Webdevtuts- a free blog dedicated to Web Development

Webdevtuts (Resources):
A great web design resource

<original story>  (Webdevtuts.com)

I try and stay current with collecting useful tutorials and information as I incorporate web design into my graphic design regime and this site is a great resource I'd like to share for useful information about current web design. It's current, HTML 5 and CSS 3, and offers clean and easy to understand tutorials for creating elements which are both useful and appealing in web design. Check them out, you'll be glad you did. 

     I am going to try to collect some resources here and post the most useful of the bunch- things I've used in the past, or stumble across in my day-to-day adventures. If you've got some to share, feel free to post responses or email me at Dave.Roberts.Designs@gmail.com and I'd be happy to do a write up!

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #4

DMC Rebrand Project:
Advertising
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

Though magazines, fliers, newspapers and conventional methods of advertising can reach a large audience, I've got bigger plans for displaying the new brand. A featured installment at Hart Plaza in Detroit will both capture the attention and add to the cultural landscape of Jefferson Ave and the recently renovated Riverwalk. This installation will be accompanied by a semi-permanent oil-based chalking of the typographic logo and the unveiling event will be something the entire family can enjoy- with TONS of complimentary chalk to let the citizens of Detroit decorate the plaza in what is sure to be one of the largest collections of child and adult sidewalk art in the Nation. This even should capture national attention and serve the secondary purpose of promoting the rebranding effort through conventional media streams.

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #3

DMC Rebrand Project:
Wayfinding Signage
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

    Here are a few examples of the signs you'd see posted around the hospital. As a principle aspect of the re-brand, consideration was given to the way that children are able to navigate the facility and special attention was given to incorporate elements which allowed them to familiarize themselves with their whereabouts. On the bottom of the floor navigation (top image) a pictograph of a turtle and a large number indicating the floor have been added to the current wayfinding layout to serve this purpose. In addition, the new logo will be posted on each piece of wayfinding signage to consistently and constantly reinforce the brand as patients navigate the facility.
    The second image is of an overhead sign which will hang from the ceiling to indicate direction and reinforce the branding.
    The third image is the room identifier signage which will be posted outside of each room to let people know whats inside.
      Each floor (6 total) will have a unique color and pictograph associated with it to increase navigational efficiency in the facility as well as to provide children with the opportunity to get involved in the "getting around" process. Let's face it- there is nothing worse than being sick AND lost at the same time- and the story is no different for kids. These small details should help to ease the anxiety which is typically associated with a trip to the hospital, particularly for inpatient procedures.

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #2

DMC Rebrand Project:
Stationary
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

Step two in the rebranding effort was creating a stationary kit to include a business card, letterhead and #10 envelope which displayed the logo and additional identity elements. These products were developed using Adobe Illustrator. With 4 weeks left in the project, the hits just keep on rolling. Be sure to check out my Facebook album for complete development process details, and feel free to share my work with your friends, I always appreciate the support, comments and critiques.

The #10 envelope will eventually take two forms: one which is used for newsletter and check-up information which will have a more playful look and this one which will be used for corporate billing and more serious types of mailings.





This letterhead will be used as the generic form for direct mailings to current and potential clients. It may include information about the hospital, updates on new programs, projects and locations. A similar version will be used for the billing statements that is mono-colored and more corporate in design and feel. The idea is to visually separate the good news from the bad news and provide a way for hospital secretaries and staff to visually convey a message of either importance or hopefulness (playful).

Google+: Coming soon

Google+ Coming Soon:
Google gearing up to make a splash in social media

<original story>  (Google.com)

Google is putting together Google+, and it looks fantastic. With the ability to sort your contacts into CIRCLES and join a HUDDLE (group conversation) it seems like Google has really done their homework on how people like to connect. It will be interesting to see how this application rivals established media networks like Facebook and MySpace- as Google is always on the cutting edge of internet technology and comes equipped with the tools of the trade to make your life online that much easier. Take a minute and check out the videos which help to explain this new application- currently still in development- and get signed up to be the first to hear when it goes live. If you are one of the lucky ones, you've gotten in on the Beta testing- let me know how you like it!  

