We’ve been getting so much love on our 2020 Holiday Cards! As a thank you, we’ve released a FREE downloadable wallpaper featuring our “don’t get it twisted” pretzel heart illustration 🥨. We’ve all had so much screen time lately, it’s time to show them some love back.

 

Pink Pretzel-Heart
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Yellow Pretzel-Heart
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Pink Pretzel-Heart Pattern
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Yellow Pretzel-Heart Pattern
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Working ergonomically and keeping active is serious business. In Canada, a study taken a few years back reported that only five per cent of Canadian adults compensate for the time they sit at work through exercise. Sitting for long periods of time can result in heath problems, stress, lack of focus …etc.

The solution?  Ergotron’s WorkFit.

Truthfully, who doesn’t want to perform a synchronized workstation dance begun by the alarm of an 80s calculator watch?? Err…

Iwan Baan designed this below-ground woodland workspace for architects at Selgas Cano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mass Studios in Seoul, Korea is one of the only buildings in the world that was landscaped both outside and in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve got to include one form my hometown. This is Upperkut – a communications agency that resides in the basement Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church here in Montreal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Designed by the architecture and design firm Camenzind Evolution, Google’s EMEA Engineering Hub office in Zurich takes up seven stories of 12,000 square metres of floor space for up to 800 employees. Each floor has a cohesive theme throughout. The communal spaces have large, cocoon-like meeting areas and employees can slide down a pole from the floor above into the space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ogilvy & Mather’s Guangzhou office received China’s Most Successful Design Award in 2008. Designed by M Moser and Associates, Ogilvy & Mather’s carnival themed office is the first interior design project to receive this award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trace of Time by Il-Gu Cha is a clock that incorporates a whiteboard-esque erasable face and an eraser built into the hour hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In honor of Earth Day I’m sharing some advice on how you can make being green work for you.

Here are 5 basic environmentally-friendly practices I preach in my design business:

1. Electronic Proofs & Billing: I use paperless proofs whenever possible. As an added bonus it speeds up the process of concept to final product. Clients receive the proofs instantaneously and the same goes for corrections/changes. With PayPal and electronic banking, paper has been drastically reduced from the accounting side of my business.

2. Recycling: Paper, plastic…yup. I recycle.

3. Bulbs: My studio is lit by compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. These twisty bulbs use 1/4 as much energy as incandescent bulbs and last longer. According to Statistics Canada, if every Canadian household replaced one incandescent light bulb with a CFL energy-star rated bulb, we could save over $73 million a year in energy costs and reduce our CO2 emissions by 397,000 tonnes – the equivalent of taking 66,000 cars off the road for a year. Did I mention the bulbs also reduce your electrical bill? This one’s a no-brainer.

4. Digital Printing: I use digital printers for projects whenever possible because they uses 100% nontoxic toner. Toner-based inks also produce less chemical waste.

5. Upgrades: I give away my used office and computer equipment. Schools, libraries, non-profits and community centers are great places that often welcome these sorts of donations.

For tips on designing green, I recommend Green Graphic Design by Brian Dougherty. Click here for a PDF of the first 23 pages of the book.

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It’s easy to go green in your home or when you run your own business, but what can those out there in cubicle land do? Below are 5 environmentally conscious practices you can implement without needing approval from the man:

1. Emails: Don’t print them. Make folders and stay organized digitally.

2. Plants: Freshen up your desk with a small plant. Office items like plastics, particle board, pressed wood and carpeting produce lots of toxic gases. Earlier this year some studies by NASA concluded that houseplants are able to remove up to 87% of these harmful gases in 24 hours.

3. Turn It Off: Over the span of a week, turning off your computer at the end of the work day can save15 kg of CO2 emissions. Turning off a printer after a week saves 6.5 kg of CO2.

4. Pack Smart: Bring your lunch in a reusable container. Bring a reusable coffee mug. Using earth-friendly alternatives saves resources and landfill space.

5. Get a Beemer: Bus. Metro. Walk. BMW. How many readers will I lose on this cheese? Google Analytics says….

 

Meet the K Workstation by MisoSoup; an innovative and space-saving desk design. This desk is perfect for small apartments, dorms or any other trend-setter’s room where space is at a premium.

 

 

 

 

Got More room? The MILK desk by Scandinavian designer Holmris Hansen A/S is an Apple user’s dream. This desk has 4 customizable sections on the left hand side that can be used for anything from storage compartments to trash bins and pencil holders to a fish tank. This sleek design neatly stores cables out of sight and is height adjustable.

 

 

Once I found out about height adjustable desks I was sold on the idea of getting one for my workspace. About 6 months ago I purchased Geek Desk legs from Bonanzle and bought a desktop from IKEA. Having a desk that adjusts electronically in seconds from seated to standing height is irreplaceable for those long days at the computer. I’ll never work in a cubicle again. (FYI: The picture above is not me or my space- I’m not a dude….)