FINDINGS Just came across this set of photos that documents the various ethnic Chinese. I should really go and find out where my Chinese roots are from. By the way, check out www.creativeroots.org when you get a chance. It does it a great job documenting inspiration from all around the world.
TYPOGRAPHY Just came across this awesome portfolio. Does anyone know what typeface that poster is set in? It looks like Placard…but it isn’t.
ART There is something extremely breathtaking about this drawing by, René Gruau. I think this one is my favorite of his pieces. It’s not only beautifully composed but also tells a story and radiates emotion. René Gruau, an elegant and aristocratic graphic artist used only pen and brush to capture the spirit of haute couture and the days of Parisian high fashion. He often illustrated advertisements for the world of fashion including clients like: Vogue, Dior, Harper’s Bazaar, Van Cleef and Arpels, and Marc Bohan.
RANDOM THOUGHTS I’ve looked at hundreds of portfolio websites and I’ve come across the word “stationery” misspelled many times (most spell it stationary). I notice this only because I spelled it wrong once and the design director at school pointed it out to me. *embarrassing* Just remember it’s E for envelope.
FINDINGS Sometimes I find myself going to restaurants not because their food is delicious but because they’re beautifully designed spaces. Looks like I’ll have to make a trip and check out Stable Cafe…doesn’t it look warm and cozy?
www.designrevolutionroadshow.com
EVENTS The Design Revolution Road Show, a Project H Design initiative, is a traveling exhibition and lecture series bringing “product design that empowers” to 25 high schools and university design programs across the nation in the Spring of 2010. The road show will feature an Airstream trailer exhibition of 40 humanitarian design solutions that have been showcased in the book Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People. They’ll be making a stop on February 4, 2010 @ Academy of Art University, San Francisco.
FILMS The S From Hell is a short documentary-cum-horror film about the scariest corporate symbol in history - The 1964 Screen Gems logo, aka ‘The S From Hell.’Looks like a pretty interesting concept.
BOOKS Keep an eye out for Unfolded – Paper in Design, Art, Architecture and Industry designed by the awesome peeps at Pixelgarten.
http://www.newtoyork.com/about/http://www.passfail.squarespace.com
GOLD STAR Airline boarding pass designs sometimes are so bad you can’t find the departure time to save your life. So, Tyler Thompson is fed up with crappy boarding passes and has taken initiative to design his own. 
FINDINGS Bob Noorda, an internationally known graphic designer who helped introduce a Modernist look in the 1960s passed away on Jan. 11. His best-known work in the U.S. was probably for the NY subway’s signage system. “Don’t bore the public with mysterious designs,” -Mr. Noorda. You will be missed.
