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.
The 4 elements of a successful creative pitch
When doing a creative pitch, you've only got shot to win your client and ensure they don't reject your idea.
Boost your creativity with meditation pods
If you’re feeling stressed or having trouble sleeping because you’ve hit a creative block, maybe its time to try a Float Tank. Also known as floatation therapy, REST therapy (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique) or sensory deprivation, floating involves lying in a pitch-black tank containing a salt-water…
Colourful geometric popsicles, almost too gorgeous to eat
Possibly too gorgeous to eat, these colourful geometric popsicles don’t relate to your average treat. Made to look like architectural design pieces, Berlin-based architect Manu Kumar and designer Stefan Gendl came up with the geometric popsicles in collaborated with Nuna.
7 common sleep mistakes you don’t know you’re making
Are you a restless sleeper or do you have trouble sleeping? Common sleep mistakes you’re making might mean you’re not getting enough sleep, which can harm our health; it’s essential if we want to be productive throughout the day.
Web service turns your rival’s logo into a penis
Does you have a brand rivalry going on with another company? Instead of spending another sleepless night wondering what to do about them, consider turning their logo into a penis. No, this isn’t joke. For a small fee of between US$25 to $35, website Penised will turn…
The most beautiful words in the English language
English may not be one of those romantic languages, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have beautiful words. Recently, Daniel Dalton of Buzzfeed took to Twitter where he asked people for their favourite words in the English language.
NSFW: What would happen if Carlsberg did erotic drama
Your typical beer ad contains some form of sexual innuendo or another. But what happens if a beer company was able to blur the lines of alcohol advertising and take it to the next level? You’d get this erotic drama from Danish-brewer Carlsberg.
Amazing honeycomb sculptures made with the help of bees
The honeycomb sculptures are a result of this artist's beekeeping hobby.
Enjoy a spaghetti and meatball burger for lunch
Spaghetti and meatballs happens to be a favourite dish for many, including food and fashion blogger Caitlin Lee of Public Lives Secret Recipes. Unfortunately, eating it can get a bit messy at times.
12 tricks to help you appear smart in emails
This infographic teaches us how to sound “important” in our emails.
Burger King cologne wants you to smell like a Whopper
Do you really enjoy the smell of Burger King’s Whopper? I mean really enjoy it? Well, now you can walk around smelling like a Whopper all day with a cologne called Flame-Grilled. The fragrance, released by Burger King Japan, will be on sale starting April…
American Egg Board wants you to wake up to eggs and… Kevin Bacon
In its latest campaign to get Americans to start their day with eggs, the American Egg Board decided to pair eggs with back — Kevin Bacon to be exact. Actor Kevin Bacon has traded off the whole six degrees thing in ads for years, but now…
26 crazy facts about Google you probably never knew
Google is changing the world. I bet you have a hard time remembering what it was like before you could Google something? Chances are now that you use it everyday for work and play. But do you know the crazy facts around Google’s history or its various secrets?
Give your breakfast a makeover with cereal cookies
Breakfast is widely known as the most essential meal of the day. A good breakfast fuels you up and gets you ready for the day. Unfortunately, we’re often in too big a rush to get a proper breakfast, wolfing down a bowl of cereal before rushing to work.
Making fun of common type mistakes using Star Wars quotes
More than just arranging pretty fonts on a nice background, typography is an essential part of most designs—they can make or break a project. Unfortunately, common type mistakes tend to make a bigger statement than good typography. They stick out like a sore thumb, while good…
Infographic: Handshakes around the world
Most people understand that you have one chance to make a first impression. How you give your handshakes and/or greetings are part of that impression. Giving handshakes, however simple it sounds, can mean serious business, especially when different cultures have their own rules about how…
Ad executives get nude to celebrate agency’s rebranding
To advertise the rebranding of their agency, the executives of New York-based Viceroy Creative decided to take an unusual approach: they decided to take the bold step of getting nude in a series of ads.
Ten creative ways to tie a necktie
These days it’s all about looking dapper. But instead of looking like everyone else, apparel website ShirtsMyWay has created a comprehensive tutorial that shows you how to tie a necktie.
Handmade resin bracelets made with real flowers & leaves
Do you give the gift of flowers to your special someone? If you do, instead of giving them a bouquets that will wither away after a few days, gift these beautifully bracelets instead.
How to make alcohol-infused Oreo cookies
Are dunking Oreo cookies in milk no longer giving you a thrill? If that’s the case, try a new way to enjoy milk’s favourite cookie—with alcohol.
Price your creative jobs with 5 simple questions
Like most creatives, you’re probably undervaluing the work you do. Maybe it’s because you don’t want to scare off a potential client, you’re trying to compete with other designers, or you’re just not sure how.
KFC unveils edible coffee cups
Instead of throwing paper cups in the trash, coffee drinkers can now help the environment by eating branded cookie cups. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, KFC is planning to serve up Seattle’s Best Coffee in edible coffee cups that let customers enjoy the warm beverage and eat…
Infographic: How to have the perfect day at work
How can we make our work days more effective? The details will likely vary depending on your profession and responsibilities, but there are still universal hacks we can all apply.
5 ways to increase your value to your clients
Let’s face it. There are plenty of other designers or businesses out there offering products and services similar your own. So, what makes you different? What makes your clients choose you over all the other options out there?
WTF are you doing with your life: This website doles out life advice
Feeling lost and unsure of what to do in life? Then check out this website that doles out useful life advice to get you back on track.
For the stout lover: Guinness flavoured potato chips
Tired of the usual bar snacks like peanuts or pretzels? How about snacking on these potato chips flavoured with the familiar taste of Guinness the next time you go drinking?
