Number 24 marks the one year anniversary of our Be Aware posts. It also marks the final time we will be using this “group” format. Before we get back to strictly individual posts, we leave you with this abbreviated group entry:

Donovan Beery: Web Tips

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you get lost. We can’t be experts in everything. With that being said, I’m going to start taking my own advise on this starting with the next paragraph.

A friend of mine asked if I knew of any free bulletin board/forum websites he could link to from his personal website (he prefers this over the ‘comments’ feature used on blogs such as this one). Ideally it would be one that he could customize with his look and feel as much as possible. This isn’t really a specialty of mine, but based on probability, I assume it to be a specialty of someone reading this post. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Adrian Hanft – Alternative Photography

Expensive and flawless cameras can have a tendency to paralyze a photographer. The marketing of these cameras seduce us with their technical perfection and versatile capabilities. The result is that by the time we actually use this equipment, we have been set up to rely on the camera to make the photo. While the machines are amazing, they can’t guarantee that you will take better pictures. The art of an image doesn’t come from the machine; it comes from the skill of the artist. For my last *alternative photography* post let me leave you with this piece of advice: Find a camera you can grow into, then master it. Force yourself to experiment with it. Push yourself to use it in different ways. Use it to look at the world differently and avoid falling into photographic routines. Most of all, let your photography energize your graphic design. I hope you have enjoyed my alternative photography section. If you want to continue to follow my thoughts about photography, I encourage you to visit my photography blog, www.foundphotography.com.

Feeding Desire, Boneville, the phantom print museum, calculating in InDesign and the only cardinal design sin. While I cannot find a common thread amongst all of these topics, they seem to get along just fine in Be Aware 23.

Paul Berkbigler: Design Education

As the educational community continues to take a collective deep breath and recuperate from the end of the semester while beginning to gear up for the Fall semester, it’s nice to look forward to some research excursions to buttress the reading, writing, and design practice that will help shape things still to come.

I wanted to share an exhibition that I’m pretty excited to see within the coming weeks:

Feeding Desire is open now at the Cooper-Hewitt National
Design Museum in NYC and will remain open through October of this coming Fall. It’s an intriguing chance to see design utilized both in its most utilitarian manner as well as in its more decorative manners as applied to the tools that helped generate table manners to begin with: tableware.

I’ve seen a few smaller / more isolated shows of contemporary tableware design (generally about 1920 – present day), but am very intrigued to see the transition from the 1500’s through present designs. It’s a rare chance to watch design’s presence in something so familiar and intimate and to scout out the echoes of larger design movements throughout history as played out at the dinner table.

If you can’t make it in person, the site gives a very nice “taste” of what’s on display currently and the history surrounding it.

Nate Voss: Fun With Design

Get on Over to Boneville! I have been trying since forever to find a way to work my love of Jeff Smith’s BONE into this site. A newly redesigned website will have to suffice as reason enough. If you’re not familiar with BONE its a series of award-winning graphic novels about three cousins who are run out of their hometown and find their way into a mysterious valley, filled with mysterious creatures and mysterious goings-on. It blends actual humor (you will laugh out loud) with thrilling drama without skipping a beat, often switching between the two from panel to panel.

The story, originally published as a monthly comic book, was then reprinted in graphic novel form (including a bible-sized, 1,300-page edition), and is now being published for the first time ever in full color by Scholastic. For purists and adults I highly recommend the original black and white versions to really showcase what Smith’s breathtaking illustrations can achieve with only black line and white paper.

From TIME: “Bone by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books; 2004) A series of black-and-white comics about three odd-looking creatures lost in a valley of dragons, talking bugs and rat creatures published over twelve years are collected here as a 1,300-page soft cover. Bone combines the humor and look of early Disney movies with the scope of the Lord of the Rings cycle. Smith draws characters that are both cute and scary, infusing every panel with dynamic energy. The best all-ages novel yet published in this medium, while children will read Bone for its breathless adventure and sight gags, older kids and adults will appreciate the themes of blind fanaticism and corrupting power.‚Äù

Bennett Holzworth: Letterpress

While visiting my brother who is living in Mexico City, my wife and I wanted to do something aside from the normal touristy stuff. After a quick google search (here and here), I apparently found Mexico’s National Printing Museum. I figured the largest city in the world would have an amazing collection of letterpress equipment. At least that was the thought.

