Paper Clipping - Design Resources

We have now moved PaperClipping to Twitter

2009-10-26T14:03:00.006Z

Why write lots of words when we can say what we need in a simple Twitter:

Follow PaperClipping on Twitter.

A great place to get great design ideas and inspiration.

We have also recently opened our new sub business making websites.
Called Leeds Website Design.

Art Spider

2008-11-17T17:48:00.004Z

Art Spider is a website for learning disability arts and is part of Mencap. The gallery has visual arts, film and music made by artists with disabilities. Click here to visit the gallery of work.

Willard Wigan's Micro Sculptures

2008-11-10T13:15:00.000Z

Willard Wigan is the creator of the smallest sculptors in the world. Wigan uses a tiny surgical blade to carve his microscopic figures out of rice, and fragments of grains of sand and sugar, which are then mounted on pinheads. Wigan, who has learning disabilities and is unable to read or write, describes his sculptures as a way to expressive himself. ABC news have just done an online video of him here. His tools include a microscope, dust and hairs to create his sculptors. His sculptors often take months to complete, he mentions that he has to work between heartbeats to avoid hand tremors.

FedEx. The Optical Illusion.

2008-01-12T11:52:00.000Z

Can you see what's hiding away in the logo? Read how and why the designer (Lindon Leader) decided to come up with the optical illusion of the forward-pointing arrow. Read the theory behond one of the most popular and interesting logo designs ever.
+click the title or here for the article+

Make my logo bigger cream

2007-12-15T20:57:00.000Z

A very funny parody on graphic design v's client requests. This fantastic video takes the mickey out of the annoying demands clients often put on graphic designers, such as 'make my logo bigger'. Well worth a visit if you are in the design industry.

Find Answers (to anything)

2007-11-01T20:46:00.000Z

Ask Jeeves used to be the only place on the net to ask a random question and expect an answer (be it computer generated). It uses a search engine based system to do this. However, there are better ways to get answers to your questions. New 'answer' web sites use social networking tools to allow other people to answer your questions and so you end up all helping each other. Here's our favourites (starting with the best):
1. Yahoo Answer
2. WikiAnswers
3. AnswerBank (UK based)
4. Half Bakery (suggest inventions)
5. Qunu (technical experts answer you)
You need to join each of the sites to get answers.

Visual Thesaurus - For inspirational ideas

2007-10-26T19:50:00.000Z

The Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus is a dictionary and thesaurus with an intuitive interface that encourages exploration and learning. It is an 'interactive visual database of words' giving you a different view on the links between words. It can be used in design research to find connecting subjects and ideas. The best thing is that you can try the software (online) for FREE on the site. Once you use it and get used to using it, you'll never want to be without it. Here it is searching for the word 'design' and it's related subjects, meanings and alternatives. We like how design can be related to 'excogitation' meaning 'thinking intensely'. Recommended for those in Marketing and Design Research.

Creative Writing on your Mac

2007-10-07T13:36:00.001Z

TextEdit and Word are not the best solution when it comes to creative writing, they don't offer the tools you need to help you focus on the creative process of writing.
The first great program for Mac is WriteRoom, it offers a none distracting full screen mode for writers (a bit like the old word processors of the 80's) but with smoother graphics. This program is great if you have the need to just sit down and start churning out text but many of us need to plan and focus on our storyboards before we get going.
This is where Scrivener comes in, it's a storyboard management program with a great intuitive interface. It will help you write a short story to a full on thesis. It helps you manage your writing project by providing a corkboard for you to drop images, text, PDF's and generally organise your research. It also comes with a full screen mode for focussed writing.
I should also mention that there is an alternative to Scrivener costing $35 and that is Avenir for $30, it does not have as many features as Scrivener but does offer a more common user interface that feels easier to use (think iPhoto's interface). The best part is that they all offer a 30 day trial download.

All The Google logos

2007-09-13T01:10:00.000Z

It would be very hard not to have noticed the themed logos that the people at Google create for special occasions. We recently found the full collection on this page. Our favourite has got to be the Salvador Dali logo. Look at the effort put into that one.

Stock photos for all your design needs.

2007-09-01T17:00:00.000Z

"what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures ..."

It's often hard to find the right image for your design work. We find ourselves never having the right images to say what we need to say.
Choosing the right Stock for your creations is often important. There are many stock photography sites on the net. The best in our opinion is iStockphoto. Here you can buy credits and can purchase individual photos or design content with Royalty Free rights.

Alternatively, use Stock.XCHNG for free stock photography. The idea of Stock Xchng is to create a site where creative people can exchange their photos for inspiration or work. The site has only recently evolved into a massive community with about 1,000,000 registered users and more than 250,000 photos online. Under each image the photographer tells you what you can use the photographs for. A suprising number can be used for commercial work. It's a fantastic design resource that is worth visiting.

Buying Art - Online galleries

2007-07-23T10:52:00.000Z

Online galleries are the best place to find undiscovered talent. Two of the best galleries for finding this talent are Deviantart and Etsy.com.
Etsy is like an online craft fair, with it's members selling a range of hand made items from sculptures to paintings. There is always something to buy that is within your budget and taste.
Deviantart is more of a social networking site for artists. Prints can be purchased of some of the work and others you can download at high resolution and print yourself. It's one of the most visited sites on the net and if you haven't visited already, it's well worth taking a look. The site is a gold mine of ideas and inspiration.

