Juiciful

Tropicana Travails

2009-03-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it came and it went: the redesigned carton for Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice— derided as European, at best, and generic, at worst. It wasn't until the Tropicana debate erupted on the blogosphere that I realized European has such negative connotations; from a design standpoint, European is usually considered a positive. Evidently not to Tropicana loyalists. When I first encountered the new carton, my initial reaction was more ambivalent than negative. It certainly stood out amidst all of the orange (the fruit), orange (the color) and orange tree imagery on all the other cartons of juice. The new Tropicana logotype, which preserved the little green leaf over the "i", seemed an improvement over the previous version, which contained two of my least favorite design conventions: curved type and a gradation. The image of the stemmed glass of juice looked suitably enticing and spoke to a new emphasis on elegance (after all, isn't it rather fancy to drink one's juice from a stemmed glass?).

However, on closer inspection (because I had to buy it), I found the typography to be in serious need of refinement: bad justified paragraphs, two many weights and styles, excessively long line lengths, type placed on the vertical for no apparent reason, etc. In short, not very European.

I certainly didn't feel strongly enough about the redesign to complain to PepsiCo, unlike denizens of loyal Tropicana consumers. This week, Tropicana announced it would return to the original carton design, while maintaining the new, slightly sexual, bulbous orange-shaped cap. So the iconic orange with the red and white striped straw is back. It's an appealing image; it always was, with the implication of fresh squeezed taste. Although, I know fresh-squeezed o.j., and, Tropicana Pure Premium, you're no fresh squeezed. However, Tropicana—even the original design above—is still the best looking mass brand of o.j. on the shelves.

I'm curious to see how the equally controversial Pepsi redesign (also by the Arnell Group) plays out in the coming weeks. Good God, is it too European?

Typographic Pledge

2009-02-25T11:23:00.001-08:00

In Type I, students often ask me: "Which fonts should we use?" This is a tricky question, as students are always looking for some magic formula, such as: Snappy Copy + Helvetica Neue + Pantone 490 = Good Design. Ah, would that it were that easy. Unfortunately, the use of well designed typefaces does not automatically lead to good typography; God knows I've seen plenty of crappy projects set in Gill Sans, which is not an inherently terrible typeface. With students, it is much easier to say which typefaces should be avoided at all costs. Almost every quarter, in every class, I express my extreme distaste for the wretched Papyrus. So legendary is my disdain for Papyrus, that students have taken to using it as a sort of twisted font of endearment with me (see below).

Thanks to Jeff Matz of Lure Design, we now have this lovely Simple Typographic Pledge in poster format. I encourage designers, particularly educators, to post this Pledge wherever fonts are used. And perhaps, in some utopian distant future, all evidence of Papyrus, Hobo and the like will be eradicated from our material culture lest future generations judge us a tacky, typographically insensitive boobs.

Feeling the Love

2009-02-19T15:33:00.001-08:00

I was most excited to receive one of Marian Bantjes's lovely Valentines. I recently had the good fortune to host Marian when she was here for the opening of Marian Bantjes Shows Off. In person, she is a force of nature: breezing into town in a big comfy Cadillac a mere 15 minutes before her artist's talk, swallowing a handful of cheese slices on Ritz crackers (she was hungry and that's all we could scrounge up in a hurry), and proceeding to give one of the most funny, poignant, articulate presentations I've ever seen. Fabulous. I felt like we received a little sprinkling of pixie dust.

And now the Valentine. It's a beautiful and mysterious little love (?) letter that begins and ends in medias res. I've read it and reread it. The lettering is dense and swash-filled and contains phrases like "cow eyes or kitten breath or python squeezes or whatever turns your fancy". The ambiguity is what makes the Valentine so memorable. Who is the true recipient? What is this story about? It feels like a bit of a voyeuristic intrusion just to read it. And the paper: pink vellum, of course. I think Marian is single handedly keeping Reich Paper (I'm assuming that's what she used) in business.

Thank you, Marian for such a sweet little gift.

Alexander Gírard at House Industries

2009-02-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

Could there be any better tribute to a beloved and iconic designer than to have a series of typefaces created in one's honour? House Industries has just released a veritable cornucopia of Alexander Gírard-inspired fonts and products. The Gírard products are not cheap, but they are gorgeous and sunny and full of happy optimism. I know it's extravagant, but my little Liliana might just have to get a Rosy Casa Doll:

Barack Obama: The Triumph of Good Design

2009-01-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons why Barack Obama has become the 44th president of the United States, however, I like to think of his campaign as a triumph of good design. And I mean design in the most general sense of the word, but particularly, definitions 1, 2, and 5 from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary:

1 a: a particular purpose held in view by an individual or group designs for his son> b: deliberate purposive planning design>
2: a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down
5 a: an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding : pattern , motif design of the epic> b: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (as a scientific experiment) ; also : the process of preparing this

Many months ago, during the long, but entertaining primary, season, I looked at the websites of several of the candidates. Barack Obama's site was a breath of fresh air in contrast to the amateur and cluttered sites of, literally, every single candidate on both sides. Obama was the only candidate with a clear graphic identity: the eventually ubiquitous rising sun logo that proved so adaptable throughout the course of the campaign. The barackobama.com website utilized typography, icons, and color in an organized, orderly manner; it was easy to navigate and customize via a Facebook-esque dashboard. Much like the Obama campaign, the website was truly contemporary and sophisticated, demonstrating a technological savvy untouched by any of the other campaigns. The Obama camp ran the first ever Millennial, grassroots, viral campaign that took advantage of the web as the ultimate venue for information distribution and community building. People—young people, old people, multi-ethnic people, previously apathetic people—were actually inspired by and engaged in politics, many for the first time ever.

Of course, as a designer, I'd like to think that good design—developing a clear vision with a strategic plan to make that vision manifest—was largely responsible for Barack Obama's success. This is not to diminish President Obama's charisma, charm, eloquence, vigor, intelligence, and incredible sense of style. In retrospect, poor John McCain (and his train wreak of a campaign) never had a chance. He just seemed old and out of touch, while Obama really did come to represent, dare I say it: hope.

In the months since Obama was elected, his design team has continued to update and re-tool his online identity, first with the change.gov site:

And, now, with the newly released whitehouse.gov:

Gone is the bold, sans serif Gotham, replaced with the more formal, and quite beautiful, Hoefler Text, along with a softer sans serif: Whitney (looks great here). Two more gorgeous typefaces from one of the best foundries around: Hoefler & Frere-Jones. The new website is, naturally, more white and definitely more formal, however, it still maintains enough typographic, layout, and navigational similarities to the original barackobama.com site that it looks like a logical visual evolution.

Many people, myself included, have high hopes for President Obama and his new administration. It's much more difficult to run a country, especially a country as wreaked as ours, than to create a nice website. However, I think Barack Obama exceeds the sum of his parts and has the potential to actually effect change, provided he sticks to his guns and continues to have a design.

Marian Bantjes Shows Off

2009-01-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

I am so super duper excited about Marian Bantjes's upcoming visit to the Central Coast. Due to random forces beyond my control, Marian agreed to do a show (her first ever one woman gallery exhibition) in our humble University Art Gallery. Technically, I am the curator of this show, although my task was ridiculously easy (except for stringing all those itty bitty little hearts on vellum that dangle from the big LOVE banner) as Marian planned the layout and installation of the work down to the last minutiae. The show is absolutely stunning and provides a rare insight into the workings of a hyper-creative mind. Marian's choice of media is diverse and unconventional, ranging from traditional drawing materials to sugar and fake fur. She is incredibly prolific, yet her work always maintains an astonishingly high (i.e., mind blowing) level of detail and intricacy.

The show includes over 130 separate pieces and provides the viewer with an opportunity to experience a full range of Marian’s creative endeavors, including: original drawings, paintings, fabric pattern design, typeface development and tons of printed pieces on unique substrates using way cool techniques (like laser cutting and foil stamping). It rocks my world. If my students aren't inspired and fired up by this, I will sink into a deep pit of despair.

Happy Birthday Elvis

2009-01-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Today is Elvis's birthday. Here is my ode to you:

Elvis
King of Rock and Roll
You of the Pelvis
Treat Me Like a Fool
Treat Me Mean and Cruel
But, Love Me
Consumer of Meatloaf
Wearer of the Jumpsuit
'68 Comeback Special
Name in Lights
Jungle Room
King of Excess
Mystery Train
Voice of an Angel

Elvis, I hope you have found Peace in your Valley. Today, I had a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich in your honour.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

In some cultures, and among the superstitious, it is believed that the New Year's Day meal sets to tone for the rest of the year. Needless to say, the year of the disastrous chili in which I forgot to pre-cook the beans (whoops!) still haunts our household. As does the year of the Emeril potato lasagne in which the potatoes never really cooked through even though I followed the recipe to the letter (unlike the disastrous chili).

This year, I decided to keep things simple: no untested techniques, no science experiences, no elaborate baking. The dinner menu: gingery panko-crusted salmon with stir fried sweet potato hash (my new favorite side dish courtesy of the studly and fabulous Minimalist, Mark Bittman) and shaved brussels sprouts with pancetta, garnished with pomegranate seeds for color/kid interest. Do these three items go together? Not particularly well; I probably would have to pack my knives and go if I were competing on Top Chef. But, hey, I've got a 4 month old, a 3 year old, I've spent much of the holiday season cooking/baking like a maniac, and now have less than a week to prep three design classes. I used what I had in the freezer, fridge and pantry. Seriously, this meal required nary a trip to the farmer's market or grocery store. It was done start to finish in less than half an hour; watch out Rachel Ray.

And for dessert (okay, we actually had it for afternoon tea and will probably soon be helping ourselves to round two): the ridiculously easy Sherry Cake that Mark's neighbor kindly made for us on our last trip up to the Bay Area.

A beautiful day for the Rose Parade, yummy food, and—praise all that is holy and good—a new president. I think 2009 is already shaping up to be a fantastic year.

Inspiration: Jason + J.R.'s House

2008-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite people—Jason and J.R.—and their fabulously stylish home are featured on Apartment Therapy today. Even when Jason had a tiny studio apartment in NYC it was so cleverly appointed that it always felt fresh and never cluttered. I can only aspire to his heights of home decorating prowess. You're a genius, Jason. And you mix a great cocktail, J.R.

