Slanted in Dubai: Elephant Nation

Posted on by Slanted editors

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up look at the contemporary design scene of Dubai. A city—when described by many people—that is all sickening shine and has no soul. But Dubai and the whole region, originally a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins, is now transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism—and moreover, something important happened in the last few years: Culture! Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private—to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are legible in this Slanted issue!

A Dubai-based branding and digital agency, Elephant Nation is a group of young, inspired minds from all over the world. They love what they do and believe in doing it well. They share their passion for creating and launching brands. With a multi-platform thought process, their goal is to create meaningful visuals and verbal conversations between the audience and the brand.

Take a look at the Slanted #32—Dubai to get an idea of Dubai’s creative environment. Additionally you can find several video interviews on our video platform to get a deeper insight in the designer’s thoughts.

Review Zukunftsforum Zeitschriften

Posted on by Slanted editors

We were for you on December 4th, 2018 at the Zukunftsforum Zeitschriften, which took place in the Literaturhaus on Salvatorplatz in Munich and was an event of the Akademie der Deutschen Medien. The event focused on “the customer” or “customer centricity.”

German text:

Wir waren für Euch am 4. Dezember 2018 beim Zukunftsforum Zeitschriften, welches im Literaturhaus am Salvatorplatz in München stattfand und eine Veranstaltung der Akademie der Deutschen Medien war. Im Fokus der Veranstaltung stand »der Kunde« oder auch die »Customer Centricity«.

Wir waren sehr neugierig, was wir dort zu erwarten hatten, da wir schließlich selbst Herausgeber eines Magazins sind. Um 10 Uhr begann der erste Vortrag von Erhard F. Heinold, Geschäftsführer von Heinold, Spiller & Partner, um uns ein Update des Zeitschriftenmarktes zu geben und zeigte uns ein recht ernüchterndes Bild der momentanen Lage. In den letzen 50 Jahren hat sich der Mensch zu einem medialen Wesen entwickelt und nutzt im Durchschnitt die digitalen Medien zehn Stunden pro Tag, 1964 waren es nur drei. Das gesamte Medienzeitbudget der Bevölkerung bleibt relativ stabil, obwohl über die Jahre immer neue Medien hinzukommen. Zudem sind die Verkäufe von Zeitschriften und Büchern stark eingebrochen. Doch die nachfolgenden Redner gaben Einblick in ihre Verlage bzw. Strategien, um die Situation wieder verbessern zu können.

Direkt im Anschluss sprach Stephanie Walter, Geschäftsführerin Legal von Wolters Kluwer, darüber wie sie ihr Unternehmen mit neuen Entwicklungen für die Zukunft fit machen will. Bei Wolters Kluwer setzt man auf digitale Lösungen und verabschiedet sich von der »Loseblattsammlung«. Stattdessen arbeiten sie daran ihr Onlineportal immer weiter auszubauen um Online-Verträge und Online-Recherche von juristischen Werken anbieten zu können. Zudem probiert sich Wolters Kluwer in der Entwicklung von Apps und baute eine KI-Abteilung von 40 Leuten auf.

Nach der kurzen Stärkung zeigte uns Klaus Kallenbrunnen, Chief Digital Officer von Martin et Karczinski, dass man sich auf die Bindung seiner Kunden konzentrieren sollte. Angefangen mit der Zielgruppendefinition, weiter mit dem Zielgruppenverständnis um Zielgruppenemphatie zu entwickeln und zur Zielgruppentreue zu gelangen. Wenn man weiß wer seine Kunden sind, kann man sich in sie hineinversetzen und die eigene Perspektive ausschalten. Ein langer Weg, der sich aber lohnt.

Anschließend hörten wir Christian Hanke, Creative Director von edenspiekermann, der sich häufig für seine Polemik entschuldigte, da er der Verlagsbranche mit einem Augenzwinkern vorwarf, dass diese ihre Kunde nicht kenne und appellierte, alte Verlagsstrukturen aufzubrechen, um ein Teil der Zukunft zu sein und nicht durch Mitbewerber abgehängt zu werden.

In der folgenden Mittagspause wurden alle Teilnehmer von der im Erdgeschoss liegenden Brasserie OskarMaria verköstigt. Im Nachmittagsprogramm berichtete Dr. Klaus Krammer, Geschäftsführer vom Krammer Verlag, dass er seine Zielgruppe ganz genau kenne. Es seien Handwerker mit denen das Unternehmen auf andere Weise versuchen muss Umsatz zu generieren. Sehr erfolgreich ist der vom Krammer Verlag gegründete Fernsehsender SHK-TV. Die gedrehten Sendungen werden in einer App für Handwerker ausgestrahlt und geben Rat zu Montage, Produkten, etc. Alles frei von Werbung und finanziert über ein Abonnentenmodell.

