On Porosity
Quote from script:
"Safe bodies need safe environments in which to live... and there are healthy alternatives that exist... for just about every toxic product... gas, or ventilation system out there."
https://www.stevenholl.com/projects/mit-simmons-hall
"‘Porosity’ was the goal of the architects. Following the organic workings of a sea sponge, that was achieved. To reach the goals of MIT of designing a building that fosters interaction, the architects provided a 125-seat theater spanning two-stories, dozens of lounges scattered through the building, a night cafe, and street level dining to complement the 350 undergraduate rooms. These common spaces are where students meet to chat up and hold discussions through their campus life."
There is no escaping porosity.
Atoms do not allow it.
Boicozine, October 2006
90: Draw your own furniture
With a laser pen and a bit of rapid prototyping technology (or you could just use some ‘magic’), you too can sketch out a chair, a couch, a lamp… whatever you need. Just make sure you get all the legs even… actually there’s loads of stuff that could go wrong… looks cool but. Visit Front Design [frontdesign.se] to see Sketch Furniture in action. Thanks to Hypediss [hypediss.com] for highlighting this one.
Posted by Michael, posted on 31 October 2006 at 12:53 pm in Random Play
88: Image of the Week
[Crazy Foam Collection]. Originally uploaded to Flickr by [grickily].
Okay, after my rather damning critique of The Chap magazine (Note: still refusing to link to their site) I thought I should post this picture of some cute but ultimately ozone destroying ‘Crazy Foam’ tins from the 60s. Yep, they’re really old… but well loved and cared for thanks to Dan Goodsell, the man behind The Imaginary World and Tick Tock Toys.
Posted by Michael as Random Play
86: Rant 1: Grafik
The world needs Grafik magazine. It’s ace. It’s critical. It ‘loves design’. It has lush foil blocked, special colour covers. It’s everything a modern Graphic Design magazine should be. Which is why it’s so painful to see when it starts going a bit wrong…
I’m for robust, opinionated and critical journalism. I’ve enjoyed editor Caroline Roberts editorials, even when I haven’t entirely agreed with stuff she’s said (you can’t please all the people etc. etc.) but seems lately she’s just lashing out with no good reason. First, Grafik gets a redesign so she sees fit to criticise the previous designer’s efforts (”yup, it really pissed us off too”, she assumes), now she’s having a go at blogging. Huh? Okay, I’m obviously biased, but I wonder what she’s type of ‘weblogs’ she’s been reading (It can’t be the Creative Review blog, can it? Do they ever mention what they got up to on the weekend?). I know it’s fashionable in certain journalistic circles to consider ‘blogs’ to be faddish and a bit “rubbish”, but for me, it’s become an excellent way for professionals and friends to communicate on a level a few fathoms above a three line email or a message on MySpace. See the links on the right there for some excellent examples.
Okay… This is where I offer my humble opinion on the recent re-design since Grafik doesn’t have a letters page (I’m actually quite happy about that, it doesn’t really need one)…
Avant Garde does not make for a happy text reading experience, especially with such tight kerning and leading. I thought this was a given. As someone on Newstoday mentioned, “I’m surprised Sea didn’t do it all in Helvetica”, I kind of wish they had… anything other than Avant Garde. My eyes hurt.
The new logo (’masthead’, surely) looks clunky and hard to read. I know we’re all meant to be design professionals and up for being challenged but it just doesn’t gel with the idea that this is a “simplified and stream lined” version of the magazine. In my mind, there is little that speaks ‘inclusive’ about cutting your name in half, flipping it round and jamming it back together… but maybe that’s just me.
