Saturday, February 28, 2009
Web design tip for businesses, especially restaurants
Having a city name on the home page is a good idea.
Having the restaurant address is even better.
Chez Papa Resto's Web page doesn't cough up the address unless you drill down to the "Contact" page.
Address: 4 Mint Plaza San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 546 4134
Fax: (415) 546 4128
posted by Sal Towse at 2:36 PM|
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Having the restaurant address is even better.
Chez Papa Resto's Web page doesn't cough up the address unless you drill down to the "Contact" page.
Address: 4 Mint Plaza San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 546 4134
Fax: (415) 546 4128
Labels: design, restaurants, San Francisco, webstuff
posted by Sal Towse at 2:36 PM|
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Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Michael Bierut - 26 Years, 85 Notebooks
On August 12, 1982, I took a 10 x 7 1/8 inch National Blank Book Company composition book from the supply closet of my then employer, Vignelli Associates. From that moment, I have never been without one. I always have one at my desk. I take one with me to every meeting. I am now in the middle of Notebook #85. It's in front of me right now. Together, these well-worn books create a history of my working life that spans three decades.
I tend to be obsessive-compulsive, and I am very picky about the notebooks. No fancy Moleskines for me, just standard-issue office supply composition books.
I use them in order. Tibor Kalman once asked me why I didn't have a different notebook for every project. I have to admit, this would be more useful. But I don't. I fill each one up and then move to the next one, the projects all jumbled together. Starting with the third one, every one of them is numbered. Except for two at the very beginning that used gridded paper, they have blank, unlined pages. I hate gridded paper (but not as much as lined paper.) There have been times when it's been really difficult to get unlined composition books, which I gather are oddly unpopular. One time I found a supplier who would only sell them in bulk and I bought a whole boxful. I thought these would last the rest of my life, but I gave a lot away, which I regret. Now they're gone.
... continues
His nibs gives me grief because I'm enamored with blank notebooks. I'll be in a bookstore or stationery store and go missing and he'll find me looking at the stacks of blank notebooks of various sorts. When we moved from the bucolic village to the fair ville I gave loads of the simple composition books that Bierut describes away to an outfit that stocks supplies for teachers. My stash is growing again because there is something about blank books that calls to me.
I've started an exercise similar to (although not as arty as) Michael Bierut's. I wish I'd started decades ago. I'm on my second book and continuing forward.
My notebook of choice these days fits into my back pocket and goes on walks with me and sits beside me as I read. I also have a composition book that captures to-do lists and other bits and pieces I want to hang on to.
My inspiration for starting the exercise was a guy named Paul Madonna, who fills notebooks with his sketches and drawings and notes. He has a passel of them on the shelf in his studio (not 85 yet) and flips back in them when he's looking for information or inspiration. His conscientiousness about maintaining the notebooks and adding content struck me as a "good" thing.
Notebooks are a "good" thing.
DesignObserver - an interesting read
Paul Madonna's site
posted by Sal Towse at 6:27 PM||
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I tend to be obsessive-compulsive, and I am very picky about the notebooks. No fancy Moleskines for me, just standard-issue office supply composition books.
I use them in order. Tibor Kalman once asked me why I didn't have a different notebook for every project. I have to admit, this would be more useful. But I don't. I fill each one up and then move to the next one, the projects all jumbled together. Starting with the third one, every one of them is numbered. Except for two at the very beginning that used gridded paper, they have blank, unlined pages. I hate gridded paper (but not as much as lined paper.) There have been times when it's been really difficult to get unlined composition books, which I gather are oddly unpopular. One time I found a supplier who would only sell them in bulk and I bought a whole boxful. I thought these would last the rest of my life, but I gave a lot away, which I regret. Now they're gone.
... continues
His nibs gives me grief because I'm enamored with blank notebooks. I'll be in a bookstore or stationery store and go missing and he'll find me looking at the stacks of blank notebooks of various sorts. When we moved from the bucolic village to the fair ville I gave loads of the simple composition books that Bierut describes away to an outfit that stocks supplies for teachers. My stash is growing again because there is something about blank books that calls to me.
I've started an exercise similar to (although not as arty as) Michael Bierut's. I wish I'd started decades ago. I'm on my second book and continuing forward.
My notebook of choice these days fits into my back pocket and goes on walks with me and sits beside me as I read. I also have a composition book that captures to-do lists and other bits and pieces I want to hang on to.
