A great little resource documenting various samples of found type—signage mostly—around the streets of Chicago, appropriately called Chicago Type. The project was started and is maintained by trigger happy snap shottist (snap shottist?) and fellow Chicagoan, Shawn Hazen. In my relatively short time in Chicago, I haven’t yet made it outside of the city to see most of the places on the site… and now I don’t have to!

Thanks for the link, Adam!

Paper art, or craft/tactile design, or the DIY movement, or whatever you want to call it was no doubt huge around three years ago, but seems to have exhausted it’s fifteen minutes as of recent. With the recent resurgence of hand-drawn or clumsy-but-cute campaigns, I have a feeling craft design is making it’s official comeback. And when I come across such inventive work from artists like Owen Gildersleeve, I’m only more and more positive.

Owen turned it up a notch with a number of his recent pieces, and its really stoking my curiosities of the craftier side of design.

Just look at that beast.

Later this September, the fifth installment of Die Gestalten’s popular Los Logos series will be released in North America, and I am delighted to say that as a loyal reader and owner of Los Logos, Dos Logos, Tres Logos, and Los Logos 4, my work has been selected to be published in Los Logos: Compass! If this book is anything like it’s predecessors, it’s going to be the absolute must-have branding book for all graphic designers this Fall. I submitted over fifteen logos from the past year, and happen to know—based on the thumbnail views—a logo I produced for NYC fashion designer, Nuria Frances did make the cut! Now for the other sixteen pieces. Feelin’ itchy…

Thanks Gestalten! You’ve always ranked top three on my Christmas lists.

Monday, August 30
Two Electric Pylons

Okay, so obviously the “Bed Intruder” auto tune clip from the Gregory Brothers was—and is—hilarious. Well last night the saga was extended. This is the Bed Intruder cover by Hayley Williams (Paramore), Jordan Pundik (New Found Glory), and Ethan Luck (Relient K).

Isn’t it just lovely!

If not for the hit Lauren Weisberger novel with the same title, The Devil Wears Prada would be a pretty sick band name. And it is a sick band name, I just keep picturing Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway on keyboard and guitar. TDWP’s earlier releases on Rise and Ferret Records never really had me. I gave them each a few listens but the music just wouldn’t sit quite right.

But I’ve got to hand it to this band—because they have grown. With their most recent release, Zombie EP, they demonstrate a remarkably matured sound. Personally, I am relieved they dropped most of the keys/synth that littered past albums, and what keys are on this record blend better with the overall sound than before. But above that, stylistically and compositionally it is evident TDWP are growing and taking major steps forward as musicians.

Conceptually, Zombie EP is intriguing. I suppose you could call the release a concept record, with each track telling a separate part to a greater story. Without researching the lyrics word for word, it feels like a mildly political message; verses of concern for our well being; being outnumbered as a species; taking arms and finding safety.

Standout tracks for me: Escape, Anatomy, and Outnumbered. But honestly this little five-track EP has been on repeat since it’s release. It’s a good one!

The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP Promo from James Baney on Vimeo.

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Listen to The Devil Wears Prada on their MySpace.
Pick up Zombie EP here.

Monday, August 23
Fungiscapes

Such elegant, quiet photography from Akos Major. The slow exposures make me happy.

Visit Major’s Behance page here.

Monday, August 16
Enter the Void

This is the best thing I’ve seen all day long. It’s called Smoke Rings and it was created by my one of my new favorite artist/designers, Mike Ward. Check out more of his awesome work as soon as you can!

Link via @nopattern.