The new collaboration between LEGO sculptor Nathan Sawaya and photographer Dean West requires a careful eye. The pair's latest series of photos features travel postcard-inspired postures and composition, with hidden hyperrealistic interruptions in the form of LEGO sculptures. Depending the scene, the LEGO sculpture can appear as part of the scenery, as a auxiliary prop, or even part of the wardrobe. [via designboom]

Sure NASA gets a lot of credit for, you know, landing on the moon, but their achievements in design and typography have been greatly understated. An auction on April 18 will showcase dozens of documents the space program produced, including public materials like booklets for the press and various brochures, but also a few formerly protected documents like a signed copy of the official "mission rules" of the Gemini IV. (via)

For the latest video from their album WIXIW, Liars used a hacked Kinect camera, and open source software to manipulate video footage into what looks like an evolving and morphing graphic map. The clip is actually a sequel of sorts, and according to director Markus Wambsganss, the video is the next step in the triptych style the band started in the "The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack" video.

WIXIW is out now on Mute, and Liars will be touring through the middle of June.

There are few things as frustrating as a good idea getting forgotten or lost in the shuffle of a creative collaboration. Even worse, breakthrough ideas seem to always occur at the exact moment when you're furthest from your workspace or team. Sticky Storm is a new note taking app from MINIMAL that was designed with creative collaboration in mind. Similar to jotting down ideas on napkin scraps and the backs of envelopes, the app is based around a series of shareable and arrangeable digital "paper" notes that let your team collect ideas in just about any form, from sketches, to text, and even images from the Internet. The app has features for inviting team members to collaborate and contribute ideas during brainstorming sessions, and most importantly, a built-in export feature to transfer your project back to a workstation using services like Dropbox. 

While Sticky Storm is not yet available, you can learn more about the concept on Behance.

Michael Schoner's Z Step display system wasn't designed for long term storage. The modular system can be twisted, rearranged, contorted, even flipped upside down to provide just the right surface for that instant and temporary type of storage that keeps shirts off the arm of your closest chair. For items on hangers, or fragile eyewear, the system includes a magnetic mounting system to keep everything in place. The system could definitely work in a home, but the adjustable panels, minimal design, and prominent display surfaces make it perfect for retail.

Designers Erin Huizenga and Deborah Alden are the types that get invited for coffee to talk shop. Both also teach at schools like Northwestern and IIT Institute of Design and work with socially conscious organizations like Firebelly University (where Alden was Dean) and EPIC (which Huizenga founded). But their experience, and a jolt of caffeine, hasn't always produced immediate answers, especially when questions came from mid-level designers looking to navigate to the next level of their career. 

With their new design-centered educational organization, The Comradery, Huizenga and Alden decided to tap into community wisdom to provide answers to complex professional questions. Aiming to be an inclusive hub where students learn through participation, The Comradery plans to host classes focused on design thinking and leadership, starting with a kickoff event April 13, a design research workshop taught by IDEO’s Julka Almquist.

“We want to establish a culture of lifelong learning,” says Alden, “and doing things experientially.”

The upcoming workshop schedule suggests an interdisciplinary, professional approach: how to craft a compelling presentation by Dinesh Goburdhun, Associate Partner of Strategy at VSA Partners; entrepreneur Chris Finlay of Otabo discussing how to find the value of your business; and Alisa Wolfson, director of design at Leo Burnett, on finding inspiration in life and practice. By focusing on interdisciplinary topics and leadership, the learning experiences won’t just be relevant for designers, says Alden, but will benefit anyone interested in creative processes.

“The thing about a place like IDEO is, they aren’t all designers by trade, they become designers by using the process,” says Alden. “To me, the design process is a way of thinking laterally and asking the right questions. It can be mystical to people, and we want to pull back the curtains.”

Find more about The Comradery or sign up for the inaugural event.

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is currently hosting the massive Phoenix project from Chinese artist Xu Bing. To create the two 100-foot-long Phoenix sculptures at the center of the project, Bing harvested materials from urban Chinese construction sites and sculpted the birds from building materials like steel beams and construction tools. The materials have a human element as well. The artist scoured the construction sites for personal remnants left by actual construction crews. 

Although the two birds (named Feng and Huang) have been installed since December of last year, the opening reception, including a talk with Xu Bing about the last two decades of his work and a screening of Bing's new 17-minute animated work, will be held on April 27.

Tickets for the opening reception are on sale now at MASS MoCa's website. 

Exactly what Hooligan Ivy means—perhaps it comes from those quirky bohemians at your elite American colleges, you know the type—we can only guess. But multi-faceted Japanese brand Kapital expresses the Hooligan Ivy feeling in this spring collection, which features an original take on the "American" look completed with luxury detailing. Tie-up pants, chore jackets, cardigans, knit ties, leather coats, rugby shirts and Kapital's signature high-grade denim complete the picture of an idyllic semester to remember.   

Apartamento's collaboration with the French clothing company A.P.C. is geared toward an audience several decades younger than either company usually courts.

The new project is a series of three coloring books featuring black and white illustrations from Matt Leines, Geoff Mcfetridge, and Reg Mombassa. They're calling the series the "The Everyday Life Colouring Books" and each version is limited to only 500 copies. If you know a stylish kid in the market for a new coloring book, the series is available in A.P.C. locations as well as their online store.

Last we checked, copies are still available for pre-order in A.P.C.'s online shop.