Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair & The Stray Boys



Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair & The Stray Boys. 2 very important fashion labels to watch out for from Stockholm.


| Back to top |

Spin



Spin is a multi-disciplinary design firm founded by Tony Brook and Patricia Finegan in 1992 with the belief that graphic design is about content, functionality, expression and the physical nature of the medium. This has driven Spin to create work with originality, relevance, clarity and an element of risk. Plenty of work from the arts, cultural and commercial sectors, and the company has picked up many awards along the way.

Tony explained Spin’s way of working, “We are excited by challenging thinking, imagery and typography. A fundamental part of our approach is collaboration, with our clients and with photographers, illustrators, programmers, typographers and animators. All we are ultimately interested in is the quality of the end result.”


| Back to top |

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Graphic Thought Facility



As profiled by The Guardian: "If you've recently had to navigate your way through a Marks & Spencer's store, or swung a Habitat brown carrier bag from your arm, you've been interacting with the work of this graphic design group." GTF was established by Paul Neale and Andy Stevens in 1990 (later joined by Huw Morgan), it mixes both commercial and cultural work, and most notably known for their identity work for the Design Museum London and the Frieze Art Fair. They are also responsible for the self-labelling cardboard MeBox which kinda gives IKEA a run for their money, very cool.


| Back to top |

Haas Unica, the Neue Helvetica?



"This is the promotional publication by Team '77, outlining the strategy and realization of Haas Unica. In 1980, Team '77 (consisting of André Gürtler, Erich Gschwind and Christian Mengelt) set out to "correct" common issues found in the grotesk typefaces at the time, including Helvetica. The Haas Type Foundry, birthplace of Helvetica (originally Neue Grotesk), contracted Gürtler and Team '77 to audit the Helvetica typeface and reissue an improved version. Presently, the Linotype and Scangraphic foundries both claim ownership of the type family. Because of this, Haas Unica is commercially unavailable."

A Flickr photolog from Joe Bauldoff.


| Back to top |

Cut To Reveal You



Levi's LadyStyle: Cut To Reveal You. The new Spring Summer Ladies collection. Inspired by the symmetrical triangle, the new site introduces the shape of things to come for the self-assured sophisticated woman. Art directed and designed at OgilvyOne, Singapore.


| Back to top |

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Jon Haddock



Jon Haddock is a talented & prolific artist from Arizona, having amassed a body of work and a series of exhibitions. He became known for his earlier work 'Screenshots' which is is a series of drawings from an isometric perspective, in the style of a computer game. The subject of each drawing is the image, or images, that created a popular cultural event. I particularly like 'Cartoon Violence' & 'Embedded' series, very intriguing installation pieces and artwork.

"The subject of each drawing is the image, or images, that created a popular cultural event. Historical events (like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel) are used interchangeably with fictionalized events (like the picnic scene from The Sound of Music)." "For me," says Haddock, "there is something about all these events that I don't really understand or accept. Looking at them from the perspective of control is an attempt to understand or, at least, try to contain them." (via Newstoday)


| Back to top |

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Helvetica Neue descending...



Show the world you know your type, Helvetica Neue explained for the layman. For typography geeks... Here's a quirky t-shirt design from The Typography Shop featuring Helvetica Neue in weights descending from Ultra Black 95 to Ultra Light 25. The Women's series featured here is sexy...


| Back to top |

SEA



SEA, another revered London graphic design firm of mine. They recently celebrated 10 years in the business with a 264-page book, worth parting your hard-earned cash this month.


| Back to top |

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Part of the Weekend Never Dies



Trailer for the upcoming SoulWax documentary “Part of the Weekend Never Dies“. Directed by Saam Farahmand from the Partizan stable.

