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What is designy things?

designy things is dedicated to lovely objects, from kitchen gadgets to personal accessories, that demonstrate a combination of beauty and function. Use it as a gift guide, eye candy, or a way to kill a few minutes while waiting for someone who is late.

Who is designy things?

Rita Catinella Orrell has been writing about design for almost 20 years, covering interior design, home furnishings, kitchen and bath design, and architectural building products. She was the founding editor of SNAP, a quarterly building products magazine, and has written and edited articles for Contract Design, HFN, ENR, and Architectural Record, among other publications. She launched designythings.com in 2011 as a curated list of gifts, gadgets, and gear for consumers. In 2013 she launched architectstoybox.com, a resource for architects and designers looking for the latest building products. She has a M.A. in Creative Writing from CUNY Queens College and her chapbook Stuck in the Dream Wheel was published by Finishing Line Press in 2005. Her first book on product design, Objects of Desire: A Showcase of Modern Erotic Products and the Creative Minds Behind Them was published in March 2016 by Schiffer Publishing. For more info, please visit www.ritacatinellaorrell.com.

Please tell me about the designy things logo.

The designy things logo was designed by Jason Scuderi using the Paperclip font. According to the font’s designer, Jan Schmoeger of Paragraph, “this decorative headline geometric font contains only lowercase letter forms. The shapes of lowercase letters are ‘triangular’ while their uppercase counterparts are ‘square’. As the name implies, the shapes are derived from bending paperclips. The idea occurred to me during a very long afternoon in an office, very long time ago. The font works best at large sizes, short words, short headlines.”