Design news | Feb 03
Tony Lucas from !! Positive Advertising just told me that they have received a Silver UK Grand Prix Cream Awards for Website Design! Isn't that great news since they were displayed in the Outstanding Concept dir prior?
Feed your mind on afterchaos. Enjoy!
ala webstatt & chmork.net have merged their efforts... wow... if you are a fan of pixel work and great design you need to see what they've come up with! I just luv their work.
To a fantastic team: congrats!
Browser gadflies turn over a new leaf by Paul Festa
“The thing that became clear over the last two or three years is that the standards support is really very close to what we need,” said Steve Champeon, chief technology officer of Hesketh.com and a steering committee member of WaSP. “So it doesn't make much sense to yell at browser makers to finish the last 1 percent. What we're finding more and more is that the people we need to address are the developers.”
Though our design forte award usually goes to a designer or design firm, of all the books I have read recently, there is one that stands out and so, this time around our first DF of the year goes to Los Logos.
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This is a MUST desktop companion book for serious designers.
400+ pages of superb logos designed by some of your fav designers / design agencies and compiled by Büro Destruct. Is there more to say?
3,500 logos are available for study, marvel and awe. The best visual study of such topic by far.
Excerpt by Roland Müller
“How does logo design react to the sociological, cultural, economic and technological changes that define our time? This is an exciting question, as there is scarcely another expressive media tool better suited to measure the current climate than the trade mark.”
Collected themes, statistics and a comprehensive, well-structured index, LosLogos offers deep insights into a breadth of styles, as well as the techniques and theory behind contemporary logo design.
Divided into four major chapters
Logos
Lettering
Typograms
Combinations
::: die-gestalten ::: publisher
edited by R. Klanten, M. Mischler, N. Bourquin
Visit the site: LOSLOGOS.org
A talented photographer Juhana.Hurtig has a new face . Bellston Digital Pleasure for the Eye. I especially like the *people* section; I think he has a sense of style and drama that makes the pictures talk.
Food for the imagination, literally: fid inventive cuisine - check the *photography* section.
You've got to see this flash site Samsung FLAT Planel! Especially don't miss the *Be Stylish* area and go through all the categories, the storyboarding is breath taking!
Above is designed by BRAUNSTON from Korea! They do strikingly good looking projects.
Anti-spam company backflips over marketing by Patrick Gray
Day-bed History _ Part II -> view the timeline.
AltaVista sold at staggering $2bn loss by Liz Vaughan-Adams
A close-ups* interview with Christopher Schmitt who is an award-winning designer, Web builder, idea generator and founder of Heatvision. I have known him since the days of HighFive and Babble list - it is a treat to see one of the early movers... moving stronger than ever!
Microsoft to buy Connectix assets by Stephen Shankland and Ian Fried
“...Virtual PC for the Mac will continue to be sold and that Microsoft plans to continue developing the software, which has more than 1 million active users. A Microsoft executive said the company did not purchase the software to kill it...”
An intriguing graphic comparison was done: “What is with the current profusion of spiral logotypes of late?” on Slorp.critique.spirals.
This magazine had a giant world dominion ambition through their slogan: The Web Designer's Bible (sic). Their initial website had *in construction* areas for a long while... Which is a big no-no online.
When reviewing their first issue, blatantly pushing *software* endorsement with little web content, I recall thinking: there's a law in publishing, whereas the first issue must BE the most awesome - it's the make or break of a magazine...
Anyway the *design* signature was cool and promising... In their short existence, their print version, attracted some of the shiny brains, movers and artists... but the FutureNet Publishers owning a huge pond of magazines (and advertisers), forgot that content is KING! Now, why am I not surprised?
In fact this article puts the emphasis on something I've been writing and thinking about hard in the past couple of years:
“With no one shouting for you in the market place, you have no voice.” You can read this essay *Don't blame... Build!* that points to the same issues which are still forefront to my concerns about our industry.
Why Create had to close by Alex Tanner, edited by MikeButcher
Simon's got a brand new book (now out of print) and he's one of my fav photographer.
Ethography? Hanif Jan Mohammed, CD / interactive designer take on the topic. Worth reading.
Here are a few excerpts from Economy Is Tough All Over, but in New York, It's Horrid from the NYTimes (though aimed specifically towards NYC) - I concur these facts are applicable to wherever you are located and should be helpful in finetuning your business dev approach and direction.
