London Digital Week

I was talking to a friend who studies Architecture and he mentioned that he would be travelling to London soon to visit and to attend the 'London Digital Week'

The week is described as:
Digital today is truly enshrined in much of what we all do, and as a result the festival program features a broad range of subject matters. The events cover digital marketing, interaction design, advertising, planning, strategy, branding, social media, gaming, television, film, post production, motions graphics, mobile, publishing, content, print, illustration, art, music, fashion, interior design, architecture, product design, education, skills and careers. If you work in any of these industries, would like to, or perhaps have something to say to those people, then you should be getting involved with London Digital Week!

It sounds like it would be worth a visit if you have time to go down, I know I'd like to branch out a bit more this year and go to things that I might not necessarily have had an interest in before. It seems like there is a lot to do with architecture but I still think this could be interesting.
I was particularly drawn to the 'she says' event on 23rd September, a free gathering where you can meet industry experts and ask them questions one on one all with olives and alcohol and it's FREEEEEEEEEE! This seems to me like a must not miss opportunity!

The overall website to view all the events is: http://www.londondigitalweek.com/
and there is a big link to the 'SHE SAYS' event.

Are you my Type?

Sometimes I come across a typeface sued in a magazine or an advert etc and either a) i like it and want to know what it is or b) become a complete geek and know i recognise it but can't put a name to a (type)face and it drives me crazy! So this is a useful tool for anyone who has these problems

http://typenav.fontshop.com/

talking trash (bags)

I don't know if people have already seen this but I thought it was interesting when I saw the pictures and I've never seen an interview with the artist before.

This is some ambient media, or guerilla art, where Joshua Allen Harris uses bin liners to create street art, relying on the wind from passing underground trains to inflate his 'structures' to make indivisual pieces of animated art.

I love the way he did this, as it was purely for his own pleasure and is something everyone can appreciate. It shows that if you think of your surroundings you can utilise them in an innovative and interesting way!

I am interested in making things by hand, and producing work that is not so computer based and I think this is an interesting alternative to the obvious such as illustration.

taking the piss

i found these 'instructions' for using a bathroom online and I liked the way they used a style which is associated with serious situations, such as aeroplane guidelines, with a comical twist to create this humorous poster.
I also like the lack of copy and simple colours, the restrictions are similar to some we receive on briefs and show how you can use restrictions to your advantage by challenging peoples expectations and twisting norms.

Design vs Art

I recently went to the Museum of Modern Art in New york which ahd a really interesting section dedicated to the idea that design is not art and art is not design, but what happens when the two swap places?
There were many pieces which illustrated where design comes into practice when dealing with every day objects such as chairs, we see some which are highly impractical but entirely beautiful! It was an interesting exhibition, I have some pictures which I will upload when I can, to illustrate the ideas broached.
I was also reading a great book (which I have already posted about) Cracking The Whip (Ralph Caplan), which has an article on the importance of art in design and the differences between the two. this could be a possible topic to research for my dissertation.

Excerpts from the Moma website:

Design is not always pretty. Sometimes it is blunt and aggressive, especially when it is meant to deliver a clear message or depart from tradition and express new ideas. Rough Cut presents a selection of bold designs from MoMA's collection, ranging from striking posters to fierce chairs, and from incisive videos to vehicles designed for harsh terrains and unforgiving circumstances. Design is not always pretty—but when it is good, it is undeniably powerful, meaningful, and beautiful.

At mid-century MoMA played a leading role in the definition and dissemination of so-called Good Design, a concept that took shape in the 1930s and emerged with new relevance in the decades following World War II. This installation presents selections from MoMA's design collection that illuminate the primary values of Good Design as promoted (and disputed) by museums, design councils, and department stores. Iconic pieces by designers like Charles and Ray Eames and Hans Wegner are shown alongside more unexpected items, such as a hunting bow and a plumb bob, as well as everyday objects including an iron, a hamper, a rake, a cheese slicer, and Tupperware.

Harmen Liemburg - Silk Screen Prints

A while ago I atttended a lecture given by a graphic designer from the Netherlands named Harmen Liemburg . His main focus of work lies in giant screen prints, which he produces for many different things including, invitations, adverts and stamps.
Having tried to do a four colour screen print myself, I was amazed att he amount of detail he managed to fit into his pictures and the accuracy of his production.
It was very interesting to produce some work myself using the media that Harmen works in, and then attend a lecture by him explaining how he got into it, why he enjoys it and actually how he produces the work. I love the fact that it is such a 'hands-on process' it allows room for human error, which can often produce happy mistakes. Also, because you are working so closely with the process and materials, with practice, you gain a greater insight into the process and are able to come up with more adventurous and creative ideas and ways of working which I really liked.

This is one of my favourite pieces of his:


More of Harmen's work can be seen at:
http://www.harmenliemburg.nl/list-.html
and you can also view the steps he takes to produce these immense silk screen images.

I'm Hungover

I was recently waiting for a tube in London and I am not normally inspired by the advertisments that adorn the dank walls fo the underground, but for once, i was intruiged by one advert that appeared to be about Baby Names...I wondered why this would be oni the London Underground and began to read. As I read the ad i found it quite humourous and clever as it dawned on me that it was for the Tate Britain. I have looked for the particular advert that I saw but I cant seem to find it, instead I have found this one to post:
(I shall provide links below as it is bad quality)

I thought it was clever how the subjects used on the posters vary to adhire to many different types of people, especially those who might not have previously considered going to the Tate because it seemed boring, once I realsied the ad was for a museum that i have a) been to and b) not enjoyed in the past, I didn't stop reading because the copy was fun to read. It made me think back to projects where we have been asked to produce a piece of work without using imagary and I have been baffled at how we are meant to achieve this. As the Tate is a gallery my first guess at what they would use on an advertisment would be a picture but this set of adverts just goes to show it is not necessary and could possibly sometimes work for the better.

It shows that in the right situations you do not have to use beautiful photogrpahy or interesting typography, an idea will suffice you just have to find the right avenue to steer it in.

http://www.scaryideas.com/content/454/

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/yourcollection/