Memphis Design Retrospective

Azzedine Alaïa gallery recently unveiled an original 28-year retrospective of Memphis design now on display in Paris. Conceived by a gaggle of talented—and tipsy—architects and recently making a comeback in the design world, the Memphis movement came of an evening spent endlessly listening to Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde. The Milan-based architects—led by the late Ettore Sottsass—decided to name their group after the southern U.S. …

Japanese Barcode Design

Masters of turning the mundane cute, we recently came across this collection of the clever ways Japanese designers have extended this eccentricity down to the boring barcode. Without impeding on the necessary numbers, inventive versions transform humble skus from the usual black-and-white rectangle to graphics that range from cityscapes to waves, often relating to the product it identifies. The online gallery from Tokyo's Design Barcode …

Girlscantell Home Goods

by Samantha Melamed The Girlscantell hand-drawn coasters, tea towels, trivets and more from Philadelphia-based designer Sara Selepouchin add an artistic touch to any kitchen. Using visually striking infographics, items feature and labeled diagrams of anything from human hearts to typewriters, cameras, gardening tools and hamburgers. Altogether, Selepouchin now offers about 50 diagram designs emblazoned on affordable home goods. For the domestic goddess, an oven mitt …