One day I convinced my wife and brother to let me visit this National Printing Museum. We called up my brother’s new trusted taxi driver and we were on our way. Our experienced cab driver of over twenty years had never had a request for this museum and had never even heard of the street. After driving a good amount of time and stopping several times to ask for directions, it appeared that we wouldn’t find the museum. With the help of a few more locals, we found our street, Ararufa, and pulled up to #8. We approached the gate and there was no printing museum to be found. After buzzing a resident down, she confirmed that there was indeed no Printing Museum in this specific building, just an empty warehouse. With a few more questions we surmised that there had been a print museum in this location . . . TWENTY YEARS AGO!

Just to clarify. There is no National Printing Museum at No. 8 Mar Ararufa St., Tacuba area in Mexico City.

So if you happen to be in Mexico City . . . just take the Turibus and enjoy the ride.

Kyle Heinemann: InDesign Tip

Put away your calculator InDesign can crunch the numbers for you! You can use practically any measurement box (like Transform palette or Document Setup window) as an in-line calculator. For example, enter “8.5*3″ to get 25.5. Or enter “11/4″ to get 2.75. Have you ever needed to nudge everything an exact 1/8th inch? Just select all the items, and type “+.125″ in the “X:” box in the Transform palette. This works great for adjusting a book cover layout to accommodate a change in spine size. If you’re working in picas, but still want to use an 1/8th inch, just type “+.125 in. Using this feature will increase accuracy and save you time.

Clinton Carlson: Design Quotes

Once again I’d like to share a quote that is part of a theme that tends to run through these and some of my other posts: human/user-centered design. It comes from industrial designer Dieter Rams by way of a presentation of Robert Peters, past President of ICOGRADA.

“Indifference toward people and the reality in which they live is the one and only cardinal sin in design.”

Donovan Beery: Web Tips

When you get one of those projects you always complain about – the one that you have ‘no creative say’ in, and it’s just ‘production’ work, try something new. I’m not talking about radical changes – simply take the time to hone your craft by focusing on the details you’ve been meaning to work on. I find these are the best times to work on cascading style sheet tags you haven’t played with yet, new javascript tricks, or any typography details that you just haven’t gotten around to perfecting yet. The idea isn’t always to wow the client with these details, but using them as a learning tool for yourself can make the mundane projects more fun, and sometimes even make you look forward to them.

Drew Davies: Seen and Noted in the Design World

Very cool news recently in the blurring of lines between pop culture, music, and the various disciplines of design. The Design Museum [London, England] has awarded its Designer of the Year award to Jamie Hewlett, self-titled Creative Director of the band Gorillaz. The UK’s most prestigious design prize, Designer of the Year is awarded annually to the UK designer or design team who made the biggest contribution to design in the preceding year. (It also comes with a ¬£25,000 [approx. US$40K] prize.)

I love this choice because of its “crossover” nature, which I think shows an understanding by the Design Museum that design doesn’t need to fit into a pre-designated category to be very, very effective. Congratulations to Jamie on a well-deserved award. Now can you come over to the States and help us do a little more publicly to recognize good design on this side of the pond?

Adrian Hanft – Alternative Photography

One of the coolest features of Flickr is that it gives you the ability to easily keep up with your groups and friends via RSS feeds. Look for the little orange RSS icon on the Flickr pages and use the link to subscribe to that page’s feed in your RSS program of choice. It is an easy way to follow an interesting conversation, keep track of new photos by your contacts and to be aware of what is going on in your favorite group photo pool.

Stephanie Murg – Read This

Here, take this globe. Now point to the world’s hottest art capital. Did you point to Berlin? Good for you. Berlin’s art scene is booming. Chalk it up to that always potent interplay of affordable rents, an unpredictable economy, ample free time, and abundant space. In the past decade, nearly 30 new or renovated art museums have opened in the city, which is awash in galleries and artists, both homegrown and imported. But you don’t need to stop at the Hamburger Bahnhof to take in the Berlin art scene, just read the writing on the walls. Literally. Christoph Mangler saves you the Lufthansa roundtrip with City Language Berlin, released on Tuesday by Prestel Publishing.