Anschließend fand eine Interaktive Workshop Session statt. Es wurden drei verschiedene Workshops angeboten, wobei wir uns für den Workshop »Paid Content: Analyse Best Practices« von Dr. Marco Olavarria, Geschäftführender Gesellschafter von Berlin Consulting, entschieden. Nach einer kurzen Einführung in das Thema und einen Beispiel aus dem Publikum, erarbeiteten wir eine Paid-Content-Canvas. Ein sehr spannender Bereich, doch leider reichte die Zeit des Workshops nicht, um zu einem Ergebnis zu kommen.

Die letzten beiden Redner waren Dr. Benjamin Wessinger, Geschäftsführer Deutscher Apotheker Verlag, und Michael Höcker, Leiter Online Marketing Strategie des Landwirtschaftsverlag. Dr. Benjamin Wessinger wurde von vielen mit großen Erwartungen empfangen, da er seinen Vortrag »Rezepte gegen den Abo-Schwund: Wie der Deutsche Apotheker Verlag die Leser auf allen Kanälen anspricht« angekündigt hatte. Eine seiner Strategien ist es, weiterhin neue Zeitschriften zu gründen, um Leser differenzierter anzusprechen, da die Leserschaft der »Mutter-Zeitschrift« Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung sinkt.

Michael Höcker, Leiter Online Marketing Strategie des Landwirtschaftsverlag, erzählte von seinem Erfolg vom Posting von Traktorbildern in Social Media Netzwerken und hatte damit die Lacher auf seiner Seite. Besonders der Versand von Schweinepreisen per WhatsApp brachte einige Aufmerksamkeit von der Seite einiger Bauern. Einer sendete eine amouröse Nachricht an den Verlag zwecks Kennenlernens eines bestimmten Schweines. Doch Spaß beiseite, diese Beispiele zeigten, dass man mit Kreativität seine Kunden zu erreicht, relevanter Content eine zufriedenstellende Reichweite erzeugt und durch aktives Community Management eine enge Kundenbindung erzeugt wird.

Am Ende des Zukunftsforum Zeitschriften hatte noch einmal Erhardt F. Heinold das Wort und danke allen für die Teilnahme.

Logitech CRAFT Keyboard

Posted on by Slanted editors

Logitech have announced CRAFT, the first keyboard ever with a creative input dial, setting a new standard for computer keyboards. CRAFT looks and feels better than anything you have typed on and offers a whole new way to immediately access context-specific computing tools with a smart aluminum dial. For example, with a touch, tap or turn you can adjust image brightness, contrast and saturation in Adobe Photoshop, or create and adjust charts in Microsoft Excel. Or simply turn the dial to move up and down font sizes in document programs like Microsoft Word. The creative input dial gives you the ultimate control and input at your desk for precision, efficiency and uninterrupted creative flow.

“Our new flagship Logitech CRAFT keyboard is for all of us who spend time creating using photoshop or building powerpoint slides and want to work with greater precision and feel connected to their work,” said Art O’Gnimh, global head of keyboards at Logitech. ”The creative input dial gives you instant access to the functions you need, the moment you need them, allowing you to increase your productivity. CRAFT puts you in your creative element—every time you sit at the desk.”

The touch-sensitive aluminum creative input dial, called the Crown, recognizes the apps you are using and gives instant access to the tools you need. With a slight touch of the Crown you can instantly access context-specific functions—like brush size, brightness, chart type, font size—tap to change the function and turn to change the selected function’s value. Installing custom profiles in Logitech OptionsTM Software maximizes the creative process when working with Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Adobe InDesign CC and Microsoft PowerPoint®, Excel® and Word® (Microsoft functionalities work on PC only at this time). The Crown brings comfort, immediacy and convenience to your creative process and allows for increased two-handed interactions. You can also use the Crown to change desktops, navigate between apps, or adjust volume—and assign one additional Crown function in each of your favorite apps.

CRAFT also features smart illumination with backlighting that detects your hands and adjusts lighting automatically depending on the room conditions. The keys are crafted for comfort, in a full-size familiar layout, with each individual key engineered for stability and precision. CRAFT looks great alongside other premium desktop accessories by Logitech, such as the Logitech MX Sound, Logitech Spotlight Presentation Remote and Logitech MX Master 2S.

Additionally with the touch of an Easy-SwitchTM button, you can switch between—and type on—any three connected devices, whether you are using a Windows® PC or Mac®. Select from either a Logitech Unifying™ USB receiver or Bluetooth® Low Energy technology to connect to your computer.

