Game Faces

This month's Wired features a series of photographs by Phillip Toledano entitled "Game Faces". Toledano set up an XBox, a strobe light and let friends/acquaintances cut loose with the fighting game "Dead or Alive". The resulting images are pure fun. The photographer muses:

"During a videogame, people disappear down a rabbit hole. They drop their public face, and all you see is this really raw emotion."

He Ain't Heavy… He's My Frere-Jones

I stumbled upon the Font Bureau a few weeks back when trying to find out who designed a typeface used in Martha Steward Living. I have always been fascinated by letters, creating my own "styles" as a kid, and then learning about the elite and elusive profession of Type Design in school. I didn't know this studio was in Boston and stomping ground to Tobias Frere-Jones, a type designer at the forefront of the industry.
Frere-Jones has designed a plethora (Melissa, that word is for you…) of typefaces and fonts and Benton Sans was one of my favorites. Modeled after News Gothic, designed in the early 1900s by Morris Fuller Benton, these letterforms just make me smile.

“The day we stop needing new type will be the same day that we stop needing new stories and new songs.”— Tobias Frere-Jones

Sing it Tobias!!!

MUJI

Japanese chain Mujirushi Ryohin aka MUJI has made a name for itself in the design world by removing the name or brand from their designs.
In English, Mujirushi Ryohin translates to "No Brand, Quality Goods". According to MUJI,"the company’s basic principle is to develop new, simple products at reasonable prices by making the best use of materials while considering environmental issues". They get to the core of each item's purpose and function. You won't find any bells and whistles. Just simple, clean lines.
You can find MUJI products through their UK store, or through Muji at MoMA.
Some of my favorites are:
cardboard speakers
wire key ring
cup and saucer
pen pot bookend
playing cards

Junior Senior

Here's the perfect song for an end of the day office dance party.

HOW come I didn't know about this?

As a small design firm, we often wish we had the benefit of receiving adequate critiques before presenting an idea to a client. So I was excited to stumble across How Magazine's Design Forum a place where designers can do anything from get feedback from other designers on a current project, post a favorite project on "the fridge" or chat about the management and financial challenges of running a small firm. Next time we need additional feedback, I'm turning to HOW.

Rock On

Newbury Comics is a great inexpensive resource for limited edition silkscreens. Find your favorite bands, or just look for design/color palettes that suit your style. These posters should rock your wall.
Top Row:
The Killers-Travis Bone, Saves the Day-Todd Slater, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-Jason Munn, The Strokes-Todd Slater
Bottom Row:
Frank Black-Dan Stiles, Loretta Lynn(letterpress)-Dirk Fowler, The Walkmen-Jason Munn, Interpol-Mike King

Brava Bravia

The Colour like.no.other commercials for the Sony Bravia LCD are cool. When you add in the fact that it is 100% real(nothing was computer-generated), they are amazing! Bravia Balls, my favorite of the two was directed by Nicolai Fuglsig. The spot features 250,000 rubber bouncy balls sent down the slope of a San Fransisco street. It's stunning to watch.
You better believe I'll have a quarter handy next time I pass those machines at the supermarket.

Bravia Paint, directed by Jonathan Glazer, and shot in Glasgow Scotland is equally gorgeous. They used 70,000 liters(18,492 gallons) of non-toxic, water-based paint!!! Talk about my dream playland *sigh*

via design*sponge

Color Marketing Group

I sit behind at a desk staring at a computer most of the day, but when my most difficult decisions are about choosing which Pantone color to use for a project or if a book will look best printed on coated or uncoated paper, it makes me happy to be a designer. I know a lot of industries look at design as a mundane waste of time, but designers are in the business of ideas, and color is one of our best tools. Lately however, I've been a little frustrated with our Pantone swatch book. There just aren't enough colors! I want something new!
Then I stumbled upon the Color Marketing Group, whose "major focus is to identify the direction of color and design trends. CMG members then "translate" that information into salable colors for manufactured products." I had never heard of this organization- and now I am dying to join. Can you imagine sitting in on one of those meetings? Way better than being an accountant at this time of year.

Design Dish: Ricardo Martinez

What do you do?
I am employed as a videographer for an international court reporting firm. Tom Crites & Associates International Inc. In my freetime I love taking photographs (digitally these days) and making comics.

Who or What inspires you?
Oh, everything. But especially Japan, Pop Art, Superheroes, music of all kinds and various shades of blue.

Do you listen to music when you work? If so, what are you listening to these days?
I do. At work I have to keep in on the more mellow tunes....these days I'm listening to the new Air album, Pocket Symphony, Let It Die by Feist, Al Green's Belle Album, and the Apple in Stereo.

