packaging

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

Blödes Orchester from white tube on Vimeo.

this appliance orchestra is cracking me up!

typography

letter lamp
image: design sponge

how’s this for an awesome diy project, combining custom typography with [hopefully] a love of salvaged signs. hey, if you can’t find any, make them! check the whole how-to at design sponge.

packaging

broken trail
image: imaginaria creative / thedieline.com

what a cool, fun, retro, stampy, hand-made looking label for broken trail sauces. check the whole profile at the dieline and be sure to read all the great copy in the details.

design industry

it may be a bit too late for this year, but if you found yourself battling your past of disorganized paperwork when preparing taxes [or you’re about to], take that frustration and do something about it for next year: biz ladies: taxes made easy

a wave of design award submission deadlines just passed, but the under consideration people just announced a new one the FPO awards, calling for entries now!

for the ladies everywhere who are looking for the women in this industry, women of design was reviewed in the designer’s review of books and it looks like an awesome collection of who’s ever been who on the fairer sided of design.

if you’re looking for great LA design events this week & next, look no further than my round-up for LAist: LA design events, april 2011 preview!

los angeles

cicLAvia route
image: cicLAvia

cicLAvia is this weekend! make sure your bikes are tuned up & ready to go, and hit the streets this sunday!

food

marinated grilled artichokes

it’s the season of flowers, including those that eat like a meal. if you’re looking for endless great artichoke ideas, i’ve collected the best i could find for LAist: seasonal eats: have flowers for dinner with artichokes!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

branding

social traders identity
image: fabio ongarato design / identitydesigned.com

i’m loving this clean, simple, 2-color identity for social traders. the folded ribbon motif going through the main logotype, carrying through to the art is bold and elegant without being overstated. see the entire package on identitydesigned.com

packaging

tilly devine wine
image: thedieline.com

another from the dieline, outstanding student work on coffee packaging, with lovely custom type logo: coffee bag!

always a sucker for typographic design elements, this packaging for tilly devine nearly becomes illegible, though the desire to read it wins out as you spin the lable. see the more photos at thedieline.com

design industry

vintage orange crate design
image: latimes.com

i could look at vintage citrus crates for hours. if you want to read more about this history of citrus branding and marketing in california, latimes.com has a great piece about how it all came to be.

continuing with sustainability, justin ahrens contributes to the parse blog, start somewhere: green is a must, while design sponge’s biz ladies outlines a how-to: simple ways to green your business.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

Moving Beyond the Automobile: Biking from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

LA streetsblog started this great series, moving beyond automobiles, the first of which was about transit oriented development, and this week’s installment is about biking, above.

branding

ifc rebrand
[image: underconsideration.com]
i’m loving this new simple & quirky rebrand for the ifc channel, going from a film sprocket detail to celebrating the offbeat art that is independent film. there are all kinds of details to appreciate over at underconsideration.com.

car design

mini rocketman
[image: miniforum.com]
i’ve had my mini long enough that i no longer look at the next iterations off the assembly line with them, but when someone posted this, i found it really cute. look at those doors! i really hope they use william shatner’s version of rocket man for the ads, ha! a slew of illustrations await at miniforums.com.

packaging design

wine stash packaging
[image: thedieline.com]
this packaging for wine stash has lots of elements i love in packaging: throwbacks to retro labeling systems, a stampy logo in the lower left corner, and a simple 2-color system with a palette that sings. see more at thedieline.com.

design industry

the case for the case study talks about rethinking how you present your work to clients, so instead of bombarding them with all your best looking stuff, you target one project that’s highly relevant to them, and go more in-depth about process.

listen to mule design’s mike montiero talk about running his firm and selling design ideas on the pipeline podcast.

i’ve been working to debunk the mysteries of transitioning from full-time, in-house work to self-employment with ilise benun of creative freelancer blog and alisa bonsignore of clarifying complex ideas:
freelance 101: how to begin getting clients
freelance 102: balancing two jobs
freelancing 103: when to make the leap to f/t freelancing
and finally, a podcast on my own experience for marketing mentor: interview with heather parlato on freelancing

freelance switch offers 110 ideas to get more freelance work and generate new client leads. hot dang, there’s got to be some new possibilities in there we haven’t thought of before.

los angeles

one of my favorite new clients, mohawk bend, talks to echo park online about the new restaurant they’re bringing to the neighborhood. can’t wait to unveil more of this brand, but for now, the main logo is up. check it out!

if you’re looking for new, hidden treasures around LA, los angeles magazine offers “hidden LA” with a great run-down of places to visit.

food

spicy avocado butter
we’re in the crossover from winter to spring in the LA area, so this week’s seasonal eats talks about the various avocado cultivars you can enjoy at different times of year. last week’s spotlight was on all the great things to do with cauliflower!

in my blog travels this week, i noticed emily ho’s suggestion to grill citrus for use in a vinaigrette dressing, what a fantastic idea!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

Erik Spiekermann – Putting Back the Face into Typeface from Gestalten on Vimeo.

