The guys over at Firebelly Design put a lot of work into this piece, and now the TYPEFORCE book is printed and being distributed! It’s the perfect catalogue to accompany the exhibition. It features all the work in close detail, with written excerpts from every artist, and many photographs from the evening. I was blown away by the quality of the book, but with donated supplies from Graphic Arts Studio, and Unisource Paper, and backing support from AIGA Chicago, I couldn’t expect anything less!

I’m proud to have been part of such a great design effort in the artist community, and thrilled to have exhibited among such talent. Below are three spreads from the book. Each artist chapter was given an individual custom title spread, and I gotta say—I love mine!

Interested in a copy? Contact Firebelly Design, and ask nicely!

Check these guys out. Toben, an excellent young bunch of designers from Australia, specializing in super fresh editorial/layout work, with a splash of identity and interactive.

Okay, so maybe I’m a little jealous…

In celebration of the first annual TYPEFORCE exhibition—as if you haven’t heard me talking all about this, earlier in the spring—and to accompany the recently published TYPEFORCE book, Public Media Institute and the crew over at Firebelly Design have launched a simple, charming website to direct you to the work of each of the artists involved in the show. Lots of great designers here, so spend some time with it!

I’ll be getting my hands on some TYPEFORCE books this week, so look forward to some documentation.

From the looks of their crisp, bright white website, Inventory Magazine is absolutely bursting with class and style. A curation of Ideas in Product, Craft & Culture— I like that.

The site is a work of art, from designer Stuart Hobday. His work is consistently intelligent, grid-loyal and always, always fresh as hell.

Saturday, June 12
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Blackberry, Real Friends (Times Square, NYC)
At Time of Sketch: 90%
Project Status: 95%

The Bagel
6/11/10

The triangular patterns created in these ceiling lights are lovely! I could spend some time with this… a tasty bit of geometric design inspiration.
6/23/10
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The Bagel
6/11/10
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Exotica window display outside of Macy’s downtown.
June, 2010
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Eileen Fisher window display outside of Macy’s downtown.
June, 2010
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Love the neon letterforms, here. “OPEN” especially.
June, 2010
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One of the best vanity plates I’ve ever seen!
Sometime in early 2010
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Charming neon outside the House of Blues, Chicago.
June, 2010
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First time ever in an Old Navy, I come to find out the mannequins from the hilarious commercials are real! A pleasant surprise.
June, 2010
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They sell snacks in the laundry room—I buy them all.
June, 2010
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Home Depot sign in the paint department. The details escape this photo, but I enjoyed the overlapping color and subtle nuances in the large numbers.
June, 2010
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Believe it or not, these windows are a recent addition to a nearby McDonalds. I would normally walk right by, however I think there is something to be said for the arch-inspired stained glass pattern.
June, 2010
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My office view of the Chicago River, during the Winter. All the broken-up ice in the water is sort of gorgeous!
Winter, 2009
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Saturday, June 5
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Six Six Four
At Time of Sketch: 60%
Project Status: 85%

I can’t imagine I have any readers from Berlin, but if you happen to be there during the second week in July—and you kind of like excellent artwork—do yourself a favor and go visit Emil Kozak and his new mini collection of handmade collage pieces. The exhibition is called Small Pencils Big Dreams, and I have a feeling you wouldn’t regret it!

If you aren’t familiar with Emil Kozak’s work, get familiar!

Reading an article in a recent HOW Magazine about designing logos for sports teams, I came across the logo for the Colorado Mammoth, designed in 2003 by Kelley Kocher, of Kroenke Sports Enterprises. I’m probably just extra attracted to the logo, since I’ve developed a recent affection towards (well-designed) sports logos—they’re a curious breed. While most are flat or two-dimensional, this particular mark for the Colorado lacrosse team is much more dynamic with it’s compelling three-dimensional cues.

Apparently mammoths were vegetarians, but lets be honest: the bloody tusks are awesome.