http://kickstarter.tumblr.com/

We’ll take you on a journey from the cathedral altar deep into...

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 16:00:23 -0400

We’ll take you on a journey from the cathedral altar deep into the vaults of the Kremlin itself. Hopefully, this is a journey that you’ll only have to make once in your life.

In 2012, members of the Russian punk collective Pussy Riot were sentenced to prison for staging a protest performance inside a Moscow cathedral. As of this week, you can support their project to share their experience in a visceral, immersive work of political theater.

Handpicked Happening: Got a Girl Crush

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 16:00:25 -0400

Welcome to Handpicked Happening, where we talk to some of our favorite Kickstarter creators and get their recommendations for things to read, watch, and listen to.

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Issue 6 cover design by Loveis Wise

Got a Girl Crush is a blog and annual print magazine featuring interviews with women of all ages, races, and backgrounds. “We feature the badass accomplishments of women in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same,” say editors Meg Wachter and Amanda Stosz. Now through July 30, they’re funding their sixth print issue.

Here, Meg and Amanda share what’s on their radar — but first, a quick Q&A.

What should everyone know about Got a Girl Crush?

We met working as photo retouchers and have both worked in the media industry for nearly a decade. After having constant moral issues with contributing to unrealistic body image standards for women, we’ve decided to leave behind what we don’t believe in.

What creative tool or resource has been the most useful to Got a Girl Crush?

This year, our greatest inspiration has been a coalition of all-female independent publishers based here in Brooklyn, currently called Untitled Feminist Media Empire — a.k.a. The Mag Mob. All of us have different strengths to bring to the table, and collectively we have big plans for the future. Stay tuned!

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

Michelle Obama. Björk. Amy Goodman. Kathleen Hanna. Solange.

Hello Mr. magazine

Seven projects picked by Meg and Amanda

Maka México

Give Mexican women artisans an opportunity to preserve their traditions and take their beautiful embroidery around the world.

Courage Has No Gender
Help bring this large-scale mural to ten cities across the U.S. The project aims to build community and demonstrate how supporting each other’s courage makes us stronger together.

Hello Mr. Magazine Residency
Our brother-in-print, Hello Mr., is launching a magazine residency called “The Issues” that provides mentorship and resources to emerging talent in queer publishing.

Black and Blue: The Yvonne Bechet Story
A group of activists and theater artists are producing a play about the life of Yvonne Bechet, one of the first female officers in the New Orleans Police Department.

Punto Gozadera: Restaurant and Feminist Cultural Space
Two things we love: supporting other women and vegetarian food.

Little Paper Planes: Workshop and After-School Arts Program
The founder of this San Francisco staple is building a workshop in the back of her store to offer art classes for adults and children.

Other Music: The Story of an Iconic Independent Record Store
Record store culture was a huge influence on us growing up. Help fund this documentary chronicling the twenty-year history of Other Music and its influence on music in New York City.

Other Music

Five indie magazines you should be reading

MATH
A progressive and inclusive print quarterly for adults (NSFW).

Selfish
A digital and print platform featuring memoirs from the “radically evolving.”

Tom Tom
The only magazine in the world dedicated to female drummers and beat-makers. It’s a force looking to shake up the male-dominated music industry.

La Motocyclette
This biannual magazine features stories and images from the new wave of women motorcyclists around the world.

Bushwick Review
Like the Paris Review, BR showcases the work of writers, poets, photographers, graphic designers, and comic artists from New York City and beyond.

Selfish magazine

A couple links we recommend

2 Dope Queens
If you like listening to podcasts at work and maniacally laughing while wearing headphones, we highly recommend this for your listening pleasure.

The Tallest Woman I Know: An Interview with Aly Stosz
A recent Girl Crush interview between Amanda and her very tall sister, Aly.

Etc.

Troll cakes

“To truly feel alive on the planet — to grow and learn — you...

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 16:00:16 -0400

“To truly feel alive on the planet — to grow and learn — you have to move outside of your comfort zone. You have to be experimental.“ —designers Peter Dunham and Linnea Gits

“I firmly believe in that John Cage quote: “Begin anywhere.” It...

