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RECENT COMMENTS

Ramparts: Agent of Change (2)
it is what it is (3)
No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale (1)
Today: Holiday Cards 2009 (8)
Urbanizing the Mojave (2)

OBSERVED

A portrait of the notoriously controversial Simon Cowell, in marmite. (Thanks to Andy Chen.) [JH]

Checking out Mumbai's wholesale market for Bollywood posters. [JL]

The Good Men Foundation, which funds educational, social, financial and legal support to men and boys at risk, has released The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood, packaged by Poulin + Morris as both a book of 31 essays and a documentary film DVD. [JL]

Paying homage or just plain sloppy? Pedro Almodóvar's latest film, Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos), features a film-within-the-film that was ostensibly made in 1994 but whose set includes two chairs recently designed by Patricia Urquiola for the Italian company Moroso: Antibodi (2006) and Tropicalia (2008). [JL]

A well-reported article from Fast Company: The Rise and Fall of Design Within Reach. At Unbeige, an interview with writer Jeff Chu. [MB]

Four things I’ve learned about designers, by Warren Berger. [MB]

Amazing photographs of Dubai in decline by Lauren Greenfield. [MB]

Books to help you get rid of your car, and so much more: the 2009 Core77 Gift Guide is here! [JH]

The new monograph from architect Wendy Evans Joseph is a pop-up book. Amazing production by Melcher Media and legendary paper engineer Kees Moerbeek. [MB]

Design Observer's Job Board has new jobs in Philadelphia, Chicago, NYC, Toronto, Milan, Dallas, SF, Portland and Knoxville. Companies hiring include Philadelphia University, The New School, Minted, SAP, QVC, American Eagle, Martha Stewart Living and Deutsche Telekom. Post your job today. [JSC]

It's been simplified. It's been really simplified. With the advent of new technologies, is it time for Harry Beck's 1931 London Underground map to be completely overhauled? Plus: 100 years of London tube maps. [MB]

A love letter to the letterpress. [JH]

A teaser trailer has been released for the upcoming documentary The Visual Language of Herbert Matter by Reto Caduff. Here, Jessica Helfand reflects on "All Things Matter" and her personal experience in the darkroom making photograms with this master designer. [WD]

AOL releases its new logo design and brand identity. The redesign by Wolff Olins is reviewed in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, Christian Science Monitor, Gigaom, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Fast Company, Agency Spy, Brand New and parodied by others... Video of Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL, talking about the new logo. [JSC]

Via Citiwire, Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, proposes what he calls "button parks" — networks of small, informal green spaces that could be created by citizen-activists in collaboration with local land trusts.  [NL]

Of the many things we are thankful for, Maira Kalman might just top the list.
[JH]

"Disregarding the fact that you have still not paid me for work I completed earlier this year despite several assertions that you would do so, I would be delighted to spend my free time creating logos and pie charts for you based on further vague promises of future possible payment. Please find attached pie chart as requested and let me know of any changes required." I can safely say that these are my most favorite information graphics of the year, and perhaps ever. (Thanks to James Nesbitt.) [MB]

Instead of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, this online exhibition of more than 250 Polish cinema posters is organized along the lines of "letters, girls and fear," and then when they've exhausted that, there is more letters, more girls and more fear. A beautiful online collection. (Thanks to Marc Alt.) [WD]

"A game of international runic one-upmanship ensued, in which the band with the least legible logo was the most authentic." The evolution of heavy metal design. [MB]

"Beep beep, who got the keys to the jeep?" Behold the power and the glory of Hype Williams. [MB]

In Paris, everything looks like dessert. And previously on DO. [MB]

46 cities from 27 countries applied for the designation of World Design Capital 2012. Guess who won? [JL]

Celebrate the end of 2009, The International Year of Astronomy, with exquisite retro posters by self-taught "math nerd" Simon Page. [MB]

A spectacular gallery of Christmas cards by artists, from the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. (Click on the image to see all the others.) (Thanks to Victoria Brown.)
[JH]

New York University’s Urban Design and Architecture Studies program, along with The Sir John Soane’s Museum, is offering an M.A. degree in Historical and Sustainable Architecture. The London-based program will combine “the multiple perspectives of finance, environmentalism, education, tourism, and government policy” to “explore older buildings as assets, not hindrances, to development.” [JL]

Design Observer's Job Board has new jobs in Baltimore, Tel Aviv, SF, Chicago, Seattle, NYC, Menlo Park, Singapore and Minneapolis. Companies hiring include Maryland College of Art, Hewlett Packard, ODA, Vendorsbay, Checkerboard, IA Collaborative, Key Tech, SRI International and Emmis Communication. Post your job today. [JSC]

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RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

Jonathan Schultz
DESIS at Parsons The New School for Design

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Eric Baker 
Today: Holiday Cards 2009