Top 40 Magazine Covers of the last 40 years

The American Society of Magazine Editors have published their list of the The Top 40 Magazine Covers of the last 40 years. They also give a brief rundown of how the covers came about.

Just finished small website for a book History of WAGR Passenger Trains

Just finished small website design for the book which I did the layout for :- A History of Western Australian Passenger Carriages. If you're a train or history buff you might find it interesting.

Massive Collection of Web Design Resources

Titled The Web Developer's Handbook this collection of links to web design related tools, resources, tutorials, articles and more is a must have in any self respecting web designers bookmarks. The shear number of sites brought together here on a single HTML page is impressive. As is the fact that it's organised in such a way that you can find your way around without too much bother.

Wired Magazine Profiles Joshua Davis

Interesting profile of Joshua Davis by Wired. Davis is arguably one of the most influential Flash designers / artists on the web. It touches on how his influence is spreading beyond the online world to the offline art world. You can find out more about him and see some work at these sites: PrayStation - Once Upon a Forest - joshuadavis.com.

via kottke

On Creativity

Reading the first few posts on the Creative Generalist Blog has led me to some great articles on creativity. Firstly The Idea Book is a 300 page book on how to be more effective in coming up with ideas. 150 pages of the book are blank so you can fill them with your own. The PDF sample will give you a look inside and is an excellent short read on it's own. The concept of an ideas book is something that I have been using myself for a while now. I've got a dedicated writing pad where I write down all the ideas I come up with.

And for those fascinated by the workings of the human brain check out Crash Course in Learning Theory.

Designers Who Blog

Netdiver pointed me to a Blog called Designers Who Blog whose title pretty much sums up it's focus - every day or two a profile goes up of a Designer's blog. I like the focussed approach they have taken. Rather than a ton of small posts there are a smaller number accompanied by a screenshot and a two to four paragraph synopsis of the site. This is definitely a case of quality over quantity. I wonder if, as blogging matures, we will see more varied approaches taken with regard to the tactics of posting. Which is better, many smaller posts or long, well thought out and researched ones which can be savoured rather than devoured. My guess is that both approaches have their merit and the differentiating factor will be execution.

Guerrilla Gardening

Guerrilla Gardening is apparantly a movement involving people sneaking out in the middle of the night and planting gardens. The website is mainly London focussed. Their interpretation of guerrilla is more in line with, say, Guerrilla Marketing rather than in the Che Guavara sense.

From the site: "Neglected in front of Charles Allen house was a low wall, filled with weeds, beer cans and a pool of vomit. In what is otherwise a fine street, this was a blight and an irresistable challenge....We filled it with cordyline and red cyclamen, only briefly pausing for questions from two passing police."

via Treehugger

Web Design Times

The Web Design Times is a web design centered blog / news site with an old-school print newspaper look and feel. I like the concept behind it and after reading a few of the articles they link to I also like their content choices.

The Power Law Curve, Homelessness and how it applies to other problems

Fascinating article in The New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell on how the statistical theory of The Power Law Curve and how it applies to homelessness, pollution and crime amongst other things. Gladwell brings a broad perspective to his subject matter and manages to relate some quite complex theories to easily understandable situations. You can also read several years of his archived articles here.

On the Subject of Games

On the subject of games we recently got the Da Vinci Code Board Game which is a great little game for 2-4 players. I like the fact that it only takes around 10-15 minutes to play so it's ideal for those times when you feel like a game but don't want to commit to a marathon monopoly session. The game has pretty much nothing to do with the book ( which could be a good thing depending on your point of view ) but is based on cracking your opponents code. It's one of those games that at first seems easy to play yet as you get more experienced you see the complex strategies that can be employed.

If you don't want to get this game then try these very tricky Sudokus over at Minimum Sudoku.

Deflexion Laser Strategy Game

Deflexion is a cool strategy board game which utilises lasers to take out your opponents pieces. Unfortunately for you sci fi fans out there the laser doesn't actually destroy the pieces but it's a very good concept regardless.

Comprehensive Catalogue of Logo Designs

This site has a huge catalogue of Logo designs with a mainly European focus. They not only have an example of the logo but also eps versions for download as well as Pantone colour references. Included with most logos is information on who designed it and when. For anyone who has spent time designing logos or is just interested in the subject this is an interesting site to visit. So if you've ever wondered who designed the logo for The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and lets face it who hasn't, then check it out.

Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble

The Earth Policy Institute website currently has an online copy of the book Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble for visitors to read or download for free. The book is a very well written argument for the reasons we should be steering the world on a more sustainable course. It is neither hysterical nor flippant about the problems we are facing but in my opinion presents a balanced view of where we are at and our future environmental choices. I defy anyone to read this book and still dismiss environmentalists concerns out of hand.

Unexpected Whale Watching Holiday

Recently we had a weekend away at the Sunshine Coast staying at Santorini Twin Waters which is right across the road from Mudjimba Beach. While we weren't expecting it we spent a large part of our time there watching the Whales migrate south from our balcony. I see dolphins all the time at Bribie Island where I live but had never seen a whale before this. What an experience. They were breaching like crazy out there. I mentioned it to the hotel receptionist and they just said "Oh yeah we see them all the time".

Later in the day when we thought that we'd had just about enough Whale watching we went to Point Arkwright where we were witness to 2 Whales frollicking just metres off the point. What an awesome holiday it was.