Jan 27
Marketing PR
What were you thinking Ron Johnson? Why would you go from Target to Apple just when the Target brand had caught fire and Apple was at $25 per share (January of 2000)? Then from Apple, the world's most successful brand, to JCPenny a conventional, old-school department store? The answer may surprise you -- it surprised me.
On February 1st JCPenny, America's 25th largest national advertiser ($1.32 billion ) and its new CEO Ron Johnson (November 2011), is going to attempt to redefine retailing.
I'm not going to even attempt to explain the strategy, just understand that, as designers and marketers, we need to track how this experiment unfolds (I call it an experiment, but as Johnson describes it, it's a sure thing).
It's ALL about remaking a brand, revolutionizing the retail marketing model, and infusing everything with a new look and feel. I encourage you to watch at least the first 20 minutes of the hour-long launch video, I guarantee you won't regret it.
The launch...
The press release with details...
The new JCP logo...
The new TV spot: it sure got my attention...
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Jan 25
Illustration
Mitch Blunt offers an example of how an illustrator's style can evolve throughout their career. Between the last example and the first three, he found a whole new way of expressing his ideas. And with it, a list of clients such as Wired, Google, and The Atlantic.
Thanks to my son Rob Green for pointing us to it.
Example 1 from 2011...
Example 2 from 2011...
Example 3 from 2011 ...
Example 4 from 2009...
Blunt's Tumblr page...
An interview with Mitch Blunt...
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Jan 23
Illustration
Two reasons to watch this video. First and foremost, I really like the way it tells the story of its subject. The juxtaposition of a person with type and illustrations is effective and the scene us use to build the story drew me in and made me want to sick around for the outcome.
The second reason to watch the video is to learn about Hyper Island, a school of sorts for students and a continuing education source for working creatives.
It sounds as if, one important aspect of the experience is to get you up to speed on the digital world -- as one attendee, Kathy Hepinstall a former Creative Director at Martin Agency, put it: "It used to be charming for a creative in advertising to be a technophobe. Not so anymore so climb out of the tar pit, Dino".
I don't know enough about it to know just how relevant it all is, but the testimonials by attendees reads like a who's who of advertising agencies so there must be something cooking.
Hyper Island On a Wall...
About Hyper Island...
Programs...
Master classes...
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Jan 20
Graphics Tech
You don't need to read the research to know that many workflows and types of communication are shifting from desktops and laptops to mobile devices. One stat says there are already 1.2 BILLION mobile Web users worldwide. That's WEB users. Another asserts that 87 percent of the world population or 5.9 people are already mobile subscribers. Wow, I realized we were in another big technological shift, but (I must admit) I didn't fully appreciate the scope of it.
How will all this effect you and your business? I encourage you to read some of the research. That's what I've been doing. As my clients get more deeply involved with mobile, I do too. And if you need an orientation on the subject, mobiThinking's Global mobile statistics for 2012 is a good place to start.
The link below will take you to the full listing plus I have chosen a few other reports and linked you to them, just to give you a sense of the depth of research available.
mobiThinking's Global mobile statistics for 2012...
From On Device Research: Mobile Media and TV...
From Gartner: iPad and Beyond: What the Future of Computing Holds...
From comScore: 14 Million Americans Scanned QR Codes on their Mobile Phones in June 2011...
From Adobe: What Users Want from Media, Finance, Travel & Shopping...
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Jan 18
Illustration
Here, by way of Will Schofield's 50 Watts blog is the work of Ahn Min Jeong, an artist from Seoul, South Korea. These works are analogous to the kind of fine engraving you'd find in the design of currency. In some cases you see graphic design mimicking art, in this case (to me) it is art mimicking graphic design. (Her website presents her name as Ahn Min Jeong, but is looks as though others refer to her as Minjeong An — apologies for the discrepancy.)
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Website...
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Jan 13
Packaging
Graphic designer and farmer's son Peter Buchanan-Smith understands branding and the storytelling that transforms a product into an experience people want to be a part of.
He started the Best Made Company to sell high-quality, sturdily-packaged, American felling axes. Yes, it does sound a bit strange, but once you hear the story and see the products you'll understand what he's about.
As they tell it, "A Best Made axe is a tool for survival and productivity and at its heart it's a symbol of many admirable virtues." Paola Antonelli, the senior curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art describes the axes as "the ultimate antidote to life on the high-broadband lane."
One of the axes...
Peter tells the story...
A story about the "Urban Ax" from the NYT...
Best Made Company is in the process of expanding its list of products, among the additions are these badges...
The home page...
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Jan 11
Web Design
In a world of websites that look, increasingly, as if they were pickled in the same jar, Justin Lerner's JLern.com stands out. I like the elasticity of it, the color palette, and the fact that it all fits on a single page.
Justin Lerner...
Here's the mobile redirect version — it also works well...
The page above is a new design that replaces this now archived version...
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Jan 10
Learning
Will you do me a favor? I'd like to use the occasion of the new year to ask you two questions about your walk as a creative. First...
How are you doing?
Are you busy, motivated, optimistic, learning new things? In other words, what is your state of mind about the state of your craft (graphic design, marketing, illustration, photography, writing — whichever part of the creative field you represent)?
What is the most challenging part of your job at this point in your career?
Maybe it's something that has always been a challenge or maybe it's a distinct change in the landscape. Tell us where the roadblock is, or if you've already found the path around it, what the solution was.
Why these questions? Because it will be interesting to know if there are any common threads that run among us. And it might be encouraging to others to hear about the issues colleagues are dealing with — positive and negative.
There are no rules — just share what moves you and we'll see what happens. If you would prefer not to share your answers publicly, address them to me at chuckgreen@ideabook.com and I will report on them in general. Thanks in advance.
Jan 9
Illustration
How do you make a better map? Ask cartographer David Imus. Mapmaking is not only about measurements and data, a great map is a feat of graphic design.
David Imus recently won the Cartography and Geographic Information Society's (CaGIS) annual Map Design Competition, Best of Show designation for his acclaimed new map: The Essential Geography of the United States of America.
Seth Stevenson takes a look the making of the map and explains what makes it significant in a piece he wrote for Slate.com.
Many thanks to Wendy Hersh for pointing us to it.
The Essential Geography of the United States of America...
An insightful piece about the map by Seth Stevenson for Slate.com...
The Imus Geographics website...
The Cartography and Geographic Information Society's (CaGIS) website...
About David Imus...
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Jan 6
Photography
This paper, mentioned widely in recent days, addresses the digital alteration of photographs. Eric Kee and Hany Farid are the authors of A perceptual metric for photo retouching, published by the Department of Computer Science at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.
I found this passage and much that follows to be most interesting, "We propose that the interests of advertisers, publishers, and consumers may be protected by providing a perceptually meaningful rating of the amount by which a person's appearance has been digitally altered. When published alongside a photo, such a rating can inform consumers of how much a photo has strayed from reality, and can also inform photo editors of exaggerated and perhaps unintended alterations to a person's appearance."
You can image the ramifications of such a rating could be both good and bad. Thought the authors devote much of their focus to "...highly idealized and unobtainable body images," I can image particularly practical uses of the technology such as detecting the amount of retouching used in creating that mouth-watering photograph of a hamburger.
Interesting, the acknowledgements tell us, "This work was supported by a gift from Adobe Systems, Inc., a gift from Microsoft, Inc. and a grant from the National Science Foundation...".
Describe pic link...
A perceptual metric for photo retouching (2.6MB PDF)...
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Jan 4
Packaging
Let's make stuff! Take, for example, something as simple as this one gallon can of "Immortality" from Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company — if you wanted to make a similar product, where would you get the can to apply the label to? Easy: from a place like The Cary Company.
Below, just to get you thinking, is a list of companies/websites that provide supplies for making things — packaging, raw materials, fasteners, and so on. I can't vouch for these specific companies but the list will give you an inkling of the possibilities.
Inventables.com for raw materials, tools, fasteners, and electrical components...
TheCaryCompany.com for containers...
DiskMakers.com for CD and DVD duplication and packaging...
Gaylord.com for library and archival supplies...
Sciplus.com for products with a science or educational tilt...
SpecialtyBottle.com for bottles, jars and tin containers....
WorldClassMedals.com for high-quality medals...
My post about Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company...
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Jan 2
Basic design
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, in New York have co-organized an international exhibition titled Graphic Design: Now in Production — what is being called, "an ambitious look at the broad-ranging field of graphic design".
As the exhibit's website describes it, the exhibit "explores how graphic design has broadened its reach dramatically over the past decade, expanding from a specialized profession to a widely deployed tool." The work featured, "explores design-driven magazines, newspapers, books, and posters as well as branding programs for corporations, subcultures, and nations".
Whether or not you are able to visit the exhibit, I encourage you to order a copy of the exhibit catalogue, a 225-page book that includes hundreds of examples plus twenty-some opinion pieces on the recent history and current state of graphic design by the exhibit's curatorial team and others.
The irony is graphic design, as Ellen Lupton puts it, is "about doing something in the world" or pragmatics — and the very nature of such an exhibit is to look at the work and describe it (for the most part) outside the context for which it takes action. It will fascinating to see how well the exhibit is able to bridge that divide.
I'm anxious to see it — here are the venues:
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis through January 22, 2012
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York, May 16, 2012
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California, September 30, 2012
Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas, July 19, 2013
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC, Oct 24, 2013
A quick overview...
The exhibit web page...
About the exhibit catalogue...
Purchase the exhibit catalogue...
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Jan 2
Marketing PR
I have run into a couple of colleagues lately who, after they were interviewed for a position, did not hear back from the potential employer (no less hear back from them in a timely manner). I believe the folks who told me, but I find such treatment unimaginable.
If you're guilty of this offense, give me a moment (I can tell you the truth because I'm not in the market).
What I want to say is this: No matter who you interview, if someone has gone to the trouble of coming to shake your hand and tell you about themselves with the understanding that you might hire them, you are REQUIRED by any measurement of human decency to contact them in a timely manner and to give them a status of the process.
Maybe you're still considering them, maybe you've decided not to hire anyone, maybe you hired someone else, or maybe you haven't made a decision in the days since you spoke with them — the point is you OWE that person a thank you and an update — in writing or by phone. Period.
It doesn't matter if you're the CEO of a publicly traded corporation or the manager of a small business, you need to build a timely, meaningful response into your hiring process. If you delegate the responsibility to others and you're not clear if and how they follow up, you are equally at fault if it's not getting done. (It is not surprising that many of the most powerful people I've dealt in my career are also some of the most cognizant of other people's feelings — that's one reason they got to where they are.)
Disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I just hate to think that anyone who has the wherewithal to hire someone else needs to be reminded to "do as you would be done by".
Dec 30
Basic design
Some folks write books because they're talented at researching and organizing ideas and communicating them in ways that make them entertaining and useful to readers. Some people write books because they are compelled to share the subjects they live and breath. Maggie Macnab's new book, Design By Nature, Using Universal Forms and Principles in Design is clearly a book that is as much about the heart as it is about the mind.
What I come away with is a new sense that nature does not merely provide ideas from which we can draw inspiration for design, but rather that it is nature that forms the context and framework from which much of design emanates. That to understand these concepts — the origins of patterns, shapes, and other elements of nature -- will help the designer find new ways of discovering intuitive, "gut-level" solutions to design problems. Solutions that our audiences will absorb on a different, deeper level because of their scientific truth.
The book is well-designed and beautifully illustrated. I particularly like the lists of "Key Concepts" at the beginning of each chapter and the "Guest Designer Studies" — explanations of how other designers use the concepts described in their own work.
I suggest buying Maggie's book as a gift to yourself for the new year. If you're like me, you'll soon be understanding and experiencing design on a whole new, natural level.
Design by Nature: Using Universal Forms and Principles in Design By Maggie Macnab
New Riders, October 2011, ISBN 978-0-321-74776-1, 312 pages
Some links...
The book's website...
An interview with Maggie Macnab...
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Dec 26
Illustration
While we're on the subject of poster design (my previous post) — three more excellent designers.
Jason Munn...
Kevin Tong...
Justin Helton...
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Dec 26
Illustration
A few years back illustrators Jason Teegarden-Downs and Billy Baumann started Delicious Design League as a hobby — mainly to create posters for events in the Chicago area. Today, they not only create illustrations for a long list of top tier clients, they design and print posters for sale in their store.
I'm a big fan and have a couple of their posters hanging on the walls of my home.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Their portfolio...
And the store...
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Dec 23
Web Design
Here's an interesting idea: When you click on a name in the The National Cartoonists Society Members Directory, up pops portfolio sample and mini-bio.
Click on a name and see a mini-portfolio and bio...
