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Are you in the need for some stickers for your business, your career or just for fun? Well you can win 300 Custom Stickers for Free from 1800Postcards.com!

1800Postcards.com is the retail branch of Circle Press, a high-end commercial printing firm with a roster of Fortune 100 clients that includes Dior, Tiffany, Disney, American Express and most of the world’s leading brands. These companies demand nothing but the best in quality. To be specific, a quality standard called “G7,” which is only granted to printing firms that meet a very strict set of best practices and production quality. These clients sit with pre-press, have color proofs printed for spot color matching, they come in when the job is printed to make color adjustments and watch it run on the press to see the final results, the whole nine yards. They also pay tens of thousands of dollars for this type of service level.

1800Postcards produces your print work in the same facilities, with the same press-men and production staff, and adheres to the same quality standards as high-end commercial jobs. The only difference is that your job is “gang printed” or run together with other 1800Postcard clients, which is the secret of every online printing company and why they can be so cheap in pricing. However, 1800Postcards.com just brought it up to an almost unreasonable level of quality :)

What if you don’t need postcards? Well they’re capable of more than just postcard printing. They offer brochures, business cards, flyers, posters, banners, postcards and pretty much any custom work your creative mind can imagine.

Bottom line, the print results are unbelievable… no one in the online printing space comes even close to this quality and attention to detail. You can see it yourself by requesting free samples.

The Giveaway

We will be selecting TWO lucky winners and each will receive 300 custom stickers. The contest ends at midnight, Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, February 23rd. Winners will be chosen on Friday, February 24th.

What you’ll Win

• Size: 3×3”
• Quantity: 300
• Stock: #60 Gloss Sticker
• Turnaround: 3 business days

How to Enter

• Step 1. Participate by clicking on this link and entering your info
• Step 2. Leave a comment down below telling us why you should win!

That’s it! Good luck & tell your friends.

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Since Microsoft first unveiled the Metro UI on Windows Phone 7, the rollout has been gradually taking place across every Microsoft product and website. It is the cornerstone of the Windows 8 interface and one of the most notable official uses of Metro UI available now is the excellent implementation on the Xbox 360 dashboard. The new design language has been a refreshing sign that Redmond cares about fixing its messy, bloated and ageing image, and the company is following through and executing.

In the process, Metro has picked up a lot of fans in the design community. As Microsoft rolls out its own designs using the Metro UI design language — some of which are included here — others are following suit. We’ve included ten sites for your inspiration that have a Metro-inspired look in some way. For most, the grid of tiles is Metro’s identifiable trait, but we look at sites inspired by other important aspects of the system such as type, imagery selection and iconography.

Xbox

Up Magazine

January Creative

Winrumors

My Kind of Phone

Windows Phone

MetroTwit

Chrome Web Store

The Verge

Touchality

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To begin with what I hope will end up being a mindful, thought-provoking article on the essence of timelessness in design, I felt it only fitting to start with what gave birth to this idea. As a designer and all around technology consultant, it’s my job to stay up-to-date with current trends and product offerings, which by its very nature is contradictory to the idea of timelessness. I’ve been grappling with this concept for over two years now. A lot of you that follow me on Twitter know that I’m an absolute nut about cars. Up until about 24 months ago my passion lied almost exclusively in late model Teutonic sport cars. While watching TV, I happen to catch a show that was documenting some of the most expensive and most sought after collector cars. Skip to Ferrari’s 1958 250 Testa Rossa.

This car single-handedly defined timelessness (for me). We could argue that this car exudes a certain panache that isn’t available in any modern automobile, but that’s not the point. It’s simply that this car has such a presence and immersive attributes that nearly 55 years of evolution in design and technology could not displace a car that was purposefully built without drawings—it’s absolutely beautiful.

Many of us (myself included) are caught in the moment; the current trend if you will. The notion of creating something that in 10, 20, or even 50 years from now that is still acceptable by the current standards is wildly unimaginable. I would attribute this largely in part due to the blistering pace that 1’s and 0’s change. Fancy software packages that are enablers of efficient, pixel perfect designs can also be a limiting factor that keeps a design constrained to boundaries that are predisposed. Just a thought…

So what, if anything, are parameters that define timelessness in a broad scope of design? Can they be reproduced? Do standards aid or hinder a design (again speaking solely on the topic of timelessness)? And finally, is timelessness a completely subjective category that we group designs and products into based only on our perception? Let’s go ahead and start dissecting these questions.

So what if anything are parameters that define timelessness in a broad scope of design?

