All creatives know that doodling leads to ideas. Ideas lead to innovation, and innovation keeps culture flowing. Interestingly, we’ve been noticing unruly markings in everything from media and textiles to graffiti and print. Some of our favorite adaptations of this trend come in the form of video.

Bruno Levy of New York City and Nimrod Weis of Melbourne, Australia are two multimedia artists at the forefront of motion graphics. This Modeselektor Deboutonner video incorporates thousands of photographs taken in Patan, Nepal over the course of a week. Using flashlights and long exposures, Levy was able to capture a truly magical landscape using simple tools and the notion of chance. Using a stationary, yet monumental sculpture, Lightscraper, Weis’ latest creation with Eness, is a light show projected onto a custom built aluminum structure, fabricated with a layer [...]

1. Stunning nautilus home by Javier Senosiain, via Inhabitat.

2. Wendy Plomp’s “Message in a box” cardboard carpet at the 400 years later – cite goes dutch exhibition, via Design Boom.

3. Brokenfab’s intricate beaded geometric patterned jewelry, via The Pipeline.

4. Lizzy House’s latest fabric collection, Red Letter Day, has adorable color combinations and whimsical geometrics, via PrintPattern.

5. Beautiful and compelling info graphics, via Abduzeedo.

6. Stephen Meisel is an inspiration and a puzzle, via Pattern People.

7. Nooka’s Summer ‘09 collection uses bold graphics inspired by triangles, via High Snobiety.

8. Watch as Invader creates one of his trademark mosaics out of Rubick’s Cubes, also known as Rubickubism, via Moco Loco.

9. Love the bold packaging of Bold City Brewery, via The Dieline.

10. Wonderful wallpapers from Intrade, a Swedish wallpaper [...]

May has arrived and flowers are in full bloom this spring season.  In an effort to mix things up a bit, we’ve decided to collect floral imagery representative of spring and create ad hock color palettes with the pixels provided.  As designers, we’re inspired by nearly everything we consume, so it’s quite natural to repurpose when given direction.   Here are four palettes that could easily translate to summer prints, inspired by wall stencils in Allston, weeds in Brooklyn, flowerpots in Gramercy and a home garden in San Francisco.

For additional palettes that are strikingly beautiful and paired up with interesting photography, check out Kris’s Color Stripes.

The creative work flowing from Beci Orpin’s Melbourne studio is incredible.  Just click on Orpin’s site and you’ll understand that her world of graphic design is more magical than most.  A menagerie of colorful mushrooms and fantasy-inspired silhouettes march across the screen with unabashed purpose, preparing the user for a unique mix of commercially friendly, widely applicable artwork.  While many are familiar with Orpin through her women’s clothing line, Princess Tina, she has recently closed the doors on this decade long endeavor in an effort to focus on other creative pursuits.  Check out our Q+A for a glimpse at Orpin’s creative process in addition to where you can find her creations in the coming season.

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PP:  What websites do you generally start your day with-do you have a daily routine for news/blog/information consumption?

BO: I don’t usually have [...]

Diane Von Furstenberg’s latest window display showcases mismatched patterns and fabric textures throughout her dress and bag collections.  Referencing bright and iconic summer shapes, reminiscent of j.crew flip flops and Tory Burch tunics, DVF’s approach to the upcoming season is blaringly optimistic.  That being said, I’d be curious to see how the recession translates into next year’s spring/summer collection, as today’s economical dip was hardly a factor when these ensembles were designed over a year ago.

L.A. Styles

While in Silverlake last month, I stumbled across Sally Bartz’s collection of handbags under her newly founded company, Halsea.  Inspired by west coast colors and summer icons, Bartz’s crab monograms and bamboo squares decorate luggage, tote and weekend bags, providing a breath of fresh air from LA’s hipster styles.

London Styles

UK designer, Peter Jensen has a playful [...]

Julia Rothman is one of the most talented and original pattern designers in today’s marketplace.  I had the pleasure of catching up with her at “Design by the Book,” a collaborative event hosted by The New York Public Library and Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge.  Rothman has a the ability to beautify ordinary objects, using her unique style of illustration and layout to create whimsical repeats.  Her work has been featured in countless publications and dons home goods of every variety.  Check out our Q+A for a glimpse into her daily routine.

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PP: What websites do you generally start your day with-do you have a daily routine for news/blog/information consumption?

JR: Design Sponge, Print&Pattern, Poppytalk, Oh Joy!, The Post Family, Grain Edit always start my day. And the NYTimes for news of [...]

Downtown Music has a knack for finding sound visuals to accompany their music.  One of their latest collaborations pairs Santigold’s “I’m A Lady,” a Diplo remix featuring Amanda Blank, with David David’s S/S 09 Fashion collection.  The resulting product is a masterful film, directed by London talent Zaiba Jabbar.  The film was created to showcase David Saunder’s latest collection and was inspired by the fantasy world of Busby Berkley. Berkeley was famous during the 1930’s for his elaborate musical productions that often involved complex geometric patterns.  The parings all seem to make sense, as the mélange of brightly patterned tops and accessories coupled with heart shaped arm choreography is just the right dose of brightness to motivate us during these rough times.  “This season, like the [...]

Oftentimes I am hired to beautify info graphics.  For any designer tasked with such an assignment, there is always an underlying urge to challenge the guidelines with as much flair as possible.  Striking the perfect balance between translatable content that evokes human nostalgia is every designer’s goal- or at least mine.  Here are a few creative approaches to this idea.  Vitra recently redesigned their website, filling their homepage with fabric samples sectioning off continents within the world.  A valid attempt to display product and distribution, though I wonder if there is any underlying symbolism in the placement of patterns- at first glance the assortment is a bit jumbled.  Duck Down Designs takes a more DIY approach to map-making with illustrated paper cut-outs on a metaphorically inspirational treasure map.

If you pay attention, you’ll almost always notice art imitating life and vice versa. I find this most exciting when unexpected trends weave their way through a city I am unaccustomed to. This was the case on a recent trip to Paris. While exploring the Marais, I stumbled across the most beautiful collection of hand painted silk pillows. The beetle toss was a high-end approach to playful décor. This beetle theme consistently reappeared in various stores – most interestingly as a woven monogram at Printemps. Later on in the day, on a more guided stroll through the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, I stumbled upon a beautiful collection of preserved butterflies. The color, composition and collection were impeccable. A commercial version of this natural wonder is translated well [...]