Making the Most of our Resources

How much does a few drops of ink mean to you? Probably not a lot; but, if you are Starbucks, you might think differently. They sell about four billion cups of coffee every year and each one of those cups has that large green logo on it. Printing these ink-heavy logos on cups surely costs a lot of money, some of which employees could be putting in their own pockets, as they would if Sylvain Boyer’s plans were to catch on. He calls it “ecobranding”, and it involves remodelling the famous logos of corporations so that they use 40% less ink. By using less ink, not only does the company save money it also does a great deal for Mother Earth. 

Check out some of his designs, including his ecobranding for Starbucks here: https://www.fastcodesign.com/90144121/ecobranding-famous-corporate-logos-redesigned-to-use-less-ink

New Perspectives

Simply breath-taking... These are the words that come to mind when looking at Niaz Uddin’s aerial photographs of nature’s landscapes. His most recent prints show the range of his interests by capturing the populated Laguna beach and the uninhabited Eastern Sierra Mountains. To take these photos, Uddin uses a drone to fly high and capture the beauty of nature. Looking at his photographs make us want to get out of the city and appreciate all that the birds see.

Terra Cotta Air Con

Although at first glance it seems quite simple, this low-energy air conditioner is one of our favourite innovations from the last few months. New Delhi-based design agency Ant Studio had the idea to bunch hundreds of terra cotta cones together and pour water down the sides. As the clay absorbs the water and slowly evaporates, the room’s temperature drops by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The result? An ingeniously simple, low-cost and environmentally friendly air-conditioning alternative. Clay tubes, a basin and some water……Who knew?!

The Power of Play

Little known fact….The town of Billund, Denmark was the birthplace of the iconic LEGO brick. Now, Billund has seen the creation of another iconic piece: the LEGO House. This institution was built to be an “immersive experience centre” for the LEGO brand, but it has proven to be much more. Through the skill of architect Bjarke Ingels and four years of construction, the LEGO house is a work of art that encapsulates the brand and what the company’s product does to develop young minds. Ingles designed the building to include several “experience zones”, including two LEGO art exhibition areas and four color-coded play areas, each hosting activities to train a specific skill. 

From Classic Book to Movie Poster

This year, Bloomsbury celebrate their 30th anniversary. The award-winning independent publisher has been associated with a number of iconic novels over the years, and to commemorate this milestone, they’ve released a series of modern classics, the covers of which feature brand spanking new illustrations. The 10-book series features titles such as ‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’ by Susanna Clarke, ‘Eat Pray Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert, and ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini. Each cover depicts a notable scene from its respective book, with Bloomsbury deputy art director Greg Heinimann explaining that the aim was to bring out “the inherent cinematic quality” of each title. Time to get reading!