design:related - Karen's design:related inspirations

Penguin Books Great Ideas Series, Volume III (Green)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:50:57 GMT

I’ve loved the design of Penguin UK's Great Ideas series—and the cover designs for volume III look like they keep in line with my high expectations. I’m interested to know more about the designer's approach to conceptualizing each cover in the series. I know that “each is set in a manner suggestive of the lettering or typography of the time of the work’s first publication.”*

To take this further, does every cover in the series reference a specific classic design from the past? For example, the cover for The Fastidious Assasins by Albert Camus, instantly recalled Alvin Lustig's design for The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. (I haven’t read either)

I also recognize old Penguin style conventions used on a few covers in the new volume—which I love with the tactile touch of debossed type and uncoated stock. Seeing each new cover design up against the historical graphics that influenced them would be fascinating.

Below is in regards to the first volume of Great Ideas from 2004:

“Editorial Director Simon Winder came up with Great Ideas as a way of introducing a different readership to key texts that have helped civilization. Art Director Jim Stoddart handed responsibility for the design to David Pearson, who decided to let the flavour of each individual text influence the look of its cover.”*

*taken from Penguin by Design: A Cover Story 1935-2005, by Phil Baines

Volume III in the Great Ideas series will be published August 7, 2008. David Pearson, Phil Baines, Catherine Dixon and Alistair Hall contributed cover designs to the latest volume. (discovered AlistairH's Flickr photos via Kottke)

Marion Bataille's ABC3D Alphabet Pop-Up Book

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:26:38 GMT

If you missed the viral You Tube video showing the intricate pop-ups for Roaring Brook Press' ABC3D designed by French book designer Marion Bataille, a higher quality video has been added to LookyBook (see below). I thought this book was amazing the first time around, but the presentation is even better here. The 4-letter lenticular cover is quite flat on a computer monitor...But the book is only available for pre-order and will not be released until October 14, 2008.

Vintage Japanese Matchbook Label Designs

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:42:37 GMT

Jane McDevitt (a.k.a Maraid) has added another flickr set of matchbook label designs. This time they are Japanese labels from approx. the 1920s —1940s.

Tom Sachs' Bronze Collection: Sanrio Sculptures & Miffy

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:15:22 GMT

Today I came across Tom Sachs' Bronze Collection sculptures in the Lever House courtyard on 390 Park Avenue, New York. The public art exhibit will be on view through September 6, 2008. The full bronze collection includes 12 pieces. The Hello Kitty Wind Up stands about 21 feet high.

"For the Lever House installation, Sachs has created his first monumental works in bronze, presenting the familiar icons “Hello Kitty,” “My Melody” (both fictional characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio in 1974), and the small rabbit, €œMiffy (created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna in 1955). Working from the original toys, Sachs and his assistants construct enlarged versions using sheets of lightweight foamcore and glue guns, which are then cast in bronze, and ironically painted white to resemble the white foamcore surface. “Hello Kitty” and “Miffy” also function as outdoor fountains." —from Press Release

Tom Sachs / Miffy Fountain, 2007-08, Painted Bronze, Lever House Art Collection

Tom Sachs / Hello Kitty Fountain, 2007-08, Painted Bronze, Lever House Art Collection

Tom Sachs / My Melody, 2007-08, Painted Bronze, Lever House Art Collection

Tom Sachs / Hello Kitty Wind Up 2007-08, Painted Bronze, Lever House Art Collection

Tom Sachs / Hello Kitty Wind Up 2007-08, Painted Bronze, Lever House Art Collection

Tom Sachs / Hello Kitty Wind Up 2007-08, Painted Bronze, Lever House Art Collection

Below is video by Cool Hunting with the Curator of the Lever House Art Collection:

Eric Tan: Retro Style Film Prints for Pixar's WALL-E

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:31:19 GMT

Designer Eric Tan looks to the old graphics of Disneyland for inspiration for his new series of Wall-E film posters.

io9.com has an interesting interview with the Pixar artist Eric Tan, showing some visual references for the retro designs.

(example below via i09)

Phaidon's Le Corbusier LeGrand

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:43:35 GMT

Le Corbusier (1887-1965)

Phaidon'€™s massive monograph (about 20 pounds) on the multi-faceted designer and architect, LeCorbusier, will be released on July 2, 2008. The beautiful, but heavy book (in the style of Warhol “Giant Size”) comes in a slipcase and includes a supplementary book of translations and transcriptions for all the original documents archived within the book. Le Grand was compiled by the Phaidon editors and includes an intro essay by Jean-Louis Cohen.

The monograph is packed with rare photographs, urban plans, sketches, and letters between Le Corbusier and other prominent design figures.

Sketches of the Grand Comfort Chair be Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, page 195

Cover, Des Canons, des munitions?, page 318

Le Corbusier with a Modular-related model, page 376

Schematic drawing for Unité (1946), page 413

Living and dining areas of Mason A, page 681

Julia Hasting designed the book.

Erik Nitsche — 1950s Ads for General Dynamics

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:11:17 GMT

A small set of very nicely designed General Dynamics ads by Erik Nitsche have been added to an already great body of his design work on flickr.

(Thank you to flickr users Derrick and Katie from BustBright for creating this visual resource)

Animation Show Reel by Conrad Ostwald

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:55:00 GMT

Conrad Ostwald Reel from Grapplica on Vimeo.

Aside from showcasing his exceptional animation skill set, Conrad Ostwald was very innovative with his interjection of humor to create a unique approach for promoting himself .

1962 Yves Saint Laurent Fashion Show

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:19:15 GMT

Vintage video clip from 1962 Yves Saint Laurent fashion show (with English subtitles)

Envisioning Science: Photography by Felice Frankel

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:49:00 GMT

The work of science photographer by Felice Frankel was recently

included in the MOMA’s exhibition Design and the Elastic Mind.

text from the MOMA exhibit: “Frankel is a science photographer whose rigorous manipulation of images is akin to a design gesture. By tweaking colors and backgrounds, she achieves a level of clarity that highlights the sublime design that can be found at the nanoscale. Because no camera is able to photograph at the nanoscale, Frankel had to construct her image of nanotubes—among the most promising structures in nanotechnology—using acetate, a flatbed scanner, and photoshop...”
(full credit for image above is: Microphotography: “Charlie’s Nanowires.” 2008, Felice Frankel (American, b. 1945) of Harvard University)

Here is a video of Ziya Tong’s fascinating interview with Frankel on PBS’s Wired Science.