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.
Beautiful mirror mosaic creates optical illusions
French designer Arnaud Lapierre has created a mesmerizing mirror installation at the Place Vendôme in Paris. Called The Ring Mirror, it plays with the context of this urban space through reflections, light and the interaction of passers-by.
Infographic: 8 key sandwich personalities
Who doesn’t love a good sandwich every now and then? The team from Great British Chefs have put together an infographic pointing out eight key sandwich personalities from Warburtons’ data collected from thousands of women.
The pros and cons of dating a programmer
Are you single? Are you looking for someone who likes to strip, touch, finger, unzip, and mount? If you know I’m talking about Linux commands, then you must be a programmer.
Business cards transform into mini bow and arrow
Businesses can be downright cutthroat at times. That’s why Australian communication design studio Filter has designed these weaponized business cards for digital media production company, Longbow.
20 movie snacks from around the world
If your idea of movie theatre munchies consists of extra-buttery popcorn, enough soda to fill an oil drum, and a candy bar or two, then you may not believe these bizarre movie snacks enjoyed around the world.
Creative astrological star signs made out of paper
There are some wonderful examples of paper art out there. Just because we live in a digital world doesn’t mean our love affair with paper has diminished.
Evening etiquette: A gentleman’s guide
Being a gentleman is not just a title, it is a way of life; and it’s more than opening the door for the ladies. In this infographic, created by Boisdale, men truly wishing to live up to this title are given tips on how to look and act the part.
Why owning a PC is like owning a dog
Did you know that PCs and dogs have lots in common? Well, OK, owning PCs and dogs are mostly similar – until you get to the part where you have to consider buying a new one.
Ridiculous requests and things you shouldn’t say to a graphic designer
If you’re a graphic designer (or even an art director like me for that matter), one of the hardest things is trying to accede to your client’s vague, obscure and sometimes ridiculous requests; the ones that don’t clearly state what they want.
Everything you always wanted to know about poop
Poop is a very state-of-the-art-way to find out a whole lot about your health. The digestion process normally takes 24-72 hours – starting from when you eat to the time it takes for your food to journey through the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine until…
3D printed laser cut pasta typography
The possibilities with 3D printing technology are endless – like the 3D printed dress that becomes transparent the more you share online. So, creating an edible typeface laser cut from pasta seemed inevitable.
5 reasons why your awesome content isn’t going viral
Okay, so you’ve created a killer blog article. You posted a painfully funny image or video. You put so much work into your awesome content that you expect it to go viral as soon as it hits the Internet. And no one cares.
Do you think about sex every 7 seconds?
It’s been estimated that men think about sex every 7 seconds. If we believe the stats, thinking about sex every seven seconds adds up to 514 times an hour. Or approximately 7,200 times during the waking day. Is that a lot? I’m not sure, but…
7 fun ways to make your desk job more like a RPG
When you’re playing the game of life, you probably imagine it to be some impossibly complicated RPG. It’s filled with awful consequences and no right answer. Life really is just about moving forward and completing quests.
Infographic: What do people read while on the toilet?
Do you bring your cellphone with you to the toilet? Whether you admit it or not, most of us actually do some form of reading while in the can. In fact 63% of people read a book, magazine, or newspaper while using the bathroom; another…
A gas mask is needed to prepare the world’s spiciest drumstick sauce
Atomic Kick Ass Sauce is hot; and not give me a glass of milk hot. The world’s spiciest drumstick sauce is so hot that Bindi Restaurant chef and creator, Muhammad Karim, has to put on a gas mask to prevent himself from passing out while preparing…
Designer brews and sends out his own Resum-Ale
Having a good résumé is important for catching the eye of potential employers; having a clever and creative résumé lets you stand out from the crowd. Web and Graphic Designer Brennan Gleason went the extra mile with his home brewed Resum-Ale.
