davidthedesigner

reflections

Well, we've got to that time of year when everything winds down (at least in the design world) until the second week of January. And of course it's no exception here. I'm going to be piling a few logs on the fire and supping a glass or two of the finest port (a drink that I only ever drink at this time of year). There may be a post or two, but don't expect daily updates - otherwise you'll just end up disappointed.

And it's also that time of year when everyone starts looking back at what's happened during the previous 12 months. Have I done that sort of thing before? Because, honestly, I can't remember. But others are at it, from Binky the Doormat (for whom I am one of his online highlights, for some - at least to me - mysterious reason), and the anonymous Ben (who's got nine more posts to put up in the next 36 hours: good luck with that one, Ben), through to Michael Johnson, who might or might not have compiled his list before the end of the year.

But, actually - and to be rather more serious than I am sometimes apt to be - I've found myself reflecting back upon the past ten years. And what's happened in this first decade of the 21st century. Not the fluffy stuff (like how great the iPhone is or how awful the London 2012* logo might be), but those things that couldn't have been predicted - or, if not predicted, were perhaps beyond our comprehension back in 1999. (*Granted that none of us predicted that particular logo, now did we?)

Of course, it all started with this little fella:

The Millennium Bug. Because on 1st January 2000, we half expected not to be here at all. Or, if we were, that the world would have ground to a halt around us. But it didn't, of course.

And for me, purely from a personal perspective, it's Web 2.0 that's had the most profound impact. I couldn't have predicted ten years ago that I would become 'David the Designer', and that you would be reading this right here, right now from wherever you are in the world. Or that if you typed 'Cow Gum' into Google, you'd probably end up here. As I said to a friend only the other day, I feel as though it's my blog that now defines who I am. If only I could earn some money from it, though. Maybe I have to revise my views about advertising, eh?

But that's enough of me. What about the wider world?

And there's only one answer to that. And, as tellingly as anything else in this changed world, that image comes from the BBC web site and is captioned 'photographer unknown'.

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the globe, Shanghai went from this in 1994:

(via my China correspondent)

...to this, less than 15 years later:

(via Warren Rodwell)

Just imagine if that had been Manchester. And what might happen in the next ten years.

And one final thought - from Mahatma Gandhi: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

i'm sittin' at the railway station...

...well I was on Saturday. Because you all know what happened to Eurostar over the weekend, don't you? And it all started so well (well, as well as it could do when the alarm's set for a 4am start).

And, as you can see, there weren't many fellow passengers catching the first train in to Waterloo. But we made it to St Pancras for the 7am rendezvous. 

And then it all went belly up.

Ah well, perhaps another day, another year.

signed. sealed. delivered.

Remember my imagined ideal weekend in Paris?

Well,

'Dear David,
 
Thank you so much for your entry for the “Toi, Moi et Paris” (“You, Me and Paris”) competition organised by Le Nouveau Paris.
 
I’m pleased to let you know that you’ve been selected by the jury as one of our five winners who will get to spend a 1,000€ weekend with a friend in Paris on the 19th & 20th of December (that’s this weekend)!'

Paris: I'm yours.

this made me smile #99

singer-sewing, anyone?

Does anyone out there know who does Singer-sewn binding (like this)? Drop me an email davidthedesigner (at) studiohyde.com if you do.

Has to be in the UK.

all the type and nothing but the type

If you haven't already done so, all you typoholics ought to immediately bookmark Typedia. Here's why: In a nutshell, Typedia is a community website to classify typefaces and educate people about them. Think of it like a mix between IMDb and Wikipedia, but just for type. Anyone can join, add, and edit pages for typefaces or for the people behind the type.

this thing could run and run

What I'm getting around to calling 'this thing' all started when I had an email arrive out of the blue from Sarah at we are social. And that's how I ended up having a really great day out in Brussels with a group of fellow bloggers, courtesy of Eurostar. That then led on to the 'make us smile' competition which, as of course you know, was won by Mike. And Mike gave us a marvellous account of his weekend in Paris, didn't he?

So you'd think that would be the end of it. But oh no - now Sarah's colleague Pauline has been in touch: what would be my dream weekend in Paris?, she asks. Pauline's working with the Regional Tourism Committee of Paris Ile-de-France on their new campaign 'Toi, moi et Paris' ('You, me and Paris'). It's aimed at showing 'Le Nouveau Paris' as a modern, exciting, artistic and romantic city, all at the same time.

Well, it's quite a while since I've been to Paris. I've been lots of times, and I've seen lots of things. But it only scratches the surface. Because no matter how many times you visited Paris, there would always be something new to discover each time you went. So the temptation is to see as much as you possibly can. Which is a mistake.

So what would be my ideal weekend? Well, I'd keep it simple. I'd choose just three things, and I'd concentrate on those and let the weekend build around it, as it undoubtedly would.

First up, I'd find my way to the Louvre. "What?" I hear you say "can't you think of anything more original than that?" But I'm going to restrict myself to just one thing in the Louvre, and I'm going to get in there and out again without looking at anything else. It's possibly the smallest painting in there (admittedly with - proportionally - the largest frame).

It's 'The Lacemaker' by Vermeer. And I'd like to spend at least an hour in it's company. Trying to understand the magic and mystery of Vermeer's skill.

And then I'd like to move forward by three and a half centuries and head on over to the musée du quai Branly. The one with the vertical garden.

I've not been before. So here I'll be adopting the exact opposite strategy to my Louvre visit: because I'll be trying to soak up everything I can.

That will do me for day one. And then comes the hard bit: I'd like to visit the studio of a fellow graphic designer. Not just any designer, mind you. But Pierre di Sciullo.

Pierre runs a small studio, Qui Resiste, somewhere in Paris. So somehow I'd have to find a way of getting myself an invitation. But then this is the blogosphere: everything's possible, isn't it?

And that, for me, would make a perfect Parisian weekend.

UPDATE: Pierre has emailed me to say that I would be most welcome to visit his studio. So that's the hard bit sorted then.

double the fun

I'm sure that you all enjoyed Mike's account of his recent jaunt to Paris as much as I did. Well, now you can read it all over again on the Eurostar site at Little break, Big difference.

this made me smile #98

Please design a logo for me. With pie charts. For free.

that's all folksy!

Nice to see that the Newspaper Club concept is moving mysteriously forward towards it's beta launch - and to see this sampler that they've just produced for Folksy.

And that logo (that all of you seem to hate): I'm thinking it looks just right, just here.