The wind is strong today, cat kitesurfing on a skateboard maybe.? 3 days ago
I am Watson the cat, editor in chief of The Watsonian. Hope you enjoy reading my thoughts about design, travel, life, and the Humans behind the curtain at the Medium Control Design Company.
Rau + Barber Photography. The Medium Control has been working with Rau + Barber since back in the day. Stephanie Rau and John Barber are one of the top photography studios based out of Minneapolis. Along with a well rounded portfolio of amazing work and a solid client list, they have built a new studio that should be gracing the pages of Dwell. Upon completion of their new studio the Medium Control Humans got started on a redesign of the website. Based on the original design the updated site features: a new collection of work from both Stephanie and John, a new section called Near Here featuring exquisite location photography, studio tour - which walks you thru the new space, and finally an overall increased image size. Check out the new site at: http://raubarber.com
And for the critter love, they have a dog that helps them work in the creative field. View Screen Shots of the rau+barber site HERE.
It is tough to understand why the Humans never want to share. I patiently wait by their feet during the entire meal production, and yet I end up with nothing. That’s fine who wants to eat honey-glazed salmon with baked sweet potato fries, and garlic broccoli. Not me, but if you want to learn how to make it with some pictorial guidance click HERE.
Ah, you have no idea how particular the Humans are about their artwork. Sure, they like a wide range of art but when it comes to actually putting a hole in the wall and looking at something day after day, that is true commitment. Well, they overcame part of their fear and hung this vintage campfire painting above the balance bench. This piece reminded them of a camp site on their Isle Royale venture. Warm up by the fire by clicking HERE.
To make some motion sense of the winter cooking post, the Humans put together a video of their Jay Cooke session. This video would be much better if it was taken of me with my black and white coat charging thru deep powder in slow motion, but heh, I am working with Humans. Long live winter - enjoy the flick.
Since the beginning, the Human’s focus for Medium Control’s streetwear has been centered on the snow, skate, and surf industry. Although, they continue to create and be inspired from many other influences (myself included)… the snow keeps calling to them. Hence, the recent release of their Lift t-shirt. Lift drawing was inspired by the Gandy Chair at Spirit Mountain. Come around by clicking HERE.
Noodles in the snow, the Humans have strange obsessions. Last weekend they ventured by ski into the woods and stumbled upon an old rusty water tower (something the cast of Lost would find). So naturally they set up shop near it. They climbed up on a snow drift, set up their dragonfly portable stove, boiled some water, cooked noodles, shot some pictures and skied away. Cold air and hot water, click HERE.
Argh Matey, the Humans stopped into the Salty Dawg Saloon one evening for a brew in Homer, Alaska and met some of the friendliest locals in town. The Salty Dawg is located nearly on the end of the Homer Spit (look for the light house). Everyone at the bar was sharing a bowl of fresh caught crab legs and yakking about moose and snow machines (snowmobiles to us midwestern folks). The Humans told me every year the the money gets dusted off and donated to charity (I hope it goes to the critter fund). To view the loot click HERE.
Ah, the balance bench. The Humans built this to assist with my daily mediation. I am on a strict meditation regiment of at least 12-15 hours, per day. They put the bench in the Habitat entryway for their own convenience. The bench is made from left over parallam from the kitchen’s bartop, which was cut, sanded, sealed and sat on.
Before the modern day of annoyingly jam packed graphics and warnings on packaging, there stood a time for simplicity. Where minimal graphics, bold type and strong floods of colors remained king. Here are a couple examples of vintage cleaning boxes that have caught the Human’s eye over the years. Personally, I avoid anything having to do with water or cleaning, but you can clean up and check them out HERE.
The last day of the Alaskan voyage was spent waist deep in snow. The Human’s trekked north to Hatcher’s Pass to hike and ride on the best snow of the trip. Riding until dark and finding the Hatcher’s Pass Day Lodge nestled within the pass proved to be a great trip ender.
They made it to their final destination - Alyeska Ski Resort. This shot was taken from hiking high above the lift into the Glacier Bowl. Clear skies over the treeline while the town of Girdwood below filled in with clouds. As the Humans would say “thank you snowboarding.”
After Homer, they travelled thru the fjords along one of Alaska’s original highways ending up in Seward. One road in, trapped by mountains and an ocean inlet - quite Alaskan - quite amazing.
