Design and digital culture NEWS // September 2006
This
is a fantastic project! Flash website for the promotion of a downtown
mall, right here in Montreal! Love District is a must see!
If you're a native, you will recognize the environment easily. You may
or not know that we're famous for what is called the underground city,
which is a network of subway stations, business towers and malls all
linked together and accessible by walking from one point to the other.
It covers over 15 km!
During the winter time when it's damp and freezing, it's a big plus
and fav hang-out for us city dwellers!
The Love District is themed with different shapes of hearts who lead
each to a different section. Emotionally and visually based, you make
your choice. Suggest you visit all.
But what I find absolutely distinctive and jaw-dropping beautiful, is
the photography work!
Taken in what seems a most relax mode, on location, signage serve as
urban backdrops. Fascinating, the interactions between the models, both
group and solo shots are charged with captured emotions and fun.
Did I mention the impeccable visual treatment! Luv it!!!
RevolverLover
are very excited to announce that ANTI is BORN. Pum! Pum! Pum!
Free to download the ISSUE
1: BORN.
Don't
be deterred by the minimalist information tree like navigation, Waskman are
totally experts in immersive spatial interactive designs, animation and
events.
Gotta luv their logo. See for yourself!
Graham
Hutchings own Sinelab is his repose
for 3D like illustrations and photography. Talent!
A
promising artist and illustrator, meet Gosia 
our
new powagirrrl, who is already a multiple awards winner (Applied Arts
magazine annual competition for 3 consecutive years)!!!
Her strokes are like lines dancing on transparent fluid. Moody, poetic
and yet strong social statements are present in most works. I like the
depth of thought expressed. She is a sensitive soul with a lot churning
in her mind.
Definitely someones to watch.
What
do you do in 25 secs? 25 shots!
Experimentation with a webcam and using it to do your personal stop-motion
sequence. Website built by a just graduated students showing off lots
of interactive features!
Luv it!
Get
ready for some serious mischief!
The not so common site and adventures of Bob
(Delbecque) the company court jester, corporate speaker and showman.
With his sharp sense of humour, one hour with Bob is an unforgettable
experience, an indelible blend of philosophy, insight and wit.
Although
I think the website of UAU is a bit
bland and somewhat passé in view of the chosen visual interface
treatment, the projects on the other hand, are of such high quality (thumbnails
are really small perhaps a way of protecting your intellectual capital?),
visiting wiill be worth your while.
If you're into architecture and industrial design, this is a must see!
Can
you tell? Joshua Darden is
into fonts creation and design!
Launch
of a recent project by a bunch of t-shirt-addicted designers and illustrators
from Berlin/Barcelona/Frankfurt. What you'll find? Spotted design shirts,
streetwear and urban artwork.
Just Selekkt and you're good to
go!
What's
good? An art and creativity festival that took place in Hong Kong
in 2005. I really like the photomontage that highlights the event!
The theme was: “Question of creation, of perception, of sensitivity,
of conscience, of meaning and of taste.”
Hope there will be an encore!
Guess
who's pushing the envelope nowadays? More and more architectural firms
are not shy of exploring and
using completely unexpected navigational systems for their websites. Pure
Architecture is no exception.
Excellent compilation of project renderings.
_ _ _ _ _ _
ndle1:
Website was produced by Reseen a rising
flash design agency.
He's
a plane! He's a train! He's a??? Superman
Returns: Interview with Mark Stetson by Jean-Eric Heneault.
“CGC: Is it possible, even for someone with your experience and
background, to be intimidated by a project of this scope at first?
Mark: Actually, no. I was REALLY happy to be working on Superman Returns. Intimidated is
not an adjective that I would choose.
More like job-of-my-dreams excited!”
Radical
Media chose
a 3D animated puppet show to promote their full service production
powerhouse with offices spanning all over the globe.
Scott (Grammy winner) and Jen are the founders and spearheading
an indie approach to film and video productions.
You've gotta see this!
_ _ _ _ _ _
ndle1:
Designed by talented Anna Kardaleva
Send
me to Paper Cloud a
recently started design company specializing in handmade paper goods.
Don't we always need writing pads?