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
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Dec 16
Photography
If you were in search of an unusual photograph or illustration in the pre-digital years, one source you could turn to was the Bettman Archive. Typically, you'd call their New York offices and talk to a researcher. You'd explain what you were looking for and they would search Bettman's huge collection and send you a package of photocopies of what they had on the subject. If, for example, you needed a steel engraving of an old oak tree — they'd give you five or ten from which to choose.
Fast forward to 1995: The Bettmann Archive is sold to Corbis, the digital stock photography company founded by Bill Gates. Then to 2002: The entire collection is transferred to a secure, climate-controlled, underground storage facility maintained by Iron Mountain, an information management company.
This is the first time I've seen a "civilian" report on the Corbis collection. It's are real treat to see the facility and get an update.
From the CBS Early Show: A current report about the Corbis archive at an Iron Mountain facility in Pennsylvania (there is an advertisement on the front end of the video segment)...
About Iron Mountain...
About the Bettmann Archive...
Corbis Images...
New to me — Corbis Motion...
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Dec 12
Basic design
Graphic design is, in many cases, the re-expression existing ideas. In most cases, re-casting a visual metaphor you've encountered or using a combination of typefaces that seem to work well together would seem to be acceptable practice. But when does inspiration become imitation?
Jessica Hische tackled the subject recently and I'm using her thoughts as the catalyst for a continued discussion on the subject.
Jessica Hische on Inspiration vs. Imitation...
Visual plagiarism: when does inspiration become imitation ?...
Bob Caruthers offers some examples of "Similarities"...
One of my earlier posts about copyright infringement...
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Dec 9
Illustration
In one interview Leandro Castelao cites "motherboards" as one of his influences. You'll see exactly what he means when you see his work. He demonstrates great use of lines, hard-edged shapes, and bold color palettes.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
An interview with the artist...
Castelao's website...
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Dec 7
Graphics Tech
When you add up the costs of hardware and software, there has never been a time when there was LESS of a barrier to entry to 3D rendering and animation.
Here are some examples of what can be created with a system and software that I can't image would cost more than $10,000. By comparison, thirty years ago, though such technology didn't even exist, similar results would have cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars.
We're clearly headed into an era when the barrier to creativity is the intellect, not the tools.
An example of a piece produced (in part) using CINEMA 4D....
One version of the software...
Some of many examples...
Curious? Here, from Lynda.com, is a very brief summary of the Cinema 4D workflow...
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Dec 5
Illustration
Let's talk a little bit about film production design and art direction. I live in Richmond, Virginia where Steven Spielberg is currently filming his latest motion picture, Lincoln. We walked around the Virginia State Capitol this afternoon and took a look at how Spielberg's production company is transforming it into an 1860's White House.
It got me thinking about my days writing and directing industrial videotapes — how-to videos and small productions on budgets, most of which, wouldn't equal the cost of one days lunch for the cast and crew of a major film. But it reminded me of the importance of art direction in film, how much hard work it is, and how satisfying the results can be.
As described by Media Match (an online database of over TV and film professionals), the Production Designer is responsible for the entire art department and helps the director achieve the film's visual requirements. The Art Director facilitates the production designer's creative vision for all the locations and sets.
If you've ever wondered why films cost what they do, take a look around this one location and at the extent to which the producers have gone to make it believable. (Please excuse the quality of the images, I was documenting, not composing.)
First, a quick panorama of the scene that I stitched together (you may have to click on it twice to see it full-sized)...
The shot below shows what is actually the back side of the Virginia State Capital. The columns and roof are a facade build for the picture to simulate the White House in Washington DC at that time...
The paved drive that surrounds the Capital has been covered with a thin layer of mulch...
Something in the shot we don't want the camera to see? Put some trees in front of it...
Need to hide a trash receptacle? Camouflage it with a pile of supplies...
What separates one film from another? One thing is the level of detail. Check out the coloring of the tents, the fabric on the chairs, and the labeling on the ammunition...
The Governor's Mansion is just outside your view beyond the portico....
On the periphery there are other props being readied...
and remnants of production everywhere...
This is the full job description for a Production Designer...
And a job description for an Art Director...
The Production Designer for Lincoln is Rick Carter whose credits include Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, and Avatar...
The Art Director for Lincoln is Curt Beech who Art Directed Star Trek and The Social Network...
Veteran Production Designer Jim Bissell talks about judging the Best Art Direction Oscar...
A look at Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln...
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Dec 2
Learning
In June of 2010 Dominic Flask launched Design Is History — part of his graduate thesis from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. He explains, "I created this site as a teaching tool for young designers just beginning to explore graphic design and as a reference tool for all designers. It provides brief overviews of a wide range of topics combining to form a history of the evolution of graphic design."
If you know someone who's interested in a design career, send them this link and they'll get a good feel for what design is all about. Need to regain your own perspective about our profession? There isn't a better place to start. (Watch for the many worthwhile links and resources.)
1920s: Herbert Bayer...
1960s: Herb Lubalin...
1980s: Paula Scher..
Topics: Interactive Design...
Dominic Flask's Design Is History...
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Nov 30
Illustration
Apologies in advance to you if you're not a map freak like I am. I love maps (graphic designs of detailed information) so it's exciting to read about this new development and to contemplate, yet again, how a new technology will impact our lives. Wow.
A quick look at Google Maps Indoors...
From the Official Google Blog: A new frontier for Google Maps: mapping the indoors...
Add your building floor plan..
An indepth walkthrough of Google Maps...
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Nov 28
Web Design
Political ideologies aside, I've got to agree with Jason Fried of 37signals.com that The Drudge Report is one of the best designed sites on the web. Among the reasons he gives is that the page is straightforward, unique, specific, "good cluttered," and concise.
Perhaps his best argument is that if you were to pull the logo off most of the home pages of the competing news organizations (CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, ABC News, CBS News, and so on) you probably couldn't tell one from the next.
In a recent The New York Times article, David Carr points to the numbers: "With no video, no search optimization, no slide shows, and a design that is right out of mid-'90s manual on HTML, The Drudge Report provides 7 percent of the inbound referrals to the top news sites in the country."
Ty Fujimura for Huffington Post explains, "Beauty is merely one component of design, like usability, speed, cost, and time. Design is not decoration, it's a concerted effort to solve a particular problem. Some sites don't need to be fast. Some don't need to be cheap. Others, like Drudge, don't need to be pretty."
It's certainly a design worth studying.
Jason Fried's article from 2008 (and the 500-plus comments about it)...
The wonderfully awful design of the Drudge Report...
The New York Times on How Drudge Has Stayed on Top...
The Huffington Post talks about How ugly design can be good design...
Ready to take Drudge on? Here's a WordPress template...
If you hadn't noticed, there has long been a link in the bottom-right column for the Drudge Reference Desk which is compiled and edited by Matt Drudge's father...
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Nov 25
Photography
How often are you asked to use an image that is too small for the application? If you're like me, you typically explain that it is impossible to add information to an image that isn't already there.
Yes that's true, but to be fair, there are ways of faking it — techniques, applications, and plug-ins for up-resing or increasing the resolution of an image to match print or online applications that require an image larger than the original.
Though this first explanation is a bit dated, the science holds true. The links that follow it will introduce you to the current crop of tools and to further insights on the subject.
Digital Photo Enlargement by Sean McHugh...
PhotoZoom Pro...
Perfect Resize...
Blow Up...
Qimage Ultimate...
Further analysis... Interpolation Revisited by Ron Bigelow...
Digital Photo Interpolation Review: Which image interpolation (photo resizing / resampling) method is the best? by Kevin Venator...
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Nov 23
Typography
Here's something you don't see very often — a three-dimensional product design that feels like a logo come-to-life. These vibrant designs give each of the products a personality and identity of its own — imagine how many more of these will be sold simply because the designer had the foresight to have each show and tell its own story.
The marriage of typography and product design — Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Eric van den Boom of Boom Artwork did the design and illustration...
More of Boom's work — logos...
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Nov 21
Illustration
I'd call Brian Biggs a renaissance man (in addition to being a skilled illustrator he is a musician, animator, cyclist, and so on) but that sounds like and awfully serious title for someone who just doesn't portray "serious" very well.
In addition to children's books, you'll find his portfolio includes plenty of advertising projects. Don't let the comedic tone distract you — these are first-class, beautifully designed illustrations created by an artist with a terrific eye for colors and shapes.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
From Biggs' blog: A magazine cover from sketch to finished illustration...
The wonderful world of Brian Biggs...
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Nov 18
Illustration
Here is some more work from Johnny Kelly and Matthew Cooper (I recently pointed you to an elaborate animation Kelly directed through Nexus Productions for Chipolte).
These examples are a reminder of how simple and effective an old-fashioned GIF animation can be. Viewing them as a whole adds another layer of interest.
On with the show...
An explanation of the project...
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Nov 16
Marketing PR
Today I want to point you to an article in Advertising Age titled, What's Required of the Next Generation of Marketers. I believe much of what its author, Maureen Morrison, is talking about also applies to designers. She points to one's ability learn, to understand digital and social-media tools, to think in terms of integrated marketing, and to apply it to specific industries.
She lays out the premise with a quote by Tom Collinger, associate dean and department chair- Integrated Marketing Communications at the Medill School at Northwestern University who said, "Back in the day, if you were a direct or data marketer or PR specialist, that was enough." But today, "if you can't understand the breadth of the choices the consumer has and the context of where your strategy fits," then the marketer is at a loss."
A designer needs a similarly broad focus. To me, generation has less to do with age, than it does with motivation. Designers of all ages, with all levels of experience need to identify and adjust to the rapid pace of change.
What's Required of the Next Generation of Marketers...
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Nov 14
Learning
In the recent past I was approached by a web startup to help with the design of a product user interface. To make a long story short, they wanted me to compete with several other designers to produce a design and, if they liked mine best, I'd get the job. All they needed to see, they explained, was one page.
Just one design of the grid size and column widths...
One definition of the primary functions — what needs to be said and show...
One definition of the terminology — how to say it and show it...
One set of innovations — elements that distinguish their UI from others...
One treatment for the logo and tag line...
One design of the menu and button styles...
One design of the illustration and photography styles...
One wet of choices for the aesthetics such as typefaces and colors...
One page that I figured, properly researched and designed, would take a minimum of 30 hours to produce.
My point is this approach is bad business for everyone involved. Among the risks of spec work, the AIGA writes, "Clients risk compromised quality. Little time, energy and thought can go into speculative work, which precludes the most important element of most design projects — the research, thoughtful consideration of alternatives, and development and testing of prototype designs."
Needless to say I declined the offer (too bad, it looked like an interesting project). But all is not lost, it leads me to today's post — the debate about whether or not you and I should do spec work. Yes, I understand many of us pitch accounts but this is different. This is comparable to producing a finished TV spot to get a job doing a TV spot.
Here's the anti-spec argument...
And the AIGA's position on it...
And a rather agnostic, but useful view from a talented photographer and designer, Nick Campbell (warning: the video contains some strong language)...
Nick's website...
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Nov 11
Photography
On July 11, 2011 a website called Historypin was launched by a non-profit organization known as We Are What We Do.
As they describe it, "Historypin is a way for millions of people to come together, from across different generations, cultures and places, to share small glimpses of the past and to build up the huge story of human history."
"Everyone has history to share:," they say, "whether its sitting in yellowed albums in the attic, collected in piles of crackly tapes, conserved in the 1000s of archives all over the world or passed down in memories and old stories. Each of these pieces of history finds a home on Historypin, where everyone has the chance to see it, add to it, learn from it, debate it and use it to build up a more complete understanding of the world."
Thanks to Jim Green for pointing us to Historypin.
An overview of the project...
The map...
"Tour" content...
The Historypin blog and one of the first posts...
The Historypin home page...
The We Are What We Do website...
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Nov 9
Graphics Tech
There are plenty of theories about where interaction design is headed — the trick is to separate hyperbole from true vision. Why should you care? Because, as designer and engineer Bret Victor puts it, we shouldn't, "...just extrapolate yesterday's technology and then cram people into it."
"Technology doesn't just happen." Victor says, "It doesn't emerge spontaneously, like mold on cheese. Revolutionary technology comes out of long research, and research is performed and funded by inspired people."
He knows what he's talking about. Among his many accomplishments Victor, "...designed the initial user interface concepts for iPad, iPod Nano, and half a dozen experimental hardware platforms. Initiated, designed, and prototyped over seventy concept projects, including radically reinvented interfaces for video editing, animation, drawing, learning, collaboration, mail, photos, and much more. Invented features for Mac OS X Lion. Worked with designers and engineers from all parts of Apple. (And) Routinely presented to top-level management."
If you're anything like me you'll find his insights and predictions fascinating. Thanks to my friend Monique Larsen for pointing us to it.
A brief rant on the future of interaction design...
Victor's information graphics bio...
Thinking about user interfaces in very different ways...
Magic Ink: a revolutionary approach to UI...
Victor's website: WorryDream.com...
