Inventive pop-ups come to life

These great pop-ups are experimental designs by Portland-based designer and art director Mengyu Chen who is currently working on a new comic book. She mocked these up to see how they would work.

Very inventive - can't wait to see the book.

See more on Colossal Art ad Design

How to turn a lightbulb into cash

If you've been following our blog then you might remember a post about Tobyboo, a new designer who uses illustrations of the London skyline to produce a range of homewares, including some great looking ceramics.

Tobyboo was involved in the School for Creative Startups and they have both been featured in an article called 'How to turn a lightbulb into cash' in the Independent newspaper last week.

The article looks at how Doug Richard, the founder of the school, is helping creative types to understand the business part of their enterprises.

A good read - see more here.

Photography copyright Independent

Gumdrop Bin wins Homes and Gardens Award

The Gumdrop Bin is the brainchild of Anna Bullus who noticed that not only was chewing gum a material that was being wasted but it was also polluting our environment.  

She set about solving the problem by creating a bin using recycled chewing gum and called it Gumdrop. It's manufactured from a new plastic polymer using chewing gum and then moulded into shape.  

Anna has just won The Homes & Gardens Eco Design Award 2012 so well done for this fantastic idea. Give gum a second life!  

Click here to find out more.

Creative Designer/Art Director Required Immediately

The Think Tank is looking for a Creative Designer/Art Director with a strong design portfolio to work within our creative team. This role will involve the creation of a diverse range of marketing material as well as brand development work.

Candidates will have worked in a similar agency environment and possess excellent knowledge of Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator and In-Design. A knowledge of digital design would also be a benefit but not essential.

We are growing rapidly and have an immediate need for an individual with a strong design and communications background who can add to our creative team that has a great reputation.

This is a fulltime position for a person with outstanding design skills to put their mark on a wide range of marketing media, aiding the growth of the agency.

Salary £25k - £30k pa

Contact Shaun Madle with covering letter, CV and portfolio vis email - shaunm@thinktank.org.uk

'Showrooms' app launched for New York

If you are heading off to New York then Designer Pages has the app for you. They have launched an app called Showrooms that helps you to quickly locate architecture and interior design products and materials across the city. Find that showroom you’re looking for and map it, create itineraries for your visits, curate lists of showrooms to share with friends, and even check in using Foursquare. They plan on expanding to other cities in the future. They have even added a scavenger hunt at Architectural Digest Home Show in New York next week. Can't wait for the London version.

Download the 'Showrooms' app here