The Pressure Is Good For You

Force Per Unit Area / Sketchblog

2011-04-03T01:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I started a "sketchblog" on Tumblr. I realised that a lot of the work that I'm most proud of isn't really "work" at all. It's the in-between-thoughts, stream-of-consciousness doodling, scrawled ramblings, odd conglomerations of type and image, the process, the unfinished, the overheard and the introspective, personal thoughts that don't get shared.

These sketchbooks become a palimpsest of inspiration, study, works-in-progress and ideas, with each word and line part of a story. I think that the sketchbook is more real than any piece of created work, and I decided that I'd start updating the blog daily with a piece from one of my dozens of books. They're "curated" in a sense; they are not chosen randomly to post and they are not all necessarily pieces that I'm working on at the time. It's an exercise in sharing, process and inspiration. So, here goes.

FORCE PER UNIT AREA

Hey you.

2011-02-26T16:19:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I tweeted a short and sweet little piece of positive affirmation. Within 10 minutes, my good friend and collaborator Bryan Haker of New York posted a quick design that he threw together. It was too good. I sent the image on to Keegan at KeeganMeegan Letterpress & Bindery, and now we have fantastic cards to give to friends and strangers alike. It's nice being able to give out a piece of design and see smiles so immediately.

Sims - Burn It Down Vinyl Art

2011-01-11T21:44:00.001-08:00

Recently finished the vinyl 12" artwork and direction for Minneapolis-based rapper Sims of the indefatigable Doomtree crew. The name of his album is "BAD TIME ZOO," and this 12" inch single needed to be a part of it's visual direction but have a presence of it's own. I created a custom font for the campaign called BTZ Display, and this takes a front seat through the record covers. Small illustrations of predators highlight small areas. Next month I'll be breaking down the whole BAD TIME ZOO packaging that I've been working on for the last month. Stay tuned.

AKR Monogram Necklace

2010-12-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

I designed this silver monogram necklace for my ladyfriend this holiday season. I developed the initials "AKR" in a customized Lubalin Graph lock-up, and reached out to Beth at Studio Acorn here in Portland for the fabrication. Beth did a fantastic job leading me through the process and delivering this rad little piece.

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Initial vector art:

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Wax cast with nickel for scale:

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Finished piece, in silver:

KeeganMeegan / Holiday Cardism

2010-12-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

The talented Mr. Keegan Wenkman is a printer, ambassador of gorgeous drawing, handsome script typography, and just an all-around nice guy. I was SO happy to learn that he and his ladyfriend Katy moved to Portland and opened a fantastic print/design studio called KeeganMeegan a while before I moved out here.. They printed my little holiday card this year, and I took some flicks.

> CHECK 'EM OUT HERE: FLICKRRRRRR

Japan!

2010-11-11T15:09:00.001-08:00

I had the opportunity to travel for work to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto in the end of October. I put a selection of photos up at my pretty-much-defunct Flickr account. You can check them out here: FLICKRRRRRR

Nike Lava Dunk

2010-11-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

The first hybrid shoe that I created while at Nike Sportswear recently hit market in Japan. We took the classic 1982 LavaDome sole and gave it a modern twist with a Dunk upper and rugged outdoor eyestay hardware, ballistic mesh and heavy leathers. Since it was a Japanese release for it's first wave, the team over there applied the camo collar lining and their signature "AFE" logo to the tongue label. We're looking at some great new releases in this model in the upcoming seasons, so keep your eye out..

Los Logos: Compass

2010-09-27T10:10:00.001-07:00

I'm ultra-excited to be included in the newest installment of the Die Gestalten Los Logos books, which is called Los Logos: Compass. It should be in stores the end of this month in the States, and you can find more info on the book here: Los Logos at Die Gestalten site.

Stay Strong

2010-09-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

We recently finished this paint-marker mural on the wall of our living room. A little motivational phrase inspired by my guy Bryan Haker and originally made for the upcoming book "Live Now."

Tonight Sept. 17 / MPLS

2010-09-17T10:05:00.001-07:00

Disasterbation!

2010-09-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I made this print for a show put together by Michael Aberman and Anton Pearson at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, called "Slanguage." The idea is to showcase a portmanteau using lettering, and I did the words "Ghostmodern Disasterbation." The mix of lettering styles, layering of the drawings and slight transparency of inks lends itself to the idea of language evolving, transforming, and being customized by it's user. The final piece ended being three colors on white 8x10 cotton stock. A big thanks to the wonderful duo at KeeganMeegan Press & Bindery. I'll have these up for sale in the coming weeks...

Shoes x Tumblr

2010-08-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Suddenly plunged into the icy world of footwear design, I'm always looking at what's poppin' out there on the shoe tip. As a personal reference I put together an easy-reference Tumblr focused specifically on graphic detail in footwear and shoe design in general. Of course, being a graphic designer, I'm looking at color, juxtaposition of material, interesting closure systems, branding application, processes, and the conjunction of typography and other more "print-" oriented design components in footwear. It's by no means comprehensive, and most of the images are scrapped from other contemporary blogs and sites, and just compiled here as reference. Feel free to peruse.

> http://thepressureistumbling.tumblr.com/

Hotdog Dragon

2010-07-24T12:51:00.001-07:00

A Brief Review of 3 Dipset Songs

2010-07-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

My friend Dan sent me an email titled "Important Dipset-related stuff that I'm feeling," along with the three Youtube links below. Thought I'd extrapolate my feelings toward each. Mind you, all I know about Dipset is that they like eagles and the color purple.

Disclaimer: These songs are explicit.

Song one, "Salute"

I understand that this song is about driving cars and enjoying the company of women. I enjoy both, although I've never really been into cars, so it's a bit unrelatable. The thing about women is pretty cool, though.

