Feb 1
Basic design
Gene Gable is curating a virtual museum of design, typography, and related ephemera over at CreativePro.com under the title of Scanning Around With Gene.
He certainly has the credentials. At various times he has been the head Publish magazine, the publisher of The Seybold Report, and a member of the Ziff-Davis executive team which was responsible for major business events such as Comdex.
If you don't yet know him and his eye for interesting, you're in for a treat.
Three examples of his column: The Dead Letterhead Department...
When Halftones Were an Art Form...
When Letraset Was King...
An introduction to the author by way of his website...
Gene Gable on twitter...
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Jan 30
Print Design
I love these stamp designs created for the Royal Mail by Hat-Trick Design and letterer Marion Deuchars. There's just something about black, white, and red that makes a subject a bit more profound.
This is the rare case when lettering that might normally be construed as having a light or lyrical tone is successfully paired with a serious subject. Why is that?
Hamlet...
The Tempest...
Henry VI...
King Lear...
A Midsummer Night's Dream...
Romeo and Juliet...
Marion Deuchars...
Hat-Trick Design...
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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 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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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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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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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 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 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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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 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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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 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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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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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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 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 11
Print Design
Sappi is one of the big paper manufacturers (they bought a S.D. Warren back in the 1990s). So part of their business is to help printers and designers get the most from Sappi's products.
What I am pointing you to is Sappi's substantial collection of technical documents that describe everything from the basic printing process to very specific overviews of specific printing problems.
If you do some print work, you might want to bookmark these pages.
Sappi Technical Publications...
An example: How to Read a Press Sheet (2MB PDF)...
The Technical Tips section looks like it addresses the technical issues that sometimes arise during the process. Good to know...
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Jan 24
Ideas 101
Before I can design something — a website, a logo, a brochure, whatever — I've got to understand what needs to happen. What my client's purpose and motive is, and the action they want their audience to take.
Once I understand what I am being asked to accomplish, I can design with purpose. I'm not a decorator, I'm a designer — my job is to determine the combination of elements — the images, typefaces, and user interface — necessary to communicate messages in a way that makes them interesting and accessible.
Teaching that process is what John McWade is so expert at. Through the pages of Before & After Magazine, he has been teaching what others don't, in ways that others can't, since the days when the first version of Aldus PageMaker was in beta testing. He parses, deconstructs, and studies a design problem, then packages a solution in a form that is easy to understand, digest, and reproduce.
I've written for B&A and I can testify that there's nothing easy about making things simple. I have pointed you to John in the past, but there is some new news worth sharing: John McWade has begun a series of wonderful short stories about design — video snippets that once again have me thinking about what is possible.
One in the series, How to design without graphics...
The beginnings of the new collection...
Plus, for the first time, the entire Before & After collection goes digital...
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Jan 12
Print Design
Even if you know nothing about the Work Projects Administration (WPA) and the posters created under it in the 30s and 40s, you have surely witnessed the results. These images have had an influence on generations of graphic designers. From awful to awesome, they are certainly worth a look.
As the Library of Congress site describes it, "The Work Projects Administration (WPA) Poster Collection consists of 907 posters produced from 1936 to 1943 by various branches of the WPA. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest. The posters were designed to publicize exhibits, community activities, theatrical productions, and health and educational programs in seventeen states and the District of Columbia, with the strongest representation from California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The results of one of the first U.S. Government programs to support the arts, the posters were added to the Library's holdings in the 1940s."
Example 1..
Example 2..
Example 3..
The WPA Poster collection at the Library of Congress...
Here is one way this type of resource is being used. This organization has cleaned up the scans and is offering them for resale...
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Dec 20
Learning
My old friend Martin Bounds points us to Big Think: "a global forum connecting people and ideas." Design is not the only focus, but the site does include many design-oriented interviews with people whose names you will recognize. In all, superb, personal insights well worth your time.
Here's a taste...
George Lois on his design epiphany (among other topics)...
Paola Antonelli, MoMA Curator for Architecture and Design on exhibit design (among other topics)...
Khoi Vinh on the differences between print and web development (among other topics)...
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Dec 17
Print Design
Illustrator Bryan Green uses what might appear to be a somewhat frivolous or purely artistic medium — papercraft — as tool for marketing. He creates cut-and-fold objects and characters that his clients distribute to promote products such as books, games, software, and so on.
I like the idea and I'm going to recommend it to a couple of my clients. Used in the proper situations, I think it could be an effective way to stir the marketing pot.
Bryan Green's Paper Foldables...
An example of how one client is using Paper Foldables...
Bryan's blog...
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Nov 24
Photography
Many of the photographs you find in catalogs, brochures, websites, and other marketing collateral pieces include objects and materials that help to establish a particular style or to tell some part of the visual story. They are not the focus of the photograph, but they add some significance. Determining that style and/or searching out and delivering the objects are the purview of the photo stylist.
If you've ever searched out props for even a few photographs (no less an entire catalog) you know how difficult a task it can be. Not only do you have to find what you want, you have to make arrangements to rent, borrow, or buy what you've found and have it available when and where it is needed.
Here, for example, is a look at stylist Jeffrey Moss — a stylist for retailers such as Pottery Barn and Target. First, a gallery of images showing his home, a clear expression of his design point-of-view.
Jeffrey Moss' home...
More home photos...
Watch how he uses some of the same ideas in photographs for the Pottery Barn...
More about the process...
Jeffrey Moss' website, Workhorse Production...
The job of photo stylist is analogous to that of a film prop master. Thought this was interesting: Here's how Scott Buckwald styles the scenes of the series Mad Men...
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Nov 19
Print Design
The Washington, D.C. arm of 826 National — nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization — recently opened a storefront similar to The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company we discussed a while back.
I, primarily, want to point you to the identity and items designed for The Museum of Unnatural History by Oliver Munday.
The Museum of Unnatural History...
Munday's portfolio..
In case you missed it: The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company...
826 National and an overview of the new project...
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Nov 8
Print Design
Gestalten TV just added a wonderful short film featuring Ben Levitz and Studio On Fire. Equal portions of prepress, production, and passion.
"Deeply Impressed"...