infographics

infographic of culinary tools
[image: pop chart lab]
this infographic of sorted & illustrated culinary tools is a virgo, graphic designer, diy kitchen person’s dream! see the whole profile at fastcodesign.com.

packaging

lee never wasted
[image: thedieline.com]
i love this shopping bag commissioned by lee, intended to be cut down and reused as a board game, calendar, ruler, mask, door hanger, and so many more things. see the full post at the dieline.com.

design industry

inc magazine has a great article, survival tips for solopreneurs to help you stay afloat when times get tough.

also, in web design, when you feel the tug-of-war between business objectives vs. user experience pulling you into indecision, here’s how to solve it.

food

chanterelles and potatoes
i found myself the lucky recipient of a few pounds of foraged chanterelles this week, so i wrote about them in seasonal eats: when live gives you wild chanterelles.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato


something to get you rockin on the last week of the year.

packaging

cat cabin
[image: loyal luxe]
if you have cats, then you know that as soon as a box is around, they’re inside it. these little cat houses & cabins are so cute, i think mine would have a ball playing in them.

if you love packaging, take a look at this colorful, type-forward series from muse perfumery. so enticing!

something we don’t talk about enough in packaging, however, is waste, and i think marian bantjes’ piece for design observer explains my wrap rage really well: plastics: an apoplexy.

wine

bear flag wine
[image: thedieline.com]
sometime in september, i was up in san francisco, walking home from dinner on my cell phone, when i dropped into a liquor store to buy a bottle of wine. distracted by my call and less familiar with napa wine than most points south, i scanned the shelf forever and then decided that this fascinating label for bear flag wine had to be a sign. i bought it, i drank it, i planned to photograph it, but i didn’t, and then i took home the empty bottle, and it sat on a shelf for 2 weeks, when i finally decided i would just let it go. but then—here it is on the dieline, and it reminded me, it was an awesome piece of illustration & package planning. the bear flag site is pretty awesome as well, and i give them a pass on using flash, because they’re using it well.

typography

serif bag
[image: thedieline.com]
you probably think you don’t need this serif bag, but face it, you probably do. profiled on
thedieline.com.

design industry

it’s right around the corner, the AIGA 2010 fellows will be celebrated a touch past 2010. AIGA Fellows 2010: Speakeasy at the Palihouse on january 20! buy tickets today!

design sponge’s biz ladies will tell you how to plan effective give-aways.

inspiredology looks at how to guide your users eye in parts 1 and 2.

beyond design

winter drinks
[image: serious eats]

2 from serious eats on winter drinks and mocktails just in time for new year’s eve!

this week’s post for LAist doubly surprised me, for one because people seem to really like fennel more than i thought, and for another, i didn’t get ANY anchovy hate! seasonal eats: root-to-flower fun with fennel.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato


what a cool internet collaboration on a christmas song!

packaging

burn cottage wine packaging
[image: the dieline]
a really unique illustration on oncoated stock to showcase burn cottage, a biodynamic winery. by mash.

typography

bathe wines
[image: thedielinewine]
beautiful, simple type treatment and illustration for bathe wines by fuller. so clean and classic! check the complete profile on the dieline.

some outstanding tv quotes from mad men, the wire and battlestar galactica, in custom typeset.

los angeles

spicy winter fruit salad
i’ve been writing for LAist about eating seasonally, and the latest is about spicing up your holiday menu with fresh LA fare. last week was a good look at swiss chard, followed by my first experience with creative mornings in los angeles with alissa walker. stay tuned for more each week!

loving LA got a lot easier with this awesome tumblr: 10>110>101, an eclectic collection of all kinds of LA ephemera. thanks to @theroyalacademy for sharing it!

food

i’m not going to add to your holiday overwhelm more than i already have, but consider these cookies. they’re made with salt and pepper. if you like salty cookies that really bring out the flavor, try these out: salt n pepper sandwich cookies. yum!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato


a cute little video on how paper gets recycled. parlato design studio uses high if not 100% post consumer recycled papers whenever possible. the holiday cards currently for sale were printed on neenah environment PC100!

posters

hatch design wine country posters
[image: designworklife]
i’m loving these wine country travel posters by hatch for the sf moma wine exhibit, available for sale in the museum store. thanks designworklife for the link.

wine packaging

bottle of packaging
[image: thedieline]
beautiful typographic wine packaging for bottle of by swear words. some more nice type-driven pieces i found include adir winery and one-two punch wine.

design industry

so, what’s new this week? i’ve been writing for the creative freelancer blog, and lately i won’t shut up about year-end retreats. only 4 more days till mine starts! planning your year-end retreat, for creativefreelancerblog.com

need things to incorporate into next year’s planning while you’re sitting by the pool in desert hot springs? see, i did it again. how about 10 reasons to rethink your web site, from imprint.com [i am totally in need of an overhaul here], or these 2 from parse design your business plan, by doug powell and craft a more effective identity, by peleg top.

if you’re not into holiday cards but don’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with your clients & vendors, consider a transition to new year’s cards, alisa tells you how: do you have your new year’s cards ready?

