This is the first of the wrapping papers I did for Hemlock Printers in Vancouver. It might be my favourite. I certainly had fun making it (beginning with ordering a mass of exciting cake decorations). As usual, the cake decorations are not photoshopped, nor are they glued: I placed them in place, shot them and moved on to the next.

Printed in CMYK with a flourescent yellow background with spot varnish.

Some details:

And the full sheet:

This is the third of the wrapping papers I made for Hemlock Printers in Vancouver. It's printed in flourescent yellow and black.

A detail:

And the whole sheet:

OK, this is it. This is the best thing I've made in a while ... that wasn't rejected, anyway. When the good folks at Lynda.com asked to do a documentary on me, that was fun enough, but when they asked for me to do an animation for the end credits, I was super happy, because not only did I get to do something I'd never done before, but I also got to honour the great people who worked on the video. (Original music by Reg Powell, as noted.)

I made it by creating all the frames in illustrator, and then handing those files over to Lynda.com to compile into a moving image. Magic! People often ask me about doing animation but usually they're thinking of something that grows organically ... you know, that growing swirling thing. I couldn't be less interested. 

However, what I did want to do was show how I work with systems and parts. So the animations on these evolve into and devolve out of letterforms that are created from a pattern system.

The lettering is pretty much illegible until the last frame, when it comes clear, pauses, and then starts to disintegrate again.

There's alos a pattern transition between each credit.

Piles of fun, with thanks, as always to the folks at Lynda.com.

Under Nike's NikeID project, they sometimes partner with Maharam for the fabric. This year, for the NikeID in the Japanese market, they used my Maharam "Centric" fabric (in all colours) for the NikeID Airforce One. Maharam, those sweethearts, had a pair made for me!

This number 17, made from toothpicks, was my contribution to a 17th birthday book of 17s, for Emily Oberman and Bonnie Siegler of the design firm Number 17.

For this year’s Salon del Mobile in Milan, the highly inventive, active and innovative company droog decided to buy various lots of remaindered items from liquidation sales, and then offered the batches of unusual things to 14 designers to transform in some way. Things like glassware and safety vests and dog baskets and wooden spoons … none of it particularly nice, so it was a challenge.

From the lot I chose 2 items: a single wooden table, and 80 wooden folding chairs.

For the folding chairs, well, I had this wacky idea. I had just had my fingernails done in LA for the first time, and I was fascinated with how quickly and nicely the manicurist put designs on my nails. So I proposed to droog that we get 80 manicurists and get one each to decorate a chair. Incredibly, they went for it. In the end there were only 4 or 5 manicurists, but still.

This is the first time ever that I have done something that was only concept, in which I designed nothing, and touched nothing with my actual hands.

These were my instructions:

1) COLOURS
bright colours: pink, red, yellow, etc.
opaque colours: white or nail polishes with a lot of white in them: light blues, greens, etc.
neon colours (a whole chair in neon colours would be cool: it would glow in blacklight!!)
metallic colours: the more shiny-metallic they are, the more they will stand out on the dark surface. Silver, copper, glitter .. .I have found that even metallic dark greens and blues look quite good.
They can choose a colour “theme” or make it multi-coloured.

2) MOTIFS

I’m not looking for works of art. Keep the designs simple and easy to make.
Flowers are very easy to make: 3- , 4-, and 5-petaled flowers
or little grasses, stars, abstract things with shapes and dots (I like this a lot).

Maybe there is some design they have learned that they are good at: a little butterfly or ladybug or something. Whatever they are, they should be small and simple, as though they were done on a fingernail … but there will be lots of them. I would prefer that they pick one or two little designs and just do that over and over, over the surface of the chair. Something they get good at and can do quickly and easily. NO big design pictures, no scenes or designs that would not fit on a finger nail … it should look pretty and delicate.

The Centraal Museum Utrecht bought one of these chairs, but droog still has a lot. The plan is to ship them to the droog store in New York, I believe, where they will be for sale, and more will be made.

Photos by Stefanie Grätz, courtesy of droog.

Maharam is a very high end fabric company, mostly for the trade (architects, interior designers) with “a strong focus on new technologies and cultural markers, often finding inspiration beyond the textile industry, including collaborations with avant-garde industry outsiders.” That would be me.

After wanting to work with them for several years, I have now been working with them on some things for about a year, some of which are not ready to be revealed. But these are: from Maharam Digital Projects, their new collection of wall coverings.

So far there are 3 designs of mine to choose from.

1) Feathers.

This is an old pattern of mine, which I revived and perfected for this project. I confess I was doubtful about the application, but clearly they know more about these things than I do because it looks terrific!

2) Pattern Plaid

This is a plaid in which not only do the colours cross at the intersections but little pattern units do as well. It’s bright and cheery.

3) Birds

This bird is one I drew years ago which has also been resurrected and patternized for the wallpaper. Giant, scrolly birds.

To see these on the Maharam website, or to order them, go to the Maharam Virtual Library and click on the binder (currently on far left) called Maharam Digital Projects, and then click on the index at top right, and scroll though to find mine. But be forewarned, you’ll probably get to the ones by Karel Martens and forget all about me and order his for your entire house. Not to mention all those other fabulous designs that I wish I had a palace for.

Photos courtesy of Maharam.

Todd Falkowsky of Motherbrand in Toronto approached me to design a … a … well, see, there’s this machine that squishes pennies, just like we used to do on the railroad tracks when we were kids (only it’s safer) and it has the ability to impress a new image into the penny, turning the penny into an oval copper thing. So Todd wanted to get 4 designers to make designs for this machine, and then set the machine out somewhere and give the proceeds (I think it costs $2, plus the penny) to an art studio for street youth.

I just liked the idea of squishing pennies … though, isn’t there a law against this? Doesn’t it come under “defacing the queen” or something?

