A Design State of Mind

Boulder Daily Camera: Front Page - April 26, 2013 Notes: I had a...

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:39 -0600

Boulder Daily Camera: Front Page - April 26, 2013

Notes:

I had a chance here to get creative with the headline. “Huge, huge hole” doesn’t do well as just a simple, 100-point line, so I mixed it up, trying a few different orientations to make the headline it’s own art element. That, paired with the photo, tops the story well.
I also like that the larger photo was on the bottom this time, mixing up the Camera’s usual style.
The rest of the page is so clean and simple, letting the centerpiece dominate. A “huge, huge” piece of the page, as it deserves.

A cute cover, and certainly something that gets your attention,...

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:39 -0600

A cute cover, and certainly something that gets your attention, subtly.

newyorker:

In the spirit of openheartedness and what life is really all about, I’ll go so far as to say that the fear of others may mask some deep-seated desire to understand, and maybe even to love. Because really, what is there to be afraid of? Few people today don’t know—or have in their families—at least one loving couple who are raising children, same-sex or not. And it’s really just the loving part that matters. That same-sex marriage could go from its preliminary draft of “diagnosable” to the final edit of “so what?” must indicate some positive evolution on the part of the larger human consciousness. My wife, being a biology teacher, puts it even more succinctly: “Why are all these people so worried about who everybody else is sleeping with, anyway?” (Score two for Moms.)

—Chris Ware on his cover of the May 13, 2013 issue, “Mother’s Day.” Get the story behind the cover: http://nyr.kr/10d7TyC

Why Design Matters

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:40 -0600

If Snow Fall Were Published in a Standard Template

A really great discussion about how consideration of design and presentation really can affect the quality of a story - or project like this one.

pilhofer:

I am in beautiful Bergen, Norway, this week for the Nordic Media Festival. I gave a talk this morning on digital storytelling and, of course, everyone wanted to talk about Snow Fall.

As part of the presentation — and to drive home my point about design — I mocked up what Snow Fall might have been had our brilliant design, graphics and video teams not taken this project on.

Since a couple people asked for it, I decided to post the images here.

Doesn’t really grab you like the actual piece, does it?

Read More

A nice use of ‘data visualization’ style… but these are actual data-driven infographics « Charles Apple « copydesk.org

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:02:17 -0600

A nice use of ‘data visualization’ style… but these are actual data-driven infographics « Charles Apple « copydesk.org:

Charles Apple, yet again providing me with a link to some great looking pages.

These fronts, while heavy on the information, are still eye-catching and well done. They communicate the data in quick hits, making it easy to digest for the rest of us. I really enjoyed the way that color and photos were used, and wanted to share them with you all.

A Special Word of Thanks

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:40:27 -0600

To my beautiful, wonderful mother.

Each year, I hope to take a moment to write a few lines on Mother’s Day. To say to everyone how thankful I am for my mother and all she’s given me. Not only did she instill all of the best values, she encouraged me to make my own choices. To reason my way through things and find my own way.

She’s been there every day, supporting me and making sure I feel that same, unchanging love always and forever. And I live each day hoping to exemplify all the goodness she’s given me.

So thanks, mom, for being my everything. I love you so much.

Imagine A World Without Hate So I know I don’t usually...

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:29:17 -0600

Imagine A World Without Hate

So I know I don’t usually post something like this, but this post really got to me, and so I thought I’d share. An important message to pass on.

pixiepaperdollcartoon:

evangotlib:

mediaite:

Imagine A World Without Hate

NO. 1 MOST VIEWED At least at this point. Love seeing that folks...

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:14:59 -0600

NO. 1 MOST VIEWED

At least at this point. Love seeing that folks are checking out my weekly column for the Colorado Daily (that you can check out here).

A BIG DAY FOR THIS JOURNALIST About a month or two ago, I wrote...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:27:20 -0600

A BIG DAY FOR THIS JOURNALIST

About a month or two ago, I wrote an article for the Boulder Daily Camera about an exhibit of the history of beer at the Boulder History Museum.

And after it ran in a few of our special publications, I’d sent the link to my parents and friends, etc., I tucked it away as my first big feature for the Camera and kept on with life.

Then today, I find out that it ran in the Denver Post today!

I seriously couldn’t be more excited about this :D My very first byline to appear in the Denver Post!! And as a designer, I’ll take any writing accomplishment I can get.

Found it on their site, here’s the link.

YAY! What a wonderful day.

BEHIND THE COVER Flipping through my different social media...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:31:48 -0600

BEHIND THE COVER

Flipping through my different social media outlets, I came across this cover. Boston Magazine’s cover following the bombings.

It’s … well, it’s beautiful.

My favorite part? the “We Will Finish The Race” in the center. So small, yet you definitely see it and take note.

Read about their design choice here.

What a clever twist on this topic. Understated, yet beautifully...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:21 -0600

What a clever twist on this topic. Understated, yet beautifully done.

coverjunkie:

ShortList (UK)

New cover ShortList magazine

Art Director: Kevin Fay tells me:
“for this cover on Gun Culture we adapted an original artwork by artist Ben Turnbull (benturnbull.com) to create a school desk style image which incorporated our masthead.”

