It's fun to watch an A-list designer like Aaron Draplin (creator of Field Notes notebooks) how he goes about designing a new logo. Here, he was challenged to design a logo for a concrete foundation company. He starts by just writing the name of the company with pencil and paper (not on a computer) and sees what the letters suggest. Then he "digs around" through old design and corporate identity books he likes. Only after he's filled a bunch of pages with thumbnail sketches does he move to Adobe illustrator.
Watch Aaron Draplin design a logo in 15 minutes
The typography of Star Trek
Dave Addey is author of Typeset in the Future: Typography and Design in Science Fiction Movies, a book exploring the typography of films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, WALL-E, and other classics. In an excerpt on his site, Addey studies the typography of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. From Typeset in the Future:… READ THE REST
Gallery of jazz album lettering
Designer Reagan Ray isolated the lettering from various jazz album covers for a bunch of artists and made an online gallery of little cards. I love the variety and colors. But the most influential designer was probably Reid Miles, who created over 500 album covers for Blue Note Records. He pioneered the use of creatively-arranged type… READ THE REST
Poster of every Motor Trend "Car of the Year" from 1949 to 2020
The Australian insurance company Budget Direct created this nifty graphic of every Motor Trend "Car of the Year" winner in the United States. After the Plymouth Volare (1976), my eyes glazed and interest waned. They created similar graphics for awards in Australia and the UK. "Award-winning cars: Every Car of the Year Winner" (Budget Direct) READ THE REST
The Crave PowerPack 2 is a massive stockpile of portable on-the-go power
You can never have enough power. While that sounds like a line from Niccolo Machiavelli, it's also the regular refrain from pretty much anyone with a mobile device. It seems like no matter how long you charge up before you leave the house, it doesn't take more than a few minutes of texting, map directions… READ THE REST
There's a new school of car insurance companies, and Clearcover leads the pack
"Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." That century-old quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (sort of) is just as true today. If you build a better product, offer a better service or create a better infrastructure for customers, then with a bit of time and attention, the world… READ THE REST
This bedside upside will make you say goodbye alarm clock, hello charging music station
Remember back in the way, way, way back 1990s? Remember when you and everyone you knew had a radio alarm clock positioned right on your bedside table? You know, the one with that super irritating squawk of an alarm? You can still hear that ugly beast in your nightmares, can't you? Time hasn't been kind… READ THE REST
