Introducing: Fontplore

Fontplore is an interactive application designed for searching and exploring font databases. Fontplore helps you to easily find the right typeface for your project in a collection of several thousands of fonts.(...) And the clou is: It does all that on an interactive table, using tangible objects to navigate and control actions, so the workflow is easy to understand - easy to grasp!"


via www.fontplore.org
The Fontplore application was developed by Christian Hertlein and Marcus Paeschke in summer 2009 under the supervision of Till Nagel and professor Boris Müller | design.fh-potsdam.de

FUNDBÜRO: Old Colour Positive Films [Slides]

Few days ago we received a set of old slides from our friend Ash. We found there photographs taken probably on a trip to Paris and few stops on the road. I choose three slides which I liked the most, scanned them to find details and get some informations on the places, where the pictures were taken. I discovered some cute lettering and messages carried by the signs. With a little help of the world wide web I found out where these photos where taken!

Picture No. 1
I found a sign on the streamer that is on pennant just below the yellow shield with a black bear. As it appeared later this is a coat of arms of Meulebeke, a town in located in Belgian province of West Flanders. The things that the first and most caught my eye were of course the signs in shop windows. Some more details below.



Picture No. 2
On this lovely picture you can see a shield of Nieuwpoort, a municipality located in West Flanders as well. After I saw these two coat of arms, I thought that possibly both pictures were taken in the capital of West Flanders, which is Bruges[fr.]/Brugge[nl.]. According to google the 'Van Mullem' (that's on the picture called 'Institute de Beaute'), the Pharmacy and 'Falleyn' (the next shop with pink awning) are still there, on Noordzandstraat :)



Here's a picture I found on panoramio of the Pharmacy and how it looks nowadays. Still has the same signboard!


Photo by Ainars M-3

Few details to enjoy the tasty resolution of slides and the retro lettering:




Picture No. 3
I choose this picture, because it was very different from the rest of slides - a little plane, particular colours and pretty fine composition.
I managed to read few words of the small sign that is placed on the bottom of the plane. Apparently the plane is the Spad VII a famous 'Vieux Charles' which was flown by Captain Georges Guynemer untill 1917, when he served with the squadron 'Les Cigognes' (the storks). 'Vieux Charles' is now conserved in Le Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace is north of Paris at Le Bourget airport. But the picture was probably taken in Salle Foch in Paris, according to a photo (same ceiling) I found on www.earlyaviator.com



Georges Guynemer in front of his Spad fighter plane.



The symbol of 'Les Cigognes' squadron, 1916. Quite a fighter stork!


Design by Albin Denis, both pictures via L'escadrille SPA 3

"Every Picture Tells A Story", Rod Stewart

Nothing much to add since Every Picture Tells A Story. I'm just pointing out this lovely retro [1971] cover and pretty amazing tunes by Mr. Stewart!

business card - It's high time!

It may be hard to believe but until today I haven't had my own business card, which is the biggest shame ever. But today I can proudly announce the arrival of the official PunktK visiting card. Wish you could see how proud I am. And guess what? I give it away for free!

The typeface I used is Spectra, which is simple but not plain, created by my friend Kamil Kurzajewski.

FUNDBÜRO: The Allman Brothers Band

When I was listening to an online broadband from Seattle an amazing thing caught my eye. One of the best features of online radios, that I am a huge fan of, is that they show the album covers of songs they play - brilliant! That is how I noticed this beautiful lettering of A Decade Of Hits 1969-1979 album by The Allman Brothers Band, which is actually their logotype. No idea who designed it.


image via ladyformetalforever.blogspot.com


image via musicstack.com

sunny Sunday afternoon

We spent a nice Sunday afternoon walking on the beach of Scheveningen in Den Haag. Some sun, some wind, some sand and few inspirations:


A Tower at the end of Pier van Sheveningen.


The view at De Pier and Sheveningen from the tower.


On our way back we found "Alice in Wonderland" kind of flyover in Delft.


Avant Garde neon light in the harbor of Rotterdam. How beautiful and uncommon!

FUNDBÜRO: Brookland

Holland: apart of tasty and beautifully designed beers like Grolsh you can also find crappy beer (like this one), but crappy doesn't mean badly designed. i.e. look at this cute little logotype.

MTV Identity Reboot

Yesterday, there was launched a new look of MTV, which was created by MTV's creative directors from around the world in collaboration with UK-based studio Universal Everything.

The new logo is, in fact, the old logo - but in MTV's new look, the logo remains black on a white ground - no colour, pattern or texture will ever adorn it - which is a change from MTV of old.



MTV Networks International now has a new flexible typographic navigation system for displaying onscreen information. The typeface used for this primary information is Pharma Bold Condensed by Swiss type foundry Optimo.




As well as the main programme info, more playful messages will appear in the lower third of the screen - and for this text, there is a collection of secondary brand typefaces to choose from, depending on the mood of the message. The eight secondary typefaces were selected for their expressive or emotion-inducing nature - and to add an element of fun to the onscreen identity of the channel. The faces are American Typewriter Light Italic, Balloon Bold, Bigcity Maxi, Cozzap Open, Flash ND, Futura SB Bold Italic, Sahara Bodoni and Signpainter House Brush.



Here's an example of how these will be used onscreen (excellent).



Each of the MTV idents has exactly the same 2/2 time signature – a heartbeat-like rhythm to which the MTV logo always pulsates. I present here still frames of my three favourite spots. You can watch all six of the new idents here


MTV International / Sweetheart from Universal Everything


MTV International /Mister Furry from Universal Everything


MTV International /Jewels and Oil from Universal Everything

article via Creative Review