Design news | May 07
What a treasure! If you are considering a career in editorial design... or even cherish the dream of publishing one day, you're very own magazine, this book is loaded with examples and a must have.
I gulped it down and found so many relevant insights about the creative processes involved around publishing. Mostly covering the indie scene, which makes it infinitely more attractive to me, I was overjoyed that it contained so much disclosed information about the behind the scenes and the vision of their founders.
Learning about the editorial guidelines, limited edition or large scale circulation, the why(s) of their particular art direction, the search for collaborators, budgets, funkying up the production to deliver and keep a high level of uniqueness are invaluable knowledge.
Mag-Art one of the best book I've read so far this year!
And we're back!!! Flashware directory reopens!
Fresh takes on rich media, motion design (most) using flash as well as experimental websites containing explorative code pushing the limits of interface design and user interaction.
Dating back or new, dazzling!
UNStudio is an international architectural practice, situated in Amsterdam since 1988, with extensive experience in the fields of urbanism, infrastructure, and public, private and utility buildings on different scale levels.
Check out the little quotes available when a color dot appear on a page. Nice way to pique curiosity and pass on some of your philosophical bites.
New font resources! For more visit the Design Toolbox!
/ Blue Vinyl when you buy one and get a free license for all free to download fonts to use in your (commercial) work!
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/ Font Lover is all about type news!
Past, Present and Future... Creating for the Web
“There have been many discussions about Form vs. Function on online forums and live speaker events, and old as this topic is, it never seems to settle down because opinions will diverge most of the time from a technical minded person to a visual one.”
Read what a panel of eight (Eric Jordan, Jakob Nielsen, Lynda Weinman, Nick Finck, Todd Purgason, Sodaplay, WeWorkForThem and Matt Mullenweg, four developers and four designers think of what the hype is about.
Were I to vote for the most minimalistic portfolio I've seen, and by that I don't mean smallish almost non-legible usage of screen fonts, or very-very smallish non-wowing thumbnails where I'm suppose to figure out the brilliant talent hidden in them.
Hats off to Julie Bayard not only does she beautiful graphic design but having had the wits to make her portfolio website cater to its audience: showing her skills to potential clients!
B_CUBE is another architect studio based in France with a stunning flash web site. Appreciation for how the the listed projects zoom out to show bigger visuals. The sense of user interactivity is high. Check the team area and mouse over the pixelized pictures. Heads are turning towards you, invite user to click.
Testament as too how architects are possibly the most progressive in using the web to their advantage.
We need to convey this high web value to clients of other industries and markets who seemed to be stuck in pre-98 years still counting on their high-school nephew to design their company website instead of hiring a professional.
When pitching be ready with excellent arguments to do so.
Tale of How is a surrealistic animation where technical prowness and illustrative skills are displayed. The music track is less desirable... and feels out of place in regards with what you see.
Visit the Reel *Shorts directory for more shorts, adverts movies.
Juicy fruity and a whole lots more! Think outside the box online advert is another ramping up award winning project. View the whole introduction and then pick either choices you see in the second thumbnail and... enjoy some more.
Another demonstration of the power of flash! Man do I luv the expanding possibilities afforded dreamers, thinkers and designers!
Now go back to your on-going project and create something!
Some of the reasons I don't use Google ads and why publishers must get a bigger piece of the cake and why Yahoo should pick up their act are well explained by Sramana Mitra. She is an entrepreneur and a strategy consultant in Silicon Valley since 1994 and has Masters degree in EECS from MIT and a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Economics from Smith College.
Pimping her credentials so you have faith enough to heed her wry and dry sometimes opinions and because the business side (of design) is all too important to overlook..
Talking about the business side, what about the freelancers? Well a group of them have discussed some of the issues.
CSS2.2? by Andy Budd
“.. that same year, Bert Bos and Hakon Lie postulated that CSS3 would arrive sometime in late 1999.. (sic) Over 7 years later, and we’re still waiting. This begs the question, what went wrong?”
Magazines vs. The Web: End of an Era by Josh Norem
“There was once a heyday in which print magazines flew off the shelves when a new piece of hardware was released. These days, readers flock to their favorite website, and instead gauging public interest in terms of the number of issues sold, we measure it in page views.”
The Future of Magazines Has Never Looked Better by Paul Cloutier
“Josh Norem, a former editor of Maximum PC, says that the web is going to make magazines extinct because they can't compete with the timeliness, the infinite amount of space, and the cost structure of the web.
This should be of concern to us, after all we are a new publishing company that is betting on the future of the printed magazine. Well, we pretty much agree with his points. But rather than seeing this as the demise of magazines, we see this as an opportunity to embrace the web and make magazines better.”
Julius Popp is the astonishing brain behind Bit.Fall. And what is it exactly??? Well it seems to be part scientific exploration and part artistic exploration in order to generate some clues into what is life and society about...
Big questions, very partially unveiled and answered. You've gotta see, hear, read how he goes about it and how he came up with it!
