Since the 12th Century, Japanese artisans have been employing a construction technique that uses just one simple material: wood. Rather than utilize glue, nails, and other fasteners, the traditional art of Japanese wood joinery notches slabs of timber so that the grooves lock together and form a sturdy structure. Yamanashi-based carpenter Dylan Iwakuni demonstrates this process in the endlessly satisfying video above, which depicts multiple styles of the angular joints and how they’re slotted together with the tap of a mallet.

As Iwakuni notes at the end, new joineries often are used in traditional architecture to replace a damaged portion, maintaining the integrity of the original edifice. “Structures built from natural materials and the knowledge and skills passed down generations,” he says. “Through the fine skills and knowledge, Japanese Wooden Architecture has been standing for (thousands of) years.”

If you’re interested in trying your hand at the centuries-old artform, Iwakuni recommends reading The Complete Japanese Joinery and Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit and Use. He also offers a collection of tutorials and videos on his Instagram and YouTube. You might enjoy watching the creation of this kokeshi doll and the fine art of Japanese marquetry, which uses razor-thin slices of mosaics, as well. (via The Kids Should See This)

All images © Bellerby & Co., shared with permission

Peter Bellerby (previously) ventured into globemaking when searching for a gift for his father’s 80th birthday, an endeavor that spurred him to launch Bellerby & Co. Today, the bespoke studio is known for its entirely handcrafted works, which Bellerby discusses in a new interview supported by Colossal Members. Each globe is the product of multiple hands, passing between cartographers, skilled modelmakers, and painters, evidencing the painstaking process and extraordinary precision the team prizes.

While what we’re doing is incredibly accurate and some of the best globes I would hope to imagine have been made in hundreds of years, it’s still an art. You can’t just say, “this is what it is, and by using this math formula, that’s how you solve the equation.” You don’t solve the equation by using math. You solve it by your artistic ability.

In this conversation with managing editor Grace Ebert, Bellerby recounts starting a business with zero experience, shares his love for change and disruption, and discusses the endlessly fascinating world of globes.

Graphic design studio Fagerström has created a modern brand identity for Fam, a new company from Kuwait that offers premium creative donuts.

Fam is a new Kuwait-based brand offering top-notch creative donuts to bring a whole new donut concept to GCC countries based on new flavors, top-quality ingredients, and unique product design. The name “Fam” is an abbreviation of the word “family”. As a brand name, it is not only used to describe biological relatives. It describes all the people with whom a person has a close and loving relationship.

Graphic design studio Fagerström was hired to develop a suitable brand strategy including visual identity and packaging design that conveys the consumer’s passion and commitment that the company puts into their product through a positive and energetic attitude that values the principles of minimalism and simplicity.

Below you can find a few images of the project. For more, please visit Fagerström’s website.

All images © by Fagerström. Do not hesitate to check out our Graphic Design, Packaging, and Branding categories to see other inspiring projects.

The post Branding by Fagerström for Fam Donuts appeared first on WE AND THE COLOR.

Available for download at Adobe Stock, this fully editable brand manual template will help you to present your branding projects the right way.

This high-quality brand manual template for Adobe InDesign was created by Boris Cupac, an Adobe Stock contributor and graphic designer specializing in business publications and magazines. The template has been designed in the standard US Letter size. It consists of 12 customizable pages but you are free to add or duplicate as many pages as you want. Sample text is for display only and may not be included in the end-use. With only basic knowledge in Adobe InDesign, you can add your own text or images in seconds.

Please note, this portfolio brand manual template requires Adobe InDesign. You can get the latest version from the Adobe Creative Cloud website, just have a look here. Feel free to learn more about this well-designed template by clicking on the following link or have a look at the images below.

For those of you looking for more design assets, feel free to browse through our extensive Templates category to find other useful graphic design resources.

The post Brand Manual InDesign Template with Bold Typography appeared first on WE AND THE COLOR.

All images © Enter Asia Projects

The rattan devotees over at Enter Projects Asia are back with a sweeping installation that swells through a Bangkok restaurant overlooking the Chao Priya River. Occupying the lounge of Spice & Barley, two 30-meter pillars ascend from the ground level before erupting into a mass of black-and-gold stripes.

Patrick Keane, the director of the Thailand-based firm, told Dezeen that the team “used 3D special effects software—Maya and Rhino—to simulate bubbles, foam, and liquids” that reference the array of Belgium beers the restaurant serves. Concealing pipes and ventilation equipment, the spiraling forms also mirror the nearby architecture, while the painted stripes evoke the country’s gilded temples.

Similar to its sinuous yoga sanctuary, Enter Projects Asia utilized only natural materials for the overall design, like leather and of course, rattan. The natural, woody material is a particular favorite of the firm because of its sustainability and ties to local culture. “Many rattan factories are at the brink of extinction due to the rise of importation of inferior plastic products. This project saved two rattan factories from closing down,” Keane said.

Explore more environmentally and culturally conscious projects from the firm on Instagram.

All images via Pela

Gripping your phone in anxiety for hours on end? Why not embellish it with your own artwork to ease your dread? That’s the idea behind Pela’s new Stitch Case, which features a rectangular grid for embroidering a mystical landscape, minimal scene, or other quirky renderings. Made of flax shive and a plant-based biopolymer, the black cases are 100% compostable and are only available for older iPhone models. Pick one up from Pela’s site and start stitching.

