World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2025. The Prix Versailles 2025 has named seven museums as the world’s most beautiful. These museums are recognised for their architecture, design, and connection to local culture.

7 most beautiful museums in the world, including Grand Palais, Saka Museum, and Audeum

A pictures corner of Southern Croatia a unique celebration of creativity in nature has unfolded the sand art Neretva Festival held in Croatia brings together artists from around the globe to craft elaborate yet fleeting sound sculptures and this year participants used rakes and sticks to create some pretty stunning designs.

Croatia: Sand meets art in a breathtaking dance of impermanence

Chinese scientists have revealed the design of a new generation electronic warfare weapon that looks straight out of an action movie the new weapon has been designed by a team of researchers at the Southeast University in China.

China reveals next-gen electronic warfare weapon design

- by&nbsp;Vasisht Rajani

Design has a big impact on the things we choose to buy every day. When a product looks really cool or has a stylish design, it catches our eye and makes us more likely to choose it over other options. This can be because of its packaging or how modern and sleek it looks. The way a product looks can make a strong first impression and get us interested in it.

Below are some ways that product design plays an important role in our daily lives:

1) Social Media: Social media platforms serve as a hub for sharing and discovering the latest design trends. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are where we discover new products and get recommendations. Users can follow influencers, designers, brands, and design-focused accounts to stay up to date with the latest design styles, aesthetics, and innovations. Seeing visually appealing designs and products can ultimately influence our purchase decisions as well.

2) Aesthetics: 2023 has been the year of aesthetics for consumers. Everything consumed needs to have an aesthetic appeal as it is the need of the hour and plays a strong influence on consumer decisions. People are drawn to products that are visually appealing, well-designed, and align with their personal taste. A well-designed product stands out and can make it more likely to be chosen over other options available.

3) Emotional Connection: Design doesn't just affect how things look, but also how they make us feel. A good design can have the power to evoke an emotional connection between the consumer and the product. Different colors, shapes, and textures can create certain emotions in us. For example, a cozy design might make us feel warm and comfortable, while a sleek and modern design might make us feel sophisticated. These emotions play a role in the things we choose to buy because we want products that match how we want to feel and reflect our personal style.

4) Brand Identity: Brand identity is a crucial factor in a consumer decision. Design plays a crucial role in shaping a brand's identity and influencing consumer perceptions. Consumers often associate good design with reliability, durability, and superior performance, which can influence their purchasing decisions. Our personal relation to brands through experience conducts our choices on what we buy today.

In summary, design plays a crucial role in shaping a brand's identity and influencing consumer perceptions. It grabs our attention with its visual appeal, gets us interested through social media, and creates an emotional connection. Design is important because we all want to have things that look good and reflect who we are.

*The author is an&nbsp;Industrial Designer by profession.&nbsp;

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- by Vasisht Rajani Design has a big impact on the things we choose to buy every day. When a product looks really cool or has a stylish design, it catches our eye and makes us more likely to choose it over other options.

- by Vasisht Rajani Design has a big impact on the things we choose to buy every day. When a product looks really cool or has a stylish design, it catches our eye and makes us more likely to choose it over other options. This can be because of its packaging or how modern and sleek it looks. The way a product looks can make a strong first impression and get us interested in it. Below are some ways that product design plays an important role in our daily lives: 1) Social Media: Social media platforms serve as a hub for sharing and discovering the latest design trends. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are where we discover new products and get recommendations. Users can follow influencers, designers, brands, and design-focused accounts to stay up to date with the latest design styles, aesthetics, and innovations. Seeing visually appealing designs and products can ultimately influence our purchase decisions as well. 2) Aesthetics: 2023 has been the year of aesthetics for consumers. Everything consumed needs to have an aesthetic appeal as it is the need of the hour and plays a strong influence on consumer decisions. People are drawn to products that are visually appealing, well-designed, and align with their personal taste. A well-designed product stands out and can make it more likely to be chosen over other options available. 3) Emotional Connection: Design doesn't just affect how things look, but also how they make us feel. A good design can have the power to evoke an emotional connection between the consumer and the product. Different colors, shapes, and textures can create certain emotions in us. For example, a cozy design might make us feel warm and comfortable, while a sleek and modern design might make us feel sophisticated. These emotions play a role in the things we choose to buy because we want products that match how we want to feel and reflect our personal style. 4) Brand Identity: Brand identity is a crucial factor in a consumer decision. Design plays a crucial role in shaping a brand's identity and influencing consumer perceptions. Consumers often associate good design with reliability, durability, and superior performance, which can influence their purchasing decisions. Our personal relation to brands through experience conducts our choices on what we buy today. In summary, design plays a crucial role in shaping a brand's identity and influencing consumer perceptions. It grabs our attention with its visual appeal, gets us interested through social media, and creates an emotional connection. Design is important because we all want to have things that look good and reflect who we are. *The author is an Industrial Designer by profession.

