I was invited to attend the previous After Dark event on July 16th. 80′s music played to match the event theme. Several people were dressed in the era’s requisite leg warmers and skinny fluorescent tights. The Velcro Wall and Eureka! Gallery were among the popular areas comprising both floors of Science World.

The Velcro Wall

The August event will feature improv, an adult science show, and open labs for guests to do their own chemistry experiments. All of the galleries will be open for perusing. The staff will also be breaking out the Van de Graff generator, creating their own special mix of bubbles galore (adult size bubbles to fit inside of!), and conducting several exploding experiments.

There will be two cash bars available for beer and wine: near the entrance and upstairs in the Eureka! gallery.

Tickets are $19.75 and can be purchased in advance by email or by calling 604-443-7500.

Now back to the Dry Dog. It’s a very roomy, not too heavy functional bag containing a separate padded laptop compartment. The Dry Dog is also designed to fit a standard pannier rack.

While I could go on about the roominess and ultra strong removable/adjustable strap, I was wowed by its mounting system!

The German made klickfix hardware that marries the bag to the rack is fast and stable once mounted. The latch at the bottom rear of the bag is movable, allowing you to adjust it left to right once the bag is clicked onto the rack. The rides I’ve had out with it have been smooth and quiet (read = it stays put), even with a small amount of gear packed inside. And removing the bag was just as easy!

What I also liked about the bag was the large fold over flap, providing greater protection against rain and dust. The bag is further designed with a lot of reflective strips front and sides and is 100% waterproof.

Opening the bag reveals a cheeky little graphic that’s part of the Knog brand. Those familiar with their colourful, well known Frog lights will recognize the package graphics printed here. Just another way that makes Knog bags stand out from the rest of the crowd.

The strap is quite substantial, however given my 5’4″ frame, I found the bag a bit hard to navigate over my shoulder. There is a handy carry handle that solves the problem for short folks.

Pros: roominess that can carry you a full day out with supplies
Cons: a bit large for smaller body types

I recommend the bag for both its cool factor and quality. The great mounting system and laptop/gear space make it that much sweeter. You can order the Dry Dog directly via Knog’s website. The company also ships to Canada.

One of the many pulleys holding the tent together

Kooza, the new Cirque du Soleil show, is edging ever closer to its Vancouver premiere. Today I was offered the chance to witness the raising of the big tent (aka Grand Chapiteau) from underneath the scenes!

Cirque crew awaiting instructions

Heave, Ho!

A job well done

The finished product

Back in February, the U.S. Mint chose a new reverse penny design for circulation this year. Created by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program Associate Designer Lyndall Bass, and sculpted by U.S. Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna, it depicts a shield with 13 vertical stripes bearing the E PLURIBUS UNUM (Out of Many, One) motto.

The stripes represent the 13 original states joined together as a united country. There were 18 designs submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. In turn, both organizations submitted their recommended designs to US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner, who selected the Union shield design.

The 2010 Lincoln penny design evolved from the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 which required a new penny design be developed for use in 2010 and beyond, to symbolize President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as “a single and united country.”

Popular during the Civil War era, the shield’s style recalls a healthy and prosperous nation. The Union shield is a replacement for four 2009 designs showing different aspects of Lincoln’s life and the 1950 to 2000 Lincoln Memorial design.

I’ve read that the design is expected to stay for at least 25 years (or until the penny is phased out, whichever happens first). The heads side (technically referred to as the obverse) won’t change in its design. Abraham Lincoln’s portrait has graced the penny since 1909.

What’s of interest to me however has been the amount of commentary that has flowed as a result of the chosen design. Personally, I like its simplicity and historical feel. That said, I would have been equally happy to see the last proposal in the image, LP-18, used.

As of this post, Boing Boing has garnered over 120 comments: good, bad, and ugly. Print Magazine’s headline is simply entitled Penny Dreadful. As well, the blog post features a few other designs that obviously didn’t make the cut.

What are your thoughts? Is this a winning design worthy of depiction on a US coin? View enlarged versions of the 18 original design proposals here.

The popular Cirque du Soleil brings its latest show, KOOZA, to Vancouver, starting Thursday, July 22nd. Fans around the world have enjoyed the colourful costumes and the impossible acrobatic feats made to look easy. Here are a few facts you may not know about the Cirque:

• The Grand Chapiteau is 20 meters high, 50 meters in diameter, and supported by four masts each 24 meters tall.

• The Big Top can seat over 2,500 people in a climate-controlled environment, and requires a team of about 80 to raise.

• Entire site set-up takes seven days, including the Tapis Rouge VIP tent, entrance, rehearsal tents, box office, administrative offices, and a kitchen and dining area for cast and crew.

• The “village” travels from city to city in 59 tractor trailers.

Tickets are now available online or by phone (1-800-450-1480).

I was recently sent a beautiful Sawako Furuno Hanabi style helmet to road test and review. Sawako Furuno is a UK-based cycle accessory and clothing label for women. Furuno, originally from Tokyo, is a trained architect who has always been passionate about design. As a regular London cyclist, she was keen to design products that would stand out from the typical range of unattractive cycling accessories and apparel. “The brand is about being feminine, stylish and having fun on your bike”, according to Cycle Fashion.

The first things that came to mind were how lightweight and comfortable it felt to wear.

