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prior listings
prior listings
- Radarboy 11/30/02
Description: a collection of visual artifacts
Comments: Currently on the radar is the "Summer Collection" and it's not what you think. "No stress, no worries while we watch your car." Seems Cape Town has what's called "Car Guards" who are "trained in vehicle security, so you can shop with total peace of mind" and Radarboy has collected some of their business cards. Call me crazy, but I really enjoyed them. "Before opening a tin of corned beef, stand it in hot water for about 2 minutes to melt the jelly and fat inside so the meat will slip out easily." Important "Friendly Hints" like that can only be found on "LION matchboxes" and once again, Radarboy has us covered with a collection of 7. That's only half the collection and if today's pick proves anything, it's that sometimes, the most mundane things can also be the most interesting... have a fun day!
- Heavy Backpack 11/27/02
Description: a creative catalogue profiling the design community (Flash)
Comments: Special thanks to Parind Shah for helping me discover today's pick. Parind's personal webspace (optimized for IE) has tons of tasty design-related links... Today's pick is sweet, especially if you're interested in a little inspiration from "creatives dealing in the visual medium." This "Creative Catalogue" promotes "individuals, collectives, companies, and their creative work." There's over 80 "profiles." Each includes a Flash-powered slideshow type presentation of visual samples along with answers to the following questions about each designer: "Name? - What? - Company? - Where? - Age? - Listening to? - Looking at? - Link?" Rhett and Maggy have done a knockout design job – great use of Flash and a collection of some of the best visuals you'll find on the web. One could literally spend hours exploring the web from there. And speaking of Rhett, don't miss his visual diary...
- 151and 11/26/02
Description: entertainment via Flash
Comments: You may wanna pass on that next hamburger if "Feedback" has any truth to it. The opening piece, one of six Flash diversions, gives new meaning to the phrase "You are what you eat." I like the animation. My favorite has to be "dibujos - a collection of drawings." Just like some recent online mags I've reviewed, this piece has pages that flip and features the cool illustrations of Alberto Montero Parajuá. I'm not certain that Alberto is the person behind today's pick, but it would make sense that he is and that the site's primary purpose is to showcase his work. Though I guess I could call it a portfolio, since I'm not sure, I'll just call it entertainment. Check out the other four pieces and you just might agree... [Xpaider]
- 73553 11/24/02
Description: graphic design showcase
Comments: The guy behind today's pick just happens to be looking for the same exact thing I am. "Desperatly seeking! Someone with a huge [bag] of money who is bored to death and doesn't [know] what to do with it!" Hehe. Bring it. I'll be happy to take care of it for you. Right! 96 squares lead to graphic design works by a guy who goes by a number and many of them (like all) are, errr.... good stuff. There's an interesting piece in "testing" as well. Do you smell turkey?
- DELVE 11/23/02
Description: an exploration of visual culture
Comments: The online magazine with pages that flip appears to be a format that's here to stay. I discovered today's pick at Design Radar this morning (thanks Jack!). The content is all visual and current issue (02) focuses on transportation. There's 10 contributors besides Paul, the creator of the site. Great visual content! Don't miss Issue 01, though – it's even better. "Contributing artists are encouraged to explore aspects of their chosen medium that fall outside of conventional or commercial applications." The results are visually engaging – looking forward to future issues...