There’s without question organic beauty and elegance in certain products that set the tone for a lifetime of admiration. But, is it purely happenstance when something that is created can stand the test of time? To that question, I would be torn right down the middle. Unequivocally, we live in time when the majority of what we look at and what we buy is made for use and consumption in the present. Predisposed product lifecycles set the stage for recurring purchases and an overall disposable mentality. Uniqueness unto its own is especially important on the topic of timelessness. We never see a product or design that’s complacent stand out from the crowd. Be unique in your designing!

Can they be reproduced?

Absolutely not. The shapes, lines, and performance that define one product simply cannot be applied to another and have guaranteed similar results. Timelessness can take on different forms based on the industry of discussion. An auto manufacturer likely would not approach a product design in the same light as a furniture manufacturer. One thing is for certain; timeless design often is handmade with the utmost attention to detail.

Do standards aid or hinder a design (in terms of timelessness)?

Only speaking in terms of timelessness, I personally believe that standards do hinder the opportunity to create something that could be timeless. In no way am I saying that it can’t happen, but often it’s when people and companies break the mold of standard operating procedures that something timeless emerges.

Is timelessness completely a subjective category that we group designs and products into based only on our perception?

Clearly each individual has their own preference when it comes to selecting products. But in terms of timelessness, I believe we all come to an equal playing field. It’s not simply that you are engrossed by the Testa Rossa like I am. It’s more about appreciation, respecting when something has stood the test of time, and paying homage to the designer and their creation. I’d love to know your feelings on timelessness. Go ahead and post any thoughts, feelings, or snide remarks below.

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Sometimes you don’t need to build interactive wireframes, or may not feel all that comfortable in Visio or OmniGraffle. I know there are times I just want to open up Photoshop and start laying things out.

This web UI template kit is made completely with shape objects and in some cases converted into SmartObjects. So they’re totally scalable. There are no usage restrictions but if you find them helpful give us a shout. We love hearing from you!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

via

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Before you approve that new logo you’re considering, stop for a moment to consider how people perceive visual information.

The content of your logo is third in the sequence of recognition, behind shape and color, because the brain takes more time to process language.

Letterforms can be very powerful in creating content and meaning. The use of initials as an identifying mark has been around for centuries, since medieval kingdoms became economic enterprises. Letterforms are often abstracted to create clever symbols which act as metaphor for the core brand positioning.

These symbols combine a strong form and shape that influences content:

Many logos consist of only the name of the destination without any iconic symbol. These wordmarks or logotypes range in complexity from straightforward typesetting of an existing font, to a completely custom typographic mark. The most effective wordmarks have something unique embedded or changed in the typography that create metaphor and imply meaning. It can be a clever graphic inserted into the word, a texture applied to the letters, or the transformation of a letter(s).

Getting to the Heart

Too often brands rely on cliches such as script typography to denote luxury, even though it doesn’t necessarily distinguish or get to the heart of the brand. It’s not that these logos aren’t nice on the surface, but do they really speak to the core of the brand message?

For example, If you’ve ever had the pleasure of staying at the Lake Placid Lodge in New York state, the script type might confuse you. The Lake Placid Lodge is designed in the Adirondack Great Camp tradition – solid, rustic and earthy. The script type has little to do with the resort’s heritage and brand position.

Clearly, there are many decisions to be made in creating a new logo or identity for travel and destination brands; obvious considerations such as which words to include, to more subtle factors like shape and the emotional impact of certain colors. If you’d like to learn more about logo design and how shape, color and language content are interpreted by the human brain, we recommend these sources:

• Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheller

John Wiley  & Sons, Inc., 2006

• ‘Meggs’, A History of Graphic Design, 4th Edition by Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis

John Wiley & Sons, 2006

• An Osteopathic Approach to Children by Jane E. Carreiro

Elsevier Health Sciences, 2003

• “Dual perspectives give science added insight into brain” by Michael Purdy Homewood

The Gazette Online, the newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University 2002, VOL. 32, NO. 2

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I have to admit right up front that the title of this article is a bit of hyperbole. You might be quick to think that a t-shirt line that can be started without any money cannot possibly be a good one. It’s true that we could easily end this post in a few sentences by suggesting one of the many turnkey websites that sell one-off digital printing on every product imaginable. However, I am actually referring to starting a high quality screen printed t-shirt line without any money. Thanks to the internet…this is very possible.

Tell Your Story

One of the main ingredients in beginning a new tee line is to create a story about the brand. Something authentic and genuine, the story needs to resonate with the demographic you plan to market to. The intention here is to create a small army of followers that will help introduce the brand to the masses on the internet. This fan base is probably the most key component to creating your t shirt line without any money and will be referenced many times over in the steps below.