The Humans departed Anchorage and ventured along the coast. They arrived in Homer at sunset and took this cheeseball sunset shot. Pastel sunsets are not for me, but the mountains do look rather enticing. The chunk of land spitting out to the sea on the left is called “The Spit” (similar to Park Point in Duluth, only with salt water). They have reported Alaska has been amazing and well worth the winter travel. And on they go.
The Humans have decided to venture north, way North for some exploring and riding in big old Alaska. I was left behind, however, this was before I found out it was actually warmer in Alaska than Minnesota this time of year (near the coast that is). So here I sit holding down the fort with my temporary guardian, living vicariously thru my Humans. They will have plenty of stories, photos and videos to explain their absence.
Right in the middle of it all, Lake Louise. If I didn’t have such a severe aversion to the wind (big eyes) I think I might enjoy snowboarding, but it obviously doesn’t bother the Humans. The chairlift pictures are fitting today because the Humans are heading off to play in the snow for a few. Ah, finally a break from my daily grind here at The Watsonian… time to go play. Have fun, click HERE.
The Humans should have brought me here it looks like a place I could spend a few nights next to a warm fireplace, how rude. Emerald Lake Lodge is located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. It is completely secluded from the outside world, but has the comforts of home deep in the woods. Emerald Lake is nestled into the Canadian Rockies just outside the tiny town of Field. The Humans made friendly with another critter (Saint Bernard) who guarded the steps of the best breakfast spot in the Canadian Rockies, Chercher La Vache. Made to order omelets and fried egg sandwiches by an amazing French chef. Who would have thought that beets and mustard on an egg sandwich would cause a Human to drive hundreds of miles for one more bite….mmmm. Travel onto the lodge HERE.
Year One. We want to say a big thanks to everyone for all the support this year. Year One of the Watsonian was a humble beginning but we are glad everyone seems to be enjoying it. The ramblings shall continue and Year Two promises to be a grand adventure. We are actually heading into Year Nine for our Medium Control Goods, crazy. Stay tuned because we have a ton of new goods floating about in our heads and ready to get into production. We hope everyone is enjoying all The Medium Control Goods we shipped out this season – thanks again, we appreciate it.
The Humans obsession with photography has a tendency to bleed over into their tshirt designs. The Humans named this one “RECORD” and designed it as a means of drawing upon the similarities between bullets vs. film. Some believe both may have the ability to capture ones soul. Think my friends, I do it on a semi-regulary basis. Both garments available on our STORE. To see more record shots, click HERE.
The Humans have been spending time in the workshop again… They seem to think making stuff is fun. Whew, I am glad I don’t have to work that hard. They have been cutting and sanding scrap cedar blocks and parallam to make fancy wood coasters (The leftover cedar is recycled from a new building project: The Spaceship, coming soon). Once the wood is nice and smooth, they flock the blocks with their original Eames designs and The Medium Control Explorer logo. Of course they also put my face on a set of their wood coasters, all available at our STORE. Coast on and see the wood details HERE.
One word, epic. These look a bit rocky and huge for me but the Humans spend last February exploring Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. Why does everyone always forget about our Northern friends… it is big, beautiful, and really clean - oh Canada. Like I always say if you aren’t in Canada then at least look at some pictures and recollect the greatness. Travel People. Observations of the Canadian Rockies from Banff to Jasper are readily available by clicking HERE.
Listo and Scripto have created some sweet-o packaging. The Humans love to draw and these two companies provide the goods to make it happen. They tell me it feels good to sketch and actually make something tangible in this control alt delete world. Check out the great type and color details HERE.
Step by step shots of the library build in 20 seconds. I am always a huge help with any building project, just ask the Humans. The video’s music was created by the good people at Asche & Spencer.
Bigger? An HD version of this video can be found on our VIMEO PAGE.
Check out the detailed explanation of the library build HERE.
How am I suppose to get all the way to the top of this? I do have superior leaping skills but this is a little out of hand, even for me. The Habitat was built with a small footprint so utilization of space was essential. The Humans weren’t going to let all their cubic volume go to waste, so they decided to build a library nook. Towering around 15 feet tall this thing can hold some serious literature. It also serves the purpose of adding loads of color variation to the otherwise mono-tone living space. To read more about how the Humans built their library, click HERE.
