BMW Vision Next 100 Concept

March 11, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Cars, Design, Motioncollector, 2016

The German carmaker is celebrating its 100th anniversary by unveiling a new concept car for the future; among its innovations is a self-driving mode which alters the car's appearance. German carmaker BMW has revealed its concept of the car of the future, called the BMW Vision Next 100 Concept.

Katerina by Yaroslav Misonzhnikov

March 09, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Portfolios, Russia, 2016, Craft

Yaroslav Misonzhnikov took part in an unique project: the aim of the project was the reincarnation of folk crafts. Five Russian designers (we will cover all projects soon) started a collaboration with five Russian manufactories specialized in Khokhloma painting, Gzhel ceramics, Zhostovo painted metal and Vologda lace, famous all over the World as symbols of Russian Folk Art.

Photo by Mitya Ganopolsky Text by Domus

VARA Light

February 23, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Agencies, Design, Germany, Interior Design, 2016

VARA is the first design light system with unique app-control designed by Holy Trinity studio founded by Matthias Pinkert and Karsten Reichel. They are currently running a Kickstarter project to collect pre-orders

Classic Literary Scarves

February 08, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Fashion, Portfolios, Thailand, 2016

Lovers of literature can now literally wrap themeselves up in a good book. The Thailand-based Etsy shop FreshComfy creates large—up to 150 inches long—chiffon scarves that pay homage to beloved novels. Classics such as Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Lord of the Rings adorn these fashion accessories, along with a newer favourite, Harry Potter.

10 Great Films about Art and Design

February 05, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Motioncollector, 2016

Guys from People of Print teamed up with filmmaker and animator Tommy Levi Morenos to create a list of films that will challenge and inform your understanding of creativity. Together they have cherry picked ten great films that explore the subjects of hands-on crafts and human imagination, hoping to provide inspiration for designers – and indeed anyone who is passionate about visual culture.

Why Man Creates

"Meandering and stream-of-consciousness in its tone, ‘Why Man Creates’ comes across as a student film from the 60s as it hops irreverently through a series of vignettes about the state of man, from cave-wall scrawlings to contemporary caricatures rendered in glorious Technicolor! It can be aptly described as a thoughtful semi-animated work the likes of those by Terry Gilliam and more contemporarily, Don Hertzfeldt. Some segments of the film stand the test of time well; others are thick with that brand of campness particular to the late 60s – and they’re worth the watch just on that basis."

The Machine that Made Us

"This BBC monograph of Gutenberg’s printing press is framed by Stephen Fry’s mission to replicate the original machine, a technology long lost in the mists of time. Fry guides us on a journey across Europe to examine fifteenth-Century printing through an illuminating multitude of contexts: monastic scribes, typesetting, paper production, the life of its inventor and the businessmen who were to invest in the realisation of his vision. Surprisingly, very few original artefacts remain from Gutenberg’s time. Unsurprisingly, Fry is eloquent and humorous in his well-researched commentaries. When the film arrives at an educated approximation of the first ever printing press, today’s hyper modern derivatives are given greater contextualisation and the ingenuity of early printing pioneers is made all the more relatable."

Linotype

"Director and producer Doug Wilson explores the world of the Linotype casting machine and the highly-skilled operators and typesetters whose lives revolved around it. In its celebration of what Thomas Edison called ‘the Eighth Wonder of the World,’ the film goes on to consider the nostalgic allure of this fabled technology that, from the late 1800s to the 1970s powered mass media communication, newspapers, magazines, and posters across the globe for almost a century. It’s a fascinating escape from the familiar world of instantaneous digital communication to an era when daily battles against time were a pervasive reality." www.linotypefilm.com www.onpaperwings.com

Typeface

"‘Typeface’ makes use of a rotating cast of artists and retired craftsmen to examine the convergence of modern design and traditional technique; mass production and local produce. Situated on the suburban street of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, the mighty Hamilton wood type factory serves as a museum and workshop, welcoming designers and print enthusiasts from all over the country to discuss the evolution of letterpress printing and to redefine the grammar of print. Peppered with laughter and wonderfully personal moments, Justine Nagan’s film manages to communicate her strong optimism and desire to revive the increasingly distant art of wood type." www.typeface.kartemquin.com

Made You Look

But analogue is not dead! Despite the proliferation of electronic alternatives, how can we explain the persistent demand for artisanal products and commodities? ‘Made You Look’ explores the enduring relationship between man and the analogue world, engagingly portrayed via candid interviews with the UK’s art/design legends among which include Anthony Burrill, Kate Moross, Ed Cheverton and Sam Arthur from Nobrow, to name only a few. With a sure hand the film weaves a fascinating analysis of all aspects of craftsmanship and give us a comprehensive sense of DIY graphic arts fellowship. streamingmoviesright.com/uk/movie/made-you-look/

Sign Painters

Situated right at the intersection of crafts and commerce, ‘Sign Painters’ is a beautifully arranged film centred around those who earn their keep by putting paint and brush to buildings and billboards. Directors Faythe Levin and Sam Macon belie claims of the slow death of artisanal sign painting with discussions about its recent renaissance, set against the backdrop of historical analysis. It is a celebration of artisans and their skill in the manipulation of a lettering brush, bringing to the screen an undoubtedly fitting contemplation of its 50 year-old history and culture. www.signpaintersfilm.com

