley video, but I appreciate how these two music videos /songs—which could not be further apart from each other—could mix together so well in this video. Click here to see more work by Thriftshop xl, creator of the Rick Astley mashup video.

Fresh Buttermilk

Talented Brooklyn-based graphic designer and illustrator Jessica Hische has just released the first of what I expect will be many inspiring fonts: Buttermilk, a product as rich as it’s name. Now us creatives types can add some of her handlettering flair to whatever we’re cooking up.

Oh, the things you can make with a fold! . . .or two, or three. . .

Traditionally used in Japan to adorn the hair of women, the Tsumami Kanzashi paper (or silk) folding technique has inspired many to tedious folding marathons. Here’s some great examples from a few fine craftspeople at Etsy.

Ccaspia calls these Kanzashi Masks.

Each petal is created through a series of paper folding—diagonally and perfectly in half, then in half again and again—small enough to actually necessitate the use of tweezers. That’s commitment.

This one’s by FurMonster
By gochemoche
By marissajoannarojas

By nonsuch

Similarly, textile designer Jessica Preston credits her sophisticated wall hangings, brooches and cards to Origami:

Calling all typophiles!

The latest Eye Magazine has got a feature on one of our favorite hand-letterers/OCD types, the Canadian designer Marian Bantjes.

Unfamiliar with her work? Here’s a taste:

Yes, that is sugar.

An Answer to My Produce Prayers

Ah-ha—I just knew that someone would have designed a storage solution to keep produce fresh for weeks! As of yet, I’ve been placing herbs, chard, asparagus, and the like in glasses of water covered with baggies and fastened with a rubber band, a situation that got messy, crowded, inefficient and ugly fast. Well, after searching high and low, I found this beauty: The Herb-Savor, by Prepara a.k.a the Kitchen Gods.

• Self-standing • Refill the water without having to remove the contents. • Roomy: 13.1" x 7.3" (333 mm x 185 mm) • Fits inside the refrigerator door. •
Me likey.

And, if you’re one to grow-your-own, but are short on space, check out these offerings for an attractive, space-saving counter top garden.

Ever wonder how to explain your worth to a client?

This captures pretty much exactly what it is like on the business end of graphic design, among many other fields.



Here is a link to the creators of this video.

Last chance to see Otto in SF!

If you’re in San Francisco, tomorrow is the last day to see beloved German graphic designer Otl Aicher’s exhibition. Once arrested for refusing to join the Hiter Youth, “Otto” went on to create the branding of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.




*At SFMOMA, where admission if FREE tomorrow (as it is also at a handful of other SF museums).

You can find his monograph here.

Let me ride

Well I got an email today from one of my triathlon buddies, informing me about bamboo bikes! It seems that bamboo is strong enough to make road bike frames and even mountain bike frames.



You will notice that these bikes are not entirely constructed from bamboo and require- additional carbon or aluminum parts, but I still love the idea of substituting artificial man made parts with one of nature’s strongest plant. I think these bikes are really beautiful on an aesthetic level, but am really sold on the fact that they work as well—if not better than carbon bikes!




After doing some research I stumbled across the website of Brano Meres, a very skilled mechanical engineer, photographer and freelance industrial designer (you can see why he might find it difficult to find enough time in the day for all his projects). The images shown here are his creations and you will want to read his website, which not only discusses how he makes them but also gives updates to the condition of the bike as he rode it over a period of 5 years. I have a lot of respect for those who can merge beauty and functionality together so well.


The story that started my search of bamboo bikes here and one other blog story here.

"When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.”

- Emo Philips