wearedesigned

Getting More Out of Font Explorer

2010-01-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

I've always been slightly frustrated with my inability to organize my fonts. With most other elements, the use of tags has replaced the cumbersome use of folders.

I'm not entirely on top of what's out there for font management, nor am I in a position to purchase a more robust program, so I decided to get better acquainted with what I do have-- Font Explorer Pro.

Today I've been getting to know Smart Sets, which are quickly becoming my new bff. They're not perfect or completely amazing by any means, however they are certainly light years faster than scouring my nearly 4,000 fonts and organizing them individually.

Smart sets allow the user to group fonts by keywords. Unfortunately, you are at the mercy of the font's creator (whether they were thorough, including every possible field of information, or lazy). You can group them by their name, vendor, manufacturer, designer, etc.

Information is entered in a fashion similar to your "Rules" in whatever mail management app you use. The more you explore your fonts and the info they contain, the more accurate you will be able to make your sets (ie. discovering that particular creator's place their type foundry name under "Copyright" instead of "Manufacturer"). You will also discover more adjectives that might yield more results (ie. my smart set containing sketchy fonts includes anything with the words "sketch, scribble, and scratch").

Smart sets are not perfect, but they are your friend and the more time you get to know them, the better friends they become.

See page 35 of the Font Explorer Pro PDF manual for more information on Smart Sets.

Please, Take A Seat.

2009-05-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Very clever.

Dear Designer, You Suck

2009-04-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Subtraction.com has a cool article about critiquing and I thought it was a good read so I had to share.

Quick highlight:
"…are we really having the kinds of meaningful, constructive, critical discourses that we really should be having? Are we too quick to take offense at the opinions of our peers? Or are we pulling our punches too much when discussing the merits of the work that our peers turn out? To put a finer point on it: are we being honest with one another?"

Read the full article HERE.

Cool Re-branding

2009-03-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just saw this over at Brand New… Veggietales is being re-branded. I like, what do you think?

Objectified Official Poster

2009-03-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

The official poster for the new film, Objectified was released today. Designed by pasty, brilliant British designer, Michael C. Place (we had the pleasure of seeing him speak at the QBN conference a couple years back). Clean and almost soft-spoken, it has an air of timelessness. Available soon.

OFFICE IDEAS Part 5

2009-02-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

This one is a doozy, kids.

The Design Process of Mighty Apple

2009-02-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

BStark (King o' the Webbies) sent over this rad article on Apple's design process. Highly applicable to any of our larger design jobs, especially the harvest.org overhaul we're doing. If apple is doing it, you know it's a successful guideline.

Best of February

2009-02-05T12:23:00.001-08:00

The Uncovering of The Buttercream Gang. This single event was hailed as
"the best thing to happen in February"
by Alex Lopez, on February 5.

Upon hearing a bad 90's tune from Alena's adult top 40, Alex referred to them as "The Buttercream Gang", assuming that I knew what that was. Well, I didn't. So explanation ensued. After wikipedia entries, imdb scouring and a romp through memory lane (provided by youtube). I, like many of my colleagues, have come to a full understanding of the Buttercream Gang. Of course, Dirk and Trever were already in the-know.

So friends, see for yourself, all the glorious majesty of, The ButterCream Gang. (NOW AVAILABLE ON USED VHS!!)

PS Dirk also confessed that as a lil' nipper he remembers thinking the cover of the video was "SO COOL!"

Cubicle from the Future featuring Bearded JACK!

2009-01-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

Is this the cubicle from the future we have been waiting for? Did the Island send us this? Could it be just what we need in the new building...with what looks like a lil bearded Jack and a nod to Angela in the background? It features all the things we know and love. The keyboard looks a bit difficult and it could be way too easy to spill my coffee on...heh! But hey its fun to look at.

OFFICE IDEAS Part 4

2009-01-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

I have a couple in this post.

#1. This reminded me of Alena's book nook. I love the cozy playfulness of this book hut!

#2. I know we all have wishes and concerns regarding a place to put recent works and ideas. A permanent home for non-permanent thoughts and inspiration, something that can change and evolve without the unprofessional haphazardness of a refrigerator door. We've talked about ledge shelves, but I really like these Ikea curtain rod cables with clips. I think it fully lends itself to our media— often text-weight prints and scribbles (shelves would work for heavy weight papers and board). It keeps it clean, modular and (budget cuts) ultra affordable.

