AU Blogspot

Isobel is a very creative London advertising agency that has some beautiful work.

I think their nicest piece of work is their Bullring Birmingham commercial that I’ve embedded above.  

Michael R. Nelson
Creator Of The Ideation Phase
Ashworth College Graphic Design Instructor

Zohar Lazar is a unique illustrator.  If you were to happen on his work out of context, you might mistake him for someone who worked for MAD Magazine in the 50’s.

He seems to willingly take on that retro aesthetic, but then creates works with a much more post modern composition and subject matter.

I feel like a lot of his work is hit and miss, but when Lazar hits, his work is extremely interesting.

Michael R. Nelson
Creator Of The Ideation Phase
Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor

Arcade Fire has created an interesting online music experience.  Using your keyboard, you can toggle layers of music on and off.  I’ve provided the regular YouTube video above, but click here to view the interactive Black Mirror video.  Let me know what you think…

Michael R. Nelson
Creator Of The Ideation Phase
Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor

I recently attended the Georgia Chapter PDMA Summit 2008 that discussed the Politics of Innovation. It was fantastically practical with great speakers.  You can download their presentations by clicking here.  My favorite speaker was David Owens, Professor of Management at Vanderbilt University and former CEO of Griffin Technology.  He had the great thesis that “creative people must be stopped” and he fought against “thinking outside the box”.  My hope is that he will one day be able to erase that cliche from the face of the earth.  What David Owens is getting at in terms of product development is that thinking outside the box make no sense because the constraints of “the box” are good constraints can be agreed upon, measured, offer focus, and constraints drive adoption.

Designers fight back with constraints because by the time you design a product that fits all the constraints you end up with a puny idea that is not all that interesting.  David Owens then jumps in with what he considers the drive to innovation.  Owens says that innovation doesn’t come from coming up with wacky ideas outside of constraints, he instead encourages designers to find ways to expand your constraints.  When your constraints are broader, your ideas have more room to grow (see his diagram above).

Michael R. Nelson
Creator Of The Ideation Phase
Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor

I ran across this fantastic video showing the creative process  behind the development of the identity and graphics of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. 

Michael R. Nelson
Creator Of The Ideation Phase
Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor

Studio K  has a lot of talent and their portfolio is definitely worth a long hard look.

Michael R. Nelson 
Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor 

Premier.com created a great list of the best movie posters of all time. They made some excellent choices. Click here to go to the list.

Michael R. Nelson 
Graphic Design Instructor
Ashworth University 

I was just reading the terriffic blog of Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor, Mike Nelson. 

The blog is called, The Ideation Phase, and it’s is a great resource for all of our graphic design, web design, interior design, and photography students. 

Mike recently profiled a couple graphic designers that should definitely inspire our students.  Check their sites out and be sure to drop in and say “hello” to Mike when you get a chance. 

Thanks Mike!

Greg Lamarche uses a collage to create his work and does a great job. 

Hornall Anderson is a Seattle based graphic design firm that is simply phenomenal.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

     Thanks to thinbegin for permission to use this Photo.

David Carson spent a decade building his reputation as an underground graphic designer before gaining mainstream popularity in the early 1990’s.  Some have labeled his signature style as “dirty” in the sense that it may appear unpolished, heavy, and visually dense to the common viewer.  Carson was one of the first graphic designers to mash seemingly unrelated typographical and photographic elements into one composition, a practice that is so commonplace today as to almost appear cliché, but at the time,Carson’s ability to convey what were perceived to be complex (subconscious) messages through his work was considered groundbreaking.  In the following video, Carson discusses how his design instincts have always guided his career from day one—and how important it is for young designers to develop their own intuitive style in order to consistently create substantive work.  Click on the image above to watch this video.  I think you’ll find some inspiration in the life and work of David Carson.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University