Old Tyme Typography

Hey Kids! Gather round the fireplace and I'll tell you a story... In a past not too long ago before computers, Typography (with a capital "T") was actually hand crafted by artisans that created a exciting, living, breathing communication that leapt off of the page. Stamps, bank documents, deeds, stock certificates, packaging and advertising were all adorned with beautifully constructed typographical works of art that made that particular document special and something of importance. You dig? Be prepared to be amazed here!

Always Beautiful

Big Spaceship (one of my fav dig shops) was tasked with creating a unique experience using the new beta release of Microsoft's IE9 that took full advantage if IE's browser features and functionality and push the limits of what’s possible. "Always Beautiful" – is an interactive experience that uses the history of the web as a personal paintbrush.

Drawing inspiration from the ever-evolving trends of the Web and setting them against a soundtrack from recording artist Ming, users generate a completely unique piece of artwork from a library of Web-inspired graphic assets we created. IE9’s unique use of the user's graphics processor allowed for hundreds of assets on the screen at once with no drop in performance. And with native browser support of HTML5 standards and SVG, the creation could be be generated based on real-time user input and output at any size.

The result? A beautiful piece of work created by Big Spaceship that's rich in detail and uniquely beautiful.

New MIT Media logo

The logo designed by The Green Eyl, captures a look and feel for the Media Lab, but instead of being a just static image, the logo is actually a conceptual and dynamic algorithm. The design is a simple set of rules defining a grid overcast by three overlapping shapes; designer Richard The explains below:

The new visual identity of the MIT Media Lab is inspired by the community it comprises: Highly creative people from all kinds of backgrounds come together, inspire each other and collaboratively develop a vision of the future.

This unique offering of the MIT Media Lab is reflected in the logo design. Each of the three shapes stands for one individual’s contribution, the resulting shape represents the outcome of this process: A constant redefinition of what media and technology means today.

The Media Lab has outgrown this notion of traditional media, with researchers working in areas ranging from human computer interaction to neurobiology or nanotechnology. Whatever ‘media’ means, it has been and will be defined at this place, in the next 5, 10, 20 years. The algorithmic logo is an effort to capture this dynamism.

A nice way to colorfully and artfully communicate the essence of what the entity is conceptually.

Jordan (maybe)

Depending upon wether you are a part of Nike's legal office, I may (or may not) have been deeply involved with a Jordan rebranding dream assignment that may (or may not) have taken up 5 months of my life last summer. I did (maybe) have an extensive showcase of all the thinking and creative executions of the rebranding, but some members of Nike may (or may not) have politely asked me to take the work down off of my site or Charles Barkley may (or may not) have to come to my house and pull my lungs out through my nostrils...

Here is some work that may (or may not) have something to do with the project. Thank you.

Zombies on the Street

From the dawn of man, every tribe has had a very distinct and aggressive graphic style alerting all in the vicinity that they were a group that meant business and not to be trifled with.

When designing the new Triathlete Zombies cycling uniform, I kept thinking about how to utilize the bold logo and incorporate some additional graphic elements to help support the mark and make some noise on the road. Above is where we ended up and fact that they have already sold out of them means that there are going to be a lot of TZ tribe members standing out in the crowded LA streets.

The Photographer That Wasn't There

Once upon a time, there was a single woman named Vivian Maier, who for 50 years was a nanny for households in the greater Chicago area and in her free time traversed the city with a camera and was able to stop time and create amazing stolen moments with the snap of a button. Photographers like Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand all come to mind when viewing the work and Vivian's images easily hold up when held up through the lens of these contemporaries.

The source of these images is truly the remarkable thing and I am sure will someday be coming to a theater near you. Vivian, a loner, was a strong willed individual who (from what has been uncovered from her life’s history) never formally studied photography and was only working from that place in the artist’s heart that knows without a doubt, she must produce. Shooting year after year, creating thousands and thousands of images and undeveloped rolls of film – never entered a contest, had a show, or had any audience to speak of.

Undiscovered, she died recently at the age of 83 and the only reason her work was discovered was due to a 26 year old real estate agent who bought a box of her negatives at a public storage auction. Luckily for all of us, his jaw dropped and he has devoted his life to collecting and curating her life’s work. You can view a video telling the whole story here.

Simply beautiful.

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Pentagram Goodness

One of the design world’s most respected firms, Pentagram, has recently given it’s website a much needed update with a easy nav system and a clean experience. It’s now easier than ever to bask in the warm glow of greatness including work from Michael Beirut, Paula Scher, DJ Stout and a host of other visual communication heros with more accolades than you can shake a big stick at.
Awesome.