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May 11th, 2010

The Changing Typography of the Web…

It’s like the ‘Wizard of Oz’ moment when they go from black and white to color.

Tal Leming, The changing typography of the Web

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May 11th, 2010

Flash on Android demo: Double fail

Flash on Android demo crashes twice. Speaker says “What site would you like to see?” Someone says “Hulu.” Speaker says, “Hulu doesn’t work.

Jeff Croft, On the Android Flash demo at FlashCamp Seattle

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May 9th, 2010

The underdog unadvantage

As an avid sportsman and general all-round supporter of the underdog (I am a Leeds United fan after all), I found Liz Danzico’s post ‘The underdog unadvantage’ interesting. I always maintained the man in black had something against my teams. Now I know why.

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May 5th, 2010

It’s not print vs. web…

It’s not print vs. web. It’s attention vs. apathy.

— Derek Powazek [@fraying]

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May 4th, 2010

Yves Behar Glasses

Yves Behar’s Glasses

I’ve long admired the work Yves Behar, a Swiss-born, San Francisco based award winning industrial designer and founder of fuseproject.

Behar, a self-professed futurist, humanist and naturalist, is best known for his involvement with the One Laptop per Child organisation. In 2005 he became chief industrial designer of the XO-1 (AKA the $100 Laptop). His vast portfolio also includes work for companies such as Herman Miller, Apple, Coca-Cola, Puma and Google.

His set-top box design for Canal+, a French premium pay television service, is well worth checking out. The aptly named, ‘Le Cube’ is absolutely stunning.

fuseproject have most recently been involved with the ‘See Better to Learn Better’ programme that aims to provide Mexican school children with free eyeglasses.

The collaboration between the non-profit and Yves Béhar/fuseproject has lead to Collección Escolar 2010. A collection of customizable and iconic corrective eyewear that is specifically designed for students, ages 6-18 years old.

I want a black and white pair. Right now.

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May 4th, 2010

Heavens Above!

Jon, a New York based writer and director, has created this moving mini-documentary about the dying art of Ad painting. Set in the dizzy heights of New York City the short film tells of how a profession, that once dominated the billboard industry, has dwindled as a result of cheaper, easier, mass-produced methods coming to the fore. I guess progress isn’t always a good thing.

“[We do things the] same way Michelangelo did the Sistine Chapel. He did patterns, used charcoals and mixed his own paint. There’s no easier way to do it. That’s just the way it is.

Via: Chris Armstrong

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April 28th, 2010

The 2 Day Gazette

48 Hour Magazine is, “a raucous experiment in using new tools to erase media’s old limits.” Over two days, a team of experienced designers, editors and publishers will attempt to design, curate and edit a web and print based publication. I’m looking forward to seeing how this idea develops. I might even contribute.

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April 28th, 2010

The Island of Ireland, Dubai

irelanddubai.jpg

Ireland’s a great place to live. It would also be a good place to start-up an umbrella manufacturing company. Imagine my delight when I discovered that it going to be possible to enjoy Irish home comforts in the sun. One day!

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April 28th, 2010

“Some people see things as they are and say why…”

Some people see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not?

George Bernard Shaw

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April 28th, 2010

The Dubai Fountain

A simply beautiful water and light display from the United Arab Emirates. There is talk that Dubai are hoping to host an Olympic Games in the next decade or two. With this as a marker can you imagine how mind-blowing their opening and closing ceremonies would be?

Via: Chris Armstrong

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April 28th, 2010

The Sign Painter — Damon Styer

Two of the lovely folks at FontShop, namely Stephen Coles and Chris Hamamoto, put together this video profile of Damon Styer and his crew at New Bohemia Signs, just around the corner from both FontShop and us as well (at least here in San Francisco). I’ve always wondered who did many of the amazing signage around this city and was pleased to find out so much of it was done by New Bohemia.

Naz Hammid, Weightshift

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April 27th, 2010

Hard Graft: iPad Cases

Hard Graft iPad Cases

Okay. So, I’ve yet to get my hands on an iPad, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been on the look out for some nice accessories to go along with my future best friend.

Hard Graft, self styled purveyors of fine lifestyle accessories, have announced that they have a plethora of stylish iPad cases on the way. Time to save those pennies.

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April 26th, 2010

The Best Typography Goes Unnoticed

Embracing the Digital Book

Craig Mod has followed on from last month’s “Books in the Age of the iPad” article with a journal entry that looks at “Embracing the digital book”.

Craig takes an in depth look at the shambolic state of current eReaders before outlining steps that their manufacturers (namely Amazon and Apple) could implement to improve readability on their platforms.

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April 26th, 2010

Logopond iPad Solution

Logopond iPhone App

Logopond is a fantastic site for logo design inspiration. It has been in my bookmarks longer than any other showcase site.

Realising that Logopond was in need of a platform that works seamlessly on mobile devices, Sean Farrell and David Blanchet knocked their heads together and came up with these visuals for an app. Great work.

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April 26th, 2010

Failure — Not an option.

Ole Martin Kristiansen, a graphic and interactive designer from Norway recently asked this question:

“What would you attempt to do, if you knew you could not fail?”

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April 26th, 2010

iPhone: The Fourth Generation

iphone4.jpg

It’s no secret that Apple’s Jon Ive draws a lot of industrial design inspiration from the works of Dieter Rams. Last week, leaked images surfaced on the web depicting what is widely regarded as being the fourth generation model in the iPhone range.

With the device firmly established as the markets number one smart phone, it is safe to assume that Ive is now taking bolder steps in the direction of the Rams aesthetic.

I totally agree with what Todd Heasley wrote on his Posterous blog: “My gut says that, with the iPhone’s success established, we could be seeing an even more confident expression of Ive’s design vision.”

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April 26th, 2010

Linda Grant on Appearance

[Appearance is] not everything, but you cannot have depths without surfaces. [Clothes] communicate with what is within; between the two there is always a great dialogue.

Linda Grant, author of ‘The Thoughtful Dresser’.

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April 26th, 2010

Madison Avenue Men

Don Draper

Fellow Mad Men enthusiasts will be interested to know that its creator Matthew Weiner has said that the show will end after six seasons. While it’s hard to come to terms with that fact that we’ll not be seeing Don and the gang post-1965, it is a sign that the shows writers have a clear vision for where the newly-founded ‘Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’ is headed.

The sixth season of Mad Men, due to air in 2012, will be its last according to the Mayan calendar if creator Matthew Weiner has his way.

If you’re a creative and you’ve yet to get hooked on Mad Men. You really need to sort that out.

Via: Kottke.

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April 26th, 2010

Ten Times Better

I recently stumbled across an interesting entry on Contract’s blog. Eoghan McCabe’s post entitled ‘Ten Times Better’ makes a lot of sense.

We live in a society that doesn’t readily embrace change. We live in fear of falling flat on our face. We embrace what’s comfortable; what we know. Eoghan explains in plain and simple English the importance of building products/services that are at least ten times better than that your closest competitors.

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April 26th, 2010

“Editing is to media as a performance…”

“Editing is to media as a performance is to a composition: It is an act of interpretation, rich with opportunities for personal insight, misguided judgments, or brilliance.”

Liz Danzico, Bobulate

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