One Floor Up

The Extraordinaries

2010-02-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

It is easy to make excuses about not doing volunteer work, but what excuse do you have not to do a little micro-volunteering? The Extraordinaries is a group that helps everyday people do good, 35 seconds at a time. Just go to their website or download their mobile app and get access to all sorts of small activities that will help others. You can help a child out of extreme poverty by providing some worlds of encouragement, tag some photos for a local museum, or help build a database of dog shelters. Lots of the activities can be done right from your computer or phone. Most take less then a minute. You can do good on the bus, while waiting for take out, before going to bed, or in an otherwise unproductive meeting. What is your excuse now?

I couldn't be more excited about this app if I had thought of it myself.

Nutricate

2010-01-31T20:12:00.000-08:00

Typically, I consider receipts a waste of time and paper, but Nutricate is looking at some new receipt features that might make me reconsider their worth. Nutricate receipts come with the nutrition information of the meal you purchased. The receipts state calorie, fiber, fat and protein information as total amounts and percentages of daily recommended intakes. These receipts make it easier to track your food intake and make smart eating decisions. To me, the most ingenious part of this idea is that Nutricate is elevating the value of nutrition to the same level as the value for money, changing the way we think about the price of a meal.

Feltron 2009 Annual Report

2010-01-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

It is one of my favorite times of the year... time for Nicholas Feltron's Annual Report.

Most designers will be well aware of Feltron's tradition, as his reports are an annual source of graphic and information design inspiration. If you have not heard of them, the Annual Reports are a summary of graphic designer, Nicholas Feltron's year. They cover the places he has been, the foods he has eaten, the fluctuations in his mood, etc, etc. They are not only ridiculously pleasant to look at, but amusing to read. If you are interested in collecting your own annual data, check out one of Feltron's other projects, Daytum.

The Moment Jars

2010-01-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

We all have moments we want to capture, celebrate and share. The Moment Jars are a sweet and quiet way to hold on to a moment. Just write your moment down, and place it in a (virtual and magnificently illustrated) jar.

HEMA Paper

2010-01-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today I was lost in a thought about the secret joys of office supplies. A thought, almost perfectly encapsulated by this copy paper packaging for HEMA by Studio Kluif. A sense of playfulness is (almost) always a welcome addition to the design of everyday things.

Leigh Viner

2009-12-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

I just purchased my first Leigh Viner print. Her work is a pencil, pen and watercolor combination, enhanced with digital love. Her subject matter is always quiet, powerful and chic.

You can purchase prints at the jkldesign Etsy shop. I also recommend checking out Leigh's YouTube channel that combines her art with the touching music of Olivier Bostvironnois. A nice collaboration.

Portfolio - Diego Monetti

2009-11-23T23:46:00.000-08:00

The brilliant and egotistically-over-the-top-awesome portfolio of Interactive Experience Designer, Diego Monetti. Shaking my head out of envy, amusement and shock.

Someone please hire him and report back.

Designer's Magic 8 Ball

2009-11-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am an avid Magic 8 Ball user. Mine was given to me at my first design job, and it has been on my desk ever since. So I had to smile at this online designer version of a Magic 8 Ball created by Creative Block. Sure, it's just an advertisement in disguise, but what isn't. Enjoy.

Fred Lebain

2009-11-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

Fred Lebain's photographic series A Springtime in New York features his own photos, inside his own photos. He took a bunch of beautiful, but mundane photos of New York and had them printed on large, glossy posters. He then returned to the setting of each photo and took them again, but this time with the print out of the original photo inside a wider shot. Each photo has its own unique imperfection to hint at the photo within the photo.

I like this concept a lot. There is a stupidly simple brilliance that makes it captivating.

K is for Karma

2009-11-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

Robert Samuel Hanson creates some simple and elegant illustrations. His in progress Alphabet caught my attention with its witty characterizations of the letters. K is for Karma makes me smile every time.

Is It Christmas?

2009-11-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

Despite what you may think based on store displays, advertisements, and the color of your Starbucks mug... IT IS NOT CHRISTMAS YET! If at any point in the next couple months you are confused about whether or not it is Christmas yet. Use the handy tool IsItChrismas.com. It will clear up any doubts.

Lil' Vampire Baby Pacifier

2009-10-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ha! Turn your little one into a mini vampire with this Lil' Vampire Baby Pacifier. (Found through Outblush).