The helmets have been receiving great reviews both in print and online, including TimeOut London and the Evening Standard.

Earlier this year, local Dutch bike company Jorg and Olif included the helmet in a review of five cool bike helmets, declaring it the perfect female cycling accessory.

The Hanabi is part of the Classic revival collection from Cycle Fashion and is inspired by a traditional Japanese aesthetic. The helmet is BMX style, loaded with a floral motif, and comes in one size (Medium). It’s fully adjustable via clicking the wheel (at rear of helmet), as well as changing the length of the straps.

The helmet has passed US and European cycling safety standards (and I’ve been told that Canada is on its way). I’ve worn it a few times already and it’s getting loads of compliments!

The designer plans to expand the line to include accessories and apparel in the future. Although the shop is based in London, the helmet can be ordered online via The Bicycle Muse, their San Francisco sister site.

As a seasoned brand identity designer, I couldn’t agree more.

This valuable reminder, quoted by Malcolm Grear on page 29, sets the tone early in David Airey’s book, Logo Design Love.

Designed as both a learning tool and a set of case studies, Airey bridges a wide array of logo examples with the creative thinking process of identity design. You’ll gain valuable insight into asking the right questions from the start, learn constructive ways of working with your clients, and become proficient in how to present your ideas during the various phases of a project. Each section brings a new aspect of branding identity to the forefront.

You won’t get specific answers to the ages-old “How much should I charge” conundrum, but rather good food for thought in arriving there.

It’s an enjoyable read, based on the author’s own successful blog, Logo Design Love. The book showcases the best of Airey’s 500+ blog posts. As well, don’t miss his top 10 questions answered and 25 logo design tips towards the back of the book!

David Airey is a Northern Irish graphic designer who currently maintains two blogs: www.davidairey.com and www.logodesignlove.com

PS – Congrats to David on his recent wedding and kudos to the beautiful wedding photography capturing the day.

I just finished reading this book and found its value worthy of a mention on my site.

Shel Perkins’ book, Talent is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers, bridges all aspects of the design career into one resource. It’s a must-read for those starting out. The overview of what to expect and how to grow from a student intern through to owning your own design company (and building your physical space for maximum creative potential) is all here, smartly presented in chronological order.

I found the sections focusing on design teams and hiring and working with a sales rep a refreshing read. Don’t be daunted by the book’s smaller-than-usual font size: it won’t take long to dig in and get through the book from cover to cover.

Even if you’re a seasoned professional, there will undoubtably be chapters in the book that will appeal to you. Some of the more in-depth challenges of running a firm are rarely brought up in design courses. I wish there was a book this comprehensive while I was in school.

Shel Perkins, former AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Designers) National Representative and honorary AIGA Fellow, has taught, consulted, managed, and written numerous books and workshops. He currently teaches at the California College of the Arts, the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and the University of California.

Offering gorgeous sunsets and scenery above the water, it was Maui’s underwater charm that drove my husband and I to spend time in its natural aquarium.

Another thought came to mind while on our trip: Why are there so few shells to be found on Maui, given its abundant sea life? I emailed Thomas Eichhorst of the Conchologists of America, and he responded.

“The Hawaiian islands’ isolation means a high degree of endemic species (those found in Hawaii and nowhere else). These species have either died out elsewhere due to various pressures (predators, climate change, etc.) not found in Hawaii or they have been on the islands long enough to speciate – become different from their originating species. 

There is a lot of ocean between Hawaii and anywhere else — anywhere else. So unlike the Indo-Pacific areas centered around the Indonesian-Malaysian Archipelago, you don’t have a lot of varied islands, mainlands, shallow seas, and the associated varied habitats that give rise to a plethora of species. 

Instead, Hawaii represents a stable environment (for the last 5 – 10 million years anyway) where different species can fill a niche and remain, without most of the pressures found further east or west. This means fewer total species. 

Link that with the lack of encircling coral reefs and you can have some difficulty finding shells. That being said, if you are willing to dive in often chilly water down to 100 feet, there are some real treasures to be found. Snorkel or dive in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu and you’ll find a great habitat for all kinds of marine life, but apparently the currents and prevailing winds are such that beached shells are not as common as they are in other areas of the world.”

Growing up, our holidays often involved a long sandy coastline providing hours of beach-combing. I’m torn by websites that discuss the merits of leaving (even dead) shells behind. I often find the temptation too great.

We got very lucky on a couple of occasions, and came up with three shells in 10 days.

I’d be happy to hear if others feel the same way about beach holidays. Is a beach vacation complete without beachcombing finds?

1. What happened? The current logo has rounded lines and an organic shape to it that screams both sport and living near the sea. The new lines are cold and rigid, leaving behind any semblance of community or inclusion.

2. Where did the soccer ball disappear to? Are we selling a sports team, or a mountaineering resort?

3. The good part? The word Vancouver has been added to the logo, as has of course the “FC” affiliation. Why not keep the existing logo and incorporate those new text elements?

It takes a great deal of research, thought, and brainstorming to create a successful and captivating logo identity. While I don’t argue that the team behind the design put in their studio time, it would have been nice to have seen improvement in the end result.

Vancouver’s now on the pro-soccer world stage and the Whitecaps organization is equally deserving of a fabulous look to match their team’s talent! Anybody else have any thoughts either way regarding the new logo?