IdN™ Magazine®

Whether it happens to be what they specialize in, or something that they are only called upon to undertake from time to time, almost all designers enjoy putting together the collateral for a meaningful private event. The freedom from the often suffocating demands of a commercial brief are part of the attraction, as is the satisfaction that comes from giving immediate pleasure to people and being temporarily welcomed into their world. In this issue, we have sought the opinions of 21 creative units on how to make that very personal party go with a bang!

IdN v18n6: Humorous Design — Design in Contempt

Who doesn't like to make people laugh? An ability to do this always adds something special to the message being conveyed, however serious its ultimate intent, and the rewards for those designers with a universal sense of humour, and technique to match, can be huge. In this issue, we have gathered together the work and words of 11 genuinely funny designers, who all have radically different approaches. If you think that you possess a prominent funny bone, their experiences may inspire you. We hope that some of them, at least, will leave you chortling or wryly smiling.

IdN v18n5: Logographic Issue — Stamps of Authority

A good logo never stands alone — it always acts as the front-runner for a whole identity package. At least, that's what the experts tell us. And the simpler it is, the more effective it will probably be. It should also be flexible enough to be capable of adaptation to almost any media. These are just a few of the lessons you will learn if you read what our 17 leading logo designers have to say on the subject. And their messages are backed up with bags of visuals demonstrating their own best efforts in this field.

IdN v18n4: Mono Graphics — Colour Toning

It is not nostalgia-design, though some of it has a decidedly old-fashioned feel to it, and it is not minimalist design as such, except when it comes to the use of colour. It is what has become known as mono-graphics — where because of budgetary restraints or a self-imposed restriction, the design is printed in only one or two colours. Mono-graphics doesn't have to mean monotonous. Less colour often makes for more context. We got 9 experts in this issue to demonstrate the incredible visual strength that can be created by using just one or two hues.

IdN v18n3: Glitch Issue — Making the Perfect Accidents

In the ever-more-perfect world of computerised design, accidents can be inspirational. When the software seizes up, some free spirits become even more creative. What was once a goof is now a genre – let the featuring 12 glitch-design specialists explain how it has opened up new vistas for them.

IdN v18n2: Street Art Issue — From vandalism to avant-garde

The day when graffiti was reviled as "vandalism" have long been left behind - top street artists are now a big draw for both galleries and collectors. But the original impetus to decorate public space with personal with artistic statements ranging from the revolutionary to the intensely intimate still makes a liberating appeal to these creative types.

IdN v18n1: Flat (Free*) Graphics — Graphics with Dimension

What is now known as "tactile design" is coming increasingly into vogue as designers grow disenchanted with what they perceive as the soul-lessness of digital techniques and feel a need to be more involved with their material, more hands-on. We have gathered designers who came to the concept of tactile design after having started out in the digital field, to demonstrate how tactile illustrations jumps off pages, billboards and screens.

IdN v17n6: Minimalism Issue — When Less is Truly More

Overloaded design can be both boring and distracting, while minimalism’s ability to cut to the chase gives it a decided commercial edge. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry defined the style as being “not when there is nothing more to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away”. Let these minimalist specialists tell you how they make their crucial reductive decisions..