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]

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...

The internet never ceases to amaze me. When viewing the post on swissmiss yesterday with the typography flow chart, one of the comments pointed to the poster above. This is another designers response to Julian's poster. Instead of giving you a lot of choices, you are left with only one answer for everything: Helvetica.

Love the colors on this one.

I couldn't find a lot of info on Ron, but here is a link to the Picasa gallery that holds the image.

[via swissmiss comment section ]

This is a fantastic image I saw on unplggd today, which was from a different house tour post over on AT.

I don't think my desk could ever look like this (although I did clean mine at work today, score!), but I really wouldn't mind it looking like this. What really drew me to the photo was the print on the right. The simple alphabet, but with the big yellow V in the background it just makes it so much more dynamic.

So today was pretty much a horrible day... Really all I was in the mood for when I got home was to watch a good movie, and I was in the mood for UP. Downside was it is also kind of a sad movie, not a mood helper.

None the less, I love the graphics for this movie. They have others they used that were more illustrative, but this is my favorite. 1 color (with the gradient) is all you need to convey the feeling of this movie. Also, it is pretty amazing the detail you can achieve with just that one color.

If you haven't seen the movie, check it out, great way to relax.

There are a few skins for your laptop out there that I would actually put on a laptop, and this is one of them. The Chocolate Pine skin from Karvt. To me it seems just like an elegant modern kitchen combining dark woods and stainless steel, a great combination in my book. It also looks slightly textured from this photo which might give it a more high end look instead of a kid putting stickers on their trapper keeper (remember those!).

Only parts I am not a fan of? Their logo on the bottom corner, no thanks, and the price is a little steep at $35.

They come in a variety of woods: Bamboo, Pine, Walnut, and Cherry with a very options of "stain" colors.

[via unplggd]

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.

This is a self promotional package for NNSS. What really drew me to is it the color. The bright cyan (I think it is cyan, the one shot looks a little green...) in combination with the white and then add in some thin lines and thin type. Sold.

Go check out their website too. That bright cyan again with some dark gray and again the thin type, looks fantastic. Unfortunately, most of it is in a language I don't know.

I saw this website the other day, Simple Desktops, and loved it. They feature really simple backgrounds that won't clutter up your screen so it can look great and still function. I picked a few out that I really liked above but they have a ton more.

Now the only thing I need to do is not have a desktop that looks like a bomb went off. I honestly don't use it, except for a dumping ground. I always have something open so I hardly ever see it and it is just completely full of files and folders. Maybe one day it will be night and tidy...

[via How About Orange]

I often read a great design blog called AisleOne, written by Antonio Carusone. He is a great designer, blogger, etc, and recently he also has started designing skateboards. His first one was the Hello and the new one is the 39 Longboard.

I love this board! I don't skateboard, I have trouble staying on things that aren't attached to my feet, but I love it. The shape, color, type, wheels, everything is fantastic. Looks like it would fit right in with the color scheme here too.

If you've got some free time, go check out his boards, and go check out his blog. Lots of great info and work being shown over there.

$160 + Shipping for the complete board

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

Really loving the feel of these posters. These were designed by Mihail Mihaylov for the lounge / funk / nu-jazz band "Free Will Society".

Great use of color. I am always a fan of grey and a bright color, but then you add in last years Pantone of the Year (yellow) and Teal, this years POTY (ha, just noticed that basically says "potty"), and you've got a winning color combination. Never hurts to throw in a yellow/green another favorite.

There is some other great work on the site too, go check it out.

I can't say I have been a fan of the Keep Calm and Carry on posters, but that doesn't mean you can't get some other great things from the Keep Calm Gallery. They have a huge amount of great posters. But that's not all. They also have tea towels, mugs, and Christmas Cards.

I saw these cards a few week ago, and they were just too perfect. My love for wood block printing and that handmade look just takes over. Plus, these cards would be somewhat non-denominational. Yes, they do feature an evergreen, and it doesn't matter how many times we tells our clients this, that doesn't mean Christmas. So you can get that wintery vibe along with the simple message of "HI".  Pick some of them up today, get em early, and get them sent out before the holiday rush.

Hey everyone, my new print "My Little Getaway" is now up for sale in my etsy store. Go check our the other photos over there and read a bit about what was in my mind when I made this print.

I really hope you like it, and maybe think about purchasing one, jazz up your walls with some art, or jazz up someone else's, the holiday season will be here in no time.

$12 over at etsy or print society

I got a pleasant e-mail update today in my inbox. The "Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar" 2010 Calendar is now available from Noa Bembibre.

I currently haver the 2009 version hanging to my right, and I am a big fan of it. Each month is features an unusual phrase with the month "hidden" in it. By hidden I mean highlighted in color, but the phrase contains it. So right now I have "I know Ovens Make Barbers" up.

The new one looks just as good, and since it is their 5th anniversary of the calendar there is a special edition size. I put a comparison shot up there, and the normal one is a good size, so the bigger one would be awesome.

Sadly, I have a real problem actually using calendars. The problem being I don't use them. I don't write things down in a planner or anything. My hand suffices for that. So a calendar for me has to be a piece of art as well. Which this one qualifies for sure. I have had the pentagram 365 calendar as well. Back to the point, I am sad I don't really use them. I barely use iCal. Although it would be really cool if you could skin it to look like this. I don't know if I can justify purchasing it again because of my usage problem. I am severly tempted to get one still though, because it is just beautiful in person.

Go get yours today. Spice up your desk/wall/office/cubicle/prison cell/car/ cardboard box. Or spice someone else's up and get it as a gift.

This is the print that I worked on over the weekend. It's my first block I have carved and the second time printing it (the first time didn't go so hot). But, this printing it went a lot better.

I ended up with a nice edition of 10 and soon I'll have some of them up in my store. They are printed on a white Rives BFK (320gsm if I remember correctly) and I did the torn, deckled edge on them.

I just need to figure out the title for them and sign and number them and they're be ready to go. I plan on printing this again later on some card and such.

Anyone interested in one? I can set it aside for you.

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!

Today I want to share the typeface Museo with you. I ran across it this week while looking for a different typeface for a new logo, and I went with it's Sans brother instead.

However, I really like this typeface. The serifs are different from everything out there, but yet it's not that "out there" that it can't be used in a wide range of applications.

Doesn't hurt that you can actually download a couple weights of both Museo and Museo Sans for free to give it a try before you dive right into the entire family.

Time to pair a little technology and design, and in a good way

Tord Boontje Studio has been working with HP and have developed a new case for the Mini 110 netbook. It features some illustrations and patterning that is characteristic to Boontje and is a little bit different then current laptop cases. It is not a flat image. It uses a new technology called "HP Imprint 3D" so that the image is constructed out of many different layers and add some real depth to the images. It looks as all of that is under a smooth finish though so you don't have to worry about it getting destroyed throughout your daily life.

The design is a white on white pattern consisting of plants and endangered animals. It looks as if some of it is reflective as well, as you can see in one of the photos. Also, the designers are available as 15 wallpapers included on the netbook and other items such as mice will be coming out as well.

The great thing? They are not going to completely screw the customers and jack the price on it because it has a famous name attached to it (along with a new technology to make it etc.). It is supposed to retail for $399 which is in line with their other offerings.

[pictures and via Engadget and Laptop ]