Flock it to Me!

I'm testing out this post from the Mozilla-based browser Flock.  I heard about this browser a while back but never got around to using it until now. First impression is that I've finally found a way to guarantee I never get anything productive done again. Social networking sites (Facebook, etc.), E-mail, RSS blog feeds, photo/video sites...all accessible from the browser in one handy spot. Dang.

Don't expect me to start updating this more often though. Well, maybe a little.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Wednesday Twofer!

Happy Wednesday everyone! As an extra special treat for you, the good people at Command Z have decided to sacrifice our blood, sweat, tears, and video game time to bring you a special SECOND POST today!

So, who likes logos? Show of hands please. Everyone? Good. Well, now you can feed your addiction AND be judgemental at one convenient location.  Enter, Logofi " A new experience of logo design inspiration." Logofi is a site that allows you some interactive inspiration specifically for logo design. And by inspiration we, of course, mean strategic covert plagiarism.  The interactivity comes when you choose to "Logofi" the example logos shown. Logofi is a verb which basically means to declare an object, in this case an identity mark, superior to other objects of the same type.  Feel free to apply the word to things outside of this particular context. Go ahead and logofi your friends, coworkers and loved ones. 

Don't forget to leave your comments belwo. It's good for the economy.

"That’s what the world is looking for. For things to be better than what they currently are."

That's a quotation from Vince Frost of Frost Design in Australia, as told to um...whomever was asking questions.  The inquisitive organization in this particular case was Junior.  Junior is a website/organization drinking club for all you Design neophytes out there that are trying to sneak into this crazy business. Here's the facts: You are young. You don't really know what you are doing. You really aren't very good at this whole Graphic Design thing.  If any of these three things can describe you, then you most certainly should check out Junior.  It is an excellent resource that includes interviews with Design professionals with vastly more experience than you.  Go check it out, then come back here and tell us what you think about it in the comments section. Are there any quotes or tips that stand out to you or helped you in some way? Does the site hurt your eyes too much to look through? Leave it all below.

Of course I can see it. Can't you?

As reported by the good folks over at Brand New, The Cooper Union has recently unveiled an identity redesign. Actually the full title is the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, in case you laymen haven't heard of it before.  It's one of the oldest educational institutions in New York and it only offers it's FREE tuition to a select group of scientific or artistic geniuses. The new logo is a mind bending 3D trip that's actually a C and a U linked together like romantic robots holding hands.  The persective is wonky(a brainy term commonly used within the Union) and the ultra-bright, overlapping colors make it distinctive, though difficult to look directly at.  It's also very tricky to see the letters but I suppose that's appropriate for the logo of a school made up exclusivly of people smarter than you.  

If you still can't see the letters then check out the Cooper Union website and watch the short animation on the front page.

Have you heard about this hot new typeface?

Great Helvetica advertisement from 1966.  I know I would buy it.  

Something to think about: Is it awesome because it's retro or is it retro because it's awesome? leave comments.

Super Bowl Forty...something

It's that time again.  Super bowl time. Also known as the Thanksgiving of junk food.  Every year millions of people gather round their TV sets to watch the result of large groups of people working together toward a single goal: to create the best logo in Super Bowl history.  It's got all your elements that any good Super Bowl logo needs: Towering appearance, clear football imagery, Stars. I happen to enjoy the lack of beveled edges.  Still there's always room for improvement,  although this is pretty good compared to many of the past logos. Maybe there's something longer than roman numerals. How about Binary? Enjoy Super Bowl 0011010000110011 on Sunday everyone!

Also, if you think you could do better then go ahead and enter the NY Times contest thingy and prove it. Courtesy of the NY Times NFL blog, The Fifth Down.

It's Like Flickr, but Design-ier

Let me introduce you to flickrdesign.  It's basically the same flickr you know and love,  except with more graphic design and without all the free will.  That junk only slowed you down anyway, right? Flickrdesign is more or less a blog featuring graphic design images from the regular flickr site except without any insightful or hilarious commentary . These featured pieces are selected by someone known only as "The Editor" and vary in style and overall quality.  You cannot post images directly  to this site, as you can on flickr, but you can e-mail the mysterious man behind the curtain and he will pass his benevolent judgement upon your art.  Despite it's deceiving use of the word "flickr" flickrdesign is not, in fact, affiliated with flickr.com.  There are some cool things over there so take a few minutes to peruse the site and then come back here and leave us some links in the comments of your favorites. 

(Example image is Apples Oranges by flickr.com user jordanmichaelgray.)

EDIT: Further research has revealed that the mysterious editor is  Cornell Campbell, a designer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Credit goes to you, Cornell.

Printing: Better Than the Internet Since 1947

  "Large plants employ persons, usually women, who do nothing but proofread."

Eh, ladies? You looking for that hot new job to get you through the recession? This video ( found by way of Quipsologies, which you should all check out) is ten minutes of solid retro gold. It's only ten minutes out of your life to watch it and learn from it. It's just a shame that this wonderful medium is being watered down because of the impersonal, distant, free internet. Curse you Internet! Cuuuuurse yooooou

Now, commenters, let's discuss down below what we've learned about sexism....I mean printing. 

Inspirational or Crotchety?

In 1992 Paul Rand was pissed.  He wrote this article as a response to "trendy" design, which he viewed as a watered down version of actual ideas.  This article has some nice points about the actual purpose of graphic design if you can filter through all of the name dropping and professor-style language.  
This is really more of a rant than it is an inspirational piece, but there are still lessons to be learned.Here are some quick thoughts that I absorbed from this:

• Everything truly original contains allusions to past work but expands on the ideas of those works.  You can't create innovation out of nothing.
• Schools teaching social reform and morality rather than vocational skills do not prepare the students to actually execute social change.
• “Most [managers] see the designer as a set of hands -- a supplier -- not as a strategic part of a business.”
• The designer’s job is to compile and distill complex ideas and communicate them simply and effectively.  Not just to make cool stuff. Although that's also true.

Go ahead and take a few minutes and read it over. It'll be good for you. Clearly, all you sellouts care about is style over substance. Come up with an original idea already! Sheesh!

Try and keep up, will you?

The Dieline blog, the self proclaimed "Leading package design website" is known to be on the cusp of the latest, greatest new packages.  They've develeoped a reputation for finding good packaging design and revealing it to the design community before word gets out on it's own. Well, Credit goes to The Dieline for featuring the excellent packaging for Elsa's Story snack foods....about 2 years after me that is.  Some of you out there may recall (that is, if you went to college with me and were paying very close attention) that I chose Elsa's Story brand crackers as my example of good packaging for a homework assignment.  I enjoyed the box so much that I even kept it in my car for several monthes so that  I could admire it occasionally. And, unlike The Dieline, I found the crackers somewhat bland (though not unsatisfying). So,"The Dieline"...You think you're so great with your fancy website and vast readership? I don't need either of those things. I've got my prognostication skills.  Why don't you join me up here on the cutting edge?