Helvetica

Part of a design-based trilogy by Gary Hustwit, this unusual and insightful feature-length documentary focuses entirely on one of the most universal and critically-acclaimed typefaces: Helvetica. Fixed across countless buildings and public spaces – from storefronts to subway signs, letterheads to logos and products and publications – it seems impossible to go a day in this world without sighting Helvetica in some form or other. This great documentary unravels the mysterious tale of this neutral face, and tackles head-on the question of why some love Helvetica and others loathe it. www.hustwit.com/category/helvetica

Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight

Milton Glaser, perhaps best known as the father of “I ♥ NY” (which by now has been plagiarised by every major city on Earth) delivers illuminating anecdotes brimming with the wisdom of years of experience in the industry. As an artist whose work can be found in just about every urban landscape worldwide, Glaser is in a unique position to observe that “a graphic designer’s work is seen but they are not necessarily heard.” Key to his musings in this documentary is the recognition that a graphic designer’s job is about the “creation of affection,” and this helps us to understand where his career has led him to today — “mostly supermarkets,” he notes wryly. www.miltonglaser.com

Shape

This is simply a beautifully put-together work of animation, supercharged by a lush and expressive score. ‘Shape’ portrays our world as one that shifts under our feet with growing freneticism; a world that’s responsive to anybody daring enough to reimagine it. For all its simplicity, ‘Shape’ is richly conceived, packed with brilliant and witty animation, playing with simple geometry to convey complex ideas. A multitude of themes are touched upon, including architecture, city-planning, the environment, technology, family, education, work, and so on. Antfood’s mellifluous sound design is thick with detail, injecting life into the minimalistic visual style and polishing the piece to a high gleam. www.makeshapechange.com

Exit Through the Gift Shop

With all his enigmatic magnetism and irony-suffused style, Banksy brings us this love letter on street art as told through one of its principal soldiers, French immigrant Thierry Guetta. In this stylish and kinetic documentary Guetta and Banksy guide us through the history of this fairly new art form, from its shaky but bold beginnings to the contemporary fame that has been fought hard and won for it. Fans of the wit and humour that characterises Banksy’s work will find satisfaction in the film’s effortless style, and it isn’t short on social commentary either. For those who are curious about the origins of Banksy’s provocative approach to art, this is a must-see. www.exitthroughthegiftshop.com

Crazy Bookmarks

February 02, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Photography, Ukraine, 2016

MyBOOKmark is a young Ukrainian brand dedicated to the uniquely designed bookmarks. Behind this brand name there are minds and hands of truly inspired women lead by Olena Mysnyk, who are ready to take a challenge.

Rommy de Bommy

January 28, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Fashion, Netherlands, Portfolios, 2016, Craft

Apart from Argentinian artist Camila Valdez that works with a food-inspired sculpture, the work of Dutch designer Rommy Kuperus has more about fashion and food fetish. Her accessories looks like a scaled food dishes, pastry and desserts - Spaghetti bow ties, Rainbow Cake purses, Donuts bags and a lot more are just a small part of Rommy's edible fantasy world. Check her personal website to find more products

Cosmic Dinner

January 23, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Italy, Lifestyle, 2016

Together with Italian design firm Seletti, Diesel Living created a set of porcelain plates that bring the solar system to the dinner table. Entitled ‘Cosmic Diner’, the collection consists of dishes representing the sun, moon and planets, complemented by a rocket-shaped salt and pepper grinders, meteorite glasses and an astronaut-shaped vase. via

Hyper realistic dolls by Michael Zajkov

January 21, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Instagram, Lifestyle, Portfolios, Russia, 2016, Craft

South Russian artist Michael Zajkov creates jaw dropping hyper realistic dolls, where your perception breaks apart while see him hold their heads in his hands. "Zajkov graduated from Kuban State University of Russia in 2009. From 2010 to 2013 he worked at a puppet theater while also attending a graduate school. He was propelled to fame after the 2013 “Art Dolls” expo in Moscow. Zajkov’s creations have multiple joints. He uses polymer clay for the dolls, hand painted glass eyes from Germany, and French mohair for hair." says BP

Coffee Table By Stelios Mousarris

January 08, 2016 by Arseny Vesnin in Cyprus, Design, Portfolios, 2016

"Cyprus-based designer Stelios Mousarris created the ‘Wave Coffee Table‘, a curved table that features the design of a cityscape, which appears to be lifted upside down. Made of wood and steel, the structure of the table was achieved using 3D printing technology. On the idea behind it, the designer says that he was inspired by the movie ‘Inception’"

via

Naturalist - Green Design from Russian team IZBA+

December 30, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Russia, TOP 2015, 2015

It's better post later than never. "Naturalist" is a product design project initiated by IZBA Team - the Russian collective of talented designers, currently 15 in a row.The project was set up by curator Tatiana Kudryavtseva and product designer Yaroslav Misonzhnikov, who set a brief for products that could re-introduce nature to urban apartments.