10 things women expect men to know how to do
Are you a manly man? Some of the things women expect men to not be are testosterone-fuelled hulks; nor do you need to be a metrosexual or a skinny jean, plaid wearing, pretentious, bicycle riding hipsters. You can even be the type of man who puts on a well-tailored…
The Holy Cow burger contains 17 different types of beef
Since it looks like no one eats normal burgers anymore, Red’s True Barbecue in England is offering a burger that features 17 types of beef! Aptly named The Holy Cow, this mammoth sandwich dwarfs your typical burger and contains a smidgen of tangy condiments.
Brilliant food packaging inspired by its contents
Swedish design studio Tomorrow Machine has come up with a series of clever, beautifully designed, eco-friendly food packaging.
Dress becomes transparent the more you share info online
Did you know that photo you took with your phone can reveal the exact location of where it was taken? And every time you fill in a profile, blog, share a video, send a tweet, or post a comment, you create a digital footprint that’s both…
Would you try fish and chips flavoured ice cream?
Ice cream is a popular treat that is enjoyed around the world. Fish and chips, however, is a traditional British dish which is popular with tourists. And now ice cream and fish and chips fans can get their fix together.
Pocket Art Director gives you on-the-spot design advice
When deadlines are on the horizon, chances are your art director is nowhere to be found. If talking to your other colleagues would result in a prolonged ramblings, then you need the Pocket Art Director.
Learn how to make mac ‘n cheese meatball sandwiches
A staple of college students everywhere; it’s pretty much universally agreed that mac ‘n cheese is outstanding. Whether it’s made from scratch, loaded with bacon, or straight from the box, it warms us on the hardest of days.
7 ways to look like the perfect gentleman
Do you have a date planned or just looking to get one. As a guy, impressing women isn’t as hard as you may think. Even if you’re not a doctor or an entrepreneur, that doesn’t mean you can’t come off like the perfect gentleman during a date—because…
How to build a crossbow out of simple office supplies
It’s time to take your spitball firepower to the next level with this guide for constructing a crossbow out of office supplies. Dave Hax is a YouTuber who frequently features cool projects and life hacks on his Youtube channel.
Sweet & delicious churro ice cream sandwiches
Finally someone has thought of it: Drawing inspiration from the shops Churros Calientes in Los Angeles and La Churreria in New York City, comes churro ice cream sandwiches. Sylvia Yoo made disc-shaped churros, and put a scoop of ice cream between two of these to create a sweet and…
Beautiful fluorescent bodyscapes
Utah-based photographer and artist John Poppleton‘s personal goal was to create something original and to be different. However, fantasy portraits were never part of his plan. Now that’s what he’s known for. John has created a series of fluorescent artworks, painted directly on the human body.
Amazingly detailed sculptures carved out of watermelon
Clay? Paper? Metal? No? Then how about fruit? Vancouver sculptor and extreme pumpkin carver, Clive Cooper has come up with some amazing sculptures carved from watermelon.
Hilarious images poke fun at hipster motivational posters
If you’re regularly on social media, you certainly get a good dose of the usual hipster motivational posters posted on Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram. The pattern used to create these trivial posters is always the same: a heavy processed or filtered photo, with a motivational sentence placed somewhere…
World’s most expensive Starbucks drink is 128 ounces
A man by the name of Andrew Chifari has broken Beau Chevassus’s record for ordering the world’s most expensive Starbucks drink. The drink in question is called the Sexagintuple Vanilla Bean Mocha Frappuccino.
What happens on the Internet in real-time
What’s the most popular internet activity? Both social networking (37 minutes per day) and email (33 minutes) are at the top. But how much really happens in that time? By the time you finish reading this sentence, there will have been over 200,000 new Facebook posts, 22,000+…
Shake Shack in NYC unveils 5 delicious hamburgers for its 10th anniversary
To celebrate Shake Shack’s 10th anniversary at its original location in New York City’s Madison Square Park, Shake Shack has teamed up with some of New York’s most iconic chefs, including Daniel Boulud, David Chang and occasional Shake Shack collaborator Dominique Ansel.
You can now eat mist that tastes of bacon, cotton candy & chocolate
Have ever wished you could eat all the bacon, cotton candy, and chocolate you wanted without worrying about your calories? Lick Me I’m Delicious, which was founded by Charlie Harry Francis, has created a machine in which you can eat flavoured mist.
