Word as Image

I found this very fun.

Grid: the board game

I hosted a board games night at Chy Morva last week, all bar one of us were graphic designers. This would be a cool game for us, although I'm not sure I understand the rules...

"The game consists on forming letters on top of the board. When choosing black, the correct pieces must be flipped leaving the vertical stripes as part of the background only. When choosing stripes, the correct pieces must be rotated. The letter shape must be defined by the horizontal stripes while leaving the vertical ones as part of the background."

http://www.typographyserved.com/gallery/Grid-Board-Game/2089282

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

It was 1.30am last night/this morning (I'm a student, I'm allowed to be awake at that time) when I read the news about Steve Jobs on Twitter. At first I thought it was a crude joke but then I remembered he had been pretty ill, and so a sad day it is. My Macbook is probably my favourite possession and the iPod is a pretty neat invention. He seriously changed the world.

I approve of Francesco Mugnai's words:

"Millions of people are talking about his death. The U.S. president is talking about him, his “rivals” are talking about him, everyone is talking about him. Indeed, in just 56 years, he had reached a true state of semi-divinity. He was a symbol of innovation, of humanity, of change."

"Steve was adopted, he did not graduate, he had no money. He changed the world. What excuse do we have not to change ourselves and our life? Personal transformation is the most powerful weapon for changing humanity and the planet. That’s the biggest lesson that Steve has left us. R.I.P Steve Jobs."

Marisa Seguin's maps

I love these illustrative maps by Marisa Seguin.

I particularly like Vancouver, maybe partly because I like Canada and partly because I like the colours.

There is a reason I still buy CDs

The Subways' Money & Celebrity arrived today, making it the third physical album I have bought this month. Despite being in the age of iTunes, I still like to buy CDs. Especially when they are packaged like this, with thoughtful design.

I guess artists have univerally taken on the concept of using cardboard sleeves
for their albums rather than the old plastic boxes. This is much better.

Money & Celebrity

It has a bonus disc!

And the inside "booklet" is the most amazing. Similar to Chuck Ragan's playing with type
but creating a whole newspaper for the album. Which makes sense with the concept of the
album being celebrities, who appear in the news!

I found who designed the cover artwork for the album, Dots of Joy, although I'm not sure if they did the whole package. I shall have to read the small print on the album and see if it says!

Heartbreaking

Or heart-wrenching, as I put on Twitter. This is tragically beautiful.

A Hound and a Little Bird by Tribemun on deviantArt.
I love the (vaguely) graphic novel style.

Illustrating a part of the battle of Blackwater scene from A Clash of Kings, when Sandor offers (somewhat violently [but with love in his heart, honest]) to take Sansa away from King's Landing. You should have gone with him Sansa!

Sandor is seriously my favourite character in A Song of Ice and Fire, and he's not even a main character. I can't wait for season two of the tv show to see this scene, and others. Good book that second one.

Revival Café, Bristol

For the last two-three weeks, I have been working on a menu design for a café in Bristol. Revival Café – the website isn't up yet, but when it is find it here and until then, read these reviews. All the final tweaks have been made and I can finally show it to the world!

Front

Inside spread

And the back

I will photograph an actual menu soon. When I receive one from Mike, owner of the lovely Revival Café. Although they are only just read to go to print.

I've also been working on lots of menus on my work placement, among other things, so I will share some of those tomorrow or over the weekend. I rather like menu design.

R.E.M.

I can't believe R.E.M. have split up. They are the band of my childhood, due to being dad's favourite band – or at least one of them. I still love them now, having seen them live twice. But saddens me a great deal to hear of their end.

I wanted to embed the video for Losing my Religion here, but it seems YouTube/R.E.M./their record label aren't allowing it. So here's a link instead.