http://bonsaiwriter.tumblr.com/

2012 Illustration trend: Smooth Vector

fuseliter — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:55:58 -0500

+ Andrew Woodhead: Comme un enfant Cover design

Happy new year to all you creative bunch!

While reviewing the design trend in the past year of 2012, I have noticed a very delicious phenomenon that was pretty big in the illustration world last year. That is(drum-roll please): the smooth vector!

While most of the vector graphics are usually flat, with hard edges and give the eye a very graphical effect, some illustrators now utilise texture such as “film grain”, and effect such as “gradian mash” to create smooth and hazy vector graphic.

+ Théo Gennitsakis

This amazing and soft effect gives a very inert and vintage feeling. It also brings more depth and dimensions to the graphic, breaking the stereo type of the flat vector.

I found this new-found- effects so intriguing that I ended up making some myself:

Old School HipHop Flyers

fuseliter — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:39:58 -0500

Photo credits: toledohiphop.org

I recently came across with these amazing old school hip hop flyers that was done in the 80s. There is a whole picture bank of these HERE.

Super dope! :)

Nieh Yung-Chen 聶永真

fuseliter — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:18:00 -0500

I See Languages/ Poster, 2011 by Nieh

+Photo credits by AGI.

Nieh Yung-Chen 聶永真 is the first Taiwanese graphic designer to ever become the member of AGI(Alliance Graphique Internationale). The Swiss graphic design alliance that has so far, since their establishment in 1933, only selected 300 designers to be included.

Nieh’s works are hugely involved and reproduced with the contemporary Taiwanese pop culture such as music packaging, book cover and art.

I See Languages/ Poster, 2011

In this series of I See Languages posters, one can see the typography by not seeing the types. These kind of design thinking and execution exceeds the highest level of graphic design and visual art.

Yoga LIN, Senses Around/ Album Package/ HIM Music, 2009

Remix: Hsu Yen-Ling X Sylvia Plath/poster / Shakespeare’s Wild Sisters Group, 2009

No. 223, Beijing photographer No.223’s work book/ overall planning of art and editing in chief, 2012

Differ from other typography-focused design, Nieh’s control of the relationships and the integration between type and image has achieved balance and contract in the same time. AGI described him as “an aesthetic trendsetter affirmed” , and I don’t think I could find better word to define him.

One of my professor once said that in graphic design there are a few trendsetters, the rest are just some very good and bad followers. While just some very good followers make great graphic designers; I think Nieh can truly be called a trendsetting designer and a true artist who successfully combines consumer industry with art.

+ Nieh’s flicker

+Nieh’s AGI member page

Studio Highlight: Every-Every Design Studio

fuseliter — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:00:22 -0400

Every-Every Studio is a London-based studio, founded by designer Yo Yota and illustrator Jirayu Koo.

Their clients include many big name magazines, MTV, and Agent Provocateur.

Right now they only showcase their illustrations on their site, and may I say, “Gee, they are delicious!” I am truly inspired by their usage of shapes, colors and vintage photography. Their illustrations, mostly collages remind me of the Bauhaus, and silk screen era of graphic design. A.K.A.” No-Computer-hands-On- Amazingness! “

The collages achieve the genuine vintage feel by using texture, and opec colors. Each collage is vivid, vibrant and leads your eyes from one direction to another.

“ We are passionate about details and take inspiration from everything in life.” as they stated on their website. We are so fortunate to witness the process of information they take into making beautiful art!

Paris Review!!!!!!!!!

fuseliter — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:44:07 -0400

Paris Review, Another zine to behold and cherish forever for you who love literature and visual graphics!

The 200 anniversary cover (a throw back cover from the first issue) and the 201 edition cover.

Paris Review is an American quarterly dedicates to pretty covers, great author interviews poems, short fictions and amazing visual aids. I randomly discovered it, and once I got my first copy, the 200th issue, I knew that this is going to be my life-time partner! (I was more sure about Paris Review than any of my past lovers.)

let along the very appetizing grid system of the cover, which was accompanied with pretty illustration, the contents will not disappoint you: Interview with Bret Easton Ellis, poems by Apollinaire , and like having a dessert after a very satisfying meal, they provide great photographs and illustrations in the end.

I was always afraid of literature magazines though I have tried to read some other magazines of poems. They always end up being harder for me to chew. Paris Review is not one of them. Every issues is very engaging from the beginning to the end!