My inspiration for starting the exercise was a guy named Paul Madonna, who fills notebooks with his sketches and drawings and notes. He has a passel of them on the shelf in his studio (not 85 yet) and flips back in them when he's looking for information or inspiration. His conscientiousness about maintaining the notebooks and adding content struck me as a "good" thing.
Notebooks are a "good" thing.
DesignObserver - an interesting read
Paul Madonna's site
Labels: design, life, paperpensandglue, writing
posted by Sal Towse at 6:27 PM|
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Sunday, December 28, 2008
100 Cereal Box Covers - from the aeron.
100 Cereal Box Covers - from the aeron.
The Web is a wonder. Alan Valek has cobbled together photographs of cereal boxes to show the evolution of, f'rex, the Alpha-Bits cereal box.
His blog's pretty entertaining too.
posted by Sal Towse at 4:47 PM||
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The Web is a wonder. Alan Valek has cobbled together photographs of cereal boxes to show the evolution of, f'rex, the Alpha-Bits cereal box.
His blog's pretty entertaining too.
posted by Sal Towse at 4:47 PM|
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Friday, December 26, 2008
Take It Apart dot net
Take It Apart dot net: dissecting electronic gadgetry. Just for fun.
Disclaimers, of course.
posted by Sal Towse at 8:57 AM||
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Disclaimers, of course.
Labels: design, diy, electronics, gadgets
posted by Sal Towse at 8:57 AM|
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
RobertSabuda.com: Simple Pop-Ups You Can Make!
RobertSabuda.com: Simple Pop-Ups You Can Make!
You know who you are. Enjoy!
posted by Sal Towse at 11:34 PM||
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You know who you are. Enjoy!
posted by Sal Towse at 11:34 PM|
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Obama logo ideas that weren’t chosen | Logo Design Love
Obama logo ideas that weren't chosen | Logo Design Love
Interesting information and links re the design of the Obama '08 logo: how it was chosen, how it evolved.
posted by Sal Towse at 10:28 AM||
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Interesting information and links re the design of the Obama '08 logo: how it was chosen, how it evolved.
Labels: design, election2008, politics
posted by Sal Towse at 10:28 AM|
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Admire the new favicon up in the address bar
Friday, November 07, 2008
Nathan Sawaya's Lego sculptures at portfolio.com
Amazing work.
I've written about Lego sculptures and sculptors before, but never linked to Nathan Sawaya's Lego sculptures.
Well, for one thing, I don't think they existed the last time I wrote about Legos (in 2002).
Here's an article on his sculptures from portfolio.com. (The media show at the first link is from the same source.)
And here's Sawaya's Web site - brickartist.com: the Art of the Brick.
Enjoy.
posted by Sal Towse at 6:48 PM||
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I've written about Lego sculptures and sculptors before, but never linked to Nathan Sawaya's Lego sculptures.
Well, for one thing, I don't think they existed the last time I wrote about Legos (in 2002).
Here's an article on his sculptures from portfolio.com. (The media show at the first link is from the same source.)
And here's Sawaya's Web site - brickartist.com: the Art of the Brick.
Enjoy.
Labels: art, craft, culture, design, people
posted by Sal Towse at 6:48 PM|
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Saturday, October 04, 2008
Three things every voter should know about John McCain and ...
John McCain's Record
Brilliant Web site.
Click on one of ten choices and you'll get "three things" you should know about John McCain and, f'rex, "Rural Issues" with votes and references.
Followed by "John McCain: Out of Touch with Rural Issues. Fortunately there's hope. See how Barack Obama and Joe Biden stand on these issues."
Click that last sentence and you wing off to Barack Obama's site and his positions on rural issues.
Brilliant.
posted by Sal Towse at 8:56 AM||
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Brilliant Web site.
Click on one of ten choices and you'll get "three things" you should know about John McCain and, f'rex, "Rural Issues" with votes and references.
Followed by "John McCain: Out of Touch with Rural Issues. Fortunately there's hope. See how Barack Obama and Joe Biden stand on these issues."
Click that last sentence and you wing off to Barack Obama's site and his positions on rural issues.
Brilliant.
Labels: design, election2008, politics
posted by Sal Towse at 8:56 AM|
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Friday, September 19, 2008
Pfizer: Graffiti | Creativity Online
Pfizer: Graffiti | Creativity Online
If you can watch this through to the end without a tear. ...
*sniff*
posted by Sal Towse at 8:09 PM||
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If you can watch this through to the end without a tear. ...
