show and tell: call to action

Smokey says, "The most dangerous animals in the forest don't live there." This ad is calling you to prevent wildfires by being responsible when in the forest.

This is also a very poorly designed ad. The photo is freaky, Smokey's head is a floating cutout and the messy typography gets completely lost.

helmet project

I stumbled across this site today. Not the prettiest blog, but it's really interesting to look at. And a good reference.

I like looking at the evolution of helmets. Take Nebraska for example (here's to my school). The first example is pretty plain. It has the players' number in big, black lettering. Nice, but how are you supposed to know what team this is? Then you have NU in red, which is okay, but the blue label on the front really throws me off. And the current helmet has red facemasks and a Nebraska N.

très jolie

A friend of a friend just got back from France and brought a bunch of French publications back with her. I was thumbing through Yo Dona, a French magazine put out by El Mundo, and came across this layout (sorry about the poor scanning job, the image went across the fold).

I like this spread because it is very simple. Even though I can't read French very well, I can still appreciate the design. It crosses a language barrier. I don't care for the typography of the title, but the typography of the text looks fabulous in French. It really caught my eye.

show and tell: description

The L.A. Times put this out a few weeks ago. It's the cover to their football preview.

They mapped out the schedules of L.A.'s two college football teams, UCLA and USC. I think it's an interesting way of describing a football schedule. It's easy to become engaged in this alternative form. You could look at it for hours. I like that it's not typical -- no stats, no players to watch and no list format.

what a way to say it

My friend wants to do this to her wall. I love it.

What a great way to incorporate typography into your abode. It makes a creative artistic statement. Not to mention, you get to read your favorite quote every day.

I think this is a great example of how to merge words and images.

do you see what i see?

I was going through some pictures from a trip I took to Utah this summer and came across this one. It's a photo of Mount Timpanogos. People say the skyline resembles the shape of a woman lying on her back.

Legend has it that an Indian maiden committed suicide by throwing herself off the mountain after her love was killed by a bear. Afterwards, the mountain formed in the shape of her resting body.

It's easy to see her outline in person, but I think you can make it out in this picture. Can you see her?

show and tell: inspiration

This is the Best of Newspaper Design 2004. Every year, The Society for News Design puts on a competition. Newspapers from all over the world send in entries in different categories. The winners get compiled into this book.

Since I'm a newspaper designer, I find this book intriguing. And inspiring. Most of the winning entries are bold designs. They push the envelope, especially for newspaper design. I thumb through these books when I have designer's block and usually get over it in a snap.

no comic what?

A dear friend of mine, and fellow designer, gave this to me awhile back. To us, it's hilarious (and a strong indication of what nerds we are!) Anyhow, here it is. Perhaps the best pin I've ever worn. And I'm sure something all you design gurus out there will appreciate.

there's a first time for everything

Although I read many a blog, this is my first official go at keeping one. And if there's one thing I've learned from reading blogs, it's that they aren't easy to keep up with. I can promise you now, you'll hear from me at least twice a week. How can I promise something seemingly impossible? Easy. It's for a grade. Indeedy, I'm blogging for a class.