Friday Finds 7.31.09

Sarah: Ukrainian Urban Crossword Architecture

Talk about fostering community and activating urban space: Lvov City in Ukraine has a city-wide crossword game in the works, revolving around a 100-foot high puzzle painted on the side of a residential building. Clues are placed around the city at different cultural landmarks (fountains, museums, monuments), so tourists and locals alike can take the challenge as they make their way around town. During the day the puzzle on the wall appears to be completely unsolved, but at night, letters light up in the blank spaces, revealing the answers. People gather there each evening to see how well they've done. Brilliant! (via Wooster Collective -- which is a site worth following in itself.)

Aaron: Sight Unseen

Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov, both former editors at I.D. Magazine, are starting up a design site called Sight Unseen. I met Jill when I was in Switzerland this spring, and if anyone has her head in the design game it's her. As of today their website is still in progress and shows only their Twitter feed, but the tweets are worth a look as a sneak preview and you won't have to wait long to see the full site. Sight Unseen's logo and online newsletter form go live this Monday, August 3! The whole thing shouldn't be too far behind.

Jordan: Mobile Dining by Link

It's been a while since I hosted a dinner party at my place, but wow does this Mobile Dining from Japanese design team Link make me want to round up some pals, stick a roast in the oven, eat, drink, and be merry. For a small space, it's a genius design that not only stows the entirety of a (really long!) table, but also offers storage for all your tableware. (via Spoon & Tomago)

Tiffany: Spezify

When looking for visual inspiration, Google Images, with their thin blue borders and stiff grid, just don't do it for me. I stumbled upon Spezify this week and was instantly blown away by the beauty and elegance of their search aggregation: Instead of an ordered Type-A-person list, images ripple onto my screen in a gorgeous mosaic meant for the creatively-minded.  Founded in Stockholm, Spezify went from beta to officially online in mid-June, and currently culls from Amazon, Yahoo, Twitter, eBay, MSN and Flickr. It will make your eyes happy in the middle of the daily 9-5 computer screen marathon.  (P.S. - You will need Flash Player for this)

Ashley: Kimberly Hennessy drawings

Kimberly Hennessy's drawings caught my eye this week and I love them for their summery spirit. A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a Masters in painting, Hennessy is clearly off to a solid start with her art career. Her site showcases numerous galleries of her work. Check it out. (via Aesthetic Outburst)

Miyoko: Charley Harper and Habitat Skateboards

Habitat Skateboards has just launched a line of Charley Harper decks that are graphically bold and brightly colored. In conjunction with Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, tonight (Friday, July 31). Check out the decks online at Habitat's site or if you're near Cincy, go see them in person. (via The Scout)