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 16:00:20 -0400

“I firmly believe in that John Cage quote: “Begin anywhere.” It seems so simple on the surface, but it’s the only mode of thinking that helps me get started and work through the blocks.” —graphic designer Safwat Saleem

Working On It: Cristy C. Road’s Next World Tarot

Sun, 23 Jul 2017 16:00:10 -0400

With The Next World Tarot, Cristy C. Road reimagines the ancient practice of tarot card reading as a vehicle for social justice. The illustrated cards tell stories about “smashing systematic oppression, owning our truth, and being accountable to the people and places that support us.”

Over 500 backers helped bring the project to life in 2015. Recently, Road shared some of the final designs for The Next World Tarot in a project update. Read on to learn more about her process and see some of the final designs.

Greetings from the secret offices of Cristy C. Road, where I live my life as a dinosaur and infrequently use social media. I’m here to share with you some card layouts and a contact sheet of 50 or so finished cards.

Some of these cards have been re-drawn multiple times — over years or days — as some of the original themes have become irrelevant to the deck’s final voice. Despite that, the more I reach for the most complex stars, the longer it takes to create something I’m happy with.

It’s been a long haul and I’m so happy to be edging on the finish line.

Read the full project update here.

“Being creative, making things, figuring yourself out—that’s...

Sat, 22 Jul 2017 16:00:11 -0400

“Being creative, making things, figuring yourself out—that’s never a waste of time.” —Beach House (via The Creative Independent)

“The fun is in the learning.” —Liz and Sarah Downey, founders of...

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 16:00:20 -0400

“The fun is in the learning.” —Liz and Sarah Downey, founders of Two Tumbleweeds

“Design with purpose. Each decision, whether design or...

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 16:00:03 -0400

“Design with purpose. Each decision, whether design or materials, should be self-evidently justified.” —Bibliotheca designer Adam Lewis Greene

“Don’t worry about it not being perfect. Perfectionism can...

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 16:00:05 -0400

“Don’t worry about it not being perfect. Perfectionism can easily turn into procrastination. I think it’s better to get an idea out there, and then make improvements based on the needs and wants of the people using it.” —Kelly Angood, creator of the Videre DIY pinhole camera

“Our best mode of thinking is doing. When we’re stuck, we...

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 16:00:25 -0400

“Our best mode of thinking is doing. When we’re stuck, we try to do something physical — paddle, walk, or climb.” —Oru Kayak designer Anton Willis

“Keep working nights and weekends. Keep dreaming to make this...

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 16:00:07 -0400

“Keep working nights and weekends. Keep dreaming to make this your day job.” —Candylab Toys designer Vlad Dragusin

“The most valuable asset in the Public Lab community is...

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:00:26 -0400

“The most valuable asset in the Public Lab community is community itself: our research culture grows out of the diverse range of skills, perspectives, and sensibilities that Public Lab members share with each other.” —Jeffrey Warren and Mathew Lippincott of Public Lab

Handpicked Happening: Technology Will Save Us

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:00:01 -0400

A high-five machine, a plinky-plonky piano, and a fire-breathing dragon are just a few of the cool things you can create with Dough Universe, the latest Kickstarter project by the STEM superstars at Technology Will Save Us.

Here, co-founder Bethany Koby shares why she’s dedicated to developing toys that encourage kids to “make, code, craft, and invent.”

You founded Technology Will Save Us in 2012 — how has the world of educational toys changed since then?

Drastically! When we launched, no one was creating toys that allowed kids to explore tech. Today, we’re not the only ones on this mission — our friends at Primo Toys, Kano, and Sphero have created their own remarkable toys to address this need.

It’s also great to see the bigger players starting to take notice: Sphero’s partnership with Disney to create a codable BB-8 for Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought what we’re doing in this sector to an unbelievably wide audience.

What inspired Dough Universe and its complementary app?

Kids and parents love the “eureka moment” of creating circuits with dough. Many parents [worry] that tablets are as much a curse as a benefit, so we created an app that’s both fun and educational.

Why do you think it’s important for children to learn about technology at a young age?

Tech is an increasingly familiar part of our lives. We need to provide [kids] with the skills to customize and work with tech, as opposed to merely consuming it. Using tech at an early age means learning important social and development skills like problem-solving, dexterity, spatial awareness, and scientific vocabulary.

The five best online communities for craft and play (not just for kids!)