What are you reading?
I just finished a hilarious book called One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding by Robert Gover. Every month I love to read Giant Robot and Interview.

Been to any good web sites lately?
I am-all-the-time on Idolator , boingboing, the Drawn blog, and my sister will kill me if I don't mention her blog That's My Jam

What shows have you been to lately?
Funny you should ask! I just went to an AMAZING Andy Warhol show entitled Andy Warhol's Dream America at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno this past weekend. It was so incredible. The paintings were arranged by series, and I got to see ones I had never seen in person before like the Mick Jagger series and the Electric Chair Series. Made my weekend.

How do you unplug (what do you do with your spare time)?
Oh everything. I love the movies, reading, drawing, taking photos....I want to be better cook, so I am baby-stepping into the culinary world. I just got fire insurance, don't worry.

Martha Martha Martha

Mom got me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living for Christmas this year. And while I'm sure she meant for me to benefit from the gardening and cooking sections, I can't stop admiring the magazine's typography. This illustrative addition to the letterforms is so right on for spring. The organic line quality reminds me of new growth and sea creature antennae. Their designers do an amazing job of creating an ongoing theme with type throughout each issue - it's so inspiring!

Design Dish: Lisa D'Elia

What do you do?
I’m the Design Manager at a small NYC Design Firm called Alternatives

Who or What inspires you?
You guys do! I love your work.

One of our jobs at work is recording, retouching and making authentic vintage artwork available on a library style website for Cadbury Schweppes. So I love looking at all the old ads, and illustrations for Dr Pepper, 7UP, A&W, Crush, Schweppes and Hawaiian Punch (Punchy is too cute).

Do you listen to music when you work? If so, what are you listening to these days?
We run iTunes all day at the office and everyone trades off playing their music. What am I listening to?......I am liking the new Shins, TV on the Radio and Wolf Parade.

What are you reading?
Just finished Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential

Been to any good web sites lately?
I like to visit: Cool Hunting (cool stuff)
Resolution: 4 Architecture (houses I want to build...for me)
Gono (a great place to look at vintage magazine ads)

What shows have you been to lately?
I went to the Annie Leibowitz show at the Brooklyn Museum of Art

How do you unplug (what do you do with your spare time)?
I was contemplating lying for this one but......I’m addicted to Worlds of Warcraft and buying really old camera equipment from eBay. I’m sure once the weather gets nice I will be at the beach, it’s across the street!

The Designers Mix Tape

"Designer is just like musician, only musician get laid way more."-Saiman Chow

The Designers Mixtape has invited a selection of designers from around the world to share their playlists. Through this site, we are able to see how the music is translated into visual expression. At Pinkergreen, we're addicted to learning about what inspires artists' work. Our Design Dish interviews ask the all important question,"what are you listening to?"
Found via Kate Spade's Things We Love page.

My Goodness My Guinness!

St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday, but here in the U.S. it is generally accepted as our nation's day to drink. I've never had a green beer (for shame), but I have had my fair share of Guinness. Classic ads like these by SH Benson are a good reminder that smart design is timeless. The popular "My Goodness My Guinness" series of the 30's and 40's were illustrated by John Gilroy. According to Guinness, Abram Games sketched the concept for the "G" poster on the back of a bus ticket.
Connoisseurs will tell you there is a right way and a wrong way to pour a Guinness pint. Very tricky stuff. It's best left to the professionals, and Sean at Porter Belly's in Brighton MA is just the man to do it. So what if you have to wait a little longer for your beer than your Bud Lite drinking buddies. The Guinness signature two-part pour will ensure a quality draught every time:

First, tilt the glass to 45 degrees and carefully pour until three quarters full. Then place the glass on the bar counter and leave to settle. Once the surge has settled, fill the glass to the brim. It takes about 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. But don’t fret. It’s worth the wait.

Lucky Genes

I feel very lucky to have met my Uncle Clayton within the past few years. I visited him in 2004 in his little town of about 800, LaConner, Washington, in the Puget Sound. He's a spitting image of my grandmother, his older sister, and for me, was a missing piece to my puzzle. While my family has a history of musical talent, that gene has always seemed to be missing from my make-up. And while I could occasionally rock-out on the saxophone in the seventh grade, I could never carry a tune or relate to most of my family's musical excellence.
Clayton James, was the first visual artist in my paternal family. As a conscientious objector to WWII, he was assigned to a series of camps, finally ending up in Washington State. Through a chain of events starting with American painter, Morris Graves, and an apprenticeship with Japanese-American woodworker, George Nakashima, Uncle Clayton finally found his calling for the next 30 years in sculpture. It wasn't until most people are ready for retirement that he revisited landscape painting. His body of work is as varied as it is inspiring, and I am both humbled and proud of his talents.
Uncle Clayton probably wouldn't approve of my career choice as a designer, it's far too commercial. Regardless, I hope to still be creating in my nineties. He is what I consider a true artist and a gem. I am lucky to share his genes.

