March 9 2010
March 9 2010
As we wait with baited breath for the iPad’s release on April 3, it’s easy for us to think that the shake up in the publishing industry is only being led by e-book readers. However, there are a multitude of other new ideas, mechanisms and projects all driven by new technology that are challenging the traditional rules and business models of publishing and print. These new technologies are liberating people to become their own publishers, printers and distributors. Here are some of them:
The Espresso book machine
This machine (seen above) created by On Demand Books can print and bind a paperback book in about three minutes. It is also about the size of a small wardrobe, which enables it to be housed in a host of bookstores and libraries around the world, adding a little bit of theater to your book browsing. Amazon is said to utilize print on demand machines in their distribution (though they won’t reveal to what extent), and Google has partnered with On Demand Books to allow over 400,000 titles to be printed when needed in stores.
Lulu, CreateSpace and Blurb
A host of self-publishing websites with easy to use software, quick delivery and cost effective solutions enable not just novelists but photographers, designers and artists to print their book of choice with high quality standards. Users have different sizes, paper stocks and cover solutions to choose from. The software can also integrate with existing publishing programs like Adobe Indesign. The sites also allow users to publish and sell their books on the sites.
Magcloud and The newspaper club
Perhaps more niche. These two sites enable users to publish their own magazines and newspapers. Magcloud is a project from HP labs that enables people to create their own magazines and distribute them via its website to a wide audience. It costs about $.20 a page and has had success in producing and selling several thousand magazines since it launch a year ago.
The Newspaper Club is a tool to help people make their own newspapers using online content. It allows users to tag online content, collect and curate the stuff they want and turn it into a really good-looking printed product. Funded by 4IP, the investment arm of Britain’s Channel 4, the site is currently a beta version, but it will launch officially in summer 2010. They have already produced some newspapers for the BBC and Wired. Long live newsprint!
March 1 2010
Sometimes connecting our history to our present day is a challenge, especially with such fast paced change. A new flickr set provides a smart way to look at this challenge. Simply by overlaying and old photo with a current environment, the viewer is faced with such contrast and sometimes eerie similarities.
The type of car in this photo has always occupied a historic place in my mind: somewhere in ‘the olden days’. After seeing this image, it doesn’t seem that far off in history (and really never was). It’s also interesting to note the size difference in the vehicles!
The set is relatively small (only 33 images), but is only a week old and anyone can contribute. You can take a look at it here.
February 25 2010
This week it was announced that a George Polk Award in Journalism was given to a group of anonymous videographers. The video was that of the violent death of an Iranian woman (Neda Agha-Soltan) during the protests last year.
Perhaps many of you have seen the film. It is disturbing, but viewing it feels somehow necessary.
The video was first uploaded by a 36 year old native of Iran living in the Netherlands. He received the film from an anonymous doctor who sent the video clip by email with the message “please let the world know.”
After that, the video was “pretty instantly fragmented into hundreds of other re-uploads” according to YouTube. Within hours, the video was viewed by millions of people.
Some of the biggest and most respected names in journalism have won George Polk Awards–Christiane Amanpour, Walter Cronkite, Gloria Emerson, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Charles Kuralt, Edward R. Murrow, Jack Newfield, Morley Safer, Oliver Sacks, and Nina Totenberg just to name a few.
So giving the Polk Award to “ordinary citizens” for the first time in the award’s 61-year old history is no minor shift. But like viewing the video, this shift too feels somehow necessary.
February 23 2010
This past weekend is the first time in a longtime when I did not twitter, facebook, email, touch a computer, or even use my cell phone. I did things like go to dinner with friends, venture into a dueling piano bar, ice skating, in other words; being social without social media.
Don’t get me wrong I’m all for social media. Its helped me to stay connected in ways I didn’t think possible, as well as gather information quickly without the legwork. However, without it, I felt more inspired, observant, and attentive. Maybe it life was better before we had useful distractions like twitter and facebook. Luckily, there’s actually a device to cure you of social media. Within an hour the web 2.0 suicide machine disconnects you from all your social media avatars. So far 3,109 people have used the machine, totaling 229,651 friends unfriended and 391,125 tweets untweeted. Maybe this is a bit extreme but there is something to be said about becoming “anti-social”.
February 22 2010
Last week Spanish culinary wizard, Ferran Adrià announced he will be closing his world famous restaurant El Bulli, due to the massive monetary loss it was incurring and instead be opening a culinary institute for ‘kicking around ideas and experimenting.’ ElBulli is considered to be the worlds greatest restaurant. Chefs from around the world jump at the chance to work under the great Ferran. Diners need to book a year in advance and the waiting list for reservations has been at 3000 for one of twelve tables.
