The Vostok blog

It’s no news that Spain’s unemployment crisis will get worse before it gets any better. What might be news though are the patterns that arise when you contrast these numbers with different sets of criteria. And that’s just what we’ve done in this video for Actibva. Not your typical poster info-graphic nor your average internet-stats video:

We used Isotype icons as a small hommage to Gerd Arntz and Otto Neurath. In Frank Hartmann’s own words: the first to really understand that information must be transformed into pictures in order to be perceived at all.

You will notice as well a restrained use of visual design. If there’s one thing we’re obsessive about at Vostok is of not overcrowding our work with a mix of shapes, sizes, colors, etc. If done right, a small visual change should suffice. Like in this video. Where a change in color means something, a change in size, a change in position. Because when trying to get information across, nothing is arbitrary: every single detail counts.

Let us know what you think.

Many of you know we worked hard to bring Bill Jersey and Jason Cohn‘s documentary ‘Eames: the Architect and the Painter’ to Madrid. Although it was a private screening for family, friends and clients, we’re proud to say that this was the first time the film was screened in Europe and probably –and I sincerely hope I’m wrong here– the last time it will be screened on the big screen in Madrid.

Lucky for us though, Canal+ Spain will premiere the film sometime in May. Take note of the date because this one’s definitely not worth missing. The amount of archive material these men had access to is astonishing and the way Jason Cohn’s script interweaves private and public aspects of their lives, pretty enlightening.

But, movie-aspects aside, this is a great opportunity to revisit the Eames’ work and, especially, their philosophy. El Pais’ Anatxu Zabalbeascoa did a pretty good job at grasping what this event was all about in her article a few weeks ago: Eames for times of crisis. Charles and Ray taught us that difficult times are a great opportunity to change things: to do more and better.

They injected some of this ‘good design is good business’ mantra in companies like Herman Miller, IBM and Polaroid but they also engrained this in future generations of designers. Like us. Many years after them. This is the main reason why we decided to do this event in the first place and share it with the people we respect. For those of you who came: thank you. This is the first time we do something like this. Hopefully it won’t be the last.

We’d also like to thank the great team behind us in this event: Pelayo and Marta. And Vitra Spain for their generosity.

Designer Michael Bierut says the best clients fall into two categories: the ones who trust you because they know they don’t know and the ones who trust you precisely because they do. To his notion we would add: the best clients are the ones who challenge you. Challenge you to challenge yourself.

We make a big effort in Vostok to choose our clients wisely and there’s a reason for it: when you work with people you admire you work better and quicker. Like a well-oiled machine. There are pros and cons, true, but they’re worth it. Basically because you have days like today.

Today Minube and Ducksboard are taking two important steps forward. For one, Ducksboard has launched. If you haven’t checked out the pretty awesome video yet, do. We made the video with the Riot Cinema team.

Next in line is Minube. After winning Apple’s Spain’s best app of the year award and the App Date [links in Spanish] award a few days ago, they’re organizing a pretty cool event today to celebrate the launch of their social traveler guides on iPad.

All in all, a pretty good way to begin closing 2011.

Our friends at Arquinauta released ABCkit, an iPad/ iPhone app to teach kids the letters in Spanish, a couple of months ago. They’re currently working on a version for English. And are now getting all set up to make a pitch for the AppCircus. They needed a video and got in touch with us. We, in turn, got in touch with Riotcinema to work together our magic. This is what we came up with:

The location, the actor and the voice-over are made by Vostok. The script, the photography, the music and the editing are made by Riot Cinema. A special thanks goes to Luis Enrique Carrión. This man can do wonders with a Canon EOS 5D and a bit of light.

I would encourage you to read along side a great post by Arquinauta’s Karina Ibarra in UX Mag that covers extensively lessons learned, she now shares, when designing for kids. Especially kids 3 and under.

We wish Arquinauta’s team the best and hope to see such a beautifully-designed app used in many more languages.

多くのカトリックの子供たちが体験するように、私も１０歳のときに初めて聖餐の儀式を受けた。友達や親戚からたくさんのプレゼントをもらったが、そのほとんどは本や服だった。しかし、私が一番気に入ったプレゼントは、１２の異なる音色を奏でるCASIOのデジタル腕時計だった。それを腕にしていると、まるで未来を身にまとうような心地がした。時計の裏を見てみるとそこには「Made in Japan」と刻まれていた。こんな素晴らしいものを作る国は一体どんなところなんだろうと想像を巡らせていた。その時計が本当に大好きだった私はある日、大きくなったら日本に行って、その時計を作るような人たちと一緒に仕事をして、未来を作る人になりたいと心に誓った。１０歳のとき、私はそんな夢を抱いていた。

今、私は３６歳になり、インタラクションデザインスタジオを経営している。そして日本で仕事をしようと決心した。

Vostok Studioは日本へ進出する。以前のように旅行者としてではなく、日本人と共に、日本人のために仕事をするデザイナーとして。日本は長年に渡って私たちに多くのものを与えてくれた。今こそ、そのお返しをするときなのだと感じている。いつも私たちに何かを教え、ワクワクさせてくれた国、そして最近ではその国のことを思い、多くの人たちが涙を流した。そんな国から興す美しい復興の一員になりたいと心から思う。

優秀なデザイナーなら誰しも私たちの仕事が日本文化から多大な影響を受けているということを意識しているはずだ。日本庭園、武道、寿司、禅、CASIO、SONY、SEGA、BANDAI、MUJI、Panasonic、SEIKO、TOYOTA、アニメ、ガンダム、深澤直人さん、原研哉さん、・・・その他多くの人やメーカー、ブランドなど、名前をあげれば切りがないほどある。

