Jamboxx for the iPad

A great find by Amy [thanks again!] in the iTunes App store. Developed by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC "Jamboxx takes you back to the days of mixtapes and boom boxes with an 80s-inspired interface that'll get you nodding your head to the beat in no time".

Dieter Rams' Ten Commandments

I mentioned Dieter Rams in passing previously as I loved the proportions of the radios he designed for Braun. Anyway, I just came across his ten most important principles for good design and they still have resonance. The stripped-down 'less is more' directive and the reaction against the 'fashionable' might not be relevant to every project/every end user, but in fulfilling his other objectives ('long-lasting', for example), he's certainly on to something. As mentioned endlessly on the web, you only need look at Jonathan Ive's products for Apple to witness his influence. Anyway, those ten commandments:


Good design is innovative.
The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

Good design makes a product useful.
A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

Good design is aesthetic.
The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

Good design makes a product understandable.
It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.

Good design is unobtrusive.
Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

Good design is honest.
It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

Good design is long-lasting.
It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

Good design is environmentally friendly.
Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Good design is as little design as possible.
Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.
Back to purity, back to simplicity.

The Visual Mixtape by Noa Emberson

As seen on Emberson's site (www.joystain.com) but given decent coverage on, my new favourite blog, Forgotten Hopes.

This is a self-initiated project where Emberson creates posters for his favourite albums. The series consists of 25 individual pieces and I really like the way that they work as a set. They are are also very information heavy yet still manage to be really beautiful. However, I can't see their pastoral aesthetic working for more obviously "urban" genres. Unless, of course, its to play off those opposites.

To Have & To Hold

A documentary about collecting vinyl.

To Have & To Hold - Taster Tape from Jony Lyle on Vimeo.

The 'housebag'

I've already noted some examples of artwork for specific 12" releases but this is not entirely indicative of the kind of sleeves that run through the continuum. Due to finances, many dance labels have opted for basic black 12" sleeves although a number have their 'housebag': a generic label sleeve. These underground releases can also gain popularity as a collectible series and the cheaper options also push an identity: promoting a brand awareness in a way that individual sleeves don't [Warp, R&S and XL Recordings are just three examples of labels that successfully established themselves using distinct, immediately recognisable sleeves]. These options have also brought with them some interesting design details such as the use of applied stickers carrying more individual record info or images.

The key thing is that these releases are immediately observed as "underground" due to mainstream records using full colour, individual artwork. The various scenes' utilitarian approach to packaging, on the other hand, has resulted in releases that are often the same as the 'tools' used by DJs - a certain stamp of 'authenticity'. The white label - with its absence of design - should also be observed as having cachet for exactly these reasons.

Not continuum related, but there is a great post on generic 12" single sleeves over at Amoeba. Related to this, there is also a further resource for both nostalgia freaks and graphic designers with a vintage online collection of 'factory sleeves' that's lovingly maintained over at Record Envelope.

Stencil fonts

Tapes

I previously completed a project based around club/electronic music that referenced the vinyl 12" single throughout. The use of records was to anchor the project to DJ culture and, initially, I felt that this particular project might also want to take some inspiration from the format. Certainly, visual clues have been taken from sleeves from the specific genres/eras to inform the design outcomes. However, after considering the importance of pirate radio to the music forms that make up Reynolds' Hardcore Continuum, I considered what might be the preferred formats for end users. And while vinyl has long had cult status and 'muso' appeal, the widespread and possibly more 'democratic' format has to be the humble tape cassette.

The cassette is interesting in terms of its ability to capture the more spontaneous aspects of individual scenes: radio transmissions and DJ club sets. In fact, the inexpensive copying of these contributed to an increased distribution network for the discussed sounds. So while a London pirate radio station might only be received within the capital, broadcasts could reach even wider audiences once recorded and exchanged. As for DJ sets, the black market for seamless mixes of the scene's more popular disc jockeys grew to such an extent during the early 1990s that record labels began to produce their own, officially licensed versions to capitalise on this interest.

What is interesting now is just how the cassette has recently been embraced as a cult format. For younger listeners it is perhaps a curiosity due to both the increased rarity of tape players and what is generally poor sound quality. For older individuals, it will have nostalgic associations with youth plus an interactive, DIY aesthetic that long preceded the internet. Perhaps if you look closely enough, you can see the blueprint for Spotify encased in a TDK C-90. Elsewhere on the web, you will still find many MP3s labelled as 'mixtapes'. So there is, I think it's fair to say, a real cultural legacy here. And one that isn't exactly being ignored in 2010.










While the above examples [respectively a Nano case, a USB hub and a storage device] are simply borrowing an iconic form, others have reverted to the cassette for its original purpose.

Will Bankhead created some great packaging alongside Ben Drury for the Mo Wax label but has more recently switched attention to his The Trilogy Tapes endeavour. In addition to carrying out some enviable work for other music clients, he issues cassettes compiled by a selection of interesting people. A couple have been put together by Salford resident Dan Dwayre a.k.a. Black Lodge.

Anyway, I'm considering using the format of the tape in some way as part of my deliverable. I think that there are a number of aspects to it that could be explored and exploited in a creative way.

Visual Clues: Dubstep