Luv the flying little piggy!
Flash
visual extravaganza is what adsmart is
made out of. As Dimitris states: design with love! Design is fun! Enjoy
design!
Refeshing, amusing, whimsical... luv it!
One
of my fav print magazine that specializes in sustainable, green and environmental
housing design and issues, DWELL has
relaunched its website.
Founded by Lara Hedberg Deam and publisher Michela O'Connor Abrams who
used to be President of Imagine Media which flagship mag was Business
2.0. Interestingly top management staff consists of women mainly!
Hats off to the Powagirrrls!
Surprised
by the graphics that were out of the browser window with no scrolling
bar... not exactly the easiest navigation system but on the other hand
- it did picked my curiosity. So point made! Look for the green left
right arrows!
From the designers of Frame magazine, Koehorst
in 't Veld explores new ways of showing their work.
From Netherlands with luv.
The
Future Proof Man. Syd
Mead on camera...
Syd Mead talks about his career as an artist and shares insights of
his life with Jean-Eric Hénault at his beautiful house in Pasadena,
CA.
Big thanks to Roger Servick (Oblagon) and Syd Mead himself for making
this interview possible.
Syd Mead will be speaking at //ADAPT
2006 held in Montreal September 23-24th.
This
is a nice and simple portfolio site for a student presently doing a master
degree at the Interactive Institute in Stockholm and Domus Academy in
Milan.
_rithwithfireworks has
made spacious room for his thumbnails and he definitely is someone to
watch for. Have a look at his One Tune Tree, a new visual language
to organize your favorite music.
Wow! What an imaginative concept!
Refreshment
served! Ideas!
A closer look at creativity!
“One of the most daunting task for a designer is to generate ideas.
Sometimes this task is considered a minor undertaking for unknowing people.
Why so? Because the results may look convincingly simple. Deceitfully
simple. Nada. This is not the case as you may well know.
So how do we in fact become proficient idea generators? First, ideas
= creativity. The root of creativity stems from the word creation which
is to create from nothing. Nice theoretical assumption. Now what is the
practical side?”
Google
Warns Against Using Its Name as Verb by J. Angelo Racoma
“Use google with caution. The use of the
term as a verb has apparently irked Google. This is particularly with
regard to using "google" as a generic term for searching even
on other engines and portals.”
Welcome
to the world of Robonut! All fluffy
and pink! Gorgeous site and tons of cute illustrations, mostly character
development.
Bubble is
looking urgently for a fulltime (freelance) programmer for an amibitious
Web 2.0 project and ability to work in Antwerp (BE).
Skills required very good knowledge of PHP, CSS, AJAX, MySQL, XHTML,
Web Standards (Flash knowledge is not a must, knowledge of LINUX server
is a strong plus).
Perfect you? Contact Peter Dekens asap!
The
evolving role of AIGA, the professional association for design by
Ric Grefe, Executive Director of AIGA
After nearly a century representing a mainly print-focused,
US-based group of designers, AIGA has spent the past several years revising
its strategy to serve an increasingly diverse membership. This is represented
in AIGA's new mission statement: to advance designing as a professional
craft, a strategic tool and a global cultural force.
Presenting
the illustration and animation portfolio of prolific Steve
Scott!
He's
looking for old Michael C. Place artworks, especially pieces from the
2004 Magma Manchester Exhibition.
Please take a look at his collection and contact Xavier
Encinas if you have some pieces for sale.
Qube
Konstrukt is all about imaginative communication solutions for
print, motion and web.
Top
design capabilities at Bocca Latte!
Mostly print collaterals!
From Australia with luv!
Completely
far out concept! 3 Deep Design immersive
interface uses a tiled prism of a single visual as background!
Check the left thumbnail which has this picture tiled!
Originality!
Justin
Ridler photography is mesmerizing, evocative and emotionally charged!
His talent for composition is exceptional.
1st
Ave Machine is a CG VFX / animation boutique and production company!
Check the 3D renderings in their selected anime movies!
Mostly inspired and located within an organic environment, some of the
flora has become anima. Not forgetting this footballer that deassembles
between shoots or how about becoming an automated music station and the
cutest, the small round fast moving bots who are really... transformers.
