UAB Design Alum Named Graphis Design Best

UAB Design Alum, Drew Watts (09) was awarded a gold and named Graphis 100 best in design, for his Ford Kids Escape project. Watts is currently working at Webster Design in Omaha, NE. Webster Design is an Interdisciplinary design firm working in print, web, environmental and packaging.

Watts explained: In the process of having a new Ford dealership built, an architecture agency behind the project came to Webster Design and asked us to create a play area that went beyond the typical crayon table and wooden train set. My concept was to create an outdoor space that would juxtapose the vast field of concrete and vehicles that are always associated with car dealerships.

We created a theatrical outdoor setting that would inspire the children to be imaginative and active. The small hills and the artificial grass also give the parents a comfortable place to sit, relax and interact with their kids as they wait for service.

UAB Design Graduate Crafts New Magazine

UAB Design student graduate, Courtney Kyle spent the last three months art directing, creating and crafting her first major publication. The premier issue of the craft magazine "Stitch, Craft, Create" hits the newsstand this month with 130 pages of fantastic crafts and holiday ideas, all from right here in Alabama. Kyle worked on the magazine for Hoffman Media, LLC. an Alabama company. She lent her talents to typesetting and laying out pages as well as designing several of the craft projects herself. She was even responsible for creating directions for subscribers to follow to successfully create the crafts themselves. Courtney told us she loved all the hands-on opportunities that designing and creating a large-scale craft publication entails. On the newsstand October 18, 2011.

New Home for the UAB Art Department

The UAB Department of Art and Art History will have a new home in the fall of 2013. The building (pictured) was designed by Los Angeles-based Randall Stout Architects. Randall served as Senior Associate to world-renowned architect Frank Gehry from 1989 to 1996 and, in 1993, started his own architecture firm.The firm has designed numerous noteworthy buildings both in Europe and here,including the new wing of the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, and the Art Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke.

The new building will feature multiple gallery spaces and a unique metal exterior. Groundbreaking will begin over the winter holiday of 2011.

UAB Design Student in the Big Apple!

UAB Graphic Design student, Cana Grooms, spent the summer in the big apple interning with home design guru and bon vivant Jonathan Adler. She worked for 3 months on everything from basic patterns and color palettes to a redesign of the Adler product tags that will be used in all their stores. Talking about her experience Grooms said, "I was given tons of freedom. I would be given a basic idea of what the project was and the concept, and then allowed to ramble through designs and present the strongest ones at the end of the day." Cana was given free reign on many of the projects she touched, including the design of the 2011 Holiday Look Book. Talking about life in NYC, "Its crazy and wonderful at the same time, there is so much creative inspiration in the city. There is an energy that constantly renews your creative spirit."  

IDEO Workshop - Jemison Lecture Series

Beau Bergeron of IDEO

IDEO Communication Designer, Beau Bergeron, spent 3 days lecturing, ideating, making, and remixing at UAB’s graphic design studios. His lecture, “How to Get Everything You Want out of School, Job Hunting and Life,” takes students on his own wild-ride to score the job of his dreams and live life by his own rules. Through his personal insight and experience, students learn to take control of their own design practice and future.

Using IDEO’s creative method of learn, look, ask, try–students brainstorm the idea of connecting a soda vending machine to cell phones and social networking. The session began with these words of wisdom, “No idea is too crazy, do not play it safe today!” Students worked, shouted and waved for 40 minutes, drawing out ideas on sticky notes. Beau worked the floor like a DJ at a party, shouting out “THANK YOU” and “REMIX IT!”

The workshop also featured a poster design session and a one-on-one portfolio review. 

45 Beautifully Designed Book Covers

The great people at well medicated have compiled their list of the 45 most beautifully designed book covers. Book cover design has come a long way in the last 25 years, thanks Chip Kidd !
Got to their site and check it out.

Adbusting in Berlin

Great Photoshop Adbusting of a boring advertisement which you see everywhere in Berlin, Germany: Britney Spears, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera selling their albums. The adbusting was done by the FTW crew (Mr. Tailon, Baveux Prod., Kone & Epoxy) and consists of overlaying the image with stickers from Adobe Photoshop’s interface panels. See all the photos... 

I want!

Yet another feature I must have on my own card!  Local design student, letterpress owner and bon vivant Patrick Masterson showed me a sample of his latest work. The effect, called "edging" is done by stacking 200 cards together, then airbrushing the color, by hand, on the edges. Apparently the rage right now with the "in" crowd. It is really striking in person! I asked if there was anything stopping him from doing it in GOLD, and his answer.. in perfect Patrick tone "good taste?"

These are printed on Crane-Lettra, letterpress paper by Crane. http://www.cranepaper.com/lettra/home.html