Newspaper design

I found this blog site about the world of newspaper design very interesting. Check it out.

5 Secrets of Strategic Designers

Strategic Designers have a very unique approach to things, especially in regard to the design process. The strategic designers’ pathway around the design process oscillates from a “bird’s eye” view of things to a “telescopic” focused one and then back up to a “bird’s eye” view again.

Massive Mobile

By 2012 there will be 4.3 billion mobile subscribers (about 61% of the world population) and 803 million of them will be using their phones as social networking devices.

Top Innovative Comapnies

Fast Company magazine recent came out with its listing the worlds top 50 most innovative companies.

Talk To The Hand

Physical and screen-based interfaces have collapsed into each other and both industrial and interaction designers have a whole new set of issues to grapple with.

Design for Sustainability

A few dozen leaders within the sustainable design industry met at Adobe headquarters to discuss the topic of sustainability.

VC Blog

VisualComplexity intends to be a unified resource space for anyone interested in the visualization of complex networks. The project's main goal is to leverage a critical understanding of different visualization methods, across a series of disciplines, as diverse as Biology, Social Networks or the World Wide Web.

History of Multi-touch Research

BusinessWeek has an article on the veiled threat that Apple has made to competitors regarding multi-touch technology. But the interesting part was a link to a whitepaper written by Bill Buxton. It’s a great historical overview/crash course of touch and multi-touch research that preceeded Apple’s work back almost 30 years.

Formway's FREE seating system offers ultimate office flexibility

Nowadays offices have ceased being boring and instead boast of a vibrant environment that permeates down to the seating arrangements. So, exit boring old chairs and enter newer concepts like Formway’s iconic FREE range office seating system.

More Glass House Simplicity

John Maeda talks about his day hanging out with some amazing people at the Philip Johnson Glass House.

Apple Should Design An Electric Car...Interior

Only 21% responding to a recent survey claim they would buy an Apple electric car. 48% would buy one from BMW. Good. Apple shouldn't design an electric car. They should design the interior of one. Read the rest of the article here.

How to Break into Game Design, With Zero Experience

So how does one get into game design if they have zippo experience? Steve Gaynor shares his thoughts on how he did it.

Is Ikea Built To Last

Ikea's new range is packed with its trademark sense of fun and frugality. But with other homeware stores suffering, is the Swedish giant in danger of extinction?

Interaction Design

Interaction designers at IDEO build novel and empathic models to make products and services human-accessible and delightful.

Driver Design Experience

Equally important to what we drive is how we drive.

Geometry of Design

The book titled 'Geometry of Design', illustrates how mathematics can enhance design and take it to a whole new level. A whole section of the book showed the geometric foundation behind the design of the Volkswagen Beetle.

30 Dual Element Logos, Do You See Them All?

All of these logos combine two or more individual concepts to create one seamless design. Some are a little more obvious than others, but all equally impressive.

20 Cool App Website Designs

Here are some well designed app website designs.

Drawing Board to the Desktop: A Designer’s Path

In 1972, when I was a sophomore in high school in suburban Cleveland, I was asked to do a poster for our drama club’s production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” I found a nice big piece of cardboard, did the most...

Reported Photos of Kindle 2

Mobileread.com posts purported images, price, and release date of the Kindle 2, expected to be announced Monday, Feb. 9th.

For The Scoot People with Too Much Luggage

You have to go to work every day, but it’s only a short distance. You would like a more eco-friendly ride, but have too much to carry!

Flashback Fridays: Apple Computer

In 1991 the Apple we know so well today was totally different. Steve Jobs had not yet returned to the company. Apple’s new focus was to diversify its core technologies beyond the scope of computers and CEO John Sculley was not shy about sharing the company’s secrets unlike the iron curtain Apple hangs today. Take a step back and check out some of these concepts from yesteryear.

Colors In Corporate Branding And Design

Color is a major consideration in any Web design. Whether for an individual, small company, or major corporation, color scheme is one of the most significant factors in the overall look and appearance of a website. In some cases, the designer may have the sole discretion in making color choices, but many times a color scheme has already been established and needs to be followed. In situations where a company already has a strong brand, color usage for the website can either build or take away from this.

aMap: Mapping Complex Arguments in a Visual Format

aMap [amap.org.uk] is a new venture designed to promote the art of arguing by mapping out complex arguments in a simple visual way across social media. aMaps come both in printed and internet formats.

