lifecycle | the holstee manifesto redux

Last March I posted the Holstee Manifesto. Today Holstee released a fantastic video, celebrating the manifesto through bicycling.

Here’s what the fine Holstee folks say about it on their blog:

“The Holstee Manifesto is a call to action to live a life full of intention, creativity, passion, and community. We are amazed to see how rapidly these words have spread across the globe, and are honored by the countless people who have experienced these words to be a source of realization and inspiration in their own lives. We want the Manifesto to hold us accountable to living each day as fully as we can and are so encouraged by the amazing community of people joining us in that journey…. The wonderful team at Demonstrous Productions has done a brilliant job of bringing this to life on the screen by capturing the beautiful bikers who came out for the shoot, and we are so proud of this film.”

My favorite line is this: Life is about the people we meet, and the things we create with them.

Take a moment to check out the video, and then take another moment to check out the Holstee site for lifestyle goods, designed with a conscience. And then park the car and pull out your bike.

mindful by design | part two

Another piece from the studio…just a reminder that January is no time for hibernating.

re:sources | artisanal pencil sharpening

Looking for that perfect back-to-school gift? The one you never knew you needed? The one that honors craft, writing and thoughtfulness? I have just the thing….artisanal pencil sharpening.

You can’t deny the beauty of a freshly groomed pencil. Back to school, while painful when done pre-Labor Day, is made just little more bearable by fragrant shavings, perfect points and a neat row of yellow sticks. If you feel the same way, check out Artisanal Pencil Sharpening.

From their website: REACQUAINT YOURSELF WITH THE PLEASURES OF A HAND-SHARPENED PENCIL. In New York’s Hudson River Valley, craftsman David Rees still practices the age-old art of manual pencil sharpening. His artisanal service is perfect for artists, writers, and standardized test takers. Shipped with their shavings and a “certificate of sharpening,” these extra-sharp pencils make wonderful gifts.

Even the LA Times says this is the NBT (next big thing…I just made that up…if I had an artisanally sharpened pencil, I’ll bet I could be even more clever).

I love this quote:

“With an electric pencil sharpener, a pencil is meat,” Rees said. “It’s this thoughtless, Brutalist aesthetic. For me, it’s almost a point of pride that I would be slower than an electric pencil sharpener.”

And this one:

“Nobody else is doing what I do,” he said. “I guarantee an authentic interaction with your pencil. What mechanical pencil sharpener can say that? The X-ACTO XLR 1818? The Royal 16959T?  Don’t make me laugh.”

“I’m going to have this nice, authentic, considered reaction with your pencil,” Rees said. “I just want to treat it with respect. And get it really freaking sharp.”

You gotta love it.  I think I will make do with my electric sharpener for now. But I can dream…

Thanks to Design Mom for the find.

putting those crayons to use

Arizona’s (stupid, ignorant and insulting…and do you want to know how I really feel?) immigration law. I checked, the Crayons really do exist. The law…well, we should do something about that.

This has already been featured on a few design sites, and I had to jump in. Thanks to 9GAG, Boing Boing, Quipsologies.

color in culture

Everyone sees (and feels) color differently. Beautiful chart, intriguing info and some generalizations that might be true (and even helpful).

From David McCandless. Check out Information is Beautiful for a better view and more info on how this was created.

watered down typography

This clean water awareness campaign by Solidarites International has everything. An important message, a creative idea, brilliant execution, and powerful typography.

They used a technology called Aquascript to compose type messages entirely of falling water. The Solidarites International Water Poster seeks to warn the world about the problem of a lack of drinking water in impoverished countries.  Eight million people die each year from problems associated with dirty water. It’s worth paying attention to.

Source: Ocondesign via Quipsologies.

love letter for you, street style

Before you start your week, take a moment to wander around this site, and I promise your week will have a little more bounce to it’s step.  A Love Letter For You is a mural project in Philadelphia, painted on the walls facing the Market elevated train. The project encompasses 50 painted walls, done by 40 artists.  Here’s a sampling…but really, pour another cup of coffee and go to the site and enjoy all of it. (See, I gave you three chances, one for each cup of coffee.)

Love Letter is an unprecedented public art project by Steve Powers and The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. It is funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative. I don’t have credits for the artists, but thanks to Sara Bethel for the find!

making type out of…anything

The Type Diaries of Vladimir Koncar (via Quipsologies). Tea bags, condoms, cigarettes, pills, hair, rotten apples…I am at a loss for words.  Stunning….fun….weird…cool…inspiring.

sounds like…blog

My friend Trenton wrote about this cool/weird/fun/amazing site called Codeorgan. It’s programmed to analyze a website and make music from it according to specific algorithms (I think). It looks like this.

And it sounds like this. Or at least that’s what this blog sounds like. Go figure.

an airline with a sense of design + humor

Via Flight Story Aviation Blog. South Africa’s low-fare Kulula Air.

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The captain’s window is marked with the big cheese (”captain, my captain!”), the co-pilot’s window with co-captain (the other pilot on the PA system) and the jump seat is for wannabe pilots.

In addition, the following descriptions of plane parts can be found:

• galley (cuppa anyone?)
• avionics (fancy navigation stuff)
• windows (best view in the world)
• wing #1 and #2
• engine #1 and #2 (26 000 pounds of thrust)
• emergency exit = throne zone (more leg room baby!)
• seats (better than taxi seats)
• some windows = kulula fans (the coolest peeps in the world)
• black box (which is actually orange)
• landing gear (comes standard with supa-fly mags)
• back door (no bribery/corruption here)
• tail (featuring an awesome logo)
• loo (or mile-high club initiation chamber)
• rudder (the steering thingy)
• stabiliser (the other steering thingy)
• a.p.u. (extra power when you need it most)
• galley (food, food, food, food…)
• boot space
• ZS-ZWP (OK-PIK) = secret agent code (aka plane’s registration)
• overhead cabins (VIP seating for your hand luggage)
• fuel tanks (the go-go juice)
• cargo door
• aircon ducts (not that kulula needs it… they’re already cool)
• front door (our door is always open … unless we’re at 41 000 feet)
• cockpit window = sun roof
• nose cone (radar, antenna, and a really big dish inside)