As much as we look to design for inspiration, we also seek surprises – pieces that make us look at things we thought we knew in new and exciting ways. This week, we’re deeply disturbed by an unconventional housewares catalog, lose our way in an all-consuming sketchbook package, and find a unique way to drop a friend a line. (For more Cool Designs of the Week, check them out here.)
Domestic Abuse ‘Home Catalog’ Design
Creative agency FCB Lisbon found a chilling way to promote the cause of APAV, a Portuguese domestic violence charity – they co-opted the look and feel of the insipid housewares catalog to deliver disturbing figures about violence in the home.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DSMneG1PVo]
Mattias Adolfsson ‘Second in Line’ Design
Swedish freelance artist Adolfsson clearly has a compulsion that goes far beyond what we expect from artists. His illustrations take place in an overpopulated, insanely detailed universe that you could spend hours getting lost in. His 2013 Sketchbook “Second in Line” is as good a place to begin as any, and comes packed inside an illustrated box that also contains an additional art book and poster. Pffft. Words. Words don’t really do this package justice, do they?
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZH3qvhwKH8]
Wearable Stationery
OK, we know what you’re thinking – April Fool’s Day wasn’t THAT long ago…you sure this is a thing? There’s one strong indication that suggests to us that yes, this is a thing: it’s from Japan.
Called Fukutegami (literally, “clothing letter”), this clothing is meant to be written on, then sent to someone who will wear it close to their hearts. As Spoon & Tamago explains,
“The message gets written on the inside of the garment so nobody else can read it. And a special material keeps it from getting washed away.”