Check out how cute it looks in Honey & Bloom's office

OFFICE IDEAS Part 3

2009-01-20T15:00:00.001-08:00

Look at this lovely furniture in all its glory. Owl treasure trove for all of our design books...or ...WATCH OUT Judas'...the Boar Rack is in town. Possible CD archive holder...Marks personal fav.. Im sure or maybe John Locke's...they can fight over it with their kubatons and knives. These could be a lovely addition for a more rustic approach. Maybe a deer head and we'll call this mountain a day.

OFFICE IDEAS Part 2

2009-01-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

What could inspire creativity more than a little nook to read or sketch in?.....Maybe a grassy knoll to have meetings...with a nod to the grassy knoll that was taken out of the school quad.... RIP. Lets post all we find to making our new office a better place to live....even if we know its gonna be cubicles with purple walls and no windows....:o)

Let the designer in you dream....of far off 2D and 3D lands. Whatever that means!

Ideas for the New Office

2009-01-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try and post all the great ideas I find that I would love to incorporate into our new office. Yes, I know this is a pipe dream because DRA has taken over and it is unlikely that we will offer any input, but I'm a dreamer.

Ok, I have mentioned my wall of hand hooks idea. Too weird? Maybe, well not for me, but just imagine how inspiring to see a wall of hands positioned to hold your coat or purse? So unusual it would set my imagination off. Oh well.

Here's a fantastic idea I just found at design sponge. Large-scale pattern murals. It would really be pretty easy and produce big results. I especially love how it continues onto the ceiling. It could even look great with lower contrast colors, for a more subtle approach.

Films Designers Should Care About

2009-01-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

There's a new documentary (heavily linked to Helvetica) called "Objectified". Here is their official about:

Objectified is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. It’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?

Sounds good eh? It's out in March.

Why do women always feel colder than men?

2008-11-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

I know its an on going debate in here but this sheds some light:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5106854.ece

Secret Santa

2008-11-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

Shhh!!! Please feel free to post anonymous comments on this post to your secret santa if you are stumped.

Andrea:
Scent: Amber Romance
Store: Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Target
Music: iTunes
Film Genre: Romantic Comedies, Musicals
Color: Gray
Shirt Size: Sm/Md
Shoe: 7

Dirk:
Candy: kitkat, twix, milky way dark
Scent: musk (not)
Store: amazon, target, gamestop, eb games, best buy, borders
Music: you already know (iTunes) (Amazon MP3s)
Film Genre: no thanks
Color: taste the rainbow
Shirt Size: Large and in Charge
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: DVDs, CDs, coconuts, nuts, hot salsa
Wish list: Amazon

Holly:
Candy: See’s molasses chips, Hershey’s WHATCHAMACALLIT Candy bar, chewy sweatart’s, swedish fish.
Scent: Satsuma and most anything at the Body Shop, like those scented oils for burning
Store: Target, Body Shop, Borders, Apple
Music: iTunes gift cards take care of this category nicely!
Film Genre: Check out the amazon wish list for this one.
Color: Red, Black
Shirt Size: Women’s large, Guys Small on t-shirts
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: coconut, most every nut in candy and baked goods (why?)
Misc: I love Chevron cars, Muppets on dvd, toys of all kinds, Christmas decorations (the more breakable the better), jewelry (especially bracelets), FJ cruiser keychain (find one and you are gold), Coca-Cola, London, Paris, Military surplus stuff (bono hats, patches, cool bags), Wallace and Gromit anything. Alice in Wonderland anything. Harajuku Lovers.
Wish list: Amazon

Alena:
Candy: Toblerone (although I don’t really need candy), blueberry pie
Scent: love candles (Party light -rejuvenate) or apple cinnaminO.P., coconut, peach
Store: Bath and Body Works, Starbucks, Target, Active
Music: Itunes (HATE Country)
Film Genre: Comedy, Action
Color: Green, Orange, Dijon, Cranberry, Dk Teal
Shirt Size: Guys Med
likes: ISO50, NBC Store..anything Office
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: Throwing up, Sinus headaches and...Horror films
Wish list: Amazon

