October 23rd, 2011 Comments Off
If aliens from outer space came to Earth seeking to understand graphic design culture, they would no doubt discover an overabundance of well-worn earphones and speakers next to some very cool, creative work. In fact, from design studios to home offices everywhere, the “I-must-work-to-music” freak obsession is quite simply the industry norm. For HOW Magazine’s September/October 2011 issue, I interviewed some rockin’ designers to see how music inspires.
Download and read the HOW Magazine Article.
September 26th, 2011 Comments Off
Ornament and pattern design – love it or hate it, the style debate rages on. Whether you dig decorative flourishes or vote anti-adornment on all things design, one thing is clear – the fanciful aesthetic has developed a bad rep. Name-called everything from “fussy distractions” to “overly girly” to “old-fashioned,” more than a few nerdy design brawls have broken out over the subject. Well, whichever side of the frilly fence you sit, lately (as in the last fifteen years) the expressive art has been making a comeback. And Denise Gonzales Crisp and Susan Yelavich, co-curators of CAM Raleigh’s upcoming exhibit Deep Surface: Contemporary Ornament and Pattern, have taken note of the re-emergence.
Read my full article on Print Magazine’s awesome design blog IMPRINT.
Andrea Tinnes, Type Jockey poster. Image courtesy Andrea Tinnes
September 7th, 2011 Comments Off
In the September/October 2011 issue of Design Bureau Magazine, I continue my 5 Designers/ 5 Questions column tapping the creative minds of the judging panel for Chicago’s Archive11 student typography event. Interviewing the industry’s coolest designers–Stefan Bucher, James Goggin, Robert Petrick, Paul Sych, and Nancy Skolos–I asked them 5 hard-hitting journalistic questions like “Which designer is most in need of a wedgie?”
Check out their awesome answers below (click pic to enlarge):
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:
August 12th, 2011 Comments Off
Have you ever had the desire to get the word “mother” tattooed on your forearm, but were more concerned about it being properly kerned in Helvetica than about how it would make your mother totally freak? Tattly, a new e-shop, features ultra-designy temporary tattoos created by graphic designers and illustrators like Jason Santa Maria, James Victore, Frank Chimero and Jessica Hische.
Read my full article on T: New York Times Style Magazine.
Image Courtesy Tattly
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
July 24th, 2011 Comments Off
Thankfully, graphic designers are a bit too nerdy for the paparazzi. But had the snooping press hounds any clue into the talent’s of our industry’s rockstar creatives – Jennifer Sterling surely would have been one of their buzz-worthy targets when she abruptly dropped off the design scene a few years ago.
Read my full article on Print Magazine’s awesome design blog IMPRINT.
