Thanks for subscribing! Below is a review of the inspirational, idea-generating links I found in my travels of the Web in July 2007.
Enjoy,
Chuck Green
P.S. The July 2007 bestseller in the ideabook.com store is still the InDesign Ideabook (there are also versions for PageMaker and Quark). If you don't have a copy yet, check it out here >
http://www.ideabook.com/ideabook_templates.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 > Graphics Tech > Unlimited screen real estate
In case you have not seen it, Seadragon and Photosynth are two mindboggling bits of technology that will very likely (and yet again) change the way we deal with images and information. Take a moment to watch this presentation by Blaise Aguera of Microsoft Live Labs at the 2007 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference.
The presentation...
http://labs.live.com/photosynth/blogs/Photosynth+At+TED+Conference.aspxOther activity at Microsoft Live Labs...
http://labs.live.com/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 > Web Design > Making ugly work for you
If I am unable to come up with a sound solution to a design problem, it is typically because I am not looking outside the room. With Magnetbox, Ben Tesch proves that letting go of the designer's instinct to create elegant, smooth imagery can result in something that is truly unique.
Elegant ugly...
http://www.magnetbox.com/?cat=2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3 > Illustration > Literal fantasy
One reason some motion pictures are so compelling to so many is the fact that they effectively mix reality with magic. This illustration by John Maggard is a wonderful example of how the mixture of fantasy and fact can be used to demonstrate how products work and how services are rendered.
Maggard's illustration (isolated)...
http://www.scotthull.com/uploads/Hayward.Maggard.jpgWithin the context of the page on which it was found...
http://www.scotthull.com/news/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Ideabook Design Store: > Before & After: Graphics For Business...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 > Graphics Tech > For your web toolbox
Web Developer is a FREE web browser add-on (Firefox, Flock, Mozilla, Seamonkey) that allows you to view just about every element of a web page in any way you choose.
For example, selecting "Images" then "View Image Information" produces a list of all of the images that make up the page along with the name, location, width, height, and size of each. Choosing "Miscellaneous" then "Edit HTML" adds a box to the page that allows you to edit the code on the page to see effect changes make to the layout.
Web Developer is a great tool for both serious designers AND those who want to learn about what makes a web page tick. Just promise me, if you download and use this tool, that you will make a donation its developer, Chris Pederick--such a wonderful tool deserves the support of its users.
Chris Pederick's Web Developer...
http://chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 > Marketing PR > Ideabook.com is on HOW Magazine's Top Ten
We were happy to be on HOW Magazine's Top 10 Web Sites list in July. Welcome HOW readers! Check out our tutorials at ideabook.com, design links at jumpola.com, and a view of design and marketing from low altitude here at pageplane.com.
The current list...
http://www.howdesign.com/links/index.asp~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 > Color > Fluorescent colors
Here's proof that color contrast can produce real drama. The bright colors here juxtaposed with a deep, dark background struck me as having an almost neon-like quality (similar to the fluorescent ink colors that made Wired Magazine covers so distinctive).
Fluorescent colors at inkymole.com...
http://www.inkymole.com/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Ideabook Design Store: > Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7 > Print Design > Am I innovating?
When I see the work of a young designer like Jamie Wieck, I can't help but ask myself, "Am I innovating? Am I pushing hard on every project?" You can't help but admire this guy's thinking.
One of Wieck's many innovative designs...
http://www.jamiewieck.com/decisionsdecisionsprint.htmThe list of projects...
http://www.jamiewieck.com/index.htmMy two-cents on "jolt thinking"...
http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/marketing_pr/what_is_jolt_thinking.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8 > Marketing PR > Need a web site?
How do you sell your web design skills? This may not have... no, make that, this has not occurred to you...
A little low tech high tech marketing by Freedom Interactive Design...
http://wouldyoulikeawebsite.com/The front door...
http://www.freedominteractivedesign.com/main.htm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 > Typography > Type landscapes
If you love type, you'll love two wonderful hybrid films created by Brand New School (it seems to me that labeling them as advertisements doesn't afford them proper respect). While you're there, have a look around. Brand New School has a stunning portfolio of work.
Toyota Slippery Styling (click on "Images" below the screen to see stills)...
http://brandnewschool.com/project.php?395/movies/toyota_slippery_styling.movToyota Sportivo...
http://brandnewschool.com/project.php?395/movies/toyota_sportivo.movGush, gush...A marvelous mural installation they created for Adobe...
http://www.brandnewschool.com/project.php?id=410The Brand New School montage...
http://brandnewschool.com/project.php~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10 > Print Design > The new newspaper
Even though profits of newspapers have fallen, I am told profits still exceed those of the average corporation. Obviously, publishers are looking for ways to build on what they've got. Here is an interesting example of where things may be headed.
A demo of the Guardian and Observer Digital Editions...
http://digital.guardian.co.uk/demo/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11 > Marketing PR > Kind words
Will you indulge me for a moment? Here are some of many kind words received about ideabook.com, jumpola.com, and pageplane.com.
Kind words about ideabook.com, jumpola.com, and pageplane.com
http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/marketing_pr/kind_words.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12 > Illustration defined
My first job in design, a stint as the news artist for WTTG TV in Washington, DC, established a my deep-rooted interest in information graphics. Here is a wonderful series that illustrates the chronology of the Museo Nacional Centro De Arted Reina Sofia in Madrid.
Click "Cronologia" and use the arrows below the text to step through...
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2002/graficos/jul/s4/mncars/reina_sofia.htmlIf you don't have time for a visit, here is a virtual tour of the museum...
http://www.museoreinasofia.es/s-museo/visitavirtual.php?idioma='es'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
13 > Web Design > Sideways
A few nice things happening here: The amorphous logo, the horizontal page orientation, the color-coded city sites. And, of course, I will be forever in their dept for introducing me to the Swedish Street Knitter site.
Urban Outfitters...
http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/blog/The Swedish Street Knitter...
http://maskerade.blogsome.com/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
14 > Illustrators > Greg Newbold
Greg Newbold is a storyteller. His illustrations have a warmth and spirit that make them an obvious choice for fiction and editorial projects, so I especially like seeing them used for commercial application. It's unexpected.
An example of one of Newbold's illustrations used for advertising...
http://www.gregnewbold.com/portfolio_image.php?img=44His portfolio...
http://www.gregnewbold.com/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15 > Print Design > Jolt your thinking on business cards
Here is a wide and deep collection of out-of-the-ordinary business cards compiled by Kariann at dailypoetics.com. Below that: sources for variations on the theme.
The collection...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailypoetics/sets/72057594104389710/Business cards with detachable labels...
http://www.capturecard.com/index.htmlMetal business cards...
http://www.mcloonebusinesscards.com/Plastic business cards...
http://plastekcards.com/business.html?gclid=CNiN4MLRvI0CFRGCGgodthtXMABooks of business cards...
http://www.shineboxprint.com/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the briefing
I try to remain as objective as possible about the information I share here. Unless otherwise stated, I receive no compensation from the organizations and people mentioned except for occasional product samples.
Comments? Suggestions? Write me at chuckgreen@ideabook.com
> Chuck
