PagePlane.com

May 2006

Design ideas: Psychedelic »

I like the boldness of the design here. Looks like something from the 60s...

http://www.vasava.es/content/portfolio/portfolio.php?id=17

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May 2006

Viva-graphics.com: Not a clue »

Got a clue what this is all about? I like it, but I don't get it. Be sure to check out the “graphics” section.

http://www.viva-graphics.com/

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May 2006

The cost of curiosity »

You can make great discoveries by following good designs to their sources but the process can be costly. For example, in my recent search for Christmas gifts I happened across...

fanciullafoods.com (on the Wayback Machine)

a Brooklyn, New York-based bakery. Look pretty good don't they? The perfect holiday gift for a client, yes? Well I never found out. I was so struck by the simplicity of the site's design and the effective use of photography that I abandoned my shopping and followed a link to the site's designer: Steven Gross.

http://www.ssgphoto.com/botanic_P07.html

http://www.ssgphoto.com/industrial_p06.html

Nice stuff, “What else has this guy designed?” So I took a look at his list of links and found his brother, illustrator, artist Alex Gross...

http://www.alexgross.com

Any question who designed Alex's site? Looks and feels a little like Fanciulla's doesn't it? Then I started looking at Alex's illustrations and decided to buy a print (this is the costly part. I was looking for gifts and ended up spending $50 on myself).

http://www.alexgross.com/prints/Print_shokei.html

By the way, if you appreciate Alex's unusual illustrations, the print I received is exquisite. It is printed in Ultrachrome archival inks on fine matte paper using an Epson 2200 printer. The colors are stunning—color that could not be produced by a printing press.
From baker to artist? As I found out from Alex, Fanciulla is his sister-in-law's bakery (perhaps some grand conspiracy of creativity).

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May 2006

Cool Tools »

Best known for helping to launch Wired magazine in 1993 and serving as its Executive Editor, Kevin Kelly is also the host of an online directory of “Cool Tools.” He defines a cool tool as, “any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or Website that is tried and true. I am chiefly interested in stuff that is extraordinary, better than similar products, little-known, and reliably useful for an individual or small group.”
(Don't miss the long list of categories on the left...)

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/index.php

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May 2006

The Psyop Anthem »

You could look at the “projects” section of this site to see samples of Psyop's work for such clients as Honda and VW, but I suggest you take a look at the “Psyop Anthem.” It opens with an apple in a captain's uniform followed by a formation of marching broccoli with chain saws. Then it gets weird. The theme song:

Come one come all, and follow me
We're all to support the economy
Cause the world is full of things to buy
And folks are always wondering why
And so on...

http://www.psyop.tv./

then click “Propaganda” then click “Psyop Anthem”

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May 2006

Illustrators: Steve Lyons »

To my way of thinking, Steve Lyons is a digital illustration and design pioneer. You've seen his work on everything from Adobe marketing materials (everything he does is an ad for Illustrator and Photoshop) to the pages of The Wall Street Journal and the cover of Newsweek.

http://www.stevenlyons.com/site06/pages/assignment.php

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May 2006

Creativebusiness.com: Cameron Foote on the rationale for the use of professional design »

“The Rationale for the Use of Professional Design” is one of many free forms and articles provided by author Cameron Foote at creativebusiness.com—one of my favorite places.

http://www.creativebusiness.com/forms.lasso

BTW—I sell the archive of these and hundreds of other great forms and articles from creativebusiness.com in the ideabook.com store.

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May 2006

Design ideas: Film moves »

Check out how this designer uses film-like “panning” moves to highlight photographs...

http://www.bocaresort.com/

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May 2006

Designbyfire.com: The world of Herasimchuk »

Andrei Michael Herasimchuk was one of the first official interface designers hired at Adobe Systems. The fact that he was a key player in the development of the interfaces for Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign is sufficient reason (for me) to recommend his personal Web.

http://www.designbyfire.com/

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May 2006

Design ideas: Cutouts »

I love the simplicity of these paper cutouts. They provide a distinct contrast to the digital environment in which they appear...

http://www.cio.com/archive/111504/guide.html

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May 2006

Illustrators: Nancy Stahl »

Nancy Stahl is an Illustrator (Adobe) illustrator. I first saw her work in The Illustrator Wow! Book—pretty good indication you know what you're doing when teachers teach using your work as an example.

http://www.nancystahl.com

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May 2006

Design ideas: Using unexpected elements »

A high-end fabric and furniture destination wraps its sight in brown paper and accentuates it with black and white photographs...

http://www.zimmans.com/index.html

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May 2006

The Visual Symbols Library »

If you buy royalty-free or stock photography and you are not yet familiar with the Visual Symbols Library—I have a real treat for you. These images are drawn from the best of designer Clement Mok's acclaimed image collection (formerly sold as part of PhotoDisc's Object Series). It is not only great stuff, the price is right too.

http://visualsymbols.com/

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May 2006

Honda.com: Book metaphor »

To explain its “Integrated Motor Assist technology,” Honda gets us to do a new thing in an old way: turn the pages of a book...

http://www.honda.co.uk

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May 2006

Postal Explorer »

Postal Explorer is a virtual library of postal information designed for business mailers. Everything you ever need to know about designing mail pieces. For example, w Wondering exactly where to place the mailing indicia? Search “permit imprints.” Want to know what postcard dimensions qualify for first class card rate? Search “postcard dimensions.”

http://pe.usps.gov

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May 2006

Newspagedesigner.com: Publication design »

Newspagedesigner.com is a forum for showcasing the work of publication designers but much of what is here applies to most types of print design. (Lots of great information graphics in the individual portfolios section.)

The cover...

http://www.newspagedesigner.com/
Individual designer portfolios...

http://www.newspagedesigner.com/portfolios/alpha/user_list_alpha.php?LETTER=A

A feature about a re-design...

http://www.newspagedesigner.com/star-telegram.html

An elegant page from the re-design...

http://www.newspagedesigner.com/star-telegram/large/0822Insightstopsix0001.jpg

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