Hello. 2017.

I have neglected this blog for an indefinite time. I can blame it on the lack of time and motivation or simply grew out of the blogging phase that most twenty something millennials experience. I have to admit, the absence has affected my writing and I've lost touch with the written word. I find myself lately unable to express myself properly, so when ever you're told you have to stamp many hours of practice to master a skill, you better practice. I guess this entry is a way of trying to reintegrate. Blogging is therapeutic; I think I miss it.

----- Why Your Critics Aren't The Ones Who Count -----

I feel generous this morning. Here's another shared video I saved from months back; very relatable to anyone in creative field but not limited to. "Design is a function of connection. There is nothing more vulnerable than creativity; what is art if not love."

----- Love Story of the Fingers and the Pen -----

Well. Hello Blog. I suddenly felt like contributing to it after (ahem) some time of absence. Of course, when I see a video documenting a man's perfection with his penmanship and learning that there is such recognition as the "Master Penman" I am hookeded and have the desire to share. Laugh you fools who think I am dated by still using a notebook and pen/pencil. No computer or smartphone can replace the feeling of a pencil gliding against a perfect, smooth sheet of paper. mmm

Hawaii-born painter and street artist Sean Yoro (a.k.a. Hula)

AMAZING SHIT: Sean Yoro, not only talented at balancing himself on a surf board, can paint realistic portraits on concrete walls by the seaside (beautiful graffiti) to create the illusion of large-size humans in water. This is talent. Photos from source.

photo from boredpanda

"Dutch artists Lernert and Sander cut raw food into 98 perfect 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm cubes, creating a tantalizing geometric display "

loves it.

Having the luckiest privilege and chance to travel around the world has been the utmost, maybe undeserving gift to myself. Not that I'm any travel expert (yet?) but I don't mind giving myself a bit of pride, having spent countless nights in different accommodations—from luxury 5 star hotels to shared co-ed 12 person hostel apartment—I could say I know a thing or two about them. Without doubt, as soon as Design You Trust posted an article about "9 Hours: Capsule Hotel" my eyes widened with intrigue and excitement, not solely for the concept but very much so for the graphic design of the concept as well. Beautiful inside and out, the place is another Japanese nurtured idea of minimalism for confined spaces. I enjoy a good hotel—who doesn't? Hostels, however, with its underrated reputation, have more layers than its lack of bed sheets; character to dissect and unravel; there is more to experience, plus who needs a 300 sq feet hotel room when 95% of the time is spent outdoor exploring the city. Space has become a luxury, like water and gold. To live in standard North American spaces seem self-fish or astonishing lucky as most of the world population probably live one-eight of the average living space of North Americans. Now that the trend of owning smaller housing is on rise, perhaps our mind will change the way we see shelter in a different light.



For original article and pictures, click here.
For 9 Hours: Capsule hotel, click here.

Sent my business cards to the printers! I'm going to go in the style of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman and outline the details of the cards: it's printed on 100% cotton, 32 pt thickness; letterpress (aka debossing); half in black ink and half in blind deboss. Keeping it minimalist. Nice burn to my wallet though! yeah, you wont see me tossing them in the air.

My struggle.

"Just start.
Too many of us are waiting for permission. We wait for permission from our boss or clients to allow us be creative. We wait to be asked to create excitement. Then we blame everyone but ourselves for holding us back. Stop waiting. Just start. There is no secret handshake or special instructions, you just start. You choose to be notorious. You choose to become the hero of your own life. You are the party. Go to the mirror right now, look at yourself and say, “I have a Gift, and the World is waiting for it.” Just start. #designlikeyougiveadamn 

-James Victore, Graphic Designer

27 Funny Posters And Charts That Graphic Designers Will Relate To

27 Funny Posters And Charts That Graphic Designers Will Relate To

This is the reason why I listen to depressing indie music when I work otherwise I can't as I wiggle and move in my chair.  JENNIFER HUDSON CAN BE THE NEW 80s/90s dance queen Whitney Houston.

Link

"Why am I a designer? The facetious answer is, there's nothing else I can do; the real answer is, there's nothing else I can do."