'Part Of The Weekend Never Dies’ is a documentary into Radio Soulwax, a touring concept that for the past three years has showcased the talents of four Belgians (Soulwax) who themselves programmed and promoted, DJ’d and played live, each and every night alongside a revolving array of their friends and some of the most exciting acts in modern music, travelling relentlessly through the four corners of the globe under the banner of ‘Radio Soulwax’.


| Back to top |

MadeThought



Ben Parker and Paul Austin (previously from North Design) are the heart and soul behind MadeThought. Based in the UK, they are consistently pushing the boundaries of graphic design that encompass branding, fashion, environmental and the printed matter.


| Back to top |

UNIQLO (UT) Loop



Create your own video+sound loop and submit it on the site. A customized blog widget is also included just after every submission.


| Back to top |

Spiritualized + Mark Farrow



An insight to the thought process behind the album sleeve design for Spiritualized's latest LP 'Songs in A&E'. Art directed and designed with Mark Farrow. (via Creative Review).


| Back to top |

R.FM



R.FM is a new mobile electronic music video gallery. Now, the R.FM channel is live on Joost, which follows the same selection criteria as the innovative music service R.FM does for it's mobile service but with a focus on visual expressions. There's tour dates, songs, videos, pictures, blogs, band information, digital downloads and more.


| Back to top |

Monday, April 21, 2008

Artist Series 08: Stefan Sagmeister



Documentary on designer Stefan Sagmeister, on location at his recent show at Deitch Projects, NYC from HillmanCurtis, Inc.


| Back to top |

New on Muxtape





New selection up on Muxtape. Plus a quick tutorial from Peter on harnessing the power of Fluid’s new thumbnail plugin to create a simple Muxtape application with sweet coverflow previews of the featured mixes.

Tracklist:
Little Anthony & The Imperials - Can You Imagine (EMI SpecialMarkets)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Crush (Virgin)
Sébastien Tellier - Roche (Record Makers)
Cut Copy - Out There On The Ice (Modular)
Soundhack - Rodeo (MMM/Soundhack)
Joakim - Lonely Hearts (Loving Hand Remix by Tim Goldsworthy) (!K7/Versatile)
Booka Shade - Karma Car (Album Version) (Get Physical)
Dubfire - I Feel Speed (Audion Remix) (SCI+TEC Digital Audio)
Compuphonic & Kolombo - Emotion (Edit) (Turbo)
Shocking Pinks - Dressed To Please (Nathan Fake Remix) (DFA/EMI)
Romanthony - The Wanderer (Journey Man Thump) (Black Male Records)
Matthew Dear - Don And Sherri (Hot Chip Version) (Ghostly International)


| Back to top |

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Peter Hook



I love New Order, I really do... But sometimes I wonder if Peter Hook is for real. This particular clip shows him 'hard at work' on the consoles. No headphones, no swapping of vinyls or discs, just primarily tweaking the EQs. Sheer sound technical wizardry? Read the comments after the video feed, hmm...


| Back to top |

The Electronic Ensemble



Beautifully hand-made cardboard analogue models by Dan McPharlin, Dan is also a full-time illustrator. Some of his miniture pieces were previously commissioned by Non-Format's sleeve design for Jean Jacques Perry & Luke Vibert.

*An update: His work is on this month's cover of Wallpaper*.


| Back to top |

Friday, April 18, 2008

Lad Musician



Yuichi Kuroda is the designer behind Lad Musician. Started in 1995, he has clung to the glam-rock aesthetic that originally inspired him. With homages ranging from Robert Frank's film ' Cocksucker Blues' chronicling The Rolling Stones, to The Stone Roses and record label 4AD. Lad Musician's clout in the Japanese fashion world is continuing to grow and expand into international markets as well, gathering a cult-like worship amongst those in the know.

The popularity of this Tokyo-based brand has perpetuated a new trend in Japan in regards to body image; men who want to be fashionable, tall and gangly. Well, I may not have that physique but the cut of their tees fit me just fine.


| Back to top |

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Black Book by Pentagram



The Black Book is a compilation of projects drawn from the last several years of design firm Pentagram's practice. Arranged in alphabetical order, the 800-page volume shows the range of their practice in terms of the areas in which they work and the stylistic vocabularies at play. There's also a recent feature on them documented by HillmanCurtis, Inc.