What makes ElBulli so special is its desire to immerse the diner in a total experience. The kitchen is a laboratory for innovation where chefs work at creating and developing dishes that provoke, surprise and delight the diner– a “cappuccino” of guacamole, liquid ravioli: caviar made from Olive oil that is pure liquid; pine cone mousse; ravioli of cuttlefish wrapped around coconut milk; and Parmesan snow. Nothing is what it seems. Even utensils and tableware are specifically designed and produced for each dish.
Clockwise from top: Mojito sticks, a liquid olive, Edible flower carpaccio, Coral
chocolate with raspberry powder
The restaurant will close for good in December 2011. With Ferran already referred to as the Dean, the ElBulli academy or school seems the perfect progression for an ElBulli brand that espouses creativity and experimenting at its heart. One can imagine a kind of Bauhaus for cuisine, hopefully with the odd meal still served every now again.
February 18 2010
An all in one soccer ball, portable generator, community builder and global health tool, sOcket is a “shining example” of functional innovation and design. Developed by Harvard University students, this soccer ball turns energy from a kick into electricity, which is then used to charge lights, cell phones and batteries. For example, for every 15 minutes of play, sOcket can store enough energy to power a LED light for 3 hours. In a world where over 1.5 billion people live in areas with no access to electricity, the sport of soccer, with its global appeal, is a perfect partner.
February 18 2010
Last month, Apple announced the launch of their new tablet computer, the iPad. While response has been mixed, many people have been curious about the implications for print and publication design. How will it change the user experience? What would an iPad version of a magazine look like?
Wired Magazine has released a video showcasing an upcoming issue developed for the iPad which answers some of these questions.
Time Magazine also has a preview of its future interface.
Anyone wondering how future computer interfaces might evolve can check out this video illustrating new concepts from the interface consultants that worked on the film Minority Report.
g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.
February 17 2010
Shaun White will be going for gold tonight in the Men’s snowboarding halfpipe as well as showcasing his new trick the Double McTwist 1260. White, who went pro at 13, was immediately sponsored by Burton. Now sponsored by Oakley, Birdhouse, Target, Redbull, Adio, and HP, White has created an incredibly successful brand for himself. A brand that epitomizes snowboarding. Everything from White’s red mop top hair, to his clothing, even the way he speaks is all part of the Shaun White brand. His sponsors are willing to do whatever it takes to keep him with their company.
There are very few athletes whose names are the epitome of their sport. Shaun, just 23 years old, now sits among names like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, and Wayne Gretzky. These athletes have another thing in common: the ability to brand themselves. This, along with their athletic talent, is what makes them superstars.
White has won 23 gold medals across the Olympics, X-Games, and The Dew Tour since 2002 and will go for number 24 tonight.
February 12 2010
Following up on our list of type foundries last week we noticed Ellen Lupton just published her own ‘Oscars of type’. We shared a lot of the same favorites with Ellen and we wished these typefaces were available for the web. Wouldn’t it be great to use Neutraface or Giorgio Sans instead of Tahoma and Arial?
Recently we found out about Typekit, a company dedicated to expanding the number of typefaces available online. “It’s a subscription-based service for linking to high-quality Open Type fonts. Members of Typekit pay a monthly subscription and use their font server to give you or your client’s website a unique look and feel.
With more and more design being produced for the web, it would certainly be nice to utilize some newer typefaces. We want to know what you think. Would you pay a subscription to get access to more typefaces? What typefaces would you like to see added to Typekit or other providers.
February 10 2010
Coming from Canada, the graphic-design community is very small and can feel limiting. Janine Vangool is an example of how to create your own opportunities:
Vangool has been an inspiration for me since she graduated from the same design school a few years before me. After she graduated, Janine found a studio-space and started working on personal projects.
Last year she began quietly producing a magazine, named after her studio “Uppercase” (the studio sits atop a case of stairs and focuses on typography). Uppercase magazine is an independent project, but rivals many magazines with a large staff and budget.
Only 1 year old, Uppercase has grown its readership by being a well-designed gem, spreading word-of-mouth without advertising.
Today it was announced that Uppercase magazine made the shortlist for “Magazine of the Year” by a 45 year old industry standard: The Society of Publication Designers. One of 16 to make the prestigious list, Uppercase now sits among, GQ, Esquire, Time, The New York Times Magazine and others vying for the top honor.
A true testament to what happens when you follow your passion and create a unique path, I’ll be rooting for Uppercase (and Janine) when the winner is announced on Feb 12.
