I hope that wherever you are it is (almost) as beautiful as it is here. Get out and enjoy the sun!

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You would think that it would get boring drawing something as mundane as a simple map, but there is something zen-like about getting into the flow of working on wayfinding and cartography. Sometimes Sue and I even argue over who gets to work on the maps (she wins). Each project requires a certain set of design parameters and usually our maps need to fit into the scheme of an overarching project beyond the map itself. How much detail is required? What is the final delivery medium? What is the colour palette? What is the most effective manner to convey the information required? All while keeping everything in line with the project “brand”.

As an added side effect of drawing so many local neighbourhoods, I’ve become very familiar with Vancouver (as well as many regions I’ve never even visited). Maybe I like this aspect of my work because it reminds me of how much I enjoyed treasure maps when I was young. Who doesn’t like pirates and buried treasure!?!

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I love comic books, but the fans that attended FanExpo really, really, REALLY embrace pop culture. The variety of costumes on display helped pass the time while waiting in the ridiculously long line-up to get into the convention centre. So many characters pulled from comic books, cartoons, anime, movies and video games… kudos to the amount of effort that Vancouver fans put into their costumes.

For anyone associated with the visual arts, events like this just can’t be passed up. It was visual overload and a great opportunity to be exposed to some really interesting material. The work that our graphic design studio produces is primarily based in print, and there was no shortage of interesting print matter to ogle. Great vintage posters, exciting books, wonderful packaging, and cutting edge illustrations; many created right in front of your eyes. Aside from an opportunity to find obscure comics or hard-to-find toys, it is a good chance to discover new inspiration. I was lucky enough to chat with the creators of some of my favourite comics and I even had Stan Lee sign one of my back issues. The guy is in his 90′s and he has more energy than my kids!

If comic books aren’t your thing (What!?!), FanExpo does a great job of offering a variety of pop culture interests, and the programming takes advantage of the TV, Film and Videogame talent that is a huge part of the industry in Vancouver. Great fun for kids of all ages. Maybe next year I’ll even bring mine along.

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“Great cities are defined by great intersections; Locations that play host to significant historical events, define the culture of a neighbourhood, and are the meeting point for diverse groups of people. Intersections invites seven Vancouver-based designers to explore seven essential locations throughout our city.”

Through luck of the draw, our Intersection was Broadway & Granville.

What a great project to be involved in. I have many fond memories of the Broadway & Granville intersection. Early in my career, I had a run at another design start-up (before I was fortunate enough to partner with Sue) that was located in that neighbourhood, and I used to grab my coffee at that intersection almost every morning. Years ago I had taken some photos of the historic Dick building with the spinning neon Kaplan Education Centre sign (while it still worked). We also dug up some historic photos of the long gone Aristocratic dinner that used to be a late night go to staple while I was in art-school. All that is left of the dinner is a faux neon sign in the window of the Chapters bookstore that is on the same corner. The shopping along that stretch of Granville is great, and only getting better. So many aspects to focus on. However, in the end, what it really came down to was public transit.

“The focus for the Broadway & Granville poster was the prevalence of public transit found at the intersection. Six major bus routes converge on the intersection and the 99B-line along the Broadway corridor moves more people than any other transit route in North America. The layered, abstract photograph of the trolley cables creates visual texture in the background of the poster. The custom typography is reminiscent of the hand painted shop signs and storefront windows from the high society days of the neighbourhood.”

Other posters on display are by Glasfurd and Walker, Post Projects, Seterah Shamdani, State Creative, Working Format, and Zach Bulick. Great company indeed. Please visit the exhibit, up until later this summer.

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Typography Sketchbooks (Steven Heller & Lita Talarico)
Ever since I did a post about my sketchbooks many weeks ago, I’ve been keeping an eye open for books and blogs about other designers’ process and sketchbooks. I ordered this one from the library and it took a while to show up at my local branch. This thing was a brick, but well worth lugging it home. I spent a long time leafing through the diversity of work on display.

Sign Painters (Faythe Levine & Sam Macon)
This is a showcase of various Sign painters across the USA. I have a lot of admiration for anyone who has the patience and chops to pull together a beautifully crafted hand-painted sign. And there is plenty of beautiful work to admire in this book. Many, many interesting characters (both the letters and the people who make them). 

Painting with Light: Lighting & Photoshop Techniques for Photographers (Eric Curry)
There are plenty of niche photo-techniques that I have been itching to try out and light painting is one of them. I’ve taken a stab at it a couple of times, and they turned out OK, just not the end result I was aiming for. Eric lays it all out in a step by step guide with lots of case studies. If you are looking to move into some experimental photography and have some fun doing it, this might be a book worth checking out.

Letterforms: Bawdy, Bad and Beautiful: The Evolution of Hand-Drawn, Humorous, Vernacular, and Experimental Type with Other (Steven Heller & Christine Thompson)
This was a blast from the past. Published in 2000 and showcasing typographic highlights from the 1990′s, it was a great trip down memory lane. Basically a picture book categorized into four different sections, it was a good review of what was once cutting-edge and modern. Some nice work, others… don’t really stand the test of time.

The Passionate Photographer: Ten Steps Toward Becoming Great (Steve Simon)
My cousin Mel is a fantastic photographer. Steve Simon was her instructor in college, and I really enjoy Steve’s contributions to the TWiP podcast. I had heard his new book mentioned on the podcast and Mel recommended it, so it was a nice surprise when I opened this Christmas gift from my sister. Steve has created an excellent guide that helps refine your craft and give your photos a personal voice. The Passionate Photographer is so well done, I bought one for my brother’s birthday.