Telling your story is also a great way to help you figure out some very important things about your marketing strategy. Following the conversation and your brand mentions will help you identify where your followers’ online hangouts are and how they interact. This is key to knowing the “how” and “where” to most effectively get your message across to the eyeballs that need to see it.

Create Awesome Designs

Now that you’ve got your story, it’s time to turn your attention to another obvious necessity: t-shirt designs. Obviously without great t-shirt designs you’re not going to get very far. Quite often the designs themselves are what inspires the whole project. You can let your style shine and share your creations throughout each phase of the design process so your followers can watch the evolution. This is another easy marketing tactic that gives people a feeling of inclusion and it builds anticipation for the final products.

So now you have your designs and a compelling, marketable story…so what next? Now it’s time to set up an online storefront where you can sell your tees. Again this step can be completely free! Thanks to sites like Storenvy (totally free) and Big Cartel which offers a tiered membership (with the basic one being free), it’s never been easier to quickly and painlessly establish your business’ online sales presence. This can be a huge step since actually having this online store will make it feel more official, both in your eyes and in the eyes of potential customers.

The Launch Before the Launch

Speaking of potential customers, the next step is to provide them with a central hub where they can go and check for updates and information while you’re doing your behind the scenes stuff. True enough, you could just direct them right to the store page, but since that is mostly designed for the express purpose of shopping it often isn’t really the best avenue to release news about your progress. That’s why it pays off to invest a little bit of time (and don’t worry it’s only time, no money) in creating a launching page using a free site like Launchrock. You can collect email addresses with the landing page and keep everyone updated on your pending launch.

The Sales Before the Sales

Now it’s time to nail down some specifics about how many people are interested in your t-shirt line and which designs are going to be popular. You can do this by listing your designs as pre-sales on your store site. Doing pre-sales is a great way to lessen the risk involved and prevent wasted expenses. The is a great way to determine the sizes and quantities needed when it is time to print.

The Social Hustle

One more important thing to keep in mind though is promoting your business and designs. If you just set everything up and walk away from it chances are it’s going to fall flat. Instead get the word out, and then keep getting the word out. Promote your t-shirts on all your social networking sites. Release announcements about launches, and release announcements about pre-launches! Build as much buzz and momentum as possible by constantly hustling your brand on social channels such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Just don’t be afraid to ask people for links, likes, and re-tweets!

Give Your Line a Kickstart

Have you come all this way only to find that now that it’s time to pull the trigger and go into production (and thus unavoidably incur some costs) that you are lacking in some necessary funds? Don’t worry there’s a way to help ease the financial blow for this part too! Thanks to Kickstarter you can get people to donate to your goal and thus, help “kick start” the whole production. Check out successful campaigns like the one Seibei ran. It is at this phase of the process where you’ll really see things start to come together. This is where building up the small army of followers mentioned before can make all the difference in the world. This is where they will be salivating to back the project and get their return based on their pledge amount.

So there you go, now you know how to launch your own t-shirt line using little to no money while still giving your business a good chance for success! There will be work involved no doubt, and it is going to take a whole lot of effort by your and more than likely a good bit of help from friends, family, and possibly even kind strangers, but you can make it happen.

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Designing a new logo for a brand, especially travel/destination, requires careful consideration of the competitive set, content and how people perceive visual information. After shape, color is the most powerful element in creating brand recognition. It is also the most subjective element because it triggers strong emotions. And to further complicate the matter, individuals, as well as cultures, perceive color differently.

We often associate color with a variety of events, rites of passage, and objects. Things we taste, such as a lime or orange, generate color imagery. So does the scent of a pine forest or a bouquet of lilacs. Certain colors are often associated with emotions, such as blue with loyalty, yellow with cowardice, and purple with spirituality.

Some ancient societies believed in the healing power of color: red for energy, blue to reduce allergies. Although modern society is skeptical of such “powers”, consider this: babies born today with jaundice (a yellowing of the skin) are treated by exposure to a blue light which triggers a positive metabolic reaction.

In western cultures, some wear white to symbolize cleanliness, virtue or chastity. In China, white is associated with grief and mourning. In western culture black has negative associations — the dark side, blacklisted, the Black Plague, black magic and death. Our language uses color in euphemisms — the grass is always greener, don’t be a yellow belly, or his face was red as a beet. In the past few years the color green has taken on new-found meaning while becoming the color and word of the decade. Whether through subjectivity, spirituality or science, colors create meaning in our world.

Research shows that 60% of a purchase decision is based on color.

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Sometimes that color is not defined in the logo itself, but how it is applied to the overall brand to stimulate recognition. UPS utilizes brown as their signature color on vehicles and uniforms, and even verbally in their campaign slogan “What can Brown do for you?” Tiffany’s is infamous for their little blue box and Target uses red everywhere.

