I’m sure I’m not alone when I say we have many names for our pet. From empowering titles like Major Fluff to repugnant names like Mister Rat Legs (during Tofu’s bunny butt bath time), here are a few designs I whipped up for our furry CEO. Background image: Tofu’s fur. Note: “Cash” was actually given to him by our neighbour. I’m unsure if he was named after Johnny Cash or actual currency. Either way fits. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.
Today marks the deadline for design submissions for New Zealand’s national flag. No one has decided that we will be changing our flag yet. It might not happen at all, but submissions have been accepted for consideration. As a designer and a tax payer, I agree that redesigning the flag is inevitable and something to think about for our future. Our flag is outdated and doesn’t reflect our nation. Still, changing the flag is an expensive, unpopular exercise we don’t need right now. Design by committee is never a good idea and generally speaking, crowd sourced design is terrible. The panel of judges was appointed by the government from nominations and represent a broad range of New Zealanders. There are no designers in the panel, though the panel have expressed that they will be consulting with advisors including design and cultural experts. Design by designers and selection by an experienced panel could work. But submissions accepted from anyone with an internet connection and selection by a cross section of people will be far more unpredictable. The sheer number of entries has been …
#NZbloggers are hosting a weekly blog post challenge. This week’s theme is Contrast and you can check out other posts on this theme here. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a striking black and white kitchen. I love the contrast, especially how it pops with accents of gold or greenery. Living in a rental, I’m blessed with a brown, beige and taupe kitchen with a utilitarian steel bench (oh how dreamy!). I dream of the day when I can have black and white kitchen with gold or brass tapware and bright green plants. Until then, here’s a round up of some rather lovely monochromatic things for the kitchen from New Zealand retailers and manufacturers. Click on the descriptions for direct links to purchase. Fog Linen tray striped $23 Genevieve Packer statehouse tea towel $25 Scrabble letter mugs $24.90 JENZ Studio cloud plates Onyx chalkboard canisters $17-$30 Le Sac en Papier $18 Norm bottle grinder $139 Wooden chopping board $30 Reneé Boyd white vase with black and gold $75 Zigzag cotton floor rug $229.99 Honeycomb kitchen towel …
Urbis Design Day has been going for many years now and if you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen some pretty designs on my feed last Saturday. Urbis is about local designers, showrooms and venues pairing up with creatives to make cool, interactive installations. This year’s creatives included street artists, a French patisserie (macarons), a landscape designer, a fashion designer, screen printing, footwear, 3d artist. There was also plenty of coffee, edible treats, and wine. My kind of day. I’ve been attending Urbis Design Day for a while now and in 2009 my girlfriends and family celebrated my hen’s party (bachelorette party) at Urbis Design Day. Urbis took a year off last year and this year they came back with a 2 day event. Friday was just for registered design professionals and Saturday’s version was for public with $30 tickets (or two tickets for $50). This year I tagged along with my sister Joey and her friends. We started just after 10am and finished up after 3pm, although the event didn’t finish until 5pm. In hindsight, I should …
After a year hiatus, Urbis Design Day is back. Gracing us again Saturday 21 March 2015, 10am to 5pm at nine locations around Auckland. With 14 exhibits/installations between showrooms, venues and designers, the day is a fun, interactive and inspiring look into architecture, multimedia, interiors, fashion and art. There are various personality and design aesthetic quizzes and interatctive challenges throughout the day. All transport is included in the ticket price. Tickets are $30 each or $50 for a double pass. I’m especially looking forward to: Ma Cherie (French patisserie / macarons) and Kenwood The DeLonghi Coffee Lab ECC (lighting) and Xanthe White (landscape) and Ingrid Starnes (fashion) Studio Italia and Hye Rim Lee (3D animation) Caroma and Revie (footwear) Find out more info on Urbis or buy tickets online here. I’ll leave you with some photos I’ve taken of previous events. This year will be my sixth Urbis Design Day. Excite!
How adorable is this branding project? Coelho means “rabbit” in Portugeuse and Coelho Films represents a cinematographer from Brazil.
When we were young, we would buy all the girly teen magazines and take personality quizzes with more seriousness than end of year exams. I’m not sure the psychology behind taking online quizzes (as an adult) but it’s a little bit of fun.
We’re having a very snug Queen’s birthday weekend here in Auckland. On the cotton-tails of Citta’s sleepy rabbit cushion last week, here’s a bunny cushion by another NZer called BOLD. BOLD was born after a DIY lampshade inspired a Hawkes Bay mother to make lampshades for sale and more recently she has branched out to cushions. This very lovely cushion would look great on in our house. Very styley, not too “crazy bunny lady”. Fabric is by Holli Zollinger at Spoonflower.
Schipper’s beer is a tiny brewery based in my neck of the woods. The brewer is a local photographer with a passion for food and beer. Schippers have delightful branding including this armed and dapper magician for Schipper’s Herr X Vienna Lager. A complex but elegant lager with subtle cherry and raisin aromas. 80’s music nerds will be interested to note that Herr X is the B-side of Ultravox’s Vienna. Illustrations by Paul Densem at Teaspoon Films and design by Gunroom. You can see more work by Gunroom and Paul Densem here and here. Find out more about Schipper’s Beer on their Facebook page. All images property of Schipper’s Beer.