2007 Freelance Survey

2007-07-13T10:33:00.000Z

Freelance Switch has set up a survey to gather information on those working in the freelance design market. The information will be used to help us all understand more about what our market is charging and an overall census of data on those freelancing. Help them complete the survey and you will be entered into a prize draw and get inside information on the census.

London 2012 Olympic Logo Problems

2007-06-06T09:27:00.000Z

The worst Olympic logo ever? Or a modern master piece?

How can we avoid the latest news hype around the new London 2012 Olympic logo. It seems every newspaper in the country wants to stress how horrible it is.

So the newspapers aren't into the new design, but what do you think?
Feel free to leave us your comments.

Some people have stressed concern that it doesn't show any London landmarks and the traditional attributes used in previous Olympic logos. However, design has move forward since the last London Olympics (see logo) in 1948.

Truthfully, it feels like this is a way for people to further vent their anger at the costs associated with London hosting the 2012 Olympics. The logo cost a whopping £400,000 to produce, alongside the £9.3 billion it will cost to host the games.

However, if we put aside these qualms and look at the actual design aspects of this logo, it might not be all that bad. Firstly, a lot of people are moaning about the visual impact this logo has on them. Logos aren't always about colour and shape. They can be about much deeper things and having spent £400,000 on the logo you'd expect design firm Wolff Olins to have considered the deeper meaning around what the Olympic games should be communicating (i.e. the branding). It's not about the logo but what we will do with the branding associated with it. The logo is modern and colourful and brings forward ideas of getting involved, the colours evoke excitement and infusion and for this reason it works with the branding that 'the London 2012 Olympics should be inviting so that everyone takes part and everyone is involved'. This message is conveyed in this video and article . We think it's a grower, feel free to leave your own comments.

Tiny URL

2007-06-02T14:04:00.000Z

Amazed we hadn't seen this already. This neat little site converts long URL's (web addresses) to short ones. So if you are writing about a site or adding a web address to your bibliography and it contains many variables in the name, this will shorten it for you and improve the presentation of your work.
Here is the site: http://tinyurl.com/

Best of Photoshop tutorial sites

2007-05-26T18:28:00.000Z

Getting ideas and creating great designs in Photoshop, can only come with years of practice and experience. Or can they?
Tutorial sites can offer, even those with no experience of Photoshop, the ability to create great looking designs for web and print. Tutorials can be used by both the elite and junior designer, to search for inspiration on one of those 'cloudy days'.

Here is a list of the best tutorial sites (these will be modified, as and when):

Photoshop Tutorial Site Links

http://www.bluesfear.com/tutorials.php

http://www.digitaltropic.com/tutorials.htm

http://www.graphics-world.com

http://www.planetphotoshop.com/tutorials.html

http://www.vladstudio.com/photoshoptutorials/ (our favourite)

This tutorial shows you how to easily create a great looking nav bar, like the image shown.

http://www.flashperfection.com/ - for a flash tutorial site.

Web Designer's Success Guide (free ebook)

2007-01-17T17:11:00.000Z

Web Designer's Success Guide is the definitive guide to starting your own freelance Web design business. The author, Kevin Airgid, grossed over $100,000 USD a year developing sites for various national level clients.
In this ebook he gives designers step-by-step instructions on how to become self employed, find clients and manage your projects.
Should I be telling you about this book? I found it so insightful that I felt like keeping it to myself (my precious).
It's FREE, yes free to download as a PDF by going here.

The Apple Pro Site - Fuel for Creativity

2007-01-13T11:08:00.000Z

Visit http://www.apple.com/uk/pro/ and discover some of the most cutting-edge work created by designers and artists on a Mac. Get tips, tricks, and techniques to make the most of your own creative projects.

iPod Advert Parodies

2007-01-02T19:34:00.000Z

Not many of us have missed the iPod advert parodies. They are popping up all over the place. Some examples can be seen above. You can also purchase the designs on Mugs and Hats at cafepress. They are many funky designs like the patience design available to buy on the bag shown.
If you also didn't know, cafepress allows designers and artists to sell their work on t-shirts and mugs, they do all the hardwork and you get a commission. So visit them even if you want to sell your own ipod adverts and clever ideas.

Statcounter.com (free invisible stats system)

2006-12-27T12:52:00.000Z

We can't rave about this service more. If you need to monitor who's coming and going on your new site. Register at statcounter.com to get a free code that you can place on your web pages. This code then generates a stats system that can be accessed by logging in to their site. You can then view how many unique visitors and page views you've had. It doesn't end there, the service tells you a wide range of details about the visitor and where they have come from. It's a great way to monitor and track your sites marketing and promotion. We even use it on PaperClipping. It makes you feel like Big Brother. :-) It's also highly addictive, we monitor our statistics every day. Have fun.

Free Design Software

2006-11-16T21:13:00.000Z

Save yourself some pennies this Christmas.
Designers' often find that the software tools we need for our work are expensive. If you are just starting out in design and you are keen to save money (who isn't?) then you need to investigate some of the free or low budget software that is available to download on the web.

