Created for Colorplan by London studio Made Thought, this swatch book has a fabulous mixture of functional elements and beautiful book design. I love the placement of circular colour chips and how the embossing textures are all shown on a striking black and white page (highlighting exactly how the texture will appear). My only question mark is the grey background behind the swatches as it may impact how each colour is perceived by the human eye. Perhaps the chips are removable? In any case, it is one handsome book of colour samples and design. And that cover? To showcase the weight, embossing and colour facets of the Colorplan range, circles were inlayed using the technique of ‘paper marquetry’. Just lovely…

(spotted on and images via september industry)

Who says the neon colour family must always be distractingly bright? I love the soft, almost washed neon look used in this Las Palabras Pintadas branding by Buenos Aires designer Lucía Izco. Add in the perfect neutral brown/grey background, one tone photography and some fabulous typography? The recipe for print design that makes neon feel fresh and sophisticated…

(image via lucía izco/behance)

Dutch studio Raw Color has an exquisite eye for unique and memorable colour palettes. I love their identity for TextielMuseum and TextielLab and the wide palette created by using different intensities of five dusty bright hues and pops of neon. Cerulean blue and neon pink? Yes please! The typography is also beautiful as letters T, M and L overlap in varying opacities to create distinct colour combinations and overall patterns that mimic textile weaving. The opacities are turned up or down depending on if the lab or museum is the focus of the collateral. Entrance cards, stationery, stickers, publications, tea towels, building flags – the identity is wonderfully flexible and reflects modern textile patterns.

(image via raw color)

Bold typography, bright colour AND a handcrafted one-of-a-kind soul? Now that is the recipe for great print design. I love this simple but striking flyer design by Amsterdam studio OK200 for The Amsterdam New York Pop Up Show. Using the pink poster designs they hand-silkscreened for the event, the duo added a navy blue layer of flyer information on top. They sliced through the now chaotic surface to create 16 beautiful and unique flyers. I love the abstract typography crops and smashing mix of hot pink and navy blue…

(photographs via OK200)   

Product packaging is an essential part of retail design and is a fabulous resource for design inspiration. I love bold type placement and treatments, bright pops of colour, and collections that embrace a range of unique yet united typography.

Yes, I have a thing for retail exteriors and signage. One look I love lately is small but powerful typography. With strong contrasts or in handsome wee neon, the style can make an exterior look rather chic.

Old school hand-lettering, cursive neon, striking handwriting, creating words out of tile — typography based on hand-drawn type can look smashing in design and retail. Done right, it feels modern rather than trendy. I particularly love the craftsmanship it adds to any design. Seek out friends with magnificent penmanship!

I strongly dislike the typeface Papyrus. There, I said it. I get itchy when I see it and feel disturbed when companies, events and shops use typography derived from Microsoft Word to brand themselves. When it comes to telling the world who you are, why use a generic (and probably not design-focused) voice? Not only will you get lost in a sea of competitors also using “Word magic” but standing out in a stylish way becomes virtually impossible. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I showcase how great typography can make all the difference in the quest for memorable design and branding. While focused on retail, the need for fantastic typography is universal so the images hopefully inspire all type-related projects. Take a peek at my post here…

(packaging images via: ddmmyy, raw type, de-construct,cool hunting, lovely package, and slingshot coffee co.; small type images via new places to be, design*sponge, dezeen, and scout magazine; hand-drawn images via la potenza, trish papadakos, remodelista, kristen leigh, kinfolk, wallpaper and remodelista)

A fantastic print campaign for Expedia by Ogilvy & Mather that uses airport IATA codes to form clever travel-related phrases. There are over 9,000 three-letter IATA codes for airports around the world so I can imagine it was quite the task to sort through them and find witty copy. For example, WSH EWE WRE ERE (or Brookhaven, Ewer Indonesia, Whangarei, Erave) and SUN SEA SND SEX (or Sun Valley, Seattle, Seno, Sembach). I love the pops of colour and stamps in the corner providing a bit more context to the travel code wish. Oy, so simple and brilliant. There is plenty of fun to be found in the luggage carousel…

(photographs via/spotted on creative review)  

More cool toned, rosy and clear “modern gold”.

Copper has really jumped into the 2013 spotlight. Unlike the very orange or brown copper of years gone by, this “modern copper” is more cool toned and clear in colour (also inspired by the popularity of rose gold). Streamlined shapes, cutting edge applications and more matte/hammered finishes are also making copper of any shade feel more modern. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I discuss this shift and the many trends and possibilities it has created. Mixed with other colours and materials, exposed piping, used in print – the article is rather plump with inspiration. I have always liked copper but I am officially in love with modern copper. Read my post here if you fancy…

(photographs via: acrimony, analogue life, magpie studio, poppytalk, lettered olive, stockholm street style and stylizimo; interior images: remodelista, dwell, real living magazine, and homelife)