Charley Harper

2008-12-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

I was perusing the over-stuffed kid's clothes racks at Old Navy when I stumbled upon these gorgeous Charley Harper flash cards. How excited was I to find out that Old Navy is selling an entire line of Harper products—appropriate for either the toddler, designer or animal lover on your Christmas list. Charley Harper's illustrations are unmatched in their beautiful simplicity and economy of form and line. I love, love, love them. Shortly before his death in 2007, Charles Harper collaborated with Todd Oldham on Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life: a loving tribute to an amazing, prolific, inspiring artist.

It's THAT Time of Year

2008-12-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for designers the world over to agonize over the daunting yearly task of coming up with the perfect holiday card. It's also the time for conspicuous consumption of sugary treats, high fat cocktails (booze + cream = nirvana), slow cooked meats, and decorative typefaces. Try some free holiday fonts or a dingbat or two to get you in the mood.

Congratulations, Barack Obama

2008-11-04T21:32:00.001-08:00

Reason, good sense, and open mindedness has prevailed. History has been made. At the juiciful headquarters, we lifted our Obama-rama cocktails in celebration. What a glorious day.

Brad, Beautiful Brad

2008-10-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

The ever beguiling Brad Pitt has teamed up with Kiehl's in the development of the first ever beauty product with cradle to cradle certification: "Aloe Vera" Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser. I'm not quite sure what expertise Brad possesses in the science of emollients, but, hey, I'm sold. If it's good enough for the beautiful Brangelina brood, it's good enough for me. Another good reason to buy it: 100% of the profits will go toward Brad's "Make It Right" initiative, which is dedicated to the construction of environmentally sustainable, affordable housing for the displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina. Brad Pitt—swoon-inducing doting daddy, friend to the dashing George Clooney, modernist, humanitarian and American treasure—what's not to love?

Typography for Obama

2008-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

I was just perusing the Artists for Obama section of barackobama.com and saw this lovely poster by Jonathan Hoefler of Hoefler & Frere-Jones. Simple, bold and beautiful; I adore this poster. Robert Indiana has also adapted his iconic LOVE sculpture in support of Obama's message of HOPE:
Unfortunately, I don't have $2500 to spend on the Indiana print. I'll just have to wait for President Obama to usher in a new era of prosperity and fiscal responsibility.

Show Your Support with Tea

2008-10-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

An anonymous reader turned me on to this gorgeous Vik Muniz-esque portrait of Obama in organic African Red Bush Rooibos tea. I love tea and the idea of drinking for Change. There is even a Extra-Mavericky version for all you crazy McCain supporters out there. Although his portrait is not nearly as appealing; I detect a note of partisanship.

Debate No. 3 and the Project Runway Connection

2008-10-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last night fashion and politics collided (okay, maybe only in my mind) with two momentous finales: the third and final presidential debate and the season (perhaps series) finale of Project Runway 5. Okay, so I was kind of rooting for Korto's subtly Africanesque collection with it's gorgeous colours and restrained use of over-sized beads. That green halter dress was a stunner and I don't think the garments were particularly overworked (once she wisely, unlike Kenley, ditched the crazy wedding dress). But, ultimately, Leanne's cool (literally with all those diaphanous blues) intellectual approach won out. It was hard not to draw a connection between the judges' response to Leanne's collection and those bizarre squiggly lines of biofeedback from the supposedly undecided focus groups watching debate no. 3. As a recessional malaise sweeps over the country, content appears to be reigning supreme over the cult of personality. Obama's calm, cool, collected, look directly into the camera and try to stay on topic approach seemed much more presidential, as the talking heads like to say, than McCain's bizarre tangents, random accusations, twitching, eye rolling, evident discomfort and apparent seething rage. Tim Gunn and the American people have spoken: the time has come for quiet thoughtfulness, intelligent solutions, environmental awareness and the ascendancy of the slightly nerdy. Hooray.

Logobama

2008-10-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

A super fun way to show your Obama support (or just have fun with a logo): customize the logo using Logobama o8. Above is Lily, my tiny little, adorable Obama supporter.

It's fun, it's free, and you don't even need to have Photoshop skills.

Baking for Barack

2008-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

After extensive research, newspaper reading, debate watching, liberal media consumption, occasional Fox News viewing, soul searching and logo analysis, we, at the Juiciful creative laboratory, have decided to officially endorse Barack Obama for president. In honor of the Obama campaign's superior graphics, we encourage our readers to move beyond the bumper sticker/yard sign and explore more creative means to express the support of your candidate. Witness the glorious oatmeal cake—a revelation of moist deliciousness—reconfigured as the Obama logo. A yummy treat to enjoy during tonight's debate.

Gun-Slingin' Caribou Barbie

2008-09-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Just couldn't resist this little funny from College OTR. I especially love the pink polluting snowmobile. Although, truth be told, Barbie's outfit is much more chic than Madam Palin's wardrobe.

Little Lily: Juicy New Addition

2008-09-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I will be taking a brief hiatus/maternity leave from blogging to enjoy the latest addition to the juiciful family:

Liliana Mireille was born on August 22 at 9:13 am. She weighed a hearty 9 lbs, 4 oz.

Check back in October for more hard-hitting and wide-ranging posts on everything from vintage typography to this year's wacky political race.

Karim Rashid's Kurve

2008-08-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am an unapologetic lover of pink, biomorphic shapes, and shiny stuff. When I saw the above image of Karim Rashid's lastest design venture—the interior of Kurve, Andy Yang's new Thai restaurant in the East Village—my first response was: "when can I move in?" Karim Rashid is one of those love him or hate him type of designers: a bit Jetsons-esque, neon, and overly bulbous in his aesthetic. I noticed a number of vitriolic responses to his puffy pink design for Kurve; lots of people don't dig on pink or soft forms or non-traditional interior spaces. Whatever. I'd love to sip on a gigantic pink umbrella drink while feasting on delicate spring rolls, sitting in a big soft cozy pink chair, and discussing the timeless appeal of Barbarella.

The Posters: Hope or Nope. You Decide.

2008-08-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

I just loved Shepard Fairey’s iconic silk-screened poster of Obama. Great simplified portrait, fantastic use of red, white and blue, and lovely clean typography. And you've gotta love OBEY and their "propaganda engineering." As the original HOPE print is no longer available, we'll just have to settle for the NOPE version. It's clearly derivative and the portrait is not nearly as flattering. The inclusion of that wretched Optima Bold McCain logo doesn't help either. But, I suppose it will just have to do. Oh yeah, it's also available on a t-shirt.

Mmm, Orange Coconut Flan

2008-08-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

As far as I'm concerned, flan can be a hit or miss dessert. I've experienced the gamut: from creamy and delicious to cold, wet, gelatinous concoctions. However, after making this version of flan—based on a Design*Sponge post by Lorenza Barrezueta from last week—I think I've discovered the secret: a water bath. Normally I fear the water bath because I associate it with cheesecake and springform pans and quadruple layers of aluminum foil, but since flan is basically cooked in a pie plate, there are none of those pesky leakage issues at play. This recipe is simple, although I would suggest one modification: use less sugar. I like a really dark caramel, so I felt than 1 cup of sugar made a bit too much. I also added my own twist: the zest of one orange (when one has two orange trees in the front yard, lots of recipes end up with zest). I am re-printing the recipe with my own modifications:

Flan de Coco y Naranja (Orange Coconut Flan)

prep time: 20 minutes
time from start to serving: 5 hours

Stove Top Caramel

1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar (vary the amount depending on how much caramel you like)
1 2qt round glass mold (I used a 10 inch pie plate)
1 large roasting pan

Pour the sugar into the glass mold and place over medium to low heat. Cook until the sugar is completely melted and the caramel is a nice medium amber color. Be sure to constantly stir the sugar with a spoon so as to not burn the caramel.

As soon as your caramel is ready immediately remove from the heat (it will continue to bubble off the heat) and VERY carefully tilt the dish so that the caramel evenly coats the sides and bottom of the mold. Let the mold cool, place inside of the roasting pan and set aside.

Flan Filling

1 can of coconut milk
1 can condensed milk
5 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch of salt
zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and pour the custard into the caramelized mold. Then pour warm water into the roasting pan to create the water bath. The water should ONLY come to halfway up the side of the mold. Carefully place on the middle rack of your oven, and cook for about an hour. Test the flan to see if it’s done by inserting a knife in the center. If the flan is still soft, let it cook a bit longer until the knife comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, carefully run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a dessert plate on top of the flan and invert to pop it out. Garnish with some fresh fruit and enjoy.

Paris Schools McCain

2008-08-06T08:57:00.001-07:00

I never thought that Paris Hilton would be capable of making a presidential candidate look like a a complete buffoon, but she, and her people, have done just that. Good on you Paris for creating your own response ad to McCain's ridiculous, misleading and mean-spirited Obama as celebrity attack ad. While I realize that presidential candidates aren't in the business of creating their own ads (thank God), they do "approve" ads created for them, and I think the McCain team's use of this ad speaks to their desperation and complete lack of focus on true intellectual discourse. And now, Paris Hilton, of all people, has shown just how ludicrous political campaigns can get:

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Juiciful does not endorse Paris Hilton for president.

Love Stories, Bantjes Style

2008-08-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Could the work of Marian Bantjes be more amazing? I think not. In January, I will have the opportunity to host Marian for an exhibition of her work on campus and I can't wait (okay, I'm totally peeing my pants in anticipation). To say that I admire Marian's incredible typographic stylings is a gross understatement. Even time I see a new piece I'm blown away by both her wit and artistry. Lucky subscribers to Creative Review will receive the beautiful, touching, and funny Love Stories Monograph. I particularly like the visual ode to cake:

If you're in need of a little cry, check out the mom piece. It's tough to read, but worth the effort.

Design Mind from the Minds at Frog Design

2008-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's always very satisfying when former students let you know that they are actually getting to do some design (as opposed to fetching lattes and doing type monkey production work). I received a copy of Frog Design's new publication: Design Mind from a recent grad who worked on both the magazine and web site layouts. The current issue includes a nice interview with Erik Spiekermann on how he developed a series of gorgeous house numbers for Design (not quite) Within Reach.

Nice work on the design, Jokubas.

