• Preview of the European Coatings Show

“X” Marks The Spot! #1

The Editor’s choice of what’s new from the world of design, effects and color!

By Le Vin Chin

There’s always so much going on in the world of effects and often too little time to check it all out. Starting this month, we’ll feature here all the items you’re too busy to investigate yourself, but which are themselves too interesting to miss!

This month’s featured website is www.dexigner.com, perhaps one of the most comprehensive designer resources on the internet that we’ve seen. Dexigner features databases of designers and agencies from around the world, searchable by companies looking for creative talent. Designers themselves can find the latest news from the worlds of product design, graphic design, fashion, architecture and more as well as details of design competitions and events.  I personally also find Dexigner’s user interface very lean and clean – plus points in my book!

We all know the value of color in our designs. Sarah Woodward takes a deeper look at state-of-the-art ideas about the science and uses of color developed by University of Cambridge academics and alumni in her article Is the future orange? You’ll surely find some inspiration in her findings, which first appeared in CAM, the Cambridge Alumni Magazine, issue 49 (November 2006).

A lesson in I-D-ology: two of my favorite design magazines always confuse me with their similar names; here’s how to tell them apart. I.D. is American, refined and cool, focuses on industrial design and sports a clean, functional look. i-D is British, hip and flashy, dedicated to fashion and youth culture and features a winking smiley emoticon logo. Both are wellsprings of creative inspiration!

As you will soon see in the inaugural edition of our sister online magazine, INMYX, good design and art is all around you – if only you open your eyes to see it.  And the most prevalent form this takes - and the most difficult to attune yourself to seeing – is in “Street Art”.  Julian Beever takes this as his challenge and the street itself as his canvas; daring the observer to look, to see, to appreciate, and to admire the most transient art in the environment in which we least expect to see it.

We can’t go this far without a plug for ourselves as well. The European Coatings Show is the premier international event relating to coatings and printing technologies and Ciba will be there as well. To keep everyone informed about all their activities and product presentations during the event, Ciba has now launched a standalone website for the ECS. Check it out for the latest news on Ciba’s attendance at the forthcoming exhibition!

And finally, just an article that caught our eye on the dangers inherent in design …