Triboro Design has been receiving some much deserved press recently, including a feature in September Industry. Triboro is powered by the dynamic married duo of Stefanie Weigle and David Heasty. Their leftovers are better than most design work I see. For more information on their work, take a look at the IDSGN feature.
A Curated Collection of Thought on Design
Influencers
Influencers is a mini-documentary that explores the power of influence in the digital age. Through the lens of influential artists, like Jay-Z, you get a sense of how style travels, reaching an ever-growing group of people. At 14 minutes, it’s an easy watch.
Art of the Title
If you are looking for type inspiration, look no further than the collected wisdom of Hollywood. (Well, that might be a little strong.) But, every film is a brand, and in many cases, studios have invested heavily in the creation of unique typefaces and treatments for films. Historically, it amounts to one of the largest collections of type, and because screens have evolved, like the presses on which we print, the historical record of these faces is also a historical record of technical advancement. Christian Annyas has amassed a large gallery of these works, which includes trailer titles and end titles. Steven Hill also has a nice collection of title screens. Finally, I would also recommend The Art of the Title Sequence, which looks at the art and design of title sequences.
Apple Destroyed
Fubiz is featuring a series of photographs that emerged out of a collaboration between Michael Tompert and photographer Paul Fairchild. The photographs feature Apple products, after they have been destroyed. There is an abstract beauty in the destroyed objects, which have been shot, sliced, and burned.
The KDU
I was looking around the world wide web for inspiration and discovered The Keystone Design Union, The KDU for short. In addition to beautiful design work, they publish an amazing collection of artwork, titled the Solstice: Aesthetic Journal. The journal is available as a PDF and is packed with inspirational illustration and typography. They also have a blog, which features work from members of The KDU.
SPD
If you aren’t a fan of the Society of Publication Designer’s web site, you should be. Beyond sporting some magnificent work, the web site hosts a number of blogs and conversations, which focus on the art of laying out pages. Grids, the official blog, is a great point of reference for emerging work, like the recent redesign of Bloomberg Businessweek. And, there are great galleries, which showcase award winning work.
Stencil Made Modern
Glaser Stencil, which was designed by Milton Glaser during 1970, has been revived by URW and is available for purchase through We Work for Them. At the low, low price of $35 for the family, you might as well get a license for your Mom.
Memories of an Escapist
Nando Costa has produced a beautiful series of letterpress prints, which were inspired by the artists who shaped his approach. The series includes interpretations of Hieronymus Bosch, Lygia Clark, Maurits Cornelis Escher, Wassily Kandinsky, Stephen and Timothy Quay (Brothers Quay) and Bill Viola. The prints were produced by Keegan Meegan in Portland. Take a second, have a look, and buy a print for your mom.
HORT
I recently discovered HORT, a unique design firm based in Germany. (Oddly enough, that doesn’t keep them from using a UK URL. Or, are they an organization? Who knows?) There is something about their work that is refreshingly raw, from the multiple explorations they have done for Nike to the refined work of their identity for Calle. Their work expresses an energy that is difficult to recreate. Definitely worth a look.
U&lc for You
High resolution copies of U&lc, the legendary typography publication, are now available for download. Apparently, the folks at fonts.com couldn’t resist the urge to create some high-resolution scans of the publication. There comments follow:
Every month, we will make one volume (a year’s worth of publications) available through the Fonts.com blog. There are, however, a couple of caveats. First, the files are big – as in “way big.” The low-resolution files can be as big as 18 MB and the high-resolution files are downright huge at over 85 MB in some cases. Second, they are not perfect. The original documents were sometimes faded, cracked or torn. That combined with a semi-automated scanning process (over 9,000 pages scaned) resulted in some unavoidable “character” traits. The final caveat is that the above plan could change depending on audience interest level (or lack thereof). So, if you love it, let us know.
Download the first three today and feast your eyes on some beautiful design.
Kim Rugg
There is craft, and then, there is CRAFT. Kim Rugg’s work is an exercise in the discipline of art, and her craft would be the envy of any designer. Take a look at the Cool Hunting video, where she explains her work.
Kim Rugg from Cool Hunting on Vimeo.
Alphabet Relief
Alphabet Relief is a beautiful type exploration that was created by Tim Fishlock. The alphabet features a series of three-dimensional letters that were made by hand and photographed. Make sure that you buy a poster. Tip courtesy of AisleOne.
Structure of Light
Pentagram recently posted a new poster for the Yale School of Architecture. The poster, titled Structure of Light, is accompanied by a sketch of the original concept (shown above). I love to see the thinking behind these projects.
It’s Nice That
There is a new issue of It’s Nice That. It features 128 pages of incredible work, including interviews with Nick Knight, graphic designer Neville Brody, artist Miranda July, interactive designers Troika, directors RBG6, culinary creatives Bompass & Parr, and illustrator Noma Bar. There is even a short video on issue four. Buy a copy today.
Compostmodern
On January 22 and 23, San Francisco will host another installment of Compostmodern, a conference dedicated to discussing the intersection between design and sustainability. I’ve been part of the planning process for this conference, and it is turning into a truly remarkable two-day event. In addition to a lineup of exceptional speakers, which includes Bruce Mau, Yves Behar, and Janine James, there is a full-day unconference, where attendees will engage in discussions and launch projects. Core 77 is hosting a design competition that will take place before and during the conference. And, throughout the event, there will be parties and other events for people who are interested in the future of sustainable design.
I’ll write about the conference on a few occasions, but if you are interested in attending, grab your early-bird tickets now.
Display
Kind Company, the group that designed my favorite Alvin Lustig web site, recently launched a new design resource called Display. Display is “a curated collection of important modern, mid 20th century graphic design books, periodicals, advertisements and ephemera.” And, it is beautiful. If you have a free moment, start with the piece on Bob Noorda. It’s a fantastic introduction to the work of a great designer.
The Wilderness Downtown
In association with Google Chrome, Chris Milk just released an interactive experience called The Wilderness Downtown. The video, which showcases Arcade Fire’s We Used to Wait, explores new functionality within HTML5 and shows how Google Chrome is pushing the limits. It’s a great example of interactivity that connects meaningful media and personalized content.