Seasonally Inappropriate Dessert

2008-07-24T16:01:00.001-07:00

I came across this recipe for Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake in a rather roundabout way. It looked so yummy that I had to make it immediately, in spite of how seasonally inappropriate it is. Berries and Cream, No-Bake Cheesecake, Tropical Sorbets, Semifreddo: that's the sweet stuff of summer. Oatmeal, nutmeg, and, God forbid, the broiler: perfect for a fall day in Wisconsin.

What can I say? A craving is a craving. And let me tell you: this cake is a stunner. It's super moist and delicious. Plus, I've always considered desserts than contain oatmeal to be health food, really (clearly one cup of oatmeal cancels out 3 sticks of butter):

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

1 1/4 cups boiling water + 1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar -- packed
2 tablespoons milk 1/3 cup nuts -- chopped
3/4 cup coconut flakes

Pour boiling water over oatmeal. Let stand 20 minutes. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Blend in vanilla and eggs. Add oatmeal and mix well. Sift flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg together. Add to oatmeal mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes in a 9" pan. [I used a 10" round pan] Frosting: Cream butter with brown sugar. Add milk. Stir in nuts and coconut. Spread over cake and broil until bubbly.

*Note: I was hoping to avoid the broiler part, as nothing terrifies me more than using the broiler, and, afterall, it is July. However, this step is not to be skipped or the frosting will taste too much of grainy brown sugar. The broiling literally takes seconds: don't walk away and be prepared to pull it out as soon as the frosting starts to bubble and melt.

Why Being a Designer Can Be Hell

2008-07-23T16:31:00.001-07:00

Or, why clients often make me want to put a bullet in my head:

Thanks to Robert at ND for sending me the link to Today's Big Thing.

Comic Sans Saves the Day?

2008-07-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

Those crazy kids at College Humor have a hilarious take on fonts:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Gorgeous Napkin Type

2008-07-21T16:57:00.001-07:00

I don't really know much about SHCH Graphics Group other than the fact that they have some absolutely stunning (sounds like a Tim Gunn expression) typography featured on their website. Somebody(ies?) in their studio is beyond skilled with a pen and ink. I will never again have the same view of the simple napkin sketch now that I have seen what typographic heights can be achieved on this less than forgiving substrate. Oh l'amour, those napkins put me in my happy place.

Summer Indulgence: Project Runway/Rungay

2008-07-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, as I enter the final and most heinous month of pregnancy, I need a little indulgence, and the new (and perhaps, final, sigh) season of Project Runway has arrived just in the nick of time. I don't know what's better: watching super suave Tim Gunn (my teaching muse) tell the designers they're all a bunch of uncreative "slackers" (oh, how many times have I wanted to use that term with my students) or reading the Project Rungay blog ("Project Runway and Fashion from a Bitchy Gay Perspective"). The judges are in fine form this season, already punchy and biting, although I can't say that I entirely agree with their winning and losing selections. Yes, the surface treatments on the vacuum cleaner bags that comprise the bottom section of Kelli's dress are brilliant. But, that bodice? Good God, those flattened, burned coffee filter boobie holders are ridiculous.

However, I was more shocked when poor, sad sack, awkward Jerry was eliminated for the killer nurse raincoat getup. I agree, it was hideously designed, constructed and styled, but there appeared to be some sort of concept, flawed though it was. But this:

Honestly, I just can't abide this garbage bag monstrosity by Cher's evil twin: the tacky, tasteless, un-age-appropriate Stella. A friend of mine made a sexier, punk rock princess frock out of a garbage bag in the sixth grade. True story. Let's hope they don't keep this talentless freak on the show just because she's an "interesting" personality.

Why I am a Designer

2008-07-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

My friend, and fellow designer Jason, just alerted me to this hilarious pie chart from the ChangeOrder blog. So true: especially the "chunky black glasses" part. Although, the chart is skewed at little toward our (how shall I say: slightly older) generation; I'm not sure my students will ever experience the joys of a Bestine high (mmm, such a superior solvent: I can still smell it) or the fine line elegance of a Rapidograph. Dick Blick is now marketing the Rapidograph as a quaint tool worth rediscovering, which "stands out almost magically against the bland precision of computer rendered graphics." How retro.

Constraction at Deitch Projects

2008-07-11T15:15:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why I torture myself by remaining on the Deitch Projects mailing list, since every time a new exhibition announcement arrives, I really really really wish I lived a little closer to NYC. Take, for instance, the above installation view of Constraction, the latest show at Deitch; it looks like contemporary abstraction at its most glorious. According to the Deitch site, the artists included in the show (one of my absolute favorites: Tauba Auerbach) are "reshuffling the deck of conceptualism and minimalism" and "reviving strategies in abstraction that have fallen into disuse and reinvigorating them with contemporary concerns". That's artspeak for abstract work the acknowledges the past without being overly referential, drab, boring, and over done. Plus, it looks really cool.

Cool Design of the Day

2008-07-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

I just found this inspiring site that features a fabulous design (both graphic and product) of the day: designanddesign.com. There are some very cool pieces in the archives. Designanddesign is my new favorite first thing in the morning site.

A Dream Come True: Type Camp

2008-07-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since I took a summer book arts workshop at Penland School of Crafts in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, I've been a huge proponent of art camps. It works like this: you go to some incredibly beautiful—often times remote—location, stay in a charming cabin, eat healthy food prepared by someone else, and take workshops in the media of your choice during the day. There is usually lots of studio time and blissfully quiet down time to contemplate the beauty of nature when one is not working in the studio (although, strangely, inspiration comes easy at art camp, so studio time fills a good portion of the day and night).

Little Iain and I accompanied Jeff to Anderson Ranch when Iain was a mere three months old. Even though I wasn't taking a workshop, it was fantastic to soak up some of the positive vibe at Anderson Ranch, which is one of the swankier art camps around.

However, just when I thought I knew about all the good art camps, I stumbled upon the ultimate camp for graphic designers: Type Camp on spectacular Galiano Island in British Columbia. I'm thinking summer of 2009: a family vacation in the gorgeous B.C. wilderness (posh cabins are as wild as I get) with mommy geeking out on type for a week. A dream come true.

Iain's First Trip to Art Camp, 2005: near Anderson Ranch, Snowmass, Colorado

Art + Kids = Good

2008-06-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last night at the dinner table, three year old Iain said: "remember when we went to the Murakami show?" I don't know what made him think of Murakami while eating chicken burritos— especially since we saw ©Murakami over six months ago at MOCA—but, no matter. I'm continually amazed at how much a kid can take in and remember; I swear my little guy has a photographic memory, particularly for all things visual. He's seen a lot of art in his short life, but evidently he loves Murakami as much as mommy. I remember defending the ©Murakami exhibition to a colleague (is the term "colleague" even used outside of academia?) and this got me thinking about how academics and critics can kill the entire experience of art. There is no shortage of scholarly debate surrounding the merits, of lack thereof, of Murakami, and although I've read quite a bit of it, I can't say that it's made me more or less an appreciator of his work. For me, debating the merits of Murakami is a bit like agonizing over the nutritional value of the world's most delicious cheesecake. The consumption of perfect cheesecake is much too pleasurable to even consider fat, calories, et al, so why bother? Experiencing a Murakami exhibition is wildly, visually delicious, it makes me happy, and his total over-the-topness transcends the intellect and cuts straight to the heart (like most good art). Even a three year old could tell you that.

Heat Wave Necessitates Major Popsicle Consumption

2008-06-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

It's pretty much too hot to do much of anything right now. Triple digits outside (unseasonably warm for the usually temperate Central Coast). My indoor thermometer is registering an uncomfortable 90.5 (no air conditioning in our little house on account of the usually temperate climate). Just about the only thing I can do under the current conditions is consume massive amount of popsicles. Hey, I'm cooling off for two.

Reading Mark Bittman's fabulous food blog has got me thinking about making my own popsicles: fun, much more affordable, and healthier. Just yesterday I was completely ripped off by Trader Joe's when I spent $2.59 on a box of Soy Creamy Orange Vanilla Bars. When I picked up the box, I noticed it was suspiciously light, but in my popsicle mania, I failed to read the "contains 3 bars" text. Okay, so maybe 86 cents is a small price to pay for the supposedly healthy soy-based version of a dreamsicle, but I was still miffed to open the box and find only three lousy popsicles. I simply must put a stop to store-bought popsicles and go into home production. Now to find the perfect popsicle mold and begin my culinary experimentation.

Crazy Type

2008-06-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

This crazy, intricate collaged type by Oliver Barrett at Go Media is simply amazing. I was just at an award's banquet for students in which one of the speakers advised them: "Maybe you should go somewhere lame, like Cleveland. (as opposed to the usual destinations of S.F. and L.A.)" Californians tend to think that the entire of middle of the country is a complete wasteland—and it can be, in winter. But, evidently, there's some pretty hot design coming out of Cleveland. Maybe it's not so lame after all.

Inspiration: Cornerstone Gardens

2008-06-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Recently, the family and I took a little trip north to visit the most wonderful friends who live in a ridiculously well appointed, surprisingly kid-friendly Eichler house and cook a constant array of glorious food made with super duper fresh local produce. Mark and Paul, you're the best hosts ever.

And because they're the best hosts ever, they introduced us to the fantastic Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma. The gardens feature magical—often interactive—garden installations, for lack of a better term. A great destination for kids, grownups, garden enthusiasts, art lovers and those in search of inspiration. And, because it's Sonoma, there's wine tasting of course (just a side benefit).

Kitchen Adventures: Ricotta

2008-06-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

my very own homemade ricotta: yum!

Last week I read an article in the NY Times about how Suddenly, Ricotta's a Big Cheese. Ever since, I've been fantasizing about that bland creamy delicious blank palette of a cheese that is ricotta. Naturally, I had to try the seemingly simple recipe for, I kid you not, homemade ricotta.

I can proudly report that I did a load of laundry and made cheese before 8:00am this morning. Making soft cheese is a bit like printing black and white film: simultaneously chemical and magical as one waits for something to emerge from a swirling liquid mass. I loved watching the steaming curds bubble to the surface of hot milk while that little red line on the thermometer climbed to 175 degrees. The process is indeed simple:

Pour 2 quarts of whole milk and 2 cups of buttermilk into a heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently; scrape bottom of pot occasionally to prevent scorching. When mixture is steaming hot, stop stirring; wait and watch patiently until mixture reaches 175 to 180 degrees on a candy thermometer. Curds and whey will then separate.