After a thorough listen, I do find that the content of the song and the image on the YouTube screen a little disconnected. The construction site reference seems to make no sense with the car-and-lady lyrics, and I question if this was intentional.

My favorite lyric in the song is in the intro, when Rapper #1 proclaims, "Do you think I give a fuck about sparkles?!" I'm assuming that this is a rhetorical question. Although, I imagine a scenario where, while creating the image for the default YouTube picture for this song, a commissioned graphic designer showed him a laboured-over image of The Dipset crew in a room full of rhinestones and scintillating curtains, to which "Do you think I give a fuck about sparkles?!" was the emphatic response. I then imagine the tired and disenfranchised designer just photoshopped them into a construction site (more on this later). I enjoy the "bass-drop" at :52, as well as the "New 'AIRS' on.." reference at 2:54, for obvious reasons.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Do you think I give a fuck about sparkles?!"

Song two, "Raise It Up"

First of all, I understand that this song "Raise It Up" is about raising one's drink at a club enthusiatically. The song has a joie d'vive that I find liberating, if a bit sexist. The incessant beeping through the song stresses me out a bit, though, and by the end of the song I found myself biting my fingernails and a little paranoid that my phone was ringing. I hope that this condition isn't permanent.

Also, the "clap two times" clap-noise sounds very shitty. You'd think such a clap noise to be much more intense, but it sounds more like an invalid slapping his flaccid hands together.

Bonus: At :36, Rapper #1 says he's "makin' guac-." I love guac.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Dosey-do, you lookin' like a lovely ho!"

Song three, "The Council"

NOW THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! The compelling storytelling narrative of "The Council" is right up my alley, with all the depth and innuendo of such classics as "Incarcerated Scarfaces," but with a modern twist. This is exemplified in the lyric, "Me and my lawyer arguin', spittin' on my cardigan. I told him you straight carpin' em'."

Raekwon wouldn't have been caught dead in a cardigan circa 1995, and this reflects the vastly shifting fashion of the young urban male. However, I wonder what the fuck "Carpin' em" means, although the similarities between lawyers and carp are quite apparent. Another fashion reference that I find interesting is the "Hardhat boots-laced" lyric at 1:03. This makes me think that the construction-site image from SONG ONE may have been misplaced...

FAVORITE QUOTE: "...bewilder. Willie, I'm a tutor...Pay like a Pell Grant, pomegranate diamonds...."

Things I've Googled on my iPhone in the Past Week

2010-07-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is from July 4th, 2010 to today, July 9th, 2010.

A: -
B: brazilian tribal designs, brazilian folk pattern
C: castration, checken genus species
D: -
E: -
F: Ferngully batty lyrics
G: gallus etymology
H: how to pick a masterlock, horse species
I: infamous game ps3 cheats, ikea portland
J: -
L: last airbender 3d portland
M: -
N: -
O: -
P: -
Q: -
R: radio cab, robinson
S: streetwear seattle, sapiens etymology
T: trimet max problems today, tom petty
U: -
V: -
W: what time do fireworks start in portland, why is pounds "lbs"?
X: -
Y: -
Z: -

Hamptons Air Force-1 Low

2010-07-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited that the first shoe I really worked on here at Nike is finally hitting. It's a limited edition pair of Air Force 1s I designed in Nike Sportswear that is being released this weekend. All photos via Freshness Mag.

From Freshness Mag:

There is something about all-white that translates luxury. And nothing says luxury in the summer like the Hamptons. Especially since Diddy throws some highly coveted White parties out in the Hamptons, one would know that’s the direction of opulence. Because white is so decidedly clean for the summer and needs meticulous care to remain in tip-top shape, there is also nothing quite like pulling off a pair of crisp white kicks. Previously previewed, the Nike Air Force 1 Low Premium QS “The Hamptons” will be hitting stores quite soon this weekend on Jul 10, and we have a more detailed look at the kicks if you aren’t quite convinced yet.

The all-white upper is everything but boring, as details such as a perforated mid panel alongside leather covered midsoles and translucent black outsoles add to the subtle thoughtfulness added to the designs. Aside from the special “The Hamptons” tongue tag, the outsoles also feature a print of the map of Long Island. These will be arriving at select retailers such as Nike Sportswear 21 Mercer this weekend, so keep your sneaker radar on because no good sneakerhead should be without a fresh pair of white kicks.

Complex Magazine did a nice feature on it last month, too!

PDX Haunts / Google Maps Version

2010-06-08T15:25:00.011-07:00

A few of the spots I regularly inhabit here in the PDX, all from an overhead, Google Maps-facilitated P.O.V.

My apartment, right there in the middle. As you can tell, it's got a nice balcony area and gets tons of son. And only yards away from the grocery store. How convenient.

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I'm sure you recognize this one: it's Powell's Books, of course. As you can see, it's a whole city block and 5 stories of fuckin' books. I've spent way too much money under that expansive gray roof. Better than being addicted to huffing paint thinner, I suppose.

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This is where I catch the Max Train to Nike every morning. Sometimes on the way home, the streets are full of loud, stinky sports fans that wear green and romp around like pirates. I think that arena there hosts said sports, but I'm not sure. Wish it was a gladiatorial arena, where they had games like the one in The Running Man.

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My dayjob is on the second floor of this building on the Nike World Campus. It's called the "Mia Hamm" building, which is Italian for "My pork." Also, it's the name of a soccer player. I do design work in there for NSW, and as you can tell, it's a super creative environment.

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My favorite spot to lamp in the corner and do personal work is a small coffee-spot/chocalatier called Sweet Masterpiece in the Pearl district. Amazing Mayan Mochas, and wireless. Don't judge.

