Come see MSLK’s eco-art installation, Take-Less, at Brooklyn’s Dumbo Arts Festival on September 24th – 26th!

We’re pleased to be a part of this amazingly creative event once again, building on the success of last year’s event. Our project can be seen on Washington Street, the center of all the action for DUMBO’s annual art festival.

The event itself is described by the event planners as a showcase for: “touchable, accessible, and interactive art, on a scale that makes it the nation’s largest urban forum for experimental art.”Take Less is MSLK’s 3rd project in a series of eco-art installations focusing on society’s thoughtless consumption of plastic. The number depicted, 2629, stands 8-feet high and represents the quantity of takeout meals consumed each second in the United States. Within these meals are countless plastic components designed to be used once and thrown away. To illustrate this, plastic containers of every imaginable type are mounted to the number’s surface. Additionally, informational signage containing facts and solutions are mounted to the piece.

The purpose of the installation is to help people visualize the immense waste we produce, all in an effort to inform viewers that they can be a part of the solution. How? By requesting recyclable components, saying no to plastic utensils, containers, etc.

For more information about the festival, click here.

For over 55 years, the I.D. Annual Design Review has recognized the best in graphic, environmental, product, and furniture design. We are very proud that MSLK’s own Sheri L Koetting has taken her place among a jury of the field’s leading practitioners. Her voice and sensibility played a large role in the winners chosen this year in the graphics category. Viewing everything through a lens of sustainability, Sheri not only examined the purpose and aesthetics of each piece, she questioned its material usage and life expectancy.

You can see all of the winning pieces on view now until September 10^th at the AIGA National Design Center. Read more to view some of the winners and see what Sheri had to say about each of the pieces.

Best of Category – X Exhibition Space
“I appreciate the innovative use of light and type, as well as the way luminosity engages viewers throughout the project—from the exhibit’s interior to posters and lights mounted on outdoor fences.”

Design Distinction – Ballerina Who Loves B-Boyz
“I really love the die cuts that expose the walls and graffiti beneath. It’s a poster that engages with its environment”

Design Distinction – BOOKtiga 2009
“To me, the message and the medium are in perfect harmony. As designers, we’re so compelled to trash what we did last year and start over. Here they’re incorporating last year’s materials into this year’s campaign by literally painting over last year’s poster.”

Design Distinction – Dinamo
“Designers often want to use special effects, but for a company that focuses on harnessing solar energy, glow-in-the-dark ink acts as a communication tool rather than a gimmick.”

Design Distinction – Expansion in all Dimensions
“This tiny set of 5″ x 7″ booklets made me smile—the bright colors, the cover. I was expecting it to be a bunch of zines, so when it turned out to be a corporate report, I loved that juxtaposition.”

Design Distinction – Human Rights Watch 2009 Annual Report
“The handling of the information is incredibly compelling and drew me in. They’re using lots of information graphic to really advocate quite successfully.

Design Distinction – Ring Roads of the World
“They’ve taken something people might not even think about—urban sprawl—and turned it into a design that’s beautiful and meaningful. Each layer of color here represents the relative size and shape of the ring road around American cities.

Today the posters are still as bright and adventurous as they once were (at least in my opinion). So, if you are a lover of travel, transportation and/or mid twentieth century nostalgia, it is a must see if you are in town. If you can’t, don’t worry, the library allows you to browse their entire poster collection online at Flickr! Read more to view some more of my favorites.

/Ryan Nussbaum

Brooklyn seems to tbe the epicenter of New York City’s most forward-thinking green initiatives. Whether it’s urban farms, green roofs, farm-to-plate initiatives, or green buildings themselves — it’s got it all.

MSLK is proud to be partnering with Brooklyn Ecopolis, a non-profit 501(c)3, community-based education and resource center aimed at promoting access to sustainable products, services, and innovations for healthy living.

Located on Smith Street, Brooklyn’s newly crowned “restaurant row,” Brooklyn Ecopolis  was founded in 2009 to provide easy access to education and information on products and resources for energy efficient and sustainable living. The building incorporates eco-friendly materials, energy efficient systems, and solar technologies.

It’s really quite impressive — there’s a local café below with a free, community-accessible space for people to learn and explore practical information on how to incorporate cost-effective, energy efficient, affordable products and solutions into everyday living. The food and beverage sold at the café comes from local sources.