Immediately turn off heat and gently ladle curds into a sieve lined with 4 layer of cheesecloth. I have to admit that this is the first time I used cheesecloth for its namesake purpose.

When all curds are in sieve and dripping has slowed (about 5 minutes), gently gather edges of cloth and twist to bring curds together; do not squeeze. Let drain 15 minutes more. Untie cloth and pack ricotta into airtight containers. Refrigerate and use within one week.

Truly amazing: fresh cheese in the time in takes to consume one's morning cup of coffee. I'm thinking Greek yogurt is next.

Fresh ricotta recipe adapted from the super suave Michael Chiarello's "Casual Cooking." Michael, I dig your Napa style.

The Green Grocery Store Project

2008-05-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

I recently read about the most amazing design project that challenged students to envision ways to raise consumer awareness concerning the actual recyclability (I don't think this is a word) of product packaging in the typical grocery store. The goal was to educate without condemnation, yet to influence consumer habits through clever and compelling design. KT Meaney at North Carolina State University did a fantastic job conceptualizing and implementing this project. For more images, check out the recycling awareness site that students created for the project.

AIGA: Designing Water's Future

2008-05-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's global. It's interesting. It's needed. It might even make students think. It's AIGA's Aspen Design Challenge, "a call to students worldwide, to use their creative talent and strategic design skills to address a crucial global problem." The goal of the project is to raise awareness for the global water crisis in visually innovative ways that inspire people to act. This sounds like such a great design project for students, particularly my California kids, many of whom hail from SoCal: a desert turned unnaturally green through fastidious and ecologically irresponsible use of the sprinkler. I'm so inspired by this project that I'm actually contemplating ways to fit it in during my fall maternity leave. Plus, I want to go to the World Summit on Climate Change in 2009. It's Copenhagen or bust. The larger question is: are my students actually in possession of "creative talent and strategic design skills"? Hmm. I'll try to be an optimist here.

Halleluiah: California Does Something Right

2008-05-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of California, in a move both bold and sensible, overturned the ridiculous, discriminatory ban on gay marriage. Even the Governator said he "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling." The conservative wackos are already waging the usual campaign of bigotry, ignorance, intolerance, fear, and hatred. Let's pray (yes, I said pray) that the ruling stands and our lovely, but flawed state, can at least get this thing right.

And, if you know any happy couples who plan to tie the knot, check out Handsome Devil Press's fabulous line of cards for just such an occasion.

The Original Design Gangsta

2008-05-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I'm the last person to hear about Kyle T. Webster's hilarious Design Gangsta video (at least according to my students). Of course, my students would do just about anything to avoid working on actual class projects, but they are well versed in design a la pop culture. At least they get the humor. But, Kyle, man, did you vertically stretch the Rosewood that rolls past the Mini? Shamies, you crazy gangsta.

Democratic National Convention Goes Green

2008-05-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Evidently, the 2008 Democratic National Convention will be "the most environmentally-sustainable Democratic Convention in history," with delegates challenged to purchase carbon offsets in order to feel good and compete for a "green" prize. Although, I think that carbon offsets are a bit of a boondoggle, I am encouraged that the Dems are at least taking some sort of environmental stand. And, kudos, to Denver-based graphic designer Kristi King for specing 100 percent post-consumer recycled chlorine-free paper for all DNCC printed materials.

A Simply Perfect Design

2008-05-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

I just read Michael Bierut's lovely essay on the Brannock Foot Measuring Device. What a glorious example of artfully packaged functionality: it's sleek, modern and contains type on a curve that is entirely appropriate. Plus, isn't there something highly charged and seductive about having someone remove your shoe and cradling your foot in the Brannock Foot Measuring Device? I have vague memories of getting my feet properly measured as a child/young adult; it made the whole shoe shopping experience so personal and special. But, then again, I cannot tell a lie: I do have a slight shoe fetish.

Recipe for a Perfect Mother's Day

2008-05-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

1. Have yummy tea cake for breakfast (make night before). I made this very simple carrot tea cake (courtesy of Martha). I did make one small alteration: just couldn't resist doing a drizzle of orange cream cheese glaze (mix a little softened cream cheese, some confectioner's sugar and fresh squeezed o.j. until drizzle-able).

2. Spend some quality beauty of nature time with the family. A day at the beach is even better if it's chilly and overcast, because it will be more serene.

3. Have a professional make you a really lovely coffee drink. If you are on the Central Coast where great coffee is not exactly in abundance, you can try Joe Mama's at Avila Beach: fantastic view and a fabulous latte.

4. Don't try to accomplish anything other than a manicure for the rest of day. Yee ha, now that's what I call a perfect day.

I hope all you moms out there had a great day. And, Mom, I hope you had your very own delicious latte in the sky (a life of faithful mass attendance should guarantee a heavenly barista).

200 Monster Drawings

2008-05-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

I just discovered the happiest site ever. It showcases the work of Stefan G. Bucher, who has posted 200 videos of him drawing these fabulous little monsters. The banjo intro and adorable drawings will give you a reason to smile and procrastinate (just a little) while at work.

Messiest Beauty Treatment on Earth

2008-05-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's challenging to be pregnant is the contemporary era. Gone are the days of lounging about in one's maternity caftan, martini in hand, cigarette artfully perched between one's red manicured nails. Those halcyon days have been replaced by the age of fear and guilt—raw milk cheese, runny yolks, almost any fish, all manner of salumi, a thimble full of wine, and worst of all, many beauty treatments: strictly forbidden. How's a girl supposed to get her glow on with three months of re-growth showing?

For a natural, safe alternative to chemical hair processes I turned to my favorite and most trusted purveyor of "fresh handmade cosmetics": the always reliable Lush. I had remembered reading about their "completely natural and safe," yet ridiculously messy and time-intensive hair hennas (also called, no lie, Les Cacas) in the Lush Times.

Okay, so I consider myself to be rather intrepid when it comes to in-home beauty treatments, and I was determined to give Les Cacas a chance. The first step involves chopping up some chunks of the henna (it looks like a chocolate bar, but smells like wet hay and green tea), mixing with water (or, in my case, coffee—Illy, no less) and heating in a double boiler until it's the consistency of yogurt. Lush has an entire customer forum devoted to Les Cacas, which I highly recommend reading for useful tips and additives (this is where I learned that mixing the henna with coffee leads to a richer brown).

When Les Cacas is bearably hot, one slathers it throughout the hair. It's a bit like piling mud on your head and trying to get it evenly distributed. Then, cover the big mess with a plastic shower cap and go about your business for the next, oh, five or six hours (again, no lie). When you just can't stand it any longer, remove shower cap, behold the hideous pile of dirt that is your hair with the dried-on Cacas (they don't call it Cacas for nothin'), partially fill a tub, let hair soak until the mixture starts to soften. Then take a shower and rinse and rinse (use lots of conditioner and then end with shampoo) until water runs clear. Les Cacas makes an enormous mess; the difficulty of both the application and removal process cannot be understated.

But the results: total hair perfection. I did my first Les Cacas experiment about six weeks ago. I could not believe how fantastic my hair looked, felt, and behaved after the whole henna adventure. I suspect this is due to the high content of cocoa butter, which is used to bind the henna. In the interest of full disclosure: henna definitely does not have the grey coverage of chemical coloring (greys turn a much lighter, golden shade), but I found the brunette shade that I achieved with Caca Brun to be the richest, most natural-looking brown ever. I am now a complete henna disciple and actually look forward to continuing experimentation and concoction of various henna mixes in my kitchen. The whole process is complete madness, yet seems very ancient and earthy. I can totally envision Nefertiti or Cleopatra lounging all day eating peeled grapes while having a conditioning henna treatment.

Iain + Artist Series: Joe Biel

2008-05-01T10:15:00.001-07:00

One of the few perks of working in academia is being able to invite one's friends and/or creative idols to come to campus as visiting artists. I would have to classify the wildly talented Joe Biel as both friend and creative idol. Man, can Joe draw. His work is simultaneously beautiful and disturbing, strangely bleak, yet always tinged with humor. In person, Joe is hilarious and completely down to earth—totally unassuming given his talent, impeccable taste, brilliant imagination and ridiculously comprehensive knowledge of art. He defies the model of aloof, obnoxious, egomaniacal, too-cool-for-school artist. In addition, he's an ace at drawing old school Ironman, so he's always welcome in Iain's art studio.

Iain is Three

2008-04-30T16:00:00.001-07:00

My best boy, my little prince, my creative muse and inspiration for all things turned 3 on Sunday. He didn't want a party and didn't want "people to come over to the house." So we had a quiet, lazy day of opening presents, re-hiding them in a box, and opening them again. In the early evening we went to the beach. I selfishly made my favorite cake: carrot with loads of cream cheese frosting. It was a perfect day. Thanks for being born, Iain.

Moving Type

2008-04-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

My students are all abuzz about motion type animations on youtube. They are very cool: like little type studies that exist in time and space, set to a soundtrack. A student just showed me this today (and I love it):

Posh as Mulch

2008-04-29T10:51:00.001-07:00

I am neither a very experienced, nor competent, gardener, but I like to read books by them. I also have an ongoing fantasy that my rather barren backyard houses a lovely potager overflowing with colorful chard, sweet sugar snap peas, and an array of fragrant herbs. Alas, my backyard contains no such thing, but I did work up the motivation to stick a few tomatoes and peppers in the ground. I've heard from serious gardeners that newspaper makes great mulch and, hey, what a wonderful form of recycling.

So when I planted my little tomatoes a few weeks ago, I had the serendipitous experience of using Posh as mulch. I love that Juergen Teller shot Victoria Beckham being devoured by a giant Marc Jacobs shopping bag. Truth be told, I don't always get Juergen Teller, but I certainly appreciate his twisted sense of humor on this one. Besides, Posh always looks so extreme and alien-like with that ironed bob and skeletal face, but one can't deny that the gal has great gams.

One Precocious Designer

2008-04-18T13:46:00.001-07:00

Let me introduce you to an utterly charming young designer. His name is Ethan Bodnar, "graphic designer, author and entrepreneur." He is currently working on a project (Grab Bag Book) to be published by HOW Books in which artists will make visual contributions based on creative tasks selected at random and distributed by Mr. Bodnar. His belief and mission is: "To use creative thinking to change the world. To spread messages and share ideas through my life and work." What lovely thoughts.