You would assume that much of it wouldn't be worth your hard drive space, but suprisingly there's some great free software (for both Mac and PC) that you don't have to spend a penny acquiring. The following list will help you save some serious money:

Photo and Image editing programs:
Gimp
It's hard to move away from Photoshop but there is a free alternative to this great graphics package, for those on a budget. GIMP which can be downloaded for free from http://www.gimp.org is a very powerful image editor with channels, levels and masking tools. The program comes with a basic set of graphic tools, but you will find hundreds of plug-ins for the program. It's not as good as photoshop but well worth it for those on a budget.
Pixia
It's similar to GIMP and offers mask and layer editing for images. It seems a little more complicated to use. Both programs have their own benefits. Download from http://park18.wakwak.com/~pixia/ and watch out for people selling this software, it's supposed to be free.
Inkscape
Is a vector graphic drawing tool, it's suitable for a wide range of vector applications. In particular, it is widely used for creating images such as a logo, icons, flags, maps, diagrams, etc. A nice starter graphics program, before buying Illustrator. Download it here http://www.inkscape.org
We suggest that these 3 programs are the best freeware replacements for Photoshop and Illustrator. But they will never beat the capabilities of those 2 programs.

3D Programs:
Blender
Open source 3D modelling, rendering and animation program. It has a steep learning curve but it's very well made and can do almost any 3D work, from buildings to small objects. A really great value program and it can be downloaded from: http://www.blender3d.com/
Sketchup
Developed for the conceptual stages of design, SketchUp is powerful yet easy-to-learn 3D software, it's more focused on 3D scenes and landscapes. The basic version comes free from Google at http://www.sketchup.com/

Video Editing:
Jahshaka 2
Offers realtime video editing. It allows the user to add effects over the top of video. Download it for free from http://www.jahshaka.org

Web Design:
NVU
NVU (pronounced N-View) is a web design program using a WYSIWYG editor which will help you create your first web sites. It has a great interface and can be easy to use. It isn't the best at controlling databases but it can work with PHP. Download this free web design program here: http://www.nvu.com/index.php
Composer
Mozilla's Composer comes together in a free package called SeaMonkey. Composer allows you to edit your own web pages again in this WYSIWYG editor. It does not allow form management but offers many other features (such as source editing), it's worth downloading from http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/
Also note that Mozilla produces Firefox (the increasingly popular free web browser) and Thunderbird (a mail application that allows HTML editing of emails, so you can make e-cards). Both can be downloaded from the same web site at http://www.mozilla.org
Audio:
Audacity
There are also times when a designer might need to record audio (i.e. for either a presentation or a web site). Audacity is a great free program for recording audio and saving it as multiple formats. It can be used on both MAC and PC and details and the download can be had here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ or as we found the download isn't always working you can get the files from Sourceforge.net.

For more free graphics programs you can search for what you need at www.download.com or www.versiontracker.com (some of which require small payments for their use).

There are other options to free software for new start-ups. The big major companies are all offering (save enabled) 30 day trial versions of their software to download and use for free (most have no obligations but do read the small print). So our final recommendation would be to go to www.adobe.com for a free trail of their products which now also include all the Macromedia range (from Flash to Freehand). At least you can start work for free with all the above options, have a cost effective Christmas.

If you know of any free software programs that you think the design community might be interested in, then please add a comment to this post with a link.

Flash - Web and Interface Design

2006-11-13T14:01:00.000Z

Flash has come a long way since 1996, when it was purchased by Macromedia. Back then you would use it for basic animation and website intros. It now boasts a range of uses through it's fully developed programming language 'Actionscript' (based around Javascript). You can produce anything from a website to an online application using Flash 8.

Macromedia developed the program to take full advantage of the, ever-increasing, interactive media market. The tool has come a long way and is now classed as a tool that most website designers should know how to use. The coding side can become very complex, as it's powerful enough to make games with the software. The program is unlike many other web design programs, it uses linear progression to plan out a website (much like a movie) unlike other web design programs that would use, the better, flow chart method (with multiple avenues for the user to take).
Despite its backward methods, the program is powerful now and can make nearly any GUI (Graphical User Interface). A free 30 day trial of the software can be had from the new owners (Adobe).

Click here for Flash free trial.

Love of Letterpress

2006-10-31T18:21:00.000Z

Take a short visit to Firefly Press in Somerville Massachusetts. This wonderful little documentary speaks to the craftsmanship and love of traditional design that drew many of us into the world of graphic design, years ago. Take a moment to slow down and enjoy the video. Alternatively watch it on youtube here.
Further information on the love of letterpress can be found here on this blog; http://www.iloveletterpress.com

An alternative view

2006-09-24T12:07:00.000Z

It was the strange but wonderful Pet Camper doghouse that first drew our attention to straight line design. Judson Beaumont created a mini RV for dogs. The aluminium Pet Camper even comes with it's own license plate and laminate flooring. On seeing the camper shown in the picture we decided to investigate the company behind the idea. We found some astonishing furniture works that had to be showcased on the blog.
It was like the furniture from Disneys Beauty and the Beast, but of course actually made. Their work includes a naughty table that looks to be taking a wee and an accordian shaped chest of drawers (shown in the picture). Most of their work is aimed at children and they also produce sets for shopping malls and other events.
More information can be found on the website at http://www.straightlinedesigns.com

Identity Design Research Project

2006-07-27T13:17:00.000Z

It's an old project but well worth taking a look at. It's from the fantastic designers at IDEO. It looks at the future of identity and brand design and highlights a few issues.

