online

CFS-ACELIFT: DESIGN PROGRESS

Yay! Progress feels awesome. Emma and and I have finally gotten around to making some decisions on a colour palette. The new CFS colours are: purple, orange, fuschia, green, limoncello and blue!

cfs-colours

These are the pastels we talked about earlier – fresh summery colours. We’re retaining the orange I’ve used in every CFS ‘design’ so far.

This is where the word mark and the signature triangle pattern is at now:

CFS new wordmark

header cfs

The pattern started off as very clean, but over time has become quite distressed – reminding me of screen-printed canvas.

As you can see, we’re developing a series of icons to go on the regular content – so far we have a ‘Photographic Evidence’, a ‘CFS Loves’ and one for all the travels I will be making (hah!), – that’s the icon with the wee sailboat. I’m still trying to come up with a few other symbols – for the occasional Dress Codes and guest contributors – any ideas?

SITE LAYOUT

This is the structure we’re currently playing around with. There are so many questions to answer! What are the essential elements of a blog, how do you navigate, width of sidebars… wait, how many sidebars?

laying-up-the-new-site
Which brings us to the first (very messy) draft:

CFS

Everything is still being tweaked – from the typography to headers and footers; but thanks to Em’s hard work, something wonderful is starting to take shape….

{ 6 comments }

CFS-ACELIFT: WORDMARK

While I’ve been in Melbourne stalking the streets for vintage and eating like spoiled child (mm, mini cupcakes for dinner); darling Emma has been curled up in front of her laptop, slaving over a hot design. This is where we get into the creative part!

I’ve always joked that an alternative name for CFS could be “coolshitamberlikes.com”. So as core part of the Code For Something identity, Emma is developing a wordmark – we feel that creating a logo with a more pictorial element could tie the site to one particular direction in in the future (and y’know we like all sorts of rad stuff).

A wordmark is a type of logo, a ‘text only/typographic treatment of the brand name used for simple and memorable identification.

PLAYING

After our initial boards and discussion, Emma came back to me with a design exploration:

CFS Button Draf

I liked the way the letters linked up, and the softness of the big curves. There were a few things that weren’t gelling with me straight away, but I had to remember these were just rough drafts! “Normally, it’s unusual to show work half done” says Emma, “But we are collaborators, so I feel it best to work together.”

DEVELOPING

Developing the bits I loved further, Emma wanted to make the letterforms a) more aesthetically pleasing and b) ownable!

Untitled-2

“With this one I’m working on the geometric edge, to work with the to-be-designed patterning. It is quite rigid but the pastel colours will soften it!”

REFINING

After a little more work, this is a sneaky peek of where the wordmark is right now (draft only, insists the perfectionist designer!):

code for something wordmarks

I loooooove it, don’t you? The first time I saw it I squealed.

NEXT STEPS

From here, Emma will tighten up the typography until she’s 110% happy; then develop a few extensions of this mark. For example, how will CFS Loves be executed? She’ll also get her hands dirty with a colour palette (she has a good idea of what she wants to use, but will define further) and a signature pattern. While there is a lot of work to do, it’s starting to feel real, and I’m really energised about the site.

If you have any burning questions about this project or design in general, please fire away! We’ve both been immersed in design for more than 5 years and love to nerdily natter away about it.

{ 9 comments }

CFS-ACELIFT

Currently I’m working with a designer to remodel this blog from top to toe – which is thrilling step to take in a little blog’s life.

Why work with a designer? To put it simply, they make things not only look better (whether that’s more professional, fresher or friendlier) – but they make things work better. Logically, if things both look and work better, you’ll be able to deliver your message even more clearly… and that’s the aim of the game!

Pantone

Of course, it can be a scary prospect to work with a designer if you don’t know the various stages or aren’t too sure of the lingo. While I work with designers every day (they’re a beautiful breed) – I realise many people haven’t had the same joy.