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I'm sure you can already tell what this spot is... That's right, it's Someday Lounge, where I've spent many a Thursday night at my guy Dan K's weekly rapstravaganza The Fix. Holler at it. Look at how much fun it is!

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Where I'll be this Friday night. Rotture for Live & Direct. I know what you're thinking.. "But Adam, by this image it doesn't look like all that much fun!" Silence! Look closer. See you there.

Alphabattle "H"

2010-06-08T15:23:00.003-07:00

I found 20 minutes to toss together an entry for this week's Alphabattle over at Lettercult. There's some fantastic entries in there, so check 'em out.

Mm-hmm

2010-06-07T15:17:00.004-07:00

AlphaBattle "F"

2010-05-10T19:23:00.002-07:00

A funky "F" for the Lettercult monthly "Alphabattle."

Medicine Man and Meditation Totem

2010-05-05T23:52:00.003-07:00

"Cinco de Drinko" Really?

2010-05-04T15:28:00.002-07:00

This Supra shoe, actually pretty well designed, is seriously called the Supra Skytop II "Cinco de Drinko." Not sure who the marketing team was that came up with that one, but way to mess up a not-bad model with a horribly disrespectful name.

See more at Format.

Rappers in Cardboard Cars

2010-04-28T22:09:00.006-07:00

Lupe Fiasco "I'm Beamin'" :

Snoop Dogg and Kid Cudi "That Tree" :

Big up to Maria Juranic and Rhymesayers' recording artist P.O.S. for flipping the script on 'em and putting a cardboard rapper in a real car instead of the other way around:

Deus Ex Kachina

2010-04-10T17:48:00.002-07:00

Experiments with Hopi kachina pattern, forms and characters...

Inspiration

2010-03-24T23:45:00.003-07:00

Lost Boys(z):

2010-03-18T10:10:00.003-07:00

Cataract

2010-03-11T21:20:00.001-08:00

Illustration I did for the blog "Illustrated Etymology," which is launching in the next few weeks. The word "cataract" comes from the Latin word for "waterfall." I'll let you know when the blog goes live. It'll be a good one.

Optimism Chair Wins HOW Mag Award

2010-03-06T10:59:00.004-08:00

Proud to say that the Optimism Script Paulistano chair I designed for the Philadelphia Design Within Reach contest won a HOW Magazine Int'l Design Merit Award. Thanks to 160over90, DWR and HOW. Yay.

Makin' posters with Keegan

2010-03-01T20:51:00.005-08:00

Big ups to my guy, Minneapolis drawing/printing powerhouse Keegan from KeeganMeegan and OneFootInFront for helping me make some promo posters this weekend.

Motivational Poster

2010-02-27T12:59:00.001-08:00

Woke up feeling motivated. To help facilitate future motivation, I made this giant 3' X 4' "Motivational Poster" for a blank wall in my newish Portland apartment. 9 bucks at FedEx Kinkos. Easy.

HORT

2010-02-27T12:45:00.006-08:00

Hort studio process stop-motion:

Hort stop-motion studio adventure:

Worn To Be Wild / This Saturday Feb. 27th

2010-02-24T16:31:00.006-08:00

Our good friend Ken at Anthem Heart sure knows how to throw a party... This Saturday, his studio, Anthem Heart, is hosting an event in Minneapolis called Worn To Be Wild. The actual event is a massive dance extravaganza, with my crew, WANTS VS NEEDS, tons of beautiful humans, and live screenprinting and projected visuals to massage your eyes and body until 4 in the morning.

Click here to RSVP on the Facebooks.

Me and Ken are working together to create different images for shirts, so every piece printed that night will be unique. It's like.... design meets performance art meets blah blah blah and you'll love it. Trust me.

Unfortunately, I'm all wrapped up in projects out here in Stumptown, but you guys go and have a good time.

Don't Bite the Hand...

2010-02-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Studio On Fire!

2010-02-22T17:12:00.003-08:00

The good, hard-working peeps at Minneapolis-based letterpress powerhouse Studio on Fire have revised their site, and it's presstastic. Check it out here.

Monocle Design Notes

2010-02-21T16:45:00.003-08:00

An insightful and in-depth look at Monocle magazine's history, purpose and design direction, via City of Sound.

Click here for link

Feb. '10 Wants VS Needs Shirts

2010-02-21T09:51:00.003-08:00

Love Hurts. Fifty hand-screened limited-edition shirts for the 8th installment of the monthly Wants VS. Needs party in Minneapolis. Check out the blog here: WANTS VS NEEDS!

A.R.G. Monogram

2010-02-21T09:50:00.002-08:00

"Bats" Video by WeBuyYourKids & Mighty Nice

2010-02-09T09:39:00.004-08:00

I've been a fan of the Australian illustration/design duo WeBuyYourKids for a while now. Their use of texture to push digital-based illustrations is fresh, with a vintage feel, something that I've been trying to nail down for years. To see their work come alive with help from motion-house Mighty Nice is pretty magical.

> Go to site to check out video.

Rasheed Wallace AirForce 1 Hi PE

2010-02-01T14:45:00.006-08:00

At Nike Sportswear, we're often called on to do "PE" shoes, or Player Exclusive sneakers for basketball players in the NBA. I had my first opportunity to design an AirForce-1 Hi for the Celtics' own Rasheed Wallace.

The stipulations were that it had to have green, white, and his logo on the lateral side. I was also told he liked "simple." I went a throwback route, with an all-gumsole (rare for an AF-1), and a clean, white leather and athletic mesh tongue. The strap is a candystriped green and white canvas, and I thought it would be a good touch to put his number on the shoe, so a "3" if on left backtab and a "0" on the right. Only a dozen or so of these were created for the Wallace.

