Every designer has a morgue. The word "morgue" refers to that collection of photos, drawings, fabric swatches and bric-a-brac, which you carry around as both inspiration and explanation. A portfolio containing past work simply isn't enough. Designers need tangible examples to show the client in order to demonstrate ideas. Where do we get these pictures and snippets of inspiration? Until recently, our sources were magazines, more magazines, industry shows and the occasional television program.
These days, it isn't just professionals that are obsessed with design. Television viewers across the world tune into programs that center on home/life projects and products. Bookstores are stacked with magazines, covering every aspect from furniture, to architecture, to textiles. Now, human invention has given us computers and the Internet. Now, designers create digital morgues and search the web for inspiration. One is able to browse catalogues and read informative articles without ever visiting a bookstore. Almost anyone can access video of rooms and concepts, over the web, instead of television. Because of the net, we can enter repositories of ideas, 24 hours a day. We see the newest, smartest designs faster. What we desire now are websites that can keep up with demand.
Blogs are much more than glorified journals. Modern blog software is closer in comparison to a publishing house. Blog software combines text content with multimedia content, easy operation, push-button publishing and instant syndication. In tactile reality, it would require an office and staff plus equipment and delivery trucks to accomplish the same duties as blog software. Blog software is designed so that the user may create an interactive portal for any subject they desire. Blog software automatically creates pages that comply with the XML language, which means that blogs can be viewed on wireless devices as well as the web. One can update or read a blog from almost any PC or device, including cell phones and PDAs.
Blogs never close. They never run out of stock. That article that impressed you a year ago will exist a year from now. No ordering back-copies. No waiting for paste up or printers. No concern for studio space or broadcast licenses. No running to the bookshop for the latest issue. Blogs give you an up-to-date overview in a way unimaginable twenty years ago. You can read about a chair, view a 360º image of it, compare price and travel to the manufacturer's store, all from a blog.
Design blogs aren't new but they are better than they've ever been. These are the destinations that designers (professional and amateur) look to as the beacons on the Information Highway. Whatever your needs may be, there is a design blog that speaks to you. Some are fun. Some are stunning. Some have amazing search and cross-linking applications. There are design blogs that offer community interaction with commenting and/or message boards. Many serve video and deep information on featured products and trends. The blogs below are FOKaL favorites. We recommend any one of these outstanding gateways and list them in no particular order:
TreeHugger
Going Green is going gangbusters because the market has caught up with the concept. TreeHugger is a respected and established blog for those with an eye on sustainable design. Over six years, TreeHugger has maintained its dedication to saving the planet, one good idea at a time. With an average of 28 posts per day, this site has been called the “Green CNN”. Read the posts. Watch TreeHugger TV. Learn from tutorials. Get involved with the sustainability movement at TreeHugger.
MoCo Loco
Mo, stands for Modern. Co. stands for Contemporary. Loco means crazy. This blog dances on the cutting edge of creativity. One can lose track of time getting lost in the eyecandy. If it's innovative, eye-catching, brilliant or cool, chances are the clever bloggers at MocoLoco have posted an entry on it. This site is edited by MoCo Loco fan Henry Wakefield and the posts are made by a small assortment of writers. The topics cover over thirty categories and the white, gray and pearl layout make the gorgeous photography pop.
Core77
Core77 was built for professionals and those working towards a career in industrial design. Aside from daily entries by regular “Cloggers”, members are able to post their portfolios, search the job board and stay posted on upcoming industry events. Play the latest Core77 podcast – a series featuring interviews with people paving the future. The Core77 Army is serious about purpose but always with a touch of humor and flair. Visit on your computer or get the latest RSS feeds on your mobile. Sign up for the email newsletter. Mine their database of Firms Listings. Core77 is where the leaders come to blog.
Better Living Through Design
BLTD. This blog is so clean it's as if you were entering an art gallery. Kris and Katie scour the web looking for the products that rise above the fray. When you see something you want on BLTD, you can rest assured you'll be able to buy it. BLTD links every product to its seller. The stark design of the site insures that you won't miss a single, stunning entry. Furnish. Remodel. Read Travel. Don't let the Zen of the place fool you. BLTD is packed full for the traveler as well as the stay-at-home shopper.
DeZeen
Author and icon magazine founder, Marcus Fairs, started DeZeen little more than a year ago. Already, this blog has reached the pinnacle for architecture denizens. It helps when the blog owner is an award-winning writer, talented speaker and occasional documentary filmmaker. Mr. Fairs hits the shows and conventions and serves up news, interviews and irregular gossip. While the main focus of DeZeen is architecture, anyone will enjoy all the entries on this entertaining insider blog.
Inhabitat
Almost a decade on the web and running strong. Jill Fehrenbacher and her talented crew show us that sustainability looks good. You'll find yourself drooling over featured designs and tearing up as you read about world-changing notions. Ask a question for the experts. Load a few Inhabitat videos. Come to find green solutions. Stay and become part of the Inhabitat mission: "Green Design is Good Design. Good Design is Green Design".
Design*Sponge
Grace Bonney has written for noted publications such as Food & Wine, New York Home, House and Garden and City Magazine. She also writes the weekly design column for the Philadelphia Enquirer. News posts are added several times per day and Bonney gives special love to student design and industry shows. Fun and funky, Design Sponge absorbs everything available and washes over you with the best offerings.
Fabulously Green
Blogger Stephanie Zhong has an obsession: Great Design that promotes her Earth-friendly philosophy. You won't find much preaching but you will find a blog loaded with green products and ideas. Ms. Zhong is a big fan of recycling and DIY projects. For those of you aching to become a part of sustainable society, yet discouraged by the price tag attached to many such items, this blog is for you. The writing is personable and her finds are uncommon.
All of these sites are listed in our Design Index Blog category. Our Design Index is bursting with almost 30 categories. Work, Storage, Designers, Lighting, Art, are but a few of the pages that will take you across cyberspace to the best there is. Design Index is a valuable resource for the professional, the student and the layperson.
Think of a design blog as a digital version of your beloved design magazine. Look to these sites as storehouses of images, ideas and links that your can add to your personal, digital design morgue. Find pieces. Learn about trends and techniques. Locate manufacturers and suppliers. Give yourself an advantage in your field and with your peers. Gorge yourself on delicious design photography. These blogs are a working example of good design.