Honest, humorous descriptions of popular apps
Downloading apps onto your smartphone can be incredibly addictive. Every Android or iOS user has their favourite apps, such as a beloved social networking app or an entertaining, time-killing game. With the thousands upon thousands of popular apps available to download, do you know what any…
Infographic: The world’s 25 weirdest drinking customs
No matter how many monuments you visit while traveling, or works of art you pander over, you’ll never understand the people and their culture until you drink with them. But, before you clink glasses with your new friends, you might want to take a minute…
Clever posters to learn fun facts about your body
Who doesn’t love the cool information featuring weird did you know fun facts about the human body? For instance, the human eye is so sensitive that if the Earth were flat, you could spot a candle flickering at night from up to 30 miles away.
Easy tips on how to write a résumé
You’re a smart job seeker. You know that your résumé is a key part of getting a new job. That’s why you’re taking this time to learn how to write a résumé so you have the best chance of landing an interview and then the…
The weird devices found on the Internet of useless things
The internet is full of useful information—and porn… lots of porn. But it’s also full of pointless information and ideas. For every energy-saving smart thermostat and weight-reducing fitness band, there’s a fork that tracks your chew rate, a cloud-connected bookmark, and an emergency pizza slice pouch. And that’s…
The differences between single and taken men
There are two distinct types of men in this world: those who are single and those who are in a relationship. That’s how comedy site ScrollDroll sums up all men, anyway, in a poster series illustrating the key differences between the two groups.
Funny, minimalist letterpress Valentine’s Day cards
Happy Valentine’s Day! Yes, it’s that time of year again when we spend copious amounts of money to show our loved ones just how much we care.
Infographic: When to use JPEG, GIF and PNG when saving images
Whether you’re saving images for print or web, it can be tough to know exactly which filetype is the best to use. That’s especially true if you’re trying to save space with file size.
The world’s most beautiful geometric designed chocolates
Japanese design firm Nendo was declared Maison & Objet’s Designer of the Year. And to celebrate, they were invited to design a lounge for visitors at the furniture and design show. For the show — along with designing the lounge — they decided to create a…
Sarcastic poster series shows the reality of being a photographer
Few careers are romanticized like that of a photographer; traveling the world, engaging with people, places and things. But is the reality all that attractive?
Infographic: 5 ways to identify lying clients
Sometimes it’s not what people say, but how they say it. And there’s really nothing worse than lying clients who have a casual relationship with the truth—except one who won’t pay. Lying clients make life difficult for everyone and makes you look like a fool for…
The most-backed Kickstarter project ever: Exploding Kittens
The name says it all doesn’t it. Exploding Kittens, a card game created by Elan Lee (Xbox, ARGs), Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal), and Shane Small (Xbox, Marvel), has officially become the most backed Kickstarter project of all time.
A beer to help you reach your creative peak
Can beer make you more creative? Research suggests that yes, if you get just drunk enough you can boost brainpower.
Beautifully crafted 3D paper sculptures by Richard Sweeney
English artist Richard Sweeney has created an impressive collection of beautifully crafted paper sculptures. Ranging from intricate geometric origami to wonderfully expressive figure sculptures, his intricate pieces are inspired by architecture and nature.
Get breakfast all day at the Cereal Killer Café
Do you enjoy having a comforting bowl of cereal with milk at any time of the day? The start-up scene provides us with an array of pop-up and niche shops and eateries that cater for all our wants. One that has recently captured many people’s imaginations is the Cereal…
Infographic: Which graphic design career suits you?
Are you looking to join the design industry and turn your big ideas into bigger creative? If you’re looking to start a graphic design career, you need to figure out which speciality suits you best.
Humorous versions of 2015’s Oscar-nominated movie posters
For many the awards season is the time to glue yourself to the television with a bowl of popcorn and hope that your favourite movie gets nominated. Some years you’ll see well known movies, other times they’re niche documentaries with German subtitles.
7 useful graphic design tips for non-designers
When creating designs for print or web, you don’t need a degree in graphic design. You just need to wrap your head around some of the best graphic design practices. In a blog post for online design tool Canva, graphic designer Poppie Pack has outlined some useful design…
You can now doodle on cookies with edible colour markers
When you’re a child, you’re parents tell you not to play with your food. Well, now you can draw on it instead. While I’ve previously posted about creating art on food and drink with the a spice pen, you can now let your imagination run wild…
Infographic: 34 crucial tips for your next job interview
So you’ve applied for a new job and landed yourself an interview. A job interview can be intimidating; not only are you worried about impressing a potential employer with your skills and experience, but you’re also worried about making rookie mistakes. Now is time to think about your…
Fancy cheeseburgers inspired by US cities
Did you know that there’s a Cheese and Burger Society? I sure didn’t. But it’s not a silver spoon society that sits around in smoking jackets, sniffing cheeseburgers. They’re all about promoting recipes to delicious cheeseburgers that represent the unique flavours of America.
Humorous first drafts of popular movies
Brainstorming is one of the best ways to come up with new ideas. It’s also a good way to get the crappy ideas out or your head so you can think more clearly. And even the most experienced writer won’t come up with great ideas…
Discover the top 5 web trends expected in 2015
More and more, a company’s website is ever becoming its public face. Web trends show that consumers are doing more research online than ever before when looking to buy. So, if a business has a poorly designed website, that doesn’t work on a mobile device—or worse—they don’t have a…
Conquer the hills of Norway with their ingenious bicycle lift
Bicycling up a hill can be a rather vigorous task, especially when your route has plenty of steep slopes. Now, bicyclists in Trondheim, Norway will no longer have to worry about hills. The CycloCable, situated at the Brubakken Hill in Trondheim, is revolutionizing urban transport.