Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Packaging at Coolhunter

The Coolhunter highlights some of their favorite packaging designs—an interesting list, one that features several items previously seen on this blog and that touches on the intriguing idea of "retail anthropology". They're calling for more inspiration, if you'd like to submit your votes.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Danish Poet

The Danish Poet, the work of animator Torill Kove, took home the Oscar for Best Animated Short on Sunday night. The National Film Board of Canada's site has more about the film and excerpts available to view. [via Drawn!]

BoDo: Business of Design online

BoDo is a newly launched resource for design business information. Articles, ongoing series and discussions will address starting your own design business (online or off), marketing, dealing with clients, working with vendors and other creatives, and more. The BoDo team (which includes Cat Morley from Designers Who Blog) are already full speed ahead with the new site.

The Decemberists Online/Chris Turnham

I enjoyed the illustrations on the website of the Decemberists earlier today—and their artwork section, in which fans are encouraged to submit their own pieces, led me back to the site of illustrator Chris Turnham. I've been a fan of Turnham's for a while—don't miss Constantinople. [thanks to Yuthi for the Decemberists link]

Russian Button Animation

Anastasia Zhuravljova's charming animation Ostorozhno Dveri Otkryvajutsja (or "Caution, Doors Open") is five minutes of life in urban buttondom. My favorite was the subway made of zippers. More info is available on this Russian page. [via My Little Mochi]

Monday, February 26, 2007

What Noise???

What Noise??? is a public service site from Singapore created to benefit children with hearing problems. Simulating the daily experience of the hearing impaired, the site's simple design communicates its message in ways that are enlightening and fun. [via Coudal Partners]

Paper Airplanes

Veer highlights two sites that provide instructions on how to fold paper airplanes. I was once at a party where a spontaneous paper airplane design contest occurred—we designers like to fold, but throw some engineers and a physicist into the mix and things really go crazy!

Keep Calm: New Colors

The Keep Calm and Carry On posters mentioned recently are back in stock with new colors. Get 'em while they're hot! [thanks Lucas]

The Machine is Us/ing Us

Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, has made an interesting short exploration of "Web 2.0". I am not posting this for his technical explanation of the way things work online (web designers are railing against his oversimplified presentation of XML vs. HTML), or because I really support the term "Web 2.0". I'm posting it because, regardless of technical specifics and terminology, his basic points advocate some valuable ways for people to think about the internet. The separation of content and structure, easy connection, accessible technology, the web as a place for linking people and exchanging info, rethinking certain key elements for the future... these are all good things. If this video encourages people to be less intimidated by the web, then great.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Chip Kidd Lecture Online

If you missed Chip Kidd on the promotional circuit last year, TYPO Berlin has his lecture online (many New Yorkers saw this at the Cooper Union in January of 2006). It's an interesting lecture, full of awkward wit, creative frustration, geeky enthusiasm, and problematic design challenges (which are not always successfully resolved—a good lesson in client communication). Give yourself time to sit through it. The German audience does eventually warm up and start laughing at Kidd's jokes. [via Quipsologies]

Helvetica Film Hits NYC

Screening dates for the Helvetica documentary have been announced—here in New York, the film will show on April 6th at the New School. A Q&A session will feature filmmaker Gary Hustwit and several designers, including Massimo Vignelli and Tobias Frere-Jones.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Typographic Interpretation of Pulp Fiction Scene

A little bit of brilliance—a key scene from Pulp Fiction, done competely with type. Warning: the audio features Samuel L. Jackson in all his profane splendor, so probably best not to crank this at the office. [via Quipsologies]

Logo Design History

Corsicanu46 from our Ma.gnolia group found this online glossary of logo designs, complete with the occasional designer bio (Saul Bass, Paul Rand, etc.). It's an interesting database of info that is something of an incomplete resource—for example, the siren vs. mermaid issue is completely ignored in the Starbucks logo entry, and the UPS item only shows FutureBrand's recent redesign of Paul Rand's iconic logo. But with a little fleshing out, this is potentially a nice reference site.

Business Resources for Independent Designers

Design*sponge has posted pdf summaries of the business tips and resources given at the recent Biz Ladies meet up, a regular gathering of female independent designers. The pdfs deal with marketing/pricing, wholesaling/manufacturing, public relations and legal issues, and are an excellent resource for any designer, regardless of gender. View the pdf list or learn more about the event itself.

101 Ways to Beat "Drawer's Block"

The Dani Draws blog has a great list of 101 projects for artists and illustrators to use against creative blocks (note: you'll have to scroll past the Google ads). The list includes practical projects, fun ideas, links to online illustration communities and more. [via BoingBoing]

Another Bloomin' Designer

To stand apart from the pack, designer and illustrator Jamie Wieck created a growing business card that literally comes to life, sprouting alfalfa or cress. [via Doane Paper]

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Design*sponge Letterpress Guide

Design*sponge has put together a wonderful letterpress guide, a directory of studios searchable by the following categories: city, state, custom work, pre-made work and e-commerce. What a great resource!