Micro:bit

The home of inspirational ideas for BBC micro:bit lovers.

LoveCrafts

A community for knitters and crocheters.

DIY.org

A treasure trove of activities for kids.

Girls Go Digital

Computer science and technology events, workshops, and camps for girls.

Code First: Girls

This UK-based organization helps women and girls of all ages get into coding.

Check these out

Reality Editor 2

Just watching a minute or two of this video from Fluid Interfaces makes my mind pop with the limitless possibilities for this technology.

OKIDO Magazine

This beautifully illustrated magazine for three- to eight-year-olds explains the science of the everyday in a fun and interactive way.

Aquila Magazine

When your kids have grown out of OKIDO, move on to this magazine covering fascinating science and challenging projects on a new topic each issue.

Multiple Arms Interaction Metamorphism

This looks kind of dystopian, but the intersection of the human body and technology is something that inspires a lot of our thinking around product development.

“It was fascinating to see how each photographer worked. Some...

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 16:00:23 -0400

“It was fascinating to see how each photographer worked. Some used digital, some used film. Some preferred to visit multiple sanatoriums in a short space of time, while others preferred to immerse themselves in their surroundings. The creative process for each team member varied greatly — a testament to the many different types of creativity and creative thinking in this world.” —Maryam Omidi

Handpicked Happening: Citizen Science Edition

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 16:00:29 -0400

David Lang builds tools for underwater exploration. This summer, he and his team are shipping out the OpenROV Trident, a ready-to-use underwater drone they funded on Kickstarter in 2015 with the support of over 1,300 backers. Here, he waxes poetic on oceanic adventures and shares how you can get involved in the emerging field of citizen science.

What should everyone know about the OpenROV Trident?

There’s a simple description: it’s a swimming camera that can dive to depths of 100 meters and send live video back over a thin tether. But that never does it justice. It’s really an adventure machine, a tool to help you explore new worlds.

Why are you excited about making ocean exploration more accessible?

I think life is more interesting in pursuit of big questions, and the ocean is the perfect place to start [exploring]. We read often about the problems facing the oceans, and how little of them we’ve actually explored. To me, and to many in our community, that’s an exciting challenge.

What did you learn between first launching OpenROV as a DIY kit and launching the Trident, a professionally manufactured drone?

Manufacturing a product is much harder. Kits are just parts in a box, but a product becomes this constellation of complexities. Every step has to be executed with such precision, so as not to set off a chain reaction of future problems. The important thing [we learned]: build something you really want [to see exist]. It keeps you obsessed with the details. We want this tool, and we definitely want to deliver an extraordinary product to our backers who helped bring it to life.

Five citizen science projects I love

DoggyBiome
There have been some truly weird and interesting citizen science projects on Kickstarter; this is one of the more ambitious.

The Oru Kayak
This team started their project at the same time as we did OpenROV. It’s so cool to see how far the product and team has come.

Science Abridged
Zach and Kelly Weinersmith are always fun. Automatic back!

Balloon Mapping Kits
Public Lab rocks. They are true pioneers in the citizen science movement.

Safecast bGeigie Raku
SafeCast is another classic citizen science project. Kickstarter Gold means we have another chance to back it.

Five OpenROV expeditions I’m following on OpenExplorer

Meteorite Hunt
Earlier this year, a widely reported sighting of a meteorite landing in Lake Michigan set off a serious search for the space rock. These explorers are hot on the trail.

Freshwater Jellyfish
Have you ever seen a freshwater jellyfish? I haven’t. That’s why I’m eagerly following this expedition from a jellyfish expert at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Antarctic Minke Whales
This expedition is going under the ice to study the foraging behavior of one of the least understood krill predators in Antarctic waters: the minke whale.

High-Altitude Archaeology
What secrets hide in Laguna Sibinacocha, located in the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of 16,000 feet?

Jurassic Sponge Conservation
The glass sponge reefs off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, contain some of the oldest creatures on the planet. This expedition is trying to draw attention to these fragile ecosystems.

Five science-themed links I like

This Nature article from 2013 builds a case for the value of slow science.

The Forest Service runs a network of 80 “experimental” forests. I think they’re fascinating.

If you see an animal or plant that you can’t identify, upload a photo of it to iNaturalist, my favorite app.

