‘My mouse cursor path over the course of a week’

Designer Gavin Potenza keeps track of his mouse.

Image borrowed from his blog; read more here.

‘annular solar eclipse and pleiades alignment tonight. frequency shift. reset.’

Found via Jes Cellophane

Often there’s this thing – where the graphic designer – feels like shouting, ‘I’M A PROFESSIONAL, I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING. REALLY.’

It usually arises from the idea that graphic design is a voodoo art that many do not understand. Or they think they do, but only understand a small portion of it. Trained, professional designers do spend at least 4–5 years studying our craft – and the years after finessing what we know.

Keeping communication open to clients is also important. But really, there’s some of us who know what we’re doing.

Mostly.

Button design by UXPin.

Found via Sandoer Berg

Here’s a roundup of advice graphics.

I’m always frustrated when beginning students give up prematurely, when there are those who see being ‘creative’ as either a job or something not important and/or not realizing the more a creative works at what they’re doing, the better they will get; collaboration is great, rules get in the way, others will never understand you and that’s okay, work should be fun (especially hard work), breaks are important and a zillion other things.

Click to view larger/jump.

Found via hyenabonz

Many creatives are introverts – some famous ones include J.K. Rowling, Eleanor Roosevelt, Clint Eastwood, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Steve Martin. The trick is most introverts are annoyed just enough by the banalities of everyday societal demands that one typically doesn’t want to get bogged down by the bullshit. Introverts have important thinking to do – typically, introverts are out to change the world in one way or another.

There’s a graphic that’s been bouncing around the interwebs (below) that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Shyness is something totally different.

Above, a list that nails it (and yes, the type is stretched. Typographers: Deal.) – it came from this cool post. And here’s an article with more detail (book available too).

When I’m in quiet mode, I’m busy. Then I come out and play when in a classroom or social situation. Even though the second part is a learned behavior, it is also quite fun and a great balance. Wouldn’t change it for anything.

Bullshit

Found via Lindsey, Jes

‘Perfectionism is exhausting’

I’ve watched my students push themselves so hard to get an ‘A’ that they’ll overlook what it really takes to come up with creative work.

Here’s another take on the concept – by author Michael Nobbs, with a pitch for his book Sustainable Creativity.

From last year: The bold choices ad. Starring Willem Dafoe and directed by Dante Ariola for StrawberryFrog.

Behind the scenes here.

Fan-made video for Garbage’s new single, Battle in Me.

New album – Not Your Kind of People – drops May 22 (May 15 on itunes) – and I’m really loving this beautiful g they’ve found  . . .

Found via Garbage

Typeface sheet set. Available thru Anthropologie.

‘My paper weaving technique — a process of interlacing objects with memories — attempts to redefine the commonplace book structure with chapters emerging from seams. The garments reveal new beginnings, life lessons and notable achievements. Memories evoke garments; garments evoke memories.’

The work of paper artist, graphic designer Julie VonDerVellen.

Website here, Twitter here.

‘Inventive costume project – created for Anne Boleyn.’

Found via Alice Smalley

‘The concept I’m trying to portray is: Nothing can cover the flaws we have, and the flaws, the flesh we were born with is who we truly are. They are even more truthful to what we are trying to make ourselves; this is why some of the area of the dress are not meant to be covered up. The dress barely covers the whole body. It is meant to be see-through to display the body in its whole and that since we all are imperfect is an important concept.’

The work of Hui-Ni Su.

Found via ‘Adrian Frutiger’

‘For our first release, Alphabuild for iOS, we wanted to pay tribute to the process of building letters (which is the other fun work we do here at our studio). We wish building letters for our clients was as zany and colorful as it is in Alphabuild. On the other hand, we’re glad we don’t have aliens, glue bottles and sawblades trying to mess up our letter drawings.’

Featuring types from the great Psy/Ops library (including my own Jeanne Moderno) as well as a few tikis (see below) – James Beall’s Alphabuild is a fun, quirky educational alphabet game for iPhone, iPad and iPod.

Snag it in the App store. Website here, Twitter here. And free goodies here.

Happy alphabuilding!

Simone Massoni’s Chicks & Types calendar, still available here.

‘W Korea is celebrating seven wonderful years by creating a splendid set of collectible covers, starring seven of the industry’s lovely ones’

Photographer Jang Hyun Hong, Louis Vuitton, W Korea, March 2012.

Behind the scenes here.

Found via Eyegasmic

The work of Jessica Jones.

Found via CMYBacon

Lady Gaga performing Just Dance from last year’s HBO special.

Caught the rerun this week.

Coco Rocha and plastic, photographed by Craig McDean for W Magazine, October 2006.

Found via Trendnista

The work of photographer Aleksey Kozlov and designer Marina Khiebnikova.

Found via No Ones Nemesis

Behind the scenes here.

Lanvin Fall/Winter 2011 campaign. Directed by Steven Meisel.

