Thinking for a Living Blog

Peace, Love & Ice Cream

Duane King — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:37:12 GMT

Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific Singapore has released a new print and poster campaign for Ben & Jerry’s that is really fun. Psychedelic typography and headlines that are reminiscent of drug-fueled lyrics from the 1960s combine to create unique, albeit cryptic, visuals for this daring campaign.

Via Ads of the World

Pleats Please

Duane King — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:15:15 GMT

Sushi goes high-fashion in these delicious print ads for Pleats Please Issey Miyake that were created by Taku Satoh Design Office. Issey Miyake is known for his technology-driven clothing designs and Pleats Please is no exception. Each piece of clothing is cut and sewn, and then pleated using an industrial technique (normally, fabric is pleated first then cut and sewn into a piece of clothing).

Via Graphis

Parra Exhibition and Pop Up Shop

Shane Bzdok — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:30:23 GMT

The multi-talented Parra, a prolific illustrator, designer and musician, launches his first ever Exhibition and Pop Up Shop in Germany. The exhibition, presented by Arkitip, will begin in August and run through October with the shop opening two days after the exhibition launch.

“I like the tee shirt but I will get the painting”
Works of Art by Parra

27 August – 10 October 2009
Opening 27 of August 2009
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Pool Gallery
Tucholskystrasse 38
10117 Berlin, Germany
Phone +49 30 243 42 462

“I like the painting but I will get the tee shirt”
Products of Art by Parra

29 August – 10 October 2009
Opening 29 of August 2009
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Wood Wood
Rochstrasse 4
10178 Berlin
Phone +49 30 280 99 039

Counter-Print.co.uk

Shane Bzdok — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:03:18 GMT

Counter-Print.co.uk is dedicated to the promotion and sale of Art and Design related material. Often out of print or hard to find, they aim to celebrate both forgotten gems as well as those heralded designers that we all admire.

Loudmouth

Shane Bzdok — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:09:36 GMT

Holy laser cut typography, Batman! Some really fun stuff from Start, a design collective made up of Phil Robson and Mathieu Carlot based in Sydney, Australia.

Fallen Princesses

Shane Bzdok — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:56:54 GMT

JPG Magazine recently published a project called, Fallen Princesses by Dina Goldstein. These works place Fairy Tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The ‘…happily ever after’ is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues.

Dina states, “As a young girl, growing up abroad, I was not exposed to Fairy tales. These new discoveries lead to my fascination with the origins of Fairy tales. I explored the original brothers Grimm’s stories and found that they have very dark and sometimes gruesome aspects, many of which were changed by Disney. I began to imagine Disney’s perfect Princesses juxtaposed with real issues that were affecting women around me, such as illness, addiction and self-image issues.”

Pulp

Duane King — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:40:55 GMT

Pulp is a collaboration between supermodel Joni Harbeck and photographer Neil Krug. Thanks to the overwhelming response to the pictures on Flickr, Krug is publishing a volume of over 200 photos which is due for release in August. The book features Harbeck as heroine in a fabricated world of Krug’s creation. All of the images in the book have been photographed with expired Polaroid film to emulate the look and feel of old paperbacks and album covers. Beautiful stuff.

Signs

Shane Bzdok — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:44:02 GMT

We have all seen the homeless on street corners holding hand-scrawled signs. Pentagram Papers 39 features signs from the personal collection of author and legendary Texas musician Joe Ely, photographed by Randal Ford, and a series of large format portraits of homeless people by Austin photographer Michael O’Brien. Ely wrote the foreword.

These signs, some of the most basic forms of graphic communication in our society today, combined with O’Brien’s unblinking black-and-white portraits, are a reminder that with a little bad luck we could easily find ourselves in similar straits—and that at times we can all use a helping hand.

Thank You For Smoking

Shane Bzdok — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:37:14 GMT

The St. Petersburg Times asked Pentagram partner, DJ Stout what cigarette manufacturers like Marlboro might do to follow the latest legislation requiring black-and-white-only marketing. Stout suggests that to comply with the crackdown, tobacco companies should embrace the restrictions and make cigarettes look truly dangerous. This, of course, will still appeal to a core group of smokers.

Read the entire article from the St. Petersburg Times.

New Paper

Duane King — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:04:38 GMT

I had to share this brilliant Newspaper to New Paper project from Dentsu, Tokyo. The project was a recipient of a prestigious D&AD Yellow Pencil. What follows is a creative brief from Dentsu that explains the social, environmental and design aspects of the project.

Brief
Design a package for a street vendor that sells farm-grown vegetables and fruits. The brief required somethig original, easy to use and low cost.

Solution
We focused on old newspaper used to wrap vegetables with. Newspaper was used for good reasons – for its moisture retention quality which helps keep vegetables fresh longer and for its reuse value. Under the Newspaper for New Paper project we utilised what was already there – the newspapers – and added an element of design that would be playful and make people smile… both those selling the vegetables and those buying them. By re-using old papers that would be thrown away, the project was friendly to the environment as well as to the budget. By simply adding colourful dots or stripes to the old paper we came up with a totally new package design.

Type Tart Cards

Duane King — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:59:35 GMT

London is not short of iconography. Red double-decker buses, black cabs, gherkins and wheels. But there is a more pervasive if ephemeral symbol of the city. Tart cards are the lo-fi promotional tools of many London prostitutes. Step into almost any central London phone box and you can contemplate any number of cards inviting you to be tied, teased, spanked or massaged either in luxury apartments, fully equipped chambers or the privacy of your own hotel room. All this and more is just ‘one minute’ away from the box in which you are standing.

