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By Because Studio, Via.

I like the minimalism of the design, but I’m concerned that a branded battery might ruin the concept. (This is apparently a rendering, not an actual piece)

Via, via.

Pie Fight Study 2 (2008)

Study for Nickelodeon (2008)

Via

1. So you want to be a (freelance designer)?

In one of the best articles I read this week, Steve Friedl shares his experience as a technology consultant. But I think there is much to learn here for anyone who runs a very small business dealing directly with clients (i.e. freelance designers like ourselves).

I’ll share one maxim of Friedl’s — of the ethical variety, in keeping with our theme:

Never, ever lie or fudge on an invoice

If you are ever caught — or even suspected — of funny business on the financial front, you will not be trusted anywhere else. It is impossible to give a customer The Warm Fuzzy Feeling™ if they are wondering about the legitimacy of your invoices, and this is fatal to a customer relationship and to ever getting a good reference.

This is not to say that mistakes on an invoice won’t happen, but how you deal with them will tell a customer a lot about how you do business. Your goal should be to overwhelm them with integrity.

2. Google Chart Tools

Did you know Google has a chart API? It looks at least as good as Office and they have a JavaScript library for interactive charts, as well.

3. I’m Comic Sans, *sshole

McSweeney’s calls out font snobbery with a profanity-laden rant (NSFW).

The monologue made me laugh, but it also made me think: maybe a “pedestrian” font has its place. Do you really want to see a well-kerned Helvetica on the birthday card your grandma printed for you?

4. Mozilla designer touts tricks to give Firefox the illusion of speed

Another interesting article I read this week. A Mozilla developer talks about the visual tricks Chrome uses to appear faster than other browsers (particularly at start-up). It seems that speed is more than just efficiency. When it comes down to milliseconds, appearances are important, as well.

Plastic Century is a project documenting the increase in plastic production. Check out their recent installation, featuring plastic-filled water dispensers that visualize the amount of plastic produced from 1910 to the projected amount in 2030.

Plastic Century - photo by Mike Estee

For several years now, Nike has made use an image of a snake coiled around a soccer ball for their ongoing “Don’t Tread On Me” campaign in support of United States men’s soccer.

A representation of the rattlesnake is also contained on the inside of their uniforms to be used in in the 2010 World Cup.

Personally, I’ve always associated this image with the US Marines and Navy, and so have been little dubious about the messaging here. Particularly, I was worried that this image suggested that we understand ourselves not as participants in the world’s game, but rather as a kind of isolated, standoffish gang apart from the community of world footballers. The logo, it struck me, was not in the spirit of world sport that is supposed to underwrite the World Cup.

Having said that, I have become ambivalent about this issue after doing a bit more reading about the original locus of this symbol, the the Gadsden flag. To wit:

The use of the timber rattlesnake as a symbol of the US can be traced back to colonial days, and specifically to the publications of Benjamin Franklin. In 1751, Ben suggested that America ought to thank the British for their policy of sending convicted criminals to America by sending rattlesnakes to England. The Gadsden flag — which bears this symbol — is considered “one of the first flags of the United States,” later replaced by the current Stars and Stripes flag.

“Since the Revolution,” Wikipedia claims, “the flag has seen times of reintroduction as a symbol of American patriotism, a symbol of disagreement with government, or a symbol of support for civil liberties.” On this view of the symbol, I think it’s great. It says something about our national history, and celebrating that is certainly in the spirit of the World Cup.

In the end, I leave it to you to decide for yourself. There’s more detail about the history of this symbol here.