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.
You can feel the chill from these hyperrealistic iceberg finger paintings
Zaria Forman has masterfully recreated the complex details of icebergs with nothing but her bare fingers.
What if common design terms were taken literally?
For those of us who do understand common design terms, this series of illustrations gives them a literal spin.
Tiny detailed illustrations that can fit on the tip of a pencil
What's amazing about Christian Watson's artworks are how small they are.
Student designers redesign cereal packaging for ease of use
This new cereal box redesign concept is not only vibrant but also more convenient to use.
Creative fashion illustrations completed using food items
If you like to play with your food, these fashion designs are creatively completed with different items.
Whimsical, customizable monster plant pots
Indoor plants can help fight colds and decreased coughs, sore throats, fatigue, and other symptoms.
Google’s professional photo editing software is now free
What was once a $500US package of pro photo editing software is now completely free. Google has recently announced that its Nik Collection desktop suite, a professional photo editing package, is now free for download. Acquired by Google back in 2012, the software was priced…
10 ways people really annoy graphic designers
"Can you make the logo design bigger?" is probably the most heard and most annoying thing you can say.
Vintage books transformed into mountain landscapes
If you're a lover of vintage books, then you might want to shy away from this.
Do your weird writing habits relate to those of famous authors?
Everyone has their own unique habits that help them to be more creative. Here are some from famous writers.
Makeup artist transforms her lips into sexy art
Canadian makeup artist Andrea Reed uses her own lips to show off her talent by turning them into sexy art.
Start off Monday with humorously illustrated puns
Justine Morrison wanted to give people in the office a laugh on the most dreadful day of the week.
Swiss movement watches inspired by camera designs
Photographers might enjoy these watches that combine elements of classic and modern cameras.
Witty comic shows how differently ideas are perceived
This witty comic describes the differences between how designers and clients perceive ideas.
Van Gogh plush toy comes with a detachable ear you can gift
This Van Gogh plush toy, much like its namesake, also comes with a detachable left ear.
The painstaking process of body painting for Sports Illustrated
This year's lineup includes UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, tennis player Caroline Wozniacki and ski racer Lindsey Vonn.
Intricate hand-carved artworks from a paper sheet
Using a single sheet of paper and a knife, this artist painstakingly carves precise designs.
Hide the wine. This wine rack uses optical illusion to store your booze
esigned by Harlequin Illusions, the Pinetti seamlessly vanishes the wine bottles that pass through it.
Rude greeting cards feature simple, funny illustrations
Conventional cards are meant to convey positive feelings and best wishes for someone you care about. However, these cards by de-motivational speaker Paul Gandhi are anything but conventional.
Minimalist geometric dog houses for lovers of architecture
Korean brand Bad Marlon has created a series of cool modern dog houses for owners to pamper their pets.
Amazing sculptures carved out of the tips of pencils
Using an X-acto knife and tiny chisel, pencil lead is transformed into miniature sculptures.
This stylish custom bicycle is guaranteed to turn heads
The Ono Bikes' Archont design comes in both electric and normal bicycles and feature a customized stainless steel frame which complements the LED lights on the rear.
Artist creates animal portraits on wooden canvases
Kirsten Roodbergen has created lovely black and white animal portraits on slices of wood.
Cute illustrations that teach us random fun facts
Children's book illustrator has created a series of cute illustrations featuring information you may not know.
Popular, yet controversial, upskirt umbrellas
Japan loves its animation and has a lot of anime merchandise aimed at the market there and around the globe. Hoping to establish the theme of Crazy Japan around the world, a designer collective called Million Girls Project intends to produce everyday products with a bizarre, controversial…
Designer creates an adult colouring book of profanities
This colouring book for grownups comprises 20 curse words you can colour in for fun.
McDonald’s unveils bold typographic packaging
McDonald’s new packaging designs for their bags, cups, and boxes feature minimalist typography.
Highly sexual words to add to your vocabulary
This list contains highly sexual words that describe naughty moments in life.
