David DeSandro it seems would be one clever man.

Now anyone who has been through some design education would have played with pen on paper to make a typeface (probably even without the teaching too), but Dave has gone that extra leap.

If you have ever done any HTML or CSS coding you will know it’s limits are the limits of your knowledge, and Dave has managed to script this typeface purely from code. It uses black/coloured blocks and circles mixed with white/background coloured blocks creating a geometric font. It hasn’t been created for practical use, more just to see the possibility. Over on the face’s page you can see an ‘Inspect’ display where you can see each block overlap and form.

Going another leap, he has created four point sizes: 28px, 56px, 140px and 280px.

Another personal interactive film. Though I must say; this one’s more than worth the time.

I’m not completely sure on why this has arrived. But it is either for Arcade Fire’s new album released last month, or Google showing off what they can do without flash, or possibly Chris Milk sharing his skills – whichever reason, I’m not interested. All I’m interested in is that it works. I like the song, I want the album; I like HTML5, I’m sold away from flash; I like the design, I’m now interested in looking for more of Milk’s work.

I think at this time you should open the site yourself, check out the video and return for the rest.

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So hopefully you haven’t cheated, and you have watched the Wilderness Downtown.

One thing that really impressed me was that it didn’t ask you for where you live now. It asks us for where we were brought up, now it wouldn’t really matter what place we put in – but the song is supposed to remind us of our past and HTML5 is supposed to be showing us we don’t need to rely on flash any longer. I felt having somewhere we may not have visited for many years an original step, I could easily imagine someone saying lets ask them where they live and we can insert clips around their current life.

Some effort must have gone into this piece and it has become one of my favourite interactive works instantly.

Another to add to the series I’m watching, Mad Men, networked by amc. It is based around a 1960′s ad agency called Sterling Cooper in Madison Avenue, New York. Although the company is fake, they include real accounts and competition from the time.

Don Draper (Creative Director): “Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay.”

Jon Hamm plays Don Draper, a strong minded creative who has a reputation with the ladies. He, as with all the cast, plays his role perfectly – everyone has a purpose and really makes you (well at least I) feel that we’re back in 1962 pitching to Lucky Strike or American Airlines.

There are four seasons so far, and it’s still running. I’m currently as far as season two and loving each episode.

To add to this, last night they won their third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

Mad Men is currently playing on BBC Four, and so you’ll be able to catch it on the BBC iPlayer.

There’s many mini flash games across the web, and I think the advertising versions – you know the ones, where you shoot 5 ducks to win a house – are slowly disappearing. Replacing this is Facebook games, apparently 90 million people were playing FarmVille last March (I’ll post about that later).

Simple flash games are good though, when you want to take a break from work. Or in the case of this game, when your account team get on your back.

Go throw some pencils. Since you wouldn’t get away with it in reality – you can in ‘virtuality’.

It’s a really nice way to show a name change in a positive way.

There’s a strong relation to a company changing their name and them going bankrupt or trying to turn over a new leaf. However, a nice short clip, can change someone’s mind on the subject – well at least it did with me.

I’m not sure on why they are changing their name, but their ad made me smile.

I also like how short the ad is, all too often do we get adverts bridging towards 2 minutes – clearly it doesn’t take that long, so why do it when it can be shorter? A book I’m meaning to review, ‘Can I Change Your Mind?’ by Lindsay Camp, told me not to over do it when persuading someone. Not only do you come off as desperate, people aren’t interested, just get to the point.

Using the underground symbol as the Olympic rings.

Most of my time at home is spent in one of two places. Either in the conservatory (where my books and computer reside), or in my bedroom where my TV shares it’s list of films (along with Xbox games too).

One of my main dislikes about the conservatory is also my greatest loves for it. I despise the natural light when the strength of its shine changes — the clouds create a shade and make everything darker, only to move on and leave me blinded as the brightness returns. This makes it especially hard to read as my eyes must keep adjusting. But there is one huge benefit to this room of windows.

Since I live on a hill, there isn’t much blocking my view north towards Manchester and also the Yorkshire Dales a ‘little’ further. Nothing beats getting inspiration than from a little daydreaming, and the best daydreams come from looking at nature.  I guess a reason for why I love clouds. Turns out not a lot shares the contrast of Marmite, I love and hate a lot of things and I’m sure you do too — clouds aren’t the start or the end, their just another in the pile, but today I do love them.

Originally in a limited print run of 1000. Laurence King have republished without the bookmark ribbons. I was unable to get one of the limited edition versions, but I have managed to get one from the second run.

Simply put, this is a hand sized book containing 400 logo designs. I gave this basic description since the book is very simple – each page includes a black and white (sometimes grey) inspiring logotype, along with company name, year of design and finally a description of the company. Doesn’t really get any more focused on logos than this. Ordered alphabetically by company, it is easy to find and return to a specific symbol.

One of the greatest things I find about this book is that I can open it randomly to see a little inspiration.

It does have one downside however, maybe not to everyone. But personally, I can’t understand why there are two black pages with white logos. It just leaves two grey lines running along the fore edge – for such a clean book, it makes it a little unbalanced.

Not too sure what I was going to say about this book, until Michael Ngo-Tu was scouring through my books and we found something quite different on it’s fore edge:

A ghosted view of the title. And then when you push the pages back:

Ok, so it has the title on the page’s edge – We’ve seen it before with Sagmeister so why blog it? Because when fold it the other way:

It goes on the inverse!

The book is filled with many quirky design from many designers, including Daniel Eatock and Spin. I felt this was a real page bender.

I’m not sure if you’d really class this little beauty as a book. It states it’s a guide, but maybe I’d say a booklet.

Either way, The truth about design agencies is one of the best things I had on my bookcase. Written towards the client, I assume it was designed by KinoDesign to send to companies about how they are unique.

I know I’m no client for them, but if it’s any sign of what it is like in their studio, I hope one day I’ll be working there – or at least somewhere similar.

Never forget: ‘Design agencies are like nursery playgroups…’

I’m not sure how you could get hold of a copy, I found mine over on Ebay.