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.
Showing that eco-friendly building concepts are applicable to even our canine friends, California-based architecture and interior design firm Studio Schicketanz has designed a dog house unlike any other.
Graffiti isn’t all tagging and political opinions sprayed on the wall. In fact, today it’s become an acceptable artistic genre that’s increasingly being embraced by the general public as well as institutions.
Do you have a sharp eye for colour? Now you can find out for sure, because Pantone has launched a Colour IQ Test that allows you to discover your level of colour vision.
While SpaceX prepares to send a Japanese billionaire and eight artists to the Moon for free, UK artist Luke Jerram is bringing the Moon to audiences around the globe.
A rainbow is a beautiful, natural phenomenon which continues to inspire people in many ways. It has also inspired scientists and artists alike to further explore the nature of colour and light and how they are connected.
A couple days ago, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that Yusaku Maezawa, will be the first private customer to ride around the Moon on the company’s Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) as early as 2023.
UK-based lingerie brand Figleaves has released its latest campaign that includes a cast models of different sizes, shapes and ethnicities. What also makes this campaign special is that Figleaves is the latest brand to ban airbrushing in their ads.
The art of chainsaw sculpting is astonishing to think of when creating with using such an indelicate tool. Both elaborate and exhilarating, it’s also a lengthy process that takes time to perfect. However, if you give Jürgen Lingl-Rebetez a block of wood and a chainsaw, all you have…
One of the most fascinating and largely unexplored places in the world also happens to be a place difficult for most people to visit—the depths of the ocean. But, for seasoned scuba divers, this contest is a chance to capture underwater wonders most will never…
Having a strong logo can create significant value; and that’s no less true in the automotive industry. In fact, car logos are among the most widely recognized amongst brands across the world. But have you ever wondered about what’s behind the creation and evolution of famous car…
Woo Designs, a Warsaw-based furniture company, has designed and produced custom oak tables with engraved maps of international cities. What makes them unique isn’t just the laser-cut designs, but the fact that they also glow-in-the-dark.
After receiving 4,400 submissions from over 101 countries, the inaugural Drone Awards have announced the winners of their competition. The awards, which celebrates the art of drone photography, has allowed photographers to explore new perspectives and communicate an appreciation of our planet.
German artists Thomas Granseuer and Tomislav Topic—together known as Quintessenz—have recently created a site-specific art installation as part of the Paxos Contemporary Art Project. Taking place on the island of Paxos in the Adriatic sea, the duo have created colourful displays that look like pixelated Photoshop effects.
When London-based photographer Carl Warner was a child, he probably wasn’t listening when his parents told him not to play with his food. The artist uses a wide variety of ingredients, such as deli meats, fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and bread as the medium for his food art landscapes.
Pietro Cataudella is an Italian artist who takes urban sketching to the next level. He offers a new perspective of famous landmarks by using his talents to combine his architectural drawings with photos of their real-life surroundings.
Stock photography website, Shutterstock is used by designers and agencies the world over. And to highlight their coming to the rescue of those creatives, Dominican Republic ad agency Cazar DDB has created a trio of witty print ads to promote the stock photography company and its offerings.
The web is a very blue place, and not metaphorically, either. The Internet’s most heavily trafficked websites are literally coloured with nearly twice as many shades of blues as that of yellows and reds, and three times as much greens. But is the colour blue enriching…
If you thought that a pastry chef only baked cakes, you’d be wrong. Elena Gnut is a 31-year-old Pastry Chef from Kaliningrad, Russia, who gained over 140k Instagram followers by showcasing her original intricate cake designs.
When designers design, they sometimes become so immersed in their work that they forget to step back and make sure they’re on the right path. Often, a second pair of eyes are what’s needed to help designers stay on brief and create amazing designs; that…
While the rest of us are finishing off the last drops of our morning coffee, Giulia Bernardelli is using what remains in her cup to create stunning works of art in her kitchen.
Have you ever felt peace while walking along the ocean, or maybe more energetic and an improved mood? The fact is that most people experience a feeling of calm, relaxation and well-being, when near the swirling motion of water.
