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Ph. Craig McDean
Courtesy wmagazine.com
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Monday, January 30, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
How House Industries Designs Its Retrotastic Logos and Typefaces
In 2000 Andy Cruz and his coworkers at House Industries decided to create a font based on the legacy of designers Charles and Ray Eames. After immersing themselves in Eames archives at the Library of Congress and interviewing Herman Miller engineers, the type designers landed on a whimsical set of letters based on Ray’s handwriting. But when they presented it to Eames Demetrios, the famed designers’ grandson, he recoiled.
“He was very clear that we weren’t really bringing much to the table, as far as bringing some new thinking to the Eames story,” Cruz recalls. The feedback stung, but it was valuable. By that time, Cruz and the rest of House Industries had left their scrappy, upstart days behind them (the designers had recently released their wildly successful Neutra typeface, which you probably know as the Shake Shack font), but they’ve never grown allergic to criticism. In fact, if Cruz’s candid new monograph is any indication, receptivity has been essential to his type foundry’s success.
In House Industries: The Process Is the Inspiration,Cruz joins co-founders Rich Roat and Ken Barber in reflecting on a quarter century’s worth of work. But rather than publish page after page of type designs and logos, Cruz, Roat, and Barber amassed case studies for a handful of notable projects, from a logo for Hermès Japan to a set of designs based on hot-rodding. Through detailed accounts, the designers candidly explore not just their successes but their failures—what inspired them, what tripped them up, and how they arrived at a finished product.
In the case of the Eames font collection, House Industries heeded Demetrios’s advice. “He showed us how to go back and try to build something that wasn’t a regurgitation of something we’d seen before, but a tool that could point to something we love about Eames,” Cruz says. The result was a typeface that channels Eames-ian principles like elegance, sturdiness, and economy of space without parroting any Eames ephemera.
Understanding how to make vintage designs feel fresh has made House Industries popular with clients ranging from the Jimmy Kimmel Show to director JJ Abrams, a House Industries fanboy and author of the book’s introduction. But what Cruz and his colleagues took away from the Eames project is a fraction of what the designers have learned running House Industries these past 25 years. You’ll find a few choice examples of other lessons in the gallery above—and many more in the new monograph itself.
“He was very clear that we weren’t really bringing much to the table, as far as bringing some new thinking to the Eames story,” Cruz recalls. The feedback stung, but it was valuable. By that time, Cruz and the rest of House Industries had left their scrappy, upstart days behind them (the designers had recently released their wildly successful Neutra typeface, which you probably know as the Shake Shack font), but they’ve never grown allergic to criticism. In fact, if Cruz’s candid new monograph is any indication, receptivity has been essential to his type foundry’s success.
In House Industries: The Process Is the Inspiration,Cruz joins co-founders Rich Roat and Ken Barber in reflecting on a quarter century’s worth of work. But rather than publish page after page of type designs and logos, Cruz, Roat, and Barber amassed case studies for a handful of notable projects, from a logo for Hermès Japan to a set of designs based on hot-rodding. Through detailed accounts, the designers candidly explore not just their successes but their failures—what inspired them, what tripped them up, and how they arrived at a finished product.
In the case of the Eames font collection, House Industries heeded Demetrios’s advice. “He showed us how to go back and try to build something that wasn’t a regurgitation of something we’d seen before, but a tool that could point to something we love about Eames,” Cruz says. The result was a typeface that channels Eames-ian principles like elegance, sturdiness, and economy of space without parroting any Eames ephemera.
Understanding how to make vintage designs feel fresh has made House Industries popular with clients ranging from the Jimmy Kimmel Show to director JJ Abrams, a House Industries fanboy and author of the book’s introduction. But what Cruz and his colleagues took away from the Eames project is a fraction of what the designers have learned running House Industries these past 25 years. You’ll find a few choice examples of other lessons in the gallery above—and many more in the new monograph itself.