How design has impacted the choice of products we buy in our daily lives

French designer Olivier Rousteing admitted he felt uncomfortable presenting his latest collection for Balmain at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday in view of the war in Ukraine.&nbsp;

"It's hard to feel right about focusing on runways and clothes, as we listen with a heavy heart to the latest news," Rousteing wrote to his 7.6 million followers on Instagram.&nbsp;

He used a desert scene in the yellow-and-blue of Ukraine for the image.&nbsp; "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainians. We are inspired by their dignity, resilience and devotion to freedom," he added.&nbsp;

When he unveiled his collection later in Paris, it was striking how many outfits seemed to reflect the wartime atmosphere, even though it was naturally conceived long before the war in Ukraine began.&nbsp;

There were padded corsets, tops and gloves that strongly resembled futuristic body armour, while others were kitted out in golden shields.&nbsp;

That matched a similar focus on protective clothing at Dior's show a day earlier -- where shoulder pads, airbag corsets and items that looked distinctly like bulletproof vests -- were part of a focus on "protection".&nbsp;

It marks a notable shift away from the more glamorous styles that dominated last year's collections, when the focus had been on hopes of emerging out of the pandemic.&nbsp;

There was still plenty of the traditional glitz at the Balmain event, with celebrities including Serena Williams, Jean Paul Gaultier and Brazilian footballer Neymar in attendance.&nbsp;

Rousteing, 36, has been artistic director at Balmain for more than a decade and is known for his collaborations with Kim Kardashian.&nbsp;

He also starred in a Netflix documentary about the search for his biological parents.

In his Instagram post, Rousteing said he had donated to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, "in order to feel a little less helpless" regarding the Ukraine conflict.

"I would invite anyone else who shares my concerns to consider making their own donation. We are together for freedom," he wrote.

French designer Olivier Rousteing admitted he felt uncomfortable presenting his latest collection for Balmain at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday in view of the war in Ukraine.

French designer Olivier Rousteing admitted he felt uncomfortable presenting his latest collection for Balmain at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday in view of the war in Ukraine. "It's hard to feel right about focusing on runways and clothes, as we listen with a heavy heart to the latest news," Rousteing wrote to his 7.6 million followers on Instagram. He used a desert scene in the yellow-and-blue of Ukraine for the image. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainians. We are inspired by their dignity, resilience and devotion to freedom," he added. When he unveiled his collection later in Paris, it was striking how many outfits seemed to reflect the wartime atmosphere, even though it was naturally conceived long before the war in Ukraine began. There were padded corsets, tops and gloves that strongly resembled futuristic body armour, while others were kitted out in golden shields. That matched a similar focus on protective clothing at Dior's show a day earlier -- where shoulder pads, airbag corsets and items that looked distinctly like bulletproof vests -- were part of a focus on "protection". It marks a notable shift away from the more glamorous styles that dominated last year's collections, when the focus had been on hopes of emerging out of the pandemic. There was still plenty of the traditional glitz at the Balmain event, with celebrities including Serena Williams, Jean Paul Gaultier and Brazilian footballer Neymar in attendance. Rousteing, 36, has been artistic director at Balmain for more than a decade and is known for his collaborations with Kim Kardashian. He also starred in a Netflix documentary about the search for his biological parents. In his Instagram post, Rousteing said he had donated to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, "in order to feel a little less helpless" regarding the Ukraine conflict. "I would invite anyone else who shares my concerns to consider making their own donation. We are together for freedom," he wrote.

Designer Olivier Rousteing sends love to Ukraine at Paris Fashion Week

Top muralists have deployed around Sao Paulo participating in a week-long festival with giant paintings of their best work, turning what once was sanctioned graffiti into art works.

Giant graffiti murals adorn Sao Paulo skyline

British fashion house Burberry deconstructed its camel trench coat for its women's spring line on Monday (September 27), removing sleeves and in some cases, its back.

