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.
14 Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, stores are flooded with candy hearts, chocolates and stuffed animals. And while North Americas shower their loved ones this way, other countries around the world declare their love differently.
Discover the complex organic paper art of Rogan Brown
Do you remember cutting paper snowflakes in school? Artist Rogan Brown has taken that simple craft and merged it with his love of complexity to create organic paper art.
Nestlé unveils limited-edition KitKat sushi in Japan
Nestlé chocolate brand KitKat has released limited-edition chocolate bars that looks like sushi.
Top 10 websites to get free images
Images and photography has always been an integral part of design. Unfortunately, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing unrealistic stock images of people smiling at the camera while performing a task. Not only that, but it can get rather expensive if you’re constantly purchasing images from…
Infographic: Salary trends for 2017
If you’re hoping for a raise this year, you’re not alone. Most job seekers list salary as their number one consideration when looking for a new job. So if companies want to capture the attention of talent, they need to offer competitive salaries that accurately reflect employees’…
Spotify’s OOH campaign reveals its users’ most embarrassing listening habits
Were you the one who used Spotify to play “Sorry” 42 times last Valentine’s day? If you had unlimited access to people’s listening habits, the results would be more intriguing than you could imagine.
Ingenious Heng Balance Lamp has an engaging UI
If you still prefer to use your hands to turn the lights on, then the Heng Balance Lamp is the most creative ideation of the light switch in years.
A beautiful geometric chocolate bar that’s too lovely to eat
When you think of food, how it tastes is probably top of mind. However, people also buy food because of how it looks; the packaging, colours, even how it’s displayed.
Instagram account pokes fun at fonts and typefaces
Instagram is a good resource when you’re looking for inspiration. It’s also a great place to find hilarious quotes and sayings.
7 logo design trends expected to emerge in 2017
There is no perfect recipe when creating a logo for a new company. Influenced by the existing brand identity, how do you find inspiration for a logo when there is none? Well, it can sometimes be found the company’s ideology and its core beliefs. However, it can also be influenced…
Artist turns old CDs Into amazing animal sculptures
Although we’re taught from a young age not to be wasteful, a broken CD isn’t much good to anyone. In fact, CDs are pretty much obsolete these days. Unless you’re Australian artist Sean Avery that is.
IKEA renames products after frequently Googled problems their products solve
For those searching through endless pages on Google for relationship advice, be wary. IKEA may be using your search queries for inspiration in their new brand campaign, ‘Retail Therapy’.
Smart wallet automatically separates your bills and coins
Wallets have pretty much remained the same; a pocket for your bills and a small buttoned space for your coins. But if you’ve ever struggled to keep change neatly inside their wallet, you’ll understand why this design team from Singapore came up with KIN.
Find out what the 2017 horoscope holds for creatives
If you’re a creative whose wondering what the year ahead holds, then lets look at your horoscope. Adobe, with the help of stock contributor Natalia Hubbert, has created a horoscope that offers a peek at your creative potential and success for the new year. Will you…
Infographic: 8 graphic design trends for 2017
Graphic design trends are typically a mixture of past trends and a reflection of societal values. However, infographic company Venngage believes that 2017 will reject some of the past graphic design trends completely.
How Art Directors and Copywriters can avoid annoying each other
If you’ve ever been part of a creative team, you know that partnerships in advertising are not unlike marriage. Once the Art Director and Copywriter pair up, it takes a serious commitment to avoid annoying each other. Deciding to officially tie your careers together means doing…
Top 10 brand disasters of 2016
Branding is a tricky business and it’s difficult to get it right all the time; and sometimes companies can fail, big time. 2016 was a big year for brands like Johnson & Johnson’s, Volkswagen, Uber, and Samsung. All of which have come under fire for making mistakes before…
Student commercial goes viral after being ignored by Adidas
Adidas is a major brand with a host of international agencies. But the advertisement below went viral on YouTube; and it wasn’t created by any of Adidas’ agencies. Eugen Merher, a student at Germany’s Film Academy of Baden-Württemberg, has made an incredibly moving advertising short.