Sam Bunny is a publication designer living in Wellington, New Zealand. This is his design for the book Bugs by Whiti Hereaka. You can view more of Sam’s work on his website: www.sambunny.co.nz I wish my last name was bunny too. Though if it was, I bet you all wouldn’t believe me.
The Rarebit is a cool spot for the people of Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Designed by Jay Fletcher who has a huge portfolio of very slick, drool-worthy logos. See this work and more at Jay’s website: http://www.jfletcherdesign.com So much whimsy in a very cool, not at all girly design. Quite often restraint is more powerful in design than showing everything you’ve got. And because this is still a food blog, here are some yummy photos by Jonathan Boncek for The Rarebit.
As a graphic designer I have designed a few restaurant logos and I am always hoping to design more. I am still looking for that elusive bunny foodie client. Until then, here are some of my favourite bunny restaurant logos from around the world. Clicking on images will lead to the source. In no particular order…
It was inevitable that someone like me – a ham fanatic – would fall deeply in love with anything bearing the name “HAM MADE”. Jo Robinson – a farmer’s daughter, fine artist and designer from East London is behind the genius of Ham Made and these sweet illustrations are simple but give us a glimpse into a whimsical world. If you ask me, I think the rabbits are quite the thrill seekers, but not in a suicidal bunnies kind of way. “HAM captures unexpected moments from the contented lives of a pig, a horse and a rabbit.” You can purchase Ham Made products directly from their website http://www.hammade.com.
I was crossing the road the other day when a large white rabbit unexpectedly drove by. A bus ad for the local Silo Theatre, the white rabbit is just one in a series of fun images to promote this season’s shows. I wish I were responsible for every piece of local design starring a rabbit, but it’s also ok that I am not.
Frank a sweet blue rabbit coat hook was on Kickstarter.com last year and raised $23,732 of it’s $3,000 target. Over $20,000 over target means that there are many bunny admirers in the world. That chuffs me. Watch the video here on the Kickstarter page: Frank
This restaurant branding for The Welsh Rabbit Cheesery by Candy Coated Universe is smart and sassy. I love the nod to vintage design as well as the twee rehash of classic tattoo art. The limited colour palette with touches of red is very chic these days. I hope this look is here to stay. The twine and brown paper packaging with rubber stamp make me pine for cheese. Oh no wait, I pine for cheese just fine on my own. See more work from Candy Coated Universe at their website here. This project was designed for Tenfold Collective who I’ve blogged about before and are also tickled by bunny shapes.
When a new person comes to visit, we notice them noticing our rabbit running loose indoors. We are accustomed to seeing a rabbit around the house. Tofu isn’t a prop, he’s a legitimate member of the household. Still, I always get a kick out of seeing other rabbits in other indoor settings. Especially beautifully styled homes or hanging out on beautiful furniture. When you have a beautifully designed room or piece of furniture, you need two other things. A rabbit and a talented photographer. For your viewing pleasure, I have collected these images from around the world, relating to bunnies with beautiful interiors or architecture. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have. Cécile de Vries Lola on a blue floral armchair Reposted with permission Lola on pink floral armchair Reposted with permission Into The Land Of My Dreams (with Charlie and Lola) Reposted with permission Cécile is a photographer with two Teddy Widder rabbits named Lola and Charlie. The three of them are very beautiful, have excellent taste and a gorgeous home in The Netherlands. You can view more of …
I’ll be honest. I buy food and wine that has beautiful packaging. My pulse quickens, I may gasp aloud and I’ve been known to squeal with delight. I am an absolute sucker for pretty bottles, labels, quirky illustrations and unique materials. As a print designer who also happens to be obsessed with food, I would love nothing more than to design just for the food. All day, every day. Heaven. Yesterday at The Food Show was like food design geek OVERLOAD. So many lovely designs. So little time. It was a lovely surprise to see The Good Tempered Chocolate Company at The Food Show. The ornate, hand drawn logo I designed for Hayley was on display for everyone to see. Excite! Hayley’s hand made chocolates are to die for and she sweetens me up by bringing me her wonderful treats to sample. I had the pleasure of trying her new Peanut Butter Deluxe Chocolate a few weeks ago and she launched it at The Food Show. Hayley shared a stall with Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter. The …
Oops. So I’ve gone and fallen in love with another New Zealand designer that sells to a wealthy overseas market. I am not a wealthy overseas market, but I was on the hunt for a new wallet and a new bag. Sharon Paris started her company about 6 years ago calls herself an artist, but I beg to differ. She may have a BFA from The University of Auckland, but this is fashion design. The products she puts out in design shops all over the world are made from soft Italian leather, double stitched and are fully lined. It is quality stuff, fetching quality prices. The the that makes the brand interesting are it’s quirky phrases. Not what you would expect from high end luxury items. More reminiscent of bathroom graffiti. Sharon was once heard saying, “Whenever they say it can’t be done, remind them they can make a jellybean that tastes exactly like popcorn.” I think it’s a nice insight to her determination and slightly random, surplus-to-needs brand. No one needs popcorn flavoured jellybeans. …
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