Burberry shows 'animal instinct' with deconstructed trench for spring/summer 2022

Australia’s graphic designing website, Canva, took over the world in a few years and has now become one of the biggest privately-owned companies of the world.<o:p></o:p>

Canva recently got valued at $40 billion (£29bn) which the company believes is a direct result of the pandemic. As majority of the customers of Canva started working from home in the pandemic, the company was able to reveal fresh $200m of private equity investment.<o:p></o:p>

Analysts believe this new announcement has put Canva in the list of world’s most valuable start-ups. It is now the fifth most valuable start-ups in the world. The companies before Canva are TikTok-owner ByteDance, payment platform Stripe, Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and financial tech firm Klarna.<o:p></o:p>

This also takes one of its co-founders in the list of top 10 richest people in Australia.<o:p></o:p>

Canva is a graphic designing platform that was founded in Sydney in 2013 by 34-year-old Melanie Perkins and 35-year-old Cliff Obrecht, who now own nearly 36 per cent of the company. The website allows users to design resumes, CVs, posters, calendars, schedules and more through pre-loaded templates. It also gives options to edit, crop and resize images.<o:p></o:p>

The platform has grown to 60 million users in over 190 countries, the officials claim. Out of these, nearly 500,000 are paying customers which includes big names such as famous video-messaging app Zoom, payment platform PayPal, Marriott International and American Airlines. <o:p></o:p>

Experts are also predicting a revenue of nearly $1 billion by the end of the year.<o:p></o:p>

The co-founders have also decided to donate nearly 30 per cent of their company’s wealth for charitable causes in the future.<o:p></o:p>

Australia’s graphic designing website, Canva, took over the world in a few years and has now become one of the biggest privately-owned companies of the world. Canva recently got valued at $40 billion (£29bn) which the company believes is a direct result of the pandemic.

Australia’s graphic designing website, Canva, took over the world in a few years and has now become one of the biggest privately-owned companies of the world. Canva recently got valued at $40 billion (£29bn) which the company believes is a direct result of the pandemic. As majority of the customers of Canva started working from home in the pandemic, the company was able to reveal fresh $200m of private equity investment. Analysts believe this new announcement has put Canva in the list of world’s most valuable start-ups. It is now the fifth most valuable start-ups in the world. The companies before Canva are TikTok-owner ByteDance, payment platform Stripe, Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and financial tech firm Klarna. This also takes one of its co-founders in the list of top 10 richest people in Australia. Canva is a graphic designing platform that was founded in Sydney in 2013 by 34-year-old Melanie Perkins and 35-year-old Cliff Obrecht, who now own nearly 36 per cent of the company. The website allows users to design resumes, CVs, posters, calendars, schedules and more through pre-loaded templates. It also gives options to edit, crop and resize images. The platform has grown to 60 million users in over 190 countries, the officials claim. Out of these, nearly 500,000 are paying customers which includes big names such as famous video-messaging app Zoom, payment platform PayPal, Marriott International and American Airlines. Experts are also predicting a revenue of nearly $1 billion by the end of the year. The co-founders have also decided to donate nearly 30 per cent of their company’s wealth for charitable causes in the future.

Australian designing website Canva valued at $40bn

Tired of using masks that fog up your glasses, irritate skin? Now you can design "the next generation of masks" that is low on cost, comfortable to wear and safe against Covid-19 pathogens, and also win $500,000. 
 
The competition -- Mask Innovation Challenge -- has been announced by the US government`s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It is open only for participants from the US. 
 
While public health agencies worldwide are encouraging people to wear masks to curb the spread of infectious Covid-19, prolonged wearing increases issues such as skin allergy, physical discomfort and difficulty in communicating. 
 
The new challenge aims to develop cheap, innovative and effective designs masks that can provide comfort, utility, and also has protective abilities against respiratory disease pathogens, according to a statement on BARDA website. 
 
Furthermore, people should be able to put them on and wear them without extensive fitting procedures or complicated user instructions, it added. 
 
The challenge is divided into two phases: Design and Proof-of-concept. 
 
The Design phase is further divided into two: one which focuses on improving already existing designs for masks and the second is to incorporate new technologies and materials in mask designs. 
 
Phase one will have up to 10 winners, who will receive $10,000 each. The last date to submit designs for phase one is April 21, 2021. 
 
