Monday, February 27, 2012

Your office, your studio, your creative place.  It is, without question, the most important area for a designer.  Ideas are sparked, nurtured, and cared for there,  why not make sure your workspace is as creative as the ideas that are generated there.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Who’s the darling of the social media world this year? Why that would be Pinterest, the community that allows people to share their styles, tastes, and likes with the world.  While it’s been unofficially branded as a network for women (with over 97% of Pinterest’s fans being female, it’s hard to argue that) I’ve found it to be a network of visual stimulation…for creativity.

One of the hardest aspects of the design business can be getting inspiration and the initial spark for a project.  For years I’ve spent time taking in many forms of inspiration in various environments.  Pinterest has opened up a whole new world or possibilities when it comes to gathering ideas.  No matter what you might be working on, from a design/layout project to finding new and creative workspaces or simply looking for an inspirational quote, you’ll find all of that (and more) with Pinterest.

I’ve even used it to create collections of design ideas to post.  You can even use it to catalog typography examples and other ideas for project concepts.  If you’re a creative professional, it’s worth your while to check it out.  You’ll also meet other people with similar inserests, which doesn’t hurt the creative process either.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The beautiful thing about inspiration is that it can come from from anywhere.  Some of the greatest inspiration I’ve had has been from topics and subjects ah that I love.  Here are some auto-inspired visual muses that are sure to get your creativity moving.

Art Ball CSL Chair

Art Ball GT Chair

White & orange ‘79 Corvette

Honda

Thursday, February 16, 2012

In the mood or need some visual design inspiration (or do you just like looking at cool, beautiful things)?

78 Artists

The first mistake of ART is to assume it’s serious

Find Beauty in Rain

Souvenirs

12

12

Zoo York

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Never before have I been so interested in an announcement aimed at the education-sector as I was with last week’s announcements from Apple.  Having children has changed that, just as they’ve changed many aspects of my life.  When the iPad was first announced in 2010, I put together a short list of areas in which it could be affective, and education was one of those.  With the launch of iBooks Author, the iTunes U app, and the updated iBooks 2 app, that opportunity has been cemented.  However, the educational benefits of the iPad have shown their face long before this announcement.

I read a post earlier this month questioning why adults are amazed when children, even as young as 2 years old can pick up an iPad and use it with ease.  Surely these are superior children that possess Mensa-quality intellect and will be running the country by the time they’re 7!  As much as I’d like to think that, again speaking as a parent, I no longer believe that’s the case.  That’s not to say I don’t think my children aren’t intelligent (or even above average). The truth is, the iPad is easy to use.  Period.  As I’ve written before, I’ve seen both of my kids use the device, navigate through the screens of apps, find their favorites and use them with ease.  So simple, so elegant, so…what’s next.

The announcements from Apple, iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and the refined and retuned iTunes U (making it’s app debut) are all amazing elements when you look at them on their own merit.  But it’s when you lump them all together that a truly-inspired vision of what the future of education could be.  While the approach from Apple locks schools into one platform and one device, it’s an approach that I’ve not seen rolled out on such a promising scale.  These items aside, I’ve seen my own children use the iPad as more than just a gaming device, but rather an educational tool.  My youngest son has two favorite apps, AlphaTots and TallyTots and after using them he’s now able to easily recite the alphabet and count to 20.  What’s the draw to these apps?  They’re engaging, they’re entertaining, and they’re able to present lessons in an easy-to-understand format.  Who knows what role, if any, the iPad (or similar devices) will play in education, but it appears to off to a good start.