New iPad App Teaches Typography

Typography Insight is an accessible, affordable iPad app (just $1.99) that sprang from Dong Yoon Park’s master’s thesis.

While at Parsons, Park says he realized that it was difficult for students in introductory typography classes to see the subtle differences between historically important typefaces, especially when viewed on paper.

Park’s app, Typography Insight, makes it easier to see and compare these detailed shapes. The iPad’s interactive nature even lets you manipulate the typefaces.

For a deep dive into Park’s ideas, read his master’s thesis in PDF form.

This is a brilliant execution of a simple idea, how to teach typography. His thesis is interesting.

For further study “The Elements of Typographic Style” by Robert Bringhurst is a must-read.

Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

Study: People who engage in cultural events are less stressed

Cultured People Feel Less Stress
People who go to museums and concerts or create art or play an instrument are more satisfied with their lives, a study finds.

Researchers led by Koenraad Cuypers of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology analyzed information culled from 50,797 adults living in Norway's Nord-Trondelag County.

The participants were asked detailed questions about their leisure habits and how they perceived their own state of health, satisfaction with life and levels of depression and anxiety.

The results were unambiguous and somewhat unexpected: not only was the correlation strong between cultural activities and happiness, but men felt better when they were spectators while women clearly preferred doing rather than watching.

Even more surprising was that wealth and education were not an issue.

via Discovery News

 

Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

The Khan Academy Explains Corporations and Limited Liability

Part of the growing collection of fantastic video classes by the Khan Academy.

Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

The University of Twitter: a short course in Political Philosophy in 7 parts by Alain de Botton

Blog favorite Alain de Botton (have you met Alain?) recently held a crash course in Political Philosophy via seven tweets:

1: Plato: We should be ruled not by leaders chosen by a majority, but by those who are most intelligent.

2. St Augustine: We should not try to build paradise on earth. Aim for tolerable government, true government only possible in the next life.

3. Machiavelli: Politician must choose between serving the interests of country and the interests of Christian morality. Can’t have both.

4. Hobbes: Rulers not appointed by God, but by people and if they can’t guarantee their security, they can be legitimately kicked out.

5. Smith: The market cannot alone create a moral community. Civil society must nudge capitalists to be good through emulation and honours.

6. Karl Marx: The ‘profit’ of a capitalist is in essence theft, the stolen life and labour of the proletariat.

7. J.S. Mill: Governments should not tell people how to live, they should give them the preconditions to make their own choices.

 

To learn more about Alain de Botton: webwikifacebooktwitter

Some of his books:
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
The Architecture of Happiness (Vintage)
How Proust Can Change Your Life
Status Anxiety
The Consolations of Philosophy

Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

In Like With Facebook

**I HAVE A NEW REEL FOR SUMMER 2012, CHECK IT OUT!** > http://alextrimpe.com Thanks to http://onlineschools.org for serving as inspiration and providing the data through "Obsessed With Facebook" http://www.onlineschools.org/blog/facebook-obsession An informational motion graphics piece by Alex Trimpe Music by RJD2 Created in Adobe After Effects at The Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) for class.

With its ever evolving interface and constantly growing user base Facebook is trying very hard to be the center of the online world. And it's working. 80% of universities are looking at profiles as part of the admission process, today Warner Bros. started renting movies right on Facebook and a recent study shows that checking out your profile improves self-esteem. Even the ubiquitous game Angry Birds is expected to launch on Facebook in the near future. 

Soon, for a whole generation of users, there will be no internet, no web, there will only be Facebook. 

Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.