An earlier post about Studio On Fire...
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Oct 25
Packaging
Branding is about associating a story and a style with a product, service, or organization. It is no wonder, more than a few designers have used the human form to communicate the personality of the products they promote.
Example 1...
The designers: united dsn ...
Example 2...
The designers: Subplot Design ...
Example 3 (not always human)...
The designers: Tokyo Agency Inc...
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Oct 22
Ideas 101
Here's something for entrepreneurial photographers, illustrators, and designers to think about. Photodeck offers a full blown e-commerce platform (for a modest monthly subscription) that allows you to display, license (in a variety of ways), and sell images.
I like the fact that it moves control of the work back into the realm of its producer. I can't see why the same idea wouldn't apply to illustration and design work as well.
I like the convenience and variety the big conglomerates offer, but I also like the personalization and access afforded by sites that are handled by the people who do the work. I hope, as technology packages such as this become more widely available, that we'll see a better mix of both.
PhotoDeck is a fully customizable, brandable e-commerce platform for photographers...
I found PhotoDeck through a photographer who uses it Toasto.com...
Another implementation of PhotoDeck — KennedyStock.com...
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Oct 18
Basic design
For five years REBRAND has offered its 100 Global Awards a fascinating look at how leading companies reposition and revitalize themselves — including logos, collateral, advertising, web pages, and so on.
Get out lunch and dinner, this is going to take a while.
the 2010 REBRAND showcase...
the 2009 REBRAND showcase...
the 2008 REBRAND showcase...
the 2007 REBRAND showcase...
the 2006 REBRAND showcase...
the 2005 REBRAND showcase...
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Sep 27
Marketing PR
I was talking to a fellow designer the other day and we were discussing the horrendous state of marketing in certain quarters—where unscrupulous marketers put forth products and services that are clearly meant to do nothing more than part people from their money. It's an old problem, the tactics of which, I hope and believe will become less and less viable in the years to come.
Though their approaches are very different, I want to point to two men who really do seem to have a finger on the pulse of that change—Seth Godin and Tim Girvin. They are both passionate advocates of honesty, clarity, and style.
The "honesty" part insists on worth and value. I doubt either of these guys would even consider selling a product they did not believe in. That would be antithetical to their nature.
The "clarity" component is what they are about. Though they are both great teachers (and prolific bloggers) their passion seems to be that of students. You simply can't understand and articulate foundational ideas if, from time to time, you don't shut up long enough to listen.
And "style" is their mantra. They both preach that the story you tell and how you tell it is what distinguishes you from everyone else. I can't help but think, as the world amalgamates, that greater and greater value is going to be placed on the positive things that make each person, place, and thing unique.
I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. But these gentlemen will.
Seth Godin..
Tim Girvin...
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Jun 21
Illustration
Two recent finds from France. First, a store that sells vintage-looking designs imprinted on pillows, bags, and such. I point you to it as much for the design of the site as the design of the products. I particularly like the combination of typefaces and sizes the designer uses.
Second is a collection of 20,000-plus vintage advertising and design pieces being archived by a French woman who goes by Pillpat, Patricia, and pita ou franck--it is a real service to the world community of graphic designers.
Bonjour mon coussin...
Pillpat's wonderful collection of ephemera...
An earlier post on Graphic design and ephemera...
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Jun 14
Print Design
I was looking for a simple, comprehensive list of current desktop publishing software and could not find one. Here's mine. If I'm missing something, please comment here and I'll add it.
A note to the purists: Don't freak on me--this is merely a reference list, I'm not making any judgement of quality or suitability for any purpose.
Adobe FrameMaker...
Adobe InDesign...
Adobe PageMaker...
Apple iWork Pages...
Broderbund Print Shop...
Corel Ventura...
InPage...
iStudio Publisher...
Laidout...
Microsoft Office Publisher...
PageFocus Pro...
PageStream...
QuarkXPress...
Ragtime...
Scribus...
Serif PagePlus X4...
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Jun 9
Graphics Tech
Here's another chapter in the--of-interest-to-geeks-only--saga of the battle between Adobe's Flash and HTML5.
Huh?
It really is kind of interesting. In case you missed it, there has been a bit of a falling out between big players such as Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft regarding the adoption of the software used to code dynamic content.
Are you still with me? Read on...
An overview from AppleInsider...
The Adobe press release: Adobe Unveils Digital Viewer Technology for Magazines...
Introducing WIRED on iPad...
From the NYT: Does HTML5 Really Beat Flash? The Surprising Results of New Tests...
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Jun 4
Print Design
My first thought was: Why would anyone put a portfolio of static print and web design on video? Here's why. MINE, the design office best known for it's "Everything is OK" campaign, has a bright, upbeat vision. I'm a big fan.
MINE's portfolio...
MINE's "Everything is OK" campaign...
I must have a roll of that tape...
Follow MINE on Facebook...
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Jun 2
Books
I'm pointing to Mark Boulton's Five Simple Steps publishing venture for two reasons. First, because I suspect you'll find his book, A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web, interesting and useful. And second because I think the the publishing model is worth noting.
I've written for three publishers: Random House, Rockport, and PeachPit—but I have also published my own books through my company Logic Arts. So I am interested to see how other folks re-work the conventional publishing models. Five Simple Steps employs Seth Godin's model of giving away a free online version of the book and charging for a download or hard copy.
I'm interested in other models if you are interested in sharing what you've found.
The online version of A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web...
Or you can download a sample (542KB PDF)...
Or buy a download or hardcopy...
A look behind the scenes. Looks like other titles are in the works...
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May 31
Ideas 101
I got this question from another designer recently: "My client requested a logo design. She filled in my design brief questionnaire, I presented a few concepts, and we went through three rounds of concepts, variations, and tweaking. They were not sure of any of the designs and finally backed off. Though I did get an advance, it did not come close to covering the time I invested in the project. How do you handle this type of situation?"
Whether you charge a few hundred dollars or a few hundred-thousand dollars, the great conundrum of logo design is this: If you can't provide the client with a mark that they are excited about and invested in you haven't done your job. It is that simple.