That’s why over the next few weeks I’ll be taking this opportunity to take you step by step through the design process and give you an insight as to what it’s like to work with a graphic designer – from a client’s point of view.

MEET THE DESIGNER

Emma K I’ll be working with my friend, and frequent collaborator, Emma Kaniuk. She has a particularly genius approach to typography, publication design and small identities.

Aside from being an awesome designer, Emma is an accomplished foodie and frequent globetrotter!

Stay tuned as we take this beast on and give it a fresh new look.

dot

{ 2 comments }

Girl Blog Crushes

Poorly kept secret #264: I have more RSS subscriptions than sense. So when I started making a list of the blogs I love to read/look at best to share with you, it got out of control quickly!

Blogs & Tea by Jennifer Amos

Hence I’m splitting the master list into parts – this first post comprises of my favourite female bloggers. A lot of them I have mentioned before, or you may already be familiar with (lucky you, they’re grand).

SCOUT HOLIDAY – Written by Cheri, a stylist/creative based in New York, Scout Holiday is where I turn to for a dose of charming graphic references (bunting!) and fashion treats.

SAILORETTE – I’m convinced Loulou is some sort of higher creative being. Her designs, photography and illustrations and are all a constant source of inspiration/swooning.

COUNTRY FRIED - I only recently came across this blog but I really like it. A well written peep into a totally different world -  life from a Cornish caravan.

LILY’S MAKE BELIEVE – Oh, what can I say about Olivia’s cute blog? To start with, she likes sort of things I do – hydrangeas, vintage hunting and crafty stuff. Currently Lily’s Make Believe is chronicling her tales around South America and beyond – it’s so hard not to be totally jealous!

STYLE LINES – Kat George’s snappy fashion commentary never fails to alert me to good design. Australian designers are producing some of the most interesting collections in the world right now so it’s cool to read a blog that’s at the heart of it all.

HALF GIRL – Young roams the globe, camera in hand. She never fails to capture a beautiful moment, whether it is clothing, nature or delicious food. I am a huge fan!

GNARLITUDE – This blog rocks my bogan socks. Jen and her blog is probably the reason my wardrobe is filling up with shredded singlets, zippers and purple garments. She is also responsible for introducing me to a whole ‘nother sphere of rad music.

THIS IS WEENY – I love how Sheena uncovers the tiny joys of the city and shares her discoveries with us all. Also, unlike the feeling many other DIYs on the net evoke (“That’s just super, I have no craft skillz, next!”) – I always feel inspired by Sheena’s adorable fashion mods.

❤❤❤

And with that I am off to stud my Chucks! Care to share some of your favourite blogs?

{ 8 comments }

CODE FOR GOOGLE

I know I’ve expressed my adoration of Google’s logos before but this one is so cool it deserves a spotlight:

morsecode

Happy Birthday Samuel Morse, aka Mr. Morse Code! Yay. Communicating with morse is almost as neat as signalling with flag sephamore, but not quite.

{ 2 comments }

HAPPY TECHNOLOGY

Yesterday this popped up on my screen, a Very Hungry Caterpillar/Eric Carle logo for Google:

First day of fall...

Aw sweet. It’s one of my favourite picture books! Two reasons for the occasion – the start of fall in the Southern Hemisphere and the 40th anniversary of the book. Google also celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday with a logo recently:


Cute

Here’s the archive of Google’s special event logos for the last 10 years. 2008 was a cracker year, while 1999 is pretty much lifted straight out of Word art. I’m really enjoying these crazy tributes – tiny moments of search joy.

{ 6 comments }

NEWS GATHERING

reading

I’ve been asked a few times recently – “How do you find so much curious information“?

Good question. It’s inspired me to compile a list of my favourite online ‘newsy’ resources. Hopefully you’ll find something new to you. It’s always a funny feeling to discover a giant site – simply dripping in information – and wonder just how you missed it. Here’s my top level picks in: Lifestyle, Business, Branding/Design, Culture and Hard News.

