A marketing bag and DIY: Design It Yourself book

There is a big (justified) push to limit the number of plastic bags we are using while shopping, in order to reduce the impact on the environment. The Telegraph recently reported that, in the UK: “Plastic bag use falls by 26 per cent in two years”.

You see more and more reusable bags, some nice and some ugly, and most of them branded. The fabric bag is on the verge of becoming the new “bumper sticker”, so I thought it was time to make my own. Why advertise others when you could advertise your own web site?





It is great fun to come-up with ideas and go through the whole design process to end-up with a finished and unique product.

After sketching my ideas, I shot several photographs of and old Mercedes typewriter I bought many years ago. Then, using Photoshop Elements 6 (PC) , I changed the letters on the round buttons of the keyboard to make-up the word “ART”. Finally, I wrote the domain name of my painting website in red with “Courier” fonts in order to stay in keep with the typewriter theme.

I bought the plain fabric bag in an art and craft shop as well as some transfer paper than allows you to iron-in onto fabric a design you print with your inkjet printer (The one used to make tee-shirts).

I plan to use this bag to transport back and forth the books I borrow from our local library.


DIY: Design It Yourself book by Ellen Lupton

The book DIY: Design it Yourself (Design Handbooks) gave me the idea to make this bag. It is a great book on design for non-designers. It is less about the rules and principles of design than showing you how you can design and make all sorts of things with a minimum of materials and a limited investment: books, brochures, CD cases, business cards, stationnary, tee-shirts, bags, press packages, etc.

The design of the book is attractive and effective, as you would expect. The book is bursting with examples that will get you spinning your own design ideas in no time. This is a good read and a source of inspiration for any artist who want to develop his marketing material and make it stand out. After I started reading it, I could not put this book down.

Reusable bag Fabric bag Bag design Art marketing Art Web site advertising DIY Design It Yourself Ellen Lupton Design