*sniff*
posted by Sal Towse at 8:09 PM|
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Monday, February 04, 2008
Super Bowl 2008 ads now up
Super Bowl 2008 ads now up on hulu: Watch your favorites. Anytime. Anywhere.
Link courtesy Laughing Squid
posted by Sal Towse at 11:23 AM||
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Link courtesy Laughing Squid
Labels: culture, design, video
posted by Sal Towse at 11:23 AM|
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Sunday, January 20, 2008
Duende Travel
Duende Travel
Coming along, eh?
Pretty pictures. Content. Near to finished except for "useful information" and "links." The "booking form" is off to Peter for vetting.
Paying forward.
Personal blurb: Peter Watson and Duende Travel are like the best. The food and wine are always great. There's a lot of thought behind the itinerary.
There are gem moments: The hotel bar in Derry (North Ireland) -- just John Hume, his nibs and me. He'd sung Danny Boy to all of us during his lecture, but the others had gone back to rooms or whatever. Would you go back to your room while John Hume was hanging out? Or would you hang out too?
Drizzly picnic lunch in the ruins on Iona (Scotland).
Drying out from a soaking in the rain in a sheepherder's hut in Andalucia (Spain).
Petrarch's last home in Arquà Petrarca (Italy) and his cat's skeleton ... maybe ...
Walking in van Gogh's footsteps in Arles (France).
Hiking up the slopes of Vulcano (Sicily).
The Long Room at Trinity College, Dublin. (died and gone to Heaven)
... So many memories. So many good times.
Peter cares about where he takes you. He wants to make sure you understand the locale and the people. And the food. And the wine. And the history.
The walks are memorable. The views, the food, the wine, the settings, the memories are sublime.
'nough said? There's a reason I'm fussing over his Web site. ...
posted by Sal Towse at 10:34 PM||
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Coming along, eh?
Pretty pictures. Content. Near to finished except for "useful information" and "links." The "booking form" is off to Peter for vetting.
Paying forward.
Personal blurb: Peter Watson and Duende Travel are like the best. The food and wine are always great. There's a lot of thought behind the itinerary.
There are gem moments: The hotel bar in Derry (North Ireland) -- just John Hume, his nibs and me. He'd sung Danny Boy to all of us during his lecture, but the others had gone back to rooms or whatever. Would you go back to your room while John Hume was hanging out? Or would you hang out too?
Drizzly picnic lunch in the ruins on Iona (Scotland).
Drying out from a soaking in the rain in a sheepherder's hut in Andalucia (Spain).
Petrarch's last home in Arquà Petrarca (Italy) and his cat's skeleton ... maybe ...
Walking in van Gogh's footsteps in Arles (France).
Hiking up the slopes of Vulcano (Sicily).
The Long Room at Trinity College, Dublin. (died and gone to Heaven)
... So many memories. So many good times.
Peter cares about where he takes you. He wants to make sure you understand the locale and the people. And the food. And the wine. And the history.
The walks are memorable. The views, the food, the wine, the settings, the memories are sublime.
'nough said? There's a reason I'm fussing over his Web site. ...
Labels: design, travel, webstuff
posted by Sal Towse at 10:34 PM|
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Friday, January 11, 2008
The image cannot be displayed, because it contains errors
The image cannot be displayed, because it contains errors
Seems Firefox was complaining because some of the .jpgs Duende sent -- which I was trying to add to the site -- were in CMYK (print) instead of RGB (screen display). Makes sense. Duende'd sent the photos used in prior years' brochures.
Turns out 'tis simple enough to pull the .jpg into Photoshop. Go to the Image pulldown menu IMAGE->MODE and save the JPG as RGB instead of CMYK.
And Bob's your uncle.
Would that most of the world's problems were so easily handled.
posted by Sal Towse at 3:00 PM||
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Seems Firefox was complaining because some of the .jpgs Duende sent -- which I was trying to add to the site -- were in CMYK (print) instead of RGB (screen display). Makes sense. Duende'd sent the photos used in prior years' brochures.
Turns out 'tis simple enough to pull the .jpg into Photoshop. Go to the Image pulldown menu IMAGE->MODE and save the JPG as RGB instead of CMYK.
And Bob's your uncle.
Would that most of the world's problems were so easily handled.
