Changethethought

Fun, vibrant, colorful work in the portfolio of Smatik.

More about Smatik:
“André SMATIK Ljosaj is a graphic designer and available for hire. He was born in Leverkusen/ Germany near the chemical factory Bayer. He received his university degree in Communication Design in 2008. He also has a apprenticeship as Lithographer, worked vor several companies like Tribal DDB and Just.Us & Friends before and during his studies at the University Of Applied Sciences in Augsburg. He had an intense time as DJ and graffiti artist. His influences reach from music, graffiti, skateboarding, streetart, conceptart and architecture to his wife and daughter.”

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Illustration, Smatik

Nice typography from Fabian Jochen Kanzler. Minimal type just looks good in German doesn’t it? It makes sense somehow, especially when it is used to list some of life’s essential ingredients.

written by Christopher | tags: Fabian Jochen Kanzler, Germany, Graphic Design, Typography

Projekt Triangle has a website that kind of drove me nuts at first but when I finally landed on and discovered their exceptional work, I was glad I held out for it. So to spare you, I am linking their work directly here. I can’t tell you much about them because their site is in German but their work speaks for itself.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Projekt Triangle, Typography

Their website may take a little patience but I’ll be damned if there isn’t some just downright awesome work up for viewing pleasure at the oh-so-German Gunter Rambow. There are some real diamonds in that mine. Big shiny ones.

Not to mention the fact that they could start a kick-ass German speed metal band and not even have to change their name.

written by Christopher | tags: Exhibition, Germany, Graphic Design, Gunter Rambow, Typography

I am a sucker for the really dirty looking collage-style graphic design. You don’t see as many people doing it these days. I think it kind of had it’s day already because for a while there it seemed everyone was doing it. And I was one of those people, with no apologies because I loved creating that kind of work.

So, I was stoked to stumble upon the work of Thomas Schostok who goes by the name THS. It’s everything I love about that style minus the fluff with a pop-relevant twist.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Illustration, THS

HelloMe is the portfolio of German designer Till Wiedeck. He has some really clean and beautiful work in his book and the clincher is the typefaces he has created. I would love to get my hands on those. Till works in all areas of graphic design including corporate identity, editorial, typography, print, illustration as well as animation, web and exhibition. He considers his site not just a place to showcase his client work but also somewhere to experiment and collaborate.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Till Wiedeck, Typography

Frankfurt-based Adrian Niessler and Catrin Altenbrandt have updated their portfolio at Pixelgarten. I was sure I had written about them before but better late than never. Great work in their book.

written by Christopher | tags: Frankfurt, Germany, Graphic Design, Pixelgarten, Print

Johan Lorbeer is a German street performer who has become famous over the last few years for his impromptu and seemingly impossible street ‘still life’ performances. He stands in a relaxed state suspended as if on an invisible platform above the street as onlookers crowd around him. As far as I can tell he doesn’t really talk to anyone although he does look at the crowd. His refusing to verbally communicate with the crowd heightens the anticipation of what is happening and sometimes inspires people to reach out and touch him just to confirm what they are seeing is real.  It’s an interesting idea and I am always a fan of anything that inspires people to wonder. Even if it is only for a moment. If you can spark people’s imagination you have reminded them they are alive. I love that.

You can read see a brief video of one of his performances, see more images and read more about him here.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Germany, Johan Lorbeer, Performance Art

Interesting work at Lowerground from German motion and graphics designer Timo Boese.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Lowerground, Motion Graphics

Juliane Eirich was born in Munich, Germany in 1979. After some internships in Miami she went on to study at the Academy of Photographic design in Munich. Upon graduating she did a stint in New York then on to Honolulu. She now lives in Seoul, South Korea due to a scholarship of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).

She is an astute observer of humanity’s impact on our planet. Her images are quiet and subtle highlighting contemplative barren landscapes.

Beautiful work.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Juliane Eirich, Photography, South Korea

German Illustrator/Artist Mario Wagner is responsible for generating a lot of hotness. That hotness has been bottled by clients like Adidas, Sony, Vanity Fair, Vice Magazine, Nylon Magazine, Wallpaper, The New York Times, Esquire and Playboy. He has also exhibited his unique collages the world over including a recent show at Fifty 24 SF.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Germany, Illustration, Mario Wagner

Heiko is a German artist and illustrator based in Heidelberg, Germany. Coincidentally, I believe Heidelberg is the same city in which my Aunt-in-law lives with her husband who works as a Doctor there. Small world.

Heiko lives there with his wife Lilly Piri who is also an artist. He is currently available for commisions. You can keep track of his exhibitions and artistic endeavours at his blog. He also has an online store where you can purchase prints of his work. Please be sure to drop him a line if you are in the market for an illustrator with a unique style.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Germany, Heiko, Illustration, The state of things

According to Hort’s website:

“HORT began its inhabitance back in 1994, under the previous stage name of EIKES GRAFISCHER HORT. Who the hell is Eike? Eike is the creator of HORT. HORT – a direct translation of the studio’s mission. A creative playground. A place where ‘work and play’ can be said in the same sentence. An unconventional working environment. Once a household name in the music industry. Now, a multi-disciplinary creative hub. Not just a studio space, but an institution devoted to making ideas come to life. A place to learn, a place to grow, and a place that is still growing. Not a client execution tool. HORT has been known to draw inspiration from things other than design.”

Their website might drive you crazy, just click the ‘next’ and ‘previous’ buttons in the upper left hand corner and you’ll make out alright. There is some beautiful work on display and worth trying to mine out of the not exactly user friendly site. Trust in their client roster which includes names like Wallpaper, The New York Times, Universal Music and Nike.

Now go HORT it up.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Hort

Eno Henze was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1978. He was educated in Germany as well. He has also exhibited all over Germany. His work is very unusual as he works in a variety of mediums. I apologize that I cannot tell you more because that was the little I could translate since his site is entirely in German. Art is universal however and you will not need to speak German to appreciate his original work.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Eno Henze, Germany

Bionic Systems has been an inspirational hot-bed on the web for several years now. Previous versions of their site featured animated robots and robust Flash navigation. They have since stripped down their style, as many of us have, and made their website more about their studio work. The studio was established in 1999 by Doris Fürst and Malte Haust and has grown to become a full service design studio. They can be found in Düsseldorf, Germany, working for large global-reaching as well as small boutique brands creating work across all forms of media. If you would like to see there old site full of bells and whistles, you can still find it online here.

written by Christopher | tags: Bionic Systems, Germany, Graphic Design, Web Design

Jörn Kaspuhl is a German Illustrator currently residing in Hamburg. He is studying illustration at the University of Applied Sciences and is expected to graduate in 2008. He has been working as a freelance illustrator since the summer of 2006.

He has created some exceptional work with an interesting style. Although some of the art appears vector, it still retains a hand generated quality and an individual touch that makes it distinctly human. Take a stroll through all the sections of his portfolio because each one is different, but the overall quality of the work is unmistakable. I am sure he will have no trouble finding work after college.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Illustration, Jörn Kaspuhl

Wow, great update full of really spectacular work at Munich-based design studio C100. Really great work from top to bottom.

written by Christopher | tags: c100 Studio, Germany, Graphic Design

Nathanaël Hamon has a great body of work that you can spend ample time sifting through. He currently resides in Germany where after receiving a degree in Art History, he quickly transitioned into his now fulltime passion, Graphic Design.

written by Christopher | tags: Germany, Graphic Design, Nathanaël Hamon, Slang International