N O U N : A design blog by Oliver Oike

A short peek into the behind-the-scenes world of Pantone. Short interviews with John Maeda, Swiss Miss and more. More info at Creative Review.

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I’ve always loved IdN. Beautifully-produced, eclectic subject matter and paired with a DVD of moving goodies, I treat myself to one or two issues per year. Turns out they have recently published a book commemorating 15 years of publishing. Lots to see here. Click on “View Fullscreen” in the area above to see all the [...]

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I’m a cycling fan. This show looks like a wonderful display of work by photographer Brent Humphreys, with show art direction & design by http://www.weaponofchoice.ca/. Wish I could find myself in Austin. Lance Armstrong and his team seem to have really embraced art & design as they mature the Livestrong brand. I’ll get behind any [...]

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An oldie, but goodie. Something light for the summer, playa:

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Always a great place to find high-quality video of recent ads and other motion graphics, Boardsmag recently posted their It List for 2009: You know what’s awesome? No? We do. And it doesn’t start with ‘r’ and end with ‘ecession’. It’s a hamper full of companies, people, gadgets and trends that entertained, enlightened and impressed [...]

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Came across this super fun line up of body products at Winners of all places. Their line goes: “Whatever you look like, whatever shape you’re in, we only want you for your body.” Nice one. Lots of great product names, delivered in simple, inviting packaging using Helvetica Rounded.

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Designer M.S. Corley is seeing a fair amount of success with his ongoing process of re-designing book covers in unexpected and fresh ways. Lots of great stuff to see here.

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Very nice video featurette of Pentagram. via The Serif

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Whisper Brand aggregates several links about the GAP, which has suffered of late. It also highlights an article on Adrants about how the GAP might refresh its advertising. Some interesting ideas…

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Vueve Clicquot, makers of really good champagne, introduce their Karim Rashid-designed Clicquot Loveseat, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Salut!

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These are fun, but serve as a reminder of my lack of Japanese language skills, despite my ethnic heritage. Sigh… some day!

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In a continuation of its award-winning ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ series, Dove has launched a new film. As the proud dad of two young girls, this one really hit home. Congratulations to Dove.

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Back in 1997, Wired ran a cover story about Apple’s demise, with only the word “Pray” set above an Apple logo surrounded by thorny wires. They had become a bloated, mis-led giant with little perspective of their customers, and they were sinking. For devoted Apple fans, it was depressing. Read it here. Well, now it [...]

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I remember Kottke had a post about a page of Web 2.0 company logos, and noticed that the “…names sound like a bunch of companies that make children’s toys (which when you think about it, isn’t too far from the truth).” Beyond that, they tend to have a similar art direction: bright colours, lots of [...]

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Kottke makes note of IKEA’s latest effort, taking it to the streets of NYC. But it seems to be an extension of some stuff they presented at ICFF this year. (ICFF) Too much fun. Along the same how-did-I-miss-this? lines, a fantastic album I came across this morning, Mylo’s “Destroy Rock & Roll.” Also, be sure [...]

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Friendly Manitoba rebrands with “Spirited Energy,” a new positioning statement and accompanying campaign designed to re-introduce the province to the world. Completed over two years by Interbrand (NYC), the new idea was launched yesterday at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. More from the site: Spirited Energy Manitoba’s rich history of diverse cultures, varied climate, and northern [...]

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Sneaker fetishist/designer Jeff Staple describes the buzz and atmosphere at the day-long Nike + Apple launch of the Nike+ iPod integration kit. Too much fun. I can’t wait to try these out. I think it’s a great idea, done the right way by two smart companies. -photo courtesy of Jeff’s site.

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Vodafone’s online magazine, Receiver, chock-full of interesting stuff. Click on the ‘Archives’ for more…

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This article discusses the use of scent to build brands. Not neccesarily a new concept, but maybe not quite as obviously focused as it is now. Two companies, Scent Air and International Flavors & Fragrance are quite refined in their service. Interesting ideas… what’s your brand’s scent? From: The Weekly Wire

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Don’t you hate it when someone lays it all out in plain English? I happen to like my New Balance sneakers, thankyouverymuch. Sigh… via Kottke

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