The initial aMap project was set up to look at how "visualization techniques" could be used to help create simplified visualisations of complex arguments, with the overall aim to help the average man on the street be able to engage and participate in complex policy issues. The current goal is obviously to investigate different routes of how to best visualise arguments in a social, online medium context.

Lessons from the art of storyboarding

Storyboarding is a great way to begin to visualize the story of your content. (In animation) storyboards are used to develop the story.

Designer Philippe Starck Embraces his Feminine Side [exclusive video]

Philippe Starck, resplendent in black leather pants, came to New York’s Soho House this week to promote his latest project –- a set of sleek stereo speakers he designed for Parrot, a French wireless technology company whose CEO, Martin Seydoux, is one of the designer’s oldest friends.

iDock

Looking for a functional dock for your iPod/ iPhone?

Blob Architecture's Patron Dies

One of the most influential branches of architecture in the last 15 years is "blobitecture," which produces futuristic (often blob-like) forms using cutting edge technology, Jan Kaplický just passed.

Can Design Improve Fuel Efficiency?

Arguing for aerodynamics as key to saving fuel.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers Wins 2009 iF Product Design Award

Fujitsu Siemens Computers won the 2009 iF product design award for the ESPRIMO Mobile series professional notebooks as well as for the ESPRIMO MA, a tablet PC design specifically for the health care sector.

What Beautiful Future Gadgets Will Be Made Of

Gizmodo’s editorial director Brian Lam gives Kara Johnson the final word on tomorrow’s gadget materials. Kara explains that unpainted plastic is the future, and that we need to move beyond injection molding and look at sheet processes for 2D layers. For more on materials and the future of gadgets, click here.

Bright ideas for dark days

In tough times, it's the brightest ideas that get noticed. And for those who can adapt quickest, recession offers a chance to steal a march on the competition.

Skip Hop’s Wishbone Bike 3 in 1

Something simple for the kids.

Bell Mobility Launches a New UI

Earlier this week the Canadian communications company Bell Mobility released phones with new user interfaces (UIs) designed by frog.

Designers Are Capable Of Transforming Cities Beyond The Industrial Age

If you think business is competitive, think about cities. Every city is struggling to find innovative ways to heighten their creative energy and transform their cities to a post industrial age era.

Electronic Books–A Human Factors perspective

Richard Pak offers his thoughts on the design of the Amazon Kindle. There are some critical “book behaviors” that the device does not afford but are critical to him.

How NOT to design a logo

Logo design in today’s world is totally under rated.

People do not understand how important a good logo is and how valuable it is to their business.

Three Mobile User Experience Trends to Watch in 2009

2008 was truly a milestone year for mobile. In an industry that has long felt downtrodden by a multitude of technical and business constraints, wild and exciting inflection points burst like fireworks across the mobile landscape, bringing visibility to our industry and renewing our hopes.

John Maeda: My journey in design, from tofu to RISD

Designer John Maeda talks about his path from a Seattle tofu factory to the Rhode Island School of Design, where he became president in 2008. Maeda, a tireless experimenter and a witty observer, explores the crucial moment when design met computers.

Hitachi Reinvents TV Remote As A Trackball

I'm tired of having to deal with several TV/AV remotes with two hundred tiny buttons and a screen for Windows connectivity. Simplicity is what I love, which is why I find Hitachi's trackball-style reinvention superior.

Lenovo IdeaCentre 600: Thinnest (Hottest?) All-in-One PC on the Block

Lenovo's IdeaCentre 600 is a pretty splashy debut: Its first ever all-in-one is a simple curved slab that's supposedly the thinnest all-in-one in the industry.

Objectified

As he did for Helvetica's namesake typeface, Gary Hustwit gathered the world's top designers for his forthcoming documentary Objectified, telling the story of the magic behind the objects we use every day. Read the rest here.

The Solid State Revolution

The death of moving parts means you'll be seeing smaller,faster, stronger -- and quieter -- gadgets. Review the solid-state revolution.

Interactive Foil

The company ‘Visual Planet‘ has developed interactive foil that can be used as a touch screen. One major advantage is that it can be glued on every surface that is not metallic. Consider the possibilities. Now displays in public will get vandalized less easy as the display (read foil!) can be glued on the inside of windows / plastics. Read the article here.