Upon investigating his spiffy little website, I discovered that Ethan Bodnar is an 18-year old high school senior. Since I regularly come into contact with 18-year old designers in training, I was surprised at the level of professionalism and passion for design exhibited by this precocious young man. I hope that after four years of design school his optimism and zest for design remains intact. To learn more about Ethan, check out the Speak Up site.

Starbucks: Old vs. New Logo

2008-04-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

For a short time only, Starbucks has returned to their original twin-tailed, Rubenesque mermaid logo. People are all whipped up into a cappuccino lather. Why depart from the ubiquitous green gal? Is the old logo drab and lifeless? What's up with the new-old gimmick? According to CEO Howard Schultz: “I think the logo’s going to be somewhat disruptive. . . .We want people to talk about it.”

My understanding about the development and re-design of the Starbucks logo is that it was simplified to remove the shocking parts: breasts (!), voluptuous flesh, unkempt siren's hair, and worst of all, that tail crotch (?!). I don't know; I find her quirky and appealing in that small, independent coffee shop with a hideous amateur logo kind of way. Let's just say that I don't frequent my favorite local coffee shop based on their identity, but on the artistry of their foam and caramel smoothness of their espresso shots.

Starbucks, I'm afraid you can never go back. You're a slick, corporate coffee giant. Better bring back the green gal before your loyal customers get confused.

Official Olympic Mascots 2008

2008-04-15T10:08:00.001-07:00

I am totally non-athletic/non-sporty in any way, but I love love love the Olympics. Especially the Summer Olympics with all the bad-ass track stars and super sexy, super high-tech swimsuits. How excited am I for the academic quarter to end and the Olympics to begin—well, there are no words to describe it.

From a design standpoint, past Olympics serve as fantastic case studies in identity and icon design. Mexico 1968: a design classic. Barcelona 1992: Javier Mariscal's controversial Cobi, the Cubist Catalan sheepdog. Nogano 1998: that sweet and poetic Snowflower. London 2012: an absolute debacle.

I haven't had time to thoroughly investigate the Beijing graphics, but I did just discover the Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Beibei the Fish, Jingjing the Panda, Huanhuan the Olympic Flame, Yingying the Tibetan Antelope and Nini the Swallow. They are just lovable in the way that only Asian cuties can be.

As a side note, I feel that the Olympics should be free of politics and that protestors/boycotters are naive fools whose actions primarily harm the athletes who deserve to compete on the global stage. I was shocked to find that I agree with President Bush (or his handlers) who said that the U.S. would take a stance of "quiet diplomacy" rather than boycotting the Olympics' Opening Ceremony (sorry, Hillary, I'm not with you on this one). Eight years in is a little late for diplomacy, but hey, better late than never.

Stay tuned for a thorough analysis of the Beijing 2008 graphics.

Free Little Font

2008-04-07T09:48:00.001-07:00

I just found this sweet little free font—Unibody—available for free download from Underwear. It's only intended to be used at 8pt., which makes it just right for captions or other applications where small text is appropriate. Thanks to the folks at i love typography for continuously finding cool, sometimes free, fonts.

MEGA Whole Foods in Pasadena—Sustainable?

2008-04-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I have affectionately referred to Whole Foods as Whole Paycheck. There is something both extremely seductive, yet insidious about the Whole Foods experience. Look at us: we're beautiful, organic, polished to perfection, and totally dirt-free, cry the aesthetically arranged fruits and veggies. Come hither and partake in our naturally-derived botanical formulas, beckon the emollients and grooming products. We're bright-eyed, just plucked from the ocean and have never ever ever been frozen, coo the fish (even the fish in Chicago). Don't we have spiffy labels with lovely typography and a tasteful colour palette, whisper the 365 Organic® jars of marinara sauce. Buy us, buy us, buy us. Consume and feel good about it because you're shopping at Whole Foods. Well, heck, I just spent my Whole Paycheck.

Although, I rarely read the Sunday L.A. Times, I happened to pick up a copy today. In the Magazine, I came across an article on "The Green Giant," Pasadena's new flagship store. I must say, it sounds like even Whole Foods has outdone itself. According to Christopher Hawthorne:

The Whole Foods regional flagship in Pasadena, designed by the KTGY Group in Santa Monica, is an architectural monument to this idea. Along with the Ecolution hemp shopping bags for $7.49 and the "Certified Organic" cotton candy near the checkout aisle, the store has a salsa bar, a coffee bar, a nut bar, a noodle bar, a tapas bar with 20 wines by the glass, a soup bar, a pudding bar and a charcuterie. And a chocolate fountain. . . .

On the Sunday I visited, a group was settling down in the center of the second floor, just behind the pizza oven and not far from the roast-beef carving station, for a full-blown Champagne brunch. TVs hang everywhere so you can watch PGA golf (that's what was on when I was there) while you pick out fair-trade roses from Ecuador.

Evidently, this store is quite large (as it would have to be to house all of the above), yet somehow, with its sustainable building materials, it's supposed to be ecologically responsible. Hmm, I can envision this store's customer purchasing the brand new H-Green Hybrid Hummer. Thank you very much, but I'll continue to buy my just harvested, dirt-speckled Tuscan kale at the local farmer's market.

Designers Get Green in San Diego

2008-04-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we packed up the Prius and traveled down to San Diego for the 13th annual Y-Conference. This year's theme was Seeds of Change and tackled issues of sustainability in both design and life. I adore this conference, because the quality of speakers is consistently top notch (of course, there are always a few duds, but this is impossible to avoid), the San Diego chapter of the AIGA is eclectic (designers seem authentic and wear colors other than black) and totally non-snooty, the University of San Diego is a lovely location, the weather is glorious in late March, and the conference is very affordable by AIGA standards. I was so excited when I learned about the theme of Y-13 and couldn't wait to bask in the eco-love.

And I was not disappointed. Robert Noble, of Envision Solar is now my hero. For years I've been ranting about parking lots in SoCal and all that sun that could be generating energy. Well, Mr. Noble is covering those God-forsaken, hotter than hell, gigante mall parking lots with Solar Groves™. What a poetic name for and beautiful incarnation of green design at its best. This is just one of Mr. Noble's many innovative and progressive projects; the man is a true visionary and all around cool guy.

Another super duper inspiring speaker was Brian Dougherty of Celery Design Collective, based in Berkeley. Not only does Celery Design create beautiful work, but it is also eco-innovative, big time. They even created a free online ecological guide to paper to help designers make sense of PCW, ECF, PCF, TCF, FSC, etc. Holy cow, paper specing in more complicated than ever. Thank you Brian for proving that a fabulous printed piece doesn't have to include a matte varnish, a gloss varnish, a double hit of florescent ink, foil stamping, tip-ins, and full bleed images. In my view, any designer who does not at least consider issues of sustainability in their work is, well, a moron.

I have only one negative comment about the conference and that is: Organic ToGo sucks. And it sucks on a number of levels. First, the food lacks, well, flavour. Second, every single item is packaged in plastic. Third, and most horrific: BAGGED SLICED APPLES! Now, I am not a proponent of all caps or the exclamation point, for that matter, but the very core of my being is offended by bagged sliced apples. Apples: perfected packed by Mother Nature. Slicing apples drastically reduces their shelf life and necessitates the use of some form of preservative (usually asorbic acid). So instead of biting into a delicious, crisp organic apple, I had to suffer through soggy slices with a faint hint of what can only be described as chewable vitamin C taste: chalky and faux citrusy. The organizers of the conference actually apologized for the food and mentioned that they had hoped to avoid totally plastic-encased lunches. Oh well, these things happen.

All in all, Y-13 was educational, eye-opening, at times mind blowing, and very inspiring. Nice work AIGA San Diego: you guys and gals deserve a big meyer lemon martini for your efforts.

I Heart Papyrus (?!!)

2008-03-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Good God Almighty: I just found a site devoted to the glorification of Papyrus—arguably the most poorly designed, overused typeface of the contemporary era. What exactly is Papyrus referencing? Degraded calligraphy on rough paper? The ancient world? All things granola? Orientalism?

What is it about these awful display faces that captures the imagination of so many practitioners with access to Photoshop ("designers" who use Papyrus would use Photoshop for all their typographic stylings)? It rivals my old favorites Remedy and Fajita, which were at their zenith in the mid 1990s.

* I actually think the I Heart Papyrus site is tongue-in-cheek. It just has to be.

Environmental ABC's

2008-03-25T16:12:00.001-07:00

I stumbled upon these fabulous alphabet prints by Grégoire Ganter via thetypejunkie. I have always loved urban vernacular typography, and Mr. Ganter's juxtapositions are simply charming. Apparently, Mr. Ganter started his collection of alphabet images when he and his wife could not find suitable baby room decor. Nice work—yet another designer rearing a typographically sophisticated child. I'm already teaching my Iain that Papyrus is the devil and should never be used.

Perfectly Simple Puddings

2008-03-24T14:33:00.001-07:00

A lingering cold combined with end of the quarter malaise and general pregnancy-induced exhaustion prevented me from preparing an elaborate Easter dessert this year. What with the glorious Meyer lemon in season, I envisioned a fresh lemon tart with almond crust. But the thought of making and rolling out pastry dough proved far too ambitious. That's when I had my moment of genius: to adapt a Real Simple recipe for buttermilk pudding into a Meyer lemon delicacy. The recipe is, oddly enough, completely simple:

1 1/4-oz. envelope unflavoured gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
zest of 1 gorgeous Meyer lemon

Combine the gelatin with 1/4 cup water and let stand for 3 minutes. In small saucepan, over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of the cream and the sugar. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, lemon zest, and remaining cream. Whisk in the warm cream mixture. Lightly oil (canola oil) six 6-oz ramekins. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours. To serve, run a knife around edge of each ramekin and invert onto plates.

I was able to take my puddings to the next gustatory level with the addition of the first sweet crop of Santa Maria strawberries: perfection.

*note: If you don't have access to fresh (non-wax dipped grocery store) lemons and strawberries, don't fret. Simply replace the lemon zest with one teaspoon of vanilla extract and garnish with any fruit in season.

