It’s Nice That alert us to Unbound, a rather interesting concept in independent publishing. The spirit of consumer participation in mind, the idea is relatively simple: “Authors pitch their ideas directly to you. If you like what you read, you can pledge your support to help make the book happen. Everyone who supports an author before they reach 100% of the funding target gets their name printed in every edition of that book”.

Their latest release is a double bill from Tibor Fischer ‘Possibly Forty Ships’ and ‘Crushed Mexican Spiders’, two dark tales to squash any remaining Christmas cheer. The reverse/upside down design is a cool touch and it’s hard to argue with a concept that brings reader and author together. Plus it’s nice to see your name in print right.

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Here it is: the Tom Ford’s interview on Oprah Winfrey’s new OWN Network. Follow Mr. Ford through his travels and fittings. Worth a viewing, but catch it before it disappears.

01. Five minutes with… Matthew Dear

“The former is a collaborative EP that sees Dear working alongside Fever Ray producers Van Rivers and the Subliminal Kid, and The Drums’ frontman Jonathan Pierce, while Beams is the full-length follow up to Dear’s acclaimed last album, Black City. As Dear explained to FACT over email, it’s an album with “a bit more hopefulness” than his past work.” (fact)

02. Student Spotlight: Kleenex Desktop Companion

“This project began with a thought to design packaging with designers in mind, so I started to brainstorm for everyday items that could be reimagined and eventually landed upon Kleenex.” (dieline)

03. Corona Beer Board Game

“6 beers and a board game — yet same weight as before. Simply flatten the box into the game, and use your bottle-caps as the game pieces. Dice and game cards are downloaded to your smartphone via scanning the QR code. Only one download is needed for up to 6 people to play. Drink, socialize, and have fun— Corona isn’t just another boring beer company and we’ve got the board to show it.” (potw)

04. Salon by Takara Space Design

“Completed by Tokyo studio Takara Space Design, the three-storey salon joins together two buildings – a former gallery and an old shoe shop.” (dezeen)

Autoblog gives us a full run down on the special edition, 252-hp, Audi A1 Quattro. The sub-compact ultra-performance hatch back from Audi is a great addition to the world of super-charged vehicles: “As its name would imply, the A1 Quattro comes equipped with the automaker’s legendary all-wheel-drive system, with power provided by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder used in theS3. The reworked mill puts out 252 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm – a boost of more than 70 hp and 74 lb-ft over the standard 1.4-liter A1.” #power.

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This is a little outside our remit but we should all broaden our horizons from time to time. The Browser has an intriguing interview with historian Lynn Hunt, who speaks about five great books on the revolution. It’s a long read but it’s Christmas, so it’s not like you’re doing any work. (The Browser)

Singer, songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg is featured on Interview online. Her latest LP, Stage Whisper, was released this month to much acclaim. Dimitri Ehrlick does a great job giving the reader an overview of her career. The followup interview, done over the phone from Brittany is well worth a read.
Photography: Sebastian Kim/ Interview

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Magculture has news of the Coverjunkie’s website first foray into print. The magazine is a roundup of the best covers of 2011, with some you’ve seen and others you’ll want to see. There’s 214 covers in total, so it looks like it’ll be well worth your time if you’re into design. And if you’re not design-obsessed, this works as a catalogue of the year in magazines.

Let’s face it: the cap options for the winter are endless. We happen to love the cable knits more than most, but Esemplare’s simple Cooper cap, while not our preferred pattern is a drop dead simple wool cap in grey. The Bartam on the otherhand hits the nail on the cable knit’s head. It is a bit more extended in the length than the Cooper, so choose wisely. Either way, you cannot go wrong with the quality and build from Esemplare. Buy them online.

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A ronseal book if ever there was one, Visual Storytelling documents the illustration, photography and graphic design that’s used to convey information. It’s a rather niche topic but anyone with an appreciation for graphic design should appreciate it. It’s too late for a Christmas gift though, so just buy it for yourself. Published by Gestalten.

Yes, it is a big bag – a tote, in fact. Boston’s Scottie Big Bags add to the enormous list of  made in the U.S.A. tote bags with their own variant. Big enough to stuff just about anything and with a shoulder strap to boot, the bag comes in at a friendly $80. Duck canvas, of course. We love Boston.

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