Even if you don't find that particular project useful you can always explore IDEOs vast website for ideas and inspiration.

Five simple steps to better typography

2006-06-03T11:22:00.000Z

It is our responsibility, as designers, to embrace the rules which are born of a craft which goes back hundreds of years.

Hopefully, this very useful series of quick, sure-fire ways of improving your typographic craft will help towards making sure computers and DTP don't kill off these skills.

This is the first installment of this "Simple Steps..." series.
You can also find these other sections at the site:

- Measure the measure
- Hanging punctuation
- Ligatures
- Typographic Hierarchy - size
- Typographic Hierarchy - weight

Articles on the negative aspects of speculative work

2006-05-28T12:56:00.000Z

All about the negative aspects of producing speculative work to win commissions. Their site mission statement is '...to unite those who support the notion that spec work devalues the potential of design and ultimately does a disservice to the client.' They give Ten Reasons for their theory. However the site is 'very' negative. They have good points, but it seems like a lot of designers getting on their soap box. Despite that, we would recommend taking a visit as some of the one liners used in the articles might come in handy for 'that' awkward client. In particular the article on 'Speculative Presentations', we would go as far as saying this was one of the best articles we've ever read on the pitfalls of doing speculative work or what we like to call 'try before you buy'. Hopefully someone will add a positive swing on speculative work for the site, so that they can see both sides of the fence.

Before and After

2006-05-23T00:04:00.000Z

A great online/print magazine for graphic designers. Their site contains lots of links to ideas and articles in their current edition. Back editions can also be purchased.

It's a great looking site with many tutorials and PDF downloads to read. They describe themselves as 'Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.' And they deliver.

Mandarin Design - Web + Blog Design & Development.

2006-05-22T15:13:00.000Z

Thousands of secrets on typography and colour usage for web designers. Including methods to re-create magazine styling (pullquotes) on your website. Lots of archives, tips and tricks. Worth bookmarking.

The Surprising Truth About Ugly Websites

2006-05-07T17:19:00.000Z

A fantastic article about how ugly sites can deliver straight to the point content and still make money. Some very funny points made here. Well worth a read.
Also the host site is http://www.site-reference.com that has thousands of articles that provide advice, website tools and resources to website owners.

Fresh Talent and Creativity from Loughborough Uni.

2006-04-24T14:00:00.001Z

You can view a great portfolio of last years graduates from Loughborough University School of Art and Design. The students have created their own 'collective portfolio' at http://www.refreshinggraphics.co.uk/
The work showcases mostly graphics and some package design. So if your studios looking for fresh talent then you wouldn't go far wrong looking at their site.

ideasonideas.com - Communication in Design

2006-04-22T07:34:00.000Z

ideasonideas is a blog that invites dialogue on issues relevant to communication designers and brand strategists. A recent article 'Designers must write' considers the way in which designers use different tools to communicate both ideas and the written word. It brings to debate the everyday tasks we do and questions attitudes towards our vocabulary and the benefits it can bring to our work.

The Creative Archive Licence Group

2006-04-18T17:20:00.000Z

The BBC, the bfi, Channel 4 and the Open University set up the Creative Archive Licence Group in April 2005 to make their content available for download under the terms of the Creative Archive Licence, a single, shared user licence scheme for the downloading of moving images, audio and stills.

Membership is available to major national collections, broadcasters, and commercial organisations who wish to share content with the public.
A large collection of files are available for download through this site.
Visit the downloads page

Pixel Platformer - New Concept for pixel advertsing

2006-04-15T18:13:00.000Z

Lets Design and Online Games HQ have just developed the first Flash pixel advertising system.
We have used it on a simple but effective platform game, that can be played here:
http://www.pixelplatformer.com

This game was developed to look at 'new methods' for games funding.
The game is getting lots of press due to its unique use of remote automated payment system and remote graphics linkage.

The game is free to distribute or post on your site by downloading the .zip file which contains all the instructions, .swf, thumbnails, press release for you to use or distribute.

If you provide a good press release please mail help@pixelplatformer.com with the link and we'll provide a link back through the 'press links' pages.

Satta Hashem, Painter and Muralist

2006-03-25T14:04:00.000Z

Satta Hashem a fantastic UK based painter and muralist launches an online gallery of his fabulous works. The online flash interactive gallery presents over a thousand of his paintiings and can be viewed individually or as a slideshow. Also available on the site is his CV, which shows the full extent of the exhibitions and work he does in Leicestershire, UK.

Swopper ya chair - Designer's Choice

2006-03-02T12:32:00.001Z

Sitting for hours on an office chair in the design studio, will no longer be the back-breaking chore it once was. Not if you get yourself a "swopper".
The "swopper" supports and encourages alternating postures and movements, ensuring the user is always sitting in the proper position, while strengthening their abdominal and back muscles. Keeping the spine and inter-vertebral discs fit, the "swopper" stimulates circulation and prevents wear of the joints.

Barefoot Studio, a body management company based in Wales, is now the sole UK agent of Aeris' the "swopper": the first seat of its kind designed to adapt to movement in every direction - forward, backward, sideways and vertically, virtually eliminating backache and tension.

