Design Week Registration Opens!
It’s happening. Tuesday (tomorrow, Sept. 18) is the official day you can register for Design Week Portland. And you really should register! October 9 is coming sooner than you think. So, now that you’re planning on registering tomorrow, get excited. Ryan Bush and I (together you may address us as TAIGA) have put together a little teaser featuring Steve Sandstrom from a Designspeaks event earlier this year (Here is the direct link in... Read More
Building OZ
Inside Oz from Ryan Bush on Vimeo. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This was an incredible project. It’s rare, I think, when we get to work on projects we love from brief to delivery. We must consider ourselves lucky when a client gives us full creative control, and is as professionally supportive as the Ozgener family, whom I’d like to introduce you to. This family came to the United States from Turkey. They raised a family... Read More
Interview with designer Jordan Metcalf
Cape Town, South Africa. Jordan Metcalf gets a fanboy email from FORTPORT and is generous enough to answer a few questions from a stranger in Oregon. What an awesome morning it was to read his responses for breakfast. Who could predict Mr. Metcalf had such rich, true, and insightful comments in addition to his broad body of work and talent. Design without borders, insight worth sharing. A brief interview with typographer, designer, illustrator, and... Read More
Seasons of growth
This week I had the good fortune to screen National Geographic’s 2011 documentary, The Last Lions. It is one of the most life-like, brutally honest look at the natural world I have ever seen. The story is as crushing as it is remarkable. Stunningly filmed, a true departure for National Geographic, and in such a way as to inspire a dream-filled night of the struggles, fears, and triumphs that happen in the natural world every day. Instead of... Read More
A little interview with Steve Sandstrom
Designspeaks is featuring Steve Sandstrom! It’s time to bring your ears, notepads, curiosities and friends. Well not too many friends, the event is darn-near sold out, so get in on it! Come listen to a man who has very likely influenced your purchases of Tazo tea, Bulleit Bourbon, Full Sail & Session beer, Converse shoes, St. Germain liqueur, Moonstruck chocolate, and Kombucha! If you’re not convinced, Mr. Sandstrom was generous enough... Read More
Ellen McFadden
My graphic design education effectively began on Flickr. Class critiques were conducted there, and it was the first place that I really started to explore all the ways that people were communicating visually. It was on Flickr that I also began to explore design history, and started to connect the dots between the graphic trends of the moment and the masters that these trends were emulating. It was also around this time that a professor introduced... Read More
Invisible Creature with Don Clark
Two cities, two houses of design, one community. The Spit Swap has happened, and not only was it informative/inspiring/radical, it was engaging. Here’s the thing with being engaged, it leaves you better prepared to create things worth sharing than passive involvement. I never feel like I just attend a Designspeaks talk. They actively engage, so in fact I’m paying a few bucks to get mobilized. It’s a briefing, if you will, on what... Read More
Badge design & inspiration
Badges are pretty much everywhere. Some people aren’t willing to call them logos, arguing that they’re just a trendy piece of graphic eye candy, soon to be dated, and not really worth pursuing in your own work. Others think they’re beautiful and should be plastered on everything from skate decks to the Lakes of Minnesota. Recently there was a blog post from Allan Peters curating his favorite badges of the internet, which has strangely... Read More
Will Bryant, Please!
William Bryant just moved to Portland via Austin and just killed the New York Times Magazine front cover with the illustrated question of the year “What if the Secret to Success is Failure?” This man can draw, and he draws everyday. Plus he’s humble and nice and hard working. So that’s amazing. Mr. Bryant has been generous enough to share some process sketches and below is the cover on the NYT website! Holding this thing in-hand... Read More
The Spit Swap – Aaron Draplin & Invisible Creature
Design community oriented events usually satisfy our urges to see our kind in a condensed time & space, almost an excuse to see each other away from our screens, drink in hand, and in our socks, so-to-speak. There are very few occasions however where this is accompanied by the ability to see great work, hear magnetic speakers, and get stuffed with inspiration. This phenomenon is called Designspeaks. I have a special relationship with Designspeaks.... Read More