Pick Me Up Festival London, 2016: Charming Sculptures

An unexpected medium presented plenty of highlights at this year's graphic design fair

One of the things that makes London-based graphic design festival Pick Me Up such a fun event to visit is that it really gives visitors direct access to the pulse of the current UK design scene. The festival is currently in its seventh year, and this time plenty of the contributing artists—whether they’re emerging stars showing in the Select section, or more established talents—have gone …

Milan Design Week 2016: Modern Living

From Samsung's Serif TV to reimagined classics, highlights of some of our favorite designs

Sponsored by Samsung Serif TV

Modern living was a persistent and enjoyable theme at this year’s Milan Design Week, both in terms of standards that have been revisited as well as new products designed to reflect our current needs, wants and desires in our homes today. We noticed several very welcome themes running through all the most engaging new designs: utilitarian items that have been cleverly and beautifully crafted to …

Milan Design Week 2016: Bubble Beehive

A colony for the urban development of our favorite pollinators

Additional reporting by David Graver The global problem of declining bee populations is often looked over but cannot be taken lightly. Fundamental to our planetary ecosystems, and pollinating vegetation the world over, bees are intrinsic to our relationship with nature—in ways that affect more than just food production, and we still don’t have a good understanding of why so many populations are struggling. Bubble Beehive …