When studying graphic design, you’ll eventually cross paths with the Swiss. Considered the archetype of modern graphic design, Swiss Style is to designers like Dark Side of the Moon is to Hippies. Something completely necessary once exposed to it’s awesomeness. Using strict typographical standards, Swiss Style focused on creating at the micro level, enabling greater functionality and readability. Published in 1965, Graphic Design Manual by Armin Hofmann is considered required reading for any designer serious about their craft.

So why am I telling you this? Because the above book was a dollar away from the dustbin and I couldn’t standby and let that happen. So like Bill sitting on the steps of Capitol Hill, this book needed to see better days. With the help of longtime ASWS friend David Kim, The Graphic Design Manual went on a trip home. Packing the book on their Honeymoon to Europe, Dave (and wife Dede) stopped in Switzerland where he had previously attended the Basel School of Design, where Armin Hofmann was his instructor. Still in contact with the Hofmanns, Dave pulled off the farthest book return evar.

The first owner's signature

Sample page of hand illustrated work

There's a Mac Genius joke in here somewhere

The Wizard Armin Hofmann makes our book proud once again

Aloha from Switzerland. Thanks Dave!

The twins 30 years later

The twins from ‘The Shining’ thirty years later. Part of a show running in Europe, check out more of the Kubrick inspired artwork here.

Living in a proprietary limbo, Rhonda is finally making it’s debut. Built with a few new tools such as Openframeworks, Rhonda is Illustrator on Meth. Not for the weak wrists out there.

We’re currently developing an extension of our 2059 installation, entitled HI 2059. Here’s our current mission statement:

HI 2059 will explore six critical issues facing Hawaii from a creative perspective with the intent of generating constructive dialogue and insight into how individual stakeholders can influence the future of our society.

We encourage anyone interested in joining the dialogue to register their email address on the HI 2059 site. We’ll notify you once the exploration begins.

Airspace Workshop & Honozooloo are teaming up to create an installation for the Honolulu Academy of Arts June 2009 Art After Dark. The event takes place Friday, June 26 from 6-9 p.m. at the Academy. Stay tuned to the 2059 microsite for more information as the event draws closer.

This 3-D art piece was near the Sahara tent at Coachella. The individual lights looked like ping-pong balls, but they were individually controlled and each could fluidly change color independently. The entire thing was computer driven, and would produce unique displays across the array. To sum it up, the thing was bad ass. Even more bad ass for the twenty-something glow-stick crowd.

Forever is a videowall installation created by Universal Everything currently at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Forever also has an accompanying online component that generates an endless series of video podcasts. On display until February 1st, 2009 at which point the installation will tour additional venues worldwide.

Dr. Vantiki on Boing-Boing! A nice piece of behind the scenes timelapse of Henrik building a pair of his insane tiki mugs. Check out his store for more goods and…go Kailua.

A big mahalo to the Hamburger Eyes familia for letting me rock their awesome Ilford 2240 processor. Seriously though, that thing rules. 60 seconds, dry-in dry-out. The results are now available for purchase online. Start your art collection today.

If you’ve never experienced the espionage juggernaut Metal Gear Solid, the above clip may not make much sense. What started off as a Rambo rip-off for the NES in the 1980′s has become a full fledged franchise for Sony’s Playstation system. You are Solid Snake, a reluctant semi-retired spy for the military who happens to be a bad-ass at dispatching, mostly Russian, enemies. The game is about stealth and avoiding detection from bad guys, but what makes the game so enjoyable is the level of accuracy created by the game’s designers. Weaponry and level settings are constructed with such detail, you can often find yourself just wandering about pushing and opening things to discover easter eggs left scattered throughout the game. One fan with a Rube Goldbergian spirit has taken things a step further, using Snake’s digital camera he has orchestrated a very elaborate set of in-game photographs. Watch the full clip as this virtual photographer choreographs some out-there moments.

This video tells me a few things, mainly as proof that resourceful minds can create anywhere but it also raises the question of what tools will future artists be using to create? It’s hard enough being a photographer in the real world. Via Kotaku