blok design And Mariana Contegni was finishing a book on at-risk marine species for ing, 192 oversized pages of underwater photography. Navigating expertly through the traffic, sights and sounds of Mexico City—a city that's getting bigger, shinier and more affluent while retaining its color and charm— Eckstein says, “This is a city of many wonders and never-ending museums. It's so inspirational.” Blok is an all-girl office, and will continue to be. The newest staff member, Ana Villanueva, a native of Mexico, has just joined the firm. These women not only have developed a working style that has formerly- conservative businessmen following their direction, they are creating their own products and content. “This is what we love to do most, and we come to work with smiles on our faces,” says Eckstein. With Guillermo Gonzalez Guajardo, they've founded Lampyro, which is commissioning top artists to illustrate children's books. Another new venture is called Free Word. “ We're teaming up with three companies —Crush, Emigre Film and LaBrecque & Co.—to do storytelling about the power of the word for social change,” Eckstein explains. Blok recently launched Intento i, a line of curvaceous tableware sold in design stores throughout North America. Intento 2, a range of floor coverings, is in the works. Left: "The book for the exhibit "Solo los personajes cambian" [Only the character changes] is a bold presentation of the various artworks, questioning the existence of borders and the certainty of identity," Mariana Contegni/ Vanessa Eckstein, designers; Museo Marco, client. This page: "The title of a design conference, Points of Interaction, inspires a concept that invites the audience to connect the dots to recreate the invitational poster, Die-cuts augment the character of the invitation, and the underlying concept." Mariana Contegni/ Vanessa Eckstein/ Vanesa Enriquez, designers; Á Diseño, client.

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