Temporary Spaces, Life on the Move

We wrote about this trend two years ago; the nomads are back! And if (after the holidays) you feel the itch to try a nomadic lifestyle, this is the perfect read for you. The New Nomads: Temporary Spaces and a Life On The Move, written by Robert Klanten, Sven Ehmann and Michelle Galindo, is a book about mobility, flexible spaces and innovative architecture.

It’s a guideline on how to live a mobile, hi-tech life in which one moment you can work in an office in Berlin, then move with a camper through Russia for a workation during summertime and then show up at a hot-desk in Los Angeles for your next project. “Aside from a functioning wireless connection and good coffee, we developers, designers, musicians, journalists, and other creative entrepreneurs need, above all, inspiration, new ideas, contacts, and international exchange.”

The New Nomads is a useful guide for those that want to literally live and think outside the box. New Nomads do not live in one part of the world; for them, the entire globe feels like home.

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Graphic Exploration of Time in an Overscheduled world

“Time defines our relationships, our memories, our dreams and hopes,” according to graphic designer Vahran Muratyan. He writes about it in the introduction of the lovely book ‘About Time’. I got it from my friend Annemijn (“it was about time you guys came back to Amsterdam”, she said;))

The book is a graphic novel that express the universally felt notions of how time both flies by and crawls along, measured in moments and everyday events, in sweeping timelines and mind maps that aim to capture a lifetime of human experiences. This book is stylish, thought-provoking and beautifully produced, warmly recommended!

“Take it, make it, lose it, have it, kill it, spend it, save it, forget it, break it, set it, repeat it, keep it… because only with time can possibility become reality.” Have a wonderful time, reading this book:)!

How To Be Interesting

I’ve read a book that really challanged me this month; How to be interesting, by Jessica Hagy. It combines fresh and honest life lessons with simple diagrams and graphs. Definitely one of the most ‘real’ guides (or self-help books) to leading a richer life. The content is all about ideas, creativity and risk… after all it’s what you DON’T know, that is interesting, right:)?

Introducing Dutch Landscapes to Koreans

One of the cool things about the project in Shanghai was that I could catch up with some old clients again. Finally we were able to have coffee over this book that I made for DVP China last year (did the lay-out, cover-design).

It was done for the World Expo in S.Korea to introduce Koreans to Dutch landscapes in all their facets. But… I heard from my friends at DVP that the Dutch consulate in S.Korea is still using the book today as a gift for networking purposes:). It has beautiful pictures in it from Paul Ridderhof, one of my favorite photographers!

Targeting Breast cancer with Design

It was such an honor to make this cover for researcher Janneke Jaspers. She spent 6 years in the lab of NKI (Netherlands Cancer Institute) to find out more on anti-drug resistance in mouse models of breast-cancer. The illustration on the cover is a dart/target board and a maze at the same time.

According to Janneke it was sometimes a real struggle and (re)search for useful data/output, I tried to visualize that in the cover. With the pinkish skin-tissue of the background the illustration also resembles a woman’s breast (in an abstract way of course).

I wish Janneke a lot of inspiration and perseverance in her future career in researching breast-cancer. A lot of woman are extremely thankful for what you’re doing… I’m one of them;-)!

Book Design

Mail from Shanghai! Finally the book that I’ve been working on last Autumn has been printed.

I was responsible for the design work. It’s a book about the Dutch Expo Pavillion ‘Happy Street’ that was a big hit on the expo in 2010 (Shanghai). The red/white string is the common theme of the book (the storyLINE so to say;-)). You’ll find it on every page. Sometimes playful in a shape like on the cover, sometimes it’s a timeline or a page-divider. My client DVP Shanghai did a very good job in the printing process!

Disappearing Ink Book

Amazing: a book that only lasts two months after you’ve opened it. Eterna Cadencia, an Argentinean indie publisher and bookshop, released ‘The Book That Can’t Wait’ last year, using a special ink that starts to disappear once it comes into contact with air and light.

The stunt was aimed at helping first time authors to get their stories read, rather than waiting on the shelf. This time you’re on a time limit: “Books are very patient objects. We buy them, and then they wait for us to read them. Days, months, even years. That’s OK for books, but not for new authors. If people don’t read their first books. They’ll never make it to a second.” Watch the charming little clip about the project here.

For those with busy lives, finishing a book can be an elusive task continually pushed to the bottom of to-do lists, right along with reorganizing a closet and learning French. I really like how Eterna Cadencia used creative new means of technology to make this urgent statement about books.

Inspiration at work: Frank Chimero

Work, work, work that’s all I’m doing this week. Not much time for blogging or anything else. I felt like the man in this illustration the other day although in Hong Kong I’m probably not the only one working late;-).

I love this illustration done by New York based Frank Chimero. He’s an illustrator and author I greatly admire for some time now. If you’re working in the field of design, you should really read his book The shape of design. It’s about the creative process; the intersection of storytelling, craft and improvisation. After reading it, you just can’t stop working because you’re so extremely inspired;-).

Bookmark Finishes Cover design

I was working in the Mui Wo bookshop yesterday and came across this great idea of combining book covers/dust jackets with matching bookmarks, specific to each title. Check out the designer Igor Rogix. I really think some publisher needs to pick this up;-)

Photo-Journal: Days with my Father

During my uni-years i had a night-watch job at an elderly home. Since those times I’ve a weak spot for old people. I just can’t help it. The way they’re wise and a bit helpless at the same time intrigues me. That’s why I simply have to share this beautiful project with you. Philipp Toledo’s ‘Days with my father’ is an extremely moving photo-journal about his aging father, who’s experiencing more and more memory problems.

What I like about the story’s, is that you often can’t decide if they’re funny or sad. For example when Phillipp asks his 98 year old dad to look in the mirror, this happens: ‘He was so horrified with his own appearance, that he refused to leave the house until he found a ‘black pencil’ to dye his white hair with’.

Check out these honest, loving, excellent photo’s: www.dayswithmyfather.com