Want to win a Logitech CRAFT keyboard? Take part in our lottery! Send an email entitled “Logitech CRAFT Keyboard” to [email protected] until December 13th, 2018. When taking part you agree to our privacy policy and that you’ll be receiving news from Slanted via our newsletter. There is no right of appeal. Good luck!

Slanted in Dubai: Martin Giesen

Posted on by Slanted editors

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up look at the contemporary design scene of Dubai. A city—when described by many people—that is all sickening shine and has no soul. But Dubai and the whole region, originally a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins, is now transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism—and moreover, something important happened in the last few years: Culture! Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private—to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are legible in this Slanted issue!

Born and schooled in Germany, Martin Giesen studied Art History at Heidelberg University. After interning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and completing a PhD, Giesen entered into a career of university teaching. He has taught in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and most recently in the UAE where he was founding dean of the School of Architecture & Design at the American University of Sharjah.

Take a look at the Slanted #32—Dubai to get an idea of Dubai’s creative environment. Additionally you can find several video interviews on our video platform to get a deeper insight in the designer’s thoughts.

MEGABOOM 3

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

Ultimate Ears released the new generation of portable wireless Bluetooth® speaker: super-powerful and immersive 360° sound, thundering bass, water, dust & drop proof, and stunning high-performance fabric. It’s the ultimate speaker, redefined: MEGABOOM 3!

Because we like music in every life situation, we are raffling one MEGABOOM 3 speaker in the color“Lagoon Blue”. To take part in the lottery, just send an email to [email protected], subject “MEGABOOM 3” until December 7th, 2018, 11 a.m. (UTC+1) and add your postal address for shipping. There is no right of appeal. When taking part, you agree to our privacy policy. Good luck!

MEGABOOM 3 features powerful, immersive sound. But it’s also carefully balanced and perfectly clear. Featuring Ultimate Ears unique sound processing, it produces audio faithful to the music you love, and at every volume level. In MEGABOOM 3, Ultimate Ears perfected the iconic cylindrical design they pioneered to deliver immersive, stereophonic audio that radiates evenly in all directions. MEGABOOM 3’s extra size and larger woofer create intense bass you can both hear and feel – 50% deeper than BOOM. But unlike most other portable speakers, it’s true to your music. No exaggeration or distortion.

MEGABOOM 3 is built tough and ready for adventure. Ultimate Ears put it through more than 25 rigorous durability tests including 1000s of button pushes, tumbles, drop tests and more. You can drop it, kick it, headbang with it, even spill your drink on it, and your MEGABOOM 3 speaker will take it all like a champ. Rock on.

With MEGABOOM 3 you can play, pause and skip tracks directly on the speaker. Just push for convenient control of any streaming music. Or program and navigate custom one-touch playlists for Apple Music® and Deezer® Premium. Match the moment with the vibes without reaching for your phone.

Get your own MEGABOOM 3 now!

Typeface of the Month: Cast

Posted on by Slanted editors

Since Cast, which was originally released in 2011, got Italic companions in summer 2018, it is now our typeface of the Month in December. Long matured and now brought to a close by Dominique Kerber, Cast is a real all-rounder for the professional demands on a modern typeface.

Cast is a subtle sans serif type family of twelve weights with great properties for professional typography. Open forms, strive for perfect curves and a modern and slightly technical touch are attributes of Cast. The weights from Light to Black (Upright and Italic) are well graded and the 478 glyphs per style cover an extended range of Latin languages (Latin Extended-A). Numbers of OpenType features allow different figure sets, fractions and much more. The manual kerning for every single weight represents the care and the quality of this font. An outstanding attribute of Cast is the performance in every size.

Cast had its beginning in 2007 during Dominique Kerber’s Typedesign study (CAS Typedesign) at the ZHdK in Zurich (Switzerland). After graduation, Dominique Kerber continued working on this project to release the fully developed font in March 2011. In June 2018 the type family was extended by the (true) italic. The professional exchange with his former fellow student Alex Meier in a shared studio offered Dominique Kerber enrichment in this lengthy process.

The concept of Cast is to combine the optical and formal requirements to a type in small text with the ones for display or signage use. Are ink traps necessary for example? Do they look nice in big sizes? How does optimal legibility behave in varying dimensions? What technical opportunities are there? Cast gives its own (possible) answers to these and hopefully some other questions in typography.

