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I love good information graphics. And bad information graphics make my eyes bleed.

Check out this redesign by Robert Palmer (and strong letter to Rep. John Boehner) of a recent visual attack on the Democratic Health Plan.

This is an excellent example as to why graphic designers (well trained graphic designers) can do a lot more than just push buttons on a computer. Or make a logo look nice. Good graphic design is about good communication – and can be world changing.

(That’s my soapbox for the day. Thank you for reading.)

Found via Twitter.com/angelaglenn

Tags: cool finds, design, education, illustration, thoughts by steve
7 comments  . . .   

Wine label inspired by the work (and life) of font designer Eric Gill (1882-1940). Student-designed project.

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design, design history, fonts, typography by steve
Comments Off on Eric Gill: The wine

Like Helvetica? Like the Swiss International Style?

Armin Hofmann’s Graphic Design Manual (1965) is what I learned out of – and if it weren’t out of print, I’d be using it in my basics classes. (right now, I have a few slides made from my dog eared edition as part of a form lecture)

Graphic Design Manual breaks composition into basics: dot, line, confrontation, plus letters and signs. And it shows by example how these basics can be applied to good, clean graphic design: form, composition, typography.

I’ve seen it going for upwards of 90 bucks in some listings. As I write this, there are 22 used available at Amazon starting at $4.10.

Tags: cool finds, design, design history, typography by steve
2 comments  . . .   

Thinking about going into graphic design? Wanna know what you’re getting yourself into? What’s it all about?

Click the image and read thru:

Found via Twitter.com/Colorburned

Tags: cool finds, design, originally posted on my myspace blog by steve
3 comments  . . .   

Image via dvisible magazine

Graphic designer Reid Miles and the Blue Note label – incredible album cover design. Here’s a great article on Miles.

And here’s the Wu-Tang albums as Blue Note releases. Found via Twitter.com/Sandoer.

Tags: cool finds, design, design history, music, typography by steve
Comments Off on Hm. More Blue Note mining  . . .

Good graphic designers are trained to do amazing things in the realm of communication. And many clients just see the surface: make me a logo, I like yellow, so you should use yellow.

This article really nails it:

How to (and not to) work with a designer by Daniel Will-Harris

(Nails it so well, I’ve posted it as a link as part of the Manifesto at my website)

Tags: design, education, thoughts by steve
Comments Off on What to expect from a graphic designer

Swiss International Style guru Massimo Vignelli has released a new book on using type in graphic design. In it he explains in concise detail how it’s done. And as with all his work, it’s precise, clean, neat. Also, it’s free.

Download here: The Vignelli Canon [PDF]

Tags: cool finds, design, education, originally posted on my myspace blog, typography by steve
1 comment  . . .