The good-looking Type

Without a stock image or artwork (or a budget for either of these), necessity is the mother of invention.

I particularly like the playfulness of the evolutionary A on the cover of The First Word and the visual pun of casting (type-casting?) for Brian Clarke’s book On Fishing. The sullen simplicity of Against Happiness certainly holds it own against the buckling Heat (but may regard this as scant consolation).

Thanks to Wes Moore for drawing attention to this collection of typographic book covers, curated by Erica Jennings.

The Design Directory

A valuable resource, the Design Directory is an International design links database covering 50 design categories, running from costume design (7 entries) to graphic design (1,691 entries) and taking in animation, architecture, fashion, furniture, illustration and urban design along the way. The major categories have a list of the Editor’s Choice. The Graphic Design link takes you to a list of sub-categories including magazines, where you’ll find How and Graphis (United States), and the bi-lingual  idpure (Switzerland) and novum (Germany). You can also view blogs, ezines, portfolios and galleries here and in other design areas.

The Design Directory is a good page to bookmark and browse.

Design Thinking — it really might help

Helen Walters writes on the concept of Design Thinking:

It won’t save you … It is not Design … It is not magic … It is not a quick fix … It does not guarantee success … (but it really might help).

In A Teen Eye for Design, Linda Tischler wonders what would happen if design was taught in middle schools, and finds her faith restored.

Finally, Cassandra Pizzey reports on Connecting Concepts, a travelling exhibition of Dutch design showcasing the thought processes. She talks to curator Ed van Hinte on the road between Ahmedahbad and Mumbai in India, ready to add new exhibits and replace others to keep the show geographically relevant.

dezeen: from the monthly archives

Hula hoops, a honeycomb vase, and a question of faith: a visit to the monthly archives of dezeen, the online magazine for architecture, design and interiors.

Qui est in, Qui est out …

London architects Yes We Can Architecture built a project out of hula hoops in the summer of 2008. A simple, effective (and affecting) way to enliven an 18th century French courtyard — a sense of release, of champagne bubbles!

The Honeycomb Vase

A ‘collaboration’ between Studio Libertiny and 40,000 honeybees: Tomáš Libertiny put his basic beeswax mould printed with a honeycomb pattern into a beehive. The bees did the rest. The report ends with a credit for concept, photography … and beekeeping.

Robert Stadler installation in a Parisian church

Robert Stadler designed a lighting installation for the church of Saint-Paul Saint-Louis in Paris during the annual Nuit Blanche all-night festival (October 2007). Here’s Stadler’s rationale (see 2007/ ? Nuit Blanche Paris).

Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682), said there aren’t impossibilities enough in religion for an active faith. Stadler’s illuminating question is absorbed into the space where doubt and faith co-exist.

John Gorham, ‘the graphic John Betjeman’

I’m grateful to Michael Johnson, of London design consultancy Johnson Banks, for his 2008 blog on the work of John Gorham, one of my heroes when I was a design student. Johnson is absolutely right when he says that it’s virtually impossible to find anything on the internet about this uniquely-talented (and quintessentially-English) designer, typographer and illustrator.

This appeal for information finishes Johnson’s text, but it’s worth repeating here:

Beryl McAlhone (co-author of ‘A Smile in the mind’) and James Beveridge (ex of The Partners) have been researching a book on Gorham’s work but are thus far unable to find a publisher. Please email info@johnsonbanks.co.uk if you want to help.

The Shape of Design: anticipation

A fascinating work-in-progress, The Shape of Design by Frank Chimero, a short, accessible book about the creative process & the intersection of storytelling, craft & improvisation.

As he says in the witty and charming video, he wants it to be a book “to take up space, because you thought it was worth cluttering your ratty 400 sq ft apartment”.

I look forward to the book. For now, we have the notes.

POSTSCRIPT
As readers will have seen, above, Frank Chimero posted his project to Kickstarter to attract funding from readers. The idea was a book, The Shape of Design, which Chimero hoped would highlight the sense of meaning and purpose that designers bring to their work. But a mere four hours later, The Shape of Design was already funded.

Alissa Walker interviewed Frank Chimero to find out how he did it.

In Praise of the East European Film Poster

Following on from Best of 2010 Film Posters, here’s Rick Poynor’s fascinating article on East European Film Posters. Scratch the surface — or, as we say online, follow the links — and a great deal more visual material is available to savour.