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- Last gripe I promise. The latest issue includes a Special Report on Editorial Design. They have done this before and it’s always been quite good. This edition is dismal. As if a four page feature on Vice magazine wasn’t enough (Vice makes money because advertisers looking to reach a young, ‘bleeding edge’ audience believe it fills this gap. End of story. Ask how many Vice readers would actually pay to get their copy and I’m sure you’d get a much bleaker picture of their popularity), deputy editor Angharad Lewis then parades a sad, bedraggled collection of “favourite fellow independent publishers”. Saddest has to be The Chap. Hurrah for independent publishing but does The Chap really deserve a place in a magazine that claims to ‘love design’. The editor freely admits that he doesn’t use a permanent designer, relying occasionally on “students on work experience”. One look and it’s immediately obvious that this is where the magazine falls down. Likewise, Karen and Amelia’s Magazine are pretty sporadic with their moments of brilliance. At least Wonderland take design seriously enough to understand you have to employ a creative team to develop any sort of following. Remember kids, people always look at a magazine before they read it.
I guess I should back this up with a few examples of design loving independent magazines. Maybe try some of these a tell me know what you think or you could just visit [colophon2007.com] for a much wider selection…
Riot Magazine [riotmag.net]
Super Super [thesupersuper.com]
Fact [factmagazine.co.uk]
Lodown [lodownmagazine.com]
Suite [suitemagazine.com]
Empty [emptymag.com]
032c [032c.com]
See other NMCA posts for Dummy, Special, Little White Lies and loads more. You can also visit Grafik magazine here… [grafikmagazine.co.uk], although you’ll be lucky to find anything much of interest on their website, certainly not a blog.
Rant Ends.
Posted by Michael on October 30, 2006 in Rants, Magazines, Publishing, Graphic design
Comments:
Jeremy wrote on 1 November 2006:
I have a lot of time for Grafik, I’ve written for it and subscribe, but I agree completely with you about the redesign. It’s unfortunate that a magazine about design can get such a basic thing so wrong. Around eighteen months ago it was looking fantastic, yet now it is just dull. That’s the most disappointing thing is it’s not even ugly or annoying, just plain.
Michael wrote on 1 November 2006:
I hope I wasn’t too harsh. It’s only because I care. :)
I thought a lot of things that were done in the first redesigned issue were because it was a special edition… I can see the novelty of having ‘type, no image’ covers every issue wearing thin already. Be nice if Grafik handed the design over to a different studio every 12 months or so, they could approach the design like a game of ‘chinese whispers’…
84: Antimix Jumble Rumble #4
Dark Edition. Recorded Late October 2006. This is a special Dark Edition for All Hallows Eve. You can download it here or click on the RSS Feed to subscribe and get yer Antimix podcasts through iTunes. In this broadcast you’ll hear the blood-curdling screams of: [Barry Adamson] / [Mono] / [A Grape Dope] / [The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black] / [The Cramps] / [Jarvis Cocker & Radiohead] / [Nouvelle Vague] / [My Bloody Valentine] / [Pale Saints]. Sleep well, my pretties.
Some artwork for you to download… if you dare:
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83: Link Dump #2: Australian Designers
Being a Graphic Designer in Australia can be frustrating (that’s where I studied and worked for a number of years), particularly in regards to the lack of media to support the industry. Australian design magazines have a history of focusing on technical skills whilst looking like… well, just looking a bit tardy and out of touch with current design trends (stand up Desktop, Design Graphics etc). So it’s great to see Australian Creative putting together a rather slick online package to support their ever-evolving and involving magazine.
After having a look at their new site I though I should do my bit in supporting Australian graphic designers and share some of me links with you. I must warn you, they are a bit Melbourne-centric, but then that’s where I’m from so… anyways, here’s me Aussie Design Link Dump. Any suggestions, corrections, etc. are more than welcome…
3 Deep [3deep.com.au]
Designland [designland.com.au]
Pandarosa [pandarosa.net]
Rinzen [rinzen.com]
Round [round.com.au]
tin&ed [tinanded.com.au]
The Co-op [theco-opgroup.com.au]
Univers [univers.net.au]
Posted by Michael on 25 October 2006 at 12:03 pm in Graphic Design, Linkage, Magazines, Random Play
79: Have your Cake
Cake. God knows I love it. Possibly too much. Tea and cake is what’s helped make this country great and it’s nice to see a number of ’boutique’… um… producers of cake, taking a step back in time to look at this fine tradition.