Designing a logo is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Remember, we're asking the client to build their organization on a framework that we provide—to adopt our ideas, our style, our palette, and to identify themselves with that brand for years, even decades to come. If we ask for that type of commitment from them, it seems entirely reasonable (to me) for them to be excited and energized by what we design.
That type of commitment does not come cheap. You cannot learn what needs to be learned and do what needs to be done in a few hours. I have no idea how many hours my friend budgeted to create the logo, but my advice to him is this: Charge what is necessary to deliver a compelling solution or turn the job down—you owe that to your client and your client owes that to you.
Logo design requires a commitment from both sides to see it through to its end. That means you need to charge enough to do the research necessary to understand the client's industry, their competition, and to clearly understand where they fall within that landscape—enough to create a design that not only speaks to those issues but that aligns with the aesthetic and intellectual sensibilities of the people within the organization who will be living with it. That's a lot of people to satisfy, but that's why logo design is not for the faint of heart.
How do you avoid my friend's problem? By making everything crystal clear up front. Some designers prefer a formal contract, some a letter of agreement, others just a few paragraphs in an e-mail before the job begins—whatever you choose, choose something. If you wait until you are in the heat of the project to address difficulties, you're going to get bruised.
Here are a few examples of such agreements.
The Graphic Artist Guild's Contract Monitor—about reading and writing contracts...
The AIGA's Standard Form of Agreement for Design Services...
Of course you can't beat seeing what a real working document looks like...
You might also be interested in my Design Constitution...
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May 26
Print Design
Time to revisit Beast Pieces, the site that features the letterpress work of Studio On Fire. They seem to produce a very high quality product—whether they do the design of allow others to take the lead. Wow, that is difficult—very impressive.
Business cards for Many Fold Farm...
Stationery for Vista Caballo ranch retreat...
Atomic Playpen drink coasters...
The Beast Pieces home page...
The Studio On Fire arm...
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Apr 30
Print Design
Graphic design is a quirky business. You can explain what you do to relatives and friends, but no matter how hard you try, only about 10 percent seem to get it. The say, "Yeah, ____ is a graphic designer. We're, uh, real proud...real proud."
So when I meet someone who speaks my language I appreciate it. Jeff Gamet and Jay Nelson do a podcast hosted by CreativePro called Design Tools Weekly--they speak my language. It's nice to sit down once a week and hear a discussion about the hardware, software, and the general state of our business. I recommend it highly.
The Design Tools Weekly Podcast...
AND, as always, you can checkout a free sample issue of Design Tools Monthly here(1.9MB PDF)...
Jay's Twitter page...
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Apr 28
Ideas 101
I first read about the OKRA identity on Fontshop's Unzipped blog--they referred to it as "flexible design". As you'll see, OKRA landscape architects is an agency specialized in making plans and designs for public space in city areas and city related areas. It is a service that lends itself to this idea of creating multiple versions of a logo to fit the purposes for which they are used. It reminded me of another very successful execution of the concept for Tate.
It is certainly an idea worth considering when you tackle your next design project.
OKRA...
The Tate model...
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Apr 14
Ideas 101
Jack Schulze, the Director of New Product Development at BERG, offers yet another example of how it is possible to re-invent things--even something as literal as a map. This map puts the viewer simultaneously above the city and in it--both looking down and looking forward.
Then & There...
A more complete explanation...
An earlier post about BERG...
We're now on Facebook...
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Apr 2
Print Design
Surely printing on paper and systems for delivery of print have and are changing dramatically, but we are FAR from the disappearance of the print model.
There is a tendency for the web dog to bark at the print dog—as if the web dog is somehow smarter, more capable, better. But the web dog needs to remember where he came from. The web is awash in print metaphors—menus, file folders, pages, indexes, and so on—all foundational structures of the printed page.
It's exciting, to me, to discover people who are more interested in the next step than they are in the argument—in combining the strengths of both worlds to craft new solutions.
This is one of those cases. It is a new take on the conversion of the magazine from print to pixel. The producer is BERG, a design consultancy that works "with companies to research and develop their technologies and strategy, primarily by finding opportunities in networks and physical things."
A concept video on the future of digital magazines...
BERG's Twitter page...
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Mar 17
Illustration
Clay Hayes' GigPosters.com features posters used to advertise music shows and events. As you might imagine, the subject matter allows the designers and artists great creative freedom—so you're going to see some exciting and interesting uses of type, color, and illustration. (The examples I link to are tame, but I'll caution you that if you wander around, there's also material some might find offensive.)
Example 1 by Gwenola Carrere...
Example 2 by Nate Duval...
Example 3 by Matthew Fleming...
The front door...
The GigPosters Twitter page...
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Mar 12
Print Design
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.
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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Mar 10
Print Design
On its list of beliefs, the folks at Knock Knock point out that, "Despite the rise of the screen, much that is interesting and innovative can be done with printed matter..."
I wholeheartedly agree. I heart my computer, my iPhone, my HDTV, and so on--but I also love paper. Knock Knock has made a business of designing useful, often humorous pages.
For example, the Pack This! pad...
For business...
And Sticky Cubes...
The Knock Knock philosophy...
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Feb 10
Basic design
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.
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 25
Print Design
Designer (and friend) Jeff Russell points us to a pocket-sized map that, as it unfolds, "zooms" in on the information. Pretty cool idea.
Map2's zoomable map on paper...
If you like that, you're bound to like this...
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Dec 11
Print Design
If you've ever designed a book you know there are many parts and pieces--they run the gamut from the purely aesthetic to the legally mandatory. The trick is to understand the differences and to use them to your advantage. Here is a terrific source I came across recently produced by a guy who has a proven track record. Meet book designer Joel Friedlander...
An example: The copyright page...
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Dec 9
Web Design
I'm a sucker for this type of 3D-design. It gives you a sense of depth you just can't match with most artificially built shapes and shadows.
Another great cover...
While you're here, they also have a portfolio of work well worth a look...
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Nov 23
Print Design
This week marks the opening of the Tim Burton exhibit at the The Museum of Modern Art. Best known for his film making, Tim Burton is also a designer, an artist, and is, as you might suspect, a tad bit crazy.