Birdman. I like. I like a lot.
Alejandro González Iñárritu, you're good; your mastery in directing is incredible. The long continuous takes , the framing...is an art form on its own (bravo cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) Love the music, and the sound of drums and cymbals was sprinkled lightly when needed like salt and pepper, enhancing the flavour. The sets were repeatedly used as much like a theatre play does; recycled and reused. The play with shadows transitioned the scenes from set to set; subtle and surreptious. Incredible cast.

my 5 cents // 

“With great power there must also come -- great responsibility.”

Let me explain why I would not be so quickly to raise my fist in the air while my other hand holds up a "#jesuischarlie" sign. It is not because I don't believe in the freedom of expression and speech, nor do I oppose the march that happened on Sunday. I believe in social movements. Trust me, I would not fancy not being able to have the freedom to create and design; Blogger would not exist to allow me to vent and write my feelings—be they funny or stupid (mostly silly). Yes, I can side with 'jesuischarlie' as a metaphor for the explanations above. But does it have to include the name of a magazine, whom clearly, and hypocritically abused their power for their own agenda or reward; promoting hatred and xenophobia; giving Islamphobia a voice. Fueling the extremists to continue on with their agenda and propaganda—we are giving them the attention and, likely, a further purpose extremists want. In reality, those who are truly thrown into the fire pit are those indirectly involved—the innocent Muslims, the peacemakers, the social workers, the Malala of the world who are working arduously day-by-day to reverse and change policies and laws; using their voice to educate and inform. Pushing their cause further and further away from seeing the light of day. But "jesuischarlie", are we dangerously oversimplifying it? Especially with the addition of the hashtag? Is it another Invisible Children's Kony story? A social fad? I really truly hope not; I hope everyone who hashtagged, marched, dedicated, illustrated are uniting because they realize the irresponsibility of our pasts, recognizing our faults, ultimately demanding to see change, change ourselves, fix the damages, ask questions, find answers. Stop intolerance, be compassionate and learn to adapt to each other's differences.

I am not victim-shaming, neither am I saying they deserved it. Nobody deserves to be killed. No one.

With great power there must also come -- great responsibility. 

 Yes, I used a super-hero quote and it's exactly it, like being a super-hero with inhuman powers, they too have to learn the boundaries and responsibilities that came with their power.  Freedom of expression is a power; a very generous power that very few percentage of us, privileged, have in the world. Just because you feel superior and allowed to express whatever you want, it doesn't correlate with entitlement. There is a thing called morality. Those disagree, I can argue, well, what is religion? A very powerful tool that can be used to meet one's own agenda and reward. Sounds familiar? If we give the same reason to our excuses the same way as these groups of extremists, then who are we to say? Anyone can create catastrophic harm by finding any reasons if they searched hard enough.
 
So at the end, no it's not simply a cartoon. Snoopy is a cartoon. Satire should be used against those figures in power, especially the ones who abuse power against us little ones (ex. politcians).
I could continue talking about the blasphemy depiction of the prophet or how the depiction of Jesus in pop culture is (hypercritically)  "fine". But I am a little mentally tired; inundated. 

Je suis pour la liberté d'expression, l'égalité, la tolérance, la compassion, l'empathie; la lutte contre la racisme, les biaisés et la violence.

My mind has been twisted, bent and squeezed trying to keep an open mind that this is not an act of  black and white; with us or against us, subject. Facebook posts, friends' newsfeed, commentators have kept me busy and informed. Trolls and bigots continue to rattle my skin and bones. Pencils don't kill people. Guns don't kill people. Religion doesn't kill people. People kill people.

LINK HERE

Every time I look at this comic, I find myself a bit tear-eyed. Because, I can relate. I am very fortunate to receive unconditional support from my Asian family who have always vocally praised my creative side; from my birthday cards to my handmade trinkets (which looking back, they were sad and cute attempts). Yes, I brought up "Asian" because stereotypes aside, it is the reality for most first generation immigrants. Asians are mostly known to dabble in the finance, medical or engineering fields; creative fields doesn't bring swift success or financial stability; it smells of child's play in their upbringing. Often this mentality is passed on to the next generation.  In my own eyes, I have witnessed the lack of or sparse presence of Asians in my field; they don't fill up art and design classes. Why do you think the accountant or engineer you know can draw really well? Growing up, to my surprise when it was brought up by my parents that one relative's child was an artist; it was a heart warming moment when my mom recommended that we go visit her art exhibition; perhaps to encourage me. Being able to follow your passion is a privilege.