Labels: app, design, photographs, travel, webstuff
posted by Sal Towse at 3:00 PM|
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Monday, November 26, 2007
TechShop: Build Your Dreams Here
His nibs went down to Palo Alto today to help MHP get some "stuff" out of his basement and delivered to TechShop in Menlo Park, a Maker's dreamland, a burner's heaven.
Never heard of TechShop?
TechShop is a fully-equipped open-access workshop and creative environment that lets you drop in any time and work on your own projects at your own pace. It is like a health club with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment...or a Kinko's for geeks.
TechShop was founded in 2006 by Jim Newton, a lifetime maker, veteran BattleBots builder and former MythBuster.
TechShop is located in Menlo Park, California, on the San Francisco peninsula 25 miles south of San Francisco.
Anyone can come in and build and make all kinds of things themselves using the TechShop tools, machines and equipment, and draw on the TechShop instructors and experts to help them with their projects. TechShop is designed for everyone, regardless of their skill level. TechShop is perfect for inventors, "makers", hackers, tinkerers, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, youth groups, FIRST robotic teams, arts and crafts enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don't have the tools, space or skills.
If this sounds like your piece of heaven, TechShop is open 9A->midnight, seven days a week.
Cost: Daily pass:$30 Monthly pass:$100 Annual pass:$1200 (except they're having a sale just now.) The Annual and Monthly passes allow you to reserve time on specific pieces of equipment. The Annual pass allows you to reserve equipment up to two weeks in advance. The Monthly pass allows you to reserve equipment up to a day in advance. If you buy a multiple-months pass, you can reserve equipment for multiple days in advance. e.g. If you buy a five-month pass, you can reserve equipment up to five days in advance. If you buy a seven-month pass, you can reserve equipment up to seven days in advance.
TechShop gives classes on how to use the equipment. Some pieces of equipment =require= you to take a class before you are allowed to use the equipment.
Check it out.
posted by Sal Towse at 3:52 PM||
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Never heard of TechShop?
TechShop is a fully-equipped open-access workshop and creative environment that lets you drop in any time and work on your own projects at your own pace. It is like a health club with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment...or a Kinko's for geeks.
TechShop was founded in 2006 by Jim Newton, a lifetime maker, veteran BattleBots builder and former MythBuster.
TechShop is located in Menlo Park, California, on the San Francisco peninsula 25 miles south of San Francisco.
Anyone can come in and build and make all kinds of things themselves using the TechShop tools, machines and equipment, and draw on the TechShop instructors and experts to help them with their projects. TechShop is designed for everyone, regardless of their skill level. TechShop is perfect for inventors, "makers", hackers, tinkerers, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, youth groups, FIRST robotic teams, arts and crafts enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don't have the tools, space or skills.
If this sounds like your piece of heaven, TechShop is open 9A->midnight, seven days a week.
Cost: Daily pass:$30 Monthly pass:$100 Annual pass:$1200 (except they're having a sale just now.) The Annual and Monthly passes allow you to reserve time on specific pieces of equipment. The Annual pass allows you to reserve equipment up to two weeks in advance. The Monthly pass allows you to reserve equipment up to a day in advance. If you buy a multiple-months pass, you can reserve equipment for multiple days in advance. e.g. If you buy a five-month pass, you can reserve equipment up to five days in advance. If you buy a seven-month pass, you can reserve equipment up to seven days in advance.
TechShop gives classes on how to use the equipment. Some pieces of equipment =require= you to take a class before you are allowed to use the equipment.
Check it out.
Labels: craft, culture, design, life
posted by Sal Towse at 3:52 PM|
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
San Francisco Food Bank's 2007 holiday cards
San Francisco Food Bank's 2007 holiday cards are available for purchase over the Web. Three designs are available. The Christmas ornament card drawn by Paul Madonna is my fave.
Go there.
Purchase holiday cards.
Support San Francisco Food Bank
posted by Sal Towse at 6:21 PM||
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Go there.
Purchase holiday cards.
Support San Francisco Food Bank
Labels: causes, design, San Francisco
posted by Sal Towse at 6:21 PM|
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Monday, September 24, 2007
...t.y.p.o.r.g.a.n.i.s.m...
A collection of typography links
Typographic Collaboration | Typophile
Typographica a journal of typography featuring news, observations, and open commentary on fonts and typographic design.
typography a photoset on flickr
viaLetter Spell it out
Jules Vernacular Lettres oeuvrières & incongruités typographiques. French signage and lettering from Jack Usine.