Cast

Foundry: Dominique Kerber (@domikerber)
Designer: Dominique Kerber
Release: March 2011 (upright) and June 2018 (italic)
Format: otf (desktop); eot, ttf, woff, woff2 (web) 
Weights: Light, Regular, Medium, Bold, Heavy, and Black
Price: CHF 279,– (family), CHF 99,– (basic set)
Type specimen here available.
Buy

Cultural Bulletin

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

Issue A—Winter 2018/19 is Cultural Bulletin’s first issue of a biannual magazine that looks at independent cinema, experimental music, conceptual design and contemporary art. Issue A reflects on the past year in music and cinema and talks to protagonists within these and other creative fields.

Issue A features:
OK-RM (design), Ian Bonhote (director of documentary McQueen), Tom Townend (cinematographer for You Were Never Really Here), Barry Adamson (musician, film composer), Hanyo Van Oosterom (musician—The Chi Factory), Ruth Bate (artist), Fanny Agren (photography), Rory Cook (poet)

In Review—Music:
Vanligt Folk, Accolytes, Steven Julien, Suba, Enhet För Fri Musik, Tropa Macaca, H.Takahashi, Modern Blonde, Jenny Hval, The Field, 7FO, Never, Scott Gordon, Waveform Transmission

In Review—Film:
McQueen, Sicilian Ghost Story, Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993), Beast, Les Gardiennes, Apostasy, Call Me By Your Name, Jeune Femme, Western, General Magic, The Wound, You Were Never Really Here, Cold War, Funny Cow, Lucky

Cultural Bulletin—Issue A

Editors: Tom Silver & Adam Greenhalgh 
Publisher: Cultural Bulletin Ltd
Release: Winter 2018/19
Volume: 152 Pages
Dimensions: 17 × 24 cm
Language: English
Specials: Softcover
ISSN: 2631–391X
Price: £ 9,–
Buy

Typodarium 2019

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

For some, the Typodarium is “finally, a tear-off calendar that sparks joy,” others use the clever calendar as a lively font book. And those who have loved the calendar for a while appreciate it as typography trend radar. Raban Ruddigkeit and Lars Harmsen deliberately scout the “up-and-coming type stars,” lesser-known talents worldwide. Every year they do it with a different focus.

Multi-colored fonts are eye-catchers and awards, turning your Sundays in 2019 into colorful typography days. The days pass, but your favorite fonts endure. We therefore give the Typodarium a sturdy hinged-lid box to serve as your font file. That’s why you’ll find font designers, font samples and sources on the differently colored back pages of the daily sheets. Because that’s the nicest thing that can happen to the Typodarium: to be able to contribute fresh fonts to your design work!

Typodarium 2019 – The Power of Type

Editors: Lars Harmsen, Raban Ruddigkeit
Publisher: Verlag Hermann Schmidt
Editor: Florian Hauer
Format: 8.5 × 12 cm
Volume: 384 pages in 12 colors, printed on both sides
Language: English
Specials: Packaged in a sturdy collecting box for archiving the type samples
EAN: 42 6017281 071 5
Price: 19.80 Euro
Buy

MISSION GOLD / Issue 002

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood sits at the epicenter of a 21st century tech gold rush. But in the shadows of Silicon Valley, a different class of entrepreneurs, artists, and free-thinkers struggles to survive and thrive on the streets. MISSION GOLD is an editorial collaboration and excavation into this world of alternative art and value.

Mission Gold’s second issue, MAGIC, moves beyond Issue 001’s marketplace of cans, bottles and second-hand sex toys to showcase an incredible inventory of the imagination. Time-traveling radios, Mayan talismans, tiger mobiles, cosmic comedy, and 24-karat shopping carts comprise Issue 002’s moonshine of fact, fiction, and the fantastic. Ever suspect the Bay Area was once populated by a race of 9-foot tall insectoid beings? Want to glimpse a supernatural volume of occult artwork that would make H.R. Geiger roll in his grave? Could the mathematics of tropical storms predict Wall Street volatility? The makers featured in MAGIC explore earthbound and extraterrestrial phenomena, collaborating with Mission Gold to reproduce their art, writing, and mixed media for a broader context and audience.

About MISSION GOLD
Founded in 2016, Mission Gold is non-profit publication about looking, elucidating the lives and art of the overlooked and disenfranchised street residents of San Francisco. The first three issues of the series—MONEY, MAGIC and MISFITS—present a holistic view of the street, its undiscovered gems and untold stories, in an era of rampant gentrification and income inequality that leaves many behind.

Critical to Mission Gold’s mission is its distribution model: the issues are distributed along with the Coalition on Homelessness’ Street Sheet, an entrepreneurial initiative empowering homeless men and women to earn money by selling the weekly periodical. Mission Gold’s vendors become de facto stockists, and retain 100% of the profits. All profits from commercial sales of Mission Gold are donated to The Coalition on Homelessness, helping to organize and create permanent solutions to homelessness, while working to protect the human rights of those forced to remain on the streets. It is our hope that in the process, otherwise overlooked artists can share their work with the city’s vibrant community and contribute to a greater cultural conversation.

