Design Bureau article: 5 Designers / 5 Questions

November 26th, 2011 Comments Off

In the November 2011 issue of Design Bureau Magazine, I continue my 5 Designers/ 5 Questions column. Dishing with some of the industry’s coolest restaurant designers, I interview Christian Helms, Karen Herold, AvroKO, and Cass Calder Smith to see what’s cookin’ in their wildly creative minds. Expect hard-hitting journalistic questions like, “Avocado, artichoke, carrot – which would you rather have as your design sidekick?”

Check out the full article below (click pic to enlarge):

HOW Magazine Article: The Rhythm of Design

August 23rd, 2011 § 1

Album art and CD packaging may be a dying breed (thanks to the rise of MP3s), but awesome music-inspired design projects are coming through the speakers loud and clear. In the September 2011 creativity column for HOW Magazine, I speak with some insanely talented folks who are finding ever more creative ways to infiltrate their love for sound into the mix. From ultra-inspired posters and self-promo pieces to interactive paper invites and videos, we’ve tapped some killer creatives to share how music has helped make their designs sing.

Read my full article on HOW Magazine. And check out Kelli Anderson’s paper record player invite below:

T Magazine Article: Athletic Typography | Running Alphabet

August 12th, 2011 Comments Off

The Spanish graphic designer Joan Pons Moll is creating a new typeface, but unlike most typographers, he’s doing so with his feet rather than a computer, and he’s slightly out of breath. Taking sneakers to pavement, Pons is planning to run the entire alphabet — both upper- and lower-case letters — in his inventive endeavor, Running Alphabet.

Read my full article on T: New York Times Style Magazine.

Image Courtesy Running Alphabet / Joan Pons

Azure Magazine article on design firm Supermachine

May 22nd, 2011 Comments Off

The architects at Supermachine, a small, inventive Thai firm, sometimes refer to themselves as “guerrilla architects.” Says principal Pitupong “Jack” Chaowakul, “We love to play around, finding new ideas that suit our projects and testing stuff out.” They also love colour. When the Thai government established the Bangkok Uni­ver­sity Creative Center, to promote a shift from an agricultural and industrial society toward a creative economy bolstered by animation, design, fashion and information technology, the school called on Supermachine to conceive its interiors. The firm delivered in flying colours.

Check out a preview of my article in the Canadian design publication AZURE MAGAZINE (and check out the full print version below!)

Hardest Workin’ Graphic Designers in the Midwest: Foundry Collective

April 10th, 2011 Comments Off

Downing tequlia shots, ogling over Mila Kunis, and wanting to be the next Mark Zukerberg – just a few of the things on the mind of a twenty-something guy. But the bygone days of the industrial revolution? Probably not on his top-ten list. Yet, for twenty-somethings Paul Wilkes and Scott Hill, the über talented founders of Oklahoma City-based design firm Foundry Collective, both their philosophy and design style are uniquely rooted in the memory of their forefathers – Midwest hardworking Americans who earned their keep toiling in oil fields, farms, and factories during the industrial revolution.

Read my full article on HOW MAGAZINE.

Image Courtesy FOUNDRY COLLECTIVE

Image Courtesy FOUNDRY COLLECTIVE


Design Writing: The Nightmare Client—YOU (or rather…me!)

July 16th, 2010 § 2

Look in the mirror and say hello to the nightmare of all clients—Yourself. Why is it so hard for graphic designers to design for ourselves? In my latest article for HOW Magazine, I offer tips for taming the fire-breathing client within yourself while working on your brand’s website and other promotional materials. Read the full article HERE.

The Ultimate San Francisco Father’s Day Weekend: Tiburon Classic Car Show

April 28th, 2010 Comments Off

Besides drooling over beautiful typefaces, amazing graphic designers, and the creative work featured in Communication Arts Magazine, I LOVE classic cars. The design, innovation, history, craftsmanship – I’m fascinated by all of it thanks to my awesome Dad who introduced me to their timeless beauty as a young girl. So I couldn’t be more flippin’ excited to announce the annual Tiburon Classic Car Show on Saturday, June 19th, 2010!

For the price of…well, nothing…Dad’s get to drool over the most rare and beautiful classic cars ever built while taking in the beauty of the most picturesque waterfront community on the San Francisco Bay. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Tiburon Waterfront Park (with amazing views of San Francisco and Angel Island), the Tiburon Classic Car Show is a BEST BET for a fun, family-friendly way to celebrate Dad’s Day weekend.

After the daytime Tiburon Classic Car Show festivities, evening celebrations abound as the event moves a selection of their stellar cars to downtown Main Street. All attendees will receive fabulous budget-worthy coupons from local merchants (that will last throughout the night and into the following week!) Drink, eat, shop, celebrate, and ogle over the last remaining 1950’s factory team XK D race car – one of the most rare and extraordinary Jaguars ever built. Sure beats getting Dad a lame tie again, don’t you think? Oh, and did I mention – it’s totally FREE.

Details, Details:
Neighborhood: Tiburon, CA
Ticket Price: FREE!
Event Date: 6/19/10
Time: 11am-9pm
Street address: Shoreline Park/Tiburon Waterfront Park, Tiburon, CA (Paradise Drive – near ferry landing)
Phone number: 415-297-2615
Email: tomaoneill@comcast.net
Website: http://www.tiburonclassiccarshow.org

(originally appeared in SF Examiner 04/27/10)

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