I invite you to see more of Clayton & Barbara Straker James' (his wife) work at the Lucia Douglas Gallery in Bellingham, WA and read more about him here.

Photos courtesy of Lucia Douglas Gallery.

Adobe Design Achievement Awards

The deadline for entries to the 2007 Adobe® Design Achievement Awards is coming up: April 27, 2007. The ADAA is an international design competition for students. You can enter work as an individual or group. The competition categories are: Animation, Digital Illustration, Digital Photography, Environmental Graphics and Packaging, Interactive and Web Design, Live Action, Motion Graphics, Print Design Multi Page and Print Design Single Page.
First prize in each category will receive $5000USD, airfare to and accommodations in San Fransisco and any seven Adobe/Macromedia software products.
The work has to have been created this past year. Piece of cake!

See Jane Work

I've always used my being artistic as an excuse for the organized chaos I call a workspace.
Well, no more excuses. SeeJaneWork.com is a great website that has stylish supplies for the organized creative. Next thing you know I'll be borrowing Kelley's labeler!
My path to redemption starts with:
Bella Leather Portfolio
No.2 Frame Labels
Acrylic Letter Tray
Caspari Weave Print File Folders

Helvetica: the movie

Happy 50th Birthday you sexy Swiss typeface! We can't wait to see Helvetica: A Documentary Film by Gary Huswit. The film features interviews with David Carson, Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister, and Massimo Vignelli, to name a few. Visit the film's site to find a screening in your area.

Design Dish: Minette Vaccariello

What do you do?
I am a product designer at Bright Innovation in Pittsburgh. I am also a partner/designer for Ray-Min Shoulderware, we design and hand-make one-of-a-kind bags for men and women.

Who or What inspires you?
Pittsburgh has been a bit inspiration and a motivator in a lot of the work that i've been doing. With a great arts and music community...it's been a great sounding board for new work or new projects that I want to start. The artists are very supportive and are excited to help out or collaborate with any ideas that you have. With this kind of backing (plus the low cost of living)...you're inspired to try out new things, start new businesses, or plan new projects.

Do you listen to music when you work? If so, what are you listening to these days?
I've been getting into Erland Oye's Whitest Boy Alive album...it's a bit more mellow than his Unrest album, but I'm diggin' it all the same.

What are you reading?
I just picked up the new Blueprint Magazine. It's fantastic...all sorts of great tips on fashion and on your home, a bit of DIY...and all with a touch of class.

Been to any good web sites lately?
www.etsy.com
It's a great site for anything handmade....especially if you're looking for a unique gift.


What shows have you been to lately?
Last week I went to Woodlab, it's a bi-weekly show here in Pittsburgh. It features a lot of local musicians who want to experiment with new material. Each month Woodlab puts out a compilation of all the bands that perform...with album art from a local artist. It's been great to see local musicians and artists collaborating on this project.

How do you unplug (what do you do with your spare time)?
Lately I've been focusing on sewing and practicing my accordion. I have a BeeGentles (BeeGentles = BeeGee's cover band on guitar and accordion) show coming up and I have to work on some new BeeGee's songs. If I want to really unwind...put on the History channel and knit....the new Dark Ages documentary is really fascinating.

Design Dish: Cara Ragusa

What do you do?
I'm an art director at an advertising agency in Raleigh, NC. A lot of my time is spent working with a copywriter to develop ad campaigns. This includes designing layouts for print ads, and art directing TV and photo shoots. Since it's a small agency, I wear a lot of hats. So I'm also responsible for less glamorous things like ad resizes and internal display signage, paperwork, etc. But I do have some fun assignments that are strictly design based - recently redesigned the company's identity system, and I've done some magazine covers and articles, packaging and direct mail design as well.

Who or What inspires you?
I'm inspired when people understand that design is not just 'making things pretty' - that it's about the visual organization of information. It's a skilled trade and a very useful tool for businesses, government, organizations, etc. I got really excited when I met Marcia Lausen, the woman who heads up Design for Democracy - an AIGA-based organization that's taking design to the election polls. After the last election, our country saw a real need for user-friendly ballots. She's gone beyond just ballot design and done everything from candidate informational booklets to election poll signage to poll workers' paperwork to the industrial design of poll machines, tables, kits, etc. It's amazing, and makes me proud to be a designer. When you compare what is currently in use to the clean, concise designs she's proposing - it really makes you appreciate what you do.