For the second phase, participants require to develop masks based on hypothetical scenario. After lab tests by NIOSH, $400,000 will be divided among five winners. Further details will be updated later, the statement said. 
 
 
 
As the Covid-19 cases spread worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised to use face masks, in public where social distancing is not possible. The infectious disease has affected 131 million and claimed 2.85 million lives globally.

Tired of using masks that fog up your glasses, irritate skin? Now you can design "the next generation of masks" that is low on cost, comfortable to wear and safe against Covid-19 pathogens, and also win $500,000.

Tired of using masks that fog up your glasses, irritate skin? Now you can design "the next generation of masks" that is low on cost, comfortable to wear and safe against Covid-19 pathogens, and also win $500,000. The competition -- Mask Innovation Challenge -- has been announced by the US government`s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It is open only for participants from the US. While public health agencies worldwide are encouraging people to wear masks to curb the spread of infectious Covid-19, prolonged wearing increases issues such as skin allergy, physical discomfort and difficulty in communicating. The new challenge aims to develop cheap, innovative and effective designs masks that can provide comfort, utility, and also has protective abilities against respiratory disease pathogens, according to a statement on BARDA website. Furthermore, people should be able to put them on and wear them without extensive fitting procedures or complicated user instructions, it added. The challenge is divided into two phases: Design and Proof-of-concept. The Design phase is further divided into two: one which focuses on improving already existing designs for masks and the second is to incorporate new technologies and materials in mask designs. Phase one will have up to 10 winners, who will receive $10,000 each. The last date to submit designs for phase one is April 21, 2021. For the second phase, participants require to develop masks based on hypothetical scenario. After lab tests by NIOSH, $400,000 will be divided among five winners. Further details will be updated later, the statement said. As the Covid-19 cases spread worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised to use face masks, in public where social distancing is not possible. The infectious disease has affected 131 million and claimed 2.85 million lives globally.

Design a cheap, innovative face mask and win up to $500,000

Giorgio Armani presented his fall/winter 2021/2022 collection during a livestreamed show at the Milan Fashion Week on Saturday (February 27).

Giorgio Armani presents fall/winter 2021/2022 collection in digital show

French fashion house Chanel chose an intimate family-like atmosphere for its Spring-Summer 2021 Haute Couture show, with models strutting under flower arches at a socially-distanced presentation with a few famous faces.

Chanel throws garden party in absence of big haute couture show

Belgian rising design star Tom Van Der Borght opened the Berlin Fashion Week on Sunday (January 18) with 18 flamboyant looks showing futuristic and very colourful designs.

Belgian rising design star opens Berlin Fashion Week amid strict restrictions

There was no catwalk for French fashion house Schiaparelli who showcased its third ready-to-wear collection on Sunday (October 4), featuring a sleek wardrobe with surrealist touches for next summer.

Schiaparelli's surrealism comes alive for Paris Fashion Week

Chinese fashion designer Zhou Li is combining fashion with function, by creating trendy silk masks embroidered with orchids, camellias and Chinese characters symbolizing good luck, as she believes there will be a long-term demand for masks to protect people's health amid ongoing concerns about the coronavirus.

Chinese designer creates fashionable masks and suits to prevent coronavirus spread

'The Beast' set to ride Indian roadways upon Trump's visit

Prada celebrated the "pluralism and complexities of female identities" at its Fall/Winter show in Milan on Thursday (February 20), with designs ranging from strict tailoring to fringed and sequinned dresses.

Prada challenges definition of femininity in Fall Winter collection

Menswear designers debuted their fall/winter 2020 collections at New York Men's Day for New York Fashion Week: Men's on Monday (Feb. 3).

'Labor of love' at New York Fashion Week: Men's

If Rio residents think the curvy ancient Greek goddess stamped on the Olympic medals looks familiar, they wouldn&#39;t be wrong: she&#39;s modelled on Brazilian women. 
 
&quot;Rio de Janeiro is a city full of curves in the sea and hills, just like the body of the Brazilian woman,&quot; said sculptor Nelson Carneiro, 60, who created the 5,130 bronze, silver and gold medals at the national mint, called Casa da Moeda, near Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Carneiro says the sensuous side of the city inspired his depiction on the medals of the Greek goddess Nike ahead of the Summer Games starting August 5. 
 
&quot;I gave Nike curves. I gave her bigger thighs and hips,&quot; he said. 
 