Folding Electric Bike

Inspired by the mythological creature Unicorn, who controls the star Capella in Greek folklore, designer Truong Minh Nhat has come up with a unique electric bike that folds into a backpack. Named as ‘Capella,’ the foldable bike is so lightweight and compact that users can effortlessly carry it on their back, while cruising through crowded city roads. Running on a battery, the electric bike can move at a top speed of 30 kilometers per hour for 12 kilometers after charging it for two hours.

Now Pulling Luggage Is Easy

Climbing a skyscraper on foot, carrying heavy luggage is the last thing that you would ever wish for. However, the Climbing UP suitcase is a luggage with difference that helps the users to save more energy in pulling their suitcase upstairs.

Creative Thinking Is More Than Just Creativity

The British are known for pushing the boundaries of alternative art and music and fashion, art is very much of a part of the British culture.

Best of Yanko Design 2008

2008 has been an eventful and inspiring year, and it’s hard to put all the top news in one place; still, if there’s one Yanko Design article you want to bookmark this year, this should be it.

What Color is Hope?

When a loved one is in intensive care, it can be terrifying for all concerned. Industry leader Hamilton Medical and world-recognized industrial design consultancy RKS have combined efforts to create a new ventilator designed to create a better ICU experience for medical professionals, patients, and loved ones, and, in turn, improve patient recovery. Read the article here.

How to Create a Music Magazine Cover in InDesign

In this tutorial, you'll see how to create a magazine cover in InDesign. You'll learn how to set up a page layout and add text. This is an introduction to InDesign and no previous knowledge is required. This is a simple project put together to help get you started with InDesign.

Yahoo's Design Pattern Library

Welcome to the Yahoo! Design Pattern Library. Here, Yahoo shares patterns and code with the web design and development community.

The Bloomberg Makeover

View how IDEO and Ziba Design, took Bloombergs interface through a rigorous redesign.

Who's Connected How?

Technology connects us more and more each day. Who are the most and least connected people in the world? View here.

Various Ways to Visualize Consumer Spending

Depending on how you spin it, how consumers spend can be reflecting as positive or negative.
Here are a few methods to display that type of data.

Visual Complexity: Visual Design Methods

VisualComplexity intends to be a unified resource space for anyone interested in the visualization of complex networks. The project's main goal is to leverage a critical understanding of different visualization methods, across a series of disciplines, as diverse as Biology, Social Networks or the World Wide Web.

Vizzl: Visual Search and Shopping Engine

Vizzl [vizzl.com] is a new visual search / shopping engine that allows users to perform dynamic filtering, sorting and a number of view modes on all the search results retrieved from Amazon, eBay or YouTube.

As a new Adobe Flex based application, Vizzl features dynamic animations and transitions to deliver a more immersive search experience, in an aim to make searching information "fun and fast". For example, Amazon books can be sorted by relevance, best selling, price, alphabet, or release date, while views can be changed to reveal more or less detailed information.

The Vizzl application is also offered as a commercial application to the industry, such as "The Inspiration Room" [theinspirationroom.com], an online aggregator of the worlds best talents and work in the creative industry, as well as a Facebook spin-off called "Friendly Search", which offers a visual way of browsing your Facebook contacts.

The Information Architecture Institute

The Information Architecture Institute is a 501(6)c professional organization, operated by a dedicated, multi-national group of people. Volunteering their own resources, the aspire to build bridges to related disciplines and organizations. You're invited to join them in advancing the state of information architecture through research, education, advocacy and community service.

Dobpler Interactive Led Wall

The system is an interactive LED wall installed in an Oslo subway which interacts with the public, every movement creating a reaction, leaving a impression of an environment that 'keeps an eye' on the public, with no intrusive video surveillance involved.

The Zenvo ST-1

Danish boutique automaker Zenvo Automotive had exactly one goal in mind when it designed the ST1 hyper-exotic: build "a real supercar with excessive power."

Newsweek Features frog design’s Concepts for “Resurrecting the Republican Brand”

Frog design was asked by Newsweek magazine to provide ideas and design direction for “resurrecting the Republican brand,” featured the (December 29) print issue.

