The name of Italian espresso-machine maker La Marzocco may not roll off the tongue easily or be a household name. … More
Category: Design
SPEED FREAK: DESIGNER HANS LOHRER’S BOLD VISIONS FOR PORSCHE!
Hanns Lohrer was a German painter and commercial graphic designer based in the city of Stuttgart. In spite of his … More
LET THERE BE LIGHT: THE HOT, SEXY NEW LAMP TAKING OVER NYC!
According to the New York Times, there’s a new lamp that seems to be ubiquitous in New York City restaurants. … More
BREAKING – THE PASSING OF A FASHION VISIONARY : R.I.P., ISSEY MIYAKE !
We awoke this morning to the news that Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has died. He was 84. The Washington … More
ARCHITECTURAL DESSERTS : GEOMETRIC VANILLA MATCHA POPS!
These vanilla-matcha popsicles are like no other pops we’ve ever had. They’re called Dream Pops and are vegetable-based, containing only … More
CURRENT EVENTS : POLISH ARTIST’S POSTER CAPTURES ESSENCE OF RUSSIAN-UKRAINE WAR!
The geo-political conflict and humanitarian nightmare unfolding in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s horrific, invasive military aggression has captured … More
SO JUDGY! BEST BOOK COVERS OF THE PAST YEAR!
We all know the adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” That’s a pretty good nugget of popular wisdom. … More
BEAN HERE NOW : OUR NEW COFFEE STATION UNVEILED
Here’s the coffee set-up at our headquarters. We put up these shelves above the counter where the coffee-making gear is … More
SPARKLING COLLAB: TAKASHI MURAKAMI BRINGS “SUPERFLAT” TO A PERRIER BOTTLE NEAR YOU!
It was only a matter of time until we see a contemporary art superstar lend their artwork to a major … More
SMELLS LIKE LAWSUIT SPIRIT: “NIRVANA BABY” SUES ICONIC GRUNGE-ERA BAND!
The guy who was the baby on the iconic cover of Nirvana’s”Nevermind” album is suing the influential Seattle grunge pioneers. … More
BUILT FOR SPEED : JAPAN’S NEW “BULLET TRAIN” DESIGN REVEALED!
Japan Railways (JR) recently unveiled the design for its newest shinkansen, a.k.a., “Bullet Train.” It’s called the “Kamome,” which translates … More
101-ISM : HOW TO DRAW YOURSELF AS A PEANUTS CARTOON CHARACTER! FOR REAL!
Happy Monday! And we know what you’re thinking! Wouldn’t it be cool to draw yourself as a character from a … More
SUPER COOL COFFEE-TABLE BOOK! “AFROSURF” CELEBRATES AFRICA’S RICH SURF CULTURE!
As regular readers of this blog know, we love to surf every chance we get. So when a new artful, … More
SHAMEFUL OR SMART? : TOKYO OLYMPICS ARCHITECTURE LACKS OVERPRICED, PRETENTIOUS NEW TROPHY BUILDINGS!!!
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will open this week in the here and now of 2021. The world’s biggest sporting and … More
BAD DESIGN: A COLLECTION OF THE “WORST VOLUME CONTROL USER-INTERFACES IN THE WORLD EVER”!!!
This collection of extremely poorly-designed volume-control user interfaces (UI) is curated with tongue very firmly in cheek. It’s a hilarious … More
POP CULTURAL: A “SEINFELD” TV SHOW LEGO SET WILL BE RELEASED THIS SUMMER!
Yes, Danish toy-maker LEGO will be selling a set of their iconic bricks to build your very own set of … More
DESIGNED TO DEATH : AWESOME POST-MODERN VERSIONS OF CLASSIC MOVIE POSTERS!
Check out these retro post-modern movie posters designed by Patrick Concepcion. These are so good. Concepcion’s graphic design manages to … More
LIKE A VERSION: 100 INTERPRETATIONS OF ANIMATION SEQUENCE ARE MIND-BLOWING!
