Arthur's Design

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2012-01-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Weekending!

— Looking for color inspiration? Look here.

— Organizing the Bookcase.

— Have a Apple laptop? You should probably get this.

— Project management for the freelancer. Nice!

COVER OF THE WEEK

2012-01-25T15:51:00.000-06:00

This children's book is fantastic. The book is actually one 35 foot piece of art with a yellow road that continues throughout.

Design & Illustration by Frank Viva
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2012-01-20T13:22:00.000-06:00

It's the weekend!

— What should I ask when I am hiring a cover designer?

— The Bike Shelf.

— I am working on interior design for our new house. Inspiration.

— Check these out. Acorn Bags.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2012-01-18T09:11:00.000-06:00

Another limited edition book(s). This signed and numbered edition of 1Q84 is limited to exactly 111 copies. The detail is beautiful.

Design by Stefanie Posavec
Published by Harvill Secker

COVER OF THE WEEK

2012-01-11T11:12:00.000-06:00

1 of 1,500 copies. Each one has a different cover and when all placed together they form the iconic BMW headquarters in Munich. Watch it move.

Design by Joe Shouldice
Art Direction by Stefan Sagmeister
Created for BMW

NEW COVER

2012-01-10T10:24:00.001-06:00

Simple. This cover will be sewn case bound with rounded corners and foil stamping.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2012-01-06T09:01:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday to All!

— Being Elmo. A must see!

— Design by AAD's website has been updated. Check it out!

— Office inspiration.

— Pardon our mess. We are moving.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2012-01-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

One of many great covers published by Atticus Books.

Design by Jamie Keenan
Published by Atticus Books
Purchase from Amazon

KILLED COVERS 2011

2012-01-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

For one reason or another not all concept cover designs get published. Here are a few that got killed in 2011.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-12-30T11:03:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

— Designer Suzanne Dean and art director Alice Moore reflect on book covers.

— In case you missed it. The ABC's in 3D.

— I took my camera to North Carolina. More to come.

— A new favorite typeface.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-12-29T14:04:00.001-06:00

Simple is good!

Design by Jason Booher
Published by Knopf
Purchase from Amazon

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-12-29T13:56:00.000-06:00

A beautiful and well constructed cover with great detail!

Design by Ingrid Paulson
Published by ECW Press
Purchase from Powell's Books

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

— A drawing composed entirely out of 3.2 million ink dots. So amazing and beautiful!

— Vintage Christmas Bicycle Ads.

— Google Doodles.

— Kim Jong-il dropping the bass.

Photo: Hand drawn type from Design By AAD's Holiday Card.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-12-21T10:00:00.001-06:00

I love the eraser detail. Simply great!

Design by Jaya Miceli
Published by Viking
Purchase from Amazon

LIFE IS GOOD

2011-12-20T10:11:00.000-06:00

A lot has happened over the last year and a half. I got married, I started my own studio, my wife and I found out we will be having a baby and unexpectedly my father passed away. One year ago today my father; a teacher, creator, photographer, thinker, reverend and lover left behind a collection of good memories and stories for many. The funny, sad, and wise stories are bound in my thoughts daily. This cover is in honor of those stories and the life that created them.

"Life is good."

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY!

2011-12-16T14:52:00.000-06:00

YAY! Christmas is almost here!

— How Bikes Can Solve Our Biggest Problems.

— Publishers Weekly Top 10 Book Covers of 2011.

— I met Heather Corcoran this week. Check out her blog. Fascinating stuff.

— A very KC Christmas.

Photo seen on David Schwen's Pinterest.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-12-14T09:30:00.000-06:00

The more I look at this cover the better it gets. So striking!

Design by Ben Wiseman
Published by AmazonEncore

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-12-09T14:21:00.001-06:00

TGIF!

— What the Book. Contribute to an on going conversation about book evolution in conjunction with AIGA's 50 Books / 50 Covers.

— Design Matters with Debbie Millman interview's designer Peter Mendelsund.

— Selling Books by Their Gilded Covers.

— Cheeseburger wrapping paper.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-12-07T10:35:00.001-06:00

Simply Brilliant!

Design by Cardon Webb
Published by Vintage
Purchase from Amazon

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-12-02T16:30:00.001-06:00

— The Art of Book Design.

— Creative inspiration from Hallmark.

— It's Not just About the Bikes

— A new office in the works because I will be moving soon. After some some work I hope the new office looks something like this.