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Nov 7
Typography
I typically get a raised eyebrow when I tell people I took Russian in high school. Truth be told, if I am ever in Russia and I meet a girl name Marsha, and I need a pencil, I'm set. Other than that, I couldn't tell you a thing about it. (The sole thing I remember is, "Marsha, do you have a pencil?" or "Марша, у вас есть карандаш?")
So I'll share this site with you with the proviso that I'm not quite sure what we're looking at. By that I mean, I could show you snippets of type I've seen around the United States, but what I show you would be colored by what I like, or that I think is most interesting. So, I don't know if we're seeing a good representation of Russian type, or just one person's opinion.
In any case, it's fascinating stuff. I particularly like to look at type in a language I don't understand. It allows us to see the styles without being distracted by the content.
Do you know of another design or typography site that represents another non-english culture particularly well?
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The Green Type Blog...
Green Type type foundry based in St. Petersburg, Russia...
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Nov 4
Marketing PR
A few weeks ago you and I talked about "content marketing" — the practice of producing editorial-like content to promote brands in print and online. It is a "subtle sale".
Here's an excellent example: a fascinating stop motion animation piece that not only touts the environmental, humane practices of the restaurant chain Chipolte, a second piece, on the making of the film, promotes the work of the advertising agency (Goodby, Silverstein & Partners), the production studio (Nexus Productions), and singer on the soundtrack, Willie Nelson.
You spell that s-y-n-e-r-g-y.
Back to the start...
The making of the film...
About a Chipolte farmer...
My recent post about content marketing...
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Nov 2
Typography
I'm sure you know Grace Bonney and Design*Sponge — it's a one-of-a-kind source of creative inspiration for both do-it-yourselfers and serious designers. Grace has that very unusual talent for being able to gather disparate elements and combine them in ways that make them seem as if they have always belonged together.
This time she's done it with people — three of her favorite "local" type-centric designers (local to New York City). As she says, "I packed up my camera and hopped on the subway to meet with some of my favorites..."
Jesse Ragan..
Louise Fili...
Jessica Hische...
A compilation of the interviews...
Design Sponge: Best of Fonts in Homes...
About Grace Bonney and Design*Sponge...
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Oct 31
Web Design
That's a quote from a member of the development team for Muse, a new web design and publishing product Adobe is creating for professional graphic designers (now in public beta).
I haven't used it so I have no opinion about its value, but if you aren't familiar with it, you need to be. Why? Because the barriers to design are going to continue to fall away. To make a living at graphic design we're going to need to be independent thinkers and doers.
I believe that, as the tools become easier to use and proliferate, more and more people with want to design. And that, as the field expands, good design will be more widely recognized, better understood, and the best of it will be more highly valued.
But being a good designer will be more difficult too — it will no longer be enough to simply make our designs look good, we're going to have to know how to make them work well.
In other words, more than ever, we'll need examine and understand the entire picture:
1. What is my client trying accomplish?
2. How can I optimize the content and design to facilitate that goal?
3. What combination of devices, technologies, and messages will we use to draw our audience into the conversation?
4. How will my client keep their marketing fluid?
Yes it's all moving quickly and it can get a bit overwhelming, but don't be discouraged, if you love it, you can find your place in it.
The Adobe Muse website (made using Muse)...
A series of videos that explain the product...
Some anti-Muse sentiment...
Another recent post about fundamental changes in the world of graphic design...
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Oct 26
Marketing PR
I like this animated presentation for two reasons: First, the information is fascinating. The author cites statistics that point to radical changes in world markets in the future. Second, I like the look, feel, and sound of it. I flows nicely and uses type to emphasize the soundtrack.
If you don't already know Fredrik Härén, he is an author and speaker on the subject of creativity (his book like mine is an "idea book").
How is your idea perception?...
About Fredrik Härén (the other Idea Book author)...
Härén's Idea Book Facebook page...
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Oct 21
Graphics Tech
Once again I've missed the cruise ship in the sink — meaning I'm so often focused on seeing the small thing, I miss the big thing.
Luckily I'm surrounded by people who challenge my thinking. In this case, my friend Lee Garvey pointed me to the term "augmented reality". (I can hear all you AR freaks moaning, wondering how did this guy get so old being this stupid? I agree.) I've seen augmented reality applications, I just didn't know that's what I was looking at.
For the rest of us, Adobe defines augmented reality as, "...a field of computer science that involves combining the physical world and an interactive, three-dimensional virtual world." You've doubtlessly seen examples like the changing yard lines that are projected on a football field or the caption balloon that points to a particular car on a racetrack and shows you some stats on its driver.
But that, as they say, is the tip of the iceberg. I didn't realize how many folks are already using this technology and hadn't considered how big a role it will play in the design world in the future.
Imagine the countless opportunities this will afford graphic designers. For example, to create a live, mobile brochure that pops up when a passerby points their device at your client's business. And the endless extensions of imagery that will be applied to all manner of applications.
If you thought there were limits to the potential for your work as a designer, a dose of augmented reality will make you think differently.
An overview...
Examples from GigantiCo..
Examples from hidden...
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Oct 19
Web Design
Mobile devices, mobile searches, and mobile commerce are not big, they're huge. How do we design for mobile devices? If you're not up on it, it's time to start the climb.
One source for mobile design insights is Luke Wroblewski, among his many credits he wa the co-founder of Bagcheck, Chief Design Architect (VP) at Yahoo! Inc., and co-founder of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA).
I happened on his work through an interesting new training piece on Lynda.com titled, Web Form Design Best Practices (see the link below).
Why Separate Mobile & Desktop Web Pages?...
Mobile QR Code Usage...
On Lynda.com, Web Form Design Best Practices (the listings in blue can be viewed without a subscription)...
Luke's writings...
And a new book: Mobile First...
Can Mobile Search Be as Big for Google as Desktop Search?...
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Oct 17
Learning
Dale J. Stephens says, "A college degree is not a prerequisite for life," — it's a heck of a provocative, counter-culture statement.
Stephens is a twenty-something writer who started a movement in the form of a website: "UnCollege.org". His manifesto includes two primary points: First, that life and education can (and should) be mutually inclusive, and second, that you need to take responsibility for your own education.
I'm not saying we should close the colleges. I'm not suggesting that some career paths don't require a formal education. I'm saying Dale Stephens has some important things to say to students about their education. A message that I believe applies particularly well to the field of design. His manifesto also includes an important reminder for established designers: That learning should be a lifelong pursuit.
Many thanks to Bonnie Larner who pointed us to this important idea.
The UnCollege Manifesto (be sure to download the 1.5MB PDF — it's well worth it)...
The resources listed here provide a snapshot of the web as a learning institution...
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Oct 14
Print Design
Technology can be a little overwhelming sometimes. We're moving so fast, it's difficult to know which ideas to adopt and when to adopt them. Just when you settle on a content management system, for example, someone invents a new system that makes the one you just adopted looking kinda lame.
But it's inevitable. Hardware and software companies are like sharks, unless they keep moving forward, they drown — so they relentlessly invent and re-invent devices and tools in the hope that they'll maintain and grow their audience.
The good news is the creative options are ever expanding, the downside is it's almost a full time job separating the necessary and valuable from the gingerbread and hype. I love Adobe, in my lifetime they have played a major role in transforming my profession from a craft to a way of life.
I know it has become the industry way — but the Broadway show stuff makes me uneasy. I'm beginning to feel less like a partner and more like a member of the audience. Honestly, given the forces at work, I don't know that it is a problem that can be resolved, I just feel compelled to point to the obviousness of it.
You be the judge: Adobe's next big thing -- the creative cloud.
Adobe Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch's keynote presentation at MAX 2011...
The expressive web...
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Oct 12
Marketing PR
Do you know the terms "custom content," "content publishing," and "content marketing"? They all center around the idea of producing editorial-like content to promote brands in print and online.
A simple example is a magazine sponsored by a mobile device manufacturer that points to ways of using mobile devices to conduct business.
Following are some examples and resources (tip of the iceberg).
The Custom Content Council (CCC): A professional organization that represents custom publishers...
An issue of a magazine that highlights what is happening in the custom content and media industry — Content Magazine (published by the CCC)...
The Content Marketing Institute and 10 Must-Have Templates for Content Marketers...
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Oct 10
Ideas 101
So if you could explore any subject you wanted, what would it be? And if you could book any expert in the world to speak to you on that subject, who would they be?
When the folks at Facebook decide to bring someone in to talk to them about creativity, I make note of it. Here is Dr. Robert M. Bilder, Chief of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology at UCLA and one of the directors of The Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity.
Robert Bilder on Creative Brains in the Post-Facebook Era...
The Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity...
Facebook Live is Facebook's official channel for broadcasting live events and communicating information from its headquarters in Palo Alto, California....
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Oct 7
Print Design
A restaurants is a packaged experience. I've always thought it was one of the toughest businesses you could possibly undertake. A great restaurant requires a great chef, smart financing, good management, thoughtful interior design, superb customer service, and a solid brand.
One of a customer's first impressions is formed by the menu. The minimum requirement is that it is comprehensive, interesting, and inviting. I'm always fascinated to see how designers handle it.
So I was excited to read that UnderConsideration has started a page highlighting distinctive menus from around the world. Thanks to The Print Handbook Newsletter for pointing us to it.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The Art of the Menu...
Need more? I did another post about menu design here...
Thanks to The Print Handbook Newsletter for pointing us to it...
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Oct 5
Web Design
Much of the time the principles large companies use to develop and market their products does not translate well to small- and medium-sized concerns. The web is different. All websites have one significant thing in common — they all pursue a one-to-one relationship with the reader.
So it stands to reason that there is some value in understanding how successful websites make that connection. And there is no website that has more experience at it than Google. Here are their design principles.
Ten principles that contribute to a Googley user experience...
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Oct 3
Copywriting
Last week, on his Facebook page, Bob Bly (the copywriter's copywriter), pointed to a service that is developing technology that, "...Generates news stories, industry reports, headlines and more — at scale and without human authoring or editing." As they characterize it, they are working to "turn data into stories."
It's one more step in the struggle between art and science. Faster than we could ever hope of adapting to it, science marches forward attempting (with a fair amount of success) to automate all manner of human interaction, thought, and effort.
I wonder if the media will cover this or if the story will be written by its new competitor?
Narrative Science...
An article on the idea and the organization...
This all folds into Seth Godin's seismic column last week, The forever recession (and the coming revolution...
As implemented in the WSJ...
My reply to Bob Bly's post on Facebook: Ironic — I'm working on an application that reads data-generated text and converts it to clean drinking water. Here is his website...
And just for fun, Bob Newhart's wonderful bit, An Infinite Number Of Monkeys...
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Sep 30
Illustration
Mark Bender's bio says his work contains influences from advertising posters of the 1920's and 1930's, Folk Art, Cubism, Constructivism, and Surrealism. It's all there, interpreted with a bright palette of colors and a lyrical style.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Bender's website...
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Sep 28
Web Design
When I saw this lovely lithograph by Angie Lewin, it made me think there are probably many ways it could be used for commercial purposes. On the cover of a brochure for a spa, to illustrate a web page for a bed and breakfast, and so on.
My point is, we shouldn't be shy about inviting artists to collaborate on projects. In some cases, artists will be receptive to the possibility, in some cases not. I'm just suggesting it's worth investigating. (I'm using Ms. Lewin's work as an example — I'm not implying that she would be interested, but I'm guessing most artists would be willing to entertain a proposal.)
A lithograph by printmaker Angie Lewin...
While we're on the subject of printmaking — my niece, Summer Ventis, is also an accomplished printmaker...
BTW: If you're not familiar with the various printmaking techniques, MOMA explains the processes: woodcut, etching, lithography, and screenprints...
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Sep 26
Packaging
If you're enamored with Dieline.com, you'll love Boxvox.com. How do I explain the difference? Let me put it this way, I've come to think of Dieline.com as a fashion show and Boxvox.com as a sewing machine. Randy Ludacer's blog looks at the fabric of packaging: the current state of packaging, the history of packaging, the technical side of packaging, and all threads in between.
Chained Polyhedral Portion Packs...
Package as a metaphore...
Geografia's Polyhedral Planet...
Edge matching puzzles...
Randy, who is also a musician, even writes songs about packaging (bottom of the page)...
But don't miss Dieline.com either...
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Sep 23
Basic design
In October, Fast Company publishes its annual look at "Masters of Design" and "The United States of Design". I say "kinda" because we all recognize that the state of design changes hourly. A design in development this afternoon will likely sway our thinking shortly.
But it's fun to see who the design establishment — the educators, editors, pundets, curators, and organization heads — recognize as the current leaders in the field (I fear it will be another generation before the effusion about 3M and Post-It Notes finally dies down).
It's well worth a look.
The United States of Design...
Fast Company's 50 most influential designers in America...
A few examples of those cited...
Ji Lee, Facebook's creative director...