This short montage video showcases 100 animation interpretations by 100 different animators. It’s absolutely wonderful. The video reveals all the … More
SUBLIIMELY CAFFEINATED: THE INTRIGUINGLY MINIMALIST COFFEE THERMOS!
We recently got this ultra-minimalist travel mug for our coffee. The form factor and style of the container can’t get … More
CAFFEINATED DESIGN: CRUSHING HARD ON THIS COFFEE BRAND’S DUSTY PINK PACKAGING!
If you’re a regular visitor to this blog then you probably already know by now how obsessive we are when … More
JUST FOR KICKS: THE ART OF THE SNEAKER
A new exhibition at the London Design Museum offers a closer look at the evolution of sneaker design and innovation. … More
REVEALED: BEST TYPOGRAPHY DESIGN OF 2021!
The Type Directors Club (TDC) recently announced the winners of its annual type-design competitions. The TDC is part of the … More
PUMPIN’!: THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED GAS STATIONS IN THE WORLD!
Gas stations tend to be pretty bland and merely functional when it comes to architectural design. Many are drab, dirty … More
KOOK SLAMS: BEER CAN DESIGN INSPIRED BY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT HAS US IN DRUNKEN STITCHES!
Kook Slams, the beer. For real, it’s here! It’s a limited edition I.P.A. from Duck Foot, a brewery from the … More
CRYPTIC: HIPSTER-BEVERAGE GUERRILLA MARKETING AS STREET ART!
We saw this wheat-pasted poster on an electricity utility box on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood on Monday. And we thought … More
ABOUT FACE: MASKS OF THE WORLD, UNMASKED!
. . . . . “Beyond Noh” is short documentary film by Patrick Smith that dives into the subject of … More
HOME RUN: ARTISTS COMMISSIONED TO RE-IMAGINE ICONIC BASEBALL CARDS!
The Topps chewing gum and baseball card company has launched Project 70 to celebrate seventy years of producing annual baseball … More
A NEW FONT FOR OUR TIME: “CLIMATE CRISIS” TYPEFACE REFLECTS REAL-TIME CLIMATE-CHANGE DATA!
A newspaper in Finland has launched a new variable font called “Climate Crisis.” The font was designed to reflect the … More
IN MOTION: OREGON TOURISM CAMPAIGN LOOKS LIKE A JAPANESE ANIME FILM!
. . . . . Travel Oregon‘s newest campaign promoting tourism to the state includes an animated commercial that’s a … More
FLAKEY: WEB-BASED SNOWFLAKE GENERATOR IS SUBLIME (AMONG OTHER THINGS)!
Here’s a fun way to wile away a couple of hours. The Snowflake Generator is the awesome work of California-based … More
FORCE BE WITH YOU: U.S. POST OFFICE ISSUES STAMPS CELEBRATING “STARS WARS” ANDROIDS!
The United States Postal Service has announced that this spring they will be issuing a new series of stamps featuring … More
EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES: ENOUGH WITH THE BUNDLED-UP BERNIE MEME ALREADY!
It was brilliant and funny for the first 24 -48 hours. The meme of U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate … More
HOT TYPES: LIST OF SOME FAVORITE NEW TYPEFACES FROM 2020!
I Love Typography’s “My Favorite Typefaces of 2020” is a list of notable new fonts produced last year. The typefaces … More
VISUAL CULTURE: THE TIMES’ BEST OF 2020 ILLUSTRATION!
The New York Times art directors have picked their favorite illustration of 2020. It’s an excellent survey of some of … More
WHOPPER: GLOBAL FAST-FOOD CHAIN ROLLS OUT NEW LOGO AND BRANDING!
Worldwide fast-food restaurant chain Burger King has revamped its brand identity, including its iconic burger logotype, color palette, typography and … More
DESIGNED! HEAT-ACTIVATED POSTAGE STAMPS REVEAL CLIMATE CHANGE INFO!
