The Friday Fast Five

1. Identity Redesign for Cartoon Network |  Must admit that at the start of the article, I was thinking… hmm, kind of sterile. Then I read a little further down… interesting secondary elements, OK… and the video clip cinched it. WOW! Give yourself a brilliant visual treat and start there.

2. Design Bureau |  Keep the inspiration going with this multidisciplinary, global design digest served up in a clean, straightforward fashion. Diverse, quirky and well-written.

3. Constrainstorming |  When your next brainstorming session gets swamped by possibilities, try these quick tips on exploring potential parameters to focus the group.

4. Establishing the Best Price |  An interesting read on how to employ User Experience to uncover the most compelling price point. Useful for programmers as well as freelance designers (and studios, too!).

5. iTunes U |  One of my core values is to never stop learning, and I’m forever blown away by the amount of quality, Undergrad and Graduate course lectures available online for FREE! My virtual classes have me currently studying up on Sociology, Anthropology and Culture at UC Berkeley, CCA, OTIS and Stanford. Why not join me on “campus” and check out the wide range of subjects at iTunes U?

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Ace is the Place

ACE HOTEL MURAL BY TIMOTHY GOODMAN

As a designer of brand experiences, I am crazy-go-nuts about checking out interesting environments. Based on several recommendations from friends and this sensational, hand-drawn wall mural by Timothy Goodman, I’m mandating a stay at the Ace Hotel on my next trip to NYC.

[via designworklife]

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Proof that Al was a Design Thinker

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN

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The Friday Fast Five

1. Seth’s Blog: Slick | Finally getting around to reading Seth Godin’s Linchpin, which reminded me to stop in for a glance at his fabulous blog. In today’s post, he reminds us to be authentic. Wise words, as always.

2. DIY Electroluminescent Display Panels | While the technology itself isn’t new, the ability to do it yourself is fairly recent and could make the process more affordable overall (making some of my clients very happy). [via NOTCOT]

3. The Edges of the World, an installation by Ernesto Neto | Adding to my already pressing longing to visit London is this experiential exhibit at the Hayward Gallery. Neto’s work centers around transforming spaces into dramatic, participatory environments that invite the occupants to explore and interact with others. [via NOTCOT]

4. Steelcase Showroom : NeoCon 2010 | I didn’t attend this year, but I’m bound and determined to make it in 2011. In the meantime, I’ve been devouring the NC’10 feeds and images. This one is particularly gorgeous — I expect nothing less from Steelcase.

5. Aarhus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall | Closing out on the theme of architectural interiors, this amazing space makes me want to get out and play.

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Modern & Multi-functional

GEOLOGY TEACHER CHAIR BY PIERRE LESCOP

Last month, I attended a conference for Architects and Designers where one of the speakers suggested a compelling method of successful workspace design. The idea being to consider the user as a co-creator of the environment and maximize the capacity for adaptation.

The Geology Teacher Chair, named for the interlocking pieces that suggest the shifting of Earth’s tectonic plates, delivers on that very approach (and it’s just plain cool).

[via HomeTone]

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Doing What You Love for a Living

“We have to find the convergence between what we’re passionate about that other people are also passionate about (and willing to spend money on).”

CHRIS GUILLEBEAU, from the 99% Interview: Balanced People Don’t Change the World

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Ten Principles of Good Design

INKSIE.COM

My family got our first computer (a Commodor 64!) in my early high school years, and the Internet hadn’t hit full swing until after I graduated college. We lived in a foreign country and had one (that’s right, ONE!) channel of very dated programming broadcast from the nearby military base. All this to say that as a naturally curious kid starved for input, my face was always buried in books seeking information on ANYTHING.

This is what I love about the Web today — anything you want to know (or didn’t), it’s out there. Better yet are the serendipitous discoveries, like inksie.com and their article on Dieter Rams’ Ten Principles of Good Design.

With loads of amazing content to pour through, from essays to illustrations to new music podcasts, inksie is totally bookmark worthy!

(via PSFK)

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You Spin Me Right Round

ALBUM ART FROM PROJECT THIRTY-THREE

Dedicated to the art of the vintage album label, Project Thirty-Three catalogs an impressive and expanding collection of record jackets, all categorized by graphic shape.

I’ve got a huge soft spot for mid-century album art — such a wonderful homage to our design forefather’s deft ability to convey the style of music with only ruled boards, amberlith, hot/film type, photography, stats, and hand drawn line (imagine, all before computers).

More posts like this to come.

(via monsier bandit)

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It isn’t Easy, but it’s not Difficult Either

“Work hard. Keep at it. Live simply and quietly. Remain humble. Stay positive. Create your own luck. Be nice. Be polite.”

HUGH MacLEOD, from Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity

As a long time fan of Gaping Void, you’d think I’d have read it sooner, but I just finished Hugh’s book. A must for anyone who creates anything, and since that applies to almost everyone, a must for all!

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Natural Light

BLOOM MGX LAMP BY PATRICK JOUIN

With nature as his inspiration, Patrick Jouin designed this lovely lamp which “blossoms” to adjust the light level. The shade is three dimensionally printed, including the hinges that allow it to transform from demure bud to glorious bloom.

(via NOTCOT)

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