David A. Smith and the craft of the glass sign
There has been a strong and steady movement of designers getting back to process. Processes once confined to history because of the rapid development of digital technology are slowly being rescued from obscurity as designers and craftsman try to take back the special connection they used to have with their work. There have been many occasions when I have wanted to simply reach into the screen and bend or twist or smudge something with my hands. This is a beautifully shot documentary on David A. Smith, one of a handful of glass writers still producing work in the UK. Inspiring for sure.
On ya Boris Bike
There are many things that amuse me about London but non more so than the many ways people find to get around this city. Although it has its many imperfections London public transport is still far better than what most urban dwellers around the world are used to. Londoners have much to be grateful for though most take the city’s transport systems for granted and its hard not to. Bicycles are an incredibly efficient form of transport and many cities, Paris and Montreal for example have launched cycle hire schemes. London has just launched its variation of the Bixi system popular in several North American cities. Being British and part of Transport for London means the system sports some interesting design details, with sponsor Barclays slipping in some branding (and £25 million of funding) as well.
Officially called Barclays Cycle Hire, local tabloids couldn’t help but be cheeky and call the cycles ‘Boris Bikes’ after Boris Johnson, London’s mayor and mascot for the scheme. Read the rest of this entry »
The tyranny of common sense or how experience can be your biggest enemy
Michael Wolff (left) in conversation with Patrick Burgoyne
I have no idea how to do that. A statement that is probably the most terrifying to a lot of designers, particularly those graduating this year. The aim of an education to most people is a finished product: to be ‘employable’. You go to college so that you can get a better job and most importantly better pay. But that is a rather old fashioned way of looking at it. Read the rest of this entry »
Looking ahead
Apologies for the lack for freshness around here. I have been rather busy completing my final chapter at University and pondering over life afterward. Something I’m looking forward to is Futurising, a series of talks and events happening in London over the next two days including a highly anticipated talk (on my part anyway) by Michael Wolff. Updates to follow at the end of each day.
The way we read
Next week everyone’s favourite fruit company in Cupertino will start deliveries of a tablet shaped device that in one way or another has got many of us thinking of that now stale debate, the end of print. Newspapers and magazines of the printed variety have struggled to cope with the way the internet has made access to information (news in particular) free and fast. News Corporation have already stated that they will be charging for online access to some of their papers. But what about the format itself. What can magazines and newspapers do to re-invent themselves for the coming wave of new technologies? What sort of interfaces will they be using to filter and curate the content that they generate, electronic or print? Wired magazine have an interesting idea as to how this could happen on a tablet device.
Paper Airplane
“A long time ago, when I was a lot shorter I could dream of flying away…”
Beautifully shot. Directed by David Altobelli
Ahh… The good ol’ days
Some lovely old railway posters advertising holidays in the UK. Worth a look.
Click on the image for a complete gallery via the BBC.