The Post Office of Finland recently commissioned a new set of stamps designed to reveal informative stories about climate change … More
FONTASTICAL: HOW THE “GENTRIFICATION FONT” BECAME SO! SECRETS REVEALED!
You’ve seen it. You know it. It’s a typeface used across all types of media. But when deployed for street-address … More
WHIPLASH: LOOKING BACK AT THE “COOL” CARS OF THE 1980s!
Did you live through the 1980s and now pine for the cars of yesteryear in some mid-life crisis-induced reverie of … More
RISE AND SHINE: ARTIST-DESIGNER PAINTS SUNRISE VIEWS FROM HIS APT. ON N.Y. TIMES COVERS, HONORS JACOB BLAKE!
The artwork is part of a series by New York City-based artist and designer Sho Shibuya, who paints sunrise view … More
DESIGNED! SWEDISH FURNITURE AND MEATBALL JUGGERNAUT IKEA UPLOADS 72-YEARS WORTH OF PRODUCT CATALOGS!
Here’s a bit of Swedish you can bust out at cocktail parties (remember those?) when the global COVID-19 pandemic ends … More
YACHT ROCK: U.K. STREET ARTIST BANKSY FINANCES AND DECORATES REFUGEE RESCUE BOAT IN THE MED!
Mysterious and infamous U.K. artist Banksy has bankrolled a small refugee rescue ship sailing the Mediterranean Sea. The boat is … More
LIFE IMITATING ART: WHEN JAPANESE ANIME DICTATES YOUR STYLE, AMAZING THINGS CAN HAPPEN!
Life imitating art imitating life. You’ve got to love it when this happens. Such is the case of some make-up … More
GUCCI-FICATION: THE SHOCKING HORROR OF TIK TOK TEENS AND LUXURY FASHION REVEALED!
Fashion yourself a runway model, do ya? Yes, we know you do. We do, too! What’s not to love about … More
DATA VIZ GONE WILD: ARTIST TURNS VISUALLY BORING-ASS STOCK CHARTS INTO AWESOME LANDSCAPE ART!
You’ve seen financial charts. Maybe they mean nothing to you. Or they mean everything. Maybe you’re a day trader with … More
AND NOW YOU KNOW THIS: THE VISUAL LOOP HAS A NAME
You’ve seen it. You know what it is. But did you know there’s a name for this? It’s called the … More
ARCHI-TORTURE: SOMEBODY’S BUILDING A MEMORIAL TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC
An architecture firm in Montevideo, Uruguay is building the worlds first memorial to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The firm is … More
USER EXPERIENCE: THE DESIGN OF LEGO CONTROL PANELS AS GOOD UX DESIGN!
Yes, even the tiny user-interface details of LEGO bricks are given a lot of thought and consideration by the Danish … More
STUNNER: VANITY FAIR PUTS BREONNA TAYLOR ON COVER OF SEPTEMBER ISSUE!
The cover of Vanity Fair magazine’s September 2020 issue is a triumph. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet portrait of Breonna Taylor … More
DIGITALISM: THE FX OF “THE EVER-EVOLVING WALKING FIGURE” GETS A 2020 UPDATE!
. . . The awesomeness of “The Transfiguration“ by Universal Everything studio collective is still spellbinding. The original version of … More
CAFFEINATED MINIMALISM: ON THE SCENE AT SUR COFFEE
We made a stop at Sur Coffee over the past weekend. It’s a cafe with a roastery in San Clemente, … More
SIGN OF THE TIMES, VOL. 08: FASHIONING THE CURVE WITH “WORK YOUR MASK” INITIATIVE
As life in the time of coronavirus continues, the importance of wearing masks as a protective measure is increasingly becoming … More
MILTON GLASER LOVED NY, RIP MILTON GLASER
Rest in peace, Milton Glaser. You did many things. Your creative achievements were many and influential. You created an enduring, … More
MEDIA DESIGN: RECENT ECONOMIST MAG COVERS
The Economist is a publication famously restrained with the design aesthetic of its magazine. When it alters or re-designs the … More
THEME FROM RETRO: VINTAGE KARMANN GHIA IS THE IMPRACTICAL BEAUTY OBJECT WE DESIRE
Look at this vintage Volkswagen Karmann Ghia! It’s gorgeous, practically in mint condition. Can you imagine cruising around Los Angeles’s … More
LOVE WILL GRAPHICALLY TEAR US APART: VINTAGE JOY DIVISION CONCERT POSTER
Beautiful graphic design. These type of vintage concert posters have been becoming more popular for a while now. We wonder, … More
SNEAKER PIMPIN’: BUBBLY PINK NIKES INSPIRED BY SPONGE BOB SQUAREPANTS ARE REAL!