Anyway, So I thought about what one might conceivably want to have on a copper thing that might mingle with your change in your pocket. Ultimately I decided on “Empathy”, because really that’s all the world needs is a whole lotta empathy, and I imagined that you might look at that Empathy penny from time to time and it might actually influence how you viewed a situation.

Then, for the design, I was interested in putting the “round” back in the distorted penny. Or maybe I’m just into circles right now (yes.)

Where can you get this? Only one location: at the Design Exchange in Toronto.

The three other designers were Douglas Coupland, Burton Kramer and Paul Butler, so if you want my design, make sure you turn the dial to the right position!

I can’t really take any credit for this. When I drew the snowflakes for Terron Schaefer at Saks Fifth Avenue last year, I didn’t know what, ultimately they would be doing with them all. But I was excited when he said they had commissioned different jewellers to interpret some of the drawings into jewellery. And I was super excited when I saw the results.

So here are the drawings and the pieces that were made from them:

This pendant, by Chopard, is one of my favourites: $77,200

And then this brooch, by Vendorafa, a very different—and faithful—interpretation of the same drawing, for a mere $17,750

Then, (this, by the way, was Terron’s favourite snowflake)

Interpreted as a brooch by Utopia, for $44,000

But the prettier version by Faraone Mennella, will cost you $64,000

My antler-snowflake …

Spawned this pendant by Marco Bicego, $27,230:

But I prefer the red enamel necklace by Roberto Coin, and the least expensive of them all at $12,500

Then, I was most impressed how the shading in this unspectacular little snowflake …

was faithfully interpreted by Gurhan, in this necklace for $32,800

This drawing looks like an unlikely pick …

but Dominique Cohen did an amazing job with it with these earrings (earrings!!!) for $55,000

Another weirdo drawing

And another great interpretation by Graff, a pendant for $38,000.

A rather nice drawing, if I do say so myself

and a very expensive ($81,600) pendant by Kwiat

The last I’m not sure of … tentatively this drawing is the inspiration … either that or they went off and did their own thing …

Temple St. Clair’s pendant for $17,500.

And if you really loved me you’d buy them all for me. Or at least the earrings. Pleeeease?

Last year I was contacted by Émilie Lamy at Pyramyd Editions in France (who also publish the design mag étapes) to have my work published as part of a series of small books called “design&designer”. I said yes. And thank you!

I also asked my fabulous friend, the acclaimed Debbie Millman to write the introduction. She said yes! Thank you Debbie!

The books are for sale. They don’t contain any commentary other than Debbie’s flattering introduction, but do contain lots of images.

Mine is the 66th title. Others include Niklaus Troxler, Pierre Di Sciullo, Massin, Ahn Sang-Soo, Geneviève Gauckler, Paprika, 5.5 designers, Ich&Kar, matali crasset, etc.

These design&designer books are worth picking up, especially if you’re curious about the work of international designers but don’t want to spend a bomb on books. The work of Ahn Sang Soo blew me away.

And here I am in the bookshelf. Right next to Massin (!!), and in some other great company.

This was a tattoo I designed for my friends Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio, with the name of their first-born, Maya. It was a gift, in lieu of rattles or a stuffed toy.

I know what you’re thinking: will I do this for you? Sorry, No. Not unless you’re a friend of mine or you have gobs of cash. That may sound strange, but let’s just pretend I’m Joni Mitchell: “I play if you have the money or if you’re a friend to me …” Tattoos are very personal, so I either need to know you, or thousands of dollars need to lubricate the pain of a client-gets-what-client-wants job. Know what I mean?

Not that there was any pain in this on my part: that’s love for ya.

Photos by Bryony Gomez-Palacio.

Years in the making, almost as long in the promising, this ornament font which happens to contain letterforms is now available for you, yes you to buy and use until you become positively dizzy in the head (an effect which is almost guaranteed).

The font contains the 26 letters of the alphabet, numbers, a hyphen, an ampersand and a question mark, plus a whole ton of squiggly bits for making fantastic shapes and borders. Simply masses of entertainment value.

With the font you get a handy little instruction PDF to help you on the way (you need it—really). How much? For now, a mere $45. But there is one catch. The End User License Agreement has some limitations on its use (mostly that you cannot use Restraint as the sole or major design element in identities, major ad campaigns, or use it to manufacture products for sale without additional licensing—but please read the EULA).

Ready, Set, Buy it now.

(Jan. 2010: Something nice made with Restraint!)

Michael Bierut at Pentagram hired me to work with him on this campaign for Saks Fifth Avenue, and then I was fortunate enough to work directly with the lovely Terron Schaefer at Saks.

We started with the signature piece for “Want It!” and then moved on to the 18 individual “Want It!” items (9 each for men and women) ...

plus “Shoes on Eight” and a scrolly shoe for their new shoe floor.

On September 10th I attended the official launch of the campaign in the New York store, and I was simply amazed and overwhelmed by the abundance and variety of forms that my work appeared in throughout the store.

They made a giant, plexiglass shoe (made by Exhibitology Inc.) out of the scrolly shoe I designed for the eighth floor, which rotated on a pedestal on the main floor.

There are beautiful window displays outside …

The graphics appear on every floor of the store …

They put the swirly stuff on walls and surfaces …

cut them into carpets …

have them swirling around in lights!

Plus there were bags, catalogues, and ads in pretty much every fashion magazine I picked up. Amazing!

None of it would have been what it was without Michael, Terron and his wonderful Creative & Marketing team, and they have my heartfelt thanks.

I made this piece for Dane Baker as a 6-foot by 4-foot piece for his office at the Knoxville Voice in Knoxville, Tennesee. Yes, it says “Knoxville Voice” and no, you can’t really read it, but it ain’t signage, eh?