GDMA 2010

So we are all calling in the last favors we can to try to coerce you to come out and spend your hard earned money while shaking your booty and drinking your worries away. It’s our last fun-raiser and there has been whispers of the most epic drunken debauchery yet. I know I have heard rumors of  dance offs, drunken arm wrestling, excessive sharing of feelings and Amanda Chen said she is going to get crunk or die trying.  Don’t deny it Amanda. The only thing we will missing is the lovely Joann Lee. She will be on the most exciting mentor adventure. Joann, you will be missed. We will toast your honor. Anyways come on down folks. We miss you all so much. We need to see your charming faces one last time. Have I told you how great you look in those pants? Have you been working out? It shows.

I am pretty sure after the hockey game today and two weeks of relatively peaceful events we were all feeling quite smug about our beautiful country and our amazing city. We are blessed to live in the best country in the world. I know sometimes I forget how powerful our mountains, coast lines and forest are and the people of Vancouver are by far the friendliest and most polite city dwellers I have ever experienced. Well Done Van City! On a side note: I would like to apologize to the world for Nickleback, Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan, and Hedley. They are the red headed step children of Canadian music. It is safe to unplug your ears now. Hopefully Neil Young made it a bit less excruciating for you. I love you Canada! And so does this guy.

I don’t know why it’s taken this long for someone to make a patriotic post. As everyone living in this country knows, we’re hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics this year. If you haven’t been downtown to bask in the Canadian spirit, I strongly suggest you do as the atmosphere is unbelievable.

We have completed the first week with 4 Golds, 4 Silvers and 1 Bronze medal. Tonight the Ice Dancing finals take place, and the Canadians are currently in first, so fingers crossed for them. The Men’s Curling team are kicking ass in first place with a 8-0 record, and the Women, also in first with a 6-1 record. And, of course, the most talked about and advertised event, hockey. The Canadian women are undefeated and currently hold a 1-0 lead against Finland in the Semi’s. If they win, they will face the US on Thursday in the Finals. After a disappointing defeat by the USA, the Canadian Men take on Germany tomorrow night and the winner will move on to the quarterfinals.

I urge everyone reading this to gather with their fellow Canadians, crack a Canadian/Kokanee/Granville Island/Cesaer or any other Canadian beverage of choice and cheer with all of your heart.

Go Canada Go!

I absolutely love the work of Airside. Fun fun infographic animation plus is a great peek into the process of making the video below.

View This Video on Youtube

sweet wordmark identity and several infographical magical-ness, check it.

See more of The Heads of State’s work here.

View This Video on Vimeo

Here are some pictures of when the GDMA2010 fourth year class got together to design and assembled buttons for our Haiti fundraiser. All proceeds go directly to the Canadian Red Cross.

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I’m very proud to publicly announce that GDMA2010 has begun work on a small fundraiser for the terrible situation Haiti. We, as a class, feel very strongly that it is our responsibility, as designers, to use our skills to try and mend some of the worlds problems. Call us young and naive, but we are determined to make difference, even if it’s a small one. That’s why our class is committed to raising funds for Haiti. Today we began work on making hand crafted buttons to sell online and at the university, they go on sale February 4th. All proceeds will go directly to the Canadian Red Cross.

A poster by Roland Tiango

Some of you may have already seen these linked on the GDMA Facebook page, but I thought that I would post it again. What’s the retweet equivalent for a blog? Reblog? RB? Anyways, these are the new 2010 commemorative Olympic stamps designed by Signals and the one and only Keith Martin. An excerpt from their blog reads

“For the commemorative stamps, our goal was to capture the emotions of fans and athletes alike,” Kosta explains. “Inspired by the Olympic spirit of ‘mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play,’ we wanted to reflect this spirit in the faces of young Canadians.

“Above all, we wanted to create iconic images of our collective experience of the Games. The iconic leaf and the colours immediately identify these as Canadian events. And the images of young people in toques and painted faces cheering on their favorite teams and athletes are quintessentially Canadian.”

There a quite a few of us in fourth year that have a strong liking, dare I say crush on the work shown in Good Magazine, though we have yet to touch one or hold it tenderly in our arms. That American border separates us not only from freedom fries, but from establishments that carry this publication. The magazines greater purpose is, well, to do good and is a collaborative effort to inform and inspire for the greater good while using top notch info-graphics and great design. Thankfully the American border can not stop us from creeping on the internet! Here’s a video discussing the downside to our love of all things techy called E-waste and how we can, well, do good. There are more on the web site as well AND a section for info-graphics!!! Be still my heart!

This online version of “Photoshop” has been out there for quite a long time now.It’s called Sumo Paint. It’s fun to play with when you have no photoshop installed… like … in the library. I just like how it loads up all the fonts you have in your computer and uses them online.

Thomas Forsyth:

Drawing Tops and The Decked Project Video

Thought this was neat. Carly, could your dad make me a spinning top like this? Just an idea I thought I’d throw out, possibly for fundraising? Not sure if anyone else en-masse would share my fascination with this simple toy, but if not the video of ‘the decked project’ video would tickle the fancies for those with bonners for hand-crafted-ness. Plus painting those tops would knock my socks off.

Did you know that you are only supposed to dip the fish into the wasabi-less soysauce? I didn’t.

I was not old enough to dance to this when it was playing in the clubs.

View This Video on Youtube

When are they gonna have 90’s night?

A kind reminder to our fellow BC drivers: do not play your Game Boy while driving.

With much love,
The BC Government
(source: Government of BC’s Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles)

Ah yes, the end of another decade. Bring on the 2010’s, we are graduating and I see nothing but good things coming to all of us in this new decade of ours. Have a fabulous New Years Eve celebration whether that means having a few too many cold ones and making out with a random at midnight, or chilling out with a few good buddies.

Happy New Year!