Alex:
Candy: yuck (sorry) Starbucks?
Scent: armani black code
Store: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap, Macy's
Music: itunes
Film Genre: born identity movies
Color: g-star colors - grey military green
Shirt Size: xl
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: I hope not
Wish List: Amazon

Jonna:
Candy: Please no. (If you must I like minty stuff)
Scent: Lavender, Honeysuckle, Tuberose
Store: Target, Anthropologie, etsy.com
Music: iTunes!
Film Genre: I have too many dvd's already…
Books: I love books!! Can't get enough (see wish list).
Color: PMS 605, 439, Warm Grey 5, and 7520
Shirt Size: L
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: raisins, artificial strawberry scent/flavor, sunflowers, cats, mtv shows
Wish List: Amazon

Mark:
Candy: Peanut MM, Baby Ruth ( http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/)
Scent: Calvin Kline Escape for Men
Store: Target and Chipotle
Music: Rock, Alternative, Electronic, (hate most Country)
Film Genre: Comedy, Classic, Mystery, Action, some Chick Flix
Color: Black and Green
Shirt Size: Large (XL if tailored style)
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: No Allergies, I like most things (I’m just happy to enjoy a gift exchange while on the clock).
Wish List: Amazon

Trever:
Candy: reeses
Scent: victoria secret "angels" hehe... jk
Store: Anthro
Music: anything that is $1.60 for an album
Film Genre: any thing but scary ;)
Color: pantone 261
Shirt Size: L
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: tamales

Jessica:
Candy: No thanks : )
Scent: Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue.. Ha,um that’s too expensive, I like The Body Shop’s oils for candles.. Apple, coconut, regular scents
Store: Target! Target!, Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Nobles
Magazine: Subscription to GOOD, for FREE or a donation!, Don’t Throw it, Grow It Book sold at urban outfitters/Barnes & Nobles
Book: Rachel Ray’s Big Orange Book: Fav 30 min meals
Color: green
Shirt Size: medium
I love Wonder Woman things and the look of the old comics
Catch Phrase, games like this
Allergies or things you absolutely detest: please don’t get me sulfa drugs and (if alex is my secret santa.. I have enough scarfs, thx)

Recifinally!

2008-11-14T16:37:00.001-08:00

Master of distress, Eduardo Recife AKA Misprinted Type has updated his site to 4.0. Look for new free brushes, a new free vector set and some new fonts. Lurvely.

Jealous…

2008-11-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

…of their creativity. See their green graffiti (featured on qbn)
as well as Anna Garforth's brilliant illustration.

Congrats to Obama…

2008-11-05T08:52:00.001-08:00

May God bless the 44th president of the United States.
Here's to good art! (Don't forget to pray for our new President.)

How Much Do I Love Our Dept.?

2008-10-31T10:45:00.001-07:00

(More to come later.)

I Want My MTV… Australia

2008-10-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Some amazing work from Umeric.

We Found Carla…

2008-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

She now works at Bath and Body Works, go visit her, and buy some stuff. She misses her Harvest peops.
PS Once again, thanks for nothing, unnamed cafe.
PPS I have always loved the typography on these candles.

Thanks Walt

2008-09-30T16:06:00.001-07:00

In order to ban the Great Depression from entering the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland is giving free admission to you on your birthday in 2009. No strings attached. Just register here and follow the instructions to redeem on your birthday.
I just signed up, totally easy. Who wants to go to Disneyland on April 27 2009?

Pumpkin Day 08

2008-09-30T12:13:00.001-07:00

My New Hero

2008-09-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

15 year old Eleanor Hardwick (yes, I totally stole this link from QBN). She is a photographic genius. It's comparable to an adult and absolutely mind-blowing for a 15-year-old.

Pushing Daisies Pusher

2008-09-29T08:09:00.001-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is the best show ever. Good news: Season 2 is back this Wednesday. Bad news: You might not have watched season 1. Better news: It's now available on iTunes!

Look how beautiful this Wednesday's episode is:

Laughter Inspires Creativity…

2008-09-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Some of these are seriously funny. This is my fave…

Happy 26th to Dirk!

2008-09-24T09:30:00.001-07:00

I heart Animation

2008-09-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

When I was 13 I wanted to be an animator, though I'm a
designer, I still completely heart animation. I stumbled across Amy Mebberson's Blog when looking for some Disney stuff.
I LOVE THE SKETCHES OF ANIMATORS!

