Showing posts with label graphic design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graphic design. Show all posts
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Hand Critter iPhone 4/4S Cases
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
A Today’s Best Award for the Hand Quetzal bag | | Hand Critters
September 7, 2011: One of our new products, the Hand Quetzal bag, won a Today's Best Award from Zazzle! This bag, like all the Hand Critter products, can be customized with different colors, styles and sizes. Explore the product page to see all the available options.
Click here to see our other Hand Critter bags!
Click here to see our other Hand Critter bags!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
New design: Super Me t-shirts
I am happy to introduce to you a new design: Super Me t-shirts... Because at some point in our lives we all are superheroes.
These and other designs are available at my two stores: Dyango Chavez and Hand Critters.
Here you can see only some of the t-shirt colors, sizes and styles. If you click on any of them, at the store, you will see all the available options.
Keep in Touch
If you like my designs and would like to see more in the future, please consider joining my Facebook page.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Have something to say? Say it with the Big Mouth Says What?!?! postcards
Wouldn't it be great to have someone to say what you REALLY want to say? Fear no more, here is Big Mouth to the rescue!
Check these out: choose a color combination and surprise someone with your real thoughts about them.
Big Mouth awayyyyyyy...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Introducing the Hand Dragon | Hand Critters
Introducing the Hand Dragon | Hand Critters
These are fun critters created from a Hand. I have created a big collection of them, and this is the Hand dragon. Let me know what you think.
These are fun critters created from a Hand. I have created a big collection of them, and this is the Hand dragon. Let me know what you think.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Design Services Survey
Dear friends,
As you all know, I work as a freelance designer, providing branding, graphic and web design services. I am working to increase my client base, and I have created a 4-question, anonymous survey. If you could please take 5 minutes to answer these questions, it would help me greatly. Also, feel free to share it with your friends. Thanks, thanks, thanks.
As you all know, I work as a freelance designer, providing branding, graphic and web design services. I am working to increase my client base, and I have created a 4-question, anonymous survey. If you could please take 5 minutes to answer these questions, it would help me greatly. Also, feel free to share it with your friends. Thanks, thanks, thanks.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Paul Rand, logo designer
Check out this video of Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, talking about Paul Rand, the designer who created logos for: IBM, ABC, Cummins Engine, Westinghouse, and UPS.
It is refreshing to see the respect and admiration of a client for a designer.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Typographic experimentation
This morning I attended a workshop on typography, as part of AIGA Boston's celebration of its 25 years. The instructor was Michelle Bowers, a very talented designer, who does fantastic typography work. You can see her work here, and below are the images that I created during the workshop. It was a lot of fun!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Polish posters
Friday, February 20, 2009
Beautiful Book Covers - Bellas Portadas de Libros
Penguin re-published the James Bond novels with a beautiful redesign of the cover. See the artist's blog here and the covers here.
La editorial Penguin re-publicó las novelas de James Bond con nuevas, muy bellas portadas, diseñadas por este artista. Aquí puedes ver las portadas.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Shigeo Fukuda RIP
I just read the news that Shigeo Fukuda passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2009. He was 76 years old.
Fukuda was a very important figure of the Japanese and International design community. His work is full of poetry and discovery. He was, is, and will always be a good inspiration for designers and artists. Rest in peace, dear maestro.
Here are are some of his posters
Fukuda was a very important figure of the Japanese and International design community. His work is full of poetry and discovery. He was, is, and will always be a good inspiration for designers and artists. Rest in peace, dear maestro.
Here are are some of his posters
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Design Life Now
I just came back from the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston. I went to visit the exhibition Design Life Now. This exhibition, running from September 28, 2007 to January 6, 2008, intends to present a wide spectrum of contemporary American design, including product design, architecture, furniture, film, graphics, new technologies, animation, science, and fashion.
This is my first major contact (aside from some experiences during three visits to the MOMA in NY) with a big show that covers so many fields of design. Being an AIGA member, I had the opportunity to visit an exhibit that was part of BoNE Show 7, Best of New England Design, but that event, which was organized by AIGA Boston, focused only on graphic design.
Design Life Now showcases the work of individuals and companies like Apple, Pixar, Nike, architect Santiago Calatrava, designers Joshua Davis, Jessica Smith, and David Wiseman, and many others.
