As part of the London Design Festival 2011, there was an exhibition called Designers Block which featured the works of over 100 young designers. Numerous graduates’ and freelance designers displayed their projects and work within various disciplines such as fashion design, interior design, and product/furniture design.

I was particularly impressed by the work of one graduate named Nadine Spencer. Her work is what I would call a modern chandelier. It’s laser cut pieces of landmark buildings & structures around the world, fit together to make a truly extraordinary piece.

The first photo was taken at the actual exhibition. The other two are from her website. It was certainly one of my favorites in the exhibition.

Here’s another one from fastcodesign. A Spanish designer, Carlos Romo Melgar, has created several maps, which he calls “Cosmographies.” They are incredibly detailed and intricate maps personalized to his own experiences. For example, they are composed of the sights and sounds that he has noticed while living in Madrid and from traveling.

The style does remind me somewhat of an earlier entry with certain a designer from Brazil. Wouldn’t you say?

Put together by the American Human Development Project, is a superbly executed interactive map which shows the health, education and income in the US. Aptly named, it’s the Measure of America. One can view a broad comparison but also filter by ethnicity and gender. Zooming in allows one to also see for instance, those with diabetes (% 18 or older) in a given city. I’m literally stunned at how well the data is presented. This is exemplary information design in my opinion: eye-catching, engaging, educational, and based on solid data.

As if the map itself was not enough, there’s even other features such as comparison by Charts, Stacks and what’s called the City Explorer. Since the creators realized that it may be overwhelming, they’ve also made a short tour to showcase the many possibilities. It’s definitely worth a visit!

Earlier this year, fastcodesign featured a piece where Nancy McCabe, a Chicago-based designer, used cities’ names as their markers on a world map. It’s pretty cool and must have been a ton of work. The feel is simply as if someone removed all the landmasses. Even though it’s not very usable, it’s still a beautiful experimental work. Perhaps a nice present for a student who competes in geography bees?

A website which as gained popularity over the past years is Airbnb. It works just like any accommodation site. Find a place using the city you want to visit and book it. However, it has one huge twist. All the properties listed are from people who have a place the city – not a hotel.

In other words, it would be similar to you asking someone in a different neighborhood, could I stay at your place while you’re away so that I can play golf nearby? But potentially more extreme where “neighborhood” would be continent and “play golf” would be visit the Louvre.

Have a look and let me know what your experiences have been with Airbnb. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but it’s definitely tempting. I believe it makes much more sense to do so in a small group or as a getaway for a couple. And of course, it is possible to list your place as well. although I’m not too keen on letting strangers in, even if they are paying me.

Here’s an awesome idea. Ask designers from each country to create a logo for the city they come from. Then post the collection online. That’s exactly what CitID has been doing. It’s incredible to see the different styles and interpretations from every city. Here are a few that caught my attention.