Atlas — Visual Communication by Brian Nelson">Atlas

Though it’s believed that HTML5 will not be fully completed until 2022, some features can already be implemented within our work today, while others are still in development or haven’t even been started. This graph provides a clear understanding of some of the more important HTML5 attributes and elements and what browsers currently support them. It also gives insight to the heated battle between Flash and HTML5 video, which many big companies have already switched too, namely Apple with the iPhone and iPad.

Another nice feature that HTML5 offers in different ways is shorter, cleaner code which helps reduce file size and allows for faster web browsing. This video provides some other elements that are already widely supported right now and help with cleaning up some code.

Dive Into HTML5 is an in-progress online manuscript that is another good resource into the current and future world of HTML5

The geek inside me is excited to see the outcome of HTML5 over the next decade. I have my fingers crossed that it will allow for a better way to bring typography to the web minus Flash or Javascript or some other type of plug-in, but who even knows what computers will look like or how they will perform in 2022 and whether or not something even more substantial will have come along to replace it all, though I doubt it.

Graph via Focus.

A nice array of Belgian design work dating back to the late 19th century and up through the 1980′s courtesy of Veerle. It’s awesome seeing the variety of style and approach throughout different decades and how different time periods influenced specific trends and techniques. What’s great however is that most of the work looks like it could of been created yesterday. Quality design is that which can stand the test of time.

Check out more work at Veerle’s Belgian design gallery.

• July 1947

• January 1949

• October 1953

• October 1955

• July 1956

• January 1967

• January 1981

• October 1989

• March 1991

• October 1996

First published in 1947, Concrete Quarterly is a relatively small magazine that includes innovative concrete projects while also providing news and viewpoints from industry figures. The publication is put out by The Concrete Centre which is the central development organization for the UK concrete industry.

Architecture design has always been fascinating to me and is one of my favorite things to photograph. Over the decades CQ’s cover designs have captured a structure at some pretty compelling angles. Every couple of years they change up their cover either with a new layout and/or a new masthead logo, however in 2000 they did away with one on the cover, but brought it back in the middle of 2003 to rather disappointing results. The new logo constrains the overall photograph and design of the cover and strips the quality it once had.

View CQ archives.

Unicorn Graphics recently uploaded their Web Museum of Wood Types and Ornaments with a large collection of scans and photographs of wood type and wood type catalogues, most of which are over 100 years old. It’s amazing to see just how precise and deliberate type designers and setters were well before the global age of technology. You can really pin-point where many later fonts got their start from. This is the sort of stuff that should make anyone appreciate type on an even higher level if you don’t value it with prestige already, which you should.

“As the demand for broadsides increased during first years of the nineteenth century, the need for the process of producing large letters cheaply arose. Wood was a logical material choice because of its ready availability, lightness, and proven printing qualities. In 1827, Darius Wells of New York City first found the means to mass produce wood letters. In March of 1828, first wood type catalogue was published by Wells. Throughout the wood type manufacturing history, many manufactories were in business. Among those, Wm. H. Page & Co., Vanderburgh, Wells & Co. and Hamilton Mfg. Co. was the most noted ones.”

This museum serves as a great reference for any designer, especially type designers, who are looking for typography inspiration for their next design. I would love to have an actual copy of the Hamilton #14 catalogue which is where the images above came from, it’s beyond amazing.

I can’t get enough of this album. It’s been on the player consistently since it’s release at the tail end of March. Black Sands by Bonobo delivers rich undertones of textured beats throughout the entire record. Each song has it’s own unique elemental sound, but all blend beautifully together one after the other. It’s best listened to when you have the speakers set on a pretty good volume. I wish I could post the whole album, however I picked out a few to share which was pretty tough. A great soundscape experience for when your working at the computer or enjoying a peaceful weekend forgetting everything around you.

Bonobo — Prelude + Kiara

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Bonobo — Eyesdown (ft. Andreya Triana)

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Bonobo — 1009

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Bonobo — All In Forms

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Bonobo — Stay The Same (ft. Andreya Triana)

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Purchase

Architecture firm Tepera Hood had the brilliant idea to move their new office to an old 1950′s PEMCO gas station and the results are inspiring to say the least. Located on route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the interior was completely stripped to its original blocks and split into three areas: the main workspace, administrative workroom and reference closet. The combination of the vintage exterior along with the modern interior aesthetically balance each other quite nicely and make for one awesome place to hang out — and work too of course.

Via Where We Design.

Most likely known for his aerial photography, David Maisel’s, Terminal Mirage is definitely my favorite set from him. His ability to capture the natural colors of the landscape and the combination of abstract shapes created by man and nature are stunning. On ground level you rarely get to see the vast superiority of color that Mother Nature can produce, but from a bird’s eye view it’s a whole different story.

Most matchboxes are no more than a couple inches in size, yet that didn’t constrain the awesomeness you see above in these old European matchbox covers. All of these could easily work as posters if they were 10 times larger, yet their small size sort of makes you appreciate them that much more. And even though I can’t translate most of the type, all of which is amazing by the way, there is something about different languages that I have always admired, especially within design. The imagery and play on words, no matter what language it might be in, can still communicate effectively and allow you to grasp the overall experience and concept the designer set out to get across. This in my opinion is what continually pushes the visual arts as a universal language around the world.

Check out more of these covers at Shailesh Chavda’s photostream.