Design from Brooklyn with Love

So they’re in. And Rosy was right when she told our printer, “we luv them!”

We are now proud to show off our newest collection of Hyperakt business cards. These new beauties are letterpressed by the same shop that did our New Years Coasters. We loved the fluorescent orange and minimal type treatment used in the body copy. So this time around, we had fun with the design, tapping in to Massimo Vignelli’s love for sparsity (if straying outside the bounds of his restrictive list of typefaces). The only problem is that, while we are beaming with joy, and feeling über professional, we can only fit 3 cards in our pocket at a time. They are dangerously thick. But Will Robinson would be proud.

On a personal note, I must thank Deroy and Julia for a gracious gift. In addition to the Hyperakt cards, they were kind in allowing me to add my own personal card to the run. I am proud to have my first ever set of personal cards. But more importantly I am truly thankful to work with such generous and caring friends.

The 80-story Dynamic Tower, described as the “world’s first building in motion,” will also be the first skyscraper constructed from prefabricated units, according to a press statement released by New York-based architect David Fisher’s Dynamic Group.

Each floor would be capable of rotating independently, powered by wind turbines fitted between each floor.

Apartments will sell for about $3,000 per square foot, making each unit range in price from about $4 million to $40 million. Work on the tower is to be completed by 2010, according to Dynamic’s Web site.

Read more at CNN.

We recently got some hot new business cards made. They’re HUGE! and this is how we made them!

Just kidding. But I’m not joking about them being hot. Stay tuned, we’ll have pictures soon.

Meet Your Printmaker is a site I found through Thinking For A Living (see one post below), which apparently I’m now obsessed about.

There are moments in my blog browsing life where I cannot help but wonder why I continue to click and scroll; there are weeks worth of sites that do nothing but waste my time. But tonight brought redemption to the act when I stumbled across a newly rejuvenated gem.

Thinking For A Living is a designer’s asset, a hub of useful information on graphic design for both web and print, housed in one of the most interesting—if minimal—designs the internet has to offer. There is no flashy animation, no spinny things. But there are layers of beauty to this site worth noting.

First comes the color and type combination. Anyone who pays attention to Duane knows that he likes him some vibrant color. But to pull off a gradient on the surface of the type across a full page of text—while retaining both it’s readability and class—is a feat. The typography across the site is set strictly in Georgia. While more adventurous alternatives could easily be suggested, this is an entirely well executed maneuver.

But what makes the skin so appealing to me, though, goes deeper. It is rare to find highly functional (or useful) sites that maintain an outwardly attractive veneer. Del.icio.us (technology TFAL puts to use as an element in this site’s backbone), ffffound.com and Gmail all come to mind. These are sites which have varied practical uses, but for whatever reason have never set out to incorporate good design into the equation. Of course, that fact is debated.

But Thinking For A Living earns it’s credibility. The content itself is about design. “An ever-growing platform dedicated to the concept of open source design education,” it opens a world of informative and inspirational material to designers who need it. And what makes me especially happy about it is the focus on graphic design for both web and print mediums. Here finally is a place where inspiration (the blog) and topical resources all coexist, driven by passionate and tasteful professionals.

For more thorough information on the site, please read this.

The next time I have to come up with a name for a company, it’s gonna be…

You might or might not be aware that although we are a design studio, Hyperakt was founded by 2 graduates from Parsons School of Design’s Illustration department. I have also taught in the Illustration department at Parsons for 4 years. So, to honor some of those roots, I’ve decided to add a new series to our blog called The New Illustrators. The series will feature artists gifted with uncommon talent that are fresh out of school.

We’ll start with Phillip, who’s expressive work has a maturity beyond his years. Just one year out of school, Phillips work has been published in The New York Times, Business Week and Playboy to name a few. Check it out here.

Who would have ever thought David Byrne would join forces with Dizzee Rascal!? Great song, despite the seemingly impossible pair-up. Love it!

And sorry, I know nothing about BPA.

Coldplay’s viral video for Violet Hill.

Just came across this Flickr photoset by nevolution. Beautiful hand-painted signs titled Take Away.

Skip through the first minute or so, then it gets brilliant.