What has stirred this particular (and slightly saccharine) ode to cake has to be Peyton & Byrne’s Banana Cake Loaf (or Loaf Cake… I dunno). Available from the new, freshly delivered and piping hot Peyton and Byrne store on Tottenham Court Road (sandwiched—pardon the pun—between Habitat and Heals). To give you an idea of how good it was it took three of us one and a half days to finish the lot off (I think I even had some for breakfast—that’s not good).
Visit [peytonandbyrne.co.uk] to have a look at the vast selection of scrummy delights they have on offer.
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Posted in 23 October 2006 in Miscellanea, Cake
75: Save Milton House
Lately, the City of London seems to have taken it upon themselves to rid the city district of all examples of recent 20th century architecture, replacing them with innocuous glass and steel edifices.
This is Britain’s allergy to modern architecture blown up to ludicrous proportions. Rather than harbouring a culturally rich and extensive overview of architectural trends throughout the 20th century the council has seen fit to simply erase vast swathes of London’s modern heritage.
Many of the charming multi-storey office buildings built in the 50s and 60s around London Wall have fallen under the wrecker's ball as has Mondial House, which previously sat like a massive alien spacecraft on the banks of the Thames, sadly no more due to the imagination deficit currently sweeping through the City.
Of all this recent unwarranted destruction (City of London currently boasts on their website that they have more office space than the Docklands—Joy), the saddest news to break has be that Milton Court looks like the next to go.
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Quite literally attached to the Barbican (a part of the Barbican Highwalk), Milton Court was built shortly before the Barbican and is, therefore, not considered a protected building by English Heritage (a group that recently came under fire for giving up it’s own headquarters on Saville Row to yet another rabid developer). Previously the building housed a Fire Station and Coroner’s Office. Guildhall School of Music and Dance currently occupy part of the building and are seeking to demolish the existing structure to provide new facilities as well as a 43-storey residential development.
How about this for an idea, move the rather lack-lustre Design Museum to the site and use that to create a national centre for design at the Barbican including workshop spaces and stuff. Whaddyathink?
Help stop the madness by visiting [miltoncourt.org] or drop the City of London a line at [[email protected](at)culture.gsi.gov.uk].
Posted on 17 October 2006 in Architecture, Politicosis
Comments:
Mia wrote on October 18th, 2006 at 12:00 pm:
I think it’s a brilliant idea. The Barbican could feasibly become a creative centre, the Guildhall School, Barbican Theatre complex and the Museum of London are already there.
Gareth Roberts wrote on June 23rd, 2007 at 2:12 am:
Yesterday I visited Milton Court after seeing it on the “Eyesore or gem” feature on the BBC website. The building is looking a bit neglected but I found it to be an amazing place that could be re-used (I particularly like your suggestion to move the Design Museum). I hope the developers don’t get their way and stick another glass tower on the site.
67: What Sup Dummy
Sometimes, it seems as though no sooner has one genre of magazine died a messy death than a new version springs up in its place a year or few down the track. For us UK indie dinosaurs, many of us mourned the passing of Lime Lizard, Select and Melody Maker and it’s ilk (and many more felt compelled to express their sadness at the recent ‘re-invention’ of the NME). Of course, the Indie Music magazine never went away… it was just having a snooze.
I’d like to say it’s back! ‘Back!’, you hear. But that’s seems a little grandiose a statement for this new breed of ‘quiet achievers’. Enter Dummy, ‘Sup, Spex, Artrocker, OK Fred… they are cropping up all over the place.
