Mar 12

Print Design

Witness to the history of graphic design, typography, printing—and everything else »

The first issue of Popular Science magazine appeared just seven years after the close of the Civil War. This month it began offering (in partnership with Google) its entire 137-year archive for free browsing. Each issue appears just as it did at its original time of publication, complete with period advertisements. Amazing.

How the new Popular Science is printed, for example, is detailed in the October 1938 issue. It explains, "At the huge Dayton, Ohio, plant where POPULAR SCIENCE is printed, a workman, the other day, pressed an electric button and this record-breaking machine whirled into action." Then it goes on to show and tell one of its signature stories—filled with informative photographs and illustrations.

Thanks to Jim Green for passing this on—great find.

popular science

October 1938, page 74, How the new POPULAR SCIENCE is printed...

March 1984, page 99, Introducing the 32-bit Apple Macintosh...

August 1950, page 93, Typewriter with a memory "sets type" on photo film...

March 1963, page 35, Commercial art talent hunt open to you...

May 1872, page P5, Issue number one...

Search for yourself...

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Feb 17

Web Design

Web design in 2010 (and beyond) »

You really need to see this. Bronwyn van der Merwe, the Head of Design and User Experience at the BBC just posted an article explaining a system-wide redesign they have been working on. I recommend you read it because I think it demonstrates how sophisticated web design has become and because I think (if you are into web design) that you'll find smart thinking to incorporate into your own work. I certainly did.

BBC Global Visual Language 2.0

The article: A new global visual language for the BBC's digital services...

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Feb 10

Basic design

Meet Fred Showker and the Design & Publishing Center »

What I like so much about Fred Showker is that he sees the graphic design industry from more than one angle--he's is a working designer, an experienced teacher and presenter, a bit of a technoid, and the creative mind behind one of the top marketing and design resources on the Web--the Graphic Design & Publishing Center.

Not only does he stay curious about what's next, he has amassed a huge archive of insightful articles and tutorials on design, photography, typography, marketing, and the business of graphic design.

He recently did a major reorganization and re-launch of the site so, if you haven't already, I urge you to take a look.

conformal mapping

The Design & Publishing Center...

Example 1: Visual Proofreading: 10 Rules...

Example 2: Designing Spaces...

Example 3: Throw Your Press Release in the Trash...

Fred's bio...

I've been a subscriber to his newsletter, DT&G NEWS, for years...

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Jan 27

Graphics Tech

iPad. Thirty years ago this was science fiction... »

Today Apple announced a 9.7-inch, touch screen device that gives the user access to the Web, books, music, news, all types of social networking, commerce, plus every type of creative tool you can imagine--and a 16 gigabyte version will sell for $499.

Now pause and take that in. In 1980 IBM produced and sold the first one gigabyte hard drive for $40,000.00. And it weighed 550 pounds. Today--sixteen times the size for $500 at 1.5 pounds.

Makes me wonder how many people had the experience of being on planet earth when the wheel came into being? Or when the dramatic effects of the printing press were first taking hold? And I think how fortunate you and I are to be here at the dawn of an age where computing is becoming available to the billions.

What will it mean in decades to come for so many to have access to so much knowledge? For so many to connect with those so distant from their physical place on the planet? I'm guessing it will produce amazement we can not yet even comprehend.

Pretty cool.

conformal mapping

Steve Jobs presents...

The Apple iPad...

Apple's official release...

Video overview...

Coverage and first comments on MacRumors.com...

Coverage and first comments on AppleInsider.com...

Okay developers let's get started...

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Jan 1

Graphics Tech

Another brilliantly simple web solution »

As the inventor defines it, Readability is a browser utility that "removes the junk around what you're reading and displays a clean, readable view." It is quite simple, what amounts to a series of generic style sheets that remove extraneous information and reformat text for optimum readability. Hats off to the folks at arc90 for seeing the trees and the forest.

Thanks to my friend Lee Garvey for pointing us to this.

readability arc90 laboratory

arc90's Readability experiment...

More projects from the arc90 lab...