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But be careful: similar industries often use similar color palettes. Many beach resorts and coastal destinations use medium soft blues with some soft yellows and/or oranges in their palettes. Ski resorts tend to use a lot of cold blues and white. This is why carefully considering color palette for your destination brand is critical as you move forward with the implementation of your logo and the brand identity grid.

Sara Tack is EVP of Image and Identity for Wanderlust, a travel and destination marketing firm that specializes in communications strategies, Internet marketing, branding and management consulting for the tourism industry.

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Travel and destination brands operate in a complex environment. Not only do they compete within the world of travel, but also with many other categories that vie for our personal free and leisure time. This includes TV, movies, video, computer games, the comforts of home, recreational and leisure activities, family time, soccer, even shopping.

Before starting an identity project, it is essential that you analyze the competitive set and then determine what gives your brand distinction. Since the competition is so broad, its important that travel and destination brands understand where they fit so they can successfully stand out from all of their competitors.

Distinctive design can give a brand a unique presence and expression.

While a logo is only one component of a brand, it’s purpose can be thought of as a visual ambassador. The right logo will help create desire. It will have a point of view. And set the standard. It should represent a body of core ideas, yet rarely can it perform this task literally. The best logos imply meaning through representation and metaphor. They can take their form as wordmarks, or letterforms, as graphic symbols or a combination of words, letters and symbols. They range from the literal to the illustrative to the abstract.

With so many possibilities, how do you choose the right direction?

When creating a travel or destination logo, we examine the competitive environment and then consider three elements – shape, color and content. It is unrealistic to expect a logo to represent every detail of your brand, but having a good ambassador with a unique, authentic expression will serve your destination well for years to come.

Competitive logo review

Given the benefits of a distinctive identity, it’s a wonder that so many travel and destination brands within a competitive set use similar iconography in their logos. Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Days Inn all have a sun icon. The MGM Grand and Ritz Carlton logos both sport a beautiful lion.

Many cities utilize a rendering of their skyline. Golf course logos all too often incorporate complex illustrations or clip art of golf clubs. According to Logo Design Guru, a website where you can buy a logo starting at just $99: “A golf course logo graphic should be very creative and must highlight the salient features of golf, like clubs, balls, etc.” In other words — make it look like every other golf course.

A few years back, when the Wanderlust team was rebranding Windham Mountain, we collected the marketing materials of 52 competitors, to better understand their competitive set and search for an opportunity to create meaningful differentiation. What we found was nothing short of cliché: 90% of the competition had a mountain in their logo. The mountain iconography ranged from the abstract to the literal, but in the end each of these resorts built an identity around what makes them similar, not what makes them different.

The folks at Windham learned from this exercise that mountain imagery in whatever form was something they needed to stay away from in order to stand out from the crowd. The place to draw inspiration for their identity was their unique brand positioning — that differentiating, relevant, deliverable and ownable mojo that makes Windham Mountain desirable to its customers.

There are actually a handful of ski resorts who have gone so far as to eliminate references to anything to do with skiing and snowboarding in their logos. The ones that have done this are attempting to communicate their brand essence, what makes them different. Now one might argue, for example, that a logo like Beaver Creek’s has nothing to do with skiing and therefore doesn’t communicate to skiers, especially if you had never heard of Beaver Creek before.

Beaver Creek’s logo is about luxury. Its monogram of interlocking ‘B’ and ‘C’ letterforms are reminiscent of Coco Channel’s C’s or Gucci’s G’s. The script typographic wordmark would more likely be found on a bottle of champagne.

While Beaver Creek’s logo is effective at differentiating the resort, script type and monograms are not necessarily the best way to communicate luxury in all situations. In fact, scripts and monograms are actually pretty common in the broad category of luxury. However, Beaver Creek was the first to successfully and sustainably position themselves as a luxury ski resort and, as a result, they own it. No competitor can take this position away from them as long as they remain true to the promise.

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Zach Klein is a designer and entrepreneur living in New York, NY. He is the brains behind the beautiful design of Vimeo and one of the brains behind CollegeHumor. Zach was kind enough to answer just a few questions about his work at Vimeo. Be sure to check him out!

How did you get involved with a huge idea like Vimeo?

My business partner Jakob Lodwick is a longtime video enthusiast. In 2004, while I immersed myself in NYC’s photoblogging scene, which was being spurred by the sudden popularity of Flickr and tagging, Jakob tinkered around with a concept of tagging video clips in order to later assemble a movie from a string of keywords. Soon after, we began to pursue the idea together, making it an unofficial project at night after we wrapped up our CollegeHumor work every day. I was responsible for the interface, which in its first iteration was largely inspired by Flickr and the community they built on top of photos.

