Chip Kidd at Oswego, NY

The Learners, by Chip Kidd

I was really jealous when my sister saw Chip Kidd speak at her graduate college, but now he is speaking at my her and my old college SUNY Oswego!  "Chip Kidd will be on campus on September 15, 2010 visiting classes, giving a talk on Graphic Arts at 12:40 during College Hour, and then a big presentation at 7:00 pm."
Read more at AIGA Upstate, NY

Wednesday, September 15, 2010 7:00 pm  
 SUNY Oswego Campus
7060 Route 104
Oswego, New York 13126-3599 

I hope I will be able to go! Requested the book, The Learners, from my library already.

Marian Bantjes

Marian Bantjes: Intricate beauty by design | Video on TED.com
I like watching TED videos because they are just so inspiring. I watched this one the other day about Marian Banties. I know her work from my sister Jessica, or from when I went to see Stefan Sagmeister speak in Charlotte, NC at an AIGA event; I'm not sure what came first but her sugar designs (above) are fantastic. As for this video she does get carried away in the first couple minutes with her slide show, yet in the end it comes together. Marian Banties reminded me that a little time for your personal or commercial designs can go a long way. Not only because you can end up with a great piece, but because of how happy it makes you to do what you really want to do: to is create something for you with the time you have.

Innovation -The Disruptive Age

Click to see video on host site, design mind

You know that A-ha! moment, when someone says something and all the puzzle pieces in your head come together. The Spark of genius that feeds your creativity so much you can't sleep. I would like to call this now a "Disruptive moment". Although right now these ideas go as far as my sketchbook or a portfolio, but maybe one day it will branch into a design company (per personal hire) and become a money making idea that fulfills personal creative goals.

Luke Williams, from Frog design, gave the keynote speech at the Frontiers of Interaction Conference in Rome. His talk, called “Thinking the Unthinkable: How To Spark Disruptive Innovation,” focused on learning to think about what is usually ignored and to pay attention to what is not obvious in design and business solutions.

His speech started with the innovations from Mac, from the ideas of competition, turning points of design, expected and unexpected design methods and how the weak can be winners; he used fantastic examples to tie in his explanations.

What I took from this speech is, its not always the most experienced individuals that can come up with the best ideas, but maybe the one that can think outside the box or maybe someone new who may have never worked on a project of its kind. What this speech is also telling me is that I should keep my life interesting, and surprise myself as much as I can; mix things up to keep the mind young, fresh, and disruptive.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up".
Pablo Picasso

Juicy Finds for May 2010

If you have about two hours, this is an interesting video. Its a discussion from Cooper-Hewitt on "user-centered design" or understanding how ergonomics effects the productivity and enjoyment of a designed work. Jesse Ashlock, former Editor-in-Chief of I.D. Magazine moderated this panel of three: Dan Formosa, founder of Smart Design who has designed work, ranging from kitchen items to medical products mostly recently known for his leafy SmartGauge with EcoGuide on the new Ford Focus, Sigi Moeslinger, co-founder of Antenna Design that combines technological complexity with a sense of humanity; her work on the NYC subways (which with my current trip to NYC I have recently enjoyed) is discussed. My favorite part of this video is listening to the third panelist Neils Differient, most well known for his Freedom and Liberty chair designs manufactured by Humanscale, he is a slow and enlightening speaker that I feel would be a great person to have sitting on my front porch and drinking ice tea with.



Other inspiring finds, this one from Design Milk is PIE Studio’s business card which folds into the shape of a pie slice and the brochure also folded into a slice unfolds out to an entire pie.




Foosball has entered my life recently, after introducing my husband to a great old fashioned style bar in the heart of Buffalo, with delicious brews and a huge game room, Foosball is becoming an enjoyment. My friend Kevin even got a table for his basement. And although I'm not that good at it, others are and it shows in this creative football coat hook.