|
Free Updates
Search
Navigation
Authors
Bryn Mooth
|
Bridgid McCarren
|
Sarah Morton Whitman
|
Megan Lane Patrick
|
Jessica Kuhn
|
Contact the staff
|
Blogroll
|
 Thursday, November 19, 2009 Thursday, November 05, 2009 Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Real Fake
Photo studio realfake specializes in creative retouching, photo composition and digital illustration. What's fun about looking at their portfolio is that they include the original sources images along with the final illustration so you can see how they work their magic. In a recent series of ads for Back to Nature Natural Food Products, realfake combined images of a woman shopping with her daughter with close ups of squirrels. It made me laugh.
 Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 2:03:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
|
|
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 Friday, August 28, 2009
Wow! Packaging
Special edition 50-year-old Glenfiddich scotch comes in some impressive packaging. (I would love to taste it!)
This is what packaging for a $15,000 bottle whiskey looks like.
Only 500 individually numbered, hand-blown glass bottles will be
available, each adorned with Scottish silver and packaged in
leather-bound cases. 50 bottles will be released each year, for a
period of 10 years.
via The DielinePosted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, August 28, 2009 3:04:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Monday, July 20, 2009
Amazing Stop-Motion Animation
Two currently-seeking-work creatives in London, Tom Wrigglesworth and Matthew Robinson, created this fantastic stop-motion animation by sync'ing HP printers.
via Core77
HP - invent from Tom and Matt on Vimeo.
Creativity
Monday, July 20, 2009 9:42:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Monday, July 13, 2009 Friday, June 12, 2009
Charming
Julia Icenogle is a Kansas City-based illustrator. While her drawings are often charming, funny and adorable, I'm most enamored with her photography series "Lauren the Tyrant."
 Posted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, June 12, 2009 2:53:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Strange Things Are Afoot
Photographer Jonah Samson created a series disturbing dioramas that chronicle the very unpleasant happenings in the fictional Pleasantville.
 Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 5:34:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Monday, June 08, 2009
Paper Craft
We've noticed a recent increased interest in making objects from paper. We collected a group of awesome paper toys in Urban Paper, which just came out. And another collection of paper goodies will be published early next year in a book called Papercuts. The fab German publisher Gestalten is releasing a book called Papercraft this fall that looks like a stunning collection of different kinds of paper art and design.
 Posted by Megan
Creativity | HOW Books
Monday, June 08, 2009 2:01:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, June 05, 2009
Brainstormer
The Brainstormer is a clever Flash app developed by illustrator Andrew Bosley. It's perfect for time you get stuck and just need to come up with an original idea. Spin the wheel and get inspiring word combinations like:
Benefaction - Steampunk - Celler
Vengence for a Crime - Enlightened - Fishing Boat
Self-Preservation - Wild West - Cannon
via Drawn!Posted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, June 05, 2009 7:25:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Monday, June 01, 2009 Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Color Inspiration
You can find ideas for color palettes just about anywhere. Wear Palettes looks to street fashion to create fresh palettes you can use to inspire your work.  via Inspiration ResourcePosted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:30:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, April 24, 2009
Busting Out Of Your Creative Rut
Designer David Sherwin shares his 10-step process for busting through designer's block, which he calls a " Stop Trying Ritual." - Notice you're being too critical of your design on the screen
- Move away from your computer and find a nice quiet space
- Take our your notebook and draw the first thing you remember this morning after the alarm went off
- Write five words that your drawing reminds you about
- Draw a fancy chart highlighting the relationships between those five words
- Pour yourself the last dregs of coffee and take a slow sip
- Focus on your breath
- Take the book nearest to you, go to page 34, and copy down the 3rd
sentence in the second paragraph next to (or within) the chart
- Go back to the computer, print the most recent version of your design, and place your sketchbook next to it
- Take at least one element from your notebook and place it into your design
Posted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, April 24, 2009 8:28:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
World Pinhole Photography Day
Creativity
Friday, April 24, 2009 1:14:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Beautiful Mistakes
Creativity
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 1:20:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Monday, April 06, 2009
We Make Letters
At the very creative blog We Make Words, Amy and Luci transform household items into letters that spell words like "nice," "sorry," and "fairy."    via designworklifePosted by Megan
Creativity | Typography
Monday, April 06, 2009 6:16:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, March 13, 2009
Creative Cards
Photojojo, a fun photography tips blog, has a nice little roundup of 12 business card ideas for creative people. In
fact, your cards should be more creative than anybody’s, especially
when the economy’s gone all pear-shaped. An artistic card will make
people remember you/ think you’re awesome/ give you money.
