Spy on Design

Visual stimulation, observations on how designers influence us, and a look at design work. • Graphic, Architectural, Industrial + Art, Photography, Illustration • Like what you see? Follow me. (Most active 2010–2012, casual thereafter; enjoy these timeless archives.)

[bobbycaputo]

Book Hive

A giant living sculpture known as Book Hive is bringing books to life and thrilling visitors to Bristol Central Library in a celebration of 400 years of public libraries in the city.

Bristol’s award-winning creative robotics collective Rusty Squid has created the installation with an award of £88,241 from Arts Council England’s National Lottery-funded Grants for the arts scheme. 

Now a swarm of animated books in their hexagonal cells are gradually filling the beautiful Grade One listed entrance hall and responding to the movement of the library’s visitors, creating beautiful patterns.

The sculpture uses animatronic, movement-responsive books, encouraging visitors to interact and feedback.  The behaviour of the hive will evolve over time, responding to the different ways in which visitors interact with it.  By using digital technology to infuse books with new life, Book Hive is a direct response to the impact digitalisation has had on libraries and our relationship with physical books. 

(Continue Reading)

[turati]

This is really cool. Exhibit design and book nerdism, all in one! <3

[turati]

Functionality is so over-valued in design, and we’ve kept design very small in that way. Functionality is the sheer minimum. If your house burns down, what do you take? The cat in the window that you got from your mother, or the chair you have?

Marcel Wanders

[turati]

Beautiful and uplifting data visualization shows the improved standard of living across 200 countries in 200 years. One of my favorites.

[turati]

Above a letterpress shop, Portland, Maine. June 2017

[rhubarbes]

concept alien biomecha by sguera pascal on CGSociety

[turati]

There is something we [designers] contribute: a high tolerance for uncertainty, ways to grapple with visual representations, and understanding problem-solving as an open-ended, playful process.

Lucy Kimbell, fellow in design leadership at Oxford’s Saïd Business School

[turati]

Marketing wisdom from Fortune Cookie.

[turati]

Graphics: Of Writing AND Drawing

The origin of the word Graphics stems from the Greek Graphikos, "of or for writing, belonging to drawing, picturesque," from the older Graphe, "writing, drawing."

It makes sense that the etymology of Graphikos stems from the idea of using writing and drawing, since its principal purpose is to communicate ideas. In our visually-bombarded landscape, many people have come to think of the role of Graphics as merely “making things pretty,” but the purpose of graphics remains the same as it was centuries ago: to convey ideas and messages using visual and linguistic tools—a communication craft. 

Graphic. May be related to, but is unlike Decorative, of Decorate, to "adorn, embellish, beautify," from decus (genitive decoris) "an ornament.”

Definitions from Online Etymology Dictionary

[turati]

Bjorn Hurri's ongoing Steampunk Starwars work. As cool as ever. bjornhurri.com

[beautifultype]

Beautiful Letters by @novia_jonatan http://ift.tt/2cchVk6

[beautifultype]

Really nice calligraphic project from Bobby Haiqalsyah. More on his Behance account. 

[turati]

Virtual Reality. A future matter of addiction?

[turati]

More Findings on the Impact of Visual Information http://blog.hubspot.com/agency/science-brains-crave-infographics?utm_content=bufferda404&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sm.0000ib7ctv1b4bev0yljf10wmpizk

[turati]

[explore-blog]

Van Gogh in tilt-shift. Couple with Van Gogh’s fluid dynamics, then peek inside his never-before-revealed sketchbooks. 

(via Laughing Squid)

[turati]

Cave-like home in Malibu . . . for the primal cave-dweller in you.

[turati]

NOWHERE, a piece by Dimitris Papaioannou, inaugurated the renovated Main Stage of the Greek National Theatre in Athens in 2009.

NOWHERE explores the nature of the theatrical stage.