Chris Ware's The New Yorker Cover

2009-10-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

Chris Ware has created this thought provoking piece of artwork for the cover of The New Yorker's November issue. It is beautiful to look at, with a season appropriate theme, and some strong underlying messages about modern society. This panel is part of a larger comic called Unmasked. The whole thing can be seen here (although I think it is more effective as a stand alone piece).

(Found through Design Milk).

Candy Corn Street Art

2009-10-31T00:13:00.000-07:00

A little Halloween flavored street art from Diabetik. (Found through the Wooster Collective).

Bank Notes

2009-10-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ken Habarta has just written a book about the notes that people use to rob banks. He has been posting daily examples of the notes on the blog Bank Notes. Each note is accompanied by a picture of the robber and an icon indicating if the robbery was successful or not. The website is searchable, in case you are only interested in robberies involving polite notes (search for the word "thanks" and "please"). From what I can gather, there is not much of an art to writing a robbery note. The website even has a random bank note generator... in case you are in a hurry.

The F*cking Word of the Day

2009-10-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in learning new words, but the regular Word-of-the-Day websites just aren't doing it for you? Maybe try The F*cking Word of the Day (also @thefuckingword on Twitter). Their twist on expanding your vocabulary is to use the words in a sentence that involves sex, drugs or swearing. Ha! Simple, brilliant, and ridiculously effective.

100 French Kisses

2009-10-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yang Ya-Ching is a Taiwanese student who is trying to fully embrace Paris. She is doing so by finding 100 French strangers on the streets of Paris and kissing them. Each kiss is photographed and documented in her blog. So far, it looks like she is getting to know Paris very well.

The GOOD 100

2009-10-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

I've been thoroughly enjoying The GOOD 100, this month. It is GOOD Magazine's list of the most important, exciting and innovative people, ideas and products making our world better. The 100 cover a wide range of scope and subject from smarter trash cans to same sex marriage advocates. The list is made up of of projects, people and ideas nominated by a combination of the extended GOOD team, and its readers. You can check out the whole list online here.

Beehaus

2009-10-25T16:37:00.001-07:00

Omlet, the designers behind the Eglu, are now taking on the world of bees. The Beehaus is a product designed to raise bees in your back yard or rooftop. Because as they say, bees in your garden, honey on your toast! The Beehaus holds 24 frames, enough for two colonies. It is designed to keep both you and your bees comfortable. It provides solid insulation to keep the bees warm, and a raised design for a suitable working height for you.

Looks like a great learning experience. Let's just hope your neighbours also love honey more then they hate bees.

Chocolate Mail

2009-10-25T16:35:00.001-07:00

I'm constantly horrified at the idea of having to lick stamps or envelopes. They taste terrible. There is no need for this (as this week I discovered you can buy mint flavored fake blood - if they can make fake blood taste good, surely they can make stamps taste good). Enter the brilliant design mind of Toby Ng. Toby has created Chocolate Mail. It is a conceptual project about redesigning stamps to taste like chocolate. The chocolate stamps would come in 3 different flavors, dark, milk or white, and would be sold in sets of 24 resembling a chocolate bar.

Design makes me happy.

Best Moment of the Day?

2009-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Designboom has been asking the interview question "What is the best moment of the day?". It is a fantastic question with even better answers. Each answer is acting as a headline for the full interview.

Miranda July Pillow Cases

2009-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

My favorite ragging lunatic/artist/author is at it again. Miranda July has recently come out with a set of pillow cases, to help you sleep better (or worse... whatever). They read "Here you will dream of endless kissing" and "Here you will dream of people you admire exposing your fraudulence". Ha.

To Dry For

2009-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

To dry or not to dry. Artistic printed t-shirts have been hot items in the past few years, but can the same concept translate to tea towels? Enter To Dry For, a designer tea towel range which will surely enhance the creative vibe of your kitchen.

Kevin Cyr

2009-09-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the realistic vehicle paintings of Kevin Cyr.

Incredibox

2009-09-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

Incredibox is a interactive website that allows users to mix their own beatboxes using the skilled sounds of The Incredible Polo. The website is fun and super simple to use. You just drag and drop the types of sounds on the the beatboxer's t-shirt to add to the mix. Click on any of the beatboxers to remove their sound. The end effect is really enjoyable to experience.