Live Schedule for Core 77's 2012 Design Awards Announced

One of 2011's Winners: Thomas Hurd's Renewable Polytope FurnitureRemember when we implored you to summon your inner design genius and enter Core 77's 2012 Design Awards? We're assuming you heeded our words, submitted your brilliant concepts and are already on the path to glory.

Either way, the Design Awards roll on--and Core 77's 2nd annual award show is shaping up to be a wildly ambitious, transcontinental event. Kicking off July 8th and running the course of nine days, winners will be announced via live broadcast from panels of jurors seated across the globe. With seventeen design categories, running the gamut from Transportation to Social Impact to Food Design, inspiration seems extractable for just about anyone watching.

In no way will we try and replicate the entire schedule, so head here now and make sure you've got that thing bookmarked. However, we will tell you that New York has not one but two jury panels this year--Manhattan repping on July 9th and Brooklyn on July 14th.

Meanwhile, we've assembled a handful of some of our favorite winners from 2011 (check the captions for what it is you're looking at.) If these are any indicator of what may transpire at this year's awards, our world is simply poised to be a better place.

Ethan Frier & Jonathan Ota's "Project Aura": For safer night-time urban bikingBruce Mau's Identity Branding for OCAD UniversityPUMA's Recyclable Cardboard Bag & Box Combo, "Clever Little Bag"Motonium Design's "Mission R" Fuel Efficient, Electric Street Racing BikeBespoke Fairings: Specialized Prosthetic CoveringsAdam Harvey's "CV Dazzle" Digital Camouflage (For all your digital privacy needs)

Philly Field Trip: Stefan Sagmeister's "The Happy Show"

Sagmeister at work 

"I am usually rather bored with definitions. Happiness, however, is such a big subject that it might be worth a try to pin it down." 

Renowned designer Stefan Sagmeister has spent the last year working hard at being happy (and filming his attempts.) What's emerged is The Happy Film, a documentary about Sagmeister's three-pronged approach to finding the path to true happiness via meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy and prescription drugs. Through experiments and explorations “from the sublime to the ridiculous” loosely based on his pivotal book “Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far,” Sagmeister tests “once and for all if it’s possible for a person to have a meaningful impact on their own happiness.”

Now he's taking his show on the road with "The Happy Show," at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, running now through August 12, 2012. The exhibition, which spans the entire second floor gallery and ramp, includes a 12-minute sneak peak of the documentary as well as work from his 10-year investigation into the relationship between typography and happiness.

"To contextualize the maxims that appear throughout the exhibition, Sagmeister has gathered the social data of Harvard psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Steven Pinker, psychologist Jonathan Haidt, anthropologist Donald Symons, and several prominent historians."

Check out a quick preview of the the film's opening titles followed by glimpses of the show invitations being laser-cut from bologna (!!!)

Meanwhile: Want to see if design does in fact make you happier, enroll in one of 3rd Ward's many Design classes to find out.

Bike Safe: Pick Up The NYC Bike Accident Report Card Right Here At 3rd Ward

In January we told you about the Bicyclist's Accident Report Card, a compact, well-designed card with visual diagrams demonstrating bike-related laws as well as a form reminding cyclists what information they should collect following an accident.

We also told you that, while Boston and California cards were already completed, a NYC edition was still in the works. Now we're thrilled to say that not only is the NYC edition finished, but you can pick one up right here at 3rd Ward.

Tee NYC Bike Accident Report Card is printed and distributed by NYC art collective Article, whose other projects include releases from Brooklyn bands like and Japanther and Ninjasonik. If you snag something from their online store and you're in the New York area, they'll throw in a card with your purchase.

Article also kindly dropped some cards off at 3rd Ward, and they're ready to slip into your pocket or wallet. Stop by and get yours!

-- John Ruscher

Call For Entries: Core77's 2012 Design Awards

Full disclosure: 3rd Ward's Perrin Drumm also writes for Core77, which just means she knows first hand how important their annual Design Awards are. Not only is it a chance for young designers to have their work seen by an impressive jury of local and international experts, but just being nominated means major exposure in an internationally respected design forum. Before I get to the first six jury teams that were just announced, write down this date: March 13, as in next week. That's the deadline for early bird entries, which gets you 20% off the entry fee.

There are 17 categories in all, and so far the Jury Captains for Consumer Products, Visual Communication, Writing & Commentary, Educational Initiatives, Food Design, and DIY have made their team selections. "Each jury team consists of highly regarded industry leaders representing a wide range of design expertise, who will gather in the JuryCaptain's home city to judge the submissions. Their results will be broadcast live in July to reveal their choices "in person" via an online video announcement."

Head over here to check out past winners, the dedicated student fields and essentially everything else you need to know about the awards.

So let's go, design gurus of the future, we know you want this.

-- Perrin Drumm

Wheels Up // Stay Safe And Know Your Rights As A NYC Cyclist

The NYC edition of the Bicyclist's Accident Report is in the works.Since cycling-related accidents are a serious problem in New York and many of you rely on bikes to make your way around the city, the Bicyclist’s Accident Report caught our eye right away.

The brainchild of Boston lawyer Josh Zisson, who specializes in bike law, and graphic designer Tim Jacques, this simple, well-designed card provides urban cyclists with visual diagrams demonstrating their rights and bike-related laws, as well as a form to remind them what information they should collect following an accident.

"My plan for the cards is to have a version in every state and every major biking city, along with a localized version of the Bike Safe Boston website that the cards will refer people to," Zisson says in his description of the project.

