Author: dots and spaces

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from the rooftops

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Blogs

Some of the more observant of you have noticed that this site responds to a new address – you can now find dots and spaces at the usual typepad address and now at the new sparkly www.dotsandspaces.co.uk. This is because I now have a hosting package where I can play around with a few website ideas, host my portfolio at www.giantparty.net and sort out my email.

The last couple of years have been a huge learning experience in terms of the web and I now feel very confident building sites using html and css (old skool), and now cms packages such as joomla and drupal, and specialist blogging tools like wordpress and typepad (which is what has driven this little site since February 2004). There is plenty of advice out there to support these web tools and if you have a problem, or need a little fix, you can be sure someone out there has already beaten you to it.

If you think that you’d like a blog then drop me a line. I’ve already set up a few sites for various people who use their blogs to do everything from keep in touch with friends, talk about important issues, sell their wares, rap about life or just put up some pictures. It can look professional or low-fi, personal or minimalist – you choose. Remember, the revolution will not be televised…it will be blogged.

widgets

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Just in case anyone fancies it – my blog is now a widget that you can get here. I don’t really know the point of it yet, but as with all these things it just takes a little time.

Cadence

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This is the first video I’ve included, yay – thought you might like to see what crazy people can do on their bicycles.

I found this whilst searching for more cool bike clobber – check out cadence clothing who make really lovely stuff, who I came to from one of the many links at cranked magazine, which is another american bike publication. Does anyone do this sort of thing in the UK?

Right, tomorrow I’ll start my own cool bike clothing company – anyone got any ideas?

I have to note that at my age, I shouldn’t wear some of the dayglow new rave stuff that many couriers wear, I mean I would look ridiculous – I would cause a pileup. But, you know, other than rapha, which isn’t the same and anyway, for rich blokes with the readies, where does someone on a more realistic buget go? I did find some nice vintage stuff on ebay, but there’s not much new stuff.

Anyway, enjoy the film.

r.e:load your cycle bag

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Reloadedbags

Always on the look out for cycling things of beauty, I’ve been meaning to post about reload messenger bags for quite a while. The standard of embroidery is amazing. These bags, for couriers, commuters and street cyclists (I think the fixie crowd have it here) are full of creativity – I think I would get through a load of designs before I could choose one for a reloaded bag, and if it all gets too much there is some custom stock to look through.

I was sad and dissapointed to hear of Ivan Basso’s no show at the Giro although nothing surprises me anymore. He has left his short lived tenure at Discovery and now waits to see what action will be taken following his admission that he was involved in Operation Pueto. I’m fed up with them all now, and for the first time in ages I’m thinking a lifetime ban would be the only thing that would get drugs cheats out of cycling.

Oh, and keep an eye on Nicole Cooke, the most talented cyclist out there – a true champ she has already opened up a lead in the world classification and with a great team behind her looks a strong bet to defend her title. She is a superstar.

…and I know I haven’t been out much since the arrival of little emil but I ordered new schwalbe tyres and new cleats for my shoes. I want to try taking the bike home from work at least once a month, maybe even once a fortnight – you know I don’t like promising things here on dots and spaces – someone will always hold me to it…but I’ll give it a go.

finding your keys

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Keybanner

Hi, did you just find one of my key cards? Did you type in the address on the back?

Welcome to dotsandspaces, the personal website of designer Stephan Caspar.

There are key cards in lots of strange locations and I’ve started leaving them in books, on trains, waiting rooms and I even sneaked some into the local cinema. I’d be very interested to know where you found yours, and whether you’re going to keep it, send it to someone, stick it on the fridge or pop it in the (recycling) bin. These cards are printed on recycled paper using vegetable based inks, and look how bright they are!

so, please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you – and if you’re a regular visitor and you’d like some postcards, let me know and I’ll send some out.

springtime

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Pool2

so I’ve been thinking a little post would do the trick. I just wanted to say thank you to all you people for all the really lovely cards and gifts and bits and pieces that we’ve been sent this month.

e is coming on well – he’s growing at quite a rate and surprises us every day. I’m taking lots of photos and despite the tiredness and ache this really is a fantastic time for our little family. cheers gang.

threadless submission no.1

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Birdpunk

My first submission to threadless met with some approval from the
hardcore voters that patrol the site – such fun to have finally given
it a go. Now what I need you to do is hit the link above (or below) and head over
there to vote! vote! vote!

if you have any suggestions, please let me
know – I won’t be able to re-submit this idea, but I’ll be able to take
them onto the next idea.
If you’ve never visited threadless
you’ll see what an amazing site it is – all the designs come from
visitors to the site, who also vote on the best, which then get made
and form part of the roster of t-shirts. Its a simple idea, but a great
one.

Cinema No.6

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Cinemano6

Cinema no.6 is the ideal place to get your fix of foreign films, american and british indies and the stuff that scares the multiplex. Its present home is in portsmouth’s historic dockyard, at action stations. Since our move to Fareham, our usual haunt, Chichester’s New Park Cinema is a bit far away, and we’ve yet to visit harbour lights in southampton.

So No.6 is where we go. Lately we’ve seen some amazing movies, Almodovar’s Volver, the french film – The Beat that my heart skipped and also american movies Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (which was just about ok) and Little Miss Sunshine, which was fun and frothy. We keep hearing rumours that no.6 is in difficulty, but there are new monthly programmes and now a website where you can sign up to a weekly listings newsletter.

Cinema’s like this exist not just as an alternative, which is a bit patronising, but should be regularly supported and should enjoy the same publicity as the multiplex down the road. So go on – enjoy your saturday night at the pictures.

new design site

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A couple of weeks ago I attended a seminar run by the design council which explored the ways in which to encourage small businesses to use design as part of their strategic thinking. The idea being that investing in design should be thought of in terms of benefit and investment just as much as say, employing more staff, investing in technology etc.

I’ve set up a little site very quickly using the free google.pages tool – its very easy to use and has allowed me to trail a new idea I have. I’m still not very sure what its about, but I’m thinking about it as an experiment. I would welcome your comments and appeal for hypothetical problems to solve. These are strategic problems where design would play a role in solving them.

This is very different to the usual route I take as a graphic designer, (less image-maker, more conceptual) but the idea is to allow yourself to multi-task – to be the creative – the solution could be product, print, web-based or simply a concept. I know that many people do this already, but as I think more about this, it could become quite interesting.

we’ll see – I wanted to explain the appearance of these new pages and hope you’ll forgive me as I have a little play.

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