Triborough's photos of NYC Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual = a flickr photoset
Zuzana Licko and Rudy VanderLans at Emigre
Typetester - compare screen type
FontFeed a font blog
posted by Sal Towse at 4:32 PM||
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Typographica a journal of typography featuring news, observations, and open commentary on fonts and typographic design.
typography a photoset on flickr
viaLetter Spell it out
Jules Vernacular Lettres oeuvrières & incongruités typographiques. French signage and lettering from Jack Usine.
Triborough's photos of NYC Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual = a flickr photoset
Zuzana Licko and Rudy VanderLans at Emigre
Typetester - compare screen type
FontFeed a font blog
posted by Sal Towse at 4:32 PM|
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Thursday, July 19, 2007
Update: 2007 San Francisco Idea House
A green bird told me that Sunset Magazine has postponed the opening of the San Francisco Idea House to an unspecified time
No word at the Sunset Magazine site as to when the house will open.
"Check back often," they say.
posted by Sal Towse at 6:47 PM||
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No word at the Sunset Magazine site as to when the house will open.
"Check back often," they say.
Labels: architecture, design, environmentalism, real estate, San Francisco
posted by Sal Towse at 6:47 PM|
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Ambient Intimacy and disambiguity
Whilst off looking for a description/definition of Ambient Intimacy, I came across Leisa Reichelt's blog: disambiguity.
Just reading disambiguity makes my brain feel polished and shiny.
posted by Sal Towse at 2:35 PM||
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Just reading disambiguity makes my brain feel polished and shiny.
posted by Sal Towse at 2:35 PM|
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Sunday, June 10, 2007
Helvetica at 50
Helvetica at 50
[...]
The typeface's dominance over the past half-century, cemented by the release of Neue Helvetica in the 1980s, has now inspired a documentary, Helvetica, and exhibitions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Bland uniformity
But not everyone is a Helvetica lover. Type "I hate Helvetica" into Google and there are forums for people who rage at the mindless "corporate chic" of this dominant font. They see it as a vehicle for social conformity through consumerism, shifting product with a great big steam-roller of neutrality.
[...]
posted by Sal Towse at 8:51 AM||
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[...]
The typeface's dominance over the past half-century, cemented by the release of Neue Helvetica in the 1980s, has now inspired a documentary, Helvetica, and exhibitions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Bland uniformity
But not everyone is a Helvetica lover. Type "I hate Helvetica" into Google and there are forums for people who rage at the mindless "corporate chic" of this dominant font. They see it as a vehicle for social conformity through consumerism, shifting product with a great big steam-roller of neutrality.
[...]
posted by Sal Towse at 8:51 AM|
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FontFont: FiFFteen
Love those fonts? Think type design is something worth celebrating?
FontFont: FiFFteen a celebration of the fifteen years of the FontFont type library will be at the AIGA San Francisco office (130 Sutter St, Ste 600) from 11 June -27 June 2007 (9-5, M-F).
[via Mike Lenhart]
posted by Sal Towse at 8:38 AM||
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FontFont: FiFFteen a celebration of the fifteen years of the FontFont type library will be at the AIGA San Francisco office (130 Sutter St, Ste 600) from 11 June -27 June 2007 (9-5, M-F).
[via Mike Lenhart]
Labels: design, San Francisco
posted by Sal Towse at 8:38 AM|
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Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
[BLOG] sfgirlbybay
I don't think I've mentioned Victoria Smith's sfgirlbybay blog before.
Subtitled "bohemian modern style from a san francisco girl," Smith's blog covers a wide range of interesting design stuff and news.
I love to rummage around, looking at the pictures, clicking through to sites she mentions. She covers everything from concert posters to clothing, interior design to product design.
She's got a mighty fine list of sites on her blogrolls too.
Hey, look at that! 7x7 profiled her on their site last week.
posted by Sal Towse at 12:30 PM||
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Subtitled "bohemian modern style from a san francisco girl," Smith's blog covers a wide range of interesting design stuff and news.
I love to rummage around, looking at the pictures, clicking through to sites she mentions. She covers everything from concert posters to clothing, interior design to product design.
She's got a mighty fine list of sites on her blogrolls too.
Hey, look at that! 7x7 profiled her on their site last week.
Labels: blog, design, San Francisco
posted by Sal Towse at 12:30 PM|
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: views from the Hill
Bertold Brecht:
Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.
But what has happened has happened. And the water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again.
Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.
But what has happened has happened. And the water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again.
