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...
The Ten-Minute Manager's Guide to Menu Design from R&I...
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...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...
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...
A restaurant...
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...
