davidthedesigner

this made me smile #97

"well, let us begin. first of all, u suck. u suck because every time i look at your work i feel like I've thought of the same things u design but u beat me to it. i know its easier said than done. well i would like to actually say thank you. first of all because you inspired me to be a designer and also because you still inspire me to stick to it. I'm 22 years old, and its hard being an armature graphic designer since there are so many prodigies in this field who seem to get younger and younger. then you come out with of the blue... start out at 25 or 26 (cant really remember) and still be able to create such kick ass work with such passion and start a rucks in the design world. u r the cliche of breaking the rules and making it work and that is just cool man."

Anyone like to guess who this is about?

hello, i'm back

Yes, that's where I've been (not that one, though - a different one, although still with the missing apostrophe). And I'm not supposed to talk about it. Though it's difficult to know what I can't talk about, when the proceedings are held in public (that is the public can attend, although they don't). But the press sometimes attends, I've discovered. But they have to have a reason. Like being able to file a report containing the words 'home to the families of the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson and socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson' no matter how tenuous the link to the actual case. Nothing sells newspapers quite like upper-class crumpet, obviously.

Actually, I do know what I can't talk about; and that's the process by which we (as in we the jury) reached our decisions. And there were four decisions: four deaths over two days. Three hangings in prison and one man struck by a train. And, yes, it's grim. And thought-provoking. And profoundly sad. And 'there but for the grace of God go I'. But if you ever get asked to sit on a jury (actually you'll be issued with a 'summons') do go and do it. Even if it's only out of public duty.

Meanwhile I have to get my brain back into the land of the living.

Bonjour

Bienvenue a my little stint on David's blog. In fact, it's not even a stint, really. It's just after I emerged as the lucky winner from David's splendid hat, he asked if I'd report back from my Eurostar jaunt with a post or two. It seems a small price to pay.

(There must be more to Paris than this. From Panoramio)

I also thought you lot probably know all manner of hidden Parisian gems that my wife Wendy and I could explore during our two days there. So I thought I'd ask for suggestions, and then report on them. Or at least one or two of them.

In fact, inspired by Ben, I've even grabbed the TypePad iPhone app, so may even blog from the locations themselves. Try to contain your excitement.

All I have at the moment is the Eurostar tickets. We're going to do the last-minute hotel thing (again, recommendations gratefully received), but the schedule for our two days is pretty much clear. We both want to go back to the Musée D'Orsay, because, well, why wouldn't you? But what else should we know about that's a bit more off the beaten track? Galleries, restaurants, shops, historic monuments, whatever. I don't know Paris all that well, and would love to hear your ideas.

All thoughts welcome in the comments, and thanks in advance for helping me enjoy my prize.

...and it's goodbye from me, and hello from him

I'm not at all sure that I should be telling you this, but I have to go off and do my civic duty and sit on a jury for a little while. It might only be for a day or two (according to my 'summons') - but who knows, I might get a big one.

Anyway, while I'm away, Mike would like to have a word or two. I'm sure you'll remember Mike: he's been here before, though not for a while. And he's the one who's off to Paris on the 22nd, having won my smiley competition.

Be nice to him, won't you?

this made me smile #96

(via my good friend Jeanne)

david pearson is over there

We all love the work of David Pearson, don't we? Well, now you can read what he has to say in his own words by popping over to Canada and taking a peek at The Casual Optimist (and thanks to David's working neighbour Alistair for the heads up).

And when you get to the bottom of the interview take a look at the preceding post, which happens to have a reference to little old me.

i would have been so tempted, wouldn't you?

I guess you must have seen Mike Dempsey's lovely album cover stamps by now? Maybe some of you might think that they're merely an homage to Johnson Banks' Beatles Stamps - but, hey, given the subject matter, wouldn't all of us like to have arrived at the same solution? And it's another lesson to us all that it's simplicity that can so often deliver brilliance.

Amongst designers at least, the perceived impression seems to be that this series of stamps is all about album cover designs. But, actually, isn't it really about the music? And that really tells you something, doesn't it? Not a single non-white face in sight, and only one very well-hidden woman, as far as I can see. I know they all have to be albums by British acts - but isn't our musical heritage far more diverse and interesting than this lot amounts to? Why no Courtney Pine or Nitin Sawhney - or Dusty Springfield or Shirley Bassey?

Anyway, it would be interesting to know how many of these albums you actually own? I can hold my hands up and say it's just the one - and, no, it's not Coldplay (as if). It's Power, Corruption and Lies (on cassette), if you must know.

And getting back to the design bit. If I'd been handed this brief I'd have been so sorely tempted to sneak one in, wouldn't you?

Bang goes my MBE, then.

it's ok again

My good (virtual) friends William and Joost have just released issue 3 of their OK Periodicals: this one with the theme of 'repeat'. If you didn't already know, this is the one with the crowdsourced cover - with their initial layout broken up into separate elements which were then sent out to be individually 'customised'. So you can have hours of fun trying to spot my two contributions:

it looks to me as though this one is on the front; but

this one I think is on the back cover. And it's interesting to see how many others have supplied images that are very close to this. Do all designers have a weakness for big dots and the colour pink, do you reckon?

Anyway, it's available from the OK shop right now.

This made me smile #95

(via animalnewyork)

It's been a quiet blogging week, this week. I've been busy doing other things. I'll try and do better next week.

from the sublime to...

...Ferrari World.

(via things)