Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Blue Moon New Years Eve


Wishing you all a Healthy and Happy New Year and a toast in hopes that this special New Years Eve full moon is a sign of better things to come for everyone!

Having nothing to do with color, tomorrow night's Blue Moon is simply the term used when we experience a second full moon in the same month.

The phrase "Once in a Blue Moon" was first noted in 1824 and although considered rare, they usually happen about once every 2 years. As for Blue Moon's in general, and for those that like to plan ahead, the next Blue Moon events are August 2 & August 31 in 2012 and July 2 & July 31, 2015.

A New Years full moon happens about every 19 years, the most recent one happened in 1990 and we won't see the next one until 2028!

That's Right,

HMK

More Blue Moon Info: Wikipedia. Thanks to Digkuva for the cool moon shot.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

The Jazz Loft Project


From 1957 to 1965 legendary photographer W. Eugene Smith made approximately 4,000 hours of recordings on 1,741 reel-to-reel tapes and nearly 40,000 photographs in a loft building in Manhattan's wholesale flower district where major jazz musicians of the day gathered and played their music.

Smith's work has remained in archives until now.

The Jazz Loft Project is dedicated to uncovering the stories behind this legendary moment in American cultural history.

Learn More: The Jazz Loft Project.

Listen: WNYC.

That's Right,

HMK

Big thanks to: Grain Edit.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas


Merry Christmas!

Steven Heller explains how Santa Claus came to be known for his snowy white beard and red suit by looking back at the illustrators who gave life to this now iconic image.

The Santa above is by Raymond Pratt from the 1952 "What's New" by Abbott Laboratories.

Dig Steven Heller's: ’Twas the Icon of Christmas.

That's Right,

HMK

Gracias: AIGA and ElectroSpark for the groovy Santa image.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Do You Hear What I Hear?


Merry Christmas!

Do You Hear What I Hear?: 2008 Christmas Mystery Stream

Back in 2005 I made it through the entire month of December, each and every day, posting some of my favorite and obscure Christmas gems. Take Me Back: Mystery Stream Stocking Stuffers!

Enjoy and Happy Merry Krimble!

Peace,

Migwell

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Schell-Wheeler House by Johnston Architects


Wow. Totally digging this awesome, smart home designed by Johnston Architects PLLC and built by Tall Tree Construction.

Blow-down trees from storms provided the logs that were milled into siding, fascias and trim. A ground source heat pump, supplemented by solar water preheating supplies energy to the house.



More: Schell-Wheeler House by Johnston Architects.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks over at Design Milk.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Winter!


I'm totally loving this cold weather we're finally getting down here in San Antonio. Walking Ringo and Dazy around the block late the other night in the cold fog remided me of my first job in 5th grade delivering the Denver Post on dark snowy mornings on the Air Force Academy. Toatally quiet and peaceful being the only person awake making the first trails in the new snow.

When I dream of winter it looks and feels exatly like this awesome shot from Czech pohotographer Marta Cernicka at: Marta Cernicka Foto.

Time for some hot chocolate...

That's Right,

HMK

Monday, December 14, 2009

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Refill Required


Mmmmm.... Coffee....

Genius.

Somehow found this here: HERE.

That's Right,

HMK

Gino Sarfatti Wall Lamps


Unfortunately, this awesome pair of wall lamps has already been sold:

Gino Sarfatti pair of wall lamps for Arteluce, model nr. 238/1. Black metal Lacquered ring where a glass ball is resting, edition Arteluce 1960 Italy.

Fear not, there are still some really great items available form the good folks over at Furniture Love.

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Undergound Art


Above: T-Centralen Station, Stockholm, Sweden.

I've been lucky enough to experience some of the world's amazing undergournd subway systems, the Boston T, London’s Underground, the Tube, as well as the Metro in New York, Paris and Hong Kong. All of them uniquely indigenous and grand in thier own different ways. The above shots really make me want to visit Sweden, just to check out the Stockholm Tunnelbana!

Within these systems, architecture plays a big role in defining the environment of the subway. DesignBoom has a really nice collection of some of the most architecturally interesting subway stations - Enjoy: Subway Architecture!

iF: Holland Tram: 049

And if you're in need of a little mental vacation, I've got a nice hour long mix of ambient subway, airport and travel audio that works nicely as an audio backdrop to help you escape during your next cup of coffee: Ambient Passport.

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, December 11, 2009

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wicked Smart Storage


What's not to love about this basic, down and dirty, simple storage solution? Using standard wooden beams detailed with leather and wool, this multifunctional storage system from TAF contains shelves, cupboards, hooks and sound absorbents.




Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Ståhlbom have run the architecture and design studio TAF in Stockholm, Sweden since 2002. TAF’s aim is to make ordinary life less ordinary through subtle but effective changes in how products and architecture appear and function. A recurrent departure point in TAF projects is that everyday objects by their very commonness can be made uncommon.

More smart design: TAF.

That's Right,

HMK

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Monday Mantra

Yo, Dell!

He can who thinks he can, he can't who thinks he can't.
-Pablo Picasso

Thanks to Peter Bregman of the Harvard Business Review: How Not Achieving Something Is the Key to Achieving It.

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Brilliant!


In February 2009, Jim McKelvey wasn’t able to sell a piece of his glass art because he couldn’t accept a credit card as payment. Even though a majority of payments has moved to plastic cards, accepting payments from cards is still difficult, requiring long applications, expensive hardware, and an overly complex experience. Square was born a few days later right next to the old San Francisco US Mint.


Today the Square team is focused on bringing immediacy, transparency, and approachability to the world of payments: an inherently social interaction each of us participates in daily. We’re starting with a limited beta and rolling out to everyone in early 2010.



Square is backed by Khosla Ventures and a team of angels.

Square is going to be HUGE.

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, December 04, 2009

What's Up, Dock?


Me likey. Turn your wall outlet into an iPhone charging dock. For $25 bux you can rid yourself of cable clutter and have a groovy slideshow rolling right there in your kitchen. Vey cool.

DLO Wall Dock.

That's Right,

HMK

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Real or Fake: Truth Detective App


Sweet! I'm totally stoked to finally share the first of a handful of Apps I've been working on with my team at CreekFrog that is now officially available at the iTunes Store!

Introducing: Real or Fake? Truth Detective!

Hawaii 5-0 - Genius or Lame? The truth - Genius!


Customize your test and share the truth!

Here's an excerpt from the official press release:

"To create a unique visual experience for “Real or Fake? Truth Detective,” CreekFrog collaborated with artist H. Michael Karshis, whose iconic iPod speaker art has been featured in Leander Kahney's Cult of iPod book."

I designed and created the industrial front-end look and feel along with streamlining the original concept.

Totally customizable, Real or Fake is really a sweet little social/party App that truly gets better the more you play and share. It's the perfect ice breaker!

Shit or Shinola?



Beatles or Stones?



Boxers or Briefs, Natural or Bottled, you get the idea - check it out, have fun and remember: Nothing Is Real Until It Is Shared!

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Get Yours Today!

Today is November 1st, 2008

Get yours today! The Perpetually Dayzed Calendar!

Back again for the first time - The Perpetually Dayzed Calendar!

Oh Yeah, Free Shipping!

That's Right,

HMK

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Nice Shelves


Totally digging these concrete, poured on site, built in shelves from the Waldfogel residence designed and built by Ehrlich Architects.

And the rest of this 8,000 square foot Palo Alto, California home is quite stunning as well: Ehrlich Architects

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Evolution of Storage


Really nice information graphic. The Evolution of Storage, so far anyway...

Visualizing all this data/gaga makes it so much more comprehendable.

Thanks to Curtiss Spontelli's for sharing this via his flickr site.

I'm eagerly awaiting the prequel!

That's Right,

HMK

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Designer/Client Relationship


A Clients Guide, wishful thinking? Perhaps. But, perhaps a consideration.

The digital world has vastly improved the speed of design. Proofs can be sent electronically and a great amount of design can be accomplished on computer in a much shorter amount of time than ever before.

However, technology has not made the design process simpler. Designers still need time to work with your company to decide the best way to represent it to the consumer.

Deadlines and project scope must be realistic and flexible enough to deal with the unexpected. Remember that you are buying a public face to your business, and value it accordingly.

Remember that your designer is a professional collaborator and not an employee, and brings a set of skills to your company that is geared towards expanding your business.

When you hire a designer, make sure that you make them part of your business day. Keep in touch at a frequency acceptable to both of you, and the design process will flow smoothly in both directions.

Designers, like all business contacts, appreciate returned messages, even if it is only an acknowledgment of receipt.

Spend an extra hour with your designer at the beginning to outline your needs and interests, and you will save hours of time down the road in regards to deadlines and project scope. Taking the time to deliver a sufficiently in-depth project brief ultimately serves as a cost-saving device for both parties.

A qualified designer is trained to analyze your professional needs and, with your input and guidance, craft visual expressions of your business. The client should understand that this skill goes beyond the personal aesthetic and often deals with the psychology of branding and public perception, and is as individual to your company as a fingerprint.

