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

We Can Solve It

The political conventions are happening so I figured I give a short personnel input on a issue that needs to be looked at with our next president. We need to put an end to our oil demands from countries abroad and start the conversion of the US with clean power sources, which in itself will help the US economy out and start to slow the progress of global warming. I have spoken to friends for many years that we need a "new" Apollo project where our country invests in our future and this investment will lead us again in the right direction. We Can Solve It has a mission statement that I hope we can all agree upon-

We must rebuild our economy, lower fuel costs, free ourselves from our addiction to oil, and save ourselves from the climate crisis. To do this, we need to demand that we Repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years. Meeting this ambitious goal would create millions of new jobs, lead to lower energy costs for families and help America lead the fight against global warming.

To learn more about this go to www.wecansolveit.org. Sign up and let your government know that can and must find solutions.

Eva Font by OurType

I found this font inspired by the product designer Eva Zeisal from the type foundry of OurType in Europe. Eva Zeisal who will turn 102 in November has been an inspiration to many designers. This font by OurType is organic in it's sans serif format. The line of this font are gracious and refined like Eva herself. The font comes in 12 weights from normal to black and would make an excellent type for both both copy and headlines. OurType describes this font as the following-

Named after the warm, organic work of ceramicist Eva Zeisel, Eva defies the popular image of a sans, thanks to the contrast in its strokes and the freedom with which they have been drawn. This friendly personality provides added interest at larger sizes, yet Eva also has a notable clarity, and it works well for setting continuous text. Indeed, it was Zeisel’s “playful search for beauty” that is the crucial connection between her and her audience. Designer Merel Matzinger and Smeijers hope their typeface achieves a similar feeling.

I now need to persuade a client that they must have this font so I can get a copy. To view or purchase this font visit their site at www.ourtype.be

Typolution

I was forwarded this wonderful video the other day. (Thanks Eric) It was made with fonts only to tell the story of pollution and its effects. Watch and enjoy.

Sagmeister Designs New David Byrne Album

Stefan Sagmeister has a long history of album cover designs. One artist that he has worked hand in hand with over the years is David Byrne. David is best known for his early works with the "Talking Heads". The early producer for the "Talking Heads" was Brian Eno and now they have worked together to create a new album "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today". (Sounds like a Stefan saying no?) The album is crisp and refreshing. The album art was designed by Sagmeister and there is also a special collectable edition available that comes with bonus songs and a video by Hillman Curtis. To preview the album, buy the album or to get a free download of a song, check out the website at www.everythingthathappens.com.

A Book By It's Cover

Check out this wonderful link full of tons of book cover designs. Each cover is presented with a good quality image and who designed it. A great resource and inspiration. See more at this link.

Dieline Challenge Finalist

I was informed today that a design I produced made the finalist stage in the "Dieline Challenge". My design was one of 5 chosen based on focus group feedback. I will next be asked to make revisions on the package. The package that is picked in the end will win the designer a trip to Norway. Keep your fingers crossed for my design, I could use a nice vacation to Norway. To read more about this contest and see great examples of the newest packaging out there, go to The Dieline.com.

Speaking at Event Design Summit

Event Design magazine is hosting its annual Event Design Summit this year in Los Angeles. The conference will take place October 27-29, 2008. I am pleased to announce that I have been asked to be a speaker at this fine event. I will be speaking in the Loft Track on-

Promotion and Packaging
The best events leverage collateral that connects with the target well before the event or exhibit even gets set up. Hear successful tips and techniques for creating collateral that mirrors the look and feel of your live experiences.

To learn more about the Event Design Summit 08 go to its website at www.eventdesignsummit.com. I hope to see you in October at this great conference.

It comes from the Latin

Whenever someone brings up Latin, I am sure many of us run for the door screaming. When I was in high school you had a choice of Latin, French or Spanish. I said "bonjour". I wanted nothing to do with Latin. After all it's a dead language, right? Well I found two website that deal with one part of Latin that we use on a regular basis, the ampersand. It turns out it originated from the Latin for et. This became a scribal abbreviation for and. Can you see it, the e & t put together? To see more examples of ampersand, check out these two websites, The Ampersand and Ampersands.

Make My Logo Bigger Cream

Check out this website, makemylogobiggercream.com. I know we have all ran into this battle with clients.

Large Hadron Collider

Not sure what a Large Hadron Collider is? Well it collides particles. Beyond that, I will leave it up to people much smarter. To view some amazing photos of this huge scientific project on the France / Switzerland border check out this link. The images are crazy cool and show the magnificent size of this 17 mile collider.

City Neighborhood Posters

Check out these beautiful posters from Ork Posters. Several cities are now available including LA, NYC (Manhattan and Brooklyn), SF, Boston and Chicago. They are great typographical treatments and solutions. The posters are available online at www.orkposters.com.

Objectified: A Film by Gary Hustwit

Gary Hustwit brought us "Helvetica" last year which was wonderful. Now he is working on a new film called "Objectified".

Objectified is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. It’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

The film is due to be released the first part of 2009. To learn more and order a t-shirt go to the films site at www.objectifiedfilm.com

A Font Conference

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Watch this funny film.

