alaska, the last frontier

i am currently visiting family in homer, alaska. here "where the land ends and the sea begins" 5 hours south of anchorage and bordering kachemak bay, glaciers are commom sites, the people are down to earth and time seems to stay still. the sun lingers in the sky for a long time, kissing the horizon but for a few hours before reappearing again. a place to reflect and appreciate the beauty around and within...enjoy the last frontier.

be safe...

here is one for the weekend. be safe everyone :)

imitation...

so you need a typeface

having a design background, i get asked that quite a bit. roberto, which typeface should i use? it is not a scientific answer and really depends on what you are trying to convey. does it fit the message? does it feel right? is it legible and appropriate? all in all it is really about gut feel. julian hansen put together a great typeface flowchart to help us choose the right typeface for the job. i especially enjoy his sense of humor throughout.

the daredevil in the clouds

on this day, back in 1974, frenchman philippe petit gained fame for walking on a high wire across the twin towers of the world trade center in ny. it took 6 years of planning and multiple visits to the towers, but finally at 7:15 am on a cool August morning, philippe took the first step off the south tower. he made eight crossings during 45 minutes, whilst avoiding the port authority police officers. His performance is well presented in the 2008 documentary man on wire. After being arrested he was questioned by the media to why he had done it, to which philippe replied "when i see three oranges, i juggle; when i see two towers, i walk." philippe was "sentenced" to perform a show for the children of ny and given a lifetime pass to the twin tower's observation deck, upon his release. 

coke vs pepsi

this is a great graphic showing how many times pepsi has changed their logo over the past 120+ years, whilst coke has remained fairly consistent during the same time period. makes you wonder if we need all those identity changes, all the time.

disclaimer: i don't drink coke nor pepsi.

reflective liquid mercury - come on in...

i am a sucker for architecture. once upon a while i come across a piece that defies form or function. such was the case when i last visited chicago. there, in the middle of the millennium park in downtown, stood a shiny, smooth blob of a sculpture - cloud gate, they call it. it is cool to look at and to the touch, highly reflective and inviting. designed by anish kappor, it has become a new defining public symbol in chicago, reflecting the surrounding skyline and the sky above, as well as all those that come close to it. and yes, they can't resist the reflective liquid mercury. can you?

marketing vs telemarketing vs pr vs advertising vs graphic design vs branding

with an open heart and an empty stomach

i do not watch much tv as i do not have a subscription to any of the tv delivery formats available (cable, dish, wire, etc.) that said, i am aware of the most popular shows in tv land, either by reading about them, catching them on netflix, or when over at family or friends' houses. i find the series iron chef america based on the japanese series, as one of the most entertaining. i enjoy the staging of the kitchen, the lighting effects, the fierce competition between the two opposing chefs, the ticking of the 60-minute digital clock, the presentation of the five dishes and of course...the secret ingredient. feast your eyes and hears in this short clip in the unveiling of many secret ingredients by the show's dynamic chairman, mark dacascos. allez cuisine!