 My father used to occasionally, always at unprovoked opportunity, he would spew out a few  "successful" careers (lawyers, dentists, doctor). I have a feeling he has accepted my creative side, he's now moved on to saying i could design bags or work for a news station and create moving graphics. He was never discouraging or questioned why I was sketching naked models (art school 101) but remained indifferent; it was all alien to him—the American Dream package didn't include this in their manual.

We must not discourage or reject a child's passion early on; they will come to their own terms. Hell, took me awhile to come to my own term (still struggling from time to time) and I'm in my late twenties. By denouncing them before they peak, we have limited their choices, their self-discovery and self-confidence. Not to say we need to sugar coat their journey; we also don't need to pour cement over it and pave their paths. A little encouragement goes a long way. Mistakes will be made. Let them make them. It's easier to correct fresh paint than aged paint.

hm i'm actually lovin' it (yes, pun intended)
credit: adweek

----- Holiday & 2014 Wrap up -----

After reading up some Garance Dore blogs, it made me want to do the same wrap-up:

Over the holidays I will be:

Catching up with friends. Putting aside family conflicts for a night of feasting. Marathon-ing trilogies.

My favorite moment of 2014 was:

Any conundrums from my Greek and Croat trip. (ex. hitchhiking in Greece and 8 hour ferry ride on the cold wet windy deck.)

My New Year resolution is:

Setting my foot at the door of a new business idea.

2015. i have higher hopes for you, even acknowledging I have one year left in my twenties. holy*

Love this beardy, stereotypical description of a trucker, designer.

don't know!

http://www.hermesemployeur.com/en/

Gorgeous illustrations with animation. Great site Hermes. Couldn't find the name of the designer(s).

HAHAHA...sigh :(

Loving LOVING these illustrations and concepts. Straightforward simplicity and colourful, gives an impact visually. Agency M&C Saatchi is responsible for these creations for Transport for London.

The idea is to get Londoners out and about in their own city without having to travel cross the globe to get a taste of the countryside, farm or food in China.

Summer is more than half over. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?! Sometimes I feel like Joey on Friends when he goes "Why God WHY". I hate when times flies when there is plentiful to-dos to complete; I call it, the punishment of aging. 

It's been awhile since I last typed a letter on this blog. Felt like this page deserves an update. 

Currently, I am frustrated with time management. Sometimes I feel isolated from the rest of the working population, in terms of our timeline. I wish I can start the day at 8:30 and work continuously and efficiently till 5; like "regular" jobs. But I always have to remind myself, creatives work differently. Don't fret. When ideas don't flow, it's just as clogged as a toilet. There is nothing that can speed up the process once we hit the cul-de-sac but I can guarantee when the idea is realized, it's non-stop, tiresome process; no sleep no eat, just 100% pure, non-concentrated procrastination-driven work. Yes, 90% of the time it is wasting time, 10% hard work. The ironic bits come as we achieve productivity and the important matters and distractions decide to make their appearance (meanwhile the 90% procrastination is uninterrupted). Nothing bursts our bubble more than distractions, especially for the creatives. Somehow it breaks our pattern like a sleepless night (sleep, wake, sleep, wake). The stereotype of a maniac artist, locked in his/her studio for weeks, unfed, dirty and unresponsive, is convincing. 

Here is 22 things creative people do differently (from multiple sources):

1. They get inspired at the least expected moment.

They can’t decide when the next big idea will come. It just will, in the least expected way, at the least expected moment.

2. They daydream. A lot.

They are here, but they’re not. They can fly away with their mind at any given moment during a conversation. Don’t be mad at them, it’s just the way they are.

3. They get easily bored.

They need to stay stimulated in order to stay active. They won’t focus on something they don’t like. Call them ADHD or whatever you like, this is just part of their genius.

4. They watch the world with the eyes of a child

There’s a part of them that never grows up, and maybe this is the real secret, observing the world with the eyes of a child.

5. They will fail, and you can be sure they will try again

Life it’s not always easy for a creative, especially for the professional ones. They will fail one thousand time in their life, then they will rise and succeed, only to fail again. Every creative, even the most successful one, has failed and has been rejected one million times. But they finally did it.

6. They are told to get a real job

It’s not easy to be accepted as a creative, especially when your loved ones expect something different from you. Real creatives will follow their dreams.

7. They will follow their heart, even if often their mind thinks otherwise

It’s said that creative people are more likely to worry less about problems and take more risks. This can brings to a thousand fails, but a million satisfactions.

