Observed | May 10
“Nothing is unaffordable in a C.G.I. dreamscape, and rent is never due.” Anna Weiner on the speculative design world of “
renderporn”. [JH]
Observed | May 06
Last week Microsoft announced that they wanted the Twitterverse‘s help
picking a new default font. This seemingly trivial choice by Microsoft will determine what works looks like for hundreds of millions of people. (via Blake Eskin) [BV]
Observed | May 05
In conjunction with the Walker Art Center, BluDot announces
OpenStudio: a free design program for kids aged 9 to 14. [JH]
Observed | May 04
Titus Kaphar signs with UTA where he’ll start developing
film projects based on his paintings. [JH]
Observed | May 03
A new site celebrating the Uruguayan publication
La Semana highlights the personal and public triumphs of this memorable newsweekly. (In English and Spanish.) [JH]
Rhode Island’s license plate—known affectionately as the wave, and designed by Rhode Island native and RISD graduate Tyler Smith—
will be redesigned by the, um, public.
Holding an open design contest is bold and exciting;, writes architecture critic Will Morgan.
It is also a recipe for disaster. [JH]
Wallpaper offers
a superb roundup of advocacy and support groups working for equity, inclusion, and change in deisgn and related industries. [JH]
Observed | April 28
Lehrer Architects LA‘s second
Tiny Home Village project has opened this week to residents in North Hollywood. Yet tiny houses
aren’t always loved. Discuss! [BV]
How to really look at art:
an eight-step guide by Antwaun Sargent. [JH]
Observed | April 27
Dwight Garner reviews the new novel by Rachel Cusk and notes its unusual (and seemingly deliberate) type choice:
Optima! “Optima is unusual to see in a novel,” Garner observes. “I tried using it to type this piece. It made me feel I was working on Laurie Anderson’s laptop.” [JH]
At the nation’s newspaper of record, the term “
Op-Ed”—a relic of an older age and nod to an older print newspaper design—is being retired from duty. [JH]
How mathematicians use their chalkboards to
reveal the conceptual and visual beauty of their discipline: a new book by photographer Jessica Wynne. [JH]
Observed | April 21
Astrid Cooper is a curator in Bath, England. Also, she is five years old. [JH]
A new
illustrated children’s book—featuring a flying gherkin—from Foster + Partners. [JH]
Observed | April 20
Introducing the
whitest paint ever invented. [JH]
Just in time for Earth Day: Belgian artist Alain Verschueren’s
Portable Oasis lets you spend quality time in the garden while social distancing at the same time. [JH]
Observed | April 19
Influential American architect
Donald P. Ryder—who in partnership with J. Max Bond, Jr. was widely regarded as the most influential African-American architect in New York—has died at the age of 94. [JH]
Design ...
and tasers. (Via Jeffrey Kittay) [JH]
Italy,
meet Baltimore! [JH]
Observed | April 16
When
wayfinding meets letterpress. [JH]
Observed | April 15
From trade catalogues to children’s stories, Dutch graphic designers during the first half of the 20th century produced a memorable body of work
that deserves revisiting. [BV]
Observed | April 14
Everything you need to know about
what’s happening in type today, from Monotype. [BV]
A collection of
hand-lettered Marvel Comics titles, curated by Reagan Ray. (via
James I. Bowie) [BV]
Observed | April 13
Plagiarism? Target? Discuss! [JH]
When
good design makes bad cities—and how it can make them
safer for women. [JH]
Observed | April 12
Behold: the cyborg—sorry,
fashion mask. [JH]
Observed | April 08
The Huntington Library has a
history of inequity. Can it pivot toward inclusivity? (via Blake Eskin) [BV]
Observed | April 07
Memory as inventory: a beautiful tribute in the
New York Times. [JH]
Observed | April 06
Overlooked no more:
The IBM Poster Program: Visual Memoranda features work by Ken White, John Anderson, Tom Bluhm and photographer Rodger Ewy among others like, um, Paul Rand. [JH]
Observed | April 05
Blending is the new branding. (Blend = Brand ± Transparency ± Framing ± Bespoke ± Blur) [BE]