Easter with Robots

2008-03-23T20:53:00.001-07:00

Because nothing says the risen Lord like Transformers. . ."they're more than meets the eye. . .they're robots in disguise." Imagine my surprise to discover a Transformer-themed easter egg coloring kit. Well, actually, Iain discovered it with the eagle eyes of a two-year old. When I was a kid, I don't remember easter egg coloring kits with movie tie-ins—surely, my brother and I would have been all over a Star Wars-themed Easter. Ah well, no matter. It occurred to me that movies such as Star Wars and Transformers are not necessarily un-Biblical in nature. Witness Wikipedia's description of Optimus Prime:

Optimus Prime is a character in the Transformers universe. He is the commander of the Autobots, a faction of heroic Transformers from the planet Cybertron who wage their battles to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons for control of their homeworld, and by extension, peace in the universe. Optimus Prime is depicted as a heroic, brave and compassionate character who puts all his talent to use to improve the world around him. Optimus has a strong sense of justice and righteousness, and has dedicated himself to the protection of all life, particularly the inhabitants of Earth; he will battle his foes with unyielding resolve to uphold this belief.

I suppose Optimus Prime could be considered a Christ-like figure in that he is willing to sacrifice his own life for the good of both robots and humankind alike. Hmm, perhaps the Transformers are not completely out of place during the Easter season.

Letter Ice

2008-03-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

I just discovered these super cool Letter Ice (jello?, cookie?) trays at swissmiss. How fabulous would little pomegranate juice letter ice cubes look in a tall glass of fresh lemonade? Apparently, Letter Ice is seeking a distributor in the U.S. and abroad. I hope they find one, because the typographic possibilities are endless.

My Star Turn

2008-03-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

Check out my star turn on the Doodlewhore site. Only may pal Sugs could capture the true heinousness of la Sevigny:

Anyone Can Be a Designer

2008-03-04T13:27:00.001-08:00

In general, I like my blog to be all about positivity. However, when my dear friend Jason alerted me to Chloe Sevigny's new line of clothing, I knew a rant was in order. I have long loathed Chloe Sevigny's unique and almost unequivocally figure unflattering fashion sense. Ms. Sevigny's wardrobe abominations and reluctance to powder her nose have gained her the rare status of "frequent offender" on the Go Fug Yourself site (my favorite guilty pleasure). Some would argue that Ms. Sevigny is a fashion impresario and if one sticks to the dictionary definition of "a person who puts on or sponsors an entertainment," this could be an accurate description. I'm just trying to imagine if Marc Jacobs or top American fashion designer Michael Kors or those cuties Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough at Proenza Schouler are amused by Ms. Sevigny's audacity at assuming the role of designer. I know it chaps my a** when type bastardizing buffoons with a cracked copy of Photoshop call themselves graphics (with an "s") designers.

By the way, the look above is the most tasteful of the entire collection.

Clafouti-licious

2008-03-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I can across a recipe for CLAFOUTI on Design*Sponge. A French dish with a great name that could be assembled in a blender: what more could a busy gourmand want. I knew instantly that I had to add the clafouti to my repertoire of puffy custardy pancake-esque dishes that could be served either for a brunch or at afternoon tea.

The original recipe courtesy of Karen Combs at nama rococo:

PLUM CLAFOUTI

Ingredients:
-4 or 5 fresh PLUMS, pitted and sliced (about 3 cups)

for the batter:
-2 eggs
-2 egg whites
-1 cup buttermilk (235ml)
-3/4 cup unbleached white flour (95g)
-1/2 cup sugar (100g)
-1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated lemon peel (5g)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C)
2. Butter a 9" or 10" non-reactive pie pan. Loosely arrange the sliced plums on the bottom of the pan.
3. Put ALL of the ingredients for the batter into a blender and whirl until smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit in the baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees (180C) for 45 – 50 minutes or until the clafouti is puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool for a few minutes before slicing into servings. This tastes especially great if you can eat it while it’s still a bit warm from the oven.

****************

Since plums are not in season, I decided to try frozen sweet cherries (a 16 oz. bag). They worked like a charm and didn't require any pitting or slicing. Since I was too disorganized to thaw the cherries in advance, I just threw them right from the freezer into the batter. This definitely added to the cooking time and I nearly swooned in anticipation when the clafouti-licious aroma wafted through my kitchen, but it was totally worth the wait. I served the clafouti slices with some lightly sweetened whole milk yogurt to which I added some leftover lemon zest: a match made in heaven and a work of culinary inspiration, if I do say so myself.

Why Can't They Place Nice?

2008-02-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here's what happens in my fantasy world: Barack and Hillary are disco partners:

Those JibJab guys are truly brilliant. Thanks for making us laugh in our hour of need.

Ritz + Peanut Butter = TLA

2008-02-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

I am so excited by the spunky and fresh new Ritz crackers ad campaign. The commercials are quirky and fun, as promised by Kraft's new agency Euro RSCG. The print campaign transforms the distinct scalloped shape of the Ritz cracker into an instantly recognizable icon (great, dare I say it: branding). I think the most successful aspect of both the print and t.v. campaigns is the use of simple, bold shapes and happy colors that have a retro appeal (a little Paul Rand-ian, even):

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

I just want to have a Tupperware party with lots of mayonnaise-based dips served on buttery, totally non-healthy Ritz crackers.

Typography as Art: Tauba Auerbach

2008-02-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

I first saw S.F.-based artist Tauba Auerbach's work a few years ago. Quite simply: it blew my mind. Witty and impeccably drawn, her typographic interpretations are stunning. I want them in every room of my house. Look at that "I" created from a tangle of flourishes (by the way, it's ink on paper, not digital). Tauba Auerbach is my official Valentine's Day artist crush.

In Praise of Citrus

2008-02-06T20:31:00.001-08:00

There are many things that drive my crazy about California: the exorbitant price of housing, the preponderance of Ugg boots/flip flops (at the same time, no less) on college campuses, and governance by proposition. Yes, there is definitely a surcharge to live in California, but it's one I'm willing to pay during these temperate winter days that bring the glories of citrus season. Behold my recent citrus purchases from the farmer's market—sweet little satsumas, decadently juicy blood oranges, and a new discovery: the enormous Tahitian pummelo (sometimes spelled pomelo).
The Tahitian pummelo was described by the teenage vendor as having a very sweet lemon-lime flavour similar to Sprite. I'd actually describe it as more Squirt-like; the lemon-lime is cut with a faint hint of pink grapefruit. I'm already dreaming of the cocktail possibilities: the Tahitian Pummelo Margarita (Tahitian pummelo juice and silver agave tequila with a splash of Cointreau) or the Tahitian Pummelo Martini (two parts Grey Goose vodka, one part limoncello, one part Tahitian pummelo juice). It would be hilarious to garnish a drink with a ridiculously large half-slice of pummelo. The only problem: the juice from one of these over-sized beauties would yield enough for about a dozen martinis. No matter. They're quite nice for breakfast, too.

Gifts for Type Lovers

2008-02-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

What to buy for the lover of typography? How about these pretties from Fishs Eddy (one of my absolutely favorite NYC spots for housewares: thanks to good friend Jason for bringing me there many years ago). These luverly alphabet mugs are highlighted on the Hoefler and Frere-Jones Type Foundry site. My Iain would look so cute, sipping his chocolatte from this sweet "I" mug:

The Snub: Is this News-worthy?

2008-01-30T15:12:00.001-08:00

Was yesterday a slow news day, or what? I've never seen so much media analysis of a potential snub. Did Obama intentionally turn away from Hillary (I'm doing it: that first name thing) or was he focused on something else? Maybe he was just zoning out or thinking about how badly he needed a very dry martini. I can imagine him as a CIA operative (remember those great early days of Alias?) listening intently to his earpiece: Boy Scout, target within handshake range; move out. Is this news? I was extremely disappointed in Hillary when she commented that she hoped to have the opportunity to shake Barack's hand in the near future. Why even dignify such nonsense with a passive aggressive response? Again, issues people: can you talk about actual issues instead of petty would-be snubs dreamed up by idiots who spend way too much time analyzing non-events? Those of us trying to select a presidential candidate worthy of our vote would really appreciate it.

Books Organized by Color

2008-01-29T12:03:00.001-08:00

Over the past few months, I've read numerous articles on arranging one's books by color. Initially, I rejected this notion as a decorator's conceit. A bit too designerly, I thought. I mean: shouldn't one's library be arranged alphabetically by author? But, then what to do with fiction versus nonfiction? Should biographies be shelved together? Maybe Library of Congress is the way to go and at least I'd know that the art books are somewhere in the N's. After a way too long hiatus in my garage (we moved into a new house back in July and still have unpacked boxes in the garage; it's shameful), my beloved cookbooks emerged over the weekend.

Well, I cannot tell a lie: those pretty images of bookshelves organized by color got to me. I decided to try it with my cookbooks and, low and behold, I love it. Somehow I know intuitively that the spine of In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs is Pantone 490 (or some similar burgundy, reddish brown, for those of you who don't think in Pantone colors). Visual people really do have a better memory for color than for words. I think I'll re-shelf the books in my office by color. Then I might take a look at my toiletries. Perhaps the pantry. Once my life is totally organized by color, I'm sure to find than elusive state of calm, blissfully zen, calm.

Candidates Spin the Sushi

2008-01-28T10:39:00.001-08:00

I noticed this hilarious take on the candidates by Clyde Haberman in Friday's NY Times. This tongue-in-cheek article arrived on the heals of Wednesday's High Mercury Levels are Found in Tuna Sushi (at the likes of Nobu Next Door, no less) and Thursday's Warnings Don't Deter Lovers of Sushi.

All this talk of mercury and tuna got me to thinking: why don't the candidates ever mention their plans for tackling the debacle (impending crisis?) that is our food supply. "Safe" growth hormones used liberally in dairy production. Eggs from factory farmed chickens that bear no flavour or colour resemblence to actual, well, eggs. E. coli outbreaks in bagged spinach and, of course, ground beef.

Last summer, I had the good fortune to work on a design project in Jamaica through the Farmer to Farmer program. While in Jamaica, I collaborated with Dr. Deacue Fields, an Ag Business Marketing specialist from Auburn University. In addition to being a real southern gentleman (the man raises quarter horses: how cool is that?) and all around nice guy, he was a wealth of information on farming, community sponsored agriculture programs, etc. He told me about a study at Auburn that analyzed ground beef. Evidently, the average packet of supermarket ground beef contains DNA from over 40 cows. Imagine the horrific process that could result in such a product. Deacue told me that he has not purchased ground beef from the supermarket since learning about the findings of this study. In turn, I have not purchased a single pound of ground beef since Deacue told me of his boycott of mass produced ground beef. Every time I hear of another E. coli beef scare, I'm not the least bit surprised.