Scott Wilson...
Ben Fry...
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Sep 21
Typography
"You have to convince the client you have as much at stake as he does." Those are the words of the late designer and calligrapher Raphael Boguslav (1929-2010). You'll see many familiar brands in his portfolio. There's lots to see and learn from this old school icon.
Logos...
Lettering...
Calligraphy...
A video profile from the 1980s...
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Sep 16
Ideas 101
Attention, in particular, managers. Here's a rare interview with one of the co-founders of Adobe, John Warnock where he discusses innovation and the manager's role in it.
On the future of computing, Warnock tell those students contemplating a career in computer science, "...There is so much more room to innovate now than there was when I was growing up with computers — and there's so many more inventions to make, and there's so much more to conceive of and build because of the capabilities of the machines, that the opportunity now is greater than ever — and the returns are greater than ever..."
No business lasts forever (except PostScript)...
An official Warnock bio...
And on Wikipedia..
From The Wharton School: Warnock on the Competitive Advantages of Aesthetics and the 'Right' Technology...
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Sep 14
Basic design
In fact, I can think of only a few clients who seemed really difficult to work with. I've always though it was a two-way street — if, after a while, you're unable to demonstrate your value, you're either dealing with someone who is oblivious to well-executed, smart marketing, or you're failing to provide it.
But for the moment, let's entertain ourselves with stories of those less fortunate.
Clients From Hell is a collection of anonymously contributed client horror stories from designers. In the forward to a compilation of contributions in book form, the editors explain, "...What if the reason we were consistently running into the same issues with different clients was that we were the difficult ones?... Feeling the sting of insecurity, we launched Clients From Hell in a desperate attempt to validate ourselves."
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
See for yourself...
It's now in book form..
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Sep 12
Photography
Last week I spent two days art directing a photography shoot inside a steel foundry and manufacturing plant. It reminded me of how interesting the job of a photographer (and designer) can be.
In fact, some of the most interesting folks I have met in my life are professional photographers. The reason is becuase, to do the job, you've got to be confident, outgoing, opinionated, technically skilled, and able to react quickly to the inevitable changes many projects present. That combination of traits makes for an eclectic, complex, personality.
Today I want to point you to a site dedicated to photographers and the nitty gritty of their business: APhotoEditor.com. The site is published by Rob Haggart, the former Director of Photography for Men's Journal and Outside Magazine, and features topics such as business practices, legal issues, marketing for photographers, and so on.
You'll have to visit it to get a feel for what distinguishes it from other photography resource sites — suffice it to say, I think the point of view is particularly intriguing.
Real World Estimates - Bribes And Kickbacks...
Reference to discussion about how photography is used to exaggerate...
"The Daily Edit" is Heidi Volpe's column which points to great editorial content...
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Sep 9
Web Design
A Website That Works: How Marketing Agencies Can Create Business Generating Sites by Mark O'Brien
You can't blame an author for writing a how-to book that remains somewhat generic — if you narrow your audience, you limit your sales. If you name software programs, point to online services, and get specific about technical issues you limit your book's shelf-life. If you cite too many details you're likely to raise objections.
If you do all of these things, you're clearly not writing to please everyone, you're writing because you have something to say — and that's a book worth reading. A Website That Works is a book written for a specific audience: marketing agencies, that offers a smart, detailed approach to creating websites for both the agency and its clients.
The author, Mark O'Brien, is the president of Newfangled.com, a web development company that specializes in working with creative agencies to build marketing sites. The publisher is Rockbench, a company owned by David Baker, founder of ReCourses, Inc., a management consulting firm that focused on the advertising and design fields (I've pointed you to ReCourses a couple of times in the past).
What I like most about O'Brien's book is that it maps a specific course. You can agree or disagree with any particular proposition or conclusion, but the value is in seeing, step-by-step, how one firm is developing websites 2011 — it's current, thoughtful, and easy to digest.
He look at everything from audience definition and search engine optimization to information design and lead generation. I particularly like the chapter on "persona development," — the process of creating profiles of the people who use your site. "Well crafted personas," O'Brien explains, "serve as a guide for the site development planning stages and are helpful when navigating through the trickier elements of dealing with information design, visual design, call to action creation, and content strategy planning."
The other thing I like is that the writing is succinct. It drives me nuts when authors require their readers to scour 300 pages of obfuscation for 25 pages of information. A Website That Works offers 140 pages of worthwhile, intelligent advice from an author who is clearly an expert in his field. I believe every marketer, designer, and most clients will find something significant in this book that they will use on their next project.
A Website That Works: How Marketing Agencies Can Create Business Generating Sites by Mark O'Brien; ISBN-10: 1605440086, hardcover, 140 pages, published by Rockbench Publishing, 2011
Some links...
The publisher's page...
Mark O'Brien's blog at Newfangled.com...
David Baker's ReCourses...
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Sep 7
Typography
My general rule is don't use too many typeface families — too many meaning 3 or more. Here's how you break that rule with abandon. I see at least 6 typefaces from various families and it works just fine. I love how the hanging string and piece of chalk are used to divide the columns.
Via Fabien Barral at Graphic Exchange.
The Hummingbird Kitchen and Bar...
More on the identity from Analogue's website (the designers)...
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Sep 5
Photography
Being a creator of templates has not endeared me to all designers. Some folks get itchy when you provide others with even partial alternatives to using full-blown professional services. (If they were to look closely, they'd see my templates are designed to provide a framework for designers to begin a project with, not as finished designs.) So I have some sympathy for the fallout Mariano Pastor will suffer from his venture with Via U Photography.
It's actually a pretty smart idea — a flat fee product photography service ($70) for folks who need a decent product shot but don't have the budget to hire a professional photographer with a studio.
I can see how Via U would make sense for a certain group of clients in a specific niche — the site, in particular, recommends the service for users of the Esty.com handmade marketplace. That said, if you've got ten products and the equivalent budget of $700 I'm guessing you could probably afford to hire a photographer with a small studio.
In any case, I think it's worth a look.
Describe pic link...
The Via U! blog offers some ideas for do-it-yourselfers...
A press release about the service...
Mariano Pastor's website (the founder of Via U!)...
Esty.com...
What the heck, while you're at it, check out my templates...
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Sep 2
Reference
Luc Devroye is a Belgian born professor of computer science and mathematics and a self-confessed type nut. I've been a fan of his site for many years.
As he describes it, he joined the McGill University in Montreal "...in 1977 as a young snotnose, and found academic freedom and cybercover from conservative forces in 2006 at the Computational Geometry Lab of Carleton University, Ottawa." I assume that explains the title of his page, "On Snot and Fonts."
He strikes me as the type of person who prefers others don't attempt to interpret his motives or speculate about what he thinks, so I'll leave it at this: Devroye's pages constitute the wild west of the type world — "wild west" because he is neither a respecter of rules or status. The resulting collection of type-related articles, resource descriptions, and its vast collection of links is like no other.
If you're a typophile you already know Luc Deveroye's extraordinary resource — if you're not, you may end up as one.
Luc Devroye wild west of typography...
An interview from planet-typography.com...
Once you think you've got your arms wrapped around his font resource, you'll want to visit his home page. Haha... what you've seen is just the beginning...
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Aug 31
Illustration
I not only like Michael Cho's style of illustration, I like his sometimes quirky concepts.
As an aside: I wonder if Cho sees his illustrations in the same vein as I see them. For some reason I get a sense that he sees them differently. Makes me wonder how folks perceive my work. Not sure I want to know.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Cho's Illoz.com portfolio...
And his blog...
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Aug 29
Web Design
Pentagram Design is owned and operated by 16 partners as an "independent design consultancy." As long as I can remember, it has been a place you could turn to to find some of the world's top creative thinkers.
Though the founders have all moved on, the system they instituted continues to attract top talent and to produce great work.
Today I want to point you to their newly redesigned website and, in particular, the elegant slider bar that allows you to slide through work horizontally.
There's lots to see.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The website...
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Aug 24
Typography
I was surprised to find I've never pointed you to Tom White — he is a long-time favorite of mine — in my never-to-be-humble opinion, one of (if not the) top lettering illustrators working today.
I want to use the word "meticulous" to describe his work but I'm afraid you'd think there was some negative associated with it. So I'll couch it by saying his work is "good meticulous" — his creations demonstrate an attention to detail, a sense of order and balance, and a level of technical expertise that (to me) firmly ensconce him in the top tier of designers.
As you'll see, White is a master of Photoshop and Illustrator. I hope someday he'll give us a peak behind the scenes at the techniques he uses to produce his broad portfolio of work.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
White's 9 Surf Studios website...
His blog...
The 9 Surf Studio Facebook page...
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Aug 22
Illustration
If you're searching for current imagery and information about the countries (and entities) of the world, the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes an excellent, up-to-date resource titled The World Factbook — in print and online.
In addition to photographs, maps, flags, and so on of all the current entities (267 at this writing) it includes a written snapshot on each country's history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, and military.
More good news: The World Factbook is in the public domain. That means much of it can be used without permission of the CIA — but be sure to read the copyright pages. (You cannot, for example, use the CIA seal.)
The main page...
Maps of world regions...
A map of the Arctic (1.6MB PDF)...
Flags...
An example of some entity-specific photographs — in this case, from France...
Read this copyright information before using anything...
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Aug 19
Photography
Anyone who has ever art directed product photography for a catalog will appreciate the kind of situations that Catalog Living makes fun of. If you've done enough of it, you've had at least one occasion when you asked yourself something like, "What the heck was I thinking when I put a watermelon on the couch?!"
Catalog Living spoofs images from catalogs such as Arhaus, West Elm, and Pottery Barn. Photographs that, in an effort to be attractive (at times), end up being a bit bizarre.
Having a ruff day...
A word from our sponsor...
Food for thought...
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Aug 17
Typography
Wordmark is wonderful online tool that allows you to see words and phrases in all of the typefaces loaded on your computer. So, for example, I can type in "ideabook" and see it rendered in all of the hundreds of the typefaces on my system -- every family and every typeface within them.
A Pro version allows you to save selections, zoom in and out, toggle cases, adjust spacing and so on (free for one month).
Thanks to Jay Nelson and Design Tools Monthly for pointing us to it.
Try it here...
Thanks go to its designer and developer Fahri Özkaramanlı...
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Aug 15
Print Design
Chronicling America is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers. It contains millions of pages (yes millions) including a mountain of interesting period advertisements.
Chronicling America...
Some event topics you might find interesting...
A sample of an illustrated advertisement...
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Aug 12
Ideas 101
One of the things my wife and I did on our vacation recently was tour the Charles W. Morgan, an 1840s wooden whaling ship that is being restored at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard in Mystic Connecticut.
As we climbed through the narrow doorways and rooms I couldn't help but think of the long dead souls who had manned that ship and sailed it to faraway places.
So my reflections were fresh when I came across a wonderful new website titled Dear Photograph. It captures, through photographs, the idea of matching up images from the present and the past.
It is, in and of itself, a fascinating, touching way of drawing memories from the current reality but the designer in me wants to think of ways of using the same idea in other ways. It's easy to think how the same idea could be used to demonstrate the differences between old products and new products, to document the before and after of a location, and so on.
Any other ideas of how this concept could be used?
Dear Photograph was created by Taylor Jones...
An article about Jones and his idea...
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Aug 10
Web Design
There are at least three things to like about this website design:
First, the fact that the site is just one page. It gives me a sense that I can find what I'm looking for easily.
Second, I like the light, delicate feel the designer achieved with the use of transparency and how it plays off the background texture.
Third is the way the multiple layers interact. It provides lots of visual interest but its not so much that it's distracting.
Cultural Solutions...
The design is attributed to HoohaaDesign...
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Aug 8
Basic design
Noel Weber was one of the original "Letter Heads" — a group of professional sign and lettering artists that formed back in the 1970s. Today, he and his team at the Classic Design Studio produce products — signage, identity, architectural elements, and so on — that seem to reflect a love of the creative process.
In competitive markets companies resort to all kinds of machinations to find and hold an audience. I suspect that this is the type of business the audience finds and supports without the hype.
There's something uniquely satisfying about seeing designs reproduced in physical form. I suspect as the world continues its shift to digital, these physical expressions of graphic design will become that much more popular.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
The Classic Design Studios website...
Their portfolio continues on their Facebook page...
A brief bio of Weber on one of my favorite sites, Letterhead Fonts...
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Aug 5
Graphics Tech
There was a time when seeing was believing — those days are clearly gone. As you know, it's now possible to model, render, and animate fictional people, places, and things in ways that make them seem real.
But I lost track of how convincingly and affordably it can be done. I recently saw that my friend Chris Miller is consulting with a company called Pacificom Multimedia. As I looked through its portfolio, I was surprised how far this field has progressed. I see work here for big brands, but I also see work for projects that you wouldn't think have the budgets that renderings once cost. The marketing and design equation is ever-changing. I guess it's time we add 3D to our solution mix.