We are currently in the process of installing Take-Less in the café area. Our project’s message of reducing the amount of plastic waste fits in perfectly with Ecopolis’s ideals as well, since the Café uses biodegradable and recycled paper supplies and focuses on recycling and composting as a strong aspect of waste management for local sustainability. We especially liked their plastics, which are made from sustainable vegetable sources, rather than petroleum.

We’ll keep you posted with updates as to the installation for an opening date. Until then, please go and visit!

Take-Less, the third in MSLK’s trilogy of Eco-art installations, debuted on Governors Island on June 11-13.

Like 2663 Urban Tumbleweeds and Watershed, we set out to raise awareness to the senseless over-consumption of plastics in our everyday life. We set our sights on take-out containers. We found it sad to think that the containers that the meal you had delivered to you (in 30 minutes or less) will be around for hundreds of years, especially when there are alternatives out there.

That is what Take-Less was meant to accomplish. By using the statistic of 2,629 take-out meals consumed in the U.S. every second, we took the number and blew it up to a grand scale in order to raise awareness, using plastic containers to illustrate the point.

For the project’s debut, we held a potluck picnic where we encouraged everyone to bring food in reusable containers. We provided reusable plates and utensils, as the Figment festival is a no trace event.  We were able to greatly reduce the amount of trash.

The issues concerning plastics are more real than ever, as we see the very source of plastic — oil — washing up on our shores, destroying our wetlands and wildlife, as well as ruining the livelihoods of the countless who depend on the waterways for fishing.

Sad indeed.

Many thanks to all those who made it out to the island — and many more thanks to all those who helped with the project — from those who set up collection stations at their offices, to the volunteers who helped with the assembly.

In case you missed seeing Take-Less in person, fear not. We’re working on two exciting venues in Brooklyn in the next few weeks for you to see it in a whole new way!

I recently visited the Met to go see the bamboo installation that I’ve been hearing so much about. And it was not a disappointment! Big Bambú is an art installation created by the brothers Doug + Mike Starn. The impressive structure on top of the roof of the Met is already 100 feet wide and will continue to grow upwards as the artist work on it over the summer, their goal is to reach 50 feet high. If you’re in NY I highly recommend going for a visit, if not have a look at these photos!

/ Christel Fearon

Busy. That’s one word to describe things at MSLK these days.

While we have the benefit of working on many inspiring projects for our clients, we’re also hard at work on Take-Less, the third in a trilogy of what we’ve come to call eco-art installations. In an effort to be greener, we’re using our talents to focus people on the sheer volume of plastic we all consume in our daily lives. Whether it’s plastic bags, plastic water bottles, or the durable and resilient plastic containers we use for a moment with our take-out food — this cheap plastic comes at a cost.

Below is a gallery of our in-progress assembly from this past weekend:

Don’t forget that Take Less will make its debut at the Figment Art festival on June 11-13.

Many thanks to all who helped this weekend: Demetra, Peter, Christel, Ryan, Daniela, John, Dave, Doreen, and Mariana.

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!

/ Christel Fearon

Two direct mail promotions ended up in our mailbox. One a poster whose message revealed itself when opened, the other a had its concept on the outside. Both appeared similar at first glance, yet a closer look revealed two different techniques.

However, one seemed to be more effective.

Art Directors Club Paper Expo Poster
This is a paper promotion using paper to promote a trade show showing (you guessed it…) paper. I have always look forward to receiving these promotions, as every designer who steps up to the plate has usually has a fascinating solution to such a seemingly simple challenge.

This year was no exception, with a very large vertical format using beautifully ornate, filigreed typography that looked like it was hand-cut out of a single piece of paper. Upon closer inspection, it seemed unlikely to be the case — I figure this to be a computer-based illustration, using a drop-shadow effect to give this more visual depth.

- – -

Pratt Show 2010 Promotional Mailer
Arriving a day later was a literal version of the ADC poster. Using the same sort of style of über-fancy frilly fonts, the design for this promotion exists to showcase the delicate handwork involved. The end result is a photograph of the designer’s handwork on a cutting board, replete with the X-Acto knife off the the side, along with the negative forms in a carefully assembled, tidy pile.

So which one is the winner here? Well, for one, there’s no need to, really, to determine a winner. They’re two different solutions to two different design problems. Hats off to both designers, I really haven’t a bad thing to say in either case.

Yet, I’m still drawn more to the Pratt promotion. While incredibly self-conscious in its execution, I like that it’s showing of the design process itself — a fitting theme for student work.

Yet I continued to wonder…

Would the ADC poster have been better if it had been hand cut?

