Taking Care of Business

Just added another post over on Media Talent Bank this time giving a quick check list of the official steps you need to take when setting up as a freelancer.

Candy Magazine

Good to see Candy Magazine is back online. It's had a redesign, I'm not too keen on it to be honest, but the content is great as ever. It's still an online PDF and free to download so take a look.

Ginger Monkey Design

I don't normally dedicate posts to single folio websites, preferring a monthly round up of hot links, but have made an exception for the the uber talented Tom Lane AKA Ginger Monkey. I'm a big fan of ornate/ floral design when done well (so many try and fail, me included) but few master the Bezier Curve better than Ginger Monkey. His folio site is a joy and the clean design and clear photos as a folio site should be. Anyway not going to spank on any more just take a look.

Christmas Revisited

Okay so Christmas has been and gone ages ago but it's snowing so what the heck. The award winning CiB blog just posted a link to this little gem on vimeo from Old Dead Eye, taken at Brum's Christmas German market. Don't think I've ever seen the town looking so pretty, this guy should work for Marketing Birmingham!

SpeakOut Issue 3

Just finished designing issue 3 of SpeakOut magazine, click on the image above to go to the online version. It's just gone off to the printers so should be around birmingham in a week or so. The editors are looking at funding routes to continue the magazine so if you are interested in advertising or want to contribute with articles, photos or your thoughts then get in touch with the team.

Links for January Part 2

Okay here's part two of my January finds, really should give a nod to some of the great blogs I find some of this stuff on. I tend to upload interesting sites on a daily basis on to ScrnShots so can't always link back, but to name a few that you really should check out: 

CMYKern

AisleOne

Design Is Kinky

Computerlove

FormFiftyFive

Creative Review

Human Resources

 

Great folio with a distressed style from fabien barral 

Interesting insight into Museum of Art and Design branding and the processes involved on Pentagram's blog 

There's some great illustrators on the Debut Art Agencies books, well worth a look

Design Studio 10.5 have some really nice work and a nice clean site.

There's lots of places to get free textures for all your photoshop needs but the Lost&Taken blog is one of the best and you can submit your own to share the love

Great photography from David Lindsay Wade with interesting option to navigate the site via your webcam

SixScents is a collaboration between six artists and perfumers, series one is beautifully packaged and a very elegant logo

FontExplorer X Pro

Well the guys at Font Explorer must have heard my previous musings about possibly switching to Suitcase and worked round the clock to release FontExplorerX Pro! 

Having used the free version for a year or so I was loathed to move to Extensis Suitcase but the extra features seemed worth the investment. But now the Pro edition of FontExplorer has all you need; with an easier to resolve font conflicts area, the all important font auto activation (with PlugIns for all versions of CS including 4), and the same easy to navigate userface as the free version.  I was especially impressed that all my smart sets/ folders and groupings were imported without me having to lift a finger. 

Also as a bonus till the end of Feb it's 50% off, £34 (inc vat) as apposed to Suitcase which comes in at around £80. If you have a hefty amount of fonts to manage I'd recommend downloading the free trial

Crash Competition Update

Well in one of my first posts on this blog I mentioned the JG Ballard Crash Cover design competition.  The Times/ Harper Collins competition was posted December 2007(!) and not a lot of  news has come through since. Still no news from The Times but the Ballardian has news of an update so hopefully we will get to see the winner and some of the other entries in the next few months. My entry can be found here. 

Links from January Part 1

Here's part one of my round up of hot links from January.

Great 2 part packaging design inspiration overview from Dzineblog

Useful resource of blank stock imagery, add your designs here. Great for pitching your designs and visualisation. Downloads come as layered photoshop files to make life even easier

Spoonfed design gives 11 essential tips for print typography

Great portfolio of Californian designer Tomi Lahdesmaki

Chester based freelancer Jon Lord's work makes me quite jealous  

Oslo based studio Your Friends have some great clean typographic posters and layouts

Book cover design archive is a great, expanding resource of book jacket design. Also worth checking is Smashing Magazines round up