March 2012
9 posts
Designing a Life
I was in Zagreb, Croatia two weeks ago as part of an international design jury for the ZGRAF exhibition of communication design. On the jury with me was the wonderful Niklaus Troxler whose posters for the Willisau Jazz Festival have been published widely and lauded internationally for their energy and inventive use of color, texture, and type. I’ve seen Niklaus work at the Art...
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Saved by Tumblr
I was in the weeds on a design project last week and Tumblr really saved my neck. I was working on a book project with Patagonia. The title, The Responsible Company, sums up the content, a compilation of hard-won lessons in pursuit of a sustainable business practice. The authors, Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard, are are absolute gents, idealistic and innovative. Chouinard wrote an inspired...
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Taking your own advice
I went back to Penn State for an alumni design event last year. I hadn’t been back to school in 15 years and, I have to say, it was great to visit. The design studio wasn’t in the same building, the old tables that were lacquered with spray mount residue had been replaced with modern work spaces. There was lots of room, it was clean. The students were great. I gave a talk about my life...
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Technology is not a movement, but it creates them.
Ansel Adams was very clear about his process: ” I do not take photographs, I make them.” In one sentence he drew a distinction between himself, the artist/photographer, and all the other hobbyists and dilletantes with cameras. “Making” involves the creation of something new; “taking” captures what is. Making requires a maker, the artist, and an intention, the vision. The vision...
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Lo lee ta.
“She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.”
John Bertram, architect and blogger, forwarded a link to an erratum in Print magazine. It seems that the April issue went to press with one page erroneously set in dummy text. (this will be the printed issue that I’ll have to buy!) The page was devoted to the Lolita Cover Project that John...
