Minimalist ballet posters increase attendance

When designer Gil Shuler was asked by a friend to create a series of posters for the Charleston Ballet company's 2012-13 season, he felt they should head in an opposite direction to previously.

The company used to feature principle performers as the centrepiece for their posters, now the focus is on the feet.

The simple and seemingly effective new deisgn has the point shoe, a classic article of ballet clothing, as the focal point of the posters.

The response so far has been positive for the company with an increase in ticket sales and Shuler had been asked on many occassions for reprints.

Packaging that lights up when you pick it up

This great packaging design by Webb deVlam illuminates when you pick it up.

It features an illustration by Yehrin Tong  in electroluminescent ink which lights up when a hidden switch is activated on the bottom of the pack when lifted from the shelf.

A high impact way of engaging customers at point of sale.

Charming chalk drawings by David Zinn

These charming chalk drawings by artist David Zinn have been popping up all over Ann Arbor, Michigan since 1987.

David has also created posters, book illustrations, educational cartoons, museum signage, t-shirt designs, murals and even hand-painted dump trucks.

You can see more of his work here.

A new magazine wrap

This is an interesting project by Spanish graphic design studio Lo Siento which was created for the cover of Japan's +81 Magazine.

Injecting bubble wrap blisters with coloured water the artist has spelt out the issue's latest subject 'Next Creativity'.

The studio has created several other typographical explorations, more of which can be viewed on Design Boom here.

Striking illustrations of unusual words

These great illustrations are part of a series of bold graphics and visual wit that are used to interpret and represent a collection of strange, unusual and lost words.

The designs are produced by The Project Twins, a graphic design and illustration studio in Cork, Ireland.

The full collection was exhibited at the MadArt Gallery Dublin during DesignWeek 2011. It consisted of 26 50cm X 70cm Giclee Prints on Hahnemühle 100% Cotton Rag (each in a limited edition of 10).

You can see many more of these striking designs, in fact a complete A-Z,  here.

These works are: 

1. Acersecomic    - A person whose hair has never been cut.

2. Biblioclasm    - The practice of destroying, often ceremoniously, books or other written material and media.

3. Dactylion    - An anatomical landmark located at the tip of the middle finger.

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.

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