Check out the work of Swedish designer Niklas Lundberg. I’m loving the mechanical chaos and limited use of color in his body of work. Very cool.

Sometimes you just have to say “no.” It’s not a bad thing. It’s realizing when to say it that can be tricky. I was faced with this challenge recently after being contacted about cleaning up some “website” comps for a friend of a friend of a friend whom I had never met. I had some time, so I agreed to take on the job before realizing what it was that I would actually be working on. It turned out that I was hired to work on one of those scam sites that tries to get you to buy a bunch of crap, in this case meditation DVD’s from a self proclaimed “modern mystic” promising salvation in return your hard earned dollars. “Beer Money,” I thought. Ignoring the weird feeling in my gut, I began working on the first page and quickly realized I wasn’t going to be able to finish the project. It just felt wrong. With my soul intact, I emailed my contact and told him to find someone else. For me, it was the right thing to do and my sense of self was left only momentarily bruised. While I doubt the client and I will be laughing over drinks together anytime soon, I don’t feel so much like a whore anymore, so that’s a plus. Lesson learned.

If you follow me on Twitter, you recently may have noticed a few days worth of tweets dedicated to trashing Big Red. It seems the best way to get the attention of customer service reps these days is to take it to a public forum and really let out your frustrations. I’ll keep it short. It all started a year and a half ago when I purchased my first smartphone, a Droid Eris from Verizon Wireless. It worked great for about six months and then the flaws started showing up faster than an Anthony Weiner joke on the late show circuit. I called CS for solutions many times over the course of the next year but because it was too early in my 2 year contract to upgrade, the best thing they could do was send me another factory refurbished “like new” Droid Eris which also crapped out in about 2 months.

After numerous attempts at reason, and finally after being hung up on by Becky, a lovely CS supervisor who I’m sure will not be reprimanded in any way,  it was the twitter campaign which finally rewarded me with an upgrade 4 months early. The only catch was that I couldn’t upgrade to the iPhone 4, which is exactly the phone I would have upgraded to if the Eris had lasted me the full two years promised. Instead they sent me another Android device, the Incredible 2 which is okay, but after waiting 4 years for Verizon to carry the iPhone, it would have been nice to have seen my patience rewarded. So much for 11 years of customer loyalty.

I get the new Incredible 2, and within three days the navigation buttons stop lighting up. I take it to a tech support center and because the problem wasn’t happening at exactly that moment, they tell me they can’t help me and send me off into the unknown sans solution. About 2 days later, the problem happens again and I get it to tech support in time for them to check it out but they tell me the phone has been exposed to water, voiding the warranty (it hadn’t been exposed to anything except the moisture from my sweaty palm after riding my bike as fast as I could to get them to see the problem). I’m told attempting to have Verizon replace the phone will probably end up costing me over $500 and that I should go through the insurance and pay the $50 deductible.

In short, and pardon my explicit word choice. F**k Verizon (especially you, Becky!)…Sigh.

Irina Werning is a photographer from Buenos Aires who, through a series of before and after shots of her friends and family, amazingly captures her subjects frozen in time. It amazes me how she was still able to capture the original sense of innocence in the “Future” shots. Check out some of her work below.

The Ladies over at S&M have done it again, this time with the help of guest writer and actor, Mack Exilus. Check out the video below. You won’t regret it.

Methrocard (S&M) – watch more funny videos

This past Monday, my girlfriend and I were given tickets to see a performance of “Sleep No More” from the British Theater Group, Punchdrunk. It was a really mesmerizing experience based on “Macbeth” and Hitchcock style film noir. If you’ve heard anything about the performance, then you probably know that it’s not a typical staged play as the audience is not only masked and mobile, but at times part of the show. Audience members become detectives wearing Victorian style masks and follow individual characters with their own story lines through 6 floors of a renovated Chelsea warehouse trying to put pieces of the plot together based on interaction with the actors and the set itself. It’s fast paced and truly fascinating.

While I give credit to the actors and the refreshing take on traditional theater, I have to say the real star of the show for me was the set design. I’ve never been so immersed in a space that I actually forgot what year it was. It felt like being in a really stylish horror movie that I didn’t want to get out of. Like the characters, each room has a ridiculously detailed back story designed with a 1930s vibe. Off the top of my head, there’s an Apothecary, Taxidermy Room, Sweet Shop, Hospital, Detective Agency, Play Room, Night Club, Graveyard, and Forest, and that’s just some of it. The scenes are rendered beautifully and the scale is truly remarkable.