To coincide with the magazine’s first ever Sex Issue, Wallpaper* in conjunction with Type LLP and St Bride Library asked designers from students to superstars, to find the tart hiding in every type and provide their own graphic content. June 22 – 29, more than 400 cards will be on show at KK Outlet.

Seymour

Duane King — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:37:50 GMT

Wow! Seymour Chwast, the quintessential New York designer, illustrator, and painter, is launching his newest book called Seymour at AIGA/NY tomorrow. Chwast has illustrated for most major magazines and has designed and illustrated over 30 children’s books.

Chwast is co-founder of Push Pin Studios and is a root source for the spread of comic expressionism across America. His posters are held in many museums including Pompidou Center Gallery in Paris, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Library of Congress and the Israel Museum. He is in the Art Directors Hall of Fame and he is an AIGA medalist.

I had the good fortune of working with Seymour when I was starting my career in graphic design. He created keyframe illustrations for Herman Miller that I then animated. Tendonitis ensued, but so did some great work. Traces of that project remain here.

Please make sure to register for the event here.

Via SwissMiss

GOOD Transparencies

Shane Bzdok — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:46:37 GMT

Champions of great design and publishers of a darn good read, the folks at GOOD Magazine keep a Flickr archive of Transparencies that have run in past issues of GOOD and on their blog. This much well-designed, info-graphic eye-candy is enough to make Tufte’s envy stats go through the roof.

Superflat First Love

Duane King — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:52:05 GMT

Takashi Murakami introduces Superflat First Love for Louis Vuitton. Love it. Via Kanye West.

It Fell Down the Stairs

Duane King — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:13:52 GMT

The incredibly talented Jean Jullien has an exhibition entitled It Fell Down the Stairs at La Galerie des Arts Graphiques in Paris. Jean Jullien is a designer who is living and working in London where he’s pursuing a Masters at the Royal College of Art alongside his professional activities.

The High Line

Duane King — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:59:56 GMT

The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan’s streets. Located on Manhattan’s West Side, the High Line runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street. The identity and signage were designed by Paula Scher of Pentagram.

BBDK had the good fortune of seeing the High Line last week during a private tour of The Standard, a beautiful new hotel that straddles the High Line. Thanks again for the tour Lucy! Our lips are sealed.

In An Expression

Duane King — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:15:50 GMT

From the first images featured on rock and roll record sleeves through contemporary music videos and magazines, graphic design has played and integral role in visualizing music. In An Expression of the Inexpressible features contemporary international designers whose work showcases the current interactions of music and design. The show features art, graphic design and video works by Stefan Sagmeister, Non-Format, KarlssonWilker, Mike Mills, Trevor Jackson, Yokoland, Sara Haraigue, Mario Hugo, RD Granados, Stereotype Design, Standard Motion, Si Scott, Sonnenzimmer, Roger Bova, Shannon McGlothin, Jean Jullien, Hannah Waldron, Mike Little, Chris Rubino and Géraldine Georges.

AJ Fosik

Shane Bzdok — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:00:31 GMT

I love the bright colors and intricate designs of artist AJ Fosik’s eclectic handmade wood animal sculptures and paintings. You can see more work on his Flickr stream and also on the Jonathan LeVine Gallery website.

Stanley & Marvin

Duane King — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:14:24 GMT

Brighten the Corners. has just published a new book entitled Stanley & Marvin which, like Victor & Susie, is illustrated entirely with type. Brighten the Corners is an independent, multi-disciplined design and strategy consultancy with offices in London and Stuttgart that was formed by Billy Kiosoglou and Frank Philippin.

A Better Tomorrow

Duane King — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:06:35 GMT

The A Better Tomorrow book was born in December 2008, when Mike Giesser, along with a few others, had an idea for a project that would take advantage of the many talented up-and-coming and established artists, that can be found daily on the design community website QBN.

The main aim of the project was to inspire donations to the Patrick O’Brien Foundation and to the strengthen the QBN community to come together for this cause. Patrick was one of the original editors, contributers and members whom was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2005 at the age of 30.

A Better Tomorrow is currently seeking a publisher. Please contact publishing@abettertomorrowbook.com if you would like to help.

Say Hello to Buddy Carr

Duane King — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:36:06 GMT

Our good friend and accomplice, Antonio Carusone, recently collaborated with Buddy Carr Skateboards on a limited edition skateboard that was released just today. Antonio was contacted by the company to concept and design a skateboard and of course, given Antonio’s refined taste, that meant something typographic, minimal and beautiful. He also designed the shape of the board and went with something more old school and functional. But as Antonio said, “This bad boy isn’t all about looks, it rides like a mo-fo!” With a limited edition of only 100, you should get yours now.

Teenage Engineering

Duane King — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:26:29 GMT

Stockholm-based Teenage Engineering is a studio for future commercial products, communications and entertainment. Their mission is to create products with superior quality, functional design and top-class engineering. Teenage Engineering is Jesper Kouthoofd, Bengt Sjölén, David Eriksson and Jens Rudberg, four young visionaries in their thirties, with mixed backgrounds; from Atari/Amiga demo scene, hacking, programming, design, advertising and game development. In the Yellow Pages, Teenage Engineering is filed under Research & Development, but they also take on commercial projects as well as art. Currently, their portfolio includes electronics and hardware design, media art, game development, music production, product design, film production, sound software development and research.