品質や完璧さ、職人技、美やバランスの感覚、高尚さ・・・これらはVostokが追求する価値でもある。そのような共通点もあり、日本への最初の第一歩を踏み出すのに今が絶好の機会だと確信している。ワクワクせずにはとてもいられない。

私たちは、尊敬する様々なブランドやデザイナー、多くの成果を見てきたが、日本のインタラクションデザインにはまだまだ成長の余地が多く残っているように思う。素晴らしい技術者がいる国、そして、技術者主導のプロダクトが持つ否定的な側面へも寛容だった社会、日本。しかし、iPhoneが日本へもたらされたとき、適切にデザインされたインターフェースとユーザーエクスペリエンスが日本社会でもすぐに受け入れられ、歓迎された。ということは、私たちVostokにもチャンスがあるのではないだろうか。

他国でデザインスタジオの活動を広げていくのは容易ではない。まして、スペインで誕生した小さな会社が国際社会に飛び込み、しかし組織のサイズは小さなままで活動を続けていこうというのは普通ではない。不安定で険しい道になることは間違いないし、具体的に何をどうしていくのかという懸念もある。でも私たちは本気で取り組む事にした。マドリードと東京の双方から仕事をし始めて数ヶ月が過ぎた。将来日本からのクライアントとなり得る人たちへ向け、私たちの仕事や、デザインに対する考えがきちんと伝えられるように、東京にいるチームが映像作品や、ケーススタディ、ビデオなどの翻訳や、異文化適応対策に取り組んで来た。文字を翻訳しただけでは十分伝わらないことは分かっているので、ポートフォリオも準備し、視覚的な面も含め、より様々な角度からVostokを理解してもらえるよう努めて来た。Eri KageyamaとDani Alíasの２人は東京で活動している私たちの誇るVostokチームの仲間だ。Karyna Wallaceも多大な助力をしてくれた。何十年も日本に住み、ファッションデザイナーやファブリック設計に従事してきた彼女は、自身の日本での活躍などを喜んで私たちに教えてくれた。これらの人たちの支えや、そしてもちろん、マドリードで共に働く私のVostokチームの協力のお陰で私は自信を持ってここまで来る事ができたのだと感謝している。

かくして、私は第一歩を踏み出した。入学前日の子供のようにワクワクしている。５年前のVostok Studioの誕生以来、今までで一番重要な決断なのだから。そしてもうすぐそれは現実となり、動き始める。日本へ進出するというのは、険しく冒険的な決断だと思う。膨大な時間やお金もかかることだ。しかし、こうして私を突き動かすのは、純粋に日本が好きという気持ちなんだと思う。

Khoi is former Design Director of NYTimes.com, he has a blog called Subtraction and an elegant WordPress theme called Basic Maths. He’s also one of the most outspoken critics of how the news industry is dealing with changing consumption habits and vanishing revenue streams. He’s poignant but respectful, an insider who never quite stopped being an outsider. A designer we respect for upping the ante.

It’s quite discouraging to see so many failed attempts at adapting a product as important to society as newspapers that we felt we needed to ask the guy to go to for this subject to share his thoughts on what has changed, what newspapers are doing to adapt and why their changes are so timid. We encourage you to watch the full-length interview in case you want more information or, like me, are just curious about the man. If not, here’s a good 4min compilation of snippets of the most important things we touched on.

On a side note… One of Vostok‘s dream jobs would be, without a doubt, to design an online newspaper. It would also be one of our worst job nightmares…You have to deal with infinite layers and inevitable complex structures, not to mention the frustration of having to play by the rules when you know the rules are no longer valid. It’s not an easy task. You can read a compilation of what our stance is when it comes to online news design here.

Agree? Not agree? Let us know what you think.

We were hired by Movistar, a high-powered Spanish telecom with important international presence, to envision the best solution for what their online video and television service should be like. We have spent the last few months designing it and collaborating with Movistar’s UX team. And we are incredibly proud of the results.

It’s the product of months of work but, most importantly, it’s a representation of Vostok’s design principles: it’s simple, it’s elegant, it’s honest.

The premise: An online service for film, TV series and linear TV that could be accessed anytime, anywhere. For clients and non-clients. Our solution: a native grid system that responds to a set pattern of interactions that work across all platforms (PC, TV and mobile phones).

To share our thought process we have uploaded a slideshow that puts together the design premises we kicked off with. And a webpage that shows a selection of the design aspects in the final product we find most interesting.

Last, but not least we release a video made in collaboration with Riot Cinema that is the perfect accompaniment to this product. Don’t forget to check it out

Curious to know what you think.

Some major changes, not always apparent in the video:

• cleaner navigation
• ‘My Times’ a personalized NYTimes.com
• articles are more scanneable and scrolleable
• more videos, and better players
• the sections of most popular, most emailed, most blogged
• Times topics (articles organized by categories and not just sections)
• Articles can be printed and shared online

Years of trial and error redesigns, facelifts, surgeries and tests implemented by the NYTimes.com design team to keep in check. Admirable? Absolutely. Enough? No. What happened with less but better?

These pictures from Faasdant’s set on clear design illustrate the exact moment when Braun stopped being a design driven company and became a marketing driven subsidiary of Procter & Gamble:

It’s easy to spot the switch from honest appearance to styling, the gratuitious use of color and shapes that are not meant to serve function but to convey things different than the product purpose.

Some time ago we made a short video in homage to Dieter Rams and those beautifully designed products:

We also paid homage to Braun in in our recent “To me, design is…” video. How many Braun products can you spot in it?

It’s a pity certain things don’t last forever. We’re happy to announce though, our Vostok sleeves are all sold out