Take a tour of a Northern Power Systems wind turbine...
Here's how one of their animations is being used on the Holland America Line website...
An interactive architectural rendering...
The Pacificom Multimedia website...
If you're interested, here are two of the tools used to produce this type of work... First, Autodesk Maya...
And second, NewTek LightWave...
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Aug 3
Basic design
Sporting team identity and branding is big business. Dan Simon and Studio Simon has carved out a spot in, among other niches, Minor League Baseball. The interview recounts how Simon got involved with sports team and event logo design.
Studio Simon...
A 2010 interview with Dan Simon on the Minor League Baseball website...
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Aug 1
Learning
Line By Line is a 12-part New York Times series on learning the basics of drawing, presented by the artist and author James McMullan. As McMullan explains it, "During the 12-week period of this column, I will be working on posters for Lincoln Center Theater as well as on a children's book, and I will share with you sketches from those processes if they seem to illuminate an aspect of drawing being discussed."
My friend Jessica Jones pointed me to the series and shared this critical insight...
"For those of us who are not artists/designers, it is actually quite comforting to see the many, many iterations that get discarded, but also disconcerting to see the nimbleness of the artist's move from one approach to several quite-different approaches.
"I've just thought about what it reminds me of: long ago, when I was doing linguistics (the course was, 'The Theory and Practice of Writing,' a terrible title for a vivid and wonderful course), I came across research on the differences between fluid writers and plodding writers (or 'good' vs 'bad' writers). And it had to do with this 'nimbleness.' Both the fluid and plodding writers will produce, say, a draft or drafts of an essay/poem/novel/article. The plodding writer will go back and tweak a word here, a phrase there, move this paragraph from here to there. But the fluid writer will step back, scrap the lot, and rewrite from scratch.
"In A. Scott Berg's wonderful biography of Max Perkins, the famous but reserved Scribners editor of Hemingway, Wolfe, Fitzgerald inter alia, Berg writes of Perkins' editorial process. Perkins would, say, receive hundreds and hundreds of pages from Wolfe, read them thoroughly, and then write to Wolf something like, 'There's a character who emerges in Chapter 2. I suspect that this character is the real voice of your book.' And Wolfe would dash off and rewrite, to much better effect, the whole caboodle. So the 'fluid' writers don't tweak; they rework, rethink, take a different approach.
"I am better at this 'reworking' with my own (infrequent) writing, but in my wee forays into design,' I know I am definitely a plodding tweaker. I don't do what a journalist teacher once said: 'Don't agonize over your lead paragraph; write SEVEN different lead paragraphs, and go with the one that most energizes you.'"
Someone who understands the processes that well cannot, in my opinion, claim status as a "non-artist/designer." Jessica points to one of the most critical talents a designer can possess — the ability to explore at will. A good designer (or writer) develops an ability to dig into a topic deep enough to find the treasure but no so deep that they can't climb back out of the hole.
The first in the series: Getting Back to the Phantom Skill...
James McMullan's Line By Line — all twelve parts...
James McMullan's website...
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Jul 29
Web Design
I'm pointing you to Brainfood.com becuase I want you to see their elaborate header and the animation associated with each menu category.
Click "Work," "Services," and so on to see the animations...
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Jul 27
Print Design
This design got me thinking. Though it appears the designer had the back of the sheet printed with a white on black pattern, I was thinking it might be kind of cool to add a second, decorative or informational sheet to a standard stationery package.
Maybe it's a rich, deep color embossed with a pattern of logos. Or maybe it's a color sheet with a collage of photographs of your product or plant. In either case, it's a sheet that folds around your letter — kind of like stationery wrapping paper. What do you think?
This handsome letterhead was created by Felix von der Weppen...
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Jul 25
Illustration
The illustration/design team of Elsa Chaves and Tyler Lang are fast becoming icon icons. Their studio, Always With Honor, counts among its clients The New York Times, TED, Toyota, Audubon, and others. They have a gift for condensing ideas into descriptive, hard-edged shapes.
Icons for TED Conversations...
Icons for F8 — in the form of a world map...
Icons for Toyota...
Illustrations for Audubon...
The AWH website...
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Jul 22
Graphics Tech
I'm a lover of signage so when I came across Dan Sawatzky's Imagination Corporation I was truly enthralled.
Sawatzky and his crew use their creative skills, craftsmanship, and engineering expertise to produce signs and environments. They design, sculpt, build, and paint -- plus they are experts at using CNC routers (a computer numerical controlled cutting tool) to produce some of their work from CAD/CAM drawings.
There's just enough here to get you exploring — and lots more to see beyond that.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Dan Sawatzky's Blog...
And the Imagination Corporation website...
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Jul 18
Typography
I guess this is lettering month. I think of "lettering" as the design of a specific group of characters for a specific purpose. (Any letterers out there who have a more accurate definition?)
In any case, if you don't already know him, meet Jude Landry. His work reminds me of how often I look at the sum of the parts of a design without considering what it took to get there. Imagine, for example, the work it required to create and puzzle together the examples below.
Good design often looks simple. It is anything but.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Example 4...
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Jul 15
Illustration
Michael Newhouse is a former keypunch operator who has done work for neurosurgeons. That information is true, but the way it is presented gives you a curious slant on the real story. (This is his real bio.)
In graphic design it's all about how you say (and show) a thing. Newhouse is, among other things, an accomplished information architect — an expert as explaining ideas with words and images. I especially like the fact that his work is client-specific — by that I mean he varies the look and feel of each piece rather than shoehorning everything into one specific style.
The Newhouse website...
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
And his feelings on logo design services...
And the Newhouse Books blog on Tumblr...
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Jul 15
As one who started out using a t-square, a can of rubber cement, and an Rapidiograph to cobble together a design, I'm particularly aware of the "clean room" nature of today's digital world. I love it but (occasionally) I miss the physical craft (though not the X-acto knife wounds). It's no wonder I have such an affinity for work that demonstrates an appreciation of all three dimensions when I see it.
Today I want to point you to Ben Barry, a young designer at Facebook with an obvious love of craft. It looks as though he and his colleagues are as comfortable producing as they are in designing. Watch for the texture and the structure and the weight — to me, they literally add depth to graphic design.
A tour of the shop...
A hand stamped seal for Mark Zuckerberg's stationery...
A gift in the form of a packaged art print...
Letterpress coasters...
Facebook Design, of course, has a Facebook page...
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Jul 11
Typography
I mentioned Louise Fili last week and I came across the names of a couple of the other talented people who work for her studio. I particularly like these chalkboard lettering pieces created by graphic designer Dana Tanamachi.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Time lapse video of the making...
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Jul 8
Print Design
What types of media have you designed for in the past year?
What percentage of your projects involves print in the mix?
What percentage of your time is spent working in print?
These are some of the questions answered in GDUSA's just released 48th Annual Print Survey. Very interesting.
GDUSA's 48th Annual Print Survey (226KB PDF)..
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Jul 4
Typography
I guess the reason I find ephemera so fascinating is that it freezes ideas in time. Advertisements, specimen sheets, instruction guides, product labels, and other forms of printed matter that were never meant to outlive their immediate purpose, provide a snapshot of the producer's intent and reveal a designer's approach to solving a problem.
Below is a brief tour of a new book the folks at publisher Thames & Hudson sent along: Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design's Golden Age. It's a collection of elegant and eccentric examples of script lettering — French, British, German, Italian, and American — compiled over a thirty year period by authors Louise Fili and Steven Heller.
If you know the work of Fili and Heller, you might expect they'd have amassed a rather substantial collection of ephemera over the years. Heller, a former art director for the New York Times and well-known lecturer on the history of graphic design, has authored over 100 books on design and popular culture. Louise Fili, formerly a designer for Herb Lubalin and art director for Pantheon Books, has authored another twenty titles, many of them in collaboration with Heller (they are husband and wife).
Fili is among my favorite designers. If you have no idea why you'd want a book of this type, take a look at her portfolio of work. Though she offers a fresh and modern approach, you can't help but see the influences of 19th and early 20th century graphic design and typography.
Discovering, digesting, and deconstructing the work of others — finding the essence of how disparate elements are arranged in order — is part of the design mind's blessing/curse. Whether it's a conscious effort or gut-level assimilation, you can't help but absorb the layouts, typefaces, colors, and imagery that pass through your vision each day and mentally store them away. The beauty of this book is that it captures some of the best of what these two experienced designers have found and distills it in a form we can easily access.
The book is virtually all images — there are brief introductions to each section and footnotes, but just enough to supply the necessary orientation. The wonderful cover design was created by Louise Fili and John Passafiume. (I'm told that another favorite of mine, Jessica Hische, worked on the early stages of the interior design.)
I have hundreds of design books on the shelves around me. And, though I love digital, I love print too. I get some indescribable sense of satisfaction knowing that the thoughts of so many good designers and tens of thousands of their designs are by my side.
Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design's Golden Age by Louise Fili and Steven Heller, ISBN 0500515689, 352 pages, published by Thames & Hudson, 2011
Some links...
Louise Fili...
Steven Heller...
Thames & Hudson, the publisher...
Jessica Hische...
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Jul 1
Basic design
As the story goes, Adobe was founded in 1982 and named for the Adobe Creek that ran behind John Warnock's house in Los Altos, California. Who could have predicted what Adobe would become — the company that started as the home of the PostScript page description language, ended up precipitating the desktop publishing revolution and today has 9000-plus employees and revenues of $3.8 billion.
But the magic, to me, is what Adobe has done for my profession. It has helped to grow seemingly creative disciplines -- graphic design, photo editing, illustration, animation, and so on -- into scientific collaborations and pursuits of the highest order.
Adobe invests 20% of its revenues in research and development. But, as they explain it, "The company's commitment to innovation... goes far beyond dollars spent. With a wide range of initiatives that provide resources, tools, and support to stimulate innovative practices at every level of the company's activities, Adobe has ensured that innovation remains an essential element of its long-term strategy."
For a guy who once used a T-square and press type, the stuff going on in places like the Adobe Advance Technology Labs is science fiction made real.
Cosaliency and image triage...
Video Tapestries...
Articulated puppet building...
PatchMatch...
About Innovation at Adobe...
Adobe Advanced Technology Labs home page (Above are just a few of the many developments Abobe has pursued on its own and in collaboration with other organizations. Be sure to explore the many headings under "Technologies" in the right column and meet the some of the players.)...
The Adobe Creek
Haha... press type
Hahahaha... the olden days...
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Jun 29
Basic design
This piece from The Flores Shop for Owens & Minor (a medical supply distributor) is, to my way of thinking, what graphic design is all about.
Design should not be sycophantism — it should be the honest telling of the client's story. This concise campaign does just that. It may not win a designing with the stars competition, but I bet it's fruitful investment for the client.
The Owens & Minor case study...
An interactive brochure with a USB WebKey that launches into an impressive testimonial video...
A rolling tag line...
A direct mail piece (1.2MB PDF)...
The Flores Shop website...
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Jun 27
Illustration
I was struck, in particular, by the first image I'll point you to — I love the movement and vibrancy of it. Not surprisingly, it was recently awarded American Illustration's silver award in the editorial illustration category.
Example 1 (click the image to see it full-size)...
Example 2...
Example 3...
His website...
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Jun 24
Graphics Tech
In his "Thoughts on Flash" article of April 2010, Steve Jobs makes his argument for why Apple no longer supports Flash — that Adobe's Flash is proprietary and therefor a "closed" platform and that Apple wants an "open" one.
Enter HTML5. As Jobs explains it, "...we strongly believe that all standards pertaining to the web should be open. Rather than use Flash, Apple has adopted HTML5, CSS and JavaScript - all open standards."
"HTML5, the new web standard that has been adopted by Apple, Google and many others, lets web developers create advanced graphics, typography, animations and transitions without relying on third party browser plug-ins (like Flash). HTML5 is completely open and controlled by a standards committee, of which Apple is a member."
That's a necessary preface to showing you the official HTML5 website. I point you to it because of the technology it represents AND for the design of it's logo and icons.
The logo and website design...
The technology...
Thoughts on Flash by Steve Jobs...
If you're ready to dig in, check out James Williamson's tutorial on Lynda.com: HTML5: Structure, Syntax, and Semantics (a few tidbits of which can be viewed for free)...
When will HTML5 be ready for primetime? This recent article by Stephen Shankland for CNET News ends with the following "...although the HTML5 standardization process is very drawn out, it's not charting some future ideas. More often, it's codifying the present, settling down practices already supported in browsers and used on the Web. So in many regards, HTML5 is already here"...
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Jun 22
Illustration
If you're a writer, designer, illustrator, photographer, editor, developer, or marketer, the obvious answer is yes. The proof is in the many new studios popping up to specialize in the development of content for the new generation of phones and tablets.