New Rail Alphabet

Duane King — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:10:21 GMT

New Rail Alphabet is a revival of the British Rail alphabet designed by Margaret Calvert of Kinneir Calvert Associates in the early Sixties. Originally drawn in two versions, as a constituent part of an integral signing system, it first appeared in the United Kingdom’s National Health hospitals and, subsequently British Rail and Danish Rail stations, followed by all BAA airports. Now produced in six weights, Off White, White, Light, Medium, Bold and Black, with non-aligning numerals, corresponding italics, and a set of Eastern European characters, by Henrik Kubel of A2/SW/HK, in close collaboration with Margaret Calvert.

The Secret History of Kiss

Duane King — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:47:26 GMT

Ron English knows how to make any image stand out. His trick: combine one-part artistry with one-part piracy. When he’s not mashing up the likes of Abe Lincoln with Barack Obama, he’s busy imagining Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley hanging out with Rembrandt in The Secret History of Kiss. Art will never be the same.

Olivier Pasqual

Duane King — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:39:24 GMT

Olivier Pasqual is a talented photographer who is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Specialized in still life photography, his realizations range from advertising campaigns to fine-art reproduction. After graduating from ÉCAL in Lausanne in 2005 Olivier worked as an assistant at ÉCAL while also having personal projects. In 2007 he set up his own studio. The studio now works with many different clients from private corporations to cultural institutions.

Record Time

Duane King — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:26:10 GMT

Record Time is a tribute to the vinyl record that was curated by Refill Magazine and produced by Good Folk. With the increasing consumption of digital music, disused vinyl records now gather dust the world over, many of which lie in scratched piles at book exchanges, permanently abandoned. Record Time brings new life to these obsolete objects and features the work of Alife, Andrew van der Westhuyzen, Arbito, Alex Trochutt, Andy Howell, Bigfoot, Ben Brown, Cody Hudson, Dan Funderburgh, Deb, Eric Elms, Jeremy Hollister, Joseph Allen, Jeremyville, Jonathan Zawada, Kid Acne, Kevin Ho, Luca Ionescu, Matt French, Michael C. Place, Michael Leon, Marok, Phibs, Tilt and Todd Bratrud.

The Puppet Show

Duane King — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:43:21 GMT

The Puppet Show is a new artistic project by the photographers Winkler+Noah. 30 portraits of children from two to eight years old, taken very naturally and transformed into dolls by a subtle play of retouching. The photo-symbol of the show, has already received two of the most important awards on the international photographic scene: American Photography of New York and publication in the volume “200 Best Photographers Worldwide” by Luerzers Archive.

Slow Inevitable Death

Duane King — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:23:46 GMT

The Slow Inevitable Death of American Muscle by artist Jonathan Schipper is a machine that advances two full sized automobiles slowly into one another, simulating a head on automobile collision. The gear system can be adjusted so that the crash occurs over the period of a few days, up to one year or more. The movement can be made so slow as to be invisible.

Via Picked by Six

Blur

Shane Bzdok — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:19:31 GMT

Big-Game’s Blur Collection consists of a vase, two mirrors, three tables and four lamps playing with the notion of blurriness. Erasing bits of reality, the series is composed of materialized objects celebrating the disappearance of materiality.

Best Made Axes

Duane King — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:21:49 GMT

Yeah, that’s right…I said axes. But this is a blog about all things design and this just hits the sweet spot for me. The Best Made Company Spring 2009 collection is exclusively hand-forged and tempered by one of America’s oldest axe companies, then hand-painted and polished in New Jersey. The designs are reminiscent of Indian tomahawks in their form, spirit and simplistic pattern application. And of course, the axes are available at the fabulous Partners & Spade.

Typographic Concentration

Duane King — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:47:43 GMT

Big thanks to Flávia at ps.2 for sending me a copy of their Typographic Concentration cards which are their annual self-promotional gift that is limited to 300 numbered copies. The idea and execution are amazingly beautiful.

Previously listed in our resources, ps.2 is a design studio based in São Paulo, Brazil that creates and develops graphic design projects for both print and digital media. Founded by Fábio Prata and Flávia Nalon, their work is based on research, technique and knowledge for the achievement of intelligent and original solutions.

New Math

Duane King — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:07:40 GMT

It’s hard not to love New Math by Craig Damrauer.

Never Sleep Essays

Duane King — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:53:34 GMT

Jobquitting
Frank Derose

What I would like to holler at you all about is something called “jobquitting”; one word, lower case. Very simple — 11 letters, lots of t’s and i’s (and here’s a secret: I made it up for this little essay.)

It is appropriate, however, to this particular book for several reasons: one, it is what I have been doing since I finished my degree and, two, it is what I did at the end of December 2006, which has allowed me to put off writing this essay until now- March 6, 2007, which is 6 days later than when Dan wanted it. (Whatever Dan. You are not my boss!)

Anyway, I am sure you can imagine what “jobquitting” is. It is pretty much self-explanatory. But, the psychology it elicits is not always so obvious.

This psychology comes replete with some self-doubt; maybe even some self-loathing (not to mention no money). This past time (and I have done it x3 since I finished my degree in December ’04) because of the aforementioned self-doubt and insecurity, it has occasioned some fighting with my wife (Hola Nena!). Sometimes I have trouble keeping these emotions in check and I take them out on her. Of course, I know this is not fair; but it is half the fun! You will, in your jobquitting, undoubtedly discover some new things about yourself and some of them will suck. A lot of them might suck, actually.