Seeing is believing. In this case the truth is revealed by the appearance of this pair of Nike “lifestyle” performance … More
IN TOKYO: ALFRED TEA ROOM AND THE INCESCAPABLE REACH OF AMERICAN CHAINS
Alfred Coffee is a popular, fashionable budding mini coffee-chain empire in Los Angeles with about a half dozen cafes spread … More
STYLE: VINTAGE JAPANESE MOVIE POSTERS AS GRAPHIC TEES
Our friend, and Brazilian fixture of the Los Angeles coffee scene, Mr. Lu recently has been frequently wearing these super … More
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: VINTAGE LAND CRUISER FOR SURFERS
If we could choose right here, right now, any car in the world as our go-to surf wagon, it would … More
DARK MATTERS: WHY BMW USED THE BLACKEST BLACK ON ITS NEW CAR
German auto-manufacturer BMW recently unveiled a car painted in the blackest black hue in the color spectrum. This black is … More
WHAT IF THE BAUHAUS DESIGNED LOGOS FOR TODAY’S MOST POPULAR GLOBAL BRANDS …
Yes, what if that distinct, massively influential, totally original, modern, German-born design philosophy and aesthetic was applied to some of the best … More
WHY DO WE NEED 230 NEW EMOJI?
We need more emojis, and we need these 230 newly released emojis pictured above. Why? Because the previous full set … More
SKULL X ROBOT NYT MAGAZINE COVER
“AESTHETICS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS”
MOCO: DESIGNY PING PONG TABLE
THE DRUNK AQUATIC
MICHAEL JACKSON X PEPSI REDUX
CLOUDY: SKYWRITING “#AMERICA”
Look up in the sky! It’s … it’s a … it’s a hashtag! Yes, right there, in the air, under … More
CAFFEINATED: “BUT FIRST, COFFEE”
“But first, coffee.” Truer words were never spoken, or at least that’s what I think in the few minutes between … More
PAINTERLY: YOUR SURF TRASH IS A CONTEMPORARY ART MASTERPIECE
GAMEY: VINTAGE PACHINKO MACHINE HAS SEEN THINGS
This vintage Japanese pachinko machine sits on the floor in the corner of a small conference room at the L.A. … More
DESIGN FOR DANGER
How do you sufficiently inform people of danger? Usually warning signs use visually strong graphical elements and bold lettering in … More
DESIGN WTF: THE RETRO-FUTURE WANTS ITS JUNK BACK!
Hey, the retro-future is calling. We’re guessing from sometime between 1973 and ‘79. It wants its junk back including this … More
MOVIES: CLIPS RELEASED FROM UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY ON DESIGN GOD DIETER RAMS
Documentary filmmaker and producer Gary Hustwit has a new film about German designer Dieter Rams coming out in 2018, … More
SIGN OF THE TIMES: LAIDBACK SURFER HAND GESTURE GETS A SPICY UPDATE
“Shaka” or “Shaka, brah!” Maybe you’ve heard this expression. Maybe you’ve uttered those words in earnest salutation or ironically. Maybe … More
EXPOSED: THE STARBUCKS LOGO HAS A MAJOR DESIGN “FLAW,” BILLIONS AFFECTED, ETC.