During the design process, what were your biggest breakthroughs (”Aha!” moments)? How many different ideas did you present and filter through before you arrived at what is on the site currently?

I think the biggest breakthroughs came when I realized the ways that videos are different from photos, which made me confident to steer away from some of Flickr’s layout precedents. Specifically, it was important for me to understand that the flash player is a portable device, and our early data demonstrated that most video plays would take place off-site encouraging me to move functionality from the video page to the player itself. I think the player is still in the early stages of where it could go, as I expect most of our users’ experience should take place inside the player itself allowing us to renovate the video page into a showroom compelling users to take the video home with them, so to speak, to take it to their other habitats like Tumblr, Twitter, etc.

What’s with the somewhat ethereal, earthy illustrations, anyway? (We love them!)

I sometimes fantasize that if I ever could afford it I would buy a substantial number of billboards and replace the typical advertisements with simple, beautiful images. I was thinking about this when I was laying out the Vimeo login page — typically the more boring page on any site — and then emailed my friend Chad Pugh, an extraordinary illustrator whom I’d love to work with in greater capacity some day, and commissioned him to envision the Vimeo world to serve as the background for the page. Since then, the characters and objects in that illustration have become mascots.

As far as the user experience goes, how much of a part did you have in the development side of things?

I only went as deep as CSS, however in 2007 we grew our team from 4 to 16 people comprising a small front-end team to work with me. Justin Ouellette (who’d later go on to found Muxtape) assumed the CSS work, as well as most interaction programming.

What sets Vimeo apart from other video hosting services around the web?

Dedication to quality, community, and originality — without exception.

What’s your favorite thing about Vimeo?

The best part of Vimeo is the back office, the 20 or so people who continue to run Vimeo. They’re incredibly talented and creative, and I’m very thankful for the time I had to work with them. A good idea is worthless without impeccable execution and a commitment to iterate, and this team played a majority’s role in helping Jakob and I hit this one out of the park.

What are you doing these days?

I’ve raised a small pool of money from other entrepreneurs I admire, and I’m working with Patrick Moberg, who also worked at Vimeo, on a startup called Spurd. We’re based in Brooklyn.

Thanks so much again, Zach, for taking some time to answer a few questions.
Make sure you check out Zach’s personal website, and follow him on twitter!

(interview originally posted on Fuel Your Interface)

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Cognitive Dissonance and The Choice Paradox

Cogni-Huh What-O-Nance?

A powerful cause of dissonance is an idea in conflict with a fundamental element of the self-concept, such as “I am a good person” or “I made the right decision”. The anxiety that comes with the possibility of having made a bad decision can lead to rationalization, the tendency to create additional reasons or justifications to support one’s choices. A person who just spent too much money on a new car might decide that the new vehicle is much less likely to break down than his or her old car. This belief may or may not be true, but it would reduce dissonance and make the person feel better. Dissonance can also lead to confirmation bias, the denial of disconfirming evidence, and other ego defense mechanisms.

Options

Everyone likes having options, right? I mean, if there was only one car ever made, regardless of how well it was built, or how cool it looked, there is nothing fun about being forced into a decision.

We want to personalize! We want the red convertible with the tan leather interior and the iPod hook-up, with custom rims. Green just won’t do! It’s this definitive decision that makes us happy, even ecstatic when we find the perfect [insert your idea of perfect here]. However, it is this same choice that can ruin an otherwise perfect experience.

Observed in many cases is the paradox that more choices may lead to a poorer decision or a failure to make a decision at all. It is sometimes theorized to be caused by analysis paralysis, real or perceived, or perhaps from rational ignorance. A number of researchers including Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper have published studies on this phenomenon.[2] This analysis was popularized by Barry Schwartz in his 2004 book, The Paradox of Choice.

I Want More Options… No, You Don’t

We are very busy people, we have schedules to keep, places to be, things to do. We don’t always have a gratuitous amount of time to make an informed decision and rely on what we’re presented with to help us make that choice. User Interface Designers, UX Professionals and hopefully “decision makers” know the value of a persons time, and ensure choices are as simple as possible.

Consumers have been bred to think more is better. We’re all guilty of it in some way or another but the fact is, choice suppresses conversion. We are more likely to be unhappy with our decision if we have too many options to choose from.

If we can not limit the number of options, there needs to be some method to narrow them down. This could be anything from a customer rating system to, putting the most common choice(s) up front.