The "swopper", designed by German engineer Josef Glockl and his Physical Therapist wife Dorothea Prodinger-Glock, has won awards for function and design, including the 'Seal of Quality' from the Healthy Back Action Committee and 'Best for Innovation and Gold Award' in the office chair category.

If you are interested in chair design, it's also worth visiting the swopper site, where you can find further technical details.

The Answer Bank

2006-02-28T21:54:00.000Z

The principle of the AnswerBank is simple - ask a question in any of their subject categories and fellow contributors will supply the answers.

The questions can be practical, like 'where can I find a webpage on improving clarity and readibility?' or they can be about something you have always wanted to ask but never dared. The options are endless.

The best sections for Designers would be Arts and Literature and Jobs. but the site can act as inspiration for many other things. We find it useful for tracking down a song from an advert you like and for doing design research. It's UK site that we are sharing with the world and you'll fiind it's UK orientated but still useful to the world wide web.

PANTONE launch 125 new colours

2006-02-23T17:06:00.000Z

PANTONE have just announced the availability of 125 new speciality colours. The new PANTONE metallic formula guide features 97 new metallic shades and the PANTONE pastel formula guide features 28 new pastel colours. Designers, printers and their clients now have more choice of colour.
It seems as though the 'painters' at PANTONE are busy developing many new products recently. It was only last month they announced 'Huey', a monitor calibration device. As many of us graphic designers know they are the biggest in colour and it's worth keeping an eye on their new product collections.

Think differently! Designers of the Month

2006-02-23T16:36:00.000Z

A design Gallery that can be showcased as a great inspiration to all in the industry.
This 'furniture focused' Design Gallery showcase items of a difference. Established in 1983 with offices specialising in design research.
Some of the products are a treasure to view. Like the Catena Wall Clock from Designer Andrea Dober (pictured). The numbers are positioned along a chain that moves around the central gear to mark out what the time is.
They also showcase great jewellery and lighting designs.
The site and designs serve as great inspiration.

Chartered Society of Designers - Announces New Headquarters

2006-02-17T12:11:00.000Z

As of 1st February 2006 the Chartered Society of Designers will be operating from its new offices at:

1 Cedar Court
Royal Oak Yard
Bermondsey Street
London
SE1 3GA

The expansion of the Society's activities over the past few years and the development of The Design Association made it necessary to seek new premises that offered more space.

CSD Chief Executive, Frank Peters, commented that "this is an important move in terms of our future development and the purchase of our own property for the first time in our history is testimony to the support and effort of our members.
It is a magnificent way to mark our 75th year of operation by building on the future."

The Graphics Imperative

2006-02-08T17:09:00.000Z

The Graphic Imperative website is now live. The Graphic Imperative is a select retrospective of forty years of international socio-political posters. Themes include dissent, liberation, racism, sexism, human rights, civil rights, environmental and health concerns, AIDS, war, literacy and tolerance - collectively providing a window to an age of great change. Focusing on the issues of our turbulent times, these 121 posters endeavour to show the social, political and aesthetic concerns of many cultures in a single exhibition through delineating themes and contrasting political realities. For more information and to order the 80-page colour catalogue for the exhibition, please visit: http://www.thegraphicimperative.org

When pictures slant for no reason!

2006-02-07T19:20:00.000Z

We really liked that sentence, it could make a great documentary title. We needed to put it somehwere so as to remember it. So where better than on here. Bit wacky, but so is everything else on Paper-Clipping.

Seiko creates E Ink wrist watch

2006-02-01T13:44:00.000Z

Seiko has announced an ultra-slim watch featuring an electrophoretic display (EPD) that will be available in March 2006.

Called the Spectrum, the limited edition (only 500 are being made) watch features a microcapsule-type Electrophoresis display module, offering a thin flexible design that could bend around your wrist.

Seiko is promoting the benefits of the watch as having a high contrast display of pure black and pure white particles, which allow the same contrast as on a printed page and twice the contrast of a LCD panel.

The company is also boasting a thin design, low power consumption because you don't need a backlight and no restrictions in size.

The watch is the result of a joint development effort, combining 'Electronic Ink' technology developed by E Ink Corporation in the USA and Seiko Epson's advanced display manufacturing and electronic circuitry techniques.
Expect more articles on the new E-ink to occur.

The watch will cost around £1000 when it is released next year.

The Sonnet Project

2006-01-31T22:00:00.000Z

The Sonnet Project is an experiment in presenting Shakespeare's sonnets within new environments across England.

For example, 94 sonnets took to the skies of London fastened to balloons. They drifted, carried on the wind until reaching their final resting places across the world. Other ideas have been used and it's a nice art piece.
Let just hope someone finds them.

Look Ma, No Tables.

2006-01-30T23:48:00.000Z

If you are looking for help making the transition to CSS layout (that's Cascading Style Sheets) then visit this page. The author is cataloging as many useful cross-browser CSS layout techniques as they can find.

Just a really good read,

2006-01-26T23:45:00.000Z

Even if you aren't into making games, Read the articles from the bottom up on this wonderful blog.
Some great inspiration and it carries a feel good factor of 10.

