I want. Universal Everything. Much Respect.

Ivan is a Danish art director and artist who likes to take funny pictures of himself. Happy Friday y’all.

Those guys from IP.3, parisian graphic design studio, informed us of the update of their portfolio and the release of a book they’ve worked on : le Dictionnaire du Look edited by Robert Laffont. It’s all about fashion, explains all the current trends with good pictures and nice funny types.

There’s a video presentation of the book on the editor’s website, to watch it, click here! And to have a look at their portfolio, click here!

A few months ago we ran a poster competition that explored the idea of adaptation. We asked the GraphicHug community to design some spreads in response to the same brief. Compiled in two 80+ page volumes. We present GraphicHug’s first book. Finally, we have finished the arduous process of actually producing this book. A sincere apology to all our contributing designers. Your patience is golden. This is the first volume of many to come where we explore various topics of consideration and interest. So, stay tune for more. Next time we promise a more punctual delivery. The books are available at the GraphicHug lulu store. Adaptation: A Response to ______________. Side A Adaptation: A Response to ______________. Side B Enjoy.

I’ve been a distant, and admittedly jealous, admirer of Post Typography for a few years now. Nolan Starls and Bruce Willen are a power duo from Baltimore composed of pure nuclear, ingenious creative energy. The cheeky, intelligent, and self-aware duo have crafted beautiful works of print, typography, and even music, (they both perform in Double Dagger with friend Denny Bowen.) The fruits of their hard labor have been compactly collected in a small monograph published by french publisher Pyramyd.

The monograph itself is #071 in Pyramyd’s Design & Designer Collection; an accessible series combining interesting designers from all walks. Physically the book is underwhelming, but the pocket size scale lends itself to being both a pleasurable resource you can pull out anywhere conveniently. Pyramyd and Post Typography have surely worked hard to compile a very complete overview of all their graphic activities.

You can buy this book at Spoonbill in Brooklyn, Atomic Books in Baltimore, Book Soup in Los Angeles, all over Europe, and from Pyramyd directly.

The lad’s over at Bunch alerted us about some new work that they’ve recently finished. Yes, Bunch is that same group that called in over 200 creatives to create a ‘global identity project.’ I believe one of our own huggers participated. That project has now been compiled into a book called Bastardized. It’ll be interesting to see what these guys come up with next.

The craft movement has been brewing into a full forced machine over the past couple of years. Etsy’s tremendous success alone attests the growing market of makers across the globe that is breathing right under the surface. Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design, by Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl, is sweeping survey of the craft movement in America. Both Levine and Heimerl are credible voices in the craft world at large, (Levine is the founder of Art vs. Craft, and Heimerl is a codirector of design collective Fasten.) The book is a companion piece to the documentary that is touring the nation. What is the source of America’s newfound love of DIY craft? Is it consumer guilt? Is it a psychological response to the chaotic hyper paced life we live today? A need to slow down? I’ve heard all sorts of arguments from post-9/11 anxieties, to anti-Walmart activism and personal responsibility to our earth’s sustainability. All talk aside, it’s clear that America wants to make stuff. But we’re not going to make all these cutesy button dolls for free. Embedded in the craft movement is a strong American entrepreneurial spirit that has manifested in packed craft fairs all over the nation. (Just a few weeks ago I was unable to attend Boston’s renowned Bazaar Bizarre due to a line stretching several blocks!) Handmade nation scours the country interviewing 24 creators, or crafters as they’re called, working in different regions of the country. An interview and brief “studio visit” explains each artist(s) unique practices. Peppered among these profiles are several essays that touch on a variety of topics surrounding the craft debate. The book summarizes the movement as one dominated by women, united by the Internet, and empowered by a healthy dose of self-endowed activism. Although, it only briefly touches on the topic of fairs it is very clear that the present day movement is a mercantile venture that quenches America’s need to consume. It offers a seemingly guilt-free alternative.

Kate Bingamun-Burt’s obsessive hand-drawn type visually knits the book’s parts together. Her timeline is a beautiful typographic mess that communicates the snowballing momentum that craft has had since 1994. Although, there is no single star of the book, Susan Daly of Timber Handmade and the Renegade Craft Fair, comes out as clear winners. For many, the Renegade Craft Fair has been a point of awakening. Since it’s summer 2003 Chicago birth, Renegade has spurred craft fairs to pop up all over the country, (just to rep my city Bazaar Bizarre has been running since 2001.)

Overall, Handmade nation does a decent job surveying this nation of knitters, embroiderers, carpet weavers, shoe makers, silkscreen printers, jewelry makers … the list goes on and on. It’s a printed document that reflects the state of the movement, which is important and profound. But at the end of the day it’s about self-empowering fun. Although some creators make hard statements of alternative activism, many are timid in their exact stance. They are simply doing what they love and have banded together in arms to allow their hobbies to literally take over their lives. In the end, the book is a self-standing piece acting as a spark notes version of the film. Because it coincides with the film, the photography falls second to the cinematography. The book is a great covert catalogue that will sufficiently introduce someone to the scene. But the meat of the book probably lies in the film. Check both out. Graphichug would like to thank Princeton Architectural Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Mr. Munari was a prolific Italian designer, artist, painter, etc… General all around super guy. His modernist design was full of energy, formal experimentation, and a lifelong belief in the educational force of design. From modular lettering sets, to books Munari’s work for children demonstrated how effective design can be in teaching basic concepts. In addition to this work Munari was a great writer on many aesthetic topics. His book, Design as Art, has now been reissued by Penguin.

This book came out almost a month ago and I didn’t have a chance to check it out at the book store until yesterday. It is more than 460 pages book. Little bit overwhelming. But I must say this book is one of the best type design/typography books I have ever seen. Of course we all know he created typefaces such as Univers, Frutiger, and Avenir. But there is more. About 50 typefaces that he designed are illustrated beautifully in this book. Honestly I didn’t know most of them. Amazing work. More info is here.

We recieved AIGA 365 29 in the studio today. Designed by Pentagram and published by Cronicle Books. It’s the best in a long time. Finally, a nice, big, real book showcasing the best of design in a past year. More details and links via the Pentagram news feed.