Thanks for sharing: wired.com
Ph. Carlos Alejandro / Courtesy of House Industries
Monday, January 16, 2017
These cool midcentury home and design ads are everything you'd expect
There is a impressive digital database, called AdSausage, with over 40,000 vintage advertisements just waiting for your perusal.
The searchable database has it all: from hilarious 1950s and ‘60s advertisements for dishwashers, irons, and ovens, to ‘70s magazine ads for the latest in telephone technology, which stood a far cry from, say, today’s smartphone.
We are, natch, particularly enamored of the “Design” category, which includes a groovy, full-page midcentury Herman Miller Furniture ad for Charles Eames’s Aluminum Group, and the most amazing set of ads for architectural and residential lighting. The spots aren’t just from U.S. magazines, either: In our dive into the archives, we spotted clippings from European journals, too.
The documents were digitized under the supervision of a scientist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, who, according to AdSausage, oversees the scanning of each page on the site with a “multidetector positron scanner.” This minimizes the dirt and other grime on the originals when scanned and, thus, maximizes our ability to lose hours at a time wading through glorious commercial kitsch of yore.
Take a look over at AdSausage.
The searchable database has it all: from hilarious 1950s and ‘60s advertisements for dishwashers, irons, and ovens, to ‘70s magazine ads for the latest in telephone technology, which stood a far cry from, say, today’s smartphone.
We are, natch, particularly enamored of the “Design” category, which includes a groovy, full-page midcentury Herman Miller Furniture ad for Charles Eames’s Aluminum Group, and the most amazing set of ads for architectural and residential lighting. The spots aren’t just from U.S. magazines, either: In our dive into the archives, we spotted clippings from European journals, too.
The documents were digitized under the supervision of a scientist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, who, according to AdSausage, oversees the scanning of each page on the site with a “multidetector positron scanner.” This minimizes the dirt and other grime on the originals when scanned and, thus, maximizes our ability to lose hours at a time wading through glorious commercial kitsch of yore.
Take a look over at AdSausage.
Thanks AdSausage and Curved.com for sharing.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Christmas Cards sent to Charles and Ray Eames
These Christmas cards are from the Library's nearly 1,000,000-item collection of photographs drawings, films, slides and manuscripts from Charles and Ray. The Eameses saved hundreds of cards (see here) from friends, family and colleagues -- some among the greatest artists and designers of our time.
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| Harry Weese |
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| Robert Osborn |
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| Toshihiro Katayama |
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| Sister Corita Kent |
Monday, December 19, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
Industrial designer recreates the Eames shell chair in wood
Tasked by Wisconsin furniture manufacturer Wooda with creating a chair, industrial designer Tucker Viemeister recreated Charles and Ray Eames 1950s Molded Fiberglass Side Chair in a log. This combination of a traditional raw material with new technology and CNC-machining challenges the notion that a design must be unique. “All designers feel challenged to create a great chair—but why? There are so many good ones already. What can the designer offer? What is new?” asked Viemeister in a statement.
When Viemeister responded to Wooda’s request for a new chair design with a photoshopped photo of a log with an Eames chair carved into it, founder Terry Sweeney was intrigued. He collected three eight-foot oak logs from a nearby forest and input the surface mesh metrics into a CNC-milling machine. The machines ground the end of the logs to a 21-inch-diameter, 17-inch-high seat using a process similar to a pencil sharpener. The rest of the log was left natural to further jar the eye as it tries to reconcile the iconic design in a wholly new medium. “The form is so engraved in our cultural memory that the slightest violation of line or curve stands out like fingernails on a chalkboard,” said Viemeister, whose clients include Corning glass, the National Zoo, Coca-Cola, Cuisinart, Apple, OXO, Toshiba, and many others. Wooda had initially reached out to the industrial designer because it wanted to connect its abundant access to raw materials, space, and technology with innovative ideas and fresh aesthetics.
