Inkling by Wacom

This may just change how we work! Inkling by Wacom is a new system that lets you draw with a "magic" ink pen then download you images to your computer at a later time in vector or bitmap formats. You have to click on the video to experience what it will be able to do. The expected retail price is around $199 and if it works like it shows will be well worth the investment.

Andrew Zuckerman - Wisdom

Andrew Zuckerman, photographer and filmmaker, does a wonderful presentation at the 99% Conference titled, "On Curiosity, Rigor and Learning As You Go". There are many informative ideas that he expresses and he showcases some of his wonderful work.

Art of the Menu

The good folks at UnderConsideration have launched a new website, "Art of the Menu". The site features menus from establishments that you can review for design and layout. The site is just getting up and running but already has some great examples of good menu design. Check out this great new resource and be sure to submit great menus you have collected or created over the years.

Milton Glaser - Talks On The Fear of Failure

Milton Glaser – on the fear of failure. from Berghs' Exhibition '11 on Vimeo.

Enjoy this talk by the great Milton Glaser on the fear of failure as it relates to design.

Random Internet - Drew Carey's X-Ray

What is found on the internet daily still amazes me. This image is an x-ray of Drew Carey's separated clavicle. Thanks for sharing the image Drew. You can follow Drew on Twitter @TPIRhost. Drew, Heal up quickly and keep up the great job on TPIR.

Typography Video - Off Book - PBS

PBS has produced this video as part of its series Off Book. From the PBS site comes this description:

Type is everywhere. Every print publication, website, movie, advertisement and public message involves the creation or selection of a fitting typeface. Online, a rich and artistic typographical culture exists, where typefaces are created and graphic design seeps in to every image.

In episode 2 of Off Book, typeface designers Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones outline the importance of selecting the right font to convey a particular feeling. Graphic designer Paula Scher talks about building identity in messaging, while Eddie Opara uses texture to create reaction. Infographic designers Julia Vakser and Deroy Peraza map complicated data sets into digestible imagery, mixing color, graphics and type.

Spending TIme (Off)

It seems like Benjamin Franklin got it a little wrong when he stated, "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." I think we have to add to that "work". Work seems to consume us and tends to over take our lives. Luck for most of us, we are in a profession called design that we enjoy and well at times seems more like "play". But even though we enjoy designing 24/7 we need to spend time for us. Stefan Sagmeister, who I know truly loves to design, took time off for a year to charge his batteries and his skills to become a better designer. Now I know taking time off for a year would be wonderful but impossible for most. So how to you spend your time to become a better person along with becoming a better designer?

For one, turn off that computer and get out. Our off time is precious for most of us and I know the office will still be there when you get back. Turning off and refreshing can be for a day or several or more. Most of those emails can wait but if you have to answer a few don't let it take away from your mission, to enjoy life.

One way I have found over the years to revive that passion for design, family and life is travel-

Travel always comes to the top of my list. I make it a point to get "out of town" several times a year. These getaways range from a day at the zoo or art museum to a weekend to several weeks and from close to home to more distance road trips or flights abroad. One thing I have learned, if you don't plan it, it will not happen.

One of the places I have found that brings it all back into focus for me is our National Parks. A visit to someplace like Yosemite National Park will amaze your mind's eye and bring creative passion to your soul. A morning hike or a refreshing sit by a stream will work wonders. The vast history that your can explore in our parks will also amaze and put it all into perspective. You can also take advantage to observe one of the most successful design systems in our National Parks, the Unigrid System, originally designed by Massimo Vignelli.

John Muir wrote "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."

You can find a National or State park nearby at this link to Oh, Ranger!

Go explore a city near or far. Plan a visit to their local art museum. Wonder around town and look at the architecture and signage. Explore a ride on Mass Transit (San Francisco's Cable Cars and a NYC subway ride are musts for everyone to put on your list). Explore new restaurants and let your taste buds be amazed by the local luscious eats. Remember to take in a show or music event to easy away the cares. Take creative photos that inspire and that you can use for your next projects. Need a new set of background textures for your stock, click away, and you will save a dollar instead of having to buy stock images.

Once you return refreshed, with plans already in progress for you next adventure, put your images together and self publish a book or decorate your walls at work. Share your experiences with friends and family. Everyone loves a great story. Reliving that adventure will go along way when the pressure is on.

I would love to hear what inspires you on your time off. Remember, spend time both wisely and carefree. In the end, its all about the roads you take in your life's adventure.

How Polaroid Film is Made

This past weekend I shot a ton of digital photos in San Francisco so it got me thinking of how it would have worked if I was using a Polaroid. How times have changed with digital but also how they have stayed the same. The Impossible Project decided to take on the responsibility of providing instant Polaroid film lovers their ‘must-have’ once Polaroid stopped making film and the process is explained in the above film.

(Via DesignTaxi)

Photo from San Francisco visit digitally processed to give it that vintage look.

The Lower Case A Adventure

The Lower Case A That Went on An Adventure by Conor O'Toole is a short that explain typography for the younger design crowd.

The Overworked American

As we start the work week check out this infographic from the good folks at Good on the Overworked American. Is it time for vacation yet? Enjoy your week.

Cereal Box Archive

With the retro look all the rage today, I wanted to pass along the Cereal Box Archive for your inspiration and research.

