Thumbnail marker and pencils sketches for posters and flyers for a small music label started in Atlanta. Based on the notes on the pages they are from 2001–2002.
Nakagawa Masashichi Posters
I saw these posters for Nakagawa Masashichi, in Nagoya, Japan and was taken in by the lovely typesetting and the bold, graphic illustrations.
Transport
French Graphic Stripes
I really love Salomon XT-4 OG and XT-6 shoes mostly because they are incredibly comfortable and light but also for their distinctive striped tongue graphic. The visual language reminds me of Mavic bicycle rims, another French brand that I have sworn by, since the 1990s, for their durability, cost and style.
Transport
Volvo 245 Turbo
Cars all look alike in 2025. And they probably have looked alike for the last decade and half. I bet you could take the badges off and you would have a hard time telling the difference between quite a few crossover SUVs. Same curves, same stance. That may be changing, according to The Times, but nothing beats the boxy Volvos from the 1990s.
Coverage
“Information Anxiety” by Richard Saul Wurman
I forgot Richard Saul Wurman created the TED conferences. Appreciate how quickly this book gets to the point. It feels the opposite of the 10 minute movie title sequences that dominated the 1990s after Kyle Cooper’s sequence for Se7en blew everyones’ minds. And opposite the Flash Skip Intro’s of turn-of-century websites and opposite the sheer mountain of UI one had to wade through to start watching a DVD.
Zip Drive Archive
82 Still Photographs
Before digital cameras could reliably produce quality video — essentially before the Canon 5D was released — I was infatuated with animating multiple stills. These photos were shoot in March 2008 in Brooklyn on a Canon 20D with a cheap 28-85mm zoom lens. Blurs and zooms were done in camera with natural lighting.
Zip Drive Archive
Brasilintime: Batucada com Discos
Zip Drive Archive
UI Illustrations from 2001
I love that these sketches could have been to inform album packaging or a Macromedia Director authored multimedia project.
Coverage
“American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center”
Fresh cover. It certainly looks like it is from 2002, a year which feels like forever ago. William Langewiesche died recently and as I get older I find myself my reading obituaries. I have to resist searching for the word “born” where I can start from the beginning.
Zip Drive Archive
Los Angeles 2006
Pretty sure I was trying to infuse a portrait with the gestures of a hand style aka graffiti tag. Wish I would have continued to draw these kind of illustrations.
Significant Figures
Mackafurd Luvingstun
An Instagram series that showcases significant people in my life. The second in the series is on Mackafurd. Here’re the slides for archival purposes.
Design is a Search Problem
On critique:
Get fresh eyes frequently; invite criticism.
You are too close to critique your own work well.
Evaluation requires an external perspective.
Conduct ad hoc user tests.
Does your visualization communicate?
Is your interface intuitive?
Verbalize what does and does not work.
Coverage
“I Found Myself…The Last Dreams”
FT has a great review about this book by Egypt’s greatest novelist including more photos by Diana Matar.
I think I like the Viking UK release more than the U.S. edition on New Directions but I am sucker for book covers with interesting typography and a gorgeous black and white photograph all on a field of color.
Significant Figures
Prefuse 73
An Instagram series that showcases significant people in my life. Prefuse is the first in the series.
40th and 8th Ave
For several years I worked on the same floor as Bill Cunningham. Here he is with Elliot, our co-worker, probably around April 2016, shortly before Bill passed away.
Prince and Sullivan
I tried getting a shot of this guy kissing his dog but missed it. But now noticing all the little details. His interesting method of keeping his keys and the shorts over sweats. You can tell how much he loves his dog by his smile. And the step ladder to help his dog into the truck.
86th and Amsterdam
This lovely Irish expat was waiting for the light on a discarded chair.
