dechezette

28 July 09

Where’s the Human Touch?

In the world of Comic Books it’s the writers and the pencilers who typically grab the limelight. Oft overlooked are the inkers, colorists, and the letterers - especially the letterers. Only the true comics aficionado can appreciate hand over digital lettering.

Last week at the San Diego Comic Con the humorous video above caught the industry’s attention. Garson Hampfield tells us of the life of the under-appreciated crossword puzzle inker. He recounts the innovations in the profession over the years. And when he talks about the coming of the digital age he acknowledges the speed it has brought to the process, but asks us “where’s the human touch?”

While this is clearly the punch-line of this video - it’s also the quintessential question to all of us that make things for humans. A question and reminder to hang on the wall at work.

21 July 09

Planet Money Throws Down

The folks over at NPR’s Planet Money decided to throw down last week and have a friendly little peer competition.

The brief was simple: Visit New York’s Fancy Food Show and see who could come back with the most compelling economic story. Oh, and the story needed include a mythical creature.

I have to say that it was both inspiring and entertaining to hear each correspondent’s output. All were unique and hit the mark in their own right. The mythical creature was definitely a challenge, but we can let them off the hook for that.

For some reason we’re all kind of hard-wired to be attracted to these Project Runway-style bake-offs.

The exercise is yet again a testament to the creativity that can emerge under constraints with the right brief and team.

It’s also a great example of how stories can move you. Even ones about seemingly uninteresting topics as food economics.

This one is definitely worth a listen. Check it out.

23 June 09

HunterGatherer Has Wood on Lockdown

HunterGatherer is a design, illustration, animation and production studio based in Brooklyn, NY.

Their organic, hand-made aesthetic creates a playful and expressive quality to the work. The dedication to, and joy in, their craft is evident. And as they put it, their unique process enables them to create a unique output. How many designers do you know that use a table saw on a regular basis?

The interview below was created to celebrate the launch of some new products developed for Incase.

22 June 09

Adobe Flash Catalyst Goes Beta

Flash Catalyst is a product from Adobe that’s sure to play a powerful role in rapid prototyping. What’s unique to this product is its seamless integration with other Adobe products such as Photoshop and Illustrator.

04 June 09

Great Ideas Come From Great Insights

I have to be honest, I’ve never looked at Coors marketing as innovative. But after watching this video I found myself impressed with their philosophy and standards around creating great ideas.

Patrick Edson, MillerCoors VP of Marketing Innovation, talks about how the these great ideas come from the 20% of insights that few have. The insights that are about understanding beyond the obvious and about what’s not being said by your customers.

Good stuff.