Design:related

New creative/social networking site design:related is free to use and has a nice sleek interface. The site has been created to "motivate designers to share ideas, inspire, and be inspired." Check it out. [via JS]

More Logo Trends

LogoLounge takes a look at logo trends of 2006, including overlays, scribbles, orbs, splats, glows, blenders, blankets and buttons. [via Brian Delicata]

Erik Nitsche

The ever-impeccable BibliOdyssey features Swiss-born American graphic designer Erik Nitsche (1908-1998), a founding modernist who worked successfully in advertising and print throughout the later half of the 20th century and was inducted into the New York Art Director’s Club Hall of Fame not long before his death. Nitsche is not widely known and PK's findings serve as an excellent intro into a creative mind worthy of a closer look.

Design Meltdown Job Board

Design Meltdown has started a Job Board. "I think that small job boards with a really tight focus are the wave of the future," says site founder Patrick McNeil. The board is divided into freelance and full time sections, and will hopefully expand into a good resource.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

PRINT Regional Design Annual Call for Entries

PRINT is now accepting entries for the 2007 Regional Design Annual, which will hit shelves in November/December. Remember, PRINT recently released a showcase of ten years' worth of selected Regional Design Annual winners (previously featured here)—a great resource whether you're considering entry or just want to get a look at things.

Online Ad Agencies Face Shortage of Workers

Looking for a new job opportunity? According to this NPR item, online ad agencies are hiring qualified candidates like gangbusters. Apparently many people involved in digital advertising fled after the dot.com boom deflated, leaving a gap in the industry that is now waiting to be filled by a new crew savvy to emerging media and, in ways, more professionally adaptable than the previous generation of employees. Worth a listen. [thanks to Owen for the link]

Paper Quilt Project

A growing collaborative creative exercise, the Paper Quilt Project dispatches packets of paper to artists and then sews their patches into a different paper quilt each month. [via Drawn!]

Monday, February 19, 2007

Kate Spade: Things We Love

I stumbled across the Things We Love area of Kate Spade's website while researching a project, and have been treasure hunting within its abundance of links ever since (note: the area is only accessible from the menu of the Behind the Curtain main page). Featured items range from bands to designers to products to edibles, and include finds like these Pantone pens.

CommArts Call for Entries

It's that time of year again—time for the Communication Arts Competitions, which qualify as some of the largest and most visible juried competitions around. The call for entries has been issued: the illustration and photography competitions have a looming deadline of March 13th, but you've got until June to prepare submissions for the advertising and design categories.

Creative Hiatus and Community

I found this recent article very interesting—the topic is film and talented new filmmakers who have taken long hiatuses, but much about the article could be applied to design; isolated creative minds, a lone community thriving between competing friends, the advantages and disadvantages of critique, rivalry and high profile projects. Meanwhile, Mark Romanek is still idle? Sigh...

Thursday, February 15, 2007

GDBar will return next week...

I thought posting while traveling this week would be no problem, but I'm finding myself with a spotty internet connection and an acute case of sensory overload. Regular postings will resume next week. Meanwhile, have a look around London's National Portrait Gallery, where I spent a fascinating afternoon exploring rooms full of portraits ranging from historic paintings to contemporary photographs.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Moleskine City Experience

I'm currently in London, discovering all sorts of things that I've missed out on seeing, like the Moleskine City Experience, which ran last October. Seventy Moleskine notebooks by international artists, designers, architects, illustrators, and writers were displayed in four exhibitions around the city. "Looking at other people’s notebooks is a very satisfying and intimate experience," which can thankfully still be yours online.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Roman Kachanov Animation

Fun for Friday: World of Kane spotlights the late stop-motion animator Roman Kachanov, who apparently is finding new cult status in Japan! Don't miss Mitten (1967). Another short called Cheburashka and a Kachanov overview are also available.

Photo Backgrounds and Simulated Print

Design Meltdown has two interesting recent features up. First, websites that use photographic backgrounds were showcased—some are surprising. Second, an entire gallery of sites that imitate print online (in varying ways).

Alvin Lustig Prints

Limited-edition Alvin Lustig poster prints are being snapped up online by a hungry public. Lustig was an iconic book designer and considered a pioneer for bringing the principles of modern art into graphic design. [via Subtraction]

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Keep Calm and Carry On

Lucas Lepola's "Keep Calm and Carry On" silkscreened prints are colorful new versions of a message that was used on posters during the Second World War. "The sentiment remains the same, and still feels a bit comforting during today's uncertain times." [via Cool Hunting]

UPDATE: SOLD OUT! Sign up on the Keep Calm site to be notified when more are available...

