This weekend at CSU Long Beach, the Associated Students, Inc. brought Architects of Air “EXXOPOLIS” to their lawns… The incredible inflatable Luminaria from Architects of Air are a wondrous series of tunnels and rooms to explore. The Exxopolis 1992-2012 is AOA’S 20th luminarium design to celebrate their original Eggopolis from 22 years ago. From the exterior it feels like you’ve driven past a colony of Pokemon or Super Mario’s Koopas bounce houses… bubbly and inflated on the lawn besides the huge blue pyramid. From within (without your shoes or sharp objects) it feels like you’re wandering a mesmerizing, inflated, toasty labyrinth where tunnels lead you to single colored glowing rooms that mess with your head… Take a peek on the next page at what it felt like…

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In between Final Four games this weekend, we did a bit of exploring in Atlanta… running all over Buckhead, Midtown, 4th Ward, Inman Park, Decatur, Downtown, and more… and one thing i couldn’t help snapping pics of all over was the street art! From the fox chasing rabbits down the wall… to the huge NEVER GIVE UP under an overpass made up of XOs, to the Silhouette building that really has a huge on on it, to the massive basketball hoop billboard AT&T popped up by Georgia Dome, to the “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell —- Satan” billboard, ATL shaped playground for kids… and so much more… it was awesome inspiration! Check out what we found on the next page…

p.s. Didn’t bring a real camera with me this trip, so all things Atlanta are coming from the HTC One i’m currently playing with…

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Ooooh, it has been yet another awesomely inspiring week on NOTCOT.org ~ click the pics to find out more about some of my favorites!

Phew* What a long weekend it has been, but also a much needed mini-break as NOTCOT turns 8 (can you believe it? 8 years!!!) ~ just back from spending the last few days in Atlanta for the Final Four (Go CARDS!) In between the games, got a chance to run around the city a bit, so more ATL inspiration to come… but first, after dropping the rental car and making our way to the gate, i was stopped in my tracks by these fun Dog Sculptures made from construction parts in their airport dog park by local artist, Doug Makemson. The yellow one sitting is inspired by his yellow lab, Abby. Apparently they are made mostly out of backhoe and bulldozer parts! Take a peek at these two playful pups on the next page!

p.s. Didn’t bring a real camera with me this trip, so all things Atlanta are coming from the HTC One i’m currently playing with…

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Here is this week’s NOTCOT.org roundup ~ from the teasers of GTA V to april fools’ jokes like google maps going treasure map, chimp kettle bells, bone inspired goods, tangram fruit rollups, harmonic waves turned into metal cuffs, ikea stools into kids bikes, public swings that can turn into a band as your friends swing with you… and so much more! Click the pics to find out more!

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org features some amazing inspiration from a billboard you can live behind, stone glasses, suspended feather sculptures, adorable illustrations, woody creatures, stunning watches, 3D printed superhero business cards, fun animated ads from hertz, and so much more… click the pics to find out more!

I love when design sites/magazines/writers venture from not only covering inspiring design to helping bring it into the real world! In this case, our friends at Stilsucht, have just launched the Cliffhanger by Thomas Schmitz! A brilliant little hook that slips in between two pipes/slats/etc and lets gravity lock it in place… it was designed with a German “Altbau” in mind (think high-ceilinged, warehouse/loft like pre-war apartments that often have pairs of water pipes running vertically!) “The first batch comes in five different colors and each is an ode to the heart of cities. Berlin is represented by an urban Kreuzberg gray, Munich is a friendly Schwabing blue, Cologne has a sunny Ehrenfeld yellow, Frankfurt hails with a cordial Bornheim red and Hamburg shows a maritime Schanze blue.” I love that beyond helping designs become a reality, these are made in Berlin (also home of Stilsucht!) in the Stephanus workshops Berlin, a non profit workshop for social and vocational integration and rehabilitation of disabled people.

I had the pleasure of getting a pre-release Cliffhanger from Stilsucht when i ran into him in France last weekend ~ and i must say it feels nice and solid, with a rubbery coating that keeps it from slipping through the cracks, so to speak. While i may not have the same vertical pipe set up, i have actually found it quite useful hanging from my puppy gates (yes, they are basically the same as baby gates) and even between the back of the emeco navy chair! Take a peek at the details on the next page.

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org roundup includes knitted taxidermy, volcanic eruptions, and the subtle impressions left by clothing on skin and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes vegetable leather, a pendulum choir, centrifugal paint flinging and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Wow. Tonight Emilio Garcia presented ARThropod Brain by Tokyoplastic at the Toy Art Gallery… and it is spectacular. Brains + bugs + 3D printing + hand painted high gloss metallics + skull faces + giant jumping brains and so much more… and a chance to meet the artists who have inspired NOTCOT for years now in person! It’s crazy to see that after 8 years of NOTCOTness, and over 53,000 posts that have made the front page of NOTCOT.org over the years, we’ve been geisha drum machine flash piece is a classic, and we still reference it regularly) There has also been much love for Emilio Garcia’s Jumping Brains on NOTCOT for years, and they adorn the walls and shelves in NOTlabs too! Fanboying aside - these guys have been great inspiration over the years, and meeting them in person, and seeing this latest collection of work was incredible!

So back to the ARThropod Brain opening tonight is not only a beautiful collection of work, but technologically, it was great to hear that this collaboration came together through their digital models (where you can easily see Emilio’s brain motifs merging with the anatomically precise anthropods of Tokyoplastic) ~ which were then 3D printed by Shapeways, and then hand painted to have their metallic sheens. A nice example of taking 3D printing to the next level to create beautiful works of art - and digital collaboration from across countries! Take a peek at the show details on the next page, as well as Emilio’s new Skull Brains, and some huge jumping brains too!

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes Pantone food pairings, virtual wire typefaces, a look inside the Dyson superfactory and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Tonight’s graphic design lust object ~ Spencer Charles’ Map Of The Known Universe which he designed as an intern for the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. in Seattle, WA (part of the 826 National family) 30” wide x 20” tall map. Double-sided, four-color offset print on fine 85-lb. paper sealed with a matte fingerprint-resistant finish. Flat, for easy framing… check it out on the next page!

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Here’s the latest from London-based editor and resident zoologist, Justine Aw!

Last night I got a sneak preview of this year’s Kinetica Art Fair, celebrating the intersection of science and design and an incredible showcase of innovative sculptures and installations. More photos of the vast array of some of the optical illusions and playful kinetic sculptures that toy with light and design on the next page!

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This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes animation on oreos, herringbone kitchen stamps, how to tie a bowtie and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes the cars of Archer, weaver bird nests, meteors falling from the sky and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.