Electric Type, for example, bills itself as a digital book foundry. Here, they provide us with a taste of how some of the aforementioned players have collaborated to reinvent a storybook.
A video tour of their first project: The Jungle Book...
How it was made...
About Electric Type...
Illustrator Nigel Buchanan's portfolio...
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Jun 20
Illustration
In his short career (he's only 30) Alex Varanese has demonstrated a talent for illustration, design, typography, and 3D modeling. In an interview I link to below, he speaks of the influence of video games and computer science — both of which are obvious in his work.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Varanese's website...
An interview with Smartpress.com...
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Jun 17
Reference
I love to discover new names for organizations, products, services, and domains. In a world where everyone is looking for a distinctive, descriptive, mind-catching name, it is not a process for those who are short on time and energy.
Recently I invested a few hours tracking down some better tools. Here is the beginning of a list of resources that will, eventually, be added to the reference section of Jumpola.com.
My Jumpola.com links page...
Acronym Finder: A dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms...
Etymology Dictionary: Explanations of the original meanings of various words...
Glossarist: A searchable directory of glossaries and topical dictionaries...
Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words: Difficult words and their definitions...
Naming Online: Generates names from words and varying formuli...
Nameboy: Generates domain names from terms entered...
NetLingo.com: Definitions of words from the online world...
OneLook meta Dictionary: Search 1000-plus dictionaries simultaneously...
Rhyming Dictionary: Add a word and choose from types of rhymes..
WordConstructor: Generates new or changes existing words...
WordNet: A database of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs grouped as concepts...
WordSpy: Word lover's guide to new words......
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Jun 15
Typography
Type is magic. The characters of our alphabet are so ingrained, our brains are able to intuitively translate certain mixes of characters into an infinite array of feelings, impressions, and understanding. There is much speculation about how a typeface influences the message it conveys, but it think it's safe to assume that it can be significant.
So it's no wonder organizations would commission Ray Cruz to design a unique typeface. He has developed many you will recognize — for Pella Windows, Xerox, United States Postal Service, New York Life, and Este Lauder — exclusive typefaces that add an additional layer of distinction to the brands they represent.
Why a custom typeface? The most obvious advantage is, of course, that a custom design distinguishes an organization's collateral, signage, website, and other branding materials from all others. It can be designed to reflect the particular preferences of the organization's creative team and conform to branding standards.
But there are also financial and logistical reasons for a custom design. Some organizations, for example, commission typefaces to avoid the fees and distribution restrictions associated with a typical retail font license.
Logistically, an organization might commission a typeface that is optimized for use with a specific language and/or to include a set of special characters that addresses the needs of a particular industry or profession.
Cruz, formerly the Type Director at Young & Rubicam Advertising, has his own firm devoted to designing custom typefaces, logos, and book covers. He also, luckily, has designed many retail typefaces for type foundries such as Agfa/Monotype, Garage Fonts, Bitstream, and P22.
Cruz's website...
His portfolio of typefaces (1.9MB PDF)...
Some of his retail typefaces on myfonts.com...
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Recognize this custom typeface for Xerox?
Jun 13
Illustration
SeventhStreet bills itself as a retouching and design shop. That's kind of like calling Pixar an animation studio — accurate but modest. These folks, under creative director Mike Campau, do amazing things with tools such as Photoshop, Poser, and other 3d and CG rendering programs.
Look and you'll find many examples of finished images and details about the many images that were used in their making.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
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Jun 10
Web Design
Watch how the folks at Design Bridge show a project in story form. The illustrations of some are more elaborate than others, but among them you see information-rich compositions shot using a broad mix of angles and distances — establishing shots, medium shots, close-ups, high-angle, low-angle, and so on — many captured with a touch of drama.
Most show marks and packaging and then, depending on the project, show how the brand is applied to clothing, signage, accessories, collateral, and so on. In some cases, they also include a shot or two of people and places where interaction with branded materials is taking place.
It helps, of course, to have stunning work to show.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
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Jun 8
Print Design
To design a great logo the designer needs to have a sense of how it will be used.
Watch how well these stark black and white logos and wordmarks translate to the packaging on which they are ultimately used.
Work of this quality requires a clear understanding of current and future usage, a keen understanding of printing and packaging, and lots of foresight.
The designer is Rob Clarke.
Example 1: In black and white...
Example 1: On the package...
Example 2: In black and white...
Example 2: On the package...
Example 3: In black and white...
Example 3: On the package...
Rob Clarke's full portfolio...
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Jun 6
Web Design
Creative Juice, a microsite designed by Matt Stevens for Hawse Design, is described as an effort to gain the attention of new clients. I am guessing it worked.
If you want a client to trust you to successfully represent their product, service, or idea, you'd better be successful at presenting your own.
The Creative Juice microsite...
I love this visual interpretation of "Instinct"...
Hawse Design...
Matt Stevens' portfolio...
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Jun 3
Graphics Tech
It looks as if the next version of Windows is going to adopt the touch screen and web-connected apps we've come to know through the iPhone and iPad. It will also include a new user interface, a "portable workspace" feature, and will use the processor and the physical memory more efficiently. Makes you wonder if, five years from now, there will be any significant user interface differences between Mac and Windows operating systems.
Maybe Apple and Microsoft will have a historic, west coast summit and merge the two companies with a happy handshake — orrrr... maybe not.
The first demo of Windows 8...
From the Microsoft News Center...
The Wikipedia entry offers lots of detail...
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Jun 1
Print Design
Though huge amounts of advertising and marketing stock have moved online, there are still lots of innovative and effective uses for conventional mail. To that end I think marketers and designers should have a seat at the table as changes are made to the postal system — and changes are coming.
If you hadn't noticed, the United States Postal Service is in the news. Last week, for example, Businessweek's cover story was titled, The U.S. Postal Service Nears Collapse. And on June 15th, technology, government, and business heavyweights are convening in Washington D.C. to discuss their ideas for addressing postal system issues.
If you don't already have an opinion about what we can do to reform this important resource, I'll point you to some resources that will get you started in forming one.
I won't lie to you, I have a prejudice: I LOVE mail. Even thought I'm a total technology junkie, I still appreciate and enjoy picking up a magazine, a catalog, opening a letter, and getting a hand-written note. I still see the mailbox as a gift package that I dig through in the hope of discovering something interesting and new.
Even the most dire of predictions estimates the annual US mail volume in 2020 to be 118 billion. For some clients, products, and services, now is actually a pretty good time to be using direct mail — in some cases it's actually the out-of-the-ordinary way of contacting prospects.
What do you think about direct mail? Do you use it?
A Newsweek cover story: The U.S. Postal Service Nears Collapse...
The United States Postal Service Five Year Plan (550KB PDF)...
The PostalVision 2020 Conference...
Check out the USPS's Deliver Magazine companion site for ideas about mail marketing strategies...
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May 30
Graphics Tech
If you're in need of a quick solution for creating an iPad compatible publication/app, I've seen a demo of a product that might interest you. Twixl Publisher is a plug-in (and service) of Twixl Media. It allows you to create a publication/app which can include features such as links, audio, video, slide shows — even a storefront.
Simply put, you create the document in InDesign and then save it using Twixl Publisher. How it works from there depends on the license you purchase. For example, you can purchase a standard license for $1400 and pay $350 for the final build of each app you create and you can purchase an advance license for $7100 and publish as many apps as you want without an additional charge.
I haven't used Twixl Publisher but, having seen some of the other solutions, it looks like a reasonable price. In essence, first time out, you're publishing an app for under $2000.
Have you used Twixl Publisher? Please comment here and share your experience with us.
A quick demo...
The features...
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May 27
Print Design
Retail, self brand packaging it an expertise unto itself. Communication Arts recently recognized Terri Goldstein's Goldstein Group for their makeover of Luden's Throat Drop packaging and that led me to their site and portfolio.
As you parse it, you realize how complex it is to design something that both captures attention and communicates the big picture in a matter of moments. It requires sophisticated research, an understanding to consumer behavior, and executions that use a mix of messaging, color, custom typography, depth and movement, and storytelling symbolism.
I think there's much to be learned here. The challenge is to translate these techniques to conventional print and digital materials.
The Moonpie story...
The before version...
Lots of messaging here...
I found their proprietary processes particularly interesting: Shelf Sight Sequence, 4D Naming, Brand Renewal, and Brand Launch...
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May 25
Graphics Tech
I'm just back from the aforementioned conference and I thought I'd sit down and share some impressions. My hope is that, if you don't normally attend these events (I don't either), that you might be interested in the goings-on...
First impression: It's a global thing.
Roughly 400 folks attended the conference from 33 states and 11 countries — I believe it was a sell-out. I heard mention of Australia, Hong Kong, Serbia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Guatemala, and others. I know that kind of diverse participation is no great revelation to people who move in design and software circles frequently, but to someone who doesn't, I am particularly aware of the privilege it is to be a part of this type of international event.
It's a community.
Equally as interesting is the sense of community I felt. Designers, geeks, authors, and designer-geek-authors have much in common. Many of us are most comfortable in designing our world and staying within its bounds — so it's particularly exciting to be with other folks who spend so much of their lives on the same layer. I love my wife, but she couldn't care less about which device and software I use to calibrate my HP ZR30w monitor (thank goodness). Occasionally, it's a good idea to sit with people whose brains are trying to solve similar problems and attain similar outcomes.
There is no single voice.
For some reason I had the expectation that I would hear one side of things. Yes, that sounds silly in hindsight, but that's what I was thinking. The reality of it reminds me that there are as many workflows, approaches, and opinions about design and production as there are people doing it. For example, I sat in a session with the InDesign development team who all seemed to think that it should be the printer's responsibility to produce final production PDFs from native InDesign files. That was followed by the "Long Live Ink" roundtable with Design Tools Monthly editor Jay Nelson and prepress troubleshooter and Adobe Certified Instructor James Wamser both of whom seemed to think the opposite — that most jobs are best prepared for printing by the user (using the printer's guidelines).
E-publishing is in its big-bang stage.
There are MANY ways to create and view e-publications and MANY devices and platforms on which to view them. That's about all anyone agrees on. Which software and software settings to use (including InDesign's EPUB export) will be dictated by the device you're preparing your publication for, the complexity of the document, the intended distribution channel, and so on. As conference organizer David Blatner pointed out, you can't, for example, produce PDFs to sell through Apple — not because you can't produce them, not because the iPad can't read them, but because Apple doesn't yet allow you to distribute them through iBooks.
There are also significant design considerations to be tackled. When you convert page layouts for different devices and orientations, you'll need to design different layouts for each setting or create simplified, "elastic" layouts that adapt to multiple uses. I heard someone refer to that conversion as changing your layout into a Microsoft Word document.
Software developers and designers alike are in the very early stages of figuring out how to recast information in ways that are compatible with the new devices yet as aesthetically pleasing as print and conventional web page design. I think even the folks at Adobe would agree that (for now), that InDesign's EPUB export is not for creating e-versions of complex layouts.
Chris Kitchener, Senior Product Manager for Adobe InDesign, "Meet my extended family," 2011 InDesignSecretsLive Print and ePublishing Conference (doctored image)
The best early tools are expensive.
It's not surprising that the tools that allow the most control over page layout and effects are being developed for the upper echelon of the publishing trade. James Fritz, another respected author and trainer, discussed some of the many platforms used to create digital versions of magazines — Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, WoodWing's Digital Magazine Tools, Mag+, and others — and the fact that the new pricing models require both upfront fees (most in the thousands of dollars) for the initial content management systems and ongoing monthly or per-piece publication fees. (The good news is that by the time you read this [a couple of hours after I write it] everything will have changed.)
Much of what I learned was from the audience.
I went because of the featured speakers but I learned lots from the audience too. Questions, suggestions, and comments from audience members were every bit a useful as those from the assembled experts. For example, in one session, Eddy Hagen, the managing director of VIGC in Belgium offered some excellent insights on the production of PDFs and pointed us to his own Flemish Innovation Centre for Graphical Communication and the Ghent PDF Workgroup. There we're lots of high-powered users and experts in the audience.
Technology is a moving target.
No revelation here, but it is impressive when a presenter changes her slides in the hours just preceding her presentation because of some new tidbit of information. From his view inside Adobe, the Lead Product Manager for Adobe InDesign, Chris Kitchener, explained the perplexing process of gathering suggestions for new features, fixing bugs, and working with engineers to update a program as complex as InDesign. It's easy to forget the divergent pressures applied by users, reviewers, stockholders, partners, marketers, and so on to influence the decisions about which features or fixes to produce when and why.
BTW, the Adobe team was particularly impressed by and thankful for this blog post which explains that InDesign is a database and why, for example, files are not backward compatible.
There is a modicum of tension between Adobe and its community.