Look at what the Humans did to my iconic face…what the cuss (side note: have you seen the new Fantastic Mr. Fox movie - you cussing should). Off the point with all the cussing movie talk… Here is my crazy, psychedelic, hypnotic face screen printed on the new limited-edition watson bomb tshirts and turtlenecks. Lining up my graphically correct face three times creates a bomb shape, with my third eye keeping a watch over you. Cussing get one soon, all the fantastic critters have one. See the new shirts HERE.
The Humans told me that nothing can quite top the fly fishing process: waking up at sunrise, venturing up the North Shore, hiking down into a river and silently fly casting out. One on one with nature, no ipod, only the river rushing by. The Humans released their redesigned fly tshirt today which has them feeling a bit nostalgic because fly was the medium control’s first tshirt design. So what changed? They made the artwork larger, redefined and added some new elements. New or old it makes us feel content and peaceful. Check out our FLY2 on orange tshirts and brown long sleeves, click HERE.
Did you know that board game box tops are the best place for an evening nap… The Humans pulled out their classic Ouija board and Close Encounters board game to see if they could make contact. No contact was made (this time) but the great typography and muted colors were much enjoyed. And not to forget that amazing Parker Brothers logo. You don’t see board game design like this anymore.
To see if you can make contact click HERE.
The snow is on its way. The Humans have unpacked their snow gear, lined up their boards, and secured the habitat hatches – winter, bring it on. My snow gear is built-in thick fur, but I prefer to stay sprawled out in front of the window for the next few months. After many years being transported hillside, the chairlift became a great friend to the Humans winter fun. Hence, they created their Transit design based on this visually correct utility. The design was inspired by a chairlift photograph, shot at Copper Mountain, CO during a Academy Snowboards photo shoot. The lift and two of the lift lines were screen printed and an additional line was stitched with thread to add a textural element to the one-dimensional design. To view the chairlift / transit design + t-shirts and other garments, click HERE.
Good Morning. Breakfast one of my favorite meals of the day along with lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack. The Humans recently devoured their Strawberry Banana jam from justBhandmade (good enough to eat without toast). They pulled out their vintage orange tea set and fixed up a little tea and toast for themselves. Check out the tea + toast production HERE.
The Humans survived Isle Royale. Thank goodness, someone needs to prepare my meals. Here, is the foot long tale as the Humans tell it…once they stepped off the dock they were on their own trudging down a small footpath with all the gear on their backs. Sweating hot to bone aching cold, wearing eau du bug spray (that was of zero assistance). After hiking too many miles, they found their first campsite, a spot on the peninsula in Huginnin Cove. They pilled up a couple logs to sit on, boiled some water to drink, ate some grub on their private beach, and caught some much needed rest (no campfires allowed due to preservation of the Island). The days repeated with more hiking, moose stalking, rain, mosquitos that actually had teeth, food rationing, stinky socks; creating one of the best adventures to date - crazy Humans. To see more of the one of the most unspoiled places on earth, click HERE.
Before the grass is covered in snow the Humans decided to reminisce upon their Isle Royale trip this past summer. Not only did they tell me all about it (again) they also made me look through all their pictures (again). It looks a little too rough and tumble for me but the Humans raved about it. Isle Royale is 99% undeveloped wilderness and offers a Human the chance to see what nature is suppose to look like (the Humans spend a lot of time in the woods so they should know). After one long three hour cold boat ferry ride the Humans arrived on the Island. Want to actually know something about Isle Royale and observe the ultra grainy 3200 iso film, click HERE.
The MOVIE CAMERA, a super 8 movie camera to be exact. The Humans do enjoy their film, however, there are some serious efforts involved to shoot, develop and transfer super 8 footage - all 100% worth it. Filming with these Star Trek like guns only produces three minutes of footage per roll. Fifty feet of capturing beautiful natural and unique effects.
Not only do the Humans love using their super 8 cameras, but these vintage packages are right for so many reasons. The Kodak yellow has been selling cameras for years, add in the other amazing color usage, vintage graphics, minimal text and boom - you have sold us on the packaging alone on so many levels. A stark contrast from all the flashy, cluttered packaging on the shelves today. Or at least that is this cats opinion. Time for your close-up examination, click HERE.
