BACK IN ACTION! PLUS AN UNCOMMON GOODS GIVEAWAY!

So I am somewhat ashamed to see that it has been weeks since I promised to get back into regular posting, all without much word from me. Whoops! My apologies. Turns out that there was a bit of a dip in energy after finishing the dissertation (shocking, I know) and that combined with re-adjusting to  working full time again (when do 9 to 5 people do errands again?) has meant that I am a little behind on my O. I. plans.

But, but, but! I am making up for it today with a super awesome post. Not even just a post, a giveaway! From none other than the super impressive company Uncommon Goods. Have you heard of Uncommon Goods? I just got on their trail last year when my Dad hooked me up with some awesome gifts at Christmas (Thanks, Dad!). Uncommon Goods is an online shop, headquartered in Brooklyn, that focuses on connecting shoppers with new, exciting craftsman who create decorative, practical and personality-filled products. Given my personal mantra—why buy boring when you can buy beautiful?—I thought a little giveaway from them would be right up our alley.

So one lucky reader will be getting a generous $125 gift certificate from Uncommon Goods to buy what they like—holiday gifts, thanksgiving decor or just a little treat or two for yourself.

Since there are about a million things to catch your eye in their shop, I thought I would narrow down some of my favorites for you to get your gears turning, specifically pointing you to top picks in my major categories of expertise: art and home goods. Read on to find out how you can use that dinero towards one of these (or many other) sweet items.

Not surprisingly, the shop already carries many artists and objects already featured on the blog in the past (or works that resemble them). Here are just a couple of highlights:

ONE | "All the Surfboards in CA" by James Gulliver Hancock (reminds me of Jason Polan!)

TWO | "A Grand Treasury of Shakespearean Insults" by Tim and Aurelia Saunders

THREE | "State by State Seasonal Food Guide" by Jessica Haas (chart art, my favorite!)

FOUR | "City Prints" by Carolyn Gavin (maps and vintage illustration, what's not to love?!)

Of course you can never have too many fun-cum-functional decor items in your home either. Here are some surefire conversation starters that would look great in any house (or gift box):

ONE | eye clock (perfect for a Halloween display!)

TWO | custom state pillows

THREE | suspension bridge shelf (what a cool idea)

FOUR | cork globe (great idea for a minimal study)

FIVE | giraffe family bookends (would be super cute in a baby's room)

SIX | handmade herringbone knitting basket (so pretty!)

SEVEN | caterpillar bud vase 

EIGHT | hand-embroidered central park pillow (a new take on a classic style, #wishlisted)


So by now you are probably itching to get in on the giveaway action, right? You can do so through any of the following manners (each method will get you one entry; multiple your chances of winning by entering in various ways!):

ONE | Like Uncommon Goods on Facebook

TWO | Like the obsessive imagist on Facebook

THREE | Sign up for the Uncommon Goods mailing list

FOUR | Follow the obsessive imagist on instagram

FIVE | Follow the obsessive imagist on twitter


Enter in one (or all!) of these ways and leave a note about your entry method in the comments section below. One winner will be granted a $125 gift certificate next Monday morning (October 26th). Good luck!



(top photo of little miss sunshine from here)

THE ARTIST SPEAKS

STICKY NOTES ON STERIODS: MAGNETIC

I discovered the amazingness that is Magnetic a month or two and can't believe I forgot to post it until now! Magnetic is a radical new take on an office standby: paper! How can you transform paper into something groundbreaking you ask? You make it possible to stick to anything. Like post it notes on steroids, Magnetic products use static electricity to stick to everything from brick to leather, fabric to plastic and more. Plus you can write on them with ease. Crazy awesome, right?

They offer a ton of colors and types of products (see the mock ups of sticky notes, notepads and bulletin boards above), all available for preorder now on their website here. Now the trouble is deciding which one to pick . . . .


(Want to learn more? The whole idea began as a Kickstarter campaign, so you can check out the pitch details here.)

