Done cut up

I'm putting the scissors and x-acto down now

Check out the Layer Tennis finale, two simultaneous matches:

MATCH A - AND - MATCH B

Come again?

An egg on toothpicks stretches

There's talk of bringing pairs of contenders together for the last two Layer Tennis matches. My heart pounds a little harder at the notion.

Something I never shared from the first match is an interview I did with commentator Rosecrans Baldwin.

He asked a slew of questions to get to know each player.
I put all my answers online, where I talk about my inspiration, beard, personal flaws, and equipment.

Current music: Kelley Deal & Sebastian Bach "T.N.T."

Core Memory

Digital Equipment Corporation PDP8/F

Can't stop looking at images from Mark Richards’ Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers.

I'm trying to be more budget-conscious this year, but I feel compelled to purchase this book—much like I would feel compelled to flip every single one of those switches. Take that touchscreens.

And that color palette rocks. It was a good era. See the 150-in-one electronic kit.

An inspiring way to start the Monday, with a hat tip to Coudal for pointing it out. (Related props: Have you seen the archived coin flips for Layer Tennis?)

Current music: Mapstation "Watching Paik's Video Buddha"

Burlington Coat Factory

Not affiliated with Burlington Industries

I'm thankful this is not my new logo.

But in all seriousness, it's been jam-packed whacky-busy leading up to this holiday break.

Man am I looking forward to being let down by the big parade and then making it up by stuffing myself silly tomorrow.

Be well, all.

Current music: The Soft Pink Truth "I Want To Thank You"

hot

It was either a quick snapshot of the stove burner or some gas station I passed tonight

Couple o links inspire this post, somewhat disjointed:

Enough with the lists - looking at the list-ification of info, and how it becomes numbing. I agree wholeheartedly and yet bookmark with abandon.

What's over? iMomus looks at what's retro. His list is refreshingly pointed, including rock music, cars, and democracy to name a few. He spreads each item out with enough argument to move beyond bullet points.

Developing websites and designs, I'm always running over a list in my mind. It's loose and changes on whim, but the premise is to discount elements that are played out:

- Skulls
- Owls, unicorns, birds, bears
- Vector swirly clip art
- Hand-drawn lettering
- Type with counters filled
- The 80s
- Distressed treatments
- Shiny reflections
- Minimalism
- Whitespace

Personally, I'm not a fan of merchandise in which the design is solely comprised of a logo or brand. I've seen entire stores built upon this principle, and to that I say, give me something more.

Note, I'm going to be abusing a few of the items on this list in the near future.

Current music: Chavez "You Faded"

Behind the scenes

A week later

Folks have asked how things went down last Friday, so I've put together a really long, long-winded page about what was going through my head for each volley.

Behind the Scenes: My Experience with Layer Tennis.

Me? I'll be happy to be an observer watching today's special Halloween Edition match between Brian "Candykiller" Taylor and Jason Santa Maria — two folks whose work is as much an art as it is design in my mind.

The gore starts at 2pm CST, and today's match is rated M for mature.

Current music: Pavement "Fight This Generation"

This afternoon? It went down.

They call me Bunyan [ + zoom ]

Ever heard of Photoshop Tennis? It's this thing where designers hit a file back and forth, adding, subtracting, and mixing it up. There's commentary along the way and at the end, a winner is declared.

It's called Layer Tennis now, because it's not limited to Photoshop. I figure that'll make more sense as the tournaments go on and we see different types of matches being played out.

Like tomorrow, it might be a little more twisted than usual—I'm pitted against Naz (see his post about the match) and we're going to be using photos instead of graphics to throw down on the virtual court.

Read a preview of the match written by Rosecrans Baldwin (he lies) and watch the mayhem.

We got 15 minutes between volleys and man did Spike throw me some curve balls. I threw back. Oh, and you gotta check out the coin toss.

Current music: Animal Collective "Fireworks"

Ham & Turkey Dinner

Roadside handlettering on the way to work

I've mentioned my typography teacher back at Ohio State once or twice.

She used to get migraines whenever she walked down the street and encountered bad letter-spacing.

I think the sign above might very well give her a full blown aneurysm.

Me? I like it when all the rules are broken. I particularly like the margins employed. [ VIEW WHOLE SIGN ]

Current music: Radiohead "Nude"

43 Folders

and a bunch of index cards

The first words Merlin Mann said to me were, “I don't want to keep sucking your cock,” and for a brief second I thought there was no reason to continue our breakfast meeting...

“But I love everything you do.” he continued, after pregnant pause.

This man has genius comic timing.

Backstory: Merlin and I met years ago when we were teenage girls on LiveJournal. He caught glimpses of his hometown through my photos and I lapped up every stream of content he poured online. He's since opened the floodgates and it's hard to keep up with the fella.

We finally met-for-reals-yo at a greasy spoon when I was in San Francisco a while back. I would link to a vacation gallery but sorting through 10 days of photos is a lot more involved than sorting through 36 hours of photos.

Spent the meal chatting it up about lenses and gadgets, notecards and notebooks, binderclips and people, our personal process and the general whoa over this technology that is hookin us up.

Once the bill was paid, Merlin had some time to kill between meetings so we walked around The City (which I should mention, I like to pronounce with Thurston Howell III clenched teeth - MP3).

We talked a bit about 43 Folders. For those that don't know, Time Magazine has called this one of the top 10 websites in the universe, or something to that effect. In their words, the site "offers tips for organizing both your digital life and your analog one."

One thing led to another, and when I got home I worked up some visual concepts. Some evolutions and a team of ninjas from RoopleTheme deftly translated the sketches into real, working stuff with Drupal. Without their help the whole process would not have been near as fast or as painless.

Refinement continues, but that's just part of the neat thing about what Merlin does; he keeps adding, subtracting, experimenting, and most importantly, sharing.

It's good stuff, and I'm super happy to lend a hand.

