November 2011
1 post
Please save a life
Please, please read this and help save this elephant’s life. I cannot believe that in this day and age humans are still willing to support circuses using animals as entertainment when they are filmed collapsing in the street while being forced onto their trucks. Critically ill animals at 54 years old, forced back onto their feet without treatment.
STOP THIS NOW - it is NOT alright to treat...
October 2011
2 posts
Geeks and non-geeks
Difference between geek and non-geek: My sister “That scan was awful”. Me “Was it an MRI?”. Sis *blank stare*. Me “It’s magnetic, and they can scan your head etc”. Sis “Umm..”. Me *rolling eyes* “Looks like a big tube, you lie down in”. Sis “Yes that was it” Me “Ooh you lucky thing, always wanted to see one of...
RIP Steve
We knew we’d get the news at some point, especially after Jobs stepped down at Apple only a couple of months ago. But it still sucks that one of the world’s true visionaries has gone (a driving force behind the legendary Pixar as well as Apple), and he will be sorely missed. As a designer I’ve constantly strived to achieve and inspire in others what he recognised - that...
August 2011
2 posts
July 2011
8 posts
3 tags
Newcastle UX Book Club – September 2011 →
uxne:
After an enjoyable first uxbookclub we’re excited for the second. As suggested by attendee Vicky Teinaki we will be reading a discussing Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam. We’ll learn how to solve problems quickly using sketches and how we can apply it in our work with clients and team members.
We’ll be holding it in the great new tech location at The Post Office NE1on Pink Lane close to...
Beautiful article on the Space Shuttle, and comedy... →
I would say this is a most unlikely source, but I’ve got enormous amounts of respect for Mr Penn Jillette, half of the astoundingly talented magic duo Penn & Teller, so I’m not surprised he could write something so great. Wonderful article on the emotional impact of the Space Shuttle launches :)
symftr:
Excerpt from “How To Play In Traffic”, Penn Jillette and Teller, 1997 (out...
Call me Delia: a talk on good design
Well, nerves aside, I’m honoured to have been asked to speak at next week’s Supermondays event at Newcastle University (come along, all welcome!)
I’ll be speaking about that most argued of topics: good design, and how we get there. Here’s the synopsis, and you can register to attend at http://Supermondays.org if you’d like to come along.
Call me Delia: A tale of...
June 2011
6 posts
Quality advice
45. Be an auteur. Regardless of who you’re working with, speak up if something’s not right. Take it upon yourself to be the barometer of quality. #the50
- from a great article: “The 50 Things Every Graphic Design Student Should Know”. I’d like to point out that all non-students should take this advice too. After all, we should always be learning and studying in this industry.
“I am troubled by the devaluing of the word ‘design’.” You and me...”
– the legendary designer Dieter Rams in a recent Telegraph interview. His new book ‘As Little Design as Possible’ is available for pre-order from Phaidon now
Apparently, we designers know sh*t all?
My most reserved retort to a poor comment on a design blog ;)
http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/espn_monday_night_football.php
May 2011
4 posts
“Design is not solely visual.
Those who believe it is, make an unconscious...”
– part of http://www.ideasonideas.com/2006/03/designers_must_write - from the straight-talking Eric Karjaluoto of smashLAB
“Strangely, upon entering the industry, I learned that a large number of...”
– part of http://www.ideasonideas.com/2006/03/designers_must_write - from the straight-talking Eric Karjaluoto of smashLAB
March 2011
2 posts
February 2011
3 posts
RIP Common Sense?
An interesting Fwd email I just received:
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will beremembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: • Knowing when to come in out of the rain; • Why the early bird gets the worm;...
July 2010
2 posts
Simple theme →
An elegant and simple Tumblr theme I found while searching for a suitable one for my mother’s travel blog
Inspiration
Today got me thinking about people who inspire me - my ‘idols’ if you want to put it in such a way. I’ve always thought my idols to be a strange list for someone my age, but it’s probably because friends and family have looked at me in a puzzled fashion, accompanied by “Who?” or “you geek…” The list is in no particular order, but was...
