Isabelle Hayeur was tired of seeing the wonderfully beautiful, if not slowly decaying, Vancouver architecture constantly be demolished by uninspired real estate developers. In the darker streets of Canada’s home of the 2010 Olympics, she sparks the imagination of visitors with her piece, Fire with Fire. The fire-lit windows intend… Read more »
They’re everywhere. On walls, in the sidewalk, on bridges, in parks and on statues. Bronze plaques commemorating somebody or something are familiar and friendly elements of the streetscape. Easy to overlook, and sometimes boring to read, these cast metal panels tell the stories of a place’s past. Who did what… Read more »
Demonstrating that graphic design can be ‘built in’ to a building, this huge, architecturally integrated address on the new Caltrans District 7 headquarters building in Los Angeles is one of our favorite signs. Not only does it dramatically state the address, the sign forms the artistic focal point of the… Read more »
There’s a kiosk in there somewhere, but it is obscured by hundreds of student postings (here, the original meaning of posting). Seeking roommates, yoga classes, tutoring, bicycles for sale, sex counseling, ride-sharing, foreign study, choir auditions – you name it. A nexus of campus information and interaction, these layered displays… Read more »
With a little help from Macy’s, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. You gotta’ believe.
The technological contributions of the French may not be fully appreciated. Certainly, the inventions of Louis Pasteur, Gustave Eiffel and Louis Braille are known worldwide, but it is the effort of one lesser-known French inventor, Georges Claude, which has made a lasting impact to the world of environmental graphic design…. Read more »
The new becomes old quickly, especially in Los Angeles. It has been only twenty-six years since the City of Angels hosted the 1984 Olympics, but the celebrated and successful event is now just a memory. However, the famous Stars in Motion logo, by the late designer Robert Miles Runyan, can… Read more »
Graffiti is awful and usually degrades any environment. But here is an interesting New York public art installation using the medium, technology and even the letterforms of graffiti.
We don’t have an Eiffel Tower or a Golden Gate Bridge, but Los Angeles does have one of the most famous signs in the world. First deployed in 1923 by a real estate developer as HOLLYWOOD LAND, the remaining sign of nine 45’ high letters is recognizable around the world… Read more »