Monkeyama Has Moved!!!

I built a new home for monkeyama.

From now on new posts will be on www.monkeyama.com

Blogger has been great, but it is time to move on.

German Alternatives to Helvetica

There’s no doubt that Helvetica is a great typeface. It’s one of the few all-star fonts that has become somewhat of a household name. In fact, I think that my grandmother uses helvetica (ok...maybe she uses Times New Roman.)
And if you have seen the documentary, Helvetica, then you have seen how ubiquitous it really is. It literally appears in millions of logos worldwide.

So what other fonts are out there that are helvetica-ish?
Glad you asked.

My personal favorite alty is Akzidenz Grotesk, an German typeface that was released in 1896. Helvetica (developed 60 years later) was actually based on this typeface.

Which actually brings me to my 2nd favorite alternative, Univers, which also used Akzidenz Grotesk as a model. Ironically, Univers was developed the same year as Helvetica (1957) by Adrian Fruitiger who also developed another great alternative called Fruitiger.

My 3rd favorite is DIN, which is an acronym that translates as “The German Industrial Standard.” DIN (developed in 1923) was also influenced by, you guessed it, Akzidenz Grotesk.

These three (four counting Fruitiger) German sans serif typefaces are beautiful (maybe even more beautiful) than the Swiss latecomer, Helvetica. Give them a chance next time you find yourself thinking, “I guess Helvetica looks fine. I’ll just be lazy and use it.”

When technology accidentally makes things beautiful.

Last week I put my portfolio on my website as a PDF.
Today I discovered that Google had somehow scanned the PDF for words (even if they were in a JPEG) to make them searchable. Thank you, Google.
I clicked on my PDF from Google and selected "view as HTML" - because I was curious as to how it could take a PDF and convert it to HTML.
My discovery was that it had taken the text and placed it in seemingly random order and placement.
The result was something I thought was almost more pleasing to look at than the original work I had put in the PDF.
It makes me wonder what other kind of art is sitting out there on google, just waiting to be discovered.

Julien Pacaud

Here is some work from French illustrator, Julien Pacaud.
Inspiring.

Photos courtesy of Julien Pacaud. Thanks!

Beautiful Losers

I am really excited about this film, Beautiful Losers.

Here is the synopsis (courtesy of the BL website):

Beautiful Losers celebrates the spirit behind one of the most influential cultural movements of a generation. In the early 1990's a loose-knit group of likeminded outsiders found common ground at a little NYC storefront gallery. Rooted in the DIY (do-it-yourself) subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip hop & graffiti, they made art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Developing their craft with almost no influence from the "establishment" art world, this group, and the subcultures they sprang from, have now become a movement that has been transforming pop culture. Starring a selection of artists who are considered leaders within this culture, Beautiful Losers focuses on the telling of personal stories...speaking to themes of what happens when the outside becomes "in" as it explores the creative ethos connecting these artists and today's youth.

Creativity magazine wrote a nice article here.

Words for Tuesday

Thanks to Kerri Smith for this.

Casa no Geres

I realized that this blog had lacked any architectural design posts.
Lately, I have reading a lot more Metropolis and Dwell and a lot less Adage.

I know...that probably outrages a lot of the people who read this.
"But what about getting updated on who in the industry is going interactive?!!"

Don't worry. I still read the email updates. And yes, Hal Riney's new site is pretty sweet...even though I couldn't get it to work right.

Check out this design from architects Graca Correia and Roberto Ragazzi. The best thing, besides it being beautiful, is that they made sure not to obstruct the environment which surrounded it. Even during its construction, they managed to avoid cutting down any trees. I love it when designers show grace to the details.

Wine Bottle Design

Yesterday my wife Kate came home with this bottle of wine.
It made my entire week. Not because it was a good wine, in fact we haven't even opened it up yet...but because the label art was so inspiring.

It also made me think of an important litmus test for creating branding and communications: "Does this Inspire?"

