Studio David Hillman have just finished designing these brilliant stamps for Royal Mail. This is the second set of 10 stamps to be released by Royal Mail with a further 10 set to be released in 2011 to complete a collection of 30 1st Class stamps marking the run up to the Olympic and Paralympic games. The stamps are now on sale and I’m sure you’ll see them marking the daily post with lots of sport related goodness.

An interesting interview with Graphics Director of the NY Times, Steve Duenes. Discussing the role of graphic designers (graphic reports & editors as they refer to them at the NY Times) he raises some interesting points on the finality and constant need for authoritative editing in the print publication. Juxtaposed online with boundless space for more copy and updates, it’s amazing how quickly they work to produce graphics and interactive data visualisations as news stories break.

Produced by Gestalten to coincide with an up coming book Turning Pages which is a snapshot of the best in print and editorial design from those who are currently breaking ground to redefining print. It looks like a well researched and comprehensive book and should be available later on in the summer.

Sophia Mauro is the name under which Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mogiello work producing an eclectic mix of colouful and surreal potraits and fashion photographs.

Photographer Vincent Fournier has a strong focus on the scientific, charting astronaut training fields through to antarctic research bases. His work captures the beauty and often otherworldly disconnection from reality found on the extremes of scientific research.

In a large majority of his landscape photos it’s easy to draw a comparison to Sci-Fi epic’s like Star War’s planets of Tatooine (home of Luke Skywalker) and the snow planet of Hoth. Did someone just spot an AT-AT?

Spotted in this months always inspiring issue of WIRED UK magazine.

Whilst visiting Collette at KK Outlet in Hoxton last week I was delighted to find this little gem right at the back. Using thousands of water colour paints, a selection of which is on show at KK Outlet, Irina Dakeva has created this fluid, colourful and upbeat video for Breakbot. A steady hand and a lot of patience has really paid off especially when you see the original frames which are extremely captivating.

Shame that Irina doesn’t seem to have a folio online but is currently represented by WIZZ.

Fresh from Nottingham Trent University Luke Elliot’s folio is a well rounded collection of work with some lovely little bits of packaging and branding work.

SLAM is the latest book to be designed by FUEL taking a look at the world that is Mexican wrestling more commonly known as Lucha Libre. With sensational fighting and curiously bright, intricate and detailed outfits there’s definitely an air of mystery that’s hard to ignore when it comes to this infamous Mexican sport. It’s easy to sympathise with photographer Katinka Herbert who has been obsessed with these men in tights and masks for the last 8 years. Traveling back and forth to Mexico, Katinka has spent a long time photographing legendary fighters in a myriad of poses and locations displaying the importance and range of this sport.

SLAM is currently being published and is available from 15th July 2010. By the looks of the PDF spreads and Katinka’s engimatic shots, it looks like SLAM is turning will be able provide a hefty tombstone to it’s opponents.

Parent are a small design agency based on the south coast of the UK. Producing a mix of work primarily for branding and identity as well as producing the occasional good looking book cover design. With a client list that includes quite a few fashion and lifestyle brands it’s no surprise to find plenty of foil blocking and high quality print finishing in Parent’s work.

As well as producing striking eye candy they’re currently on the look out for talented web developers.

Since we last checked in with Hinterland they’ve been busy creating more branding, print and editorial work from their studio in New York. To showcase their new projects they’ve had a little face lift and a short little stop motion piece advertising their new blog.

It seems like there’s a lot of really great design for sporting brands lately like the Nike 78 project we posted last week or Nike’s recent collaboration with HelloVon at Selfridges in London. LOVE have added Umbro to that list with their most recent Teamwear brochure. Inspired by the attention to detail given to national level kit, Umbro wanted to demonstrate the same passion at a grass roots level making amateur players feel just as proud when they pull on their shirt.

Designed by LOVE’s Creative Director, Chris Myers commenting:

Amateur football teams are the essence of British football. The brochure we designed focuses on the fine tailoring traditions of Umbro. Through a combination of propped still life shots and styled player shots, including Michael Owen, Phil Jagielka and Joe Hart, the kits were shot on location in the Umbro brand space by photographer Tom van Schelven. The level of detail and craft that went into the brochure is reflective of the kits themselves which are tailored by Umbro to give the amateur players the same respect and attention to detail that the brand gives to professionals.

It looks to be a slick piece of print work with the kind of well shot, energetic art direction from another great sports brand. Look out for them soon.