The April Roundup

It’s time for another monthly round up of my favourite gems from the internet about art, design and creativity. April seems to have been a great time for long-form writing, so get comfy and make yourself a cuppa then get reading.

SHORT READS, IF YOU’VE ONLY GOT A FEW MINUTES:

ISLE OF DOGS | Making of: Animators | FOX Searchlight

If you’ve seen and loved the wonderful animation in Wes Anderson’s new film Isle of Dogs you need to see this super short mini-documentary where animation director Mark Waring and lead animator Jason Stalman begin to explain some of their meticulous process in a new short documentary, “Making of: Animators.”

 

braille neue typeface by kosuke takahashi wins one for information-equality

Kosuke Takahashi’s font which combines both English and Japanese characters with their braille counterparts is both a break through for universal design but also a wonderful thing to behold.

 

Finding Your “Product-Market Fit” as a Creative Freelancer

You know I’ve been struggling to find my place recently, so I found this interview with Any Miller AKA Dr Pizza of Creative Pep Talk (and just being a great illustrator) fame is absolutely fascinating. Plus it’s a great kick to get moving and defining if you need one.

 

15 Ways that travel inspires creativity

Now that we’re past Easter my mind has firmly turned to dreaming about a summer holiday (as yet unplanned). If you’re in a similar position, or you’ve got some travel on the horizon Jean Julien’s illustrated guide to how travel can inspire creativity is so fun you might feel like you’re on holiday just reading it and seeing his photos from the road to Big Sur.

LONG READS, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO GET YOUR TEETH STUCK INTO:

Key projects in London’s design history

Aiga’s Eye on Design recently did a full London guide, which is well worth a read if you live in London or are interested in learning a bit more about the capital’s relationship with design. One of my favourite pieces was this run down of London’s design history – there were definitely a few projects in there I didn’t know about!

 

How to effectively design everything at the last minute

Pablo Stanley’s twelve steps to procrastinate like a professional are equal parts true and terrifyingly accurate. Bonus points for the wonderful animated illustrations which accompany this piece.

 

Meet the Designers behind Your Favourite Book Covers

You all know I love book cover design, it’s a big part of why I started my monthly Book Club. Here Alexxa Gotthardt talks with five designers whose book jackets are routinely hailed as the leaders of the pack and crowd favourites, giving you a little bit of insight into the people behind the covers you admire on shelves.

 

The Controversial Process of Redesigning the Wheelchair Symbol

It has its own emoji, but where did the new Accessible Icon come from and why did it need an update? Design history and universal design fans, this one’s for you.

 

What about ‘The Breakfast Club’?

While this isn’t necessarily about design/art, it is one of the best things I’ve read this week. Molly Ringwald’s discussion of The Breakfast Club, and what it means to watch it knowing there’s so much that would be deemed problematic today is sensitive and insightful and one of the best critiques that takes into account the issues and the joy of a film at once.

 

Mind the Gap

With the release of the gender pay gap statistics this month and equal pay day, I’ve been thinking a lot about pay dynamics. One of the best pieces I’ve read about in the design industry comes from Ruby Goss who shares her story of how “we are discriminated against in the most insidious of ways – by the gender pay gap” for Intern Mag and it’s a good read.

WHO TO FOLLOW, IF YOU WANT TO SPRUCE UP YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED:

This month I shared a list of ten smaller wonderful art instagrammers you should be following, so if you’re looking for some new favourites I’d start there. But here’s a short list of some of the best from that list, plus a couple of extras!

@dorotaliwacz

Dorota Liwacz was recommended to me by the lovely Asti and I’m so so so glad that I’ve found her. I know I say this all the time but her characters have real character, and I love how jam packed her illustrations are – each one is over flowing with goodness. Plus look at all of the pink!

@thanksforbeingu

I stumbled across Son Eunkyoung’s illustrations on Twitter by way of some absolutely stunning Korean posters for Call Me By Your Name. Since then I’ve fallen in love with every layered pencil portrait, scene and sketch I’ve seen – each one is tender and full of emotion.

Natalie