About: An obsessive-compulsive post about the aesthetics of order, finding the happy accident in a seemingly worthless item, and Pippi Longstocking.

“I am a thing-finder, and when you’re a thing-finder, you don’t have a minute to spare.” Pippi tells Tommy and Annika one day.
“A thing-finder, what’s that?” asks Tommy
”Someone who finds things, of course,” says Pippi. “The whole world is full of things, and somebody has to find them. And that’s what a thing-finder does.”

Astrid Lindgren, 1945, Pippi Longstocking

Pippi Longstocking isn’t the only thing-finder. We all find things, especially on Sundays, at flea markets. The last time I visited one, arms loosely crossed behind the back, slowly shuffling but scanning like hell the worn-out chaos, I felt like sweeping it all up with a big broom. Not so much because I found nothing, but because in a flash the holy Maät offered me a glimpse of a beautiful field without the slightest bit of clutter.

Michael Johansson, Rubiks Kök, 2007

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Some believe that creativity is about getting rid of structure, and letting a thousand flowers bloom. At Base, we think that at least a minimum of structure is necessary to unlock people’s minds and generate fresher ideas. Our ‘not so typical workweek’ consists therefore of several key moments during which we exchange thoughts to keep up the creative work.

On Monday mornings, we kick off the week with our ‘challenge’ meeting, in which everyone picks a high-priority todo for the week.  Yes, a fresh start calls for a new challenge! This can be personal or professional: that one logo you want to finish, or going for a long run to get it going on. In this way, everyone also knows what’s happening in the studio.

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So here I am on the train going home. Belgium that is. My family. For one day. When a sudden change of plans comes up: fashion is pulling a last minute trick on me again. I’m not writing to complain and will never do so. I’m writing to explain how the fashion world works. Some of you know, others do not (yet).

I’m Hannelore, member of “the old topmodels”. … more

Base founding partners Dimitri Jeurissen and Thierry Brunfaut will be recounting tales about…

Specializing in not specializing.
Going international.
Seducing New York City through carwashes.
Entrepreneurial spirit.
The new generation of Base.

And much more…

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Tickets here: http://aigany.org/events/details/12P6/

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Event information:

Base Talks Base: From Museums to Sex Shops

Wednesday 14 March 2012
6:30–8:30PM

Tishman Auditorium – Parsons
66 West 12th Street
New York, NY 10016

English summary: The largest cultural center in Madrid, La Casa Encendida launches its brand new website today. Designed by BaseDesign, it provides an expanded experience for the visitor, featuring all the social network activities of the center and transforming the website into a new space for exhibitions, opinions and media. With more than 52,000 fans on Facebook and 20,000 on Twitter, La Casa Encendida has flourished in new media and 2.0 experiences.

El centro cultural La Casa Encendida de Madrid renueva su web, contando con el diseño de BaseDesign, actualizándose en el 2.0, las redes sociales y creando una nueva herramienta pensada para sus visitantes y curiosos de la red.

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The new play in town (Brussels) is called “Raymond”, after the colorful Belgian football trainer Raymond Goethals. But the play isn’t about football, and it isn’t about Raymond Goethals neither. It’s a bittersweet bilingual tale about life. About life being a farce, about the small stories hidden behind the big ones. In the words of scriptwriter Thomas Gunzig: “I’ve always wanted to know how people with a ‘great future ahead’ are like, before they experienced that ‘great future’. The play is about a few little somethings, knick-knacks about life, the story of an old man, a legend, rather dead than alive, who tries to understand how you become what you are.”

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This Base story starts back about two years ago. We had just finished redesigning the identity of Wellesley College when Lisa Fischman was appointed as the new director of the school’s museum, The Davis.

Looking to bring a new perspective to the museum, Lisa hired Base to redesign its visual identity. This first assignment involved design in all communication channels, from the main website (in fact, a site within the main Wellesley College site) to its integration into the space itself, a magnificent design by the world-famous architect Rafael Moneo. … more

Everybody likes a good story. So what’s better than a good story? Many good stories! Join Base for its first ever solo speaking engagement on the US soil. Spend an evening with Base founding partners Dimitri Jeurissen and Thierry Brunfaut for the tales behind why the studio consciously chose early on to “specialize in not specializing“. In a fireside chat environment that would do FDR proud, hear about the challenges of not specializing in a given field, opening multiple offices around the world, and what it takes to transform a five-person, familial partnership into a professional company.

Save The Date!
What: From Museums to Sex Shops by Base
When: March 14th, from 6.30 to 8.30PM
- Check-in  6:30-7:00PM
- Presentation 7:00-8:30PM
Where: Tishman Auditorium – Parsons (66 West 12th Street New York, NY 10016)

GET YOUR TICKETS: http://www.aigany.org/events/details/12P6/

For questions, please contact: Carol Juarez ~ carol@basedesign.com

Girls, it stands for something you definitely want!… Discover it on http://store.vplnyc.com/
Boys, it stands for something you’ll enjoy!

This NY story started with the must-have French toast and PJ Harvey’s album, “Let England Shake”. It was with their second track, “The last living Rose”, playing in the background and a lot of funky New Yorkers on the first row, that Victoria Bartlett presented her “VPL” Autumn Winter Collection last Saturday. The show was pretty inspiring!

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