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Dummy [dummymag.com]
The first issue of Dummy looked more fashion mag than music zine, with loads of lush full page commissioned photography that seemed to over shadow the writing. After a brief disappearance Dummy came back with a sharper look thanks to current i-D art director, Dean Langley, that bought the bands and the writing into focus. It’s a stripped back and slightly retro look that seems to directly reference the underground fanzine idea and is already bleeding out into other magazines such as…
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‘Sup Magazine [supmag.com]
‘Sup magazine is free but you can’t tell by looking at it. Mostly, one colour throughout (with the rare burst of colour), the choice of coloured stock and minimal variation in fonts lends it an air of authority music magazines have been lacking for some time (apart from the always excellent The Wire. ‘Sup seem to follow a similar notion of keeping the design to a minimum and showcasing the music and writing.
For now this all seems totally fresh and interesting (and lord knows Artrocker could only improve with a bit less ‘ornamentation’) but I wonder how long before indie fans crave a bit of colour and craziness. See what you think.
Posted on 20 October 2006 in Magazines, Graphic Design, Publishing, NMCA
65: Seeking Blurbarians
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Welcome to the crazee world of self-publishing. I’m not talking blogging, or podcasts, fanzines or self-appreciating but ultimately vacuous quarterly fashion magazine ‘projects’. I’m talking real, proper hard cover books. Blurb allows anyone to design and edit hardcover books themselves on any subject, online. You download a bit of software called BookSmart and away you go. I think I’m going to have to try this to see how it works, you get to chose you’re own fonts which makes me happy… Visit [blurb.com] to find out more.
Posted in 20 October 2006 in Graphic Design, Reading, Publishing
Comments:
Michael wrote on October 24th, 2006 at 4:32 pm:
Andrew Losowsky has pointed out that there are various online self publishing systems out there similar to Blurb. You can read more about them in an article he wrote for the Guardian a couple of years ago: http://losowsky.com/archives/008252.html
I’m think I’ll have to do a brief review of these from a Designers point of view to post on Boicozine at a later date. If anyone reading this has had any experience with online paper book publishing I’d love to hear from you. Email me michael(at)boico.net or leave a comment.
64: Trend! Nihilism
Okay, so it’s not super catchy and doesn’t seem to have any decernable dress codes (apart from wearing loads of black, but that’s a bit obvious really) but if you’re feeling a bit Children of Men or can’t stop listening to Jarvis Cocker’s Running the World then may I recommend a handful of other dark delights:
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Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Weekend’ [IMDb Link]
Prepare yourself for this one. Once you get past the scene with the car jam that seems to go on forever you’ve still got to contend with hippies killing pigs in the woods, car wreaks that turn into flocks of sheep and an old lady’s pet skinned sheep… eew!
‘La Grande Bouffe’ [IMDb Link]
A bunch of Italian guys get together with a few prostitutes to eat and shag themselves to death and that’s pretty much it. A bleaker concept for a film is hard to find and I found this hard enough to watch (I think I turned off half way through). Let me know how you fare with this one.
‘V for Vendetta’ [IMDb Link]
From Godard to the Wachowski Brothers. Yikes! Still this has to be Children of Men’s closest modern relative (if you can think of another let me know). It’s dystopian (well to start with anyway), set in Britain after the seeming collapse of the United States and the lead actress is bald… er, just kidding about the last one. Sorry.
Got any to add, let us know by leaving a comment or two.
Posted on 20 October 2006 in Cinema, Politicosis.
Comments:
Coolmix posted 20 October 2006 at 1:29 pm:
Nihilism rules OK! I’d recommend Malle’s Feu Follet (man commits suicide; bit whiny) and Fassbinder’s Warum läuft Herr R. Amok (man kills his family; one of my favourite films ever, though it’s generally considered as one of Fassbinder’s lesser works).
Be warned, you’ll feel bad afterwards.
Tim
Michael posted 20 October 2006 at 3:15 pm:
“Nihilism rules OK!”
I want a T shirt that says that!
… in black, with black writing…
:)
58: Modern Commercial Art
Yes Studio are a couple of ex-Blue Source designers/art directors who set out to carve their own niche in ideas-led designs for clients in the music industry and various other fields. What sets Yes apart in their attention to detail and process. For The Stands, each bit of flat artwork was screen printed before being photographed to separate it from the usual digitally-led sleeve designs. You’ve probably seen their work for Maximo Park and Dirty Vegas. If you haven’t, you can now see a selection from their ever-growing portfolio online.
