Kineda » Design

Dowling Duncan Redesigns the US Bank Notes

Terry Ng — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 21:47:34 +0000

Dowling Duncan has submitted a design concept to a competition being run by New York designer Richard Smith. The Dollar ReDe$ign Project hopes to bring about change for everyone. Richard Smith states that he ‘wants to rebrand the US Dollar, rebuild financial confidence and revive our failing economy.’

Dowling Duncan explains the designs below:

Why the size?
We have kept the width the same as the existing dollars. However we have changed the size of the note so that the one dollar is shorter and the 100 dollar is the longest. When stacked on top of each other it is easy to see how much money you have. It also makes it easier for the visually impaired to distinguish between notes.

Why a vertical format?
When we researched how notes are used we realized people tend to handle and deal with money vertically rather than horizontally. You tend to hold a wallet or purse vertically when searching for notes. The majority of people hand over notes vertically when making purchases. All machines accept notes vertically. Therefore a vertical note makes more sense.

Why different colors?
It’s one of the strongest ways graphically to distinguish one note from another.

Why these designs?
We wanted a concept behind the imagery so that the image directly relates to the value of each note. We also wanted the notes to be educational, not only for those living in America but visitors as well. Each note uses a black and white image depicting a particular aspect of American history and culture. They are then overprinted with informational graphics or a pattern relating to that particular image.

$1 – The first African American president
$5 – The five biggest native American tribes
$10 – The bill of rights, the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution
$20 – 20th Century America
$50 – The 50 States of America
$100 – The first 100 days of President Franklin Roosevelt. During this time he led the congress to pass more important legislations than most presidents pass in their entire term. This helped fight the economic crises at the time of the great depression. Ever since, every new president has been judged on how well they have done during the first 100 days of their term.

40 Amazing Architecture and Interior Design Blogs

Terry Ng — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:37:38 +0000

Most of us will never be lucky enough to have a place nice enough to land in the pages of Dwell magazine, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. These architecture and interior design blogs offer amazing tips that will have your pad pimped out in no time.

absolutely beautiful things

A Daily Dose of Architecture

anArchitecture

BLDGBLOG

cityofsound

Interactive Architecture

CubeMe

Design a Business Card You Can Be Proud Of

Terry Ng — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:08:16 +0000

On the path to a lifestyle of bling, you’ll need to set yourself apart from the crowd. Business cards are often taken for granted which is quite sad, because it’s one of the most important elements of your visual identity. Once your conversation with the new party ends, your business card takes over as their last impression of you.

So what kind of impression do you want to leave? Surely, not one that eludes that you’re boring and unadventurous, which usually happens with a run of the mill plain white business card. Design your business card with the use colors, typography and quality paper. By doing so, you’ll give a uniqueness to your business card that represents your amazing personality and prowess.

(business card image used in post above is from SimpleBits)

Ten business cards examples that will make you proud:

Redesign Number 18

Terry Ng — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:26:24 +0000

18 different Kineda designs in a little less than 10 years. That averages out to almost two designs a year. I’ve abandoned the lovely Shoryuken black design that many have grown to love, and went with a what I call the clean-airy look. There are still tweaks to be made here and there to the code and design, but I figured I’d let everyone enjoy redesign, codenamed Chun Li, over the weekend.

The homepage has revamped to give you just want you’re looking for without all the fluff. There’s a snazzy new logo and a new rankings feature to help you score some goodies for your excelling commenting. If you aren’t registered already, you should do that now to enjoy the full features.

Hope you boys and girls like it!

Porsche Design Edition Cayman S

Terry Ng — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:10:16 +0000

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany, is to expand its mid-engine coupÃ© model range with the launch, in November 2007, of the Cayman S â€œPorsche Design Edition 1â€, a limited-edition special series. Porsche has incorporated various design disciplines into this very special mid-engine coupÃ©: the black exterior emphasizes the purist nature of the 295-bhp sports car and, at the same time, is a nod to Porsche Design and the famous Chronograph 1s designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche precisely 35 years previously.

This look, cultivated by Porsche Design, imparts additional luxury and class on the Cayman S: the black leather and Alcantara upholstery harmonizes with refined details such as the instrument dials, the layout of which reflects that of all Porsche Design chronographs. Even the center console, dashboard, and door trims glisten in black, while the three-spoke sports steering wheel, the gear lever, the handbrake grip, and the roof lining are clothed in non-slip black Alcantara. The Porsche logo (crest) is embossed on the headrests.

The vehicleâ€™s technical features are equally sophisticated: beneath the ten-millimeter-lower body, standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) actively controls the hardness of the shock absorbers and it features a special Sport mode that can be activated at the touch of a button for a really dynamic driving feel. Five-millimeter spacers together with 19-inch turbo wheels give the Cayman S â€œPorsche Design Edition 1â€ a presence that is reinforced yet further by the 235/35 ZR 19 tires at the front axle and the 265/35 ZR 19 tires at the rear.

The market launch of this black Cayman will begin in Germany in November 2007 and in the United States in January 2008.

MASH Studios LAX Wall Mounted Desk

Terry Ng — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:21:23 +0000

Have a room in your place that’s a tad too small for a traditional desk or are you a sucker for clean design? If so, try the LAX Wall Mounted Desk ($675) from Mash Studios that helps reduce visual space by extending a mere 20″ into your living space.

The desk, made of English Walnut with a natural finish, features sliding cabinet doors and is refined and relaxed enough for those seeking simple workspace options.

Doctored Magazine Covers

Terry Ng — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:43:20 +0000

The June/July issue of Men’s Fitness enhanced Andy Roddick’s bicep muscles — so much so that Roddick said he stopped in his tracks when he saw the cover while walking through the airport. Eight other celebrity magazine covers are featured by ABC News, including those of Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Brad and Angelina, and OJ Simpson.

Makes you think what magazine cover hasn’t been doctored with Photoshop these days?

Are You the Next Great Handbag Designer?

Terry Ng — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:29:56 +0000

Marie Claire and Glam Media have joined forces to create a competition for aspiring handbag designers. Starting today aspiring designers can submit their handbag sketches on Glam.com, where the fashion community will vote for their favorites.

The lucky winner will receive a trip to New York, a one-night stay at a posh New York hotel, and the MOST EXCITING part of all she or he will be a Marie Claire “accessories editor for a day.” Additionally, the final 8 bags will be auctioned off on E-bay.com with all the proceeds going to charity.

Enter Now and Be Discovered!

Create Stunning 2D Animations

Terry Ng — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:24:45 +0000

Have you ever wanted to turn your photos into 2D animations similar to the ones popularized in the graphic novel, “A Scanner Darkly?” If so, Director Richard Linklater who performed the animations for the movie will show you how.

“Director Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly impressed audiences this summer with a stunning 2D animation style that mixes heavy blacks lines with shapes of solid color to represent a realistic image. After filming the movie live action, we used proprietary vector software to animate directly over live footage, preserving the likeness and performances of the actors – a process called Interpolated Rotoscoping.”

Full Tutorial

The Magic of Photoshop

Terry Ng — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:09:33 +0000

The Evolution of Beauty shows off how radically different the advertising industry can change a model’s look. Makeup of course is essential to making anyone look glamorous, but Photoshop is the real magic in Hollywood.