How to get recruiters to read your CV
Day in, day out, recruiters sift through piles of résumés for available job openings. They’re usually searching for a specific skill sets or experience that matches their clients’ requirements. And if nothing of interest stands out, they move on to the next one.
Reflective poles mirror the changing tides
The movement of the water and the sound of waves has always had a calming effect on people. That’s why American artist Phillip K. Smith decided to create a project where the ocean waves are reflected, instead of being “swallowed” by their force.
Stencils give your hair a unique design
Hair can be cut, styled and coloured. But why colour all of it, when you can create floral, polka dots and other patterns in your hair. Stylist Janine Ker, from Salon Aguayo, has created her own stencil designs for hair.
The importance of shapes in logo design
When it comes to designing a logo, shape is key. The emotional response a logo elicits can have a resounding effect on the way customers view a particular product, service or company. That’s why logo shapes used by big brands aren’t chosen by chance.
This $20,000 fountain pen is shaped like a rocket
Do you still write? Cursive handwriting and even print are starting to go the way of the dinosaurs. But if you still like to write by hand, and have a love for space, then you’ll love this fountain pen shaped like a rocket.
Clever campaign for erotic books gets around censorship
How can you create an advertising campaign for a series of erotic books without getting dealing with censorship? That was the challenge for Brussels-based communications agency Mortierbrigade.
How to use the Colour of the Year in your designs
A few weeks ago, PANTONE revealed its bright and zesty Colour of the Year 2017, called Greenery. Because it evokes nature, Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. Thus, people respond on a deeper level to this hue, making the eye catching Greenery an ideal shade for design. This is especially…
Website design and UX trends for 2017
Trends are known to change in all creative fields, with website design being no different. More than ever before, everything in web design, from imagery to navigation, to content, must serve a purpose.
The weirdest crowdfunding fails
Crowdfunding has created plenty of opportunities for aspiring businesses in recent years. It helps give them an opportunity to introduce exciting new inventions and products. However, it can also be risky. You hand money to internet strangers who give you nothing but a promise in return.
Artist helps friends bar with creative chalk signs
The Spirits Tavern in Dahlonega, Georgia had been seeing a decline in patrons. That’s when owner Sabrina Walker had the idea to recruit local artists to design chalk signs for her business. She managed to get a friend of hers, Ollie Wolff Pruitt, aka littlewolff, to take on the…
PANTONE Colour of the Year 2017 is inspired by nature
Each year, PANTONE experts choose the ‘Colour of the Year’. And they’ve announced their latest selection for 2017 even before the new year rolls around; Greenery 15-0343.
Bathroom spray uses real gold particles to remove odour
If a unicorn farted golden rainbows into a bottle, would you buy it? Even if it’s guaranteed to give you “the best-smelling poop of your life” or your money back? And no, you’re not having a scatological acid trip… but it might be the closest you’ll get.
Funny holiday cards based on popular Twitter topics
After a not-so-great 2016, website Roasted Nuts decided to lighten things up with a collection of testy holiday cards. In an attempt to unite the world, they searched out their favourite Twitter topics and turned them into cards.
Can you tell jewellery from a sex toy? Take the quiz
As jewellery becomes more elegant and sex toys get more creative, it can be hard to tell them apart. So to test your design knowledge, Cosmopolitan has created a quiz to see how well you know your sex toys and jewellery.
Crosswalks transformed into vibrant art in Madrid
Most of us cross the street without looking passed our phones to see what’s on the ground beneath us. The urban infrastructure that people are familiar with can be mundane and uninspiring. Seeing opportunity just under his feet, Bulgarian artist Christo Guelov wondered how crosswalks could become a thing of…
Adobe releases Project Felix: 3D tools for designers
A few months ago, Adobe announced updates to their creative tools. These updates included a Windows version of Adobe XD, and a Photoshop update to take advantage of the Touch Bar in the new MacBook Pro. Along with those updates is a brand new application for…
Art Director comically photobombs stock images
Most Art Directors find that stock images are mundane and feel kind of fake. Unfortunately, we often need to use them to complete our tasks. After viewing thousands of stock images for work, Art Director Matthew Vescovo decided to inject a dose of reality into them by injecting himself.
