SignSphere: Design & Inspiration November 2008

SignSphere is a montly collection of inspirational design, typography, icons resources. This month there are many great articles published from a full review of the NYC Subway typeface, the icons collection of the winter games in 2010, a new mini-site from fontshop, pantone colored sneakers and much more. If you want to submit news to SignSphere, please send me an email via the contact form. Thank you and enjoy reading.

The (mostly) true story of Helvetica and NYC Subway

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A fabulous article by Paul Shaw for the New York subway graphic system. In a dept review of the sign system, choose of typeface and creation of design manual this nine pages essay describes everything. I have enjoyed reading this article but was looking for some examples of the sign manual, searched Google and found some images of the sign design manual at Flickr.

NYC Transit Authority graphics system

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  • Visit the article by Paul Shaw at Aiga and take a look at this Flickr set of the original NYC Transit Authority graphics system—designed by Massimo Vignelli and Vignelli Associates in 1970.

Minisite FF Trixie

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Dutch type teacher and designer Erik van Blokland released with FontShop the minisite about his typeface FF Trixie, since its release in 1991 Trixie was one of the few good workable typewriter typefaces available.

Erik van Blokland finalized the typeface Trixie with two new variants: FF Trixie Rough, and FF Trixie HD, available each with Light and Heavy weights. At the minisite you are able to see the typeface fontfonts and the new typefaces have much more detail than the original. In the images you can see the effects of the analog look and feel of Trixie, Erik was kind enough to send me the masthead (at the top of the page), text designworkplan, thank you very much for sending it to me.

Example of usage FF Trixie

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Vancouver 2010 Pictograms

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Via Iconglobe I spotted the newly designed pictograms for the Vancouver Olympic Wintergames in 2010, as part of a complete brand identity.

Olympic and Paralympic Games designs have a long tradition of creativity and excellence

The designers review of Books

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A new website about books for the creative minds, written by designers. With designers reviews books the authors review (expensive) design books and allows you to buy or find related information about the books online.

Although there are several good design websites that occasionally have book reviews, there didn’t seem to be a single place online where you could get constant updates and reviews of new (and sometimes old) design books.

Thoughtpile

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Thoughtpile a website where visitors are allowed to share thoughts about specific (green) topics, users can submit ideas and the most discussed idea will be featured in the Thoughtpile. Crowd thinking and creating ideas and solutions is becoming more and more popular.

  • Visit Thoughtpile and share your thoughts and ideas.

PANTONE Sneakers

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Today is the last day that you can pre-order special PANTONE SeaVees Sneakers, use the code on the website in the onlinestore to get yours! The collection will be in stores Spring 2009.

  • Visit this website to find the information about PANTONE Sneakers.

iPhone App: Font Viewer

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OSXWerk released one of the first iPhone apps for font lovers, this free app allows you to select MACOSX fonts and enlarge the typeface. You have the ability of type text and display it in the selected typeface.

It would be very interested to see more type related iPhone apps coming. For instance what I would think will work great is a iPhone version of WhatTheFont. You make a photo of a typeface you are interested in, the iWhatTheFont will recognize the typeface and can view it online or buy the specific typeface.

Please share your ideas or suggestions of type-related iPhone Apps?

  • Visit the website of OSXWerk for more information about FontViewer iPhone App.

Not for paper

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Not for paper is a website dedicated to bring you some of the most exciting design work for screen. Work best realized away from a printed surface.

Fuel your creativity rebrands

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Adelle Charles manages the great design & inspiration website Fuel Your Creativity, she publishes frequently articles for a wide design audience. Recently FYC rebranded with a new logo and website layout. Congrats Adelle for this great achievement.

Write in Helvetica

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If it would work I want one, my handwriting is terrible, so writing in Helvetica would be just great. Visit the website for more information about this pen writing tool.

Is Graphic Design Art?

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There has been much talk about this website, Is Graphic Design Art?. When I first encountered this question I was intrigued by the fact people think about graphic design as art. In fact most people think graphic design is art. Lets take a look at the definitions.

Graphic Design: The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation.
Art: Art is the process or product of deliberately and creatively arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions.

Submit your news

SignSphere is a montly collection of design related and inspirational topics, use the contact form to send in your materials. Thank you.

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10 Responses to “SignSphere: Design & Inspiration November 2008”

Adelle
November 24th, 2008

Wow! Thanks for listing FYC here on the re-brand. I really appreciate it. Great article too, I’m going to be checking out iPhone App: Font Viewer, looks cool.

1.

Sander Baumann
November 24th, 2008
designworkplan admin

Hi Adelle - Thanks for your positive reaction, appreciated. Let me know what you think of the iPhone App, do you have ideas on what you would like to see developed as iPhone App? Good luck with FYC.

2.

Josef Go-Oco
November 25th, 2008

By definition, graphic design is art. In order to “focus on visual communication and presentation”; rather, in order to communicate properly in visual terms, one must “deliberately and creatively arrange elements in a way that appeals to senses or emotions”. Because if an object of graphic design does not appeal at all to either sense or emotion, then its purpose is not achieved.

3.

Sander Baumann
November 25th, 2008
designworkplan admin

Thank Josef Go-Oco - For this insight comment about is graphic desin art? I totally agree without that graphic design is a focus on visual communication and presentation and art is created from the free mind, not created to arrange (visual) information like art. Usually art is something that you like or don’t like because its exsistence is only required by its creator. Graphic design on the other hand is created to visualize our enviromental surroundings and must appeal to a larger audenience. Thanks again for your comment.

4.

Rob Chant
November 30th, 2008

I’ve just found your blog — I feel as if I’ve just wandered from a desert to an oasis!

I’ve only had a brief look around so far, but it’s really quite inspired me to do something about my own blog (where I was recently ranting about blog/content focus draining the web of true design and creativity.

I’ll stick around.

5.

Sander Baumann
December 1st, 2008
designworkplan admin

Welcome Rob Chant - and thanks for your comment, much appreciated. Looking forward reading your blog.

6.

Carlos Hermoso
December 2nd, 2008

Hi! Good site this. Keep up the good work

7.

Sander Baumann
December 2nd, 2008
designworkplan admin

Hi Carlos Hermoso - and welcome here at DWP. Thanks for your comment!

8.

dash
December 8th, 2008

i think GD is art
it has everything other arts require,
kskills eye practice,tools
it has colour,contrast,composition
it has uses and it has non commercial uses;
like photography (art)vs productphotography

9.

Jesse S.
January 20th, 2009

You realize the Helvetica pen is a joke right ;)

10.

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