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Why not drop by [yesstudio.co.uk] for a nose around.
Posted on 17 October 2006 in Graphic Design
56: Lost Modern Classics #1: CQ
Roman Coppola made a film called CQ. If this is ‘ye olde ancient news’ to you then maybe skip onto the next post or something (you can leave a comment telling me what you thought of it first if you like, go on, you know you want to… maybe).
It was back in 2001, although he started work on it a year before hand. I really liked it (but then my all-time favourite film is Modesty Blaise). It’s a typically quirky mixture of the clever and aware film making of the new wave era re-interpreted and the frothy, escapist fun of 60s Sci-Fi Pyschadelia (think Barbarella, Danger: Diabolik and the aforementioned Modesty Blaise).
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It also features the usual high quality Coppola siblings collaborations, this time with graphic artist Laurent Fetis who, not only supplied various marketing materials for the film but worked with Coppola Jr on the titles, on screen graphics and props used within the film/s themselves (the posters are a joy, here are a couple of them below).
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If you pick up the DVD you’ll also find documentary by Mom and Sis and loads of really cool featurettes and even new wave style films about the film. To find out more visit [uk.imdb.com/CQ] or drop in at [romancoppolastudio.com] to see what Roman is up to.
Posted on 16 October 2006 in Graphic Design, Cinema
54: Breathe Out and Relax
Just as I was slagging off poor old Relax magazine for it’s recent change in (art) direction it’s goes and closes. Seems I wasn’t the only one doing it…
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Of course Jean Snow and Marxy mentioned this back in June, but several issues were released after this which made us think it may have had a reprieve. Alas, no. So we bid farewell to the coolest and most accessible Japanese magazine to date and thank Relax for supporting some of the best contemporary image makers around (you always did give good cover, like the James Jarvis fold-out above).
To view a set of covers from Relax visit one of our sister sites [NMCA Link]. You might like to read a previous post on Japanese magazines by selecting ‘Magazines’ from the categories menu on the right.
Posted on 13 October 2006 in Magazines, Reading, Publishing, NMCA
49: Burnfields Blogtastic
A couple of crafty blokes by the names of Martin & Peter have put together a Wordpress theme I’m truly jealous of. I only wish it worked on this ‘ere blog. If you’ve got one too, maybe it’ll work on yours… Visit [burnfield.com/martin/2006/04/12/wordpress-theme] to have a look.
Posted by Michael on October 11th, 2006 at 1:30 am in Random Play
Comments:
Martin Ström wrote:
Hey, thanks for the kind words!
47: Mouldy Old Macarons
Macarons are old. Like way old… think 18th century and you’re getting there. According to legend, a French bakery known as Ladurée re-invented the macaron in the early 1900s helping create the meringue-like sandwich with creamy filling pastry we know today. Ladurée was who Sofia Coppola turned to when she needed French fancies for Marie Antoinette. The latest issue of Little White Lies magazine details a gorgeous version of the classic macaron with rose flavoured biscuit and cream with raspberries and lychees.
The evolution of the macaron continues today. Visit Yauatcha in London’s Soho and you can sample, amongst many other oriental influenced delights, Raspberry, Lychee, Fig, Lemon, Cashew… loads of macaron flavours (well 8 of em to be precise). You can see some below.
macarons.gif
Posted by Michael on 13 October 13th, 2006 in Cake, Magazines, Random Play, Screen
46: Paper or Plastic?
“It used to be said… it is better that 100 criminals escape punishment, than one innocent person be jailed. Being a relatively innocent person, I am all in favour of this…”
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Seeing Repo Man was on telly the other week, and being a massive fan of the movie, I thought it was about time I stopped messing about and actually saw a few more of the films Alex Cox has made since (as I’d meant to do so many times before). I watched Three Businessmen and El Patrullero (Highway Patrolman) and thought both were excellent (’Three Businessmen was deliberately slow to start but a frolicking good ride once it got going). Then I found Alex Cox’s offical website which blew my mind (just a little, not too much). Surely the most comprehensive website put together by and about a film director ever!