Click here to check out a feature on SneakerNews.com.

DENHAM™ Amsterdam

2010-02-01T06:54:00.004-08:00

While in Amsterdam last week, my team and I had the opportunity to stop by the Amsterdam-based retail-shop/workshop, DENHAM. I had seen their booth at Bread&Butter Berlin and was intrigued. They describe themselves as "Denham the jeanmaker: A label built on experimentation and resourceful innovation. Representing Jason Denham's most fully realised personal vision but demonstrating his modest and sincere resolve to resist compromise. The truth is in the details."

At the headquarters on Prinsengracht 495, there's a feeling of utter passion for, well, denim and recycled material. Drawn on inspiration from military-grade tents, jackets, bags, etc., the coats, backpacks and jeans are top-quality, hand-made and labored over by the small team. It's rare that you find a retail space that is original, progressive, conscious, and full of really good, knowledgable people. Check 'em out.

http://www.denhamthejeanmaker.com/

Pattern Play

2010-02-01T06:51:00.002-08:00

Random pattern explorations.

Duplicate of a Duplicate Gallery Show

2010-01-13T14:54:00.004-08:00

3 "Epiphany" posters I submitted for the Duplicate of a Duplicate gallery show in Raleigh, North Carolina. Big up to Neuarmy, LifterBaron, BlackMarmalade, and Jean-Claude.

Wants VS. Needs

2009-12-16T16:49:00.005-08:00

Rise Above

2009-12-07T16:33:00.003-08:00

Cacophony taking form...

...and taking flight.

New Connections

2009-11-29T11:31:00.033-08:00

I've had the honor of meeting some amazingly talented chaps over the last few weeks. Humble, savvy, intelligent beings. Smooth of character and ripe with imagination. I wanted to give some shout-outs below and show some of their work.

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Dan Connor (alwaysreigning.com)
Dan is an only child, as well as a very good tipper. Also, he has "Sleep Is The Cousin of Death" tattooed on his stomach, which is pretty amazing. DAN IS AVAILABLE FOR FREELANCE.

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Erik Arlen (behance.net/erikarlen)
Erik is from France, and I'm pretty sure he's from the future.

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Nathan Van Hook (TLMPhilly.com)
Nate let me have Thanksgiving at his house. I stole two rolls of toilet paper and a box of Mac N' Cheese, which he doesn't know about yet. Thanks Nate! He went to Philly University and played ball with the Interactive Director from 160over90, my last place of work. Small effin' world, huh?

LOOSEWORLD X TLM : The Canarsie Mural Project from LOOSEWORLD on Vimeo.

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Erick Goto (cargocollective.com/hellogoto)
Erick once got in a fistfight with Cate Blanchett. He will deny this fact when asked, however.

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Anne Mills Cote (thefantastique.com)
Anne's last name is pronounced "Coo-tay."

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Michael Hyp
Sharp of wit, strong of will. He puts galaxies in objects.

Dark Time Sunshine

2009-11-01T21:28:00.013-08:00

Currently working on this cover for the a new hip-hop group called "Dark Time Sunshine." The music is dark and moody, textured, a little experiemental, but contemporary with rock and pop cues. And good, really good. For the initial image representing the duo emcee Cape Cowen and producer Zavala, I knew that it should feel iconic and modern, with an epic feel and a somewhat apocalyptic tone. Here are some results of the exploration.

This direction was bold and straightforward. The four horses are the harbingers of the end of the world, and the bold red felt like the "epic" color that we were going for.

Here I tried to make the logo more unique by creating more a distinctive logotype. The rays are an ironic play on the "sunshine" reference in the name. Anyone who hears the music would understand that this optimism is immediately twisted by the content of the music. Postmodernism!

Cohen from DTS felt that the horse heads were too abstract, and that it needed something a little more straightforward as to what their meaning was. I created a more literal representation of the four horsemen by creating silhouhettes of Albrecht Durer's famous four horsemen of War, Famine, Pestilence and Death.

After going to the studio with the artists and listening to the final mix and master, I realised that the whole thing felt more textured sonically than the cover showed, and I thought that that should come across in the cover. Also, there seemed to be a recurring, ironic theme of cheerleading in some of the songs. Luckily, nothing goes together better than Cheerleading and the Apocalypse.

After the emcee and producer saw the last cover, they liked it a lot but felt that it might not be correct. Too many subtle undertones may dilute their first real release, they thought. They had a point. Going back to something iconic based on what I had experienced with the music and artists over time was necessary. I created a version in color and bold black and white. We'll see what they think.

Space and Place

2009-10-30T12:17:00.007-07:00

I'm about to start working on a project with my friend Josef Reyes based on subjective mapmaking. It seems like it couldn't be more timely, as I'm up and moving tomorrow to Portland, Oregon. Literally the other side of the country. When originally moving to Philly from Minneapolis two years ago, there has been a constant comparing, contrasting and re-defining what a "home" is. My mother moved a lot, too. From Texas to Minnesota, back to Texas, back to Minnesota where she now resides. And when growing up we never lived in one place for more than 2 or three years. Constant changing as a result of monetary necessity. These changes create forced adaptation to new location. Each time, what is familiar twists, erases, restarts. New places are made from space that is invested with time and experience. New paths are formed.

The movers came and packed up all my goods (well, my books and clothes) and took it on Wednesday, a few days ago. My entire life for the next month will be my laptop, a few books, and a weeks-worth of clothes. It's odd wandering around the city, working in three or four different places a day. Kind of like a ghost, not tied to anything material in this transitional period.