LIFESTYLE – for the discerning individual…

DailyCandy, cute daily emails with localised & global cute stuff.
Michi Girl, ditto, with a Melbourne option available.
Notcot, a little bit of everything.
Josh Spear,  Jet setting trend spotting.
The Cool Hunter, a great selection of retail experiences and architecture.
Cool Hunting, good overview of what’s interesting.
The Selby, oft updated site with photo essays of creative and crazy lifestyles.

BUSINESS – make that money, shake that ass…

Business Week, great sections on design and innovation in business.
Fast Company, ditto.
The Economist, meaty weekly reading.

BRANDING/DESIGN – beyond pretty pictures…

Brandchannel, branding commentary.
Brandnew, funny and spot on logo analysis.
Creative Review, intelligent blog of the magazine.
Booooooom, emerging and inspiring artists.
The Die Line , fresh new packaging.
Swiss Miss, graphic design in the internet age.
Dezeen, a bit of this and that design-wise, but it’s all good.

HARD NEWS – up to the minute and commentary…

Guardian.co.uk, British brilliance. I like the cooking and fashion sections too.
The New York Times, important things you need to keep up wtih.
International Herald Tribune, the global edition of NYTimes.
New York Magazine, cultural/style barometer.

CULTURE – hibrow and lobrow cultural insights…

Hipster Runoff, scary or funny? Not sure but always authentic.
PSFK, brain gum.
DListed, celebrity spawn and belly aching laughs.
Anthrodesign resource list (Yahoo groups), for folks with an interest in anthropology & design.
Jean Snow, Japanese design and culture.
Monocle Magazine, the online presence of my favourite magazine, ever.

Monocle

dot

However, my most important resource isn’t listed here because it’s far too squishy and malleable. The very best resource is other interested, curious human beings. Talking to people, getting out there (whether that’s physically or online) and making connections – these actions wins every time. So thank you to my twitter buddies, flickr friends, facebook allies, rss fuellers. Real life people – you’re the best. Awwww.

By the way, this list is just the tip of the iceberg… if I told you how many feeds I subscribe to you’d faint. There’s always room for more though! What’s your favourite site to geek out to? What do you check no matter the time of day or current media wave? Sharing is caring.

{ 6 comments }

CFS LOVES 07

CFS Loves

Tim Walker Cats

Photography by Tim Walker

Code for what, I hear you sing? Code for a love of pastel persians (and other work, via Kris Atomic), a fascinating blog by a NYC location scout, listening to 14 top rated dub-step tracks, peeping Fafi’s new blog (she went to Gisborne – wow), cobalt blue perfume inspired by Queen Boudicca, and finally, I feel London – city guides based on emotions. What other choices or guides can be categorised by feeling? Clothes? Foods? Pretty cats?

{ 5 comments }

CFS LOVES 06

CFS Loves

It’s all a bit design orientated today… but who is to say that’s a bad thing? Design geeks for life!

dot

Tokyo Subway Map

Tokyo Subway Map

dot

bap-poster

dot

{ 1 comment }

REAL LIFE ON THE STREETS

“Street with a View” is an incredibly neat art project conducted merrily down a one way lane, in conjunction with Google Street View. Artists Robin Hewlett and Ben Kinsley, along with their friends and community, staged a series of action packed scenes, which in turn was captured with 360-degree photographs of the street. The results then became part of the navigable Street Maps.

Watch this video all about the project and process:

And check out this map for the street view of Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh. Keep an eye out for the marching band (seen above), sword fights, love lasers, joggers and knotted sheet escapees. You could call it the ultimate ‘Easter egg’!

The whole project totally gets me thinking – how else can we use technology and art for the good of our community, and for the joy of people discovering our community?

{ 0 comments }

The Best Online Vintage Shopping

Last month I wrote a guide to Auckland’s best vintage stores – and enjoyed it so much I vowed to scour the virtual world for the best online vintage shopping!