They are one of the many firms that I hold with highest regard. Speaking of which, I'll share with you a handful of my revered design firms in the next coming posts.


| Back to top |

Leica: 1 1/2 Love Stories



Leica's new corporate website, viewed from 3 different perspectives. Designed by Scholz & Volkme. (via Newstoday).


| Back to top |

The Library



Possibly... My next short getaway. Part of the Design Hotels™ AG conglomerate. A lovely branding plus an annual compendium series showcasing 162 members of the Design Hotels™ group with a conceptual focus on international architecture & design. Our very own New Majestic Hotel is also a member. My previous accommodation was here, impeccable service and ambience.


| Back to top |

Muxtape on the iPhone & Dock



Muxtape now plays on the iPhone and in your Dock as an application. Works primarily on the Mac OS Leopard 10.5.


| Back to top |

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

11



'11' is a collaboration of two companies - GRO design and Tim modelmakers – each contributing their world-class specialist skills to this showcase project. Exhibited during the Milan Design Week 2008.

"Many new football stadiums built in recent years have a strong architectural and sculptural beauty, becoming city landmarks in their own right and enhancing the visual landscape of the local environment. We wanted the design of our football table to be equally spectacular and memorable, enriching the interior space where it will be placed."


| Back to top |

Help



Everyone needs a little help from time to time.

An update (from the Creative Review blog): Help Remedies was founded by Richard Fine and Nathan Frank and the design of the brand was conceived by New York’s ChappsMalina design studio. “Using the packaging as a dramatic device to convey a sense of comfort and calm in an incredibly noisy landscape was the central idea in creating this design”, says Malina. “The Help packaging was designed to not only reflect this approachable tone but, working with paper pulp, a completely new and untapped material in this category, enabled us to add a dimensional twist to the story. It’s kind of an inside-out approach that’s playful and intuitive for the consumer” adds Scott Chapps. More of the article here.


| Back to top |

Rick Myers: Subscription Editions



It was his work for Manchester band Doves that caught my attention. Rick Myers has devised 4 specially printed hand-cut and sewn artists zines with individually detailed artwork additions and inserts.


| Back to top |

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Funny Games



Funny that Michael Haneke should revisit his own masterpiece. My 2 cents worth... The synopsis, that is if you're not going to watch the original or the 2007 remake.

"My films are intended as polemical statements against the American 'barrel down' cinema and its dis-empowerment of the spectator. They are an appeal for a cinema of insistent questions instead of false (because too quick) answers, for clarifying distance in place of violating closeness, for provocation and dialogue instead of consumption and consensus." So why the U.S.?


| Back to top |

The Rather Difficult Font Game



Brings out the typography geek in you.


| Back to top |

Monday, April 14, 2008

Unknown Pleasures: Most iconic cover?



Magpie recently polled over 1,000 of their registered users to find out what they thought was the most iconic album cover of all time. Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures came out as their favourite, a decision that led to a wave of nostalgia in Magpie HQ based in Macclesfield, which was Ian Curtis’s hometown. Peter Saville should be more than happy to pickup the artwork from Bernard Sumner? More insights here.


| Back to top |

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Booka Shade: The Sun & The Neon Light



Following 2006's massively acclaimed 'Movements' album, which included the club hits 'Night Falls', 'In White Rooms', 'Mandarine Girl' and the classic 'Body Language'; and an extensive world tour which saw them play over 150 dates in 20 months. Booka Shade aka Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, return with their third album, 'The Sun & The Neon Light'. Additional press releases and discography on their very own Get Physical label.


| Back to top |

POPMYCHERRY vs Miso Flamingo DJ Bootcamp



Roll up for a one-off Velvet Goldmine-inspired party that combines the quirky musical fun of POPMYCHERRY! with live music-inspired art, customised cocktails as well as a special showcase from the graduates of Miso Flamingo DJ Bootcamp. Cherry proclaims 'Come show your love for the new wave of female DJs!'.

Music Policy: Across all genres, so come and be surprised. Dresscode: Velvet Goldmine X Ziggy Stardust X The Jetsons.

26th (Sat) April. 9pm till late. CAMP at House, 8D Dempsey Road.


| Back to top |

My so-called life... Agathe de Bailliencourt



"My so-called life", a solo exhibition from Agathe de Bailliencourt, held at the Galerie Catherine & Andre Hug in Paris, from 17th April to 17th May. The exhibition will present her last paintings on canvas. The opening will take place on Saturday 19th of April from 4pm to 8pm at the Galerie Hug, 9 Rue de L'Echaude, 75006 Paris.

