In celebrating the merits of free software and the excitement over this radical networked production method, an important truth is left unspoken. Networked collaboration shines in the low levels of network protocols, server software and memory allocation, but user interface has consistently been a point of failure. How come the networked collaboration that transformed code production and encyclopedia-writing fails to translate to graphic and interface design? Check out this investigation into the difficulties of extending the open-source collaboration model from coding to its next logical step.

This morning I came across a really fascinating article covering the debate over inexpensive online logo & "branding" companies by Doug Bartow (id29) via the Under Consideration design discussion blog Speak Up.

It highlights the ongoing debate of accessibility of design for all (income brackets) versus "...the devaluation of the design process altogether, particularly in brand development and identity design, which many consider the pinnacle of our field." – by cheapening the proverbial playing field.

In his field study of this issue, Doug commissions 4 different online companies to come up with logo options for a fictitious project and then analyzes and critiques the results. It is a good exploration of what you really get from these types of logo chop shops.

The Challenge: Hire four online logo design companies, give them the same visual identity problem to solve, then critique the results.

Take a look here.

In honor of his trip to Berlin today, Obama's design team has created a campaign poster for the event that hearkens to that famous period in German design. This observation was pointed out in greater detail on the blog Meaningful Distraction.

Take a look at the comparison between Obama's elegant design and the current McCain poster. Yeeeeeeek.

I love this modern design take on Little Red Riding Hood. Originally developed as a class project by Tomas Nilsson, a design student at Sweden’s Linköping University. Little Red Riding Hood

Stumbled across this post in Logo Design Love which displays some of the contendors for the Obama presidential campaign logos. Some examples...

And my personal favorite:

Check out the rest here.

We hear a lot about how the communications community is changing and we see more and more interactive applications, streaming media and social interactions, but services that specialize in entertainment seem to grow faster than the sector as a whole. This growth is definitely led by online video, but it isn't just about watching. Users now want to interact with video. Check out "BigStage". BigStage's software was originally funded by the CIA, which wanted 3-D computer models of suspects' faces to match against images in a database. The company's commercial customers take three digital pictures of themselves and upload them to BigStage's servers, and in about 50 seconds, they have a digital avatar that they can insert into videos or photos. Users will be able to post the ­videos to their ­Facebook pages or e-mail them to friends; eventually, they should also be able to purchase brand-name virtual accessories for their digital selves.

I'll just come out and say it. I love Tumblr. The whole concept behind "Tumble-logging" (or quickly blogging and posting links and media as you're surfing) takes away the tediousness of having to sit down and put a lot of thought into a full entry. Of course, this is both good and bad, but for the purposes of sharing cool stuff you come across, the simplicity can't be beat.

I was a bit nervous today, however, when I saw that Tumblr is testing its new beta site. I was so concerned that the simplicity and straightforwardness of the interface would be sacrificed for "new" stuff. But I was pleasantly surprised - those Tumblr guys know what it is that makes their product great. Check it out here!

I am a member of AIGA!! (The Professional Association for Design)
I got an invitation for the exhibition, " 50 books/50 covers of 2007". Since I am designing the 4corners new book i felt these book covers might help me to get inspiration.

This exhibition showcases selections from the “AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers” competition, which aims to identify the 50 best-designed books and book covers of the year. Selections were made by a distinguished jury and become part of the AIGA Design Archives, where images, full credits, project statements and jurors' comments for all selections are available.

Gallery hours:

Monday through Thursday: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Friday: 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m.

I've always been a fan of movie posters - but I think they're so often seen as pure advertising and the excellent design sense of some of them goes unnoticed. Here is a great compilation of some of the best!

Over the weekend, we were very excited to launch the redesigned website for Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (www.shca.com). We've been working closely with SHCA since January to design and develop an exciting and innovative new website, one which looks sleek and modern while still embracing the firm's long and rich history. We're extremely happy with the results - check it out here!

The first time I used Google Chrome, I was suprised on how simple the design of the browser.   The only visible functionality are the most common use buttons such as: back, forward, refresh, favorite, address and setting buttons.  The address field looks like any regular browser, but it smarts enough to distinguish between site url and search text. It also gives text prediction as you type.  

But after using with this new browser for about a week, I'm starting to notice the limitation of this new browser.  Unlike FIrefox, Chrome does not has the functionality to add adds-on to the browser.  This limitation make me miss the convinient of accessing my favorite site through my virtual bookmark.   

I'm hoping  that google will bring back the virtual bookmark toolbar to Chrome.

 

An 86 year old Japanese Buddhist nun is focused on the forefront of mobile technology by writing a cellphone novel. Cellphone novels are a growing trend in Japan, where subscribers (usually young women) sign up to receive short fiction via text messages. The story, called "Tomorrow's Rainbow" focuses on a young girl who meets the love of her life after the trauma of her parents' divorce.

Read More about it here.

From former Google employees comes Cuil, the newest super engine to hit the net. I took a quick look around, and so far I really like what I see. It has a great clean design (including the option to view your search results in 2 or 3 columns), and great smart options for sorting your data (a search of the term "Olympics" presented me with tabs for Winter Olympics, Special Olympics, Summer Olympics, and categories such as "2012 Summer Olympics" and "IOC Members"). Cuil also presents a much cleaner summary of each page (in a small paragraph) than its competitors. I wonder if this will prompt enough people to make the switch over from Google...I think I'm convinced.

Pink may or may not be the new black, but [I'm hoping that] Plurk may, in fact, be the new Twitter. Taking Tweeting up a few notches, Plurk displays your Plurks (140-character messages), as well as the Plurks from your friends and those you follow, in a really great visual timeline, taking status/Twitter stalking up to a whole new level. It also allows you to formulate your message with a variety of qualifiers (allowing others to see what you need, like, say, wonder, feel, etc.) at any given time (don't worry, there's also the option for the freestyle Plurk for you more free spirited folks out there). With an overall better design and layout, and a little bit more of a fun factor, I'm hoping Plurk will catch on over Twitter. I'm definitely a convert. Now if only I can figure out a way to integrate this with my Tumblr...hm...