Author: Tyson Leomo

The first time I saw Dinara Kasko’s edible creations, I didn’t realize that they were pastries. I thought they might be some kind of geometric study or miniature sculptures. Then it hit me, I could actually eat these things! The simple geometry, clean lines, and delicate balance of form and shape not only appealed to my design sensibilities, but my taste buds as well. Weird combination, for sure. I don’t think a piece of design or architecture has ever literally made my mouth water.

She graduated university in Ukraine, with a background in architecture , worked in photography, and was a designer in the Netherlands. Coming from such a rich design-centric background, it makes perfect sense that Dinara would be applying these methods and techniques to her pastry making. By utilizing 3D printing and silicone molds, she’s able to create these unusual but beautifully crafted desserts.

“In general, element forming is one of the main factors for me as a designer and a pastry chef. I should also note that photography, frame composition, and products presentation also play an important role,” Dinara explains in So Good Magazine. “This is a manifestation of me as an artist, making cakes and photographing them as objects of art. Why not? Tasty and beautiful, that’s great.”

I couldn’t agree more Dinara! Follow her on Instagram for more delectable design @dinarakasko

What I love about design is the unexpected and delightful result of combining things that normally aren’t thought of in relation to each other. How they can take on new and interesting forms or expressions. 

In this case I’m talking about flowers and parades; two pretty boring things in my eyes. When I was a kid, I remember having to sit through the parade at Disneyland and absolutely hating it. A few years later when my family went on vacation to Vancouver and just HAD to visit the VanDusen Botanical Garden, I had a similar reaction. Not my cuppa tea, still isn’t… But together at the Corso Zundert parade in the Netherlands, it is damn impressive. 

This annual celebration is themed around the country’s main export, you guessed it: flowers. But these floats aren’t your typical hot air balloons or piñata looking paper ruffles (the paper mache ones are pretty cool though). These complex structures with mobile parts are adorned with vibrant dahlia flowers that give off an incredibly organic and natural feel. I’m sure it smells pretty good there too. 

To learn more about The Parade of Flower Sculptures in Holland, Click Here for a video.

I was born in 1984, just a year before PageMaker was introduced on the first line of Macintosh computers. It wasn’t until I was in art school 25 years later that I realized how truly remarkable digital processing was for graphic designers and publishers.

As a kid, I took it for granted that there was always a means of mass producing text and imagery. Not knowing the specifics of how that production actually worked, I figured if the ancient Egyptians had scrolls, that my magazines were nothing to get overly excited about. Oh how wrong I was.

After learning about the history of print techniques and how traditional graphic designers worked prior to the digital revolution, I immediately regretted not holding on to all of my uncle’s old surfing and skateboarding magazines from the 70’s and 80’s. The pages were crafted, literally, with film and acid, emulsions, intricate cuts of paper, ink and glue… I wonder (doubt) that I’d still be a designer had I been born 30 years earlier.

Scientific American magazine turns 171 years old this month, making it the oldest continuously running publication in the United States. They’ve put together an awesome article chronicling their part in the evolution of print since their inception. There’s a print from the very first volume published, a series of illustrations showing the process of creating cover art, and a video with former Art Director, Ed Bell talking about the beginnings of desktop publishing. Read it here.

You’ve probably heard the exact opposite of that statement right? Aside from seeing gradients used in tech and mobile app logos, it’s not often that you see them in things that you would actually want to wear or have in your home. So while gradients may have gotten a bad rap from their misuse, here are 10 products that are aiming to correct that by injecting some summer vibes into your life.

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It’s a wonderful thing when an entire industry is revitalized and redefined through design. All notions of what once had been thought a boring pastime reserved for old guys lounging in beach chairs, are no longer. The cross pollination of fishing and youth culture has introduced an entirely new generation to a sport that may have never been exposed to it otherwise.

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Just came across an awesomely shot and edited mini film called COLORS by The Mercadantes a husband and wife film making duo from California. It’s guaranteed to make you smile.

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