This is in no way definitive but rather a few sparkly corners of the Internet to get your vintage fix. Especially good for those of us living in odd locales or don’t enjoy the hours of rummaging in teeny musty store (though I am horrified and offer you my full support in learning to love it). I’ve divided it into 3 easy sections – the dot com store fronts, the reliable eBay stores and the etsy shoppes.

.COMS

Judith Leiber aqua snakeskin belt.

Judith Leiber aqua snakeskin belt from Archive Vintage.

Archive Vintage – has a focus on classic designer pieces, in particular Chanel. Archive also sells a range of highly collectible fashion books which is worth keeping an eye on.

1918 Vintage – has great accessories; like their neat scarf deal called ‘scarfpalooza’, 6 vintage scarves at once! I like Meg’s blog too – she appreciates Man Man too!

iheartcheekychops – is based in the U.K. and has recently had a site refresh. It’s cheap, cheerful and there is a real cute 80’s flavour to their choices.

Nasty Gal – a very popular store with both vintage and new pieces. They seem to have the niche of more structurally extreme vintage covered! Think wacky cocktail dresses and suspenders. Expect to pay more but it saves you the hassle of bidding.

EBAY

Lullie Vintage – lush vintage pretties direct from Hollywood, California. Expect loads of fresh items every week and possibly a few bargains! Design That Kills has a great interview with Shae Acopian Detar, the lovely lady behind Lullie.

Lullie Vintage dress

Lullie Vintage dress

Trashy Vintage – they also have a web store but I really like their ebay presence – they have a lot of items! And most seem to start at US$9.99 so you’re bound to find something sweet for cheap.

ETSY

Greasy Waitress Vintage describes itself as “vintage finds to discerning scenesters”, stocking a lot of brightly hued eighties gear for both gals and guys. I love the sequined butterfly cape – imagine it teamed with incredibly stacked stilettos and sprayed on black jeans.

Dancing Queen Cape from Greasy Waitress Vintage.

Dancing Queen Cape from Greasy Waitress Vintage.

FreeStyleVintageCo wins my heart on sheer quantity alone – 200+ items and all relatively cheap! I like the pairs of wooden stacked heels very much.

Dewberry Vintage – a thoughtful wee collection and such a cute name! Who could help being charmed? You’ll find lots of woolen items here – natty sweaters and snuggly coats.

Santoki Vintage – is a trove of sexy boots and vintage delights. If you’re a size seven, don’t delay -please run and buy these boots and let me live vicariously through your joyous dancing in the streets. Urgggh.

Santoki Vintage Boots

Santoki Vintage Boots

TIPS

Sometimes it can be a mixed bag/varied experience when you buy something online but you can make it so much easier for yourself!

  • I keep a giant list of vintage stores in a bookmark folder and look at them regularly for the best pieces. Open the entire folder in “all tabs” for maximum efficiency!
  • It’s also handy to keep a text file where you can record every single measurement you may ever want. If I need to know my waist size, it’s right there – in both inches and centimetres. Simple.
  • Always know that you can ask the purveyor for extra information – how wide are those sleeves, what material is it made of, what does the care label say? Nothing is too much to ask, honestly! If it makes your shopping experience better and with less worries – do it.
  • On that note – don’t be afraid to let vintage sellers know what you are looking for if there is something in particular you’re after. They see a lot of stock and could keep an eye out or could have just what you need out the back… it does happen!
  • Need new sources? Read online zines like N.E.E.T. for hot tips or browse flickr groups focused on vintage.

If you’ve got any fantastic online vintage resources, please share them in the comments. Sharing is wildly encouraged here!

{ 7 comments }

A LENS ON COOL

Jo’s fresh new site Eye Heart Glasses is already locked and loaded as a favourite of mine. It’s a look at what’s cute, sexy and cool in the world of eye-wear. You should go check it out now! Jeepers, creepers, where did you get those peepers?