These are some of the pieces that caught my eye:
- The Speak Up web site. According to their own description: this site "is a reader-supported community devoted to graphic design open to conversation and dialogue. It stresses and questions the importance of the profession in our culture. Speak Up challenges those who practice inside the field, in hope of more accountability for their actions and in light of the responsibility we all have as communicators. Its mission is to further the graphic design profession from within with the goal of creating a stronger and clearer sense of what our role is as professionals endowed with the duty of creating social, cultural, political and/or economical communications based on our ability and obligation to do so in a visually clear and comprehensible manner."
- The Blik web site. In their own words: "What is blik you ask? blik is an I.D. Magazine award-winning line of surface graphics created by and for people who like to change their mind. These self-adhesive wall decals (think stickers for grown-ups) allow you to easily transform the look of a living or office space in minutes. Affix blik to any smooth, flat surface such as a wall, window, mirror, ceiling, tabletop or floor. Choose your space, plan the design you'd like to make, and literally, just peel and stick. And when you're tired of your design, say after years, a month, maybe a day - the decals are removable."
- Howtoons: This website showcases cartoons that show kids of all ages "How To" build things. Each illustrated episode is a stand-alone fun adventure.
Other great pieces were:
- Book covers by Chip Kidd
- Design examples from Planet Propaganda
I don't know if this exhibition will visit other cities, but I would sure recommend it to designers, students, architects, artists, or anyone interested in learning about contemporary design in the US.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Interesting combination
I woke up this morning and I found my wife's shoes in the living room, in a surprising relationship with the VCR and DVD remotes.
I don't know what to make of it; I just thought that it was an interesting image, maybe good for advertising or poster design. I wanted to share it with you, and if someone comes up with something, I will happily publish the image here, next to my photo.
I don't know what to make of it; I just thought that it was an interesting image, maybe good for advertising or poster design. I wanted to share it with you, and if someone comes up with something, I will happily publish the image here, next to my photo.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Some ideas about paper
Paper selection is a very important part of the design process for a printed communication piece. Unfortunately, in many cases this element is left behind in the process, and the final decision depends more on the available budget.
There are many elements to consider when selecting paper stock: Coated or Uncoated, Textured or Smooth, Bright or Dim, Glossy or Dull, Thick or Thin, Opaque or Transparent, White or Color, etc.
One of the basic decisions is Coated vs. Uncoated:
Uncoated papers are more textured and porous, affecting the way ink lays on the paper surface. Inks tend to spread out more, which would not work well for a design with very small, thin, or sharp details. Images would be softened, and colors would not be very saturated.
Coated papers are smoother. Their surface allows a sharper and more detailed result, and brighter and more saturated colors can be obtained.
If you are a designer or a client working with a designer, research paper types, talk with your printer to learn about possibilities, and make the best choice depending on who will use this piece, how it will be used, and what is the intended message.
Glossy papers can make reading harder in certain lighting conditions, for example, but can be good in some cases because of the more shiny end results and the more saturated colors obtained.
There is no unique formula for a successful choice. Talk with your designer or client, and may the best paper win!
There are many elements to consider when selecting paper stock: Coated or Uncoated, Textured or Smooth, Bright or Dim, Glossy or Dull, Thick or Thin, Opaque or Transparent, White or Color, etc.
One of the basic decisions is Coated vs. Uncoated:
Uncoated papers are more textured and porous, affecting the way ink lays on the paper surface. Inks tend to spread out more, which would not work well for a design with very small, thin, or sharp details. Images would be softened, and colors would not be very saturated.
Coated papers are smoother. Their surface allows a sharper and more detailed result, and brighter and more saturated colors can be obtained.
If you are a designer or a client working with a designer, research paper types, talk with your printer to learn about possibilities, and make the best choice depending on who will use this piece, how it will be used, and what is the intended message.
Glossy papers can make reading harder in certain lighting conditions, for example, but can be good in some cases because of the more shiny end results and the more saturated colors obtained.
There is no unique formula for a successful choice. Talk with your designer or client, and may the best paper win!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
New drafting table
I just bought a drafting table. It does not seem like a big deal, but when you think of the many hours that designers spend working with a computer, a table to sit and sketch, just by hand, without a fancy Wacom tablet, or an Apple super mouse, just ideas flowing in a natural fashion...I am very happy with this new acquisition; I just hope that it will help me to get new inspirations.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Very cool type animation
A friend sent me the link to a very cool type animation based on the audio track from ‘Pulp Fiction’. Thanks to Michael Lok from Urbane-Dog.com
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Respect designers and yourself: say no to spec work
I recently received an email from one of the forums that I read, where someone requested that the designers in the forum submit logo ideas to this company, so they could choose which logo they liked, and would then pay the selected designer for his work.
