Workspaces

I think every designer dreams (at least a little bit, at least sometimes) about having their own studio which is more than just the desk in their bedroom (i hate my desk in my bedroom). One day my friends, one day. Anyway, enough day dreaming, here is a nice little feature about workspaces on a blog called ShareSomeCandy. Check it out if you fancy day dreaming and putting off working for a bit.
Workspaces

New Work (kinda): Wearing it!

I just got emailed some photos of the young freshers of St Catherine's college Oxford sporting the tshirts i designed for their freshers week! Apparently they've gone down a treat. I'm happy!

Some photos

here are some photos i took with an Actionsampler camera, everyones favourite toy! I dont know if i have posted these before or not (if yes, sorry, if no, enjoy!)

p.s apologies for the cropping on the right. The blogger templates do no have much flex in them. Does anyone know how to fix this? (aside from just using smaller images of course)

A hard hours work

Genius

Poster for the 1986 AIGA Humor Show by Tibor Kalman. Tibor Kalman is the boss.

Musical Interlude: Washed Out 'feel it all around'

Are you having a rubbishy day? are you tired and uninspired? do you never want to hear the word "mailer" again? would you like to listen to Washed Out's throwback synth pop gem "feel it all around" from his recently released "Life of Leisure" EP?

BTW, i noticed the other day that the first 36 seconds of "club foot" by Kasabian sounds exactly like the first 36 seconds of the hardcore punk classic "who are you?" by Void. Seriously. Weird. I thought it was important that the internet found out about this.

coming soon, a post about my favourite record artwork of 2009!

New work: Halloween at Concrete

Not my best, not my worst, not an awful lot else to say apart from this will definitely be a really fun party!

New Work: Holy Are You (x2!)

Here is a poster i've just done for another gig at The Brickyard, put on by Holy Are you, aka a lovely young man by the name of Chris. I actually did two totally different versions of the poster, as you can see. The client chose the pink and green one (at the top) but said that he really liked both. I think if i was him i would have probably done the same. Anyway, let me know what you think of the posters and get yourself down to the gig!

Holy Are You presents:

The Lucid Dream

The Sand Band

The Second Floor

The Loud

Saturday the 24th of October

at The Brickyard, Carlisle

£4.00 adv

Dorrs: 8pm

www.myspace.com/holyareyoucarlisle

This made my day

Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

Obama is the man.

Posts with a bunch of new work coming SOON VERY SOON I PROMISE.

One more time, with feeling

We enrolled for third year classes today! First brief of the year is tomorrow. I am excited. Here is a brightly coloured number three i whipped up to commemorate the occasion. Good luck girls and boys of UoCBAGDyr3!

I'm looking for the goddess? Are you the goddess? Who is the goddess?

New work: St Catz Freshers '09

I was invited again to design the t shirts for this years freshers week at St Catherine's (affectionately nicknamed St Catz) College at Oxford University. Last year i worked on this project with my friend Seb, but this year i worked with a fine young whipper snapper by the name of Christian. They seem to be very into "passing down the torch" at St Catherines. That sounds weird and clandestine but its not meant to. For the design i have essentially updated the designs i did for last year, but i think i made them fresher and more exciting too. I forgot how much i love hand drawing type and making things brightly coloured. Just kidding, i could never forget that. This project was a lot of fun, so thanks to Seb, Chris and Oxford University!

(p.s the "Freshers Angels" are the 2nd and 3rd year kids who look after the freshers whilst theyre out and about drinking too much and making friends)

Musical Interlude No. 54545456

I love Times New Viking, i love California and i love this song. New album is out TOMORROW. No doubt it will be awesome.

New Work: Paperclip Records

I was invited to design a logo for a new record label about to put their first release out shortly. The label hopes to showcase an eclectic and interesting mix of independent music. More (business cards, letterheads etc) to follow.

p.s this logo has not yet been accepted or rejected, although i have seen the designs by the other invited to give this a go and i feel confident about what i've done.