Posted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, March 13, 2009 6:49:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Friday, March 06, 2009
Artist Leaves Kimono Legacy
I've never worn a kimono, but looking at these beauties makes me want to start. A DIY method from Itchiku Kubota is outlined here.   Left to right: Ohn/ Fuji and Woodland (1989) and Ryou/Certitude (1986), Itchiku Kubota Art Museum.Kubota was an artist, with a dream to live to age 100 so he could complete a series of
75 kimonos that would form a beautiful tapestry called “Symphony of
Light.” He completed 30 pieces before his death in 2003. Today,
his family carries on the tradition. Their work is now on exhibit in Canton, Ohio, through April 26. See Exhibit DetailsAre you working on a series or collection of any kind, like Kubota and his beautiful kimonos? Posted by Jessie
Creativity | Just for Fun
Friday, March 06, 2009 2:52:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
From Big To Little
I admit that I'm a sucker for photography that makes life-size things look like miniatures. And the opening credits to the new show Dollhouse have tilt-shifted their way into my heart. But I'm totally in love with this series of photographs by Matthew Tischler where he shoots people through screens. The blurring effect makes real people look like tiny railroad miniatures.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 8:56:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Friday, February 13, 2009
It Was Messy
Writer and design-watcher Matthew Porter sent a link today to an article that I'd missed on NYTimes.com, in which Michael Bierut recalls his early career and its trajectory from drawing board to desktop computer. It's a terrific read. Here's my favorite snippet: If you worked in a design studio in 1980, you were surrounded by colored paper, rubber cement, X-Acto knives and cans of aerosol spray glue. Our work, whether an annual report or a poster, was done by hand.
It was messy. What we did was a craft, like making a perfect pineapple upside-down cake. Even for an experienced designer, doing simple things demanded methodical, even surgical, procedures.
If a client wanted a revision, it generally took overnight. If the client was in a different time zone, it might take days. Mistakes were costly and occasionally dangerous: many a designer my age has at least one scar as a souvenir of a late-night slip-up with an X-Acto knife. Being a good designer was one thing. Attaining the physical mastery to execute a complex design was another.
If you were in the design biz in those days and miss the physical part of the work—or if you're a younger designer and groove on the whole DIY/craft thing—you're in luck: HOW's upcoming May/June issue is PACKED FULL of design and creative techniques that'll encourage you to haul out the X-Acto knives, Staedtler pens and printing ink. We're having an absolute blast putting it together.
Creativity
Friday, February 13, 2009 4:00:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Friday, February 06, 2009
Got Clutter?
I just think this is the best way to put those extra supplies, just taking up space, to a great use ... Brainforest, a creative agency in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, discovered a surplus of useful material sitting around when they moved 4 years ago. Instead of pitching or allowing the stuff to accumulate more dust, they donated these art supplies to a neighborhood school, and CreativePitch.org was born for the Chicago area. The idea is to provide working art teachers, who are sometimes battling a budget of $1/student, with materials that they would not normally have access to (quality paper, markers, callage material, etc).  How to help? If you live in Chicago, contact Brainforest or CreativePitch.org. If you live elsewhere: donate to your local school, contact creativepitch.org about starting your own local branch location, or donate money to CreativePitch.org to help spur development of their National Creative Pitch initiative. Posted by Jessie
Creativity
Friday, February 06, 2009 8:23:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Design Quotes
There's lots more where this came from."People think that design is styling. Design
is not style. It’s not about giving shape to the shell and not giving a
damn about the guts. Good design is a renaissance attitude that
combines technology, cognitive science, human need, and beauty to
produce something that the world didn’t know it was missing."
— Paola Antonelli via Swiss Miss Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, February 03, 2009 3:46:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A Stitch in Time
And we thought writing a blog every day was hard ... then we find Embloggery, whose author is, you guessed it, stitching her (almost) daily entries. Sheesh. 
Creativity
Thursday, January 15, 2009 2:54:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Coraline!
