Recommended Viewing: guardiandojo.ca

New Guardian Dojo - Kyokushin Karate Canada website, originally uploaded by Adrian J.K. Shum, CGD.

I'm very pleased to announce the launch of a new responsive design website for Guardian Dojo - Kyokushin Karate Canada. Please visit us at www.guardiandojo.ca - be sure to check it out on your iPad or mobile device!

Launched just in time for the presentation I will be giving at the next PechaKucha Night Winnipeg - Vol.12... the last one for 2012. Should be interesting to say the least!

Hope to see you there! Osu!

GDC Manitoba - Design for Business Event...

GDCMB_Design4BizEvent, originally uploaded by Adrian J.K. Shum, CGD.

Design For Business: What To Look For When Hiring A Web Designer
Date: May 18, 2011 (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm)
Location: Anhang Room (2nd floor, Millennium Library, 251 Donald Street)
Cost: $20.00 (lunch included)

More information is available via the Manitoba Chapter on www.gdc.net, click here.

Limited spaces available! To register for this event, visit www.gdc.net

TEDxManitoba Videos Now on YouTube...

2011TEDxMB_189, originally uploaded by Adrian J.K. Shum, CGD.

This 3D printed TEDx logo was part of the schwag bag... pretty neat, but not as cool as the TEDxMB videos posted to YouTube! Check out videos of the presentations here.

I had the privelage of being 1/100 people selected to attend the 2011 TEDxManitoba event held 15 February at the Park Theatre on South Osborne... what an amazing day of great speakers, and ideas worth spreading.

Congratulations to the TEDxManitoba organizers/sponsors/volunteers for a stellar event... thanks for allowing me to be a part of it - looking forward to the next one! Go and check out the videos!

Happy St. Patricks's Day!

Recommended Viewing | Ten FREE Online Tools Every Designer Should Know via CreativePro

CreativePro.com has compiled a list of Ten Free Online Tools Every Designer Should Know. Perhaps there's something waiting there for you (if you're a designer that is...)? Check it out at http://www.creativepro.com/ - cheers!

COOL! Rorschach Inkblots...

A recent article over on the Globe and Mail, brought to my attention the existence of Rorschach's original inkblot images on Wikipedia. These inkblots of the Rorschach test were printed in Rorschach's Rorschach Test - Psychodiagnostic Plates (Hogrefe, 1927, ISBN: 3-456-82605-2). They've been in the public domain in Hermann Rorschach's native Switzerland, since at least 1992 (70 years after his death), according to Swiss copyright law. They're also in the public domain under United States copyright law (based on when they were first created and published - before 1923).


The images were scanned and posted to Wikipedia along with the most frequent responses for either the whole image or the most prominent detail (according to Samuel Beck). This, as the article in the Globe and Mail details, has prompted some interesting response (like numerous websites/blogs now hosting the images + common responses) and protest... read the article over at the Globe and Mail - here.


What do you think? Was the poster of the images 'in the wrong' or should the protesters just deal with it? ;)

In any case, I think the inkblots are cool, and recommend that you check them out if you've never seen them before, visit the posting on Wikipedia, or check them out on my Flickr (Rorschach Inkblots set) - enjoy!

COOL! iPhone - Typographic Reference Manual...

I'm on the verge of taking the plunge, and getting me an iPhone... do I really need it? No. Do I want one? HELL YEAH! The fact that GDC Members can get a discounted iPhone rate from Rogers adds to the enticement... ;P

Seriously, aside from the obvious 'cool factor', the iPhone applications are what really attract me... like the one above, which was recently posted to the GDC Listserve by Marilyn Matty - a long standing contributor to the GDC Listserve. If you're a designer, I'd think that this application will be highly valuable to you... learn more about the application at their website, http://typographyapp.com/ - enjoy!

Thanks to the Marilyn for sharing the link with the GDC Listserve - cheers!

Recommended Viewing | GOOD Transparencies Archive...

A recent query on the GDC Listserve for books discussing the topic of information graphics inspired me to post a link to the GOOD Magazine Transparencies Archive set on Flickr

The kind folks over at GOOD Magazine, whom I've blogged about previously on MUHSASHUM, here, never cease to impress with their handling of complex information in graphical formats.

