Fun Stuff from Value Village

Here are some stuff I found from Value Village. The nostalgic typography and use of colours is so much fun! I couldn't resist.

Olle Eksell-A Happy Designer/Illustrator

Alright! It's here, it's here. A book I've waited has finally arrived. I swear, every time my books arrive from Amazon feels like a X'mas morning for me.

Olle Eksell is an amazing Graphic Designer and Illustrator who's work is filled with genuine graphics, cheerful colour usage, and lively composition. I grew up seeing Joan Miró's paintings my dad hung up on the walls (in fact, they're still on the wall in my room.) I never got tired of it. I've always been a great admirer of the sincerity, innocence, and abstraction of Miró's work. Now discovering a designer adapting that sense of sincerity and innocence into design work is so very refreshing!

I was talking to Nina and Heather yesterday in the car about how we all strive to achieve creating work that will have longevity in terms of its visual impact. Imagination, sincerity, passion, and honesty I think play a big part in that it would allow the audience to participate and indulge themselve to be a part of the creation. And that's what I think the qualities that both Joan Miró and Olle Eksell share in their work.

ps. Thanks Jane for introducing the book to me.

A Class about Obsession

Sharon asked us to talk about our obsessions today in class. Fun discoveries!
Amy–Martha Stewart
Joomi–fashion magazines
Hana–likes to watch movies she like over and over
Lynn–locks/Time
Arial–band-aid
Mark–news
Craig–the video stream on financial guys who can't stop talking about the Dow Jones
and many others

Mine was on collecting candy wrappers. What I got out of this discussion/sharing of these obsessions is that we shouldn't feel embarrassed about it. Rather, we should indulge in our obsessions. If our obsession is something that we're naturally drawn to, we should use this intuitive favoritism to nurture it in our work. Marian Bantjes and Stefan Sagmeister are two classic examples of having their own obsessions as the explosive signature in their work.

I'm going to take these candy wrappers I've collected and use it as a part of my visual research for my project. I'll investigate closely on what is it about these candy wrappers that make me keep them for years and years. Off the top of my head, I can think of these:
• colours
• graphics
• what's inside these wrappers
• typography
• nostalgia
• reminder of childhood innocence
• taste ( I can somehow have a hint of taste of the candy when I see the wrapping)
• logo

Story of a pyramid and a musician

Leo's Song from impactist on Vimeo.

This made my day. :D
Great story and insight all encompassed in a simple animation. Brilliant. I stumbled upon this when I was on FB. Thanks to Jeff who found this.

Field Visual Research: Salmagundi

Salmagundi is this awesome awesome antique shop I go to periodically when I feel like indulging in stuff. A nice gentleman looks after the shop and greets everyone with the brightest smile and sincerity. I love being there! Look at all the tin toys I found. They're faux antiques, but still. Pretty cool graphics! I always get overwhelmed with the goodness in that shop. Oh, did I tell you that I found a William Morris book printed in 1805 there once?!

Address: Richards + Cordova

Field Visual Research: Dressew

Went to Dressew and Salmagundi Antique shops today for some visual research. I just wanted to look at some fun fabric, wild colours, antique toys, and funky stuff. I scanned all the different fabric I got and started looking at them and thinking of possibilities. After all, I needed a break from TED...

More visuals

So, I've got this folder in on my desktop named "Eye Candies" where I keep all visuals I come across. I'll post as many as I can for this post. Or, stay tuned for later posts.

Happy visuals