Mangler spent almost three years assembling the book’s over 250 street images-from messages scrawled on walls to curiously universal icons meticulously etched on every possible surface-that reveal the creativity (sometimes odd, sometimes ugly, sometimes jaw-droppingly beautiful) that is constantly reconfiguring Berlin. In the words of Klaus Biesenbach, founder of Berlin’s Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art and chief curator at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in New York, “Berlin is always in a constant state of beginning and reinvention.‚Äù

Tom Nemitz – Awesomely Bad Websites

EugeneMirman.com

There is sound with this one, so watch out. And watch your ears…because while the site design is actually pretty good, this proves there’s more than one way to be Awesomely Bad. Its a crooning sepia-tone child, for biscuits sake!

And the best part, well, there really is no best part, but the most interesting part is that he’s not some dubious ruffian without the chops…just watch him sink his teeth into a ditty from Twisted Sister! Watch him get acidic with Iron Butterfly! Hear and believe as he croons through a majestic Jethro Tull Medley! See him one-up himself with a Who Medley! Roil in horror as he first butchers Cyndi Lauper, then Madonna, and single-handedly kill the 80s in the process! You bet!

Just in case you wanted to know the top five results for 21 on Google … I will share. Century 21, forever21, 21 Grams, United Nations: Agenda 21 and Circular No. A-21. How is that for random? Now we will move on to some actual content for our twenty-first Be Aware.

Clinton Carlson: Design Quotes

At the risk of triggering a few more heated discussions about the nature of design, I’ve selected a quote from a recent article from Gui Bonsiepe, an information designer and design educator hailing from Brazil and Argentina. The article, Design and Democracy, can be found in the Spring 2006 issue of Design Issues.

“More and more, design has moved away from the idea of ‘intelligent problem solving’ (James Dyson) and drawn nearer to the ephemeral, fashionable and quickly obsolete, to formal aesthetic play, to the ’boutiquization’ of the unviverse of products for everyday life. For this reason, design today often is identified with expensive, exquisite, not particularly practical, funny and formally pushed, colorful objects. The hypertrophy of fashion asepects is accompanied and increased by the media with their voracious appetite for novelties. Design thus has become a media event…”

The article is worth a read and can be downloaded at www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/desi/22/2

Paul Berkbigler: Design Education

As the weeks begin to assume the somewhat more relaxed pace of the summer months, and an educator’s thoughts start to turn towards curricular revisions and additions, it’s nice to have resources on hand to browse for topics and possible lesson plans.

Having just spent a bit more time exploring Linotype’s site, I was very impressed with the amount of consolidated typographic history and information that they provide in addition to their type library. They’ve set up the Font Lounge with several features and topics related to all things typographic. Just something to thumb through as you look towards summer courses or those coming up again in the fall months.

Nate Voss: Fun With Design

Why Isn’t Graphic Design More Fun?

Seriously. Everything in design today is taken very seriously. Design is a legitimate business, you know, and we must have people take us seriously as a whole. We have serious discussions about serious issues facing designers and the serious public, ranging from sustainabilty to spec work to the broader communications goals of the global economy. Boooooooooooooring! We need to lighten up. I’m changing my tune on Be Aware to chronicle the fun things still happening in the world of design. I’ll find what I can, but feel free to send me examples at podcast@beadesigngroup.com (links only, please!). For starters, here’s two of my favorite places to go every day:

The House Blog
Drawn!

Daniel Schutzsmith: Design Business

CREATIVE BUSINESS CONSULTANTS
Lately I have been noticing that many studio owners are turning to a consultant to help them tackle their business needs and formulate efficient processes they can follow for the long haul. If you are having trouble along the way yourself, then these fine folks below would be more than willing to help you get on the right track.

Emily Ruth Cohen
Business consulting, writing and staff management strategies for small to mid-size graphic design and communications companies.

ReCourses
A management consulting firm that works exclusively with small service providers in the communications industry, including: Public Relations Firms, Advertising Agencies, Interactive Companies, and Design Studios.

Design Management Resources, Inc.
A public relations and marketing services firm that will DO those marketing projects that so many principals don’t get around to.

Robb High Associates
Specializing in helping agencies set-up a business development process that works for them, according to their own needs and preferences.