One of the most intriguing revelations of the experience was the respectful tension there is between the product producers and their users. All of it was friendly and in good humor, but it's obviously, a real issue. Adobe wants everyone to like its products and users are great at pointing to flaws. None less than Michael Ninness, now the VP of Content for Lynda.com, formally the Senior Product Manager for InDesign, rose to ask the current Senior Product Manager when certain features (such as charting) would be added to InDesign. It was all good-natured (especially when Ninness pointed out that he, himself, hadn't added the feature when he could have), it is a complicated dance.
There are few better venues for meeting the people you want to meet.
I had the pleasure of meeting, face-to-face, some of the many people I communicate with online and introducing myself to others I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet.
First and foremost I got to meet and speak with one of the conference organizers, David Blatner. My only complaint about the entire conference is we didn't hear more from David. He is a smart, personable guy who knew as much or more about InDesign (from a user standpoint) as anyone in attendance.
If you don't know Blatner, he's the editorial director of InDesign Magazine, wrote Real World InDesign (and 14 other books), teaches courses on InDesign at Lynda.com, and co-hosts InDesignSecrets.com with Anne-Marie Concepción.
Their combined experience with InDesign, the InDesign community, and Adobe corporate made David and Anne-Marie uniquely qualified to pull together this wide and deep gathering of designers, technicians, and developers.
If you don't know Anne-Marie Concepción, she too teaches courses on InDesign at Lynda.com, does the InDesignSecrets.com thing, plus rules her own creative empire at Seneca Design & Training.
This was also an opportunity to sit with Jay Nelson and Lesa Snider. Jay is the affable publisher of Design Tools Monthly, the only industry publication I read cover to cover, every issue. It was a real treat to spend some time comparing notes with someone else who is as interested as I am in finding and sharing the the best of design and publishing ideas. Lesa is a writer for Macworld, author of numerous books, chief evangelist for iStockphoto.com, and host of graphicreporter.com
I also had the good fortune to have one-to-one discussions with conference speakers Gabriel Powell, InDesign and Photoshop author and Senior Solutions for Typifi Systems, Ron Bilodeau, the Production and Design Specialist at O'Rielly (who once worked for the beautifully designed Cooks Illustrated), Chris Kitchener, Lead Product Manager of Adobe InDesign, Nigel French, the author of InDesign Type (who spoke about designing with a grid), and Cari Jansen, a technical writer and print and publishing consultant who spoke about the challenges of this new medium.
And I gathered some great insights from Keith Gilbert, a brilliant tech- and design-savvy guy who spoke about XML and data publishing and who showed me an impressive project he had just finished. It's a beautifully designed iPad-based catalog/brochure his client's sales force will use at an upcoming trade show.
All that and, of course, all of the good stuff I learned (I just downloaded a 344-page PDF of conference slides that Anne-Marie Concepción made available to those who attended.)
Finally, most happily, I got to meet a few folks who subscribe to my newsletter at ideabook.com and who read my blog at PagePlane.com. Thank you all for introducing yourselves. (If I didn't get your business card please send me an email so we can stay in touch.)
So... where's the 2012 conference?
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May 20
Print Design
I rarely point you back to the same place — once you've seen it I assume you'll look again if you're interested. But in case you missed it, Kelli Anderson has, again, demonstrated her passion for different.
An invitation in the form of a paper record player...
A paper record player...
Her description of the project...
My original post about Anderson: This is why I want to be a designer...
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May 16
Print Design
If you've never designed a job for letterpress printing, you should know the parameters. Following are three options for learning. For a quick overview: a checklist, for a more complete overview with illustrations: an article from HOW Magazine, and for uber-detail: a webinar from Paper Specs.
The Webinar from PaperSpecs.com...
An article that accompanied the Webinar...
The HOW Magazine article by Kat Feuerstein...
And the Boxcar Press checklist...
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May 11
Graphics Tech
I'm relatively new to QR (Quick Response) codes. Though they've been in wide use in Japan since the 1990s they haven't been adopted elsewhere (in a big way) until recent years.
The idea is simple: The code — which can be printed on a billboard, a business card, and everything in between — is scanned using a mobile device that is equipped with a QR code scanning APP.
The code — which can be used to contain text, map locations, web URLS, images, email addresses, and so on — then automatically finds the information contained in the code or to which the code points and displays it on the mobile device's screen. There are variations and other options, but that's the scenario most touted.
Some think the QR code will remain the standard for a time, others call it a gimmick. The latest controversy is that Google, an early adopter of QR codes is now turning it's attention to a chip-based scanner (reader) known as NFC (Near Field Communication). NFC is said to offer the prospect of even more advanced transaction capabilities.
In any case, whether you simply want to ride the wave by including a QR code on your client's business card or you want to fully implement a campaign and an accompanying mobile web site, the option should certainly be on your radar.
Here are some examples of how QR codes are being used...
An example of how a code is used in an advertisement. If you have an scanning APP you can follow the code to the mobile site created for the ad...
There are lots of sites that will allow you to generate a free QR code (I don't know the owners of this particular site so I can't recommend their paid services)...
Looks as if Starbucks is at the intersection of the QR/NFC battle...
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May 9
Web Design
Design is often a collaboration. If you're sharing files with clients, other designers, and developers, it's worth asking yourself if the files you produce are user-friendly. In the case of a program such as Adobe Photoshop it's possible to produce a similar result using two, or three, or ten different approaches and common to produce dozens of layers.
To every problem a solution -- enter Dan Rose and his Photoshop Etiquette Manifesto for Web Designers: "A collection of ways to improve the clarity of a PSD when transferred. You stay organized, your developer stays happy."
I can't say every step is necessary, but it certainly offers some excellent ideas to consider.
Dan Rose's Manifesto...
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May 5
Illustration
I happened on this logo/icon and had to show it to you. It has at least three things going for it:
1. Skillful rendering
2. An interesting metaphor
3. A unique color scheme
Difficult to do it better.
The icon in use...
A closeup without the ray burst...
More icons (and other design work) by MadeBySofa and designer Jasper Hauser...
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May 4
Ideas 101
If you need pure inspiration, print advertisements are hard to beat — each one reveals a different architecture for drawing a reader in and communicating a message through an abbreviated set of words and imagery.
If you learn to distill and combine and deconstruct those ideas, you'll have an endless stream of ways to kick-start your thinking. How do you create something new a fresh? Get a sense of what's already been done.
Here are some good sources to track.
For an overview: AdWeek's AdFreak. (Love this New York City subway staircase in the middle of Charlotte, North Carolina.)...
For deep international coverage, Ads of the World...
Lürzer's Most seen ads this week...
For some history: Duke University's 30,000-plus advertisement collection...
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May 2
Typography
Well here's a heck of an interesting turn of events: A return of the photo-lettering idea -- buying words and headlines set in a particular, premium display typeface without buying a license to the font.
House Industries, publisher of many high-end, rather pricey display faces, is offering an engine for previewing and outputting words as vector files -- a smart alternative to spending lots of bucks for a typeface you will only use for a single project.
PhotoLettering.com...
The FAQ...
The industry standard in the 1970s and 80s was the PhotoTypositor ($4 per word in my town)...
Sidelight: A charming language lampoon by 102-year-old Ed Rondthaler, formally the head of Photo-Lettering Inc.,...
While we're on the subject of type, I added a "Webfonts" section to Jumpola.com: Web Design > Toolbox > Webfonts...
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Apr 29
Web Design
Wow. There really isn't much that can't be programmed these days. A post on the New York Times' Bits blog pointed me to the McWorld — home of a game and story portal for kids.
It really is an impressive production. Lots of colorful, interesting illustrations, innovative interfaces, and, one thing I have not seen (or heard) before, audio rollovers (you roll over a button and a voice tells you what the button does).
My only (long standing) complaint has to do with the fact that Flash is used which means I can't point you to individual pages.
McWorld...
The developers, Creata...
The NYTs Bits blog...
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Apr 27
Web Design
Here's a recent, graceful adaptation of GIF animation produced in a collaboration between photographer Jami Beck and designer Kevin Burg. They take still images and add subtle movement in a discreet area of the image. The result is a still image with isolated movement — a very nice effect. (Be sure you wait for them to load fully so you don't miss the effect.)
Thanks to Daniel Will-Harris for pointing us to it.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Photographer Jamie Beck's blog...
Designer Kevin Burg's portfolio...
A brief interview with Beck and Burg on Turnstyle...
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Apr 25
Basic design
In Facebook's own words, "Facebook Studio is a place to celebrate marketers who are creating and innovating on Facebook. It is a community where you can share your work, get recognized for your creativity, be inspired by your peers, and browse a collection of work that represents some of the best marketing on Facebook."
Ad Age reports, "Facebook executives say this move is a first step in a give-and-take dialogue between Facebook and the creative advertising world. Until now, Facebook has been mostly hands-off with agencies, letting them navigate the frequently changing Facebook waters without a compass."
Whatever it is, it's interesting. Assuming Facebook can maintain the enormous community it has been the recipient of in recent years — it is a platform that creatives must reckon with. Here is a spot for sanctioned conversation.
Facebook Studio...
An announcement from Ad Age...
The Learning Lab...
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Apr 22
In the next couple of weeks I'm getting around to something I've wanted to do for a long time -- a live workshop on logo design.
The idea grew out of the occasional requests I get to review the work of designers and design students who seek constructive criticism. The problem is, though I sometimes provide cursory feedback, I rarely have time for the detailed discussion necessary for the process to be truly useful.
This workshop is an experiment in having that discussion. Fred Seaman, a new designer, has graciously agreed to allow us to use his work as the catalyst for the discussion and as a jumping off point for a logo design. The unique part is that we're going to do it live and without embellishment from my studio's Basecamp project management center. (Basecamp is a type of closed forum, where you communicate via text and images.) I have no idea how long this will take or where it will lead us but, I can assure you, it's going to be interesting.
That's a long introduction to a brief invitation. I'd like to fill the virtual room with other students, designers, and seasoned pros who want to look over our shoulders. You won't be required to ask questions or offer insights but you'll be welcome to.
Interested? Send me your name, your email address, and a sentence or two about why you'd like to participate, and I'll send you a login invitation to my studio's (Logic Arts) Basecamp. (Send to info (at) ideabook.com.) I'm going to limit the workshop to a manageable size so invitations will be issued on a first come, first served basis.
Basecamp is a type of closed forum, where you communicate via text and images....
Send me your name, email address, and the reason you'd like to participate, and I will forward login information...
Or send the same information via a private message on Facebook...
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Apr 20
Illustration
Travis Coburn pegs his style as inspired by 1940s comic book art, the Russian avant-garde movement and printed materials from the 1950s and 60s. His gritty technique and unusual subjects are well worth a look.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Coburn's portfolio...
Tavis Coburn on Facebook...
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Apr 18
Ideas 101
I find this interesting. I think it's safe to generalize that, in 2011, more people than ever before have the time and resources to spend on design appreciation. So it does not surprise me that all-things-food have captured so much attention.
Which brings me to Marije Vogelzang, dutch artist who bills herself as an "eating designer." It is interesting, yes, but what intrigues me more is how much more important design is becoming to our lives. With less time necessary for basic tasks, the focus changes. It is a good time to be a designer.
An example of Marije Vogelzang's "eating design"...
An interview...
Vogelzang's restaurant, PROEF...
Vogelzang's book, Eat Love...
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Apr 15
Web Design
I like how Carnegie Fabrics uses typography as a window to its products — simple, effective, purposeful.
Carnegie Fabrics..
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Apr 11
Marketing PR
So says journalist and filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) who will premiere a new film April 22 titled Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.
Product placement experts, marketers, advertisers, and filmmakers prepare yourselves — I'm guessing it ain't pretty. It took some real marketing chutzpah to be one of the seventeen brand partners who cut out the middleman and worked directly with Spurlock to sponsor the movie.
It will be very interesting to see what the perceptions are once the dust settles. In any case, don't miss this kickoff introduction at TED...
Morgan Spurlock's recent TED Talk about the project: Embrace Transparency (sponsored by EMC2)...
Watch the trailer and read some of the first reviews...
Here's how one sponsor, Pom Wonderful, is spinning their sponsorship...
Spurlock's website...
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Apr 8
Basic design
It's easy to lose track of that simple fact but Keetra Dean Dixon, kindly, reminds us of it. She got me asking myself when I last designed something, primarily, for the purpose of expressing myself — its been a while.
Dixon is as much an artist as she is a designer. I'll point you here, to some examples of here work that include typography but be sure to explore her whole portfolio of work.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Dixon's website: FromKeetra.com...
A profile of Dixon from the Designing Minds series...
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Apr 6
Ideas 101
I think it's important to be aware of what I don't know. By that I mean, it is important to acknowledge that there are many possibilities outside my current field of vision. To me, continually expanding one's vision is a critical part of growing as a designer.
For example, I never would have predicted my clients would have the opportunity to advertise their products and services by sight — twenty miles out and 10,000 feet above.