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

2006-01-20T16:38:00.000Z

As the site says. 'The purpose of any art is to invoke a response'. To love or hate the work you can't help but click through them. French Humor can be so funny.

Macromedia Studio 8, but where's Freehand?

2006-01-17T00:05:00.000Z

With the latest releases of Dreamweaver, Flash and Fireworks, Studio 8 offers web designers and developers a new level of expressiveness, BUT WITHOUT FREEHAND.
As many graphic designers know, the world of design software has recently been turned on it's head with the merger of Adobe and Macromedia. Since the merger many designers have waited to see what would arise from this.

Would Dreamweaver be merged with GoLive?
Would Freehand disappear in place of illustrator?

It seems that the last question had some truth. With the release of Macromedia Studio 8 we see the demise of Freehand. To put salt in our wounds the site doesn't even mention it's absence.

Freehand remains a good piece of design software for anyone designing websites, print media and for the creation of freehand vector drawings. It would be a great loss to the software market if this story continues to leave us absent of a reason for leaving out Freehand.

Who knows? Maybe Freehand will be sold to another distributor. Fingers crossed.

The Virtual Garden - from the BBC

2006-01-02T13:09:00.000Z

As usual, the BBC comes up with another great resource. This time it's design orientated. Virtual Garden Design Software. Whether you're looking to design a new garden from scratch, or simply want to take a fresh approach to re-designing an existing garden, the virtual garden offers a user-friendly source of inspiration. The software is available for MAC and Windows. It's free landscape design software from the good old BBC.

Skeletal Systems - by Michael Paulus

2005-12-03T18:38:00.000Z

Check out the skeletal origins of some of your favorite cartoons characters. Michael Paulus took a few of these popular characters and rendered their skeletal systems as he imagined they might resemble. Makes you wonder what would happen if we did have eye sockets half the size of our heads? Amusing and sureal. His other work is also worth seeing.

Postsecret.

2005-12-03T01:08:00.000Z

If you haven't visited it yet. You must visit the postsecret blog. View peoples secrets on postcards. As shown. You'll spend hours looking and reading. Please be warned some of them are a little shocking. But all are eye openers into other peoples worlds. Very arty concept.

Alive in Joburg - great concept film

2005-12-03T00:50:00.000Z

From the designers and creators of the Citroen Transformer advert.
Comes a very strange short film by Neill Blomkamp. The film (Alive in Joburg) explores the concept of segregation, apartheid and what it means to be considered "alien". It's very clever and well worth viewing if your into computer graphics and clever ideas. Be warned the file is 75meg and takes some downloading.

Pirelli Calendar 2006 - interactive gallery of all the calendars

2005-11-28T15:00:00.000Z

The launch of the 2006 edition of the Pirelli Calendar, a cult object for more than 40 years for people who love photography, beauty, and the evolution of society. The website has a great interactive feature that allows users to view all the Pirelli Calendars since the 60s. Which the 60's is the theme for the 2006 calendar.

"The Cal" 2006 by the consolidated British-Turkish duo, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, world renowned photographers that specialize in women's portraits, was shot in a striking sixties-like setting on the French Riviera and stars six extraordinarily beautiful and sensual women, one of those is Jennifer Lopez, making her Pirelli Calendar debut.

Seduction and freedom of expression are the absolute protagonists of the 2006 Pirelli Calendar, whose linking thread could be summed up in the expression "libres et puissantes". Aware of their fame and beauty, the six models feel free to undress and appear sensual and intriguing. The body is portrayed as a free instrument of power: sensuality becomes a dolphin on a leash or a cat securely held in the nude arms of a naughty girl. True contemporary icons, the interpreters posed with impeccable professionalism, creating an immediate feeling with two of the world's greatest photographers.

PANOS -Fake Roadsigns

2005-11-28T14:38:00.000Z

These free-roaming art installations (attached to streetside poles around the French community of Lyon, and just similar enough to real traffic signs to create that second glance). Ponder; what it would be like to live in a world in which real street signs included, for instance, a beaver on a skateboard wielding a baseball bat.
It's all a little strange. They have generated a lot of press and it's a great example of how art can be interesting and self promoting.

Hurricane Poster Project

2005-11-24T19:44:00.000Z

Design firm Moxie Sozo has been working with the worldwide design community, coordinating a collaborative effort to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Their project is called THE HURRICANE POSTER PROJECT, and designers and artists from around the world are donating their printed posters to be sold online. The website for this project is www.thehurricaneposterproject.com. All funds raised go towards the Red Cross Appeal.

creole is creativity online

2005-11-22T19:49:00.000Z

Creole is a new daily hub for interactive professionals. The site contains lots of news and commentary related to the interactive industry. Creole lists the best of hundreds of hand selected worldwide information sources.
From the people at Spavia.com.

If you want to suggest a link or design topic for PaperClipping then please visit our forum. Feel free to discuss everything design here.

Expanding Wall

2005-11-20T14:10:00.000Z

Created by Vancouver design studio, Molo, the paper softwall dynamically partitions open plan space into more intimate and ephemeral surroundings, in a flexible and temporal way. Softwall can be compressed and stored away if one wants a larger open space or it can be expanded to make smaller private spaces within the larger space. Made of 400 honeycombed layers of fire-retardant translucent paper, it dampens sound, absorbs and transmits light and is modularly expandible, folding out from only 3 centimetres to 7.5 metres. Buy online from Unica Home

Designers who blog

2005-11-15T23:05:00.000Z

The launch of 'Designers Who Blog' is one of the latest attempts to bring order to the many and varied threads about design.