Even more interestingly, the person making this request was a doctor, and the company in question is a private clinic.
It's incredible how often proposals like this appear on the web. The worst part is that both sides, designers answering these requests and the clients posting them, are playing a terrible role.
I wonder what would be the answer from the medical community if a patient goes and says: "I want to have appointments with as many doctors as possible, have all of them give me their best knowledge and treatment, and at the end of the day, I will pay only the one whose treatment I enjoyed the most..." Note: This example is mentioning doctors; however, it would apply to anybody who finds it fair to make designers work for free.
When someone makes this type of request, their idea may be: "There are tons of students and beginning designers who would be more than happy to have their work selected and used by us, so, why not have them work hard, and we just select and pay for WHAT WE LIKE at the end".
The emphasis in the last paragraph is to remark that you are not getting WHAT IS BEST for your company, you are just selecting what looks the best among the available options.
As a client, the practice of spec work damages your company, because the designs that you receive will not be based on any professional research. In another of my posts I tried to explain that a logo is an investment, and this extends to any product of design. A designer or firm that creates a successful design for you (meaning more sales, more client recognition and loyalty) will need to thoroughly know your company's mission, goals and projections, among other things.
Although the option of requesting spec work from the design community may seems cheaper, at the end of the day you may be paying double or more, or having worse consequences, similar to choosing a bad clinic to treat your illness only because it is cheaper.
For more information about spec work visit this website.
Even more interestingly, the person making this request was a doctor, and the company in question is a private clinic.
It's incredible how often proposals like this appear on the web. The worst part is that both sides, designers answering these requests and the clients posting them, are playing a terrible role.
I wonder what would be the answer from the medical community if a patient goes and says: "I want to have appointments with as many doctors as possible, have all of them give me their best knowledge and treatment, and at the end of the day, I will pay only the one whose treatment I enjoyed the most..." Note: This example is mentioning doctors; however, it would apply to anybody who finds it fair to make designers work for free.
When someone makes this type of request, their idea may be: "There are tons of students and beginning designers who would be more than happy to have their work selected and used by us, so, why not have them work hard, and we just select and pay for WHAT WE LIKE at the end".
The emphasis in the last paragraph is to remark that you are not getting WHAT IS BEST for your company, you are just selecting what looks the best among the available options.
As a client, the practice of spec work damages your company, because the designs that you receive will not be based on any professional research. In another of my posts I tried to explain that a logo is an investment, and this extends to any product of design. A designer or firm that creates a successful design for you (meaning more sales, more client recognition and loyalty) will need to thoroughly know your company's mission, goals and projections, among other things.
Although the option of requesting spec work from the design community may seems cheaper, at the end of the day you may be paying double or more, or having worse consequences, similar to choosing a bad clinic to treat your illness only because it is cheaper.
For more information about spec work visit this website.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Letter spacing test
Test your ability to kern (adjust the distance between two letters, to make words more readable) at this page. The University of Delaware and its Visual Communication program published this test for their students. You will be able to take the same test if you click on GUEST, at the bottom.For more information about kerning and tracking (evenly adjusting the space between letter in words, sentences or paragraphs), visit this article in Wikipedia.
Good information about printing
I found this web page with very detailed information about printing. Great for designers, students, and everybody interested in learning about printing. Some of the topics are:
Digital Printing, Binding, Die Cutting, Embossing, Foil Stamping, Folding, Laminating, Numbering, Padding, Perforations, Paper, Inks and Coatings, Prepress, Color, Desktop Publishing, Imaging, Planning and Design, Proofing, Software, Print Processes, Security Features, etc
Digital Printing, Binding, Die Cutting, Embossing, Foil Stamping, Folding, Laminating, Numbering, Padding, Perforations, Paper, Inks and Coatings, Prepress, Color, Desktop Publishing, Imaging, Planning and Design, Proofing, Software, Print Processes, Security Features, etc
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Vector graphics vs. Pixels
Pixel images contain a fixed number of pixels. Scaling up a pixel image can cause jagged edges, because pixels are enlarged to fit the new size, or blurry details, because new pixels are added to fit the larger image.When creating logos, for example, designers should use vector programs. Vector graphics can be scaled up to any size without any loss of image quality.
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