I saw brief preview of this stop-motion animated movie recently and thought it looked cool. Then I stumbled on the movie website created by Wieden+Kennedy and now my stomach aches in anticipation. Everything in the movie is made by hand: all the sets, all the puppets, all the props. There are little video snippets around the site that give a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the amazing miniatures. It will blow your mind!  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 8:24:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Pretty Loaded
"Pretty Loaded is an archive of preloaders that preload other preloaders . . . which in turn reveal yet more preloaders." Basically, this fun site from Big Spaceship celebrates the lowly website preloader animation by capturing them in one place for your visual pleasure/inspiration.    Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 6:40:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
A Good Use For Twitter
I tried to get into Twitter, but it never seemed that useful until I came across a post on Drawn about Oblique Strategies by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt, a deck of cards to help redirect your creative thinking when you're stuck. What's better is that Eno posts new strategies on Twitter so you can follow them for fresh inspiration every day.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:08:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Monday, December 15, 2008
Winning Web Design
Take a look at some of the best websites launched this year and vote for your favorite in the FWA People's Choice Awards. I'll be looking at this sites this week as part of the judging panel for the annual Site of the Year award.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Monday, December 15, 2008 1:48:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Shadow Play
This extremely charming shadow-puppet music video was created by Swedish artist and director Johannes Nyholm. Posted by Megan
Creativity
Thursday, December 04, 2008 1:30:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Design By The Book
Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge recently partnered with the New York City Public Library to create a series of videos following five NYC artists as they find inspiration at the library. Together we invited five brooklyn-based artists to come to the library,
become inspired by its collections and have us film their entire
creative process from the beginning to the final finished product,
whatever that may be.
The first video introduces the artists, and I'm looking forward to future episodes. Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 2:16:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Most Beautiful Thing I've Seen Today
The Kent Magazine blog (which is written in Italian) pointed to Art of the Title today and specifically to the titles for To Kill A Mockingbird. It's always been one of my favorite movies. Rewatching the titles today almost made me cry and reminded me of watching Charles and Ray Eames's Tops.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:32:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Sketchbook From Hell
Yes, I'm a geek and I can't wait to see Hellboy II, but I was even more excited that the movie site offers a sneak peek inside director Guillermo del Toro's sketchbook. You can see the genesis of several characters and locations.   Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, July 01, 2008 6:33:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
48 Hour Film Project
My husband Ben, who is a designer, recently participated in The 48 Hour Film Project, where local creatives challenge themselves to make a short film in only 48 hours. The rules include drawing a random genre for the film and incorporating required elements like a specific character, prop and/or
line of dialogue. The team Ben was on made a movie called OMG Force about millennial detectives that give their boss a headache with all their texting and web surfing. He just emailed me that the movie won a people's choice award at its recent screening and is moving on to the city-wide finals. The winner of each city final will then go on to the international finals.  Posted by Megan
Creativity | Just for Fun
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 5:54:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Celestial Inspiration
Looking for some visual inspiration? Take a look way outside the box at gorgeous images from Astonomy Picture of the Day. Each photo is accompanied by a description from an astronomer so you just might learn something, too. 
What dark forms lurk in the mists of the Carina Nebula?
These ominous figures are actually
molecular clouds,
knots of molecular gas and
dust so thick they have become
opaque.
In comparison, however, these clouds are typically much less dense than
Earth's atmosphere.
Pictured above is part of the most detailed image of the
Carina Nebula ever taken, a part where dark
molecular clouds are particularly prominent.
Posted by Megan
Creativity
Thursday, June 05, 2008 6:15:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Blog Love
I just fell in love with a blog called Hula Seventy, written by Andrea in Portland, OR. I don't think she's a designer, but she's extremely creative and likes to create lists of creative challenges for herself. Get some great idea from 37 things to do before I turn 38. 2. make 25 small collages
5. hang the wall of inspiration
13. take a photography class
14. experiment with cross processing
24. spend an afternoon at a museum by myself
25. develop three rolls of film a month
26. sample a cereal-covered doughnut from voodoo doughnuts
 Posted by Megan
Creativity
Wednesday, May 07, 2008 6:58:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Loving Vintage Design
As I noted in yesterday's post about competition judging, we're seeing lots of vintage elements and inspiration these days -- the most successful designs update that old imagery with a modern (and not ironic, thank you very much) twist. If you're looking for some retro design eye-candy, check out a couple of sites we've stumbled across recently: The German-based web design-focused Smashing Magazine has a gallery of retro goodies. (Thanks to the HOW Forum for the link.) And GrainEdit.com features vintage children's books and other ephemera (like these gorgeous Israeli stamps from the 1970s), plus modern works that carry that same aesthetic. The site also includes interviews with current designers, like the guys from Wink in Minneapolis, whose work echoes the past in a cool way. 
