No, I don't think I am going to post on the new iPhone because most likely you guys have already heard/read about it and don't need my ramblings on it.

Would you hang the above graphic on your wall? Maybe blow it up to nice size and hang it above your couch. When people asked about you could make up an insightful story and how it represents some random thing. Or you could tell them the truth, that you used IOGraph to track your computer mouse's movement for the day.

Yes, that is what it is! The software will track your mouse's movement and create a graphical representation of it. The circle represent the points at where your mouse was at rest.

I am definitely going to try this out because of a few reasons. 1. That is pretty cool. 2. I would like to see what my patterns look like (if you check out their Flickr page you can see someone's photoshop session and what we do over and over again, like go to the layers palette). 3. I am curious at the files it outputs and if it would really be able to blow it up to a giant size (raster vs vector) From the look at a photo on a Flickr Page it looks entirely possible.

[via Unplggd]

By copycats I mean Identity Thieves... yes your copier (or anyone else's) can help steal your identity!

I came across this article the other day from CBS News and it blew my mind. If you used a copier to copy personal info or even a company that has some form of your information used a copier then did not properly wipe it's hard-drive when it was either sold or trashed then you have a chance to have your identity stolen.

Copiers store an image of almost everything that is ran through it and it can be retrieved with free software quite easily. Insurance companies, payroll, police departments, everybody that you might have a connection with could be a victim to this.

With my wife, myself, my parents, my mom again, and many others having their identity stolen (and we take precautions) this is just crazy. It is really sad that nowadays if you ask people who have had at least a portion of their identity stolen there are many more with their hands up now...

Read the full article to have your mind opened and your rage button double clicked.

I am a big fan of the small Moleskine Notebooks, I like gridded page and the Kraft paper cover. I often end up drawing on them or leaving them plain. However, I always thought it would be cool to do some custom ones.

Normally, that would take a lot of work. You would have to buy all the Moleskines (and lets face it, they are not cheap) and then screen print them all.

Wouldn't it be nice if it was easier? BAM Scout Book!

My creative director picked up one of these for me when she went to a printing show in chicago, theirs is to promote AIGA Chicago Design week, and it's pretty snazzy. So I looked up the company on the back.

Scout will print your notebooks with your own graphics on them starting with an order of 50 book (for $195 or $3.90 a book). That pricing can be a bit steep for some, but for a custom printed notebook that really is a steal. You can get the price down to 90 cents a book if you are ordering over 1000 (good for trade show giveaways, or just any promo).

Go check them out. They use 100% recycled papers and soy based inks, so you'll get some green karma along the way.

I'll put them on my list, and maybe some day I could get some cool "The Large Bear" notebooks made up and run a big giveaway. One day...

Today I have had the beach on the mind. It was a long chain of events that got it on my mind but then I remembered this awesome post on swissmiss, and about a really cool new tool called the Willysphere. I wanted to post it back then, but it wasn't available anywhere, so you'd get all excited about it (like I did) then have no way to get them.

Well they are finally available in the US!

The Willyshpere is a sand shaping tool invented by a guy from the Netherlands. The creator won second place in a "Best Idea in the Netherlands" contest for the product. Basically you move them in a circular motion on well packed sand or snow, and the slight curve in the tool will create different size spheres. Check out the video to see it in action, and just how insane of a project you can make out of it.

You can get them here, for $14.95 (regular $20) for a set of 4 of them with free shipping. You'll be able to make 20, 30, 40 and 50cm diameter spheres. So not as big as he said in the video, up to 1m, but still a pretty good size and more manageable for the everyday user. I am ordering a set for sure, and can't wait for the warm weather to get here and try them out (I need something else to do when there isn't enough wind for my kite, and plus, these are beyond cool). I am really happy they made it a reasonable price too since it is such a simple product, this way everybody can pick up a set and play on the beach all day. Pick up a set for yourself, friends, family, kids, anyone who would love making shapes in the sand all day.

So, I bet you have noticed, posts have slowed down a bit. This could be partially because I have been really busy with a few things, I am somewhat lazy, and/or I haven't seen anything lately that has been calling out to me (I'm going to go with "all of the above").