8. They get lost in time

When they are creating they get lost in time and space, they can forget to eat, to drink and even to sleep. When words, colors or ideas start to flow out of their mind there’s nothing else that really matters to them.

9. They work when you sleep and they sleep when you work

Like we said at n. 1, inspiration comes at the most unexpected times. Just take it and make something great out of it.

10. Where most people see a difficulty, they see an opportunity

They can see the bright side of things, and brilliantly come out of troubles in unusual ways.

11. They fall in love with their pieces of work, and hate them the day after

This is still a mystery, but there is some kind of process that makes them extremely fickle about their creations.

12. They hate what they’ve just created, but will totally love it 12 hours later

Just like n. 11, this can happen too.

13. They are humble and proud at the same time

They are always willing to learn, but will be extremely proud and confident when it comes to their ideas and creations.

14. They are always looking to new ways to express themselves

Both if you do it as a job or you are just a creative person, you know there isn’t just one way to express creativity. If you are a photographer you’ll probably love to create in so many other ways. The same applies to painters, art directors, writers and every creative person in general.

15. They procrastinate

Give them a deadline and they will comply with it, but you can be sure they will do 90% of the work the night before the term.

16. They see the other side of the coin

They can always observe situations from a different point of view.

17. They don’t like boundaries

Rules and boundaries are not for them. Many popular creatives in history have even been labeled as rebels.

18. They often don’t like numbers

They are brilliant and can really amaze you at times, but try to let them do the math and you will be surprised by how much they dislike numbers.

19. They are great observers

They often are great people watchers and notice even the smallest detail. People and basically everything can be the inspiration for their next idea.

20. They always make new experiences

As we said before, they need to be stimulated to stay creative. Is there a better way to escape from routine by trying something you never did before?

21. They do it all over again

No matter how far they’ve come with their last creation. If at a given point they don’t like, they won’t think twice and will trash it just to start all over again. And again. And again.

22. They love

They love. Everything. They love life, they love people, they love emotions, they love animals, they love beauty. They can stay in silence watching the most beautiful sunset they’ve ever seen, or be excited for the next big art exhibit in town.
No matter what, their love for life is contagious, and if you have some friends like this, stick with them. They will make your life a little more beautiful.

Live your life, live your life, live your life.
Illustrations by: Christopher Niemann

I am a bit late in the game to post this video even though I had the intention to do so the day they debuted the video. OK Go is out with another inventive and creative (well deserved to be) viral video albeit not being a big fan of their music. I tried hard to like them in their freshmen year. Lately, I noticed a lot of the optical illusion spacial design projects, you know the ones when a designer/artist uses an urban space to create a 2D artwork. It's mind blowing and bending to figure out their methods and this video takes it to a new level, to which may i also add one sequence shoots are also on trend with music videos lately ( Phoenix's Trying to Be Cool, as an example). Special Guest and 1st Ave Machine were the agencies that collaborated with the band and their approach was simple: not a music video, it's a brand project. OK Go has become more known for their creative videos than their actual music. It's a smart move; their brand is a unique, humorous, ironic personality.

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Wow did I just type a large paragraph which I haven't done in months. It feels nice. Definitely does.

----- C'est Fini Mes Amis! -----

(accidentally deleted this post so here it is again *awkward*) 

Here is my finished logo. This is the spec work, showcasing different versions

of my logo for any occasions.

Key Ring Holder - Brilliant!

For all you runners and joggers.

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V

 source

What Your Graphic Design Style Reveals About You

The Nurturer

You radiate warmth, kindness and caring. Your graphic design style carries over that warmth, and is all about sampling the best that life has to offer, and then coordinating it into a beautiful mix of creativity and originality. Color, filters and photography help your designs immortalise themselves. You have outstanding perception and make astute observations of others. You’re very conscientious of the effects and impressions you leave on others, so you always strive to incorporate feelings of happiness and harmony in all your surroundings.

Read more at http://blog.canva.com/graphic-design-personality/#GVjSYLwE2jjPkJeL.99

The Minimalist

You value simplicity in all things, and your graphic design style reflects this by surprisingly using as few graphics as possible.  You use aIt’s not that you don’t care, or that you want to skimp on the basics, but rather that you feel a sense or idea can be conveyed in far simpler terms. To you, complexities are mundane and today’s ‘flat design’ trending encompasses this brave design aesthetic. It’s strong interface and unrivalled ease in navigation, mirrors your personality, and is what also makes you an amicable and reliable individual.