News Map

2005-11-15T13:40:00.000Z

A great Tree Diagram/Map that is generated using the google news aggregator.
Designed by Marcos Weskamp who runs a great interactive media site at www.marumushi.com
It's objective is to simply demonstrate visually the relationships between data and the unseen patterns in news media.
However, it's also a great way to visually represent the news in a cartographic and diagramatic way. Well worth bookmarking.

Ideas for marketing.

2005-11-12T01:12:00.000Z

We don't normally put shops and ads on this site but we do like inspiration.
Designers need inspiration. So if your looking for a new idea for a marketing campaign visit business gifts uk.

Design Firms launch new Discussion Forum for Designers.

2005-11-10T15:31:00.000Z

We wanted to let you know that the developers of DesignFirms.org have created a new resource for the design and development community. Take a look at http://www.designernetwork.net
BE THE FIRST TO POST 500 AND RECEIVE 1 YEAR OF FREE ADVERTISING ON THE DESIGNFIRMS WEBSITE! WORTH OVER $1000.
Click here for complete details.

New report on pitching and appointing design agencies.

2005-11-09T12:55:00.000Z

In a new report launched on 7 November 2005, following research undertaken with over 200 UK-based design agencies, it has been confirmed that free pitching is still rife among clients and agencies and is costing the UK design sector thousands of pounds in non-recoverable costs and an average of 12% loss of man hours per annum.

While this comes as no big surprise, one figure to emerge from these research results - and backed up by research into the client view on the same subject - is that over 25% of projects/tenders pitched for are not awarded after the pitch process.

The key reasons given by clients were change of marketing strategy, reduced budgets, change of mind and no chemistry established with agencies.

63% of agencies claim to have experienced this decision.

Both research reports with detailed responses and commentary can be found by visiting the BDI website at www.britishdesigninnovation.org or clicking on these report links:
The Client View
The Agency View

A shopping experience that's passionate about Design.

2005-11-08T13:05:00.000Z

A shop? Yes, well not just any shop.
It's ELSEWARES.
They have a catalog of unique products from independent designers and entrepreneurs.
They say 'We celebrate good design, cottage industry, and David's desire to conquer Goliath.'
If you enjoy shopping and you're a designer, I'm sure you will spend hours looking around their online store. There are some strange and wonderful products to look and buy.
Just in time for Christmas.

Terrorists attack British Parliament

2005-11-05T15:22:00.000Z

Happy Bonfire Night.
We did have an article here but we remove seasonal greetings, a few days after, as it's not design related.

Million Dollar Pixel Homepages.

2005-11-03T20:48:00.002Z

The concept
What if you set up a website called the Million Dollar Homepage which contained exactly one million pixels (the tiny dots that make up an image on a screen)? What if you then used that page as, in effect, an advertising noticeboard where advertisers can buy space at $1 per pixel? Each pixel goes to the advertisers homepage. And what if you told potential buyers that this is the first page of its kind, that it's going to become incredibly famous. This was the idea and concept started by student Alex Tew, Age 21 of Nottingham, UK.

What happened
The Million Dollar Homepage captured the imagination of advertisers and has now spawned dozens of copycat sites that will undoubtedly do nowhere near as well as Alex's. The reason for that is simple: the selling point of his page is that it was the first. In the first four weeks alone, Alex sold more than 300,000 pixels at $1 each.

Within the last few months, many new sites have sprung up around the idea of selling pixel adverts. Many of them doing very well like www.millionpixels.co.uk who believe that "Pixel advertising sites are regenerating an intrest in web desing. They're easy to create/maintain and because of this, people with little experience in website creation can make an effective and lucrative site for themselves." Like generating sponsorship for Charities, as in Mini Millions selling chocolate pixels for Children in Need.

We wish them all good luck and all you thinking 'Damn it! why didn't I think of that?'
Don't worry, your time will come.

K10K - Lunch Break?

2005-11-01T13:30:00.000Z

For every designers Lunch Break. You'll find lots of inspiration and news topics. Including a Global Event calendar and lots of fun things to amuse you.

Aperture Launched for Photographers.

2005-11-01T13:04:00.001Z

Finally, the news many photographers and designers are waiting for. Apple launches Apperture. Apple claims it to be the first all-in-one post-production tool for photographers. We don't normally make comment, but it looks a tad expensive for $499 just so you can edit and change RAW images (using the digital negative). However, it's super fast and there's no loss of quality. See for yourself.

10x10 - A different way to provide information.

2005-10-30T18:01:00.000Z

10x10 ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. Every hour, 10x10 collects 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time.
It's a fantastic way of visually presenting the news and current affairs.
If you like this site then we recommend you visit another site by Jonathan Harris called justcurio.us. It's an anonymous question and answer system, open to anyone, with one simple rule: to ask a question, you must first answer someone else's question. It makes for some interesting reading, but be warned, you can spend hours there.

