Susan Kare

"" My career in user interface graphic design began when I worked for Apple Computer between 1983 and 1986. My job: icon and font designer for a new computer, the Macintosh. The task: to transform small grids of black and white pixels into a family of symbols that would assist people in operating the computer. The design process involved the search for the strongest metaphors, and the craft of depicting them. My work also focused on developing a set of proportional typefaces for the computer screen; a departure from the monospaced characters typically found on typewriters and earlier computers. With the icon and font work, I hoped to help counter the stereotypical image of computers as cold and intimidating.

My work has continued to be motivated by respect for, and empathy with, users of software. I believe that good icons are more akin to road signs rather than illustrations, and ideally should present an idea in a clear, concise, and memorable way. I try to optimize for clarity and simplicity even as palette and resolution options have increased. I rely on common sense; when I designed buttons, icons, and other screen images for Microsoft's Windows 3.0 in 1987, I was able to use the 16-color palette to replace black rectangles with images that looked like three-dimensional "pressable" buttons. I was also challenged to fine tune many images for applications by using dithered patterns of color to offset the constraints of the limited VGA palette.

Although I've designed thousands of icons for hundreds of clients over the past eighteen years, I still search for better metaphors-perennial brain twisters such as "undo", "save", and "run program" come to mind. I have endeavored to make all kinds of software more intuitive: programs designed for na? users, for experts in vertical markets, for technical audiences, and for more or less everyone.

The nature of user interface design is collaborative; much great software is the result of a team effort among engineers, marketing types, and designers. My design work-installed at the top level of software-has often been inspired by imaginative and breakthrough engineering. Current work that intrigues me is having the opportunity to improve the quality of small monochrome icons and typefaces in fast-proliferating handheld devices, in addition to the larger and more colorful images on computer monitors. I work to hone the meaning and appearance of each image, and I hope the cumulative effect makes the process of interacting with machines-the way people "see" the software-more gratifying.""

Kyle Cooper

Kyle Cooper

Kyle Cooper has directed over 150 film title sequences, and has been credited with "almost single-handedly revitalizing the main-title sequence as an art form". He is the founder of two internationally recognized film design companies, Imaginary Forces and Prologue Films. Cooper earned a M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Yale School of Art, where he studied independently with Paul Rand. Cooper is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and holds the honorary title of Royal Designer for Industry from the Royal Society of Arts in London.

Kyle Cooper created the Marvel Comics "Flip Book" Logo panel that was first introduced during the opening of the original Spider-Man movie, for which he did the titles. It has since been used in many subsequent Marvel-based films and during Spiderman's premiere it recieved an ovation from the audience.His work includes the opening credit sequences of Se7en (1995), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), Flubber (1997), The Mummy (1999), Spider-Man (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Godzilla Final Wars (2004); and the video games Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004).

Yugo Nakamura

Yuga Nakamura

Yugo Nakamura is one of the most interesting talents of today's digital design field. His work is based on a constant research in the interfaceenviroment. In july 2000 he presented his work to huge acclaim at flashforward2000 in New York City Nakamura studied engineering, architecture and landscapedesign. After graduating he worked as an engineer specialising in bridge design. He now works in interface design with 'business architects inc.' in tokyo and during his personal time he's involved with 'MONO*crafts'. He has also been active with projects like 'gasbook'and 'the remedi project'.

When i look at the images above i see them as being quite fun and quirky. These pieces were works for 'gashbook' Bellow is a rather cheeky image of Yugo Nakamura playing around with the Mona Lisa picture. When i look at Yugo's works i see him as a fun artist with plenty of personality in his pieces and they make me inspired.

Neville Brody

Neville Brody

Neville Brody, the British designer and art director, has now been at the forefront of graphic design for over two decades.Initially working in record cover design, Brody made his name through his revolutionary work as Art Director for the Face magazine.Brody has consistently pushed the boundaries of visual communication in all media through his experimental and challenging work, and continues to extend the visual languages we use through his exploratory creative expression.In 1988 Brody published the first of his two monographs , which became the world's best selling graphic design book.

The above image is a cover for 'Fuse' magazine. Fuse is the internationally renowned platform for experimental design and typography.There are regular conferences that attract the leading practitioners in design and related fields. Each issue of Fuse brings together four designers or typographers and commissions each to create an experimental typeface along with a poster based upon a central theme. I am drawn in by the vivid use of colour in Brody's works and the variety of shapes ussed. Whereas in the piece bellow text has been ussed to communicate to the viewer. When i look at the piece bellow my eye is drawn to all aspects of it but mainly to the bolder words ' It allows'.

Peter Saville

Peter Saville

Peter Saville was born in 1955 and is well known throughout the fine art and advertising world. Using a reduced, Modernist style Peter Saville has made key innovations in the field of visual communications, and in recent times he has had a profound effect on the interplay between art, design and advertising.Peter Saville studied Graphic Design at Manchester Polytechnic from 1974 to 1978.

Saville's friendship with fellow student Malcolm Garrett, who had begun designing album covers for the Buzzcocks in 1976, was also of great significance. Unusual for the time, however, was Saville's insistence on recalling a historical consciousness of graphic design. His concern to present products graphically, and thus permit the flow of a visual "Zeitgeist" ran in blatant contradiction to the established teaching methods of the institutions, steeped in the spirit of the 1970s, which regarded graphic communication as time and context free.

The piece above is called 'True Faith'. I have always been drawn to images that involve nature, such as trees, water and grassland. Here i find myself yet again interested in this image of a Autumn leaf on a blue background. I find something peacful about the image and it makes me feel at ease.

John Maeda

John Maeda

John Maeda is a world-renowned graphic designer, visual artist, and computer scientist at the MIT Media Lab, and is a founding voice for “simplicity” in the digital age.
Named by Esquire magazine as one of the 21 most important people for the twenty-first century, Maeda first made his mark by redefining the use of electronic media as a tool for expression for people of all ages and skills.





Maeda received both his BS and MS degrees from MIT, and earned his PhD in design from Tsukuba University Institute of Art and Design in Japan. In May 2003, he received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and completed his MBA in May of 2006. Maeda is a sought-after lecturer on “simplicity” at major universities and boardrooms throughout the world.

The piece above was Created for an exhibition in Tokyo (thus the odd text 'Graphic Message for Ecology) at Ginza Graphic Gallery on the important theme of 'ecology. While browsing through some of John Maeda works, this particular piece caught my eye. I like the use of colour and the simplicity of it. A mixture of line and image that blends together beautifuly in this piece.

James Jarvis

James Jarvis

James Jarvis was born in London in 1970. He was raised on Richard Scarry, Hergé, Asterix and Judge Dredd, Jarvis studied illustration at the University of Brighton and at the Royal College of Art in London. He has worked for international clients such as Sony, Nokia and Parco. He has shown his work at various exhibitions worldwide including prestigious stand-alone shows at the Parco galleries in Tokyo, Nagoya and Hiroshima.

In 1998, James Jarvis created the plastic toy figure ‘Martin’ for Silas, a London-based fashion company. It helped kick start the ' Designer toy' phenomenon. The character itself is friendly looking and fairly simple in design. The bright colours attract the audiences eye, and the toy itself is easy to mass produce. The black and white image is the original sketch, as we can see the final result is exactly like the original designs.

With the success of the figures, Jarvis and the two directors of Silas decided to create a dedicated toy company. Amos (established in 2003) was set up to independently produce and distribute Jarvis’ figures and open up his designs to a wider audience.