Check out Glenn Feron’s retouching skills. I truly couldn’t look away. No wonder you never see anyone in real life who looks like a magazine model. They don’t even look like themselves. Even Faith Hill is not as hot as… Faith Hill. As a designer who has done her share of retouching, I’m impressed at the technical prowess behind Glenn Feron’s work, but I think good retouching enhances what’s already there, it doesn’t completely revise it.

What do you think? Does this contribute to the low self-esteem of many girls and women (and men)? Or is it acceptable to make people look as good as they can?

Check out this fabulous video following the progress of a magazine layout. FYI, the designer is using InDesign. My favorite part is when he just gives up on the headline and inserts a row of Xs. I’d guess that he just got the sixty-seventh email from his editor saying, “Sorry, but we changed the head again.” Been there.

Via Quipsologies.

I’m always on the lookout for inspiring design, and Web Creme delivers. I may not find all of the featured designs particularly noteworthy, but many of the linked sites have found their way into my “Inspiration” bookmarks folder. I especially like the color palette tool. Each design has a color scheme represented as tiny color blocks. To find other designs on the site using the same color, just click on one of the blocks. There’s no extra information on the site, and the streamlined presentation really highlights the design. Check it out.

Just ask GDUSA magazine.

In their annual roundup of logo design trends I read the following:

Finally, it’s worth noting that there’s a reasonably reliable place to look every day for the very latest in logo design (in addition, to LogoLounge.com, that is): television promo graphics for any of the major “style” channels — Food Network, Discovery, HGTV, the Travel Channel, and more. Because they have the money and the ability to get work out there quickly, the channels tend to be progressive forecasters and trendsetters. And designers, just like the rest of the unwashed masses, are home on the couch, watching.

Can I get an amen? I’ve been saying this for years, and people often think I’m kidding. I firmly believe that in order to be a good graphic designer, you have to watch TV, read fashion and decor magazines and blogs, and shop in actual (versus online or virtual) stores. As I’ve said before, design influences design, whether it’s fashion design, interior design, type design, production design, or graphic design. To stay visually current, you have to know what’s going on in the world, and to stay on the cutting edge, you have to follow pop culture.

The GDUSA article is also worth checking out for their roundup of logo trends. I thought the trend-spotting was right on and well illustrated by the examples they gave. And once again, I agree completely when they say:

The key is to study the trends, then evolve forward — as far forward as you can leap — from them.

Once a trend is identified as such, it’s a good idea to keep it OUT of your repetiore. Nothing looks more dated more quickly than a logo that was “all the rage” when it was designed. See the widely reviled new Xerox logo, unveiled in January 2008 as an example. I predict a complete company rebranding within the next three years — not what you’re looking for with a new, expensive and time consuming logo redesign.

Like many designers, I am a sucker for a good magazine. I read all sorts, but design magazines, when done well, really ring my bell. That’s why I was very excited to get a complimentary copy of FPO Magazine in the mail two days ago. And that’s their first good idea — the magazine really was free. Not “free with subscription, cancel if you don’t like it.” Not “free with the purchase of 11 other issues.” Free free. They’re giving me a chance to check it out, no obligations, no need to cancel. I don’t know how I got on their mailing list, but score.

Inside, there was quite a bit to like. My favorite articles were the short and dirty ones. “Snark Attack” (evaluating the questionable design of Cosmopolitan), “Retouchy Subject” (which chose the month’s most heavily retouched cover photo), and The White Stuff: Disguising a Mess (design tips). I also really liked two longer articles a lot: Health & Unhappiness: Why a Daring Redesign Went Bad (the inside story on Health’s redesign) and SOS: Too Much Space (more design tips).

So will I subscribe? I’m still on the fence. I definitely enjoyed my free issue, but I suffer from over-subscriptionitis. I already receive more magazines in a month then I have time to read, and at $55/year I’m not sure I’ll be able to spend enough time with FPO for it to make sense to spend that much money on FPO. I’ll keep you posted.