Autonomy on the edge of realism

David Hockney assumes (although it’s never proven because the actual tools are lost) in his book “Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters” that in the 15th…


In search of the human factor

‘Design’ is in all its facets and applications a functional pursuit, therefore it is usually ‘directed’ by technology. The process of technology-aided-design,…


Designers, we need to combine our skills and perspectives

In a recent column, Clay Chandler (Time International’s executive editor) touched on a very interesting point by implying that the meaning of design is up for debate. Design is changing, and so…


Hergé vs Hiroshige

Tradition influences modernity. We can see that old traditional Japanese printing techniques and illustrated publications were used as source for contemporary manga and anime, but they were also…


The Eastern Creative Process

The significant difference between the Western and Eastern worldviews is basically that we see everything in a dualistic way, while in the east everything is seen as one. An all-encompassing,…


The Western creative process

Creativity has been studied from even more disparate angles over a much longer time period than automation or technology. It has been called a research backwater that mostly produced scattered…


A device oriented approach

The evolution of graphic design, as the process of visual communication, up to the present time ‘Graphic Design’ as the process of visual communication and problem-solving uses one or more of…


Reinventing the wheel or pioneering new frontiers?

How to design wireframes that work Recently we were asked by a client to design the front end of a booking website and app with a set of new features. When designing this kind of technology-based…


Advanced clipart - the rise of stock photography in design for web

Before I start ranting about how much I hate stock photography, let me say this: I love stock photography. In many cases, the online availability of stock photography has given digital designers a…


Tips to keep corporate presentations alive

Holidays in the 70’s and 80’s. Some of you might have experienced them. Some might have survived them without too much bodily harm. But most of you might be too young. In those days my…