Art Deco Architecture
One of my favorite types of architecture is Art Deco! So eclectic, I love this building. Building with Art Deco Architecture
IT without Software and Incubators made from SUVs
Empathy is the soul of design; just knowing a problem exists gives you a portion. Truly understanding of the problem gives you the balance needed for meaningful action. Understanding itself is cultivated through research, thinking and analysis. This is true when building a tool or designing an experience. In microcosm, it’s even true when you fold a scrap of paper to place under a piece of wobbling furniture. The following articles are examples of design with enough of both qualities to take ideas born in one culture and re-engineer them for another. Information Technology without Software Sometimes just the process of communicating is so complicated that even simple information gets lost because of incidental situations like a location or context. Even if the data is simple, it can get [...]
Standing the Test of Time
In a region where certain ever-evolving brand identities are practically emblazoned in our brains from birth (here's looking at you Starbucks, Mariners, and Microsoft, to name a few), the Rainier Beer logo remains a stronghold of vintage charm, refusing to budge from its boldly scripted form since the era of peace and love ruled the Emerald City. Continuing to age gracefully despite fading and peeling paint, that quintessentially Seattle "Rainier R" holds court over the back patio at King's Hardware in Ballard, where one can order any number of fine craft beers, or that old standby – Vitamin R.
Documenting Design
The CSA Flat File is an ongoing log of current projects from the unbelievably extensive CSA Images archive. When the universe of design inspiration feels like it's expanding at an exhausting rate, sometimes it's nice to rest your eyes on an oasis of flat color and ink on paper. [Images via CSA Flat File]
Get Typey with It
Looking for typographic inspiration? We Love Typography is a new one-stop-shop for lettery goodness. Featuring a seemingly never-ending library of all things type – from hand painted script, to super clean sans, to a particularly awesome Willie Nelson bandana – all searchable via keyword or color (oooh). Feast your eyes.
Abandoned Homesteads Photo Project
A few years ago I started photographing old houses. I especially like the ones that are falling down. I'm not a purist and I'm not opposed to using Photoshop. I like to add drama with high contrast and saturation to make them a little more powerful. You just have to wonder... Farmers? Was it good times or bad? Lot's of kids? Why did they leave? Did the well dry up? Did the Dingos take the baby? Cool, creepy, sad and history all rolled up into one photo.
Music to Design By
Need fresh music to design or code by? Try one of my favorites, Ghostly International. It’s a great mixture of experimental avant-pop, electronic and ambient, with a selection of nifty abstract and geometric art prints as well. With the music, you can try before you buy with their handy app Ghostly Discovery, available on iOS or via a streaming web app. Adjust the sliders to match your mood and you’re off. If you have money to burn, jump right in with the 30-track ‘We'll Never Stop Living This Way: A Ghostly Primer’, a composite of the label itself. To get the full record experience from a single artist, give one of these a try—in order here from upbeat to nearly ambient—Gold Panda, Tycho or Seattle’s own The Sight Below. [...]
My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (3 of 3)
Smoked Glass Somewhere along the line, I picked up a collection of smoked glass. I didn't even know I was doing it. Some pieces I have multiples, some pieces I only have one. I mentioned in an earlier post that I still have room for one more bowl or tablecloth, but unfortunately, that does not stand true for glasses. I once took a count of all drinking vessels—mind you, this includes coffee cups, pint glasses, champagne flutes, and everything in-between—and while I won't tell you the number, it is a 3 digit number. So as you can imagine, my cabinets allocated to drinking glasses are very, very full, but in my defense, the majority of them were purchased at thrift stores, for a dollar or less per glass, and some [...]
Mid-Century Design Favorites
I'm a little bit obsessive about design; besides graphic design, I have a special affinity for what are, in my opinion, well designed furniture and housewares. Any object I bring into my life has to be both beautiful and functional; stylish but unfussy. I can obsess over the smallest details, like the shape and depth of the bowl of a spoon, or the legs of a table, or just the right shaped water pitcher. Many modern designers of the 50s and 60s felt this way as well, which is why I am so drawn to designs from that era. Much that falls under the umbrella of mid century modern is both bold and minimal, softened by the use organic shapes, and is often made of a brilliant mix of man-made and [...]
My Top 5 Favorite InDesign Features
I work with InDesign every day. It is, without a doubt, my favorite program. Having worked with it since InDesign 2.0, I've learned quite a few ins and outs with the program. While there is always more to learn, here are my top 5 favorite InDesign features. The double click. If you double-click on an anchor point of a text or image box, it will automatically resize the frame to fit the content, whether that be text or an image. If you click on a side anchor point, it will resize the content from that direction; if you click on a corner, it will re-flow the text and resize the frame in what it thinks is the best manner. I especially find this useful for heavily styled text boxes with background [...]
