For all of April, 2010, Casey and I had the wonderful opportunity to serve as guest editors for Coudal Partners' amazing Fresh Signals offerings. Below, we've lovingly re-created each and every one of our NCZ-submitted Signals, starting with the first:
"We're not just watching a simulacrum, but a reproduction of a simulacrum, expressing a wish to be with a simulacrum of its own." Not Coming to a Theater Near You examines A.I., and Stanley Kubrick.
"Travel like a human" is the motto of Airbnb, which is "an online marketplace allowing anyone from private residents to commercial properties to rent out their extra space." In other words, if you had "stay in a Vermont treehouse" on your bucket list, consider yourself served.
When Twitter met Letterpress: Sharp-looking promotion cards printed for shadow works by Ohio's Cranky Pressman.
"When they were published, some where bestsellers, some were considered scandalous, and others were simply misunderstood." Beautiful covers. Beautiful website. The Penguin Decades series.
"We can't use this design at all. The background clashes with the trousers I'm wearing today." Perhaps it's time to revisit Clients From Hell. Via Debbie Millman.
"On January 22nd, 2010 I started the project of designing and building one chair each hour that I was at this site. Each hour started with a drawing and ended with a new chair prototype." Andy Hall's hour chairs. Via Kris Henry.
Today's public service announcement: Fill out your U.S. Census form. If the president can find time to do it, you can manage to pry yourself away from DVRed episodes of FlashForward to do yours. Full disclosure: Maybe I was talking about me. Either way, fill it out.
We're big fans of the TED conferences. Here are two inspiring talks from Danielle DeBoe and Terry Schwarz, both at the recent TEDxCLE event.
"If you send me a cake, I post a link to your work on the internet. You will be judged solely on your cake rather than your work, which makes this an equal opportunity link site." The Internet Sends Me Cake, served fresh by the amazing Jessica Hische.
"The truths of the world, the reality, is not defined by the spoken word. In fact, it's not even speakable." Alan Rabinowitz, wildlife conservation expert and true inspiration, on The Moth radio broadcast ("Man and Beast," fifth link down). Gripping, off-the-cuff storytelling and the absolute best about humanity.
Adorable bears, soaring eagles and, of course, logging. Our humble submission for the MoOM: Stan Galli's illustrations for Weyerhaeuser.
Hey! It's Vinyl Cat, Mikey Burton's art print for Cleveland's own Music Saves. And don't forget - Record Store Day is right around the corner.
With baseball season upon us - go Cleveland - the Library of Congress takes a look at our national pastime.
Carli Dottore got to live the letterpress dream recently, interning at Hatch Show Print. Here's the excellent Think Pink poster, one of her pieces done there, along with the process behind it.
"Expanding Contexts for Design", a fascinating interview with IDEO co-founder Bill Moggridge. Via Nice Red Shorts.
For BB: Finally, you can order that Lucky's t-shirt you always forgot to buy: Meet CollegeTownPints.
Sure, everyone now has their iPad. I'm waiting to get my hands on the iCade. Via The Donut Project.
We're huge fans of infographics. And these, from Aaron Kraus, only encourage our habit.
Kate Bingaman-Burt publishes the awesome Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today? Her friends pay tribute by re-creating the book's illustrated cover. So cool.
Song of the moment: I Learned the Hard Way from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Never miss a chance to see them. Ever.
Trailer for the documentary Casino Jack and the United States of Money.
Northeast Ohio is a signage fan's dream. Our personal favorite? The hand-painted signs at Alesci's, a nearby Italian grocery. There really is quite a bit to see on Ohio's north coast.
Where else can you find the "Australian contingent at Handoub", "Ching Hook in fighting attitude", or "Hiram Maxim's Glider"? It's The National Archives UK on flickr. Via A Continuous Lean.
Do your states' highways and byways send you correspondence? Ours do. Greetings from the Ohio Turnpike.
Signs of Spring from The Big Picture. Beautiful, as always.
The International Space Station flying through the Aurora at 28,000 kmh. Spectacular. Via @astro_Soichi.
"Woke up feeling motivated. To help facilitate future motivation, I made this giant 3' X 4' 'Motivational Poster' for a blank wall in my newish Portland apartment. 9 bucks at FedEx Kinkos. Easy." Adam Garcia's Motivational Poster.
Sometimes you find yourself edging ever closer toward the meaning of life through the internet. And sometimes you end up on Men With Meat Names. No biggie. We're partial to T Bone Burnett.
"Next time you hear rap on TV, check out this 'def' glossary." Via Colin M. Ford.
Meet The Hello Project, "an online social collaboration giving people the chance to say hi, hello, or hola on one of today's most common yet neglected canvases: the Post-it."
A look back at Youngstown.
The results of AIGA Cleveland and Cranky Pressman's Cranky Camp letterpress printing workshop.
"Of course you can tell by the age of these signs that the businesses were around for some time. That's the saddest part of it all." Pinkiestyle looks at two fading beauties in Columbus.
As we celebrate the 75th birthday of the Works Progress Administration, why not take a look at some of the most recognizable fruits of its labor: The posters of the Federal Art Project, a program we wouldn't mind seeing return.