Of course, beef is just the tip of the iceberg. I know our economy is a mess, our healthcare system is corrupt, and the war in Iraq is a quagmire, but what about that basic stuff that keeps us alive: food. I wish the candidates really would address the sushi crisis and the meat crisis and the dairy crisis and the pesticides/produce crisis. After all, how patriotic is a juicy grilled burger on the 4th of July? Too bad this is now an impossibility, as it it unsafe to eat ground beef cooked any less than well done, and we all know that that burger ain't gonna be juicy.

The Candidates: By Design

2008-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else out there feeling completely overwhelmed by this year's presidential election? I simply can't keep up with the various platforms, especially given the candidates' seeming collective aversion to addressing actual issues. In these situations, I can do one of two things: either curl up in the fetal position and take a news fast, or seek out an environment over which I have some control. In this case, that environment is the visual. So, here is my take on just a few of the candidates, based on the design of their websites and identities:

Let's start with Huckabee. There are so many different typefaces and type styles on this page that it creates an overall sense of clutter and visual pollution. And are those letterforms in his logo bastardized? Especially offensive is the design of the Help Mike Today box, in terms of typography, use of color and copy editing. Are you serious with "Become a Ranger"?

Moving onto McCain. Hmm, liberal use of military iconography; I can dig on that, since I'm an Air Force brat and unrepentant fan of Top Gun (ah, the halcyon days before we discovered that Tom Cruise is a babbling lunatic). I don't hate the use of Optima in his logo, but I'm not sure that I would have gone with the bold version. The black and white flag behind the logo is a bit moody and subtle; I appreciate the somewhat toned down color palette. But, again, type styles: way too many. The italic on the right sidebar is the worst.

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with Romney. For God's sake: his photo is horizontally stretched on the home page! The eagle/flag hybrid seems like an over-the-top addition to his logotype. You're patriotic: we get it. Really, would a non-patriot actually run for president? Isn't that a given. Although, compared to McCain's and Huckabee's sites, the designer was positively restrained when it came to typefaces and type styles.

Just to prove I'm not all about Republican-bashing: here's Edwards's all about bold typefaces site. And what is it about that red: it's not quite right. A bit too muddy. I might be able to handle it were it not for the use of the green accent colour. That green is just terrible, especially when juxtaposed against the red. Why, why the green swoosh on the blue star? Why a third color? Aren't red and blue enough?

If I were Hillary (have you noticed that everyone calls her Hillary instead of Clinton: I'm sure this is due to a desire to avoid confusion with Bubba and not related to sexism in any way), I'd want The Eurythmics's Sisters are Doin' it for Themselves to be my theme song. Damn: Aretha Franklin AND Annie Lennox. I'm playing it right now and I feel strong and empowered, like I could be comin' out of the kitchen to be leader of the free world. Let me tell you, Hillary, sisters don't select logos with skinny, lame, waving flags. Three stars? I know it's iconographic, but it just looks weird. However, like Romney's site, at least there aren't a bazillion different typefaces. But, Hillblazers has got to go.

Then there's Obama. I don't know what kind of president he'd make, but this man knows how to hire a designer (or, at least his people do). The typography is, dare I say it: sophisticated and actually pretty. I'm not gradation crazy, but the soft blue gradients are used quite well throughout the site. The sunrise over the stripes of the flag: okay, not earth-shattering, but the logo is not offensive in any way. Check out the Make a Difference sidebar. I love these different iterations of the logo. If you click on States, you'll see that each state has its own logotype that incorporates the rising sun logo within the name of the state. I cannot tell a lie: this website makes me happy and gives me hope for the future of our country (from a design standpoint).

Just to be clear, Juiciful does not endorse Barack Obama for president, but we do endorse the designer of his identity and website. Nice work.

Your Toothbrush's Carbon Footprint

2008-01-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I attended AIGA's Compostmodern conference in San Francisco. The conference was organized by the S.F. chapter of the AIGA and AIGA's Center for Sustainable Design. It's exciting that designers are talking about sustainability even though the concept of sustainability seems at odds, or downright antithetical, to a lot of graphic design. Afterall, don't designer's love itty bitty type surrounded by white space, glorious white space? Certainly, the AIGA has sent out its fair share of multiple page publications with florescent inks and vellum overlays. But, change is good and change is progressive and I do think that AIGA and designers are trying to change.

One of the speakers at Compostmodern was Valerie Casey, the founder of The Designer's Accord: "a call to arms for the creative community to reduce the environmental impact caused by design, and to work collaboratively to inspire sustainable change." Her talk was impassioned and quite inspiring, although, there were multiple mentions of purchasing carbon offsets, which seem like a big sustainability boondoggle to me. Can matter, once created, be eliminated, oh, I mean, offset? Wouldn't it be better to reduce business travel, given that we are living in an age of easy and inexpensive global communication.

Another thing that came up in Ms. Casey's talk was the design of the toothbrush and how horrified one of her coworkers at IDEO was to see his design wash up on the beach five years later almost perfectly preserved in its original sparkly plastic glory. Which got me to thinking: why can't industrial designers come up with a reasonably designed toothbrush? Toothbrushes are now so bloated and over-designed that older toothbrush holders (the kind with little holes in a closed container) cannot accommodate them. The design of such toothbrushes has long annoyed me given the ephemerality of this product. Isn't it just the bristles that need replacing every there months, anyways? Imagine the carbon footprint of our country's collective toothbrushes. Here's my call to arms to all you product designers out there: for the love of God, please re-design the toothbrush!! I, for one, would pay big bucks for a sustainable alternative to this:

What's Missing from Project Runway 4

2008-01-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

My good friend Jason at DoodleWhore just sent me this clip of Santino's signature Tim Gunn impersonation. I remember Santino being such a jerk, but so hilarious that I never wanted to miss an episode of PR Season 2. There's something about this season's PR that lacks the lightness and exuberance (to use some of Tim Gunn's favorite descriptors) of the past seasons. I hate to face the possibility that PR is growing tired and old and that Tim's "Make it work" is coming out a bit half-hearted, but I fear that this very thing may be happening. Tim, you are my pedagogical idol. Your mix of encouragement and brutal honesty strikes the perfect balance between support of your students when they are on the right track and stern warning when they are about to falter. Please don't continue to do PR if it's getting lame: you have far too much quality, taste and style for that.

MacBook Air Debuts

2008-01-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

For the low price of $3100, you can get your very own MacBook Air with a 64GB solid state (hmm, solid state, that sounds cool) hard drive and a 1.8GHz processor. Looks sexy and it only weighs three pounds, although there's no optical drive (old school) or ethernet port (big ugly ethernet cords would only ruin the aesthetics of this pretty baby). Steve Jobs referred to the "environmentally-friendly" nature of the MacBook Air, with its aluminum housing and pvc/bromide-free motherboard. I wonder if the packaging of this little cutie will be eco-friendly (iPhone: not so much). I remember way back when: Apple actually used raw cardboard with white spot ink (no slick, full bleed images on black—a quadruple hit, I'm sure) for its packaging. It was simple, beautiful, and truly eco-friendly.

Mirko Ilic and Design of Dissent

2008-01-12T17:44:00.001-08:00

Last spring, at the AIGA Y-conference in San Diego, I had the good fortune to see Mirko Ilic give a talk on The Design of Diss ent, a book that he co-authored with legendary designer Milton Glaser.

Imagine my excitement, when I was able to bring the exhibition The Design of Dissent, and Mirko himself, to Cal Poly. Mirko is wildly intelligent, slightly subversive, really funny, quite bawdy and totally un-P.C. In other words, he's a breath of fresh air in academia. He managed to both inspire and demean my students—California softies—who are in need of a good demeaning once in awhile. I wish I could hang out with Mirko on a regular basis, so I could soak up a little of his brilliance, talent and charm. Thanks for making the first week of my quarter the best ever, Mirko.

Animal, Vegetable, Mmm, Marshmallow

2008-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

I know it's a new year and we're all about healthy resolutions. I just read Barbara Kingsolver's brilliant and eye-opening, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If you love food and care about its provenance and the impact of corporate farming on our bodies and our earth, this book is a must read. I'm inspired to start my next batch of heirloom tomatoes from seed and to take up canning all manner of sauces, chutneys, and pickles (a fantasy, I'm sure).

But, even after the wake-up call of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I can't help my decadent ways. For Christmas I made marshmallows from scratch after seeing this charming instructional video, courtesy of Readymade. It's actually quite quick and easy to make these little glorious sweeties. With an amazing consistency when melted, they are a revelation in s'mores.

This year, I will try to make less sweet indulgences and more things with chard.

How It Should Have Ended

2008-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

My little Iain loves to watch anything related to superheroes on You Tube. Lately he's been especially taken with the How It Should Have Ended series. We can both watch Spider-Man 3 HISHE over and over again. [Was Spider-Man 3 a franchise killer or what?] I love the part where Superman and Batman make fun of Peter Parker's strut. Hilarious!

It's the Simple Things

2007-12-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

Little Iain received an outrageous number of Christmas gifts, especially given the fact that he's only two years old. Everything from an obnoxious light up monster truck (okay, so it was a gift from a 10 year old boy) to Thomas and Friends trains to cool Automoblox wood cars designed by industrial designer Patrick Calello to a spiffy Razor designed for the youngest scooter enthusiastic. However, his favorite gift by far was a cheap light up spinning top ball point pen from Target (a stocking stuffer: thanks Santa). This magic pen could heal sore muscles, whiten teeth, fix boo boos, shoot lasers, etc. Hmm, it's the simple things that seem to capture the imagination of the youngest creative minds.

Happy Flowers

2007-12-20T09:47:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, I had the utterly inspiring and mind-blowing experience of seeing the ©Murakami exhibition at MOCA in L.A. The youngest art critic in our family gave the show a big thumbs up and spent two hours in rapt fascination at the sight of Murakami's superflatalicious paintings, sculptures, animations, and glorious installations. I was overwhelmed by the explosion of color, pattern, imagination, insanely surreal imagery, and, of course, happy flowers. To see Murakami's work in person is transformative—for both children and adults. There are some naysayers who take issue with the conflation of art and commerce, but, I view the interweaving of high and low, culture and consumption, museum and boutique as a brilliant commentary on the current state of the bizarre world in which we live.

