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 Friday, April 25, 2008
They (don't really) Suck at Photoshop
Awhile back, we jumped on the bandwagon and posted about You Suck at Photoshop, the videonline phenom that seems to have reached beyond its core designer-geek audience to go mainstream. (At least, we think we posted about it ... we can't find the post, thanks to the not-so-great search function on this blog). Anyhoo, Time yesterday revealed the IDs of the two guys behind YSAP. Turns out, they're Matt Bledsoe and Troy Hitch, two ad guys in Covington, KY, which, so you know, is just across the river from us here at HOW HQ. Who knew?
Designers
4/25/2008 1:06:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sweet Lettering
I was following links today, looking for some inspiration, when I stumbled on designer/typographer Marian Bantjes website. Clicking around her portfolio, I found an amazing project where she created the letters from sugar. It turns out it was an assignment for Stefan Sagmeister's book " Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far," which has been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to take the time to really look through it. So I let myself spend some time with a few of the chapters, which are bound seperately. Whatever you might think of Stefan and his design star status, the book is inspiring and fun to look at. It's clear that Mr. Sagmeister is very much in touch with an impish, child-like impulse to create something out of nothing.  Posted by Megan
Typography
4/24/2008 2:34:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Uh So
I'm drawn to this set of ambivalent coasters by Canadian illustrator Ray Fenwick.  Posted by Megan
Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
4/24/2008 11:21:39 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Special Event
Betcha didn't know that April 27 is World Graphics Day, as designated by Icograda (that's also the organization's birthday). A smattering of gallery exhibits and special design-related programs is scheduled around the globe. From Icograda: On this occasion, designers reflect and hope that our international
network can contribute to a greater understanding between people and
can help to build bridges where divides and inequities exist.
The organization is also sponsoring a poster contest; the image below is by Edgar Hernández Nieto, Ciudad Valles, SLP, Mexico. 
Events
4/24/2008 8:50:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Beautiful Trash
Today Umbra announced the release of Artala, a line of three trash cans decorated with the designes of Joshua Davis. The cans are available in red, kiwi and ocean and are made from biodegradable plastic.    Posted by Megan
Gifts and Goodies
4/23/2008 10:58:21 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A Type of Candidate
On the NYTimes.com Campaign Stops blog, design writer and critic Steven Heller asked several industry notables to weigh in on Sen. John McCain's choice of Optima for his campaign logo. (Actually, it's not like McCain himself actually chose the face.) Heller previously posted about Sen. Barack Obama's use of Gotham by Tobias Frere-Jones. Read the whole post, which includes Seymour Chwast's curmudgeonly-in-kind-of-a-funny-way comments and Cyrus Highsmith's comparison of the campaign to his dentist. And then there's a fun bit from Matthew Carter, who goes so far as to set the names of potential VP candidates in Optima: "The moment of typographic truth will come when Senator McCain picks a
vice presidential running mate and two names have to be combined on
banners and bumper stickers. By choosing Optima, a rather distinctive
typeface, he may have seriously limited his options."
Carter notes that both Huckabee and Romney look a little silly in Optima, but that Rice fits the typeface quite nicely. 
Typography
4/22/2008 1:06:44 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Font Bots
Jonathon Yule, a Canadian Designer, has a series of three robot illustrations on his site that are created from sans serif fonts. I love you, helbotica.  via Boing BoingPosted by Megan
Typography
4/22/2008 9:24:26 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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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
4/22/2008 8:41:02 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, April 21, 2008
Jason Santa Maria
I included designer Jason Santa Maria's business card in my story " Hey Good Lookin'" in HOW's December 2007 issue. Today, eight of his cards are arranged on Swissmiss in a way I didn't realize they could be. I loved the cards because of the humorous copywriting. I like them even more now.  Posted by Megan
Designers
4/21/2008 1:44:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Micro-trends
Over the past three days, the HOW magazine team pored through nearly 3,000 entries in our latest Promotion Design Competition. It gave us a micro-level look at design trends throughout the U.S. and in a few well-represented European countries (Croatian design rocks). The majority of work was solid -- nicely designed, appropriate for the message, with decent production values. But about 125 entries really stood out for conceptual excellence, stellar design and top-notch production. (Stay tuned for HOW's September/October issue for a look at those top projects, or peek at past design competition winners here.) In the meantime, here's a list of the trends we spotted among the entries: HotWood-grain paper (like Gmund’s Savanna line) Vintage imagery, found materials and influences (like these) Screen printing (especially for projects other than posters) Gritty, realistic photography Instead of sending tchotchkes to clients, making a donation in their name and sending a thoughtful and well-designed token of that donation Cloth shopping bags with your logo or message On the way outTiny patterns (though we still love them) Brown/blue or brown/chartreuse color palettes Buttons Greeting cards and wrapping paper as client gifts NotCustomizing a Viewmaster with slides of your portfolio Making your staff pose for a goofy holiday photo Desktop calendars packaged in a CD case Coasters T-shirts with your logo or message
HOW Magazine
4/21/2008 10:56:01 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Design and Music
The HOW staff always plays music during competition judging. Design and tunes just seem to go together. Over on Design Observer, they're conducting an informal poll about what designers like to listen to while they work. The selections are all over the map, but you may discover some good new music. We discovered an interesting CD that was entered in the competition. The design didn't make it into the winners pile, but we did throw the disc on because we were intrigued by the title: Songs For Ice Cream Trucks. The music did indeed evoke a certain ice cream truck quality. We especially like the track "Where Do Ice Cream Trucks Go in the Winter?"  Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine | Just for Fun
4/21/2008 10:47:06 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Most Unusual
This morning, I'm offering an unofficial award for most unusual entry. The winner is Lincoln, NE-based the minnow PROJECT for their Heat Activated Urinal Billboards for Spilker Ales. The "billboards" are stickered inside urinals. At first, it looks like there's a big black square in the middle. But add a warm stream, and a fire hydrant is revealed. 