This wandering has turned into a newfound love and respect for this city. For the nooks and crannies. For the places that I've never seen before. The quietest corner of a loud coffeeshop, with the good acoustics, by the outlet, with the perfect sidelighting that makes one twice as productive. Those kind of places. And now, to start all over.

See you in Stumptown.

Print Regional Design Annual

2009-10-30T09:23:00.006-07:00

I'm proud to have some pieces included in the Print magazine Regional Design Annual this month in both the Midwest (MPLS) and the Mid-Atlantic (Philly). The first is the Studio Fire 2009 Letterpress Calendar, in which I had two illustrations. The second is the logo that we created at 160over90 for the Woodmere Art Museum. Adam Flanagan and I worked on the logo, with creative direction by Darryl Cilli and Dan Shepelavy.

Thanks to Emily Brown at 160over90 for the photos.

Lettering & Type

2009-10-29T11:39:00.004-07:00

I picked up this recent book from Princeton Architectural Press yesterday... I don't buy many contemporary type/lettering foundation books anymore, but this one is different. The authors (two MICA alums that planted the seeds of this publication in Ellen Lupton's Master's class) did a great job of giving a concise and comprehensive overview of type, writing and lettering, and the differences between them. From the broad (components of type, finials, descenders, all that) to the specific (things like the "Rogue's Gallery" which displays specific typographic faux-pas through example). Contemporary design-superheroes Justin Kay and Damien Correll also had some work in here as examples, as well as my MCAD type II instructor, Process Type Foundry's Eric Olson. Good stuff, I highly suggest it.

Big Quarters / Zip Discs Break

2009-10-26T18:59:00.008-07:00

My good friends, the emcee-producer superduo Big Quarters had their Zip Discs Break event last week at the Triple Rock in Minneapolis. They asked me to do the design for the event and some of the event pieces using the theme of production instruments. The actual event name relates directly to a piece of sort-of-outdated beat-making equipment, and the whole event is heavily skewed toward beatmakers, producers and engineers.

I took a pretty straightforward approach, using halftoned representations of the actual devices and placing them around the type (in Normetica) to give the thing context. Attached are some photos of the final package. Photos by Big Quarters.

Awkward Goodbyes

2009-10-20T15:38:00.002-07:00

This Friday, dudes and dudettes.

Stumptown Optimism

2009-10-15T17:25:00.008-07:00

I'm "scouting" the PDX for a few days over the weekend, looking for apartments, getting a lay of the land, etcetera. So far so good. About to meet my good buddy Keegan from Keeganmeegan.com and head over to a printing workshop that he helps facilitate at the Independent Publishing Resource Center.

On another note, 160over90 entered the Optimism Script Paulistano chair that I designed into a competition. You can vote for the Optimism Script Chair for the National Design Museum's People's Design Award here.

And definitely download our pdf case study type document we put together yonder.

Shoes, Life, Portland

2009-10-11T14:20:00.003-07:00

I've taken a job at Nike, as a senior designer in Nike Sportswear - Footwear. Never, NEVER had I ever even considered the legendary company to hit me up on a random Wednesday and claim somehow they'd come across the ol' portfolio. I think I actually laughed. "You've got the wrong guy," I said. "I'm no sneakerhead." "I've never really been a sports fan." Needless to say, I accepted the position, and I will be going out there in the next month, and doing my absolute best in a totally new world. That's all you can do, after all. Learn. Evolve. Repeat.

New Primer Illos

2009-10-03T18:16:00.004-07:00

Illos for Philadelphia CityPaper's annual Primer magazine. The top one is for an article called "Broken Spirits," about Pennsylvania's antiquated/stupid liquor laws. The second is for an article about William Penn's utopian vision for the city.

Commissioned by BAJ Design.

Nonsense.

2009-10-03T18:10:00.005-07:00

A few weeks ago, my buddy Mike and I were digging through the dusty annals of a Philadelphia used book shop, and we came across a 1974 version of The Way Things Work - Book of the Computer. The whole thing was two color, and the illustrations were these orange and black, diagrammatic little beauties. I made one of my own, above.

Style Wars Pts. 1-8

2009-09-30T06:40:00.005-07:00

Amanda Blank / Philly Promo Video

2009-09-21T07:05:00.002-07:00

Amanda Blank / Simplefly Promo from Adam Garcia on Vimeo.

Threw this together for the party tomorrow night. A little last-minute hyping. Better late than never, I guess.

Wedding Monogram

2009-09-18T10:35:00.002-07:00

My friends Michelle is getting married in a few weeks, and asked if I'd create a simple monogram for use on some of the material at the wedding. I created this clean and modern D&MC (for David & Michelle Craven) monogram. Have a wonderful life together, fellas.

The Mixtape Club

2009-09-10T09:29:00.004-07:00

Recently, my friend Brian Thomas reached out and asked me to contribute to a new web-based music sharing project called The Mixtape Club. I obliged, and the site officially launched the beginning of September. Check out free streaming, high-quality mixes from creative-types all over the world.

Check the site here: The Mixtape Club

Ra Ra Riot Poster

2009-09-10T07:36:00.005-07:00

I was asked by the Forward Music Festival in Madison, WI to contribute a poster for one of the event's amazing musical acts. Everybody from Wavvves and Andrew Bird to Atlas Sound and Ra Ra Riot. I chose Ra Ra Riot, since I've recently developed a liking to their aesthetic and sound. I knew that they have a nautical navigation theme that ran through a lot of their existing posters and latest album art. I used that as a base and created a graphic illustration of a diver's helm, which through the facemask you can see clouds. It's about being under duress, and living in the sky. If that makes sense. My friends at HotSnot USA (Minneapolis) printed it. Good peeps. Thanks to Maria at Forward and Erik at HotSnot.

