The History of Typography - A video short

Enjoy this video short on The History of Typography by Ben Barrett-Forrest.

"Knowing where we come from helps to direct us forward."

Google Does Saul Bass

Today, Google honored the birthday of the legendary designer, Saul Bass with a Google Doodle Video.  Thank you Google for honoring design.

Movie Posters - More of the Same

Does this week's new movie poster look much like last week's?  Well, yes of course.  Take a look at this link that shows the common styles that seem to get used over and over complied by Christophe Courtois.

(via GeekTyrant)

Logo Design Tips

Refer to the great little article over at Creative Bloq for 40 tips on creating a logo.  A good reference guide to keep you on point during the process.

Be well, design well.

Never Again - Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom Hashoah

Today we remember those who died in the Holocaust (Yom Hashoah).  Let us never forget.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Yad Vashem, Israel

Typoretum: A Letterpress Workshop

Typoretum: A Letterpress Workshop from Jamie Murphy on Vimeo.

Justin Knopp runs a small design and letterpress operation called Typoretum in Essex, England. I have been following Justin and his excellent work for sometime and this wonderfully shot video shows his operation in action. Keeping the craft of printing alive by adding the passion for letterforms and design is what Justin does so well and makes it all look so easy. Enjoy this video to show you how a craftsman creates work that inspires and sparks a love for all things type.

Justin host workshop on the art of printing and letterpress at his studio if you are in the area. To learn more and to view more of Justin's work, visit his site Typoretum.

Having Faith

James Victore shares his thoughts on "Having Faith".  A great few minutes of advice.

George Lois

2012/11 George Lois from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

If you can judge a man by the covers he has created, George Lois will stand out.  George Lois put the iconic into Esquire magazine covers during the sixties and seventies.  Best know for creating iconic images that brazed newsstands, Mr. Lois also took advertising into a direction anew.  Know for creating work that is controversial and thought provoking, he designed for the times of our society.

The video above from a recent Creative Mornings talk shows George Lois presenting this work at the Met.  This presentation is wonderful and allows him to comment and give insight to many of his more famous covers.

To see more of George Lois' work, visit his website. On the site are various projects including many of his Esquire covers explained, campaigns and logo work plus info and links about the 10 books he has put together over his long career.

(Many, many thanks to Tina Roth Eisenberg for developing Creative Mornings and posting the many videos from around the world of these wonderful speakers. You rock Tina.)

Vine

The newest and hottest app has to be Vine.  The app for iPhone and iPad lets you record 6 second videos and share them.  It is Instagram but video and it is every fun.  The app has been out but a week now and is blowing up.  I have been playing with for a few days and loving every 6 seconds of it.  Fun, simple and entertaining, Vine lets you venture into the world of video sharing on a whole new level. You can find your friends, follow and share your life in video.

Download the app.  You can follow me at Daniel Gross and to see the power of this app, follow the actor Adam Goldberg.  His shorts are killing it.

Happy videoing with Vine.

The 1849 Connection to Football

This Sunday is the Super Bowl between the Ravens and the 49ers.  The 49ers are named after the gold miners that came to California in 1849.  The Ravens are named after Edgar Allan Poe's famed poem, The Raven.  Poe died in Baltimore in 1849.  Thus the connection to 1849 in history to two modern football teams.

Now the Raven will win this Sunday. The Ravens, after all, have a MUCH better logo design and branding then the 49ers, so we will leave it with that alone.  Enjoy the game and commercials, I know I will.  Go Ravens!

The NEW American Airlines

American Airlines has just introduced a new look.  This new look designed by Futurebrand replaces the iconic symbol designed by Massimo Vignelli in 1968.  The new look was designed to promote the airlines passion for progress and soaring spirit.  In addition to the above videos, you can see more at American Airlines site.

(via DesignTaxi)

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today marks 84 years ago that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born. Taken from us all much too early at the age of 39, the rights and freedoms that we all enjoy owe a great thanks to his vision and passion. Dr. King who as a principal force in the civil rights movement thought us to respect each other and to see a future where human rights for all could take precedence. A master at speaking, his voice could reach out and touch us deep in our soul. The world would have been greater had Dr. King not been murdered for his passionate goals of civil rights for all. To learn more of this great man, visit The King Center.

David Kelley - IDEO - 60 Minutes

 I hope you got a chance to view the wonderful interview of designer David Kelley, founder of IDEO last Sunday on 60 Minutes (See Video Below).  This video above gives a little further insight to him and his home from 60 Minutes Overtime.