No idea where to start? Inbox Zero is a trove of info if you wrestle with managing email. And I'm not just saying that because Merlin's wearing a Tii-shirt in the video.

Postnote: Thanks to M's colorful language, I'm fully prepared to be banned from Panera WiFi.

Current music: Western State Hurricanes "Unsalted Butter"

CBS, 2007

Branding the CSI Network

If I am to believe the wikipedia, and I usually do, William Golden was inspired by Shaker design when he crafted the CBS eye symbol back in 1951.

It's nice to see how well this ol Eyemark has held up over the years.

Of mild interest is to see the call letters becoming more important. With web addresses and the tiny real estate of onscreen menus, this makes fine sense.

Also interesting is how the treatment reflects the design style (or software) of any given period. If that's any indicator, it appears we're getting back to the excess of the 80's. Gnarly.

Me? I'll be happy when this treatment is filed away and replaced by something with a less heinous "S."

Current music: Tegan & Sara "Are You Ten Years Ago"

Helvetica

The Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit

Screening of the Helvetica flick down in Cincinnati tonight—made all the more special with an introduction by DAAP grad Michael Bierut (wiki, Design Observer, a snapshot from the night).

The movie? Most excellent. Just the right amount of history, real world examples, well chosen music, and a slew of design luminaries that describe their experiences with the ubiquitous font—pro and con.

Got me to thinking about my relationship with type. I've no real allegiance, though I've a fond spot in my heart for Univers. I fall in that category where I don't like to fret too much about fonts—there are always other things to worry about (like content for instance.) Then the web throws in that wrench of what's installed on machines.

A dozen fonts you'd always found installed on my computer? (in no order)

Univers, Thesis (serif and sans), Trade Gothic (Naz inspired this addition), Helvetica (the whole family), Lubalin Graph (or some such slab serif), Futura, Interstate, Avenir, Bookman (complete, love the swash, seldom use it), Silkscreen, and sometimes but not-so-much - VAG rounded.

Man, I'm boring. I need to branch out.

Current music: Say Hi To Your Mom "Poor Pete Is A Bit Self Conscious"

Nice package

with fake plastic tree

I keep buying shampoos and liquid soap thinking that some magic will happen and my hair will shine and my skin will become awesome, yet manly. I'm also waiting for magic SPF that I can apply in the shower with body wash.

None of that happens, but that hasn't stopped me from creating stockpiles of this stuff. Somehow the shampoo or soap runs out and I have to fill the bottles with water to make it last until I get around to buying more—yet I have like 5 full things of conditioner always on hand.

Anyway, I saw this Every Man Jack stuff at Target and was taken aback by the design of the bottle. I'd go so far as to say it's the most masculine bottle of perfumed body wash I have ever seen.

It's too pricey, much like that Choxie brand of chocolates. The bottle is awkward, stingy, and hard to use. The signature fragrance needs more punch or tingle — maybe some caffeine. But man that faux wood plastic cap and clean type treatment is nice.

Current music: Earlimart "Color Bars"

Swamp Holly Orange

a snapshot from California

I posted a better(ish) photo of a Yellow (transportation) truck back in 2005, and it was then I learned from my friend Jason that:

Yellow commissioned DuPont to determine what color was most visible from the greatest distance for the fleet. After careful research, DuPont presented a color, dubbed "Swamp Holly Orange." And so the company named Yellow had an official color—orange—the safest color on the road.

I noticed a change in their identity recently. It's kinda less orange and more web 2.0.

I felt compelled to share this now because if I try and whip out the camera on the freeway one more time to try and catch one of these trucks, I'm going to wreck.

Current music: not Coldplay

Meijer logorot

hypermarket shuffle

I figured I'd document Meijer’s almost-a-rainbow old logo, before they bring around the new extra patriotic one:

I've no insight as to the specifics behind the identity change (the Brand New blog does a good job with that sort of thing), I can regurgitate marketing speak from the new logo guidelines:

The Meijer identity is a foundational component of our brand. It has been designed to represent the energy of our company.

That first sentence makes no sense, and I'm not sure the new wordmark evokes energy. I do think it's hilarious they call the dots over the i and j “joy dots” in the style manual. (PDF)

I don't know about you, but whenever I see circles in PMS 286C, I get happy.

Current music: Beastie Boys "Dramastically Different"

Making Happy

Replacement graphic for NYC subway signage

The above graphic is not my idea. I merely recreated it.

Like when I was a kid tracing the Sunday funnies—I always thought if I practiced enough, the magic would sink in and I could do it on my own.

If anyone has a link to the source of this campaign, I'd be much obliged.. Tis from True.

--

Right after posting in the wee hours of the morning, I consumed my smorgasbord of daily feeds hoping to wind down and get some sleep.

I came across a link to Stefan Sagmeister's presentation at TED more than once—and it lingered in a back tab of my browser waiting to be fired up. Usually this means I'll get overwhelmed and just close everything down, but it took two reputable reads (Swiss Miss and Greg Storey) to force me to carve out the 15 minutes to watch it.

Here is the video: TED Talks - Stefan Sagmeister: Yes, design can make you happy
[ also note, I think the TED site design is the cat's whiskers ]

If I collected all the funny YouTube I go through in any given period of time and channel it in to something else, I could actually, probably, learn something and enrich my life. Kill your television. Yada yada yada. That's not the point here.

The point is, I really enjoyed Stefan's talk and I'm glad this material is available online.

If you don't have the time to watch it, here's a list from Sagemeister's diary:

Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
Being not truthful works against me.
Helping other people helps me.
Organizing a charity group is surprisingly easy.
Everything I do always comes back to me.
Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
Over time I get used to everything and start taking if for granted.
Money does not make me happy.
Traveling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life.
Assuming is stifling.
Keeping a diary supports my personal development.
Trying to look good limits my life.
Worrying solves nothing.
Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.
Having guts always works out for me.