The website created for the Burton exhibit...
About the exhibit and the design of the accompanying web site...
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Oct 16
Typography
It's one thing to choose from a large catalog of typefaces--it is another to envision how those same faces might be used on specific projects. Font Bureau's Image and Project Galleries reveal how designers apply particular combinations of typefaces to actual publications.
Be sure to click the "Inside Pages" tab to see the complete demonstration...
And the Project Gallery...
The entire Image Gallery (not as complete explanations)...
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Oct 12
Print Design
Adobe has produced a very useful white paper titled Deciphering the Web, A resource for print designers. It speaks to traditional print designers who need a basic introduction to web and interactive design.
Who doesn't do web and interactive design in 2009? You'd be surprised, I know more than a few talented designers and art directors have little or no web knowledge and have resigned themselves to thinking that it's "too late" for them to catch up.
Well that is simply not the case--as they say in the white paper, "Good design is good design." As a matter of fact, if you count yourself among this group, you might even have a bit of an advantage. Today, with some clearly established ways of doing things online, you can skip much of the insanity the online community has had to navigate for the last decade or so.
It is not necessary to be a technical wizard--if you so choose, you don't need to learn to write code, you don't even need to learn how to use all of the programs involved. There are many talented developers and technicians who are more than happy to team with you to produce whatever you dream up. Like print, the key is in knowing what you want to say and show, how you want to say and show it, and in cultivating a network of experts to get the work done.
Deciphering the Web: A resource for print designers (2.79MB PDF)...
This is an in depth presentation that introduced the white paper at the recent Adobe MAX 2009...
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Sep 25
Illustration
Beginning in 2005 Seed Magazine began publishing a series of what they label "cribsheets." The formal explanation goes like this: "Scientific issues and innovations are figuring into everyday conversation more than ever before. Recognizing that we could all use some brushing up, Seed offers its Cribsheet."
It appears the last edition (#18 Biofuels) appeared in 2008. The series is both interesting and innovate for its content and design.
Cribsheet #9 String Theory...
Cribsheet #7 Extinction...
Cribsheet #11 Plate Tectonics...
Most of the illustrations (all those I point to here) are credited to Cybu Richli who shares a practice with Fabienne Burri at C2F...
SEED Magazine...
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Sep 18
Print Design
That is the beauty of the web—every so often you stumble on something really phenomenal. My latest happy discovery is this amazing collection of posters, photos and prints from the collection of Jaap Best, the Netherlands' largest collection of circus memorabilia. 3,500 colour lithographs and thousands of other pieces. Amazing stuff.
Circusmuseum.nl—the collection of Jaap Best, the Netherlands' largest collection of circus memorabilia...
The Circusmuseum.nl cover page...
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Sep 14
Print Design
If you have all five weights of Museo...you might be a graphic designer.
If your computer monitor has a name...you might be a graphic designer.
If you need a forklift to move your back issues of Communication Arts...you might be a graphic designer.
If you know a style sheet is not something found in a linen closet...you might be a graphic designer.
If you would intentionally watch a video titled "Exotic Fold Ideas"...you might be a graphic designer.
Thanks to John McWade for introducing me to Folding Fanatic Trish Witkowski and her interesting, informative site at foldfactory.com.
Among other things, she offers a collection of video clips that show how different types of folds work.
Yup, Exotic Fold Ideas...
They also offer plug-in for InDesign that will help you create a folding template instantly--FOLDRite Template Master ...
And (of course) there is the crazy-weird bobblehead thing (bottom of the page)...
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Sep 7
Web Design
If you're interested in graphic design and publishing you are (no doubt) familiar with America's Test Kitchen and its parent: Boston Common Press. The publications, books, television shows, and web content it publishes are among the best I've seen. The content seems well-researched, well-written, and well-designed--their web sports an impressive, intuitive user interfaces.
(BTW, if you're a foodie, these are also terrific products.)
Their online and print newsletter is CooksIllustrated.com...
Here you'll see the depth of their offerings...
And here is an excellent article on Mequoda.com discussing the fundementals of their business model...
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Aug 14
Print Design
Designer Richard Smith kicked off something he calls the The Dollar Redesign Project a while back. The idea, as he puts it, is to rebuild, rebrand, and revive currency design.
The Dollar Redesign Project...
While we're on the subject, here is a fascinating look at the color of money from colourlovers.com...
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Aug 3
Ideas 101
True passion is rare.
Much creative energy and expertise is expended moving value from one hand to the other. That's not a criticism--commerce makes lots of good things possible--I am a card carrying member of the commerce thing. But I can't help but take special notice when I encounter expressions of interest and involvement that appear at least, to have grown out of a pure devotion to its subject.
I see that in a new publication--UPPERCASE magazine (2009). A magazine? Are you kidding?! Who starts a magazine in the year of Twitter? People with passion do--their names are Janine Vangool and Deidre Martin and they've enlisted the help of an eclectic collection of talented contributors--designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, writers, and others.
The purpose of UPPERCASE is to take a look at the creative process from all angles: profiling creatives, peeking into work environments, pointing to examples of styles and palettes, uncovering interesting ephemera--they even devote a section of the magazine to brief profiles of five or six of their subscribers--an approach that (to me) demonstrates something important about their thinking.
Enough with the accolades--at this point you probably think these are relatives of mine--they aren't, I have no connection with them whatsoever. But I can tell you the first thing I did after closing the last page was to go online and subscribe. I figure that when you find a passion you share, you should support it.
UPPERCASE Magazine: Issue 2 preview...
The magazine is just part of the mix, their web includes lots of interesting material...
Their blog...
You can buy the current issue or subscribe here...
Once you've seen it, I'd love to hear your comments below...
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Jul 20
Learning
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 8
Packaging
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 1
Ideas 101
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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May 25
Print Design
I have often thought about how badly the license plate needs making over. If clear identification is the goal, most plates (with their scrunched up type and incomprehensible layouts), fail miserably. If style is what you're after, the only real challenge would be to do it worse than it is being done now.
A while back GQ invited nine designers to re-envision the license plate--here are their ideas. Though these are a bit frivolous, the exercise does get you thinking about the possibilities for clearer communication, tighter security, increased safety, and better communication. But that would require state and local governments to take it seriously.