Read more at http://blog.canva.com/graphic-design-personality/#7MdoTciR8suROYxB.99

You radiate warmth, kindness and caring. Your graphic design style carries over that warmth, and is all about sampling the best that life has to offer, and then coordinating it into a beautiful mix of creativity and originality. Color, filters and photography help your designs immortalise themselves. You have outstanding perception and make astute observations of others. You’re very conscientious of the effects and impressions you leave on others, so you always strive to incorporate feelings of happiness and harmony in all your surroundings.
Read more at http://blog.canva.com/graphic-design-personality/#GVjSYLwE2jjPkJeL.99

getting warmer...

Testing 1, 2, 3... again.

----- Lego Of this Cuteness -----

UK-Based photographer, Andrew Whyte, decided on the same board of 365 days of creativity using his lego piece photographer as the protagonist of his captures. Move aside Travelocity, your knome doesn't look this cute. Using his trusty smart phone, iphone 5 as the main and only equipment. He finds if he had used his SLR camera, it would've taken more time and taken out the authenticity an camera phone has.

http://www.longexposures.co.uk/

Currently I am designing my logo. It has been an ongoing project spreading across many seasons, filled with much struggle, procrastination and consistent blockage. I assume many outsiders would easily reply: why, you're a graphic designer, this should be a stroll through the park for you. However, it isn't the case. It's like helping a friend resolve their issues, meanwhile you're struggling with the exact issues in your life but can't seem to tackle it the same way. The pressure on yourself through a client versus through your own is surprisingly two different sides. Your expectations for yourself is generally much higher because you expect the best of the best for yourself. If you can't do well for you, how will you do it for others? It's that tearing mentality. Which leads me to an article where I extracted a section, explaining why this studio hired another studio to design their logo.

"We are often asked why we didn’t design our own brand – and we’re a little surprised as to the interest this fact generates. Unfortunately there’s no great mystery, as founder James Bull explains below: 

“There were a few factors (and all pretty simple and practical).

1. We were far too busy – and therefore attempts at designing our own brand always got pushed back for paying client work
2. We felt that it was going to be very hard to contain our own thinking, and as such believed that an external ‘voice’ would help us in doing that.
3. Bibliotheque were our friends (and still are) and were just starting out, so the work was a good project for them – we paid them of course!
4. If we expect our clients to willingly go through a branding process with an outsider (i.e. Moving Brands) then we should be prepared to do it ourselves.
5. No agency that has designed its own logo has created something as good as the work they do for clients (for precisely the reasons listed above).
Oh and yes we ran with their process – didn’t challenge it or try to make them do it our way – it was a really great thing to go through, a very freeing process.”
MB co-founder and chairman Ben Wolstenholme added his thoughts, building on Jim’s fourth point of the importance of working with someone who can bring objectivity to the process.
“For me the most important part is the outside perspective. It’s hard to define or redefine yourself from first point perspective.”

- See more at: http://www.movingbrands.com/insights/from-the-archive-bibliotheques-identity-for-moving-brands/#sthash.gFnPC3Ao.dpuf

I'm not saying I should go hire someone to design my logo; financially, it's illogical and, personally, I like a good challenge and I can be a control freak. Simply said, it's a heavier weight on our shoulders. So good luck to me!

We are often asked why we didn’t design our own brand – and we’re a little surprised as to the interest this fact generates. Unfortunately there’s no great mystery, as founder James Bull explains below:

“There were a few factors (and all pretty simple and practical).
1. We were far too busy – and therefore attempts at designing our own brand always got pushed back for paying client work
2. We felt that it was going to be very hard to contain our own thinking, and as such believed that an external ‘voice’ would help us in doing that.
3. Bibliotheque were our friends (and still are) and were just starting out, so the work was a good project for them – we paid them of course!
4. If we expect our clients to willingly go through a branding process with an outsider (i.e. Moving Brands) then we should be prepared to do it ourselves.
5. No agency that has designed its own logo has created something as good as the work they do for clients (for precisely the reasons listed above).
Oh and yes we ran with their process – didn’t challenge it or try to make them do it our way – it was a really great thing to go through, a very freeing process.”
MB co-founder and chairman Ben Wolstenholme added his thoughts, building on Jim’s fourth point of the importance of working with someone who can bring objectivity to the process.
“For me the most important part is the outside perspective. It’s hard to define or redefine yourself from first point perspective.”
- See more at: http://www.movingbrands.com/insights/from-the-archive-bibliotheques-identity-for-moving-brands/#sthash.gFnPC3Ao.dpuf

