Design for Obama

A website was created by Aaron Perry-Zucker, a student at RISD, to allow designers that support Barack Obama to create and disseminate posters of support called Design for Obama. I created the above poster and submitted to the project. Please go and review the growing lot of posters for download for this cause at Design for Obama.

Chicago International Poster Biennial

The first Chicago International Poster Biennial was held and judged a collection of work submitted from around the world. The work that made the final cut is inspiring and beautiful. It shows the passion of our industry from all corners of the globe. The Design Observer wrote a short article on the Chicago International Poster Biennial and has a slide show of 31 works. Check it out at the Design Observer, I am sure you will be as inspired as I was.

Summer 08 Portfolio Show

Yesterday marked the end of a journey for the Summer 08, Art Institute of California - Orange County graphic design students at their portfolio show. I have had the pleasure of watching them grow over the last few years as their instructor and am proud of the advances they have made. The portfolios look great and now they are ready to take on the world. I wish them all the best in the future and look forward to hear about their great achievements in graphic design.

Scrapbooks, an American History - Jessica Helfand

Jessica Helfand, a partner with William Drenttel at Winterhouse and a founding editor of the Design Observer is releasing a new book that looks like it will be full of inspiration. The book Scrapbooks, an American History was developed from Jessica's collection of these artifacts of our past. A website has been set up about the book at The Daily Scrapbook and describes the book as follows-

"Combining pictures, words, and a wealth of personal ephemera, scrapbook makers preserve on the pages of their books a moment, a day, or a lifetime. Highly subjective, rich in emotional meaning, the scrapbook is a unique and often quirky form of expression in which a person gathers and arranges meaningful materials to create a personal narrative. This richly illustrated book is the first to focus close attention on the history of American scrapbooks — their origins, their makers, their diverse forms, the reasons for their popularity, and their place in American culture.

Jessica Helfand, a graphic designer and scrapbook collector, examines the evolution of scrapbooks from the nineteenth century to the present, concentrating particularly on the first half of the twentieth century. She includes color photographs from more than 200 scrapbooks; some made by private individuals and others by the famous, including: Zelda Fitzgerald, Lillian Hellman, Anne Sexton, Hilda Doolittle and Carl Van Vechten. Scrapbooks, while generally made by amateurs, represent a striking and authoritative form of visual autobiography. Helfand finds when viewed collectively they offer a unique perspective on the changing pulses of American cultural life. "

This book looks like it will make my list of "must haves" so I will have to get a copy. Visit the website, The Daily Scrapbook or here to get a copy of Scrapbooks, an America History.

Sagmeister - Urban Play 2008 Project

Stefan created another great piece from his now famous "Things I have learned in my life so far" for an art exhibit in Amsterdam this past week. The work titled "Obsessions make my life worse and my work better" was made out of 250.000 eurocents placed on a plaza in the city. It seems that within 24 hours of it being completed the police where called and they decided to pick up the coins. Talk about Dutch efficiency. To view and read more about the project check out Sagmeister's site and to read about the removal check out Scott Burnham's site.

Show and Tell - Esquire's E-Ink Cover

This special cover came out last week by Esquire. They call it e-ink. It is a small electronic device that blinks on and off for the next 90 days. (NotCot has more views, a video of it in action and being taken apart) It is catchy, it is original, and got attention for the magazine, so I guess it worked. I think it is a step to things that will come. I am sure at a day in the near future technology will allow this to work in the way the creative team imagined. Until then, it is catchy. (I don't think I would try to carry it on a plane.)

Happy Fall

Those days and nights of fresh fall air are the best time of the year. I hope your summer has been good and your fall will be even better. Enjoy.