A superb process and an even better final product in this Johnny Cash letterpress poster.
Previewing Marian Bantjes' I Wonder.
Fashion tip: Dress like Kim Jong-Il, ride the latest global trend.
Three illustrated cities from Blanca Gomez. Via Words and Eggs.
"Just because it's graphical, it doesn't mean it's useful." Phil Gyford's Infographic.
"The Working Proof seeks to promote art and social responsibility. Each print is paired with a charity of the artist's choice, to which we are donating 15% of the sale of each print - creating what we believe to be a product with not just aesthetic, but social value." Via The Donut Project.
"My students are awesome." Jessica Hische, you are correct.
How adorable are these new pieces from Rachael Novak? I'm pretty sure I own the outfit depicted in the third one. Yes, 100% sure.
House Industries prints a catalog.
Records are made to be broken. And now, after 27 years, the high score for Asteroids has fallen. Get your quarters ready. Via Kottke.
I love what Wil Freeborn can do within the confines of his journal. Via stmjr.
Cleveland's own author/chef/national treasure Michael Ruhlman shares his essential kitchen tools. Must-haves for any foodie.
Group seeks restraining order against KFC's new sandwich. I'd probably be running marathons today if this kind of thing happened more when I was growing up.
I'm a hopeless process addict. Strawberry Luna, you're doing nothing to curb my habit. Nothing at all.
Stuck in a creative rut? Head to your local library and wander through the stacks, choosing at random. Works for us every time.
Some really nice unified book covers by Iain Burke. Via Words and Eggs.
The trailer for Star Wars: Uncut.
Aaron at the mighty DDC's got the details on an awesome design-meets-civic-pride project in the pages of GOOD.
A tax form for the marginally employed. We're partial to the deductions for "Indispensable pajamas" and "Obamamania."
Icons are some of the most "put up or shut up" pieces in design. In working with Monocle, Always With Honor has, as always, put up.
This is what happens when you combine three friends, some beers, wood and metal type, a proof press, one big election and some Celebrity Pilots.
Puma questions, nay, eliminates the shoe box. The environmental impact of this move is phenomenal.
A quiz that tells us agency branding has jumped the shark: Ad Agency or Indie Band?
A robot built from parts of an old television. Beyond that, inspiration that couldn't possibly fit in this space, and a reminder to try to leave this world better than you found it.
Terry Gross: What I Read. Endlessly fascinating story and an endlessly fascinating person.
A stunning, curated Flickr gallery of the Icelandic volcano.
13th Street's "Stationery of Horror". Great concept, very aptly described.
Some of the famous cameos from The Adventures of Pete & Pete, a predecessor, in our minds, to shows like Arrested Development.
There are wedding bells in the air at Northcoast Zeitgeist, so when the time came to produce our save-the-dates, we wanted to press some letters. The photographic results.
We're in love with vintage packaging, so this gallery of old European matchbox covers is right up our alley - and probably yours. Via Lovely Package.
A fascinating process read: "Evolving the System: The New Adobe Desktop Brand," parts one and two.
More process pornography to start your week, this time for the cover of The Exquisite Book.
PSFK asks what would happen if Europe became plane-free.
I wouldn't mind parking my car here every day for work, would you?
I dare you to check out Jessi's Rainbow Birthday and not feel more cheery and colorful. Triple-dog-dare you.
From the makers of Brand New, meet Brand New Classroom. School's in session, and we can't wait to see the results.
"Waspy people doing waspy things in Connecticut. Summer of 1948 & 1949." Summer in Fairfield County Connecticut.
Rebranding Chrysler, in which three designers (including friend of CP & NCZ Aaron Draplin) attempt to restore some of that showroom shine to the automaker.
Meet Quad Royal, "a blog about posters and graphics." Some great visual inspirado there.
"Don't let math make your music choices for you." Christopher R. Weingarten delivers a rather awesome, rather colorful criticism of internet music commentary. Via Aaron Kraus.
Ohio: Far more than the sum of its parts, even if those parts were so nicely illustrated.
Patrick Sung's Universal Packaging System "eliminates most of the otherwise wasted space in a cardboard box which means saving extra shipping space and eventually, needing less trucks during shipping."
I could stare all day at A Continuous Lean's amazing and growing Kodachrome collection.
"We post articles, past and present, that we think are too long and too interesting to be read on a web browser." Meet Long Form.
Youngstown, in color. And now it looks like a trip to Wauconda, Illinois, is in order.
Meet 48 Hour Magazine: "As the name suggests, we're going to write, photograph, illustrate, design, edit, and ship a magazine in two days." With your help.
Some more great process elaboration (with a wonderful video, too), this time from students at Winthrop University for their senior show.
Hard to believe, but today is our last day as humble guest editors of these Fresh Signals. We'll miss our far-too-short time here, but as we leave, we leave with with this: Visit our beautiful state. Respect process and craft in everything you do. And, above all else, try to leave things better than you found them.
We Are Happy. To Serve You. Leslie Buck, creator of the iconic coffee cup, dies at 87.