License plate makeover (1.1MB PDF)...
An interesting article by Mark Simonson about how many designs actually obscure the primary purpose of the plate...
Looks like an international problem...
If you're really interested, here's a big list of license plate links...
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May 13
Print Design
Here is an excellent example of doing the work AND taking the time to present it in a way that shows it at its best. These studio LOOVVOOL is Tallinn, Estonia.
Have another example of great logo presentation? Share it with us using "Comments" below--I answer every entry.
The Souperie--great design...
The Kaerajaan Restaurant...
Custom Furniture...
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May 4
Print Design
Vendor Power! is a pamphlet designed to explain basic New York City street vendor rules and procedures in five different languages and to provide and overview of vendor issues. It is a collaboration between the Street Vendor Project, designer Candy Chang, and The Center for Urban Pedagogy. Pretty interesting.
A story in the NYT about the Vendor piece...
The actual Vendor Power brochure, side-two (2MB PDF)...
Several publications (including Vendor Power) from The Center for Urban Pedagogy...
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May 1
Print Design
I can't even remember how I got started looking for information about menu design. I do not currently have a client in the hospitality industry, although I have designed a few menus in my years as a graphic designer. What got me hooked on the subject was the fact that, as with many design specializations, menu design has become quite complex and multifaceted. To the extent, for example, that the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University offers a Ph.D. program in Consumer Behavior/Menu Psychology.
Design and layout of menus now falls under the umbrella of "menu engineering" along with the disciplines of (as defined on Wikipedia): psychology (perception, attention, emotion/affect), managerial accounting (contribution margin and unit cost analysis), marketing and strategy (pricing, promotion).
As an introduction to the subject, I'll share some of my preliminary finds. I cannot testify to the veracity of each source, I have not even read them all word for word, but I thought you might be interested or at least curious.
Just for fun, let's start off with now NOT to design a menu...
The Psychology of Menu Design from Restaurant Resource Group...
A short article about menu engineer Gregg Rapp from Time Magazine...
A full concept design for South St. Burger Co. by Jump Branding & Design Inc....
A case study from Restaurant Startup & Growth...
Some history from the Miss Frank E. Buttolph American Menu Collection, 1851-1930 at the New York Public Library...
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Apr 17
Print Design
It is easy to underestimate the dimensions of the communities that exist to support and promote individual software products. I created a Twitter page in March to share tidbits about InDesign (Adobe's desktop publishing program) and, in doing so, have met hundreds (on Twitter alone) who have a similar interest in its workings.
In the course of my research I have been tracking down the experts--authors, trainers, and InDesign insiders. If you are a fan of InDesign, allow me to introduce you to some folks who have a similar passion.
Meet Rufus Deuchler, Adobe's Senior Worldwide Evangelist for Creative Solutions (by chance, the first follower of the indesignstorm twitter page!)...
Meet Michael Ninness, Adobe's Senior Product Manager, InDesign...
Meet Bob Bringhurst, Adobe's Senior Technical Writer for InDesign...
Meet David Blatner, editorial director of InDesign Magazine and author of (among other titles) Real World InDesign CS4...
Meet Michael Murphy, author and InDesign Certified Expert...
Meet Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion, author, trainer, and consultant...
Meet Pariah S. Burke, author, speaker, trainer, and host of quarkvsindesign.com...
Here is the InDesign Brain-Storm Twitter page...
Apr 11
Print Design
Here is an interesting case study of how industrial design firm Kerr & Co. teamed up with Hahn Smith Design to create a new line of Gourmet Settings utensils that could stand out in Costco's bare-bones retail environment.
I find it particularly interesting to contemplate being involved in the entire cycle--identifying the audience and distribution point, developing the product, and then marketing it appropriately. As you know, communication designers are typically involved with just one or two steps of the process.
The Gourmet Settings Case Study (860KB PDF)...
A better view of the work begins of page 29 of the Hahn Smith Design Capabilities Brochure (8.5MB PDF)...
Hahn Smith Design's web...
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Apr 1
Print Design
This post from the faceoutbooks.com blog points to a dramatic book cover Timothy Goodman designed for Scribner. Take a look and then take a few minutes to browse his portfolio--he does some nice work.
What really strikes me is how different (generally speaking) one piece is from the next. I know I harp on this but I really do think it is one or the fundamental qualities of a good designer--someone who is able to get so absorbed in the client's need that they are able to shed their own identity.
Goodman's cover...
A closeup...
The designer's portfolio...
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Mar 9
Print Design
What I'm trying to say is that she has a gift for making a combination of disparate pieces look as though they were invented exclusively for her purpose. She got my attention with her wonderful layouts and illustrations Esquire magazine but she hooked me with these bold, colorful covers for the Seattle Times.
A collection of covers...
Another great illustration...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Desktop Publisher's Idea Book...
Feb 27
Print Design
This is nothing short of bizarre. Within the last month or so three major companies have introduced logos reminiscent of amazon.com's well known mark. What the heck is with that?
If you doubt it, here are some references:
A Kraft Foods news release reads, "Starting today, people around the world will begin to see the new identity that deliciously features a smile, the natural reaction to delicious foods and experiences, and a colorful flavor burst."
And, if you look at the what is reported to be the original pitch on the Pepsi logo, (here) you will see the reference to the faces (and smiles) beginning on page 22.
Many sources (in 2000) pointed to documents that explained how the amazon.com logo "depicts the ultimate expression of customer satisfaction--a smile."
To be fair, I was unable to find any official or semi-official mention of a smile on the Jack in the box logo, I leave that for you to decide.
I don't mean to imply there is something unethical happening here, I just hope a discussion of this will keep others from repeating the same idea yet again.
Kraft Foods...
Jack in the box...
Pepsi...
And amazon.com...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Jan 14
Print Design
Issuu.com is a platform for publishing all types of documents for viewing online using an elegant, simple to navigate interface.
An example of a book, SitePoint's The Art & Science of CSS...
The front door of issuu.com...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...