About Nick Marzano
Nick Marzano is the photographer, writer, and founder of Mission Gold. Originally from Australia, Nick moved to the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco in 2013, and has archived his neighborhood’s happenings and collaborated with its characters ever since. As a Creative Director, Nick aims to challenge Silicon Valley’s assumptions about entrepreneurship, and posit ways to involve the city’s community across all income brackets in the boom to achieve a more symbiotic urban landscape.

MISSION GOLD
Issue 002—MAGIC: Mayan Talismans, Tropical Storms, and Alien Archaeology

Editor: Nick Marzano
Art Director: Pedro Sanguine
Publisher: Mission Gold
Volume: 62 pages
Dimensions: 29 × 20 cm
Language: English
Specials: Softcover
ISBN: 978-0-578-42404-0
Price: $ 12,–
Buy

Book Art of the Early 20th Century in Germany

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

At the end of the 19th century a reform of the book trade began in Germany as part of a movement for the renewal of the arts and crafts. The movement, which wanted to give the book a uniform, contemporary design based on script and typography, was supported by writers, scientists, and publishers as well as non-commercial private presses, which—in keeping with the current Gutenberg year—are the focus of the exhibition.

When?
9.5.2018 until 10.2.2019
Daily 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Where?
Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
Plöck 107-109
69117 Heidelberg
Germany

Theory of Type Design

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

Theory of Type Design by internationally renowned type designer Gerard Unger is the first comprehensive theory of typeface design. This volume consists of 24 concise chapters, each clearly describing a different aspect of type design, from the influence of language to today’s digital developments, from how our eyes and brain process letterforms to their power of expression.

This splendid book includes more than 200 illustrations and practical examples that illuminate the theoretical material. The terminology is succinctly explained in the volume’s extensive glossary. The theory is internationally orientated and relevant for typography courses, professionals and those with a general interest in text and reading all over the world.

Theory of Type Design

Editor: Gerard Unger
Publisher: nai010 publishers
Design: Hansje van Halem
Language: English
Specials: Hardcover, Illustrated (250 full color)
Dimensions: 16,5 × 24 cm
Volume: 240 pages
ISBN 978-94-6208-440-7
Price: € 34,95
Buy

Slanted in Dubai: Wissam Shawkat

Posted on by Slanted editors

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up lookt at the contemporary design scene of Dubai and met Wissam Shawkat, an awardwinning artist and designer, with focus on Arabic calligraphy and type design. He has been practicing Arabic calligraphy since 30 years. He worked with a diverse set of clients and institutions as designer, educator, and artist and his creative pursuits have allowed his work to be featured internationally. His calligraphy and typography designs have appeared in many publications.

We are also very lucky, that Wissam Shawkat, exclusively for Slanted, calligraphed “Love Dubai” for us. It adorns the Tote Bag as part of our Limited Special Edition Dubai, which can be purchased in the Slanted Shop. By the way: if you subscribe until November 30th 2018, you will receive the special edition for free!

You can find his exciting works in Slanted #32—Dubai. In addition we offer a video interview with Wissam Shawkat. Take a look in our new issue and at our video platform to get a deeper insight in the designer’s thoughts.

Adris Annual Report 2017

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

Only those companies that continuously adapt to circumstances are able to grow, develop and resist challenges. This is a message that Adris, one of the most successful companies in the European Adriatic region, wanted to convey on the occasion of publishing their latest Annual Report. Check out the video presentation.

This publication contains Adris last year’s business performance and is literally challenge-proof: it can withstand tearing, creasing, water and fire. No matter how tested, the book remained undamaged, illustrating the firmness and the strength of Adris results, and the company’s ability to cope with any situation.

The book was designed and made jointly by Adris and the Bruketa&Zinic&Grey Agency whose Creative Director Zrinka Horvat Goodman explained: “The book was subject to flambéing in the kitchen of the Lone Hotel, dipped into the sea and taken for a spin across the fish farm by Cromaris fishermen, frozen in liquid nitrogen at -195.79°C with the help of the Adris Foundation fellow, Assistant Professor Dinko Mitretic, Ph.D., tested to creasing and tearing by children at the Amarin Hotel, and even run over by a 2-ton off-road vehicle at a Croatia Insurance Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. The book remained undamaged.”