Good stuff.

wonderful album art

[ +zoom ]

It's not often I linger long on 'album' art these days, with pixels and all scrolling about, but this is a fine exception crammed into 4 and three quarters squared.

The CD is "Friend or Foe" by Menomena (sample MP3 track "Wet and Rusting") and the awesome cover in regard was illustrated by Craig Thompson.

The disc isn't pictured, but it provides another sublime layer through the die cuts when in place.

I'll reserve judgement on the music until I can give it a few spins. I'm currently hearing some whistling, so it's promising. And this is why I do not write music reviews.

Current music: Menomena "Boyscout'n"

Adobe’s new icons

My dock, loaded with new Adobe icons on the old programs

For the photographers out there and pushers of pixels, you likely heard that Adobe released a beta of Photoshop right before the new year.

Its biggest feature is that it runs natively on Intel Macs. The other major change is that it sports a new application icon. (Seriously, if you want to see what else is new, these videos provide some insight.)

Let's get back to that application icon though. See, it's part of a much bigger scheme to play across the entire Adobe family—every app gets two letters and a color code (see right). This is a big shift for Adobe which traditionally associated applications with abstract representations like eyeballs, feathers, and shells.

As I write this, I realize how completely uninteresting this topic may seem.

It's all been explained, praised, and detracted with mucho gusto over on this blog of an Adobe worker. I read through the comments (they're spicy like a presidential election), and I can't help but ponder how to define success with something is so divisive. When the backing argument resorts to "at the end of the day, there's no arguing with taste" you have to wonder. I miss the Adobe that was mysterious and quiet. Darn you corporate 'blogs and the new transparency!

So I'm trying to wrestle with my thoughts on the topic, because, well, that's what I do, and if I have an emotional attachment to software, it would certainly be Super Mario Brothers, and then Photoshop.

My knee-jerk reaction after installing the beta? Ew, that temporary icon must go. Then I added this new system of icons to the old Macromedia programs I currently use daily to make the picture more complete.

And what did I find out after using this icon language for several weeks?
They work great.

Yup, they perform just as I would imagine. Clicking on an icon opens the program, dragging a file over the generous hit area works too. I'm not colorblind so finding the right application is a breeze. It's uncanny.

And yet, I still don't like them. (Well, Adobe Reader I like all around, but that's not the issue).

So I'm left to toil using something that works perfectly fine, but feels empty. I'd create an analogy to GM cars, but I loved my Geo Metro.

Bonus current music video link: Patti LaBelle "New Attitude" on YouTube

skate

The leaves are almost gone

I'd say they don't make signs like they used to, but I'm waiting, guardedly, for LEDs to tacky up the landscape in a retro-Vegas-kinda way.

Elder Beerman logo(rot)

On the main drag in Hamilton, OH

I forgot all about Elder Beerman for the most part. The department store from my youth closed their doors in the Cincinnati area a good while ago and that was just par for the course—these places were always changing names.

But I was wrong. Elder Beerman is still alive in Dayton (and other areas around the midwest).

Bought in 2003 by Bon-Ton, they haven't yet succumbed to changing the lovely script signage on the outside of the box stores to the new crappy family look.

poo

pink soup cans

the chicken noodle is coming in handy for the cold

Not to compare red iPod apples to tomatoes, but these pink cans for Breast Cancer Awareness Month from Campbell's Soup are quite lovely.

cisco logo a gogo

not filed in logorot

I read about this new identity over at the The Inquirer (via Manmade notebook).

I like the simplification, and glad they killed the small caps.

update: Speakup has an excellent interview with the designers of the new identity

Captain D’s

Always nice to see a logo get better

I'm starting to have faith that some logos and identities can indeed improve.

I've not stepped foot in a Captain D's, but this blend of whimsy, color, type, and illustration would entice me to give em a shot.

Link: Corporate speak about the new identity.

day-glo

Not helping the headaches

Back in October of 2003, I lamented the changing palette of road signs. Seems this idea caught on to the makers of those roadside advertisements that used to be made with pop in letters (aka readerboards).

These new ones employ day-glo magnetic letters and graphics clip art, protected from vandals by a black mesh screen.

I'd say they were an eyesore, but I suppose they do their job.

They made me look.

Along a 10 mile stretch though, I lost count of how many there were.

Day-glo roadsigns: view the drive-by carnage

(filed cautiously under design)

interior

knobs and buttons

I went car shopping with friends today and the usual desire to take bits from different vehicles was present. This interior with that exterior sorta stuff.

My bud saw a version of his old car on the lot and. for giggles, he took it out for a spin.

The cough of the engine and lethargic get-go took it out of contention, but oh how nice the interior was... Real knobs with tactile feedback to work all the controls.

I'll lament this more as touchscreens start to take over.

more logorot

I can't say I loved where it was...

I just noticed the new Baskin Robbins identity. Digging up facts I found the culprit (I think).

The nod to Emigre's Variex isn't something I'd have considered, but squeezing the 31 in there is... admirable.

I can't articulate my distress enough, but more googling provided this fine quote from a thread on Speak Up, "Because, dammit, ice cream should be fun."

vvvvrooom

The wheels on the bus go round and round...

I’m super looking forward to the (Cincinnati) Auto Show next week.

Though not necessarily in the market for a new ride, I love fiddling with knobs and finding out which vehicles fit tall people.

I'm sad I didn't make it out to the 2001 show to see the VW minibus concept I dream of owning. In searching for images, I came across another Westfalia concept that looks quite nifty (let the animation unfold).

More sad, current Volkswagens seem to be losing their “edge” and Buick is stealing their finesse (see icon). I doubt the Lucerne has an integrated umbrella holder though...

dog eared

Northgate Mall

While sitting outside a JCPenney this afternoon, I was regarding the lovely Helvetica and thinking about the Christmas catalogs I would dog ear when I was a kid. Things I never saw on the shelves when the family would make a special trip to the department and discount stores...