Posted by Megan
Designers | HOW Magazine
4/17/2008 8:42:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Promotion Design Awards
Live from the HOW Promotion Design Awards judging. Here's one of the largest categories, Client Promotions.  Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
4/16/2008 8:42:36 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Young Guns
Are you a designer who's under 30? You have until June 2 to enter the ADC Young Guns competition. ADC Young Guns exists to identify the vanguard of creative
professionals who let loose their imaginations, shattering conventions
and breaking boundaries with a dash of brilliance and personal flair.
Those of you who’ve set your minds to making a name for yourself,
raising new standards from within cubicles, conference rooms, cramped
apartments, and studios across the world—this is your chance to put
those battle cries in action. If you’re under the age of thirty and
have two years of the working life under your belt, we’d like you to
show us what it’s all about. 
Posted by Megan
Call for Entries
4/15/2008 3:08:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Designer Chocolate
We're about to be inundated with entries in HOW's Promotion Design Awards (judging starts tomorrow), so I've got clever promos on the brain. I was delighted by San Francisco-based Coco-luxe Confections, which makes gourmet truffles that can be customized with logo or text. The yummy candies would make a delicious, memorable client gift.  Posted by Megan
Gifts and Goodies
4/15/2008 11:26:25 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, April 14, 2008
A Poster You Can't Refuse
L.A. Pop Art creates and sells posters with images formed by handwritten letters. The Godfather poster, for example, includes the entire script of the film in the image. Los Angeles Pop Art creates pop
art images using the ancient technique of “micrography,” an art form
that dates back millennia to the Egyptians, Jews, and Muslims.
Micrography is the art of writing texts in very small letters to form
the illusion of an image. Entire texts, such as a movie script or book,
are used to form posters and other artwork.
  via NOTCOT Posted by Megan
Typography
4/14/2008 2:26:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Snail Mail Fun
Celebrate the lost art of letter writing with hillarious letterpress printed cards from Zeichen Press. The blank cards feature vintage illustrations and fun typography.    via SwissmissPosted by Megan
Gifts and Goodies
4/14/2008 12:47:07 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Talking Politics At Work
Who are you voting for? It’s a question that’s become a regular part of
workplace conversations from Alaska to Maine as people speculate about
who will become our next president. But are such discussions are
appropriate in the workplace?
While talking about politics on the job used to be regarded as poor
form, employees today are more likely to chat about this once-taboo
topic. In a survey by The Creative Group, 67% of respondents said discussing
political campaigns and candidates is acceptable as long as the debate
isn’t too heated. Read more.
Posted by Megan
Thought Provoking
4/14/2008 8:54:26 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Save $50 on the HOW Conference
If you're considering attending the HOW Design Conference in Boston next month, here are two reasons why you'll want to jump on that today: • If you register by midnight tonight, you can still score 50 bucks off the registration price. • Space in the conference hotels and in goodies like the Studio Tours is filling up fast. Linkage: See who's attendingGet scoop on all things conference-relatedCheck out the fantastic speaker lineup (Charles Anderson, Debbie Millman, Michael Bierut, Julieanne Kost, Katherine McCoy, Joe Duffy, etc., etc., etc.) Find out about sessions, tours, workshops and more
Events | HOW Magazine
4/11/2008 12:00:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Cool Job Listing
Perusing the HOW Job Bank, I just came across a listing for an apparel graphic designer at Target in Minneapolis. They're looking for expertise in CAD illustration, print, and pattern design. Posted by Megan
Industry News
4/11/2008 11:08:38 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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