Photo from Design Observer

50 BOOKS / 50 COVERS OF 2010 EXHIBITION

2011-12-01T17:18:00.001-06:00

This years 50 books / 50 covers exhibition is beginning this week, December 8th, at the AIGA National Design Center in New York City. It runs through February 23, 2012. If you're in NYC check it out (it's free) or check out the online collections.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-11-30T11:29:00.000-06:00

The first time and every time since I was blown away by this cover. Simply beautiful and perfect.

Design by Darren Booth
Published by Grand Central Publishing
Purchase from Amazon

BAKER BROS BRANDING DESIGN

2011-11-22T15:59:00.001-06:00

A few photos of the the coffee mugs and interior design for Baker Bros Coffee. You can read more about the logo creation here.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-11-18T16:02:00.000-06:00

This week we found out that we will be having a baby girl. Exciting!

— Designer Barbara deWilde in conversation with Misha Beletsky,

— The Daily Monster

— KC bike share. Coming next summer.

— This is why cycling is awesome! The Triple Crown.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-11-16T16:39:00.000-06:00

I love creative type treatment. A beautiful and innovative solution. Watch more about the creation here.

Design by Helen Yentus
Published by Riverhead
Purchase from Amazon

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

Thank you Veterans and Happy 111111 day!

— First look: My new website is up. Check it out and let me know what you think.

— I Believe I can Fly.

— Typographer Ryan Gosling.

— 4 great designers talk about designing great book jackets.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-11-09T09:33:00.000-06:00

Malcolm Gladwell: Collected. Visually marvelous inside and out. More here.

Design by Paul Sahre
Illustrated by Brian Rea
Published by Little Brown
Purchase from Amazon

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-11-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the fall back weekend.

— Type Sandwiches by David J. Schwen

— E-books get new design with Kindle Fire.

— The Bike Porter

— I am starting this week to work on some really creative wedding invites. Check out Christine and Ian's invites (seen above). Well done!!

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love the illustrations done by Stefan Bucher. Creative and charmingly executed.

Design by Stefan G. Bucher
Published by New Riders Press
Purchase from Amazon

IN PROGRESS BOOK COVERS

2011-11-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

These are two of the book covers I am currently working on for Beacon Hill Press. I proposed to have a hole punched through Square Peg but I don't think that is going to happen now.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-10-28T09:32:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the weekend!

— Looking for a new camera? Jennifer Collier makes paper ones. She also makes paper dresses (seen above).

— Minority Report is here. The sixth sense.

— Something I noticed. Kansas City is not as HD as New York City but has a new Sim City view like Portland.

— I love XL new logo, branding and website.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-10-26T08:49:00.000-05:00

I love the semi-transparent vellum used for the jacket. Simply well thought out and perfectly executed. Chip talks about the design here.

Design by Chip Kidd
Published by Knopf
Purchase from Amazon

STEVE JOBS BY WALTER ISAACSON

2011-10-24T11:44:00.000-05:00

Steve Jobsbiography by Walter Isaacson is available today. Above is the approved cover. Below is the original iSteve book cover first proposed by Simon & Schuster and rejected by Jobs. The design-obsessed tech visionary said it was "the worst thing he'd ever seen."

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-10-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

HAPPY WEEKEND!

— Kansas City has one of the nations best downtowns. according to Forbes.

— Designing WITH instead of FOR can make a big difference.

— LOVE this identity by designed TunnelBravo

— Beginning our search for awesome nursery decor. Check out this photography by Sharon Montrose.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-10-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

I really like the overlap of the images. A great simple cover design.

Design by Christopher Tobias
Published by Thomas Nelson
Purchase from Amazon

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-10-19T08:58:00.000-05:00

A late post due to a vacation to the beach.

— My wife is pregnant but pregnancy as Art?

— Mountain biker meets buck!

— While away on vacation I checked out the work of Dale Chihuly at an exhibit in St. Petersburg.

— Just in case you want to occupy wall street.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-10-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

A well executed cover with great illustration by Dana MacKenzie.

Design by Charles Brock
Published by Fall River
Purchase from Amazon

EXCITING NEWS

2011-10-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-10-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

— Looking for a place to eat before hitting up the galleries at First Friday? Try the Westside Local.

— It's that time of year. Nightmares Fear Factory's photostream.

— A tribute to Mr Steve.