Move over beard baubles, it’s time to light things up
Forget about adding glitter to your beard or hanging Christmas baubles in there. A new trend has hit the beard scene and it’s about to literally light up this festive season in a big way.
Add charm to any room with geometric lamps
Tel Aviv-based design studio Sturlesi Design was looking for to offer a unique and authentic approach to ambient lighting. Hence, a collection of decorative, geometrical lamps were created.
Colour your tree with Pantone Christmas ornaments
Now that we’re into December, everyone’s getting into the Christmas spirit – including Pantone. They offer a lot of the products you wouldn’t think of, including food from their pop-up shop café. However, Pantone is now selling a collection of glass ornaments to brighten up your Christmas tree this festive…
Levitating storm cloud is actually a bluetooth speaker
Two years ago, Richard Clarkson made the Smart Cloud, a realistic-looking cloud-shaped lamp and speaker. Designed to evoke a thunderstorm, the cloud flicked and boomed out thunder, as well as functioning as a regular lamp. This time, he’s disguised a bluetooth speaker as a floating cloud.
10 desk exercise routines for designers
Being a designer might make it easy to get your creative juices flowing, but it also keeps your body stagnant. It seems like everyone is working longer hours these days, which makes it harder to find the time to exercise. But what if you could actually work…
Vital contract terms for your protection
Dealing with a contract may not be the most exciting part of being a freelancer. But that pain is nothing compared to what can go wrong without one. And a contract not only protects you if something goes wrong; it helps things from going wrong…
Have a blooming marshmallow in your next hot chocolate
French pastry chef Dominique Ansel, who is famous for inventing Cronuts, has just invented your next dessert obsession. He’s developed a marshmallow that blooms into a flower when dropped in hot chocolate.
Artist uses old saws to create ‘cutting edge’ art
Nebraska-based artist Cindy Chinn thought that there was something interesting about owning a plasma torch. She didn’t have much experience working with steel and had only used the torch once before. After finally purchasing a plasma torch for herself, Cindy had a welder friend teach…
Watch: 10 novice Photoshop mistakes to avoid
If you rely on Photoshop for part of your day-to-day work, chances are that you’ve picked up some useful tips and tricks from online tutorials. And while these lessons are sure to improve your skills, it’s also useful to know what Photoshop mistakes to avoid.
Old books turned into fairytale sculptures
We often think of pop-up books as a simple way to entertain kids (or at least we did before the iPad came along). However, they can be so much more than that. When done well, pop-up books can be engaging, imaginative, and even works of artistic brilliance. If you want…
Exclusive $20,000 Cheetos cheetah-inspired jewellery
Trying to figure out that perfect, thoughtful gift for a loved one at Christmas is tough. But don’t worry, because Cheetos has come to the rescue. And I’m not talking about give your partner a big bag of cheesy crisps, but a new cheetah-inspired jewellery set.
10 differences between designers and clients
From the most seasoned Creative Director to a Graphic Design graduate all know that creatives and clients don’t always see eye-to-eye. Besides having contrasting roles, their perceptions on colours differences, typeface and image source also vary. While designers might value creative ideas, they’re worth nothing to a…
Modern light fixtures turn into animals when illuminated
When award-winning Tel Aviv-based designer Chen Bikovski was growing up, she was fascinated by pop-up books. Mesmerized with the experience of three-dimensional storybooks, she transformed this idea into her design practice.
Count down 2017 with a Scandinavian inspired calendar
Calendars usually take the form of small pads or wall hanging posters. Easily visible, they take up minimal space, making them ideal for office use. Now there’s a three-dimensional alternative that you can put on your desk, ready for 2017.
Minimalist WWF ads show the impact of global warming
Climate change is already having a significant impact on global ecosystems and communities. Rising average temperatures don’t simply mean warmer winters. Some regions are already experiencing more extreme heat, cold, flooding and drought. To help raise awareness, Leo Burnett Philippines has come up with a collection of print…