June 2010
4 posts
The big picture
I’ve been quite amused and amazed tonight with all the Twitter chat about Apple’s WWDC and the ensuing announcement of iPhone 4. I won’t bore you with how damn awesome I think it really is, but I have a couple of observations.
1. I was a little saddened by how quickly the ‘oh shut the f*** up’ and ‘I don’t care about the damn iPhone’ tweets started...
May 2010
1 post
A vote for thought →
THE single best write-up of the political choices in front of us with the coming Election. Stephen Fry writes intelligently, honestly and thoughtfully - well worth a read and your consideration.
February 2010
4 posts
““We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death...”
– Via the lovely Yes-Oui-Si and Dyspeptic
Comments
Since the company whose method I was using to add comments to this ‘ere Tumblr has now decided they’re not doing it any more, I’ve added comments via Disqus. Pretty easy once you look at it, BUT it still seems like it should be easier, IMHO - most people will not know what Disqus is and just gloss over the ‘shortname’ option in the Customize settings.
Anyway, Disqus...
January 2010
3 posts
5 tags
What does the iPad mean for designers? →
Creativebits have a quick piece on how useful the new Apple iPad could be to designers. Certainly from my point of view, it will make a damn perfect presentation portfolio! :)
6 tags
Five Ways the iPad Will Change Magazine Design →
The gorgeous Apple iPad has only been with us a few hours, and already beloved Pentagram have a great piece on how it could be ‘ushering in a new golden age of information design’
CMYK embroidery
“Printed Matter is a project about craft within the context of graphic design. My aim is to bring together craft and modern technology, and explore the possibilities for printing processes to be integrated with textile techniques.”
This really did make me chuckle, and it’s one of those ideas you wish you’d thought of first! It’s so beautifully simple but...
November 2009
1 post
Origami by Sipho Mabona
I seem to be drawn to beautifully simple art installations - ironic, perhaps, that it should be borne of a very complicated origami pattern. Love the details that Mabona has managed to fold into each koi, and if I want to shatter my patience I may even try to make one…
Koi origami gallery - by Sipho Mabona
August 2009
1 post
Unlikely colour
(via the lovely blog.designpublic.com)
Interior design from the one and only Douglas Coupland, this vibrant piece of wall art really grabbed my attention. Of course any splashes of vibrant yellow, turquoise and pinks will stand out against sleek white interiors, but it was the idea that really got me - the piece is a collection of spools of thread, various sizes, simply mounted on a canvas.
...
July 2009
2 posts
Missing the obvious
Like many other graphic designers around the world, I was rather excited to see the new UK coin designs come into circulation. A bold, unified design set that marks a slick departure from the ones before it. I was thrilled to see a previously unknown 26-year-old designer shot into the limelight for designing the one thing we all see and use every day - suddenly graphic design was in...
June 2009
1 post
JELLY not Jell-O..
I love this neat redesign** for America’s iconic ‘Jell-O’ brand - really cute, easily recognisable and colourful. Even if they do get the name wrong* ;)
http://skinnyships.com/index.php?/design/jello/
*It’s jelly in the UK, which the Americans use as the term for what we call jam. And they call jam ‘sidewalks’ and cross the road in elevators....
February 2009
1 post
Lego Revival →
Iconic retro brands possess strong currency right now. The latest hails
not from the annals of fashion or apparel but from the world of toys -
we’re talking about LEGO, the multi-colored building…
January 2009
2 posts
7 tags
Live what you love
I’ve just treated myself to a lovely little letterpress print from Hijirik - although I managed to nab the very last yellow one (yay!) there are several other colours available. Cotton paper too - nice! An absolute bargain at a total of £12 including shipping from the US. Etsy is a fantastic resource for handcrafted beauties like this, with many more I intend to get my hands on.
I love the...
5 tags
Paper type
Gorgeous handcrafted typographical illustrations with a character and depth you don’t get even in the most beautiful computer-based typography. Truly stunning - I’d love to have one of these pieces framed and on my wall!
http://www.artyulia.com/index.php/Illustration