The Dublin Blog

My Dad was 20 and living in London at the time of Psycho’s theatrical release. Needless to say he was already a big Hitchcock fan and when I appeared on the scene he passed on this appreciation to me. Like many people this is how I was first introduced to the work of Saul Bass, sitting with my Dad watching movies. I can still remember being captivated by the opening credits to North by Northwest. The film would have been twenty-five years old by the time I first saw it and even through RTÉ’s fuzzy reception it still felt new, interesting and exciting. Aged around 10, this is the first time I can remember seeing a piece if visual communication and recognising it as graphic design.



The fact that the North by Northwest title sequence can, half a century later retain it’s freshness encapsulates the genius of Saul Bass. His work has a timeless quality, graphically stripped down to the essentials – shape, colour and text and yet despite, or rather because of this, his work transmits emotion, thoughtfulness and intent with striking purity. The staccato of lines in Psycho’s opening titles, the ghostly apparition trapped within The Shining typography or the hypnotic shapes from Vertigo are all testament to this.



What makes Saul Bass’ work all the more impressive is the practical limitations through which his designs were realised. These days we have it easy, working through complex software which affords us the ability to generate our work. The flexibility we enjoy often allows us to create visually appealing designs, which ultimately communicate poorly. Saul Bass worked within tight limitations on colour, photography and reproductive quality and his triumph was in creating a style which turned these restrictions into strengths.



I’ve selected an unused Saul Bass design for my poster not because it is the best (an impossible term) but because it is probably the least seen, and so deserves sharing. This post has been more about how Saul Bass has impacted on me personally, and so if you’d like to learn more about Saul Bass and his work here’s a full profile.

A new website to promote the launch of Damien Hirst’s new exhibition titled ‘For the Love of God’ in the Rijksmuseum. Visitors can record their opinions at the exhibition which are then published on the website.

Click here to take a look.

Cute cards from the MoMA Store.

Some clever PSP advertising concepts. Click here to see some more

The Dieline is one of the most visited websites in the packaging design world and is a great source of inspiration and learning. It is an active sponsor of the Pentawards, the first and only professional design competition devoted exclusively to the art of brand packaging, further promoting the field.

Click here to visit the site.

Fun experience site to support the new game on PS3 called Little Big Planet. Just click on generator to build your own character, pick hats, noses, glasses etc. Also the site can export your character into your facebook or bebo accounts if you’re into that sort of thing. Very clever technology here.Take me there 

Mister Fabien Baron, legend of fashion publishing having created some of the most iconic fashion images of the past two decades. His website showcases an astonishing array of editorial work as well as advertising and branding for the world’s top fashion labels. His most recent diversification into furniture design and photography proves that Baron has now without a doubt become a brand himself.

Irish photographer, bags of lovely portraits and the subjects are predominantly musicians. View site by clicking here.

A great site for viewing videos of all sorts. Take a nose round.