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Graphic Design History: Backfill

In graphic design, as with all other creative professions, it is just as important to know what came before you as it is to have a vision for where you are going. Surfing around this afternoon, I came across The Design Encyclopedia - an effort to make design history available using a wiki platform. What caught my eye was the wiki theme and the care that was taken to make it appear unwiki-like.

The Design Encyclopedia, part of the underconsideration network

Come to think of it, there are a few other historical graphic links I have stashed away for reference and inspiration:

DesignMuseum.org
Mid-century Illustrated group on Flickr
Swiss Graphic Design History
Graphic Design in Russia
Chinese Propaganda Posters
International Posters (Vintage)

Stixy for Web Development

If you are a web developer who works with clients from a distance, Stixy is a tool worth looking into. Need reasons?

• it’s free
• it enables collaboration/sharing on projects
• it’s well-suited for visual presentation

How?
Sign up for an account. Create a Stixyboard for the project and invite your clients to join the space. All they need is an email address. Now everyone has access and can share files and leave comments:

• Clients have a way to send content to you, in one spot, without cluttering email or learning how to FTP
• You can post analysis, sitemaps, navigation schemes, wireframes, and template proposals
• Clients see progress and leave feedback

No, it doesn’t solve all problems, but does solve some very irritating ones.