29 Ways to Stay Creative

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

A nice motion graphics by To-Fu on "29 Ways to Stay Creative".
(via Daily Design Discoveries)

Industrial Design Stamps

The United State Postal Service has recently released this series of stamps to celebrate the Pioneers of American Industrial Design. The stamps feature 12 designers and a work from each. The mid-century designers that where selected include:

Peter Müller-Munk
Frederick Hurten Rhead
Raymond Loewy
Donald Deskey
Walter Dorwin Teague
Henry Dreyfuss
Norman Bel Geddes
Dave Chapman
Greta von Nessen
Eliot Noyes
Russel Wright
Gilbert Rohde

From the USPS site:

The Pioneers of American Industrial Design (Forever®) stamp pane honors 12 of the nation's most important and influential industrial designers. Encompassing everything from furniture and electric kitchen appliances to corporate office buildings and passenger trains, the work of these designers helped shape the look of everyday life in the 20th century.

Each stamp features the name of a designer and a photograph of an object created by the designer, as well as a description of the object and the year or years when the object was created. The selvage features a photograph of the "Airflow" fan designed by Robert Heller around 1937.

Art director Derry Noyes selected the objects that appear on the stamps.

The Pioneers of American Industrial Design stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

To get your own copy of this exciting tribute go to your local post office or online.

I love the stamps and but only wish that the USPS would have included Eva Zeisel in the group. It would have been a fitting tribute to her and her beautiful work. Let hope the stamps are so successful that the USPS does another series in the very near future.

A Trip Down Market Street

60 Minutes had an interesting broadcast related to this film of "A Trip Down Market Street" in San Francisco shot days before the Great Earthquake of 1906. This original film gives us a glimpse into life at the turn of last century when cars where new and horses still pulled carts. I hope you enjoy.

Mesa Verde National Park

I experienced a recent visit to southern Colorado that included breathtaking vistas and historical architecture at Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde National Park, Spanish for green table, is rich in history and showcases the lives of Ancestral Pueblo people who lived in the area from 600 A.D. to 1300 A.D. The Ancestral Pueblo people build homes in the cliffs below the mesas. The structures are fabricated of stone and show the architectural prowess of these native Americans. The park has over 600 archeological sites that are cliff dwellings along with mesa top pueblos and towers. Keys sites to visit include the Cliff Palace, the Long House, and the Spruce Tree house. A hike down the trails leads you to buildings that will amaze not only due to there age but also the organization structures that make up these homes. I found this park to be a fascinating visit full of surprises and amazement. If you are in the area, take some time and enjoy this jewel of the National Park system.

Happy Birthday to Milton Glaser

Today marks Milton Glaser's birthday. Milton is my favorite designer, so intelligent and such a nice gentleman. For anyone who has had the priveledge to meet and talk with Milton, I know you feel the same. One this birthday, I would like to wish Milton a wonderful year ahead full of happy times, good meals, and time to do what you enjoy the most.

"I HEART MILTON"

Denver Art Museum - DAM Fine Art

A visit to the Denver Art Museum (DAM) was pure joy to the heart and soul. I expected to see an amazing work of architecture by Daniel Libeskind for the Hamilton Building and it was. What I did not expect was the fine collections housed in the Denver Art Museum. The collection had a strong emphasis on Western art from historical to modern. The museum showcased a nice collection of classics and contemporary works. The museum dedicates several areas to design and furniture and is home to the AIGA collection. The design areas are well displayed and reminds me of a visit to the MOMA. A nice surprise are "reading / exploration rooms" throughout the museum. These spaces allow you to relax and look at a book about the subject you just viewed. The museum is also very children friendly with actives and exhibits just for them. The Denver Art Museum was a pleasant surprise just East of the Rockies with a collection that will fill your needs and inspire. When you are in the Denver area, you must put the Denver Art Museum on you must see list. You will love this happy surprise of an art museum.

Arches National Park

This past week, we had the joy of visiting Arches National Park in Moab UT. The park with the largest concentration of natural arches in the world is full sights that amaze. The view of Delicate Arch is pristine and the natural colors of the sandstone takes your breath away. Try to experience the park at sunset for colors that inspire and awe.

Shea Hembrey - How I became 100 Artist

Have you ever said to yourself, "I know I can do better." Shea Hembrey, an artist from Arkansas, did so and made his own BiAnnual Art Exhibit made up of works of art he created with 100 artist he invented. The TED talk is humorous and has some great work showcased. The talk makes one wonder about all that is the "art world" and how silly it actually is at times.

Spring 2011 Portfolio Show

This week marked the end of another quarter at the Art Institute of California - Orange County where I teach one of the final Portfolio classes. The students presented their years of hard work to the public this last Wednesday at their Portfolio Show. The work was well presented and just as well received. I wish the graduates all the best in their futures as designers and look forward to hearing about the great successes that they achieve. Good luck!!!

Show Me Mo Money

We could all use some extra cash to help us get away this summer. I would like to showcase Will's Online World Paper Money Gallery as a source for inspiration for your travels or to make some play money for those iou's to friends. The site has a vast collection of bills from around the world with good scans to get your designs going. If you seek out additional resources please follow up with link to an earlier post.