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.

Detailed balloon sculptures by Masayoshi Matsumoto

This artist blows and twists balloons into a wide range of intricately formed balloon sculptures.

Instagram page shares amazing creations from designers

Topdezigners is an Instagram page that reposts gorgeous sleek, modern, and innovative designs.

Burnout is now a recognized medical condition by the WHO

Creative burnout can happen to all of us, even those who don't consider themselves naturally creative people.

Intricate, 3D lace-patterned sculptures of animals

These multilayered animal portraits look amazing in photographs, but are even more impressive in Facebook's 3D photos.

Coca-Cola transforms logo to point to recycling bins

Coke uses its logo to point people to the nearest recycling bin to place their bottles and cans.

21 places to get free tools and software for your startup

Wikibuy has compiled 21 free startup tools to get an idea of how your business can save on costs.

Apple kills off iTunes to replace it with 3 other apps

Apple has announced that iTunes is no more and its music library will be divided across three apps.

Artist uses graffiti to bring fine art paintings to the streets

Julio Anaya Cabanding takes well-known masterpieces and recreates them in urban environments.

15 simple LinkedIn profile tips to boost your career

LinkedIn is the key social media network to grow your career and these simple tips can help.

Pop culture-inspired lip art are amazing masterpieces

The immense talent of Ryan Kelly's lip art takes make-up to a whole new level.

No money to travel? Photoshop yourself a trip with ‘Fake A Vacation’

Fake A Vacation allows Instagramming wannabes to have a photo of themselves appearing like they're on vacation.

Outdoor chandelier collects up to 800lbs of rainwater

John Grade's latest installation, Reservoir, appears like a chandelier glistening among the pine trees.

Game of Thrones-inspired fire-breathing dragon lamp

Bring the GoT fantasy vibe to your home with a 3D-printed, fire-breathing dragon lamp.

Funeral LEGO kits helps children learn about death

Funeral Museum in Vienna decided to help their young visitors by introducing funeral LEGO kits.

Canadian sculptor takes 1st place at Texas SandFest

Canadian sculptor Damon Langlois was awarded first place for his sculpture, "Liberty Crumbling".

Adidas announces first 100% recyclable running shoe

The Futurecraft.Loop is Adidas' first shoe that can be completely remade into another high-performance shoe.

Burger King unhappy meals, because not everybody wakes up happy

BK has teamed with Mental Health America to release five unhappy meals called The Real Meal.

LEGO releases Braille bricks for visually impaired children

For children who are born visually impaired, Braille is a crucial skill to learn and LEGO has come up with a way to make it fun.

How to negotiate freelance rates like a pro

45% of Canada’s workforce will be freelancing by 2020, so what better time to discover your worth.

Giant mirror installation is a kaleidoscope of colour

The multi-coloured panels of the installation refract a dazzling kaleidoscope of light from the sun.

Customers are protesting McDonald’s new paper straws

Apparently people aren't lovin' it after McDonald's UK replaced its plastic straws with eco-friendly ones.

Embroidery tattoos look like they’re stitched into skin

Tattoos and embroidery, when combined, make for eye-catching 3D ink that doesn't involve a needle and thread.

An influencer’s nightmare: Instagram experiments with removing likes

Imagine influencers on Instagram when no one but you can see how many followers or likes you have.

Spectacular winners of the 1st annual infrared photography contest

Kolari Vision created their first annual infrared photography contest called Life in Another Light.

German cycling safety campaign being called sexist and stupid

A German ad campaign to get cyclists to wear helmets has sparked accusations of sexism.

Colourful 8-bit graphics transformed into 3D sculptures and paintings

Distance, Speed, Time, Formula, presents an incredible technicolor series of graffiti, paintings, and 3D sculptures.

Boost website conversions using colour psychology

The simple use of colour can either create a positive or negative user experience.

HBO & Oreo recreate Game of Thrones opening with 2,750 cookies

To celebrate the final season, Oreo has released a special line of limited-edition GoT cookies embossed with the last remaining houses.