Fighting Off Design Stagnation

Jason Santa Maria has republished an article he wrote in 2005 called Fighting Off Design Stagnation. Though he reiterates points that seem to be made with some regularity in various corners of the design community (another article telling us all to sketch), we can all stand to hear these again and again—hopefully something will sink in at some point (start sketching already!). Meanwhile, JSM is personable as always and there are some interesting items in the comments.

FontShop February Calendar

FontShop apparently had no intention of continuing their free monthly calendar feature into the new year... but popular demand has changed their minds. The 2007 calendar has come to life, starting with February. As in past years, each month will feature a different typeface, but this time around they will have the type designer also create the calendar design for their typeface's month. February's spotlight is MVB Sirenne, designed by Alan Greene.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Clorets Bad Breath Ads

Disgusting but effective. AdGoodness features ads for Clorets gum.

Frank Lloyd Wright Interview on PBS

Ah, good ole Frank Lloyd Wright. Gridskipper features a recently re-released Mike Wallace interview of FLW that is up in segments on the PBS website. Clip topics range from Marilyn Monroe as architecture to dismissal of critcism and intellectuals. Wright also makes a case for why calling himself the World’s Greatest Architect really isn't arrogant in the least.

Coke M5

Have these Coke M5 bottles come and gone? Last year at this time, it was announced that five creative agencies from around the world had come together to design separate bottles printed with designs in ultraviolet ink for Club Coca-Cola. Did anyone see these? Apparently I don't spend enough time peering into the drinks case at the deli...
[via DZINE, thanks to Rajesh for the link]

Helvetica Film World Premiere at SXSW

At last! Gary Hustwit's Helvetica documentary will premiere March 13th at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Screenings at museums, colleges, and design conferences will follow—keep an eye on the screening schedule for updates and announcements. Meanwhile, there are two more limited-edition art prints for the film, this time done by David Carson. Visit the doc's online shop for details.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Handdrawn Posters

This 3 minute video (complete with dramatic soundtrack) shows 80 of 500 handdrawn type posters promoting students final projects at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Nice variety of styles, textures, personalities. [via kottke]

Helvetica and Beyond

While we all go crazy waiting for the film to finally come out (when, already??), FontShop provides an interesting list of Helvetica and alternatives to Helvetica. Meanwhile, Subtraction's Khoi Vinh has gotten a taste of the Helvetica film...

Monday, February 05, 2007

Pantone Shuffle

Pantone predicts fashion's top 10 colors for fall 2007, which immediately seem like subdued, wearable versions of Apple's iPod palette, most recently unveiled on the new color iPod shuffles. It should also be noted that all of these colors are represented on Miles Burke's Web 2.0 color palette... all things are connected.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Sanna Annukka for Cravendale

Unfortunately, Cravendale has requested that Sanna Annukka not exhibit these images, so the fabulous dairy packaging that few were lucky enough to see has been removed (hopefully temporarily). Meanwhile, you can view Sanna's artwork for Keane or visit her website. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Brand New looks at the Abacus

Brand New takes a look at the redesign of the Abacus company logo, musing on using the literal in logo design and examining other identity marks that involve the abacus.

Africa Comics

The first-ever exhibition of comic art from Africa is on now at the Studio Museum in Harlem—"an unprecedented opportunity to explore the work of a group of underappreciated artists from more than a dozen African nations." Using a medium most Americans still associate with superheroes and juvenility, these artists are using comics to depict the rage, desperation, hope and humor of daily life in modern Africa. Through March 18th. [via the Village Voice]

Thursday, February 01, 2007

PDF Mags

What an excellent idea: pdf-mags.com is a virtual magazine rack for various pdf publications from around the world. There are lots of unknown goodies and many art, design and illustration titles, with more surely on the way as the word spreads. A great consolidated resource that just might finally create a coherent market for the world of the pdf magazine. [via Coudal Partners]

Great Buildings

37signals wants to know your favorite building. They list their picks, and have opened up the comments for a diverse array of architectural recommendations.

Yell

The design word for February over at Speak up is Yell.

Julia Rothman Patterns, Also

Illustrator Julia Rothman has some wonderful patterns in her portfolio. Beautiful and unusual, all outlines and objects... I confess to a high-level nostalgia response—these resemble the illustrations in a set of children's Agatha Christie novels that held a place of honor on my bookshelf throughout the late 70s and early 80s (all slightly crooked lines, solid fills, arsenic bottles, etc.). Meanwhile, Rothman is part of the trio that runs the design/animation/illustration company Also, who have one of my favorite websites. [via design*sponge]