Data + Design Project

It Is So Not Cool To Be Cool: Future Hipster

Saturday 02.11.2012 , Posted by

Here at Visual News we love to keep up with the trends. Some may call it “Hipster”…but we’d rather not label ourselves. This YouTube video, “Future Hipsters,” has received over 300,000 views since it was posted on February 7th…so we decided to get in on the action. If you haven’t already seen the video, you need to. It is a hilarious prediction of what will come of the hipsters in the year 2062! If shockingly enough you are not familiar with the term, Urban Dictionary might help you understand: [Read more...]

Caught in Transition: Collages by Lucas Lima

Monday 02.06.2012 , Posted by

As if caught midway in the process of deconstruction, illustrator Lucas Lima‘s collages appear to be reorganized magazine ads.  He incorporates shifting elements that seem to be caught in the process of either deconstruction or reorganization. Along with vibrant accents of color and superb compositions, his works are at the very least, appealing works of art. [Read more...]

Babies, Monks and Trampoline Pits

Thursday 02.02.2012 , Posted by

In the beginning of the 1960′s a new fad began to emerge in the suburbs of America. Much like it’s 50′s predecessor, hula hooping, it came and went in the night leaving those who participated with just a vague memory of its occurrence. What is this elusive fad? Trampoline Pits. Around 1960, parks full of trampoline pits began popping up all over the county. These parks were contracted in abandoned lots and full of pits with trampolines fitted across the tops. Those wanting to play on the trampolines could pay a quarter or two for a half hour of bouncing bliss. Kids would line up after school for their chance at the action and some parents would even take their kids there for parties. [Read more...]

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Bold and Groovy 70s Love Pads

Thursday 02.02.2012 , Posted by

If there’s one thing missing in modern designs, it’s a whole lot of patterns… I mean lets cover everything in checkerboard print! I’m not sure if these shots of far out interiors from the 1970s are showing us how far we’ve come in design or how far we’ve regressed… but it certainly makes me want to let my hair down and relax over some warm fondu. [Read more...]

The Past in Plywood: Swell Mid-Century Vacation Homes

Wednesday 02.01.2012 , Posted by

When I was a young kid, I literally spent months drawing home plans. My childhood designs where heavily based off the vintage books I spent hours pouring over, little knowing they where long outdated designs from 50s and 60s America. So when I ran across this small booklet of vacation home plans from the Douglas Fir Association in 1960, I have to say I had a very soft (I mean soft!) spot in my heart for these fantastically creative and classic designs. The booklet is filled with stylishly painted illustrations of the homes, floor plans and interiors, depicting a leisurely existence of life at the lake, horseback riding, barbecues and dancing at midnight. [Read more...]

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Letter Heads of the Famous Past

Tuesday 01.31.2012 , Posted by

We are now past the days of long, hand-written letters, post marked with stamps you had to lick and sent with the care that said “this is a paper based expression of me.” But just how expressive can a small piece of paper be? In the case of these vintage letterheads, very. These personal designs of the past were a tangible expression of the person sending it, designed with the knowledge that soon it would be held in the hands of a friend or fan and possibly cherished for years to come. The letterheads we bring you here, found on the phenomenal and extensive site Letterheady.com, include examples from entertainers, writers and even inventors, from Groucho Marx to Thomas Edison, all showing their distinctive choice of how to represent themselves. [Read more...]

Retro Twist: Owen Gatley’s Editorial Illustrations

Thursday 01.26.2012 , Posted by

Owen Gatley is making all of the right strokes with his hand-drawn vintage illustration style. Gately’s vintage style is reminiscent of something you would see in an old children’s book, with the soft pencil strokes and shading that add a lot of depth and life to his scenes. It’s always nice to see artists adding craft back into their work, which he does splendidly through mainly using hand drawn illustration. The use of bright, often primary colors teamed with conceptual images, makes his environments fun and engaging… with just the right amount of detail. [Read more...]

Remixed Antique Portraits Become Superheros

Wednesday 01.25.2012 , Posted by

Nothing could warm the heart of a vintage comic book geek more than these sensational new artworks by Alex Gross. Taking antique photographs called Cabinet cards from the 1870s to 1920s, he hand-painted each one to look like comic heros, movie characters and even some colorful character creations of his own. He cleverly reworks the often plain backgrounds of the original image, moves arms around and changes their dress to something more “super,” retaining the face of the original portraits figure. Suddenly a solemn 19th century portrait becomes a stoic and colorful visage of Bizzaro standing before a war torn city. [Read more...]

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Re-creating Kodak Moments

Monday 01.23.2012 , Posted by

We all have at least one special vintage photo from our past that brings a smile to our faces every time we look at it. Whether it’s the one your mother brings out to embarrass you when you introduce her to a new friend or the one you keep in a frame to remind you of a time of innocence and whimsy, [Read more...]

The Puke State? Old Nicknames of US States Told by Pigs

Monday 01.23.2012 , Posted by

How far we have come in modern advertising… and how much we’re missing! Nearly 130 years ago W.H. Hill & Co produced this colorful pig-themed example of cartography, featuring the states and territories of 1884′s America. “Sole manufacturers of Hill’s Hog Ringers, Hill’s Triangular Rings, Calf & Cow Weaners, Stock Markers, etc,” the map is a perfect example of early day product placement, although a subtle one: each of the featured hogs has the companies unique triangular ring in its little snout (even the curtain is held back by their signature triangles). [Read more...]

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