Associate Editor Oliver Lindberg of .Net Magazine just recently contacted me with some really exciting news. I was asked to take park in the “makeover” section of .NET (practical web design). The section is a full 2 page spread where I choose from a list of sites at are in desperate need of a total overhaul. After the design I’ll be breaking down my design similar to small case study. Lots of work but, lots of fun! I’ll post again soon as I’m finished.

“… a fast-food, high-energy fix on the topic at hand.”

- The New Youk Times Book Review


I posted a while back that my work had been recently published in Taschen’s latest “Web Design: Navigation”, but I just got my hands on it so I took some quick and dirty photos of the featured pages. Thanks to the flash masters Ben Borowski and Phuong Nguyen who made these designs come to life. Thanks Dudes!


It’s super hot right now; 3rd best selling Tacshen book. Buy It Here




Drop Dead Gorgeous

Thalia

Mia Sable

I stumbled onto a small gaming site the other day called PixelJam which had some really cool things going on.


Their site showcases 5 simple yet really awesome retro 8-bit inspired flash games. They have what seems to be a cult following with their games being that the site consists of mp3 downloads, T-Shirt iron on’s, social community links and fan art. They also take their 8-bit soundtracks seriously. The majority of tracks are produced by Mark Denardo, whom is super popular in the 8-bit music scene.


When I was a kid I would place my cassette recorder up against the tv speaker and record music from Sega games like “Out Run and Space Harrier”. Man I wish I could find those tapes; hilarious.

Mark Denardo


“It’s a good time to be around making music because there’s so many new things happening and so many new ways of expression. It’s not just about making a record or making a album anymore; an album could be a video game or a comic book or a film.”
- Mark Demardo

Dino Run Trailer


At first glance this game looks cheesy, but it’s actually a super fun and addictive game with unexpected depth. Here’s a review by Indie Nation and the game trailer to show ya what it’s all about. Each level only takes a few minutes at a time and is great for little work day breaks. You can also save games and come back later for more.


Play Dino Run

I currently work as the Creative Director for a small interactive shop called, “BKWLD” and was awarded 18 Addy’s. Kudos to everyone involved!

I directed the majority of the 18 but, here are a few I’m especially proud of.

2K Sports
The Great Techxploration
Dragon Alliance - Glare Kills
Kenny Chesney
T-Pain

My site launched about a month ago and I’ve noticed there are plenty of blogs, aggregators and CSS galleries whom are continuing to plug it.

Thank you, I appreciate it!

Mouse Trap

Eight worldwide locations, six time zones, and roughly fifty people involved, IDEO’s Global Chain Reaction looked more like a blueprint for possible points of failure. This sucker runs sequentially across three continents.




Pong

A hacked 67″ Samsung rear projection TV into a multitouch display. This stuff blows me away.


Enjoy!

Lately I have been trying to take a Data Visualization approach with new projects varying from interactive kiosks, quizs and experimental websites. My first real introduction to DV was google analytics. Google seems to be really leading the charge in this area of data and design. Just recently I noticed Grid/plane, a studio centered in Portland Orgeon, collaborated with Instrument, to visualize media buzz across various social media outlets. Instrument then went on to design Venables Bell & Partners using a similar concept and art direction. When I first visited Venable’s site I had mixed feelings but, it’s a bold concept which created buzz and is very respectable. Well done.

I’ve found DV is a challenging concept to convey to clients, but I did find an interesting list of woes that made me feel a little better about these challenges. These are great points to be aware of before discussing or pitching to a client who has a hard time envisioning DV past the standard “bar graph” or “pie chart”.
5 Reasons Visualization Is Not More Prevalent

There’s also a ton of great online resources and print publications devoted to DV. I just picked up “Data Flow - Visualising Information in Graphic Design ” which is packed with only the most elegant art forms of DV. Not only is the content of this book awesome but, the design and layout of the book itself is sick. It was designed by Onlab and the photography was done by Andrea Galvani.

2 Great Online Resources:


www.visualcomplexity.com
www.tom-carden.co.uk

Data Flow - Visualising Information in Graphic Design

Instrument’s “Google Project”

Venables Bell & Partners

We Feel Fine

Our Own C

Andrea Galvani Photography - Data Flow

My buddy and co-worker Dan Fields sent me a link the other day to a video over at Adobe.com that features the amazing San Francisco, Ca based multidiscipline agency “Odopod“. It’s a promotional video for Adobe of course but, it showcases the unique perspectives of Founder/Creative Director Tim Barber, Interactive Designer Andy Gilliland and Managing Partner Jacquie Moss.

I can easily say Odopod has influenced my work more so than any shop out there. Their style is unmatched, refreshingly unique and always trendsetting.

Huge props on all the work churned out by these folks!


Enjoy!

View Video

If you have ever visited or lived in Northern California then you definitely have shopped at a Raley’s at least once in your life. Raley’s is a premiere grocery chain that prides itself on it’s produce and fresh meats. The site targets foodies by allowing them to create user profiles where they can benefit from exclusive discounts, recipes and other foodie oriented content. Finally a site my mom can understand and appreciate!

View the Site Here

I just got the news that some of my work will be published in the up and coming Taschen series of “Web Design: Navigation”.


There will be three featured projects: Mia Sable, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Thalia. The book comes out in about a week. I’m super stoked! If you’re not familiar with this Taschen series you really should check it out. The overall layouts are packed with amazing examples and are easy to thumb through for quick inspiration.

Thalia





Drop Dead Gorgeous





Mia Sable