Creativity
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 1:41:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, April 11, 2008
Creative Agency Workspaces
Need a little inspiration or just want to drool? Take a look at the collection of creative agency workspaces on This Ain't No Disco, a blog dedicated to providing a peek into the best offices in the world. Here's a look into San Francisco-based Chen Design:  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, April 11, 2008 1:31:49 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Monday, April 07, 2008
Ikea Design Stories
The new Ohio Ikea just opened less than half an hour from my house and I braved the crazy weekend crowd on Sunday to check it out. But before I went, I logged on to the website to get directions. While I was there, I came across a link that said " Ikea Madness" and I had to click. What I found was a great little section all about the Ikea designers with stories about how specific products were developed. It's an interesting peek inside the creative process.   Posted by Megan
Creativity
Monday, April 07, 2008 1:35:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Best Opening Credits
Creativity
Thursday, March 27, 2008 12:58:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Color Inspiration
Creativity
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 3:42:50 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Crest for Your Car
If you're a Scion driver, that is. (My fellow blogger, Megan, should show this to her husband, who steers a Scion to his web-design job.) Advertising/marketing firm StrawberryFrog developed a website for die-hard drivers to create a coat of arms or crest for their trusty Scions. ScionSpeak.com allows users to play with graphic elements created by graffiti artist Tristan Eaton, then post their designs in an online gallery or download them to print and apply to their cars. via NYTimes.com
Creativity
Monday, March 24, 2008 12:43:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
What Do You Want?
New York City-based artist couple Justin and Christine know exactly what they want so they paint the objects and sell them for what said items would retail for in the real world. They've just posted new March Wants like this one: "Drinks On Us" for $500.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, March 04, 2008 5:11:02 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Monday, February 25, 2008
Temporary Type
Creativity | Typography
Monday, February 25, 2008 4:25:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Friday, February 22, 2008
Zine and Noted
Over on the HOW Forum, folks are celebrating the arrival of HOWie Zine No. 11, the alphabet edition. See what all the fuss is about here and see pix of the project here.  Posted by Bryn
Creativity
Friday, February 22, 2008 4:38:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Things I Have Learned
Creativity
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:06:05 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Friday, January 18, 2008
Art On Fire
I get a great email newsletter called Design Arts Daily from American Illustration and American Photography. Today it featured the work of photographer Sara Pickering. Her most recent work consists of images of burning homes taken as part of her work as the artist in residence at the UK Fire Service College. The pictures are mysterious and haunting and beautiful.   Posted by Megan
Creativity
Friday, January 18, 2008 1:29:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
HOW Online Exclusive
Great Expectations by Todd Henry For some artists, our expectations of ourselves and our work form a
subconscious barrier to full, free creativity. In my work with creative
pros, I've uncovered three main sources of potentially unhealthy
expectations.
Unhealthy Expectation No. 1: Our heroes
Many of us began making art because we were inspired by others to
do so. If we're not careful, however, our "hero worship" can become a
creative noose. We can easily begin to think that our work is sub-par
because it doesn't seem to measure up to the invisible standard we've
unknowingly set. In his incredible book "Free Play," Stephen Nachmanovich
writes, "It's great to sit on the shoulders of giants, but don't let
the giants sit on YOUR shoulders! There's no room for their legs to
dangle."
In other words, we can carry the weight of our heroes on our
shoulders and feel the burden to carry their work forward. When we do
this, we're denying our own creative skills and passions and trying to
live up to someone else's standard. We're also discounting the
failures, doubts and missteps that our heroes made on the way to
creative success. It's great to strive for brilliance, but it's also
important to be patient with our own growth process.
Read more. Posted by Megan
Creativity | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, January 09, 2008 7:40:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Peace Out
Fifty years ago, Gerald Holtom designed what is today one of our most recognizable symbols: the peace sign. To celebrate, www.happybirthdaypeace.com is hosting an online gallery where visitors can reinterpret and upload their own version of
Holtom’s 50-year-old design. So take a creative break and contribute yourself! 