Nov 28
Print Design
What is the equation for excellence? One aspect of it, certainly, is a passion for the subject. Dieline.com is a site created by package designers for package designers—folks with a real passion for it. As they put it, Dieline.com's "purpose is to define and promote the world's best examples of packaging, and provide a place where the package design community can review, critique and stay informed of the latest industry trends and design projects being created in the field." It is all that and more.
This is one of my top 25 web sites for communication designers.
THE packaging design playground...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Page Design...
Nov 26
Print Design
The AIGA is behind an exhibit of the design of everyday items from around the world. As they put it, "From the wood screenprinting blocks used to make sari patterns in India to the cartoon-like graphics on Japanese stationery, there are many beautifully designed and highly functional items that may inform and inspire other kinds of design."
Everyday Design...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Page Design...
Nov 17
Print Design
If you have never designed a piece printed using the letterpress process, you're in for a treat. What you see here is the result of pressing a rigid, raised plate against a soft paper surface. Ohio based CrankyPressman.com, founded in 1934, has a portfolio that will get your creative juices flowing.
The CrankyPressman.com site...
Their Flickr portfolio...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Color Harmony Guide...
Oct 27
Print Design
One way is to make fun of yourself. And that is what got me to actually read one of the bazillion credit card offers I get every month. Somebody must have said, "These letters are a joke to consumers, let's laugh at it with them." Hats off the the copywriter or art director who though it up and to the corporate folks who let it stand. This is definitive marketing.
Blah, blah, blah...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Page Design...
Oct 24
Print Design
There are two things I want to point you to here. First is Lance Wyman's work. He specializes in the design of wayfinding systems, as he defines it: "the branding, signs, maps and directional devices that tell us where we are, where we want to go, and how to get there." He is a master of it.
The second thing I want to note is the layout of his web site. It is a lesson in usability. It shows a time line of his work, uses a rollover image system to categorize the work (across the top, "Corporate," "Events," and so on), and it allows you to dig deeper by highlighting a logo and clicking through a string of images to see how it was developed and implemented. All from the same screen. Very interesting. (Thanks to son Rob for introducing me to Wyman's work following the designer's recent visit to VCU.)
Lance Wyman's one page wonder...
An excellent overview of Wyman's work and the development of wayfinding systems...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Desktop Publisher's Idea Book...
Sep 3
Print Design
The world continues to spin into control. Now it looks as though there will soon be an economical way to create a few yards of fabric from your graphic designs. As they put it, "Spoonflower gives individuals the power to print their own designs on fabric that they can then use to make quilts, clothes, pillows, blankets, framed textile art and many, many other things that might surprise you."
Imagine the applications for creating one-of-a-kind imagery for presentations, product models, and so on.
Sign up to be invited to test the process...
A collection of what other designers are doing with Spoonflower fabrics...
The Spoonflower Blog...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Jul 18
Print Design
That's part of book cover lore explains designer John Gall in this interesting documentary short from Barnes & Noble Studio—The 5 Rules of Book Cover Design.
The 5 Rules of Book Cover Design...
An interview with Gall at Step Inside Design...
And a nice collection of his covers...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Color Harmony Guide...
Apr 9
Print Design
I'm slightly depressed. It seems as though, at every turn, I come upon a designer whose work knocks me into next week. This time it's Fabien Barral, a guy who claims to be living in the middle of the French countryside—no comment. Seriously though, his deft mix of typography and old/new design elements is very interesting. Another one for my “when I grow up I wanna design like” list.
Fabien Barral...
More Fabien Barral...
Okay Fabien Barral, you're starting to get on my nerves...
His full portfolio...
Mar 17
Print Design
In his article for The New Yorker titled “The Social Life of Paper,” “Blink” author, Malcolm Gladwell proposes that the only reason paper is viewed as an antiquated medium is because, “We have been tripped up by a historical accident of innovation, confused by the assumption that the most important invention is always the most recent.” Had the computer come first, he speculates, we would think of paper differently.
I point to this because I think we can get so wrapped up in the beauty and flexibility of the online medium that we can loose track of the importance of the conventional form of communications—collateral, correspondence, direct mail, and so on. If you did not read it when it originally appeared, take a look, it is worth reading.
The Social Life of Paper, Looking for method in the mess by Malcolm Gladwell...
The article in PDF form...
Gladwell's page...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
Jan 16
Print Design
Ask any author, publisher, or bookseller—a book cover design can have a dramatic effect on the interest in and sales of a book. It is considered so critical to sales, cover design is almost exclusively under the control of the publisher—yes, even for design-oriented books. Needless to say, I have great respect for those with a talent for finding the essence of a few hundred pages and presenting it in one compelling, provocative image. Designer and illustrator Ben Gibson has a real talent for it.
Ben Gibson's portfolio (1MB PDF)...
Gibson's web...
Jan 14
Print Design
Have you considered integrating icons into your print design? Here's a nice example from Gardner Design. I guess Bill Gardner, principal of Gardner Design, is a bit of a business card icon himself. In addition to being a talented designer, he is the creator of LogoLounge.com, a top-tier resource for exploring the current state of logo design.
Business card icons...
The Logo Lounge...
Dec 20
Print Design
I like the way the illustrator integrates the real with the unreal. The question I ask myself is, “How can I use the same idea in my own work?”
The studio is SifonDG in Argentina (you may need to click the image to enlarge it)...
Their portfolio (nice stuff)...
Dec 3
Print Design
“Similar Diversity is an information graphic which opens up a new perspective at the topics religion and faith by visualizing the Holy Books of five world religions.” As I understand it, they used a programming tool to search the texts and to calculate the connections between them—the number of times particular terms are used and so on. What I want to point to is the overall design—how the artists use proportion and color to communicate the results.
Similar Diversity...
Nov 28
Print Design
The Turner Duckworth design studio uses an innovative, build-it-yourself company brochure. As you browse the projects in their portfolio, you are invited to click on an “Add to brochure” icon and in doing so, add that project to a downloadable PDF brochure. The final version includes an orientation and a back cover. Very interesting.
To see how it works, choose “Portfolio,” select an item, then click the “Add to brochure” icon at the top right. After you have added a couple of projects, choose "Brochure" from the menu then click “download brochure” to see the resulting PDF.