Project team: Advertiser/Brand: Adris grupa
Ad Title: Tested For Challenges
Ad Type: Direct, Corporate Publication, Annual Report
Corporate Communications Director: Predrag Grubic
Corporate Communications Specialist: Kristina Miljavac
Controlling Director: Hrvoje Patajac
Agency: Bruketa&Zinic&Grey, Zagreb, Croatia
Agency website: 
Creative Directors: Zrinka Horvat Goodman and Davor Bruketa
Client Service Director: Masa Ivanov
Account Manager: Zrinka Pozar
Art Director: Andrea Knapic
Production Manager: Vesna Durasin
Head of DTP/Prepress: Radovan Radicevic
Account Executive: Ante Kantor
Print: Cerovski Print Boutique
DOP: Domagoj Kunic
Videopresentation: Dragan Lakicevic

komma #22

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

The 22nd issue of komma magazine deals with the topic »system«. Systems can be found in our society, our individual realities or many other different
zones you could possibly think of. Komma 22 separates itself in a special way from its previous issues. It is a division of individual printed products. A newspaper, in which the student works can be found. There can also be found a leporello honoring the yearly exhibition of the faculty of applied sciences, which is held in the Mannheimer Kunstverein. On the whole, the magazine assembles student works, bachelor and master degree studies, artworks and texts, as well submissions by external artists, designers and design studios.

We are giving away 5 times one copy of the magazine. To take part in the lottery, just send an email to [email protected], subject “komma 22” until November 26th, 2018, 11 a.m. (UTC+1) and add your postal address for shipping. There is no right of appeal. When taking part, you agree to our privacy policy. Good luck!

komma #22

Publisher: University Mannheim, Department Design, komma Redaktion
Design: Bianca Werdan, Sarah Zink, Natalie Letschert, Kerstin Sebesta, Lisa Hexamer, Cora Pereghy, and Maximilian Borchardt
Release: June 2018
Dimensions: Visual part: 31,5 × 47 cm, Essays: 28 × 15,2 cm, Leporello: 14 × 19 cm, Poster: DIN A2
Price: free

Requests to this email

Poster Tribune #9 & #10

Posted on by Clara Weinreich

Poster Tribune is evolving. In 2018 Dennis Moya (Ligature.ch + Swissposters) joined Xavier Erni and Thuy-An Hoang (Neo Neo and Print Program) to lead the project initially created in 2011. As two new Poster Tribune issues get released, a new formula adopting a refined layout was adopted by the group, in order to offer an experimental field to graphic designers. Each issue’s cover is created by a guest designer for the occasion.

Those two new issues are dedicated to the contemporary graphic design scene of Prague (issue #10) and to the poster festival Weltformat 2018 (issue #9), respectively. Poster Tribune is pleased to have these covers designed by Parallel Practice (Jan Brož + Michal Landa), and by Ludovic Balland Typography Cabinet.

Poster Tribune is a self-published newspaper devoted to posters. It promotes international contemporary graphic design and reports on the posters’ history. It contains twelve pages of illustrated articles and three large size posters (66 × 96 cm). Posters can be equally considered as artistic creations, communication tools and witnesses to social, commercial and artistic trends from specific periods. Poster Tribune features such posters and offers a second life to those short-lived design objects.

Poster Tribune #9

Theme: Weltformat 2018
Cover designer: Ludovic Balland Typography Cabinet
Concept and design: Xavier Erni, Thuy-An Hoang (Neo Neo), and Dennis Moya
Language: English
3 posters included (66 × 95 cm)
Eurostandard, Futur Neue, Afrika × Johnson/Kingston
Buy

Poster Tribune #10

Theme: Works from Prague
Cover designer: Parallel Practice (Jan Brož, Michal Landa)
Concept and Design: Xavier Erni, Thuy-An Hoang (Neo Neo), and Dennis Moya
Language: English
3 posters included (66 × 95 cm)
Parallel Practice, Jan Horčik, Jiri Mocek
Buy

The Fikra Graphic Design Biennial

Posted on by Slanted editors

During his stay in the Emirates, Lars Harmsen met Salem Faissal Al-Qassimi, Founder & Principal of Fikra. His studio now organized the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial: Ministry of Graphic Design”. Invited to lecture and give a workshop, Lars send us a few impressions of the event happing right now in Sharjah.

This wide-ranging exhibition and curatorial initiative explores graphic design’s influence in shaping the present and imagining potential futures.

Set to open on November 9, 2018 and run until the end of the month in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial 01 creates a departure point for dialogue, research, and thinking within the discipline. Anchored in Sharjah, but extending to the wider region and beyond, the Biennial will offer a global platform to shed light on the role of graphic design in the 21st century.

Fikra Graphic Design Biennial 01: Ministry of Graphic Design draws inspiration from the unique governmental structures within the United Arab Emirates, such as the Minister of State for Happiness and the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. The fictional yet familiar format of a “Ministry of State” serves here to facilitate experimental thinking about the expanded field of graphic design and its impact on public opinion, entrepreneurship, culture, technology, and society-at-large.