- Element Insites 11/20/02
Description: personal showcase of photographs and wallpapers
Comments: Zach Schrock, who just turned 19 in July, is one talented photographer. He wishes he had more time to devote to his personal site, but he's a busy guy between his job, his recording studio, and a lot of other things. Though Zach also has a digital camera, his showcase of photographs features shots taken with a film camera and I like the fact that he provides film and exposure information with each. His shots showing the sky affected by the sun's position (ahhh, sunsets) are really (as in really) good. "Yesterday morning when I woke up and looked outside I said to myself, 'Whoa... there is going to be an amazing sunset tonight.' Wow was I right!" Yes, you were right. His shots of architectural forms are excellent as well – what an eye for composition! The other visuals (wallpapers) show some real Photoshop savvy on Zach's part and his talent as a designer shines through this third version of his personal space. When he launched that version in June, he said "I'm so glad to finally have a version up that I really like..." I like it, too, Zach, and if that new version is running a little late, it's really okay because what's here right now is substantial and inspiring... [link hunt]
- thrift deluxe 11/19/02
Description: DIY site for cool people
Comments: This brand new DIY site launched on November 12th "because currently there is nothing like it." Sure, there's some other similar sites out there already, but this one is for "cool people." In fact, they say the "inexpensive DIY projects" they provide are "uber cool." Of course, this immediately raises a question in my mind as to what is cool – a reminder that cool is such a subjective thing whether you're talking about a website or a "Word Belt" or a "Punk Revival Jacket" or a "Grater Lamp" (definitely uber cool in my humble, yet consistent opinion). With that said, I'll inform you that today's pick is today's pick 'cause I think it's cool. Wanna learn more? [Do it yourself... ;~)) [surfstation]
- Marc North dot blog 11/17/02
Description: The photography and writing of Marc North. Updated daily.
Comments: Today's pick is currently #3 on the Photoblogs.org Top 100 (see 11/14/02), as determined by visitors' votes. The site is divided into 2 sections – writing and photography, and Marc calls it his "petty pulpit." In a piece written a few days ago, Marc wrote "More and more I find I want to put myself - and my camera - into situations where I'm not entirely comfortable, or even welcome." He feels he's developing an instinct for "street and candid photography" and it seems to show in his work. A recent series of photos taken in San Francisco is outstanding. "It's a thrill when I find a situation or a story that's unfolding, and I'm able to position myself right on the periphery and record it." As a designer, Marc's philosophy "comes down to two essentials." The first is to "keep the layout simple." You're on your own in finding the second...
- ventilate 11/15/02
Description: a design portal for artistic ideas, thoughts and works
Comments: If you missed my daily site review ("daily" as in 1,144 consecutive days and counting) last Saturday, today's pick was mentioned as a "potential daily pick" ("daily" as in 1,372 consecutive days and counting). Okay, so I'm parenthetically gloating (so sorry), if you will, but this coolstop gig would be impossible if it weren't for the many alternative portals out there. If I relied solely on submissions, I'd have to start featuring commercial sites because the number of non-commercial site submissions is simply not sufficient (though I could literally drown in the commercial submissions). So, if I've been talking a lot about alternative portals (and reviewing them) lately, it's because I appreciate them, pure and simple. Today's pick is a brand new design portal (don't you just love the phrase "Issue 1?") which plans "monthly issues featuring interviews with digital artists" and appears to have been providing a steady flow of design-related links daily ("daily" as in it hasn't missed a beat since it started on November 4th). The current issue features several interviews and before you know it, it'll be time for Issue 2. Cheers and good luck to Michael for a good start content-wise, a nice design, and the potential for being yet another viable starting point for those in search of cool...