In Memory of a Good Pirate…

2008-09-19T08:20:00.002-07:00

(Dirk made this, I felt it was post-worthy)

You've Got Mail…

2008-09-19T08:20:00.001-07:00

To my delight, my morning inbox contained one QBN Newsletter, featuring highlights from the past weeks. The frequency appears to be bi-monthly. Very handy for the too-busy-to-check-their-dailies designer. Register to receive it.

Blog Resurrection…

2008-09-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I would really like to bring this blog back up to speed. I know we all find many sources of inspiration in a day, so theoretically we should be able to keep this blog pumping. With that said, my post…

PS I have been inspired by many blogs (among them Brendan Stark's) to make very short and a sweet posts with gigantic font treatments. It really is appetizing to the eyes… Follow suit if you feel led. It's especially nice for blogs that are heavy on visuals.

Chris Totally Would've Posted This…

2008-09-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

It actually makes me really sad to see this article, because I know Chris would've loved it… of course, we all know, heaven is better than Metallic getting a savvy design makeover, so I'm sad that we won't get to see his reaction.

Anyway, Metallica got the world's most most slight branding update. To me, it looks like they took their old logo and used the horribley complex (not) transform tool. However, since it was done by Turner Duckworth it's absolutely fabulous (yes, my tongue is in my cheek). I wonder how much they paid to have them do that?

Thankfully, this re-branding comes with some fairly clever, clean album art revolving around title "Death Magnetic" (what a new angle for them…). Check it…

Metallica's Death Magnetic

Friends Don't Let Friend Wear Crocs

2008-09-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

I think their tagline should be changed to "Crocs shoes are for everyone cleaning a shower".

People of the world, Crocs are not ok. There are a small handful of instances in which Croc-wear is acceptable:
1. Gardening
2. If you're old (my Grandma gets away with it)
3. Cleaning a shower or pool

That's about it. Also, don't be fooled, Croc high-heels don't change the game. Crocs— across the board— are unacceptable.

Ask yourself this: "Would I wear clogs right now, in 2008?" If you weren't raised by wolves (in which case, your answer would be "Grrr, arff rawwr") your answer was "No, I rocked them when 90210 was on the first time, but I've given up my clunky ways." So why then would you wear rubberized clogs in bright colors with holes (in which to pop 'jibbitz')?

I love you, even if you wear Crocs, but I don't love your Crocs.

Team Building anyone?

2008-08-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

For those of you who did not hear and were not part of the judging process I have decided to post pictures from last Friday's craft fest. To promote team building Mark set up this exercise for us to participate in along with our 2 friends Justine and Vince. We were split into teams of 2, given a photo and asked to interpret it. Enjoy!

The Hoverboard, an eBay Auction

2008-07-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

Only 30 G's. Doesn't really hover though… just looks incredibly cool. I'll tell you this, if I was filthy rich, I would've bought it already… and the delorean… and maybe MJF's puffy vest.

eBay

Look Here

2008-07-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey guys... I came across numerous posts from friends of the Laurie's. Check out their own personal takes here...

http://skipheitzig.blogspot.com/

http://pastorpedro.com/

http://www.levilusko.blogspot.com/

http://ryancouch.wordpress.com/

It's a Gas

2008-07-01T09:06:00.001-07:00

So, you might have already stumbled upon this site. I know it isn't directly design-related, but it's certainly life-related.

Fueleconomy.gov gives you all the info you need to know on your car. It basically does all the math for you. It shows you your official MPG and cool things like how much it costs for you to drive 25 miles (there's a small link beneath the break downs that lets you adjust the gas price and your personal miles per year.) and how much you pay in gas per year (which is a little scary).

Way cool, way informative, enjoy.

Did someone say Wood?

2008-06-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

While there are a handful of cool freebie sites, sometimes it's very obvious why things are free. This is not the case with defcon x's free wood textures (although some of the scans have a scratch or two). There are like 90 free wood textures! What? That's crazy! I know. So add some class to your latest design with rich mahogany or a rough-edged rawness with what appears to be the side of a 2X4 at home depot. Seriously, go nuts. Enjoy.

Be lumberjacks of design.

Cut-It-Out… The title of this post is indeed a reference to Uncle Joey's woodchuck puppet on Full House. Yeah.

