Designing “No Plot? No Problem!”

Based on the book, No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days, this kit takes the tone and task of inspiring writers one step further. It includes a clam shell box, inspiration cards immersed in tongue-in-cheek tone, a Noveling Affidavit, a progress calendar, and other humorous elements to keep a writer on task, all designed in bold colors and a retro-styled typographic treatment that aptly underscores the humor in the kit, and emphasizes the brand tone in the original book. Designed by Rise-and-Shine Studio.

Peek into a Design’s Layers

See the full gallery on Posterous

It can be challenging for designers to communicate to non-designers the amount of work that can go into a good design. This peek into an event poster design is a great opportunity to illustrate part of the design process.

Designer Shelby White, aka Wanken, has generously shared a screen shot, or more aptly, the many screen shots that it took to show the number of layers in the file: 90 layers. File size: 618MB.

Brilliant Receipt Design doubles as Infographic

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via dezeen.com

Here’s a shining example of employing designers’ user-focused and creative problem-solving thinking to transform dull, tired customer touch-points into something of more value. Listing the caloric values of the shopper’s purchases, information about the purchased products’ demand, and even information on events in the area, the simple receipt thus converts the experience of shopping at the market into an activity that directly relates to the customer’s daily routines. It even plays serendipitously with an opportunity in mini history lessons.
Credit: BERG

Dear Typography… An Ode.

No explanation required; it’s all in there.

Design is a Way of Life

“Design is a way of life, a point of view. It involves the whole complex of visual communications: talent, creative ability, manual skill, and technical knowledge. Aesthetics and economics, technology and psychology are intrinsically related to the process.”—Paul Rand, from A Designer’s Words.

Metal Type in the 21st Century

via typetoken.net

Documentary about Jim Rimmer, who designed nearly 200 typefaces. The film shows Rimmer using the pantograph, which enabled simultaneous mechanical enlargement of a smaller, desk-size form.

Those Willing to Get Dirty

via ffffound.com

The future belongs to the few of us still willing to get our hands dirty.
… with ink, paint, paper….

The Hoverbike

via uncrate.com

An ultralight, hoovering craft with an open seat like a motorcycle, the Hoverbike can go 100 miles per fuel fill and hover at 10,000 feet. That’s one way to make the urban ground more pedestrian-friendly.

Neon Boneyard is a Typophile’s Treasure Chest

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Discarded for their glory days past, the rusting signs at Las Vegas’ Neon Boneyard, part of the Neon Museum, are chock-full of dazzling letter shapes for typophiles, and textures and color for other graphically-inclined eyes.

True Colors Infographic – Breakdown of Color Preferences by Gender

While this test is based on a narrow sampling of 232 people from 22 countries, the main findings are:
• The most preferred color, regardless of gender, is blue
• Orange is associated with inexpensiveness in both genders
• Men prefer brighter hues, but tolerate less saturated colors, and prefer shades over tints
• Women prefer softer hues, are less tolerant of unsaturated colors, and prefer tints over shades
• Purple is widely popular as a favorite among women, but widely unpopular among men

via blog.kissmetrics.com