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This past weekend the studio hosted an intro course to screenprinting. We had ten students join us for an afternoon of printing at the new Steadfast Supply Market at the Navy Yard. We got down and dirty while learning the basics of screenprinting. We covered paint choices, the best types of screens to use, squeegees, paper and the stencil-making process. Students were given the opportunity to make their own print compositions using six patterns that we supplied. It was so good seeing what folks came up with!

If you missed this class don’t fret! We’re hosting another screenprinting class on November 12^th from 1pm–3pm. You can snag your ticket here.

Our classes are great for anyone interested in learning the basics of screenprinting. Perfect for groups and buddies too! We supply you with all the materials & snacks. All you have to do is show up! As a bonus treat, all participants will enjoy a 10% discount on all Nh.d Studio items for sale at Steadfast that day.

Don’t forget to Sign up for the studio’s newsletter to get all the latest event details.

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This summer we had the privilege of working alongside Virginia Arrisueno of DeNada Design and her husband Kelly Towles of Holy Bones on the design and fabrication of the Steadfast Supply market in the Navy Yard neighborhood of SE. Nh.d Studio was brought on board to help with branding and to lead the conceptual design and fabrication of the interior space. It was a great opportunity to expand on the woodworking and interior design work that the studio has been focused on recently.

The Steadfast team wanted to evoke a sense of intrigue and provide an interactive experience as customers move through the space. The basic need was to showcase the rotating goods of the numerous local artisans whose beautiful and handmade products are the centerpiece of the market. We also wanted to make the space easily accessible and have an open and inviting setting. It was an opportunity to do something new in the DC pop-up market scene by taking inspiration from overseas: similar spaces may be found in urban settings across Europe and Asia. Our challenge was to do all of this within a functional space in which the products take center stage.

The fabrication consisted mainly of OSB and various plywoods. The foundational and most prominent design fixtures are cubes of varying heights that serve as platforms to showcase the goods and products. They also photograph really well! Detailed geometric latticework appears on the cash-wrap fixture while several hanging pendant lights greet customers into the space. For extra detail, we hot glued very small dowel rods together to create small cubes to be placed on surfaces throughout the market. It’s been fun to see how the brands are using these cubes to add pop to their displays.

Because the market showcases a range of products from fashion to home goods and personal products, we designed fixtures that are adaptable to wide array of items. Numerous circular and octagonal tables of various heights and wall shelving provide the most flexible display solutions. Taking it to the next level, finishing details gave the fixtures an elevated look and feel. Copper was integrated throughout the space in our clothes hangers and foil-stamped business cards, flyers and bags to add to Steadfast’s sense of elegance.

If you’re interested in learning more about the work we did for the Steadfast Supply market or want to inquire about having us do custom work for you, let us know. We’d be happy to meet you!

All photos by Farrah Skeiky of Dim Sum Media

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Back in September Mike was invited to speak at The European Conference of Iranian Studies held at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I tagged along and while we he was doing his thing I took the opportunity to reach out to a few design studios to get a peek inside someone else’s creative space. One of the studios I was lucky to meet with was All Design Transparent (ADESTRA). I met with the studio’s founder Anastasia Yakovleva for coffee at a local cafe and talked with her about her studio and design background before heading over to see the space.

The studio was charming and full of design inspiration. She shared some of the projects she was working on which included corporate branding projects and logos as well as design work she was doing for her own wedding. It was great meeting the team and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to see like-minded designers in a new place. I definitely encourage reaching out to designers and studios when traveling. It’s a great way to make connections and to see how others work. It also makes your travels all the richer.

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For as long as I can remember my parents have grown their own vegetables and herbs when they can. There’s nothing like the taste of food grown in a garden. This summer I decided to grow some stuff of my own, so I set out to build a raised bed garden in the woods. Besides the gardening aspect of all this – it was an opportunity for another woodworking project and to build something…again. I snagged some wood and screws and used my circular saw. That’s about it. All in all it took about three hours to complete from start to finish. Here are some photos of the process. Since I’m trying this out in a heavily wooded area I wasn’t sure if there would be enough sunlight to pull this off. It’s been about five weeks since my tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs were planted and so far they’re loving it and growing tall! Wohooo!!!