Paul Sahre Video

2009-09-09T14:32:00.002-07:00

Paul Sahre: A Designer And His Problems part I from AIGA/NY on Vimeo.

People's History of the United States

2009-08-12T14:46:00.002-07:00

Just picked up my third copy of People's History last weekend. This is a book that should be revisited often, and thoroughly. I got it at a little store called the Wooden Shoe, in Queen Village, Philly. Amazing how you can tell so much about a place by the music it plays.

Seattle Weekly Blue Scholars Portrait

2009-08-09T20:27:00.004-07:00

Portrait of the Blue Scholars, recently finished for the Seattle Weekly.

Worldwide Soundsystem

2009-08-09T20:22:00.003-07:00

Recently finished a few new shirt designs for Manifest Worldwide Inc. Part of the late summer line. I'll post the link when it's available.

Wants VS Needs Round 3

2009-08-09T20:09:00.004-07:00

Finished this new one for my people in Minneapolis. WANTS VS NEEDS is a monthly party that celebrates the recession, by giving you a fun time for free. They also give out free shirts and free mixes, so that's pretty rad.

The idea for the dancing skeleton character comes from a printer's watermark from 1517. It's a contemporized momento mori, or reminder of inevitable death and the realisation that material objects don't matter. Wants vs. Needs. (So deep!)

Yak Shirt!

2009-07-31T21:27:00.003-07:00

FINALLY picked up a shirt I designed at the Yak and Cage concert last night. I have to say, the printing on this thing turned out pretty impeccable (not like it's easy to eff-up a bold, one-color vector image). Printed black on silver American Apparel. Simple, bold and clean.

Walker Art Center on the YouTubes

2009-07-31T07:43:00.002-07:00

A constant stream of video and audio input, riding in the corner of my screen whilst working. Some of my favorites:

Matthew Barney on the Cremaster Cycle. Mythology, history, biology, rich symbolism and the epitome of developing a comprehensive, multimedia visual vocabulary in one's work:

Goofy, bright, playful and imaginative, FriendsWithYou has been killin' it for years. A great example of cross-media character design and whimsical storytelling in visual form:

You probably have one of Chip Kidd's books at home. He gives us some insight into the process of designing book covers. I'm a big fan of Kidd's lectures.

Brother Ali - US

2009-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

My homey Brother Ali has a new album coming out September 22nd on Rhymesayers Entertainment. This is gonna be good.

Wednesday Morning Portrait Practice

2009-07-22T05:47:00.001-07:00

Juanito The Bat!

2009-07-21T20:49:00.004-07:00

So, the other morning I woke up to the sound of some small animal making loud, but cute, screeching noises right outside the window. Probably a hungry squirrel or regurgitating sparrow or somesuch, right? But I couldn't help but imagine a tiny, curious, happy-go-lucky purple bat. I named him "Juanito." Maybe I'll send him on some adventures someday.

As for the illo, the bat is all digital. The "Juanito" type is modified Avant Garde and "The Bat" is custom. SCREEEEECH!

Grit City Inc.

2009-07-21T20:41:00.002-07:00

"What's this?" you're asking! It's one of the shirts I'm currently working on for my friends at Grit City, Inc. Grit City is a Philly-based publishing company headed by BAJ Design's Brian Jacobson. Good peeps over there. Keep your eyes out.

Mod Volatile / At The Time

2009-07-18T16:01:00.006-07:00

Just finished this 7inch cover for Chicago-based record label Fieldwerk Recordings. Crushcon7 is a producer in Chi that got together lyricists Onry Ozzborn and JFK of Grayskul and producers Maker and Zavala for these two singles. They're good. Look out for the 7 inch record in August.

Best Made Axe Co.

2009-07-17T07:33:00.003-07:00

I used an axe once. Camping with some buddies in the Minnesota hinterlands, two years ago this month. The time that Jordon went crazy in the woods. Remember? The time that I sang "Kickstart My Heart" at the local karaoke bar and kicked the chair over? That time.

These axes are amazing. Best Made Co.

Tom Waits and Beck / Irrelevant Topics

2009-07-09T14:40:00.003-07:00

Beck's got a new blog called Irrelevant Topics. In this entry, he interviews one of my favorite people, Tom Waits.

One of my favorite quotes from the interview, by Waits:

I think of the city as a sort of mirage. If you look at pictures of the city a hundred years ago it's just a bunch of weeds and desert dust. Its not really supposed to be here. I was always fascinated by the city it was meant to be. I guess it was a place created by developers. It's not really like a city where some people roam around and then they find a good piece of land, and then they test it out for a while and make sure there is water so they don't die, and then they decide to make a city. I started looking at some pictures...Beverly Hills was originally supposed to be called Morocco Junction. I started thinking, if they'd gone with that name we'd be in a whole other situation. I was wondering if there were any things that you remember? It seems like it's shed its skin so many times.

Thanks to my buddy Brad Failor for the link.

Steve Powers Philly Love Letter

2009-07-07T08:25:00.003-07:00

Being a young buck from Minnesota in the mid-90s, all that I really knew of Philadelphia was The Roots and ESPO. I was a little dissappointed to learn that when I arrived here a year ago, that Steve Powers (ESPO) had up and bounced to Brooklyn (but I'm not mad at him, do your thing, buddy).

Now, Philly's own Steve Powers is back and working with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program on a series of beautifully thought-provoking and emotion-thumping murals across the rooftops and wallsides of The City of Brotherly Love. All of them are based in that sign-painting vernacular that I love. It's SO on. Read more over at CoolHunting.

Chico Mann!