Business as usual. This Belgian candy shop did not let a little a broken window get in the way of their daily sugar high. The Humans shot this picture down a side street in Brussels, Belgium at 4:00 p.m, 35mm film, 1600 iso. The Humans love to travel, something that usually leads to a good part of their design inspiration, as exampled here. The Brussels tshirt design was inspired by their shattered window photograph. Linear graphics were added to the design to mimic the many train routes traveled throughout Europe. And a tshirt is born. To view the tshirt + window click HERE.
Pecans, Pecans, Pecans…what am I suppose to do with a ten pound bag of orchard fresh pecans? Why don’t the Humans ever bulk up on the good stuff, hmmm? May I suggest a ten pound bag of all natural freeze dried chicken treats (one of my favorites). Ugh, either way the Humans were quite happy to receive their big-o-bag of nuts from Joy’s Pecan Orchard in Oklahoma. The very next day they whipped up their first ever pecan pie, rumor has it was good. Read the entire recipe and see the finished product HERE.
Step by step shots of the fireplace installation in 20 seconds. If I was installing it probably would have taken me 20 seconds, but it took the Humans much longer, ugh… perfectionists. The video’s music was created by the good people at Asche & Spencer.
Bigger? An HD version of this video can be found on our VIMEO PAGE.
Check out the detailed explanation of the installation and eco aspects of the fireplace HERE.
Is there a Human in the fireplace? Maybe I should go in there but how do I get in? Oh, please excuse my momentary lapse of reason, that is the Human’s reflection on the back of their new eco Alcohol VentLess Fireplace, by La Flame. The fireplace is vent-free and meets clean air emission standards by burning an odorless envio-energy fuel liquid, which burns 99.9% efficient. The Humans love wood burning fireplaces, but in an effort to maintain the clean lines (and a clean floor) of the Habitat, this eco fireplace was the perfect option. Plus, it was a lot of fun to cut a hole in the wall and instantly have a working fireplace. Check out the one day install process, click here.
Medium Control + Snowboarder Magazine Collaboration. The Humans teamed up with their friends over at at Snowboarder Magazine to create a t-shirt for SIA (SnowSports Industries American conference in Vegas). Snowboarder wanted to create a collab design based on our classic snowfake design. The Medium Control was responsible for designing the t-shirt and Snowboarder distributed the goods. Be sure to pick-up the December issue of Snowboarder Magazine to see The Medium Control Design Co. and The Watsonian ad. Big thanks to Kyle Kennedy at Snowboarder for making this happen - cheers. Check out the t-shirt, click HERE.
Presenting another piece from the Human’s inspirational collection. This time they grouped together these vintage matchbooks to form a solid grouping of mid-century graphics. Some tasty thick lined graphics and that unmistakable color, mm mmm. Obviously, my favorite of the bunch is the Barclay’s… fish anyone? Get mid-century and inspired my friends, check out insanely close up and personal scans of these matchbooks HERE.
The Medium Control was responsible for art direction, design, and flash development for the new Series 30 website. The site was designed along the same lines as the Series 30 identity - minimalist design, with a monotone color scheme. Allowing the Series 30 trailers and photography to contrast against the black & white grid structure. As previously mentioned, Series 30 is a boutique production company based in Washington, DC that produces highly successful series and specials for major cable networks with a focus on non-fiction and alternative programming. Series 30 is currently in production on new crime plot series for A&E. Explore screen shots from the new Series 30 website HERE.
The Medium Control recently designed a new identity system for Series 30, a boutique production company of award winning writers, directors, producers, shooters and editors based in Washington, DC. The Series 30 crew wanted to achieve a minimal and effective logo which would work seamlessly for both on-screen and print mediums. The new identity system allows Series 30 to utilize the square icon solo or in combination with the logotype, providing a strong message of the companies branding. Observe the complete identity system HERE.
Part librarian, part creature of the night. Night or day, I may look like I have seen one or more ghosts in my time. Happy Halloween from from myself and the Humans at the Medium Control.