Start printing your own t-shirt designs with this DIY print shop
The DIY Print Shop T-Shirt Kit has the essential set of tools to get you started.
Micro Matter: Discover tiny worlds captured in glass tubes
Micro Matter features towering houses, buildings and trees inside glass tubes.
The 6 steps to creating a captivating personal logo
The infographic offers tips on how your logo should appeal to your desired target audiences, while matching it with your personality.
Stunning photos of Lake Erie’s ‘liquid mountains’
Over a four-week span, Dave Sandford captured the raw power and force of one of Canada’s Great Lakes.
Make words look good with Scrabble Typography
Winning Solutions has switched up the game of Scrabble by making Scrabble Typography.
Ad agency takes bad ideas, turns them into gifts to clients
When it comes to defining a problem, creating as many solutions as possible often leads to a few bad ideas. And while creativity is a trial-and-error process, sometimes good ideas come from the bad. At least, that’s what advertising agency Wax has discovered by brilliantly…
Beautiful nature-inspired resin jewellery by Lyuda
Lyuda combines beautiful floral elements with shreds of gold leaf, capturing them forever in her crystal-clear resin jewellery.
Get your drink on with the Homemade Gin Kit
The Homemade Gin Kit is not only easy to use, it’s also easy on the eyes, as it's also the winner of Inc. Magazine’s ‘Best in Class’ award for packaging design this year.
These are the things you do not say to a designer
Clients who communicate clearly and politely—and are willing to collaborate—get the best work from their designers. Unfortunately, not all clients are created equally. That’s why graphic designer Janie Kliever has shared a list of things you do not say to a designer.
Gorgeous Luna Lamp looks like a full moon
The Luna Lamp is inspired by Earth's moon, and is guaranteed to make any space brighter and more poetic.
Pantone reveals not one, but two 2016 Colours of the Year
For the first time Pantone, the global authority on colour, has announced two Colours of the Year for 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity.
Bacon up your Christmas tree with a bacon ornament
It’s a staple of many breakfasts and loved by meat eaters the world over. It has even been blamed for turning vegetarians into meat eaters. Yes, we’re talking about bacon.
Innovative markers change tones as you colour
Artists and illustrators alike understand the need for multiple colour tones in order to create shading and gradation. However, that usually requires several different markers to accomplish the task.
2015’s fading graphic and web design trends to note
In 2015, new design trends were introduced that were quickly incorporated by many websites and graphic designers. See what's on the in and out:
Burger King launches illustrated Christmas packaging
With the Christmas season kicking into high gear, Burger King has announced their limited edition packaging for the festive holiday. The illustrated packaging features several colourful motifs.
This beautiful sand clock is inspired by Zen gardens
The past, present, and future is exist as one. Yet, as a species, humans are obsessed with our perceived passage of time; its become our master. This sand clock, inspired by Zen gardens, is a calming and creative representation of both time and space.
The truth behind glamorous Instagram photos
Social media is full of sad, lonely people pretending they are okay and perfectly fine attention-seekers pretending to be sad. Instagram photos are the most deceptive when it comes to faking our lives.
Learn how to leave work early with these 6 tips
Where’s the worst place you can possibly be at 4 pm on a Friday? The office, of course.
8 funny charts illustrate everyday life
There are certain expectations associated with everyday life, like eating a good meal or sleeping well. However, expectation and reality are often two very different things.
Paintings on tree logs mirror their origins
You’ve seen landscape paintings before, but probably not like those I’m about to show you. New York-based artist Alison Moritsugu has created a fantastic series of paintings that capture the beauty of Mother Nature, but on tree logs.
Famous proverbs retold as graphic design puns
Proverbs, also referred to as sayings, give us some form of life advice. Every language and culture has them, and its important not to miss any of the words because the meaning can easily get lost.
How to hide the fact that you’ve just farted
What’s the best way to hide the fact that you’ve passed gas, farted, tooted, broke wind, or cut the cheese? With Thanksgiving coming up, I figured that this funny series from College Humor would come in handy.