Zooniverse has dozens of citizen science projects that need your research skills to advance discovery.

The Kickstarter-funded Foldscope “microcosmos” community site is full of good questions and endless enthusiasm.

Etc.

The birders never sleep

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“Never stop working — though if you must, always have your...

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 16:00:21 -0400

“Never stop working — though if you must, always have your sketchbook on hand. Never stop pushing yourself to try new ideas or techniques outside your comfort zone. Embrace being uncomfortable with new work, and recognize the importance of failure. It’s how you invent new things, and it paves the way for you to travel in surprising new directions.” —artist Scott Teplin

Handpicked Happening: Point-and-Click

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:00:13 -0400

Meet Ron Gilbert, the game designer behind classic LucasArts adventure games like Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island. In 2014 he and Gary Winnick raised over $600,000 on Kickstarter to create Thimbleweed Park, a video game following two washed-up detectives as they explore a very strange town. Three years (and a lot of work) later, Thimbleweed Park finally is ready to play.

What should everyone should know about Thimbleweed Park?

One, Thimbleweed Park is a classic point-and-click adventure game, but with a lot of modern design sensibilities. Two, it’s a dark-noir comedy. Three, the ending is very controversial — and I like that.

What are five things every good adventure game needs?

An interesting world to explore.
Interesting characters that inhabit that world.
An interesting story about what those characters are doing in that world.
Puzzles that inform the player about the world, characters, or story. (If the puzzle doesn’t do one of those thing things, cut it.)
Humor is vital. Players are often asked to do weird things, and humor allows them to embrace that.

Tell us about the game’s soundtrack, which is a throwback to the wonderful sounds of ‘90s gaming.

The soundtrack was meant to evoke the feeling of TV shows like Twin Peaks and The X-Files, where the music is slow and mysterious. With action games, you want music to drive the energy, but for a game like Thimbleweed Park, the music needs to create a mood of uneasiness.

Three things to watch

Numberphile
I am really bad at math, so I find everything they do one step away from being magic.

The Games Developers Conference
For anyone interested in game development, these (free) talks are a must-watch.

Susan Cain on the Power of Introverts
I’m an introvert, and spent the vast majority of my life thinking there was something wrong with me. Five years ago I read an article on introverts and realized that I’m normal. Unfortunately, we live in a world that prioritizes and normalizes extroverts, while introverts are often considered abnormal, antisocial, or even rude.

Etc.

Artist Mark Ferrari’s 8-bit color cycling images

Handpicked Happening: Bigger than me

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:00:15 -0400

Meet Glory Edim. In addition to working closely with creators as Kickstarter’s Publishing Outreach Specialist, she’s the founder of Well-Read Black Girl (WRBG), a book club and online platform celebrating Black literature. (Get her TinyLetter here.) Take it away, Glory!

What should people know about Well-Read Black Girl?

I want Well-Read Black Girl to be much bigger than me. I take the word “amplification” quite literally; every writer deserves to championed on a grand scale. By focusing primarily on novels by Black women, I’m building a community that’s dedicated to supporting their work.

What are some things you’ve learned since launching it?

1. Reading changes people’s perspectives, and ultimately their lives.

2. Everyone has a story, and helping others share their story is a privilege.

3. Be bold with your creativity and take risks, even when you’re afraid.

What was the last great book you finished?

What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons, out this July.

Photograph by Medina Dugger

Eight projects I love

[reads]

Terre Magazine

Never Built New York

Fantastic Fiction at KGB

CAST, STAGE, AUTHOR

Oakland’s Mamacitas Cafe

As the Crow Flies: Volume One

Brooklyn Deep: Reporting Our Truth

Five links I love

Seriously, everything is funny to Samantha Irby (Elle)

How Maya Angelou taught me to live a full life (BuzzFeed)

Remembering the great poet Gwendolyn Brooks at 100 (NPR)

How a trained journalist is using public art to expose media racism (ArtNet)

The rareness and difficulty of love: on James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room (LitHub)

Etc.

Illustration by Shannon Wright

Help reissue the first-ever IBM Graphic Standards Manual, a...

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 16:00:25 -0400

Help reissue the first-ever IBM Graphic Standards Manual, a graphic design time capsule originally designed by Paul Rand. See more here.