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts (Simon Garfield)
I got this one last year for Christmas. I enjoyed the forward by Chip Kidd, but I was kind of turned off by the first chapter (about how designers hate Comic Sans – yawn). I put it on the shelf and totally forgot about it. Then I picked it up again over the holidays. I’m glad I gave it another chance, as I really enjoyed it. I know that the reviews by “typographic purist” has been negative and there has been a lot of poo pooing over certain details… but whatever, I thought it was an enjoyable read, packed with interesting tidbits and I learned a few things along the way.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (Sean Howe)
This was the best of the batch (of course). I was looking for something to get into the early days of Marvel comics, back when they were named “Atlas” and “Timely”, so this was perfect. I wasn’t expecting the book to cover off all fifty years of the company, so that was an added bonus. The last ten years felt like only 50 pages or so, but that wasn’t what I orginally wanted the book for anyway. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Jim Shooter‘s reign as editor-in-chief, but I was disappointed there was no mention of my tour of the Marvel offices back in the late 90′s (by Spider-Man himself!).

Had a Glass 2013: Top 100 Wines Under $20 (James Nevison)
This is NOT a design book. But what goes better with a good book than a good glass of wine? I’ve been getting “had a glass” every year for the last four years, and Nevison’s picks are always bang-on. I do enjoy a good bottle for under $20.

Dads Are the Original Hipsters (Brad Getty)
This is also not really a design book. However, the current trend within certain design circles to pump out “Hipster” design has been driving me crazy. All style, zero substance and way too easy to whip off. Maybe as a result of that distain, this book made me laugh out loud multiple times.

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In October I was very fortunate to see Sibella Court when she spoke at Maiwa on Granville Island. She is a stylist, designer and collector who I’ve really come to admire. She has an eye for finding the extraordinary in everyday settings and objects. The timing of her lecture was perfect as I was in the beginning stages of planning and I found her talk very inspiring.

In late November, I was on the prowl for new and interesting props. Some of the things on my list were: vintage perfume bottles, metal trays and vessels, fancy utensils, feathers, fish, nuts, fall foliage, bristle brush animals, pearls, spotted eggs, trophies and small things in shades of blue. When I wasn’t shopping, I was painting and distressing backdrops and searching for small, portable pieces of furniture.

Early December we embarked on a three week photoshoot. To make the most of everyone’s time and resources, three catalogs were shot simultaneously. For part of the shoot we rented the upstairs apartment at Le Marché St. George. The dark wood floors and vintage doors and hardware made for a lovely backdrop. I was very fortunate to work with photographers Tanya and Meghan of Sweet Heirloom again. Here are a few of my favourite shots.

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Regardless, I managed to shoot some images I was happy with. Here are some of my favourites from the past year that haven’t been “published” before. 12 for 2012!

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To celebrate the season, Shobna has launched into Christmas with a macaron collection including Gingerbread, Orange Spice, Roasted Chestnut, Mulled Wine, Cran-rosemary and Santa’s Milk & Cookies.

…And Soirette has also opened a cute little pop-up shop inside Holt Renfrew. Drop by while you are downtown wrapping up your X-mas shopping.

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“The exhibit explores the experiences of Chinese Canadians who served in the Canadian Military and Volunteer Services and in Allied war efforts during the Second World War. Though denied rights and subjected to widespread discrimination before the war, many Chinese Canadians volunteered for military service and related duties, helping to secure victory abroad and greater equality at home. The exhibition presents fascinating wartime stories of unforgettable men and women, and their remarkable contributions to Canada and to the Chinese Canadian community in war and in peace.”

It was an honour to be asked to design this inspiring exhibit. If you are in the nation’s capital over the next six weeks, please check it out (the rest of the museum is spectacular as well).

images courtesy of the Canadian War Museum

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My loving Mother dropped the bomb on me during a family vacation (“we had you tested when you were a toddler and you came up as colourblind”) and when I got home I did some digging online. I found a few examples of the Ishihara Test and sure enough, failed miserably. Those frustrating circles filled with various sized dots didn’t look like anything other than that. Guess I’ll never be a pilot now, let alone an astronaut… gee, thanks Mom.

In hindsight, maybe that is why I have always been drawn to bold, high contrast graphic work. Maybe it is one of the reasons my preferences skewed early on towards graphic design instead of fine art. I’ll never know, but I do know that being colourblind has never held me back. I learned early on never to trust my eyes anyway. I was taught to look at the numeric breakdown of CMYK process colours, spec pantone numbers and never to believe the colours represented on potentially poorly calibrated computer monitors. Perhaps that is why I got really good at two and three colour solutions. As every good designer knows, in order to create a successful piece of work, it MUST work in black & white before you even consider the application of colour. I always take pride in the fact that my designs would really pop in black and white (it will be great on a fax!).

Of course Sue will never let me live it down, and loves to rub my nose in the fact that “I can’t possibly spec anything to do with colours, because I’m colourblind”. Nevermind the fact that I had created award-winning designs all while never even knowing that I had trouble distinguishing between the darkest shades of red and green.

Besides, I figure if Graphic Design master Herb Lubalin could build such an illustrious career all while being colourblind, there might be hope for me yet.

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