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Dec 23

Graphics Tech

Unusual, intriguing maps »

Here are two sites that specialize in pointing to out-of-the-ordinary mapping concepts, the latest in cartographic technology, and some just plain weird ideas. First, an example...

information maps

Watch how you control the information time frame using the slider to the left of the map...

There's lots more to explore on Jonathan Crowe's blog, The Map Room...

And Frank Jacobs' Strange Maps...

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Nov 25

Graphics Tech

Integrating the physical with the digital »

Don't know if you caught this. Pranav Mistry, a PhD student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT's Media Lab, invented a wearable device that demonstrates one possible direction for future user interface. I am less interested in these early prototypes than I am in his broad vision for how we might integrate the digital with the physical down the road.

Though you certainly don't need a crystal ball to predict it, it would seem that the future of graphic design, likewise, will be more about 3D than 2D.

Thanks to my friend Wayne Belvin for pointing us to this.

pageplane Pranav Mistry SixthSense

Pranav Mistry discusses his ideas...

More about Mistry and SixthSense...

More projects from the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT...

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Sep 9

Graphics Tech

Meet Bill Blinn--An analog face with a digital mind »

Bill Blinn's picture is at the bottom of each page of his podcast web site--Techbyter Worldwide. It shows the bearded, somewhat graying author with a caption that reads, "This explains why TechByter Worldwide was never on television, doesn't it?"

That sense of humor is one reason I enjoy listening to his podcast--another is his perspective. It is not an "old" perspective by any stretch of the imagination--it is an educated one. He's the kind of person who shows you the flower, but who also (obviously) understands the root system of the plant.

Blinn speaks on a variety of computer-related topics. You can listen to each podcast (the player is near the bottom of the page) or you can read it and look at the illustrations.

I will point you to two discussions of Adobe products.

techbyter worldwide bill blinn

Commentary about Adobe Illustrator (CS4)...

About Adobe InDesign and InCopy (CS4)...

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Sep 4

Marketing PR

How to find and use graphic design research »

We all know that sound research can help us avoid many of the mistakes typically necessary to arrive at good solutions to common graphic design and marketing problems.

One source of such research is the Software Usability Research Laboratory (SURL) at Wichita State University. This group specializes in software/website user interface design, usability testing, and research in human-computer interaction.

I'd like to hear of other sources of graphic design and marketing research--all types. Do you have a source to recommend? A favorite study? A particular statistic that had a significant effect on your work?

surl science of design

SURL...

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Aug 12

Graphics Tech

The graphic designer as technologist »

One of the great things about being a graphic designer in the year 2009 is that the playing field is almost perfectly flat. The tools cost next to nothing and clients are more willing than ever to work with you because of the quality of your work versus the size of your sign. We are judged by what we produce and little else.

But being a graphic designer in 2009 requires a skill we didn't even contemplate 20 years ago--an understanding of usability. By usability, I mean how people access information and accomplish tasks. It wasn't long ago that the primary mediums for messaging, collateral and advertisements, were pretty straight-forward. The vast majority of brochures had a headline on the cover, text and images inside, and a call to action toward the back. Similarly, though the information was situational, print, radio, and TV advertising were also presented in very predictable ways.

That has changed. Not only does the designer have to contend with communicating the message, they have to (at a minimum) understand the scope of the platforms available for presenting it.

Adobe's Scene7 site is a great place to see some of the most interesting and intuitive ways that are currently being used to present product information.

adobe scene7 usability

The demos page...

An overview of "rich media" in presentation form...

The Adobe Scene7 cover...

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Aug 7

Packaging

I have a mental block about sneaker design »

A couple of days ago I wrote a post on the design of street fashions, T-shirts, caps, and such (When the brand is the product). I understand the value of it, I like to look at it, I am intrigued by the designs.

But for some reason I have trouble with sneaker design. My mind does not recognize the same connection between design and footwear that it does between design and shirts and caps. I see people walking around with what looks like little sports cars on their feet and it looks weird to me.

So, in the interest of facing your fears, I sought out and sampled a site devoted to sneaker design--sneakerfreaker.com. I still haven't totally overcome my lack of interest in sneakers, but I do have a better appreciation for the craft of sneaker design.

sneaker design

An article about profiling Keep and Una Kim...

