Ben Tambling | BMJT

Stefanie Golla – One For All

BMJT — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:27:59 +0000

For her Bachelor thesis, designer Stefanie Golla created this incredible piece of work centred around the world of the honey bee. Comprising seven beautifully designed and bound books suspended in a disused hive, the overall finish and presentation are quite extraordinary, and deliver a wonderfully theatrical experience that resonates perfectly with the subject matter; even extending to a hidden set of speakers that play the ‘hum’ of swarming bees when the hive is opened.

From the designer:

“My main goal was to extend my small knowledge of these fantastic creatures and to learn more about their aesthetics and ingenuity. I wanted to share my findings on these fascinating insects in photographs and texts. I tried to cover classic topics without getting lost in the depths of biology or creating specialist literature … Honeybees should simply be perceived as aesthetic creatures, achieving incredible things during their short life span.”

I’ve reproduced many of my favourite images here, but you can see the full set on Stefanie’s portfolio.

Found thanks to Graphic-ExchanGE

Inspiration – Daniel Gray

BMJT — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:32:54 +0000

I tweeted about this website only yesterday, but having paid it yet another visit today, I thought it was deserving of an individual post. Daniel Gray is a designer and writer based in York, and has been putting his thoughts online since 2004. His website, and the work it presents, is a masterclass of minimalism, with just enough of everything where it needs to be.

The site has a great atmosphere about it, and I couldn’t help but smile as I navigated around its various pages. Daniel’s numerous visual experiments on his blog are also fantastic, and worthy of most portfolios. I urge you to pay the site a visit to get a feel for its subtle charm, and chip-in your opinion on lab-coats and comics.

First discovered thanks to Sixrevisions.

Concrete Shaving Kit – Lovisa Wattman

BMJT — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:51:05 +0000

This shaving kit from industrial designer Lovisa Wattman is quite simply a gorgeous item. The clean interlocking forms, beautifully crafted from concrete and wood, provide a welcome contrast to the impermanence that is inherent to much of what we own; hinting at timelessness, rather than limited use.

Concrete rarely fails to deliver a rich aesthetic when treated correctly, and this is no exception; industrial yet intimate, massive yet delicate, and flush with subtle imperfections. The brush is hand-crafted in beech, and bound just as they were in the 19th century.

See more images below, and buy one for yourself on Mjolk.

Inspiration – Scott Carmichael

BMJT — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:32:12 +0000

I stumbled across this portfolio website for illustrator Scott Carmichael by accident this morning, and was immediately struck by its elegant simplicity. Comprising merely a sidebar and sliding gallery, I think it does a fantastic job of expressing everything it needs to quickly and quietly, while still managing to convey a unique character through colour, composition, and a hint of texture.

Too often I feel designers want to force meaning into their work by adding extra layers and shine, when a simple execution like this can be just as, if not more, effective.

See the site for yourself, along with Scott’s excellent work at Scottdraws.com

Daily Motivation – Camus

BMJT — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:22:47 +0000

Albert Camus from The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)