When, I saw this book, from Dynamo,  it was calling my name. So beautiful, green and white, very well designed, fantastic typography, simple cover. You had me at hello.

However not everything can just be beautifully designed. Well it could, and the world would be amazing, but then I would be out of work... But back to my point, design isn't everything, you also need content. When I first read about what the subject of this book was, I thought, eh,  not my thing. I say that because the subject is about tweeting and status updates. Now if you know me personally, I do not tweet and I don't really partake in that. Maybe someday, but not for now. I also spend a minimal amount of time on facebook, I don't need people knowing what I am doing every second, if I tripped on a morning walk, or what I ate for lunch. However, the book is supposed to be about status updates that someone would want to read and that have meaning. I can't say for sure, but they do have my attention.

Last, the book takes from both sides of the Atlantic, and is published in both English and French, and from my understanding you get both for $20. Very tempted.

[via Unplggd]

Loving the simplicity and color of the Doom Flower Mini Print by Aesthetic Apparatus.

Best part is how they list their colors: doom red, doom blue, doom black. I don't know how you mix up a color with extra doom in it, do you?

Edition of 300, you can pick one up for $15

Do you ever have an experience with a client that just leaves you without words. Something they did or said is just beyond comprehension? Something that leaves you thinking "Holy Sh*t I can't believe they just said/did that!"

That is where Clients from Hell comes in. They describe themselves as A collection of anonymously contributed client horror stories from designers." However, I think that translates if you have anything to do with the design world, your schedule just got booked for the afternoon.

I've included a few of my favorites just from the first page, go check it out and read to your heart's content.

Can you move that logo up 1/63 of an inch?

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The art director had flown from the UK to Florida to take a shot of a beautiful old Ford Mustang. Back in the UK, the account manager says the client is unhappy with all the palm tree fronds.

Account Manager: “Couldn’t we just photoshop some of them out?”

Art Director: “Well, it’s not quite as easy as that, because if you look at the shot, there are reflections of the palm fronds in the car’s glistening bodywork. They’ll be harder to remove.”

Account Manager: [Slightly bewildered] ”Yes, but if you remove the actual palm fronds, then the reflection of them will disappear too.”

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I received a call from a prospective client yesterday. I knew it was going to be a long conversation when the first word out of her mouth were, “I’m not going to lie, I’m bipolar, but I’m taking medication so I should be able to get through this phone call.”

So after reading all of these. the real question is... Do you ever have the opposite experience? That something so incredibly good happens you can't believe it. Sadly, I think it is weighted Pretty heavily in the opposite direction.

I came across this great keyboard from Chris Delorenzo today. Love the illustrations and then concept of using some updated images to teaching the ABC's (we can only learn A is for Apple so many times). Here is a bit of information from their website:

We used to learn our alphabets by reading those classroom banners that associated each letter with an animal or object. These days as kids become increasingly computer dependent at an early age I thought it was about time to adapt an old method to a new medium. 

From cultural icons to greek mythology, this keyboard sticker set will advance the alphabetical knowledge of any child, or adult.

So I do have a few problems with this though. I studied a lot of information on child development and reading for my senior thesis, and if this is intended to help kids and not just be fun stickers for your adult keyboard it seems like you would need the letters there as some reinforcement. This wouldn't be as bad with "F is for Fox" since kids know what foxes look like. But when you start running into "B is for Bowie" a kid is not going to know Bowie and may forget that that IS Bowie, and then not able to find the B key.

Also, I know I said I really like these illustrations, but they felt really familiar to me. After staring at it for a few minutes, I realized why. They are in the same style and color palette as the "Things I like" Poster from Richard Perez. Then as I looked closer I noticed V is for Vampire, and that IS Richard's drawing from his poster. I didn't see on the website that they collaborated on this, but I'll send them a message and see what's up.


I got a hold of Chris and some of his inspiration did come from Richard's work. His idea was to take different influences from designers to have it a bit of a multi generational compilation with the ladybug referencing Charlie Harper etc.