More interviews with sneaker designers...

A recent design from Puma...

Luxury sneakers?...

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Jul 27

Graphics Tech

Creating National Geographic Magazine in Adobe InDesign »

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.

national geographic k4 mei

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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Jun 10

Graphics Tech

The next big transition: "assisted" graphic design? »

In less than 25 years we have moved from pasteups and X-acto knives to simplistic desktop publishing to the advanced graphic design systems and software of the moment. The transition from the board to desktop publishing software made it possible for the designer, who once spent a day assembling the parts and pieces of an advertisement, to produce the same product in an hour. In doing so, it allowed them to increase their work load and/or to devote more time to substance.

I'm guessing that transition will pale in comparison to the transition we now face. "Assisted" design further automates aspects parts of the production process. Instead of inventing your own systems for moving tasks forward you adopt a process built and perfected by others. Assuming it is equal to or better than a system you could create, why wouldn't you use it?

Content management systems are one example of how this transition is manifesting itself, EightShapes Unify offers another. Unify is a comprehensive collection of (primarily) Adobe InDesign templates and graphic elements you can use to present and prototype web pages. I point you to it not only because it is a very cool (free) product, but because it appears to me as another signal of a shift.

As the tools are improved, expectations increase, process is diminished, more resources are devoted to substance, and (in most cases) quality and effectiveness improves. You can easily see how each step prepares us for the next--the question is: where are we headed?

EightShapes Unify

An overview of EightShapes Unify...

Samples of the results...

Download Unify...

The EightShapes web (the folks who created the templates and libraries and released them to the community)...

Nathan Curtis, one of the founders of EightShapes, has a book coming out this summer--Modular Web Design...

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Apr 10

Graphics Tech

The death of DOS word processing and the birth of WYSIWYG »

I happened on a site this week that caused me to glance back at the road behind us. It is tempting to always be looking forward, but a dose of history from time to time doesn't hurt. The page I point you to offers the reflections of a man who ran THE most successful software company of its day--Pete Peterson and WordPerfect.

There are many points to be made about marketing, program development, competition in the industry and so on, but what I recall most by my encounter is the dramatic transition between the stark, code-like programs of the DOS era and the what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) programs of today.

Want to feel really old? Did you use any of the original versions of these: WordStar, Ami Pro, MultiMate, DisplayWrite, WordPerfect.

dieline the leading package design web site

Almost Perfect...

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Mar 18

Graphics Tech

What's going on at Adobe? »

If you use Adobe products you are likely curious about the future of those products and, perhaps, the workings of the company that invents, produces, and markets them. Adobe makes itself known in many ways but I think this unassuming little page is among the most interesting.

Adobe Blogs aggregates posts from blogs written by the folks who do the work--the execs, engineers, writers, designers, and so on. If you have a passion for a particular Adobe software product or technology, this is where you will find someone who shares it.

adobe blogs photoshop illustrator indesign flash

Abobe Blogs aggregates the most recent posts from a long list of Adobe blogs...

And here is the LONG list of blogs from which it draws...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Becoming a Graphic Designer

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Jan 16

Graphics Tech

How to troubleshoot problems with Adobe software and related hardware »

A friend asked recently how I troubleshoot Adobe software and hardware problems. While I realize they have an excellent support department, I know too that they can't answer every question, every time.

When I hit the wall--I turn to the Adobe User to User Forums. That is where you will find a bunch of other folks who are using the same software, sometimes even on the same brand and model of machine. More often than not, you will find someone who has run into the same issue and who, in many cases, has already discovered the answer.

Adobe user to user forums

Here, for example, is the Creative Suite for Windows forum...

Here's a listing of all the forums...

They even have forums on specific subjects such as design and typography...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Art Parts Clip Art...

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Jan 9

Graphics Tech

Do you need Adobe CS4? »

Whenever a major software upgrade surfaces, I am tempted to dive right in. I have been using Aldus and Adobe products for over twenty years and I have yet to be disappointed.

