I won’t lie. The classic scene with Christian Bale in the 2000 thriller American Psycho really got me thinking about business cards. I am already known for obsessing over the finer details and seeking out the extraordinary in mundane, everyday products — so why shouldn’t a small, rectangular piece of paper that is meant to sum up my professional existence deserve some attention? After seeing some samples from Salt Lake City based The Mandate Press, I was hooked.

Ben Webster started his printing business after taking a letterpress class as part of his design curriculum. A side hobby turned full blown business, occupying a 2000 square foot shop, The Mandate Press produces everything from business cards to hang tags and offers hand finishing on products including die-cuts and gluing. And the turnaround on your order is pretty quick for a shop with only two employees. The Press can have a custom project to you within five days, as opposed to two to four weeks from others. Check out their list of personalized cards on the website. You get to choose from six designs and get 250 for under $100.

A first glance, JS perennial favorite Matt W. Moore’s portfolio reveals a range of styles centered on a knack for arrangement. When it comes to the geometry, Moore can create a compelling scene using the most basic shapes and patterns by utilizing an array of intense colors. Though they lack any conspicuous organic forms, the shapes convey a warmth in balance that you could stare at for hours.

Rather than taking me to the outer reaches, the Navigate the Cosmos trio reminded me of an urban noir depiction; more Gotham City than outer space. And that is where the versatility of MWM shines through. See these new pieces from the Vectorfunk series for what they are. The interpretation is yours to draw.

Gregg Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, might just be the Mash Up king of the world. (Here are some tracks to listen to and tour dates to keep up with on his Myspace page.) His latest album creation, Feed The Animals, is — if I may borrow some slang — off the hook. Dirty South rap mixed with Motown; pop music mixed with rock — wait, did I just hear Ace Of Base? You have to listen to believe it. Similar to Radiohead, Gills has deployed a pay-what-you-wish model that has been allowing people to download the entire album as a high-quality 320kbps MP3. You can nab it for free, pay $5 for FLAC files and a seamless mix, or $10 and get all of the above plus a packaged CD when it becomes available. Or you could just throw the guy a $20 … because he is single handedly making music fun to listen to again.

David Ford’s latest album was actually released a few months ago, but I really want you guys to know about it. Shortly after the dissolution of his band Easyworld, Ford started a series of small solo gigs. He quickly gained fans due to his clear commitment and passion for the songs he performed. His voice has its rounded edges, but still maintains that slight raspiness that seems to be a requisite for all male artists these days. Ford is also known for the loops he employs in his songs, but instead of being annoying they they actually work well in carrying the vocals. I’ve listened to “Songs For The Road” three times over already. Now it’s your turn to check it out.

David Bowie, Bootsy Collins, and Gary Glitter may have exemplified rock’s wildness in fashion (among other things), but they weren’t the first to challenge the status quo. In the days since these legends, many a musician has gone off the deep end with their onstage apparel. Two years ago journalist and London DJ Paul Gorman released The Look: Adventures in Rock and Pop Fashion, a book that peered back at these outrageous trends.

Now, for you non-readers, with the help of Nigel Waymouth’s (Granny Take a Trip) sinister designs, Antony Price’s elegant tailoring and Wonder Workshop’s penchant for glam, he’s launching a men’s line inspired by clothing of the ’70s and ’80s. Check out the T-shirts out at thelookpresents.com and go a little wild yourself.

Nobody is perfect. Even the most advanced design prodigy has room to improve a little bit. So how does a creative creature continue to grow? Well, the first step is admitting that you don’t know everything. The second step is going on an Italian vacation and checking out the four summer courses offered at Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, Italy. Starting on June 27th (but continuing through the rest of the summer) the prestigious design school will offer successive week long workshops with the likes of such industry luminaries as Ross Lovegrove, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Matali Crasset, and Marti Guixa. The individual programs will focus on corporate design collaboration and future innovation. If this sounds like something you want in on, buy an Italian dictionary, book a flight, and reserve your space right now.