Places in these parts called Pogues, McAlpins, Van Leunens, Gold Circle, Shillitos, (and subsequently Shillito-Rikes then Lazarus)... How I've scoured Google for glimpses of these storefronts only to realize there was a time before all this 'lectronic tomfoolery.

A time when I couldn't find out (easily) that JCPenney began in 1902 by James Cash Penney as a dry goods and clothing store in Kemmerer, Wyoming under the banner "The Golden Rule."

My mind wanders...

I realize I'm quick to point out what I consider bad evolutions of identities: fast food restaurants, UPS, and other corporations. But there have been some good ones.

Kmart, for example.

Their move in 1990 to the red K with angled script "mart" was a step in a right direction, and the subsequent migration to a san serif type below the K hit the mark.

There have been some missteps. The Big K branding extension was a bust. Right up there with the tackiness that is Sam's Club. Thanks to the wikipedia I found there was also a lime green logo used at five prototype stores. As much as I enjoy Martha Stewart green, I'm not sold on the variation.

So there's that.

It's all much less interesting than wishing over the Christmas catalog. Peculiar still, my parents knew exactly what to get me even though I never dog eared it:

Yep, this logo hasn't changed much. Just like I remember it from this set..

roundy, 3d, swoosh and twirl

The future is bad

Just documenting change here (careful not to say progress). Of all these refreshments, I suppose I have to find some nice thing to say... and that will be: Sprint's newest identity is the least offensive of the bunch.

The rest look like something from a logo generator.

I still haven't gotten the bitter taste out of my mouth from the evolution of fast food logos.

Photoshop 10 and Lt. Uhura

Tired of windows on my mac

If someone asks me what I do for a living, I say "I make buttons." This whittles the job down to a tangible (almost concrete) notion. A bigger explanation includes what those buttons say, what they do, the order in which they do it, and a myriad of other processes and constraints beside their color and shape.

Usually I'm making buttons for websites, but there's a complex field of application design that has always intrigued me. One could argue websites are applications and I won't disagree, but lemme tackle one topic at a time here.

I spend most of my day immersed in email, a web browser, graphics program, text editor, and FTP program.

It's a mess sorting through all of it.

Perhaps this is a fault of operating systems, but with things like Konfabulator and Apple's Aperture I feel there's a bit of hope (and a bit of sadness¹)

These programs provide options for a simple canvas, minimizing, if not removing entirely, other background processes to focus on the task at hand.

For a good piece of time, I've been using Photoshop in full screen mode, which is almost but not near as good as these examples. Functionality is limited (on the mac) even though I can perform most tasks with key commands. Key commands that Adobe likes to change between each rev as they pack in more features and put a different sheen on their buttons.

What I'd like for them to do however, is take the more radical approach that Apple has lifted for Aperture, and create a clean space with tools available.

An example of what I'd like Photoshop 10 to look like (ala Aperture)
(click on the image to toggle between the concept and current UI)

I'd also like my mail program to be like this, along with all the other apps. Coupled with a quiet, subdued notification system for messages bouncing around my system.

And I want a bouffant hairdo, a spicy little miniskirt, an earpiece, and touch screens.

Okay, that last bit is a lie. I really do prefer tactile buttons and I think LCARS might be a bit too Vegas for my tastes.

All of this is a stop-gap until the operating system is a browser that I can skin with my own style sheet (kinda like Linux, but not).

_______________________

1. Aperture sadly saves all photos in some weird archive format, making it a program I would probably not trust with photos.

Bad Apple

Since I'm on the subject of mice

I've been using an Apple Mighty Mouse for a bit now, wondering when is enough time to torture myself before passing judgement.

That moment is now.

It displeases me.

(And if you know me, I use that phrase often, but usually in the form, "it does not displease me." Why? Because somewhere I learned that it was not good to say you hate something)

So yeah, that might be twisted logic, but anyway—the mouse bites.

Back when Apple released the Cube and made the power button "touch sensitive" it seems they're always trying to get rid of buttons. Now this mouse has a right click that requires you to lift one finger while you click on the other side of the one button surface with your other finger. No longer can I precisely and lazily just click which button I intended. Wonky things are happening with this mouse, and I'm not about to relearn how I work to deal with it.

It's got a little scroll ball, just like an old mouse. A little scroll ball that collects gunk but cannot, however, be accessed to clean.

The side buttons require so much force to push. They have conjunctively torn my rotator cuff.

Your results may vary. Go try one for yourself at a store.

On the upside, it sort-of looks like a Tic Tac®.

Accepting change

The evolution of Fast Food logos

I bitched about the new White Castle logo a couple years ago. Today I was driving home, saw an old Taco Bell sign and was transported back to a happier time—when evolution wasn't so far out there.

How I miss the crisp gridded balance of yore. The warm tones are fading. Browns replaced by blues. Type now looking like it would be at home amidst fluorescent splatter from the 80’s.

*big inhale* Okay, fine. I can deal with all this change. I am resilient. I am hopeful.

And now for a really bad interpretation of the Mac startup sound for 2006. [MP3]

Helveticaspotting

Wonder if Oddfellows Local 151 is behind there...

I always get a big smile driving by this firehouse.

EXP

Stuff I shouldn't have in my portfolio

I worked at the dorms and then Kinkos while doin the full-time student gig back at Ohio State. It was taxing. Right after graduation, a freelance gig fell into place working for EXPRESS.

I slaved alongside a few classmates and we were given old french bits of design to rip off, tweak and turn into t-shirts for young girls at malls. I think they call t-shirts casual tops now and that style of design is called stealing.

As gigs go, this one paid well and when the whistle blew, it was easy to walk away and turn off the gears.

That nice paycheck didn't make us feel any less dirty though.