My favorite spot of the entire Habitat… one must eat to survive. With an open floor plan the Human’s goal was to design a kitchen that did not look too much like a “kitchen.” No one wants to sit in the living room and look at a bunch of appliances - well at least not my Humans. That is why black appliances were paired with black cabinets. Also, notice the lack of actual cabinet space… that is because they opted for almost all drawers, much easier access.The goal here was to keep the color pallet well balanced with the rest of the Habitat. In turn emphasizing the bar top as the focal point which brings in a warm natural element to the room. The bar top serves the essential purpose of breaking up the space visually and functionally between the kitchen and living room. Existing at 9′ x 14″ x 3.5″ it adds sufficient burliness to the kitchen as well. While the kitchen may seem small in size, as with any true minimalist space, it’s design has proved itself highly functional for cooking, living and entertaining. The kitchen deceivingly has plenty of work space and storage while at the same time managing to be unobtrusive.
To find out more about the actual design, materials and finished photos CLICK HERE.
Woodland creatures and boy scouts go together like ______ and _____. Perhaps this painting was created by a Webelo knocking out one of his many badges he must earn. This is a vintage paint by numbers woodland creature masterpiece. The Humans found it last weekend at their new favorite antique store, Hunt and Gather. Personally, I don’t waste my time rummaging around in old stuff…pfffft. However, the Humans can’t seem to get enough of it. They bought this vintage 1967 Weblos Scout book due to it’s diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and text that inspires one to make a home out of twigs. Viva La Nature.
Check out page details below. Also - history lesson alert, do you want to read more paint by numbers? Then click here peoples.
Often I help the Humans dig thru all of their vintage stamps to find these types of iconic art stamps. While they were busy searching and sorting I helped by rearranging the piles and taking a nap on a few of my favorites. It is amazing to come across stamps like these with a strong graphic presence and nice old unsaturated color. These vintage stamps date from the mid-sixties, which is a time period we thoroughly enjoy in all walks of it’s creations. Check out the details up close and personal, click HERE.
Guess what the Humans have been doing lately, besides annoying me with their daily attempts to show me affection – Ugh. They have been busily working on making orange and green Watson the Cat turtlenecks. Word is the turtleneck is soft, comfy, and perfect for the impending arctic air. Plus it comes with my mug – what could be better than that? Check out the new goods below and above all, stay warm my friends.
The frigid tundra is just around the corner so I need to start bulking up for my winter hibernation. The Humans enjoy eating almost as much as I do, but I doubt they think about food as often. They are always telling me how much they enjoy seasonal cooking. Last night they whipped up their veggie version of an Apple-Ginger Pork Chop. Instead of pork the Humans used Tofu, baked up some Carnival Squash and served it over Brown Basmati Rice – yummy. For those who want to know how to actually make this delicious meal – click here.
Due to my cheetah like speed the Humans knew that the Habitat had to have a durable floor. We ended up with polished concrete floors which are practically indestructible. Not only does it add character to the minimalist look of the Habitat, but it is also sustainable. By acting as a foundation slab and finished floor (conservation of material), it also adds to the energy efficiency of the Habitat. The Habitat has in-floor heat, making a nice warm surface for the winter. In the summer the slab cools and acts as a giant AC unit. Both heating and cooling with out a forced air system. To read more about the polishing process and see a few more pictures of the slab click HERE.
Not only did the Humans shoot a little video at the Paris auction but they also managed to take a few pictures of the evening. The auction building itself had an entire outdoor flea market type arrangement. The Humans told me they could have spend hours walking around taking pictures. Faded buildings, vintage trucks, and cracked windows… it was one of those less than beautiful little treasures. All of this set under the lighting of a late summer evening sky. Pictures abound, see more HERE.
The Humans went down to Oklahoma a few months ago and told me all about an auction they spent an evening at in Paris, Texas. Whewie, the Humans told me they have never been to such a place… hundreds of items for sale and the hot item of the evening was a case of Little Debbie snack cakes. While the parents placed bids at the auction, the kids wrestle in the parking lot - quite unique. Enjoy a clip from the Human’s evening in Paris…
I am very pleased that the Humans finally got a record player… now I can enjoy the classics on vinyl (like an obvious favorite: Cat Scratch Fever). The Humans are excited because now they have an excuse to start collecting amazing album covers. The humans keep telling me their design inspiration comes from many sources, however, they have really been enjoying spending the afternoons at an antique stores browsing thru all the old albums. Sure, they might be dusty to dig through but the album art is worth it. I can even agree, check out the type, colors and graphics… stuff like this isn’t found on cd covers. Here are a few of our recent favorites.