Sounds shitty, right? It is.

It is definitely shitty to throw away a paycheck and have nothing concrete to replace it with (imagine throwing money away…), and it is kind of shitty to stay at home all day (Dan asked me to mention how I sit around in my underwear a lot). It is also extremely shitty to spend a vast amount of time worrying that you will never get another job, or find another client. Thereby rendering yourself a pretty poor designer.

But (and you had to know this was coming):

There is definitely something empowering and, one might even argue, a little noble, in jobquitting. The thing to keep in mind is that slavery was abolished in 1865. You don’t have to do what you don’t want to do; or what doesn’t make you happy. I mean, like, totally, absolutely, all the way happy. There is very little reason to keep a job you don’t like. In fact, fuck it. If you can figure out a way to either save some paper or earn a little paper in the meantime, you too can practice the technique of jobquitting. Embracing your idealism can stand you in good stead. It does require some guts and a little tenacity, but perhaps it will lead to something greater than a paycheck, like doing what you believe in (this is what I sound like when I am on my high horse… and I know it’s a little vainglorious, but it feels so good).

And the thing that it might allow you, just as it allows me — and which is utterly important — is hope. Now, when I wake up, mixed in with the fear and stomachaches is a little sliver of hope: “Maybe today Insert hero designer’s name here will remember the day I showed him my portfolio, and he will call me up and offer me a job. Or, maybe I will find the perfect freelance client. Or, maybe, I will finally be able to dunk a basketball.”

Whatever it might be… there is now the possibility… there is the time… for something like this to happen (but not the basketball, I am pretty sure that is a physiological thing).

I can take the time to try again. And again. And again. And I can keep getting a little bit better and, eventually, I’ll get the job or start the studio that makes me happy and keeps me satisfied. And that is why the past two years have been all about jobquitting.

Frank DeRose is.

This essay first appeared in Never Sleep, a book written by Andre Andreev and G. Dan Covert, published by de.MO. Summary: There is a major disconnect between the life of a design student and the transition to being a design professional. To demystify the transition, we share the failures, successes, and surprises during our years in college and progression into the field: the creative process, monetary problems, internships, interviews, mistakes, and personal relationships.

Visionaire Solar

Duane King — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:45:46 GMT

Since 1991, fashion and art magazine Visionaire has constantly turned publishing on it’s ear – this time making use of technologically advanced printed processes to bring a new element to photographs in print. Visionaire 56 uses innovative printing technology that transforms black and white artworks to vibrant colors when exposed to direct sunlight. Contributing artists include Yoko Ono, Richard Phillips, M/M (Paris), Udo Ronginone, Alex Katz, David Sims, Ryan McGinley, Richard Burbridge and more. You can pre-order Visionaire 56 here.

AIAIAI

Duane King — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:14:12 GMT

Absolutely cool headphones by AIAIAI. I won’t spoil the surprise (you’ll have to click through) but I’ve had the Swirl 2.0 headphones for six months now and I love them. AIAIAI was born out of Copenhagen’s nest of creativity known as the A-house. Apart from hosting a club on top of the old industrial building AIAIAI initiated a collective consisting of more than 200 young artists, musicians and designers.

Never Sleep Essays

Duane King — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:50:51 GMT

I Love Them…
I Love Them Not…
I Love Them…
Ali Bailey

Happy dress code Memories:

Falling in love (with Andre, not Dan).
Seeing Andre get a job at MTV and spring break 2005.
B-B-Qing on our deck in the East Village.
Watching Dan and Andre teach for the first time and seeing how well they commanded authority.
Discovering how much they learn on the fly (as in how much they fake it till they make it!)
Watching The OC with Dan, and SVU with Andre.
Getting my first real job, through Dan.
Turning the living room into a beauty parlor.
Helping create really great projects.
Having two amazing friends who I love despite.

Not so happy dress code Memories:

Watching Dan hire a stripper for Andre’s 21st birthday.
Having a breakdown during a screenprinting marathon (brown is a hard color to mix).
Realizing (four years after he told me) that Andre was serious when he said work will always comes first.
Being called “Tape Lady” – as in the girl whose job it is to make tape balls to hang posters.
NOT being cast in a spot for MTV.
Waking up in the middle of the night to “Pocker” matches.
Being the only one not acknowledged at Andre’s thesis award ceremony.
Not getting credited as the illustrator for the Ancille packaging (it’s my drawing on Kelly’s arm!)
Feeling lesser because I wasn’t ready to be an artist.
Floundering while they were succeeding.
Keeping track of Dan’s girlfriends.

Ali recently moved to Minneapolis to produce her TV show, The Alison Rose Bailey Show, at the Minneapolis Television Network. When she is not tap dancing, jazz handsing, lip synching, or hi-fiving, she is working for Fox Television. Seriously.

Mr. Bowlegs & The Wizard's Hat

Duane King — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:18:38 GMT

I’m a huge fan of the work of Jeffrey Bowman, better known as Mr. Bowlegs. Jeffrey is a freelance illustrator, designer and all round maker of imagery who is living and working in the UK. I’ve been remiss in posting about his work but he’s so amazingly prolific I finally had to concede. His work has many influences, from space exploration and the wonders of the universe to the intricacies of type face creation and pattern repetition.

The Wizard’s Hat is an illustration house and zine created by Jeffrey Bowman and Andy J. Miller as the platform for producing collaborative projects under one name. The house focuses itself on self initiated projects involving many of today’s most established illustrators as well as producing its own body of projects based on their love of illustration.