Best Wedding Cake Ever

2008-06-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yes plz!

Super Mario Cakes
(PS like half of them are linked from blocked sites at Harvest.)

Jesus in China

2008-06-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

I found this rad article on Digg (of all places!). It just talks about the rapid growth of Christianity in China, which is currently an officially Atheist nation. Pretty cool read, considering our old pal Kenton is on a trip to an undisclosed Asian country for *ahem* "toursim".

Check it. Jesus in China

Tripletz, making mail fun again

2008-06-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the Pony Express ruled the day, but a website called Tripletz is trying to make mail fun again. "Tripletz are a series of three custom designed cards, mailed sequentially for three days, in tasty little envelopes, to spell out a message to your someone special."

http://tripletz.com/

The Queens of Kings

2008-06-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Perhaps some of you remember the old sitcom "Everybody Loves Trever", well the makers of that fantastic show are keeping the laughs coming with their new show "Queen of Kings: Alena Loves Kevin 4-Eva". Yes, this new sitcom follows the daily misadventures of Alena as she pines away for Kevin James. In the pilot episode Alena and Kevin are supposed to sing a duet to an audience filled with top-notch celebs… only problem is Alena can't remember the words! Hilarity ensues! Watch for it…

The Science of Sleep

2008-06-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

I found this intensely great article that focuses on a study whose findings show that 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep is ideal! Not 8 or 9! Yay! Too little, as well as too much has been found hazardous to your life span.

Anyway, as busy little designers, who, I am sure, fill their spare time with side jobs and plenty of other time-consuming obligations, leaving little time for adequate sleep, this is great news.

Check It!
How Much Do You Really Need to Sleep?

PS That image is from the movie "The Science of Sleep", a Michel Gondry masterpiece of craziness.

Das ist Gut yah!

2008-06-03T08:43:00.001-07:00

Check out this GENIUS German online store. Really very creative, I almost want to buy something even though the site is in german and I don't know what I'm doing. Ahh the power of clever design.

Hema Online Store

FREE DESIGN ADVICE

2008-05-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

A list of good, funny, and wise design tips: Papress.com

Paulville

2008-05-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a new community named after our boss here at TESVRAH.DESIGN, which would be pretty cool, but rather its a community for lovers of Ron Paul. Yes, full blown Ron Paul admirers together at last, living in their own community. Here is a snippet taken from their website:

The goal of Paulville.org it to establish gated communities containing 100% Ron Paul supporters and or people that live by the ideals of freedom and liberty.

So if anyone wants to join Brenden and I we are leaving this summer to join the community with our semi-automatic weapons and income-tax-free Real American living!

PAULVILLE

Beef-Jerky in a bottle baby

2008-05-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Beef with a touch of Hickory (extra dry)

What happens to all the moisture when a juicy hunk of sirloin is transformed into chewy beef jerky? Truth is, we don’t know. But the salty, savory flavor of this vitamin and mineral packed concoction will make you think we collected all that sweet, meaty juice just for you.

dinnerinabottle.com

Indy Icons

2008-05-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Many of you may already be aware of IconFactory but now they have icons availble for ALL three Indy films and icons for Crystal Skull in the works. This is right down my alley or as the British say, right up my street. Enjoy and choose wisely.

http://iconfactory.com/indianajones/

Viva La Apple!

2008-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

So, I watched a smidge of the American Idol finale and the new iPod ad with Coldplay, is probably the best yet. Really awesome.

(Inside of Harvest you must unlock youtube).

This Blog is Deader Then 90210

2008-05-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Speaking of, here is a frightening rendition of 90210 featuring design and some special friends.

It gives me the creeps, however, when I look at Alena and Dirk, I laugh uncontrollably.

Sorry guys, this blog is offically DEAD!

2008-05-20T10:56:00.001-07:00

…Bummed out? Blame Jonna. I'm only one person, I can only do so much.