In Berlin, "Occupation à 6", her most recent installation is located in the cellar of the Hugo Boss Orange Store, Max-Beer Strasse 2-4, D-10119 Berlin. Appréciez l'exposition!


| Back to top |

The Tracey Fragments



Recommended: Based on screenwriter Maureen Medved’s novel of the same name, 'The Tracey Fragments' uses highly inventive and dynamic Mondrian-like split screens to tell the story. On screen for nearly every frame of the film, Ellen Page (from Hard Candy) delivers a tour-de-force performance. Directed by Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo) and scored by Broken Social Scene. Thanks Sharon!


| Back to top |

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Spin/3: Action, Time, Vision



A design feature and essay on 7" singles of the Punk genre on a broadsheet format. So what are they still doing here? Two reasons – attitude and originality.The covers selected are based purely on their design – there are some classics - but many of the sleeves are off the beaten track, so no Sex Pistols, but plenty of acts like ATV, The Door and the Window, Six Minute War and The Normal to enjoy. Spin/3 retails at £4/€5/$8 plus postage. More images at Spin.


| Back to top |

Friday, April 11, 2008

Teknograd Campaign



Hilarious and effective ad campaign for Teknograd, an IT company that provides Macintosh support. I hope these executions are not scams... (via ComputerLove)


| Back to top |

NeWork Magazine No.1



NeWork Magazine is a broad sheet newspaper publication for readers who appreciate the value of new ideas. Designed and published bi-annually by Studio Newwork, issue No.1 displays a selection of contributors from New York. With the format as such, the pages can be displayed on the wall as posters. Bespoke typefaces reflect each contributors' work and their inspiration towards typography in graphic design.


| Back to top |

James: She's A Star (MTV, 1997)



'She's A Star', the first single from James 1997 LP 'Whiplash'. The promo video & single are both beautiful, lush, mesmerizing yet electrifying at the same time. And one of the more powerful and bizarre album sleeves from Blue Source. Always on my toplist of faves.


| Back to top |

Safari v.3.1: Typeface embedding



Typography variety is coming back to the Web. Safari 3.1 for Windows and Mac now supports the embedding of “sfnt fonts” (TrueType, OpenType PS, OpenType TT) using the font-face declaration. Technically the fonts are not embedded in the website, but they are simply linked like an image file. Thus the fonts need to be stored on a public server. Since you cannot upload commercial fonts to a public webserver, you are limited to freeware fonts. However does that apply to typefaces embedded on websites built in Flash? Go figure...


| Back to top |

Surface To Air



There's something about how their clothes and accessories are designed & crafted that makes me go back for more...

In addition, they are a creative studio with offices in New York, Stockholm, Paris and Tokyo; operating in the arts, fashion and the design communication sectors. And to top it all off, an all-in-one art gallery and retail boutique.


| Back to top |

Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival



Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival arrives on our shores, all happening from 16th to 18th May. Sonic boom!


| Back to top |

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Robert Longo + Maximo Park



Yes (pun not intended), Robert Longo; the artist's drawings became the inspiration behind the imagery campaign for Maximo Park's debut album. Designed at... well, YES Studio.

A little trivia: One of his limited pieces was also featured (right wall of the living room) in the opening sequence of the movie adaptation of 'American Psycho'.


| Back to top |

Nikola Tamindzic: The Home Of The Vain



This is where Nikola Tamindzic's photography site Ambrel.net left off. As documented, while Ambrel.net will remain active, The Home Of The Vain captures his latest work, drawn from professional assignments as much as his personal projects: shooting portraits, fashion, sex, nightlife and, even an occasional landscape.

