Minnesota says beer is the new black

The beer scene is exploding in Minnesota, and there are some really great beers out there.  But what I really want to talk about is the design of those logos and great graphics on their products.  As a designer, there is more to appreciate than what's in the bottle - what is on the outside can make you want that drink as much as the beer itself.

Here are some images of the great graphic design that has gone into Minnesota's beer scene:

Dangerous Man Brewing Co. 

Harriet Brewing

Excelsior Brewing Co.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Co. - this one isn't open quite yet, but I love the logo!  

Check their website for updates

Surly Brewing Co.

612 Brew

Third Street Brewhouse - they have really great logos and designs for all their beers, which you can see on their website.

These are just some of my favorite logos and brews, if you want to learn more about what is happening in Minnesota's beer scene visit http://mnbeer.com/breweries/. 

Hello?

So, it's been a while.  A long while.  It's awkward, we don't know what to say to each other, but someone had to break the silence.

I brought you flowers:


Photo by Corey Torpie Photography

I covet...

These beautiful wood countertops and lovely white cabinets. 

Photo taken from Dwell newsletter.

Mociun = Love

MOCIUN.  What can I tell you, I'm totally smitten!  I absolutely love her jewelry design and textiles.  Caitlin Mociun studied textile design at Rhode Island School of Design and is now designing textiles, clothes and jewelry.  I first came across her jewelry which is absolutely beautiful, modern and feminine with a touch of whimsy.  It is completely crush worthy.

 

Below are some of her print designs, I really like her use of geometric patterns juxtaposed with organic elements and color to make a statement:

All above images taken from mociun.com

  



I also read her blog religiously and find it absolutely inspiring.  I love her point of view and design sensibility.  See more of what makes Mociun tick at http://mociun.tumblr.com/ 

Pantone's New Colors

The final word in color just unveiled 336 new colors!  Here is the press release from their website:

Pantone Inspires Designers with 336 New Shades

Expanded PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM now offers 25 percent more color options
CARLSTADT, N.J. and SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, 2012 – Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT) and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced the addition of 336 New Colors to its PANTONE® PLUS SERIES, bringing the total to 1,677 colors.

Introduced in 2010, the PANTONE PLUS SERIES is the next generation of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® – the defacto standard for color communication in the graphic arts market. The PLUS SERIES provides an accurate way for designers to communicate and control color throughout the entire design process – from inspiration to final output. The 336 New Colors offer designers more options and flexibility in the creative process and will become permanent standards in the PLUS SERIES Color Library.

The 336 New Colors enrich the current PLUS SERIES palette, providing a more comprehensive selection. All color families are extended to include a wider variety of values, saturation and undertones – from subtle pastels and reliable mid-tones to the intensity of deep tones, vivid brights and vital, nuanced neutrals.

“Color is integral to every project. The more colors I have to choose from, the easier it is to translate from fragrance to color,” said Matt Fadness, partner at Through Smoke Creative in Sausalito, Calif., a design firm specializing in home fragrance and body care scent and packaging design for brands including The Gap, Restoration Hardware and William Sonoma. “We need to form a strong connection between fragrance and color during the product development process and spend a lot of time choosing the precise hue. The additional colors in the PANTONE PLUS SERIES will give us greater flexibility and latitude to translate color into product.”

The New Colors were inspired by the PANTONE Goe™ System and add depth and breadth to the PLUS SERIES Color Library with fresh hues that did not previously exist. The Goe System represents important technical improvements in the area of ink film consistency and coatability, and these benefits have migrated to the 336 New Colors. Formulated using consistent ink-film thicknesses, the 366 New Colors can be easily reproduced by printers worldwide. All 336 New Colors will be available in coated and uncoated formats and are printed on text-weight paper to match popular print specifications.

Time to update your Pantone library!!  More at http://www.pantone.com/

I covet...

As if we haven't had enough Missoni madness with the roll out of their design partnership at Target this past winter, they are teaming up with Converse to make one of the most fashionable sneakers on the market.

Images taken from Converse.com

These would make my feet SO happy!!  I especially love them in white.  Swoon!

Bec Brittain

I stumbled upon Bec Brittain, Parsons trained industrial designer, while reading one of my favorite blogs Mociun (post on her work to follow soon!).  Bec Brittain has done some very impressive work and one of the most beautiful light fixtures I have ever seen:

Maxhedron

I love the shape and the way the light bounces off the glass, I'm picturing this in clusters hanging at different heights from a vaulted ceiling as an art installation.  What a statement that would make!

Here is another one of her light fixtures:

SHY light

I love the chic modern aesthetic!

Some of her other work includes chess sets made out of nuts and bolts, bug monsters which are like a taxidermy mash up of bugs, sea creatures, bones, and so on.  Bec also creates works of art using her bug monsters in glass domes and wall art.  She was also the project designer for Anthropologie's store revitalization with the store shown below in Corona, California.  Here are more images of her amazing work:



All images of Bec Brittain's work were taken directly from her website, which can be found here.

This is just a snippet of what is on her website, she has done some really inspiring work and I love her design for the Anthropologie store.  It really tells a story and curates an experience for the guest.  Definitely take the time to check out her site - www.becbrittain.com