While out on Madeline Island the Humans couldn’t resist setting up a little time lapse photography session for their cliff camping. Hope you enjoy this medium control instructional tent setup short… never stop exploring.
The cold Canadian air fiercely blew fall in last week, which means the Humans have packed up their summer tent for the season. Before the end of the tenting season the Humans were able to make it out to Madeline Island, Wisconsin. I am not fond of island life so I lounged about in the Habitat. However, the Humans told me all about kayaking at sunrise through a lagoon, paddling out to the sea caves, and camping on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior. Although, I keep my distance from the icy waters of Lake Superior the Humans actually went swimming out there – crazy. To find out a little bit more about the Human’s Madeline Island adventure – click here.
The humans tell me tales of a time when they lived in a castle in Alnwick, England… which is why they had to have their own big and burly castle staircase. They wanted to pull off this heavy look with a breathable functionality. I am certainly not going to complain about this decision because I thoroughly enjoy zooming up, down, up, down and lounging around on it. A suspended staircase was a must to keep the clean and open aesthetic flowing throughout the Habitat. However, to remain cost effective and still utilize eco materials the Humans had to get creative about choosing the raw materials (let’s just say custom staircase = custom cost). To see and learn more about building the big burly steps… and one of my favorite napping spots, Read the rest of this entry »
That’s right friends our classic Grass design is back by popular demand. The Humans have been busy flocking our Grass design onto canvas tote bags (better than plastic / BYOB), tshirts, and long sleeves. The Humans are rather excited about their flock, it is that sweet fuzzy graphic that is usually spotted on tshirts from the 1970’s. The Humans have wanted to flock the Grass design since way back in the day. Ugh, I have enough of my own fuzzy fur but I guess I can understand wanting something soft and fuzzy… especially if I was cold and pale like a Human. Check out the new goods and get fuzzy my friends.
Locked and loaded, our near extinct ammo: 16mm, Super 8, and 120 slides film boxes
As it may be apparent the Humans are addicted to taking my picture, ugh. During one of Tommy’s history of photography lectures, he explained to me that over the last 10 years digital photography has become the new standard. As such, it has also become the new monotone. Although, he enjoys the convenience of digital he truly relishes the chance to use real film. Film forces the users to concentrate on taking one shot verses five backup shots. Film adds warmth, grain, depth, and texture to create truly unique images. The Humans are never without a couple of their old cameras – they accompany them on all of their travels. Here are a couple of the many cameras from the Humans ever-growing archive.
Hallelujah, it is Friday afternoon folks and I have had a long week of hunting. Yep, that’s right I do “live” inside but once in awhile I open the door and head out into the great unknown (typically I never leave the deck) but today was a day for discovery. Slowly I approached the head high grass with caution (it was difficult to see thru) I then nosed around for a bit before high tailin’ it back to the comforts of home (I know I am bigger than that grasshopper but I have never seen such a weird creature before…it would have scared you too) but before running out I did manage to help the Humans find the perfect spot to shoot pictures of their new flocked grass tote bags. The Humans have been busily working on flocking their classic grass design onto bags and shirts, stay tuned… I bid you adieu, until the next adventure my friends.
Ground control to Major Tom… the habitat has finished interior walls. Now, this is starting to look like a place that I might enjoy spending my time. Plenty of windows with suitable ledges for critter viewing, CHECK. Lot’s of open floor space to make my 100mph dashes, CHECK. A small footprint so I don’t get exhausted and large volume to hear my meows with force, CHECK. Want to know more about the materials the Human’s used and why then read more here.
As a couple of you may have noticed fall is approaching and the evening temperatures are dropping. Due to my thick double coat this is not a problem whatsoever. However, the Humans are wimps and they feel the need to wear layers upon layers. These Zip Joggers must be decent since Tommy lives in his. He is like frickin’ Mister Rogers - one for inside and for outside. All in all they do the trick I guess, if you need to button up for the weather. The chairlift graphic was screen printed, then the Humans stitched an additional line parallel w/ the lift line. Part of the new goods now available in our store. Check out the brown version below, stay warm wimps.