Shel Perkins & Associates
Shel Perkins & Associates, helmed by author Shel Perkins, works with design firms and agencies in both traditional and new media to improve performance and successfully navigate change.

Bennett Holzworth: Letterpress

I thought about sharing a portion of my week at Hatch Show Print for my part of this Be Aware, but I will save that for a full fledged post (I’m still trying to figure out how to distill it into one post). However, on the trip down to Nashville, we stopped at a place that is almost as fascinating as Hatch … Hammerpress in Kansas City. Their posters are a completely different take on the letterpress poster. The intricate detail and ornamentation on the posters at first, made me think they were printed with plates from digital files… but apparently they are all meticulously hand set. Check out the site.

One other bit of letterpress news I picked up while at Hammerpress, was that Ready Made did an article featuring two letterpress and two silkscreen shops. Hammepress and Yee-Haw were representing letterpress. It was the April/May issue (the new issue is already out), but you might still be able to find one on newsstands.

Kyle Heinemann: InDesign Tip

Rotate Content–My latest gem discovered at lynda.com training. Just when I thought I had the Rotate and Scale tools figured out, I realized I had missed something! InDesign CS2 gives you the option to rotate or scale any frame/container without rotating/scaling what’s inside. Try it out by double-clicking the Rotate tool or the Scale tool in the Tools palette. Then un-check the box next to Rotate Content (or Scale Content). That’s it. I went back to InDesign CS, and wasn’t able to double click the tool for any options, so this must have been added in CS2.

Group A proudly serves up the twentieth installment of Be Aware. If you are new to the Be Aware posts, you we have them all archived for your convenience.

Drew Davies: Seen and Noted in the Design World

While this topic is more about the tools we use as designers than the mental process, I feel compelled to share a recent find with all of you. For those of you who are sick and tired of your font management software being more of a hindrance than a help, salvation may be near. Font foundry LinoType recently released a piece of software called FontExplorer X, and while it’s new, the rave reviews are already piling in. The interface is not unlike iTunes, including built-in tools to help you buy fonts you don’t have directly from LinoType (in a non-obtrusive interface no more pushy than the iTunes Music Store.) It’s the swiftest, easiest and most stable font management software I’ve ever used. And the best part? It’s FREE. Goodbye, suitcase.

Travis Gray: TypeWatch

The word “free” usually makes me think of cheap goods with company logos printed on them, but back in October Vitaly Friedman rounded up the best 25 free quality fonts available (down to about 21 or so since the time of its first writing). Unlike most of the other free fonts out there, the fonts on the list are surprisingly well designed. And if you’re a Flash designer – or like using small fonts in your Web designs – be sure to check out his post on the 15 best license-free pixel fonts. (If you have any other free fonts that you personally like, feel free to share them in the comments.)

Adrian Hanft: Alternative Photography

Yesterday (April 30) was Worldwid Pinhole Photography Day. The official pinhole website (www.pinhole.org has a gallery featuring a collection of pinhole photos taken during the holiday.

Stephanie Murg: Read This

Here’s an enjoyable and potentially educational exercise. First, procure a copy of Strunk and White (a.k.a. The Elements of Style) and a couple of hours. Read through the 105 pages of terse yet useful writing pointers codified by William Strunk, Jr. and subsequently revised by E.B. White. You’ll soon notice how the authors, in demonstrating eminently useful writing lessons, make use of a wealth of quirky, vivid examples that sound crafted by a smart person who has been up all night (e.g., “It was a unique eggbeater,‚Äù “Polly loves cake more than she loves me‚Äù).

As you read, ponder how you might approach a redesign of this trusty manual. Then check out how Maira Kalman (wife of Tibor) answered this question with her The Elements of Style Illustrated. While you’re at it, consider how some of Strunk and White’s advice directed to writers (e.g., “Be obscure clearly,‚Äù “Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.‚Äù) might be translated to designers, who also need to learn the rules before they can understand how best to break them.

Tom Nemitz: Awesomely Bad Website

www.realultimatepower.net

Hi, this site is all about ninjas, REAL NINJAS. This site is awesomely bad. My name is Tom and I can’t stop thinking about how bad this site is. This site is cool; and by cool, I mean totally weak.