Creativity
Thursday, January 03, 2008 7:44:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Friday, December 21, 2007
Behind the Scenes: February Cover
 So, just how passionate are you about type? Like it enough to pay eight dollars for a two hour movie about one font? Love it enough to get your favorite typeface permanently tattooed to your skin? This is the excitement and enthusiasm for type which we set out to illustrate on our February cover. Our photographer, Deogracias Lerma ( www.dlermaphoto.com), and I set out to see what the father-son duo at Designs by Dana ( www.danatattoo.com) could show us about a traditional approach to tattooing. Turns out Dana, owner and tattoo veteran, and his son, Jason Brunson, tattoo artist and illustrator, are as passionate about tattoos as we are about type. They were excited to create this old-school, customized tattoo of our logo complete with traditional tattoo motifs like a swallow, rose and arrow. After spending about three hours creating this artwork on our lovely model’s back, it was time to shoot. Check out some behind the scene shots from this issues cover shoot below.  
Posted by
Bridgid
Creativity | HOW Magazine
Friday, December 21, 2007 5:14:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Quirky Christmas Cards of Yore
I just got word of a really interesting find: Designer Mollie Siu-Chong's friend found some amazing homemade Christmas cards tucked away in her grandmother's house. "They were made by
Ted Sears, Disney animator from 1931-58,
and feature Sears, his wife Vee, and
their daughter, Marcia. His IMDB bio
states: 'To amuse himself, Ted
still drew for his friends and made
props for the plays his daughter
appeared in - he also produced his
family's Christmas cards which employed
his old love for trick photography an
special effects - these holiday cards
took months to prepare and were awaited
with great anticipation by over three
hundred recipients. (he lettered the
envelopes individually, turning each
name into calligraphy.)'"    Mollie's curious whether anyone knows where Marcia, Ted's daughter
who was featured prominently in many of the found cards, is now?
Creativity | Just for Fun
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 3:29:17 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Well-Designed Wine
Portfolio magazine has an interesting little story about wine label design and how makers are taking more risks to make their products stand out on the crowded shelves.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Wednesday, December 05, 2007 3:26:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Overcoming Barriers To Creativity
by The Creative Group
Breaking new creative ground can be a challenging proposition for
designers. In a recent survey by our company, eight out of 10 in-house
designers said it's difficult to convince senior management to accept
ideas that deviate from the prevailing corporate style. And more than a
quarter of respondents cited their company's unwillingness to take
risks as the most frequent obstacle to creativity.
On the bright side, many in-house designers feel they can
exercise more creativity than they did five years ago. However, it
remains difficult to break certain barriers. Following are seven
strategies for overcoming challenges and enhancing creative freedom. Posted by Megan
Creativity
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 3:03:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Monday, October 29, 2007
Winning Letterhead
Strathmore just annouced the winners of its third quarter letterhead design competition. My favorite is the silver winner created by Milwaukee, WI-based Becker Design. You can see all the winners at the Strathmore site. Just click on "Strathmore Graphics Gallery."  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Monday, October 29, 2007 1:13:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Inspiration Afternoon
Yesterday, the HOW staff took the afternoon off and went searching for ideas, trends and cool stuff in Cincinnati's design-y stores and galleries (yes, there are such things here). Here's a bit of what caught our eyes: Carmen was fascinated by gorgeous, elaborate chandeliers, like the ones we saw at High Street (by far our fave stop):  Megan, ever the science and nature fanatic, loved the insect specimens encased in blocks of resin. (Sorry, couldn't find a photo.) Bridgid and I were drawn to the new trend in wallpaper: flat patterns rendered in huge scale on colored backgrounds, in amazing color combinations, like this scheme from Designers Guild:  Sarah was keen on all the eco-friendly goods at a shop called Park + Vine in Cincinnati's burgeoning Gateway district: 
Creativity | HOW Magazine
Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:37:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Bunny-licious
This TV spot airing in Europe for Sony's Bravia brand features stop-motion animation showing Play-Doh bunnies taking over NYC. Freakin' amazing. Via VeryShortList. 
Creativity
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:32:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
DIY ON D*S
Design*Sponge (my all time favorite blog) just launched a new column called "DIY Wednesdays." Every week, Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom of the Curiosity Shoppe will share a new project. The first project is a wooden wine box lined with gorgeous paper to use for storage. It would be great on a desk or office wall (if you're lucky enough to have a real wall). 
