February 11, 2015
One of the projects I fully engaged in, was the design and production of a gut renovation for our new home. Like any other client project the balance between what something costs and its value is paramount: Where do we invest more than we expected and where can we go more off-the-shelf? What contrast of high and low will raise everything up? I’m thinking specifically about the “more than expected” handmade pendant we chose for our living space. It’s loverly.
October 17, 2014
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. The ceremony of the Vision Quest is one of the most universal and ancient means to find spiritual guidance and purpose.
One year ago, I took a break from Viewers Like You and returned to school, to experience something that looks and feels very much like a residency. Before I left, I referred to this time as a sabbatical, a vision quest, a walk about. All three are accurate enough. However upon return, vision quest feels most true.
April 23, 2014
Out of the blue this week, I got an email that brought my attention back to a delicious project David worked on—one of his first as a professional designer, while in the employ at Concrete, the Office of Jilly Simons. So we revisited. We looked at it in our portfolio, and took our copy down off the shelf. And while the book is insignificant when considering the body of work we’ve developed since, decades later Smokestack Lightning continues to loom large in our lives. Its topic is one we are both passionate about: the lore and traditions of American barbecue.
January 29, 2014
Cute baby alert (again). This is the fourth website we’ve created for our client Blueberry Diapers. And while we love all our web babies, I think Buggy Bagg might be my favorite. She’s so smart. Like easy and adorable having the best playdate ever. Check it out for yourself, here.
December 19, 2013
Does cozying up with a book or two during the holidays sound about right? In Iceland, after the Jólabókaflóð, books are exchanged on Christmas Eve and then Icelanders spend the night reading.
Nice.
Makes sense too, Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world—five titles for every 1,000 Icelanders.
NICE!
Upon learning this, we were inspired to adapt the Icelandic tradition for our family, Christmas Day. I trust a new book or two will be found under the tree for Christmas to get things underway. And looking back, this past year was full of great reads—oldies and newbies. Curious about our fav’s? Here’s OUR TOP 10 FROM 2013, plus mini reviews.
October 17, 2013
Call it nostalgia, kickin’ it old-skool or being a femme d’un certain age, but I prefer offset printing to digital. Which doesn’t mean I would universally recommend offset. Many different considerations determine which printing method I choose, such as desired quality, quantity, budget, timing, and size of the printed piece. But still—I dream of offset opportunities.
July 25, 2013
This project. OH this project. I could say so very much about Holli Thompson—the brand and the woman. So much so that I’m kinda at a loss for words. Kinda. And how about those veggies up there? Right?!
So pretty.
May 25, 2013
I love etymology. Experiencing a common word from my lexicon, and watching it unfold out of it’s narrowest understanding into a rich history of cultural meaning. Ahhh. Nerdy? Maybe. And absolutely an opportunity for Design schoolin’.
May 17, 2013
What began as a designer-y evening out, to see a documentary about geeky sign painters, turned into a call to arms. “Sign Painters” was chock-full of living examples of how any business should and can be run—and reawakened the zealot in me to go against industry same-ol’ same-ol’. Although not the intention of the filmmaker, throughout the film I was reminded to undertake the most radical stance a designer can take: standing with craft, integrity and creative authorship as the carriage to personal and client satisfaction. This flick is not just for designers, tattoo artists, or typographers… all entrepreneurs need to watch this. AND it should be required viewing for anyone who is/was/will ever be on the receiving end of design.
Now go. See if its showing in your city here.