Conclusion and Sources

Sometimes we can’t take away the number of options we’re asking the user to choose from. But we can try and solve for the best possible outcome. By giving the user a means to drill down their choices, or offering up a “Best Value” or “Popular Choice” we help minimize cognitive dissonance thus giving them a richer user experience.

When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?
Cognitive Dissonance Wiki
Changing Minds

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Ok ok, we aren’t ALL snobs, but we know what we like and there isn’t anything wrong with that. We enjoy well designed products and we get giddy when we see beautiful & functional accessories. We like things that look good on our desk, next to our bed, travel with us or just look downright damn good on us.

Ok kids, pull out your wallets and don’t forget to tack on some extra for shipping if you need it before the 25th. You know you’re a slacker, that’s why you clicked on this post.

The D.I.Y. Mighty Wallet, $15

Be Creative, Be Mighty! The D.I.Y. Mighty Wallet has a writable surface you can draw on with pens and permanent markers to personalize it and make it your own or to give it to someone special as a one of a kind gift.

BUY IT NOW.

Glif, $20

The Glif is an iPhone 4/4S accessory with two primary functions: mounting your iPhone onto a tripod and propping up your iPhone at various angles. Our goal was to create something small, simple, and elegant. But out of this simple design emerges countless uses. Mount your iPhone to a tripod for taking great pictures or making movies. Prop your iPhone up for hands-­free FaceTiming or to watch videos.

BUY IT NOW or BUY THE WHOLE SET.

Plus Pack for the Glif, $12

The +Pack is for those that already own a Glif, but want the Serif and Ligature add-ons. It’s the “+” part in Glif+.

The Serif is designed to keep your iPhone incredibly secure on the tripod. While the Glif is great for normal use, the Serif will keep your phone safe in more extreme situations. And, when you are not using the Serif, it fits snuggly inside the Glif, making it very compact.

BUY IT NOW or BUY THE WHOLE SET.

Places on Earth (print w/pins), $180

Signed screen printed on black Somerset 280gsm and limited to an edition of 250. Size: 34.5″ x 26.25″

Each print comes with 52 pins, 50 are orange, 1 is red and 1 is blue. Red is for headquarters, blue if for your next target.

Created exclusively for the Royal We by Oliver Jeffers, this limited edition signed print is a hand drawn map of the world. The whole world. With pins. But it isn’t to scale, because that would be very hard to ship. Screen printed in Brooklyn using white ink on black paper.

BUY IT NOW.

Roll Up Travel Charger, $34

This portable charger minimizes cable clutter and maximizes style by placing multiple charging outlets on a single bar that rolls up into a slip-proof, polyurethane mat. You can refuel up to 4 devices simultaneously while occupying just a single wall outlet.

BUY IT NOW.

iPhone Minidock, $24

The MiniDock by Blue Lounge keeps your iPod/iPhone off the floor. It plugs right into your original power adapter (not included) to create a wall mounted charger docking station with no trailing cables. Exclusively for the iPhone and iPod.

BUY IT NOW.

PlugBug, $35

One accessory lets you charge two devices at once.

PlugBug is made exclusively for all MacBook Power Adapters, including current and previous models. Snap PlugBug onto your MacBook Power Adapter and you now have the first ever device that lets you charge your MacBook + iPad or iPhone simultaneously, from one wall outlet.

BUY IT NOW.

Grid-It (Medium), $22

The Grid-It organization system is a unique weave of rubberized elastic bands made specifically to hold personal objects firmly in place. Designed to provide endless configurations of digital devices and personal effects. Slim design and conveniently sized for your current laptop bag or travel case, lets you easily find what you need. Features rear zippered pocket for additional storage.

BUY IT NOW.

Lux Delux – Cups, $18 each

Might as well look good while you’re drinking your coffee or tea.

BUY IT NOW.

Mute Watch, $260

GLOW, SWIPE AND VIBRATE

The Mutewatch is designed to be simple and intuitive. Just tap the flat surface and the touch screen lights up, then swipe through the functions clock, alarm and timer.

You set the time for your alarms by tapping directly on the digits – tap on the top of the digit for a higher number or on the bottom of the digit for a lower one. When you want to erase an alarm, simply pinch the touch screen.

The Mutewatch also features a built-in motion sensor that registers your movement and automatically adjusts the strength of the vibrations. So, whether you’re sleeping, on stage giving a presentation or doing your work out, the Mutewatch will keep you updated on your next step.

BUY IT NOW.

Nixon Watch – The Chalet, (3 color choices) $200

MOVEMENT: 3 hand Japanese quartz. CASE: Custom 30 meter stainless steel with hardened mineral crystal, real wood, or enamel inlay and double gasket crown. BAND: Custom solid stainless steel with real wood, or enamel inlay and butterfly closure.