2009-07-06T22:01:00.011-07:00

So, last Thursday night I Bolt Bussed up to New York for my buddy Nick Hook's new band's album release jam. The group's called Cubic Zirconia. They're off the chain. Opening was the illustrious Dam Funk (who had me boogalooing in a dance circle, which I do rarely nowadays), Mike the 2600 King and the opener, CHICO MANN, which blew my mind. Holler at him.

Apparently Chico Mann's got a new album coming out soon, I bet you won't be dissappointed. In fact, if you get the album and you ARE dissappointed, I'll draw you a picture of a cricket playing the violin. Seriously.

Work work workin

2009-07-06T21:59:00.004-07:00

MAAAAN it's been a minute, eh? I took a "hustle-hiatus" from blogging. Then, while in New York last week, my good friend Mike Davis said, "Adam, update your blog dude. People enjoy it." It was like getting splashed in the face with a bucket of cold urine.

The image above is an illustration I'm working on for the band Cubic Zirconia outta New York. Should be fun.

Wants vs. Needs Two: Super-Official

2009-07-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

The second installment of the Minneapolis dance night WANTS VS. NEEDS is going down on July 17th, 2009. Deejayed by Espada, So-Gold and DJ Anton. The event is sponsored by Clubhouse Jager, Vs. Social Standard and yours truly on the design tip.

Bespoke Tereze Pattern

2009-07-04T22:44:00.001-07:00

My ladyfriend Tereze needed something to go on the walls surrounding a main window in her living room. I proposed a custom classic wallpaper in which I would weave in her portrait to make it more "Terezey." She said "sure," I said "word," and a few weeks later... BAZOW! These ended up being digitally printed (unfortunately, my screenprinting access is extremely limited) and put in these fancy Ikea frames. They're 30cm x 88cm.

Soundset '09

2009-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a little behind-the-scenes of the event branding that I did for the Soundset music festival (at the 160over90 blog). Thank you to all of the printers, photographers, woodworkers, designers and managers that were involved!

Nyle - Let The Beat Build

2009-04-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

Nyle "Let The Beat Build" from Nyle on Vimeo.

This video was made in one take, with all the sound coming directly from the musicians. Pretty on point. At the Vimeo page you can get some more insight and behind the scenes footage.

Climb in The Back Window / Philly Art Show

2009-04-26T19:17:00.004-07:00

I'm not in this show, but I helped iO Wright (the curator) throw the flyer together. If you're in the Philadelphia-metro area on May 6th, GO. The show's going to be pretty bananas.

Learn more here: darlingdays.com

David Wilson / We Got Time Video

2009-04-22T14:49:00.002-07:00

From Motionographer:

All of the animations seen in David Wilson’s music video for Moray McLaren’s ‘We Got Time‘ were created in camera. Repeat: in camera. No CG, no compositing animation loops onto footage - just taking advantage of the way film and persistence of vision works.

I’m a sucker for pre-cinema optical toys - kinetoscopes, zoetropes, magic lanterns, and the praxinoscopes featured in ‘We Got Time.’ Wilson doesn’t just rely on the charm of the medium though. Using the mechanism of rotation and looping as a starting point, he’s able to create a journey using simple but hypnotic animations that tie into the idea of life/death cycles. That may sound crazy, but just watch - things start to get really trippy around 2:30.

Also check out the making of video here.

Studio On Fire 2009 Calendar

2009-03-31T08:44:00.001-07:00

The Studio on Fire 2009 Calendar that I created some work for (February and August) won an award from the American Institute of Graphic Arts in the Self-Promo category. Well-deserved. Glad I could be a part.

David Reinfurt at the Walker

2009-03-22T18:13:00.003-07:00

David Reinfurt's concious re-use of appropriated icons ("signals") in his work is interesting. The intense layering of meaning in a simplified symbol can lead to miscommunication and confusion if taken out of context, (take any "logo", for example). I'm more intrigued with the idea of exploring re-occuring signals in a body of work, and how the meaning transforms based on it's context.

Watch the video here.

Ritual Spaces

2009-03-22T18:01:00.004-07:00

Initially, I thought that it would be a good idea to at least try to understand 3d programs (since I have no prior experience), and I would kind of just play around and see what did what. I realised that all that I kept making were temples and other spaces for rituals to occur. I discovered that the immersive process of creating these constructs became meditative for me, and to me, any meditative act of creation is akin to praying. Thus, the creation of these imagined places-for-worship became like some stream-of-consciousness form of worship itself. More pics here.

FlavorPaper!

2009-03-19T17:30:00.002-07:00

Check out more FlavorPaper here.

Busy-ness As Usual

2009-03-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

Right now I've got some pretty fun projects poppin' off at the home studio. I'm working on my guy Toki Wright's album design, which will be released through Rhymesayers Entertainment in June.

Also, I just finished the cover of the Gas Galaxy EP for New York-based raptician Yak Ballz. It's called Gas Galaxy, and is the fore-runner of an LP coming out on Def Jux. I'll get that up here in a week or two, when Mr.Ballz gives me the heads up.

New Stickers

2009-03-12T19:33:00.005-07:00

Well, I got some new "The Pressure Is Good For You" stickers in, which I'm a little excited about. Let me know if you'd like a few and I'll shoot you some to throw up and motivate your community. Featured in the background there is the Keenley Products Desktop Landscape. My friend J-Zachary made 'em. Go get one.

Mike Perry: The Patterns Found in Space

2009-03-06T13:18:00.002-08:00

Tomorrow night, from 6:30 - 10:00 p.m., my buddy Mike Perry will be having an opening for his exhibition Patterns Found In Space, at Giant Robot. Mike's the homey, let me throw down in his book Hand Job. If you’re in New York definitely stop by and say hello.