But as the programs are more and more feature-laden, I find that my skill level and/or production time is not all that much improved. Perhaps it's because when you have used a program for a long time, you discover ways to work around missing functionality. By the time a better or faster way comes along, the work around you created is so ingrained, doing it the way you've always done it just seems simpler.

So, this time around, I need to do some homework. To delve into whether the features are compelling enough to justify adjusting my workflow. It is less a about cost than it is about the investment of time and resources it requires to purchase, install, and learn a new version of a complex program.

To that end, Adobe TV is an excellent place to hear and see the Adobe evangelists talk about the latest and greatest program features.

adobe tv aldus cs4

Here, for example, is a feature tour of Adobe Illustrator CS4...

Hard to believe it was 1985 when I first started using Version 1.0 of PageMaker...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...

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Nov 21

Graphics Tech

Where to learn about basic search engine optimization »

There mountains of speculation about what makes a web site search engine friendly. On November 12th, Google published a paper that sets the standards. There is nothing new here, what is new is that Google put their name on it. To me, we now know the standard. Seems like everyone who wants to be Google-friendly should check to ensure that their sites comply.

Google SEO Starter Guide PDF

The post on Google's Webmaster Central Blog...

Google's SEO Starter Guide PDF (519KB)...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...

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Nov 19

Graphics Tech

A visit to The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies »

If you are familiar with terms such as "Amberlith," "burnisher," "waxer," and "Presstype," I suspect you will experience a bit of joy from a tour of The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies.

The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies...

NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...

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Oct 20

Graphics Tech

How to create a custom text cloud for a document or web site »

A word cloud is a visual representation of how often a particular word appears within a particular document. So if you have a document in which the word "design" appears 20 times and the word "color" appears 10 times, "design" will be shown at twice the size of "colors."

Jonathan Feinberg's Wordle is a cool online utility for creating a cloud from any web page, web site, or a document. You identify the text and then choose a font, layout, and color scheme.

It's very interesting to see what words predominate.

Jonathan Feinberg wordle

A word cloud for ideabook.com...

Jonathan Feinberg's Wordle...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...

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Oct 17

Graphics Tech

How to capture the texture, soul, and spirit of vintage printing »

A good communications designer knows how to parse what they see—they disassemble the parts to figure out what's going on. One key part that is easy to overlook is the influence of the medium on the design. For example, the difference between a typeface in print and the same face displayed by pixels on a computer screen.

Recently, the folks at Mister Retro were kind enough to share a new product with me. Permanent Press is a collection of filters for Photoshop that allow you to simulate the effects of various forms of printing. The filters include effects such as rubber stamp, vintage decal, washed out CMYK, and and so on.

The results are very convincing. You have only to look at the samples shown on the page I have linked to. If you are interested in a subtle (and not so subtle way) to distinguish one piece from the others, I encourage you to check it out.

mister retro permenent press vintage print filters for photoshop

Mister Retro's Permanent Press vintage print plug-in for Photoshop...

MR offers a bunch of very interesting filters...

NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...

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Sep 26

Graphics Tech

How to improve your productivity »

That claim, of course, is the what we hope any new software upgrade will provide. For those who love new tools, Adobe has announced what they are calling a major upgrade of Creative Suite: CS4.

I, of course, will need all of this—and not just the wimpy pro packages. I will need the gigantic MASTER Collection which will allow me to conquer both the Earth AND many of the outlying planets. (Anybody got $900?)

Adobe Creative Suite 4

Adobe Creative Suite 4...

In the Ideabook Design Store: FontHead Typefaces...

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Sep 12

Graphics Tech

How to save two billion dollars »

No kidding. In March of 2008 it was reported that Google spent over two billion dollars in R&D last year. The amazing thing is many of the products and systems they have developed can be had without cost. They range from something simple like Google Alerts, an e-mail service that notifies you when new examples of a particular search term or string shows up. To something as deep and wide as Google Analytics a complex tool for recording and analyzing web traffic. If you have not looked over the list lately, give it a look. I'm certain you will find something of great value. All for the cost of looking.

Wikipedia's list of Google Products

Wikipedia's list of Google Products...

A couple of favorites: Google Alerts...

Google Analytics...

