I honestly meant to post this sooner (two days ago) but I still feel like it has some serious relevance. Superstar designer Nessim Higson dedicated his IAAH (I Am Always Hungry) portfolio to “The city that care forgot and the people that called it home.” This collection of designs is meant to do nothing more than stimulate thought on those events of 2005. They are provocative, clever, and some images down right saddening. Flip through dozens of pages of Nessim’s work and remember here.

A 2005 DesignPlus Winner, the Harry organizer from Formila sits at the intersection between style and function. It is comprised of flexible and sturdy aluminum which can be twisted and manipulated to your heart’s content. The wires are threaded through the sturdy base which can be mounted by your door and hold keys or left on your desk for pens, a staple remover, and some paper clips. The possibilities are endless but one thing’s for certain, it will certain attract the eyes of curious passersby.

Thanks Filipe…

A few years ago when Discover introduced their mini credit card that was meant to be attached to your key chain and flipped out at the register, I yawned. When American Express recently unveiled their Butterfly card, I was mildly interested. What really has me excited though, is the new card designed by Roger Arquer. It combined a money clip with a credit card so you can carry your cash and plastic in one simple package. A year ago, I moved away from the bulky, carry-it-all wallet, and on to a minimalistic approach (mostly with the help of M-A-K-R). Just a concept at this point, I hope this card makes it into production soon!

Via SciFi.com

The crazy Swiss sneaker heads over at +41 are at it again. Earlier this year they released a scrumptious Chocolate Sneaker, and it looks like now they’re dabbling into a little more gourmet sneaker-fetish madness. My French (still) is a little bit rusty, but it appears these are baked ‘fromage’, aka cheese swooshes. They also made some great jello-esque looking sneakers. Check it all out– more pictures, details and funny French sneaker cooking instructions at Sooishi’s site.

Governments, corporations, and media outlets continuously bombard us with negativity aimed to create fear and mistrust between cultures and countries. In an attempt to counter act this, a simple initiative called Project Peace Signs, has been created to promote the commonality was share as global citizens and human beings. The goal of the global advertising campaign is to place the peace symbol in as many public places as possible essentially utilizing the public domain to create change. All you do is place a peace sign somewhere in public view, the more creative, the better, and then send a video or picture to projectpeacesigns@gmail.com and they will post it on their blog for the rest of the world to see. There may not be peace on earth, but with Project Peace Signs, at least we’ll be able to see it everywhere!

The works of Jared Nickerson’s J3 Concepts are a great discovery on their own, but finding out what comes next is even better. His solo efforts in commercial design consisting of illustrations and wallpapers are amazing and culminate in a style that seamlessly combines elements of anime with silhouettes and layered graphics in both full color and monochromatic schemes. Unfortunately, Jared is quitting the solo game, but to our benefit joining the team of IMRIK, HeyLove, and RIOO (Marius Bauer, Cara Ellard, and Ricardo Hahn, respectively) at 4Impressions. Four Impressions is a free design project with the thought to help everyone to customize their computer desktop with suites and wallpapers. We are really excited to see what comes of this union and highly suggest checking each member’s solo works as well!

I’d like to shine the light on a new online project called Riottt!. The team at Riottt! is small, but very big on talent and includes creative heavyweights Kevin Craft formerly of Vapors Magazine, Sean Miyashiro, founder of Sole Division, Sky Gellatly from MTV’s Sneak Attack, and Rickey Kim of Evil Monito and The Social Trust. Through a theme encompassing intellectual engagement and a collaborative atmosphere, Riottt! actively seeks to subvert the “mass culture” that has been forced upon the majority of the population. Riottt! is already off to a blazing start and has features on creatives like graffiti legend Haze, Peanut Butter Wolf who founded Stones Throw Records, and photographer Peter Graham. Unfortunately, the interviews are the only area with unfettered access, as the full content of the rest appear to be blocked off to invitation-only members. Keep an eye on this site though, I have a feeling that Riottt! will indeed rise up to lead a new movement.

When in the city we often find ourselves on the streets sans car navigation system or without quick access to the laptop, the solution– HopStop. This city transit guide provides door-to-door maps, walking, driving, subway, and bus directions for NYC, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco. With countless online mapping services available HopStop features a few choice options that can make you trip a little easier than the rest. The service will plot your course not only from addresses, but also to nearby bus stops and subway stations and allows you to choose what type of transportation method you would like to use. Don’t like mass transportation? HopStop will also calculate the cab fare for you and in addition tell you if it is the best method based on traffic during the time of day you will be traveling. We had no trouble getting info to our BlackBerry, but if you are without access to the web you can also call in or text message them for directions–and the best part is it’s free! HopStop is truly a unique and useful resource for navigating the city streets.