The creepiest thing i have ever seen

this post aka: reasons why i hate photoshop No. 15464, aka: reasons why i hate people No. 33356, aka: i think im going to vomit. This is so distressing im not even going to put a photo on here, anyway, check it out:

Apostropher, Photo retoucher to child beauty pageant stars

To make yourself feel better, listen to these albums, in this order:

Vivian Girls - everything goes wrong

Italians Do It Better - After Dark (compilation)

The Jesus & Mary Chain - psychocandy

Sonic Youth - rather ripped

Gucci

This is nothing new but simply two enjoyable ads for you to enjoy with your morning cup of black coffee, with distinct comparisons. I wasn't aware that Gucci we're in the market of having done edgy ads for their perfumes before the Chris Cunningham spot, but you can see from the David Lynch ad that they were. The Lynch ad is clearly a major reference point for Cunninghams effort, although, perhaps a little less subtle.

Both directors are absolutely incredible and if you're not already familiar with their work i highly recommend you look into it, especially if you like things a little creepy.

The Chris Cunningham ad is first, followed by David Lynch's. Enjoy!

Ryan McGinley / Moonmilk

So it's no secret that i am a big fan of photographer Ryan McGinley, so yesterday i popped down to the Alison Jacques Gallery, just off Oxford Street to have a gander at his new exhibition there entitled "Moonmilk" which was an absolute joy. The show felt like vignettes from a dreamy adventure in some magic caves, drenched in beautiful (if a little throwback) colour. I felt very inspired and enthusiastic when i left. Unfortunately the catalogue was sold out although the girl at the reception said they were going to get more in. I imagine that will be worth a bit in a few years time!

In other news; Pavement are to reform.

yes! yes! yes! yes! yes!

Atlas Sound feat. Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear of Animal Collective) "walkabout" from the forthcoming Atlas Sound album "logos" out on October 20th on Kranky. I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM.

The Little Friends of Printmaking

On my trip to Canada a few months back my brother turned me on to the magic of illustration/design/print studio The Little Friends of Printmaking, a studio i now absolutely adore. Above is their recent poster for a Sonic Youth  (an awesome print about Sonic Youth? an easy thing for me to get excited about). I think i might have to order me one or two of these bad boys.  Anyway, check out their portfolio, because it rules.

The Little Friends of Printmaking

The Little Friends of Printmaking interview on Grain Edit

The Little Friends of Printmaking Ye Olde Shoppe

Konono No 1

Recently i have become obsessed with this band Konono No 1, and in particular their song 'paradiso' which is the video posted above. They are a congolese band who made all of their own instruments (AND AMPS AND PA SYSTEMS) from scrap/scratch/hacked equipment and make this amazing joyous, riotous, hypnotic african noise. The song is 7 minutes long but worth every second so please have a listen!

New Work: Print's Not Dead! (part 1 of 2)

First part of a doubled sided A2 poster (which is going to be a series) about different printing methods and how AWESOME printing is! This will probably get a tweak or two, and the reverse side is still being worked on. Let me know what you think!

Nordic Bakery

If we have hung out in the last month i have already told you about Nordic Bakery, if not, i will tell you now. Nordic Bakery is the best thing ever. Do you like food? Do you like Coffee? Do you like cinnamon buns? Do you like beautiful and appropriate use of Helvetica? Are you not an idiot? Go to Nordic Bakery. On Golden Square, right by Piccadily Circus and Carnaby Street.

New Work: A Great Blighty Holiday

Don't think i posted this yet? another piece for Concrete carlisle. I think the date is wrong on that actually...