— Letterheady - adjective 1. overcome by a strong emotion due to a letterhead design.

Photo by The Westside Local

REMEMBERING STEVE JOBS

2011-10-05T19:22:00.000-05:00

A true revolutionary creative genius. If it wasn't for some of his creations I would have never become the designer I am. For this, I am grateful.

“I’m sorry, it’s true. We’re born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much — if at all."
— STEVE JOBS

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-10-05T08:46:00.000-05:00

A great cover from the '70s. I love the use of paper as the medium for the transition from tea pot to scorpion.

DESIGN RESEARCH & RESEARCH DESIGN

2011-10-04T09:27:00.000-05:00

I met with a design student today and we were talking about research design and the importance of it. Research is a vital part of any design project but is design always part of a research project? I just read a great article by Kevin Walker via Design Observer about research in design and design in research.

Much of design is informed by research of some sort; research, on the other hand, is almost never informed by design. Over the past several months, my students and I have built a curriculum centered around the idea that research and design are two sides of the same coin. We took it for granted that research can inform design; what took us by surprise was the great extent to which design can, in turn, enhance research.

On that very first day of class, we were all handed a complex, real-world design project on airport security — a topic none of us knew anything about (except as travelers).

Continue Reading at Design Observer.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend!

— From the desk of Chip Kidd.

— What Motivates Us To Do Great Work?

— Steve Jobs and Paul Rand: The impact of confidence

— 33 Ways To Stay Creative

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

A beautiful clean and simple cover. The rest of the spine and the interior is just as beautiful.

Design by Headcase Design
Published by Rodale Books
Purchase from Amazon

50 BOOKS / 50 COVERS OF 2010

2011-09-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

This past May I had the honor of being on AIGA's 50 Books / 50 Covers jury with Chip Kidd, Barbara Glauber, Kimberly Glyder, and Joseph Sullivan to select the best books and covers of 2010. Our selections are now in the AIGA Design Archives.

Take a look. The 50 Books / 50 Covers of 2010.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-09-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

It's fall y'all! Happy weekends to all.

— The 80th Annual Plaza Art Fair is this weekend in Kansas City.

— Stop your crying. Its free! The new Facebook Timeline. Beautiful and creepy!

— Music Video: Kings of Convenience - Me in You

— Design's Big Moment Is Now.

The photo above was taken at the 1932 art fair.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a great bold cover. Simple but well done.

Design by Rodrigo Corral Design
Published by W. W. Norton & Company
Purchase from Amazon

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-09-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Happy WEEKEND!

— The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City gets national attention as it opens this weekend.

— Hovering Art Directors. Funny!

— AIGA 365: The best of design in 2011.

— Mad Men season 5 posters by Radio

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love the illustrations and type design. Beautiful!

Design by Jen Wang
Published by Penguin
Purchase from Amazon

JOHN RAUX GOES TO NYC

2011-09-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

My friend and artist John Raux is going to New York City to study culture and draw people on an Etch-A-Sketch. His talents are amazing. He needs your help to get to NYC though. Check out his kickstarter project.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-09-09T10:05:00.001-05:00

Enjoy opening weekend of the NFL season and take time to remember 9/11!

— The Good Bike project.

— Illustrations by Rachel Ann Lindsay.

— Inspiration from Ira Glass

— I would love to own this box set. Maybe someday.

PROJECT: T-SHIRT DESIGN

2011-09-08T09:23:00.002-05:00

I created this illustration and designed this shirt for a small music festival in Ohio. It was a fun little project. Below is the finished shirt design and colors.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

This cover is beautifully wrapped in an embossed sleeve and the design is just as beautiful on the inside.

Design by Scott Thomas
Published by Post Press
Purchase from Designing Obama

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-09-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy First Friday!

— Great new Commonwealth bus shelters & development.

— Draw on paper, view on the computer. The new Inkling.

— Chipotle's stop motion film and how they made it.

— Fond Of Font? Check Out 'Just My Type'

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-08-31T07:00:00.006-05:00

Cover WIN! Proof you don't always need a title on the cover.

Design by Nicole Caputo
Published by Basic Books
Purchase from Amazon

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-08-26T11:07:00.000-05:00

Source: life.com

Dance fever! Happy weekend!

— Be safe NYC!

— Target has a new website. I like.

— I still remember the day I first used an Apple computer and hated it. No more. My first Apple product. Stay well Steve.

— Take a look at photographer Marc Atkins.