Ministry of Graphic Design is organized into several Departments, each representing a distinctive curatorial focus and format. These Departments include the Department of Graphic Optimism, Department of Dematerializing Language, Department of Non-Binaries, Department of Flying Saucers, and Department of Mapping Margins. Presenting objects, ideas, performances, installations, and more, the exhibition’s curatorial departments embrace a polyphonic and geographically-diverse approach to historical and contemporary practice.

The overall Biennial and its Departments serve to catalog and exhibit existing design works alongside contributions from adjacent fields; to workshop real-world problems and theoretical questions; and to propose speculative designs that project future scenarios and strategies for the discipline.

“We are excited to launch this first-of-its-kind, international graphic design biennial in the region. We envisaged creating a graphic design biennial for both professionals and the general public alike,” said Salem Al-Qassimi, Founder and Principal of Fikra, and Director of the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial. “The event aims to communicate the importance of graphic design as a practice and help designers understand it better. More importantly, I think that it is crucial to have a representation of this region in the discourse related to graphic design practice across the globe. It is equally important for us to carry forward our ideas, culture, and narrative.”

Prem Krishnamurthy, issuing a joint statement on behalf of the Artistic Directors, commented that “Fikra Graphic Design Biennial 01: Ministry of Graphic Design proposes graphic design as integral to contemporary civic life, forming nearly every medium, message, and communication we encounter today. While graphic design is sometimes overlooked as the mere commercial production of visual surfaces for existing ideas, in reality, it is a timely medium for catalyzing new approaches. Intended seriously yet inflected by a tongue-in-cheek approach, the theme presents graphic design in familiar and unconventional formats. During this moment of global turbulence, the exhibition challenges the public perception of the field and experiments beyond accepted disciplinary boundaries. Our goal is to start a dialogue around what graphic design could accomplish tomorrow.”

The Biennial team consists of Salem Al-Qassimi, Founder, and Principal of Fikra and Director of Fikra Graphic Design Biennial; Maryam Al Qassimi, Principal of Fikra and Co-Director of the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial; Eleonora Cervellera, Head of Programming and Partnerships; as well as Artistic Directors for the inaugural edition of the biennial: Prem Krishnamurthy, Na Kim, and Emily Smith, supported by a curatorial team including Hala Al-Ani & Riem Hassan, Nina Paim & Corinne Gisel, Uzma Rizvi, and Alia Al-Sabi. Additionally, the team includes an advisory board of cultural experts, Dr. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, Pascal Zoghbi, Kiyonori Muroga, Catherine Ince, and Uzma Rizvi.

Fikra is a design-led educational platform that comprises Fikra Campus—a co-working space, a café, a gallery, and a library—Fikra Design Studio, and Fikra Graphic Design Biennial.

Dynamic Font Day 2018

Posted on by Slanted editors

When Variable Fonts came up fall 2016, the Dynamic Font Day was the first conference to profoundly discuss this joint project of Adobe, Apple, Google and Microsoft. Two years later, it’s time to verify the promises of the inventors and promoters. How far support for the new format has grown? Where are the first smart implementations out there? How far still to go to a real responsive typography? — Or will this whole story end in a huge flop?
Typography in digital media has grown by leaps and bounds during the last years. The wheel is rapidly turning for designers and developpers. The Dynamic Font Day 2018 will bring the latest updates, illuminates chances and risks and helps you, to find your own position in this ultrafast digital world.

The conference language will be English. We will have a lineup of internationally renowned speakers in the field of digital typography. You will find a continuously updated speaker list here.

The Dynamic Font Day 2018 will be hosted by Munich School of Design & Fashion in the very city center of Munich. The school is a creative hub for the media and fashion industry not only in Munich and the perfect soil for an international conference like ours.

 

New videos online from Dubai

Posted on by Julia Kahl

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up look at the contemporary design scene of Dubai. A city—when described by many people—that is all sickening shine and has no soul. But Dubai and the whole region, originally a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins, is now transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism—and moreover, something important happened in the last few years: Culture! Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private—to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are legible in Slanted Magazine #32—Dubai and the video interviews with the creatives presented in that issue!

Watch the video interviews from Dubai!

Limitied Dubai Special Edition

Posted on by Slanted editors

On occasion of the release of Slanted Magazins #32—Dubai, a limited special edition has been published which is exclusively available in the Slanted Shop. The edition contains an illustrated booklet that has been printed on a risograph as well as a photo book showcasing some of the best photographers and photo artists from Dubai. It’s all packed in a high-quality, calligraphic tote bag.