Continue reading "EXP"

Print

An advert no less

Right after college I dove right into interface work, skipping the world of print design. In fact, my senior project was a CD-ROM horribly pieced together in "multimedia" application. Man I'm glad that word is pretty much dead.

I like the fluid nature of pixels on screen. I enjoyed that I didn't have to get upset by press checks and how things take on a new life when output on different paper stock with various inks.

CD-ROMs of course, had an element of commitment I never liked. The "gold master"—the point where change was no longer possible. Additionally there was still a filter of programming and platform that made concessions necessary to the interface.

So as the web began to emerge as a place for design, I jumped on board.

A whole new set of restrictions came to surface. Restrictions that are slowly becoming less painful, but then again, I've a few years under my belt to know what works and what doesn't. The best part of course though, is that the web evolves. If something doesn't work, change it.

Only twice in my life have I gotten close to a press. Both times there were more experienced folks present to ensure things went as planned. It's changed over the years though as well.—just as much as the net. Now I can deliver a artwork in a PDF and not have to worry about packaging fonts and referenced images. It's much easier.

The radio station needed some ads for magazines and whatnot and I freshened up on how to prep files. This month's Filter magazine (with Beck on the cover) has the finished product. ow fun it was to see the page and the fine resolution. Of course, after the ad went out the door, I fretted that the computer monitor image used was too generic. So subsequent ads will now use the image off to the side up there with the funky "retro" one.

Commitment is hard. WILCO is still too big.

Toyota FJ Cruiser

The hip kids might bypass Scion for this

In just a couple days, Toyota will be unveiling the FJ Cruiser officially. I hope this means they will introduce a final production model, release date and pricing.

Aside from the electric blue and associations I may have with Icehouse, I really dig this vehicle. This thing excites me as much as the Passat did when it was restyled in 1998.

I've always thought I wanted a Jeep, and if they were friendlier on the highway, I'd consider one. I had the wonderful opportunity to drive the gas hog that was a Land Rover for a few years, but it had some issues: a queasy ride and lack of headroom... oh yeah, the 12 MPG sucked literally.

I've been thinking that more than anything, I want something incredibly reliable next time I step foot in a dealership. Toyota is at the top of my list in that regard. Sadly, most of their fleet is pretty uninspired in terms of styling. They've been getting a little too swoopy of late, and I hope the lines of this concept make it into production—along with the flat folding rear seat and cargo area that can accommodate sleeping bags.

The reality is, I can like this retro-flavored SUV thing all I want, but I might not be able to fit in it. Headroom already looks spotty with the squat greenhouse. I can cross my fingers that some of their environmental thinking lends to reasonable gas mileage, and it doesn't have the chintzy feel and bloated pricetag of the VW Touareg.

UPDATE: The "unveiling" was a production model exterior and a few specs at the Chicago Auto Show. Interior wasn't finished, and the two key pieces of information I was hoping to get were not released: MPG and Price. Toyota hopes to roll it out in 2006 as an '07 model.

Spicing up the skies

Richard Tyler designs new Delta uniforms

Funny how I lamented the lack of spunk in flight attendant fashion. I spoke too soon.

Me? I'm a fashion-impaired dork with denim, corduroy and flannel rounding out my personal collection, but surfing around I stumbled upon the Olympus Fashion Week Show/Thing.

There's hope for 2005 yet. I need to book some flights.

Gawking

I spared Wonkette from my bitchfest, as that site is branded nicely

Another month and another couple properties from the weblog empire that is Gawker Media are released to the world. One about travel and the other about software or something. I'm not sure.

And at this point, I don't know if I care. Aside from the fact that I don't like their truncated feeds, I'm fed up with their design sensibility. This is a shame as I like the voice of their sites and content for the most part, but there are other places to get my fix on things. Other places that don't look like they were crafted by dropouts from a mail-order graphic design program.

Ebay has less "pedestrian" design, and that's as far from a compliment I can muster.

Aside from those bitches, I wonder what's next for this group. I figure they'll be tackling music soon enough as an untapped vertical market in their sphere. Maybe they are waiting on some big dumb head photo-manipulated illustration.

Postnote: I don't know if I can keep this entry on my journal here... The visual noise is almost too disturbing.

iLife ‘05

2005 starts off with something nice or
I buy Apple Products. It just makes me feel special.

I have a laptop that burns CDs and I own Photoshop through way of work. In the scheme of things, I’m pretty dang lucky.

So yeah, all the hardware stuff Apple launched yesterday is nice. I respect the thought that went into each product. I think the Shuffle (used without shuffle) would be more suited for me than a big iPod, but again, I mentioned the ability to burn CDs. That's really all I need and use for music.

The mini is quite nifty, with a little more oomph than my current system for 1/3 the price. The thing is, I wouldn't own one without a gig of ram, and that's pricey (without it, it would be 1/6 the price.) If I was on the market for a new computer, I would seriously consider the mini. I hope it's a hit.

But the real pleasing thing I think, are the gradual enhancements to iLife.

Continue reading "iLife ‘05"

The year we lightened up

Yeah, like that

Dan pointed out a link to this fansite for the sadly defunct Pacific Southwest Airlines today, and I was fascinated. I want to live in that era.

No, scratch that. I want this era to LIGHTEN THE FUCK UP.

I'm beat with government and faith based agencies trying to determine what is decent.

What a shitty time we live in right now—scared stupid with fines and laws.

I'm ready for the backlash.

It doesn't have to be all retro with free love and wild orgies in the streets—those can be in private homes. But as for feeling sexy and flaunting it, bring it on.

And while we're at it, I think we're ready to loosen the ideals of traditional beauty all around. It's been brewing. We don't need an edict to make it official. I don't mind if the stewardess flight attendant is packing a few extra Twix bars in the trunk. As long as they are happy with who they are and society is happy for them, then I'm happy.