I can’t talk too much about the performance itself because I don’t want to give it away (there is some really shocking stuff going on). There aren’t many photos circulating around on the interweb and to me that’s a good thing. Words really can’t do it justice so you’re better off just seeing it for yourself. Anyone looking to try something new should really head over to their website and buy some tickets ASAP as the doorman said the show is only going on until May 7th.

Images courtesy of The New York Times and Urban Daddy.

Check out these amazing wooden sunglasses from Capital. I’m loving the simplistic design and timeless quality provided by the different treated wood frames. I almost feel like I shouldn’t be sharing but these are just too damn cool. I know what I’ll be wearing this summer.

It’s no secret that daily exercise can lead to a healthier body, but did you know that it could also make you a more productive designer? I’m not talking about waking up before the sun rises to put in 45 minutes of uninspired cardio before the morning commute. I’m talking about revamping that pathetic half hour stumbleupon-athon lunch break you’ve grown so accustomed to and getting the most out of your day.

According to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, researchers found that when office workers performed 45-60 minutes of exercise after lunch, they were more productive and worked better with their co-workers. It was also reported that workers experienced improvement in mental-interpersonal performance, and the ability to manage time.

For the past few months I have been putting their claims to the test, and so far I’d have to agree.

As a freelance designer, I have the freedom to schedule my day in a way that works for me. As long as my work gets done properly and on time my clients remain happy. If my clients are happy, then who’s to say when or how I should take my lunch break? I typically schedule myself an hour every afternoon to get away from the computer, clear my head and get my body moving. I try to exercise differently each day to keep it interesting while elevating my physical abilities. A given weeks worth of routines for me might include body resistance training on Monday, a long bike ride through scenic Brooklyn on Tuesday, weight training on Thursday and Interval training on Friday. Wednesday would be a good day for rest with a routine like this.

After my afternoon exercise break I find that like the workers in the study, I’m much more focused and motivated to get through my daily list of projects. The exercise break also allows me to work longer into the evening without the itch to pack it in early. My creativity, patience and mood are all positively influenced, making me a much more efficient and happy designer.

Granted, not everyone has the freedom to structure their lunch breaks in such a way, but if you’re able to I highly recommend getting a gym membership near your office, or invest in a few pieces of exercise equipment for your home. Trust me, you will thank me later.

Here’s an example of one of my afternoon workouts that I do from the comfort of my own home with a few key pieces of inexpensive exercise equipment. Exercises can be added or omitted depending on one’s personal preference and performance level. The important thing is that you just get out there and do it.

• 10 – 15 minutes of speed rope
• 25 – 30 chin-ups or pull-ups (with a $30 door supported pull-up bar )
• 50 T push-ups with a 5 or 10 pound dumbbell in 5 sets of 10 (can be substituted with regular push-ups)
• 50 Weighted leg lifts in 5 sets of 10 (using whatever I can find that can be safely supported between my ankles and increase resistance)
• 50 body weight one legged squats in 5 sets of 10
• 50 body-weight dips in 5 sets of 10

Information on how to perform these exercises can be found at sites like menshealth.com and weightlifting.com.

Find out what to do about that lunch you missed in Taking a Break pt. 2 coming soon.

Source: American College of Sports Medicine News Release, June 2005.

I came across some amazing design work from Montreal based artist Tarik Mikou today while searching for inspiration. I felt the need to share. You can see more of his work at www.tarikmikou.com. Enjoy!

Check out this hilarious new sketch from the ladies at S&M. Samantha Fontana and Minna Taylor present S&M, a new series of comedic web shorts that challenges the role women play within the comedy community. ADZN took care of the logo. Check them out!

Check out this dope video for Yonkers from Tyler, The Creator off of his upcoming album Goblin. I’m not sure if I’ve seen a better example of minimalism to depict such insanity before. Stylistically, it’s beautiful. The use of soft focus contrasting with stark silhouettes and haunting imagery creates some interesting visual tension as Tyler descends deeper and deeper into chaos. I’ve never been a “shock rap,” connoisseur, however I’ve been reading a lot about Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All lately and musical tastes aside, these guys are doing something I don’t think I’ve seen before. Respect.

Hello and welcome to the ADZN blog, an online collection of the work and ideas of Brooklyn artist and designer, Adam Dalton. Please check back daily for ramblings about design, music, and culture or head over to the studio for a glimpse into the process of making cool shit. Thanks for stopping by!