Emancipation Proclamation Stamp

The USPS has released a stamp to commemorate the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.  The stamp was designed by Gail Anderson with the great Hatch Show Prints utilized to help with the typesetting. 

Renowned graphic designer Gail Anderson partnered with art director Antonio Alcalá to design the stamp.  It prominently features the phrase, “Henceforward Shall Be Free,” which is taken from the historic document. It also notes Abraham Lincoln’s name and the year the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. 

Anderson, known for her term as senior art director at Rolling Stone magazine and design of Broadway play posters, revels in making typography from old forms. To evoke the look of posters from the Civil War era, she tapped Hatch Show Print of Nashville, TN, to produce the Emancipation Proclamation stamp.  Established in 1879, Hatch is one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America and employs the motto, “preservation through production.”

The stamp is a great typographic design to honor this great moment. To view and purchase the stamp online visit this link. 

Google Doodles

The creative doodles on the Google homepage always delight but one only sees a small sample as they are unique to your home country. Follow this link to view the 2012 Google Doodles from around the world to see what you have been missing out on.  

Hundred Best Lists of All Time

It's the time of the year for lists; top ten lists, lists of events, list of what happened, lists of what we will do, and lists of lists.  Venture over to The New Yorker for their list of "The Hundred Best Lists of All Time". It is a diverse list of lists that you will surely find interesting.  

Happy Holidays

We wish everyone a Happy Holiday from aNEW designs.

Graphic Design - Now In Production At Hammer

Yesterday I got to visit the Hammer Museum at UCLA to see the Graphic Design - Now in Production exhibit.  Wow, what a wonderful show.  The show reviews and exhibits graphic works that are pure inspiration.  The show ranges from typography to new media and everything in between.  Curated by Andrew Biauvelt from the Walker Art Center and the wonderful Ellen Lupton from the Cooper-Hewitt, they hit a home run in pulling together the wide range of work that we create and presenting in a compelling and informative manner.  

The show runs at the Hammer until January 6, 2013 so you still have time to take it all in.  Make sure you get the catalog from the show which includes articles that are sure to get you thinking.

Packaging Trash Become A Toy

Problem, how do you turn a package into a toy?  The Athens, Greek design firm Matadog had this problem when designing for a small raisins package. Their task was to put a toy into each box, their solution, make the box a toy.  Start solutions and sustainable in the process.  Read more over at GOOD.

Happy Gross Day

(The Gross Clinic)

Today marks not only 12/12/12 but also the last "special" Gross Day for a hundred years.  A gross is defined at a dozen dozen, 12 x 12 =144, thus today 12/12 is being declared Gross Day by myself.  I know many fellow Gross' have had their name picked on while growing up but today is our day! Gross Day is a day to remember the many famous and not so famous Gross' out there.  Those that have and continue to make this a better place.  So today I would like to remember Samual D. Gross, a surgeon from Philadelphia who is immortalized in a Thomas Eakins' painting of him in his clinic and has a statue.  This makes him famous in my book.  So say Happy Gross Day to those you know and to those who are fellow Gross'.

Happy Hanukkah

The holiday season has started and first comes Hanukkah.  Enjoy this video as you light the candles this  year.  Happy Hanukkah and may the miracle of the holiday light your hearts throughout the year.

Freelance Tip - Get Square

Every once in a while a game changer comes along to make life easier. In our age of technology you would think it would happen more often. The break through to make our business and lives more convenient is Square. 

Square is a free app and card reader that allows you to accept credit card payments from clients. With one simple secure swipe you can charge the payment due and it will be deposited into your account. The small fee of 2.75% that Square charges for use is well worth the easy and speed. There is no charge if you don't use the service, only when you do, thus no month fees. Now everyone can accept plastic like the big boys. I have used it myself several times and found it to work flawlessly. 

So forget the net 30, get your payments on the spot for your design work and if a friend happens to owe you $20, tell them you accept all major credit cards. 

Be Square and sign up their site at squareup.com.

World Famous Bush Man

Today's Friday Funny is the World Famous Bush Man from San Francisco. If you have never experienced this gentleman at the Fisherman's Wharf area, put it on you list for a future visit. After doing this since the 1980's, it maybe the longest running performance art going. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Lego Via 1970s

Visit the British Lego Catalogues website to view catalogues from 1971-1976.  Lego have long been a source of inspiration and discovery for children worldwide and these catalogue scans give an interesting perspective on 70s layout.

9-11 Remembering

(photos: FDNY)

Please view a wonderful tribute by the FDNY to honor the 343 Firefighters that died trying to save many. Let us never forget those that gave all on this day in 2001.