Found via spinning bird kick

‘Two versions of Coco Rocha tap dancing for White House | Black Market’s spring 2012 TV campaign’

Behind the scenes here.

Karlie Kloss by Gabriele Revere, LIFE Magazine, 2011.

Found via fuckyeahmagazinecover

Another shot of the great Audrey Hepburn.

Found via XXI Why Not

‘and dreaming of the day she will own a motorcycle’ 

New on the fashion blog radar: Lezsquire is a (quite detailed) ‘style and culture guide for the modern lesbian.’ Read and follow here.

The work of Michael Shapcott.

Cover art by Pedro Henrique Ferreira for Tokyo Savannah.

Julie Tierney is an incredible designer; part fashion, part graphic design, part something else. That something else landed her a spot on last season’s Project Runway.

Julie is now working on a snowboard-inspired Americana clothing line – and seeking funding on Kickstarter. Drop her some bucks, k? She needs a few things.

Go here.

‘Built in Belfast’

Go for the whiskey. Cause I know that one can’t actually purchase sriracha in Belfast.

Package design by Adam Crane.

Found via Lovely Package

Sriracha Bitters by Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters. For your next cocktail.

Website (with recipes) here. Also available, rhubarb, Meyer lemon and black mission fig.

Found via A Thirsty Spirit

Graphic designer Tim Parsons’ Adoboloco Jalapeño Sauce.

Red label, two headed rooster. Snag it here.

Found via Lovely Package

The work of Heather Perry.

Found via All the World Will be Grand

‘This collection of stories, instructions, memories and scrumptious ‘must try’ recipes makes a fascinating, entertaining, and revealing read’

Available this month from Baseline, What’s cooking? Famous designers on food.

‘Émilie Vast’s third Herbarium is dedicated to plants that find the strength to creep into our urban space, into the joints of gutters and pavements, in the wall’s cracks, at the bottom of the trees, the park’s grass, on the roofs  . . .  just like their cousins from the woods, they have a history, uses and mythology.’

Cool find. This ‘wild plants in the city’ edition also features my Jeanne Moderno fonts.

Found via Iconoclastic and le lièvre de mars

Design by Lewis Moberly’s Poppy Stedman for Waitrose. Details here.

Found via Popsop

Found via  n i g h t m a r e

Found via Tumblrov

From 1970.

Boombox: Doomsday Train

Sleeve found via Klaus Hiltscher

Beautiful short by Anne Labadie.

‘listening right now: The Black Keys’

Brazil-based fashion model Flávia Desgranges, photographed by Felipe Ornell.

The Black Keys: Too Afraid to Love You

‘Chemins de fer de l’état, Cie. Gle. Transatlantique.’

Vintage travel poster, art by Albert Sébille (1874-1953). More here.

The original Van Halen broke up when I was a senior in high school. And yes, I am an old fan of David Lee Roth, read about it here.

And the reunion no one thought would happen happened and the album no one thought would happen was released yesterday. 28 year wait. The sound harkens back (harkens is the word) to Van Halen I and II – apparently the tracks are based on notes written back around 1975–77ish.

The sound is old – with parts feeling like an odd 1990s solo album Dave put out. Album cover design by SMOG, art directed by Jeri Heiden.

New track: Tattoo, with Dave explaining it here

You Really Got Me acoustic

And an update: Dave’s been posting new videos on Vimeo all week. Love the ‘recreational director’ discourse and this one about his dogs.

Found via Culturenik

‘The ads were inspired by Philippe Petit’s 1974 ‘Man on Wire’ act – an illegal tightrope traverse between the Twin Towers – as well as Charles C. Ebbets’ classic 1932 photograph, ‘Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam.”

Green Day – art directed by Yard and photographed by Danny Clinch for (Howard Stern’s favorite designer) John Varvatos, Spring/Summer 2012.

Found via Fashion Indie

The work of Christian Marclay. Monograph here.

Found via This Blog Rules

Found via Heidi Andermack, mashKULTURE

‘Yeah, for the logo the ‘g’ took longer to design than all the other letter forms put together.’ -bb

Former typography student. New band. Custom drawn g.

Brett Berry survived my graphic design courses and recently formed The Tangs with his brother Brandon.

Their debut EP Let It Out can be snagged on iTunes.

Website here, Facebook page here.

The Tangs: Take Me Down

What exactly are our priorities today?

The work of Alex Cherry.

‘I just like the typography, honest.’ -wkd

Found via whatkatiedoes

‘You may have visited Fools Foundation, Liz’s gallery and music venue, had your hair done by Sarah at Honey Salon, or seen their band Screature play around town. Liz and Sarah dabble in various mediums and collage is just one of many outlets for these two.’

I loved Fools Foundation – it was in the basement of a building in Sacramento’s midtown and a regular stop whenever I was in the area.

And opening this weekend is Permabond: New work by Liz Donner and Sarah Scherer at Sacramento’s Bows & Arrows.

Details and interview here.