MANBABIES

2008-05-15T13:47:00.001-07:00

Yeah this is pretty freaky. This seems like its right up Jonna's crazy photoshoping alley though.

http://manbabies.com

Photoshop Brushes

2008-05-09T15:53:00.001-07:00

There's a ton of sites like this out there I know, but I thought this site specifically had some good ones:

HERE

Free Coldplay song, ‘Violet Hill’

2008-04-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

If you love Coldplay and having been waiting for like years for them to send you the email link to their free song, wait no longer. In a desperate attempt to find it yesterday I finally stumbled onto a music blog which posted it for free. Be warned its a little different than the norm, I would say slightly harder and darker but in a good way. Now go download it:

LINK

birthday thanks

2008-04-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Seriously y'all, this was an amazing b-day. I can't even believe how many totally awesome gifts I got, that I absolutely love. Incredible! You guys are the bestest.

Dreams Come True Kids

2008-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's a Small World Afterall

2008-04-24T10:20:00.001-07:00

Remember good old Michael "the f-bomber" Muller from the QBN conference? He had all the amazing shots, half of which were A-listers submerged in the deep blue? Well, he shot Bret and Jemaine! Seriously great shots. Also, he lists them on his site as "Flight Conchords". Nice one, why don't you call them Brit and Jermaine while you're at it? You get away with those things when you're brilliant, I suppose.

Check it out! (Caution your screen may catch fire)

Check out more at MullerPhoto.com

Maybe the Coolest Thing I've Ever Seen

2008-04-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

I just saw this on Digg and had to share. Someone modified an old NES game, into an NES system! I want one!

Check out technology at it's finest.

Bonjour Monsieur

2008-04-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

April 22, Flight of the Conchords first-ever, full-length album is now available. It features songs from season 1 of their tv series.

A rating on the profanity scale, I'd give it a pg-13 (edging on pg), there is one f-bomb, but they bleeped it out (good move).

15 hearty, brilliant songs, only $9.99 on iTunes (yes, that's only 2/3 of a dollar per song!)Also, it's iTunes plus, so, no DRM, and higher quality! Go download it!

The Typography Nazi

2008-04-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a SUPERRAD article I found on Digg…

Ten Typographic Mistakes Everyone Makes

I, for one, will most likely be referencing this article often.

Photoshop Lady

2008-04-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's called Photoshop LADY but its for men too...check it out
and if you find a cool, usable tutorial share it with your design
team members.

VISIT THE SITE

Web Design Thoughts...

2008-04-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting take on a popular Web Design...

In the beginning, there was NOT light on the web. It was awfully
crowded with dancing marquees, tedious frames, unbearable
midis and annoying spinning @’s. It was the dark ages of the
web. Then refreshing empty spaces, vibrant, high contrast colors,
lovely gradients, big text, original gloss shine effect, diagonal
lines and of course reflected logos came on our rescue. Everything
was shiny and with that great brandnu smell. The Web 2.0 look
was born.

But guess what?

There are some people getting tired of that... Read More

Needed: Rich Friends to Buy Expensive Gifts

2008-04-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, does anyone know any wealthy folks that would want to buy me some art from this dude:
Mark Ryden? (Peruse with caution)

Well, not all of his art (some is too weird, even for me), however, IFREAKINGLOVETHISPAINTING

Legendary Animator Passes…

2008-04-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

(stolen from QBN public choice)

Ollie Johnston, the last living member of the disney "9 old men" passed away at age 95 on Monday.

Here's a nice little article on his life and death from the NY Times:

Ollie Johnston

Chair Model

2008-04-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here are my favorite quotes of the night:

Creed:
When Pam gets Michael's old chair, I get Pam's old chair. Then I'll have two chairs. Only one to go.

Michael:
I'm a man of intensity. Of, of cool and youth and, and passionately.

Andy:
Andrew Bernard is the name of me.

Dwight:
As dead as every dead animal who has ever died.

Rawrsome

2008-04-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Go unlock flickr (if you're inside the internet lock-down prison we call work) right this instant and check out Jeremy Pettis 26 Types of Animals. It's an incredible and inspiring study of type. Really just brilliant.

It's one of those things you see and think "I should've done that… I could've done that"— but you didn't! and he did! and it's AWESOME! So who cares?!

Really, I feel charged, I want to re-redesign the CM newsletter RIGHT NOW! OMG!

Jeremy Pettis 26 Types of Animals

*Remember, unlock flickr first, and the images will be viewable directly on his site.

PS I think my favorites are emu and lion, what are yours?!