Well, I'm an obvious fan, so this set on Flickr is pure 'eye-candy' to me... ;D check out the GOOD Magazine Transparencies Archive set on Flickr, here - enjoy!

If you're still interested in books about information graphics, I'd recommend you check out the works of Edward Tufte - cheers!

COOL! Compfight...

Compfight is a really neat, Flickr image search tool. Intended for finding images on Flickr for comps, inspiration or research, Compfight is not affiliated with Flickr but makes good use of the Flickr API.

There are a number of different settings you can use to filter your search results, try Compfight out for yourself and see what you think, check it out at www.compfight.com - always double check the image license before use (CC or otherwise) and respect the rights of the content creators... enjoy!

Top Ten Type Crimes...

Ilene Strizver, founder of The Type Studio, is a typographic consultant, designer and writer specializing in all aspects of typographic communication has written an in-depth article for Monotype Imaging in regard to the Top 10 Type Crimes, excerpt from the article:

Are you a type criminal? Don’t be afraid to confess; the type police won’t come knocking at your door in the middle of the night. Even the most seasoned designers can commit an occasional type crime, by accident or inattention. If good typography is important to you, knowing and recognizing the “ten most wanted” type crimes will help make your projects stay on the right side of the law...

I highly recommend you read the in-depth article for yourself, here - perhaps you've been committing type crime(s) without evening knowing it! ;)

Cheers!

COOL! Book Cover Archive...

A very cool and handy website to share, www.bookcoverarchive.com - is a website dedicated to the appreciation and categorization of excellence in book cover design (all covers are the copyright of their respective publishers).

Browse covers via designer, book title, genre, etc., - go and check it out for yourself at http://www.bookcoverarchive.com/ - enjoy!

Thanks to Ian MacCausland and Rob Peters for the link! Cheers!

Recommended Viewing | Design Edge Magazine May/June 2009...

I highly recommend that you check out the latest edition of Design Edge magazine. If you've never heard of Design Edge magazine... well, you should sign up for a subscription... it's free to Canadians. This issue is definitely one of the more memorable ones (IMO)... could it be because I recognize some of the folks who are featured within? Perhaps... ;)


Congratulations to the folks who I recognized/have met through their regular contributions to the GDC Listserve and/or their contributions to the GDC in general. In the 'Creative Sidelines' feature article you'll recognize:


Nancy Wu (I've blogged about Nancy before, here)


Davin Greenwell (who I had the pleasure of meeting in person at this year's GDC National AGM held in Winnipeg)


Brian Branch (a regular contributor on the GDC Listserve)


and Craig Medwyduk (also a regular contributor to the GDC Listserve)...


...and in the 'Newsmakers' section we have Vancouver's Design Ambassadors... ;D Mark Busse, Marga Lopez Orozco, Rod Roodenburg and Matt Warburton.

Awesome! Congrats again. Cheers!

Antique Road Trip...

This past Saturday, I attempted to go see the Marilyn Monroe: Life as a Legend exhibition at the WAG with good friends, James, Doug and Raelene. Unfortunately for us, we were a bit late in arriving, and opted to visit the Forks Market instead.

For those of you who are familiar with Winnipeg and the Forks, you can see in the picture above, the river walk is completely invisible, covered by a thick (and rising) layer of ice. Flood worries are definitely running high as the ice 'jams and dams.'


We ended up exploring the Antique Mall located on the lower level of the Johnston Terminal. It's quite an interesting place to say the least...


I've always enjoyed classic pop bottles... for nostalgic reasons perhaps? I wonder what Snow White pop actually was? I'm guessing cream soda? I wonder if it was actually white like Calpis or Calpico (a Japanese beverage).


James offered $10 to anyone who would drink this (after signing a waiver of liability that is)... ;)


Doug aka The Orange Kid, posing with his Elvis shades amongst the Elvis antiques(?)...


One of the more interesting finds was this creepy, Colonel Sanders statue/bank (enhanced creepiness via Photoshop). It was immediately dubbed the 'Why so serious?' Colonel (ala Dark Knight - Joker).

View the rest of the pics from my antique road trip on my Flickr, here - enjoy! Cheers!

Recommended Viewing | The American Package Museum...

If you're a fan of nostalgia or packaging, I highly recommend that you take the time to visit The American Package Museum... where curator, Ian House has taken his personal collection of early 20th century packages and created an online gallery/archive to share with everyone.


