Category — Graphic Design

Talk about intersections between art and science! Now here’s some data that would look great on my wall. The Geological Survey Of Japan created these diagrams of volcanoes using colors to identify different rock units, ages and layers of lava. But to the untrained eye the organic shapes created by hundreds of thousands of years of fire and destruction are visually entertaining on their own.

Check out the GSJ website where you can see more maps and even order prints (prices range between 1,150 – 2,625 yen).

images courtesy GSJ | click to enlarge

Miyake-jima

Type: stratovolcano
Last eruption: 2010
Summit elevation: 2,674 ft. (815 m.)

Aso

Type: caldera
Last eruption: 2011
Summit elevation: 5,223 ft. (1,592 m.)

Hokkaido Komagatake

Type: andesitic stratovolcano
Last eruption: 2000
Summit elevation: 3,711 ft. (1,131 m.)

source: wired

Magic Tuna | click to enlarge

Ayaka Ito is a graphic designer and illustrator, who grew up in Japan and now works at the digital agency Big Spaceship in New York.

Ayaka’s Paper Typography | click to enlarge

When Ayaka isn’t working or keeping busy watching her favorite alpaca videos she keeps busy learning more about design and filling up her blog with sketches and other art.

Ayaka’s typography work | click to enlarge

I’m really attracted to her use of colors and paper art! To see more of Ayaka’s work visit ayakaito.com and her blog at passionforcolor.tumblr.com.

source: design work life

Letters are components of a larger (alphabetic) system that work in tandem to produce a force (language). So why not create a typeface based on gears – those rotating machines that transmit motion? That was the idea behind Font Gear, a typeface created by Kaiho Sho for his senior thesis exhibition at Tamabi.

Sure it’s not the first gear typeface, but it’s certainly the prettiest in my book!

I came across Kaiho Sho while exploring the body of work produced for the 2011 senior thesis exhibition of students from Tama Art University(Tamabi).

See all our posts on student work.

Each year around this time we like to do a roundup of some of our favorite calendars for the following year. Can you believe we’re heading into 2012? I certainly can’t. If you’re interested, please check out our previous posts, which include 2009 calenders! oh no!, 2010 calendars! oh my! and 2011 Calendars! Oh crap!.

Chie Tanaka’s rainbow “Pullout Calendar” was produced in collaboration with Takeo Paper and will be exhibited/sold (5,250 yen) at Mitsukoshi Department Store in conjunction with Designtide Tokyo 2011.

Also in collaboration with Takeo Paper is Kei Matsushita’s “Graph Calendar” (15,750 yen). It’s an upright calendar and you flip the days as the year progress. It comes in 4 different colors.

Yusaku Shimoyama’s “Surge” calendar is made from one sheet of paper and becomes three dimensional when assembled to look like an architect model. Available at the MoMA Store ($10.95)

Hiroyuki Miyake‘s “Measure Calendar” works like a retractable tape measure, with one centimeter for each day of the year.

And of course, our roundup of calendars wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from graphic design office D-BROS. First up is “Roll12” (above) by Ryosuke Uehara, in which the motion of flipping from month-to-month becomes part of the design, creating a visually dynamic calendar.

“Family” by Atsushi Hirano is a continuation of a series in which the designer incorporates animals into the typefaces of the days.

Lastly, their “typeface” calendar, which has been rotating through popular typefaces since 2008, is back again; this time with the “century” family.

click images to enlarge (recommended)

As a parent, I think this is pretty fantastic. Mao Fujimoto, a student at the prestigious Tama Arts University, has redesigned the children’s fairytale, adding another dimension of true interactivity.

Big Book is precisely that – a children’s story that unfolds into a gigantic single sheet, revealing an oversized graphic of something central to the story. Fujimoto was inspired by a keen fascination about what it would be like to ride on the turtle, which carries the young fisherman to a sub-sea palace in Urashima Taro, one of Japan’s most beloved stories.

And each illustration stands alone as a gorgeous work of artistry, all by the hand of Fujimoto. Amongst her series of 5 stories, perhaps the most visually striking is the deep, dark whole featured in Alice in Wonderland. The listeners and storytellers alike can get on top of the whole book, reorienting themselves around it as they become immersed in the story, experiencing it with all 5 senses. I have nothing against digital books, but an experience like this can still only be achieved in analog and Fujimoto presents a masterful way of doing it.

I found Mao Fujimoto’s Big Book while exploring the winners of the 2011 Mitsubishi Junior Designer Award, announced on October 5, 2011. Fujimoto’s work was awarded the Naoki Sakai award. You can read our previous coverage on this award HERE.

We’ve previously posted an illustration by Tatsuro Kikuchi, but wanted to share more charming works by him. Tatsuro Kiuchi was born in Tokyo and attended International Christian University in Tokyo – studying biology.  He started his art career when he moved to the US and attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California; where he graduated with distinction. He started out illustrating children’s books in the US and Japan. His fun and colorful illustrations have gained a large fan base and has been commissioned to do work for the Royal Mail, Starbucks (and this), and Toyota to name a few.

While the the color illustrations are vibrant and fun, I really enjoy his monochromatic series as well. There’s something very serene about them.

Here’s one last fun stereo pair (3d) piece.
quick how to

click to enlarge

Tatsuro is also featured in a iPhone/iPad app that is available for FREE(!) at the iTunes App Store: Art Tails – Art Books by World Creators for Japan.

Tatsuro Kikuchi’sBlog | facebook | Flickr

I’m loving this simple TypoDesignClock ($0.99 at the iTunes app store) app for the iPhone by Katsushi Nakano.

It’s also available on the iPad  (iTunes link) for $0.99.

This fun Dropi iPhone app (iTunes link) and more applications by Katsushi Nakano can be found on his website at katsushinakano.com.

Katsushi Nakano is a applications, graphic, and industrial designer currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Katsushi Nakano on Twitter: @katsushinakano.

A stunningly minimal and breathtaking poster made from a single drop of red ink. It was designed by Lucas Krull, who is donating all proceeds to the Japan relief effort.

Source: twitter

First came shock,  then came loss and finally, a question: “I wonder what I could do.” Simply put, that was the process that moved an advertising professional from Morioka and a photographer from Tokyo to create A Beacon of Rebirth Poster Project.

The posters are comprised of a simple layout: a photograph of local residents, accompanied by short text. The posters a grouped by the location the photos were shot: Otsuchi, Kamaishi and Oofunato. What’s interesting – and what I particularly like about the series – is that they don’t solicit pity. Instead, the locals are portrayed as resilient and tenacious.

The posters have been on display at various sites in Morioka, Fukushima, Tokyo, as well as evacuation centers. You can purchase the posters (3,675 yen – 3,990 yen) via an order form in the Japanese version of the website. The English version doesn’t yet appear to have that functionality.

Source: twitter | fukkou-noroshi

click images to enlarge

Designer Taku Satoh recreated a 3-dimensional version of the Japanese alphabet by stacking numerous layers of paper. Apparently it was in response to an overall shift in emphasis towards contour, rather than essence – an unfortunate consequence of the pervasiveness of digital media.

I love how each hiragana is enclosed in their own individual wooden box, elevating them to a higher status. The execution of the exhibition is also breathtaking. I wish I could have seen it in person.

Taku Satoh | Two Experiments Exhibition
Gallery Kobo
2009.02.02  – 02.14

(I know it’s old work, but the designer just recently updated his website with a treasure trove of new work. I’ve been slowly going through it all. So much cool stuff!)

For other experimental hiragana, check out Hideo Kanbara’s 3D hiragana!

source: Taku Satoh’s website