Yes, savvy reader, it’s true. Almost everybody’s favorite Seattle, Washington-based, international speciality-coffee chain has a design flaw in its familiar, … More
RADICAL: COCA-COLA CHANGES ITS TYPEFACE, BILLIONS AFFECTED
This shit for real, y’all. Coca-Cola, the global mega-brand and carbonated soft drink, is getting a slightly new look. It’s … More
LOST & FOUND: TOY FIGURES OF ANGRY EDM DJs
During our annual Mew Year’s House-cleaning ritual we uncovered these two toy mini-figures of DJs. We love (and are slightly … More
GRAPHIC DESIGN X MATCHES — LIT AF!!!
Our annual New Year’s ritual of doing some house cleaning and organizing, throwing things out and making room for all … More
DESIGN LUST: SURFBOARD SHOP THINLY DISGUISES ITSELF AS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FIRM
It’s no secret that we here at Global Graphica are fond practitioners of surfing, the so-called Hawaiian “sport of kings.” … More
DEAD PRINT MEDIA: THE NEW ISSUE OF APARTAMENTO MAGAZINE ARRIVES AND WE’RE GIDDY
There are few things in life that make us positively giddy with excitement. These few things are … Good waves … More
The Hotness: The Sexiest Airplane Tail in the Friendly Skies
Hands-down the the Hawaiian Airlines airplane branding is the sexiest ever in the goddamn history of the world. Period. It’s … More
New Issue of International Hipster Design-Porn Mag “Apartamento” Arrives!
We love Apartamento magazine. And so should you. The new issue of this mag devoted to “everyday interiors” and design/designers … More
Alexander McQueen Skull Tee is Dope and Terrifying
The dopeness and terror of this shirt is so obvious that to describe it no further words are necessa…
The Otherworldy Furniture of Designer Rick Owens
Neverending Robotic Loop of Toy Train
This video is mesmerizing. And awesome.
“Man of Malaysia” Book Cover Design
Many years ago, when I was in my late teens and early twenties, I was travelling two or three times … More
Vintage Surfboards
The artwork on these beautiful vintage 1970s-era surfboards is surprisingly well-preserved even though the boards themselves show some of the … More
Branding Sardines
Stunningly Cool Patterns Created by Video Feedback
When you aim a video camera at a live video projection generated from the same camera in real time, the … More
“Black Cat” Logo
The logo for Intelligentsia Coffee’s “Black Cat” Espresso is the head of a black cat. It’s a bold and literal … More
Locals Only
Last weekend, we stumbled upon this throw pillow with the words “Locals Only” embroidered on it at the Mollusk Surf … More
Warm Minimalist Shelf Architecture at A.P.C.
The Parisian clothing and retail brand A.P.C. recently opened a shop in Silver Lake in Los Angeles. Like may of … More
What the Original Gold’s Gym in Venice Looks Like Now
The original location of the iconic and legendary bodybuilding mecca Gold’s Gym is a block away from the sands of … More
Beautifully Designed Dead Kooks Surfboard … Malibu, Los Angeles
Last weekend we went to Mercado Sagrado, a two-day festival-like event showcasing music, fashion, food, art and surf films held … More
U.S. Election “I Voted” Sticker
Today is election day in the U.S. If you’re eligible to vote and haven’t done so already, go do so! We … More
Halloween Expression on a Campground RV
Some campers at the Carpinteria Beach campground near Santa Barbara, California decked out their camper with some funny, inventive Halloween … More
“But First, Coffee” Curb … Silver Lake, Los Angeles
The curb in front of the Alfred Coffee in Silver Lake, Los Angeles has been cheekily employed as signage, and as such a … More
“Airportraits” by Photographer Mike Kelley
Photographer Mike Kelley photographed airplanes taking off from airports around the world and then composited the images to provide a … More
The Awesome Design of a Vintage Porsche 912 … Los Angeles
We’re not “into cars” nor have we aspired to possess a stylish sports car. That said, we love great design and … More
GLOBAL GRAPHICA 