friday blinks – 8/10/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

Mars Wallpapers
Tymn Armstrong, an earthling designer, made some desktop wallpapers from the high-res panoramic photos that NASA released earlier this week, which were taken by their newly-landed rover, Curiosity. Thanks dude!
(via Tymn Armstrong/twitter)

Loyola community service site
Designed by Philadelphia-based designer Justin LaFontaine for the Philly-based 160over90 ad agency for Loyola University Maryland. Slick stuff.
(via 160over90/twitter) (via Justin LaFontaine/twitter)

Geometry Daily
No homework needed, just simple geometric shapes, every day.
(via Nate Navasca/twitter)

Jeff Rogers interview with The Great Discontent
The Great Discontent completes another great interview; this time with NYC-based designer, letterer, and maker Jeff Rogers. I felt a warmth run over me (no I didn’t pee myself) after reading his interview. He’s obviously proven that hard work and wanting to continually do better will get you around. Awesome body of work and wonderful advice, Mr. Frogers. Thank you.
(via Jeff Rogers/twitter)

Water Light Graffiti
http://vimeo.com/47095462
Created and by the team at the French-based agency Digitalarti at the ArtLab studio. The ‘Water Light Graffiti’ surface is made out of thousands of LEDs illuminated by the contact of water. You can use anything from a paintbrush, a squirt gun, your fingers or anything else that is damp to make the lights light up. Sweet idea.
(via Creative Bloq/twitter)

friday blinks – 7/27/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

Constructivism Colabo
In 1923, the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky joined forces with painter, photographer, and designer Alexander Rodchenko to start a two-man commercial design business. The rest is history. Together, they created some of the most visually-captivating and memorable ads to date. The style that they created is still influencing today’s “punch-you-in-the-face” style of advertising.
(via Steven Heller/twitter)

The Chicago Neighborhoods Project
Go Media interviewed Chicago-based designer Steve Shanabruch, the creator of this sweet project, which is to brand each Chicago neighborhood one at a time. Good stuff.
(via GoMedia/twitter/blog) (via Steve Shanabruch/twitter)

Foundry Collective’s new website
Not only is their new site extremely crisp and clean, their identity work is so damn good.
(via Luke Bott/twitter) (via Foundry Collective/twitter)

FontFont interviews Frank Chimero
A fantastic interview with Brooklyn, NY-based designer Frank Chimero, where he explains his choice of FF Quadraat for his book and website, Shape of Design, as well as his thoughts on Kickstarter-based projects, why he wrote the book, and his explanation behind using a non-traditional text typeface for the book.
(via Frank Chimero/twitter) (via FontFont/twitter)

Make your work matter
James Victore wants to give you a hard-on (through design, that is) and encourages us all to make work that is a gift to your clients and the world.
(via Chris Streger/twitter) (via James Victore/twitter)

friday blinks – 7/13/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

The Great Discontent interview with Aaron Draplin
Take the afternoon off, read, and go kick some ass. Serious motivation jammed in this interview.
(via Print Mafia/twitter)

Mike Rohde: The Sketchnoter

Mike Rohde shares his “sketchnoting” technique; a great way to reference and remember your notes. Don’t take boring notes anymore. Also, a bonus of Mike’s book cover process.
(via United Pixelworkers/twitter) (via Mike Rohde/twitter)

The best all-over camo printed shirts ever

Very clever and simple idea.
(via Printmaking Journal/twitter)

Font Bomb
Blow up any website. No hackers needed.
(via Mike Metz/twitter)

Designed Space
Gives you a peek into some of the world’s coolest agencies and their spaces, going from larger shops all the way down to a two-person team.
(via David Sizemore/twitter)

And in other news…
Over the past week, I have rolled over 9,000 all-time views. I’m sure most of them are by me and Russian spam bots, but I think they are really observant, design-savvy people who happen to live in Russia. I’ll take what I can get, so thanks for the views,  Lyubochka, Pankrati, and Svyatoslav.