“...People are more reluctant to make decisions, launch something, get something started” - Chan Suh, chief executive of Agency.com and refers to “having received huge beating to self-confidence and entrepreneurship...”
“...the economies have become more diverse and less reliant on a few big industries. Their new bases of small and medium-size businesses” - Mr. Goloven said.
“... Now, they are “working at home”...”
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ndlr: Here are my conclusions:
a) in a time of lowdown economics - is the best opportunity to out there and *shine* since the business landscape is pretty bare
b) stop dreaming about the landing the *big* accounts; in fact they account for about 10% of the businesses. go for the small and medium sizes ones who are thriving on the crumbs left behind by the giants.
c) cut your overhead with determination; working from home is a great solution; learn to be lean-lean-lean.
Bad card-ma! (btw it's cracker not hacker) Hacker accesses 2.2 million credit cards. Visa: No accounts have been used fraudulently by Fred Katayama
Just discovered a wealth of web resource on Chat Clussman :: Spiderweb from css to coldfusion to lasso to php and xml... ouf!
Have you heard of the Cuban Council? Check the new brainchild studio sporting a recognizable signature from the famouz guys.
Dan Benjamin's has got a new Hiveware out: Enkoder 2.0.3 a fab email address encryption that prevents spambots from harvesting email addresses on web sites.
Read Thomas Casander' editorial “design culture today... is enslaved in the retro-sphere” on his newly update site DesignTemple.dk. Him and I share the same take and perspective on what's cooking nowadays!
Rob Findlay excellent article on branding explains what it truly means in our convergent media, and how companies should go about it; a must read! Follows short excerpts.
“A brand is made up of all the ways a company executes its strategies and processes in a market place.
All facets of media and market exposure should be considered and detailed in a Brand Strategy Plan usually an offshoot of the marketing department, although increasingly an area of it's own specialisation.
A brand is a vital component of the modern business. It can almost be your best asset.”
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ndlr: To complement this article, read: Online the brand is *You*
What are Redchopstick™ for? Eye candy illustration? Yummy.
Site redirects to Umeric - same great design skills.
Original layout using a cut-out cube, good nav system: Noedesign.
Heard of the backward nav? Paul just launched Reflektions v.7. In my view, this is the best version so far, which he claims is “my personal reflection on the new media industry”. If you want to see some of his past work, check the archive.
Actionpixel is “a resource for both designers interested in promoting social change, and activist groups in need of graphic design.” —Jenny Eng
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via: Scene360
Read about mailing list conduct and online writing conventions in our new *netiquette* collaborative resource.
This is a long past-due recognition to Shirley Kayser who publishes Brainstorms and Raves an excellent resource on web design, development, typography, Web standards, css, usability, etc...
Google Buys Pyra: Blogging Goes Big-Time by Dan Gillmor
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ndlr: Famewhoring... this is way too bad that one of the greatest mass-publishing soft that was ruminated, coded by Evans et al, ends up in the hands of a big corp. Where were they when the company was fledging and in dire needs of funds? NOT that Pyra doesn't deserve financial retribution, they do! Wanna bet that this corporate takeover (another) within 6 months - blogger powered sites will be forced to use advertising banners to *pay* for the useage of service!!!
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Marshall Roch just supplied link to pyRads.com... seems like what I was predicting is already in the oven cooking...
Jason Perkins supplied link to: Meet Mr. Anti-Google by Farhad Manjoo. “A crusading webmaster says the popular search engine's page-ranking algorithm is undemocratic.”
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Joe Crawford provided these links:
Referers, new outbound links, link authoritiveness, etc
More thoughts: Google buy Pyra 2 from interconnected.org
Lots of Links on Blogosphere and Google Buying Pyra and Blogger
Talk Isn't Cheap. How to communicate your way to success by Cynthia Hanson. “Here are 13 communication blunders that could tarnish your reputation.”
A topic we all must learn to do well.
An example of pictures saying 1,000 words! Applied to an architectural firm? Why not? Smart presentation > l y n x - a r c h i t e c t u r e.
Gates Taking 'Pervasive' Linux Seriously by Peter Galli
“As a result, there are things that the free model is never going to do well, whether it is testing or support or innovations where a risk has to be taken across all the boundaries of the different modules...