Posted by Megan
Creativity
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 8:42:19 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Collage A Day
Doing something every day is an abitious creative challenge and one that more artists and designers seem to be taking on. I just came across A Collage A Day where artists Randel Plowman posts a new mini-collage every day. Best of all, each the 4-inch by 4-inch creations is available for $25.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:59:13 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Pretty As A Picture
Oh Joy! (one of my regular blog stops) had a post today about designer Rebecca Thuss (former style director of Martha Stewart Weddings) with a link to ThussFarrell, a design and photography site of collaborative work with her husband Patrick Farrell. I spent some time looking at the photography side of the site and was taken with some of the lovely image juxtapositions in the portfolio there. Stop by for some tastey eye candy.  Posted by Megan
Creativity
Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:11:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Creative Challenge
Speak Up has posted the latest Word It creative challenge. August's word is "gender." If you're looking for more visual stimulation, check out The Word It Book. It's full of visual challenges and solutions sure to spark your imagination on an impossibly hot summer day. 
Posted by Megan
Creativity
Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:27:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Digging The Skulls
Posted by Meganvia Craft Richmond, VA-based designer Noah Scalin of ALR Design has an awesome creative challenge blog called Skull-A-Day. Noah has pledged to design a new skull every day for a year and the results are already interesting. 
Creativity
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 4:01:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, June 22, 2007
I Wish I Could Read Italian . . .
Creativity
Friday, June 22, 2007 4:43:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Book Covers
Posted by Meganvia Oh Joy! Book By Its Cover is a blog about . . . book design. Its author is talented pattern designer Julia Rothman. Her carefully curated selection of books is absolutely inspiring.
Creativity
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 6:09:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The Art of Coffee
Posted by MeganTwo things designers love—coffee and creativity—come together in this collection of cappuccino art images. 
Creativity
Tuesday, May 08, 2007 4:06:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Epiphanies with Drawing
Posted by
Carmen
So, back to the Y Conference I had the chance to attend about a week and a half ago. If you’ve never had the chance to check out this West-Coast event, one thing to say for it is that it’s a really great size for 1) getting to know people and 2) getting to experience everything that goes on. They keep the size at a couple hundred, and everyone watches every speaker together in one big lecture room. (The conference took place this year on the University of San Diego campus.) And another aspect of this bigger-isn’t-always-better mentality is that everyone participates in what’s called a “Thinkshop” on the second day of the conference. There are multiple sessions to choose from, and many imply a hands-on aspect that takes information into a DIY-atmosphere. There were Thinkshops about stamp design, collaborating with photographers and hand lettering. About a week before I headed out to San Diego, I got an email telling me I still needed to register for one of these Thinkshops. There were five to choose from, and I narrowed it down to Stefan Bucher’s “The Beauty of Multiples,” because I was familiar with and admired his work (he’s designed one of our covers and illustrated a fun, interactive worksheet/feature for us about discovering what you love and how to steer your career that way). Evidently, I didn’t read the description too closely, though. Because when I showed up, I discovered that I—with no drawing abilities beyond hearts and stars and swirly letters (I’m an editor, remember)—had selected the Thinkshop that required you not to draw just one item—but 100. Now, last year, you may remember that HOW’s August 2005 issue was themed “All About Design & Illustration.” Danny Gregory penned a feature about drawing in a journal everyday to energize your creativity. And he cautioned to not edit your drawing—to just draw. That was impetus enough for editors Bryn and Megan: On papers, one would sketch an impressive picture of her Starbucks cup or draw what someone in the room was wearing. Soon, doodles would fill the page. I, however, didn’t bite. So imagine me sitting in a room full of professional designers and being told, for the next two hours, to draw (what they, in the brochure, referred to as “zen drawing”). The thought crossed my mind to get up and leave. But then I wondered what I’d do instead, so I decided to give the old college try. I considered the things I typically doodle in meetings (because we all do it): Usually it consists of outlining headlines with puffy clouds and jagged lines. The most exciting it becomes is adding in flowers and leaves and maybe a unicorn (seriously). (Evidently, my drawing never really progressed past 6th doodling.) So I decided to start there, drawing what Stefan described looked like “an herb garden.” (I thought that was very nice of him to say.) At