In 1967 the New York City Transit Authority hired Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda of the design firm Unimark International to design a signage and wayfinding system that would solve the problem underground. The work they delivered, the 1970 New York City Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual, succeeded in that goal and, perhaps unintentionally, the Standards Manual became one of the world’s classic examples of modern design.

If you found yourself in the New York City subway in the 1960s, you were probably lost. Signs didn’t help you find your way, standards didn’t exist, even handmade lettering was common. Mass confusion was the status quo. In 1970, the Standards Manual changed everything.

42 years after issue, Jesse Reed & Hamish Smyth discovered a rare copy in the basement of design firm Pentagram. Under and exclusive agreement with the MTA, this book is being scanned and reissued as a full-size hardcover. Part of the agreement was that it will only be available during this 30-day Kickstarter campaign. The book will never be reissued again, so make sure to grab a piece of beautiful and historic graphic design work that is prevalent everywhere in the New York City subway to this day.

Warp Records has finally released the full artwork for Aphex Twin’s forthcoming album, Syro. Created by The Designers Republic, the packaging lists every cost involved in the making and promotion of the album on a very minimalistic white cover.

The limited edition vinyl boxset that’s the focus of the above images is encased in a clear perspex box with Aphex Twin’s signature photograph engraved in white, along with puck shots on vinyl labels and a special ‘disinfographic’ which lists all the equipment used to make the album.

Ian Anderson, founder of The Designers Republic, explains a bit more on the concept, based on ideas suggested by James in early discussions about the album’s packaging:

“At the beginning of the process we discussed a few ideas Richard wanted to explore – one was the idea of pressing the album or a single track into the fabric of the cover, effectively as a deboss; a second was to use shots of the raw vinyl pucks albums are pressed from; and the third was to document in some way every cost involved in the production of the specific album format the purchaser had in their hands.”

The limited edition vinyl boxset will cost £250 and be limited to 200 pieces. Syro is released by Warp Records on 22 September. To pre-order a copy, click here.

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The objective for this residence in Tokyo, Japan was to make the interior as spacious as possible, while maintaining a secure and secluded look from the outside. In order to achieve this, the architects made the living, dining and kitchen on the top floor, allowing for these areas to take as much light in as possible. All of this is enclosed together with a courtyard, dubbed ‘Floating Patio’, with walls to prevent gaze from the outside.

The basement includes another thin courtyard, to link the top courtyard, and allow for light to pass through and illuminate the bedrooms and bathrooms, although they are located in the basement.

The client desired a simple residence with a interior wide open inside but cannot be perceived from outside. This wish became the entire concept of the residence.

The first floor that is inserted between two private spaces on the top and the bottom is designed as more intimate space to the outside world compared to the two different floors. The Japanese-style room on the floor is designed to hold tea ceremonies. The second floor ‘ s floating structure serves as a large roof for the first floor which created the open and dynamic space around the structure surrounding the Japanese-style room. The space is analogous to Roji-a designed alley in the context of traditional Japanese garden and the Japanese-style room will become a tearoom in the Roji.

Aer was created by San Francisco based industrial designer Allen Choi after noticing a disconnect between work and play. Industry professionals face the struggle of trying to pack for both work and exercise, and Aer came up with a solution.

The Aer Duffel Pack is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It features a ventilated pocket for gym gear to be stored separate from work materials. On the other side of the bag is a padded compartment for laptops, tablets, notebooks, and anything of the sort. Made of water resistant fabrics, this bag is durable and will keep your work and exercise items protected.

Aer is currently receiving funding through a Kickstarter program. With a little less than two weeks to go, the project has received $63,000 of a $45,000 goal thanks to over 400 backers.

The date this bag will hit retailers is undetermined, but by giving $149 to the Kickstarter you will receive one Aer Duffel Pack and a thank you card by December 2014. You can also visit their website here.

This project is the atelier of a Brooklyn-based artist, KAWS. Unlike the solid, brick facade that blends well into the neighborhood, the interior is a vastly open space. This bright, extensive openness illuminated with toplight is a result of the artist’s request to create large paintings under natural light. The appearance is more of a gallery than an atelier, with a simple composition that reduces detail and amplifies openness.

This minimal house by Japanese studio Tato Architects in Kanagawa, Japan is compromised of three storeys with split levels, often connected with aesthetic steps and step-boxes, often featuring clean white walls, with wooden and concrete floors and accents which deliver a minimalistic look, while increasing the perceived space throughout the house. Large windows and a lot of daylight allows the white walls to illuminate the whole house, creating a space that is friendly, appearing much bigger than it is.

The overall feel of the house both inside and out is industrial but at the same time welcoming; utilising the smallest details such as green vegetation in the corner of hallways to create a warm, natural feel. Japan is notorious for having small spaces for houses, which is why Japanese designers and architects are extremely creative in the way they use all available space.

To celebrate their highly regarded and rare collaboration with sportswear giant Nike, Pigalle and Stéphane Ashpool created an exhibition to showcase various concepts centered around basketball. This was a tale of time passing seen through the eyes of a ‘basketball child’. ‘TIME OUT’ touches on the moods, materials, and meanings that are universal and specific to basketball, both on and off the court.

From the locker room to the playground, and from the playground to the street, this game celebrates all of life’s colours from around the world. The 11 artists invited here (Ward Roberts, Kent Skare, Nelvin Aladag, Ill Studio, John Ashpool Sr, Pennacchio Argentato, Evan Robarts, Michaël Camellini, Paul Hamy, Stéphane Ashpool, Brice Torres) have each, in their own way, communicated the poetry of basketball.

French artist JR continues his ongoing Inside Out project at Paris’s Panthéon. Now a secular temple, the iconic building contains the remains of distinguished French citizens. Officially called “Au Panthéon,” the exhibition is comprised of hundreds of black-and-white portraits collected during March, all of which have been installed in the form of a collage on the Panthéon’s historic grounds. Make sure to stop by if you find yourself in the French capital.

To celebrate the release of his new album ‘GIRL’, Pharrell Williams has collaborated with gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin; bringing us an eclectic mix of 48 different artworks as an exhibition at Galerie Perrotin at the historic Salle De Bal in Paris. The show ranges through an expanse of media and aesthetic, yet ties creatively under the theme of femininity.

12 specially produced pieces have been made for the event, interpreting the subject through vibrantly colored paintings, large-scale sculpture and installations. The selection of 37 artists includes 18 females, with Marina Abramovic & Ulay, Tracey Emin, Yoko Ono and Paola Pivi participating in the celebration of women, individuality and creativity.

After the launch party for my new gallery in New York in late 2013, Pharrell took a few of us to listen to the first 5 tracks of his upcoming album GIRL. The songs put us in such a good mood that we danced to all of them. At this moment, we realized that this tribute to women was going to be a worldwide success and would represent a shift in his career. Pharrell made us feel like we were part of it. This project at the gallery in Paris is a natural continuation of this adventure.
Emmanuel Perrotin

Among the works created specially for the exhibition are a large circular painting by Takashi Murakami (a tribute to Pharrell and his wife in her wedding gown), a sculpture by Daniel Arsham made of broken glass (in which a full body cast of the artist was made), a laser portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Gregor Hildebrandt, a new work on canvas by KAWS of Lucy Van Pelt from the popular ‘peanuts’ series and special projects with Guerrilla Girls, Rob Pruitt and JR, for whom Pharrell created the soundtrack of his latest film.