Metamorphosis

Gorgeous video by Glen Marshall done entirely in Processing.

New Deal Typeface by Neville Brody

We saw the new Micheal Mann film, Public Enemies, earlier this week. Great film no doubt but one thing that really caught my eye was the typeface they used in all of the promotional materials and film title for the film, I couldn't identify it at first but it was definitely bold, concrete and masculine, totally fitting with bank robbers, 1930's depression era backdrop, and the birth of the FBI. Later on I discovered that Micheal Mann had commissioned the typeface from one of my all-time graphic design heroes, Neville Brody. It's a gorgeous typeface and I can't wait till it becomes available commercially.

Reverie Sound Revue: Arrows Video and Self Titled LP

I purchased Reverie Sound Revue's self-released EP years and years ago after seeing Lisa Lobsinger with attendant hairdo perform with Broken Social Scene. Recorded or live she simply has a gorgeous ethereal voice.

It's been a long while but they've finally released their first studio LP and the first of a series of online video blog tours from www.boompa.ca.

Check out the first video of their acoustic rendition of Arrows here.

Note: I'm patiently waiting for Boompa to disable their non-embed Vimeo code so I can repost all the vids.

Guy Starts Dance Party

Courtesy of Andy Polaine blog.

"I've just finished up a chapter in my PhD about social play. Most of it is about online interaction, but quite a bit is about how to bring strangers together to make connections in public spaces.

Serendipitously, Iain just posted this clip thanks to Knotty's. If you don't get why social networks work, watch this."

You Had Me at Prairie Dog

Found this random image while researching rodents in Texas. One colony in Texas got up to 400 million individuals. No wonder.

Real G: Life size Gundam.

This is pretty sweet. Green Tokyo Gundam Project have decided to build a life size Gundam model in a park in Tokyo to celebrate Mobile Suit Gundam's 30th anniversary. Big thanks for my buddy Matt Stoffel for sending this my way.

You can view more photos here.

The Go! Team - Milk Crisis

Just came across this gem of a music video from The Go! Team. Great song to get the day started.

Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?

Informative video from the TED channel on Youtube.

TED Talks Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

Four Minutes from Terminator Salvation.

Growing up I used to wonder what the war against Skynet would look like. In two weeks I find out. Till then.

Takashi Murakami For Louis Vuitton - Superflat First Love

Not really a fan of LV but I am loving this new launch animation for the brand.

Paradigm Unconflicted Commercial

Old project I animated at Axiom last year for Paradigm, but recently I got it uploaded in HD 720 on youtube. Click here to view it full size.

AIGA Houston Presents: Chip Kidd – “B____, I D___ K___ L___!”

Wanted to let everyone know about the Chip Kidd event this Thursday at Domy. Place will be packed and I really looking forward to it. Also loving the postcard from my coworker Banks Noel.

More info below.

AIGA Houston Presents: Chip Kidd – “B____, I D___ K___ L___!”

PRE-REGISTER FOR BEST PRICING: http://www.aigahouston.org/kidd

http://www.goodisdead.com

Chip Kidd is a graphic designer and writer living in New York City and Stonington, Connecticut.

His first novel, The Cheese Monkeys, was a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His first book, Batman Collected, was awarded the Design Distinction award from ID magazine. He is the co-author and designer of the two-time Eisner award-winning Batman Animated. He is the editor-at-large for Pantheon. He has also written about graphic design and popular culture for McSweeney’s, Vogue, The New York Times, The New York Observer, Entertainment Weekly, Details, 2WICE, The New York Post, ID, and Print.

His book jacket designs for Alfred A. Knopf (where he is associate art director) have helped spawn a revolution in the art of American book packaging. His work has been featured in Vanity Fair, Eye, Print, Entertainment Weekly, The New Republic, Time, Graphis, New York, and ID magazines, and he is a regular contributor of visual commentary to the Op-Ed page of The New York Times.

His designs have been described as “Monstrously ugly” (John Updike), “apparently obvious” (William Boyd), “Faithful flat-earth rendering” (Don DeLillo), “surprisingly elegant” (A. S. Mehta), “a distinguished parochial comic balding Episcopal priest” (Allan Gurganus), “Two colors plus a sash” (Martin Amis) and “not a piece of hype. My book was lucky.” (Robert Hughes).