Design Addict - Our Site of the Month

2005-10-29T11:28:00.000Z

The best resource for modern, post-modern and contemporary design of the 20th-21st centuries. You'll find information on designers and producers, on furniture, lighting, dinnerware and accessories. The site mainly focuses on product design and has an enormous amount of links and information on it's site. It's all nicely organised and easy to find.
The site allows you to publish adverts, links or chat in their forum. Well worth a visit.

Channel 4 launches folioFactory

2005-10-27T21:09:00.000Z

Anyone creating visuals at some time has to show, present or pitch their work and ideas.
folioFactory from the Channel 4 network helps you convert all that work into a great portfolio.
You'll PICK your best images, GRAB them into the computer, SAVE them the easy way, MAKE them into a digital portfolio and format them to SEND to your intended audience.
All in 40 Minutes with this online resource.
And if your visiting that site you might fancy taking a look at Channel 4's Ideas Factory Site

Design Matters Podcasts with Debbie Millman

2005-10-26T10:59:00.000Z

'Design Matters' are now available as Podcasts on iTunes.
I hear you all asking 'What's a podcast?'
Podcasts are online radio shows that can be streamed to iTunes. You need to be online and in iTunes to select the menu option 'podcasts' once you have done this you can use the search tool (top right) in iTunes to search for the podcast you want (in this case search for the keywords 'Design Matters').
'Design Matters with Debbie Millman' is a FREE internet talk radio show that combines a stimulating point of view about graphic design, branding and topics of timely cultural consequence. It's not all business and comes across as a fun show. The microphone quality is a bit on the low side, but good enough for the internet.
Click here to visit Debbie's blog page.

ColourLovers.com

2005-10-25T15:01:00.000Z

Is a place to view, rate and review some lovely colours & palettes. the idea is to create a place of color inspiration where a designer of any sort can see new and lovely colours... find out what colors are hot, what work well in other uses... and simply make some love with colour.

Absorbing Chinese Culture

2005-10-24T09:14:00.005Z

The OPOS designers in Milan were asked to come up with some designs in response to the question, 'What would happen if we imagined that the XXI century was the Chinese century?' Their projects reflect the absorption of Chinese culture or a Western way of life under Chinese domination.

Honda Civic Rebirth Advert

2005-10-21T10:47:00.000Z

The Honda adverts are always great to watch and normally take a sureal perspective on the design of the vehicle. This great Ad by Hornet Inc. is reminiscent of a Joan Miro painting, the spot takes you on a mesmerizing visual trip that borrows physical forms from the worlds of music, the senses and car mechanics, and casts them in a new light.
Enjoy the film by clicking here.its a 15meg file.

Paint by numbers Wallpaper

2005-10-18T12:31:00.000Z

UK designer Jenny Wilkinson has created the ultimate paint-by-numbers set, it covers an entire wall, featuring a repetitive pattern of a dog sitting in a planter. The wallpaper was made to give the user, artist and non-artist alike, the opportunity to customize and personalize their walls. In addition, the scale is larger than typical paint-by-number painting sets, making it all that much more accessible to the non-artist. New designs are on the drawing board and personalized commissions are also available. + Click title for more.

A light in your bag.

2005-10-16T14:46:00.000Z

No more scrabbling to find your keys - solar powered handbag has lining which lights up when unzipped.

Brunel University Design Student, Rosanna Kilfedder, age 24, has designed a solar powered handbag with a light up lining, so women can find keys and other vital but elusive items in their handbags quickly in the dark. The handbag's battery, powered by a solar cell outside the bag and also re-charges mobile phones.

How does it work?
The handbag, called Sun Trap, uses a solar cell to trap energy from sunlight, storing it in the bag's internal battery. When the bag is unzipped, the lining, powered by the battery and made from an electroluminescent material similar to that found in mobile phones, lights up helping them to find items lurking at the very bottom (i.e. house keys). The lining goes dark automatically as the zip is closed or switches off after 15 seconds to conserve battery if the bag is accidentally left open.
The internal battery also acts as a portable renewable energy source and can be used to charge mobile phones and similar devices.

Rosanna Kilfidder says: "I had the idea for Sun Trap handbag after seeing so many friends frantically searching their bags for house keys, usually on a dark doorstep. I also noticed friends using their mobile phones like torches to examine the contents of their bag, which gave me the idea of lighting up the bag. I was thinking about safety and usefulness and included a charger. I'd run out of mobile phone battery on several occasions (late at night) and thought this would be a good way round the problem. The design I've developed is just a prototype at the moment, but I'd really like to see it on the high street. I think it would be such a help to so many women."

Visit Rosanna's website to contact her.

Design sector is growing says new report

2005-10-16T13:56:00.000Z

The Business of Design presents the most comprehensive picture yet of the UK's design industry.

It is based on national research, comprising nearly 2,500 interviews, and focuses on the sector's scope and economic significance, how its consultancies, freelances and in-house teams do business, and what education, training and skills its designers have.

As well as providing data on the size and make-up of the industry, the study probes attitudes to issues such as free pitching, the quality of new graduate recruits, overseas competition, business planning and the strength of links between practicing designers and education.

The research shows that the sector is growing and optimistic about rising revenues in future. But it also reveals that the industry is made up largely of small businesses which have been trading for less than three years and are facing increased overseas competition. It also exposes the lack of a long-term perspective among these businesses.
Source: Design Council