The future is supposed to be sexy, I saw it on TV back in the day. We're supposed to have new shiny fabrics that cling to us and floating cars. To quote Jim, "Listerine Strips and Wi-Fi are the only things that make me "Feel" like I'm living in the 21st Century." So for 2005, I say we sex it up a bit. Fun boots for everyone. And big "I'm happy to be alive" smiles.

Floating cars can come later.

While on the topic of air travel, bring back the frickin’ peanuts. Those with allergies can have their pretzels as an option.

I'm all about options.

Details

Scrutiny

Tonight, the little flourishes that make making websites fun. I love zooming in to pixel level to tinker.

Oh, and I only make icons from scratch when I have to—other times, I rely on goodness like the pictogram font called Poppi from Emigre.

These icons likey won't be needed until phase 2 (a handy word we use to make life tolerable). So this gives me some time to refine, perhaps craft a more custom set.

Time to burn some midnight oil.

woxy.com t-shirt

Matching undies sold separately

The t-shirts I've been working on at the independent streaming music station arrived late yesterday afternoon.

Support anti-corporate radio, buy a shirt (or at least take a gander at the colors). Sizes are generous, though I would not suggest the small (as shown above). Even if you don't buy a shirt and haven't listened to them, tune in. These are the folks that host all those bands I've been seeing of late.

Detail of back:

Buy one or two... It's like having a doodled trapper keeper on your back.

021C

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

A recent comment reminded me of this vehicle, and I just thought I'd document the passing notion.

The 021C was a Ford concept car (named after the Pantone color) for the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, designed by Marc Newson. It's lines are deceptively simple, with weird features like swiveling seats, suicide doors, and a sliding drawer for a trunk.

And like Pimp My Ride, it had lighting that made the interior glow, however, this incarnation had panache, unlike the monstrosities belched out of the MTV show that has nothing to do with music.

But I digress. I just love looking at this car, and the palette fuels autumnal affection.

I don't do print

Truck around the neighborhood

I used to say, I don't do print. Just pixels. Websites. Interfaces.

I'm not sure when my attitude changed, but the allure of tactile increases, just a little, as I get on.

Maybe it's because everything I worked on years ago, is no more. Cached somewhere in some internet archive, but not used.

It'd be nice to find some project that had impact beyond aesthetics.

That's a big tangent.

Today I worked on a print project. After looking through more than a handful of stock photography sites for a 3/4 view of a truck, I gave up and shut the lid on the laptop. There are trucks all over this part of town. I never did find the perfect one, and the skies were overcast, but I got something good enough for a mock up.

Colors

Leaves I dig powerful reds and oranges. Ochres and browns. Greens from asparagus to fern. I don't have any particular favorite color, but it is generally nature's palette and range that I find myself attracted. This could very well sum up my aversion to 80's fashion. Maybe that's why I like Panera so much, or Carhartts. Another tangent: I was talking with someone the other day about small towns. I've never been to Yellow Springs in Ohio. It's just up the road from here. This person told me that I had to go. It had a vibe that made the place feel comfortable. Like it was Halloween all year round. Intriguing way to put it. Maybe it's the colors. Anyway, I collected those leaves in the park and decided, perhaps after seeing Onajídé's recent studies that putting them down and taking a photo seemed like a natural thing to do. All this ruminating made me think of a few links that were somewhat relevant. Check 'em out over there in the right.

IKEA

Iowa style at Kansas prices

What I like about IKEA:
- Furnish a room for cheap.
- Simple lines and clean shapes for the most part.
- Reasonable vittles.
- Great visual language with their signage.

What I don't like about IKEA:
- Furniture with cheapness akin to Old Navy. Some items great for the short term only.
- Kerning on the signage is atrocious.

I went there to help out, and when it seemed my help wasn't going to be needed, I went anyway. I had no idea Pittsburgh was so close to me. This, I will have to explore more.

I did get to drive a U-Haul back though, pleasantly packed with all sorts of furniture for all sorts of people. I even bought myself some barstools and a toilet brush (for 79¢, a bargain).

I allen-wrenched one together this morning. It's too tall I think. I should've measured beforehand. Stool sampling is tough to do by the seat of one's pants.

Don't think I'm anti-IKEA, I've slept on one of their mattresses and thought it was the cat's meow.

I hear they plan to open up 5 stores in the US each year. Maybe they'll target Columbus OH since it's a test market for all things midwestern. It's much closer to home.

In unrelated news, we're getting a Trader Joes in Cincinnati. Next we'll be legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Gum and wonder

Juicy Fruit and Wrigley’s Spearmint gums are more than 100 years old

Not all new-fangled design bothers me. Case in point: the (relatively) new Wrigley's wrappers aren't all that bad. Well, the Juicy Fruit is a little akin to the bubble letters drawn by kids in pen on the back of their Trapper Keepers, but for the most part, it's working.

There seems to be a resurgence of traditional typography with modern twists these days. This is a good thing, considering the messy constructs of the 90's.

Makes me wonder though, don't I have better things to wonder about?

Yes, yes I do.

Old Dog, New Tricks

Warning: Geek talk ahead.

THE GOAL:
A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to learn the other way of web design: CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). It's not as easy as laying out a table in a visual editor and requires some basic math. Additionally, there are a slew of browser incompatibilities as standards are put into place.

In order to get my head around this, I decided I needed a project—things just work better with a concrete goal.

I've long since wanted to be able to organize my journal.

THE HOW:
Sadly, LiveJournal does not use style sheets to lay out pages with CSS, instead some custom jive they've written (amendment: in reference to their new S2 style system).

Experiments failed as I attempted to understand syntax. I had to learn DOCTYPEs and XHTML in addition to CSS. Really basic things, but until you address them, things will look wrong or not work entirely.

I exported everything from LJ and used a Backup Toolkit to translate entries into XML. Sadly, comments are not currently exported.

I decided to go with TypePad as a place to host my experiment. It's a weblog service, similar to LiveJournal, but offers an engine to allow all this design tomfoolery, along with other features that are kinda cool: automated lists for books and music that link up with Amazon Associates, organized archives, and categories.

