Archive for the Design category
Typography Beautiful Enough for Martha
by evie s. on February 5th, 2008
There is nothing like a great typeface that can carry a design all on its own. Archer, a new release by Hoefler & Frere-Jones is a beautiful piece of work and does just that. I love the graphics that they have created to highlight the artistic qualities of the “sweet but not saccharine, earnest but not grave” typeface.
It was specially created for Martha Stewart Living, so it should be beautiful, right?
Postage Stamp Design
by evie s. on January 31st, 2008
I came across this flickr set of postage stamps from David McFarline, and I really enjoyed the designs. Some of my favs are below, but there is much to appreciate about all of them. They have been collected from various places: Bulgaria, Finland, and Brazil, just to name a few.
Here is a little description about the Bulgarian stamp on the very left:
This one is created for the “Banner of Peace” International Children Festival of Arts. The first run was in July 31, 1979, hence the date on the stamp. The two birds in the girl’s hair correspond to the logo of the festival - two doves in an egg shell, representing the world (also shown on the stamp). The year was chosen to coincide with the International Year of the Child - that logo is also present on the stamp.
See the entire collection of stamps here.
Free Font from FontShop: Anziano
by evie s. on January 17th, 2008
Check out FontShop’s free font from their Best of ‘07 list, called Anziano™.
Stefan Hattenbach’s Anziano™ deserves a spot on the Best of ’07 list as one of the few new designs that hearkens back to classic book typography. Thanks to our friends at Fountain, you can try the Small Caps for free, and when you fall in love with the typeface, come back for the rest.
If you subscribe to FontShop’s newsletter, you will receive regular updates of new fonts, including their occasional free ones. For instructions on how to install a new font, please go here.
Top 10 Fashion Colors for Spring 2008
by evie s. on January 9th, 2008
Pantone is a recognized authority on predicting which colors will prevail with each season, and they’ve just published 10 fresh colors for Spring 2008. This year’s colors consist of “stabilizing neutrals combined with pops” of brighter colors to generate excitement.
I thought it would be fun to find objects for home and fashion that matched the Spring palette, so here it goes:
Golden Olive [Grass & Sky Shower Curtain] // Spring Crocus [Sari Border Curtain] // Rococo Red [3-D Toile Half Apron] // Pink Mist [Seschat Wallpaper] // Croissant [Martha Stewart Trellis Rug]
Freesia [Monk Vase] // Cantaloupe [Mariette Sham] // Daiquiri Green [Lettuce Tea Towel] // Snorkel Blue [Senecca Woven Shirt] and Silver Gray [Tile Tattoos]
Spring is always an inspiring time to inject color in our home and our wardrobe. So let these colors spark a color fever for you as the winter season finally melts away.
Medallions: Things I Love From Ballard Designs
by evie s. on January 2nd, 2008
One graphic pattern that I love is medallions. Some experts believe that the origin of the beautiful medallion design stems from the very religious nature of Turkish weavers, and that their inspiration probably came from the artwork and patterns of domes on their mosques.
Browsing through Ballard Designs catalog today, a couple graphic items caught my eye.
This item is a fun one for the upcoming spring showers. Rain boots in a black and white medallion pattern with a punch of green would liven up any rainy day.
These patchwork prints by designer Grace Feyock that feature decorative medallions in neutral colors are perfect.
These would be easy to duplicate on your own if you have some scrap fabric you want to make a good use of. Add about nine small square frames, and you would be set. Real Simple has a “simple” tutorial for a similar type of project, Frame Fabric for Quick, Inexpensive Art.
Some great fabric in the medallion style can be found in Amy Butler’s Lotus line, available from Purl Soho.
77 Design Gifts for $77
by evie s. on December 4th, 2007
Core77 has just put out their annual gift list for designers, “The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide.” I was a big fan of last year’s guide, so I was pleased to see that they stuck with their tradition. My favorites on the 2007 list are:
- 3-D Paper Snowflake (Free)
- Carrie Bicycle Basket ($45)
Free Font from FontShop
by evie s. on November 28th, 2007
O How I love free fonts from FontShop! They are really are an industry leader in providing professional fonts that are so clean and classic. Check out this new free font called Relato Sans, all you have to do is create an account.
Emtype’s Relato Sans is the best of a fresh new breed of humanist sans serifs. Witness Eduardo Manso’s technical and artistic skill for yourself with this complimentary sampling of the complete OpenType family.
If you subscribe to FontShop’s newsletter, you will receive regular updates of new fonts, including their occasional free ones. For instructions on how to install a new font, please go here.
Business Cards: Design on a Small Palette
by evie s. on November 28th, 2007
Good design is everywhere around us, and since just about anything can spark an idea, it’s also a great commodity. I chose to highlight business cards today because I really like thinking of this small promotional tool as a mini-palette on which to convey a brand. It’s not a lot of space but it can be used creatively to make a big impact. I think it’s wonderful that so many designers are breaking outside of the normal 3.5″ x 2″ design printed on white card stock. Here are just a few that captured my attention, but there is a lot more inspiration out there.
From left to right:
Ellen Jackson:Portraiture [ Via flickr.com ] // elkha [ Via creativebits.org ] // Melissa Duran:Makeup Artist [ Via faveup.com ]
Matilda Jane:Clothing Company [ Via creativebits.org ] // the darling room [ Via creativebits.org ] // pomegranit [ Via spinfeed.com ]
