Geodesically interactive magazine cover by Paperlux & Novum

As far as magazine covers go, I think this colourful interactive beauty has to be one of, if not my all time favourite.

It is the work of design studio Paperlux for the graphic design magazine Novum who have scored the surface of the paper in a network of triangles. It can be moulded and shaped by the reader into 3D forms and structures, emphasising the haptic character and flexibility of paper.

I love how tactile and playful it is.  It explores the current tech trend for all things 3D in a non-digital way, another example of that analogue backlash against the technological era. The palpability of the cover makes it interactive and accessible in such an innovative way. I can imagine a cover like this on a magazine for the blind and visually impaired, the colours they use certainly make for a spectacular impact, but it could be equally as beautiful visually and more importantly, equally touchable in white.

The faceted cover was inspired by the brilliantly named Buckminster Fuller and his equally fantastic geodesic domes. The geodesic dome is a spherical or part spherical structure made up of adjoining triangles (the strongest two dimensional shape), forming a shelter designed to cover the maximum possible area without internal supports, making it a super efficient space.  I find the whole concept fascinating, especially as an energy efficient model and how the design made shelter more economically available to people.  There is more about it all on the Buckminster Fuller Institute site.

Paperlux recreated the structure in paper using 140 die cuts to be precise, it was an intricate process carried out and overseen by the designers for each and everyone of the 15,000 copies. 

You can watch a video of the creation process below. And checkout the Paperlux website for their portfolio full of more beautiful projects.

Novum 11/11 – Making Of Cover from Paperlux on Vimeo.

First Class Batchelor of Arts with Honours

Well, I did it. I got through final year of Fashion Promotion at University of Central Lancashire. And passed with flying colours. (I like colour.) 


I got my results through the post just the other day to discover I have been awarded a First Class Honours Degree. Which makes me awfully happy indeed.


It's been a tough year, a bit up and down. But all in all I have enjoyed it, very much. And that number one makes it all the more worthwhile. I have loved the creativity and scope the course has provided, from branding, marketing, trends, graphics, styling, photography, visual merchandising and plenty more. So many career paths to choose from, but I have my eye set on trends and branding. I find both areas absolutely fascinating.


Over the course I certainly have pushed my own boundaries beyond what I imagined possible, it's odd looking back at where I was 4 years ago. The change has been a gradual one, but it now it feels huge.

So this is me and my A to Z, Ellen Osborne, the graduate, about to embark on life in the big wide world.

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Bon Voyage .SUPERTRAMP

.SUPERTRAMP

BY

LEHMAN B

Last Thursday night I went along to welcome a friend into his new summer home, a caravan push bike.

Jacob aka 'Supertramp' is embarking on a voyage around London exploring the concept of micro-sized living; inspired by a more minimal, fluid and socially aware approach to future living, the project seeks to promote and inspire leaner, more livable life forms.

'Supertramp' is a new communal 'Future platform' initiative from Jacob's recently founded Lehman B, dubbed a ‘do tank’ – a project based on the belief that the best way to explore and embrace what the future holds is by living it and doing it.

His new mobile house doubles up as an agency and a social facility point, offering a unique, intimate and conversational platform where people will both inspire and be inspired.

He will move around London on a weekly basis, setting up in proximity to bars, restaurants, studios, companies and galleries. Every week a new topical theme will be discussed and explored as part of the journey. He is going to be holding events with casual and curated conversations and facilitated workshops, with key speakers to host special nights. Individuals and experts can share ideas, create insight, decipher knowledge and instigate real investigations and experiments that inform how a braver new world could potentially look and feel

This summer’s rather interesting topics are going to include: value change, sector convergence, betapreneurialism, civic capital, antiheroic culture and brave new lives.

Jacobs embarks on his maiden voyage around London on June 2^nd at The School of Life, where designer Thomas Thwaites will be hosting the first curated conversation' on mircoliving. He shall be clad in the 'nomadic range' created by Romanian fashion label Rozalb de Mura the Romanian and searching for the flattest routes to his urban destinations possible. He is somewhat lacking gears and breaks, so I plan to give him a helping hand and pop in for tea one day soon!

Images: Supertramp bike by Jacob Strand, photos by courtesy of Supertramp himself

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How to create a Super Olympic Legacy...

While I was at The Future Laboratory I came across this splendid project by the superbly named, a 4 person strong, architecture and design collective Studio Superniche.

The idea of the “The Olympic Legacy Toolkit” venture is to use the 11 miles of blue plywood fence that surround the Olympic site to construct temporary but useful structures that will benefit and enhance local neighbourhoods.

The Toolkit comprises of six structures conceived to involve the niche user groups of the area:

‘Kiosk’ for the market stall holders, ‘Boathouse’ for the model boating population, ‘Allotment Shed’ for the gardening society, ‘Gallery Cube’ for the culture vultures and my two personal favourites; ‘Ping Pong Pavilion’ for the keen ping pongers and ‘Birdhide’, designed as a response to the devoted bird watching community of the Lea Valley.

I think it’s a marvellous project; sustainably developing the wasted fence, for civic good, as expressed by Superniche; to “activate the vacant plots and allow communities to reclaim the vast empty landscape as their own”. It is thoughtful, fun, personal and most importantly involves the people the Olympics and the fence affect most, those who will be there long after the games are over.

And another couple of nice little touches to finish off; I love the rather appropriate blue design of the leaflet too - utterly captivating. And the 4 of them have also created another Olympic ‘tool’ and sailed down the River Lea in a little blue boat made from the Olympic fence.

Images above: Studio Superniche; The Olympic Legacy Toolkit structures: Kiosk, Boathouse, Gallery Cube, Allotment Shed, Ping Pong Pavillion and Birdhouse; The Olympic Legacy Toolkit Leaflet by Studio Superniche; Hoardings Boat by Studio Superniche. All images courtesy of Sudio Superniche themselves

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