The issue I am reading right now.

” visual dessert”!

Studio Highlight: Pam & Jenny(Brussels)

fuseliter — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:46:00 -0400

Pam and Jenny is a graphic design studio based in Brussels led by Nathalie Pollet.

Founded in 2009, the studio advises, organizes and provides graphic identities and communication tools, creating fonts, images and illustrations, performs catalogs and art books, exhibition signage conceives of cultural spaces and urban, etc..

Like many of the European design, I truly enjoy their modern and typographical approach in creating branding. Also the experimental take on their image manipulation.

Their layout design always amaze me!

+Project: MAD Brussels/ Fashion and Design Center 2012.

+Project: Fencing illustration for Euralille SPL, 2012

+Project: Logo for The Fabric Sales.

+Project: Identity and programe design for MODO Brussels.

+Project: Share/d Heritage

Le Colette Meets Ill Studio

fuseliter — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:14:00 -0400

Le Colette has been the outlet of all my guilty pleasures when it comes to online-shoping, techno music and super fancy designs. It serves as a unique combination of e-commerce, music player, and informational blog for design.

When they partnered up with Ill Studio ,who is not a stranger to hipster-trendy magazine layout, I was more than trilled to know that, yet another of my guilty pleasure has joined the others.

The magazine for Le Colette designed by Ill Studio.

The unique pattern, the bright colors, the breakage of the grid, and the sans-serif bold typeface with smaller-than-usual leading for the body copy are all part of the trendy layout today. There might not be too much going on conceptial-wise and they make your eyes go dizzy, but they are certainly creative and exciting.

I am never the one to hate for the sake of being trendy. As long as they still look “designed”. Trends come and go, and a good design has to be relevant to its time even when being nolgastic or referring to the past.

In a way I don’t really see why Le colette would have a printed magazine, but it still doesn’t take away the fact that both Le Colette and Ill Studio are utterly, out-of-space, amazing!

Life's Lemons.

fuseliter — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:04:18 -0400

Is it a good thing that you get so used to life throwing lemons at you and you don’t really get hurt anymore, instead, you gladly pick them up, bite them, and suck the juice out of them and said “thank you.”

Enjoy every disappointments in life fully and responsibly.

Base Design For Haus Der Kunst

fuseliter — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:00:00 -0400

Poster for Haus der Kunst with the new visual system created by Base.

More about the work from BaseNOW.

Base Design has always been one of my favorite design firms. They might actually be the only design firm that has international branches (Barcelona, Brussels,Madrid, New York and Santiago,Chile ) but remains small in each studios.

They popped on my radar again when I attended the AIGA’s event BASE TALKS BASE: FROM MUSEUMS TO SEX SHOPS tonight. The founders of Base, Dimitri Jeurissen and Thierry Brunfaut, talked about how it all started, their process and growth and how they will progress in the future.

During the presentation they showed many of their works, including the very first job they got in NYC for a car wash (Chelsea Carwash), their internal Base projects and many ,many branding for impressive museums. Among them, I found the redesign for Haus der Kunst museum very interesting.

In their presentation, they talked about their process in design and how they always need a concept to start. Rebranding for Haus der Kunst was not an exception either.

For those who are not familiar with Haus der Kunst (that includes me until this evening!), it is the biggest art museum in Germany located in Munich. It was founded and created by the Nazi. The head of the museum at the time was Adolf Hitler, and the museum was delicated to show the finest German art only. Now the head of the museum is Okwui Enwezor.

By this point of the presentation, Thierry and Dimitri showed us the pictures of both museums heads side by side, and we all laughed. Because the difference between the two was just too obvious and significant. (Okwui Enwezor is a Nigerian-born American.)

Based on the idea of elasticity, Base Design came up with the concept of rubber band- like visual system for the logo, using the spacing between each letters. The spacing, however, is not set to stay the same at all times. Sometimes the “Haus” is more spaced out, and sometimes it is the “Kunst”. Again, they are trying to create the feel of flexibility, and a set logo that stays the same simply does not apply to their concept.

The same “elasticity” concept applies to grid and signage.

+ Copyright reserves to Base Design.

This typographical approach was rather brave. They were not intimidated to break the rules in typography for a good concept, and it works! I was so jealous yet amazed by the freedom of being able to do things like these. Not just coming up with the concept but also confident enough to play with the typography as they did! And how much Haus der Kunst must have trusted them to allow it!