Some mildly cool things: There are no tables or javascript. Everything is laid out with div tags and positioned. Rollovers are created using lists and hover effects with styles. All those navigation items along the top and catgegory icons along the side are stored in two images with every state. See what I mean.

HELPFUL LINKS:

• CSS : A Guide for the Unglued - a nice compendium of links to introduce the concepts behind all this web standards stuff.
• CSS Zen Garden - a great way to understand the concept of separating content from design. Each design on this site is controlled by an external style sheet.
• CSS Image Rollovers - on A List Apart
• What's a DOCTYPE? - another article from A List Apart

THE WHY (well, part of it):
Categories are of great interest to me. I think online journals and weblogs suffer from a few major flaws. The most glaring is that they are hard to navigate. Once content expires from the "front" page (or friends list), it seems to get buried. There's no easy way to browse, save for going back and back and back. Calendar views offer limited benefit, even with subjects listed.

THE RESULT:
(you're there)

ISSUES:

• It has a "me too" vibe that CSS designs seem to suffer from these days. This is hopefully only temporary as I refine visual elements.
• I have not tested pages in every browser. If you find any big glitches, drop a comment or an email.
• The search field does not work as Google has yet to index the site.
• I haven't figured out an icon for Ho-Hum. Nostalgia, misc, and pondersome are lame.

ASIDES:

• Going through entries and assigning categories is a task itself. It revealed patterns. I realized, I read more than I let on. I should pull excerpts from things. This notion began when Nayland mentioned the Commonplace Book.
• I don't cook enough.
• I have really great friends and family.
• I don't write much about sports, therefore an icon was not warranted. The football helmet featured above will likely never get used. I also don't write about TV very much, but that doesn't bother me.

Lastly, no, I'm not leaving LiveJournal. The LiveJournal community is super-dooper good. The privacy features and threaded comments are unique to LJ. I'll cross post, and keep tinkering.

POSTNOTE:
There's still lots of work to be done. As any given category gets to be too long, the problem of how to navigate comes back into play. Excerpts and/or thumbnails would be prudent.

A watched pot

Cheapskate... or disorganized?

I had to have a document printed in a few hours and I had no "regular" paper. The ink jet generally collects dust unless I am printing out a CD cover, label, or a photo on glossy stock. Even when I get directions from Mapquest, I jot them down by hand on the back of a student loan envelope.

I just don't print that much.

So I X-acto up some notebook paper from a pad and run it through. Blotches appear with streaks until the tension and alignment is properly set.

There's no time to reprint though, as each page seems to be taking 10 minutes.

Funny how there's a correlation between need and time. I finally just gave up on pacing and decided to take care of some chores.

The thing finally printed, and holding the ruled paper in my hands I thought, this looks cool.

Maybe not "professional," but cool.

Build your own

The ReadyMade $1500.00 shack

Today was productive, but I've yet to pack my bags for the next trip and the hours are slipping away. I got things out the virtual door, posted and checked off. I went to the bank. I tweaked my brother's resumé. I did not get a haircut.

I wrestled with OS 9 for a good hour, blanking out at how odd the Mac used to be. Who thought a Chooser made sense?

As evening fell, I went over to my friends' house for babytime and chinese food. Their little one continues to exhibit new skills like holding spoons (if only for a while before reverting to hands).

It's so much easier to eat with your hands. Maybe adults have it wrong.

After bath and bottle, it was time to sink into the couch with the TV pleasantly off and three laptops illuminating our faces. This is social, really. To explain it would take an essay.

At one point, they produced plans from ReadyMade Magazine– a prefab studio/shack that could be made on the cheap with materials from any hardware store.

I'd never heard of the publication, and I was giddy with the issues I glanced through. Simple ideas that could be executed with basic materials.

As I get long in the tooth, I pine for perspectives like this. I've always found resourcefulness to be an inspirational quality.

Cushy

Testing out the Oldham collection at Lazyboy

Mid-afternoon, the three bears and myself ventured over to the La-z-boy showroom to check out the Todd Oldham collection that Chad spotted in an ad.

The stuff looked great online, and with it being La-z-boy, there was hopes that the crisp lines would not suffer from what normally flaws designer furniture; pretty but uncomfortable.

Well, this stuff was super plush. Too plush perhaps? Would the foam and fabric hold up? Jim just plopped his bare feet up on the couch in front of the saleslady to test and make sure.

Afterward, we zipped over to Elise's house and got to meet her parents and hang with the husband and kid sushi (a moniker for his profound hankering for the raw fish).

The food was great.

The weather was awesome.

The conversation and games afterward were superfun.

St. Louis has even more cool reasons to return for visits.

Ban Mr. Smiley

The de-evolution of license plates

I've mentioned my disdain before. I think license plate design is going straight down the crapper. It's a perfect example of technology advancements that can be filed under "unnecessary" (along with a handful of Photoshop filters that should be banned).

Funny thing is, the new Kentucky plates are causing quite an effect on inhabitants of the bluegrass state. Sales in custom plates have skyrocketed ever since the new "mr smiley" designs appeared. Maybe this was their intention, to rack up profits at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Folks are retaliating though, putting bullet hole stickers over the happy sun, or mad faces. In fact, if you live in KY, you can pick up a sticker at all Cox's Smokers Outlets. Yes. You read that right... Cox's Smokers.

I have to thank Dave for bringing this important issue to my attention.

Fun Related Link: EXTENSIVE License Plate Galleries

2004 Auto Show, Columbus OH

The new Nissan Quest - weerdest production interior of the lot

I love lookin' at cars. I figure it's like women and shoes, or purses.

I can window shop and feel sated.

The auto show this year was filled with more retro-updates and fancy tail lights that've become so popular of late. Aside from a bland showing from VW (I don't fit in the Toerag and the pricetag on the Phaeton is LUDICROUS) - it was a mostly good waste of time.