Handpicked Happening: Defragmenting

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 16:00:16 -0400

Internet wormholes are digital artist Jenny Odell’s specialty. Whether she’s digging for “surreal specimens” from ‘80s animations or creating collages from satellite imagery, she finds the beauty in cast-off digital ephemera. A prime example: her Satellite Collection prints, which she created with the support of 52 backers on Kickstarter earlier this year. Here, she shares highlights from her online explorations.

Jenny Odell’s 681 Observatory Domes, Telescopes, and Other Structures for Long Range Observation

Projects I love

The IBM Graphic Standards Manual
Old computer stuff is on my mind lately.

Never Built New York
In another life, I’d be a historian. I especially love dwelling on the unfinished or almost-built environments of the past.

4 ½ ft: Bicycle Drawing Ride
This project has it all — land art, performance, cycling, maps, history. As a computer-bound artist, I’m jealous.

Jenny Odell on Twitter

Five things you can see from the sky

1. LUECKE, Smithville, TX

This giant signature belongs to Jimmie Luecke, a Texas oil millionaire who bulldozed his name into his ranch in the 1990s. NASA now uses it to calibrate their instruments!

2. HACK, Menlo Park, CA

The main quad at the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park reads “HACK” from above. I once ate lunch near the “H.”

3. Ni pena, ni miedo, Atacama Desert, Chile

This poem is by Chilean poet Raúl Zurita, who also wrote poems in the sky above New York City using airplanes. He started imagining “writing poems in the sky, on the faces of cliffs, in the desert” during Augusto Pinochet’s regime.

4. HAMAD (removed)

This is the signature of an Arab sheikh who is also incidentally responsible for the world’s largest truck. It has since been mysteriously removed, with one of the sheikh’s associates saying simply, "we deleted it.”

5. KFC logo (removed)

For many years, in a town close to Area 51, there was a giant KFC logo made up of tens of thousands of square plastic tiles. The company referred to it in a press release as the world’s first "astrovertisement.” When it disappeared, I wrote an elegy for it.

Links I like

Aram Bartholl, Map
It’s pretty obvious why I like this.

Daniel Kolitz, The Datadrive
Imagine: Mark Zuckerberg has fled Facebook and has been replaced by Texas mattress tycoon Buck Calhoun!

This Google Chrome extension…
… that makes each new tab open to a random view from Google Earth. Very distracting! In a good way?

Anthony Antonellis, Facebook Bliss
So real.

Sara Hendren, “Design for Know-Nothings, Dilettantes, and Melancholy Interlopers”
I saw this talk last year and immediately assigned it to my design students; it’s especially good for anyone who’s ever had a hard time explaining to people what it is that they do.

Etc.

‘80s 3D animations

http://kickstarter.tumblr.com/

We’ll take you on a journey from the cathedral altar deep into...

Handpicked Happening: Got a Girl Crush

Seven projects picked by Meg and Amanda

Five indie magazines you should be reading

A couple links we recommend

Etc.

“To truly feel alive on the planet — to grow and learn — you...

“I firmly believe in that John Cage quote: “Begin anywhere.” It...

Working On It: Cristy C. Road’s Next World Tarot

“Being creative, making things, figuring yourself out—that’s...

“The fun is in the learning.” —Liz and Sarah Downey, founders of...

“Design with purpose. Each decision, whether design or...

“Don’t worry about it not being perfect. Perfectionism can...

“Our best mode of thinking is doing. When we’re stuck, we...

“Keep working nights and weekends. Keep dreaming to make this...

“The most valuable asset in the Public Lab community is...

Handpicked Happening: Technology Will Save Us

The five best online communities for craft and play (not just for kids!)

Check these out

“It was fascinating to see how each photographer worked. Some...

Handpicked Happening: Citizen Science Edition

Five citizen science projects I love

Five OpenROV expeditions I’m following on OpenExplorer

Five science-themed links I like

Etc.

“Never stop working — though if you must, always have your...

Handpicked Happening: Point-and-Click

Three things to watch

Etc.

Handpicked Happening: Bigger than me

Eight projects I love

Recommended reading

Five links I love

Etc.

Help reissue the first-ever IBM Graphic Standards Manual, a...

Handpicked Happening: Defragmenting

Projects I love

Five things you can see from the sky

Links I like

Etc.