IdN™ RSS® — MAGS

IdN v17n4: 100th Issue — 10 DESIGNERS / 10 CURATORS

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:12:12 -0700

We have asked 10 top-of-the-class creatives to answer a couple of questions — how do they view today's design scene, and what advice would they offer newcomers to it? Not only that, but our Top 10 have been generous enough to pick out 10 peers whose work they believe deserves greater prominence for your enjoyment. A feast of inspiration, then, for everybody in the art and design business.

IdN v17n3: Eco-Graphics Issue — Let's Go Green

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:26:48 -0700

One simple motto - 'Buy and use only what you really need and then get rid of it properly when you have finished with it' - could make a huge difference in helping to reduce the mountain of waste that is threatening to destroy our eco-system. As those responsible, in one way or another, for most of the products we purchase, designers bear a heavy responsibility to make sure that our shopping is environmentally friendly. But many are worried about the supposed higher costs, the potential loss of clients and the restrictions on creativity that this might involve.

IdN v17n2: Retro Graphics — Nostalgia In Modern Times

Mon, 24 May 2010 01:15:14 -0700

Is there a counter-revolution underway against the “perfection” that modern technology has brought to our artistic endeavours? Time was when you could tell that a work of art had been man-made by the small flaws in its execution – these tended to give it an endearingly human touch and very often underscored the passion that went into making it. To say nothing of the serendipitous discoveries that came with a non-assisted approach. More and more artists, it seems, are taking a trip back to those less-exacting days. Call it “nostalgia art”, call it “retro”, it holds a lot of appeal for a lot of designers.

IdN v17n1: The Branding Issue — Brand Everything

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:49:38 -0800

Human beings are born with a unique identity – carried in our DNA or via our fingerprints. And when that officer of the law asks you to show him some ID, you simply flash your ID card, passport or driving licence. Things are not that simple for companies and institutions, who have to have one invented for them. Once upon a time, a simple, eye-catching logo did the trick. Now it has all become very much more complicated, with the bigger firms needing a complete “identity system”.

IdN v16n6: The Colour Issue — Colour Sutra

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:59:19 -0800

Colour is at once both the most subjective and the most universal of design elements. For most of us, there is no particular rationale behind what we regard as our ‘favourite’ colours – but for a designer, making the right choice of colour combinations can mean the difference between success and failure. We talk to 10 top creatives about their approach to this fundamental issue. Their opinions are as fascinating as the examples of their work we have chosen to illustrate the article.

IdN v16n5: Editorial Design Issue — The Magic of Magazines

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:54:57 -0800

As one of our featured designers, Nicolas Bourquin, puts it: “It’s a hard time for magazines, but a fabulous period for editorial design.” To stave off the threat posed by digitalization, it seems that everyone in the print industry is being motivated to push the boundaries of this discipline to unprecedented heights of creativity. We talk to half a dozen experts in editorial design who are not only managing to survive but producing publications that can stand comparison with any that have come before them – about why they do it and how they see the future of “hard copy”.

IdN v16n4: Self Promotion Issue — Hello, my name is...

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:14:46 -0700

There are few professions for which self-promotion is more important then that of graphic designers, for it is on the material that they produce to sell their own services that they will be judged. And if designers can’t design a decent piece of self-promotional materials, what hope do they have of convincing a potential client that they could do a good job for them? Our biggest-ever feature, presenting the self-referential work of 25 artists and their views on how best to introduce yourself to the world.

IdN v16n3: Typography Issue — In their own words

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:05:33 -0700

It is said that every designer is in love with typography – but some are more so than others. These 11 exponents of the art of the alphabet simply live for letters. See what the big attraction is, how it all started for them, what keeps them interested and where they aim to go from here. And take a sip of the tasty alphabet soup that is their work.

IdN v16n2: Illustration Special — The Joys of being Hands-On

Fri, 08 May 2009 00:12:41 -0700

Most of us started out, as kids, with a love of drawing – remember that feeling of excitement when the teacher or your mum placed a piece of pristine paper in front of you and a box of coloured crayons? Despite the incredible advances in digital technology, enabling even those who are incapable of drawing a straight line or a recognisable human figure to be “artists”, this is a sensation that has stayed with some who have gone on to become professional designers, but still love to draw by hand, even if they continue to use the computer for some aspects of their work. We talk to 10 of them about the attraction of being hands-on.

IdN v16n1: The Craft Issue — Handy Graphics

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:25:02 -0800

Craft designers say they love being “hands-on”, that the feel of real material between their fingers and the inevitable imperfections of the process make it more exciting than purely digital work. They also say that it has its drawbacks – mistakes cannot be rectified with a click of the keyboard and it tends to be time-consuming! Read what they have to say about their art – and view the result.

IdN v15n6: Retail Desire — Designers turning us all into shopaholics

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:25:02 -0800

We all have our favourite places to shop, browse, eat and drink or just hang out, but did you ever wonder what makes them your favourite? Feeling “comfortable” in the space is a large part of the attraction, albeit subliminal. And this is the result of a lot of hard work and inspiration on the part of what are known as retail designers. We have gathered together eight top names in the field, all experts at giving body (retail design) and soul (visual identity) to the biggest of brands.

IdN v15n5: The Geometric Issue — Shaping up to geometric design

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:25:02 -0800

It is probably the most difficult design form to define since in many ways it underpins the entire discipline. But one thing it is not, in the hands of our 10 featured practitioners, is cold and calculating. They each explain how geometry shaped their design world – and why they feel so passionately about it. And their selected artwork helps to square the circle.