Maybe Lee can help

Lee Silber has written a series of books especially for creative thinkers. Many of his ideas are very helpful, especially in the realm of organization and management -- traditionally, a real stumbling block for creatives.

The best thing about Lee is he's a creative guy himself, and "gets" what it's like to be a right-brained thinker living in a left-brained world. Some of his books overlap information, but they're written in very digestible nuggets, which is a good for artsy types (If things get overly-systematic, I usually check out).

http://www.creativelee.com/

Beautiful Evidence

Earlier this week, I attended a day-long course given by Edward Tufte, a former Yale professor who publishes and teaches information design. I was first introduced to his work through an article he published in WIRED -- "PowerPoint is Evil."

The content is dense, but it is worth taking a look at what this guy has to say to designers -- especially those of us who are called upon to create information and/or statistical graphics.

If you have the chance to attend one of his day courses, I would highly recommend it. Included in the registration, you get all 4 of his books (which are pricey, but beautifully done), and several hours of his personal insight.

Thought-provoking and challenging, Tufte's message is an important call for clean, sensible design. His site has a great blog thread with lots of meaty topics.

www.tufte.com

Bumper Sticker Design

Newsweek ran a brief design analysis of the current presidential bumper stickers. Written by one of the partners from the Pentagram Studio, it was nice to see something like this running in a mainstream mag. Good to see that design does matter . . . So, who's your favorite (bumper sticker, I mean)?

Typeface Article in LAYERS

I've never perused LAYERS magazine (Adobe products), but it looks kinda cool. Thought this was a nicely written, brief article on typefaces for "body text."

Typeface Article

Simpsonized!

So, one of my co-workers (who clearly has too much time on his hands) sent me this lovely portrait of me as a Simpsons character.

Not sure how I feel about it . . . apparently, in Springfield, I'm perpetually stoned.

If you are really, really bored, feel free to Simpsonize yourself and your friends.

www.simpsonizeme.com

Words of wisdom

"Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso."

(Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.)

Spanish proverb

An informative read

Becoming a Graphic Designer
by Steven Heller and Teresa Fernandes

I picked up this book on a whim during my last visit to the library. Technically, it is a vocational guide, written for those considering a career in design. But it has some interesting content for those already in the field.

Most enjoyable are the many interviews with leading designers. It is a nice break from "how-to" design books . . . this one explores the ideology behind design, how rapidly-changing technology affects the way we create, and the individual process/approach to design work. There is a remarkable range covered, from book cover designers, to interactive and television/motion artists.

Another bonus -- it's easy to read in "bite-sized" pieces, as the interviews are typically only two or three pages long.