You've gotta see this!
How
Japanese style Illustration works? by Uleshka
“In 2002 Gez Fry decided,
that he wants to make a living out of Japanese style illustration - without
being experienced in drawing. Locking himself up in his bedroom in London
he studied big masters like Masamune Shirow and developed enough skill
and an astonishing portfolio to jump into the big market - within only
2 years.
Here are some of his comments about how he draws, develops characters
and why the Japanese Manga market is so tough.”
_ _ _ _ _ _
ndle1:
via PingMag - The Tokyo-based magazine
about Design and Making Things.
The
Logistics of Distance: An Interview with Kazys Varnelis
“In July 2006, Columbia University announced that Kazys Varnelis
would both found and direct a new Network Architecture Lab – or
NetLab, an experimental unit that embraces the studio and the seminar
as venues for architectural analysis and speculation, exploring new forms
of research through architecture, text, new media design, film production
and environment design.
Specifically, the Network Architecture Lab investigates the impact of
computation and communications on architecture and urbanism. What opportunities
do programming, telematics, and new media offer architecture? How does
the network city affect the building?”
_ _ _ _ _ _
ndle1:
via BLDGBLOG, architectural
conjoncture - urban speculation and landscape futures
Designer
of our time by Anne Watson
An interview with Karim Rashid
“I don't believe in r+r. I believe in using the mind always, exercising
it. I exercise the body six days a week, and the soul. With perfect balance
and harmony you automatically have r+r always and a stress-free existence.”
_ _ _ _ _ _
ndle1:
via DHUB
Look
what I've found! A pure interactive experimental jewel called Inspiration
Scene intended to demonstrate the power of Flash 8. Better tie yourself
to your chair, some scenes are simply mind blowing. If that's a peek
into what the future of interactivity holds, it's going to be great fun!
The composite 3D serves as initial teaser! View them all, they're worth
it!
Head out and see for yourself!
If
you luv print as I do, check out Rumbero Design portfolio! Trendy urban
feel and bold colors.
Sugar
Cube is searching for a Creative Designer good in Flash motion
and 3D design.
Baby
C'mon is a video montage and the scenario spins very good ideas
and a fast paced storyboarding concept. Twist and turns all along with
sometimes really quirky and unexpected edits.
Must see!
cmd9 has
got two different interfaces to pick from. Explorative navigation at
best!
Distinctive
Opportunities by Omar Vulpinari
“The design profession and its educational needs
have changed. Today's information society is dominated by speed and diversity.
Production has moved from material to post-material goods like ideas,
images, services, experiences and relationships. A society where globalized
economy, information technology and communication democracy have dramatically
multiplied need and possibility.”
Got
any clients that want to create and send their own email newsletters?
You've got to check out MailBuild.
OH!
What a great concept for Paul Blow illustration
portfolio site. One of the most important initial decision when building
a portfolio site, is to decide how to present yourself.
What works best is using firstly your own work to design the interface
container. Easier to then play off projects within these parameters.
Original, ingenious and absolutely brilliant!
{Netdiver
call for submissions}: A special invitation for students and aspiring
2D-3D designers was launched to submit artworks to get a chance to
be seen by some of the top Hollywood studios who will be attending
//ADAPT in Montreal, September 23-24.
Meet the winner,
finalists and runners up!
The
Ebeling Group specializes in video animation and are really good
at what they do.
Mind
blowing 3D illustrations! You've gotta see the work of Richard Minhle.
Actually some of his renderings are sooo real, it's almost indistinguishable
from a photography.
There are a couple of tutorials available too. Amazing!
From Australia with luv!
Time
for refreshments. The submit form is
on hiatus. Do you know that EACH project is visited from top to bottom
and only a tiny fraction will appear on the What's new?
In all fairness, writing reviews, producing accompanying snapshots and
maintaining the overall site content, takes time, and now, my inbox is
in overflow.
Also, here is a reminder of what
I'm really looking for.
Andy
Martin wide variety of vector and mix media illustrations are fun,
simple and efficient. I like the simple website with great nav system
and use of netgative space.
Excellent!
-> more
news
^
