Jul 31
July 2009
Everyone involved with designing web sites and creating illustrations needs to understand copyright and fair use. Even if you think you have a good grasp of the subject, you need to periodically refresh your view because it is ever-changing.
Here is a great, new-to-me source of excellent information by (what I assume are) legal experts.
I also include a link to The Center for Internet and Society (CIS)--a public interest technology law and policy program at Stanford Law School--that "brings together scholars, academics, legislators, students, programmers, security researchers, and scientists to study the interaction of new technologies and the law."
Stanford Copyright & Fair Use website Overview and Resources section...
An interview with Attorney Richard Stim, author of Getting Permission How to License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off...
The Center for Internet and Society (CIS)...
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Jul 29
July 2009
Can't believe I missed this before now. As the developers of these unbelievable maps explain, "In the future, every city will have a corresponding 3-D virtual city (E-city), where the population, geography, and commerce will be extended from the real city." Here is what they have in mind.
The illustrated city of Fuzhou...
The city of Beijing...
The city of Hong Kong labeled in English...
The Edushi cover page with access to many city illustrations...
About the project...
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Jul 27
July 2009
File this under "curiosity" (I have absolutely no connection with any of the players here). I happened on this case study and thought it was of enough interest to share (I know many pageplane.com and ideabook.com readers use InDesign--as I do). I found it interesting to learn a little about how a publication that has over 120 people working on it is put together using a version of InDesign that operates within a larger, more complex framework--in this case a publishing platform called K4.
The National Geographic case study (1.5MB PDF)...
A screen shot of the software interface within InDesign...
The general workflow (1.7MB PDF)...
Managing Editor Inc. is the exclusive distributor of K4 in the Americas...
German-based vjoon GmbH is the developer of the K4 Publishing System...
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Jul 24
July 2009
While we're on the subject of ephemera (my post on Monday). How would you use it? Well, one way certainly is to choose parts and pieces as influence and inspiration. Another way is to recast it in a new light. That is what Lorenzo Petrantoni does. In fact, in a profile on his philosophy in Communication Arts, he says, "I love old books. I want to bring them back to life, discover their stories and tell the present through the past."
A Petrantoni illustration for The New York Times Magazine...
The profile of Petrantoni at commarts.com...
Lorenzo Petrantoni's web...
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Jul 20
July 2009
Dick Sheaff is, among other things, is a collector of ephemera [i-fem-er-uh]--materials that were designed to be disposed of after they served their purpose: advertisements, pamphlets, posters, programs, labels, and so on. Sheaff is now sharing some of the best of his collection online. It is wonderful, inspirational stuff--a must see.
Sheaff is also a designer of postage stamps. Search Arago (a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum) and you will find Sheaff listed as the designer of over 100 stamps.
Sheaff's Gaslight Style Ephemera...
Sheaff's Artistic Printing Ephemera...
Sheaff's front page...
Sheaff's work on Arago, a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum...
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Jul 17
July 2009
I was reading one of Tim Girvin's blog posts this evening (the well-respected calligrapher, writer, and designer) in which he mentions that his mentor was Lloyd J. Reynolds. That made me curious--who was Lloyd Reynolds?
A little detective work turned up this progression: In 1896 William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931) founded the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, England. In 1899 Lethaby encouraged a colleague, Edward Johnston (1872-1944), to start a class on illumination. One of his students was Alfred J. Fairbank (1896-1982) who later referred to himself as a "disciple" of Johnston. Fairbank was Reynolds' (1902-1978) mentor. And, as I explained, Girvin (1953- ) now names Reynolds as his mentor.
Why should you care? Because I think it is a good reminder of the importance of sharing what we know. This simple progression--Lethaby, Johnston, Fairbank, Reynolds, and Girvin--demonstrates a clear, distinct path of ideas and encouragement that was passed from teacher to student. Read their history and look at their work and you will see how profoundly one influenced the next.
About Lethaby...
About Johnston...
About Fairbank...
About Reynolds...
About Girvin...
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Jul 15
July 2009
Historic Stock Market is an international online-market for historical shares, old stocks, bonds, and financial documents. Their collection includes at least 20,000 old stock and bond certificates, many of which include elaborate illustrations, ornate typography, and/or highly complex borders and patterns. This is one place to remember when you need some graphic design inspiration.
Look at the meticulously crafted filigree on this 1920s British certificate...
and this French certificate from the 1890s...
If you're interested in exploring further...
Another excellent source: George H. LaBarre Galleries...
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Jul 10
July 2009
Photograph 1 is fascinating. Photograph 2 is shocking. The difference is not that both animals are strange, the difference is that the second animal is shown in a totally unexpected context--surrounded by a pristine white background.
Makes me wonder how I better communicate a message by taking something people are used to seeing in one context and showing it in another.
Photograph 1...
Photograph 2...
See more of these wonderful creatures...
See how photographer David Doubilet captured these images on a specially constructed underwater cyc--and I thought I had some bizarre photo shoots...
I describe one slightly strange photo shoot here (hop down the page to "The glamorous life of a design executive"...
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Jul 8
July 2009
Came across this excellent piece on packaging design that is every bit as applicable to today as it was when it was first published a couple of years ago. It was written by Steven DuPuis, the Founder and President of The DuPuis Group, developers of branding programs for clients including Dole, Heinz, Kellogg's, Mattel, The Walt Disney Company, and ConAgra. He seems to know of what he speaks.
10 Packaging Design Trends To Watch In 2008--or anytime...
A sneak peek at Package Design Workbook by DuPuis Founder Steven DuPuis and John Silva, its Creative Director...
Home of The DuPuis Group...
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Jul 3
July 2009
Back in February I mentioned that Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California was doing a retrospective of Kit Hinrichs (my all-time favorite designer) titled, The Storyteller's Art. Now that it has closed (and in case you missed it) here is a look.
Who is your favorite graphic designer?
From his home at Pentagram...
A visitor's perspective...
From the One Club...
New to Hinrichs? Buy this book...
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Jul 1
July 2009
I like the way David Pearson used asymmetrical illustrations to create these unique, decidedly symmetrical book cover designs.
The use of symmetry in design has long intrigued me. I guess it is some deep psychological attraction to the foundational balance and order of nature. It pays to recall how profoundly we are influenced by design.
Have you seen any other good examples you can point us to?
David Pearson's Great Journeys series for Penguin...
A passage from The Elements of Graphic Design by Alex W. White on Symmetry and asymmetry...
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