Choose "Portfolio," select an item, then click the "Add to brochure" icon...
Oct 26
Print Design
Today we mark a bit of a milestone. This post makes 300 on PagePlane.com —some originated with my Design Links Briefings in years past, the rest were posted directly on the PagePlane blog since it launched last year.
It has been a great encouragement to discover so much great work by so many talented folks. I hope it has been interesting and encouraging to you as well.
If you haven't yet, I invite you to comment on the posts and to introduce yourself via email (click Contact Chuck, top right).
Here's to the next 300. Chuck Green
Oct 12
Print Design
To me, the very nature of a logo is singular—a visual signal that comes to represent the entity it is tied to. But great design sometimes redefines the application. Wolff Olins designed the Tate identity back in 2000 and opened (some argue re-opened) a different chapter in logo design. Instead of one version the created several. Instead of one color, they chose eighteen. It is as fluid as the institution it represents.
Click the logo in the upper right to see several variations...
A case study by the designers, Wolff Olins (PDF) ...
How Tate explains its brand...
Jul 30
Print Design
Here is a wide and deep collection of out-of-the-ordinary business cards compiled by Kariann at dailypoetics.com. Below that: sources for variations on the theme.
The collection...
Business cards with detachable labels...
Metal business cards...
Plastic business cards...
Books of business cards...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Art Parts Clip Art...
Jul 20
Print Design
Even though profits of newspapers have fallen, I am told profits still exceed those of the average corporation. Obviously, publishers are looking for ways to build on what they've got. Here is an interesting example of where things may be headed.
A demo of the Guardian and Observer Digital Editions...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...
Jul 13
Print Design
When I see the work of a young designer like Jamie Wieck, I can't help but ask myself, “Am I innovating? Am I pushing hard on every project?” You can't help but admire this guy's thinking.
One of Wieck's many innovative designs...
The list of projects...
My two-cents on “jolt thinking”...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Desktop Publisher's Idea Book...
Jun 13
Print Design
I'm a sucker for a photographic record of how a project was produced. I guess you don't see more of them because it takes a certain amount of discipline to pause during the process and record the step you just completed. Here is an excellent little animation of how the folks at House Industries produced the cover artwork for Communication Arts Magazine.
Play the animation here...
In the Ideabook Design Store: FontHead Typefaces...
May 28
Print Design
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...
May 16
Print Design
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...
Apr 6
Print Design
A new clean, sharp design keeps Time looking young.
The Time makeover...
Apr 2
Print Design
Kit Hinrichs is, in my never-to-be-humble opinion, is one of the top designers of the last 25 years. Here is a brief but interesting piece about his home and passion for collecting.
The pictures...
The article...
Mar 14
Print Design
Don't know if you have ever attempted to create an icon. If it does nothing else, it gets you focused on the fundamentals of what you want to say. The folks a Funnel Incorporated do it for mega-clients such as Banana Republic, Turner Broadcasting, and Owens Corning—a good indication they're pretty good at it.
Funnel Incorporated...
Feb 28
Print Design
Louise Fili is a designer and author who specializes in, among others, the design of food packaging and restaurant identity. It's easy how the knowledge she gained in authoring such books as Italian Art Deco and Dutch Modern has influenced her work.
Examples: a logo...
Packaging...
Restaurants...
Feb 5
Print Design
I contributed a column to the November/December 2006 issue of Layers Magazine—The How-To Magazine for Everything Adobe. The magazine is published by Photoshop guru Scott Kelby's KW Media Group. A good publication run by folks who understand the art of teaching. Hope you'll check it out.
Layers...
Jan 31
Print Design
A good example of how to fit a lot of information in a small space. (Download the 3MB document to get the full effect.)
The Copper Colorado map...
Jan 15
Print Design
A wonderful, in-depth look at all aspects of the printing process.
International Paper Knowledge Center...
Dec 18
Print Design
The proverb says “Rivers need a spring.” As a designer, to get a vision for where I'm headed, it sometimes helps to be reminded of where the craft originated. To that end, I hope I am the first to introduce you to Octavo—an organization dedicated to creating digital facsimiles of the world’s rarest books and manuscripts. It was founded by John Warnock, a name you may recognize as one of the founders of Adobe Systems. Study a masterwork such as The Grammar of Ornament by Welsh architect and interior designer Owen Jones and you'll be wading the headwater.
www.octavo.com
Nov 6
Print Design
The Tech Talk section of The Sheridan Group's DigitalExpert site offers valuable information about, and tools for, preparing files of printing. It covers such topics as image resolution, file types and file formats, font handling, proofing, and so on.
DigitalExpert...
Oct 30
Print Design
To my eye this sleek, unusual logo for Alfa Laval (a multi-national engineering company) breaks new ground. It was designed by Landor Associates.
The Alfa Laval logo...
Sep 25
Print Design
From the “just in case you ever need it” category, here is a definitive resource for the creation of many types of public use signs.
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/ser-shs_millennium.htm
Aug 16
Print Design
Seen the new Weekend Edition of the WSJ? Here is the press kit describing the rollout.
http://www.dowjones.com/Pressroom/PressKits/weekendedition.htm
Prototype Front Pages (7MB PDF)
http://www.dowjones.com/DJCom/Uploads/WeekendFronts.pdf
Jul 19
Print Design
John McWade, the publisher and creative force behind Before & After Magazine, has an extraordinary talent for busting through the veneer of design and revealing the essential framework within. Here are some free examples:
How to design small calendars
http://www.bamagazine.com/du6ah3Land.asp
How to find the perfect color
http://www.bamagazine.com/6Hare6Land.asp
Design a $10 clock
http://www.bamagazine.com/q9S3acLand.asp
And a list of other issues you can purchase
http://www.bamagazine.com/
Jul 12
Print Design
A better bottle. Wow. You couldn't ask for more than to design a package that looks good, solves a problem better than its predecessors, and has the potential to have a positive impact on the world.
Taget's better bottle...
A better sign. ClearviewHwy is a highway signage typeface system ten years in the making. It was developed to increase the legibility and improve ease of recognition of road sign legends while reducing the effects of halation (overglow).