“Curly Bench (2019), photo by Rodrigo Reinoso. All images © Pablo Reinoso, shared with permission

The unbound slats of Pablo Reinoso’s unassuming benches curl sideways and up walls in a tangle of wood and metal. Based just outside of Paris, the French-Argentine artist and designer (previously) applies a rebellious and playful lens to his otherwise simple seating, merging functionality and aesthetics to create roving sculptural artworks. His wall frames snarl in a similar manner with knotted masses descending from their inner edges.

Reinoso’s spaghetti-style works will be included in a group show at Mad Paris from December 16, 2020, to May 11, 2021. Until then, explore more of his projects on his site and Instagram.

“Black Sand” (2018), photo by Pia Torelli

“Déroulé” (2018), photo by Rodrigo Reinoso

“Fire” (2018), photo by Rodrigo Reinoso

“Looping One” (2020), photo by Rodrigo Reinoso

Left: “Marco Buenos Aires II” (2018), photo by Rodrigo Reinoso. Right: “Marco del Sur” (2018)

“Marco Paris IV” (2019), photo by Rodrigo Reinoso

“Spaghetti corten” (2008), corten steel and teak, 80 x 344 x 172 centimeters

“Fourvière Bench” (2018), carved wood and steel, 454 x 445 x 310 centimeters, photo by Rodrigo Reinoso

“Fourvière Bench” (2018), carved wood and steel, 454 x 445 x 310 centimeters, photo by Rodrigo Reinoso

Have a look at this amazing collection of logos and marks created by Mubariz Yusifzade during 2020.

Mubariz Yusifzade is a graphic designer with the aim to help companies establish their identities by providing modern and creative brand solutions and logo designs. Below you can see a collection of logos, marks, symbols, and logotypes that have been created by Mubariz Yusifzade in 2020 for various brands and people from around the globe. The showcase includes not only commercial ones but also prototypes. For more of Mubariz Yusifzade’s creative work, please have a look at his portfolio.

All images © by Mubariz Yusifzade. Do not hesitate to have a look at our Graphic Design and Branding categories for more inspiration.

The post Logos & Marks by Mubariz Yusifzade from 2020 appeared first on WE AND THE COLOR.

Restauranteurs Simon and Darcy wanted to launch a high-end neighbourhood restaurant, with a difference. One based on community and togetherness, that unites people through food, and where everything possible is made in-house with gentle treatment of simple ingredients. They needed a compelling identity to help tell their story and define their brand character. By using intelligent, warm and engaging messaging we helped The Common Stove stand out and firmly secure their place as a leading restaurant.

Fuelling Orillia

“The Common Stove” comes from the idea of a communal oven and was inspired by a community design project in Slovenia. Here a traditional U-shaped wood-burning stove, known as a kachelofen, was built in a forest clearing and used as a central meeting point to connect three otherwise remote villages. A place to cook, eat, and come together.

This U shape inspired the chef’s counter and booth design in the Orillia restaurant with cooking centred around a wood-fired grill; borrowing not only its fuel and its shape, but also inspiration from how the kachelofen’s warmth and conviviality inspires community.

The menu takes its influence from the wood fired grill and elemental cooking with an emphasis on quality and simplicity using natural ingredients locally sourced from the vast forests and lakes.

Founders Simon and Darcy, both from top London restaurants, asked Lantern to create a compelling brand identity around the idea that food unites people; one that would ensure The Common Stove become known as the best restaurant in Ontario’s Lake Country.

Every element of the brand identity had to speak of the local natural environment particularly through the use of wood to power the fire. But it also had to fuse the idea of food uniting people and articulate the strong sense of community behind the brand.

Forged in flames

Our research into local competitors identified an opportunity to stand out from the crowd through intelligent, warm and engaging messaging. We worked with the U shape used for the booths and kitchen counter to create a flexible holding shape reflecting the traditional concept of the kachelofen stove. It inspired the typographic detail, as well as physical elements such as door handles and menu holders.

We also created symbols to capture the wilderness feel of the area, food gathering and local charm. The colour palette was influenced by the local environment emulating the natural tones of the forests, crystal clear lakes and simple high-quality ingredients.

The typography used was inspired by eastern Europe and Russia – subtly referencing the roots of The Common Stove. Headlines were customised to reflect the geometric sans-serif details of the Toronto subway. The use of geometric shapes was further developed in the menu design, reminiscent of subway tiles.

Photography by Rene Dawn.

Lantern elsewhere on Identity Designed: National Children’s Bureau.

Image via Darren Cullen

If 2020 were packaged in a box, it would be Darren Cullen’s “Jigsaw Jigsaw.” Just like our repetitive days and seemingly endless fascination with simple pastimes, the 1,000-piece game relies on the Droste effect and features a recursive image that spirals into the same black-and-white puzzle over and over.  Pick up the “Jigsaw Jigsaw” in Cullen’s shop, and follow his satirical projects on Instagram and Twitter. You also might enjoy Micah Lexier’s pair of mirror puzzles that look exactly the same despite being comprised of 16 and 9 pieces.