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To help kick off the summer Nh.d Studio recently hosted an AIGA Office Hours event at our space. Roughly fifteen emerging graphic designers and graphic design students were invited for an informal Q&A session to ask Nathan questions about the studio’s process, the business side of design and general shop talk. Some of the questions he covered were about producing the Design Intercourse podcast, juggling multiple types of projects and what keeps the studio inspired. Nathan was also joined by Kaleena Porter, a freelance designer, to share insight about managing a design practice, how we both acquire new business and how to stay organized through it all. It was a great turn out! Thanks AIGA for the opportunity!

You can find out more about the Office Hours events at the AIGA DC website. If you’re not already a member you can find out more about membership here and ways to get involved here.  

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This was my second time in LA and I’m definitely in love. From the shops on Abbot Kinney in Venice, to the artists hanging out selling stuff, it was a fantastic weekend full of very inspiring stuff!

Anyone interested in artist-produced publications, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines should absolutely plan on visiting the fair. It’s generally held the end of Jan/beginning of Feb. The LA fair is housed in a 40,000 square feet space filled with as much art and graphic design as you can stand. If you can’t make it to the LA fair you can always hit up the NY book fair at the MOMA PS1 in the fall.

In 2013 I participated as a vendor at the first Book Fair installment in LA, so it was great seeing visiting and seeing some familiar faces. Jimmy from Jimmy the Zine, Eddie of Eddie Fake and the Gaylor Phenix series, the folks at Hammer Museum, and tons more with lots of great stuff.The best thing about these events is the concentration of art, design energy and experimentation in on place. So many things to look at and sift through. I was able to add some new books my collection including a copy of Invalid Format – a book designed by Project Projects; a journal documenting the online journal of Triple Canopy. It’s chocked full of sweet typography combinations and mix satisfying horizontal and vertical layouts.

In addition to the book fair, I think what I loved the most about my weekend, was as all the food I ate. One of the places I visited was Gjusta, a european-style bakery–deli & cafe off Sunset Avenue in Venice. Almost everything is made in-house including several varieties of smoked salmon, croissants, fresh baked bread, pies, scones the list goes on.

There’s a very smooth laid back style about the place, like the muted colors, natural wood and marble. Even the bathrooms showed attention to detail with antique, turn of the century hardware. My lox and capers came delivered on pewter plate and my chew mild latte came in hand-thrown pottery mug. I also noticed folks eating a decadent parfait served in delicate glass bowls with gold rimmed tops. All of it was beautiful and very well done. There is no seating area in the bakery, just a huge wrap-around marble slab to stand around and enjoy your food while hanging out. There’s a courtyard area in the back of the cafe for those that want to chill for a bit underneath a huge tree surrounded by plastic milk crates to sit on. It’s an awesome mixture of casual style.

If my roots weren’t planted here in DC, I’d most likely be perched somewhere in LA. Can’t wait to head back for more.

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Two years ago I started experimenting with woodworking as a hobby. I wanted to be more involved with craft and craftsmanship as a way to learn new things, but also as a way to inform what I was doing in my day-to-day client work. I’m also really intrigued with the possible ways of incorporating the digital aspect of what I do in my woodworking.

The idea that something handmade has been touched, carved, sanded and shaped by someone using various tools is compelling. All handmade objects have a story, and I’m going to attempt to tell the story of how I began and what I get out of it. Almost everyone has the ability to make. It’s something that’s ingrained in our deepest psyche. Some of us are more successful at starting a self-initiated project and some of us need more encouragement. Either way, making can be a great way to express yourself in a unique and genuine way. If you haven’t made it part of your plan for this year, then I highly encourage you to think about it.

For the past several years I’ve also been involved in making posters and illustrations using screenprinting (also something I taught myself over time) and have a pretty decent set-up at my studio here in Petworth. However, I was craving something new – something challenging in a different way. I’ve always loved the idea of sculpting and creating three-dimensional objects. Woodworking seemed to be the thing that would let me create some of the pieces that filled my sketchbook. This year, like many of us, I have lots of 2016 resolutions. One of them is to find more time to make. I also want to make things together as a “community.” Making in social groups can be a powerful way of connecting in more meaningful ways. The more I learn about working with wood the more I can share my experiences. Right now I know just enough to make me somewhat dangerous.

