Subliminal: Debi van Zyl

Debi van Zyl is a British-born, South African-and-Canadian-raised, LA transplant (whew!), currently working in architecture and exhibition design. When she's not on the job, she's knitting little beastie creatures and creating paper goods, mobiles and designing furniture. She's been knitting beasts for about a year and a half, and is currently trying out knitting some new, more human-like creatures.



What are you currently inspired by?
Clever and elegant reuse of materials (ie: Piet Hein Eek) and Polaroid photos...with the news of Polaroid's demise, I love how everyone is in "Polaroid mode". It reminds us that new technology is not always better.

What websites can you not live without?
Besides all the blogs I have bookmarked (and there are too many to list)...designboom.



What magazine subscriptions do you currently have? (Bonus Q: How many of them do you actually read?)
None, actually...I used to subscribe to Dwell, Marie Claire Maison and an Australian design journal called Artichoke, but I had to stop. I couldn't store all the back issues and I felt guilty getting rid of any them. Now I just buy the ones I want when I want them. I am thinking about subscribing to I.D. magazine, though. These days I am reading it cover to cover.

4. Which designers most inspire you?
Eileen Gray
Eduardo Chillida
Piet Hein Eek
Hella Jongerius



What are your favorite inspirational spots?
The high desert - Joshua Tree, CA - the landscape is very inspiring. Sometimes in my car - the traffic has me sitting for hours, so a lot of day dreaming goes on.

What is your favorite local store?
The SCI-Arc Supply Store, in downtown LA. I still go there to buy stuff, long after graduation.
Tortoise, Venice, CA.
Turpan, Brentwood, CA.

What is your favorite music to work by?
I actually listen to a range of things...and it's never one artist or CD. Also, I listen to old 'This American Life' shows, though mostly I'm tuning out.

What books are you currently reading?
None at the moment, but I just finished "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, which was incredible. And sad.



Any "inspiring" deadlines coming up?
My first wholesale order to an upstart shop in London to be completed in a about two weeks, and then my own personal deadline of launching a new set of knitted creatures (end of July).

Thanks to Debi for the interview!

Subliminal: JHill Design

We are very excited to introduce a new feature to the blog: Subliminal, featuring the designers we love and their influences - big and small. Being that I was inspired by this post on Places I Have Never Been - Jennifer Hill of JHill Design's blog, I am excited to feature her in our first Subliminal post.



Jennifer Hill is a Boston-based graphic designer who started JHill Design five years ago. You most likely know her for her paper line called Places I Have Never Been which revolves around drawings of her imaginary vacations. Besides making products, JHill Design also creates logos, websites, etc.



What are you currently working on?
I'm working on a new card collection which follows the Places I Have Never Been theme, but includes holiday, thank you and hello! cards. I'm also wrapping up 12 new patterns for the 2009 calendar.

What are you currently inspired by?
I've been finishing up my new 2008 collection (to be released in May) and there were some great influences. One of the big ones was Balenciaga's Spring collection, all the crazy florals patterns and those great knee high, black and white gladiator sandals. There is a lot of nature in this series and lots of color, maybe it is because of this looooong winter.

What websites can you not live without?
what would tyler durgan do
design*sponge
i suwanee
yourgirlfriendisugly - the funniest blog EVER



What magazine subscriptions do you currently have? (Bonus Q: How many of them do you actually read?)
oh boy.
subscriptions: lucky, domino, sherman's travel, new york, vogue, elle, vanity fair, portfolio, 7x7, gourmet. I know - it's a lot.

I always read new york magazine each week. I don't read lucky and domino that much, I usually go to them when I'm looking for inspiration for something. I adore elle. So I'd say I read 5 out of 10, browse 3 and 2 stay on the shelf til they are needed.

What are your favorite inspirational spots?
Spot 1: in my hammock under a big tree. We are lucky to live on a dead end next to a park in Boston and my hammock lays under a big tree. Of course there are also triple deckers all around me so it isn't that private, but private enough.

Spot 2: my bed. I can lay and look out the window (we have very tall windows) and watch the planes from Logan fly away, I always wonder where all those people are going.





What is your favorite music to work by?
I like a lot of different music. Right now I have been switching between rilo kiely, patty griffith and jay-z. I know, weird.


What books are you currently reading?
animal, vegetable mineral by barbara kingsolver.


Any "inspiring" deadlines coming up?
I'll be showing at the stationary show in May with Sub-Studio!!! Got to finish up that collection...

Thanks so much to Jennifer for being our first in the Subliminal series!