Is it too late for yet another 'best of 2004' list?
I was on iFilms list of 2004 Best Viral Videos just this afternoon, so I guess we can ride it a little longer. Considering that we are barely two and a half weeks into the new year and this being my first blog entry on this site, it seems appropriate to start things off with something that pays respect to all that has come to pass. So I am going to do a top 10 list of websites that had an impact on me personally in 2004. They will include brilliant design, concept, content and in more cases than not, a slick combination of all three.
Indeed, looking back on 2004, it would seem as though design went through a minor rennaissance; one that I hope will continue in the years ahead. As blogger.com proudly announced ABC News named Bloggers their 'People of the Year'. Blogging does indeed seem to be where its at. Websites are no longer static entities. They breathe. They encourage dialogue. And the web is a friendlier place for it.
In terms of design trends, 2004 marked the return of glam with my personal adage that all one needs is a gradiant, a starburst, script-text-used-as-decoration and a few birds in the sky to create cool design holding true wherever one looked. Add a harajuku reference or graffiti influence and you were golden. But in all seriousness, it really seemed like people were having fun with design this past year which is both encouraging and inspiring.
So on with it. Over the next ten days, I will be posting the list of my Top 10 Most Important Websites of 2004 in descending order. As already stated, these are sites that had a personal effect on me, so you the user may walk away shaking your head muttering that I have no business throwing URL's around so casually. But stick around and see what churns up.
I was on iFilms list of 2004 Best Viral Videos just this afternoon, so I guess we can ride it a little longer. Considering that we are barely two and a half weeks into the new year and this being my first blog entry on this site, it seems appropriate to start things off with something that pays respect to all that has come to pass. So I am going to do a top 10 list of websites that had an impact on me personally in 2004. They will include brilliant design, concept, content and in more cases than not, a slick combination of all three.
Indeed, looking back on 2004, it would seem as though design went through a minor rennaissance; one that I hope will continue in the years ahead. As blogger.com proudly announced ABC News named Bloggers their 'People of the Year'. Blogging does indeed seem to be where its at. Websites are no longer static entities. They breathe. They encourage dialogue. And the web is a friendlier place for it.
In terms of design trends, 2004 marked the return of glam with my personal adage that all one needs is a gradiant, a starburst, script-text-used-as-decoration and a few birds in the sky to create cool design holding true wherever one looked. Add a harajuku reference or graffiti influence and you were golden. But in all seriousness, it really seemed like people were having fun with design this past year which is both encouraging and inspiring.
So on with it. Over the next ten days, I will be posting the list of my Top 10 Most Important Websites of 2004 in descending order. As already stated, these are sites that had a personal effect on me, so you the user may walk away shaking your head muttering that I have no business throwing URL's around so casually. But stick around and see what churns up.
Labels: Design
#10 - industrial brand creative
www.industrialbrand.com
The first offering in the "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004" is a sentimental one. The Dec. 23 entry on the homepage says it best: "After 13 months, 6 designers, 25,000 different concepts and a "Battle Royale" our site has been given a major facelift". It is always hardest to design for yourself and this new look for IBC did not come easy. But we think we got it right. Complete with a blog, online store and a recipe section, the new design presents a more realized and mature look than what we had before which seems appropriate considering how much the agency has grown in the past three and a half years. Kudos to all involved.
www.industrialbrand.com
The first offering in the "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004" is a sentimental one. The Dec. 23 entry on the homepage says it best: "After 13 months, 6 designers, 25,000 different concepts and a "Battle Royale" our site has been given a major facelift". It is always hardest to design for yourself and this new look for IBC did not come easy. But we think we got it right. Complete with a blog, online store and a recipe section, the new design presents a more realized and mature look than what we had before which seems appropriate considering how much the agency has grown in the past three and a half years. Kudos to all involved.
Labels: Collaborators, Design, Industrial Brand Creative, Shameless Self Promotion
Thursday, January 20, 2005
#9 – billy harvey music
www.billyharveymusic.com
Okay, I will be the first to admit that including billyharveymusic.com in a list of "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004" might seem a tad irresponsible. Important might be the wrong word in this case. But we are only at #9 and it is Friday afterall. Plus, it cracks me up everytime I visit and underneath its stoner disarray is a highly conceived and smoothly coded website. His music isn't half bad either.
www.billyharveymusic.com
Okay, I will be the first to admit that including billyharveymusic.com in a list of "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004" might seem a tad irresponsible. Important might be the wrong word in this case. But we are only at #9 and it is Friday afterall. Plus, it cracks me up everytime I visit and underneath its stoner disarray is a highly conceived and smoothly coded website. His music isn't half bad either.