beyond design

craft a paper star
[image: craft magazine]
the holiday how-tos are rolling in these days, i thought this paper holiday star was particularly cute, and something we could all probably do with some of the paper we’d normally throw into the recycling bin. decorate with it for a few weeks!

if you like baking cookies for the holidays, saveur compiled their 20 best holiday cookie recipes, and boy are they cute!

speaking of food [were we?] i’ve got another piece for LAist: seasonal eats: a little something about sunchokes.

artisanal LA 2010

| heather parlato

los angeles fashion district skyline
[los angeles fashion district skyline]

this past weekend, i attended artisanal LA, a gathering of artisanal food producers from southern california with talks and workshops on all kinds of artisan and diy projects that have been growing in popularity rapidly in the last few years. i was really interested in a lot of the workshops, so i went both days to walk the floor, meet the vendors, research catering and specialty foods from an AIGA programming & events perspective, and taste all the noms!

squash cooking demo at artisanal LA

some of the talks involved cooking demos, working with seasonal produce, and even a butchering workshop and a panel on beer and homebrewing. in the photo above, chef james overbaugh from the peninsula hotel talked about squash varieties and showed us how to make a pumpkin risotto with great tips along the way about adding layers of flavor to your food. the cooper penthouse was decorated with these beautiful squash everywhere, i am excited about growing them next year.

backwards beekeepers at artisanal LA

on the workshop side of things, there was how to grow & work with microgreens, how to grow and mix cocktails from the garden, how to sew egg cozies and how to keep bees in your back yard. i was really impressed with the bee activism, teaching people how to adopt a hive, transition to a box, care for and harvest honey. i was a bit disappointed in the garden cocktails talk, mostly because it was more of an intro to gardening and i got restless before they got to the mixology demo [though the bottles looked really delicious]. it reminded me though, i’ve got to get back to making infusions.

silver lake farms booth at artisanal la

i was really happy to see silver lake farms representing the east side. their booth was a fantastic demo of microgreens, how to grow your own loofah, fresh fruit & veggie skewers and all kinds of info. the participant booths ranged from pressed olive oils, gourmet sauces of all kinds, specialty chocolates, brittles & confections, innovative spreads, local food production groups, grassfed and naturally raised meats, fair trade coffee, tea & natural beverages, catering companies and independent home decor crafts. one of my favorite booths for its endearing originality alone was miss fruitfly’s tea towels, below.

miss fruitfly's booth at artisanal LA

finally, i was really pleased to see so much great design at this show. it seemed like everyone was really proud of their wares and hired designers who understood that, so i asked around and was surprised to find half of them did the design themselves! i took all kinds of pics and collected all their print samples. seeing this collection of delicious edibles and great diy design was really inspiring!

perishable pickles packaging at artisanal LA

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

illusration

work life by darren booth
[image: darren booth]
this piece was a monday inspiration pic on fudgegraphics.com and it’s easy to see why. what a great combination of words, hand lettering and illustrative awesomeness!

i’m an undying fan of maira kalman, and as any undying fan should, i promise to post any article on her that crosses my rss reader. this week, she’s the focus of what’s in your toolbox, from designsponge. take a peek inside her studio!

typography

finishing touches by hoefler & frere-jones
[image: typography.com]
the people at hoefler & frere-jones have done it again with an outstanding post outlining the finishing touches of typeface design in which they show you how they mind your p’s & q’s.

if you’re looking for a good review of the latest web font embedding services, smashing magazine offers: review of popular web font embedding services so you can choose your tools wisely.

print techniques: letterpress

letterpress cards by lulu dee
[image: lulu dee]
one of the great letterpress artists i saw at the 2nd annual LA print fair recently was lulu dee, who’s work has just been featured on for print only. her work is so cute, pairing song lyrics with delicate illustrations.

design industry

if you do packaging design, HOW and thedieline.com have partnered to bring a conference just for you: the dieline package design conference, presented by HOW.

this week in the biz ladies column: biz ladies: how to create digital products, from design sponge. if you’re thinking of writing a white paper, an ebook or selling other digital assets online, they’ll help you get started.

if you’re looking to make sustainable choices in your future print projects, check this out: choosing sustainable paper made easy, from the living principles. find the most sustainable paper that’s appropriate for your project!

beyond design

did you just ask what’s going on in echo park? well… if you’ve known we’re going to drain the lake and update the plumbing system, and you have questions, the city is offering 3 rehabilitation pre-construction tours to anyone interested. we’ve also got the rock n roll los angeles half-marathon running right through our neighborhood this sunday!

in food news, this weekend is artisanal LA, where you can do home gardening & food prep workshops, learn about all kinds of neato techniques, and taste a selection of wonderful artisanal foods! from the seasonal eats corner, if this completely insane rundown of apple recipes isn’t enough for you, consider enflorinating your tastebuds with this lavender recipe rundown from thekitchn.com. and for the non-recipe food piece, the utne reader pointed me to this very interesting our meals, ourselves: a short history of food writing, from themillions.com.