Do you listen to music when you work? If so, what are you listening to these days?
I LOVE Lily Allen. She's cute as a button, but swears like a sailor. I want her to be my new best friend. My other new(ish) faves are Au Revoir Simone (good mood music) and TheFormat (super catchy, and the guy has a crazy voice).


What are you reading?
I usually get really overwhelmed when I walk into Barnes and Nobles, so I just wind up re-reading something from my collection. I think I've read Siddhartha a million bajillion times.

Been to any good web sites lately?
Does MySpace count? Cuz I'm addicted to that like crack. I also use www.aiga.org and www.raleigh.aiga.org as resources. They host articles on what's new in the design world, calendar of events, job + portfolio postings, blogs, interviews, downloads, etc etc.

What shows have you been to lately?
I just stayed at the COOLEST hotel in Lousiville, KY. It's called 21C, and it's a "museumhotel." Their slogan is "sleep with art" (or something like that). The basement and first floor are host to art museum space, and the other 3 floors are hotel rooms, punctuated by artwork - by the elevators, in the hallway, in the rooms. It's really a super cool idea, and I wish I had thought of it. On top of that, they have really unique bathroom products and gifts.

How do you unplug (what do you do with your spare time)?
Ever since I was a wee one, I've been a big fan of sleeping. In my waking life, I enjoy discovering new hip restaurants, shops, neighborhoods in the area. (I'm still relatively new to NC, so there's a lot to explore.) And I just started getting into yoga - it's great for a sore back and relieves so much stress.

Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon is just over a month away: April 16 2007. Adidas, a long time sponsor of the Boston Athletic Association, has a pretty sick micro-site dedicated to running. It's rich but still feels airy.

Miroslav Sasek

I bought three copies of This is Venice as gifts for all of my new nieces and nephews this past Christmas. When I first came across This is Paris on Amazon.com, I thought it was a new book— turns out Miroslav Sasek, the Czechoslovakian illustrator started this series in the late 1950s. His illustration technique which implements line, and gouache creates a cool collage technique that feels so modern.
The books in the This is series are both educational and gorgeous and cover cities and counties all around the world from Israel to Australia. You should pick one up for yourself or your favorite little one today. At $12 a pop, its the best price you'll find for a trip to Hong Kong or anywhere else you want to go!

Go ahead and jump!

I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit Jump! from Worcester photographer, Stephen DiRado. on view until April 22nd at the DeCordova in Lincoln, MA. The show features 20 photographs of people jumping off the American Legion Bridge in Martha's Vineyard and makes me ache for summer... His work captures a spirit of warm weather and nostalgia that makes me smile.

Bumble and Bumble

I've loved seeing the Bumble and bumble. Model Project ads in Time Out New York (My mom subscribes). Peter Arkle's illustrations in this series reminds me of Edward Gorey. I'm sure they are B/W because it is less expensive to print, but I actually feel it gives them a chalkboard feeling which is so right on for Bb. University.
I really think they were the highlight of the doodle style that became such a big trend in 2004. Some other highlights of doodletown: Weymouth's Annual Report for Courier and Napoleon Dynamite. We didn't have a blog at the time so I had nowhere to profess my love for these hilarious illustrations!

Like a Rock.

I've always appreciated Normal Rockwell, but never really liked his work. (How unAmerican of me.) That is until we visited the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. The thing is, I had always thought of him as a painter, and while his medium is oil, he's definitely an illustrator. All of a sudden, I had a new respect and admiration for his nostalgic works. I've never seen any of his illustrations in their original scale, only reproduced on Post magazine covers and Coco-Cola paraphernalia. But at full size, (the one above is about 4' x 3') his attention to detail and expressive brush strokes are impressive. This commission was for AT&T and I loved it! If you live in Massachusetts, New York, or VT, you must put this museum on your list of places to go.

Singin' in the Rain

A selection of cute rain boots from Nordstrom:
Jeffrey Campbell 'Welly' Rain Boot
Chooka 'Tattoo City' Rain Boot in Turquoise
Jeffrey Campbell 'Mae' Rain Boot in Skulls

Ping Pong

Technorati Profile

Fun T-Shirts

I like a little whit to my wears:
Right to Bear Arms from Busted T's
Designer's T from Veer
Crafty Skull available at Magpie
Sight Seeing at Chocosho