The profession that dare not speak its name by Jeffrey Zeldman
“If web design makes the new information age possible—if it creates new markets and new products, generates significant global cash flow, changes the way companies and non-profits interact with the public, and employs untold legions of specialists—why, until now, hasn’t anybody tried to find out more about it as an industry?”
Tradition
in action is a very nice animated advert design by Dimenium creative
lab which veers towards a retro/kitsch looking interface on their
website.
New website is up gone is the tonal beige palette and small icons.
For all office furniture needs and usages, here's a slick Alternativ!
If you're willing to be a bit patient, be ready to be surprised! ImageNation is into building images using photography stock. Choose the portfolio, click one of the small squares and use the little handlr to visualize the transformations!
Now that's something!
The Web Design Survey, 2007 by ALA Staff
Designers, developers, project managers. Writers and editors. Information architects and usability specialists. People who make websites have been at it for more than a dozen years, yet almost nothing is known, statistically, about our profession.
Who are we?
You can't miss this interview with Kylie Matulick and Todd Mueller of Psyop. Have you seen the Happiness Factory? executed for Coke and agency Wieden+Kennedy, which won the 2006 film Epica d’Or.
Ground breaking animation, storyboard, a true chef d'oeuvre!
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ndlr: More interviews are in the features section! Good job Justin!
Evolution of agencies or freelancer to (re)discover!
/ Giò Forma architecture and environmental design
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/ Satellites mistaken for stars not just daydreaming!
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/ IdealWord the one of a kind brilliant work of Pedro Pablo Azpeitia
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/ ourmachine prolific production of lifestyle urban design
The School of Design (S.D.) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is offering postgraduate study opportunity in Hong Kong, our Master of Design programmes (MDes).
BTW courses are given in English.
99 Silhouettes is an accessible visual resource for designers and creatives, whether simply looking for inspiration or interested in commissioning artwork and illustration in this genre.
This little book is truly great, loads of examples and some, were of striking beauty and quality. Always important to have what I call a particular design style referenced both for future ideas or for knowing a starting group of designers who have done so.
As I was introduced to the (many) different techniques, it was quite an eye opener, realizing how little I knew about it. Ain't that what makes a book worthy?
Début Publications is offering Netdiver audience a nifty 50% off regular price!!
When I visited Barcelona a couple of years ago, I fell completely in luv with the city. This site features a minimal design, which is something really different from what most of the hotels are doing on their websites.
chic&basic® hotels are a different experience!
JUST RELEASED by Stereohype an online boutique offering limited editions and rare products:
B.I.O. (by invitation only) button badge series 6! Now here's your chance to get some eye candy. There's also an exclusive collection of 4 buttons I designed just for the LUV!
Help yourself!
Here are some talented folks to visit for inspiration:
/ Jeans take shape photography and animated overdrawn line arts by Gerald Mark Soto
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/ Guy McKinley detailed street style illustrations! Wunderful!
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/ Action Sports Awards by Shilo
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/ Fables 64 illustration process by James Jean
Focused? by Eric Karjaluoto
“..you are better off to choose what you are strongest at and dedicate as much as you can to mastering that discipline.”
They know their trade: design and typography! View a simple and nicely designed web portfolio by Seven25 ran by Isabelle Swiderski our new powagirrrl!
Design Matter Live with Debbie Millman: don't want to miss the one with Marian Bantjes who was featured on Netdiver, past March.
Didn't make it to Milan for the world’s biggest design fair?
See all the action at POL Oxygen dedicated web portal. Their art director Marcus Piper has been trawling the streets of Milan for the best new products, events and brightest designers in town.
Now, that is such a great idea!!! Check it out! A new Live Surface category which are blank advertising spots to show client mock ups.
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ndlr: Designed and created by the good folks at Shift.
Do you Last.fm??? It's a way cool social / community based website where you can find likemind music lovers and discover new music.
Vitamin does an interview the developers Matt Ogle and Anil Bawa Cavia.
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ndlr: BTW they are hiring! London calling to all PHP gurus, C++ wranglers, sysadmins, marketeers, and more...
Presenting two movies designed by ultra talented Cubadust. As you can see he has a fascination with floating bubbles and spheres who often morph into colored blobs, fast drawing lines and ethereal atmospheric backgrounds.
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At OFFF two years ago - I presented on the topic of What NeXt? the Future is connected.
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At the core of my message was that I firmly believe designers can change the world, which happens to be my modus vivendi since writing my life manifesto at 14.
Introducing a cool initiative that I fully support!
“Design can change is an effort to bring together the world’s graphic design community to address the issues surrounding climate change.
Designers craft much of the world’s products/media and as such are well positioned to build awareness around this issue while encouraging more sustainable industry practices.”
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ndlr: Suggested readings:
Transcript of presentation by Susan Szenasy who is editor of Metropolis mag, while addressing the AIGA 2003 crowd of designers. She had some pretty strong words for us backed up with solid facts.
