Chuck Green's Design Likes
Greetings -- thank you for subscribing.

I have a special request: Would you go to Ideabook.com's Facebook page and clicking the "Like" button? We've had so many good discussions there that I'm hoping more readers of this newsletter will chime in and we'll expand the conversation. http://www.facebook.com/ideabookfb

Be well, Chuck 

Check out my Adobe InDesign Ideabook: 315 template files in 19 different categories Everything from brochures, newsletters, and direct mail to packaging, calendars, and books (one CD for both Mac and PC). Use two or three and you'll pay for the entire book and disc...

For Adobe InDesign > For QuarkXPress
 

  
Have a good idea? No more excuses

Kickstarter is a web platform for funding creative projects. You articulate and propose your idea - investors buy in... or don't.

Thanks to my son Jeff for pointing me to a new project proposal from Frank Chimero (a designer I've pointed you to in the past). Within just two days, funding of his project is almost twice what he was asking. Interesting project, interesting platform.

Here > Frank Chimero's The Shape of Design...

Here > More projects from the design category...

Here > My previous post about Frank Chimero's work...

Discuss this topic here...


 
A typographic homage to the tattoo culture

I'm not big on tattoos - my sense of aesthetics is far too fickle for that type of commitment. But I do have a penchant for this latest offering from a master of edgy script typefaces (and others), Alejandro Paul. Be sure to check out the character set - it offers a seemingly incalculable number of variations.

Here > A presentation of Piel Script specimens at Veer...

Here > Take a look at the depth of the character set...

Here > A specimen booklet from Paul's website, Sudtipos.com (1.2MB PDF)...

Here > An earlier post about Paul's work...

Discuss this topic here...



Recent Tweets from http://twitter.com/ideabook
and posts from  http://www.facebook.com/ideabookfb

In case you missed it, a discussion of the NBC Universal logo makeover... http://tinyurl.com/4fh8xxc

To managers everywhere -- your employees have ideas too... http://tinyurl.com/4g7t2ku

It's so easy to dismiss the importance of each design component. Here's proof of how important sequence and sound is -- same goes for images, type, color, and form. They are ALL important -- our job is to arrange them in a way the tells the story the way we want it to be heard. http://tinyurl.com/65rnbfl

Question: Do your clients typically look to you to solve a marketing problem or are they more likely to present you with a marketing strategy created internally or by another source and hire you to execute it? http://tinyurl.com/6yp6kd5

I assume even the youngest of you have seen this, (to me) the pinnacle of television advertising thus far. You have to put it in context, it was 1983, the hype about Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was at its height, and this look and feel was both new and different. http://tinyurl.com/3xlwrh

In case you missed it this is my favorite of the super bowl spots I've seen. (I can only stand to watch so much football.) http://tinyurl.com/6ehorsk

Lovely book cover... Art Director David Baldeosingh Rotstein created this using a photograph by Jo Whaley. http://tinyurl.com/4kjxore


 
A necessary replacement for your conventional dictionary

Wordnik's co-founder, Erin McKean, explains (about words) that, "Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction". She wants us to understand that the number of words in the English language and the number of meanings associated with each word is simply too big for a book.

The solution? Wordnik. The next step in word access. It shows you words and examples of how they are used in context. At this writing it includes 6,475,698 unique words and 889,159,815 example sentences.

Here > An example of a definition: "design"...

Here > Wordnik Zeitgeist...

Here > An example of a list created by a user: one word exclamations...yikes!

Here > Erin McKean, "lexicographer to the stars," explains the idea behind Worknik...

Discuss this topic here... 



The work of a mysterious, exceptional photographer is being revealed

Vivian Maiers must have loved photography. Without doubt she enjoyed the process of creating it. Assuming the figures are roughly correct, she generated about 100 images for every month of her life - over 100,000 images in 83 years. The shear magnitude of her work is noteworthy, but what I want to point you to is the quality of it. I love and appreciate great images and (to me) many of these qualify as superior.

If you have even a passing interest in photography, or creativity, or you just enjoy a good Cinderella story, you owe it to yourself to make the acquaintance of Vivian Maiers and the man who is introducing her to the world, John Maloof.

Imagine the passion it requires to devote your life to a pursuit that you rarely share and get little or no recognition for.

Here > A gallery of Vivian Maiers' photography...

Here > A news story about the find...

Here > John Maloof's website dedicated to the photographer...

Here > John Maloof proposes a documentary on Kickstarter - and was quickly funded...

Discuss this topic here...
 


The answers to many commercial printing questions

Sappi is one of the big paper manufacturers (they bought a S.D. Warren back in the 1990s). So part of their business is to help printers and designers get the most from Sappi's products.

What I am pointing you to is Sappi's substantial collection of technical documents that describe everything from the basic printing process to very specific overviews of specific printing problems.

If you do some print work, you might want to bookmark these pages.

Here > Sappi Technical Publications...

Here > An example: How to Read a Press Sheet (2MB PDF)...

Here > The Technical Tips section looks like it addresses the technical issues that sometimes arise during the process. Good to know...

Discuss this topic here...



Why one of the world's most prestigious art museums has begun to acquire typefaces


The Museum of Modern Art has begun acquiring typefaces for its Architecture and Design Collection. They explain that the criteria ranges from, "...aesthetics to historical relevancy, from functionality to social significance, from technological ingenuity to economy."

Why typefaces? It's obvious to type lovers, but they explain it like this, "Type is a design universe unto itself, an essential dimension in the history of modern art and design. Typefaces - the building blocks of information printed or displayed onscreen - are design in and of themselves, even before they are used.

It is an eclectic, curious list - worth a look.

Here > An example: Retina, designed for the WSJ financial tables to be used at very small sizes. Designed by Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones...

Here > Why MoMA has begun to acquire typefaces...

Discuss this topic here...



From the Ideabook.com Design Store


Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector: A palette of 25,000 CMYK process colors in print...
Here > http://www.ideabook.com/store_tintbook.html

Color Harmony Guide: From French designer Dominique Trapp...
Here > http://www.ideabook.com/store_color_harmony.html

Communicating With Color: Based on Leatrice Eiseman's seminars on the psychology of color...
Here > http://www.ideabook.com/store_pantone_guide.html

The Copywriter's Handbook: Bob Bly's classic guide to copywriting...
Here > http://www.ideabook.com/store_copywriters_handbook.html

Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to Graphic Design: One of my favorite design books...
Here > http://www.ideabook.com/store_copywriters_handbook.html

Getting it Printed: How to wrestle control of your printed work...
Here > http://www.ideabook.com/store_getting_it_printed.html


 
 
About the briefing

I try to remain as objective as possible about the information I share here. Unless I tell you otherwise, I receive no compensation from the organizations and people mentioned except for occasional product samples. Comments? Suggestions? Write me at [email protected] 


Chuck Green