Here’s one of my recent favourite gal with glasses shots – artist Alison Van Pelt working on one of her paintings:

Also, word on the street is that we are going to see a lot of cool kids sporting these mutli-coloured Alife Super Future frames this season.

Hand made in Italy, they’re very limited edition – only 85 blue, 85 red, 85 purple, 245 black. Good luck! If you’re in little old AKL, Loaded may have some of Super Future’s other covetable models. Otherwise, ebay your little hearts out!

{ 1 comment }

CFS LOVES 02

The Cocoon Nebula

The Cocoon Nebula

  • I’m personally terrified of space (thinking about black holes and the like gives me the creeps) but I can get over it to look at these amazing photographs in the NASA image gallery. You can also look at worlds beyond with the images of the Hubble telescope.
  • DIY Acid Wash. Don’t pay a billion dollars for a washed out tee, make one yourself. I’ll be trying this out in my bathtub shortly… Also works for jeans too!
  • Tonite makes brilliant clothes and accessories for both men and women folk… totally craving a shell pink-unicorn tee!
  • Salt Peanuts – a ditty by Bird Boy…
  • Souvenirs by Michael Hughes. A novel take on the boring old tourist flicks. Also of travel photography note, Lazarescu’s ‘Random People with Statues’ looks promising! I look forward to him snapping happy moments of strangers all over Europe.
  • Johanna has some amazing images and videos of Banksy’s Pet Store in NYC. I’m tempted to get on a plane just to go see it – if you’re in New York don’t miss it!
  • I love my new gladiator sandals. Watch out for me stomping through small towns this summer, wearing denim shorts, band t-shirts and these puppies that say “NO NEGOTIATION”!

Gladiators

{ 1 comment }

Dress Code: 13/8/08 Threadless

Salutations and celebrations, a package addressed to me from Threadless has finally arrived. These are the first two I’ve ever bought, despite all the hype. To mark the occasion I’ve done a little shirt review, in the form of a pros and cons list.

This is t-shirt number 1, a jaunty wee day-glo number entitled the King of Clubs:

AWESOME POINTS…

+ Discovering new artists. Threadless lets you mine through a thousand new illustrators and designers.

+ People do win, and get something out of it for their efforts! In fact a guy I work with has won with two t-shirt designs (he’s a professional designer but nonetheless).

+ Colourful tees, oh yeah! Threadless shirts seem to be rather bright all round. I love the King of Clubs shirt for it’s poppingly bright yella and the pink highlights – which match perfectly with my magenta sneakers.

+ The prices. While that Marc Jacobs tee may be perfect in every possible way, it’s still priced in the stratosphere! Threadless lets you buy five for the price of one, so it’s an easy way to pick up some limited edition garments.

Napoleon in War Paint, one of two Bonaparte themed shirts available there:

NOT SO GOOD POINTS…

- For a relatively busty lady such as myself, I found the shirt cuts really tight and clingy. Which is fine at the beach but not if I want to wear them to work – Monday mornings aren’t the best days to make cleavage statements! I recommend you go a size up, just in case.

- A lot of the shirts are along the same vein and style. You can only wear so many visual pun shirts. Thankfully I haven’t seen any ‘Corn Star’ (use your imagination) ones yet, so far so good.

- In my experience the shipping was rather slow. It took around a month or so for the package to get from the Threadless-universe to my sphere in the South.

AND IN CONCLUSION…

While the sizing thing is annoying, it may have been a one off experience. I understand that different prints come on different shirts; if all that tightness bothers you, one solution could be buying something in the hoodie format.

Overall the good outweighs the bad, and if they’re on sale, a Threadless tee is a good bargain maketh. And considering all the compliments I’ve had, Threadless tees are a good casually sartorial move too! What are your thoughts? Any excellent Threadless enabled discoveries (designers, new buddies united over fashion, crazy outfits)?

{ 3 comments }

Next Entries →