Andy Spade at Liu Lecture

Duane King — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:34:27 GMT

Andy Spade will be speaking on Wednesday, April 15th at the Liu Lecture Series in Design at Stanford University. He’s the branding and marketing man behind Kate Spade and Jack Spade (the companies that he and his wife created.) Spade’s latest project is Partners & Spade which includes a highly conceptual retail experience in downtown Manhattan.

Getting Better

Frank Chimero — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:13:58 GMT

These are uncertain times, but what times are certain? Usually, the interesting things are unpredictable. Like your life, and hopefully mine. And I’d venture to say that the best things that happen to all of us are typically the direct result of something completely out of our control. I don’t know about you, but to me that’s equal parts liberating and daunting.

You have a lot of challenges ahead of you after graduation. But, I will promise you this: if you keep your head on straight and use the skills that you’ve learned from this craft, everything is going to be OK. Doesn’t that just sound great? It’s like some sort of oasis away from all of this insanity. Say it to yourself. More importantly, say it for yourself. “Everything is going to be OK.”

Happy vibes, right? But I digress. This is not a time for rose-tinted glasses. There are real obstacles that have to be overcome. There’s a metric ton of stupid stuff that, unfortunately, was handed over to you. Older people tell me this is how it always goes: the young have to live in the world made by the old. Maybe we’ll wise up and realize that we don’t have to handcraft a bowl of something awful to serve to our kids. But for now, at the risk of sounding cliché, we have to play the hand we’re dealt.

To continue my lazy metaphor, we should lay all of our cards on the table. Let’s rip off the band-aid. You’re graduating, and looking for employment. And this economy sucks. Your job may not come quickly. Not many people are hiring. You may not even get a job: a design degree does not equal a design job. Welcome to the world of failure. Hopefully you’ve become acquainted to it through rigorous critiques and by taking meaningful risks with your work and life in school. One of the most important pieces of knowledge I gained from school is that failure cannot be driven out of life, especially in creative endeavors. Failure is okay. In fact, I’ve come to expect it from myself, and you should do the same. Failure is how you learn and how you get better. And if you’re not in this profession to learn and get better, go home. There are too many designers as it is.

Still with me? The good news is that there are several characteristics that, if you have them, will help you through the turbulent period of looking for your first job and transitioning from a student to a professional.

First, you’ll need patience. Maybe more so than any other previous time in your life. You may have to get a job not related to design to pay your bills. It’s not ideal, but reality never is. Life is a series of plan B’s (or in my case, Plan K’s or L’s). You’ll also need persistency to keep looking for design work after rejection. Take note, though: you’d still have to cope with “no,” even if you had the best portfolio in the best possible economic climate. Also, hearing “no” might not be a result of the quality of your work: the “no” may stem from the fact that the studio may not be in a situation to hire at all. I encourage you to bring your book to professionals regardless of their hiring status: feedback is healthy, and you may have the time to implement it to improve your work. More than anything, the best boat that will weather this storm is passion. Passion begets all of the other traits I’ve mentioned. It has stamina and determination. If you’re passionate, you can’t just turn your back on the thing that you love. You’ll make it through.

Don’t be scared to ask yourself “What is success?” A lot of people are asking themselves that right now. You don’t have to go work for a studio. There are other options. Success is relative, and there are many paths, not just the one “true” traditional path. Having a design degree can open a lot of doors. The thinking and making skills you are equipped with and using can make whatever you do better.

All of this news should be a solace if you’re talented, skilled and passionate. You’re well equipped to survive most anything anyone could throw at you. It should be a warning sign for you if you can’t see yourself holding out a bit of time for a design job. If you can’t wait for it, you probably do not want it badly enough. It might be time to reconsider your career path. There’s no shame in changing your mind about things, it’s just more clearly becoming who you are and defining what you want. That may or may not be a career in graphic design. You’re not abandoning anything; you’re embracing something new. Also, this type of “is design for me?” crisis will occur regardless, two or three years in, once the enchantment of the professional life fades away. There’s nothing wrong with sanity checking your decisions every once in a while.

In fact, it’s the lack of a sanity check that’s led to this whole mess. Some people thought it’d be wise to base a whole economic system on the idea that you can make a buck by putting your hand in the next guy’s pocket. Logic (and morals) should dictate that this isn’t a wise path to pursue. That system is falling apart before our eyes, and we’re left scrambling trying to sandbag the problem, while finding a suitable replacement. I believe the only thing we’ve got is what we’ve known and what has sustained economic systems for centuries: making stuff.

And, congratulations! You’re one of a small group of people left on this planet that not only remembers how to make stuff, but actually considers it a part of your well-being. The fact that what the world needs and what you personally need line up so directly should be very encouraging to you. If we’re looking to reestablish an economic system on innovation and production, who better to usher in this new period than designers? Designers are “idea people,” but our effectiveness is based on the making of those ideas. Hello, world. Here we are. Let’s roll up our sleeves.

If you’re looking to form a design career that’s built on a foundation of excessive consumption, think again. Right now, at the start of your career, you have a rare option in choosing what direction you’ll focus your momentum. You can choose to make things that are (or help sell) new things, or you can choose to make things that are (or help sell) new, better things. Better is the key. Our lives, our wallets, our consciences, our friends and family, and our planet deserve better. We need your skills to help determine what exactly better is, and what it looks like.

