Designer Brian Sooy just sent me a fun link to The Onion store. These fake boxes were designed by Arik Nordby, who has his own humerous golf-merch site called Bogeypro.com. The idea behind the boxes is that you put a real present inside, but when the recipient first unwraps the gift, they'll wonder what kind of drug you were smoking while Christmas shopping this year.

from Wired

Pecha kucha—pronounced pet-shah coot-shah—is an onomatopoeic Japanese phrase meaning "the sound of casual chatter."

But for a small but growing band of international designers, artists and creative types, pecha kucha is nothing less than the buzzword of 2006. For these people -- and since last Tuesday I'm one of them -- pecha kucha has come to mean a chance to get out from behind your computer, meet like-minded people, show them your work, and exchange ideas -- all in a six-minute slot. More.

Check out this amazing interactive origami Christmas greeting generator from RG/A. As you type in sentences, the site creates matching origami shapes. I tried typing the word Monkey as part of a sentence and it made an origami monkey face!

In a tribute to the golden age of animation, House Industries is introducing Burbank, a versatile new collection of 20 fonts. The collection will be available January 1, 2007.

The collection features Burbank Big, in three widths and four weights, and Burbank Small, in four weights of both Roman and italic. Designed for mixing and matching, Burbank offers a nearly endless array of combinations.

From Scientific American

Despite those who romanticize depression as the wellspring of artistic genius, studies find that people are most creative when they are in a good mood, and now researchers may have explained why: For better or worse, happy people have a harder time focusing. More.

Wired just posted a sneak peak at the beta version of Photoshop CS3 that looks at the application's new features, some interface enhancements and its improved ease of use.

Posted by Megan

The deadlines for American Illustration and American Photography are fast approaching. Online entry form and rules are available here.

Created by a designer for designers, DesignerID is an industry-specific networking site where design professionals can post their work, keep up on the industry and connect with each other. Launched less than a year ago, the site has more than 500 members and counting. (And if you look closely, you'll see a picture of Justin Ahrens, a recent HOW International Design Competition judge and all around nice guy.)

A campaign intended to increase public awareness of the crisis in Darfur will appear throughout New York City from November 2006 through January 2007. Created by legendary designer Milton Glaser, the poster will benefit the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation and protection of human rights. The poster is available for sale at Miltonglaser.com, with all proceeds going to the IRC.