Join the Club

2008-04-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Veer is already known for their somewhat over-the-top advertising campaigns, which they seem to fill creative mailboxes with every couple of weeks. Now, I'm not complaining, not by a long shot, I think we all look forward to the beautifully printed, painstakingly designed junk mail that they lovingly send out, even to those of us who never purchase their pricey stock photos.

Their latest piece, "The Very Secret Order of Creative Understanding" is by-far, my favorite yet. If you haven't received your toothy, embossed, dark chocolate brown handbook in the mail, woe is you. Thankfully the caring brood at veer have generously offered a pdf of the handbook on their site.

The handbook is thick with designer and office humor, cleverly written riddles (whose answers yield access to desktop wallpapers and gifts with purchase) and of course, veer's top-notch stock (all presented in a manner similar to the works of Lemony Snicket). Here is just a sampling of what you'll find at:
veer.com/verysecret

Remember…

2008-04-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

when we used to post things on here?

Scranton Pryeeeedddd

2008-04-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Office returns from the depths of the WGA slaughterhouse tonight! Enjoy this tasty morsel of a bite-sized preview.

Digital Art

2008-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

A sweet collection of digital art found HERE.

Big News in Kiwi Culture

2008-04-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

There are a plethora of reasons to love New Zealand (Jemaine, Bret, and friendly people, to name a few), but one the greatest things that NZ has to offer is it's purely irreverent news stories. Alena found this gem today:

NZ Man Used Hedgehog As Weapon

PS This news is hot on the heels of SNL's digital short "Lazer Cats"

Gmail Custom Time

2008-04-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is rad and can come in real handy! The basic point: ever wanted to send an email but realized that you missed the deadline or should have sent it hours ago? Well you now can because Google has just released "Custom Time" for Gmail. Just click "Set custom time" from the Compose view. Any email you send to the past appears in the proper chronological order in your recipient's inbox.

HERE

B-day in da hizouse

2008-04-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

New Eiffel Tower Observation Deck

2008-03-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this design on an architectural website that I found recently - they review new, cool, upcoming designs. I thought this project was interesting, what do you think of the addition?

I guess there have have been a ton of Parisians freaking out because of the "ruined" views...they think it looks ugly. I kind of like the design myself - it looks like an organic structure growing out of the top of the tower. Oh, by the way it's being added to the tower as part of the towers 120th anniversary. It is also supposed to be temporary - 1 year to fully build and install it and then it will be removed after 5 years (but remember the Eiffel Tower was also supposed temporary - so who knows). The following are rendeerings and some comments from the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.

In celebration of the 120th birthday of the tower, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel decided to restructure the public reception and access areas of the tower, and the result will be a temporary horizontal extension of the 3rd floor of the tower. Serero’s design is built out of carbon Kevlar, steel connectors, and metal mesh. What was most intriguing to me was Serero’s discussion of the generative design:

Generative Design: The design is based on a generative script, creating branches out of the primary structure of the tower. Inspired by the structural concept of Eiffel of three-dimensional cross bracing beams, the script unfolds along curved lines the “DNA” of the tower. The script used the existing structure at the top of the tower ( a 10 by 10 meters cube) to generate 3 structural weaves, which are interconnected. These layers are combined to create a woven complex, which is based on the redundancy and the non-repetition of patterns to increase its structural performance. In opposition with modern engineering (based on the concept of repetition and optimization), the project for the Eiffel tower extension is based on an alternative model of high performance.

Thanks for reading this posting...I thought it was interesting and I know that some of you have strong feelings about France and the Eiffel Tower.

Speed Typing Test

2008-03-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

I never learned to type and to this day I type like a monkey. I just took the test and I can type 50 words per minute. What about you?

Free Quality Font Foundry

2008-03-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

This guy has got several free really good fonts! HERE

Mirror, Mirror

2008-03-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

We're all familiar with the web 2.0 "wet floor" reflection. Apple LOOOOOOVES it. It's easy enough to do, but I'm finding, while working on the website, that I'm needing to do it for each bands photo, so I tracked down this awesome tutorial on creating an action for the wet floor look.

Awesome Tutorial

(Please note that for the first step of the action you need to unlock the background layer, and after the last step, I find it handy to also record creating a new layer folder and dragging your two layers into it, for easy use).

I highly recommend building it yourself, because you'll learn a lot and you can customize the length and opacity of the reflection that way. However, if you're in a hurry, here's a droplet (you know the user name and password):

Drop It Like It's HOT

Enjoy.