Speaking of consumption, one of my favorite forms of shopping is consuming the pre-consumed. After the Murakami show, we visited our friends Jeffery and Rita in Claremont. Rita is the director of the Oldenborg Center, where, several years ago, I gave a presentation on the Superflat phenomenon to a fantastic audience of young, dare I call them: scholars. Last week, this supercool (1970s?), wonderfully kitch coffee dispenser was unearthed from some forgotten corner in Oldenborg. Isn't it Murakami-esque? It is now in my possession and I can't wait to have an opportunity to fill it with mulled wine or hot cider or the strongest of holiday spirits—glogg—and bust it out at my next party. The perfect excuse to wear my bright yellow, holiday caftan from Palm Springs. Thanks, Rita.

Jason O'Malley Visits California

2007-11-16T15:36:00.001-08:00

Last week, the internationally-renowned and award-winning children's book illustrator Jason O'Malley graced us with a visit. The last time Jason saw Iain, we still referred to him affectionately as Ziggy the Zygote, so a trip to the West Coast was long overdue. Jason began his California adventure with a book signing in Palm Springs for the hot-off-the-press and hilarious WOOF! A Gay Man's Guide to Dogs. Athough Jason is incredibly talented, Iain still took it upon himself to instruct Jason in the nuances of mark-making and the crayon as an often overlooked expressive medium. I sense a creative collaboration in the future.

Shameless Self-Promotion

2007-10-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

It's always gratifying when someone out there likes your work. Check out Simply Fab's mention of my baby cards, available at ultra hip and fabulous Handsome Devil Press. If you know a modern bohemian who's expecting, Handsome Devil is your source for luverly and fun cards.

Imagine Peace

2007-10-16T10:11:00.001-07:00

I was listening to a Yoko Ono interview this morning on Democracy Now. She was talking about her recent installation of the Imagine Peace Tower installed on Videy Island in Reykjavik, Iceland. As soon as I plugged my laptop in at work, I looked up the Peace Tower and was stunned by its beauty. In her interview this morning, she talked about Iceland and the darkness there and the brilliance of her Imagine Peace Tower in contrast to that darkness and how it works its atmospheric magic in the cold, damp air. I've always loved Yoko Ono's work for its message of positivity and optimism. For example, the Wish Piece:

WISH PIECE

Make a wish.
Write it down on a piece of paper.
Fold it and tie it around a branch of a wish tree.
Ask your friends to do the same.
Keep wishing
Until the branches are covered with wishes.

Yoko Ono, 2007

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I would like to make a little wish tree inside my house and fill it with pretty paper wishes. That way, there would never be any rain on my wishes.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T15:23:00.001-07:00

In honor of Blog Action Day, I am posting an image of David Trubridge's spectacular pendant lamps, available at DWR.

The lamps, inspired by the crystalline patterns found in nature, are constructed from Australian sustainable-plantation-grown hoop pine untreated plywood. On his website, David poetically describes his process:

My ideas come from the wild places,
edges of turbulence and renewal,
where seas break on beaches and headlands,
where land and air meet on mountain ridges.

I make forms of elemental simplicity,
as the erosion of air and water on wood and stone,
forms that speak of humanity's survival on earth,
of life's fragility and dependence,
of comfort in the ways of the past that have succoured us,
and optimism for a sustainable and enriching future.

I work within the limits of what I have and know,
simplicity and low impact,
natural materials and processes,
leaving a delicate footprint.

What a beautiful sentiment. These lamps are gorgeous, lacy confection and combine an ecological sensibility with a mastery of form. I only wish I could actually afford them.

There's Some Good Art in Michigan

2007-10-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, am I blown away by Matthew Shlian's art. Who would have thought that ball point pen could be such a fantastic medium? His drawings are mind-blowingly intricate and imaginative, with a nice dose of weirdness. I love it when artists employ the most banal materials in their studio practice to create such beautiful things.

Misprinted Type

2007-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore the collage/illustration/typographic work of Brazilian artist Eduardo Recife. His drawings and experimental type projects can be seen on the Misprinted Type site:

Isn't the lettering stunning? It is expressive, quirky, and beautifully rendered. Eduardo even offers some fabulous free fonts for download. Thank you, Eduardo, for making the world a more typographically beautiful place.

DoodleWhore Debuts

2007-10-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

My fabulous friend, the witty and wildly talented Jason O'Malley, has just launched his new blog: DoodleWhore. Jason, illustrator of internal renown and the creative power behind Handsome Devil Press, is quite simply the best doodler on earth. When Jason and I worked together many moons ago in Chicago, his doodles of our co-workers would make me nearly pee my pants they were so funny. Now that we are on opposite coasts, I rarely get to witness his doodle prowess. Thank you, Jason, for launching DoodleWhore so the whole world can get a glimpse of your scathing and twisted humor.

C is for Constructivist

2007-09-27T17:10:00.001-07:00

I am in love with these beautifully designed Modernist flashcards from Jargon Boy. The red, orange, and brown color palette reminds me of Chocolate Bar in NYC (which is truly one of the most glorious places on earth). The illustrations are absolutely charming and I think it's great that there's a card for Vernacular, mostly because it's such a good word and one sounds really smart saying things like: "Isn't L.A. one of the best places to find cool examples of vernacular, hand-painted signage and retro typography which typifies the mid-century era?"

I believe that with the proper education and visual stimuli, all children can become fans of Modernism. Now that Iain knows D is for Daddy, M is for Mommy, and R is for Robot, it's time for: B is for Bauhaus.

The Igloo Tent

2007-09-26T14:38:00.001-07:00

How great is IKEA for fun, affordable kid things? Witness Iain's new KOJA tent, available at IKEA for $9.99.
It's the perfect portable kid place: lightweight and easy to assemble, with a color palette that is sophisticated and soothing. The KOJA tent is just large enough for a toddler and adult to sit in and make up silly stories on a lazy afternoon.

Babiccinos and Chocolattes

2007-09-20T07:48:00.001-07:00

Few things compare to a warm, foamy latte in the morning: such a delicious delivery for caffeine. I think it's never too soon to introduce children to the joys of a restorative morning beverage. When traveling in Australia (long before babies were even on my radar) I noticed that a babiccino could be ordered at most coffee shops. (Just as an aside: the coffee shops in Australia are unbelievably good in terms of espresso pulls, milk foam, pastries, and service. I long for the same pride in the coffee arts, which does not seem to exist on the Central Coast.) A babiccino is lightly steamed milk with a sprinkle of sweet cocoa on top, served in a cappuccino cup—the perfect treat for the youngest coffee shop customer. As soon as Iain was old enough to drink from a cup, we started making babiccinos for him, although we call the drink a chocolatte in our house. He loves the have his own "latte" with mommy and daddy in the morning, and I enjoy seeing him with a tiny ceramic cup and an adorable milk foam mustache: too cute.

The Indescribable Deliciousness of Meyers

2007-09-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Could anything be more sweetsourlicious than the Meyer lemon? All of the lemon goodness with none of the tongue-burning tartness. Our neighbor just put out a little wagon of free Meyers; imagine my indescribable delight. The scent is intoxicating. My personal favorite use for a nice, ripe Meyer lemon is in a lemon martini:

2 parts vodka (*recommended: Tito's Vodka distilled in Austin, TX of all places—available at Trader Joe's)
1 part limoncello
1 part fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Give a vigorous shake over ice, strain and serve in a pretty cocktail glass. I like to garnish with a maraschino cherry. It's a bit unorthodox, but who doesn't enjoy the taste of a sweet, boozy, bright red maraschino cherry at the end of a good cocktail?

In Praise of Electric Vehicles

2007-09-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Although I am sure that our collective carbon footprints are a gazillion times larger than they could be, we try to be eco-warriors in our own small ways. Witness our glorious new mode of transportation: the eGO wasabi green electric scooter. It's perfect for zipping around town and going back and forth to campus. It can go 20 miles on a charge and tops out around 24 mph, thus one can ride safely in the bike lane—no motorcycle license required. In a way, it's totally nerdy, yet ridiculously cute with its softly humming electric motor and retro-sounding ding-a-ling-a-ling silver bell. While not practical in all weather, everyone who lives in the warm, sunshiny part of California should seriously consider a purchase. The air will thank you.

*Note to concerned parents: Iain is only allowed to play on the eGO while it is turned off and either mom or dad is within reach.

Toys for Designers

2007-09-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

How fabulous are these free downloadable toys from Fwis? You simply print out a template of your choice and with a few swift X-acto cuts, some precision folding, and a little PVA, you can begin amassing your very own collection of super cool Readymechs. I am so inspired by these little guys that I'm basing my first Package Design assignment on them. Fun for designers and kids alike.

Kombu-WHA?

2007-09-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Kombucha tea has been hailed as a miracle cure-all, an elixir, an immune system booster, the fountain of youth, etc. What is Kombucha? According to GT’s Kombucha website, Kombucha is a “a living culture of beneficial microorganisms” that is delicately “cultured” for 30 days. “During this period, essential nutrients form like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants and polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.”

I am always up for trying a new wonder elixir, so I bought my first bottle of Raspberry Rush™ Synergy yesterday. I can say in no uncertain terms that this drink is vile. It has undertones of apple cider vinegar and overtones of Two Buck Chuck that sat in garage for the last two decades with a desiccated cork. In addition, the dregs of Kombucha are slimy little floaty bits of a fermented substance—clearly of unknown, mystical origin. There has got to be a easier way to fight free radicals, rid the body of toxins, and support a healthy immune system. Pomegranate martini, anyone?

Why Life with Iain Is So Fun

2007-09-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Iain and Daddy mow the lawn with hastily constructed Batman and Robin masks. Why, exactly, is Daddy wearing Mommy's pink crocs?

Singing and pruning.
The view out Iain's new room.

The Joys of Homeownership

2007-09-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

One of many new "projects."

We moved into our first, yes, at long last, our first real home. We are now proud owners of our very own ridiculously over-priced slice of California real estate. The house is small, needs a lot of work, and is currently a total disaster, but it's ours and after six moves since 1999, I never want to move again.