Extracting detailed objects from a background can be a tricky thing in Photoshop, particularly when dealing with fuzzy edges like hair, fur, and leaves of trees. The Quick Selection tool and the Refine Edge feature introduced in Photoshop CS3 go a long way, but there are more powerful solutions…

Personally, I’ve been a fan of the Extract filter for a while. With it, you use a “highlighter” to roughly define the edge of the object you wish to extract, and Photoshop comes pretty close to what you’re looking for. The results can be a little rough or jaggy, but usable or easily fixable in many cases.

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Since it’s Friday, and because New York Fashion Week starts a week from today, we’re going to bring a little glamour into today’s post and take a look at the redesign of Interview magazine. Andy Warhol’s old pop culture bible has gotten a facelift recently by Fabien Baron, fashion’s absolutely most fabulous graphic designer, whose spare and elegant aesthetic has packaged beautiful blockbusters from CK perfume bottles to Madonna’s ‘Sex’ book. Read the rest of this entry »

Note: This is part 1 in an 8 part series by design instructor and NoD author Dave Holston. To view Dave’s previous entries please click here.

Design is a commodity

A few years back I attended a design management seminar in San Francisco. The seminar was held on a refurbished ferry-boat docked at Pier 3 and featured a notable design speaker. The view of the bay was fantastic, and the information presented at the session was compelling. But as I look back, the most remarkable thing about that seminar was lunch.

I had the good fortune to be seated at the same table as the speaker. Others at the table included business owners and designers from a wide variety of areas, all looking to harness the power of design. Our conversation ran the gamut from design leadership, research, ethnography and our own personal design war stories. I tried to think of an insightful question to ask the speaker, but the best I could come up with was, “So, do you have any designers on your staff?” Jeez, could I have asked a more banal question? But his answer left me speechless. “No.” he responded off-handedly, “Design is a commodity.” Read the rest of this entry »

My neighborhood features dozens of examples of information design: notes to the mail service team. Residents create hand- and computer- generated notes to articulate the specifics of home architecture (“mail slot is in the alley on the left”), what to do if no one answers (“please leave mail at 2020 east pratt”), and how to make sure that someone answers (“bell is broken. Please yell.”) Read the rest of this entry »

Poster by Milton Glaser

Design and politics have been on my mind lately (see yesterday’s post) and apparently, I’m not alone. Eastern Michigan University Gallery has invited some of today’s most illustrious design stars to show posters that that speak out on current political and social issues.

The exhibition is (as you may have guessed) timed to coincide with the run-up to the presidential election and runs from August 27 through October 9, with the opening reception on September 10. It includes designers that hail from the United States, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Iran, Israel, and Turkey. The range of poster media include screen printing, stencil, digital, and offset lithography. Copies of posters will be available for purchase with proceeds going to a charity. Read the rest of this entry »

Graphic design in the gallery can come across like a fish out of water. The gallery context facilitates engagement through looking and has historically discouraged touching or using. Design is made for the public to use and enjoy. The context of use for a designed object is a very different space than that of a gallery. Donald Judd aptly described that “design must work, art need not.” This distinguishing characteristic creates a challenge for the curator of a graphic design exhibition. Read the rest of this entry »

An image from Jisuk Jung’s winning campaign

Back in March we wrote about Design 21’s Millennium Promise competition. Now the winners have been selected. First prize went to the animated campaign “Eight Goals” by Jisuk Jung of South Korea. The jury found that Jung’s compelling animated version of each of Millennium Promise’s eight goals serves as a message of hope and clearly illustrates all of the Millennium Promise’s objectives. The upbeat animation will be featured prominently on the Millennium Promise website. Jung will be awarded $5000. Read the rest of this entry »

Those of us who missed this film’s theatrical release last fall can now enjoy the captivating feature-length indie in the comfort of our own lap top as the movie has just become available for download on iTunes.

“Helvetica”, which is directed by Gary Hustwit, looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. Interviewees include Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel, Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, David Carson, Paula Scher and many more.

Although the subject may seem geared towards font nerds, the film is unexpectedly universal. The Chicago Tribune’s review stated that “The real achievement of the picture is the way it sharpens your eye in general and makes connections between form and content, and between art and life.” Sounds like the perfect inspirational recharge.

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The Project M Lab

Part 2 of the report from Project M’s work in Greensboro, Alabama

Project M 2008 was to set to officially end on July 1st. Nine young designers, a couple dozen or so advisors, and John Bielenberg all headed to Greensboro, Alabama to explore ways design could be used for social good. After spending a month fully immersing themselves in the town, culture, community, and heat, the team packed up and headed back to their daily lives. Well, sort of.

You see, the 2008 M’ers took a slightly different approach than in past years. They didn’t key in on a specific problem or challenge to solve. They won’t be walking away with a neatly printed book or artifact. Their journey revealed a different challenge that required a different solution. As I stated in my earlier post, these young designers seemed to understand that the solution was not about them or even design, but about the needs of the community. So, they looked to the people of Greensboro to guide them. Read the rest of this entry »

By Kate Andrews

Scanning the pages of GDi08, the graduate graphic design and illustration showcase from Brighton University (UK), I found a number of design projects that intelligently approach the world’s ecological crisis.

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