Mr. Kidd is also the lead vocalist, percussionist, lyricist, and co-songwriter in artbreak, a new band described as “The New Pornographers meet The Cars” (Unbeige).

Date: May 7, 2009
Location: Domy Books 1709 Westheimer Houston, Tx 77098
Time: 6:30pm - social & book signing, 7:30pm - presentation

TO REGISTER, GO TO: http://www.aigahouston.org/kidd

Pre-registration pricing (closes at 5pm, May 6):
AIGA members - Professional Members: $10- Student Members: $5
Non-members- Professionals: $20- Students: $10

Pricing at the door:
AIGA members- Professional Members: $15- Student Members: $10
Non-members- Professionals: $30- Students: $20

**AIGA members-only door prize at the event**

Department of Eagles: No One Does it like You

Patrick Daughters' last two music videos for Feist are among my favorites in recent memory. His newest music video for Department of Eagles song “No One Does it like You”, co-directed with Marcel Dzama, is an eerie green screen montage of colonial desert warfare, choreographed dancers and spooky singing ghosts. Great video.

View large quality version here.

Nike Presents Onwards by James Jarvis

Starts off slow but wow. This wonderful animation from illustrator James Jarvis makes my day.

Click here to watch the large version.

Objectified: A Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit

I really liked Gary Hustwitt's previous film Helvetica and am excited about his new film, Objectified, coming out soon. I have a huge interest in industrial and product design and am very curious to see what insights to the creative process he can shoehorn into the documentary. Plus it features a lot of my more recent design heroes.

Description from the site:
Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability.

Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential product designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?

TEACLOUD: UH Graphic Communications Senior Exhibition

I look forward to checking out the senior exhibition of my alma mater next month. Congratulations to Senior Block!

TEACLOUD
UH Graphic Communications Senior Exhibition
http://www.design.uh.edu/shows/2009

May 8th, Friday
Winter Street Studio
2101 Winter Street,
Houston, TX 77007

For more info on the exhibit.

Winter Street Studio

Godiex { - } / Diego Gravinese

Paintings and photos by Diego Gravinese a.k.a Godiex {-}. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out these first three images. Startling work.

Honda Let It Shine Commercial

Awesome spot from Wieden + Kennedy's Amsterdam Office.

Cool looking Gaming PC Design Concept from BMW Group Designworks USA

Awesome looking design concept for gaming tower prototype, the Level 10, from BMW Group Designworks USA designed for Thermaltake.

AIGA Presents ::CRONAN:: Elegant Questions/Simple Answers Thursday April 2nd

Looking forward to the CRONAN event this Thursday at Bering & James Art Gallery. Please do check it out. More info below.

Elegant Questions/Simple Answers

Thursday, April 2, 2009


AIGA Houston Presents
Speaker – Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma
view website: www.cronan.com

Yes / No IGNITE
“One of the time saving tricks we learned during 20 years of teaching was the Yes/No answer. To avoid endless email writing and phone time, answering student questions, we requested that students frame their questions so we could answer with a simple ‘yes or no.’ We saved time and also noticed that the students’ questions became much more interesting and at times, elegant. From that realization and a number of others we began to realize that the questions in Design are far more important than the answers. It was a major Ah-Ha for us.

Since then our design practice has switched from looking for the right answers to looking for the right questions to ask.”

Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma will share thirty-five years of their Ah-Ha’s (and some Ha-Ha’s) with you and will offer some thoughts on the future of design.

CRONAN :: designs and creates internationally known, innovative, successful names, identities and brands for companies, products and organizations.

Led by partners Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma, :: CRONAN :: has a wide spectrum of engagements, from developing business concepts thru start-ups and new product launches to re-energizing well-established companies and brands. ::CRONAN :: creates world-class names and visual brands for game-changers, like TiVo and Amazon Kindle.

Michael and Karin invite you to visit FORA.tv one of their latest projects.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Date & Time
Thursday, April 2, 2009
6:00 pm - social
7:00 pm - presentation

Location
Bering & James Art Gallery
805 Rhode Place #500
Houston, Tx 77019
view map

Pre-registration pricing
closes at 5pm, April 1
$10 AIGA Members
$20 Non-Members
$5 AIGA Student Members
$10 Student Non-Members

Pricing at the door:
$15 AIGA Members
$30 Non-Members
$10 AIGA Student Members
$20 Student Non-Members