Yet that is precisely what MondoWindow, a new service now in beta, offers to airplane passengers. They define it as, "A platform for online, in-flight, location-based content and entertainment," and explain it as "A map that tells you where you are and what you're looking at as you fly." It is an outgrowth of the Window Seat book series written by one of MondoWindow's founders, Greg Dicum, about reading the landscape from the air.
An article by CNET's Geek Gestalt (below) explains the commercial application as follows: "Dicum thinks that there is a lot of advertising opportunity when dealing with a captive audience onboard planes, especially when the advertisers will know precisely where the users are going."
If you are not aboard a flight when reading this, from the bottom left of the screen, choose "Or let us pick a flight currently on its way to:"...
A overview by Daniel Terdiman, the Geek Gestalt at CNET...
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Apr 4
Basic design
Fifty and Fifty an fascinating project curated by designer Dan Cassaro. It offers a "...new way of looking at our country. Fifty designers, one per state, will illustrate their state motto, creating something steeped in history but completely modern and unique: a kind of designer's atlas."
I have two reasons for pointing you to it. First, the illustrations/designs are excellent, and second, Cassaro's choice of designers is out of the ordinary. He has tapped the talents of several designers I was not yet familiar with and that are well worth knowing.
Three of my favorites. First, Meg Hunt's Connecticut: He who transplanted sustains...
Second, Josh Brill's Maine: I lead...
Third, Micah Smith's Louisiana: Union, justice, confidence...
Here's the entire gallery...
And the list of the contributors...
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Apr 1
Graphics Tech
The OpenStreetMap project is a wiki for maps. As it is explained on its site, "OpenStreetMap.org creates and provides free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them. The project was started because most maps you think of as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive, or unexpected ways."
Since its inception in 2004, hundreds of thousands of users worldwide have contributed to OpenStreetMap's database, and (theoretically) have produced maps that are more relevant and current than those offered by any other map provider.
Today I want to point you to a valuable resource created by one of OpenStreetMap's co-founders, Steve Coast (he moved on to other projects in 2010). It is called CloudMade and it is a service that translates the OpenStreetMaps data into forms that can be tapped by designers and developers who want to build sites and applications that contain map information.
The CloudMade Style Editor...
You can see some of the innovative ways developers and designer are using the information on CloudMade's blog...
The CloudMade website...
the OpenStreetMap website...
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Mar 30
Graphics Tech
The burning desire of the search engine heart is to understand "intent". It wants to understand what the user is really after.
Enter Quora. As they explain it, "Quora is a continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it. The most important thing is to have each question page become the best possible resource for someone who wants to know about the question."
"Anyone can add questions and answers to Quora. They can also categorize questions by adding topics to them, summarize answers on a question page, and edit any question or summary. Duplicate questions and topics are unified so that the content on the site keeps getting better instead of getting fragmented. Users can follow questions, topics and people, which creates a stream of relevant questions and answers for each user. The site is closely monitored and maintained by its users so the quality of questions and answers stays high."
I've only been using Quora for a short time so I can't vouch for the quality of the information, but what I've seen is promising. I have used it enough to know that if you're interested in staying abreast of fast-moving technology, Quara should be on your radar.
Want to see it work? Sign in and ask, "What is Facebook's architecture?" You'll see the many options for discovering answers and leads to other related topics.
Quora questions and answers search...
Some analysis coming from BBH Labs...
More discussion of Quora on TechCrunch...
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Mar 28
Typography
One of the panel discussion at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) Interactive Festival featured four typography experts discussing typeface selection. (SXSW is a set of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences, the interactive component of which is attended by many in the design community.)
Generally my feeling is, when it comes to typography, that there are very few truths but many religions. But this is session is worth listening to. I especially appreciated Jason Santa Maria's insights.
Here's a breakdown of the recording:
Frank Chimero @ 2:45 minutes, slide 9
Tiffany Wardle @ 13:42 minutes slide 41
Jason Santa Maria @ 19:45 minutes slide 58
Stephen Coles @ 26:35 minutes slide 82
Cure for the Common Font — A Web Designer's Introduction to Typeface Selection...
Frank Chimero's upcoming book...
Tiffany Wardle's website...
Jason Santa Maria's website...
Stephen Coles is the editor of Fonts In Use which I pointed you to earlier this year...
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Mar 25
Typography
Three Islands Press specializes in crafting historically accurate handwriting and typography in digital form.
For example, the Emily Austin font is patterned after the handwriting of Emily Austin (Bryan) Perry, an early colonist of Texas. As designer Brian Willson explains it, "In her travels, she wrote many letters home — letters that show a distinctively compact, legible hand. The challenge for me in designing the face: resisting the temptation to read and re-read her bossy directives and urgent appeals, all packed tightly together on a page."
I'm just guessing, but 3IP Type Foundry (formerly The Type Quarry) seems that it might be one of those companies that sees money as enabling the work versus money being the only focus. Nothing wrong with making money, but in most cases, passion produces a superior product.
The handwriting of Emily Austin...
Timothy Matlack and the American Scribe...
Penned by Mirabeau B. Lamar...
3IP's Facebook page...
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Mar 23
Illustration
When I saw these, I thought you'd want to add David Vogin's name to your list of illustrators. I really like his beautifully crafted photo collages.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Vogin's Flickr Photostream...
Vogin on Facebook...
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Mar 21
Graphics Tech
Do these spots grab your attention? Yes. Do they show off the product? Certainly. Do they position the client, Sherwin-Williams as forward thinking and tech-smart? Yup. Don't know what more you could ask. McKinney and Buck did a terrific job.
The Bees spot...
The Color Chips spot...
The Birdhouse print ad...
McKinney...
The product house was Buck...
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Mar 18
Illustration
If you have never visited an illustrator's studio, you should try finagling your way into a few. Many illustrators (and designers) surround themselves with interesting art, props from projects, and collections of objects.
For example, when Bill Nelson lived nearby he always had a fascinating collection of posters, sculptures, and illustrations in progress displayed in a way that reflected his style. (Imaging kicking around his basement and coming across one of these guys.)
Here are a few examples that I recently came across on Drawger.com.
Studio tour: Rob Dunlavey...
Studio tour: Matt Curtius...
Studio tour: John Hendrix...
Studio tour: Nancy Stahl...
Studio tour: Particle 17...
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Mar 16
Print Design
As Creative Director and Designer Richard The explain MIT's new identity, "The logo is based on a visual system, an algorithm that produces a unique logo for each person, for faculty, staff and students. Each person can claim and own an individual shape and can use it on their business card a personal website. The design encompasses all collateral, business cards, letterhead, website, animations, signage etc. A custom web interface was developed to allow each person at the Media Lab to choose and claim an own individual logo for his/her business card, as well as a custom animation software which allows to create custom animations for any video content the lab produces."
The design is billed as a collaboration with TheGreenEyl, designers Richard The and E Roon Kang, and programmer/designer Willy Sengewald (of TheGreenEyl).
Nice idea.
Designer Richard The...
TheGreenEyl...
E Roon Kang..
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Mar 11
Illustration
You can tell Kyle Webster is a fan of graphic novels — most of his illustrations have that type of story quality. He has perfected a number a styles and often shows his subjects from unusual angles and points of view. Oh, and did I mention he is the Original Design Gangsta?
Original Design Gangsta...
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Webster's website...
Kyle Webster on Twitter...
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Mar 9
Web Design
Wow. There are so many good ideas here: The floating navigation that gives you access to everything everywhere. The combination of graphics and video — watch how the vessel circles and shines light on the round badges. How various layers flow at different speeds to create a sense of depth. And the gradual, fluid movement of the line that leads you down the page.
And that's just what I like about the first page — gorgeous design.
Expedition Titanic...
Firstborn, the design firm that created the site, is cutting a new paths in website design...
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Mar 7
Typography
As a young designer, I waited with bated breath for the next issue of U&LC (Upper and Lower Case) — a who's who and what's what of typography in the 1970s. Herb Lubalin was the editorial and art director of the first issue and through it, helped to inspire and motivate an entire generation of designers.
Allan Haley is the former executive vice president of International Typeface Corporation (ITC) — the company that published U&LC. In recent months he has been discussing the magazine and posting scans of each issue in full. He has promised to re-publish them all, over 9,000 pages in low and high resolution.
Thanks to John McWade at Before & After for pointing us to it.
Volume 1, Issues 1-3...
Volume 2, Issues 1-4...
Volume 3, Issues 1-4...
Volume 4, Issues 1-4...
Volume 5, Issues 1-4...
About the publisher, International Typeface Corporation (ITC)...
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Mar 4
Learning
Sal Khan has produced 2100 10 to 20 minute video instructive lessons on subjects as varied as Inductive Reasoning and the French Revolution. Khan narrates the lessons himself in an interested, enthusiastic tone, and like any good teacher, has a talent for breaking complex concepts into understandable, easily digestible explanations and examples.
Khan's idea is to provide teachers and students with free access to his lessons and to monitor and improve the lessons as they are used. His theory is that relieving teachers of the need to prepare and present lectures will free them up to spend time working with students on a one-to-one basis.
I point you to this because I don't think there is anything more important in professional development than to have a sense for where our world is headed. If you were a graphic designer before the advent of desktop publishing, you know how dramatically the new tools changed our profession. I'm guessing the fundamental changes we are witnessing in how people learn and share information will make the changes we experienced in the first twenty-five years of the technological revolution pale in comparison.
These times are exciting, frightening, unpredictable, and present virtually unlimited opportunities.
The Khan Academy...
The idea...
Bill Gates talks about Sal Khan...
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Mar 2
Print Design
Here is a "must have" publication for graphic designers, printers, corporate end users, and publishers who either specify fine coated paper or who are interested in applying folding and scoring techniques.
The Standard No. 4, Scoring & Folding was designed by legendary designer Kit Hinrichs, Studio Hinrichs, with content provided by Trish Witkowski, foldfactory.com. With all of the focus on web design in recent years, it's easy to lose track of how interesting and effective folding and scoring can play in print production. This book is a great reminder.
Never ordered a paper sample? For the uninitiated, paper manufacturers produce samples such as this to show off the quality and versatility of their papers. If you wonder whether or not you qualify for samples, the rule of thumb is this: that you are in a position where you could potentially purchase or recommend the purchase of paper for a particular project. They define it broadly but I respect the notion that they don't want to send samples to people who are clearly not prospects for their products.
Here are a few shots of the book..
An overview of the book on Sappi's site...
Here's where you order a free copy...
An article I wrote a while back: The form and function of folds...
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Feb 28
Web Design
This, to me, is a brilliant example of how designer and writer can collaborate to tell a story that adds real depth and interest to a brand.
First take a look at a photograph of the actual restaurant. I think you'll agree it looks inviting. But now look at the website — it provides a much better sense of what Marie Catrib's is all about. (I particularly like the first headline: "It's hard to imagine, but at one time Marie was banned from the family kitchen."
One mention of this at BestWebGallery.com attributes the project to designer Brandon Satterlee, design studio Fusionary Media, and illustrator Geoffrey Holstad.
First take a look at the restaurant...
Now take a look at the website...
Don't miss the "About" page...
From Brandon Satterlee's portfolio...
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Feb 25
Photography
An adaptable talent — Johnny Miller is one of those photographers who is able to shoot lots of different subjects, each of them with his signature insight.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
Miller's website...
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Feb 22
Ideas 101
I think there's much to learn from designers such as Grant Achatz, the founder and chef of the renowned Chicago restaurant, Alinea. Though I am told the tastes he creates are extraordinary, I am also amazed by his imagery and story lines.
As a student of molecular gastronomy, his menus have both an aesthetic and scientific side. I surmise that his success is due to his talent for balance the two.
Keep an eye on his new project: The Next Restaurant. It looks to be as interesting and exciting as any of his ventures thus far.
The Next Restaurant...
Ideas are unfolding on Facebook...
Food as design...
The Next Restaurant website..
The Alinea website..
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Feb 21
Ideas 101
The reason I am pointing you to James Geary's TED Talk on the subject of metaphors is because it reminds me of how important it is that our designs don't simply replay the same old, tired messages. (As I was writing this, my first thought was to use the phrase, "break new ground" — it doesn't get much worse than that.)
Geary mentions a George Orwell essay in which he offers six rules for improving the writer's use of the English language including: "Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print."
That's quite a challenge. Doubt me? Try writing a few paragraphs without a "well worn" metaphor. Imagine too if we, as designers, were to rewrite that rule in graphic designese — something like, "Never use a marketing approach, page layout, or color scheme which you are used to seeing in print."
James Geary, Metaphorically Speaking...
George Orwell's 1946 essay, "Politics and the English Language"...
Geary's 7 Strange Places to Meet a Metaphor...
Roger von Oech breaks my tired, old lightbulb...
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