And for a preview of things to come, Google Labs...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Page Design...

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Sep 5

Graphics Tech

How to prepare for the future »

If you would take a few minutes to watch an interview of Leonardo da Vinci and Johannes Gutenberg, I recommend taking a look at this rare interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. I realize there are tens of thousands of other women and me who have made huge contributions to the development of personal computing, but I doubt that anyone would argue these two are not among the core contributors. Want to prepare for the future? Understand the past.

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates interviewed by kara swisher and walt mossberg

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates interviewed by Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...

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Aug 11

Graphics Tech

How to create a simple portfolio page »

This is a wonderfully simple solution for creating a online portfolio using Flickr and PictoBrowser. You use Flickr to upload and organize your images and PictoBrowser to customize and automate the display of the images on your site.

If you don't already have a Flickr account, the first step is to sign up and upload your images. Then you configure PictoBrowser to match the size and shape of your page and copy and paste the code. That's all there is to it. If you already have a Flickr account, you'll be up and running in a matter of half an hour.

Thanks to Diego Bauducco, Carlos Gomez, and Maya Gorton for PictoBrowser--a truly elegant system and set of tools.

pictobrowser and flickr

An example I created from a set of snapshots for a client...

Create a Flickr account...

Then you configure PictoBrowser and copy and paste the code...

New in the Ideabook Design Store: Creative Advertising...

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Jul 23

Graphics Tech

Web Trend Map 3 »

iA, Information Architects Japan, has published the latest version of its Web Trends Map—an fascinating index of what the authors view as the world's most successful and influential websites. The twist is the presentation—it is laid out in the form of a mass transit map (I could re-state in another way that but it wouldn't make any more sense the second time). Instead, have a look.

iA Web Trend Map 3

The printed poster...

A clickable version...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...

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Jul 14

Graphics Tech

Inside Photoshop, literally »

It is fascinating to peek behind the scenes at the software giants. What I remember most vividly about a distant trip to Microsoft in Redmond, Washington was how interesting it was to see the Microsoft campus, meet some of the insiders, and hear about what was up and coming. It gave me a new appreciation for the creativity and complexity of software development.

So I was intrigued to find this article about a visit to the Photoshop engineering department by one of the folks at PhotoshopNews.com. If you've got some geek in you, this is certain to bring it to the surface.

photoshopnews.com a visit to the adobe photoshop engineers

Visiting the Photoshop Engineers...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines...

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Jun 25

Graphics Tech

Plug-in productivity »

Even feature-rich software packages, such as standard-bearers InDesign, QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator, and so on, can be made better. Though manufacturers are always adding bells and whistles there are often third-party companies that fill industry-specific needs, provide features for automating cumbersome tasks, or invent enhancements to specific workflows. The PowerXChange is one of several companies that specializes in promoting and selling plug-ins.

the powerxchange

Here, for example, is The PowerXChange's Adobe Acrobat plug-in page...

Adobe has a Partner Portal that lists some of many available add-ons...

In the Ideabook Design Store: FontHead Typefaces...

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Apr 28

Graphics Tech

Start your next web with much of the work already done »

If you design web sites and have not come across the Blueprint CSS Framework, I recommend you take a look to see if any of its parts and pieces could be of use to you. The framework includes a layout grid, basic typographic styles, and underlying code contributed by a coalition of high-powered CSS experts.

I know there are folks who think that if you don't create everything from scratch that you are somehow “cheating”—I'm not one of them. To me, a well designed grid or template is like any other tool—a smart way to amplify productivity.

Google Blueprint CSS framework

The Google Blueprint CSS framework...

An introduction by Jeff Croft, one of the original contributors...

A demonstration of the web framework (all of which can be edited)...

A demonstration of the typographic styles...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Creative Business CD-ROM...

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Apr 4

Graphics Tech

Free Photoshop? »

Well, kind of. Now you can introduce your friends and family to the magic of Photoshop. The link leads to a test drive of Adobe Photoshop Express, a scaled back, happier version of the tool so many of us have grown to know and love. You simply double-click an image to access basic Photoshop tools for editing Basics, Tuning, and Effects.