Anyone know what Q is? I can't figure that one out.

[via AT]

Ok, so I don't know how this wasn't on my radar. Especially since I was just looking at lomo camera recently.

Behold, the Diana Mini! It uses 35mm film and can shoot in square of rectangle format. It shoots in a half frame format, so if you have a roll for 24, you get 48, roll of 36, you get 72. It also has the 2 prong flash adapter that Diana's use. ( link to the lomo, but it seems to not be working)

So now for the negative. It does not come with a flash (those are $60 extra). The camera itself costs $60, which is just as much as a full sized version. Plus, here's the real downer, it is not that good. Great review on Four Corners Dark and it made me really not want to pick one one. If I got one for free or super cheap, as eye candy, yes, but paying $60 for something that doesn't work right, no.

So I was reading a photography magazine today and thought about this image that I saw awhile back. So here is the question for you:

There is an image hidden within this image (watermark included), can you figure out what it is?

I'll post the answer below in white so that it doesn't spoil it. As well as the link that will explain it a bit more. If anyone can get it right, they might get a special prize.

Also, I worked on a print this weekend, photos coming soon.

Answer: The NYC skyline. It is hidden in the histogram for the image, open it in photoshop and see.

[via ironic sans ]

So what do all of you think of this proposed redesign of Monopoly by Andy Mangold? He created this packaging for a class project and I like the way he put it, "Monopoly, in spite being the classiest of all board games, unfortunately is packaged just as boringly and uncreatively as every other garbage board game on the shelves. So, I decided to repackage it... turning the class up to 11." Nice Spinal Tap reference there.

I am really loving the color, and these are the exact ones I have been into lately. Rich colors: earthy brown, deep orange, cream, all so good. I think my favorite part (besides the color...) is the cover with just the giant monopoly face. So iconic and so perfect.

Now, what I would like to see next, is the board and the rest of the pieces finished to go with the set. Maybe a more elegant design for the cash, something really extravagant and ornate. And a really nice paper used for the money and the properties. Get something 100% cotton. To go over the top (and I mean like everest over the top, dare I say it) letterpress cards and money. Mmmmmmm.

So, here is what is on my mind though. What is stopping you from making your own version of the game, seriously? All you need is a printer and a bit of time. You could even take a current board and box and just put your design over it. I would suggest a laser printer though so that it has a bit of durability. Inkjet might deteriorate a bit faster.

Throw it on the to do list.

And a last note. I had a bunch of links in my browser at work (forever, I always have too many tabs) and I lost an important one I wanted to post. So, I pulled this link today out of my giant folder of "Blog It" of all kind of stuff that I have found, and, what do you know, the same guy did the thing I wanted to post and lost... another post coming up soon!

I met Katie Kirkton a little while back at an AIGA portfolio review. The piece that caught my eye was her Chihuly piece. I have seen his work in person when he visited Kalamazoo Michigan and her work really conveys the feel of it. The colors, photographs, and the structured typography all come together really nicely.

I also am a big fan of the brochure with his signature on it. It creates a fantastic texture and really conveys the kind of free forms that Chihuly creates in his work.

Thanks for keeping me updated on your work Katie!

As Promised time for a full report on the Renegade Craft Fair.

First things first, I had been looking forward to go to this for quite awhile, so I was all ready to be dazzled. However, overall I probably give it a 7 out of 10. Leaps and bounds above the standard touring art fair that seems to show up everywhere, but room for improvement.

My biggest gripe for the entire event would be parking, of the extreme lack thereof. I double and triple checked the website for information. It told me how to get there if taking the EL, if I was biking, but nothing about a car. I live 2 hours away from Chicago, biking isn't an option... Looked for other info online and in past years this was a bad area as well... great start. So after 2 traffic jams, we were in the area, and yup, no parking. The fair is basically set up in a neighborhood, so there aren't any parking garages, and about 60% (or more) of the street parking is permit only. After driving around for 20 min, and almost just giving up, I scored a spot.