I was particularly stirred by his thoughts on the current state of the world’s political agenda:
“Bush, Blair, and the rest of these anti-democratic rascals would like to keep us in a permanent frenzy of fear, punctuated by shopping…” [Read on]
Visit [alexcox.com] for loads and loads of neat stuff to read and download including scripts and more, heck, why not even help finance a film.
Posted by Michael on 10 October 2006 at 6:45 pm in Politicosis, Reading, Screen
44: Penguin Donkey
For those of you who missed the Penguin 70th Anniversary exhibition at the V&A last year (excellent but tiny, you could have blinked on the way through and missed it). You not only missed loads of book covers, logo designs and letters from the Penguin archive, but you also missed catching a rare sight of the elusive Penguin Donkey.
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What is it? The Penguin Donkey is the cutest little bookcase you’ll ever see. Designed to sit along side you favourite comfy chair, it held 80 paperback books with a centre slot for magazines and newspapers. It was first appeared in 1939 and was available through an ad in the back of Penguin paperbacks. Of course, now they’re impossible to get hold of… unless you have a spare £400 (no, me neither). Isokon Plus produce three versions of the Penguin Donkey in a variety of finishes. There is the original Penguin Donkey, a version of the Donkey redesigned for Penguin in 1963 and a bang up-to-date version all of their own.
Visit [Isokon Plus] if you really really want one. Or do what I’m going to have to do and keep watching the skies (well, eBay or something). Picture from [V&A Collections].
Posted by Michael in Publishing, Reading, Shopping
26: Cornball Antics
More than just a tasty snack that pleases before you even open this packet… Caramel Corn [caracon.jp] has become the one of the latest sensations to rock the (Japanese) nation. It’s a spookily addictive concoction of puffed corn, sticky flavouring and random peanuts with the cutest packaging alive. Boicozine would personally like at least one Tohato [tohato.jp] snack bar opened per country.
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Posted by Michael on October 6th, 2006 in Food, Graphic Design
438: He Did It With Mirrors
Tom Adams provided illustrations for the covers of over 60 Agatha Christie book jackets in the 60s and 70s. Always pushing his distinctive style into newly twisted forms, his covers were both elegant and deeply sinister; the perfect complement to the writer’s vision. If you stumble across a copy of the picture book The Art of Her Crimes, it’s well worth grabbing (rare as hen’s teeth at the moment too, here’s hoping it’s re-released soon). The book features almost all the Agatha Christie covers Tom Adam’s completed plus an insight into his technique, most of the objects in his images were drawn from the actual objects. [tomadamsuncovered.co.uk] has a pretty decent collection of covers Tom Adams produced for numerous Agatha Christie releases.
Posted by Michael on October 3rd, 2006 in Illustration, Publications
24: Vents No Dummy
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Looking for a chilling experience to bother your brain. Then Vent Haven is the place for you (the Museum not the event although both look equally as eerie). Two words: Ventriloquist Dummies… loads of them. Almost 700 of the fuckers at the last count. And you don’t have to go all the way to Kentucky to experience the icy chill of a room full of retired ‘vent figures’ just pop along to the Vent Haven Museum website. You can nominate the Figure of the Month, visit the convention website and make sure you don’t miss the ‘Tour Tape’ in the Multimedia section. It makes the whole thing worthwhile. Final Word before you scurry off to check it out (go on, you know you want to), apparently at night, in the dark, when all the visitors have left and the staff have gone home, you hear the sound of the dummie’s joints shifting and even the occasional mouth snapping shut… bbrrrrr! Visit the [venthavenmuseum.net] online for more information.
Posted by Michael on October 1st, 2006 in Places, Random