“But I say that you—collectively, as graphic designers—are starting other fires, metaphorically speaking... You are responsible for helping to create 40% of North America's solid waste; paper accounts for 81 million tons of waste annually..
Furthermore, the pulp and paper industry is the third largest industrial buyer of elemental chlorine. Chlorine is used to whiten paper, a process which is linked to a proven cancer-causing chemical called dioxin.”
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Green is the new Black / 2006 / a short essay
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Unassigned, the Future Calls for Submissions / 2005 / a manifesto
Love Lied (but hurt me most) is a lovely short on the many stage and facets of loss.
Deloudis is a company involved in the furniture business. For many years now it has had a core intention of finding the best out there. If you're into furniture design, or interested in finding out who are some of the most influential designers who have redefined contemporary, good place to start.
nau is a “small group of people, committed to the power of business as a force for change. Defined by what we love, and how we work and play, we're not just looking to make some new clothes..”
Trek Bikes showcases their new bike called Lime! Very cool flash website!
Sunday past was Earth day which was endorsed by 184 countries. The WWF came up with what I think is a unique way of getting this message across in Beijing where it seems the skies are dakening due to pollution:
“Drive one day less and look how much carbon monoxide you'll keep out of the air we breathe”
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via: Computerlove
Blew me away! Check the delicately intricated paper sculptures that Richard Sweeney does!
Luxuriously simple, all in black & white, Peter Edison website is a jewel of minimalism. He has rose to be recognized as a talented young deejay owing his luv for music to his uncle. There are 3 different mixes available lasting more than 1 hour.
It takes time to become good at what we do and as I've often said, the dreams of our youth can become the reality of our adult years.
PingMag is a bilingual online design magazine that writes about ideas and inspiration coming from both world class designers, and from the little store on the corner.
From Tokyo with luv!
SHIFT is celebrating their 10th anniversary online with a redesigned interface. Articles are now divided into 4 categories: people, things, happenings and place.
Another stylish and minimalist web site portfolio for Lucio Rufo, who art directed amongst others, the now famous Campana Brothers website.
Some have started a reflextion on the future of our home, earth. Ryuichi Sakamoto is behind the campaign Stop-Rokkasho because Japan plans to open a nuclear-fuel waste reprocessing plant and is a disaster in becoming.
I invite you to visualize, ear, see, read what artists are contributing. Follows Rokkasho main video of a beautifully hauntingly emotional rendered song.
Additionally, check out Mono No Aware experiments which loosely translated, means 'sensitivity to things'.
'vE-"jA is a compilation of what is going on the VJ scene and if you're interested in getting a bird's eye wolrd view, this book is just what you will get.
Complete with stunning pictures and videos. In interviews with each of the artists featured in the book, the importance of live performance is echoed repeatedly. The live setting is where the art evolves.
Well documented as to how VJ makes on-the-fly interpretations of all the external elements in front of a live audience.
This is a brilliant show opener movie for Tokyo Now. Tokyo buildings and street scenes morph and fuse through a variety of 2D and 3D graphic styles.
This episode of the program, broadcast on the Japanese public television network NHK, focuses on three keywords: connect, combine, and create.
Smooth operating Somersault reel. Luv the liquid chrome 3D fx in the opening and ending sequences.
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via: Fubiz
Are you a freelancer? Then Freelance Switch should be a first stop to find advice, tips and community to enhance and advance your career.
For your listening pleasure, Fubiz publishes a broadcast where you can sample up to 30 min variety of music compilations.
foldschool is a collection of free cardboard furniture for kids, handmade by you. The downloadable patterns can be printed out with any printer. Follow the instructions and assemble a stable piece of furniture.
TOWBS (The one week-end book series) from an original idea by Martin Lorenz will be showing at the upcoming OFFF Festival in Barcelona.
Burton is looking for a couple of web designers to join it's stable of creatives based in Burlington VT and Irvine CA. Checkout the postings.
The extreme imaginary world of Sam Weber is filled with beautiful and sometimes scary darkish characters.
Thinking for a Living was created for those who believe that while design is a profession, it’s above all a passion.
This collection of resources illustrates the wide variety of tools modern designers have at their disposal and the breadth of influences we should all have.
Created by Duane King, creative director BBDK, Inc. and probably better known as pioneer10.
5ive just published his NORWAY series #2.. and that would be? A photographic essay. Some of his pictures are in fact pretty good. Luv the color saturation and some of the compositions.
His self-portrait is awesome!
Baby you can ride my bike! Tadidanadina... it's time to Switch to high performance!! Very well executed flash website.
Dylan Gibson has got the brilliance and talent to cover with semi-realistic characters the whole spectrum of illustration needs.
Can cameras and computers lead to better health? That's what the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Subject Matter Inc. have worked together to create an online documentary experience that tells the story of an innovative new program called Filmmaker-in-Residence.
Media and storytelling hand in hand for good causes.
Igloo definitely chose a different approach, which I would describe as fancying a more corporate feel for putting together their company reel.
