iainclaridge.net

The Office for Lost Objects™
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The Office for Lost Objects™  has a working design philosophy defined by six principles:

Respect the Super Normal.

Revel in the infra-ordinary.

Honor craftsmanship.

Follow a logic.

Express an integrity.

Seek an essence.

Think Different
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“Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits. The rebels.
The trouble-makers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules,
and they have no respect for the status-quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them,
glorify, or vilify them.
But the only thing
you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones,
we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough
to think they can change the world,
are the ones who do.”

— Apple

Typography belongs to everyone
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“Caution should be exercised in elevating the status of a practical discipline (more akin to plumbing) to an elitist, esoteric pursuit. Typography is utilitarian and belongs to everyone.”

Tony Pritchard: A response to the TWP definition of typography

Ensuring consistent PNG quality across browsers
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How to save out your png’s to guarantee a consistent color/saturation quality across all browsers:

1. In Photoshop, turn on proof colors (view > proof colors)
2. Make sure your proof setup is set to “monitor rgb” (view > proof setup > monitor rgb)
3. When you save for web, make sure you do 24 bit png, interlacing OFF, and uncheck convert to srgb

Via swissmiss.

Stacey
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Stacey is an easier way to create a portfolio site. No database setup or installation files, simply drop the application on a server and it runs. Your content is managed by creating folders and editing text files. No login screens, no ‘cms’.

Chris Pullman: What I’ve Learned
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1. Work on things that matter.
2. Work with people you like and respect.
3. Be nice.
4. Have high standards.
5. Have a sense of humor.
6. Design is not the narrow application of formal skills, it is a way of thinking.
7. Variety is the spice of life.
8. Institutions have a character, just like people do.
9. We’re all in the “understanding business.”
10. You are what you eat.

Chris Pullman: What I’ve Learned

Via swissmiss.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
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What designers want more than anything else is to be taken seriously — they just want a little respect..!

“Respect from clients. Respect from the general public. Respect from — let’s go right to the cliché — our moms. We want to be seen as more than mere stylists, we want to set the agenda, to be involved earlier in the strategic process, to be granted a place at the table.”

A great article by Michael Beirut over at Design Observer, that will strike a chord with any of you designers out there who feel themselves considered too low down in the food chain.

Pause
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For 10 seconds to take a deep breath.

For 1 minute to take in the view.

For a couple of minutes to brew a cuppa.

For 10 minutes to clear your head.

For 20 minutes to call your mum.

For half an hour to excercise your body.

For a couple of hours to read a good book.

For a day to find some fun.

For a weekend under the the stars.

For a fortnight to recharge your batteries.

For a month to learn something new.

For a summer to be a kid again.

For a year to see the world.

For a lifetime to work out what it all means.

Or for five minutes to do absolutely nothing.

Via howies.

Turn your digital camera, into a Wi-Fi camera
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The Eye-Fi Card is a wireless memory card. It automatically uploads pictures from your digital camera to your PC or Mac and to your favorite photo sharing, printing, blogging or social networking site.

This blog has Internet Explorer 6 issues…
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Since I tweaked various elements of this blog the other day I notice the layout is broken in - yes, you guessed it - IE6. Normal service will be resumed for all you IE6 users asap once I have got to the bottom of it. Thank heavens for this article…!