Nike, the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, has been the face of Olympic medals since the 2004 Athens Games, with the Parthenon temple in the background. 
 
&quot;However, each country can make its own adaptations,&quot; said Carneiro, who works with some 2,800 other people at the mint. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a special medal made for the world&#39;s biggest event. When the athlete receives that medal, I&#39;ll feel as if I&#39;ve also been decorated,&quot; Carneiro said. 
 
The medals may celebrate ancient tradition, but the technology mixes artisanal and 21st century techniques. 
 
First, Carneiro sculpts the design in clay and this is copied by a 3D printer. A steel mold is used to stamp the medals in a hydraulic press and medals are then polished to remove imperfections. 
 
Fortress : 
 
The national mint is in an out of the way neighborhood of Santa Cruz, a town north of Rio de Janeiro. Visitors to the facility, which is surrounded by towers and surveillance cameras, are searched as they come in - and when they leave. 
 
&quot;This is also where we make the coins and bank notes circulating in the whole country, as well as Brazilian passports and postal stamps,&quot; said the head of the medals section, Victor Hugo Berbert. 
 
Work on the medals started a month ago and will go right up to July 31, less than a week before the opening ceremony. The Olympics will have 2,488 medals and the Paralympics, which run from September 7-18, will have 2,642. 
 
Each medal weighs 17.6 ounces (500 grams), 20 per cent more than the ones handed out in London and heavier than in any previous Olympics. 
 
The coveted gold medals are not really gold - they have 17.4 ounces (494 grams) of silver and just 0.2 ounces (six grams) of gold plating. 
 
&quot;If they were solid gold it would cost a fortune,&quot; Berbert said, without disclosing the prices. 
 
Silver medals are fully silver. The bronze medals, though, are arguably brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, rather than bronze which typically mixes copper and tin. 
 
Paralympic medals contain small steel balls to help identify them by sound for those with poor vision. 
 
(AFP)

Sculptor Nelson Carneiro, 60, who created the 5,130 bronze, silver and gold medals at the national mint gave a local flavour to his work

If Rio residents think the curvy ancient Greek goddess stamped on the Olympic medals looks familiar, they wouldn't be wrong: she's modelled on Brazilian women. "Rio de Janeiro is a city full of curves in the sea and hills, just like the body of the Brazilian woman," said sculptor Nelson Carneiro, 60, who created the 5,130 bronze, silver and gold medals at the national mint, called Casa da Moeda, near Rio de Janeiro. Carneiro says the sensuous side of the city inspired his depiction on the medals of the Greek goddess Nike ahead of the Summer Games starting August 5. "I gave Nike curves. I gave her bigger thighs and hips," he said. Nike, the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, has been the face of Olympic medals since the 2004 Athens Games, with the Parthenon temple in the background. "However, each country can make its own adaptations," said Carneiro, who works with some 2,800 other people at the mint. "It's a special medal made for the world's biggest event. When the athlete receives that medal, I'll feel as if I've also been decorated," Carneiro said. The medals may celebrate ancient tradition, but the technology mixes artisanal and 21st century techniques. First, Carneiro sculpts the design in clay and this is copied by a 3D printer. A steel mold is used to stamp the medals in a hydraulic press and medals are then polished to remove imperfections. Fortress : The national mint is in an out of the way neighborhood of Santa Cruz, a town north of Rio de Janeiro. Visitors to the facility, which is surrounded by towers and surveillance cameras, are searched as they come in - and when they leave. "This is also where we make the coins and bank notes circulating in the whole country, as well as Brazilian passports and postal stamps," said the head of the medals section, Victor Hugo Berbert. Work on the medals started a month ago and will go right up to July 31, less than a week before the opening ceremony. The Olympics will have 2,488 medals and the Paralympics, which run from September 7-18, will have 2,642. Each medal weighs 17.6 ounces (500 grams), 20 per cent more than the ones handed out in London and heavier than in any previous Olympics. The coveted gold medals are not really gold - they have 17.4 ounces (494 grams) of silver and just 0.2 ounces (six grams) of gold plating. "If they were solid gold it would cost a fortune," Berbert said, without disclosing the prices. Silver medals are fully silver. The bronze medals, though, are arguably brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, rather than bronze which typically mixes copper and tin. Paralympic medals contain small steel balls to help identify them by sound for those with poor vision. (AFP)

Greek goddess on Olympics medal gets Brazilian curves

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