The Beatles: Mostly played in major key, apparently

Designer Michael Deal embarks on an impressive if not somewhat obsessive effort to illustrate the work of The Beatles in infographics.

Here’s an example showing the musical key distribution of their albums and a conclusion that on average they played mostly in a major key:

Looks kind of like Magical Mystery Tour had the most minor key of any of them. Wasn’t that their least popular album? Coincidence?

http://www.mikemake.com/media/72772/Keys2.5-webfull_o.gif

Other samples here:
http://mikemake.com/#72772/Charting-the-Beatles

 

The relationship between music and graphics begins with musical notes on paper ahead of a recording session. Interesting to see graphics at the other end.

@iclazie

HT Flowing Data

Inspiring examples of tactile creative execution

Before computers became useful and the internets invaded our homes, people made things from wood and fabric and paint and sticks. It was messy and sometimes smelly and quite often you’d cut your finger.

What I love about these examples is they demonstrate people going out of their way to use real world materials and knowing when to slow down and consider a different approach. An approach that might seem absurd at the time but could lead to great things.

HunterGatherer makes simply beautiful things. Then they make them appear to move. These guys love their wood grain.

HunterGatherer from Arkitip, Inc. on Vimeo.

Johnny Kelly likes paper a lot. Someone should tell him he could really cut his finger on that.

Making of ‘The Seed’ from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

I’m seriously hoping no interns were harmed in the making of this bit of stop motion animation from THANK YOU in Denmark.

BOOGIE Prisen from THANK YOU on Vimeo.

Here in the studio at Amnesia Razorfish we’ve been known to occasionally step away from the keyboards to create things out of real materials.

Sandor Moldan and Mike Kleinman worked bizarre magic on the previous incarnation of Mountain Dew’s site for Australia. Claymation zombies and bitchslapped rhinos adorned a hand crafted mountain of delights. (The site is no longer live, unfortunately.)

…and more recently Sandor and @eunmac created a wave tank for the background effect in the site we concepted and built for P&O Cruises Australia.

Check out the “making of” here…

@iclazie

FEED: The 2009 Razorfish Digital Brand Experience Report now available

“In today’s increasingly digital world, the experience is the message.” Razorfish’s Group Vice President of Experience Planning Garrick Schmitt (@gschmitt) introduces the 2009 FEED Report, a concise and invaluable output of leading edge digital consumer research.

Topics include:

• Digital Brand Experiences Create Customers
• Actions Speak Louder Than Advertising
• Digital Fluency
• The Language of Love for Brands? Deals.
• Measuring Brand Engagement

…and more.

“This report is probably the best analysis of online consumer behavior” according to Guy Kawasaki.

Check out the blog:
http://feed.razorfish.com/

Download the report:
http://feed.razorfish.com/downloads/Razorfish_FEED09.pdf

If you want to tweet about the report, use the hashtag #FEED09.

@iclazie

5 Amazing and Unique Portfolio Interfaces

There’s a sea of portfolio sites out there. Of the best ones there are many that look great but don’t stray far from the typical interface design frameworks and information architecture.

Here’s a collection of five seriously impressive efforts to innovate, take chances, do something unique, delight and surprise… Great stuff.

1. Wonderwall Inc. – www.wonder-wall.com

This Japanese interior design firm presents their work via a sproingy, elastic, 3D, slightly off the grid mosaic interface. It’s just fun to play with and tightly executed. It’s not a facade, either – the transitions and detail views are well thought through.

2. Resn - www.resn.co.nz

Not a new site, but if this New Zealand based creative agency ever changes their portfolio I look forward to seeing how they plan to improve on it. The imagination behind the navigation rollover effects and the presentation of the work in the portfolio section are inspiring. Use of full bleed background imagery and subtle audio really surround the visitor. Great balance of creativity and usability.

3. thetoke - www.thetoke.com

Slick, clean, technical. Slightly ambiguous concept around the identity and the intro, but it all makes for good eye candy. Play with the viewing modes in the top right hand corner to see cool applications of 3D in Flash.

4. bio-bak - www.bio-bak.nl

Wow. Also been around a while but something truly bizarre. It’s a game. The object is to find the site’s navigation. This site has balls. And they’re hairy and badly drawn.

5. Futuretainment – www.futuretainment.com

Ok, so it’s a book launch, not a portfolio, but it’s classic Frost and fits beautifully with the others for a range of inspiration on how to simultaneously provide a stage and set a tone.

Enjoy!

@iclazie

Smirnoff Mule runner up in Creative Showcase awards

Congratulations to the Mule team for collecting this award last Friday!

http://www.itstartedwithamule.com/ 

And hats off to Soap for taking first.

@iclazie

It’s a map… of the future.

Created by DensityDesign, this impressive piece of info-cartography takes a while to digest but is worth a look if you’re into this sort of thing.

• Learn more:
  http://www.densitydesign.org/2009/10/02/we-will-be-here-map-of-the-future/
• Hires version for download: http://www.flickr.com/photos/densitydesign/3975416561/
• The sketch that the final piece is based on:
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/densitydesign/3976187364/in/photostream/

Wonder if this belongs on Strange Maps? :-)

Also makes me think of the iA Web Trends Map:

 

@iclazie

Jeremy’s Bing photo features in TV ad

This TV ad for Bing implies vampires are fans Amnesiafish Jeremy’s photo contest winning lightning shot.

Nice one, Jeremy! You’re a big hit with the undead.

@iclazie

White Gold’s Milkdonkulous Giveaway

If you haven’t checked out the Milkquarious rock opera yet and you’re into bizarre milk-oriented retro glam rock psychedelic warfare with unicorn pegasus cows, you should have a look and listen: www.milkquarious.com

The Milkquarious experience includes:

• A lengthy but entertaining rock opera of high tongue in cheek production quality
• Possibly more entertaining running commentary in an optional audio channel
• A competition for students to remake scenes from the movie
• Helpful tips for the students from the creators
• A beat machine just for kicks

All in all a very impressive effort from Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Hi-ReS!

Extending the rock opera into a competition is a great idea. Have a look at the YouTube channel to see what it’s all about. Here’s the lowdown from White Gold himself:

Finally, some more screens from the movie for extra milky flavour…

Enter the battle for Milkquarious…

@iclazie

HT @imgc

Design this: The Rolling Stones on vacation in Cuba in the early 70’s

Designing to a theme is an effective way of innovating in visual design. Two examples of this from Amnesia Razorfish’s portfolio are Smirnoff Mule (1940’s film noir murder mystery)…

…and ninemsn’s Friend Magnet (mid 20th century carnival fun house).

Senior Art Director Toby lead the charge to bring these two visual themes to life for our clients.

With that in mind, here’s a theme I like found on Behance: The Rolling Stones on vacation in Cuba in the early 70’s.

Why not?

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/What-Comes-Around-Goes-Around-Print-Collateral/308426

@iclazie

Data visualisation gets sexed up in the PUMA Index

To promote it’s Bodywear line, PUMA brings us a stock market ticker with a difference. Models stripping as the market goes down. The more we recess, the more it will digress. The lower the market value, the lower the morals.

I’ll stop now.

 

Comes in the form of an actual working application. Show a PUMA Sales Associate that you’ve got it installed and you receive 20% off your next purchase.

Pretty cheeky.

@iclazie

HT @marktsen