What can presentationists learn from the world of fashion design? A lot actually.

I enjoyed this video of Eva Franco’s creative process if for no other reason than that it gives us a glimpse into the creation of one of her patterns, with nothing but a scanner and a jar full of safety pins. When you create your next presentation, think about how you might create your own graphic elements instead of relying on the ready-made variety. It’s totally unique, and less spendy, too.

via the Uppercase Blog

As a lover of both books and design, if there were ever a book to add to my Amazon wishlist, this is it.

Bibliographic, by Jason Godfrey

I’m mostly self-taught when it comes to graphic design, and I’m always looking for more graphic design texts to absorb. Bibliographic, by Jason Godfrey, is a book that profiles 100 of the most influential books written about graphic design during the last 100 years. It’s especially valuable since many of these books are now hard to get your hands on.

In other words, it’s the reading list for the graphic design curriculum I’ve (and maybe you’ve) been searching for.

via Brain Pickings

As an aspiring professional designer with no “formal” training, I’m constantly on the lookout for books, movies, magazines, and blog posts about design to feed my desire to learn as much as I can about it. The four films listed below are among my favorite design-documentaries. They’re very entertaining, but they also all teach you a good bit about design history, practical design theory, and about some of the great designers of the past and today. If you’re a designer or just interested in learning more about design, I highly recommend all four.

1. Objectified

In this documentary, director Gary Hustwit explores the world of industrial design, or the design of everyday things. We often overlook the fact that nearly every object we come in contact with everyday, from bathtub stoppers to coffee cup lids, were all designed by someone. Someone had to think about that object. This film was eye opening in that it revealed just how much work and thought can go into the creation of things as seemingly simple as a potato peeler. Features interviews with Paola Antonelli, Jonathan Ive, and Dieter Rams, just to name a few.

Image from ObjectifiedFilm.com

2. Art & Copy

A film about advertising and inspiration, this film features interviews with some of the advertising worlds most prominent figures including George Lois, Lee Clow, Mary Wells, and Hal Riney. It explores some of the most famous ad campaigns of recent years including “Got Milk?”, “Where’s the beef?”, “Think Different” and more. This is a real gem for anyone interested in commercial advertising, but it’s full of valuable information for anyone interested in the thought and process behind big creative projects.

Image from IMDB.com

3. Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight

This film profiles Milton Glaser, the iconic graphic designer perhaps most famously remembered for the “I [heart] NY” logo. Lots of insight into Glaser’s thought processes, and into the life of this living legend of design. Glaser is charming throughout and this documentary plays out like a long conversation with a good friend. The insights he shares are fascinating in their simplicity and poignancy. This film would benefit anyone who engages in any kind of creative work.

Image from IMDB.com

4. Helvetica

Another film by Gary Hustwit is a tribute to a typeface, which one of the interviewees describes as “like air” in that it’s all around you wherever you go. It looks at the history of the typeface, it’s many applications, and the various opinions of today’s designers which run the full gamut from love to hate. Even if you’ve never noticed it before (or at least didn’t have a name for it) after watching this film the Helvetica typeface will jump out to you everywhere from Gap advertisements to street signs.

Image from IMDB.com

In the summer of 2008, my wife and I took a trip to New York City. One of my favorite places we visited was the Museum of Modern Art, particularly because of the exhibition in their Architecture and Design Department at the time called “Humble Masterpieces.” The exhibition was a collection of spectacularly designed objects that don’t get the recognition they deserve due to their ubiquity as “everyday objects.” Legos. Swiss Army Knives. Zippers. Bubble wrap. Items that seem so simple, but which are examples of the perfect blend of form and function. You can see 100 of the items in the collection in the book, Humble Masterpieces: Everyday Marvels of Design, which was written by the curator of MoMA’s Architecture and Design Department, Paola Antonelli.

The humble, yet remarkably well-designed safety pin.

[Image by clovermountain via Flickr]

I came away from the exhibition with the sudden realization that everything around us has been designed. From paper clips, to drywall, to drain plugs, to Scotch tape. Someone designed it.

But taking another step back, everything around us began as an idea. Someone had a thought in their mind about how the world could be different, maybe not in a huge way, but different somehow. And if it hadn’t been for their ability to communicate that idea to others and to get people to help them realize their idea, their dream would never have become a reality, a real object.

You have ideas, I know you do. For a new website, or a new novel, or a new law, or a new process for changing a tire. Your ability to communicate those ideas to others will mean the difference between your idea’s life or death. Even if you haven’t had your great idea yet, now is the time to learn to learn to communicate so that when the idea comes, you’ll have the tools to capitalize on it. The question is, will you realize the importance of communication and make the commitment to master it?

So, will you?