Don't gawk, admire...


| Back to top |

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Paul Belford+This Is Real Art



Paul Belford, together with ex-partner and consultant Adrian Shaughnessy (previously from Intro) helms This is Real Art. After completing a PhD in Biochemistry, he began working as an art director in 1988. He has held senior management positions at TBWA, Ogilvy and AMV BBDO where he was Joint Creative Director. He is often asked to lecture, write, teach and judge awards shows all over the world. Paul has a strong interest in promoting craft and has won D&AD Pencils for both advertising and graphic design. He has helped D&AD with many of its educational activities such as Workout and tutoring at student portfolio surgeries at Congress. Belford is also a member of the D&AD Executive.

Paul is responsible for many creative campaigns including Waterstones, Playstation, the Economist, and The Type Museum, and among others. He concentrates on making ads not look like ads and employs very creative ideas and techniques to do this.


| Back to top |

Design Auction



Faye Morrow, Matt Mellor, Liam Mitchell; 3 students from Lincoln School of Art & Design raise funds for their degree show. A big venue, a special guest auctioneer, a website and a catalogue, and a whole lot of design memorabilia up for auction. Over 100 items donated by 64 designers, magazines and publishers will be auctioned off by Jonathan Barnbrook.


| Back to top |

Justice - DVNO (MTV)



Justice latest promo video, art directed by So-Me for Ed Banger Records. They're having a good time taking a piss with the world's obession with iconography, speaking of which some are vintage symbols/icons of the 20th century. Brilliant!


| Back to top |

Nikolay Saveliev presents Pop Matters



Vinyl record sleeves with a 2-sided insert featuring faux-academic material on pop music and the state of the record industry, seeded with promotional material for indie radio stations. Snuck onto used & new record store shelves, a brilliant idea.


| Back to top |

Dieter Rams



The work of revered German product/industrial designer Dieter Rams captured through images on Flickr. Many of his designs - wonderfully sleek coffee makers, calculators, radios, audio/visual equipment, consumer appliances and office products - have found a permanent home at many museums over the world, including MoMA in New York.

For nearly 30 years Dieter Rams served as head of design for Braun A.G. until his retirement in 1998. He continues to be a legend in design circles and most recently designed a cover for Wallpaper* magazine. It is speculated that Rams' designs have been influential on Jonathan Ive of Apple, Inc., responsible for the designs of audio and hardware products as the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.

Brief articles on him can be found on Vitsoe and the Design Museum. Be sure to read his 'Ten Commandments of Good Design'.

Good design is innovative.
Good design makes a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic.
Good design helps us to understand a product.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest.
Good design is durable.
Good design is consequent to the last detail.
Good design is concerned with the environment.
Good design is as little design as possible.


| Back to top |

Design Conferences?



"Isn't it time we demanded more?"
Here's a thought-provoking article from Rick Poynor, featured in this month's issue of Creative Review.


| Back to top |

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

The HORT



"It is encouraged that you don't see the work displayed on this website as a library of ideas and visual styles to pick and choose from, but a showcase of our capabilities and achievements." Way to go Eike! Those familiar with the Get Physical record label, here's the team that's responsible for their album sleeves and other various cutting edge graphic design work.


| Back to top |

My Papercuts



Who says we don't send cards anymore? Oh yes we do... A contribution piece to this quirky project initiated by Sabrina. Website designed by Silnt.


| Back to top |

Muxtape & UNIT MusicBooth



A virtual mixtape application created by Justin Ouellette, here's my selection. The UNIT MusicBooth has been updated too, enjoy.


| Back to top |

All Back To Mine: Session.22 (Zouk Winebar)



All Back To Mine: Session.22
12 April (Sat) ZOUK Winebar
-
'All Back To Mine' is a monthly bar night-out where we dig deeper into the depths of our eclectic music collection; inspired by compilations from 'Back To Mine', 'The Trip', 'DJ-Kicks' & 'Late Night Tales'. Not bowing down into the rigid genrefication of music, there's a lot of playfulness, upfront rhythms, emotion and warmth running through our selection with a delightful nod to the future, past and present. So roundup your mates, grab plenty of drinks and make yourself comfortable as we indulgently playout y(our) favourite tracks. Lovingly selected by Daniel.
-
12 April (Sat) 2008 10.30pm till late.
ZOUK Winebar 17 Jiak Kim Street Singapore 169420


| Back to top |