Passed out drunk people on the streets are turned into billboards
For most people, a quiet drink after work is a quick treat before they head home for their dinner. However, for these Japanese, the end-of-the-day quickly pint turns into one too many. The result is people becoming passed out drunk and end up sleeping on the streets of Tokyo.
5 ways to make a better ice cream sandwich
In anticipation of summer’s arrival, here’s some insider tips on how to make the best possible ice cream sandwiches. Now, you’ll have the knowledge you need to be the architect of your own dessert and blow your friends and family away.
Break the bad news with humorous and beautiful calligraphy
How do you break bad news to someone? Do you sugarcoat it or tell the truth? If you’ve ever had to break bad news to someone, but weren’t quite sure how to do it, there’s now a solutions. Seb Lester is a graphic designer from the UK. He has a love or…
25 things you don’t know you’re doing that make you look like a douche
Douche is a word that is used to describe someone who has shown themselves to be very brainless in one way or another; thus comparing them to the cleansing product for vaginas. As society continues its downward spiral, I thought that it would be good to point…
Infographic: 3 common time wasters at work
The majority of workers spend an average of eight hours every single working day sitting at their desks. So it’s not surprising that sometimes we don’t have the motivation to work. Some of the most common time wasters are pretty normal, like frequently checking email. Others, like…
Start drooling over the world’s most expensive donut
Drop the galaxy donut and ditch that rainbow bagel. Instead of Instagramming your pastries to prove how trendy you are, why not flaunt this status symbol? Celebrating National Doughnut Week, Krispy Kreme UK unveiled the world’s most expensive donut.
Humorous middle class problems
As the middle class has grown, so have middle class problems. The online world is jammed full of parents and Millennials blogging about crises that are anything but. A life of privilege obviously brings hardships for many, like when “Starbucks all out of pumpkin spice, now I have to settle…
The 10 best pickup lines that don’t sound like pickup lines
Using a pickup line to get a woman’s attention is something I wouldn’t recommend doing. I’m also pretty sure that any woman would probably tell you it’s an awful idea too. Pickup lines basically imply that you lack intelligence–that you don’t have that charm a women wants…
Eight great topping combinations for your hamburger
The array of possible hamburger topping combinations is only limited the mind, or tastebuds. However, a great burger can include a wide variety of toppings that you might or might not have already considered.
Discover the simple ideas you can use to stimulate creativity
For people who generate ideas for a living, it is not uncommon to experience creativity ruts. To help you keep the creative juices flowing, Spanish ad agency SHOUT! Marketing has created an infographic, which lists a number of simple things that you can do everyday to stimulate the creative…
The Survival Kit: getting you through office “emergencies”
A lot of unexpected things can happen in the course of a day at the office—and making it through an office emergency can be difficult. So don’t wait until disaster strikes. It’s a smart idea to have office survival kits prepared for you and your…
Do you know the origins of the 10 greatest insults?
Insults have been around since humans could communicate with one-another. Many have come and gone, but others have evolved over time. Read up on the obscure history of 10 PG-rated slang terms below and share with your friends.
Infographic: Translating client-speak like a pro
If you’re in the marketing industry, like myself, trying to understand client feedback can be a tricky and confusing affair. Clients say one thing, but they actually mean another. It’s basically listening to a non-designer trying to explain type theory to you.
Truth Facts about our daily routines and habits
Each day you wake up and rush to get ready for work. You shower at lightning speed, wolf down your breakfast and grab your coffee before running out the door. After work, you eat dinner, sprawl out on the couch and binge Netflix. Then it’s…
These chocolate bars are beautiful, edible pieces of modern art
Mexico-based Unelefante was founded by fine jewellery designer Tatiana Sanchez. It was a response to the mass-produced products flooding Mexico and putting pressure on hand-made traditions. Teaming up with Chef Jorge Llanderal and his family, they created a collection of beautifully designed chocolate bars that look like brightly coloured…
Ridiculous demands made by advertising clients
Clients often come up with ridiculous demands, but none more than to those in advertising and marketing.