I think Ford's renewed interest in cars is a good thing. American automakers love to let things fester to a point where it just damages their entire line.

I couldn't find the new Corvette, but that's okay, I think the loss of popup headlamps to fit within European standards is a mistake.

Let's see, what else? Oh, I think gray is the new black for 2004. Most models sported the subdued hue.

I think to spice up attendance, automakers should dress the car model models in pvc or rubber.

Here's a few angles that caught my eye.

Oink

Columbus Convention Center:
(Peter) Eisenman Architects with Richard Trott & Partners

The sun was raking across the street as I stepped out of work in Columbus this evening. Slightly exhausted from an early morning commute and full day of whirlwind decisions, I drove to pick up mouthwash cause I thought my breath tasted bad and went back to the hotel to take a nap.

At a stoplight, I got this photo of the Convention Center, an odd structure by the same fella behind the Wexner Center back at my old stomping grounds of Ohio State.

His approach tends to polarize opinion, but I'll admit I fall into a gray middle area. I find the use of shape and color to be refreshing, but the odd corners and arrangement of space generally disturbs my sensibilities. The Wexner Center has a great example of this "building as art" concept, with a staircase that leads up to nowhere. I also think buildings that require renovations after fifteen years seem suspect.

*shrug*

In other news, I found that after stepping on a scale yesterday, that I weigh more than I ever have in my entire life.

My high carb diet is really paying off.

The parts of letterforms

This is what I was tested on in school

Every profession has a language.

Here are some words common to a typographer. For the most part, these words never really come up in the daily grind of a designer. Design somehow exists on soft, subjective language that gets into feelings and moods. Who needs semantics when you can have "cool" or "pretty"?

This entry stems from a conversation with Marmot at a museum in German. We talked briefly about type. I felt all tongue tied. My ability to communicate what I had memorized in college was lost. So I brushed up on the terms.

Baseline: An imaginary line upon which the base of each capital letter rests.

Capline: An imaginary line that runs along the tops of the capital letters.

Meanline: An imaginary line that establishes the height of the body of lowercase letters.

X-height: The distance from the baseline to the meanline. Typically, this is the height of lowercase letters and is most easily measured on the lowercase x.

All characters align optically on the baseline. The bodyheights of lowercase characters align optically at the x-height, and the tops of capitals align optically along the capline. To achieve precise alignments, the typeface designer makes optical adjustments. (What does this mean? This means that characters with a curve like an o actually rest a little below the baseline and a little about the meanline to visually match letterforms with a defined edge.

Apex: The peak of the triangle of an uppercase A.

Arm: A projecting horizontal stroke that is unattached on one or both ends, as in the letters T and E.

Ascender: A stroke on a lowercase letter that rises above the meanline.

Bowl: A curved stroke enclosing the counterform of a letter. An exception is the bottom form of the lowercase roman g, which is called a loop.

Counter: The negative space that is fully or partially enclosed by a letterform.

Crossbar: The horizontal stroke connecting two sides of a letterform (as in e, A, and H) or bisecting the main stroke (as in f and t).

Descender: A stroke on a lowercase letterform that falls below the baseline.

Ear: A small stroke that projects from the upper right side of the bowl of the lowercase roman g.

Eye: The enclosed part of the lowercase e.

Fillet: The contoured edge that connects the serif and stem in bracketed serifs. (Bracketed serifs are connected to the main stroke by this curved edge; unbracketed serifs connect to the main stroke with an abrupt angle without this contoured transition.)

Hairline: The thinnest strokes within a typeface that has strokes of varying weights.

Leg: The lower diagonal stroke on the letter k.

Link: The stroke that connects the bowl and the loop of a lowercase roman g.

Loop: See bowl.

Serifs: Short strokes that extend from and at an angle to the upper and lower ends of the major strokes of a letterform.

Shoulder: A curved stroke of the letter S.

Spur: A projection - smaller than a serif - that reinforces the point at the end of a curved stroke, as in the letter G.

Stem: A major vertical or diagonal stroke in a letterform.

Stroke: Any of the linear elements within a letterform; originally, any mark or dash made by the movement of a pen or brush in writing.

Tail: A diagonal stroke or loop at the end of a letter, as in R or j.

Terminal: The end of any stroke that does not terminate with a serif.

Adapted for the screen from Typographic Design: Form and Communication by Rob Carter, Ben Day and Philip Meggs

Europe: Day 6 - You say Cologne, I say Köln (poorly)

I ♥ European timetables

Leaving Amsterdam seemed jolting. After I had just realized I had no notion of how to get around, it was time to leave. Alas, it was a nice pace of getting up and having one last breakfast at the Golden Bear. This consisted of meats, cheese, bread, juice, coffee or tea. I had been stuffing extra sandwiches in my bag that had come in handy over the course of the trip.

Brian and I managed to get ourselves to the station and on the right train without our cruise director. They were off earlier on a sidetrip to visit family of some sort.

The ICE was a nice ride. With 'lectrical outlet for computery types, nice seats that reclined. Fancy LED lights at the head of the car, and countless amenities.

I studied the train schedules and marveled at the nice information design while the scenery zipped by. It was an overcast day and the line between Netherlands and Deutschland was a blur.

We got to the hotel and rejoined with our travel companions not much later and probably went to a bar.

It was a pretty swank hotel considering (the room had a bidet!), and sleep was prudent, albeit increasingly difficult with the onset of jatlag.

Once again, I'm reminded I need to be thrown in a home

The new color of caution I went to visit Tiny Tina to get my beard whacked and back-of-my-neck fur shaved. I always get some bit of knowledge when I visit my barber in Kentucky. Today, as I grabbed a handful of beard trimmings I said, "Whoa, look at all that gray!" "That's not gray dear, that's silver." Tina replied. "Wh