You! Be Informed! #0004 – Adobe Muse, AIGA/NY 30th Anniversary, and Maurice Sendak

News May 11, 2012 by Cadence Wu

This week’s about to end and we’d like to close it out with some interesting design news. We’ve heard some disheartening news, but there’s some good news out there, too. We’ve compiled some interesting projects, events, and news about design and designers.

Graphic designers often look at pictures to draw inspiration for their projects. But looking for the perfect muse can be tricky. You can check Piccsy, they’ve recently re-launched their site and is now offering an improved image search, related image search, and high quality images. If you’re looking for an alternative source of inspiration, check their site out.

Before entering the corporate side of graphic designing, I was once a freelancer, too. I’ve experienced the joy and freedom of being a freelancer. But being happy doesn’t always mean it’s rewarding. We’ve received an email recently about the Freelancer Payment Protection Act. It aims to help freelancers – designers, writers, consultants – to get paid for their work and avoid deadbeats. Check out their site to know more about the act.

AIGA NY will celebrate their 30th anniversary this year, and they’re commemorating it through 30 posters designed by 30 different artists. They’ll also host an event that will take you back, through 30 years of creativity, in AIGA NY’s humble beginning. Check out their AIGA NY’s site for more information.

If you miss the old Polaroid and the vintage feel of the prints it produces, you don’t have to be nostalgic forever. Recently, ADR Studio released a concept design for a real-world camera for the famed Instagram. They’ve called it the Instagram Socialmatic Project; check out their site for the specs and how to make it possible!

If you’re looking for a new medium to work with, you can try designing skateboards for lvsk8. They’ll be hosting a hand-painted skateboard show at Get Up Gallery inside Emergency Arts in Las Vegas, NV. You can check out the details at their website.

An interesting boom in recent years is the rise of smart phones. The flexibility and the availability of the internet on-the-go, makes it an efficient tool for both casual and corporate cases. But what’s more interesting in these phones are the apps that can be used in them. If you’re interested in logos, branding, or interface design you might want to check out The Art of Apps exhibit in New York.

Adobe launches a software that aids designers to create professional HTML5 websites without writing the code. Adobe Muse is now available as a standalone subscription or as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud.

Last May 8, 2012 the legendary and creative Maurice Sendak has passed away. Known as the illustrator and writer behind the children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are”, Mr. Sendak passed away due to a complication of a stroke. I wasn’t able to read the book he wrote and illustrated, but I was able to watch the film that was based on his story. Mr. Sendak’s creativity and brilliance will be missed.