If the answer is no, then you are wasting your time.

Found Type in Unexpected Places

Yesterday I was about to hop into my car when I saw a this flyer in my windshield.

At first I was annoyed by it, but then I looked at the type. Beautiful!!!

After a little research, I found out that it is Monotype Broadway.

So there you have it. If you must take part in Religious solicitation, good typography wins over the bullhorn every time.

Typography:1
Bullhorn: 0

Daniel Case Buttons!!!

I designed branded buttons this week! Pretty geeked about them.

words of wisdom

On Fridays at school we have this thing called Culture Crash. It used to be called "The Friday Speaker Series."
The latter is a little more descriptive.
Anyway, last Friday we had the guys from Stick & Move speak to us.

Something Steve O'Connel said really stuck out to me:

"If you're not enjoying your job, you're probably not doing it right."

Image from The Serif

Minimalism Inspiration

Man vs Machine, a design firm in London, did these posters.
Sorry I haven't been posting much lately.
I got a little busy with school.

Sister Corita Kent

This might not be the most visual stimulating post in the world, but I found this the other day on FFFOUND (imagine that) and was inspired by its honesty and truth. It comes from Sister Corita Kent. Enjoy!

Thank You Project

I love this idea called the Thank You Project.

"A small business-card sized booklet with 30 cards.
These small cards can be taken out and put anywhere someone
might find them. In a book in the library or a bookstore, in a bag of
an unknown passenger, in the mailbox of your neighbor."

Happy MLK Day

This can be purchased at Blanka.
The only problem is, you might have to be from Europe.
So if you are, lucky you.

Click on the title of this post to find out how you can make a pledge of nonviolence.

James Joyce

James Joyce is brilliant. He has done work for brands like Nike, Levi's, Creative Review, Carhartt, and Penguin Books.
He is such a now artist. Love it.

New findings from Art Dorks Collective

Katie Ridley


Jason Murphy


David Chung

I was browsing Art Dorks Collective today and found some inspiring work.

Adam Juresko

I was able to get a hold of Adam Juresko, a local artist who lives in Oregon Hill. His work is refreshing, especially when you consider that there is an ocean of digital art out there. He told me that "all images are made with xeroxed images, scissors, glue sticks, and paper. no computers."
He actually just did some work for Mountain Dew on their green label art project. Here is a video for that.
Thanks Adam!

Arial or Helvetica?

We all love helvetica. Then there is the Zune of helvetica, arial. Now, before you get all angry because I compared arial to a Microsoft product, consider the fact that it was Microsoft who borrowed helvetica for its operating systems and called its impostor version arial.
Check out this article on how to tell the differences between the two.
If you think you are a helvetica genius, try this quiz.

Irving Harper

You may not know his name but you have seen his work. Designer Irving Harper created many memorable pieces for furniture company, Herman Miller. Specifically, the Marshmallow sofa (1956) and the Herman Miller Logo (1940's).
Metropolis Magazine did an article on Harper writing about the ads shown here: "When Harper began working on this advertising campaign in the 1940s no furniture photographs were available, so he designed the M graphic (left) in Herman Miller that the company still uses as its logo. Later ads featured furniture but retained the M. "It was probably the cheapest logo campaign in history," Harper says.

Therese Vandling

UK designer Therese Vandling has some incredible and thought provoking work.
Here is her description of the first one shown below:
"A heavily research based project that investigates our ideas and concept of beauty and ugliness. Inspired by Immanuel Kant’s idea that beauty is what promotes life. I asked the counter question if ugliness is what promotes death. I challenged myself to find subjects that symbolise death and to find beauty in it. "
Thanks for the link, Charles!

Alexander Calder

Calder has been my favorite artist for a long time. I don't think I have ever seen his work and not been inspired.
The thing I love is that when everybody said that eveything had already been done with sculpture, he turned around and invented the mobile and opened an entirely new door of creativity.