Editor: Martin Robinson
Deputy Editor: Hamish MacBain
Photography Director: Joanna Moran
Digital Imaging: Justin Metz
Deputy Art Editor: Tim Lane
Junior Designer: Caroline Warner

Longmont Times-Call: Life Front - Dec. 30, 2012 An example of...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:00:29 -0600

Longmont Times-Call: Life Front - Dec. 30, 2012

An example of what community journalism can offer. While it’s not breaking news, and nothing assembled by our hard-working news teams, this page is a great collection of artwork that captures the moments from the community.

Photographers are incredibly essential to any newspaper, and to give them a chance to highlight some of their favorite moments and photographs is a positive thing in honoring their work. And it also gives another tribute to the men, women and children that let us into their lives and tell their stories.

Design-wise, I love the main photo. It’s so filled with emotion. And the rest of them fit so nicely around it, working with the headlines to fill the space and optimize it. Cluttered? A bit, but it was about getting the most photos we could into the space.

"A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself."

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:00:31 -0600

““A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.””

- Arthur Miller, American playwright and essayist

NEWSEUM FILES … AGAIN Another look at a creative page....

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:00:42 -0600

NEWSEUM FILES … AGAIN

Another look at a creative page. Albeit I’m months late in posting it, but a blog about design can do that. It’s about the presentation. (And my making excuses …)

This one’s from The Des Moines Register, published in Des Moines, Iowa.

What a creative centerpiece. A story about childhood bullying among the LGBTQ community, I love the addition of sidewalk chalk drawings under a cartoon-like feuding donkey and elephant. A great way to capture the legislature portion atop the youthful issue at hand.
I also love the portion below the main bar, with teases to more coverage and mugs of the opposing sides. Very clean.
The tease along the top is, as usual, stunning. They don’t let their flag dictate design, but rather incorporate it. It becomes part of the tease, and therefore teases more effectively to the content.

And of course, this page is compliments of Newseum.

Canon City Daily Record: Sports - Jan. 15, 2013 Notes: Not a...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:55 -0600

Canon City Daily Record: Sports - Jan. 15, 2013

Notes:

Not a breaking story, but a page that’s clean in it’s presentation. It’s got a lot of good elements, with headlines and subheads that fill their space well.
The centerpiece is clean, and what I like is that the boxes at the bottom are really nice. They’re close to their style, but with some twists that make them more fitting for the feel of the package.

This is a really wonderful tribute from the Chicago...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:30:25 -0600

This is a really wonderful tribute from the Chicago Tribune.

thevisualjournalist:

think-progress:

Chicago Tribune Sports section pays tribute to Boston.

Best of today.

Newsroom Promotion Over Here

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:42:00 -0600

So as has happened before, I’m kickstarting my work ethic and social media motivation, revisiting the Tumblr accounts I’ve (woefully) abandoned over the past few months.

Here’s to not letting that happen again!

And I shall now shamelessly promote them here, to get a few more followers. Thanks in advance!

For great coverage from the fine folks on the news and features desk at the Boulder Daily Camera.

A collection of quirky posts, quality tunes and great writing/art, follow the Colorado Daily’s work. (A great idea for you CU Buffs fans out there.)

For incredible sports coverage, in the know on everything sports-related (but especially those CU Buffs), check out the Buffzone tumblr.

Congratulations to the 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:09:31 -0600

Congratulations to the 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners:

Indeed, a huge congratulations to Pulitzer winners, especially those an hour south at the Denver Post. Incredible work, and in turn, incredible recognition. Way to go!

Well now there’s a twist. Very cool presentation for an...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:19 -0600

Well now there’s a twist. Very cool presentation for an intriguing question following Margaret Thatcher’s death. (From the Guardian)

coverjunkie:

The Guardian g2 (UK)

“What if…”

Cover The Guardian g2 from few days ago about Margaret Thatcher

Now that’s a lot of information in one space. A bit...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:00:46 -0600

Now that’s a lot of information in one space. A bit cluttered, but a huge resource in understanding the Korean tensions right now. You have to love infographics, and those with the patience and expertise to build them.

nationalpost:

Graphic: The Military Balance on the Korean Peninsula
Tensions in the Korean Peninsula have soared with a series of provocations from North Korea as well as a revelation in a U.S. intelligence report that suggested the Hermit Kingdom now has the ability to arm a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead — even if the weapons would lack reliability. Some analysts fear a miscalculation by Kim Jong-un, or an accident, could provoke a regional war dragging in even China and Russia.

I seriously LOVE historic front pages. I’ve got my own...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:02:23 -0600

I seriously LOVE historic front pages. I’ve got my own Denver Post front page hanging on my wall from the 1940s, and a collection of the New York Times’ fronts in a fabulous book my friend found for me.

It helps I’m addicted to history in general. And journalism.

latimes:

R.I.P., FDR: The 32nd U.S. president died 68 years ago today. This is the L.A. Times’ front page from the following day, April 13, 1945.

Here it is in a larger format.