Rule 29: Refreshed and Ready

Refreshed and ready, the hyper self-promoters Rule29 give you even more reasons to love them (as I do). Justin, Josh, Kara, Kerri, Dan and the occasional guest blogger are at it full force. A newly finessed website, a brand spanking new blog, and crap you can buy, or if you ask nice, they might just give you (give them a good reason). Justin and the crew have one speed. FORWARD. And these new updates are but the tip of the iceberg.

Aside from the lame uber over done Office shtick and the all-Flash website, these guys are tip top creatively. And my man Justin also knows the real meaning of what serving is all about, which is really What Matters.

If you're looking for a communication design firm that can take you to a next level, and you understand that Creative Matters, hop on the R29 bandwagon.

Disclaimer: I have not been compensated by R29 for my opinion regarding their ability to knock it out of the park, creatively. I just personally believe they rock. However I will accept checks to any amount made out to Barry A. Smith

Design's Crystal Ball: A Look to 2015

Prepare your time machine–get it waxed and ready. It's time to visit the year 2015. Well, sort of.

If I understand correctly, the AIGA has provided exclusive content to TAXI Design network (I have posted on them several times in the past) in the form of a journey to define what the Designers of 2015 will look like, as well as the landscape of design a s a whole (see too this 2015 discussion on AIGA site). They collectively are inviting designers of today to discuss their own forecast on trends that will influence just 8 years from now. Man have things changed since 1999 – just 8 years ago. The idea is to get a handle on what 8 more years might look like in our biz. Kinda interesting.

To make things even more interesting, and in my opinion legit, they've established a roundtable of sorts which they are calling the Visionary Design Council. It's loaded with heavyweights. People like Brian Collins of Ogilvy & Mather; Marcia Lausen of Studio/lab and University of Illinois at Chicago; John Maeda of MIT Media Lab; Clement Mok, The Office of Clement Mok; Lisa Strausfeld, Pentagram; Hugh Dubberly, Dubberly Design Office; and many others.

This Visionary Council has done a significant part of the work and as a result, they have posted information from some of their reports.

I recommend this to everyone. As a young designer it will be good to hear the indicators as judged by this esteemed group of contemporaries. As a senior player, you can see how and if what you're doing today is on track, and/or so you can make judgments on course changes and the like. And if you're a freshman in high-school (if my math is right) you can get a leg up on your future design competition.

All in all another great resource from Bianca Zen and the Gang at TAXI Design Network (or TAXI as they are also called, but not to be confused with the advertising agency, Taxi canada or Taxi NYC).

( via a TAXI Design Network email )

Born Modern: Master Designer Alvin Lustig

Considering his amazing but short career, Alvin Lustig has indeed earned his master status in the world of design, and his design legacy lives on. He was a book designer. Graphic designer. Interior designer. Furniture designer. Retail store designer. Exhibition designer. Signage designer. Textile designer. Teacher. Spend some time at alvinlustig.org and learn from a true master. You can find a brilliant article by Steven Heller about Lustig called "Born Modern" here, or at the AIGA Medalist site. The AIGA medalist is given to "the most distinguished in the field, awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of graphic design and visual communication." When you visit either Lustig's site or the Medalist site, you'll see why he is considered a master. His work for Knoll furniture is what caught my attention many years ago, but equally as amazing is this signage system for Northland Shopping Mall in Detroit..

By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of Modern art to graphic design that have had a long-term influence on contemporary practice. He was in the vanguard of a relatively small group who fervently, indeed religiously, believed in the curative power of good design when applied to all aspects of American life.
– “Born Modern” by Steven Heller

( via That's Right)

AIGA: Artist Video Series (HillmanCurtis)

Reading about fellow designers and seeing their work can be inspiring. Hillman Curtis, by way of the AIGA main website, for which I'm a member, allows us to experience leading designers through sound and motion. The Artist Video Series has been available for a long time, but only recently was able to find time to watch these great videos. You might also enjoy exploring the rest of the HillmanCurtis site while you're there.

If you want to save time and follow my recommendations, my favorite is this. Also try Sagmeister, Carson, Glaser.

( via AIGA Inspiration )