THE ARTIST SPEAKS

(Check out this beautifully illustrated video of interviews with the incomparable architect, designer and visionary Buckminster Fuller here.) 

PUZZLE HEAVEN

I think I just died and went to puzzle heaven! This beauty you see here is a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle where each piece contains a unique color on the CMYK spectrum. The creator, Clemens Habicht—a true Renaissance man, working as a director, designer and illustrator—insists that because of the changes in color differentiating each piece it is actually much easier and more intuitive to put together than traditional illustrative puzzles. While that statement is yet to be seen, I wouldn't be surprised if it stands true for me, being a complete and total color nerd (I know, what a surprise!). Learn more about the puzzle, not to mention buy your own copy, at the very awesome Colossal Shop here.
p.s. This puzzle is a total analog version of this test, don't you think? 

THE WHOLE MOON IN YOUR HAND

As far as I can tell this is only a prototype, but man oh man how freaking cool is this moon lamp? It's a scale replica of the moon that provides a softly glowing light that you can hold in your hand.What? Mind blown! 

Read more about the project, crafted by the Japanese design group Nosinger here and, if you can figure out how to buy one, let me know!

WES ANDERSON IS OCD

Have you seen the new Wes Anderson movie 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'? I love, love, loved Moonrise Kingdom and the trailer for this new film looked enchanting too.

(By the way I have a new theory about the luscious 'look' of Anderson movies and why art nerds like me adore them: every second looks like it has gone through a perfect instagram filter! Basically my dream world!)

A couple of weeks ago I went to see Grand Budapest and really enjoyed it. The sets were gorgeous (that pink box scene!) and there were lots of perfect moments of dry Anderson wit thrown in there too. So, when I got home after the movie, I decided to do some research on the movie and was surprised to see just how many people are talking about Anderson these days.

Basically, everyone thinks he's an obsessive compulsive mad genius dictator, they just won't come out and say it.

Why? Let me break it down . . .

PETER SMART IS A DESIGN GENIUS

If only everything you interact with in your daily life were designed by someone as thoughtful and clever as Peter Smart. Shower curtains would always stay in the tub, keeping your floor perfectly dry. Coffee makers wouldn't have infernally finicky on/off switches, leaving you woefully brew-less in the morning. Tax forms might actually be legible, allowing you to submit these important legal documents without worrying that an errant '1' might make you look like you are trying to claim 11 imaginary dependents.

Why am I so confident in the skills of designer Peter Smart? Well, he recently traveled all over the world to try to solve 50 Problems in 50 Days simply using the power of design. My favorite proposed project to come out of the challenge is by far his reworking of traditional boarding passes for air travel. Instead of the infernally ill-shaped horizontal pass, Smart came up with a vertical format that incorporates things you actually want and need to know—such as your gate, travel time and destination weather—through sans serif fonts and a simple bold layout. The proposed pass even folds to precisely fit inside your passport, with just the cliff notes version of your travel info sticking out of the top. Brilliant!

So listen up, TSA and airlines world wide! Let's institute some productive, passenger-focused legislation and get this design in the works, chop chop!

Read more about Smart's proposal here.

LET'S GET CREATIVE

Have you guys heard of Creative Mornings? I have written about it a couple times before (see here), but I was feeling in dire need of a jolt of inspiration yesterday and—without fail—the Creative Mornings site delivered big time. I mean, look at that homepage! It's like a perfect venn diagram of my obsession with bright colors and maps. Drool!

Besides being beautifully designed in and of itself, the Creative Mornings website also hosts an incredible archive of all their previous talks, now taking place in 71 (!) cities around the world. Since I will be giving a presentation on the first chapter of my dissertation next month at this fabulous design-focused symposium, I think it only proper to brush up on my public speaking skills by watching some of the masters at work in the Creative Mornings spotlight. In case you want some presentation pointers too, or are just in the mood for some good advice and a few laughs, check out the videos below. You won't regret it!

