Monthly Website Review - May 2005

http://www.graphicdesign.about.com

Are you new to graphic design and looking for a resource to help launch you in to the field? Are you a seasoned pro just looking for the latest reviews of products that would better help your business? Well if the answer is yes to either of these questions, it is time you logged on to About.com's Graphic Design Page and took a good look around.

About.com was started in 1997 and has grown into a huge, creditable source of information for a variety of interests and subjects. Their Graphic Design section has a mind-blowing amount of information for everyone from the casual designer to the industry professional. Some of the things you can expect to find on the web site:
. Tutorials
. Schools
. Design tips & tricks
. Buyer's guides
. Product and news articles
. Discussion forums
. Free clipart
. They even have a design center where you can submit work for critique.

There are a lot of web services out there that claim to offer great information but fall short. This something you won't have to worry about when you go to http://graphicdesign.about.com. They even have links to some top notch design firms who are ready to work with the average Joe.

So if you are looking a one stop resource on the web for the graphic design field, no matter what the question, http://graphicdesign.about.com/ should definitely be your next stop.


Reviewed by R & RC Staff Member - Peter Davis

 

 

 

Monthly Magazine Review - May 2005

Bloom

Publication: Bloom
Publisher: United Publishers S.A.
30, Boulevard Saint Jacques
75014 Paris , FRANCE
33 (0)1 44 08 68 98
33 (0)1 43 31 77 91 fax
ISSN: 2-91364-07-6

A Horti-Cultural View

Have you ever heard of a flower forecasting book? How about a magazine with a quote from Vincent van Gogh stating, “Paint your garden as it is?” Better than that, how about a recipe for Wild Pansy Soup or Cream of Broccoli soup with Mimosa (the flower)?

Bloom is all that, and more. Bloom is the creation of Li Edelkoort. She is also editor-in-chief of iNview and View on Colour. In terms of the visual delights, the delicious color and texture, Bloom is a treasure trove of inspiration for the designer or artist within each one of us. It is also fashion, interior design, graphics, an artistic garden where one can open its pages and travel at the speed of nature, i.e. slowly and with amazement at how one never noticed these flowers, leaves, grasses, stems and soil to be quite as beautiful as they are depicted in Bloom.

Bloom is a very special magazine. It is a prediction of things to come, in our lifestyles and our home and work environments. It is the acknowledgement that design, whether industrial or ethereal is derived from all things in nature. Along with insightful articles concerning current and future trends, and some social commentary, the beautifully photographed bulbs, roots, colors and flowers that pour forth from Bloom’s pages are testament to the mystery and awe nature can provide. When used as a means of inspiration, Bloom is a boost to the creative spirit and an invaluable tool for artists, designers and those who simply appreciate what life and nature has to offer.



Reviewed by R & RC Staff Member - Cynthia Aaron

 

 

Monthly Book Review - May 2005

Brand Name Bullies: The Quest to Own and Control Culture

Author: David Bollier
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201.748.6011
201.748.6008 fax
http://www.wiley.com
ISBN: 0-471-67927-5
Copyright: 2005
Pages: 309
Price: $24.95

Brand Name Bullies explores the litigious world of intellectual property and examines the consequences for a democratic society resources that were once free and open are co-opted for the corporate good.

The book is filled with fascinating and sometimes hard to believe stories about the use and abuse of trademark and copyright laws. One example describes how ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, stopped the Girl Scouts from singing around the campfire at their summer camps. ASCAP did not intentionally target the Girl Scouts; however, in their attempt to collect royalties for the public performance of copyrighted songs the Girl Scouts became involved. After some bad PR ASCAP decided to let the Girl Scouts sing without paying royalties.

Although the book is filled with many stories such as the Girl Scout story, the central issue of Brand Name Bullies is the tension between trademark and copyright laws and the use of copyrighted material for the public good. The author argues that the free use of information is essential to an open, democratic society. He maintains that corporations in their attempt to control culture are making the free flow of information more difficult and that this trend is detrimental to our democratic society.

Reviewed by R & RC Staff Member - Jeff Castillo