There are some really neat old packages in this gallery, it's interesting to recognize some familiar brands and see how they've evolved... check it out at http://www.packagemuseum.com/ - cheers!

COOL! Quotes on Design...

Another gem of a link via Tina Roth Eisenberg over at swissmiss, an entire website dedicated to nothing but Quotes on Design...


... sweet!


Check it out for yourself at http://quotesondesign.com/ - enjoy!

Wicked! Blue Vertigo...

Another wicked link to share (at least for creatives)... Blue Vertigo is an online archive of web design resource links. The links are vast and varied, covering topics such as fonts, stock photos, vector artwork, logotypes, Photoshop brushes, icons, 3D Poser downloads, colour tools, text generators, patterns, sounds and design contests (whew!).

Definitely worth a look (or bookmark) IMO. Check it out for yourself at http://www.bluevertigo.com.ar/ - enjoy!

Thanks to 'Segun Olude for sharing this awesome link via the GDC Listserve - cheers!

The Year is 2009...

Wow. It feels somewhat odd to say that... the year is 2009. For me personally, 2008 was a blur of a year. My apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks... I took some time off from blogging over the holiday season, but hope to be back to a more regular posting schedule soon. Look for some interesting things to come... ;)

Until then, a belated Happy New Year!, wishes for peace and prosperity to all in 2009! Cheers!

Recommended Viewing | The Grid System...

I highly recommend you check out The Grid System, the ultimate online resource for grid systems. Excerpt from the website:

Made popular by the International Typographic Style movement and pioneered by legends like Josef Müller-Brockmann and Wim Crouwel, the grid is the foundation of any solid design. The Grid System is an ever-growing resource where graphic designers can learn about grid systems, the golden ratio and baseline grids. Created by Antonio Carusone, graphic designer and author of the design and typography blog AisleOne.

Some very cool and highly informative stuff (IMO) on this website... check it out for yourself at http://www.thegridsystem.org/ - cheers!

GDC Manitoba - The Art of the Storyboard...

Last week Tuesday (November 25), Doug Coates (MGDC) and James Gillespie presented, The Art of the Storyboard as part of GDC Manitoba's Lunch Talk series. Doug and James discussed the processes involved with storyboarding, showing examples of storyboards they've done, as well as the end result.


James touched briefly on how evolutions in digital technology are changing the process... it seems there are lots of exciting things on the horizon.


If you'd like to learn more about the art of the storyboard, Doug and James recommend you check out the book, Storyboard Design Course by Giuseppe Cristiano. Thanks again to Doug and James for their highly informative presentation - cheers!

Pictures from Doug and James' The Art of the Storyboard lunch talk can be found on my Flickr, as well as on the GDC Manitoba Flickr Group Pool, here - enjoy!

Recommended Viewing | Dinosaur Dynasty...

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Manitoba Museum to check out the Dinosaur Dynasty exhibit. Excerpt from the Manitoba Museum website:

Get ready for a Jurassic experience when Dinosaur Dynasty: Discoveries from China opens on November 20th. This immense, large-scale exhibit from China features over 20 full size dinosaur skeletons, fossil dinosaur eggs that are millions of years old, and a dino dig pit for kids. Dinosaur Dynasty is open during regular Museum hours.

I found the exhibit to be quite interesting... the scale of some of the dinosaur skeletons was rather surprising...


...ranging from poodle size...


...to the size of a small building.


The velociraptor was quite a bit smaller than I expected... though I still wouldn't want to be chained to a bunkbed with one. ;)

It's great to be able to see such a diverse range of dinosaur skeletons/fossils on display in the city and I applaud the Manitoba Museum for doing so! I highly recommend that you check it out while you can... visit the Manitoba Museum online to learn more, here - cheers!


Images from my visit to Dinosaur Dynasty can be found on my Flickr account in my Zoos, Museums, Aquariums, more... set, here - enjoy!

Recommended Viewing | LIFE Photo Archive hosted by Google...

An awesome link to share today... excerpt from the website: search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive , stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google.

To awesome for words to describe. You have to check it out for yourself! Goto http://images.google.com/hosted/life - enjoy!

Thanks to Dean McNeil, MGDC for posting the link to the GDC Listserve - cheers!