With Google joining the ranks of the social media frenzy which is a force in almost every industry, it makes very clear the importance of networking yourself and getting your work out there to the people who love it most. Google is a monster in the industry and their involvement in creating a new social media platform really emphasizes how far this concept has come from the good ol' HTML days of MySpace. Could Google be gearing up to be the one-stop internet shop for applications of all shapes and sizes? I think so. Im really anxious to try out this new platform!
Find more info at Mashable

Math + Art = Layout Beauty?

CLASSIC PAGE LAYOUT:
The numbers don't lie- how math and art found form.

<original story>  (RetinArt.com)

With all the modern tools we have to aide in layout design, it was interesting to get back to the roots of the first prominent book makers and the conventions or canons they used to layout their work. At RetinArt.com there is a great article about several medieval designers who came up with systems which expressed similar ideas, developed independently, forming a familiar pattern of page layout throughout the history of text books. 

      If you have not looked into the Golden Ratio, I'd suggest checking it out- as an artist understanding the mathematical relationship with aesthetic appeal revolutionized the way I design. This method of proportions, represented both in the Fibonacci Sequence and the layout example above (Villard de Honnecourt- 13th century France) provide a subtle framework which can be used as an aesthetically pleasing template time and time again. The beauty of these proportional systems of layout is that you can scale the content to any size, and that content generated in this fashion scales to many sizes. This type of layout is great for today's modern era of cross-media production of similar information, making it easier to layout information across multiple sizes and platforms without losing the aesthetic appeal inherent with the system. 

     As an interesting tid-bit: The Mona Lisa is shown to contain many sections of the the Golden Ratio, as are many classical paintings (mostly associated with religion) from the Renaissance period. This under-written design technique was something like a trade secret, practiced by the masters and executed time and time again in a range of amazing works. 

      If it ain't broke- don't fix it. Check out these useful guides to page layout, add a little stylistic flair and let me know what you come up with! Hope this helps!

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #1

DMC Rebrand Project:
Logo Comps
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

As promised, here is a compilation of the logo rebrand for the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan. This project will encompass an entire overhaul of the branding from identity to environmental graphics and signage- so be sure to stay tuned as the pieces come together.

Obama at the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan

Obama Dominio Art:
Children's Hospital of Michigan
 
The DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan takes a very unique approach to pediatric health care. In their child friendly and
family centered facilities, there are many amazing works of art- those both created for children and by children. As you step off the elevator there is an amazing domino collage of President Obama that really grabbed me as I walked the facility seeking inspiration for a re-branding project. It's both creative and modern, and something that kids and adults alike can appreciate. This is only one example of many fantastic pieces of art that line the walls and help to set a mood within the hospital which is friendly and welcoming.
I have begun a project to re-brand the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan as a student project. Stay tuned for updates of the creative process and products as they hatch! If you are an artist and have a real passion to make a difference with your work, I believe that donating work to the DMC Children's Hospital could be one of the most rewarding ways for people to actually be inspired by your work- and those are the ones who need it most!

StockLogos.com- brush the dust off those b-sides

STOCK LOGOS:
Upload and sell unused logos!
<my page>  (stocklogos.com)

After grinding a few weeks of crowd-source design competitions and coming just close enough to get excited and find out that some new design won at the last minute... I was left with a small collection of unused logos. These have been sitting idle collecting dust in the 99 Designs folder for almost two months. I came across Stocklogos.com which is an online market-place that allows you to upload, price and categorize your logos for sale at a 25% fee (you get 75% list price).
If nothing more, this creates a great library of useful graphics to point clients to, and ready-to-go solutions for those rush jobs! There is a template to download and utilize for formatting the logos to upload (an .eps and .png image) and StockLogos places the image on a tee-shirt, hat, coffee mug, shopping back and smart car for application display- it's that easy! I'll be creating my library and sharing along the way.