Kutani Choemon

fuseliter — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:52:00 -0500

Hand crafted and hand painted by KUTANI CHOEMON since 1879.

http://www.choemonshop.com/index.html

fuseliter — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:49:00 -0500

http://www.choemonshop.com/index.html

Wang Zhi-hong 王志弘

fuseliter — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:38:00 -0500

Wang Zhi-hong 王志弘 is a Taiwanese art director/graphic designer. He has truly perfected the art of minimalism using typography and composition. His design esthetic is very asymmetrical, simple, and not afraid to activate white space. He keeps the Avant-garde design style,as the style of Josef Muller-Brockmann and Bauhaus,while many western designers have gone for post-moderism due to the 60s and 70s.

Book cover design and exhibition design by Wang Zhi-hong.Photo copyright reserved to Wang Zhi-hong

I find many asian designers are still playing around the balance in rationalizing and personal-imputing in design, and it might be due to being less effected in the cultural movement of the 60s, or simply because it is better fitted to the society. Either way it is actually more refreshing to see design like Wang’s now, 50 years after the 1960s.

His design is sophisticated, geometrically aware and playful. I am very glad that he is recently being recognized on the AIGA design blog Design Envy. He deserves more recognition definitely.

Carlo Mollino: Industrial Designer, Architect, Photographer,Stunt Flyer and More...

fuseliter — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:01:00 -0500

Carlo Mollino (1905-1973 Turin, Italy) was a true renaissance man of our generation. He was the kind of person who could achieve anything once he set his mind on it. The highlight of his career would be his design of the Bisiluro race car, and the Società Ippica Torinese building in Turin.

The ‘bisiluro’ racecar, which he drove at the leman’s 24 hour race in 1954.

Despite many of his larger scale of works, I find his smaller, more personal works more fascinating. I absolute love his erotic Polaroid photos and how they echo with his furniture design. Female body is the main subject matter for Mollino’s photography. The candidness of the photos and the way he placed female body to best showcase the form and line, it is almost like he was using Polaroid as a quick study for inspiration on his furnitures. (Not to diminish the quality of his photos.) I see many similarity of lines between his female nudes and his furniture. After all, the human body and the product are supposed to go together in harmony when it comes to industrial design, and by doing so it only makes the products more genuine and not flashy or gimmicky.

I also like the idea of not limiting yourself in one category in life. True, not everyone can be a genius like him to expert in every art. And in many situations being the best in one form of art is better than being a mediocre in many. Still the idea of not being afraid to explore yourself and to push your potential is very desiring for me. Life has no possible limit, but one can definitely draw a circle for himself and stay in it.

Apartamento Magazine

fuseliter — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:29:00 -0500

Apartamento Magazine is a different kind of home decor and interior design magazine (more like arrangement than design). At first, I found its 7” by 9.5” size perfect for hand-holding, and its small size felt personal and comfortable. Once I had it on my hands I could not put it down.

The images in the magazine look more like they are from Vice or Urban Outfitters rather than Martha Stewart, which is actually refreshing for a home decor publication. It is not perfect, clean, fancy and luxurious. There are no brand names or product placements. (But they have plants, originality, art works, art supplies, books, and amazing short articles and interviews with creative people.)

The mini articles at the beginning portion of this magazine were really emotional and personal stories. They do not discuss the ideal home, nor trends of any sort. They are reflections of the relationship between space and people.

If you are looking for some affordable inspiration on home decor, how to use your space more creatively, and short articles that will move you, then Apartamento is the magazine for you. However if you are more into the beautiful, unrealistic photography of furniture that you can never afford, or something that is not so authentic, then maybe Elle Decor will suit you better. This magazine is more like a mood board for the Brooklyn apartment and the artist’s loft in New Orleans.

Photo Credits: Apartamento Magazine

Quotes from the interview with Beda Archermann (Graphic Designer):

“The really good things are never perfect, because that’s boring!”

“My Provincial background is actually the very thing that enables me to function on an international level…,I can always recognize what is distinct and unique. I know what’s real, just like farmers in Central Switzerland do.”

“That’s kindergarten design for me.(about a fancy chain hotel) To me, being genuine is the most important.”

Source:

+Photo scanned from Apartamento Magazine issue#8.

+ Apartamento’s website