Over the years, it’s been my experience that art directors love to see variations on designs. Starting a new project or assignment, I’ve been given the order to “do a bunch of versions” with little to no feedback, or any sense of where to start. To some this might sound like the equivalent of creative carte blanche but personally I’ve found these situations maddening. With no direction you usually end up with a dozen useless or half-ass designs with maybe one that’s somewhere in the ballpark… hopefully. These situations are frustrating as well as being a huge waste of valuable time.

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Creating a spectacle, especially in New York, is always a challenge. With the rush of the city there’s a pervasive air of newness always about. So how does one make a splash in such a climate? With one bold, beautiful statement.

Studio Kenji, a boutique agency based in New York, captured this incredible video of the lighting installation at the Tribeca Film Festival’s opening. The talented crew at BWArchitects designed and fabricated the installation, in collaboration with Vanity Fair’s special event division. 1,600 handmade LED lights wrapped in paper shades swaying back and forth lazily on thin steel rods. The effect is hypnotic and ethereal, like fireflies dancing with thousands of flowers in unison. Check it out in the video below and you’ll see what I mean.

I’m definitely one of those people who has all sorts of notepads notebooks, sticky notes, etc. lying around, certain ones only being used for certain tasks. Rezon, a Japanese design firm, has taken the idea of merging all your favorite notebooks and notepads to create the Multi Notebook.

The design of the notebooks is reflected on the outside, but more importantly on the inside, where you’re given a myriad of different ways to express your thoughts. You’ve got a grid at the bottom for laying out logos, a sticky in the top right corner for notes, some yellow legal pad for putting together your grocery list. All together it’s a pretty astounding idea with a flexibility that’s also quite fun.

I never really think too much about the cords I plug into my devices. Most of the time it’s all about making them disappear rather than stand out. But all that’s about to change thanks to Eastern Collective and their playful mix of textiles and technology. Created by designer Matt Benedetto, Collective Cables transform mundane cords into clever and colorful accessories for your iPhone, iPad, Kindle or Android. A reinterpretation of climbing or hardware rope, they’re designed to “add true color to the black and white of your life.” (Though the black and white cord is just as fun.) What’s even better is they’ve made cords for all of the older versions of the iPad and iPod, as well as a line for audio systems. And Eastern Collective shows no signs of devoting themselves to just cables, either. They design iPhone cases, apparel,and sunglasses too. Check them all out here.