Also, those skills you’ve been honing the past four years or so aren’t too shabby. Consider this: the world is migrating from left-brained people to those of the right-brained variety. Right now, society requires leaps of ingenuity that only the creative can provide (whether designers or not). How else are we going to fix this mess, and make the world better? How else, without creativity, can you even imagine what better looks like, never mind how to get there?

We need hard working people with excellent work ethics. I’m not sure I’m aware of a group of people who work harder than design students. We need individuals comfortable with ambiguity. We need people who can simplify complex ideas, without watering them down, and transform intimidating data to approachable information. We need people who can tell a good story to soften hardened ears. We need individuals who have a knack for stepping back from everything and recognizing patterns in the big picture. The best designers do all of these every day, and these are the skills you’ve been polishing (hopefully) in school.

The tools of creation are widely available: they’re out there for almost everyone. If you figure out what better is, you don’t have to wait for someone to enable you. You can make it yourself, or with the help of like-minded people. Better is about more than typefaces, composition and color. It’s about planning action and moving. Better is about change and recognizing potential. This world can be better. And we can make it that way. The world is not yet done.

Backpedaling with Girard

Duane King — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:25:10 GMT

Alexander Girard is best known for the design and management of Herman Miller’s textile department from 1952-1975. Girard was an avid collector of folk art, prints and wooden toys and this love for playfulness and simplicity was reflected in his own designs. Although Girard has been gone for over 15 years, his illustrations are still alive and well. They now live on in the form of classic cycles by Electra who has chosen to decorate their Amsterdam model with Girard’s illustrations Madonna and Tree of Life.

Never Sleep Essays

Duane King — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:44:33 GMT

The List
Frank Derose

Made money.
Made mistakes.
Made enemies.
Made breakfast.
Made up.
Hated my job.
Quit my job.
Got jealous of other people’s jobs.
Felt like I should have their job.
Used Helvetica.
Used Helvetica Neue.
Used Universe.
Did not use Copperplate.
Watched TV.
Surfed the web.
Touched myself.
Got wasted.
Did drugs.
Promised myself I wouldn’t do it again.
Did it again.
Felt guilty.
Felt bored.
Felt depressed.
Felt up my wife.
Felt up your future wife (before I had a wife).
Specced type.
Complained about clients.
Complained about co-workers.
Drank with co-workers.
Complained about co-workers while I drank with co-workers.
Talked about starting my own studio.
Sat at home in the middle of the day without a job.
Had a panic attack.
Called my girl while I was having a panic attack.
Thought about how to be a calmer person.
Played Snood.
Surfed the web.
Smoked trees.
Took a nap.
Smoked cigarettes.
Quit cigarettes.
Started smoking cigarettes.
Quit smoking cigarettes (we’ll see).
Wished I were back in school.
Stole ideas that I had in school.
Had an affair with your favorite designer.
Cross-referenced porn stars from web site to web site, and then to bit torrent programs.
Ate dinner.
Overslept.
Overstayed my welcome.
Overestimated my opponent.
Over-tipped (when I was wasted).
Second-guessed myself.
Worked hard.
Worked not so hard.
Acted hard.
Got hard.
Said incredibly dumb things.
Followed up by acting upon the dumb thing I just said.
Ate lunch.
Played basketball.
Beat Dandre in basketball.
Did freelance work with Dandre.
Got drunk and harassed Dandre.
Apologized.
Felt successful.
Felt like a total loser.
Felt it again.
Met my hero.
Had a good idea.
Didn’t follow it up.
Had a good idea.
Sort of followed it up.
Had a good idea.
Gave three weeks notice.
Told someone to fuck off.
Got told to fuck off.
Got stitches.
Got the runs.
Got a fever.
Got oral.
Farted, and a little poop came out.
Decided I wanted to work for BIG.
Decided I wanted to work for Pentagram.
Decided I wanted to work for Base.
Didn’t.
Went to the movies.
Went to Bogota.
Went to town.
Hated the player.
Hated the game.
Lent money.
Got paid back.
Got stiffed for freelance.
Undercharged for freelance.
Made progress.
Took a step back.
Redesigned the Penthouse magazine logo.
Learned that making it doesn’t mean the client planned well.
Designed the Modern Bank logo.
Learned that just because you have the idea and do the initial design doesn’t mean you get to finish it.
Went postal.
Got to work early.
Got home late.
Compared myself to 156 other 22-29 year old designers.
Did not apply for the PRINT 20 under 30 or whatever the fuck…
Did not get into PRINT 16 under 105 or whatever the fuck…
Watched my mom get her hip replaced.
Watched her get better from it.
Watched her have a biopsy.
Watched her get a tumor removed.
Decided that “design” isn’t shit.
Worked a few 15-hour days.
Worked a few 18-hour days.
Called in sick.
Ate peyote with Paul Rand.
Got a hand-job from Ryan Seacrest.
Saw some concerts.
Freestyled with my friends.
Decided I really do like the Arcade Fire.
Decided that I really do not like R.E.M.
Moved from the city back to Queens.
Rode my bike into the city.
Beat Andre 15-2 in ping pong.
Lost to Names 15-5 in ping pong.
Watched George Bush do a great job!
Hoped Donald Rumsfeld would get assassinated.
Hoped Dick Cheney would be collateral damage in Rumsfeld’s assassination.
Ignored politics, mostly.
Got stiffed on my Christmas bonus because I quit, even though I had been the go-to guy in the office from May to December.
Kicked Dan’s ass with a pick axe.
Lost my keys.
Fucked up a job.
Covered my ass.
Sent approximately 3,500 emails.
Generated 168gb of digital info.
Pulled off the highway to use a public restroom.
Rented a movie.
Returned a movie.
Decided that Only Built 4 Cuban Links is the best Wu Tang solo album…or maybe it is Supreme Clientele.
Bought $150 sneakers.
Discovered that Greek yogurt is much better than regular yogurt.
Added honey to my tea.
Welcomed my wife home from a night of drinking.
Teased her the next day.
Fought with her.
Had make-up sex.
Plotted ways to have more sex.
Regretted what I wrote.
Started making a blog.
Started writing a book.
Went to the movies.
Decided that going to the movies alone is good.
Decided that going out to dinner alone is okay.
Decided that going to a bar alone is bad.
Designed my portfolio twice.
Went on more interviews.
Did it again.