my table, the guy next to me was drawing a panoply of intricate hearts (which made me think of a Valentine’s Day mailer by Marian Bantjes). Across the table, one girl was drawing a slew of eyes and another girl 100 faces. Other people in the class were drawing gerbils and cupcake homes for them; all kinds of airplanes or jet fighters; and another drew 100 things she missed about home. Suffice it to say my “herb garden” was quickly paling in comparison. But then (because I couldn’t think of any more reiterations of leaves and flowers) I started to pay attention to my tablemates and the way they were working. I started to see how they weren’t merely drawing 100 things, but how they were using those 100 things to tell a single story—how they pulled them all together to form one narrative. For instance, I saw how the 100 hearts didn’t just stand alone, but how they fit together, one atop the other, in an intricate sort of dance. The 100 faces all melded together, as a collective sort of memory—a medley of moments in time. (Stefan’s posted images of everyone’s drawings on his blog.)  So, I started looking at my clusters of sprouts and fallen leaves and four-leaf clovers differently. I tried to figure out how to bring them all together and make them stand as one, not 100. I started weaving in huge, curly-cue ferns and flitting insects and oversized fronds that wrapped around the flora, and an idea that spoke to the wilderness and mystery that’s an essence of nature.  I still don’t consider myself prone to take up drawing as a regular hobby, but this experience gave me a new, realized perspective, and truly I think that’s what it’s all about. (These photos were taken by new conference pal Kirby Yau; you can see others from the Y Conference on his site).
Creativity | Events | HOW Magazine | Illustration
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:31:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, March 30, 2007
brilliant book design
Posted by Triciavia Readymade Judging books by their covers was never so easy. Fwis, a graphic design group in Portland, Denver and Brooklyn, has a very simple, totally visual book cover blog. They have tons of gorgeous covers for pure eye candy or if you prefer to dig deeper, a few features on book arts. 
Creativity
Friday, March 30, 2007 3:06:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Designed By Nature
Creativity
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:40:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Gorgeous Photography
Creativity
Tuesday, March 20, 2007 8:20:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
SketchFighter
Posted by MeganI can't help but think that if Napoleon Dynamite got to play SketchFighter, a new game from Ambrosia Software, he'd say it was pretty much his favorite thing ever. 
Creativity
Wednesday, March 07, 2007 5:28:52 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Visual Inspiration
Posted by MeganComic Abstraction, on exhibit at MoMA from March 4 - June 11, explores the intersection of comic and animation imagery with contemporary, abstract art.
Creativity
Tuesday, March 06, 2007 3:09:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, March 01, 2007
The Beauty of Security
Creativity
Thursday, March 01, 2007 8:26:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
my hero
Posted by TriciaAs a magazine designer, I've long considered Rodrigo Sanchez a hero for his Metrópoli covers. So, I was excited this week to see Armin Vit's interview with him on Speak Up. We are in the planning stages of the next cover here at HOW and it was refreshing to hear some of the same excitements and struggles. Even if you don't have time to read the whole thing, be sure check out the gallery and do click on each cover to see the detail in the enlarged versions. His concepts will knock your socks off.
Creativity
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 3:30:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, January 11, 2007
HOW Hits Close To Home
Posted by MeganI just got a great email from Guy Kelly, one of the book designers who works here at HOW's parent company. "I just saw the February issue of HOW, and the article about Fingerprint. Interestingly enough, without knowing about this book, I recently made a book cover with hand-made type myself."
 Nice work!
Creativity
Thursday, January 11, 2007 6:38:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Keep Up The Tempo
Posted by MeganTempo, a new online magazine, is just another example of how sophisticated design is being created by more and more people. A group of Canadian high school students started the zine as their final senior project, but decided to keep it going online after they graduated. We'll been keeping an eye out for the next issue!
Creativity
Thursday, January 04, 2007 2:31:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Constant Creativity
Posted by Meganvia Boing Boing The work of 40 New Orleans artists has been collected in a 96-page, limited-edition magazine called Constance, which "explores what might come in a place that strives to redefine the present as it reinvents the past." Check out some great contemporary design, illustration, photography and other art in this independently produced publication.  
Creativity
Thursday, December 14, 2006 4:44:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
Monday, November 06, 2006
Blogging Creativity
Creativity
Monday, November 06, 2006 5:12:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
|
|
|