When Viemeister responded to Wooda’s request for a new chair design with a photoshopped photo of a log with an Eames chair carved into it, founder Terry Sweeney was intrigued. He collected three eight-foot oak logs from a nearby forest and input the surface mesh metrics into a CNC-milling machine. The machines ground the end of the logs to a 21-inch-diameter, 17-inch-high seat using a process similar to a pencil sharpener. The rest of the log was left natural to further jar the eye as it tries to reconcile the iconic design in a wholly new medium. “The form is so engraved in our cultural memory that the slightest violation of line or curve stands out like fingernails on a chalkboard,” said Viemeister, whose clients include Corning glass, the National Zoo, Coca-Cola, Cuisinart, Apple, OXO, Toshiba, and many others. Wooda had initially reached out to the industrial designer because it wanted to connect its abundant access to raw materials, space, and technology with innovative ideas and fresh aesthetics.
Read all at archpaper.com (thanks for sharing).
Ph: courtesy Tucker Viemeister
Monday, December 05, 2016
A Lost Snippet of Eames'"Think", Found in a Home Movie Shot in 1964
Robert Anen, a second-year graduate student in New York University's Moving Image Archiving and Preservation (MIAP) MA program, made a discovery during his summer 2016 internship at Indiana University (IU) Libraries that will help the Library of Congress restore a landmark multimedia production.
"Think" (1964) by Ray and Charles Eames was shown across 22 multi-sized screens at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. According to the Eames' website, "visitors were lifted 53 feet" into the IBM Pavilion's Ovoid Theater to view Think, which "explored problem-solving techniques for issues both commonplace and complex."
The New York World’s Fair introduced computer technology to millions of visitors, particularly at the IBM Pavilion. Rachael Stoeltje, director of IU Libraries’ Moving Image Archive, describes what these pavilion visitors might have experienced. "Think was more than innovative, it was historic. It intermixed motion pictures and slide projections with a live emcee.”
Now, more than 50 years later, a newly discovered home movie in the Edward and Naomi Feil Collection at IU Libraries’ Moving Image Archive is helping the Library of Congress bring Think back to life.
"Think" (1964) by Ray and Charles Eames was shown across 22 multi-sized screens at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. According to the Eames' website, "visitors were lifted 53 feet" into the IBM Pavilion's Ovoid Theater to view Think, which "explored problem-solving techniques for issues both commonplace and complex."
The New York World’s Fair introduced computer technology to millions of visitors, particularly at the IBM Pavilion. Rachael Stoeltje, director of IU Libraries’ Moving Image Archive, describes what these pavilion visitors might have experienced. "Think was more than innovative, it was historic. It intermixed motion pictures and slide projections with a live emcee.”
Now, more than 50 years later, a newly discovered home movie in the Edward and Naomi Feil Collection at IU Libraries’ Moving Image Archive is helping the Library of Congress bring Think back to life.
Read all at: nytimes.com
The multi-sized screens at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair (ph.credits: EamesOffice).
Monday, November 28, 2016
Herman Miller unveils its New York flagship full of midcentury silhouettes
For more than 80 years, Michigan-based manufacturer Herman Miller has been one of, if not the most prominent purveyors of modernist design. Thanks to its collaborations with the biggest designers of the time - Ray and Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Girard, and the like - the company’s name has become all but synonymous with midcentury modern furniture, which has grown ever more popular since its 1950s and ’60s heyday.
Despite that, there has never been a brick-and-mortar Herman Miller store in the United States, where Eames obsessives could go to see those iconic recliners or the couple’s space-age accessories in person. The company operates a downright massive factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and its products are available online and in showrooms, but a true flagship store hasn’t been part of the company’s plan - until now.Last week, Herman Miller opened in New York City its first North American retail hub in a historic Park Avenue building (251 Park Avenue South) that also houses its offices, along with Design Within Reach (which the company acquired in 2014). The bi-level space is bright, open, and inviting, with different spaces dedicated to the different functions of everyday life: sleeping, dining, working, and so on. The idea, according to Linda Choong, Herman Miller’s vice president of consumer business, is to expand the brand’s fanbase beyond its core audience.
