Each year, designers and fans anxiously await the start of the Layer Tennis season. 2009 was no different, as Coudal Partners, a Chicago ad and design agency, kicked off a series of live online design events in which professionals trade designs back and forth in real-time, building on top of their opponent’s work. A third party offers commentary which is often whimsical as well as inspiring and unpredictable. The audience can comment during the actual match as well as vote for a winner afterward, all using Twitter. This current season started on February 3 and was held every Friday ending May 29. We are currently in the playoffs in which you can find our featured designer, Sam Potts facing off against Aaron Draplin this Friday, June 12.

In this second season (of its current incarnation), we wanted to get an idea of the impact Layer Tennis has on the participants and the design community at large. Could we find a pattern in the tools or techniques used? What sort of pressures do they face when the ball in in their court and the clock is ticking? Keep reading for the interview…

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Loving these new metal spun planters by Pad Outdoor. Each are hand spun recycled aluminum, which makes them ultra-lightweight (made in the USA) and sexy. Yes, I just called a planter sexy. They’re available in six different colors and launch at Dwell on Design show in LA in a few weeks and the NY gift show in August. No word yet on pricing.

$8.99 for a keyboard on your bike handles. Very rad. Via Swiss Miss

Art on the Internet is permanent in many ways, yet ephemeral in others. Things sell out, pictures are removed, sites fade away, links get broken. There's also a lot of art out there that's not meant to last forever. Maybe it gets lost or worn out or removed or eaten up. Doodlesplatter was born out of a desire to present a complete, centralized “artkive” of the work of Jon Burgerman. With just a few clicks, you'll see Jon illustrate that any surface can be a canvas. Whether you're sick on a plane (airplane vomit bag) or stuck in the rain (umbrella collab with SIZE?), Jon's doodles are there to captivate and bring cheer. Doodlesplatter catalogs over 300 items from Jon’s expansive portfolio, with options to search by medium, use and year. The frequently updated blogography features doodles by Jon exclusive to the project, the infamous lost Doodle Beat interview, brilliant web design by The Neon Hive and a complete case of OCD by me.