We are often asked why we didn’t design our own brand – and we’re a little surprised as to the interest this fact generates. Unfortunately there’s no great mystery, as founder James Bull explains below:

“There were a few factors (and all pretty simple and practical).
1. We were far too busy – and therefore attempts at designing our own brand always got pushed back for paying client work
2. We felt that it was going to be very hard to contain our own thinking, and as such believed that an external ‘voice’ would help us in doing that.
3. Bibliotheque were our friends (and still are) and were just starting out, so the work was a good project for them – we paid them of course!
4. If we expect our clients to willingly go through a branding process with an outsider (i.e. Moving Brands) then we should be prepared to do it ourselves.
5. No agency that has designed its own logo has created something as good as the work they do for clients (for precisely the reasons listed above).
Oh and yes we ran with their process – didn’t challenge it or try to make them do it our way – it was a really great thing to go through, a very freeing process.”
MB co-founder and chairman Ben Wolstenholme added his thoughts, building on Jim’s fourth point of the importance of working with someone who can bring objectivity to the process.
“For me the most important part is the outside perspective. It’s hard to define or redefine yourself from first point perspective.”
- See more at: http://www.movingbrands.com/insights/from-the-archive-bibliotheques-identity-for-moving-brands/#sthash.gFnPC3Ao.dpuf

“There were a few factors (and all pretty simple and practical).
1. We were far too busy – and therefore attempts at designing our own brand always got pushed back for paying client work
2. We felt that it was going to be very hard to contain our own thinking, and as such believed that an external ‘voice’ would help us in doing that.
3. Bibliotheque were our friends (and still are) and were just starting out, so the work was a good project for them – we paid them of course!
4. If we expect our clients to willingly go through a branding process with an outsider (i.e. Moving Brands) then we should be prepared to do it ourselves.
5. No agency that has designed its own logo has created something as good as the work they do for clients (for precisely the reasons listed above).
Oh and yes we ran with their process – didn’t challenge it or try to make them do it our way – it was a really great thing to go through, a very freeing process.”
MB co-founder and chairman Ben Wolstenholme added his thoughts, building on Jim’s fourth point of the importance of working with someone who can bring objectivity to the process.
“For me the most important part is the outside perspective. It’s hard to define or redefine yourself from first point perspective.”
- See more at: http://www.movingbrands.com/insights/from-the-archive-bibliotheques-identity-for-moving-brands/#sthash.gFnPC3Ao.dpuf

“There were a few factors (and all pretty simple and practical).
1. We were far too busy – and therefore attempts at designing our own brand always got pushed back for paying client work
2. We felt that it was going to be very hard to contain our own thinking, and as such believed that an external ‘voice’ would help us in doing that.
3. Bibliotheque were our friends (and still are) and were just starting out, so the work was a good project for them – we paid them of course!
4. If we expect our clients to willingly go through a branding process with an outsider (i.e. Moving Brands) then we should be prepared to do it ourselves.
5. No agency that has designed its own logo has created something as good as the work they do for clients (for precisely the reasons listed above).
Oh and yes we ran with their process – didn’t challenge it or try to make them do it our way – it was a really great thing to go through, a very freeing process.”
MB co-founder and chairman Ben Wolstenholme added his thoughts, building on Jim’s fourth point of the importance of working with someone who can bring objectivity to the process.
“For me the most important part is the outside perspective. It’s hard to define or redefine yourself from first point perspective.”
- See more at: http://www.movingbrands.com/insights/from-the-archive-bibliotheques-identity-for-moving-brands/#sthash.gFnPC3Ao.dpuf

