I’m headed out to the world-renowned TED conference early tomorrow morning– I received an invite for last year’s event but unfortunately wasn’t able to attend. I had plenty of warning this time around and I’ve honestly never been this excited for a conference in my life! If you’re unfamiliar with the event, be sure to check out this great introduction where curator Chris Anderson calls it The Official Pre-release Version of Heaven (check out the TEDTalks and you’ll know why people say this). The theme for this years event is Icons, Geniuses and Mavericks– I’m looking forward to seeing presentations from folks like Jeff Han, Philippe Starck, Hans Rolsing, John Maeda, Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, Zaha Hadid and literally dozens more. I’ll do my best to blog my experience while out there but I can’t make any promises– I’ve got a full schedule! From TED in California I’m headed to speak at Community 2.0 in Las Vegas on Monday and Tuesday of next week. If you’re going to be at either one of these events and want to meet up feel free to drop me a note.

Jon Stetzen, a designer at the Brooklyn based studio Standard Motion, is now distributing some of his awesome limited edition concert poster prints through Insound, my favorite online indie music retailer (and force behind the “Save the Album” campaign). Stetzen, along with other great artists/designers like Scott McPherson and Cole Gerst, only has a few up for grabs (for bands such as Cold War Kids and Sufjan Stevens), and they all look like great quality, reasonably priced prints (about $13-20 each). I’m crossing my fingers that the plan is to keep adding to the selection– right now there’s only 19 to choose from– because buying a band’s posters and music at the same time sounds like a killer one-stop shopping opportunity.

A week or so ago, I wrote about the (LESS) campaign– a ‘buy less crap’ response to the well-intentioned but mostly ineffective (RED) campaign to which the likes of Bono, Oprah, the Gap and Apple have subscribed. I want to thank you all for the comments you sent in in response to my post. I also wanted to share this clip from CNN that speaks to the tension between the (RED) campaign and responses from non-profits like (LESS). The gist of the story is that despite the widespread public perception that (RED) is effective — most likely due to the media blitz that accompanied (RED) — the campaign has been far more expensive to implement and market ($100M) than the donations that have resulted ($18M). As before, I encourage you all to leave comments with your opinions about this topic. What’s the most effective way to conduct important fundraising campaigns? Are these (RED) companies serious about making significant contributions, or are they more concerned with the PR exposure? I’m excited to hear your thoughts.

A week ago, Billy Bananas “Shooting Blanks Edition” was unveiled at NY Comic Con as a collaboration between INTERspectacular and Thunderdog Studios (Tristan Eaton particularly). It was the first of a blind chase assortment that they’ll be releasing throughout this Spring. You may recognize Mr. Bananas from Comedy Central– he’s quite the character– a ladies man, a butcher, a scenester and a moocher! These 5″ tall toys will be available exclusively through Thunderdog Studios, so keep checking back with them if you’re interested in these limited edition goodies– I’d say they are a must for you devout toy collectors out there.

Ekrem is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer from Sydney– he is from where Europe meets Asia – world maps out – He is the one multiplied by many. He is multiplied but he is not many, he remains one. He’s been active in the design game since 2002, working as an art director, illustrator, and design consultant for a wide array of clients around the world. ‘Multi-talented’ is the word that comes to mind when I see Ekrem’s work. His luminescent pieces above, entitled “Lady of Lichens” and “Baroque Nova Ascension 02″ respectively, are some of my favorites– they give off that lofty, mystical feeling. Check out Onemultiplied to get a full taste of his talent.

Designer Meg Golden in definitely doing her part– she’s working to raise $10,000 to go towards providing education to poor disadvantaged orphans in Uganda, most of whose parents have died from Aids, a well known and dire issue for the African Continent. Meg, a traditionally trained designer, has created almost 100 custom donation boxes she’s placed in a variety of, stores, businesses, and other locations throughout NYC to raise the money. She is planning to produce a book on the trip to further generate awareness for what it’s really like in Uganda, much like ‘kids with cameras’ did for the film Born Into Brothels. Her efforts are moving forward and we’re always happy to support these types of efforts– especially when they espouse good ways to share their progress, experiences, and mission. Pop by her site to make a donation… Best of luck Meg!

Reminiscent of most college dorm rooms worldwide, the witty design group Atypyk (always thirsty for ideas) just announced their latest product: The 6 Pack Vase. The small, probably plastic accessory piece holds the half dozen used beer cans together, adding a design element to what is usually considered trash. I have to admit it actually makes it look pretty decent– especially the color of the stems against the green cans. Would I pay for this? Not likely– but Atypyk, the same clever designers that brought us the Christmas Tree Poster and concealed gun shirts, always make me think twice about other uses for items I see and interact with on a day to day basis.

Blend Bob Dylan and Dr. Seuss, and you have our attention. Dylan Hears a Who is a compilation of seven ‘Dylan sings Seuss’ songs, including my favorites “Green Eggs and Ham” and “McElligot’s Pool.” I have just decided that if and when I have children, these will be the first songs they hear. From a parenting perspective, I don’t think you can do any better than a Dylan/Seuss mix. You can stream or download all of the songs here. [thanks for the tip Momma Spear!]

Our pals over at Cool Hunting have a great video about Jose Parla– they explore the artwork and thought process of what appears to be a pure genius. Coincidentally they were at the opening of Cityscape in Miami with us– but I would have never guessed they were secretly producing a mini-feature on the man himself! As an owner and long-time fan of Parla’s work, I have to say seeing him work live never seizes to amaze me– he is humble, thoughtful and inspiring. Check this video out, I think you will agree!

We've covered Hugo Danti before. Now we're back to tell you about his unique delivery mode for olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. The Seasoning Vein allows you to enjoy the aesthetic of seasonings, allowing you to view quality and the beauty of the product with the eye, not just the palate. Danti describes his different delivery system achieved with his Seasoning Vein: “the olive oil by being a thicker liquid comes out thru an open vein allowing the user to see it sliding and admire its purity.” The illustrations, done by graphic designer friend Roberto Hernandez, are a styling of the corresponding content for each piece of the set. This ceramic set comes with a transparent tray, as to not overcome the design of the objects within the Seasoning Vein set.

Once upon a time, just a couple years ago, there was Niagara. A Swedish company had developed Niagara as an herbal love enhancement supplement for women– and it was huge! I remember it being all over the news. These bubbly blue bottles of love disappeared fast; all because a certain pharmaceutical company felt it threatened one of their big earners, the tiny blue pill for men known as Viagra. But blue isn't just for boys. We came across the men from Sweden bearing these blue bottles recently, and ta da! Niagara had been reborn– as Nexcite. Nexcite's label is more exciting than Niagara's with their very cute little love bunny in a better position and other subtle updates that really make a difference from a branding perspective. Nexcite comes not only in the traditional “split” size, but also in a Magnum bottle for those of you who like to party like rockstars. As far as I'm concerned, it's bubbly, controversial, and fun in the late night. So I’d say it's time to get excited about Nexcite's soft rebranding launch– it’ll be more fun than Red Bull.