I loved Debbie Milman's talk when I saw it in person way back in 2011. I loved it even more when I rewatched it this week. Her advice here is both thoughtfully considered and amicably delivered—the whole presentation feels like an uplifting pep talk from a parent or friend.

This talk, by MailChimp founder Ben Chestnut, was the only one of my three picks today that I didn't get to see in person (it took place in Atlanta in December 2011). But it is absolutely hilarious in the way that a brilliant but rather crass friend can be—there is a common recurrence of a middle finger icon in the talk at very funny intervals—and is all the most inspirational for it. I can't recommend it enough. And I now I funny understand the MailChimp radio ads that say they make hats for small dogs and cats!

Last, but definitely not least, is this belly-laugh-, drool-, and awe-inducing talk by Christoph Niemann (who I have extolled on many occasions before, see here). His illustrations and masterful creativity never ceases to amaze me and this short and sweet presentation will show you why. I shared before and I have to share it again—it's that good.


See more of creative goodness at Creative Mornings here.

MY DREAM HOME: RAYS OF SUNSHINE

Last month I inaugurated a new series on the O.I. called 'My Dream Home'. It's a column that will illustrate all my latest obsessions for nesting now that I am an old married lady (at the ripe old age of 28, ha!).  Well you know what I have found myself drooling over recently? Bright white rooms with brilliant pops of canary yellow. You may remember I love yellow these days, but somehow the cheery color seems particularly appealing during these doldrums of winter.If you care to come on a ride on my yellow submarine—er, house?—here are the links to the inspirational interiors above . . . kid's beds (that wallpaper!) | dotty shelf | entry door | kitchen counter | cabinet | canvas | pendant lamp | window frame | desk chair

OLYMPIC IDENTITY SOCHI 2014

Have you been watching the Olympic Games? As you may remember (from here), I am obsessed with the Olympics and, consequently, have been glued to the events for the past several days. I think our neighbors think I am crazy with all the chanting U-S-A going on in our apartment, ha!

Anyway, I realized that I have yet to share my thoughts on the Olympic graphic identity for the Sochi Games. Have you seen the designs? The overall style is based on a traditional Russian patchwork pattern that has been faceted and digitized and reprinted in a bright rainbow of colors (ironic, no?). Not surprisingly, I love the color palette and the idea of the quilt patterning, but I think the execution is pretty busy. The individual patches in the quilt are made of patterns that contrast a bit too much, are a bit too loud, but that's just my humble opinion. What do you think?

With that in mind, I think it looks better in smaller doses. The commemorative stamps and hockey pucks, for example, look much cooler; especially the stamp where they have abstracted the quilting to look like the Olympic flame. Clever! Conversely, I think the reliance on Russian nesting dolls as an informal mascot (we all know the real ones are always silly cartoon characters!*) can be a little much. After all, they have snowboarders jumping over them as obstacles! That's just silly.

Overall I think the design isn't the worst we've seen lately but shows a lack of imagination. Why does every Olympic logo have to have an silly overly stylized typeface? And what's with "Hot Cool Yours" as a slogan? It seems like a bad Russian translation and makes no sense. It's like an SNL parody! Generally I think the designers—this identity was done by Interbrand—would do well with following the K.I.S.S. rule: keep it simple, stupid! The final poster, above, is therefore my favorite. The elegant transition between the peaks of the mountains and the peaks of the waves works well as an all-over patterning behind the basic type treatment.

What do you think of the designs? Are there things you love? Parts you hate? Let me know in the comments!

p.s. I can't decide how I feel about the torch . . .  what do you think?

p.p.s. In case you think I am just a whiny design nerd, check out this gallery of previous Olympic posters (the early ones are so gorgeous, but Torino is holding up well!) and my post about it here.

*Fun fact: did you know that the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles—home of Hollywood—were the first to feature a mascot like that? But at least Sam the Eagle was cute!