I’m pretty psyched that everyone around me- boyfriend, friends and colleagues included finally convinced me to make the trip to Austin this year for SXSW Interactive. The next few days have extraordinary media line ups and I’m looking forward to listening to speakers and meeting with some of the best content creators  in the industry. Idea sharing will be at an all time high and I’m sure the energy will be felt via thousands of twitter feeds. If you’re in Austin, send a virtual hello, as I’d love to meet up.

Ahh, the good ol’ school days where slapping someone on the back during recess gave them the opportunity to slap someone else. Well, tagging these days has matured from playgrounds to the web-interface, but it has maintained it’s most fundamental element: its social counsel.

What, you may ask? How did a semi-violent, super competitive child’s play transform into the Web 2.0 system of classification system? Truth be told, it didn’t; yet, the game of tag identifies someone as a leader of a social context (even if you were super fast in Pre-K and immediately purged yourself of being ‘it’) and tags today identify information as important through a social media context.

Tagging, which we have all come to know, love and ubiquitously use, is a Web 2.0 (or semantic web) ontological system of classification system. Yikes, that sounds scientific jargon heavy.  Basically, [...]

Our team keeps getting better and better! Meet Julie Baumgardner. Baumgardner spent much of her childhood engaged in the activity of imaginating.  The hours logged spent in her mind creating images, stories and ideas have lead to a diverse life path.  She grew up in the boisterous and glorious metropolis of Manhattan but has lived in places as far and wide as Prague, Paris, Peru, Madrid, Dublin and Washington, D.C. Julie’s intense belief in spirit and style has led to careers in art curation, fashion, public relations, brand strategy and writing. You can probably catch her on the disco dance floor in fuchsia lipstick, Dries Van Noten shoes, silk peonies in her hair and a copy of Monocle and Headlong stuffed [...]

There are a lot of logos out there- some stick in our psyche, however most are quite forgettable. Everyone knows that the stickiness factor is very important when building your brand identity. Whenever someone excitedly murmurs, “We need a logo!” the pressure is on. Where do you go from there? How do you create an effective visual that’s both attractive and purposeful?

David E. Carter, the author of countless books on the subject will be speaking at the Marriott Orlando Downtown today in a program entitled, Visual Branding and Logos: What makes the leaders resonate with buyers? Carter will cover how identity and image create the foundation for a strong and successful brand. Learning the techniques and strengths of some of the most recognizable brands is valuable information for one looking to start a business, or better [...]

At my first job out of college, I worked as a pattern designer for women’s and children’s footwear. I think I must have churned out hundreds of patterns a year, and of that total, a good majority of those were filled with animals and insects . Kids love these little guys, as do parents, so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Wee Gallery’s sample sale on One Kings Lane today. Surya Sajnani’s lino cut style is very trend forward and quite reminiscent of Hugo Guinness and Perla Anne’s illustrations. The cards are half off, and perfect for framing or for just letting someone know they’re special.

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2010 the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. In collaboration with Design 21, they are holding a worldwide design competition to create a poster that reflects this mission.

Those looking to submit work should highlight the beneficial effects of cultural diversity, and should incorporate the headline, “2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures,” in any of the six languages that they feel most comfortable using, be it English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese or Arabic.

Fifty posters will be selected for display in an online gallery linked to UNESCO’s website, and from those fifty, thirty will be printed for an exhibition to be held at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris in May 2010. From those thirty, an overall winner will be announced and he or she will receive a $2,000 cash prize and [...]

I spent some time walking round the meat packing district today while waiting for my laptop to be maintenanced at the 14th St. Apple Store. Though I’ve seen D*Face’s mural close to a thousand times, it’s relevancy was elevated after noticing Generra’s storefront. Black and white blocks stacked together comprised of Flora and Fauna were a complete parallel to D*Face’s baseline concept.  Both compositions are beautifully designed, interesting to dissect and provide social and political commentary of our current global climate. Whichever brand of culture you choose to identify with- be it historical, branded or generic, these geometric “quilts” are a thoughtful reflection of current creative styles, not to mention an interesting window into a now popularized counter-culture.

Camille Rose Garcia’s dark and beautiful creatures have been captivating the “lowbrow” art world for years. Her most recent collection of work entitled, Down the Rabbit Hole: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is currently exhibiting at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles. The dark tale of Alice in Wonderland has always captivated her; “She falls down the hole and no one is really nice to her at all. So (in) re-reading it I realized I could do a little bit darker of an interpretation than the original illustrations.” Garcia has produced a new set of drawings for the adored tale which coincides with the recent release of Tim Burton’s feature film. If you can’t make it to LA for this impressive show, you can purchase her book online at Amazon. To see more sketches [...]

1. 1. Tavis Colburn’s illustrates the BAFTA best picture nominees, via Kitsune Noir
2. 2. Interview with Sanjay Patel, illustrator of Ramayana: Divine Loophole, via Grain Edit
3. 3. Queen B candles made from 100% Australian beeswax, via The Design Files
4. 4. The vibrant and punchy design of London’s Poncho No. 8 burrito restaurant via Yatzer
5. 5. A variety of beautiful works by Sally and Peter Nencini, via Kickcan & Conkers
6. 6. The distinctive style of Polish studio homework’s posters, via Design Boom
7. 7. Lace fences – a spectacular idea! via Hearththrobs & Villians
8. 8. Beautiful simple mixed media artwork by Hollie Chastain, via The Jealous Curator
9. 9. “Delight” wallpaper from mod green pod, via Design*Sponge
10. 10. Ethereal portraits by Serena Cole, via My Love For You is a Stampede of Horses
11. 11. [...]

There’s no doubt social media was created for our social endeavors – staying in touch, sharing information, etc. – but unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s no secret that this interactive medium has exploded in corporate and branded spheres.

But how does it relate to the arts? Social Media Art Camp (SMartCAMP) is a conference that focuses on the social web and its relation to the arts community. Come learn how these tools are being utilized by artists and creative organizations to build vibrant communities throughout the globe. Whether you’re new and skeptical about the power of social media or presently engaged in one or more online platforms and want to further your knowledge, SMartCAMP’s presentations aim to be insightful as the list of speakers is quite impressive.

Roger Smith Hotel: 501 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10017