Okay … this is something of a rant. Bear with me or indulge me. I might be spot on, totally off, or just in a lousy mood. A friend called this morning to tell me that his grandson was considering a career in graphic design. He asked for my thoughts and opinion. I couldn’t come up with a single encouraging idea. I told him to have his grandson look into another career option. I’ve been at this design stuff... CONTINUE READING

Publisher Visual Editions released their fourth book, Kapow! A new book by British writer Adam Thirlwell, Kapow! has been published by London based experimental publishers Visual Editions. “As visually acrobatic and giddy as the story it tells”, Kapow! is “exploding with unfolding pages and multiple directions” – the story is narrated through creative typography and experimental page layout that demands the reader to engage, to scan the pages and text in a new, challenging way that reflects the story,... CONTINUE READING

Shutterstock is almost 9 years old now and has a history of effective rebrand, starting in 2003. In my opinion 2011 was their weakest effort. I am a big fan of the new 2012 identity. Using a play off of people motioning their hands like a photo frame, the “viewfinder” is born. The color scheme is a new red and grey pantone. Presented in a clean, all lowercase typography in red and grey, while the “o” (viewfinder icon) remains... CONTINUE READING

When was the last time you saw a Millennial, a person aged 18-24, sipping coffee at a café and reading a real, tangible newspaper? According to a recent Pew State of the News media study, 23% of people aged 18-24 read print newspaper. The New York Times reports that 10% of its print subscribers are within the similar age range, almost at par with its cohorts of the digital subscribers. The data compiled by GfK MRI Doublebase shows that... CONTINUE READING

DIY is the latest project by internet entrepreneur Zach Klein. DIY is an innovative venture designed to enable children to showcase their creative work and publish it online in a safe and monitored environment. Says DIY, “We’ve all seen how kids can be like little MacGyvers. They’re able to take anything apart, recycle what you’ve thrown away – or if they’re Caine, build their own cardboard arcade. This is play, but it’s also creativity and it’s a valuable skill.... CONTINUE READING

As promised in my article earlier this week, I’m back with a first hand account of GE’s indescribably awesome interactive experience Throttle Up. Having visited the site and viewed the video clips I thought I had a firm idea of what to expect. Well, may I say expectations were vastly exceeded? Excitement started to build as soon as I overheard a Throttle Up guide explain to the group ahead of me on line that they could opt to be... CONTINUE READING

A successful User Experience Design (or UX design) should not only provide solid functionality, but also have a seamless experience for your user. The best UX designs are the ones that feel invisible, or stand to the side. In other words, they let the user roam around freely without having to force thought or questions. It should reflect how the users think, remain simple and focused, and be revised and refined before production. “Simple is hard. Easy is harder.... CONTINUE READING

Last Thursday night, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Museum of Modern Art’s sold-out screening of Marjane Satrapi’s latest film Chicken with Plums. Eagerly waiting on line at the theater entrance, I was somewhat surprised by the diversity of fans around me! People of all ages and nationalities were at hand to support and celebrate Satrapi’s work in both literature and film. As a long time fan of the graphic novel genre, it was a... CONTINUE READING

Graphic designer Mark Blamire has re-designed the promotional material for Ecstasy, the latest film by novelist Irvine Welsh. The film, an adaptation of the novel by Welsh, is prequel to the now infamous and iconic movie Trainspotting. The film is a dark romantic comedy film adaptation of the short story The Undefeated, from the best-selling book Ecstasy. Directed by Rob Heydon, the film stars Adam Sinclair as Lloyd Buist, a drug addict who smuggles ecstasy from Amsterdam, alongside Kristin... CONTINUE READING

A new logo and tagline was released for the new One World Trade Center (originally Freedom Tower) designed by Wordsearch and presented by the Durst Organization and Cushman & Wakefield. The Durst Organization is working with The Port-Authority to help complete the massive project and Cushman & Wakefield is the commercial real estate broker in charge of filling the tower with tenants. The new brand is an effort to create a new feel for the building and to help... CONTINUE READING