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-08-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

The first time I saw this I thought: genius!

Design by Ben Wiseman
Published by Nan A. Talese
Purchase from Amazon

TRADE GOTHIC ON WHITE

2011-08-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

A little side project I have been working on. A new painting I created for the office area in our condo.

KC STREETCAR

2011-08-23T09:20:00.001-05:00

After years of failed lofty plans and little support its now looking more promising than ever that Kansas City will be getting a Streetcar system that will connect the River Market to Crown Center. Hopefully from there it will soon connect to the inner and then outer suburbs. The route is still up for question but as a person who gave up his own car (my choice) its exciting to see some progress with KC public transit.

Today at Union Station you can check out a new streetcar in person. The show goes until 7pm. Plans are to have the first streetcars running by 2015. Sooner the better.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-08-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Have a beautiful weekend!

— Gesture Theory redesign of the AIGA | Aquent Survey of Design Salaries 2011 Website

— Pinterest. I finally added myself.

— In case you missed it. Cover of the Week.

— Infographics explosion.

Photo by cubagallery

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-08-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

This cover is absolutely amazing! Beautifully crafted. Take a closer look here.

Design by Jillian Tamaki
Published by Penguin Classics
Purchase from Amazon

COVER OF THE WEEK

2011-08-16T10:41:00.004-05:00

A new feature is coming to Arthur's Design. After my experience judging the AIGA 50 Books / 50 Covers competition and seeing all the great covers out there I wanted to share some of the covers that I find inspirational, creative and well designed.

Starting tomorrow, once a week (usually on Wednesday) a COVER OF THE WEEK will be awarded (a thumbs up) and posted here. Some new covers, some old, but only 52 a year.

To view all covers click on the COVER OF THE WEEK link in the tags section on the right.

If you would like to submit a cover, add credits or have comments please email: contact@arthuradesign.com

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-08-12T08:27:00.000-05:00

Enjoy your weekend!

— PBS Arts has a new mini documentary series called Off Book. Here is the latest documentary about type.

— Josh Cochran's work will blow your mind.

— Photoshoplooter. Pretty funny London!

— Design a poster for Joplin. GO!

Illustration by Josh Cochran

BAKER BROTHERS LOGO IDENTITY

2011-08-08T16:40:00.000-05:00

A new coffee shop/cafe is opening soon in downtown Mt. Vernon, Ohio and I had the opportunity to work with them to create their logo identity. A bit about the process below.

The inspiration was set in 1890s. The Baker brothers lived and worked as druggist in the town of Mt. Vernon in the late 1800s. My research led me to this mood board that I used to begin my design process.

Many logos where sketched or designed to capture the requirements of the client. These are a few of the concepts at different stages of the process.

The final logo chosen was the one seen below/left but it needed to be revised. Several revisions and few new hat designs later, the final logo.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-08-05T10:37:00.001-05:00

Hunting Bears - Heavy Tree.

Some music for your FRIDAY! Do something good this weekend.

— The 2012 MLB All Star Game is here in KC. Here is the logo. I like.

— Squirrel brains! A very interesting talk by Shea Hembrey.

— I love this 1890s style wallpaper.

— Its time for an update in the office.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-07-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

Busy week at the office! Enjoy the hot and steamy weather this weekend! Drink water.

— NYTIMES time-lapse. About the lapse.

— A controversial downtown statue is losing its home.

— A visualization of United States debt.

— USPS redesign. Way to go!

— BONUS: NYC sky.

Photo: Svoboda

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-07-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

Have a wonderful weekend!

— The Jacket Museum. A great collection of cover design curated by El otro Lopez.

— World Wildlife Fund logo sketches

— I love this book cover (photo above) by Darren Booth. Here is more on the process.

— Beautifully designed website inspiration.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-07-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!

— The 56-foot sculpture installation (photo) by Roxy Paine. Ferment at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

— Everything Ohio Poster. Printed in KC.

— Music inspiration? YES! The Summer Mix Series.

— Inspiring work by Jason Miller. Blood + Sweat + Chemo.

UNNOTICED NEIGHBORS

2011-07-07T13:32:00.004-05:00

A book about social justice. I took this photo (with assistance by @JRCainesDesign) in Kansas City this past winter to use on this cover. Below is the final cover without the snow and minus some of the reflections in the windows.

Click on images to view larger.

Below is a RUSH magazine ad I designed for the book.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-06-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th! Have a great weekend!

— You must watch this.

— The work of Barbara deWilde

— Designspiration

— What a beautiful house!

Image by SuperBruut

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-06-24T13:35:00.001-05:00

Have a fantastic weekend!

— Nike Swoosh designer discusses her iconic creation.

— I helped NPH create this print ad.

— Only Good Logos

— The Art of the Chopper exhibit starts today at Union Station.

Photo of my new ride which used to be ridden by my father.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-06-17T13:20:00.002-05:00

The weekend is almost here. Make sure you tell your father how much you love him.

— How do book covers get designed?

— Moneyball

— Dear Photograph

— I absolutely love this design.

Photo found on convoy

ONE BOOK DIFFERENT COVER

2011-06-16T15:04:00.000-05:00

We often identify a book by its cover, but which one. Most books get designed for one demographic, language, or country and then designed again for another. Often times a hardback will have a different jacket than the same book in paperback form. So there are very rarely just one cover for a specific book. The most interesting comparisons I find are the books that get printed in different languages and have totally different designers. I am guessing most reader's or designers don't see the various covers unless there is a reprint of their favorite classic or they run across the UK version for example.

Last week via twitter designer Dan Mogford shared his cover version of Rainbow Pie. A cover I originally did last year was being reprinted in mass market format. I know this is just one of many books with varying covers but I always find it interesting to see the different covers so I thought for this book I would share.

The cover that I designed was created with hand made type using duct tape; the military grade tape known for being a key part of the redneck repair kit. The tape was embossed for texture and had a varnish over it.

Dan's super slick version was made with 4 colour, laser foil and inspired by the Salton Sea in California.

This third cover is the US version which I am not sure who designed. I was given the image used on this cover of the author's family to try but in the end we ended up going with the duct tape concept instead.

So what cover do you identify with? What a difference markets, demographics and location make.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-06-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

— This past Saturday was the West 18th Street Fashion Show.

— The Designer's Review of Books

— I am a little behind but I just watched The September Issue. A great documentary if you like photography, design and a little fashion.

— Inspiration: Fast Eddie's Barber Shop.

Photo: Horst P. Horst, Vogue Cover (Lisa Fonssagrives), New York, 1940

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-06-03T11:23:00.000-05:00

More about this film here

Sorry, I missed you last week. I was on vacation. Good to be back doing what I love after a couple weeks of travel. Happy National Donut Day!

— I feel happy of myself! Thumbs up everybody!

— T-shirt design fail!

— The new food pyramid. The old one is retired.

— Current logo

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-05-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday (now Saturday) from New York. I got to hang out with Chip Kidd, Barbara Glauber, Kimberly Glyder, and Joseph Sullivan for the last couple of days looking at a lot of great book design.

— Beautiful type, photography and website.

— Interview with Art Director Michael Salu

— The Ace Hotel mural by Timothy Goodman

— If you are in NYC go to Doughnut Plant!

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-05-13T12:55:00.001-05:00

Enjoy the weekend!

— Agenda 2011 by Julie Joliat. Sold Out!

— Emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design: sugamo shinkin bank shimura branch

— Rei Inamoto on the Fear of Failure

— Tomorrow starts KC Bike Week. Sign up!

Photo from designboom

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-05-06T10:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!

— America: Now and Here starts tonight.

— Nitro for the New York Jets

— Procession of the Dead. Great cover!

— Pitch! The best Macaroni and Cheese ever! Also, if you are ever in Omaha, NE try the Indian Oven.

Photo from Pitch

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH

2011-05-04T15:18:00.000-05:00

Since May is National Bike Month and Bike Week is May 16th - 20th I thought I would share some personal bike related projects I have been working on.

The first is a logo (seen above) I created from inspiration from a poster I designed. The logo is for a group ride that happens once a week in Kansas City.

The second is a poster I designed for my office. It will be 24" x 36" and printed on canvas.

(Click on the image to view larger)

KC is also getting its very own bike sharing program. Check it out this Friday in the Crossroads.

Get out and enjoy a ride on your bike this month.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-04-29T14:21:00.001-05:00

Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend!

— The Animated New York City (seen above)

— You are hired! If only I was hiring.

— 2011 logo design trends

— A very interesting read about color (and food).

IT'S A SMALL WORLD

2011-04-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

This was a fun project to work on. Inspired by Walt Disney's It's a Small World I designed this branding and identity illustration for People to People International's Global Youth Forum conference taking place in Kansas City later this year.

The design will be used on postcards, websites, guide books and t-shirts. Below is a t-shirt design concept for the event.

Did you know Walt Disney went to the Kansas City Art Institute and first drew Mickey Mouse at a studio around the corner from where I work? At least that is the story.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-04-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Earth Day/Good Friday!

— Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.

— Who designed the Yankees logo?

— Monet's Water Lilies at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

— The Photo Cookbook

NIKE+ GPS APP

2011-04-21T14:41:00.002-05:00

I am a runner (with an iPhone) and I need music when I run. I can't just run and listen to the birds, traffic or plain old silence. I like the little extra motivation you get from upbeat music. I have been using the Nike+ GPS application for awhile now (a total of 120 miles to be exact) and absolutely love it. I love the functionality and the design.

The Nike+ GPS app designed by R/GA works with an iPod touch or an iPhone and works indoors (though not as well) and outdoors. It tracks a user's pace, distance and traces the route using the GPS in the phone or iPod.

One of the most creative features of the app is the Facebook cheers function. Before the run it posts a message on Facebook that the user is starting a run and asks to cheer them on. As the user runs "cheers" posted by friends on the Facebook post are heard through the earphones.

After the run is complete the user can view the run and pace with Google maps. If you do a good job Tracy Morgan or Lance Armstrong will let you know. After a run the app updates instantly to the Nike+ website. The app itself will keep track of the user's history.

If you have an iPod or iPhone and like to run this app is definitely worth the price and its beautiful too. One of the best app designs I have seen (or used).

Click on the images to view larger

50 BOOKS / 50 COVERS JURY SELECTION

2011-04-19T10:59:00.005-05:00

I am honored to announce I have been selected by AIGA, the professional association for design, to be a juror for the 2010 "50 Books/50 Covers" competition. The jury, chaired by Chip Kidd, also includes Barbara Glauber, Kimberly Glyder, and Joseph Sullivan. Our Selections will be made in New York City, May 2011.

The selections from the “50 Books/50 Covers” competition exemplify the best current work in book and book cover design as chosen by a distinguished jury of design peers. The selections become part of the AIGA Design Archives, join the physical archives at the Denver Art Museum and Columbia University's Rare Book and Manuscript Collection at the Butler Library, and are exhibited in a traveling exhibition that begins at the AIGA National Design Center, in New York.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-04-15T13:38:00.000-05:00

— What is graphic design ... what a graphic designer does from Design Council on Vimeo.

— Check out these great book designs in the AIGA Design Archives.

— Eric Fischer graphs race and ethnicity in America. Here is Kansas City compared to New York City.

— Mexican Coffee Yum!

Have a splendid weekend and ride your bike.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-04-08T10:19:00.000-05:00

Have a wonderful weekend!

— Denny's new website design. Sweet!

— I want one of these!

— Take a ride on the Amtrak at Union Station.

— A7 Design Awards deadline MONDAY!

Photo from Fisker

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-04-01T15:15:00.000-05:00

— This, this and this is why bikes are awesome!

— A typeface based on Gandhi's famous glasses

— Book painting art by Mike Stilkey (photo above).

— A is for awesome!

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-03-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

Have a great weekend!

— Picador posted their new spring covers on facebook this week.

— If your interested. My fantasy baseball draft was this week. It's a 14 person keeper league. I kept Brian McCann, Joey Votto, Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria, and Jose Reyes.

— Condor has a sweet website (and nice bikes)!

— Artist! AOL Artists.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-03-18T15:53:00.001-05:00

I know its March Madness but it is also less than two weeks until MLB opening day! YAY!

— One of my fantasy baseball friends, Josh Hynes, won the 2011 SXSW Interactive Award for Best Business website. Amazing work!

— A7 Design Awards call for entries.

— Working on a redesign of our loft condo. Some inspiration.

— I love this laptop case design.

Photo by AAD

PRAY FOR JAPAN

2011-03-14T14:09:00.006-05:00

Click on the image to download as a desktop wallpaper. Or download the iPhone version.

Help by donating to the Red Cross.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-03-11T09:31:00.000-06:00

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan and all of those effected by the earthquake.

— Business cards still mean something. Reactor of Kansas City was featured in this bit (above) from CBS Sunday Morning.

— Sporting Kansas City partners with Livestrong to help fight cancer. Kansas City's now home to Livestrong Sporting Park.

— I really want a Vanilla but there is a 5 year waiting list.

— Paul Rand Film. It's Beautiful.

50 / 50 SAVED

2011-03-07T16:28:00.001-06:00

This is an UPDATE from a previous post.

AIGA announced today that "50 books / 50 Covers is back"

I say, THANK YOU, to all who made this happen!

INTERVIEW WITH TAD

2011-03-07T10:21:00.000-06:00

Tad Carpenter is one of my favorite local illustrators (and designers). His work can be seen all around town and through out the country. Grain Edit just did an interview with him.

Tad’s has the clarity of a designer with the artfulness of an illustrator. His work is whimsical, fun, and smart as he uses a colorful lovable style to create a myriad of characters and illustrations. In this interview, Tad discusses some of his favorite aspects of his hometown, his influences and creative process, and provides a glimpse into his studio as well as something not many folks know about him.

To read more about Tad and his work check out the full interview at Gran Edit.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-03-04T14:05:00.000-06:00

Happy dark rainy Friday!

— Gap is using bike parts as design elements. Yep, bikes are awesome.

— Here in Kansas City, its First Friday. Over 55 galleries open to the public.

— The new iPad 2 was revealed this week. Now it comes with a tarp.

— Dan Mountford's work is amazing. Read more over at Grain Edit.

50 / 50 PETITION

2011-03-03T09:54:00.002-06:00

Designers Christopher Sergio and Catherine Casalino created a website to petition AIGA to keep the 50 Books / 50 Covers competition.

This year—after nine-decades—AIGA has decided to quietly discontinue the 50/50 competition.

Their decision was made without public announcement or explanation, and implemented without fanfare. The usual 50/50 deadline came and went, but the “Call For Entries” never went out. The presumption seemed to be that no one would notice its loss.

But people have noticed. And as it turns out, many of us care. In the few short days since the design community first realized what was going on, people have expressed the desire to preserve a competition dedicated solely to excellence in book design. There has been a common consensus that even in the digital age celebrating the physical book is important. That is why we have created this website and online petition—to help spread the word even further, to give voice to a larger audience, and to perhaps see if enough momentum might be built to save the 50 Books / 50 Covers competition.

If you appreciate book design or books (in any format) in general please consider signing the petition to save 50 / 50.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-02-25T10:40:00.001-06:00

— I love this little film and the typography.

— Books being made into films in 2011. Looks like some good ones.

— A great record collection.

— Anyone watch Arrested Development? You really should if you haven't.

Happy Friday!

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-02-18T10:52:00.000-06:00

YAY for the weekend! Have a great one!

— Nelson-Atkins Museum’s Bloch Building was named one of world's most beautiful buildings by Travel+Leisure.

— A design (redesign?) for the Oscars Envelope.

— Become a fan of Design by AAD or leave a review on facebook.

— The weather is getting warmer. If you live in KC or are just visiting take a ride on a pedicab.

BEST BUS ROUTE IN AMERICA

2011-02-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

GOOD magazine recently set out to find the best bus route in America. With the help of Transportation Alternatives and an all-star roster of judges—Laura Barrett, Earl Blumenauer, Bryan Goebel, Maria Teresa Kumar, Craig Nelson, Enrique Penalosa, Carla Saulter, Robert Sullivan, and Paul Steely White— the Green Line in Kansas City, MO. was announced as the winner.

GOOD published my photo in the print edition of the magazine's energy issue. The photo was taken at the park and ride on 31st Street and Troost in Midtown KC.

The Green Line is part of KCATA's Troost Max Bus Rapid Transit line which is full of green technologies (including hybrid buses) and sculpture art.

CHEERS FOUR FRIDAY

2011-02-11T14:44:00.000-06:00

New clients are awesome. Enjoy the weekend!

— Take a rare look inside Pixar studios. I found this to be really fascinating and it made me jealous.

— Who doesn't like chocolate peanut-butter cups?

— ismubarakstillpresident

— Real-life infographics

I first viewed the above photo on another inspirational site but it was originally posted on Design*Sponge.

TYPE LEGEND ERIK SPIEKERMANN

2011-02-10T09:24:00.003-06:00

If you are interested in design you will find this film very interesting. In this little film Erik Spiekermann compares type design to music, shares his design process and talks about how type has a face. My favorite parts are when he talks about team work and his belief that design can change lives.