There are approximately 4 things in this list that I did not actually do. See if you can figure out which they are.

Frank DeRose is.

Design Business Review

Duane King — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:18:16 GMT

Introducing the launch of Design Business Review. What is Design Business Review? Designers are in the business of doing business; their clients rely on them to make smart, market-savvy decisions and yet there is no resource to provide the necessary knowledge to make these decisions wisely. DBR is simple, pragmatic advice on the business of creativity. Our readers will gain a strategic advantage in their profession by learning how to get a job, win clients, and survive the recession.

DBR is a publication conceived by Fwis and is owned by The Embrella Group. Thinking for a Living is honored to have an ad within the pages of this amazing new publication.

Chicken: Low Art, High Calorie

Duane King — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:22:58 GMT

Throughout the world major fast-food chains are easily recognizable, synonymous, for better or worse, with an American way of life. Far more interesting, however, are the generic fast-food establishments that serve menus that are more or less the same, but not as slicked with corporate marketing.

A sub-genre of such eateries, found across the United Kingdom and urban America, is the chicken joint. Offering fried chicken, French fries, burgers and an array of Indian and Middle Eastern-inspired items, these restaurants are countless, though they all share similar qualities. Called such names as Perfect Fried Chicken, Tennessee Fried Chicken and Favorite Fried Chicken, these are not franchises, but individual establishments that happen to use the same names and looks, though no two are the same. It is these differences that comprise Chicken: Low Art, High Calorie, showcasing a vivid vernacular design culture.

With photographs of menus, logos, lettering and menus, and an interview with the founder of the London-based business responsible for making most of the city’s chicken joint signage, Chicken: Low Art, High Calorie celebrates the varied visual qualities of fast-food signage. On the surface it may all look the same, but the differences reflect a ubiquitous, and humorous, design aesthetic that cannot be ignored.

You can read more about this book by Siaron Hughes at Creative Review and at the Times Online.

Don’t Judge People...

Duane King — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:11:09 GMT

Don’t judge people according to their appearance, a brilliant photographic project firmed by Peter Chmela.

Never Sleep Essays

Duane King — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:40:08 GMT

It’s Not Going To Happen The Way You Think It Will (But It’s Better That Way)
Wyeth Hansen

Halfway into the first eight-hour drawing class of my freshman year at art school, I realized something very important: my life as an artist was not going to unfold the way I had visualized. Chances were I wasn’t going to be the youngest and most successful painter in New York, the Talking Heads were no longer a band and could therefore not be my flatmates, and the Beat poets were either dead or west coast. Perhaps more realistically, I realized that my abilities with paint were inadequate at best, and I sensed that this pursuit had largely become an outdated social convention in which I didn’t care to participate. Basically, it wasn’t looking like I’d ever see one of my paintings hanging in a New York gallery.

While it’s always a disappointment to see your daydreams dispelled, I was beginning to feel excited about living without a set plan. I decided to enroll in graphic design because I considered myself a man of letters (I had no idea how literally that term would soon apply) and because I had an affinity for album covers and music posters. I found that studying design was supported by three of my chief personal attributes: being and acting smart; an ability to create dense and overambitious projects; and a need to control them at the most minute, obsessive level.

Fast forward to post-graduation, June of 2003. I am driving a U-Haul truck containing the sum total worldly possessions of myself and two roommates to our new home in Brooklyn, with enough money in my pocket for three months of living. My sole goal in that time is to find work in order to survive. I had never done an internship, had no professional connections or any way to display my work other than the one hand-bound portfolio that represented the fruits of my print design education and, secretly, a five-minute animated film I made during my senior year in order to teach myself After Effects and Pro Tools. I didn’t really consider this a true ‘design’ project, however. Little did I know that it would turn out to be my sideline pursuits — making short animations and recording music — which would get me work.

In three months time I was broke and broken, reduced to eating crackers for dinner, doing my laundry in the bathtub, and being turned down even from Craigslist jobs. Sitting on the roof after an unsuccessful interview, at the end of a sweltering summer, with an empty Old English in my hand, my old dreams felt far, far away. In fact, far from being a famous artist, I couldn’t get work as a hack designer.

But, out of the blue, I heard from a friend who knew someone who knew someone who was looking for someone who could animate in After Effects and had good design skills. I overdrew the hell out of my already dry bank account to buy a website to post my movie, and to get some half decent jeans for the interview. The person that needed to see my movie saw it, I had the interview, and in a week I had my first freelance job. And though my animation skills were found severely lacking, their combination with my rigorous print design background made me stand out. I started to sense the potential of this new world. It was extremely nerve-racking at first. I was all thumbs at the keyboard when I needed to be an octopus. But after a few challenging jobs, the learning curve flattened out enough for me to feel comfortable.