Before the Levees Break: A Plan to Save the Netherlands

On a late fall afternoon on the western edge of the Netherlands, coastal engineer Marcel Stive stands atop a 40-foot dune. He stares out beyond the posse of wet-suit-clad surfers wading into the breakers of the North Sea. Where the surfers see inviting waves, Stive sees dry land—and a distant storm.

Modular Robot Concept Design Digs In

A new robot concept is raising the hopes of the building industry that the high-tech future will be populated with smart excavating robots that will easily replace the high-cost of insurance-needing human contractors.

Barcelona opens a design center

Spain’s Dhub is officially open.

Is IDEO still king of innovation?

As the playing field for design management becomes more crowded, does IDEO still have an advantage?

Ford's Green Plan to Drive Sales

Promising a slew of new green vehicles, the troubled Detroit automaker is turning to top design firms to make those cars innovative and appealing.

How Apple Could Survive Without Steve Jobs

This isn't a question. It's a suggestion.

2008 Design Company of the Year: Nike

In 2008, Nike Design was about heritage, pioneering technology and an entirely new way to build shoes, proving that--even in design--some things are better with age.

Applying "design thinking" to, um, design

Lessons from the development process of Google's Chrome.

Google's Mayer: Staying Innovative In a Downturn

The mantra that's been flooding the Googleplex this year? 'Scarcity brings clarity,' explains Marissa Mayer, Google Vice-President.

24 Fantastic Future Wonders of Green Design

The ‘green movement’ has swept the world and architecture is at the forefront of the new industrial revolution - buildings being by far the biggest energy-sappers in the world.

Five Questions

A short video talking about design thinking.

Ripple

Great concept designs never fade away, they always remain alive in the memory of designers and the Nokia Aeon is definitely one of them.

Supervision

Supervision is the personal financial assistant you wish you had. The electronic budget diary scans receipts, charts money coming in/out, talks to your bank, and gives you monthly expense details so you can balance your finances more effectively - or for most people, at all. The display doubles as a touchscreen and comes with a stylus so you can manage your monies the old fashioned way too.

Alan Kay: A powerful idea about teaching ideas

What's design got to do with it?

The film 'What's design got to do with it?' shows how a selection of Danish companies have successfully used different design disciplines and design strategies. The video shows that the concept of ’Danish Design’ is changing and undergoing a very interesting development these years.

The Ideas Exchange

To reach customers better some firms have taken the idea of a focus group to its logical extreme and created huge online communities.

d.NEWS

Blog covering the happenings at the Institute of Design at Stanford.

Green Appliances and Kitchens

As the Consumer Marketing Manager of Sub-Zero and Wolf, Christopher Parr knows what people want in their kitchens, and knows what it takes for a fridge to be green.

Sucking Waste Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Here is an infrastructure investment America should consider: an Envac waste disposal system. Instead of filling our streets with garbage bags and waiting for trucks to pick them up, many European cities (they invest in infrastructure that isn't for cars there) are trying out these clever underground vacuum systems.

Simple Is Not As Simple As It Seems

An article in the New York Times says customers are being more attracted to "simple" products:

And, as it turns out, the buyers of consumer electronics could very well have been a leading economic indicator. Over the last year, they chose to buy two inexpensive and simple products, the Wii and the Flip, over competing gadgets bristling with more features.

Larry Burns: Reinventing the car

General Motors veep Larry Burns previews cool next-gen car design: sleek, customizable (and computer-enhanced) vehicles that run clean on hydrogen -- and pump energy back into the electrical grid when they're idle.

What makes a 'User Experience expert'?

So what is the added value that a user experience expert brings?

Robert Brunner

Before Jonathan Ive, there was Robert Brunner, the designer behind Apple's original, iconic PowerBook. Brunner, now has a new product-design studio, Ammunition, worked with Amazon.com's Lab126 unit, also staffed with Apple veterans, to design the Kindle e-book reader

Apple Store - Glass Staircases

A unique and eye-catching feature of Apple's high-profile stores is the glass staircase, intended to attract visitors to visit the second (or even third) floor, which most retail shoppers avoid. Besides the visually interesting design, the stairways and their accompanying glass bridges are engineering and architectural marvels, and made possibly by recent advances in glass technology that allows its use in more demanding applications.

Six Design Lessons From the Apple Store

Here are a few design ideas and lessons, to learn from the Apple Store.