Electronic+Analog Design for Humans

The Carolina Panthers

posted as influence by Eric on 09.27.08

i know i've mentioned this earlier, but there's nothing like rooting for the home team. high priced lagers, hot dogs and nachos; screaming like an idiot in the stands with everybody else; checking out the city...it's good times. this weekend the panthers face atlanta. wish we had tickets for that one. maybe next year...

Stat Attak

posted as influence by david on 08.31.08

These shirts by the folks at Stolen caught my eye. They boast clever and efficient geometric design, and when you look closer, they have some very staggering things to say. I plan on purchasing the Botswana shirt; a small team of friends is travelling soon to gather information about practical ways we can help the people there.

The shirts are available at StatAttak.com.

Let's get (un)serious.

posted as influence by david on 08.30.08

>Put simply, I love this guy's work. He does everything from corporate branding to skate deck design, and from the looks of things, he has a blast doing it all. Emil Kozak, while talented and an obvious possessor of a keen eye, definitely does not take his design and illustration work too seriously. Sometimes I can get bogged down and/or overwhelmed by the infinite possibilites of design and graphic art. Emil's work is a refreshing reminder to get out of ruts in your creative work, to keep it simple, and to always have fun!

Atlanta 2.0

posted as influence by eric on 08.23.08

i'm assuming that you know that atlanta, georgia was torched to the ground in november of 1864 by general william t. sherman + company right at the end of the civil war. the city seems to have done fairly well for itself since then, growing to a "combined statistical area population" of 5.6 million. the problem is that only about half a million of those actually live in its boundaries, which is bad on so many different levels: educational, social, environmental, etc.

however, as the unofficial capital of the "new south", atlanta seems to be doing it's best to attract young residents to the city's center by reclaiming degenerating industrial quarters near midtown and downtown and turning them into mixed-use residential and commercial neighborhoods like atlantic station (though some may argue whether or not developers are just bringing the suburbs into the city). regardless, it will be interesting to see if developments like these can begin to address atlanta's ridiculous (and seemingly unstoppable) urban sprawl. i say that you have to give them something for trying.

Charleston, SC

posted as influence by david on 08.18.08

Just got back from a week long hiatus in Charleston, South Carolina. If you've never been to Charles Town, you're missing out. It's a city rich in history, diversity, and color. It's one of those places that you wish you could bring all the people you care about to, just so they can experience it too.

What I love most about the city is the way you just get lost in its streets -- the old houses, the narrow alley ways, the hidden gardens, the ancient cemeteries covered in overgrowth and spanish moss -- it's all quite enchanting. Then, at the same time, you take a short stroll up King Street, northwest of historic Battery park, and you stumble into a who's-who-of-hip shopping row that boasts everything from Louis Vuitton to Quicksilver to Apple to Urban Outfitters. My wife and I walked for miles the evening I took these pictures. It was about 68 degrees outside. It was perfect.

Tight Kerning

posted as influence by eric on 08.01.08

ah yes, the subtle pleasures of making the space between letters less. there are pitfalls to the act of kerning (see example), however, used wisely the look can be really nice, as exemplified by this ad for a 1968 camaro. nothing like a west coast sunset, a muscle car, tightly-kerned type and your best girl at your side, eh?

early 90's shoegaze

posted as influence by Eric on 07.25.08

this minimal cover of my bloody valentine's loveless was my first introduction to shoegaze. definitely one of the top ten albums of the 90's, and i loved the minimalist package design. ride's seminal album nowhere had great album art as well, with the blue swell of a wave dominating the cover.

Instant Hip

posted as influence by Eric on 07.16.08

let me be honest. i absolutely love the Avant Garde typeface. it's geometry is amazing. but i never really use it. not sure why exactly. maybe it's because for a while there the font was the delay pedal of graphic design. throw a little Avant Garde in there and it's immediately hip. probably the same could be said of Helvetica. {cough} ahem. but, whatever. it's a classic...

anyway, i probably won't start using a lot of Avant Garde in my work anytime soon (though i have been eyeing Suprb's Wyld and Myld font's for the last little bit), but here's an article by Duane King about the history of the hip, geometric typeface. very interesting, short little read for the font geeks among us.

C.R.E.A.M.

posted as influence by Eric on 07.14.08

i thought this was pretty fun. an interesting take on the practice of spec work by french designer eric collet.

Good design. Good cause. Good.

posted as influence by David on 07.12.08

this poster is one of several of the finalists from this year's Good 50x70 poster competition, whose goal was to use design and advertising to promote something beyond consumer products. Check out the Good site by clicking here.