Chuck Green's Design Likes
Greetings

Thank you for subscribing.

Lots to like this time around. For example, this insight from type designer Jessica Hische: "The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life." This is just one of many contributions by noted designers to Mig Reyes' inspirational project Humble Pied. Be sure to see it (bottom of the list). 
 
Enjoy, Chuck
 
P.S. Don't forget to checkout my design template collections--ideabooks and 300-plus templates on a dual format (Mac/PC) CD-ROM...

For Adobe InDesign > For Adobe PageMaker > For QuarkXPress
 
 
Join me on Facebook

I recently created this Facebook page in the hope you will have the opportunity to meet some of the many talented folks I communicate with through these newsletters. And, better yet, that they will have the opportunity to meet you. Calling it a "fan" page is a misnomer, if anyone is a "fan" here, it's me.

 

Mechanical drawings by Headcase Design

I really like these blueprint-like illustrations created by Paul Kepple and Scotty Reifsnyder at Headcase Design. You may have seen them in books published by, among others, Quirk Books.

Here > Example 1...

Here > Example 2...

Here > Example 3...

Here > Headcase front door...

Here > The weird world of Quirk Books...
 

Get an amazing return on a three dollar investment

If I hear one more commercial about investing in gold I think my head will explode. I know you don't look here for financial advice but I'm going to give you some anyway-here it is:

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, buy the new This American Life App.

For three bucks you get on-demand, FREE access to every episode of this intelligent, funny, heartbreaking, beautiful, bizarre radio program, ever produced-literally hundreds of hours of listening. Is it possible you are not yet familiar with This American Life-wow, are you in for a treat.

Three dollars. What the heck are you going to do with gold anyway-eat it?

Here > This American Life--the app...
 
 
 
 

The future of graphic design is in the provision of access

Anyone who thinks graphic design is merely about style doesn't understand consumption. You can bake a pretty cake, but the true test of its quality is in the eating.

To me, the future of graphic design is clearly in the development of intelligent user interface. On paper or the screen, the most highly prized skill will be a designer's ability to recast information in ways that make it most interesting and useful.

The recently redesigned blog of designer Simon Collison is a good example of that type of user-centric thinking. He generously gives as an in depth insight into his inspiration, ideas, processes, and type and design choices.

Here > Mr. Simon Collison...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

THE big list of public domain image sources

As every graphic designer knows, you are not free to simply add an illustration or photograph to a brochure or web site without first knowing who owns it and what rights they have to it. Some images are copyrighted-which means the owner dictates how it can be used. Others are copyright-free or their copyrights have expired (generally referred to as being in the public domain)-which means (in most cases) you are free to use it without permission.

The good news is there are millions of public domain images available for use&mdashthe bad news is it isn't always easy to distinguish what is protected and what isn't.

All that said, I have compiled a few pages that point to the issues and one that will get you started finding what you're looking for.

Here > This recent article by John Mark Ockerbloom of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries-Shedding light on images in the public domain-offers a good introduction...
 
 
 
 
Recent Tweets http://www.twitter.com/ideabook


Designing web banners? Guidelines from the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) http://ow.ly/1sQlR

To me, good design is partially creativity and innovation, but primarily knowledge and awareness.

A great copyrighting exercise: One sentence stories http://ow.ly/1rFMr

Shocking! Coming soon to Photoshop: "Content-Aware Fill" http://ow.ly/1qBX8

Interview with type designer Panos Vassiliou, March 2010 http://ow.ly/1pZuP

This is a little unusual--a site I designed for UPOP at MIT http://ow.ly/1pB5G


The fun in functional print design

On its list of beliefs, the folks at Knock Knock point out that, "Despite the rise of the screen, much that is interesting and innovative can be done with printed matter..."

I wholeheartedly agree. I heart my computer, my iPhone, my HDTV, and so on--but I also love paper. Knock Knock has made a business of designing useful, often humorous pages.

Here > For example, the Pack This! pad...
 
 
 
 
 
From the Ideabook.com Design Store
 
Design school in five minutes or less

Humble Pied is an inspirational project created by designer Mig Reyes. The idea is simple. He is asking one question of some of the design industry's top creatives: "If you had just one bit of advice to share with a young creative type or someone early on in their creative career, what would that one bit of advice be?"

The answers are funny, interesting, surprising--a few even, down right brilliant.

Here > Jessica Hische says, "The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life"...
 
 
 
 
 
 
Witness to the history of graphic design, typography, printing-and everything else

The first issue of Popular Science magazine appeared just seven years after the close of the Civil War. This month it began offering (in partnership with Google) its entire 137-year archive for free browsing. Each issue appears just as it did at its original time of publication, complete with period advertisements. Amazing.

How the new Popular Science is printed, for example, is detailed in the October 1938 issue. It explains, "At the huge Dayton, Ohio, plant where POPULAR SCIENCE is printed, a workman, the other day, pressed an electric button and this record-breaking machine whirled into action." Then it goes on to show and tell one of its signature stories-filled with informative photographs and illustrations.

Thanks to Jim Green for passing this on-great find.

Here > October 1938, page 74, How the new POPULAR SCIENCE is printed...
 
 
 
 
 
  
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 Green