Despite that, there has never been a brick-and-mortar Herman Miller store in the United States, where Eames obsessives could go to see those iconic recliners or the couple’s space-age accessories in person. The company operates a downright massive factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and its products are available online and in showrooms, but a true flagship store hasn’t been part of the company’s plan - until now.Last week, Herman Miller opened in New York City its first North American retail hub in a historic Park Avenue building (251 Park Avenue South) that also houses its offices, along with Design Within Reach (which the company acquired in 2014). The bi-level space is bright, open, and inviting, with different spaces dedicated to the different functions of everyday life: sleeping, dining, working, and so on. The idea, according to Linda Choong, Herman Miller’s vice president of consumer business, is to expand the brand’s fanbase beyond its core audience.
Read all here. Thanks ny.curbed.com for sharing text and photos.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Vitra covers Eames Lounge Chair in fabric to celebrate 60th anniversary
Swiss furniture brand Vitra is launching a limited-edition version of Charles and Ray Eames' Lounge Chair to commemorate its 60 years in production.
Vitra's update of the chair is upholstered in black twill fabric from the company's materials library instead of the traditional black leather.
The Lounge Chair Twill and matching Ottoman will be available for a limited period of three months between November 2016 and January 2017.
The company hopes the black fabric – which is complemented by warm reddish tones of palisander wood in the frame – creates a "cosy softness and inviting warmth".
While the armchair has been released with a few variations in the past, Vitra has always produced it exclusively in leather.
The newly upholstered models will also come with a corresponding label acknowledging the anniversary, along with a celebratory "60 years in Production" certificate.
Vitra's update of the chair is upholstered in black twill fabric from the company's materials library instead of the traditional black leather.
The Lounge Chair Twill and matching Ottoman will be available for a limited period of three months between November 2016 and January 2017.
The company hopes the black fabric – which is complemented by warm reddish tones of palisander wood in the frame – creates a "cosy softness and inviting warmth".
While the armchair has been released with a few variations in the past, Vitra has always produced it exclusively in leather.
The newly upholstered models will also come with a corresponding label acknowledging the anniversary, along with a celebratory "60 years in Production" certificate.
Designed in 1956, the chair was originally conceived by Charles and Ray as a simple, practical and comfortable piece of furniture.
Thanks for sharing dezeen.com
Read all text here
Monday, November 14, 2016
The top becomes an object of refined industrial production
Charles Eames would become fascinated: the top becomes an object of refined industrial production. This is the story of ForeverSpin: a Canadian independent manufacturer founded in February 2014 by Ruben Gonzalez, Viktor Grabovskyy, and Cristobal Uribe, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It manufactures and sells tops that are CNC-machined to a metal finish. They have funded the tops through a series of three successful Kickstartercampaigns, along with additional funding through Indiegogo. As of June 2016, they have received over $1.5 million in sales and have sold their tops to over 70 countries.
The ForeverSpin top is the only and exclusive toy manufactured by the company. It is available in 15 different finishes, and can be ordered in a bundled collection.
The tops are CNC-machined by the company at its headquarters. It goes through inspection and, if passed, is branded with a serial number and then shipped to customers. Overall, from sideways, it is 1.125 in wide.
Unlike other tops, it can spin upside-down from its spindle as well.
More info at: foreverspin.com
The ForeverSpin top is the only and exclusive toy manufactured by the company. It is available in 15 different finishes, and can be ordered in a bundled collection.
The tops are CNC-machined by the company at its headquarters. It goes through inspection and, if passed, is branded with a serial number and then shipped to customers. Overall, from sideways, it is 1.125 in wide.
Unlike other tops, it can spin upside-down from its spindle as well.
More info at: foreverspin.com
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