Passion For Print

I got this very cool little book from Magma Clarkenwell the other day and whilst its a little self indulgent and a bit of a toy for designers its still very awesome. Its called Passion For Print and was produced by the students of Communication Art & Design at The Royal College of Art 08/09 and describes itself as an 'incomplete glossary of print terms'. It is exactly that but each term is full illustrated with a page printed in the appropriate manner. Every single page, hand done. Ranging from silk screen, dot gain, ghosting and four colour separation to textured and tactile effects such as braille, binding, kisscutting, foil blocking and embossing. Sorry for the rubbishy photobooth photos (i promise its much nicer in real life) but if you can get your hands on a copy i highly recommend it. Or buy it as a gift for a beloved designer friend of yours.

I also picked up this bad boy whilst as Magma which i might even describe as 'essential'.

Anders Linden

continuing the relentless Swedishness that has been my blog for a while now, here is a link to the exquisite photography of Swede Anders Linden. High contrast is so last year. Thanks to my brother Doug for the link!

inbflat.net

You have probably already read about this on every blog, facebook status and twitter post you pay attention to, but in case you've missed it, you simply have to check out

Inbflat.net

I'm not going to bother writing about it, but i will tell you that you will be hooked and you will love it. Genuinly one of the best things i have ever seen on the internet.

Ledsen

Emigre No. 70

Got the Emigre newsletter today in which they announced the forthcoming publication of Emigre No. 70 which is going to be a 512 page book by Rudy Vanderlans looking back over the history of the magazine and the company.

Quote from the email:

"This 512-page book, designed and edited by Emigre co-founder and designer Rudy VanderLans, is a selection of reprints that traces Emigre’s development from its early bitmap design days in the mid 1980s through to the experimental layouts that defined the so-called “Legibility Wars” of the late 1990s, to the critical design writing of the early 2000s. 

Featuring interviews with, among others, The Designers Republic, Allen Hori, Rick Valicenti, Vaughan Oliver, Mr. Keedy, Ed Fella, and essays by Lorraine Wild, Anne Burdick, Zuzana Licko, Kenneth FitzGerald, Andrew Blauvelt, Kalle Lasn, Rick Poynor and many more."

I imagine its going to be really really expensive, but it's fair to say that i cant wait to at least TRY and get my hands on a copy!

UPDATE: It's on Amazon!

International jetset designers

Hello everyone! Another broadcast from beautiful Uppsala for you. Last night Maria had to do a poster for her friend Kristoffers club night that we are going to on saturday, called GROW UP!...Or die trying. This is Maria's poster, but i collaborated on it with her so i feel like im allowed to post it too, plus im obviously going to grab at any chance i get to write about Maria and/or Sweden. Anyway, here is a design tip i have picked up whilst on my adventure in sweden:

Don't spend a portion of your evening photoshopping a dudes pubic hairs after enjoying a lovely dinner with lovely swedes, because it will totally put a downer on everything.

Today im going to Stockholm with Maria, Stina-Kajsa and her sister Sigrid. I love you Sweden!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

HELLO sorry i've not made any posts for a little while now. I moved house in London and i did not have the internet (boohoo) so i've pretty much just been watching Spaced and Twin Peaks on loop waiting for the internet to come back on. Thats not fully true as i also found time to splurge on buying a copy of the limited Atlas Sound album on double vinyl from Rough Trade. It was expensive. i also got The Pains of Being Pure at Heart album on white vinyl (who tore up the newly refurbished highbury garage the other week by the way) and the new Mika Miko album. Anyway, i am now blogging from a beautiful apartment in the wonderful Swedish city (the 4th biggest swedish city to be precise) of Uppsala where i am spending the week with my all time favourite Maria Tengblad. So far Sweden is amazing and everyone should come visit. Thanks to Maria, Benjamin, Jenny, and Sofie for being awesome so far. Expect many photos of adventures, meatball recipes and reasons why Sweden rules and the UK sucks soon. Anyway to make this post a little more worthwhile here is a video of AMAZING Swedish band Studio who are on service records. Their album 'west coast' was a definite favourite from last year, its kind of hard to find i think but worth it if you can get it.