Vintage Paperback Covers

This site is full of images from vintage paperbacks that are broken down into sections by artist, author, publisher and genre. The covers are an amazing glimpse of the times from the 40s thru the 60s. Paperbacks where cheap and sex has always sold, so you can see how these two elements come together to grab your attention. The genres that are covered range from drug theme paperbacks (I guess the war on drugs has been going on for a long time now) to hillbilly covers to science fiction covers to sleaze paperbacks. These covers make a great examination into type, image and colors from these periods. Click around and see these covers at www.vintagepbks.com

Environmental Defense Fund Ad

This is an effective ad for the Environmental Defense Fund directed by Tim Godsall to promote the use of mass transit. The ad starts with what looks like white plastic trash on top of a subway grate in NYC. As a subway train passes underneath the air inflates a mother and cub polar bear. Then as the train passes along, they deflate. To learn more go to the EDF website at fightglobalwarming.com.

Vespa Ads

Well the Citroën post got me thinking of that great Italian design, the Vespa. I found these ads over at Ads of the World. I wonder if we all got a Vespa, would we be able to stop global warming?

Citroën Design

The classic designs of Citroën autos have been around since André Citroën started making cars in 1919. These cars are typical French, sleek, sexy and fun. To view photos of these cars over the years check out this website the Citroën Gallery.

Cuckoo For Cuckoo Clock

You have to love this clock. It was designed by Momento Italia and they describe it as follows:

ALBERO
Design: Presented at the last 2008 International furniture show in Milan, Italy, this clocks already made people talk about it! A great design and a great idea which stands out on every wall. The albero modern cuckoo clock is made of wenge painted wood with a tree like design in orange or white color. It's the cuckoo cozy nest! German mechanism, made in Italy. $ 350.00 In stock.

To view more go to their website.

Remembering September 11th

It was seven years ago today that a group of radicals used jets as a means to kill thousands of US citizens. Since that tragic day our world has changed. I remember that day clearly and I am sure most of us do. I remember seeing on TV the replays of the jets flying in the WTC and the Pentagon. I remember seeing those running away with terror on their faces while NY's bravest the FDNY walked into that hell at the towers. I remember thinking to myself that I did not think the towers would fall.


I took the over photos on one of my trips to the WTC. I had visited the WTC on many occasions over the years growing up on the East coast. I remember going to the top and the beautiful view. I remember looking up in the sky to the towers when I would exit the subway to get my bearings on which way was south in Manhattan.

I remember seeing the broadcast of the twin towers falling Live on CNN. I remember my heart sinking and the fear of the unknown. I remember people searching for loved ones and the photos of the missing. I remember learning some of the names from the 343 FDNY firefighter that died. I remembered that I had the honor to hear several of the 343 firefighters who died speak at firefighter conferences years prior. I remember hearing Battalion Chief Ray Downey speak on rescue techniques and leadership.

I remember the days waiting and hoping that survivors would be found. I remember wishing I was there to help with the search in someway. I remember. I remember. I remember.

Play With Spider

This is a wonderful and creepy site about a spider that craws around done completely in Flash. You have to check it out at this link.

The Font Feed

Looking to read and learn more about typography check out this "new" revised blog The FontFeed. It is full of interesting and insightful information. To view the site go to www.fontfeed.com

Wake Up America!

Type Poster

Adobe recently held its annual Adobe® Design Achievement Awards. This contest for student worldwide shows some of the best up in coming designers. I found this one work by Paul Grabowski from the University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt that I just love. It is a type poster titled TDC NY on the DRUPA 2008. I found this poster to be inspiring. The work and detail that went into this poster is fabulous. The entire design was formed solely with type faces. Paul wrote:

The challenge was to create a poster for the 54th Show of the Type Directors Club Of New York (TDC NY). This TDC-Show poster will be exhibited on the DRUPA 2008 in Duesseldorf/Germany, which is the biggest exposition of the paper and print industry in the world.

I wanted to communicate the significance of the exhibition and the principles of the TDC by celebrating typography. I visualized this celebration with pretentious ornaments composed only of type. To be consistent, I reduced the composition of the ornaments solely on letters. I use no punctuation marks or any other sort of type aside from letters to appear in my Type-Ornamentic.


The best of luck to Paul in the future and I look forward to seeing where his talents take him. To view this and more fine design works visit the ADAA site at www.adaaentry.com/adaalive.html

Happy Labor Day

Meat cutters wearing checkered overcoats marching in a Labor Day parade in Chicago, Illinois 1908. For this and thousands of other images and resources check out the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov