How to play with printers

Making a common product fun.

This video was created by Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth in response to a D&AD Student Awards brief set by Hewlett Packard: "Present an idea which promotes HP Workstations ability to bring to life anything the creative mind can conceive."

A must: Letterheady

What can only be described as an amazing archive of letterheads, Letterheady features samples from Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Pixar, Johnny Cash, Steve McQueen, Norman Wisdom and J.K. Rowling. The site, however, doesn't just feature well-known names, anyone can be submitted.

So much time could be lost on this site. The range is unbelievable, from a single line on the page (Saul Bass can afford to) to unusually large illustrations. I especially adore how some of the designers have playfully used the space, ignoring the conventional.

This site is a must.

Hel Looks

I've stumbled upon Hel Looks, "a street style blog from Helsinki" that "documents individual, unique looks and styles."

I admire that there is no dominant genre, anything goes, and each person has the opportunity to give an opinion - their 5 minutes of fame you could say.

I love the feel of the website, how the latest entry is the homepage. I also like how the website is simply black and white, therefore focusing your attention on the featured people. No gender or age group is favoured, anyone can be chosen.

It would be fantastic if the website could expand, go global [probably impossible...], so that you could explore and compare the different cultures and fashion trends of each nationality.

I think the reason I like this site so much is because I feel that it gives the public a chance to be the centre of attention. Unlike gossip blogs and established magazine websites, Hel Looks celebrates the unknown individuals fashion and looks to the public for inspiration.

"Framed"

Beautifully filmed..

FRAMED-Andi Wittmann Rider profile from Felix Urbauer on Vimeo.

Disney affection

Disney have revealed a new video to promote the release of their 50th motion picture, Tangled. Watching the video, you realise just how many films they have created. Everyone has their favourites, mine are The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast, and I adore how each person's varies.

The 50th promotion video made me realise that Disney is one of those brands that the audience have an emotional attachment to. They instantly take you back to your childhood. When you see one of their films, you connect it to a memory or an emotion. Evidence of an amazing brand.

The Book Cover Archive

Literally a library of book covers, I stumbled upon The Book Cover Archive a while ago, and it's one of my favourite finds. Personally, I've always overlooked book covers, but this website highlights the creativity and potential they have for design.

I love looking through the pages and being able to see all the covers together and compare them. It's interesting to see how different designers have approached the media.

Definitely one to add to your favourites...

Soulwax

The website for Soulwax instantly makes me want to go out. It consists of paired up clips from their events, but also interviews, installations and random footage. I love the full screen video and how it controls what you view as well as highlighting some questionable dance moves...

Road art

"Roadsworth" initially started graffitiing the streets in 2001 to campaign for more bike paths in Montreal, but now his passion has evolved...I am totally appreciating how he/she has manipulated the space to their advantage.

I also like this statement from their website:

"Though maybe not purely altruistic, there is an awareness that the interest of others could also be in ones own interest. Big words for a vandal."

Exercise?

This person puts me to shame.

I definitely didn't run anywhere, but "I ran here today" just proves that you can blog about anything.

Rationale

When we were first given this brief, I decided that I wanted to search for subjects and items that inspired and actually interested me. I wanted to use the blog as a means to record what I found captivating and, from there, hopefully it would help me realise what topics I would like to concentrate on for my dissertation and independent project. When we were asked to submit a Statement of Intent at the beginning of the summer, I had a few ideas, however no specific direction. I didn’t have a strong attraction to one subject, and I was hoping this brief would solve my problems!

In the beginning, I worked on this project intending to explore what was available and currently in the design industry, so as to increase my knowledge of our industry and hopefully improve as a designer. Yet, as I posted more blogs about varying subjects, my interest in all the creative genres grew. I’ve developed a taste for architecture, and have realised that I have a passion for photography and work that is “contrasting,” whether it’s thanks to, for example, the materials that have been used, or the surrounding area and the artwork. I am extremely glad that we were encouraged to explore all the genres as I feel I have also learnt and drawn inspiration from them.

Blogging about artists also helped me to realise that I myself don’t draw or paint any more. The blog has reminded me that my work doesn’t have to be purely created on screen, something that has somehow over the years turned into an assumption. Analysing work by the likes of Owen Phillips and Stephen Wiltshire has encouraged me to sketch again, and to incorporate this in my work as its an aspect that cannot be reproduced on screen.

I was determined to write about subjects that I felt passionate about, instead of blogging about anything to fulfill the brief. Otherwise, the blog would have been a completely pointless exercise. I looked for material in newspapers, both online and in print, other blogs, tv, design magazines and websites and the surrounding environment. I was always conscious of what was around me, in case there was a hidden gem. I now can’t even visit the shops for some milk without scanning the shelves, and I am unable to stop myself from analyzing any advertising, whether it’s on the side of a bus or during the adverts before a film at the cinema. I find myself dissecting the design, and then asking the following questions: Why have they used this direction? What is the message? An example would be the new Next advert, which is set entirely in Paris and then ends with a British website address. This reflects upon the style of my writing over the summer, developing from what I liked the look of to considering the direction and strategy.

One of the highlights of this brief was reading the blogs of my peers. It was interesting to read their views on the work they chose to blog about, and to understand a piece of work from a completely different angle to my own. Often they had noticed aspects that I had failed to spot, and it was enlightening to learn what interested them. I also discovered new things through their findings.

I thoroughly enjoyed this brief because it encouraged me to explore what creative work is already out there, enlightening me on what is possible, and I have begun to realise that, depending on your determination, there are no limits as to what you can achieve.

I have discovered many new sources of inspiration, which now fill my bookmarks menu, and I regularly check on a daily basis. I didn’t just find new inspiration; I also feel that my ability to recognise and critique design has also improved dramatically. I am now much more aware of the design that surrounds me. For example, I blogged about a book called the “Vintage fashion,” which was covered in a silk-like material, reflecting upon the contents of the book. The blog has not just improved my ability to understand the design around me, but has also benefited my own work. I believe I think much more about the impression it could give and, if possible, have become even more pedantic, which is slightly tiring but helping to improve my work!

At the start, I expressed my intention to use the blog as a tool to help me decide on a dissertation topic, which I have decided will be branding. As for the independent project, I am considering book cover designs, not just because of the threat of new technology, but also because I feel it is a forgotten medium of design.

I have become quite fond of my blog, and the phrase “I’m going to blog that!” is now familiar within my house. I’ve come to see my blog as a virtual scrapbook of inspiration, and I think I am going to continue adding to it.