Does the extra effort involved in cutting something out count for more than simply using the computer?

Is the the Pratt promotion really a better design, or am I letting the effort I assume to be involved influence my idea of design?

I then continued to think more about the Pratt piece:

What if the designer didn’t cut this out themselves?

Perhaps I would think less of them as a result.

And if they’d used a modern technology like laser-cutting… would that have been better or worse?

Yes, I am indeed a design-freak. Mind you, nothing passes through the studio here without the same sort of scrutiny. My point here is that design can — and needs to — be thought about from many angles. It’s never about things that only you find interesting, rather it’s the things that others will be intrigued by, and making sure the concept clarifies the message.

Regardless of all my pondering, I would encourage everyone to check both out events:

Art Directors Club
Tuesday April 13, 2010
5:30-8:30 pm
@ ADC Gallery
106 West 29th Street, NYC

ADC Members Free with RSVP
APC, SPD, TDC Members $5.00
Non-Members $10.00

Pratt Show 2010
May 11 – May 14
Manhattan Center
311 West 34th Street
New York, New York
Reception for Industry Professionals,
6-9pm, May 11th

With all the 3D hype James Cameron has been getting with Avatar, you might think that the only 3D experience is to be had on screen. Too bad, as the effect is gone the minute the film is over, back to our dull existence. Well, it turns out that the world of 3D is alive and well, and there’s a new revolution going on that appears as though it will could change the very products we purchase, the houses we live in, the foods we eat, and even the way we heal our bodies. What is this new revolution?

3D printing.

By “printing” I’m not referring to the silly holograms and puffy stickers popularized in the 80s. 3D printing in the new sense of the word leverages computer aided design (CAD) with machines to produce things. Whereas printers in the traditional sense apply ink to paper, 3D printers work with whatever material you want them to (generally speaking).

Once the domain of research labs, 3D printing prices have come down, and the future of all products may lie in their ability to be made by consumers you “print” the products at home by purchasing the digital blueprints. Want a bag made from your grandmother’s old dress? It may soon be easy enough to download the digital blueprints, place the raw material (i.e. granny’s dress) into your printer, and the machine does the rest. If it sounds all too “Jetsons” then perhaps I am over-simplifying things. Here are a few examples that begin to hint at the vast potential 3d printing has…

Your Run-Of-The-Mill 3D Printer
Typically, 3D printers are used in the field of industrial design, engineering, and architecture to produce models in short-runs. This is not only cost-effective, but incredible time-saving, as well. Not too long ago designers would need weeks to carve prototypes out of foam, clay, wood, and make resin molds only to discover that they needed to adjust the size of something. Back to the drawing board, more models, etc. These days, a 3D printer can churn out prototypes in no time. These have come down in price — and size — with some models small enough to sit on your desk.

Onwards and Upwards
I read in Inhabitat about how designers are using 3D printers to create entire buildings from stone and dust. The printer in this case is more like an inkjet, spraying out material that dries into solid forms, layer by layer! All this is said to have the potential to save costs, and be easier on the environment.

Make The Thing Yourself To Allow You to Make Things Yourself
Leave it to Brooklyn to have devised a way to produce a DIY method for allowing you to make your own printer — allowing you to make whatever you want. Springwise recently wrote about  the CupCake 3D, a printer which can be yours for under $1,000. The open-source nature of their design encourages a sharing-based community network of designers.

A Very Vein Attempt to Self-Improvement
Perhaps the most important way that 3D Printing can help build a better tomorrow. Inhabitat reports that the medical industry is now exploring ways to use 3D printing technology to build body parts using ink made from biological building blocks.

The printer is meant to be used in regenerative medicine. Instead of borrowing body parts from someone else — or yourself — the printer will just make a new part for you. The printer is loaded with cartridges of “bio-ink” a substance that acts as a kind of scaffolding for the cells to retain their shape. A sophisticated computer is linked to the printer that is pre-programmed with the 3D blueprint of whatever is being made. The computer instructs the printer to lay down two dimensional layers of bio ink and cells that eventually form into the 3D body part.

Three Square in Three Dimensions
Perhaps the tastiest of these new technologies would be putting it to use to make healthy, customized meals made to order. By loading each “color” nozzle with an ingredient, you can print your meals with nothing left to waste. While still only a concept, the Cornicopia would have the ability to heat or cool each ingredient precisely, creating meals with consistencies which have never existed before. Better eating through technology, indeed. More info here.

Got any 3D printing examples to share? Email me and I’ll use it here!