A designer’s suggestions and recommendations on the project are not simply what clients or designers find appealing or pleasing. Good quality design is engineered to appeal to your customer. Be fair in your criticism. Ask questions instead of making statements. If something does not work, explain your misgivings fully instead of simply.

Remember that your designer is a professional collaborator and not an employee, and brings a set of skills to your company that is geared towards expanding your business.

In addition, the concepts and ideas generated together represent a contractual agreement of confidentiality/exclusivity between the designer and client. Just as the Designer will not divulge your business operations, you and your staff are obligated to do the same for our business.

This is an excerpt from Business Of Design Online featuring Catherine Morley's A Client’s Guide to Professional Conduct in the Design Industry.

To me it all boils down to one thing: Respect.

Great read, pass it on.

That's Right,

HMK

This is a That's Right repost from March of 2008, thanks to el estratografico for the cool scan.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Stump Lamp


Love this.

Limited edition Stump Lamp made from fallen sycamores and miscellaneous light bulbs.

Very cool stuff from Egg Collective.

That's Right,

HMK

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Wooden Gotham


Totally digging this timbered Gotham G on the storefront for Guru, a gallery and design emporium in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico owned by graphic designer Quique Ollervides. Thanks to Nick Sherman for the cool shot.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Typography.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

New York Public Library Logo Evolution


Marc Blaustein, art director for the library system, confirmed to the New York Times that the old logo, with white lines on a circular black background, “had a hard time maintaining its detail as it shrank.”


The strong lines on a vector format mean the new logo can be scaled to a range of sizes, especially prescient in the internet age, when as many people are likely to see the logo on a digital screen as they are in print.


That's Right,

HMK

Grande gracias to the smart folks at FlavorWire.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Tougher Than It Looks


Smart stuff for Smart Car from BBDO New York, more from the good folks over at I Believe In Advertising.

That's Right,

HMK

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Say What You Mean. Mean What You Say.


"That is the biggest problem with people who mean what they say. They expect others also to do the same..."
- Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

That's Right,

HMK

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Hip Dog Bowls



Bow Wow! Really digging the colors of this modern take on these pet bowls from Doca Pet. Made from durable powder coated steel, they are now officially on Ringo and Dazy's wish list!

More from: Doca Pet and Trendy Pet has some equally groovy options as well!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks at Design Milk.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Daily Drop Cap

That's Right. The Daily Drop Cap. An ongoing project by typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. Each day (or at least each WORK day), a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap is posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere.




To use a Daily Drop Cap on your site or blog, follow the instructions in each post and read about the usage limitations. Enjoy!

That's Right,

HMK

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!


From the portfolio of Bristol UK freelance illustrator Ben Newman.

Check out more great stuff from Ben!: Ben Has A Pencil

That's Right,

HMK

Friday, October 30, 2009

Can The Lips and Dig...

Take a short trip to Rio..

Turn up the Stereo Dads and Mazdas - here's hoping all you Cool Beatnik Muscle Cats and Juicehead Twin Trees have a real gone and the most hellaciously Ginchiest Halloween Hootenanny, like, ever. Wail on, mind the Fuzz and be smart on the Wasteland!

That's Right Dad, later,

HMK

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Magnet Mobiles


Man, I really want one of these! Check out the latest product from creative collaboration Laikingland, Magnet Mobiles by Ivan Black.

Laikingland, based in both the UK and The Netherlands, design and manufacture beautifully crafted kinetic objects that engage, and evoke a sense of wonder, play and nostalgia.

These awesome magnetic mobiles consist of lightweight rotating forms that spiral around magnet and ball bearing mechanisms. The near frictionless mechanisms allow the Magnet Mobiles to be activated with a simple light blow.

Thanks to Design Milk

That's Right,

HMK

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Reluctant Modernist


You might recognize Erik Nitsche's clean, systematic, and ordered work from the visual identity he created for the General Dynamics Corporation, Orbachs, Bloomingdale’s, Decca Records, RCA Records, Filene’s, 20th Century Fox, The Museum of Modern Art, Container Corporation of America, the New York Transit Authority, Revlon, among others.


If you're not familiar with Nitsche's work, this is a nice place to start. Enjoy this very nice little collection of Decca record covers designed by one of my most favorite graphic designers, Swiss born Erik Nitsche, one of the last surviving Modern design pioneers.


Learn more about one of the worlds most prolific graphic desgners via Steven Heller's piece for Typotheque: Erik Nitsche: The Reluctant Modernist.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to ISO50 for the flickr hook-up!