Also, be on the look out for a 2- or 3-post wrap up of WMC Fest next week.

friday blinks – 6/1/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

For startups (or anyone, really), this is how design works
Great overview of what roll design plays in business, and how important it is to successful.
(via Candice Chu/twitter) (via Wells Riley/twitter)

Make a better creative brief
Keep it simple, keep it flexible and include strategy, rules, and dates.
(via Division of Labor/twitter)

Octo sketch process by Brandon Rike

Awesome process hand-drawing to vector illustration by designer/illustrator Brandon Rike.
(via Brandon Rike/twitter)

Advice for designers getting ready to start a studio
Some wonderful tips for anyone wanting to open their own design studio, or even how to run a studio.
(via Alonzo Felix/twitter) (via Rob Giampietro/twitter)

The Great Discontent interviews Dana Tanamachi
“Sometimes your limitations can be a launching pad into an unexpected story.” A wonderful quote and an absolutely fantastic interview with the extremely talented chalk artist/designer Dana Tanamachi. Do yourself a favor. Sit down, take a nice, long break, and read this interview if you haven’t already. Dana has some really good insite. She mentions speaking at some universities…wondering if she would travel to southwest VA to speak to the VCD students at Virginia Tech? Let me know if you’re interested, Dana!
(via The Great Discontent/twitter) (via Dana Tanamachi/twitter)

friday blinks – 5/11/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

Poster series designed in the spirit of public radio
Minneapolis, MN-based illustrator/designer Ross Bruggink illustrated a series of posters based on his four favorite NPR radio shows. Ross has been so kind as to provide said illustrations as high-res, downloadable jpgs. Download. Print. Share. Thanks Ross!
(via Ross Bruggink/twitter)

Aaron Draplin talks with some Young Creative Brits

The Young Creative Council sits down (via Skype) with Mr. DDC himself, Aaron Draplin. Go to art school if you can, work late, and make cool shit. Wise words from a honest, wise man.
(via Aaron Draplin/twitter) (via Young Creative Council/twitter)

NYC in (stop)motion

This amazing look at New York City highlights the fact that this city never sleeps, utilizing crazy stop-motion techniques. Photos/video by Rochester, NY-based Josh Owens.
(via Matt Knisely/twitter) (Josh Owens/twitter)

Fail Better

Very neat, hand-cut paper look illustration video showing how to keeping your nose on the grind stone…again and again and again.
(via Greg Fisk/twitter)

Ferocious Quarterly, Issue 3

Team Ferocious and friends have done it again. No.3: “Be Prepared.” The survival issue is on the presses and looks to be available next Wednesday (5/16) through their website and in stores in June. From the preview, it looks amazing.
(via Ferocious Quarterly/twitter) (via Nate Utesch/twitter)

In other news…
I discovered some designers via twitter this week, two of which just launched new sites. Their collective work is really great. Check them out and follow them on their respective channels.

Chris Rushing: New York City-based designer and illustrator
(via Patrick Macomber/twitter)(via Chris Rushing/twitter)

Brent Couchman: San Francisco, CA-based designer and illustrator
(via Evan Stremke/twitter) (via Brent Couchman/twitter)

friday blinks – 3/9/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

James Victore’s YouTube Channel
This dude is full of energy and I love it. It’s so refreshing to see someone who’s been in the game this long and still full of piss and vigor. Inspiring and impressive.
(via James Victore/twitter)

Glasgow Press’ Impressive promo
Glasgow Press just sent out a letterpress promo pack featuring 5 postcards with lyrics from songs by some of graphic designer Kerr Vernon’s favorite Glasgow-based bands. Awesome.
(via Creative Review/blog)

Interview with Adam R. Garcia
A beautifully-shot interview and with the very talented creative director, designer, and illustrator Adam R. Garcia, created by Portland-based designer Ryan J. Bush. “Move around. Be an idiot. Be a part of the community. Make things that are compelling and meaningful. Think about what you make.” Nice ending, too. It was nice to see Adam break out from those very deep thoughts.
(via Greg Fisk/twitter) (via Adam Garcia/twitter)