Labels: Design
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
#8 – moma's tall buildings
www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/tallbuildings
Architecture was a full time distraction for me in 2004. Frank Gehry's influence was always working itself into my designs and I was floored by the plans that were revealed for Beijing's 2008 Olympic Stadium(check out design B11). But when it comes down to a website that kept me coming back, it was the Museum of Modern Art's Tall Buildings site that did it, earning them the #8 spot in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". This site is clean, informative, and chock full of some of the coolest buildings from around the globe.
www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/tallbuildings
Architecture was a full time distraction for me in 2004. Frank Gehry's influence was always working itself into my designs and I was floored by the plans that were revealed for Beijing's 2008 Olympic Stadium(check out design B11). But when it comes down to a website that kept me coming back, it was the Museum of Modern Art's Tall Buildings site that did it, earning them the #8 spot in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". This site is clean, informative, and chock full of some of the coolest buildings from around the globe.
Labels: Architecture, Design
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
#7 – the embassy's south african robocop
South African Robocop QT movie
The #7 listing on the "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004" is not a site at all but rather a viral movie. Vancouver's The Embassy arrived on the scene in 2003 and immediately set about making some of the freshest visual pieces that advertising and the web have seen for some time. Their dancing Citroen Transformer ad created quite a buzz on the viral circuit, but what really caught my eye was the above piece directed by Neill Blomkamp.
Consisting of raw, almost touristy footage of the slums outside of Johannesburg, combined with 3D renderings of a robot policing its streets, this is like nothing I have ever seen. The CG is seamless and the unfamiliar setting immediately pulls viewers out of their comfort zones and forces them to question whether what they are seeing is in fact real. As scary a vision of future policing this might be, it is not that far off of present military strategy.
South African Robocop QT movie
The #7 listing on the "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004" is not a site at all but rather a viral movie. Vancouver's The Embassy arrived on the scene in 2003 and immediately set about making some of the freshest visual pieces that advertising and the web have seen for some time. Their dancing Citroen Transformer ad created quite a buzz on the viral circuit, but what really caught my eye was the above piece directed by Neill Blomkamp.
Consisting of raw, almost touristy footage of the slums outside of Johannesburg, combined with 3D renderings of a robot policing its streets, this is like nothing I have ever seen. The CG is seamless and the unfamiliar setting immediately pulls viewers out of their comfort zones and forces them to question whether what they are seeing is in fact real. As scary a vision of future policing this might be, it is not that far off of present military strategy.
Monday, January 17, 2005
#6 - massive change
www.massivechange.com
"It is not about the world of design. It is about the design of the world."
-Bruce Mau
This fall, the Massive Change exhibit debuted at the Vancouver Art Gallery. In trying to answer the question "Now that we have the ability to do anything, what will we do?", a team of designers under the guidance of Bruce Mau set about not just to warn us about the critical condition of the world today, but to demonstrate how we have the resources and technology to save ourselves. It is not so much a utopian vision of the future as it is simply an optimistic and very practical one. Basically, these things have to start to happen if we want to survive.
But it does require a massive change in the way that the general population interacts with the world around them. Social Responsibility may be the buzzword of the 21st century but until there is some substance behind this concept, we will not move forward.
www.massivechange.com
"It is not about the world of design. It is about the design of the world."
-Bruce Mau
This fall, the Massive Change exhibit debuted at the Vancouver Art Gallery. In trying to answer the question "Now that we have the ability to do anything, what will we do?", a team of designers under the guidance of Bruce Mau set about not just to warn us about the critical condition of the world today, but to demonstrate how we have the resources and technology to save ourselves. It is not so much a utopian vision of the future as it is simply an optimistic and very practical one. Basically, these things have to start to happen if we want to survive.
But it does require a massive change in the way that the general population interacts with the world around them. Social Responsibility may be the buzzword of the 21st century but until there is some substance behind this concept, we will not move forward.