The humans are so excited to finally have a place to post their design inspiration. When they backpacked around the UK they swung by the most amazing bookstore (or so they told me… I don’t have my passport yet but i am working on it) Barter Bookstore is an old train depot in Alnwick, England. You know, the country of kings, castles, and harry potter. They found a couple of Old Ladybird “How It Works..” books about “The Computer” and “The Camera.” Both books are filled with amazing graphic images from the back in the day when a computer filled up an entire room. The type usage in the books is similar to what I explained in the previous post about the typeface used for the new Medium Control identity.
The Humans have many years of inspirational items they are excited to post. Knowing how many years the Humans have been around and collecting is overwhelming compared to my three… We hope you enjoy these images as much as us, see more from these crazy computer and camera books here.
Drumroll please… The Medium Control Design Company has a new identity. For way too long Tommy has been working on this new logo, quite the addict. The inspiration was to create a iconic, classic logo similar to what you would find on an oil can in the 1950’s. Therefore a minimal, simplistic, strong mark was desired. Ugh, I know, he makes me talk like this sometimes when we have to get “serious”… ok, back to business. The new mark achieves multiple visual concepts: 1. THE KEYHOLE. Which represents a sense of exploration, the unknown and the constant search without settling; Goonies like. 2. THE DISCERNING EYE. For too many hours the three of us spend most of our time concentrating on design projects, issues and aspects. Design is our life, inspiration is all around us and most of all in nature. 3. THE GAUGE. Whether it’s a design project, research, travel, etc - we are always on the move. The gauge is never empty nor full and we three attempt to keep a medium control on the situation at hand. 4. THE LITERAL “C”. At -90Âş the “C” for control sits there waiting to control the next task at hand. 5. THE TYPE. Classic, smartly designed and a favorite staple of ours - the Univers typeface stands tall. A thinner weight was selected to fall thin and subtle when printing. Reminiscent of the old type we adore so much, type which our grandparents observed on objects nonchalantly everyday. 6. THE WEIGHT. Best of all the mark has visual weight like me - thick borders and bold black and white.
Whew, I should get paid more for spending my time analyzing like that… So there you have it, the new medium control identity system. As always a big thanks to everyone for listening to my rants and our never ending exploration of the linear aspects of escapism. Cheers people and animals alike.
The habitat was covered in corrugated galvanized steel and fiber cement board. The humans thought the contrast would better match my coat, or so that’s what I thought. It was a little scary before the house was painted since it looked like a zebra for a few months. Luckily the black paint came just in time and added a 5th dimension to the habitat. When strolling outside I now match it to a T. Check out the siding installation and painting below.
I personally don’t have much use for a hoodie (except i am thinking it would make a nice bed, hmm….) The humans have designed a new hoodie to support their never ending rant about alternative energy sources. The wind hoodie is designed with a power-lines abstraction on the front and a multi-transformer graphic on the back. Yay, for wind power but with my big eyes I run and hide every time I see the trees a swaying. Check out more wind hoodie images below and find out what that small print on the back graphic actually says.
The humans can never seem to spend enough time out playing in the snow… even when it’s summer here they are working on a snowboard website. The medium control was responsible for art direction, design, flash development. The background photography was shot by Tommy with his medium format Holga camera which never seems to leave his side. Please have fun viewing the recently launched Academy Snowboard Co. 2009-2010 website.
Dundundun… as previously announced without my permission the humans used my mug icon as the graphic on their new tote bags. However, I must still encourage you to purchase my lovely little bags because my treat portions always tend to increase after every sale – so it is tough to complain (but I manage). One extra plus - my mug on the bags is a velvet soft flock design - pretty sweet… even though it is trademark infringement of my face. Anyway, the humans seem excited to display their hard work so check them out …
When the human’s good friend Lee Johnson hired the medium control to design a identity system for his new foundation we were honored to be of assistance. Not to mention the fact that one of Tommy’s favorite aspects of design is identity creation. The Lee Johnson Kidney Foundation was created to assist families in the organ transplant process. To read more about Lee’s story and how the foundation was created check out his blog onepoundheavier.com. Check out and join the foundation’s Facebook group here as well.