UK-based designer and illustrator Lisa Lloyd worked for nearly 20 years as an animator, director, even a creative director. But the one thing she was missed doing was creating her own work. So, six years ago she started creating designs out of paper in her free time.…
As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”; which is the case with Detroit-born artist Noah Deledda. Most people don’t give a second thought to their used aluminium cans after tossing them into the recycling bin. Noah, however, has found a wonderfully creative way to turn…
Black, white or stainless steel kitchen appliances no longer exciting you? Now there’s a new option to turn your kitchen into a fashion statement—and drop a little cash while you’re at it. Dolce & Gabbana has collaborated with Italian appliance company Smeg to create a…
Since bursting onto the modern tattoo scene in the early 90s, tribal tattoos have become increasingly popular. Their simple strength and beauty makes them compelling, even to people who otherwise may be into tattoos. The gentle curves and strong angles of these solid black tattoos…
For the 285 million visually impaired people around the world, Braille allows them to read and write what they cannot see. But for those with sight, Braille looks like a coded language that isn’t easily deciphered. And that’s how it started for Japanese designer Kosuke Takahashi. He…
Over 5000 years of art history has just been made available online for free by New York’s biggest museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As well as releasing more than 400,000 artworks for personal and commercial use, the Met has made over 500 free art books available for your…
Target, known for its iconic red bullseye logo, has decided to ditch its heritage clothing brands in favour of a brand-focused strategy that includes more niche offerings. According to Target, the new line will carry versatile pieces that allow shoppers to mix-and-match. The clothes will also emphasize on quality,…
What’s so difficult about creating a good logo? They’re usually simple, sometimes complex, but mostly something you should be able to do lickety-split. So, no problem, right? When you only see the result of a designer’s efforts, logo design can look like it was a…
If you’ve ever gone hiking and come across plants and animals you were unfamiliar with, and wanted to know more, there’s now an app for that. You could try to describe what you see and type it into Google. But you might not get the…
People have been making intricate and beautiful creations out of wire since early Egypt. More modern artists have converted this medium to larger scaled projects like wire sculptures. One of those artists is Martin Debenham; a British contemporary sculptor, he creates stainless steel wire sculptures inspired by fantasy and…
You can often tell the era in which a logo was created by the fonts, colours, and styles used. Recognizing which logo trends will withstand the test of time is an essential part of choosing a style which feels fresh, relevant, and reflects the brand.
This week, the corporate branding for Ontario’s soon-to-be legal marijuana stores was unveiled by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) will be the brand name of Ontario’s cannabis agency, including its stores and online channel.
Home to the tallest skyscraper, the largest shopping mall and the longest driverless metro system in the world, Dubai is a city not shy about its architecture; their newest monument is the world’s largest picture frame, rising 150 meters above Dubai’s Zabeel Park.
Have you recently visited Madrid’s historic Plaza Mayor? If so, then you were probably greeted by a dazzling installation by artist Janet Echelman. She recently unveiled the latest sculpture to her Earth Time Series; a captivating suspended thread installation of tied knots.
Last week at Awwwards, Adobe unveiled a sneak preview of vector graphics support in Creative Cloud Libraries coming soon to Adobe XD CC. What this means is that Adobe Illustrator users can conveniently drag graphics from their CC libraries and drop them right into their XD canvases. As well,…
Time is something we deal with every day, and something that everyone believes they understand. While we may think we do, it’s still a hard thing to express. So, as part of a series of exhibitions exploring the different functions of materials, Tokyo-based architect and designer Emmanuelle…
Even with the current volatility of the cryptocurrency market, Kodak is looking to make its mark. The company recently announced that it’s joining forces with Wenn Digital to launch its own cryptocurrency for photographers called KODAKCoin.
Last year, global eCommerce reached US$2.3 trillion and is expected to double by 2021. In the United States alone, eCommerce represents almost 10 percent of retail sales. Even as the general public is increasingly coming to prefer online shopping, many websites still face unique challenges to their success.
Embroidery is delicate work. But when you’re skillfully hand-stitching, it’s taken to the next level. And that’s especially true when working on net-like tulle fabric. It’s more delicate than your traditional cotton—making it less forgiving than other fabrics. However, when done well, the effect is mesmerizing.
The Google Arts and Culture platform hosts images of millions of pieces of art, ranging from prehistory to the contemporary. The app, which first appeared in app stores back in 2016, has mostly gone under the radar until now.
Kids today are so into technology that they’ve forgotten how to pick up a pencil and be creative. That’s why Katie Johnson, a graphic designer and illustrator, decided to teach elementary school students about creativity. To do this, she asked them to create monster doodles…
Take a sweet journey through our universe with gourmet candy maker Vintage Confections. While you typically need a telescope to view far-away worlds and swirling nebulas, there’s now easier—and tastier—way to enjoy our solar system.
Every year there are a few design trends that fade, while new ones burst onto the scene. This will be especially true in 2018, with visual contrast dominating the digital landscape.
Ringing in the New Year brings with it a renewed energy for what’s to come. And every year, the colour experts at the PANTONE Colour Institute research and analyses design, film, food, fashion, art and more to arrive at a colour of the year. This…
With winter comes cold. This is the time of year when we want to sit by the fireplace and enjoy a cup of warm cocoa. In fact, the act of watching a fire lowers blood pressure, according to new University of Alabama research. This enjoyment may…
In woodlands and jungles, along coastlines, and on mountaintops, sculpture has long been integrated into the world around us. However, we often think of sculptural viewing as an indoor experience, placed throughout museums and galleries. But in recent decades the concept of sculpture parks have taken off.
The landscape shapes our sense of place on Earth, yet it’s constantly changing. The forces of wind, water, sun, and, yes, humans, combine to transform the world around us. In fact, in the last 50 years alone, hundreds of scenic natural landmarks around the world have…