WEEKLY EMAIL: JULY 12, 2012

FEATURED THIS WEEK : ALEXANDRA LANGE

Obama's New Fonts

Obama's new campaign slogan, "Betting On America," is set in a pair of suggestively nostalgic, fonts. But the result lacks warmth, lending itself to a critique of Obama's campaign poster similar to the critique of Obama's campaign style: the words are all appropriate, but feeling is lacking.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER

The Architect & The Critic: An Epistolary Tale

A few weekends ago, while tooling about in search of the kind of castoff midmodern relics that those of my generation seem to covet, I came across the following collection of letters at an estate sale. I believe you will find they are quite telling with respect to the practices of both architecture and architectural criticism.
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OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER

Interface Runes

Recently I discovered, in a box full of dusty computer/device manuals and the like, the “Graffiti Reference Card” and stickers that came with a Palm Pilot I owned years ago. It felt like discovering evidence of a dead language, a set of uncanny interaction-design runes.
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NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS

Enter the Sappi Ideas that Matter competition - an annual, innovative grant program that provides monetary support to produce the creative ideas of designers working for social good. Sappi established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who donate their time and talent to create communications materials for a wide range of charitable activities.
More about Ideas that Matter >>
Watch Doug Hebert an inspiration junkie >>
Find out more about Sappi here >>

Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism.
Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >>
The D-Crit Program >>
SVA Website >>

PLACES : RUDABEH PAKRAVAN

Territory Jam: Tehran

In contemporary Tehran, where the city's parks and plazas have been, as Rudabeh Pakravan writes, "delegitimized" by censorship and surveillance, public life has moved indoors — and onscreen. Here Pakravan analyzes the rising importance of illegal television satellites, which beam banned shows from around the world, and which have made the private home "the true public realm, where residents can socialize comfortably and freely, unmonitored by the otherwise pervasive government."
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

Accidental Mysteries: 07.08.12

Street posters, the kind of flotsam that exists near busy street corners, on light poles, walls — anywhere and everywhere in cities large and small, are easily overlooked unless you slow down and take an interest.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : RICK POYNOR

Design a Cover for Eno's Music for Films

LA architect John Bertram’s latest competition, to design an alternative sleeve for Music for Films by Brian Eno, one of the musician’s less familiar instrumental albums, might be the perfect cover design challenge. The competition requires entrants not to replace something that exists with a better alternative, but to imagine something where the album’s creator apparently wanted there to be almost nothing at all.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER

Selling Stories With Stuff

What's bothersome about the way many observers discuss the importance of "story" is that they treat it as a tool, a means to an end, something that exists only in the service of "stuff." But a good story is no means to an an end: It is an end, with a significance all its own.
READ MORE

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Meaningful work is creating impact. A positive future is taking shape.
Submit your proposal >>

D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre.
Learn at SVA >>

A quarterly magazine of art and culture
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Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare.
Join us >>

AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE

Bad Boys of Design IV

Designers Marc Alt, Mike Essl, Alberto Rigau and others.
Listen >>
More Design Matters Archive >>

CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

Bigshot Camera Update

Reporting the status of an innovative children's camera in development
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE

Illusion of Certainty

Hiroshima: Lost Photographs

DIY

PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001

The High Line

High Line photographs from Joel Sternfeld.
READ MORE

RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED

Stop, Think, Go, Do: How Typography & Graphic Design Influence Behavior
Steven Heller and Mirko Ilic

INVENTARIO 04: Everything is a project
Beppe Finessi, editor

Kwadraat–Bladen: A series of graphic experiments 1955—74
Adrian Shaughnessy & Tony Brook, editors


WEEKLY EMAIL: JULY 12, 2012
FEATURED THIS WEEK : ALEXANDRA LANGE Obama's New Fonts Obama's new campaign slogan, "Betting On America," is set in a pair of suggestively nostalgic, fonts. But the result lacks warmth, lending itself to a critique of Obama's campaign poster similar to the critique of Obama's campaign style: the words are all appropriate, but feeling is lacking. READ MORE
OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER The Architect & The Critic: An Epistolary Tale A few weekends ago, while tooling about in search of the kind of castoff midmodern relics that those of my generation seem to covet, I came across the following collection of letters at an estate sale. I believe you will find they are quite telling with respect to the practices of both architecture and architectural criticism. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER Interface Runes Recently I discovered, in a box full of dusty computer/device manuals and the like, the “Graffiti Reference Card” and stickers that came with a Palm Pilot I owned years ago. It felt like discovering evidence of a dead language, a set of uncanny interaction-design runes. READ MORE NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS Enter the Sappi Ideas that Matter competition - an annual, innovative grant program that provides monetary support to produce the creative ideas of designers working for social good. Sappi established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who donate their time and talent to create communications materials for a wide range of charitable activities. More about Ideas that Matter >> Watch Doug Hebert an inspiration junkie >> Find out more about Sappi here >> Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism. Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >> The D-Crit Program >> SVA Website >> PLACES : RUDABEH PAKRAVAN Territory Jam: Tehran In contemporary Tehran, where the city's parks and plazas have been, as Rudabeh Pakravan writes, "delegitimized" by censorship and surveillance, public life has moved indoors — and onscreen. Here Pakravan analyzes the rising importance of illegal television satellites, which beam banned shows from around the world, and which have made the private home "the true public realm, where residents can socialize comfortably and freely, unmonitored by the otherwise pervasive government." READ MORE OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER Accidental Mysteries: 07.08.12 Street posters, the kind of flotsam that exists near busy street corners, on light poles, walls — anywhere and everywhere in cities large and small, are easily overlooked unless you slow down and take an interest. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : RICK POYNOR Design a Cover for Eno's Music for Films LA architect John Bertram’s latest competition, to design an alternative sleeve for Music for Films by Brian Eno, one of the musician’s less familiar instrumental albums, might be the perfect cover design challenge. The competition requires entrants not to replace something that exists with a better alternative, but to imagine something where the album’s creator apparently wanted there to be almost nothing at all. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER Selling Stories With Stuff What's bothersome about the way many observers discuss the importance of "story" is that they treat it as a tool, a means to an end, something that exists only in the service of "stuff." But a good story is no means to an an end: It is an end, with a significance all its own. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Meaningful work is creating impact. A positive future is taking shape. Submit your proposal >> D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre. Learn at SVA >> A quarterly magazine of art and culture Read more >> Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare. Join us >> AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE Bad Boys of Design IV Designers Marc Alt, Mike Essl, Alberto Rigau and others. Listen >> More Design Matters Archive >> CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Bigshot Camera Update Reporting the status of an innovative children's camera in development READ MORE OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE Illusion of Certainty Hiroshima: Lost Photographs DIY PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001 The High Line High Line photographs from Joel Sternfeld. READ MORE RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED Stop, Think, Go, Do: How Typography & Graphic Design Influence Behavior Steven Heller and Mirko Ilic INVENTARIO 04: Everything is a project Beppe Finessi, editor Kwadraat–Bladen: A series of graphic experiments 1955—74 Adrian Shaughnessy & Tony Brook, editors
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