Style Over Everything

99u:

From the earliest age, we’re taught to strive for perfection. We’re supposed to attend the best schools, get straight A’s, and win Olympic gold medals while we’re at it. To achieve this, we need to have impeccable grades, flawless technique, and unmatchable skills. Once in a while, our society makes a half-hearted attempt to say, “be who you are,” but it’s usually within the context of a winner’s story — someone who wasn’t pitch perfect on paper but still ended up on top anyway.

Talk to career artists and art directors, however, and they’ll tell you that the key to getting commissions and hired full-time isn’t artistic perfection — it’s artistic expression. Those that hire creative talent want, and pay handsomely for one-of-a-kind voices that shock, provoke, scream, joke, and wow — even if they are a little messy at times. Speaking in your own voice is the smartest thing you can do to distinguish yourself from the crowd. And let’s be honest, it’s much more fun. Someone can always come along and be a “better” artist than you, but no one can take away your style. It’s defensible, something you can lean back on regardless of trends and something you can sell that others can’t (one-of-a-kind = more valuable!).

There's nothing more boring than perfect. 

Michael Bierut On Learning Graphic Design

Michael Beirut seems to be everywhere promoting his new book How To and answered 20 Odd Questions for The Wall Street Journal, including his advice for learning graphic design: 

To learn about graphic design: go to a flea market in Paris, Marrakesh, Tokyo or anywhere. Almost every matchbook, record cover or junky paperback book you’ll see is likely to have more interesting graphic design than what you will find in a museum.

How "oldschool" graphics worked

In part 1, the limitations of color on older 1980's computers and game consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Commodore 64. The artwork of "The Mill" by Oliver Lindau. The artwork of "Halo J." by Steven Day.

In this episode Apple II and Atari 2600 graphics modes. 

"Paper," Another Spectacular Spot for Honda

PES's new film for Honda. Dozens of animators and illustrators, thousands of original drawings, and four months of work. Everything in the film is done by hand and shot in camera.

Check out behind the scenes of PES's latest film for Honda. 

Another spot to add to the list of great Honda spots. 

A Classic: Saul Bass Pitch Video for Bell System Logo Redesign

From the AT&T Archives: Saul Bass' work in logo design and movie title credit sequences spanned the latter half of the 20th century, with prominent work in each field.