Designers and writers sittin' in trees...

Here's a link to a fun article I came across talking about the relationship between copy writer and designer. Written by Andy White. Published in Eight:48.

http://whitewriting.com/blog/blog/the-future-is-um-written/ 

Type is everywhere

Here are a sampling of photos of signs around my neighborhood that I find beautiful and interesting. Looking through these, it's hard to see a pattern of interest. I was taken by both new, contemporary uses of typography as well as old, traditional and sometimes dated or crumbly looking signs. I do particularly enjoy when the content's message is communicated in the type.

My favorites:

Collections

Below is a link to a presentation I gave during lecture last week showing one of my collections of "stuff" and how it describes me as a designer. The particular collection I chose is simply a series of snap shots of things in my room. As I've alluded to in an earlier post, we are fortunate as designers to create art that people surround themselves with everyday. My presentation shows examples of such art that I particularly enjoy. It also illustrates my theory that every individual should attempt to embody their personality within their living space. I feel I've always done a great job at plastering my identity all over my walls and always find it strange when someone lives in a house with a blank or generic decorating scheme.

View the presentation

Cakespy.com

Another website/blog I really like - I found out about CakeSpy at a craft fair in Seattle where the artist was showcasing her drawings. I love how this site combines adorable design and illustration with fun baking tips.

Art is everywhere, and that makes me happy

Our class visit to the V&A’s 20th Century exhibit reinforced in my mind one key benefit of being a designer – we are one of the few classes of artists that have the ability to create art that the average person can interact with every day.

Like any typical museum exhibition, the 20th Century collection sits behind glass. Visitors mosey along a well-worn path glancing at each artifact. If something catches their eye - they skim its description written on a small plaque and learn why it’s important. However, what made these pieces of art unique is that only a relativity short time ago, they were simply props in a normal person’s day-to-day life – furnishing his home, clothing her back, helping her clean the carpets or sitting in his office. The sleek lines and functionality of a typewriter, the playful pattern on a child’s dress, the organized layout of a car manual – all of these things were hand-crafted by a designer. They then entered and exited the consumer’s life and can now be celebrated alongside some of the greatest fine art ever created.

It’s fun to guess what things in my life I might find myself viewing in a museum one day. The computer I type this blog post on? The mobile phone sitting next to me? The trendy boots on my feet? What about these cool post cards we grabbed at the V&A?

Maybe even (fingers-crossed) one of my own future designs….

Oh, hello friend blog

My friend showed me this blog a few weeks ago. Not only is the content interesting and innovative, the overall look and organization is really great. So many ideas for beautifully designed crafts. Truly inspiring!

Designers I think are neato

Noma Bar:
OK, so this guy is actually an illustrator but I just read about him in a magazine recently and fell in love with his work. He does fairly simple but brilliant illustrations. I particularly enjoy his portraits where he uses familiar silhouettes of famous people or characters and then one simple icon as a facial feature that also sums up their claim to fame. I also like his pieces that use negative space to juxtapose two different figures to create meaning for each one. In the interview I read, he mentioned that the simplicity of his work causes people to mimic his style – which I thought was an interested downside and something to consider when developing one’s design style.

Sanna Annukka:
Again, dang, also an illustrator. I noticed Sanna’s work when we took the trip to the Design Museum. They were selling her prints in the gift shop. I love the 60s mod/70s feel to her work in the use of color and general shapes. I’m a huge fan of patterns as well as flat, minimal illustration and I feel that she combines the two nicely. I also love that her work isn’t limited to the printed page – it also expands into home décor and textiles.