Have a few thousand photos sitting on your phone and/or computer? The problem with the ease of mobile photography is just this… photos sitting on your device.

This past Christmas season, Rule29 helped launch a new collaborative project called InstaThis, a new streamlined service that connects directly to your Instagram photos and creates stunning prints on wood or acrylic. Now, instead of merely viewing your prints digitally, you can arrange them in your home or office to match your style — or give them as gifts to family, friends, and business colleagues.

Who is behind it? We are! (in part) InstaThis is a joint venture between Rule29 and Birddog, Inc – both who are committed to exploring creative solutions and opportunities for emerging technologies.

How does it work? Using a unique mix of web-to-print technology and handmade craftsmanship, InstaThis creates one-of-a-kind wall art in a variety of sizes at a reasonable cost with significant discounts for ordering multiple prints (up to 40%). If you choose wood, the natural wood grains come through the image and the colors pop off the birch. Choose acrylic, and the vibrancy of the colors combine with the polished finish to create a truly stunning piece.

Do I have to use Instagram to order a print? As of this past week, no! We’ve added a “upload-your-own” feature enabling any user to upload the photo of your choosing.

Be sure and check it out and give your space(s) some new love.

InstaThis.com

Experience the latest creative matter imagined by Rule29. CM 30 features a selection of our work in Africa, our involvement with an organization supporting veterans, and our consistent exploration of story and wonder, just to name a few. Watch some of our innovative video work, read about our most recent promotional work, and interact with some of our latest online and mobile app creations.

Always on the lookout for new ways to communicate the offerings from our studio, we developed our 30th newsletter installment in three formats: the traditional PDF, as an iPad app, and now for CM 30, we are introducing an HD version of the app for all those with Retina display iPads. So download one, download all!

As Fall winds down, grab some hot cider and take a creative tour around the world with us via Creative Matters® 30. Let us know what you think of any and all the versions.

Thanks,

Your amigos from Rule29

Last week, Rule29 had the opportunity to attend AIGA’s Gain: Design for Social Value Conference in San Francisco.

Being surrounded by some of today’s best design thinkers working to truly change the world was inspiring to say the least. Change can happen in third-world countries across the globe, or it can happen across the street from the office. A major theme throughout the conference was that design thinkers are uniquely equipped to find solutions for social and humanitarian issues.

Some presentations that inspired us most were about Project H from Emily Pilloton, about the intersection of social and business value from Robert Fabricant, and about creativity being capital by Ravi Naidoo.

Justin had the privilege of presenting the value of experiencing wonder in our everyday world. Justin’s perspective was that the key to creating social value is not being an “above average” person. The key is to take the time; to create the space – to SEE your fellow human beings. Experiencing the wonder of everyday life and beauty and tension is the only true catalyst for lasting change.

So, designers, create a moment in your everyday to see the wonder of what’s around you. Whether you are an army of designers or an army of one, you have the power to be the change.

Here are some highlights in image form:

^ Universal design brief from Susana Rodriguez de Tembleque

^ A wonder-full sketch from @fabtweet 

^ Justin takes the stage

^ Feeling like you’re average doesn’t matter

^ Four qualities to embrace

Thanks to our own Bob Davidson (Creative Producer/friend/hummus-lover), we at Rule29 have been recently captivated by the extraordinary concept of wonder. So much, in fact, that our own Justin Ahrens used it as the foundation for his latest HOW presentation in Boston. Bob’s interest and knowledge of wonder runs deep, eventually leading him to create an online community with wonder as its focus. rednow began as a response to the constant media abundance we all face on a daily basis. Opposed to just another review site for the latest in film, music, art and design, those involved in rednow wanted a place to feel, to think… to wonder.

This past week, we launched the latest iteration of the online creative collective. Along with an updated logo, the refreshed rednow site features a new look, structure, and opportunity for discovery with advanced filtering capabilities. The heart of the site is the matrix – a visual representation of all rednow posts. Here, users can search, filter and explore  that which has caused the rednow staff to pause and wonder – all the sounds, images and stories that have made an impact.

Users now have the opportunity to sign in using their existing social media accounts, allowing for a greater level of sharing and involvement. The new “Experienced” feature creates a sense of customization; just click the button on any post to indicate whether you’ve seen or heard the subject. When logged in, filtering by these films/songs/etc. is as simple as clicking a toggle button on or off.

With so much to wonder about, we were thrilled to be a part of rednow’s makeover. To experience the art of wonder yourself, check out the site here.

I’ve had the privilege of representing the team from Rule29 at several HOW Design Conferences, but this past conference in Boston was really special. I was able to give a presentation on Wonder, a word and a state of being that has grown near and dear to me, thanks mainly to the many conversations I have had with our creative producer, Bob Davidson. At Rule29 we strive to not only make great strategic creative matter, but also to do our part in some way to leave this world better than how we find it. We can easily get caught up in the ways our world doesn’t work, but what’s the point in that? A key part of making creative matter is pursuing wonder through story, through how we see, and most importantly creating space for it whenever possible. Wonder is like a super fuel for the creative, and it’s vital for anyone who wants to see the AWE all around us.

I have received a few requests to share the quotes and our thoughts on elements of Wonder used during my presentation and I do that below.

Authenticity Cultivates Wonder

Think and Wonder, Wonder and Think – Dr. Seuss [ download pdf ]

Create Space for Wonder in Your Life

He Who Can No Longer Pause and Stand Rapt in Awe is as Good as Dead His Eyes are Closed – Albert Einstein [ download pdf ]

Elevate Everyday Beauty

It’s Not What You Look at That Matters, it’s What You See – Henry David Thoreau
[ download pdf ]

It was truly a pleasure to be at HOW, and I hope to speak again whenever they will have me. As I strive to explore the discipline of wonder, I’m excited to see where it will take me and the rest of the design monkeys at Rule29.

Other HOW highlights included creating a poster for Neenah Paper with a group of other brilliant creatives I respect, Life Kerning book signing and app giveaway, raising a pint at Cheers, singing in a Karaoke trio with Vonster and Stefan Mumaw, great conversations, and seeing some old friends and making some really incredible new ones.

Stay tuned for other wonder-filled things coming from Rule29 (in the near future), and maybe we will see each other in San Francisco for the next HOW conference. Oh, and don’t forget: Wonder is all around us… will you see it?