Swayed By A Logo
There's been a lot of presidential buzz going on this year, and it's not even the fall voting season yet. Quite frankly, I'm tired of the whole thing. However, being the design-and-visual-minded person that I am, I have been able to cut through the rhetoric and grandstanding and take a peek at what really matters - the presidential logos.
April 26, 2008, 11:41 AM
Patriotic Mix-Up
I have to admit it, I've been angry lately - at least for about 5 years now. Maybe longer. I know there are many others out there who've been just as angry. It's not a healthy way to live life and I know, for me, that it has affected my work and creativity. What am I talking about, you ask? Well let's start with the President's occupation of Iraq - all in the name of 'Homeland Security' and the "war on terrorism". Can anyone else say Bullshit? (Please continue on, there is art here...) April 23, 2008, 11:32 AM
Not Your Typical (Boring) Product Design Book
I recently received a book from Chronicle Books on product design - an area of my profession with which I'm not too familiar. I have to admit that my first impression was, "Oh boy, another book crammed with photos of off-the-wall or otherwise unusable 'products' that only a few pretentious people can afford to have." Kind of harsh, I know.
I was so wrong...
March 28, 2008, 2:58 PMThe Art of Public Transportation
I came across an article in the digital version of our local San Francisco paper (SFGate.com) that restored hope in my fellow man - er, artist. It seems that there can be art in many things and many things that we come in contact with on a daily basis really should not be taken for granted. And so it should be with the bus pass.
March 11, 2008, 12:52 PMPlants You'll Never Need to Water
As designers, anything that is ornamental or otherwise looks beautiful can catch our attention. There are certain types of design books that not only capture our attention, but can also bring back long-ago periods in an extremely lovely way. Plants and Their Application to Ornament - A Nineteenth-Century Design Primer does just that.
Design Like It's 1984
I have been feeling a bit nostalgic lately and allowed my mind to go back to my college days - the mid '80s. This was the era when music was electronic and hair was high. Many of you think that graphic design didn't really have legs until the advent of the Mac. Well, you are wrong.
Presidentially Speaking on Design Favorites
There have been many reasons as of late to love, or not like very much, all things Presidential. Don't get me started on the current Administration - as the countdown has begun. I wanted to pay homage to some of our past Leaders in honor of Presidents' Day - especially where graphic design is concerned.
January 22, 2008, 1:11 PMIt's All About The Ambience
I am one of those people (as I'm sure many of us are) who goes out to a bar or restaurant and, other than drinking or eating, takes a look at and pretty much ends up critiquing the overall design and experience of the place. I know I'm not alone in this - especially as the crowded marketplace of restaurants and differentiation of them continues to grow. Well, there is now a book out on restaurant design and the unsung heroes of the craft. That book is called, Restaurant Graphics.
Recycle, Reuse and Compostmodern
San Francisco was the home of the third installment of Compostmodern, a day of sustainable design solutions, held downtown at the Academy of Art University's Morgan Auditorium. What started out as a simple idea of getting folks together to talk about "green" design solutions in 2001, Compostmodern has become one of the most informative and respected sustainable design conferences in the US - and I was happy to be there.
Things Are Really Moving Now
Being a 2-Dimensional, print and Web graphic designer, I don't know all that much about the world of 3-Dimensional work, let alone film. But I was recently sent a GREAT book from Chronicle Books that wowed the 3-Dimensional pants off me. That book, published by Laurence King Publishing, is called Motion Blur 2.
You CAN Judge A Card By Its Cover
This is the time of year when many of us receive Holiday cards of various sorts, including me. I am always amazed, not only that I actually get them, but what sort of design - or lack thereof - is on the cover of these things. I saved a few this year and wanted to share them with you.
Bookmaking At The Source
Most of us know where printing and bookmaking all started, right? (That would be Venice, Italy - although the Chinese did much more than this many years prior, so let's give credit where credit is really due.) So, if you had a chance to visit 21st century Venice and do the same thing, would you? Well, there just may be an opportunity for you (read on).
When A New Logo Goes Bad
I recently came across an online review/rant about a new logo design for the New York City taxi fleet. We all love that sea of yellow that comes rolling downtown in NYC, right? (especially when it's raining). Well, come to find out that what was to be an idea of upgrading the look of the cars and giving a new brand to a portion of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, turned out to be a typographer's nightmare.
Let's see it...
The Golden Age - Where Did It Go?
I came across some images of a few fantastic and imaginative layouts from some of those great magazines of '40s and '50s - like McCall's and Harper's Bazaar. These wonderful layouts, which show innovative typography and imagery, are considered to be part of the Golden Age of magazine design that came about after WWII. Oh where, oh where, have they gone?
The Work and Wit of Rex Ray
Chronicle Books sent me a review copy of Rex Ray: Art + Design and I had to jump right in. I have to be honest, I didn't know who Rex Ray was, at first, but after delving into this book, I had one of those "Oh HIM" moments.
