Victorian infographics!

Entire set here. via kottke

Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre

Wilhelm Steahle is just incredibly talented. via design work life

Modular geometric furniture

Pretty much the way to my heart. T.shelf by J1studio. via SeeSaw Designs

ABC3D

Pop-up alphabet book by Marion Bataille. via VIVA VENA CAVA

Lace fence

By Dutch Design House, DEMAKERSVAN.

ITP goes to MoMA

Starting tomorrow, a new exhibition at MoMA entitled Design and the Elastic Mind will feature a bunch of works that explore the intersection of science and design. Five of these projects belong to ITP alumni, two of which belong to my class of 2007. I'm so proud!

My (slightly biased) favorite is Demetrie's Hypothetical Drawings About the End of the World, which I have witnessed him develop since 2005. The results are 72" x 22" giclee social landscape prints, the content generated by the very particular parsing of Internet searches. Really, these images do not do the drawings justice; you have until May 12 to see them in person.

I would wear this

oooh, Finnish textiles; consistently noteworthy. The designer of the print above, Maija Louekari (best known for her designs for Marimekko) is only 26!

man, I really miss living in Scandinavia sometimes.

[via Oh Joy!]

Dora Jung

Every day is show-and-tell day here on the Internets. This particular show-and-tell for Dora Jung (discovered via hoping for happy accidents) makes me a bit sad though because her work is not something I want to just stare at on a computer screen. I feel similarly about most design shared and discussed online. That is, just a few photos but not based on any real in-person experiences. I often fall in this trap where I'll read about, for example, a museum exhibition, and then discuss it the next day at lunch or start recommending the exhibition to people as if I went myself! See here as I gush about Dora Jung's work. And who's to say I can't base my judgments off of a few poor-quality photos? Still, I feel something is missing, which is, I didn't know about her in 2003 when I was in Finland (also the year I was introduced to Scandinavian design), so I hope I get another chance to see these textiles in person one day.

Below are two of Jung's tablecloths: 100 Roses and Play of Lines.

Billyburg knows good design

Familiar gripes about Williamsburg aside, there is some great stuff to be found (and less people to encounter) if you venture off of Bedford Ave. In the spirit of gathering inspiration and ideas for a client, Kat and I went on a small design tour last Friday. No, I haven't branched off into interior design, but it's good practice to tease your senses with real-world textures, shapes, lines, colors and contrasts before making any sort of graphic statement on the screen.

I'm not going to complain about the prices (but I will make a nod toward the irony of W'burg restaurants being filled with young people on a weekday... seriously, how these people make their income to spend on expensive design is a mystery), but the design stores were accompanied by good-natured and relaxed shop-people who actually allowed us to take photos. I really love the "craftsman" feel of design of all forms these days, lying somewhere between DIY and DWR.

(Moon River Chattel - ocean and botanical-inspired mercantile at 62 Grand St b/w Wythe & Kent)

(The Future Perfect - high-end but endlessly witty and well-crafted pieces at 115 N 6th St & Berry)

(A&G Merch - next door to The Future Perfect at 111 N 6th St & Berry. Felt like a grown-up version of Urban Outfitters, in a good way.)