A short selection of the things I've been reading lately. Lots of focus on design theory and practice including the proverbially overused "design thinking." This list includes some favorite rereads as well as some books I've just read for the first time but now seem destined to be dusted off and brought back out to read in the future.

Change By Design | Tim Brown

Design Writing Research | Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller

The Fountainhead | Ayn Rand

How to Think Like a Graphic Designer | Debbie Millman

Grid Systems in Graphic Design | Josef Müller-Brockmann

The Elements of Typographic Style | Robert Bringhurst

Type: The Secret History of Letters | Simon Loxley

How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul | Adrian Shaughnessy

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure to attend AIGA Portland's Designspeaks lecture series featuring Frank Chimero. A brilliant and inspiring talk it was.

Like many a graphic designer, I fall into the category of audiophile (a problem I openly and proudly admit). It seems I've become incapable of leaving the house without my iPod, while simultaneously filling my home and studio with CDs, turntable, vinyl records and an over-flowing and ever-growing iTunes library. From home to work and back again, my life is carefully and consistently soundtracked. It's in this continuous record of old songs, new bands, and various genres that I find a wealth of influence and inspiration for my work. The sounds that fuel so much of my creative work as well as my personal life stream from various sources like headphones, speakers, ear buds, & a myriad of other stereo components-all of which provide a decent sound but can come up short on experience.

For quite some time now, I've been infatuated with the Little Horn Speakers used by Andrew Bird in concert. These speakers always mesmerize me, each and every time I've seen them. I'm mesmerized first by their commanding presence and sculptural beauty, but also by the rich sound they provide. Each time Mr. Bird and his band take the stage and begin to play, it seems these speakers provide a sound scape that opens up, allowing each sound to separate, unfold and grow until the sound swells and fills the room. These handcrafted, sculpted shapes build an experience of sound and style, I've neither seen nor heard anywhere else. And the beauty of their shape and style make it hard to look away. Here's to saving away  to one day afford a set for the home and, if I'm lucky the studio too.

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This Polish hero, calls to mind, other Polish heroes. heroes of graphics and illustration. Heroes by the name of Tomaszewski, Gorka, and Cieslewicz. The Polish poster designers who developed a sophisticated visual language characterized by surreal and expressionistic tendencies, bold use of color, and macabre, often satirical humor. For many decades the Polish poster chronicled that nation's social, political, and cultural life. The posters these artists produced showcased not just an individual style but referenced the movements of Expressionism, Constructivism, Functionalism, and Art Deco. Throughout the Stalinist era many posters were advocates for political propaganda, while the poster work of the 50's and 60's turned toward film and other cultural events. Within the contrasts of these poster subjects, the poster artists mastered the art and use of subtle metaphor, juxtaposition of forms, and abstraction in new and innovative ways. Regardless of the subject matter, the posters serve as documentation of a historical period and a country in the midst of change. 

The documentary, Freedom on the Fence provides a further in-depth view of the artists and artworks of the Polish poster.

 An eloquent and succinct definition courtesy of Saul Bass.