Issue 006

Welcome to the August newsletter. Finally get your work folders organized, dig through an archive of gorgeous typography work, see what a more creative web has to offer, and admire the sky without having to step outside. stay ready via pedro 1 — how to start archiving like a pro I’m a huge advocate for saving all of the work you’ve ever done—and yes, that includes any cringe schoolwork that will never see the light of day. Labeling your files and organizing them in a folder structure that makes sense to you is key, but building a robust system that you can build upon for all your work should be the goal. Caspian levers from KISSLabs wrote up the system he uses, and something that I think we can all learn from. 2 — the future of art and creativity As a creative individual working professionally in the space for a bit now, the topic of AI has been in my circle for years. I’ve personally been more of a tech optimist with it, but I’ve been open to all critiques of it because diverse discussion on this tech is so important for it to succeed in a way that doesn’t damage art and creativity. I came across this video that breaks down some of the nuanced thinking of AI, exploring both sides of the argument. 3 — an archive of work for the typography curious Who doesn’t love well designed type? Another Graphic is an archive of posters, editorial, book covers, etc. that all focus on beautiful and unique typography from studios, agencies, and individuals. It is so interesting to see how expressive typography can be in mediums that we come across every day. Give it a look if you’re looking for some fresh inspiration on an archive of work that I’m sure will challenge you to use type differently. stay curious via taurean 1 — it's time to vote in the tiny awards Despite my well-established jadedness, I really love the web. The internet can be such an amazing place for expression, connection, and community when we aren't being advertised to or manipulated or spied on. The tiny awards is one of those places that exemplifies that potential. Some of the nominees that really stood out to me this year are "Fifty Thousand Names", "I feel so much shame", and "Historical Tech Tree". Take a moment to explore, cast a vote, and reflect on what a different internet could offer us. 2 — emblems of space I, like so many other designers, get really excited about space. Early NASA branding has been an inspiration for me for a long time. When I came across this project by Patricia Klein I was immediately hooked. Emblems of Space is an ongoing project where Patricia designs mission patches for various missions spread across the different space agencies. I love every single one of them. 3 — generating local sky gradients in real time I like this project so much that it borders on annoying. It's somehow as simple as it is complex. Horizon, a project by Daniel Lazaro, is a simple web page that uses your approximate location and generates a surprisingly accurate gradient of your sky at that moment. I wanted to do something like this when I was building a project of mine and instead had to settle for a handful of pre-made themes that change 12 times a day. It's hard to pull off! Not only does Daniel pull this off well, the gradient is rendered on the server so your browser never sees a line of javascript. Here's the sky gradient itself. --- updates - we're nearing the end of summer break! Don't forget to RSVP to our September meetup, We'll be getting a presentation from Jon Hargreaves! note: we have slightly adjusted the day to the following Friday September 26th - our Are.na based archive is still going strong. You can view last month’s archive channel here. - We're looking for presentation volunteers! Present something you find interesting, something you're working on, or just seed a discussion you want to have. Reach out via bluesky or email for questions or support. Otherwise, share your idea with us via the google form! from the community: Helena Cucas explores Barcelona, Salih Aydin gives us a glimpse of Istanbul, Jon Hargreaves shows a preview of his upcoming app Fathom, Akshara Dash teases a fragrance and speculative design catalog, Justin Mabee puts together a fantasy football league, Mark Tomlinson demos his CLI tool, and Noah Jacobus shares a behind the scenes glimpse into streaming. --- The final stretch of summer break is upon us, make the most of it! By the time we're seeing each other's faces again it will be Fall, we can't wait. --- ✌ Pedro & Taurean bluesky ✦ lu.ma ✦ youtube