The winners of the 12th annual Webby Awards were announced today and you can check them out in a fun-to-browse interface. Some of my personal faves include: Skull-A-Day, Veer's Type City and I Can Has Cheezburger.

Posted by Megan

This inspiring typographic drawing was created by 22-year-old design student Will Bryant.


via BySoAndSo

Posted by Megan

The photographer Walter Schels and the journalist Beate Lakotta spent over a year making portraits of 26 people who were very close to death and again just after death. The exhibition articulates the experiences, hopes and fears of the dying, and gives them one more opportunity to be heard.



via Swissmiss

Posted by Megan

We're all paying more at the pump and at the grocery checkout these days, so our paychecks are stretched thin. If you're wondering how your income stacks up against others in the design field, then you'll be interested in HOW's 2008 Design Salary Survey, which we're conducting now through July 18.

And we need your help!

Graphic designers, please take HOW's Salary Survey so we can compile the broadest and most accurate report possible on salaries, bonuses and benefits in the industry. It'll take just a few minutes of your time, and it'll help us create a regional snapshot of what designers in your area are bringing home. Plus, by participating you'll be eligible for a drawing to win a free one-year subscription to HOW magazine!

Take the HOW Salary Survey now!

HOW's sister magazine, PRINT, celebrates its fourth win in the General Excellence category of the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) Ellie Awards, the magazine industry’s highest honor. This represents PRINT's 10th nomination for General Excellence, and its fourth win. Way to go!

Posted by Megan

I'm pretty sure this makes me a big nerd, but I adore this Charles and Ray Eames Powers of 10 joke.


(Thanks HOW Books editor Amy Schell for forwarding this site to me.)

Posted by Megan

Vancouver-based design firm smashLAB just posted a great white paper explaining the importance of social media. Print this out and send it to clients who are having trouble getting it.

Traditional marketers are accustomed to carefully honing messages. This allows for control, but the results are difficult and costly to measure. Social media turns this whole scenario around. With it, control is shared with the crowd, and real feedback becomes immediate.

Organizations now have the opportunity to collect detailed information on users and their habits, elicit real feedback and suggestions, and refine their offering and messaging to better suit user demands. Although there are trade-offs with this new way of communicating, the opportunities for companies to understand and work with their customers have never been as great.

Posted by Megan

Over at the MarketingMixBlog, pricing is always a hot topic. Last week, there was a heated discussion about whether designers should charge credit card fees back to clients when they pay with a credit card. Some say it's a cost of doing business; others don't think they should have to cover that expense. What do you think?

This is just one tiny tidbit from a treasure trove of business information in the new book by Ilise Benun and Peleg Top, co-founders of Marketing-Mentor.com, The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing: How to Win Clients and What to Charge Them. They're also giving a pre-conference workshop based on the book at the HOW Conference on Sunday, May 18, bright and early at 8 AM.

That's not all! Ilise and Peleg have also recorded a series of 12 podcasts, one for each chapter, to go along with the book. Listen to Chapter 1: Who Is My Market? here and find lots more information on the new website for the book.

Posted by Megan

I can't stop looking at this panoramic illustration by Stuart Kolakovic. It started as a 9 meter long installation at a gallery and then his brother helped him turn it into an interactive web page. The meandering image tells the story of a small Eastern European village over the course of one year.





via Drawn

Posted by Megan

This series of three digital prints from Atmostheory, celebrating often used Mac commands, can be had for just $12.

via Swissmiss

Posted by Megan