Train not plane and four other finds

Five Finds is a monthly collection of five inspiring things we deemed worthy of sharing. If you’d like inspiration in your inbox each month sign up here.

Map’s, travel and best-bits

I’ll be the first to admit that this month’s collection of finds is eclectic but maybe it’s a reflection of my mind right now. I seem to be jumping from one thing to the other. With a few projects wrapping up and some new ones starting, I’m finding it hard to concentrate on one task at a time. I’m blaming the heat (insert Tour De France, Glastonbury highlights, The Ashes) as a distraction. Hopefully there is something in here that will inspire you – or at least distract you too so I don’t feel so bad!

Keith / Founder

 
Singer Rick Astley singing in a light blue suit against a black background.

Image: Still from ‘Glastonbury Rick Astley & Blossoms perform The Smiths | BBC’ © BBC

This Charming Man

The ‘Never Gonna Give Up’ star’s surprise set with Blossoms was one of my Glastonbury highlights. Cheered along with the crowd – in what was essentially a giant karaoke party in a tent – he belted out hit-after-hit from The Smiths’ back catalogue.

 
An animation of a children's drawing in a frame.

Image: © My Kid Made

One for the gallery wall

We’re brutal in our house. Not all of our son’s artwork makes it to the gallery wall. Let’s be honest, some of the PVA and pasta drawings that come back from nursery just aren’t great. But sometimes he’ll bring back something that’s truly brilliant. That’s where My Kid Made come in. They transform children’s art into fine art giclée prints to be framed and cherished for years to come.

 
Satellite view of Japan with "MARRY ME" written in yellow across the islands, and a red heart drawn over Hokkaido connected by a dotted yellow line.

Image: Still from ‘How an artist used Google Earth to craft a record-setting wedding proposal’ © Google

GP-Yes?

This is super old but I’d never seen it before. In 2008, Tokyo resident and GPS artist Yasushi ‘Yassan’ Takahashi knew he wanted to propose to his girlfriend, Natsuki. And he had a plan…

 
Website screenshot showing a map of Europe with Copenhagen highlighted, detailing recycled plastic production from meat packaging waste.

Image: Screenshot of Products of Place website © Space10

Leftovers

Ikea’s design Lab, Space10, have created an interactive map that highlights locally abundant materials in cities and regions across the globe. It uses AI to source the materials and generate an approximation of a plate made from the waste materials. The aim is to encourage designers to produce tableware from materials that are more readily available in their local region, reducing product miles and lowering emissions.

 
A red and cream cogwheel train travels along a track on a green hillside in the Swiss Alps, with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Image: © Janita Top

Train not plane

Byway create travel and accommodation packages away from the traditional tourist trails, using trains, bikes, buses and ferries instead of planes. It’s perfect for travellers becoming aware of the impact of air travel on the climate or if you just fancy enjoying a slower way to travel.

 

Studio news
Ordnance Survey – Learning & Development branding

A warm-hearted new direction for an iconic British brand

Ordnance Survey is an iconic British brand with more than a hundred years’ heritage. We’re fans at Lark — there’s a collection of OS Explorer maps, complete with rainproof cover and integrated compass, in the studio library. So this project, for the OS Learning and Development team, was a proper treat. Faced with rolling out a new company-wide programme, the department wanted to build on the existing OS brand to create something that would engage employees and show off their values and culture.

 

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A Tate trip