German advertising agency Jung von Matt have created this refreshingly imaginative print campaign to advertise Lego. These charming and minimalist printed ads, although perhaps not entirely original, are interpretations of a selection of widely known cartoon characters, created using blocks of Lego. Refreshing because of its minimalism, which is seldom found with Lego pieces these days, and its appeal because Lego can be enjoyed as a child and as an adult. Clever, engaging and fun. I’ll refrain from spoiling that fun though. Do you know who is who? I’m sure you do.

Form Us With Love is a Swedish design studio based in Stockholm. They aim to challenge the conventional through design initiatives, following a very contemporary minimalist aesthetic but with a twist of whimsy. Their studio space, divided into three levels (office, studio and workshop) is inspired at once by gallery and by industrial spaces, and – here’s that twist – Lego. I find it a great canvas for their compelling, beautiful work. Photography by Jonas Lindström.

Pocoyo is a brightly coloured animated children’s cartoon series. Not exactly minimalist, is it? Well, there is a interesting element of ‘less is more’ in this cartoon – it has no backdrops, just a plain white background. It is through smart use of depth and perspective that the makers, the Spanish David Cantolla, Luis Gallego and Guillermo García Carsi, are still able to create a 3-dimensional world. The benefit of using a plain white background is apparent: the colourful characters really stand out. (Thx, Vasilis!)