The "Hipster" Movement

I've only recently discovered the term "hipster". I knew the trend, but wasn't able to associate the name to the less-than-quality taste in, well, everything. Everything except the photography. No, I'm not referring to this (albeit true for most) so much as the trend with the slight overexposure and not-as-pretentious-as-I-once-thought bokeh lighting.

Today, I stumbled across a professional that turned it into an art form. His name of course is Ram, and he does Fotografia, I think. Anyways, he puts a professional edge on the movement that I think gives the photographic movement more substance, and definitely inspires the shutterbug in me on a few levels. anyways, check out his website here, and enjoy the eye-candy below ;-)

The Irony of Business Cards

Lately, I've been honed in on making business cards. It's a must for any professional, in virtually every industry. What I got stuck with when it came to making my own business cards (as a graphic designer) is that I had no idea where to start. So I did some research and got on track. The right business card makes you stand out-giving you more potential clients, and thus, building your repertoire. However, there are three major factors that play into a great business card: design, shape, and texture.

Design is a huge factor, because it needs to promote your work, provide your contact info, and tastefully stand out all at the same time. It is not uncommon for a person to have a graphic designer design their cards, especially if it means that it will make them look more professional.

Shape, also makes your card stand out. Most business cards are 3.5 by 2 inches long, with right-angled corners. What if your business card was thin, had rounded corners, was square, or even round? It could have a unique shape, or a hole punched in the middle. Shape alone would possibly make a client do a double-take, or observe what it had to say.


Texture, what the card feels like, also makes your card stand out. What if it was soft, or even made of plastic-with parts that were see-through? What if it had certain parts that were glossy, or had a metallic background? A business card that has a unique "feel" as you hand it out to a potential client will help make a good impression.

I found quite recently (today actually) a really cheap printer with a great selection. They're www.nextdayflyers.com and compared to a lot of business card websites I've been browsing through lately, they seem to know what they're doing, and have some really good prices. If you're looking for some inspiration for a great business card design, you can find it here, here, or here.

A MUST for graphic designers-the Dot Grid Cahier

I stumbled upon this on Behance Outfitter-Dot Grid Cahier-and it's a graphic designer's dream notebook. Instead of using lines, it uses dots. You use them to make the grid and notes, in a neat, effective manner-all for a cheap price too!

"The Dot Grid Cahier is the perfect back pocket companion. The pages are made of 60lb New Leaf paper (100% recycled), printed full bleed, and perforated for maximum flexibility. New Leaf Paper was founded to inspire a fundamental shift towards sustainability in the paper industry. By choosing this notebook, you are making a difference."

Artist of the week: Srdjan Kirtic

Sometimes it can be frustrating when approached with the task of creating a logo. So many factors contribute to a successful logo-negative space, simplicity, color, and the statement you're trying to make-to name a few. However, what happens when you approach graphic design as if it were a muscle? Exercising it, using your knowledge to create something on a frequent basis-is exactly Srdjan Kirtic did. With his 365 Logo project, he chose to make a new logo every day. The result? Well, see for yourself.

Artist of the Week: Julius Tjintjelaar

I don't believe I've ever seen such fine examples of long exposure photography before. The sharpness of the subject coupled with the blur of time-all while maintaining artistry-in black and white. You can visit his Flickr stream here. Below is his comment on why he chooses Black & White photography:

I love Black and White photography because with the removal of color the essence of objects, situations, sceneries and people can become more visible. Can become more visible because it’s up to you what you do with contrasts, light, shapes and lines to emphasize the essence, or what you see as the essence – no colors that will seduce the eye, only emotion that will capture the heart. If you do it right…

...and what's best about it is that he gives his camera settings so you could re-create it. I was surprised at how long his exposures really are-they're in the minutes, as in one to two minutes long. That's what seems to give them their smooth quality, and he well understands the quality of a low ISO, which also gives depth and richness to his pictures.

Artist of the Week: Michael Oswald

Adept Photoshop artist, Michael Oswald out of California, has had 2 Advanced Photoshop magazine covers, a book cover, and a gallery showing amongst many other merits. His talents focus almost exclusively in Photoshop and he seamlessly combines photography and digital painting to create uniquely realistic yet simultaneously surreal pieces. You can visit his website at www.bymichaelo.com or his deviant art page here


Ok, it's time for me to stop ranting now and let the artwork speak for itself;-)

The Tragedy of Papyrus

Ahhh Papyrus. It's everywhere. In newspapers, magazines, websites, on the sides of cars, billboards, commercials, restaurant signs, and even movies. What the majority of people who do not understand graphic design, and specifically typography, however, is its lack of integrity.

The worn edges combined with seemingly innocent serifs and a mutually wide kerning seem to give it an ideal je ne sais quois that might represent the "weathered", "worn", or "vintage" look to the unaware. However, to the trained designer's eye it is visual blasphemy. Typography itself, is a complex form of symbology. It takes fonts and shapes them and combines them to provide a specific visual effect. Papyrus, is seen as a cheap typography.

Papyrus really didn't hit the scene hard until the past few years, with debuts in movies like the Lord of the Rings and more recently, Avatar. What the general consensus amongst designers is that in fact, the font is overrated. According to Modern Life it ranks second in tackiest fonts, and there's a nice letter to James Cameron from Pr*ttySh*tty on the subject as well.

I guess it is to be expected to find out-of-style and non-designerly fonts on Joe Schmoe's billboard add accompanied with starbursts, bright obscene colors, no grid layout, and lack of negative space. Specific? Yes, but common. My guesstimate is that Avatar is the apex of the movement. It's just a fad, much like Cooper Sans, Comic Sans, or Curlz MT. My advice: there's more to the world of fonts than Papyrus, and please become familiarized with Helvetica. ;-)