“There were a few factors (and all pretty simple and practical).
1. We were far too busy – and therefore attempts at designing our own brand always got pushed back for paying client work
2. We felt that it was going to be very hard to contain our own thinking, and as such believed that an external ‘voice’ would help us in doing that.
3. Bibliotheque were our friends (and still are) and were just starting out, so the work was a good project for them – we paid them of course!
4. If we expect our clients to willingly go through a branding process with an outsider (i.e. Moving Brands) then we should be prepared to do it ourselves.
5. No agency that has designed its own logo has created something as good as the work they do for clients (for precisely the reasons listed above).
Oh and yes we ran with their process – didn’t challenge it or try to make them do it our way – it was a really great thing to go through, a very freeing process.”
MB co-founder and chairman Ben Wolstenholme added his thoughts, building on Jim’s fourth point of the importance of working with someone who can bring objectivity to the process.
“For me the most important part is the outside perspective. It’s hard to define or redefine yourself from first point perspective.”
- See more at: http://www.movingbrands.com/insights/from-the-archive-bibliotheques-identity-for-moving-brands/#sthash.gFnPC3Ao.dpuf

The troublesome (a pretty annoying) part of creativity, particularly in design, is that one person's idea is another person's as well. The likelihood of an idea being twins or quadruplets are essentially quite high. Why? Because we live on the same planet. Our inspirations comes from the same sources. Searched high and low, unique concepts are hard to come by, but when they do, they will hit you hard in the face and the stomach that the only thing you can do is spill a smile. The most irritating factor of it all, like the chicken and the egg situation, which one of the two was created first, provoking obvious questions, such as, "Was it copied? Was it stolen? Was it influenced by it?"; they come pouring out, quite generously and vocally. Gasp! OMG! WTF! Ew! Ouch! Uh... No!

For the designer, who obviously went through a semi-thorough research didn't come across it, know nothing of its existence, is now deemed a copycat and a "criminal". And, needlessly, have to (must) restart or at least dig extremely hard in their brain's crevasses to find an adaption or alteration. 

 

Sometimes our brains play games as well; popular online sites like Pinterest, Tumblr makes so easy and forgettable as we're saving ten thousand images into our "Inspiration" folders that the memory of something we saw gets rendered into something we think we thought of on our own. It happens. Like everything else in our lives. Was it dream sequence or did it actually happen? Was it her who told me the story or was it his? 

 

Solution? Nothing scientifically. Just basic sense: delete and startover; erase and startover. Pour me another coffee and sleepless nights. Thanks. 

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

-Christopher McCandless

----- House Stalker -----

After seeing these pictures, I may just go hunt it down and loom around the trees and corner to stare at it all day long. It's in Montreal.

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----- Get Inspired for 2014 -----

Shutter shock released a infographic of the design trends of 2014. So grab your cam, grab your mouse and computer, start creating!

for closer look click here

how food should  taste like in your mouth everytime.  explosion of tons of spice.

----- Pengasm -----

Hi, my name is Vivian and I have an addiction to finding good pens and abandoning ones I hate. A conversation about pens (and notebooks) among friends gave me an idea to write about it today. When it comes to pens, I would like to say i'm a pro at telling you when to jump ship paper when you're holding a bad one. It is all in the consistency in the ink flow and the smoothness as it glides along the lines of the paper. Too much ink, the curves becomes blotchy and you will find your handwriting look ugly and angry. Like typography, your writing has character, so sometimes I find pens either compliment your writing or rebels it. Here are my criteria to a good pen:

1. good glide

2. good flow of ink

3. sturdy grip

4. nib size: 0.5 mm - 1mm 

5. weight: light.

Growing up, Papermate pens were and still are the best bang for your buck but they are unpredictable; it's like the lotto, if you're lucky, 1/5 in the box will be the winner pen. Bad ones, leak and leak till your pencil case and/or paper goes through a menstrual-like leak. 

Bic are good for everyday note taking in class or even writing cheques. Not the skinny boring one, you have to get the curvacious, clicking Bic pen with grip—Reaction, 1.0mm. 

My preferred brand is Muji. Good glide, good flow, and numerous choices in nib size. Plus, they're pretty affordable. 

check out this tumblr site... its devine:

goodpens.tumblr.com

----- Just when they begin to disappoint you... -----

.... Montreal springs back with creative ideas to warm your heart back to loving the city more. Rue Mont-Royal is currently exhibiting comic book inspired look lighting, spewed along the street on their lamps. Design firm, Turn Me on, created this concept. As part of a city-wide contest, this concept won and each lamp features graphics from artists Astro and Jean-François Poliquin.

Came across it serendipitously, and smiled from ear to ear.

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