The Story of Stuff

This great video and website will open your eyes. The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard shows the supply chain in our daily products and its effects on the environment and the economy. Take a look, you will enjoy and learn along the way. Click here to view the video.

Hoefler and Frere-Jones Type

This past week I seem to have been demented over typography. I was looking at new fonts and found this beautiful slab-serif, Archer, by Hoefler and Frere-Jones. This team seems to come up with great solutions on a regular basis. Check out this font along with the many others they have designed at this link.

I.M. Pei Designed House Up For Sale

This beautiful home designed by one of my favorite architects is up for sale in Washington DC. The house known as the Slayton House is 2 BR and 3 Bath. It is one of only three homes known to be designed by I.M. Pei. The house is listed at 4.25 million, so if you have any money left over after filling your gas tank you might want to consider the purchase. To see more images of this house and its historical background go to this link.

I.M. Pei is best known for designing the pyramid entry area at the Louvre in Paris. He is a fabulous architect and has a great story. If you have not seen the documentary about him called "First Person Singular" done by PBS watch it. You will not be disappointed.

Book of the Week #6 > Fingerprint by Chen Design Associates

Our latest book of the week is called Fingerprint, The Art of Using Handmade Elements in Graphic Design by Chen Design Associates. I found this book to be full of inspiration. As a college instructor and designer, I find that many designs have taken on an ephemeral quality because of the computer. This book shows examples of how to merge the hand and computer together to make a work that is distinctive. Each example includes comments and materials that give you a better understanding on how the work was completed. If you are looking for inspiration on how to bring your designs back to something personnel and unique, then Fingerprint is the book you are looking for. It is available at this link or your favorite bookstore.

Out On The Line

I have not been able to blog for the last two weeks since I was called up to help fight the numerous wildland fires in California. I was first sent to a fire outside of Yosemite for several days. Then our Strike Team was send up north to the Shasta area for another series of fires. Finally we where dispatched to the Lake Isabella area for yet another fire. The fires are still burning in many parts of the state and will take several more weeks to fully contain them all.

Waterfalls in New York City

Today marked the opening of four New York CIty Waterfalls by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. The waterfalls are part of a New York CIty Public Art project and will flow until early October. The waterfalls are build on scaffolding and pump thousands of gallons of water out of the East River and then lets it fall back in. The falls range in size from 90 to 120 feet high. The project was several years in the making and is estimate to have cost around $15 million to pull together. The waterfalls will flow from the early morning until 10 at night. During the evening hours they shine like jewels in the night with lights. To see more images and an article check out the New York Times at this link. Photo by Vincent Laforet for The New York Times

Signs of Life

In Europe the above sign is used to show a fire exit. A young designer in London, Freddie Yauner, wondered what would a sign do if it was finished showing people the direction of the exit for the day. Take a look at this funny and entertaining answer at this link. Wait a second and watch the sign start its animation. Also check out his highest popping toaster in the world.

Life and Death by Weegee

Starting in the 1930’s life and death was shown through photography in the daily papers of the day. One of the best at this style of everyday life and death was Arthur Fellig, better known by the name Weegee. Weegee made his mark by being the first on the scene, taking the photo of the crime that had happened moments ago. The photos where honest and in your face. Many of his famous photos showed murders and the police heavy into investigating the crime. Weegee was also active in capturing everyday life and love on the hard streets of New York City. Weegee’s work is presented in numerous books and websites. To read more about Weegee, click here to check out a good article and slideshow in the New York Times.

Eames Stamps Available

I blogged earlier this year about a series of stamps playing tribute to designers Ray and Charlies Eames. The post office started selling the stamps yesterday. Run to your post office and pick some up and show you are a designer on that next letter you send out.

Thinking of Voting Republican?

Take a look at this video if you are up in the air. Maybe it will help you with your vote in November. Check out the video here.

Statue of Liberty Arrives

Today on June 17, 1885 The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City. The statue orginially known at “Liberty Enlightening the World” was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolution. The statue arrived in over 200 cases and was reassembled on a pedestal inscribed with a poem by Emma Lazarus, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. / I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Bartholdi’s statue has become one of the United States most famous icons and a beautiful example of art and friendship.

Spring 08 Portfolio Show

Yesterday evening marked the end of a long road towards a BS in graphic design and advertising for my portfolio students. The Portfolio Show for the Art Institute of California - Orange County was a presentation of strong portfolios and years of hard work. I would like to wish my graphic and advertising students all the best in the future. You have completed a big step in your future and I hope you all have long careers in this great business we call design. Keep your passion and continue to have fun along the way. Good luck!!

Swiss Poster Designs

Carnegie Mellon University has a website devoted to a Swiss Poster Collection with more than 300 designs from the Swiss Poster of the Year competition. The exhibited work represents the periods from 1971 to present. The collection is fully searchable and also listed in categories like fashion, theater, health and travel. The collection is a wonderful look and reference of the evolution and expression of poster designs in Switzerland. To view the collection click here.