Darkroom is a strikingly prescient visual survey of London’s last remaining professional darkrooms, as photographed by Richard Nicholson. Partially driven by Richard’s own “nostalgia for a dying craft”, the project was completed over a three year period and shot on large format 4"x5" sheet film. Obsolete, analog media capturing obsolete, analog objects.

Photo: “Mark Foxwell, Primary” by Richard Nicholson

The 7th edition of Netdiver’s Best of the Year has been announced — now with 10% more interweb wonderfulness. Since this year’s compilation features 110 delicious, visual sites to peruse, where does one start? Anywhere you like, my friend. It’s pretty much guaranteed that after a scroll and a click (or several dozen), you’ll come away with a heaping helping of creative appreciation, inspiration, and — hopefully — invigoration for the next twelve months.

By the way, our relaunched Veer Ideas made the cut again this year. Thanks, Netdiver. We’re going to party like it’s 2003.

Designers and agencies deal with critique, debate, and rejection on a daily basis — that’s the reality of being part of this industry. We’ve all had an amazing idea die in a meeting, sometimes for a very good reason. Project Never is a no-fee, designer-focused awards competition which ressurects those rejects and shares the stories behind the conceptual smackdown. Submissions are being accepted until December 1, 2008 — lots of time for you to revive and document those painful memories of crushed hopes, dreams (and designs).

Out of context, yet made to measure. Over a period of three years, German photographer Thomas Kalak photographed the amazing art of material improvisation that seems to flourish in Thailand. While many of his images tell an objective and soulful story of creative reuse, unexpected juxtaposition, and practical MacGyverism — others are deliciously whimsical. The results of his documentation of this cultural/mechanical phenomenon have been published in a book entitled Thailand — Same same, but different!

What would you do with a pile of disused household appliances? When faced with a similar situation (and an obvious need for a thesis project), recent Hartford Art School grad Brittny Badger took ’em apart and then dramatically arranged the constituent pieces into a series of striking photo compositions. The concept was, as she explains, “… to explore the hidden ‘brains’ … allowing us to view these everyday objects from a new perspective.”

Photo Copyright © Brittny Badger

Via Signal vs Noise

Just Stuff I Find is another beautifully simple, self-descriptive blog created by John D Boardley, the indefatigable custodian and proprietor of I Love Typography. Where does he find time, let alone all this stuff?

The ultimate summer consists of equal parts sun, travel, and type. With those things in mind, yours truly (and several other Veer folk) will be shuffling off to Buffalo this week for TypeCon. There’s nothing like rubbing elbows (and comparing contextual glyph substitution tables) with the likes of Alejandro Paul, Doyald Young, Erik Spiekermann, Erik van Blokland, Jakob Trollbäck, Michael Cina, Shelley Gruendler, Stephen Coles, and the dozens of other typorati expected in the The Nickel City. The schedule of sessions and workshops is nothing short of impressive.

The main conference track starts Thursday, but kicking things off a bit earlier is Wednesday’s evening with Stefan Sagmeister at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. This is a free, public event presented by The Society of Typographic Aficionados in association with Veer and the Type Directors Club. Limited tickets are available.

If you’re already booked, we hope to see you there. If you’re still humming and hawing, now’s the time to register.

Dorky font humor from Miguel Sousa via Typophile, natch.

For the past ten years, San Antonian car nut Jimmy Means has been meticulously maintaining The Premier Firebird Trans Am Gallery … which pretty much explains what the site is about right there. What really caught our visually vehicular attention was the Firebird Hood Graphic Table, cataloging heraldically-emblazoned hood birds produced between 1970 through 1981. Since our very own Veer Hood was inspired by classic Pontiac supergraphics (even though the “canvas” actually came from a ’79 Camaro … oops), this gallery has a special place in our hearts.

Via Cartype

The immensely prescient Elise Co is not only a founding partner of Aeolab — a prototyping and design firm which boasts no less than Frog Design as a client — she also produces a significant amount of high-touch, high-technology personal work.

One of her more whimsical projects is Puddlejumper, a raincoat covered in hand-silkscreened electroluminescent lamps and conductive water sensors. As drops hit the sensors, corresponding flush-mounted panels illuminate — flickering and creating an animated pattern of light — playfully mirroring the rhythm of the rain across the surface of the clothing.

From her Gizmodo interview: “My previous fashion/technology projects had a lot of concept behind them, and for Puddlejumper I just wanted to make something direct and playful. Although I didn't extrapolate at the time, I think that weather is potentially a big motivator for incorporating electronics into clothing. Visibility and safety are obvious justifications for light emitting clothing.”

More of Elise’s personal work can be viewed at Mintymonkey and her former doctoral research page at the MIT Media Lab Aesthetics + Computation Group.