The HAL Project and Beyond the Infinite

My good friend Mitch tipped me off about The HAL Project recently. And being a Kubrick and "2001: A Space Odyssey" junkie like so many others I was suitably impressed.



The interface is very well done, with superbly enhanced images and illustrations. Especially worth noting is the HAL-9000 simulator (which does need some audio samples added in my opinion) and the downloadable screensaver which recreates the cryptic, technical graphics of the HAL-9000 monitors on your computer. Working from a 2-monitor station as I do, makes this particularly enjoyable as the screens alternate graphics automatically.



You can also review "The Jupiter Mission Report", an animated synopsis of 2001, part of the opening sequence from 2010, the Peter Hyams sequel. And don't forget to switch on the site's built-in Györgi Ligeti "Lux Aeterna" soundtrack to enhance your visit.

A MADNESS to this METHOD?

I admit freely that I was beguiled by this giant, futuristic jug[gernaut] of soap. It feels otherworldly, like I was bringing home some futuristic home fusion reactor fuel. This is 96 fl. ounces of soap. The container itself is almost a foot tall. On the back of the jug Method even makes suggestions for what to do with the packaging after the soap is spent.



However, something about Costco/Sam's Club size portions, even of products as cool as Method's, gives me a brief back of the brain pause. Does suggesting a few hip, alt-recycling uses for such a huge container (flower vase, piggy bank) offset cow-towing to the cultural trend of massive over-consumption? Discuss.

Eat [From] WARHOL

While CB2 might not be the most cutting/edgy/innovative design, they do have flights of fancy from time to time. Having just finished The Philosophy of Andy Warhol last year, and just generally being a fan, I found these plates pretty cool. And in the future, everything will be famous for $1.50.

I Got SERVED

Then again maybe it's just a case of great minds, thinking alike, that sort of thing? Maybe? C'mon please?

Look at this AMAZING "The Shining" tribute print by TesOne. Spooky that I spotted this not one week after creating my little Danny vector.

Veer FPO Shirt

I've scored 1 or 2 Veer t-shirts over the years. They always have quarky - OOPS, I mean quirky design-related themes and this new shirt is no exception. For me, this image of the familiar FPO placeholder goes all the way back to my first day in the design industry. It's an oldie but a goodie for sure

Cheers to Veer.



[via Veer & SwissMiss]

360 Risk Management LOGO

The recently completed logo for my client, 360 Risk Management, an insurance company in Northville, Michigan.

STAR WARS Mighty Muggs

I guess I'm guilty of a little ignorance when it comes to hipster vinyl toys. They've been bestowed a double whammy of "pop art" AND "collectible" status, shooting the price of most really cool figures sky high. That's not to say I don't like them. I've certainly admired a lot of what I've seen, but just in passing. That is until I passed by these in Target tonight. For around $12 or $13 you can add these Star Wars characters to your KidRobot collection and unite your inner geek with your outer hipster.

CONNECTions

A recent card design of mine found its way into another design blog. Poesia-Design included my "What is this Thing?" mailbox card in her post about the curiosities and joys of mail. Check out her blog!

I love making connections like this with other designers. I need to initiate more of such intersections myself. Thanks again to Poesia-Design for the mention.

OBJECTIFIED by Gary Hustwit

Gary Hustwit, director of the documentary Helvetica has finished his next film which is set to debut at the SxSW Film Festival in March.

Objectified is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. It’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

The film's website also reports that special screenings will be scheduled in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and London.

NEW Cards

Two recent additions to my store on Etsy.com.



I had designed this image some time ago and until I started making cards I'd had nothing to do with it. I realize it's a little late maybe, but I think the satire is still relevant. I'm also working on a poster version. The card is available here now.



I've always loved this shot in Kubrick's "The Shining". The graphic pattern of the carpet, the perspective, and of course Danny himself as the tennis ball rolls in from out of nowhere. Haunting, but so beautiful. It makes for a nice design. Or playdate invitation! Available here.

Le CORBUSIER pour CHIEN

"Chairs are architecture. Sofas are bourgeois."

So true, so true. But what about chair architecture for your mid-century modernist pup to appreciate? Why shouldn't your Dwell Dwawg enjoy the finer things in life? Though I doubt very much if Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, a.k.a. Le Corbusier, in his wildest dreams imagined his designs used as chairs for dogs. Still, these are darn sharp. Yeah they're not licensed reproductions bearing his chic name, but they are chic just the same.

If you ask me - a proud cat owner - these seem more suitable to the temperament of felines. But I suppose if you have Weim or an Italian Greyhound you'd be ok. Those breeds have a striking biological architecture. Most other breeds? L.C. said it best: bourgeois.

P.S. French Poodles ok. Heritage counts.

COLLAGES by Emily

My darling dearest, Emily, has entered the world of online commerce with her new store now open for business on Etsy.com. Stop by and check out her wares. There's more to come too! She'll soon be adding purses, wallets, and even jewelry.