Heller on map reading

March 9, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Filed under Books, Maps

As Steven Heller says, “There’s nothing like sitting by the fire with a good book, except maybe sitting by the fire with a good map — or better yet, a good book about maps. I’ve noticed an upsurge in cartographic interest these days, especially for maps’ value as conceptual artwork.” — A.M.

You are Here

February 2, 2010 at 8:52 am
Filed under Books, Wayfinding

Many animal species have innate senses of direction, even working off mental maps to navigate their worlds. So why, in the age of Google Maps and GPS, are most humans unable to get from Point A to Point B?

Experimental psychologist Colin Ellard explains the science in his new book You Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, but Get Lost in the Mall.

The first half of this fascinating book explains how (other) animals, such as ants, monarch butterflies, and homing pigeons use specialized senses and mental maps to find their way. In the second half, Ellard—director of the University of Waterloo’s Research Laboratory for Immersive Virtual Environments—surveys research on how humans’ mental maps and brain geography affect behavior and habits at work and play–and concludes that architects, designers, and city planners should consider human behavior when designing the spaces we all navigate through.  – P.M.K.

Font fun

January 25, 2010 at 8:54 am
Filed under Books, Typography

While ornamentation in letterforms may have been considered déclassé for many years, it’s making a comeback in the digital age. So say authors Steven Heller and Gail Anderson, whose new book on the topic is out next month.

New Ornamental Type: Decorative Lettering in the Digital Age, proves the point by showing a succession of inventive type-based works by the likes of Stefan Sagmeister, Matthias Ernstberger, Viktor Koen, and Bruce Willen. Craig Ward’s Hirsuta, below, shows how to put the fun in font. — P.M.K.

Design + life

January 22, 2010 at 11:34 am
Filed under Books

Whether she knows it or not, Debbie Millman, host of the radio show Design Matters, is a design anthropologist. Her new book Look Both Ways is a collection of  ”typographic poetry” that provides a quirky look at design and how it coincides with daily life. It’s a biography of her life formed by a series of essays, but it illuminates how design affects all our lives—from observations on branding to insightful thoughts on the artifacts of design and why they’re important. –P.M.K.

Hot (EGD) Reads you missed in 2009

January 4, 2010 at 9:38 am
Filed under Books, Data Visualization, Design Process, Graphic Design, Signage, Wayfinding

We know you got a little behind on your reading in 2009, but it’s on your list of resolutions for 2010, right?

So the SEGD staff compared notes and devised this list of the Top 5 EGD (or related to EGD) Books published in 2009.

1. The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places, by David Gibson

Gibson’s book has quickly become a top-shelf reference guide for environmental graphic designers and those interested in wayfinding. The co-founder of Two Twelve provides a practical guide to the design of wayfinding systems, from “finding the hidden logic” in complex environments to building an effective project team.

2. Information Design Workbook, by Kim Baer

Well, OK, this was published in May 2008, so we cheated a little. But a new paperback edition will be out next month. It’s a comprehensive approach to information design, including an entire section devoted to EGD, contributed by Wayne Hunt of Hunt Design.

3. Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design

As the world—and the data generated by it—rapidly becomes more complex, data visualization is coming into its own as a design discipline. A cast of designer/editors presents 256 pages of inspiring, innovative designs.

4. MUTCD

The first new version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in six years was released by the Federal Highway Administration on December 16. It includes a new Community Wayfinding section that provides allowances for communities developing urban wayfinding systems.

5. Typographic Conundrums, by Harry Pearce

Just for kicks, and for the love of type, peek into the Pentagram partner’s funhouse of typographic puzzles.

And while you’re getting your reference shelves organized, you might want to consider SEGD’s Essential Reading list for EGD practitioners. Enjoy! — P.M.K.

Still learning from Las Vegas

December 23, 2009 at 11:00 am
Filed under Architecture, Books

With their 1972 manifesto Learning from Las Vegas, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown forged a new architectural vision, one that veered sharply away from the  dreariness of postwar Modernism and toward an aesthetic that affectionately embraced American popular culture. They were looking for—and found—a design philosophy that reflected the speed and chaos of life as it was coming to be lived at that time.

The pace of change, and life, has accelerated exponentially in the ensuing four decades. And so it may be that we still have lessons to learn from Venturi and Scott Brown. Yale University certainly thinks so. It has mounted the exhibition “What We Learned: The Yale Las Vegas Studio and the Work of Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates.”

Running through February 5 at the Yale School of Architecture Gallery, the exhibit features photos and video from the 1968 research conducted by the couple and their Yale architecture students, as well as works from their ensuing careers. It’s a reminder that Venturi and Scott Brown’s legacy runs deeper than the duck or the decorated shed. At its heart, their work is about the democratization of architecture to reflect the experiences and worldviews of the people who use it. –P.M.K

Paris Underground

December 14, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Filed under Books, Transportaton, Wayfinding

Thanks to signitecture Principal Justin Molloy for the tip on a new treat for you map and transit graphic geeks out there (you know who you are). It’s Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro—Mark Ovendon’s followup to his cult-status Transit Maps of the World.

With more than 1,000 illustrations of the Art Noveau-inspired stations and their Art Deco signage, it’s a complete graphic history of the Metro. And with a French accent, how could it get any better? — P.M.K.

Dieter Rams

December 8, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Filed under Books, City Happenings, Design education, Industrial Design, Technology

One of the most influential product designers of the 20th century, Dieter Rams is currently profiled at London’s Design Museum. It could be argued that Rams is THE most influential as the physical aspects of his iconic designs—primarily done over 40 years for Braun—still show up in the work of contemporary designers’ work like that of Jonathan Ive for Apple and even in the calculator app for the iPhone. His ten principles of good design are highly relevant and thought provoking in their simplicity:

• Good design is innovative.
• Good design makes a product useful.
• Good design is aesthetic.
• Good design makes a product understandable.
• Good design is unobtrusive.
• Good design is honest.
• Good design is long lasting.
• Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
• Good design is environmentally friendly.
• Good design is as little design as possible.

If previous catalogs are any guide, the one for this exhibit (yet to be released at Amazon) will be inspiring. — K.E.

Bright shiny graphics

December 7, 2009 at 9:20 am
Filed under Books, Communication, Data Visualization

All we need to make some sense of this crazy mixed-up world is…..graphics? London-based data and visual journalist David McCandless thinks so.

“I’m interested in how designed information can help us understand the world, cut through BS and reveal hidden connections, patterns and stories underneath,” says McCandless, whose new book  The Visual Miscellaneum: A Colorful Guide to the World’s Most Consequential Trivia  was published last month by HarperCollins.

The Visual Miscellaneum is a field guide to the Information Age, covering topics as wide-ranging as guilty pleasures, condiments, and Internet search terms. But no pie charts. “My pet-hate is pie charts,” says McCandless. “Love pie. Hate pie-charts.” –P.M.K.