But the real value of this offering is the opportunity it affords us to recount the heights and valleys of our own experience with the “real” Photoshop (don't forget to warn your audience that using the real version requires decades of study and membership in stuff like professional guilds and unions—no sense stirring up a bunch of unnecessary competition).

Think of the hours you'll spend explaining layers, recalling the day you applied your first drop shadow, and communicating the anguish of creating 86 layers you didn't bother to label.

To friends and family—run.

Do-it-yourself user interface

Go here and select “My Photos”...

More details from the blog of Photoshop's Senior Product Manager, John Nack...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Graphics For Business...

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Mar 12

Graphics Tech

A design answer and a question »

New York Magazine challenged five designers to come up with a cover for their “Best of New York” issue. One of the answers came in the form of a wall of words crafted by Gretel, the home of Greg Hahn—a smart concept with just the right contrast to the nameplate.

The question? Is the cover real or computer generated? I must admit I could not be certain. So I asked. (To see the answer, click comments.)

New York Magazine cover by Gretel

The New York Magazine cover by Gretel...

Other entrants...

The Gretel site...

In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...

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Jan 23

Graphics Tech

Basecamp: A collaboration engine »

I have been using Basecamp for a few months now and I recommend it without reservation. In short, it is a collaboration tool that allows you to easily create a separate, password protected project center for each of your clients. You simply add a new section for the client and Basecamp automatically invites them (via e-mail) to enter the project center. The space resides on Basecamp's server, but it is branded with your organization's name and logo.

Your Basecamp subscription includes space for multiple projects and provides the tools for managing jobs, interacting with clients, editing copy, sharing files, and so on. It is a truly elegant solution. Thanks to my friend, web developer and designer Jesse Gardner of plasticmind.com for pointing me to it.

Having read the comments, let me add this: This experience also punctuated one of the fundamentals of marketing—less is often more. Basecamp is a product of 37signals, a true web innovator. Their philosophy states: “We believe most software is too complex. Too many features, too many buttons, too much confusion. We build easy to use web-based products with elegant interfaces and thoughtful features. We’re focused on executing on the basics beautifully.” They deliver just that. I never would have tried Basecamp had it not been for the simplicity and elegance of the interface. It looked usable to me and, more importantly, to my clients.

(Update: I recently signed up for the Basecamp affiliate program, so, if you sign up using this link, I make a commission. Thanks in advance if you do.)

Take the Basecamp tour

Take the Basecamp tour...

» 4 Comments

Dec 7

Graphics Tech

Online, collaborative word processing—for free. »

My word processor is heavy—bloated with all types of complexities that I never use. In fact, I seem to spend more time finding and disabling features than I do enabling them. Enter Buzzword. Adobe just bought this elegant little gem so it may be going somewhere. Not only can you perform all the basic word processing tasks, you can also invite others to collaborate.

Buzzword

Buzzword...

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Nov 26

Graphics Tech

The amazing vectorization machine »

There is good news for all of us who have tried (in vain) to explain that you can't create a billboard using a half-inch logo from a web page. VectorMagic.com, a research project by James Diebel and Jacob Nordapart at the Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, allows you to import a low-quality pixel (bit-mapped) image and create a vector image from it. (Thanks to my friend Sheila Hanchard for sharing this.)

VectorMagic.com is a sophiticated, easy-to-use tracing tool. <br />

VectorMagic.com is a sophisticated, easy-to-use tracing tool. Some samples...

The VectorMagic.com cover...

Not 100 percent clear about the distinction between bit-mapped and vector? Here is an article I wrote to explain it...

» 1 Comments

Nov 9

Graphics Tech

An ovation for a graph »

My friend Charles Boisvert points us to a wonderful example of how innovative presentation enhances the communication of statistical data (and everything else). Meet researcher Hans Rosling. He uses his Tendalyzer software to tell a story about the developing world. (It is said that Rosling met the founders of Google an TED and sold them the software.)

Hans Rosling and Trendalyzer

Rosling's presentation at TED...

Here is the actual graph...

