Sketchy

My sketchy coworker at Schematic has decided to share his sketchfolio with the world.
The best ideas are always the most obvious, right?

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Art

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Unified Communications

Bill Gates Presents the One (Really Big) Ringy Dingy
Microsoft never ceases to amaze me:

That day, Bill Gates plans to introduce Microsoft’s invasion into their business, with a new line of software for what the company calls “unified communications.” That means it is meant to integrate all the ways that people talk to each other: voice, video, instant messaging and more elaborate forms of online collaboration.
If it is successful, this software will accelerate the shift of communications from specialized devices and networks onto Internet-based networks, desktop PCs and microprocessor-based servers. And that, in turn, could challenge the economics of the remarkably profitable telecommunications industry.

Wow! Awesome. Unified communications. Using the power of the desktop and servers. Sounds like they’re started to listen to what Google started doing over a decade ago?
Hold up. HOLD UP! I spoke too soon, the article continues:

On Tuesday Mr. Gates and his lieutenant Jeff Raikes will focus on marketing three software packages: Microsoft Communications Server 2007; a client software application dubbed Microsoft Office Communicator 2007; as well as a collaboration program, Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

Ah, I knew there was a catch.
I swear I’ve seen an example of unified communications somewhere before, a place where you can video chat, text chat and make presentations in real-time… hmmm…

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Art

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Avoiding Challenges & Taking Risks

The Barbarians Are At The Gate, But Microsoft Moves To Protect Office Revenues – By their very nature, corporations like Microsoft are not capable of taking risks in the name of innovation – unless they are creating a new paradigm or a new market.
Microsoft realizes that Google Docs – available online and free – is a threat to its Office suite of products (primarily Word & Excel). In response, they’re ramping up for their own online versions of their products, but they’re not getting it right:

Microsoft is falling into the classic trap of failing to realize the disruptive nature of a new competitive technology, instead focusing on the massive revenues it generates from their aging Office suite.

Someone makes a good point in the comments of this article, “You realize if Microsoft shipped a full online Office product, they would cannibalize themselves, right?”
This comment is true, but an online Office product would only cannibalize themselves if they remained entrenched in their current business model. Short term, this is the easier path to take, but long term, Microsoft shouldn’t expect its products to be viewed as relevant or useful.
Contrast this screw-up by Microsoft with the risk Apple is taking with the iPhone. One of the reasons Apple is able to dive into the mobile industry is because they’re being disruptive and establishing a new paradigm. Aside from the innovative Visual Voicemail, Apple is not locked into any crappy AT&T specific services for broadband, games or anything. You sync your iPhone with iTunes, which not only allows you to sync music and video content, but also patches bugs and adds new features. AT&T is simply a communication connection – as it should be.
Apple also don’t have any presence in this market, so like Dylan said, when you got nothin’, you got nothin’ to lose.
Of course this is only partly true. Apple could have lost years and years of preparation and research and tens of millions of dollars that went into making the iPhone …but that’s why it’s called taking a risk.
Risks have potentially huge payoffs.
I love the comment Paul Arden makes in his book, Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite:

Most people are reasonable, that’s why they only do reasonably well.

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Art, Image

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Inspiration

These are from the QBN Sessions (via NewsToday)

Michael Muller – “And that is Batman smoking crack.”

Joshua Davis – “I’m somewhat responsible for what you’re seeing on screen …but there’s a lot of loss of control.”

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Art, Image

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Because I’m a Dude

Most of the time on Daily Exhaust, I like to post meaningful information, links and design I find inspiring. Other times I feel the need to clarify bullshit I hear in the news. I also love photography, so I’ll link to photographs I took or photos taken by other talented photographers.
This post is none of the above. This has to do with one of the cute t-shirt models for Snorg Tees. Doing a quick Google search on her revealed I’m a little late to this crush on Alice (that’s her name). It looks like shelflifegraphics.com has made Alice Miss Snorg Universe. I’m not going to argue.
If she would stop popping up all over the Internet in banner ads I wouldn’t have this crush.
Sue me, I’m a guy.
photo: Alice, Snorg Tee Girl

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Art, Image

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Waiting to be explored

The New York Times has a great article in this Sunday’s paper about urban exploration, Children of Darkness. Seeing photos of decaying historic artifacts and hidden landmarks reminds you of the layered history of New York. We don’t have any Stone Henge’s, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a fascinating, layered story beneath the surface of the five boroughs.
photo: Bandit’s Roost in Manhattan’s Five Points

JACOB RIIS, Photo of Bandit’s Roost in Manhattan’s Five Points, 1888

I was never interested in history, of any type, until a few years ago, after seeing Martin Scorcese’s film, Gangs of New York. My interest stemmed from the fact that my father is from Queens, NY and his father’s family came to the United States from Ireland at the turn of the 19th century. I remember walking out of the movie theatre on 11th Street and 3rd Avenue, realized all that had taken place on this very ground over 100 years ago. I literally got chills.
Since then, I’ve come to thoroughly enjoy history. Though learning about New York’s past, I’ve obviously learned more about the history of all sorts of other countries, filling in the Big Picture better in my brain. It’s all connected.
I recently picked up The Five Points, by Tyler Anbinder, which is great as well as New York, Then and Now, by Edward B. Watson.

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Art, Image

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The Art of the Mashup

Bryan just shot me this link over IM earlier today and it’s friggin’ great. It’s a typographic translation of the “What does Marsellus Wallace look like?!” scene from Pulp Fiction created by Jarratt Moody.I think it’s example of the form of art for the 21st century – the mashup. It’s not merely a copy of a scene from a movie – it’s an interpretation Mr. Moody has done of that clip to make it his own, something completely new.
Another great mashup from the last few years was the mashup ‘trailer’ for Shining – using footage from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining coupled with Peter Gabriel’s song Solsbury Hill to produce something that feels totally different than the actual movie:

When I see mashups on the Internet or listen to mashup albums (like DJ Danger Mouse’s Grey Album), I think of the long tradition of copying and mixing that art has in its history. Although you can find examples that go much further back, a good modern starting point would be Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain:
Fountain - Marcel Duchamp

Why is this art? Because Duchamp said it is.

I also think of of Andy Warhol and his Campbell’s Soup Cans:

Soup Cans - Andy Warhol

Amazing what’s possible with silk screening.

and Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon:
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon - Picasso

Pablo mashed up his art with African masks. Just like Paul Simon did on his album Graceland.

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Art

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The Human Camera


I’m not sure what the big deal is, I did this kind of thing in Intro to Drawing in college (thanks Jory).

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Art

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I want ……

Forget the Sony PS3 and the Nintendo Wii… when is Apple going to come out with some new iPod games?

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Art

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