May 30
May 2007
Design ideas: The submarine effect »
Small matter, but I like the way the ruled line bisects the menu and the information block below it.
In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...
May 28
May 2007
Print Design: Hatch Show Print »
If you find yourself in Nashville, Tennessee, stop by Hatch Show Print—a working letterpress shop that opened in the late 1800s. (Its around the corner from the Ryman Auditorium at 316 Broadway.) They are still cranking out (literally) advertising posters using wood and/or metal type and hand-carved illustrations. I've been and can tell you its worth a visit.
An excellent photographic tour by Marshall Sokoloff...
A good background on the shop...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...
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May 25
May 2007
Graphics Tech: SlideShowPro »
Here is an inexpensive, elegant solution for organizing and displaying photo galleries and slide shows on your Web.
In the Ideabook Design Store: Brenner Pricing Tables...
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May 23
May 2007
Design ideas: Vectorization »
Is "vectorization" a word? If so, this page personifies it. I like the simple shapes and fresh colors. In the proper context, defining an illustration style and using it throughout is a smart, frugal way to design. You can represent any concept and keep it within the boundaries of the design.
If you're not up to speed on vectors...
New in the Ideabook Design Store: Creative Advertising...
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May 21
May 2007
Design ideas: Focus on the menu »
What caught my eye here was the undulating menu at the top of the screen. It expands with the number of drop-down selections—interesting effect.
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May 18
May 2007
Design ideas: Systematic illustration »
Very interesting to see the systematic approach Frog Design has developed for illustrating its Web. One large anchor illustration with (in many cases) a few small insets. It is a good reminder of the principle that complex subjects beg simple presentations.
Take a look around, there is much to see...
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May 16
May 2007
The magazine model »
The premiere issue of a new magazine or the first issue of a re-design is often where you find the best of the best layout ideas. It is typically a highly developed model that a publication designer and his or her team have been working on for a long stretch with a significant budget—the ultimate execution of a new look and feel. (The issues that follow are likely designed by an art director within the parameters established by that model.)
For example, here is the first issue of Blueprint Magazine. I found it to be an excellent source of many powerful, fresh layout ideas.
Page through the premier issue...
I never would have thought to choose Letraset Fling for the nameplate, but it certainly works...
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May 14
May 2007
Reference tools: Mapping a Web site »
This site offers a free tool for mapping all the pages of a Web site (up to 500) and for exporting the map/list in several different formats. Why map a Web? It is another way to see how it is structured and to capture the URL of each page. It is also plays a role in optimizing a site for search engines.
Start mapping with XML-Sitemaps.com...
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May 11
May 2007
The Adobe CS3 packaging »
As soon as I saw it I wondered who was behind the new package design of Adobe's CS3 software suite. I particularly like the contrast of the free-flowing colors and shapes with the crisp, mechanical-looking type. It is by Tolleson Design.
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May 9
May 2007
Illustrators: Josh Cochran »
A good writer cultivates an approach to examining a subject and develops a unique set of skills for expressing their ideas about it. This illustrator, to me, offers that same type of methodical, thoughtful approach.
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May 7
May 2007
Illustration: Characterizing information »
Designer Eddie Jabbour demonstrates how eliminating data can actually improve communication.
Eddie Jabbour's NYC subway map...
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May 4
May 2007
Design ideas: Using the unexpected »
This site features a totally unexpected visual metaphor: a rusty old refrigerator. It works.
» Comments
May 2
May 2007
Is @issue: on your reading list? »
I just looked over the most recent issue of @issue:. It is a 40-page, brochure-quality journal published by the Corporate Design Foundation, sponsored by Sappi Fine Papers, and designed by Pentagram under the direction of Kit Hinrichs. As they describe it: "Through real-life case studies and tangible examples, @issue: examines design from a business point of view, and provides useful information on how companies can make design an integral part of their overall business strategy."
Apply for a free subscription...
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