If you’re anything like me, and by that I mean chronically impatient and compulsive, you might like boxoh. Not only does it consolidate shipment tracking for services like FedEx and UPS, but it plots the transit route on Google maps. It even creates an RSS feed for your package and lets you share the location using twitter or facebook.
Plus, it makes screw-ups like this all the more embarassing.
I swear I’ve wanted a WWII era bike since before Garden State was even a twinkle in Zach Braff’s eye (not that anyone would ever believe me). So, you can imagine how excited I was when I just happened to see one cruising around downtown Toronto. A bumper sticker directed me to militarybikes.ca. Yes, that’s right. They’re for sale.
This CJ750 is actually from 1966, but the model is a pre-war design. It even comes with a machine gun rack, which is mostly cool because it helps me justify buying a machine gun to put on it. Plus, with this I’ll be one step closer to dating Natalie Portman.
Fontshop.com is celebrating their 20th birthday. To mark the occasion, they’ve released a slew of beautiful infographics that compile some interesting font statistics. Typo-centric infographics about fonts? This is some seriously meta stuff.
Glass Shop is bringing local coffee back to Brooklyn. While I’m sure their espresso is top notch, I’m mostly interested in the branding and promotional material by designer Michael Freimuth. Freimuth’s work is elegant and consistent, covering the obvious, like signage and take away cups, but also things that typically only employees would interact with, like mixing glasses and the point-of-sale screen. It’s this kind of commitment to detail, by both the designer and Glass Shop, that really impresses me.
A very nice poster by designer Martin Ansin. There’s no doubting that his monochrome illustration is top notch, but I’m particularly drawn to the header and title block. It’s a really nice blend of classic and modern type. For contrast, you can look at the original poster here.
Not surprisingly, although not intentionally on my part, this is another one of the Alamo Drafthouse’s productions.
Historically, it’s always been possible to separate society into two groups: the haves and the have-nots. There is something comforting, almost wholesome, about the simplicity of this fundamental distinction. Though the composition and breadth of the division varies dramatically from place to place and time to time, there is almost universally a strong feeling of resentment towards people of privilege.
For some, a genetic roll of the dice is to blame. While being born into an affluent family or nation is based on chance alone, it is not without its own distinct advantages. For others, the rewards they reap are a direct manifestation of their hard work and learned ability. The corporate jet, the corner office: these are the hallmarks of a man who has payed his dues.
And others still, usually as conferred by their academic or professional capacity, have access to CNC laser cutters. It is toward this upper echelon of le Beau Monde that we should direct our jealous ire, even those who may be members of other groups of privilege, for they are truly the luckiest of us all.
Okay. April 2007. So it’s not exactly breaking news, but it’s not often that I am, at the same time, humbled, saddened, and reassured of the fact that some designers are so much smarter than me. Something needed to be said.
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Some interesting work from Ben Turnbull. Apparently, Ben has a hate on for America, guns, organized religion, and pretty much all things Republican. That means that this sculpture is probably supposed to comment on the ubiquity of firearms, or something like that. While I’m usually not one for art with a heavy-handed political message, I just think these look cool. I guess means I’m missing the point.
These sculptures can stand alone on their technique and detail, but something about displaying them in such a casual surrounding makes them even more impressive. I can half imagine finding one of these whittled into a table at the campus bar, framed delicately with expletives and anarchy symbols.
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Unless you’re an accomplished cuber like Dave or I, you can probably relate to the feeling of futility conjured up by Daniel Stolle’s cube illustrations. Heck, even the most experienced cuber can appreciate CMYK goodness on water-stained cardboard. Daniel’s portfolio is full of simple, form-driven illustrations, any of which would make for a pretty snappy print.
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It’s no secret that Craigslist is one of the ugliest sites out there. I understand the bare-bones approach; it’s a no frills website designed explicitly to connect buyers and sellers. They don’t need to be eye pleasing. But, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be. Inspired by a Wired article, P41 Studios has proposed their own makeover of the ubiquitous online classifieds. It’s elegant, crisp, and retains the classic Craigslist vibe without being a strain on the eyes. I’m especially fond of the bold, blue, sans city title.
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