The collection of 18 products ranged from hanging and wall-mounted planters, to furniture made using natural materials such as bark and marble. The team has a great appearance on Dezeen blog where you can read a full review, meanwhile we share the photographs from their recent exhibition held in Saint-Petersburg Greenhouse

Photography is by Crispy Point, unless otherwise stated.

Ohhio. Super chunky knits by Anna Marinenko

December 22, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Portfolios, TOP 2015, Ukraine, 2015, Craft

Following the Behance Year in Review - Ukraine was the most growing community on the creative network. Frankly they selected only 3 projects by category, though with reasonable certainty "Ohhio Knits" designed by Anna Marinenko reserved its place as it should. Merely a year ago Anna, a Kiev-based handcrafting artist, was captivated by an unusual material that sparked an idea to knit a blanket with a supersized ties using hands instead of spokes. That's how a Kikstarter's success - Ohhio project started. By this time her project is baked 10 times more than she estimated leaving her a lot of evenings to create and dispatch the orders made by earlier supporters. With no doubts Anna shows us the way how a small idea become a great path in a life.

FrameFree Poster Wall Mount by SupaKitch

December 13, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, France, 2015

Talented street artist, illustrator and tattooer SupaKitch (previously) created a super easy wall mount system for your creative posters - FrameFree, grab it till it get sold out

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Tea Set ‘Screen Mutations‘ by Louisa Zahareas

December 10, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Art, Design, Portfolios, 2015

Designer Louisa Zahareas creates an optical illusion with her custom tea set ( the designer worked with computational geometry expert, Dianne Hansford). Says Zaharea of the idea behind the "Screen Mutations" project, “I wanted it to be humorous and light, but at the same time point to a real issue. How far are we willing to go to distort physical reality with how we are presenting ourselves on the web?”

Moon in your Room: Luna

December 01, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Portfolios, Taiwan, 2015

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, you may actually be salivating over Luna, a gorgeous lantern shaped and textured just like Earth's celestial companion. The latex and fibreglass design comes in sizes as small as a softball and large as a bike wheel, and if the pictures are any indication, it's durable enough to withstand the inevitable onslaught of children who will stare with wonder at its elegance... then do everything in their power to destroy it." Check Luna project now

ARXI - Wearable Architectural Details by Konstantin Kofta

November 20, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Fashion, Portfolios, TOP 2015, Ukraine, 2015

Citing Yatzer "Known for his daring and unconventional leather-accessory design (previously), Ukrainian fashion designer Konstantin Kofta has just released his latest collection of leather bags and clutches.. Bearing the title “ARXI”, Kofta’s SS16 collection takes the designer’s approach a step further, by incorporating and inspired by forms and imagery found in Baroque architecture."

Second Skin - the Next Age Material

November 17, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Fashion, Motioncollector, 2015

The clothing of the future might be grown in the lab, not sewn in a factory. A new set of clothes from MIT Media Lab's Tangible Media Group started life in a flask. By printing bacteria into fabric, it's possible to make clothes that are partially alive—and that can respond to the outside world. It's smart clothing, but without any electronics.

In a prototype called Second Skin, researchers made bacteria-powered athletic wear that naturally opens and closes tiny flaps to help you cool off while you're running or doing yoga.

http://vimeo.com/142208383

Making of

http://vimeo.com/142212881

Read more about the process on http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project/biologic/

Future London Academy: Spend a week in London with top design companies

November 11, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in United Kingdom, 2015, Design

Our great friends Future London Academy have some fantastic news for Designcollector readers. They have just announced their programmes for 2016 and you can get 10% discount using promo code "Designcollector". Future London Academy organises one-week programmes to immerse you in the creative, commercial and cultural life of London. You’ll enjoy exclusive access to some of the top people, agencies and businesses, like IDEO, Pentagram, NB Studio and many others – learning first-hand how they operate, as well as gaining behind-the-scenes insights into their most successful projects.

Programmes in 2016 include:

— Design Thinking and Innovation

— Photography

— Typography – The Basics And The Extras

— UX and Digital Design

— Interior and Experience Design

More Sky Window Concept

November 09, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Argentina, Design, TOP 2015, USA, 2015

Architect and designer Aldana Ferrer Garcia, has created More Sky, a variety of window concepts that allow people living in apartments to experience more sunlight in a unique way.

"More Sky is a cozy corner for the home that provides visual relief, access to sunlight and fresh air for small apartments. As an attempt to understand the threshold between ID and architecture, this project is conceived as an object and a space at the same time, responding to current needs in densely populated cities."

Mulled Wine Carafe "Cup" by Constantin Bolimond

November 02, 2015 by Arseny Vesnin in Design, Portfolios, Russia, 2015

Christmas season is starting in Northern Hemisphere brining it's joy and spicy beverages to your next door market. Even in Russia we got a reason to celebrate both Christmas Eve's - from Gregorian Calendar and original Orthodox. Here is a new concept of classic mulled wine carafe created by Russian designer Constantin Bolimond (previously). Pretty nice idea of stacked cups got a new Christmas story. Preview it on Behance