Modern neon, bright colour and strong typography — is there a better combination? The Melbourne Theatre Company utilizes all three elements in their 2013 season identity created by Interbrand. I love the custom typography called ‘MTC Neon” and its modern angles, glowing finish and nod to theatrical heritage. A glowing typeface could easily appear cheesy or fake in print but I think Interbrand does a smashing job of using the effect in an truly elegant way. Appearing on dark photographs and backgrounds, it allows titles and type to dramatically “light-up” different scenes (regardless of application). I particularly like the program covers as they highlight how the typeface could be used in photographed or physical 3D. Arts are an illuminating pillar in our society and here, Interbrand has crafted an identity that really captures that sentiment…

(spotted on and images via BP&O) 

Black and white packaging with a pop of colour just plain tickles my fancy. Showcasing the colour contents of a product, serving as a copy or brand hue highlight, creating a colour-coding system, adding a burst of bright hue — there are no limits to the various ways this approach can look fantastic. With so many great examples, perhaps this post will need parts one through ten…

(photographs from top: lovely package, prospector co., anaise, the dieline, heydays, the dieline, frontier, mox botanicals, refinery 29, design work life & packaging of the world)  

How did 2012 end so quickly? Yikes. Luckily, a new year means a brand new canvas of design and retail trends that we can watch emerge and evolve. Three trends I have noticed climbing confidently forward lately are cutouts, holograms and emerald. It will be interesting to see which will become big design players in 2013 and which will be subject to niche popularity. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I discuss this intriguing trio and how it may apply to retail, design and even personal style/home decor. We need more hologram buildings, don’t you think? Take a peak at my post here if you fancy…

(photographs via: dezeen, spin, elle, style, vogue, munaluchi bridal (cutouts); abriwin, moffat, fashion week berlin, hello sandwich (holograms); design work life, we heart, paul smith (emerald))     

White, pops of colour, edge painting, letterpress — the personal identity of Brooklyn designer Daniel Renda is chalk full of details I love. The colourful logo slash and back of the letterhead are particularly strong punches of hue. Oh the power of colour and personal branding…

(photographs via daniel renda; spotted on design work life)

I am woefully behind on my Christmas cards this year. Let’s hope they don’t turn into “happy spring” messages! While I may be in denial of how far we are into December, I wanted to round-up some holiday cards that have tickled my fancy this year. It’s not too late to mail cards, deliver them in person or choose winter-focused designs that can be used for “happy new year” messages. While there is plenty of interactive potential in e-cards, there is just something warm and wonderful about a true paper card. Beautiful illustrations or modern typography, I love how holiday cards manage to be full of great design and messages of good tidings from your loved ones. Oh and they sure perk up mailboxes and mantles…

(designers/sources from top: sugar paper, terrain, cotton on, the indigo bunting, the indigo bunting, pretty paper please by mélanie kimmett, paper source, Rifle Paper Co., kate spade, pretty paper please by mélanie kimmett, slim paper, cotton on, terrain, present+correct)

Designed by Swear Words, I’m fascinated by the packaging of Australian brand Jacqueline Evans Skincare. The combination of amber glass and dusty (almost pastel) primary colours is rare and hard to pull off. Mixed with simple typography and a tiny emblem flourish, the final look is striking. The colours just work together and create a modern and instantly recognizable palette. Any bathroom is going to look chic with these bottles in the medicine cabinet…

(photographs via jacqueline evans & lovely package) 

Partners for Mental Health installation, by Blok Design (Toronto, 2012)

Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery installation, by Rethink (Vancouver, 2005)

I love public art installations, especially when they are thought-provoking, colourful and initiate public interaction. A great example? The button wall at top created by Blok Design for the Partners for Mental Health campaign “Not Myself Today”. The identity, which uses different emotions and their corresponding colours, was turned into a wall of “mood pins” in a heavily travelled section of Toronto. It reminded me of a similar installation I saw in Vancouver a few years ago. Created for the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery, Rethink Communications printed 50,000 buttons with a single word representing one of a hundred possible responses to contemporary art. Both walls use colour and pattern in different yet equally compelling ways. They also serve as striking interactive public art that draws attention to important topics and sparks dialogue. Oh and they add rather fabulous colour to streetscapes and collars…

(photographs via rethink and blok design)  

I was poking around the internet last night and became happily reacquainted with an identity from a few years ago that I really love. Designed by London studio Farrow, the look of British bakery Peyton and Byrne is minimalistic colour with a decidedly British flair. It is a cohesive programme of meticulous detail that can be applied to many products uniquely and manage to make a simple box of treats feel like a box of jewels. I love how the packaging is colourful (a great palette) but doesn’t overshadow the products. I wouldn’t mind a kitchen shelf full of those boxes…

(photographs via farrow and little ghost)   

I am obsessed with edge painting (when color is applied to the edges of cards, invitations, books and so forth). It adds such a pop of colour/shine to design. I don’t think I’ve seen a hologram-like effect though until this morning. Whoa. Created by designer Denis Mallet for Parisian art merchant Julien Hauchecorne, the business cards have a “diffraction effect foil on a pristine white and ebony black duplexed substrate with a diffraction foil fore-edge printing process on the outside edges”. Mind is blown. Striking and downright magical…

(photographs via denis mallet on behance)