BUY IT NOW.

Poster Clips, $10

Nickel-plated display clips for hanging your posters, art prints and other cherished ephemera with style and ease.

BUY IT NOW.

Incase – Snapcase, Warhol Collection, $40

As a cutting-edge visual artist, Andy Warhol understood and embraced technology and saw it as the future of contemporary culture and the arts. The Warhol edition Snap Case for iPhone 4 features some of the artist’s most beloved works along with the same reliable protection and easy attachment of our standard Snap Case.

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Burning Love Desk Pad, € 50.00

Classic Felt deskpad of Burning Love from Wiesbaden. A leather strip on the side brings order to your desk and it looks great. The soft material requires no additional mouse pad. 100% felt and a leather patch with blind embossing on Burning Love 75 x 75 cm.

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Book Holder, € 14.90

A bookmark for the wall. Beside the bed….Material: steel powder coated. Dimensions: 4.5 x 22.5 cm. Color: black, white.

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Desk-It Weekly Calendar, $10

The Desk-It is a combination of sticky note and calendar. You can write down your to-dos for the week then tack up the sheet on your computer or wall as a reminder. You can stick it to the refrigerator for weekly menu planning or grocery list. Once you’re done, just tear it off and enjoy your sense of accomplishment.

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Camera Table Dolly, $90

You know that nauseous feeling you get while watching your family’s shaky home videos? The one that you always blame on your parents’ stunning fashion choices? The Camera Table Dolly is here to make sure your videos don’t come with a side effect of nausea. While it won’t teach your parents how to dress, it will give your videos a smooth, professional look.

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Headphone Stand, $59

This versatile headphone stand will be your best companion to protect, showcase and organize your favorite headphones. Featuring an adjustable height arm bar, it is suitable for almost any headphones in any size and shape. Its stylish and heavy-duty design is made for daily use for years to come.

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Jawbone Jambox, $150

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Marshall Heaphones – Major, $119

The Major encloses vast amounts of the massive Marshall legacy. The exterior of the headband is made out of the same vinyl used in Marshall amplifiers and it bears the original Marshall texture. Besides being straight up dazzling.

The Major is a solid workhorse with great stamina, designed with non-stop, all-day listening in mind.

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Fab.com Gift Guide

If you don’t find something that fits your fancy on our list, be sure to grab up some last minute gifts from my favorite store fab.com!

There’s still time to pick up some amazing design gifts for the holidays. Think whimsical scrubbers, hanging planters, fabulous handbags, futuristic watches, and talking clocks.

CHECK IT OUT.

and…if you’re not sure what to pick….

Who doesn’t need a scrubber ducky?

BUY IT NOW.

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As creatives, we rely heavily on inspiration. There are so many sources for inspiration, and sifting through them all can be a daunting, time consuming task. While inspiration definitely shouldn’t be downplayed, we can miss the mark easily by thinking that immersing ourself in the creative work of others will simply saturate our minds with creative ideas.

It’s important to consider that true creativity, at its source, comes from within. Whether it is influenced by other creative work is irrelevant to the creative quality of the work.

Cybernetics

For the sake of our conversation, cybernetics (Wikipedia link) is the study of working within a constrained system of control. Cybernetics is an interesting study that spans many disciplines, and therefore can be generalized to almost any practice. A subjective definition that illustrates the scope of cybernetics comes from Larry Richards at George Washington University’s American Society for Cybernetics: “a way of thinking about ways of thinking”.

So how can I use it, practically?

Instead of focusing on what cybernetics is, let’s think about how the theory applies to a creative project.

When we approach a creative project, as we have stated before, we attempt to look for inspiration. But perhaps we are going about this searching in an incomplete way; instead of searching for external inspiration as is our original tendency, a creative cybernetic approach would attempt to search for inspiration within the project itself. Instead of thinking about what the project is (a cool looking website, a great looking poster, a logo), instead we look at what the project does. We look at the form and pattern, control and communication, and we in turn begin to create towards this.

A way that we can leverage this towards inspiration is by introducing artificial constraints within our creative projects. This was the premise behind Roy Ascott’s two-year Groundcourse program. Students would begin by studying illustration with given constraints that were often bizarre. For instance: “If a cough is represented by 5 jagged lines, draw the BBC Time signature“. The bizarre nature of these assignments was far different than traditional art assignments that may focus instead on previously created art (such as a prompt similar to the following: “draw a picture that is influenced by cubism”). The assignments continued to become more involved in the first year, moving towards 3-dimensional sculptures. In the second year, the students were asked to apply the constraints of a system to themselves by literally taking on a different personality than their own. For ten weeks, students would act and respond in opposition to their ingrained “nature”.

