Bliss, Peckers, and Wood
Windows XP in real life, birds in your ears, and Scandi architecture…
Hello again 👋
The focus for this month’s edition of cool stuff I’ve found is a diverse mix of mediums. Visual design is frequently constrained to 2D, so I’ve made an effort to look beyond the typical branding/marketing/image-based projects over the last month. Hope you enjoy them :)
1) In fine art
otd_art’s final piece for their degree involves a giant replica of Windows XP’s Bliss wallpaper. The floating lo-fi mouse, the fuzzy grass (that can support a person!). All it’s missing is an anthropomorphic paper clip.
2) In software
Cornell University’s bird identification app has had the biggest impact on my life in the last month. As you’d expect from the name, it listens to birds around you and accurately identifies their sounds in real-time… for free… offline!
The UI/UX is a little utilitarian, but using the app has made me much more cognisant of the birds around me. And spending more time listening to birds is a wonderful thing.
3) In space
Last month I mentioned the much-hyped branding for The Brazilian Amazon. In the spirit of making words from wobbly river outlines, NASA have an interactive web tool that lets people spell out words using real satellite imagery. Just don’t use this resource to write out anything immature, of course.
4) In architecture
I discovered the work of Dorte Mandrup. All of their designs seem to celebrate wood as a material and texture, with their work on The Crafts College, Denmark, feeling like a more wholesome and human version of Apple Park. Very Scandi.
In vexillology
Have you ever noticed how cool the Seychelles flag is? I appreciate the unorthodox rule-breaking wonkiness of ditching vertical/horizontal stripes. The methods of construction are joyously simple — look at those lovely ratios!
Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a lovely June.
Best wishes,
Tom 🐢