... the popularization of the open-source movement continues to pose a significant challenge to its business model. This threat includes recent efforts by proponents of the open source model to convince governments worldwide to mandate the use of open source software in their purchase and deployment of software products.
To the extent the open source model gains increasing market acceptance, sales of the company's products may decline, the company may have to reduce the prices it charges for its products, and revenues and operating margins may consequently decline, it said.”
For people who make websites:
Here is the link to A List Apart: past issues on CSS.
Some have it some don't. To see how to handlr flash loading sequences and produce an enticing experience check _metro producciones_
Have a look at (ge)imagination at work interactive experiment!
Vector designs with splendid control on layout: Demo Design.
For the longest time - I've been predicting the longevity of what we publish online will remain traceable and sometimes down the road there might be stuff - we wish we haven't said. I encourage you to be careful. Think about potential employers! Think of what your kids or grand children will find out about you when they google you! Though there is a vast movement towards free self-expression - expressing without responsibility does have consequences.
A Nation of Voyeurs by Neil Swidey
“How the Internet search engine Google is changing what we can find out about one another - and raising questions about whether we should.
...It has helped make our past - or oddly refracted shards of it - present and permanent...”
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via: Chris Kaminski
vectorstains_officeoftrade has similar taste and great illustration skills.
Opera 7 for Windows Final! Support a standard compliant browser.
Read a review and see how Opera 7 is living up to expectations by Kevin W.
This is a smart pitch form Bradbury Design with a minimalist presentation of case studies and services.
A while ago *naming useage* was published and the link was updated: Courtesy titles and webform design recommendations.
Also we recommend two more articles:
How to have a memorable login sequence
Long user hostile country drop lists
by Craig Cockburn
Excellence all around for Skogen Group: impeccable copy, good mix of visuals, top-notch portfolio and smart useage of flash in graphic/content transitions.
Top photographers' site Sharpe + Associates was redesigned!
Now you've gotta see this: Media Inspiration relaunched site! What a great improvement with easy flow for the navigation and lots of new functionalities. Congrats to Phil and team.
How to keep it simple and OK (a) DIALOGUE between potential clients?
In view of my recent goof in ref with a virus alert hoax, Kristen sent me this: Urban Legends Reference: or how to verify if an alert is a virus hoax or legitimate.
Mix photocollage + illustration = William Rieser.
A new interactive navigational system for Frontmedia! Will it be tea or coffee? Designing for web | print | life, launches their new site. really like the questions asked which finetune why and what the agency can do for its clients.
Well done David!
Unique way of presenting an architect's project: || carola vannini ||
Do you know Famihiko Maki? He is an icon architect with an impressive list of projects: very futuristics and urbanite.
A calm and soothing environment with a cool design: Sky-Spread.
Please update your bookmarks.
Design toolbox new Usability/Color category:
How do things look to colorblind people? (tutorial on color theory)
Maths anybody? 50+cinquante = talent!
Simone and Martin put on a beautiful photography portfolio. The emotions, the settings, the colors... all capture a special moment. Getting married anybody?
I have always been a big fan of retro design, in the days where advertising was done with illustrations and hard earned skills. Retrolounge just launched a compendium of links to such; one of my fav is EphemeraNow.
Smart fast flash cool clothing site ||| en/in |||
Another worth reading interview with Christoper Schmitt answering questions like: "What should come first: the chicken—information and graphic design—or the egg—functionality? Or should there even be a “first” on the Web?"
Remember of playing with legos before becoming a pro techno geek? Love the new site of CelisBernardo.
Intriguing navigation and outstanding porfolio for interior/stage/window designers Giò Forma. These people know their stuff.
Get the latest facts on .org domain extension, which kind of sites fall under the category by reading this article: ICANN Moves .org Away from VeriSign by Adrian Roselli
While in LA, I attended the MadMixer event for the 2nd official gathering of this regional design community social event. Was working mostly the crowd outside... and met nice people out there: from photographers, to fashion designers, to video design/post prod to web, industrial and graphic designers... and quick f2f (after years of virtuality) with M + T as well as TB. There's definitely a thirst for networking events since a lot of people never made it inside.
Earlier, Jason and I briefly attended a cool concept art show revolving around *brands* whereas I kept opening a bottle of a new pop drink that tasted like the green flavor of lifesaver candies; hats off to Grace et al. Here are some of the pix I shot.
-> nice smile + set_up
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-> Jason_the bright guy
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-> crowd close to green_drink
