When you’re a kid, sticks are swords, rocks are grenades, and the neighbor’s yard is a land far, far away. Or the old west. Or Gotham City. Pretty much whatever you need it to be that day. You could imagine into existence anything you wanted. You’d pull out those rain boots, don the Halloween mask from last year and admire yourself in front of the mirror. And what you looked like to everyone else didn’t even cross your mind, because for a few hours that afternoon—you were Batman.

We just recently finished the 2009 Product Catalog for Lily Stratton of the incredibly popular Lily Pottery. The amazing photography was done by Aaron Greene of Greene Photographs; they were great to work with and, in my opinion, really captured the essence of Lily Pottery. This catalog turned out to be a very beautiful showcase for Lily Pottery’s Jewelry, for both her regular customers and wholesalers.

Lily Pottery specializes in hand-made necklaces and earrings that combine an urban feel with high-end elegance; there are many that try and copy, but none can match the quality and originality that Lily Pottery produces. Lily Pottery’s studio is on Pendleton Street near downtown Greenville, and while you can buy all of her pieces at the studio, they also have an online store here; In addition to the jewelry, Lily Pottery has many other pottery offerings plus a few scarves and other hand-made items from around the world. As the holiday season draws near, be sure to stop by and pick up some gifts for your friends and family!

Best Buy recently updated their logo in hopes of transitioning to a new mark. One element they are focusing on with this update is transitioning the tag to a more separate icon, instead of the main focus. Before they make such a move, however, they are looking to get feedback from a live environment: Minnesota’s Mall of America Best Buy Location. New sign out front, new signage inside, and new employee uniforms are all part of this intermediate step. Barry Judge, the CMO of Best Buy, insists on his blog that this mark is not a new identity system for Best Buy, only a transitional move.

I have never been a fan of the current logo, so an updated identity is welcome. What bothers me about this new look though, is how bland this would make their brand seem. While the old logo may not have been typographically or aesthetically awesome, it was immediately recognizable; the new look misses that entirely. This is a rebrand with a lot of potential, but if Best Buy moves forward with a mark similar to what is shown at the Mall of America—they will be leaving a lot to be desired.

After much deliberation, I recently purchased a Nikon D60 D-SLR. It was a tough decision between Nikon and Canon, but for me the Nikon was the better choice. I’ve been able to take some photos in our downtown, but have been looking for a really great place to spend some time getting more accustomed to the D60.

My wife and I were recently able to visit the place where my Grandmother grew up, and I thought it was a great place to try it out. Although a dairy farm now, when she grew up it was primarily a tobacco farm. It was amazing to hear her explain all that went into a day’s work, and what part she played in each step. She vividly recalled each part of the process, and pointed out each change that time had brought to the farm. It was amazing to be standing in that place, knowing that so many of her memories were held there. Being there and sharing those memories with us brought her so much excitement and happiness; it’s a memory I am very thankful for.

Today I ran across these two posters; both very beautifully done and both very different. Each one of us brings something slightly unique to the game. Every once in a while it’s nice to look at completely different styles and remind myself of that. Unfortunately, I don’t have any information on who did these posters; if you do, let me know in the comments.

Things is an incredible task management tool based on the simple philosophy of Getting Things Done. Produced by the guys over at Cultured Code, Things is simple but very capable. The interface is very clean, taking design cues from Apple’s OSX Leopard. The program features a quick-entry hot key that allows a task to be input without leaving your current application, letting you stay on track with your current task.

With the release of Apple’s App Store came the release of Things Touch, the iPhone version of this amazing organizer. And if your iPhone and Mac are both connected to the same WiFi network the two programs will sync wirelessly. So, if you are looking for a way to manage your projects and be better organized, check out Things and start getting things done.

So recently I’ve been researching Digital SLR cameras, trying to decide which company was the superior maker, Canon or Nikon? After speaking with several professional photographers, I have come to this conclusion: they both are. For the higher end camera bodies, one photographer said Canon is best, still another swears by Nikon. For someone just getting into the D-SLR scene, it seems that Nikon might be the best choice, but Canon is probably the most popular. I asked a salesman at a very reputable local shop, which company has better lenses? “Nikon is known for their glass. Canon is too.” Go figure.

After quite a bit of looking online and talking to people, I purchased the Nikon D60. But, I have ten days to return it. Weigh in on the topic and comment below: what do you have, Nikon or Canon? Which model do you recommend, and why?

Design by Humans (DBH) is a website where anyone can post artwork, in hopes that theirs is chosen to be used for a shirt produced by DBH. The artwork is chosen by an artists’ peers voting for a particular shirt. There are two reasons to submit work: number one is to gain fame, notoriety and acceptance from the other members in the community, and the second is to win piles of cash. Piles. The current contest is awarding $10,000 to the winner.

Above is my entry into the DBH 10K contest. Since I don’t normally go for large graphic shirts, or shirts with loud designs, I chose to make something that I would want to wear. Something subtle, yet interesting. A design that seems to ask the question, tom or row? but merely states what comes before long.

If you enjoy this design and you have a few moments, please follow the link below and vote for my design. You can either log in or quickly create a new user login. Your support would be much appreciated!

http://www.designbyhumans.com/vote/detail/26674

In light of the continuing controversy surrounding the 2012 Olympic Logo, and since we are moving right along through the current Games, I thought it appropriate to post a couple items from Otl Aicher. Otl Aicher was the lead designer of the 1972 Munich Olympics, and introduced the first Olympic mascot and the graphic symbols that we have derived much of our current day signage from. The second image shows a few pieces I ran across today that I was unfamiliar with. From the simplest pamphlets to the medals themselves, the minimal design is truly refreshing.