THE GRAPHIC DESIGN OF JONTUE HOLLINGSWORTH
Intended to collide thoughts and ideas, manifesting the results visually.
Just ran across the graphic design of Mike McQuade out of Chicago. Really diggin the fresh industrial aesthetic to his work, in particular the branding for Tom, Dick & Harry and The Area Code Project.
All images © Mike McQuade
Yep, after a few weeks of gathering and posting really really great stuff its time to create something… posting may slow down a bit.
So I’m thinking of doing a new poster series that’s going to be pretty heavily type driven. In trying to drum up some inspiration I came across a few calligraphy artist with some pretty stunning work. Watching them in action fills me with so much respect for the craft.
The work of Niels Shoe Meulman – Amsterdam
Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour 2012
Directed by Sandder.
Niels Shoe Meulman by Made By People
The work of Luca Barcellona – Milan
A concept video by Ishac Bertran visualizing how much more natural device interaction would feel if they were spatially aware. Interesting concept… read more at www.ishback.com.
The music video for Time to Dance by French electro-pop group The Shoes, is basically a happy dance track played over the violent acts of a serial killer and I can’t look away. The juxtaposition of the two is enough to spark an interest, as in a previous post. No, I don’t think serial killers are cool. I absolutely love the narrative and its symbolism. The difference between the first couple and the last is their level of passion. The final dancers are so in to it. They contort so violently with almost painful expressions, that they don’t need a maniac with a sword. Jake Gyllenhaal can take this one off… the music is doing it for him. Party going hipsters beware.
Very nicely done by Somesuch & Co. Directed by Daniel Wolfe
Introduced in Singapore as part of Coke’s Open Happiness Campaign, here’s a Coke machine that takes hugs instead of money. Pretty amazing to see how this idea pretty much generated its own publicity through social and traditional media. I almost never drink soda, but I sorta do feel like a Coke right now.
Web/Graphic designer Christian Annyas presents an absolutely sweet collection of 100 American and Canadian railroad logos. Pretty interesting to see their evolution. View them all here: annyas.com/railroad-company-logo-design-evolution
Ever since I pursued the creative path, I’ve often questioned where do these ideas come from? They just don’t generate themselves out of thin air. I also find it fascinating that we’re pretty much the only animal on this planet that can dream up an idea and bring it into existence. How does this happen? And is there a science behind it? My curiosity on the subject was sparked recently while listening to a Hack on Triple J. The half hour journalism program featured an interview with Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works. In it Lehrer discusses what may foster and stifle creativity. With probably the most controversial claim that traditional brainstorming doesn’t work. He further examines creative processes from an array of idea generators like 3M, Google and Pixar. Definitely this book is on my to get list. His theories have not gone without criticism though: It’s All in Your Head: The Problems With Jonah Lehrer’s Imagine Have a listen to these interviews:
Hack interview with Jonah Lehrer that aired April 17th 2012: Hack Interview with Jonah Lehrer 1
Hack interview with Jonah Lehrer that aired April 19th 2012: Hack Interview with Jonah Lehrer 2
I’ve recently had the good fortune to work with Sababu, a socially conscious T-shirt manufacturer in Mali Africa. Below shows t-shirt designs and collateral pieces developed.
Empowerment Alleviates Poverty: This illustrates one of Sababu’s core values. Being as such, I felt the best way to graphically translate such a strong ideal was as a crest. Buy one online at the Sababu store.
Hello From Mali: Being based in Mali Africa, I felt it fitting to offer a design that makes their culture apparent. “I NI CE” translates as “Hello” in Bambara, pointing to their spot on the continent. Buy one online at the Sababu store.
On the inside of every Sababu shirt is a hand written code. Entering it on the web site will reveal everyone who’s had a part in making that particular garment. Sababu wants the wearer to know that it’s more than just a t-shirt, but a connection to the lives of others. TWEDEL is an acronym that stands for Together WE DEvelop Life.
Every graphic tee comes with a worker’s profile card with t-shirt fabric attached. Sababu wants the buyer to know that they are purchasing a shirt with a life behind it. The Piece of fabric is given as a badge for the wearer to show their support.
Pretty fantastic self promotion campaign by designer/photographer Silvio Teixeira from Portugal. I’m filing this under “why didn’t I think of that?”
In his own words:
“100 Ids is a project that defines my identity as a designer and it is also a self promotion campaign. The poster (50×70 cm) is cut to become 100 business cards and 1 video. The logo is a pseudo coat of arms that is reinvented in many ways to present my individuality.”
“Sustainable, environmentally friendly concept for keeping bees at home. Bees are industrial little creatures that we depend on probably more than we realize. As global bee colonies are in decline, this design contributes to the preservation of the species and encourages the return of the urban bee.” Not really sure how practical the concept is, but the design looks amazing.
Read on at Design Probes.