Step 1: Get there - CHECK

It was much bigger then I expected, and had white tents as far as the eye could see as well as so many people near the booths you could barely move. I didn't even go in a lot of them because it was just too packed with people. Plus the people were for the lack of better words, assholes. Pushy, grabby, etc. They would push right in front of you only to stop right in the middle of the flow of "traffic." People would just stand in large groups right outside a booth and chat, when they were obviously in everyone's way. I mean come on people, look around you, have common sense.

So, after that rant, lets break it down into some lists:

Pros

• Overall Great contest for an art fair, not too many watercolors of a beach going on if you know what I mean
• Some illustrators I have seen on the web forever and got to see in person
• I met Jay Ryan
• Found art that would normally be somewhat hard to find (although most of it is actually on etsy you just need to look)
• Free
• Some good food and beer tent (although I didn't have any beer)

Cons

• No parking
• Everybody else who was there (ha... I sound like I need to live in a shack out in the woods or something)
• Booth after booth of overpriced screen printed t-shirts. $30 for a t-shirt, probably not. That's just me though.
• Lack of vendors who excepted credit card (even the food). I have taken this as a normal part of everyday life and didn't expect people to not except it (maybe some, but not THAT many). One place actually accepted checks, but not plastic. I didn't bring a ton of cash one me since I had planned on credit cards, so I was wrong.

To expand on the last con above I think etsy is the culprit behind this part though. Most of the vendors are on etsy and etsy takes care of all of the transactions for them. So if that is the only place you sell, you don't need CC services. However, then put yourself in a setting like this, and now you can only take cash, and limit your potential cash flow. It seems like there would be a way to do it with a smart phone and paypal (actually I know you can).

Ok, so back to the rating of a 7 out of 10. It was fun, I am glad I went, and will try to go up for the holiday sale. However, I think I prefer the much smaller and low key INDIEana Craft Exchange that I went to last year. But Renegade started out small too, and it's just grown to where it is now. I know the planners put a lot into it, but there are some problems that need to be fixed. Parking, and maybe some diversity of vendors, too much of the same thing.

Above are some of the amazing photographs by Branislav Kropilak  (at the time of writing this, his site seems to be down). I have photography on the brain tonight, and I knew exactly what I wanted to post. His photo are been around on the popular design blogs here and there, but it's my turn.

Kropilak is a photographer originally from Batislava Slovakia and they just aren't your ordinary landscape shots. Instead he takes photos of most things people would pass by. Billboards for instance, photographed from directly under them. So they loose the feeling that they are billboards and instead look like pieces of intergalactic equipment. He also takes photos of the insides of parking garages with some interesting outcomes. Last, he takes photographs near airports with long exposures and records flight paths with lights.

All of this is simply amazing. Shot well, lit well, everything.

So photography is on my mind. However most of these would have been shot with natural lighting with nice long exposures and the kind of photography on my mind is off camera strobe lighting. Anyone want to teach me how to get setup for this? I have checked out a few lighting blogs and I am beyond lost. Makes me wish I took a bit more photography in school, or if I ever do go back to school to go for photography (with the 2 choices being more design and photography).

Who says that posters have to have 90 degree corners. The creator of this poster, Eivind S. Molvaer, obviously does not. I originally found this poster here but sadly the link to the creator doesn't work anymore.

Love this poster, plain and simple. So different, so simple. I would like to see it utilized more as well, not just to say that it is itallic, but with other subjects in mind. You could use those poster display clips I posted earlier too since this is an unconventional shape.

Way to think outside the box (I know... bad joke!)

Flickr Friday

These great photos were created balakov. He recreates some of the world's greatest art/photographs all in Legos. Not only does he recreate them but he does an amazing job at at!

Plus, he has a thing for the star wars Legos, and you can't argue with that. So a few of this images here and there, like the shot from American Beauty above, have a nice little addition of a storm trooper. 

Check out his photostream to see the rest of the photos and he puts up shots of his setups for the photos too. A behind the scenes look. Plus, you can buy prints of a lot of his classic shots. These would look great hung on any wall...

I have had Legos on the brain lately, so it was time for this to get posted. I can't wait until the next time I go to my parent's house, I am getting my old Legos out for sure.