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Nov 6

Graphics Tech

Design Tools Monthly: Insider information for graphic designers »

For 15 years now Jay Nelson has edited this gem of a publication featuring an eclectic mix of insights, tips, news, and how-to on the business, craft, and technology of graphic design. To do it, he mines a mountain of information and refines it—the result being enough relevant, interesting, "Hey, I didn't know that," stuff that even the industry elite are willing to ante up.

Design Tools Monthly

Here's a free sample...

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Aug 31

Graphics Tech

The next level of detail »

My friend Harold Thompson led me to news of the “Red One”—a nine pound digital cine camera with the quality of 35mm film and the convenience of pure digital. Suffice it to say, Steven Soderbergh, Director and Cinematographer of Ocean’s Eleven says, “This is the camera I’ve been waiting for my whole career.”

So how do you sell such a groundbreaking product? Whiz-bang flash animation? Nope. Crystal clear words and pictures that focus on three things: the architecture and design of the product, the images it creates, and what people in the know are saying about it. This is an excellent example of how, when faced with a complex task, a simple approach is often the most dramatic.

RED ONE Digital Camera

The Red One home page...

A gallery of images...

Ted Schilowitz of RED Digital Cinema Camera Company discussing the interface with Final Cut Studio...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...

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Jul 9

Graphics Tech

For your web toolbox »

Web Developer is a FREE web browser add-on (Firefox, Flock, Mozilla, Seamonkey) that allows you to view just about every element of a web page in any way you choose.

For example, selecting “Images” then “View Image Information” produces a list of all of the images that make up the page along with the name, location, width, height, and size of each. Choosing “Miscellaneous” then “Edit HTML” adds a box to the page that allows you to edit the code on the page to see effect changes make to the layout.

Web Developer is a great tool for both serious designers AND those who want to learn about what makes a web page tick. Just promise me, if you download and use this tool, that you will make a donation its developer, Chris Pederick—such a wonderful tool deserves the support of its users.

Chris Pederick's Web Developer

Chris Pederick's Web Developer ...

NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...

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Jul 5

Graphics Tech

Do you use Technorati? »

Take a moment to add us to your Technorati favorites. We appreciate your support.

Add the Pageplane Blog to your Technorati Favorites

Add Chuck's Pageplane Blog to your Technorati Favorites...

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Jul 2

Graphics Tech

Unlimited screen real estate »

In case you have not seen it, Seadragon and Photosynth are two mindboggling bits of technology that will very likely (and yet again) change the way we deal with images and information. Take a moment to watch this presentation by Blaise Aguera of Microsoft Live Labs at the 2007 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference.

Seadragon and Photosynth presentation at TED Conference

The presentation...

Other activity at Microsoft Live Labs...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...

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May 25

Graphics Tech

Graphics Tech: SlideShowPro »

Here is an inexpensive, elegant solution for organizing and displaying photo galleries and slide shows on your Web.

SlideShowPro

SlideShowPro...

In the Ideabook Design Store: Brenner Pricing Tables...

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Mar 26

Graphics Tech

Behind the scenes at Adobe »

Wondering what new technologies and innovations the folks who brought us tools such as PhotoShop and InDesign are working on? Adobe Labs offers pre-release access to downloads, samples, documentation, release notes, tutorials and more of upcoming products.

Adobe Labs

Adobe Labs...

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Dec 8

Graphics Tech

Visual merchandizing »

RichFX offers ways to visualize products on the Web: you can turn the pages of a virtual catalog and/or rotate, zoom in on, change the colors of, and even design individual products.

pgplne_richfx.jpg

The RichFX product lineup...

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Aug 14

Graphics Tech

Large file transfers »

I was working with a client recently that wanted to exchange files that were larger than our E-mail accounts can handle. He suggested yousendit.com—a free service for sending large files (up to 1 Gig)—new to me. Great service. Only thing I can't figure is how they profit from it.

pgplne_yousendit.jpg

http://www.yousendit.com/

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Jul 5

Graphics Tech

Free charting and graphing tool »

Need a graph? You can generate it for free and save it in a variety of file formats using this simple tool provided by the National Center for Education Statistics.

pgplne_graph_tool.jpg

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/Graphing/

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