reactions

It’s interesting to see how brands either are leading or following visual trends, especially as technology impacts the media that brands are showcased. The old rules about logos (i.e. must exist as a black & white version for faxing, fewer colors for ease of printing) are being completely re-written in the digital age.

MSLK’s logo — the embodiment of our brand featuring overlapping initial of its founders “MSL” and “SLK” — was borne from the concept of wanting to showcase that the company is the overlapping of two initials, and  talents. We experimented with a number of different ways to showcase this (different fonts, different sizes, etc.), and has existed intact for almost 14 years. The result still garners compliments from those who are being introduced to our brand.

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Did you know that it’s possible to make your website completely carbon neutral and energy efficient? This is something that all of us as individuals can easily do to reduce carbon emissions caused by digital media. Increase your brand value while decreasing your contribution to global warming by getting your site green-certified with CO2 stats.

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Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre have developed a material they call Ecocradle, which feels, functions, and looks almost exactly like styrofoam. It is comprised entirely of organic matter,with mushroom roots acting as glue to hold it together. The only things it needs to grow are darkness, H2O and bio-waste (rice hulls or seed husks that Eben plans to source locally). It doesn’t even need electricity, they have figured out a way to use thyme or rosemary extract and water to clean the seed husks- which actually works better than steam cleaning. Its going to be a long fight to turn around the plastic manufactures but this is an awesome start! Read more at L Magazine online.

New Rule: If you’re going to redesign your highest denomination, then hire a designer! This is an abomination which appears to have been driven by no aesthetic principles. Just a bunch of engineers who tried to cram everything into our nation’s most valued denomination.

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The Swedish newspaper SN recently contacted me to talk a little bit about my move to New York and my new job at MSLK. As the article’s in Swedish I’ll give you a brief translation.

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Throughout the years MSLK has created a number of designer posters, cards and tags that are available in our online shop. We see it as a great way for our fans to take home a piece of the MSLK brand experience. We’ve now given it a bit of a facelift, updated with new products and moved everything to the curated marketplace Felt & Wire. The Felt & Wire Shop features a unique selection of all types of paper design. From letter-pressed invitations to brightly colored wrapping paper, we feel right at home here. Have a look around in the shop and keep a look out for new products coming soon!

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The commercial states. “If we all made a change, it could lead to some pretty amazing things… A bio-degradable bag made from plants is Sun Chips change for a better tomorrow. What will yours be?” Personally, I find this to be most inspirational and authentic commercial I’ve seen in a long time. It features men, women and children covering up take-out waste on the beach, a plastic bag in the tree, and discarded appliances and trucks. Kuddos to Sun Chips, their solar powered plant, plant based, compostable bag.

Over the past few years, MSLK’s eco-art installations have raised awareness about society’s mindless consumption of plastic. This year we will be focusing on the unnecessary plastic waste produced by take-out and fast food. Think about all the excess plastic we use only once (or not at all), then throw away.

Can you help us collect take-out containers at your office or apartment building? Next time you eat take-out, don’t throw away the plastic forks and containers. Print out this flyer and place it on a box or bin in your office kitchen or next to your trash and recycling. We’ll come around and pick up your donations.

Email demetra@mslk.com if you can help us by collecting. More information on the project and renderings after the jump.

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We love it when people think outside of the box, literally! The Sportlifestyle company Puma has been working together with the branding firm Fuseproject to create a whole new take on the shoebox. Their final product turned out not to be a new box at all, but a “clever little bag”. This redesign uses 65% less cardboard than a regular shoebox and the recyclable bag will replace standard retail bags. We hope that other companies get inspired by this eco-friendly attitude. Great initiative and great design, Puma!

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These days everyone seems to understand that wasted paper is bad for the environment. Therefore “going paperless,” or bringing formerly printed materials onto the web, is inherently a greener solution.  Or is it? In his recent eye-opening article, “Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment than Print?,” Don Carli, senior research fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Communication, alerts the public to the unseen and largely unreported environmental impacts of digital media. He urges us to look beyond “green rhetoric,” and to consider the harmful effects of the digital supply chain in order to make informed decisions.
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