- Photoblogs.org 11/14/02
Description: a resource designed to help people find high-quality photoblogs
Comments: "Created to help people find high-quality photoblogs," today's pick was just launched in late October. It already has almost 300 photoblogs listed, with a user rating system in place to show the "Top 100" on the main page. Nice! L. Brandon Stone, the site's creator, says the goal "to keep this site as straightforward, focused, and useful as possible. There won't be any annoying banner ads, popups, or useless clutter to get in the way of your user experience." With a rating system that lets users register a positive or negative vote, or a vote to remove a photoblog from the listing, it'll be an interesting alternative portal to watch. Let's add this one to the explore the web! list, too... [Scorcher Radio]
- {sitedesignmagazine} 11/11/02
Description: an online magazine for webdesigners featuring review and critique of quality websites
Comments: Today's pick is purely a matter of timing and anticipation. Pedro announced on October 30th that they've chosen the 10 sites which will be reviewed in November and to "keep an eye out for the new issue around Nov 10." So, any day now, that "call for entries" on the main page is bound to be replaced by some tasty graphics leading to the chosen sites. If I'm real lucky, the launch of the November issue will be this week, and if not, I'm sure it'll be sometime soon. Based on the site's design and quality of links in the news, I'd say bookmarking it is a good idea – good things are coming. The new issue actually represents a new direction that will bring Pedro's "dream even closer to reality." The site's been around for 2 years now and Pedro felt that he really hadn't met his original goals. With this month's issue, Pedro hopes to bring the site more in line with what he originally envisioned. I find this all rather exciting – can't wait... [happyleaves]
- FAVARICA 11/8/02
Description: Interactive graffiti, painting and sculpture by Favarica, a french artist in outsider, raw art. Enjoy distorting these works with the mouse. (Flash) (mature content)
Comments: Today's pick will automatically spawn a new content window when you enter the site – just didn't want you to be surprised. The "comments" section, which I erroneously thought would be a guestbook, contains some critiques of Favarica's "outsider, raw art." I'm not sure who these people are (art critics, perhaps), but some of the comments they've made seem quite interesting. They're bound to help describe his art in ways I can't, or at least provide some perspective. One says that Favarica "throws light upon voluntary poisoning through colour and volume, through arrogant shapes and destruction of sexual myths in order to pester the ancestral weight of bleakness." Whoa! To be honest, I didn't personally experience the part about "sexual myths" – that's not to say it wasn't there... ;~) "His desire to paint is close to religion. Devil or Angel, make a guess!" I'll keep my guess to myself. "Bloody mixture, aggressive colours, surrealist setting: tears, screams and outbursts..." That was on the money, said by someone who also calls Favarica an "avowed comedian in a time when Man loses himself for want of sharing." Some of the comments I just shared were made in the early 90s, obviously before the website existed. I love Favarica's art and what he's done to make it somewhat interactive by using Flash. Mouseovers and clicks let the user distort, drag, scroll, alter perspective, and/or bring parts of the pieces into clearer focus. The art is colorful and somewhat primitive, divided into six categories: "homepictures, paintings, sculptures, drawings, illustrations, and graffiti." There's also a small pop-up upon exiting with one last piece of art (no advertising, thank you). I'm not mentioning (i.e., warning about) the pop-ups to criticize the design choices made, but rather to be sensitive to those users who hate pop-up, pop-under, and exit advertising windows as much as I do, and to let them know in advance that there's no advertising in these multiple windows...
- stereo-eros 11/7/02
Description: a consistant entity which grows 3d chaotic realms that exist through dark energy in the ever expanding and contracting infinite universe (Flash)
Comments: Toronto visual designer Leon Vymenets says "with our thoughts we make the world." His present world includes a series of "3D chaotic realms" which make up the "orbital" experiment. I like the diagonal buttons on the interface – the narrow ones lead to artworks and the two broader ones take you to what appears to be a main page, plus a credits/links section. In addition to the orbital experiment, which houses some outstanding visual designs, there's another experiment called "satellite" done in collaboration with several other people. It contains a series of artworks Leon describes as "art brute." It's a "subconscious escape" for him that he uses "to trigger new and fresh design concepts." There's two other visual experiments in progress as well. I found something on the credits page which reveals a little about Leon's creativity and approach to design. He uses greeked text (so small it's not legible) as a design element in a number of his pieces, and when I zoomed in on the paragraph of tiny type below the site's name on the credits page, I found "don't start a project by staring at a blank photoshop canvas. the concept will never be strong enough that way, ever! don't let the tools for creation dictate what you create meaning don't allow the programs to limit what you can and cannot do with design, because you can do anything." Well said... [stereot]
- Oculart.com 11/3/02
Description: each chapter layered deep - click often - read more (Flash)
Comments: The "twine" soundscape combines with an odd motion graphic called "funeral garden" as you enter the site, immediately drawing you into an other world of webart. That's the first of 11 "chapters" and the deeper you go, the more interesting it gets. It's a big collage that defies description – the words, images, and sound are thought-provoking and totally engaging. Look for things to click, particularly in the later chapters. Geoff's art is real and his creativity, unbridled. Amazing... [Experimental Magazine]
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