12 ways to recover from being laid off

Whether you were caught off guard or saw it coming, you can’t control any aspect of a layoff except for how you handle it.

NVIDIA’s AI app can transform simple doodles into realistic landscapes

Using an app that looks like MS Paint, anyone can turn basic outlines into photorealistic images.

Dunkin’ and Saucony reunite for donut-inspired sneakers

Saucony has teamed up with Dunkin’ for co-branded sneakers that looks so good you'll want to eat them.

Artist turns old pocket watches into miniature worlds

Inside old pocket watches, tiny figurines are placed among little homes, workplaces, and even forests.

BK offers free Whoppers for setting its rivals’ ads on fire

Though it sounds like BK is inciting arson, they actually want users to do it through a new AR app.

Finland offers free trips to teach people happiness

In an effort to promote the wellness and happiness Visit Finland lets you Rent a Finn for a weekend.

Japanese company to 3D-print custom sushi based on diner’s urine

A Japanese company is fusing science and food to create sushi uniquely designed for each diner.

800 colourful umbrellas float above Paris passageway

Featuring 800 brightly coloured open umbrellas, the Umbrella Sky Project appears to float in the air.

Nike focuses on sustainable footwear for summer 2019

Today may be the first day of spring, but thoughts of summer are already on the horizon for Nike as they preview their sustainable footwear.

Architect designs sustainable prism-shaped treehouses

When we think of treehouses, we instantly think of plain-planked interiors propped in trees. Plenty of kids have spent their youth climbing trees and building their secret hideaways in the tree branches. However, this modern concept by Milan-based Peter Pichler Architecture envisions treehouses for adults that…

Crystal cave installation is made of 18,000 plastic cups

Perhaps if people were more scared of plastic, maybe they wouldn’t use so much of it.

Doritos throws in the towel with a new chip bag that cleans your fingers

We’ve all been there. Our hands deep in a bag of Doritos and the sudden need to grab something other than another fistful of chips. That’s the moment you decide to wipe those cheesy hands on your shirt, your pants, the couch, something else. Doritos…

Tips to optimize your next email marketing campaign

What can you do to compel your readers to open your email when they have dozens of others in their inbox?

Anti-cruelty campaign shows animals get no pleasure from suffering

How do you push people to action when it comes to anti-cruelty? You create controversy.

Best of 2019: The Sony World Photography Awards

The goal of the competition is to showcase the best contemporary photography from around the world.

Augmented Reality tattoo generates Sonic the Hedgehog

This unique Augmented Reality tattoo actually generates a version of a Sonic the Hedgehog game.

McDonald’s plans to retail its own version of Balenciaga’s fries shoes

First it was a New York souvenir company that went after Balenciaga for copying a touristy tote, now it is McDonald's turn.

Hyundai’s electric walking car concept is reminiscent of Star Wars

Presented with a video animation at CES 2019, the walking car dubbed Elevate, involves some inspired engineering that would be great to have along when doing some epic back-county skiing or biking trips.

Electroformed crystals encase these handmade bowls

Crafted using a controlled processes that's intended to resemble natural formations, this ceramicist favours working with clay.

KFC ensures you don’t smudge your phone with this synthetic finger

Sometimes you just have to share your love fried chicken while you eat. However, using your smartphone with chicken-scented fingers might leave your shiny display covered in grease and grime. Not to worry though, KFC has a better way to live-tweet what you’re eating.

Shutterstock’s 2019 Creative Trends Report reveals a retro revival

A treasure trove of bright colours, cartoon faces, and fancy animal patterns; these are just some of the highlights from the eighth annual Shutterstock Creative Trends Report.

Feel fancier this Valentine’s Day with Ketchup Caviar by Heinz

If you’re not the greatest cook, but you still want to make your Valentine a hamburger and want a fancier form of ketchup, look no further because Heinz is now making Ketchup Caviar.