My love for woodworking started with an idea I had for making an oversize popsicle. I’ve made and sold several of these guys and that’s where I really got my start. You can view that project here. I had the sketches and plan set, all I needed was a few necessary tools to get going. I needed a bandsaw and a belt sander. I had some other basic tools like a hand sander, a Dremel and some other handheld tools, but this would require a bit more. My budget was roughly $300, so I made some advance sales to raise the funds for the Popsicles. It was the perfect project to start with. It was complicated enough for me to stay challenged, but easy enough for me to accomplish in a short period of time. I had set out to make and teach myself a new skill and I’d done it. I think it’s so important, no matter what you do during the day, to find ways to make and learn something new.

Recently I’ve felt the need for an actual space to do my woodworking in. For the past year I’ve been working in the basement of my county retreat. This is the place I get a chance to slow down, think up new projects, and make things. However, working inside the house was not the best solution. If you’ve ever done any woodworking you know that dust gets everywhere and covers every surface. When we purchased the cabin there was a fairly decent sized shed on the property. It was filled with dingy paint cans (filled with the tackiest of colors), old lumber, an abused antique couch and a bunch of other things that didn’t do me any good. Recently I had a ton of things hauled away from the house and decided to take the opportunity and clear the shed out too. What I found was an impeccable floor, solid walls and clean surfaces. I was shocked! From the outside it looked like a dilapidated mess. Fortunately for me, it was big enough to house all my equipment and just enough room for me to move around. So I did the obvious thing. I cleaned it up and went to work. I set up my equipment and ran some extension cords for lighting and power and got to work creating a new space for making. I was about to turn a little shack in the woods into a little shop in the woods.

Here’s a sneak peek at a latest piece I’ve been working on in this humble little shop in the woods. The shape is based on some sketches I’ve been working on for some time now, and I wanted to see how it would look in wood. I’ve also done some rearranging in my DC studio and there’s a wall that this would be perfect on. That’s generally how I start projects – by a need. The piece will eventually be a combination of organic and geometric shapes, layers on top of one another and painted with various saturated hues. The largest part of the piece will be unpainted. I really love the texture and variation the wood has to show, so I just sealed it with some semi-gloss polyurethane. Part of my inspiration for projects like this usually starts with a desire to fill a space or wall in a room. I like filling empty spaces and so this is where my projects like this are born.

I think it’s important to recognize and understand how the creative community is changing and how creative people are making things today. We’re living in a fantastic, energetic and creative era. Never before has so much technology and knowledge been accessible for the taking. Passing this up seems like a true shame. Every day new makers are emerging and knowledge is being shared. I truly encourage you to be part of this revolution of making. Create space and time to learn and imagine something new for 2016.

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I am way too preoccupied with the red alerts on my phone. One might call it sad; another might say it is nirvana. I will swipe away emails or open apps just so the red alert will disappear and cleanup my screen space. This fixation is enough to entertain me for hours (in addition to toilet paper rolls). I am fixated on having what I need, when I need it and without the distractions or nuisances.

I carry over my frenzy for organization to my design file space. I have saved all my files on my laptop and external in the same manner and with the same names. I have different folders for each project and every design phase. A big lesson for every design student or professional is to stay organized. Organization includes folders, file names, packaging and linking. The struggle is to find the right method for oneself but also for times when one has to share with peers or clients. And in the design world, there are repeat organization offenders that might need to rethink their computer life.

Justin McClure seems to have a similar viewpoint and has created ‘Get Your Sh*t together’ in response. While ‘GYST’ has a pretty comedic video with a call to action, they also provide useful resources for naming conventions for your files, an appropriate file system, and After Effects folder scripts that individuals can download for free. If those resources do not appease you, then Oleg Mokhov has solid advice for folder control.

Once your design organization is in place, we can sit down and talk about your disturbingly neglected 12,000-email phone inbox.

References:
McClure, Justin. “Get Your Sh*t Together.” Justin McClure Creative. JustinMcClure.com, n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.
Mokhov, Oleg. “5 Effective Ways to Keep Your Files Under Control.” Hongkiatcom. Hongkiat, n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.

Mark Delboy is the studio’s intern this summer and aside from contributing to the blog he’s also the usually driving the music selections too. Mark is currently pursuing a BFA degree in Digital Media Design at the Corcoran School of the Arts + Design at George Washington University. You can catch some of his work on Behance.

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