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Continuing on the Hong Kong kick that is today, here are a few favorites. From kid patches and accessory details to street food, graffiti and a bit of personal silliness. Enjoy!

Our ability to generate and gather information now exceeds our capacity to understand it. Researchers, scientists and designers around the world have been working to make sense of the multitude of today’s complex networks. Using innovative mixtures of colors, symbols, graphics, algorithms and interactivity, they have managed to clarify, and often beautify, the clutter. Some may say that this process can be seen as creating the syntax of a new language. Manuel Lima’s Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information was conceived and created to be the first dictionary of this new lexicon.

Showcasing and analyzing the variety of contemporary visual depictions of complex networks, the book also covers their historical predecessors, grounds for recent popularity, as well as exploring the ramifications of a new age of infinite interconnectedness. From representing networks of friends on Facebook to depicting interactions among [...]

We’re great admirers of Mike Perry and his book, Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns. In it, he presents a collection groundbreaking work curated from 55 of today’s most talented designers who create patterns by hand and use them in inventive and innovative ways.

While the computer has lent a certain degree of ease to designing in repetition, it is the hand drawn counterparts that resonate with complexity, organic sensibility and a meaning of what makes a pattern a pattern. The influences and styles are diverse and provide an ample amount of eye-candy and inspiration that’ll have you reaching for a pen and paper.

Images via Parka Blogs

So you’re Austin-bound for this year’s SXSW and you’re ready to be inspired. Guess what, you’re in luck! Last year’s trip to interactive was an extremely fun week full of interesting folks and creative must-sees. Be it shopping on South Congress, tunes on East 6th or five-star trailer grub, it’s hard to be disappointed when visiting this city. Whether you’re a seasoned regular or new to the Austin scene, follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

1. 1. Austin Texas Music Mural, East 6th at the Driskill Hotel
2. 2. Iron Works BBQ: Best corn on the cobb for the veggies- Great ribs for the carnivores. (100 Red River Street)
3. 3. Stag: Freeman’s-esque men’s store with a burly meets hip lifestyle twist. Fantastic product and displays. (1423 S. [...]

Fellow pattern lovers Claudia Brown and Jessie Whipple Vickery started their careers working on freelance graphic design projects. In 2007, the two decided to forgo the limitations of a strictly graphic design career and start Pattern People, their own surface design studio. The process of growing their now flourishing business has been exhilarating, though not always easy. The two recently pooled their insider secrets for their new e-book, Pattern Design & Beyond: An Insider’s Guide to Creating and Managing Your Own Surface Design Career.

With how-to pattern design guides, a thorough break-down of how the print industry operates and loads of helpful resources, their e-book provides a wealth of information for the burgeoning surface designer. The book also showcases over 80 international artists whose work illustrates the many print styles found in the market. Pattern Design & Beyond [...]

As many of you know, we’re art lovers here at Pattern Pulp- from the unexpected street marking to the most extensive gallery exhibition, everything inspires us. In an ongoing effort to stay abreast of everything at once (a daunting task!) we’re continually reading, interviewing and trekking. One curated source that never fails to inspire is The Jealous Curator, who I had the pleasure of meeting this past week at the Alt Summit Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. Danielle’s eye for fresh + witty innovation is impalpable and her piece on Ludovica Gioscia is a significant part of today’s feature.

Pattern-blocked mixed media is continually being reinvented and Gioscia’s take is a storyteller’s dream. The torn shapes and unraveled wallpaper parallel wall art from the streets of Darlinghurst in New South Wales, a piece I [...]

Patterns and magnets- what could be a better combo? Everyone’s seen the alphabet fridge letters and the magnetic poetry kits by now, so it was quite exciting to see a departure from the norm at Mud Puppy’s booth this week. With a bit of styling help from my ShelterPop buddy, Amy Preiser, we were able to craft a new playful logo for Pattern Pulp. One of the best parts of the gift show is getting to touch and play with new product, and luckily for us, the ladies at Mud Puppy were more than generous when we hijacked their display. Be on the lookout for these decorative kits this Fall!