The Design Block

If you're looking for the latest in advertising and marketing, design related technology and lifestyle tips, and art or design highlights then you're in the right place. Find all this and more with the Design Block blog.

Masterful landscapes etched into reclaimed wood

Reclaimed wood gets a new lease on life through stunning contemporary designs influenced by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Pencil tips transformed into miniature masterpieces

This artist painstakingly chips away at pencil graphite to bring his miniature art to life.

The creative possibilities of smartphones from the Mobile Photography Awards

For 12 years, the Mobile Photography Awards has demonstrated the appeal of capturing moments with a phone.

Spectacular 3D murals appear to burst from the walls

Walking through France's winding streets, you might stumble upon these amazing 3D murals.

Take a peak at the Close-up Photographer of the Year winners

With over 9,000 pictures from 54 countries, the competition showcases the often overlooked or unseen world.

Hand-painted miniature animal figurines inspired by fantasy

Discover amazing miniature animal figurines made from velvet clay that look straight out of a fairytale.

Artist creates figurative sculptures using bicycle chains

What makes this work unique is that instead of carving statues from one material, it's created by fusing hundreds of bicycle chain links.

Warped wooden chair looks like it’s suspended underwater

This unique chair features ripples that make it look like the chair is suspended underwater.

Awe-inspiring 2022 Sony World Photography Awards winners

These awards are an opportunity to see the skills of amateur & professional photographer from around the world.

How NFTs are shaking up the art world

Artists are finally able to truly “own” and sell their digital art using non-fungible tokens.

Upcycling artist turns scrap into lifelike animal sculptures

Inspired by the forms of animals, this artist's upcycling art seeks to capture a sense of motion.

Pantone chooses pandemic colours for 2021

For only the second time, Pantone has chosen not one, but 2 colours of the year.

Soon you can “step into” Van Gogh’s iconic masterpieces

An upcoming event at The Indianapolis Museum of Art allows visitors to immerse themselves in Van Gogh's art.

Artist creates images and portraits with a typewriter

This artist has taken an out-dated technology and turned it into a creative outlet.

Photographer shines a light on Antarctica’s icy beauty

"The intriguing thing about the light in Antarctica was in the seeming absence of sunlight."

“Broken” furniture that looks like it belongs in a cartoon

While these unique furniture creations look straight out of a cartoon, they are still functional.

Galactic talent: Contest showcases best Milky Way photos of the year

Earth is situated in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way and sometimes we can see deep into our galaxy’s centre.

Delicate animal portraits created from flowers

This artists animal portraits are inspired by the ancient and traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement— Ikebana.

Quarantined travel photographer creates miniature outdoor scenes with everyday objects

Each miniature scene is planned out and shot with clever lighting so that it looks just like the real outdoors.

3D street art that interacts with its surroundings

Cosimo makes boring spaces pop out, more colourful and fun by using his 3D street art technique.

UN releases free COVID-19 awareness images donated by artists

The UN sent out an open brief for creatives. Within two weeks, tens of thousands of entries emerged.

Illusion cake creations will make you look twice

This pastry artist creates stunningly realistic cakes that look like other food or objects.

Artist creates mind-blowing 3D paintings with illusive depth

The dazzling portfolio of portrait artist Stefan Pabst looks so realistic it’s hard to believe our eyes.

How to turn one colour into hundreds of interesting palettes

Watch this video to see that you don’t have to be an expert in colour theory to create a myriad of colour palettes.

Artists create elaborate baroque-inspired wigs made of paper

This talented duo works with paper to create eccentric headpieces, masks, and other wearable sculptures.

Have an idea for an unconventional living space? Airbnb could give you US$100K to build it

If you’ve ever dreamed up an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind home, now’s your chance to bring it to life.

National winners of the 2020 Sony World Photography Awards

The National Awards are a way for the contest to showcase talent from all countries that submitted work.

Kids can show their art to billions with ‘Doodle for Google’

Each year, young US-based artists in grades K-12 are invited to submit their Google Doodle ideas.

Scrap metal becomes life-size animal sculptures

Artist takes these screws, nuts, and bolts and assembles them into human and animal forms.

Artist transforms rocks into highly realistic animals

Where others might see a simple stone, Akie Nakata sees an animal waiting to be revealed by paint.

Oil paintings that pay homage to prehistoric animals

While this artist's work is diverse, her favourite subjects are actually extinct and prehistoric animals.

Artist uses her thigh as an ink drawing canvas

Artist Randa Haddadin creates amazing ink drawings on a reusable canvas — her thigh.

Pixelated wooden faces reveal complexities of the human spirit

This artist uses vibrantly painted wooden sticks that, when combined, turn into pixelated wooden faces.

Ortal Sachs designs a surprisingly comfortable stone chair

This young industrial designer has developed and designed what appears to be a chair made of stone.

Artist quits day job to draw hyper-realistic ocean waves

Bethany quit her day job to become a full-time artist, quickly gaining attention from art enthusiasts & collectors.

Shutterstock’s 2020 colour trend report

As we look to 2020, there's a shift from the neons of 2019 to more bold and saturated colours.

Beautifully designed staircases that are a step above

Whether grand or compact, staircases showcase the endless design possibilities that exist.

Giant Japanese dragon sculpture made from wood & leaves

This tremendous dragon sculpture features braided vines and dried palm leaves, as well as wooden teeth.

Words that matter in holiday marketing

Is your marketing calendar stuffed full of holiday-ready content ideas?

Illustrated toilet paper kids can colour with their poo

A Japanese company has created illustrated toilet paper that kids can “colour” with their poo.

View the awe-inspiring 2019 SIPA contest winners

Photographers from 161 countries have submitted their most daring, breathtaking photos.

435 bird illustrations by John James Audubon available for free

You have an opportunity to download 435 free high-resolution images of bird illustrations for free.

Thought-provoking fragmented sculptures pop up across Venice

These sculptures resemble incomplete human forms that blend into their locations.

FOX rebrand features a chunky new abstract logo

FOX has rebranded with an abstract logo reflecting the changing landscape of the entertainment industry.

French company releases Star Wars-themed cookware line

Le Creuset is a cookware favourite among chefs and foodies alike. Their latest line, however, caters to Star Wars fans.

Top design trends expected to take 2020 by storm

By knowing what is trending in the design industry, you can meld current trends with your personal style.

Elegant zero-waste bottles made from soap

Since only 1 in 5 people consistently recycle items from their bathroom, these bottles are a sustainable solution.

10 impressive back tattoos that are utter masterpieces

The back is one of the favourite canvases of tattoo artists. If you're thinking of getting one, here's some inspiration.

The best of the 2019 Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Discover the beauty of our universe with the winners of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.

BK misses the deadline, so they ask fans to complete it

BK recently published an unfinished ad, calling upon fans to make improvements on it.