Look, I am a cat and I spend most of my time indoors keeping tabs on all the critters outside. Therefore, windows are of the utmost importance. With as many windows as we could fit in and a passive solar design I am able to enjoy many hours of natural sun without direct rays in my eyes… If anyone knows anything about me it’s that I have rather large eyes. Here lies the next phase in the building process - the window installation. Below you can check out interior and exterior shots of my new triple pane viewing pleasure. In this picture you can see how I had Kristy test out the views.
Up in the atmosphere, up where the air is clear, let’s go fly a… pffft… no thanks. I stayed home during this mid-summer foggy photo shoot at Spirit Mountain. The humans were all amped with excitement over the ambience - weirdos. Yeah, I guess the pictures turned out pretty cool, to see more of their super spooky foggy afternoon check out the pics below.
New Decals - the wheels of production have started spinning and rumor has it that my dinner portions will increase if I can move these decals off the shelf. For the love of god, please buy my face and save my stomach. Put it on your wall, your laptop, car or even your window (to scare away the birdies - hee heee). Check out the new decals available here in 4″, 3″ and 2″. Check out the decal production process below.
The Rusty Dwart surfboard arrived this week. A good choice for handling the fridged waters of lake superior; great shape, and thickness to battle the not-so-buoyant fresh water and hold many lbs of rubber. A big thanks to Ian at Rusty and Bob at Burton for making this happen, we appreciate it.
To get things started on the right foot, Tommy asked me to give it the once over before he actually dropped in the water. I have serious responsbilities around here and product testing is a top priority of the day. Now, you might wonder what i know about surfing… Read the rest of this entry »
Living up North in the frozen tundra, energy conservation is very important. Therefore we wanted to find a builder who was committed to using green building practices to support sustainability. Luckily we found Women in Construction, builders of the Eco-Home. So then it began, the humans kept getting more and more books about green building techniques day in and day out… Read the rest of this entry »
My fellow woodland creatures I have recently overheard we only have two weeks left of summer. Please stock up and fill your stashes. Don’t worry I will be sure to keep an eye on you while you are hard at work running around the yard. Me on the other hand, I will be creating new bags for back to school. Without my permission the humans have decided to use my mug icon as the graphic on the bags… oh the humility. Ugh, I will keep you all posted once they are ready for sale.
We are pleased to present the official website for Garbage Dreams the movie. The medium control was responsible for art direction, design, and flash development. Garbage Dreams is a documentary film by Iskander production that follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade and growing up in the world’s largest garbage village, on the outskirts of Cairo. Far ahead of any “green” initiatives, the village survives by recycling 80 percent of the garbage they collect. Amazing.
You may be unaware that I am officially the unofficial spokes-cat for CUR (“Cats Unite for Recycling”). The website and film has been CUR approved – now go watch the movie – and please remember to recycle that $50 dollar bucket of popcorn on your way out.
Check out the Garbage Dreams trailer and screen shots from the new website below.
We had no space, two rooms, and a lot going on with the habitat build. Therefore, I told them: if I must live out here at least please build me a proper bed suitable for bird watching and an area designated for multiple scratching post options. And I was not talking about any slap bang boom job, this deal had to look good - I lived there and birds checked in on me all day. Overall they did a decent job, it was comfortable and i managed to get a few good nights of sleep. Here is what our project evolved into: Read the rest of this entry »
They made me move out to an island !MEOW!, excuse me, i might just be a cat, but don’t we live in Minnesota? While building the habitat, my humans decided to move out to Park Point an island on Lake Superior in Duluth, Mn. Well, I am not fond of water and I think Tommy is crazy to surf on lake superior - it just sounds cold. But I survived… Read the rest of this entry »
BACKSTORY: I was born on September 8th, 2006 in Rice, Mn.
Since the beginning of my time, I have always wanted to live in the woods (full of critters). Luckily, I found the medium control; it seemed like the perfect fit. Being Black and White I had a desire to find a dwelling that was aesthetically pleasing. So as the story goes I arrived in Duluth, Mn and asked the humans of the medium control (tommy + kristy) to design and build me a suitable habitat. Here are the first stages of the building the medium control habitat.
I am watson the cat, project supervisor at the medium control design company. This is my blog about the humans who work with me and the projects we create on a daily basis.
The question everyone always asks me: “do you always have your tongue sticking out?”
Yes it is. You humans are so uptight you just keep yours in too much.
