Ideas, articles, and resources for graphic designers and marketers by author and designer Chuck Green
Comedian A. Whitney Brown said, "The saving grace of humor is, if you fail, al least you don't have anyone laughing at you." Take a break here, for better or worse, are some favorite stories and jokes. The post Horse walks into a bar, bartender says, Hey why the long face? Etcetera appeared first on Ideabook.com .
Imagine living in the 1800s, in a world built around the horse and buggy. Then, one afternoon, a modern electric car speeds silently down the road beside you. It would be frightening, fascinating, and profound. Our first instinct might be to define it in horse-and-buggy terms, perhaps as a “horseless carriage.” But that phrase would [ ] The post AI: The tools change. Human nature does not appeared…
May 19, 2026 I just discovered that I have never added Yellow Design Studio to my list of Type Foundries yikes! They are the designers of one of my all time favorite fonts: Verb. They also have a significant lineup of other faces including many vintage and distressed typefaces. The Ideabook typography page… Yellow Design Studio… [ ] The post New from Chuck Green’s Ideabook Desk appeared first on…
My idea books include a section devoted to commissioning work from illustrators and photographers. I said there and repeat here that artwork commissioned for a specific project has an impact like nothing else can it makes the publication uniquely yours. The post Ruling pens, stencil brushes, Speedball nibs, and inspiration—Remembering Michael Clark appeared first on Ideabook.com .
As I heard it, Tom Shortlidge worked at Young Rubicam in the late ’60s and moonlighted part-time at Crate Barrel to make ends meet. The owner, Gordon Segal, asked him to take a look at some packaging designs he was considering. Mr. Shortlidge had a better idea. Make no mistake about it, Crate [ ] The post The design system that refused to age appeared first on Ideabook.com .
While we re on the subject of drawing (recent post), let s visit someone who has mastered it: Thomas Starnes Jr. (I m guessing he d tell you he s still learning.) Why would a designer learn to draw? I got thinking about this when I asked Thomas, generally, why it s important/useful to learn to draw. He told me, For [ ] The post Why should a designer learn to draw? Meet Thomas Starnes Jr appeared…
Based on the response to my earlier post (here), there seems to be lots of interest in the work of photographer Reid Miles. Following is a bit of a Reid redux. Recently, Jackie wrote to tell me she has 7 signed photographs by Mr. Miles. Her father, she told me was the director of Marketing [ ] The post More on photographer Reid Miles appeared first on Ideabook.com .
I ve always enjoyed writing and receiving letters. I was going through some personal papers recently and was reminded just how often I corresponded with friends and associates prior to the 1990s. The subject of postal mail may not be front and center these days, but it certainly remains alive and well. As a matter of [ ] The post Remembering the intrigue of postal mail appeared first on…
I m sure you ve seen a caricature artist at a theme park or fair they re the folks creating on-the-spot illustrations of their customers no pressure. I gained an appreciation for this skill sometime in my early teens when my mother (always my biggest promoter) got me a gig doing a portrait of someone from our church for a [ ] The post American Caricature: The art of caricature illustration and the…
Some time back I saw a post on Quora asking: Which is world s most expensive logo ever? And that got me thinking about Best Products. In 1979 I was working as a freelance designer at (among others) Webb Athey (their advertising agency of record at the time), when Best Products hired the New York [ ] The post Remember Best Products? Its logo? And its art and architecture? appeared first on…