If you made a visit over to Knacktion, you may have seen co-founder and visual artist Josh Feldman’s work. Growing up in the Bay Area and attending the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Josh developed the style of work which he has been honing for the past twelve years. Like many artist Josh experimented with multiple mediums and approaches, but found himself gravitating back to an abstract and textural style seen in his current pieces. These have taken the form of a flat piece of art encased in clear plastic, or a dimensional work by breaking the plane into repeating panels that are mounted perpendicular to the wall creating art that is unique when viewed from different angles. Josh has seen some notoriety, being featured in the New York Times and receiving an award from WIRED magazine. Combining graphic design and sculpture, Josh’s works allow us to find our own vantage point to appreciate his 3D artistry.

Some companies merely make products. Others strive to create not just a “product,” but instead something that becomes a natural extension of the consumer, almost like a second skin. This metaphor works extremely well when applied to the premium denim market. By essentially weaving their passion for denim into the jeans, Nudie Jeans Co. has succeeded in creating a product that forms an emotional connection with the owner. Nudie Jeans suggests that denim becomes more personal and more beautiful as they are worn in. In fact, Nudie instructs people to wear their jeans as much as possible for the first 6 months before washing them for the first time. This allows the denim and indigo to become customized and a reflection of the daily grind of the owner. The Nudie Jeans Co. website is really top-notch and has a gallery section with jeans on virtual display that illustrate the different ways in which the jeans can get worn in. There is also a really great video on the manufacturing process used by Nudie Jeans. It’s really fascinating to see all the work that goes into each pair.

From the same folks that brought us Threadless, the democratization of t-shirt design and manufacturing, comes Naked and Angry’s user-designed wallpaper collection. Anyone can submit a pattern which is then voted on and scored by other Naked & Angry users. The highest scoring wallpaper designs are hand screened in a limited-edition run at their shop in Chicago. Winners also receive $500 and 5 free Naked & Angry products. The bar is set pretty high and rolls go for $50 a pop. This is another great example of product co-creation– just lovely. Via Springwise

Condom packaging is usually pretty lame, it’s not something you’re design-concious wants to have laying around your bedroom or bathroom. That all might have changed– I was blown away by the design, color choices and overall experience with the new Durex products. This ‘Variety Pack‘ comes with 48 high quality condoms and some very porno-like vibrating rings packed in what seems to be an actually pretty nice metal or aluminum box. Someone in their marketing department finally got a clue and, wait, wait, hired a designer to choose some new textures, bright colors and add a little magic to the packaging– genius, and about time!

At over 3,000 photos and 452 members strong, Sneakerplay has proven to be not only a great time, a wonderful place to meet serious sneaker-heads, but also an amazing look at sneaker culture as a resource. As most of you know, the doors are closed and you must be invited to get on the inside. The good news? I’ve got 20 invites here and I’m feeling generous. Send in pictures of your collection, your best kicks and prove you ‘belong there’ and I’ll make it so. Cheers!

First there was a beach on the Seine in Paris and now a beach club in London?! Kick back with a cocktail on the warm Jamaican sand under shady palm trees this summer and spend an afternoon chilling at the new City Beach Club, outside the Old Truman Brewery London’s first urban beach is in the heart of the capitals coolville, Brick Lane and right next to the City-London’s financial district, so de-socked office dudes and dudettes share beach space with the local fashion folk and hot Brazilian ex pats. For a snapshot of everything that is great about London, in all it’s creative glory, I’m headed to the beach!

It sounds too good to be true. A system where accommodating souls across the seven continents volunteer to put you, a complete stranger, up for a night or two (and maybe even show you around town), in the interest of cross-cultural learning, friendship and increasing the peace on our planet. But this is Hospitality Club. There is no cost, no obligation to host (although they obviously encourage this), your email address remains hidden and signing up is a breeze. Not everyone is up for this kind of personal space invasion, and I know plenty who would never consider it, but I like their energy: giving cynicism the kibosh and letting karma guide your actions. The truth is that for a long-term budget traveler, this is an unrivaled opportunity. So what’s with the pineapple? It’s the international symbol for hospitality. Duh.