The program forced students to understand the power of control and systematic constraints, and the ways in which to work in and out of those systems.

In your next project, begin by examining the function and purpose of the finalized piece of work. What are the possible (both common and uncommon, expected and unexpected, “good” and “bad”) directions? What, if any, are the constraints that are already naturally on the project? What rules exist (both from a media format sense as well as a subjective, imposed sense)? What are some restrictions you could introduce that might provide a more finite sense of control over the project itself?

Conclusion

At the end of the day, inspiration is an elusive beast. We have ontological models of how to become inspired; perhaps we are more creative than we give ourselves credit for, and only when we feel constraint and pressure can we actually release our creativity.

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Owning one’s own business has often been associated with the American Dream. Along with owning one’s own home, the Dream is to prosper while not being under anyone else’s rule. But while so many of our ancestors immigrated to the United States and started from scratch by building a business, more recent generations tend to take the “safe” route and work for someone else. However, since our country has entered into economic turmoil, it’s not necessarily the more risky route to start up a company. Here are five reason why.

1. There are no guarantees anymore.

It used to be you’d work at a company for 25 years and be rewarded with a pension and a gold watch. You picked and chose your employers based on the benefits package they offered. You paid into a 401k. These days, none of those are guaranteed. A senior employee has been there for five years. Often only teachers and government employees get pensions – and even then, it’s a maybe. People’s 401k’s evaporated. And the balance between what you pay into your benefits package versus what you get back can be laughable.

2. There are more funding options than old-school small-business loans.

With money tight everywhere and even big companies failing, banks might be tough on the most well-thought-out business venture. However, there are alternatives to the typical loan, such as joining a credit union. Because credit unions are not-for-profit, they’re often able to offer better lending terms. In addition, websites like Kickstarter let you crowdfund your business. The site helps you set up a funding page, and you can reach out to friends, family and contacts for investments.

3. Brick-and-mortar? More like brick-and-OVER.

More and more people are setting up online, home-based businesses. With sites like Etsy that let you set up your own virtual storefront, you don’t have to take on an entire shop lease yourself. If you’re not selling products but rather services – such as design, writing or accounting – all you might need is a well-designed, user-friendly website and some simple marketing skills (more on that next) to get people to find – and hire – you.

4. Business tools can be free to cheap.

Social-networking sites have really changed the concept of marketing. Sites such as Twitter and Facebook are free, so non-business-savvy companies can afford to take a chance with their promotional campaigns. Also, with tools like FreshBooks and QuickBooks, cash-strapped businesses can get away with not hiring a bookkeeper or taking on the task themselves.

5. You’d probably get laid off anyway.

Starting your own company is a proactive step. Practically everyone knows someone – perhaps even themselves! – who has been laid off. If you have a fantasy about being your own boss, now might be the best environment in which to try.

Image: Kevin Rosseel

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FITC Amsterdam has played host to a program focused on design, technology and cool shit for the last four years, and 2012 is no exception. Featuring the best and brightest in the digital space, FITC Amsterdam showcases work which is shaping the future of the digital interactive industry.

2012 has a line-up featuring the best and brightest in the digital space including Hoogerbrugge, Aram Bartholl, Lee Brimelow, Golan Levin, Andreas Müller and many more.

FITC Amsterdam has a history of selling out and 2012 is on track to as well. The combination of unbelievable international presenters, incredible networking opportunities and the infamous FITC parties, all with the amazing backdrop of the city of Amsterdam, creates a stage for the unexpected.

There are a limited number of tickets which sell out fast, so register early to reserve your spot!

Discount

Use discount code Fuel for 10% off all FITC Amsterdam 2012 tickets until event day. The super early bird deadline ends November 25, so register soon to get the best rate!

For more information visit www.fitc.ca/amsterdam

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I grew up in the “i” generation. Where I’ve only played, purchased and used iTunes since its inception. I stood in line for the first iPhone as well as the next two… I purchased the first iPod, the second and a later generation… I watched keynotes through still pictures on “live blogs” to catch a glimpse of Steve hoping… For a “and one more thing”. I purchased technology because of it’s beautiful form and Steves energy.

Steve was an extrodinary person that the world will miss. He pioneered on various forefronts and his attention to detail was unsurpassed. As a creative mind, I learned many life lessons from his vibrance and his amazing life.

But, most importantly, I thank him for what he did as a person and my thoughts go out to his family and his extended apple family.

Thank you Steve…