Cleaview...
An article about Clearview from the New York Times...
Jul 3
Print Design
I really like the complexity of these package designs—nice type treatments and illustrations. They really make me want to try the products.
Arrowhead Mills Cereals
http://www.arrowheadmills.com/images/products/w450/07433337492.jpg
Asbach Chocolates
http://www.gdh-trading.com/Asbach_pics/AS21510.jpg
August Schell Brewing
http://www.compassdesigninc.com/work/beverage/prodA3.htm
Jun 26
Print Design
Need some inspiration? The AIGA, THE professional association for communication design, offers the AIGA Design Archives: a record of its annual juried selections of design excellence and the work of designers it honors.
http://designarchives.aiga.org/
Jun 19
Print Design
Tony Spaeth, the expert behind identityworks.com, demonstrates how to use identity as a tool in marketing and managing. His clients are big brands such as Caterpillar, Dow Jones, J.P. Morgan, and Sony Corporation—but his thinking works at all levels.
http://www.identityworks.com/
Be sure to see his excellent flow chart on identity design...
http://www.identityworks.com/tools/CI process charts.gif
And his links to guidelines and standards manuals...
http://www.identityworks.com/tools/guidelines_and_standards_manuals.htm
May 31
Print Design
I like the boldness of the design here. Looks like something from the 60s...
http://www.vasava.es/content/portfolio/portfolio.php?id=17
May 17
Print 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.
May 1
Print 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
Apr 26
Print Design
The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists, future journalists, and teachers of journalists. I find their Web is a terrific resource for journalists AND designers.
The Graphics/Design section
http://www.poynter.org
The cover...
http://www.poynter.org
Mar 13
Print Design
The online version of a Smithsonian touring exhibition presenting “some of the great graphic images made in the United States over the past century.”
Start at the beginning...
Or skip right to the collections—American Events...
Designed to Sell...
Advice to Americans...
Patriotic Persuasion...
Mar 3
Print Design
If you've read much of my stuff, you know what I mean about “jolt thinking,” questioning the basic premise—the what, why, and how of doing something. There is, for example, no design law that says a brochure has to be a certain size and shape. To the contrary, breaking the mold can be the breakthrough that gets a prospect interested. To that end, consider designing your next brochure in the form of a “zcard.” If you're printing more than a few thousand, and your client isn't afraid to do something different, check out this intriguing, proprietary format:
The zcard...
My definition of “jolt thinking:”...
Feb 20
Print Design
Here's a handy reference site recommended by a reader. It includes, among other things, a guide to international paper sizes and inches/fractions to inches/decimal conversion tables.
http://home.inter.net/eds/paper/inchmetric.html
Feb 13
Print Design
Have you seen the collection of Word templates I designed for the printer manufacturer OKI? They are basic but incorporate some of my best thinking on the production of documents such as direct mail letters, simple newsletters, proposals, and so on:
http://my.okidata.com/PP-OKIPAGE14ex.nsf/InsideSolutions?OpenFrameSet
Feb 3
Print Design
If you think designing materials for a plumbing valves and fittings manufacturer holds any less potential than working on the Porsche account, take heart. These folks discover and demonstrate the compelling benefits of the products they represent and do it with high-energy and exquisite style.
The current HSR portfolio...
Jan 23
Print Design
I came across Fragile Design in OZ Graphix 2002—a showcase book of work from top Australian design studios. I particularly like the way they use photographic collages to illustrate their brochures. They spark some ideas I'll use in future projects.
http://www.fragiledesign.com.au/HTML/portfolio/brochures/brochures.html
Jan 18
Print Design
I've seen lots of online printing vendors but this is among the best—the instructions are comprehensive, the prices are right, the quality is decent, and the people are responsive. For example, I had 250 business cards printed in 4-color on 2 sides for under $60. If you try them I'd be interested in hearing about your experience.
http://www.psprint.comt
Jan 6
Print Design
Is a graphics standards manual overkill for a small organization? Seeing how a large corporation directs the usage of its logo, color palette, and typefaces clearly demonstrates the value of the process.
http://www.dow.com/about/corpid/dowstds.htm
Jan 4
Print Design
If you ever wonder why you don't get to work on any of the prime design projects, I have the answer—Hornall Anderson Design Works (HADW) has them all. Well maybe not all of them but you will see by their portfolio they do work for many of the world's most coveted clients—Adobe, Blue Nile, Ghirardelli, Nordstrom, Porsche, and Starbucks. Of course it could be the clients are interesting, in some small part, because of HADW.
http://www.hadw.com
Dec 30
Print Design
Magazines and newspapers are among my favorite sources of design inspiration. Garcia-Media has spearheaded several high-profile media makeovers in recent months—no less than The Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Examiner. Their Web features articles about each of these fascinating projects complete with the theory behind the designs and plenty of samples of transformed pages.
http://www.garcia-media.com/
Dec 23
Print Design
Reading about life from a designer's point of view is therapeutic—it's nice to know I'm not the only one who obsesses over the aesthetics of life. In his latest book, “My Wife and Times, ” Daniel Will-Harris, recounts the sometimes touching, often hilarious consequences of two designers living in one house and the ramifications of being a warm person in a cold world.
Start with a tour of his site...
Then check out the book...
Dec 19
Print Design
I think of IDEO as the Tiger Woods of industrial design firms—it redefines the game everyone thought they knew. Recently, they unleashed their brain trust on the concept of business cards. How might they be used and what might they look in years to come? |
The business card exercise:
http://www.ideo.com
If you're not familiar with IDEO to take a few minutes to see what a well-oiled innovation machine is capable of:
http://www.ideo.com
Dec 14
Print Design
Richard Saul Wurman is the original information architect. He has a genius for using illustrations and words to simplifying complex ideas and for making information accessible. If you have not already seen it, Understanding USA is one of his recent projects that is well worth a visit. You'll see that he enlisted the help of sponsors and notable designers such as Nigel Holmes, Clement Mok, and Kit Hinrichs to paint a portrait of America through the visual display of statistical data. Sound impossible?
Understanding USA...
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