Labels: Design, Design Can Change the World
Sunday, January 16, 2005
#5 - wooster collective
www.woostercollective.com
This site has become a high priority in my daily surfing over the past year earning it a respectable rank in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". There is no better place to turn for inspiration than the energy of the streets and the Wooster Collective has become the online portal to all things stencilled, sprayed and glued. Favorites include D*Face, Dalek andKinsey.
www.woostercollective.com
This site has become a high priority in my daily surfing over the past year earning it a respectable rank in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". There is no better place to turn for inspiration than the energy of the streets and the Wooster Collective has become the online portal to all things stencilled, sprayed and glued. Favorites include D*Face, Dalek andKinsey.
Labels: Design, Street Level
Saturday, January 15, 2005
#4 - imaginary forces
www.imaginaryforces.com
The elegance and subtlety of this site is the perfect frame for a portfolio that includes some of the most groundbreaking motion graphic sequences in the history of film and television. Not only that, they are also founding members of United Architects, a coalition of six innovative firms who share a desire to design new visions for buildings and cities that reflect the way we live today. The orginal focus of this project was on redesigning the World Trade Center in New York City.
www.imaginaryforces.com
The elegance and subtlety of this site is the perfect frame for a portfolio that includes some of the most groundbreaking motion graphic sequences in the history of film and television. Not only that, they are also founding members of United Architects, a coalition of six innovative firms who share a desire to design new visions for buildings and cities that reflect the way we live today. The orginal focus of this project was on redesigning the World Trade Center in New York City.
Friday, January 14, 2005
#3 - daily dose of imagery
wvs.topleftpixel.com
Sam Javanrouh's daily photo blog of Toronto is one of the best of its kind on the net. He consistently delivers challenging, thoughtful and often humourous images of both detail and grandeur. As a displaced Torontonian (thankfully when I see images like this) his chronicles also serve to calm the nostalgia that can sometimes rise when one lives away from home. It is for these reasons that he has ranked 3rd in the "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004".
wvs.topleftpixel.com
Sam Javanrouh's daily photo blog of Toronto is one of the best of its kind on the net. He consistently delivers challenging, thoughtful and often humourous images of both detail and grandeur. As a displaced Torontonian (thankfully when I see images like this) his chronicles also serve to calm the nostalgia that can sometimes rise when one lives away from home. It is for these reasons that he has ranked 3rd in the "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004".
Labels: Design
Thursday, January 13, 2005
#2 - gaping void
www.gapingvoid.com
About six months ago, I discovered the marketing gospel according to Hugh Macleod and it has not only become necessary daily reading, it has also made a convert of me. There is a revolution upon us in the world of marketing. The ways of communication have changed in the past ten years, moreover in the past ten minutes. Brands are two way conversations and more often than not, it is the consumer in the driver's seat. Those companies who 'get' this will succeed; those that don't will fade away. I, for one, can't wait. As his manifesto boldly states:"THE MARKET FOR SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN IS INFINITE"
www.gapingvoid.com
About six months ago, I discovered the marketing gospel according to Hugh Macleod and it has not only become necessary daily reading, it has also made a convert of me. There is a revolution upon us in the world of marketing. The ways of communication have changed in the past ten years, moreover in the past ten minutes. Brands are two way conversations and more often than not, it is the consumer in the driver's seat. Those companies who 'get' this will succeed; those that don't will fade away. I, for one, can't wait. As his manifesto boldly states:"THE MARKET FOR SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN IS INFINITE"
Labels: Design
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
#1 - coudal partners
www.coudal.com
There was no question what was going to be the number one choice in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". Coudal has one of the most well rounded understandings of the power of the internet and how best to harness it.
By maintaining a daily blog of interesting links and articles, launching their own entrepreneurial ventures, and running various online competitions, Coudal have become a focal point of the online design community. It is not easy to find their portfolio, but that is the point. The site itself is exemplary of the work that they do and the passion that they have for it. Kudos to Coudal. We look forward to what they have in store for 2005.
www.coudal.com
There was no question what was going to be the number one choice in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". Coudal has one of the most well rounded understandings of the power of the internet and how best to harness it.
By maintaining a daily blog of interesting links and articles, launching their own entrepreneurial ventures, and running various online competitions, Coudal have become a focal point of the online design community. It is not easy to find their portfolio, but that is the point. The site itself is exemplary of the work that they do and the passion that they have for it. Kudos to Coudal. We look forward to what they have in store for 2005.
Labels: Design