Mayer's Mac Sorrows

2008-03-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

I guess John Mayer posted this screen cap of his "Send Report to Apple" window that popped up when his iTunes crashed. Kinda funny.

Enjoy!

Snacks

2008-03-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Brendan sent over this handy link for healthy snacking at work:

Smart Eating At Work Part 2
Smart Eating At Work Part 3 (Lists top 10 good snacks to eat at work)

just cuz

2008-03-21T16:34:00.001-07:00

Karfreitag

2008-03-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Blog posts are supposed to be short and sweet, but I thought, the sweetness of this makes up for it's lack of shortness.

Isaiah 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see
and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall
the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Interesting article: Where does the term "good" Friday come from?

Turn Your Weekend Into a Weekstart!

2008-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Corbis has commissioned our old cut-and-fold faves, Fwis (makers of the spaztacular, pdf, cut-out people), to create a series of DIY pinhole cameras. You already have the tools, you nutty designers (x-acto knife, double-sided tape, electrical tape, 35 mm film and a needle) and Corbis is providing you with the dazzling PDF, so get to crackin' and shoot some sweet, blurry, lo-fi art! While you're at it, get a little something from the ice cream man, you deserve it.

Do it!!

Now Resuming Regularly Scheduled Bloggage

2008-03-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry, some tween totally turned this into the Bop magazine blog. Umm sorry : )

Part Deux

2008-03-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Jumpin' jehosephat and hot diggity dog.

Beeeeautiful Photograph

2008-03-20T14:07:00.001-07:00

I know this is the "design" blog and all, but dude, this picture is on fire and I just melted:

JJ's Secrets

2008-03-19T13:20:00.001-07:00

I saw this on Digg…

A student at CSUN noticed some filming on campus of a production entitled "Corporate Headquarters". This was a big, fat lie. It was clearly JJ "smartypants genius" Abrams new remake of Star Trek.

Check it out…

Just Interesting, That's All…

2008-03-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

A study was conducted and claims that believers are happier than atheists. Image that.

Big Surprise.

Alena Has Lost It

2008-03-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Seriously. She's wearing a hood and instead of talking, she moves her mouth, but no sound. Also, she has officially used the fontegism "womdernig" twice.

Freeze

2008-03-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, I just saw this on my google weather widget and had to post it somewhere… I've never see this icon appear before.

So, on Sunday, remember to 1.) Bring a heavy coat and 2.) Don't leave any valuables in your car, because they'll probably get stolen in the Harvest parking lot.

Pro Bono

2008-03-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

These fonts are provided free of charge from font foundry "Fountain".

HERE

Erik Spiekermann’s Typo Tips

2008-03-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Think your a master type setter? Think again. Erik Spiekermann, the hilarious and often very blunt dude from the movie Helvectica, has some awesome type setting tips HERE.

The World According to Americans…

2008-03-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Are we really this arrogant?

If Your Girlfriend Were a PC…

2008-03-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Apple's design process

2008-03-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

Michael Lopp, Apple's senior engineering manager, talks about
their approach in coming up with their products. Really interesting…

HERE

He's Alive!

2008-03-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

New Poll

2008-03-11T16:25:00.001-07:00

Just cuz.

VOTE.

50 Ways to Become a Better Graphic Designer

2008-03-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

www.gosquared.com

Press It

2008-03-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

So, I finally made my way to the hammerpress website. I've seen their work in a bajillion design annuals and my favey book, Fingerprint and love it all, and just today, visited their site for the first time. They have cooler posters than Jason Munn! Only two designers in the firm, pumping out some seriously great stuff.

Enjoy the fancies of Hammer Press

The Office's Triumphant Return

2008-03-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

The season resumes April 10, with an episode called "Dinner Party" in which Michael and Jan host a dinner party double date with Jam. According to officetally, the storyline will leap forward (relax A-dre, no actual time travel!) and acknowledge the 5 month gaping hole that the WGA strike tore through our lives. There will only be 5 more episodes this season. We've had 8 episodes so-far, 4 of which were "supersized", equaling 12 episodes worth of content.

It has also been reported that season 5 could hold as many as 30 episodes (compare that to the typical 22-24 episode season)! I think the writers and actors really care!