Camera + Drill = interesting view of our world
French designer Oscar Lhermitte straps a digital camera, filming at 15 frames per second, onto a drill that spins 20 revolutions per second. I could totally see this treatment as a title sequence for a movie.
(via Under Consideration/twitter)

Advice from John C Jay
Great list of 10 tips from Wieden+Kennedy’s John C Jay. I especially like #7.
(via Greg Fisk/twitter)

Free Font Friday
Practice Foundry, a Canadian-based, “independent type foundry and a collective space for showcasing the work of amateur type designers in Canada.” They want to beef up the Canadian typographic presence with a pay-as-you’d-like model. Pretty sweet idea, eh?
(via Dylan Moore)

friday blinks – 2/10/12

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

Making of Portlandia “Mixology” Poster
Los Angeles-based studio DKNG shows the behind-the-screen (you see what I did there?) of their totally badass contribution to Portlandia’s artist poster series to celebrate their 2nd season.
(via DKNG/dribbble)

Space Dog Books Interview on ISO50
Very cool interview with Tymn Armstrong of Space Dog Books, sharing some details of the process behind building Treasure Island for the iPad.
(via Tymn Armstrong/twitter)

Working Not Working
Looks like a very solid network of freelancers and people who need freelancers. Awesome mark, to boot.
(via Alonzo Felix/twitter)

Warby Parker Annual Report +
A very slick, javascript-based annual report from glasses makers Warby Parker, plus a peek at their process here.
(via Chris Streger/twitter)

Bearded Studio says Take a Break
Great advice from the Pittsburgh crew. I used to work at an agency where we’d play Quake 3 over breaks. I think it definitely helped with productivity.
(via Matt Griffin/twitter)

friday blinks – 11/25/11

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

Exquisite Beast project
Continuous, daily drawing by illustrator Emory Allen. Very cool.
(via Jay Schaul/twitter)

80s Horror Movie logos
Great collection of hand-drawn 80s type for horror movies.
(via Dana Tanamachi/twitter)

One Minute with Jon Ashcroft
Wonderful interview with the always on-point and super talented Jon Ashcroft.
(via Jon Ashcroft/twitter)

Bike wheel animation
Bike wheel + paper + video camera = clever animation
(via Cranky Pressman/twitter)

ADC’s Annual Awards Call for Entries campaign
DDB New York’s cam­paign for ADC’s Annual Awards Call for Entries. Simple, smart and awesome.
(via Brandon Oxendine/twitter)

friday blinks – 10/21/11

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

The  poster series of Genis Carreras
Great and simple collection of posters.
(via GoMedia/twitter)

One Minute with Brandon Rike
Nice interview with the super-talented Brandon Rike. “First learn how to be a responsible adult and to work harder than everyone else.”
(via Brandon Rike/twitter)

Handlettered logos from defunct department stores
Seems like a lost art. The only one I remember is John Wanamaker’s.
(via Tyler Galpin/twitter)

Mad Men title sequence break down
Really detailed look at the Mad Men title sequence. Interesting to see what goes into something like that, and how amazing it can become.
(via Adam Senatori/twitter)

Logotype in Beirut Bridges the Gap between East and West
Amazing bilingual signage/logotype by Mary Choueiter.
(via Print Magazine/twitter)

friday blinks – 10/14/11

Here is a list of sites we’ve come across throughout the past couple weeks that we think are worth sharing. We call it friday blinks.

Thank a Type Designer
The last one is a ziiiiiinger.
(via Tuesday Bassen/twitter)

Kern Type, the kerning game
Awesome 10-part html5 game to test your skills as a master kerning machine. I got an 83.
(via Malcolm Simmons/twitter)

52 Weeks of Hello
Really nice project. Kind of what I try to do with my “featured designers,” to make a personal connection with the extremely talented people who are featured.
(via Patrick Macomber/twitter)

Taylor Pemberton interview by the Black Harbor
Short but meaningful interview with the super-talented, incredibly-driven Taylor Pemberton.
(via Taylor Pemberton/twitter)

International Aviary logo collection
Simple. Magnificent. Birds.
(via Riley Cran/twitter)