Giant Robot, 437 East 9th Street (between Ave. A and 1st Street)

Sixeart Interview

2009-03-05T06:20:00.003-08:00

Interview with Sixeart over at Pretty Cool People.
While you're they're, make sure to soak up some of the other video interviews. Inspiration dense.

Paul Rand Interview

2009-03-04T13:00:00.003-08:00

"How is it possible to make so much and do so little?"

Design legend, American Modernist Paul Rand muses on life, motivation and graphic design.

Thanks to Chris VanAuken for the link.

Cover Illustration for Vita.mn Magazine

2009-02-26T21:34:00.003-08:00

I had the opportunity to do a cover illustration for the newest issue of Minneapolis-based Vita.mn magazine, which features an interview with my friend, P.O.S. The idea is to make P.O.S. iconic and dramatic, while making it graphically feel like small pieces of him are kind of being pulled in different directions.

Big ups to Eric Carlson, who designed the album packaging, and Leslie and Tom Horgen at Vita.mn for reaching out!

Arcade Fire Poster in Packaging Book

2009-02-11T08:37:00.007-08:00

I was Barnes & Noble by Rittenhouse last weekend, and I picked up the book FOR SALE: Over 200 Innovative Solutions in Packaging Design by John Foster. I'm flipping through, see some great stuff by Sagmeister, Werner Design Works and Ashby Design. Much of it I'd seen before, but hearing the rationales and process behind specific packaged items is really nice. And then, I flipped to the back and in between some incredible work by Invisible Creature and SeriPop is the Arcade Fire poster that I worked on with Wes at Burlesque Design. Honored!

As for the poster, it's a double-sided, three-color screenprint on 19" x 25" French paper that Burleque was commissioned by the band to create for their American Tour. The idea is that you could cut out the "shadowbox" in the poster and, when put together, it becomes a little church-like structure with a girl inside reading a book. Also, we created two extra panels that can create 4 different backgrounds of your choosing for the young lady.

Check it out on Amazon here.
Or at HOW Books here.

Lincoln! Reception

2009-02-11T07:48:00.005-08:00

Was last Friday, and it was rad. A local bartender from Center City's Apothecary was on the scene, serenading gallery-goers with tasty rum-drinks. All of the entrants received a goodie bag with shirts and postcards from Art In The Age. My buddies U.City showed up, as well as a lot of co-workers and other friendlies. 'Twas a good evening.

Check out more images from the night here.

Damien Correll on XLR8R TV

2009-02-10T11:54:00.001-08:00

Check out the interview here.
Man, that guy makes some awesome work.

Why I am Comfortable Not Being Chosen As a Cut&Paste Finalist

2009-02-10T07:47:00.004-08:00

As a follow up to my previous, enthusiastic Cut & Paste Competition post: I have not been chosen as a finalist. I got a nice email and some free tickets though, which is quite nice.

Although the experience would have been amazing, I decided that I am completely comfortable and in no way disheartened about their decision. I know that there may be millions of designers on the East Coast, most of whom are most likely a lot better than I am at graphic's designery. BUT, if that were a competition in which the entrants were required to, in 15 minutes, come up with an idea based on a subject, execute it with original materials on the spot, do continuous armwaves while sewing ritual masks for audience members, recite spontaneously created spoken-word poetry and name all the supernatural disciplines of every Core Clan of the stalking undead from Vampire: The Masquerade....

I would win.

That's why I'm comfortable not being chosen as a Cut&Paste Finalist.

The Selby

2009-02-04T06:36:00.004-08:00

The Selby is an online photographic project by Todd Selby that shows artists, musicians, writers and other creative-types in their workspaces and homes. I gotta say, the depth and intimacy of the imagery alone is amazing, and I could stare at the bookshelves all day. Above image is from the bookshelves of Kid America, in New York. The images below are from the homes Parisian author Frédéric Beigbeder and Brooklyn-based tattoo artist Scott Campbell, respectively.

In Process.

2009-02-01T20:20:00.009-08:00

So, I guess here's kind of a lil' briefing on what I've been up to the last few...

I found out that I made it through the regional "vetting" process for competitors in the New York Cut & Paste Digital Design competition. Cut & Paste pins to graphic designers/illustrators head to head with a theme chosen by the judges. Then, we have 15 minutes to make something conceptually sound, aesthetically strong and, I guess, performatively interesting. Last Saturday I went up to NY for the first Test Round in the back of the 55DSL store in Soho, so that they could see if in person we're not douchebags or whatever. My round went pretty well, I think, and I met some really nice dudes up there. Now is a waiting game to see if I go on to the Final 6 in March. Fingers crossed.

Cat on the left is Peirce Gibson. Currently workin at Superfad in NY. The bearded gentleman on the right is Raoul Paulet, a freelance motion designer from Rome currently living in Montreal. Both super-nice dudes that do really great work. Check it: http://www.piercegibson.com/ and http://www.raoulpaulet.com.

Thank you to John and Joy for the opportunity.

Also in the works: I just finished this logo for my co-worker, Creative Director/Fine Artist/Genius Dan Shepalavy. At 160over90, many of my co-workers are aggressive, competitive ping-pong players in the office. In response, Dan created the Village Green Table Tennis Auxiliary, a small team of relaxed and non-combatives whom play for the joy of the game. Dan commissioned me to make the logo! Here's the finished comp (all hand-drawn. Jeeyah).

On another note, I'm working on a lot of music projects outside of work that I'm pretty amped about. Currently in the works are a mixtape for Plain Ole Bill, an EP design for Yak Ballz outta New York, Toki Wright's first full-length and continuing U.City's sophomore release, The Fall (Available Now), amongst other projects.

Some in-process stuff: