Technical illustrators are often asked to create cutaway drawings, which are renderings that have specific areas removed for the purpose of highlighting a desired product or function. I’ve always been fascinated with these works of art. They tap into our natural curiosity and our need to understand how things work. But to be honest, I…
One of the fundamental tenets of graphic design is the idea of creating a visual hierarchy in your layout. You want the viewer’s eye to settle on an area of the page (using scale, color, white space etc.) and then be naturally drawn in a logical manner to supporting elements that make up the design. Otherwise, the viewer’s…
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of tennis and Roger Federer in particular. I enjoyed the Australian Open final over the weekend and read a great post-match quote from Federer: “Be free in your head, be free in your shots, go for it. The brave will be rewarded here.” I started thinking about…
My family and I were at the Greenway in Boston recently. All of the new construction coupled with the gorgeous weather had us staring up and around in wonder. All of us but my 8-year old, who was sharp enough to spot what appeared to be a crisp $100 bill on the ground. My wife…
I’ve previously written about the advent of autonomous vehicles: cars that drive themselves. With the tragic Germanwings crash this week – which was allegedly caused deliberately by the copilot – I’ve been wondering about the possible role of autonomous systems in commercial flights. If the technology exists to allow planes to fly by themselves, then…
My five-year old computer mouse recently began to act up. I’ll admit it, I’m a little obsessed with input devices for my computer. Adjusting bezier curves on a detailed infographic with a mouse that momentarily ignores you, only to suddenly skip an inch or two can get old really fast. After blowing, tapping, shaking, and…