His goal is not only to help educate people about local laws and cycling rights, but also to help connect cyclists with lawyers who are experienced in bike law. "Too many people in the biking community have no way of knowing whether a lawyer is any good or not, so they end up going with the first one who finds their police report and sends them a letter," he says.

The Boston and California editions have already been printed and distributed, and the NYC edition is in the works.

Get your Biking Rules handbook here.That card isn't the only way to stay safe and informed, though. The fine folks at Transportations Alternatives have their own terrific site, Biking Rules, which provides heaps of helpful information for cyclists, including a list of "cycle savvy lawyers," rights and laws related to NYC cycling, a Biking Rules Street Code, a handbook that you can download for free in English, Spanish or Chinese, and a free badge to declare your support for safe cycling in NYC.

Now you've got all of the information you could possibly need. Strap on that helmet, cycle smart and stay safe.

-- John Ruscher

GO HERE NOW // Visual Melt

Sometimes you just need to stop what you're doing and stare blankly at some hypnotic visual art. We're sure this week has you running around like asylum escapees, so take a second, pause and mosey on over to Visual Melt.

As Visual Melt's co-curated by premier creative directors James Lake and Leif Podhajsky (who, for you music aficianados out there, you may recognize from album covers for artists like Tame Impala, Peaking Lights and Lykke Li) we thought it wrong to heist their gallery. So like we said: Just go there. If it doesn't grant you momentary technological solace, you'll at least score some excellent new desktop wallpaper.

HANDMADE HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA #81 // Kids In Love Collective: Where Avant-Garde Design And Organic Hand Craft Collide

The Handmade Holiday Craft Fair is getting closer and closer but we can't stand to keep all of the goodness to ourselves. That's why we're previewing some of the amazing gifts that you'll be able to pick up this Saturday.

Founder Cathy Hsiao describes the aim of the Kids In Love Collective as "the marriage of avant-garde and graphic design with organic hand craft techniques...Avant-Craft!" Combining dye and print techniques, she's created an array of unique and vibrant apparel and accessories. "I love aesthetic dualities, nature's forms and textures contrasted with the abstractions of design, things that are unkempt and raw but still very natural and soft for my super sensitive skin," she says.

The philosophical perspective that Hsaio takes with her work is natural, as she was a philosophy teacher before starting the Kids In Love Collective. "I left my PhD program to be an artist and designer, to be able to work with my whole body, eye, hand and mind," she says. Her experiences with learning music and art in a DIY community inspired that decision. "The idea of a collective is important to me," she says. "I want to think 'invert the corporation, join the collective.'"

This will be the Kids In Love Collective's first craft fair, and they're debuting with a bang! Stop by their booth for hand-dyed and hand-painted scarves made with organic cotton, modal tops, printed canvas clutches and a hand-printed and hand-died calendar. They've also collaborated with Tom Tom Magazine on hand-painted drumsticks and will be offering a $10 discount when you buy two Kids In Love items.

Hit the jump for another look at Kids In Love's Avant-Craft goodness.

-- John Ruscher

GO HERE NOW // Typeverything.com Makes Exploring Typography As Easy As ABC

Type monogram by Andrei D. Robu

Whether you're looking for inspiration for your next design project, searching for that killer new typeset or just trying to pass some time perusing some visually amazing examples of contemporary typography, there's one site we've become enamored with that we demand you head towards: Typeverything.

As self-professed typography nerds, we're fond of the fact the Tumblog's got a seemingly bottomless collection of typography designers, allowing us to scroll and scroll to our heart's content. The site also features a "shop" where you can browse designs that are available for purchase.

And if you grow tired of the alphabet, check out Typeverything's sister sites Designers Go To Heaven, which features many examples of excellent graphic design, along with They, which offers up daily inspiration for architectural and industrial design.

Meanwhile, hit the jump as we've compiled a few of our favorite designs from Typeverything.

Variation of letter “a” by Michal Sycz

Cover for the 2009 issue of Solutions by Pidgeon

Helvetica Lace by Anna Farkas

&,&,&: Part 1 - Art Print by Teagan White

LET’S MAKE ART by Marco

‘Heavy Metal’ by Tom Davie

-- John Ruscher

ESSENTIAL EVENT // Top Designers Compete In The Annual World Graphic Design Foosball Championship This Friday

This friday night some of the biggest names in graphic design will go head to head in fierce competition at the Art Directors Club, vying for the title of World Champion. No, this isn't a live design tournament—it's the 8th Annual World Graphic Design Foosball Championship. (For those wondering, yes, the logo is meant to be backwards.)

Presented by leading NYC design studios karlssonwilker inc. and the Office of Paul Sahre, the double elimination tournament will feature teams representing more than 50 different professional design organizations, including creative agencies like McGarryBowen and Big Spaceship, studios like Hoefler & Frere-Jones and AHL&CO, publishing companies such as HarperCollins and Penguin, and the design departments at Fortune Magazine and the Metropolitan Opera.

As you'd expect, the championship has a cool interactive website (click on any of the background images to unlock those features, but watch out—a couple parts are semi-NSFW).

Spectators are welcome at the tournament, which kicks off at 7pm this Friday, November 18, and there will be beer from Brooklyn Brewery. The winning team will pedal away with some awesome bikes from Puma.

For a taste of what to expect, hit the jump for a clip from the 2008 championship.

-- John Ruscher