Motion design is a field ripe for exploration by young designers with an aptitude for technology and rhythm and a desire to do things differently. Good motion designers are, in a sense, trilingual. They are able to speak to sophisticated, refined design sensibilities as well as to boundary pushing animation fanatics while occupying their own unique visual space. Motion designers with strong conceptual skills will go far, as there is a general tendency amongst hard-core animators to focus safely on the technical aspects of a project without addressing the larger problems or exploring possible solutions. A strong idea done simply is a good approach in any field.

Personally I have had the pleasure of working with both more traditional design clients branching into motion for the first time as well as more established animation companies seeking a refined design style. People working in motion design tend to be multitalented and branch out into other areas. Through my motion work, I’ve been afforded many opportunities, from recording music and doing sound design to directing music videos, doing print work, illustrating for magazines, contributing to books, designing apparel, working on documentary films, and creating personal work for gallery exhibitions. It was at one of these gallery shows that I first realized I had somehow stumbled into my old daydream: there is a painting on the wall with my name on it; I’m in New York City (well, Brooklyn, but close enough). But the reality has turned out to be so much more interesting for its unpredictability and variety than the old straight-line vision of success. By accepting the challenge of working in a new field, I was afforded chances I would never have otherwise received and I expanded the potential reach of my creative work.

Wyeth Hansen was born and raised in Fresno, California until moving to attend college at the Rhode Island School of Design, from which he graduated in 2003. While in school, Wyeth began experimenting with combining animation, music, literature, and installation, out of which his current work as a freelance designer has grown. He currently works in a collective design/silkscreen studio in Brooklyn that he helped establish with several friends.

KRINK

Duane King — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:11 GMT

Man, I wish I could attend New Work, a show by Craig ‘KR’ Costello that is up March 27 – April 7 at the Dont Come in Melbourne, Australia. On top of his usual trademark drip style, he introduced a world premiere of his KRINK custom fire extinguishers. Sick.

Never Sleep Essays

Duane King — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:31:18 GMT

Working For Your Studio
Emmi Salonen

Working For My Studio

I Love It

I choose who I work for.
I get all the credit.
I design the layout of the studio.
I organize my day around what I want to/need to do.
If I like you and your work, I can ask you to work with me.
If I don’t like you and/or your work, I can ask you to leave.
I make all the decisions.

I Hate It

I make all the decisions.
When there’s no work, there’s no money.
I stress about projects… and money… and time… and the future.
I have to fix the printer/light bulb/accounts/internet/mistakes…
Nobody covers me on my holidays. Do I get a holiday?
I’m not getting enough feedback. Am I evolving as a designer?
I can’t switch off.

Working For Their Studio

I Love It

I get paid every month.
I get paid when I’m ill.
They’ve got all the responsibility.
They have a cleaning person/accountant/IT guy…
When there’s no work, there’s no worries.
They have a lovely studio and they are lovely people.
I learn from them.

I Hate It

I stress about the projects.
They get all the credit.
I have to work with whoever they hire.
They manage my time.
They make the final decisions on my design.
They choose the clients.
I think I could do better if I had my own studio.

Originally from Finland, Emmi Salonen moved to the UK in 1996. She graduated from University of Brighton in 2001 with a BA Hons in Graphic Design. Straight after, she moved to Italy to work at Fabrica, Benetton’s controversial young designers’ melting pot. After a year, she was back in London where she worked a couple of years at Hoop Associates until moving to New York in 2004. There she was with karlssonwilker, a company known for its wit and clever designs. 2005 she relocated again and started running her own practice, called Emmi, based in a converted gun factory in East London, UK.

Jongerius x Maharam x Nike

Duane King — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:10:13 GMT

Hot. The Nike Sportswear 1 World is a collection of AF1, created in partnership with global innovators in the fields of sport, music, art and design. Nike invited 18 innovators from across the world to re-imagine the Air Force 1. Early in the process, Nike Design selected Maharam, the 107-year-old American textile house renowned for its leadership in design innovation, to participate. Maharam’s unique interpretation of the AF1 introduces a silhouette constructed of Layers, a textile created by the Maharam in collaboration with Hella Jongerius. Layers, produced in 100% wool felt, uses sophisticated embroidery equipment played against artisanal hand-cutting to create patterning, resulting in an “industrial craft” hybrid. This already complex textile was further engineered to meet the specific needs of the AF1. The result represents a multi-disciplinary undertaking, bridging disparate aspects of industrial design including sports technology, textile design and the conceptual avant-garde. Layers is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Available for purchase exclusively at Moss on April 1.

Parra Plays

Duane King — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:22:11 GMT

Granted, I am a huge fan of Parra’s work, but this is too cool to keep to myself. Incase has announced their first game for iPhone and iPod touch, Parra Plays. Based on the Parra artwork from the second installment of the Curated by Arkitip project, the app consists of three games: Poppers, Parrot and Pairs.

Adieu

Shane Bzdok — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:12:36 GMT

Designed by Bruce and Stephanie Tharp of Materious along with Greg Bethel, “Adieu is a set of ceramic gas-fireplace ‘logs’ for the ardent modernist. The six individual ‘logs’ are cast from the legs of past furniture styles like Queene Anne, Shaker, Chippendale, and Colonial. Set within the fire, they mark a derision for, or weariness of, our stylistic past.”

Via Core77