Publisher: Slanted Publishers

Release: October 2018

Edition of 250

Price: € 29,–

Riso Booklet: It Was All a Dream—Dubai Diaries

Born and raised in Madrid, adopted by Barcelona and Dubai in the past years, Ruben Sánchez is an artist with a strong, colorful graphic style that resonates through all of his projects. Coming from the cultural worlds of graffiti and skateboarding, Sánchez mixes techniques and influences from each field, working on all kind of materials from canvases, murals, reclaimed wood, sculptures or installations. His artworks can be found all around the globe, as a part of art festivals, humanitarian projects or international exhibitions but also as “uncommissioned” works in all kind of places. Sánchez gave Slanted’s creative director Lars Harmsen a “carte blanche“ to create a compilation of his works produced during his time in Dubai. The booklet was printed by the well-known riso-workshop Drucken3000 in Berlin.

Illustrations: Ruben Sánchez
Design: Lars Harmsen
Volume: 24 pages
Format: 14,8 × 21 cm
Paper: Metapaper Rough white, 100 g/sm
Binding: staple binding
Printing: Drucken3000
Colors: Yellow, Fluorescent Pink, Fluorescent Orange, Blue, Medium Blue, Purple, Fluorescent Green, Crimson Red

Photo Book: Under Construction

The special photography publication UNDER CONSTRUCTION showcases work from the photographers Ola Allouz, Faysal Tabbarah / architecture + other things, Ammar al Attar, Lama Hussain Gargash, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Irenaeus Herok, Johannes Heuckeroth, Celia Peterson, Juan Roldán, Christian Topp, and Ashok Verma. The intention of this publication is to allow a closer view on society in the UAE, giving enough space for own interpretation. The book has printed by Océ Printing Systems on a Canon imagePRESS C10000VP.

Photographers: Ola Allouz, Faysal Tabbarah / Architecture + Other Things, Ammar Al Attar, Lamya Hussain Gargash, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Lars Harmsen, Irenaeus Herok, Johannes Heuckeroth, Celia Peterson, Juan Roldán, Christian Topp, Ashok Verma
Design: Lars Harmsen
Volume: 144 pages
Format: 16 × 24 cm
Printing: Canon imagePress C10000VP by Océ Printing Systems
Binding: adhesive binding

Tote Bag: Love Dubai

Wissam Shawkat is a rule-breaker and known for his new calligraphic style which references a number of traditional scripts including Sunbuli, Jali Diwani, Eastern Kufic, and Thuluth, bringing them together with modern design. For the tote bag of this special edition he drew a calligraphy exclusively for Slanted. The artwork can be translated to “Love Dubai.”

Calligraphy: Wissam Shawkat
Production: World of Textiles
Material: 100% heavy cotton (220 g/sm)
Color Bag: black
Format: 37,5 × 43 × 7 cm, handles 60 × 3 cm
Print: silkscreen

Slanted in Dubai: Möbius Studio

Posted on by Slanted editors

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up look at the contemporary design scene of Dubai. A city—when described by many people—that is all sickening shine and has no soul. But Dubai and the whole region, originally a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins, is now transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism—and moreover, something important happened in the last few years: Culture! Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private—to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are legible in this Slanted issue!

Möbius Studio was founded by Hala Al-Ani, Hadeyeh Badri, and Riem Hassan. The three met during their undergraduate studies at the American University of Sharjah and decided to start the studio post their existential blues. The studio is a means to explore studio-initiated projects and commissioned work while maintaining some sort of sanity. They work unsociable hours and consume as much coffee as they consume antiaging eye cream.

Take a look at the Slanted #32—Dubai to get an idea of Dubai’s creative environment. Additionally you can find several video interviews on our video platform to get a deeper insight in the designer’s thoughts.

Slanted in Dubai: Toil & Tinker

Posted on by Slanted editors

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up look at the contemporary design scene of Dubai. A city—when described by many people—that is all sickening shine and has no soul. But Dubai and the whole region, originally a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins, is now transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism—and moreover, something important happened in the last few years: Culture! Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private—to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are legible in this Slanted issue!

Toil & Tinker is a print studio and design shop for creative needs. The foundations of the studio are printing services: from the latest digital print presses, to screen printing, risograph, and soon, to come, letterpress printing. The design team also offers advice and branding guidance to individuals, homegrown startups, and larger businesses, helping to make your creative vision leap from screen to paper.

Take a look at the Slanted #32 – Dubai to get an idea of Dubai’s creative environment. Additionally you can find several video interviews on our video platform to get a deeper insight in the designer’s thoughts.