As previously expressed, one thing that I absolutely love is typography in video, whether it be movie titles, television bumps, etc. I Love TV Intros is a online collection of just that-tv show intros, organized by decade and alphabetical(!). I get really nostalgic about my childhood tv favorites, so this was just a real treat to find.
So a few weeks ago, I was at yet another library sale in town, and found an old VHS copy of “How to Succeed in Business…,“ a 60′s Broadway musical starring a one Robert Morse. It follows the metoeric rise of a young man from the mailroom to the board room in a matter of days. The play is humorous and crisp, with fantastic visuals and modern songs. It also playfully describes and exploits the typical 60s business workplace, with all female secretaries, a president’s mistress, and all old men at the top.
The lead actor, Robert Morse, does an excellent job. He’s funny and creates a very lovable character that you really wish would win in the end, despite the sort of sneaky nature in which he accomplishes his tasks. He can sing, the dancing is pretty good, and he also playing the character originally on Broadway.
But where did this guy come from? What has he been in since its release in 1968? I’ve watched quite a few musicals and didn’t recognize this dude from anything, so I decided to investigate, and this what I found:
ROBERT MORSE PLAYS BERT COPPER ON MAD MEN
The same dude who plays in a contemporary 60s musical about the corporate rise of a regular dude in 60s NYC ends up playing an ad partner in a contemporary 00s drama about a 60s office in NYC.
There goes your afternoon: My Parents Were Awesome is a great little Tumblr featuring submitted photos of parents when they were young and (most) without kids. It’s a really strange but awesome display of fashion, time, and love of some of the people we love the most.
Wonderwall is interior design firm in Japan that not only has a pretty impressive portfolio of work, but their website is something of which I have never seen. The site bubbles and moves with every roll over on the front utilizing Flash and presents information and interactivity in a very refined yet fun way. As I’ve said before, I love Flash components that just work, and the Wonderwall site definately does just that.
Keith Lang over at UI&us I think is on to something: rounded rectangles and why we might love them more than we realize. Looking at the history of Apple software/hardware and speaking with a professor of visual understanding, the rounded rectangle might be the best because it easier cogniatively on the eye.
I was searching for something to post here on the ole blog for Etsy Tuesday (which has apologically been on a few week hitatus for no good reason), just typing ‘helvetica’ in the search, knowing something awesome would come up in the results.
BUT WAIT! There’s more! Modern Pop has a whole store filled with posters of this same amazing calibur, including some about animals, more letters, and even robots!
Rumor has it that these are supposed to be for kids, which I can see, but nothing’s stopping you from ordering and hanging one of these lovely prints in your own home, childless or not. Also check out his her site; it’s super cute as well.
One of my most favorite things in the world are Flash elements that just simply do their job. Elements that can wow you with just the ultility of their design, the ease of use, the power of the simple functions. And most of all, I love when these things are free, downloadable, easy to maintain, and awesome.
Providing FREE and easily usable photo gallery viewers, these are the tops and do exactly what they should. In several styles to suit your photo/graphic needs, definitely make these apart of your life. I do a lot of maintance or fast creative development for the web, and I use these frequently, like for a photo gallery for work.
Share Some Candy is a little online space for artists and illustrators; its “a curated collective of inspiring design finds and art. the content is appropriate for all audiences – 9-99. criteria for inclusion are finds that are universally inspiring, beautiful and thought provoking.”
They have all types of gooey art goodness, all linked to their appropriate places. There goes your afternoon!
Variations on Normal is a little website by Dominic Wilcox with illustrations and photos about just that : Different ways of doing normal things. I was really pleasently suprised about these ideas. They’re fun, thoughtful and unique.