M A N T E X N E W S L E T T E R Number 60 - mid-December 2001 Design + Typography + Writing ------ ISSN 1470-1863 ------ Lots of goodies in this super special bumper holiday issue! 0----- 'Anime' - Animated Graphics This is one of the most exciting books I have come across for a long time. It's a compendium of animated graphics - video, Flash animations, and vector graphics. The materials are all sharp-edge productions by designers working in London, Japan, California, and Germany. The book itself shows a beautifully printed screen shot of each project - but the real heart of the publication comes in the DVD attached. This is *packed* with high-quality animated graphics. They range from promotional videos for fashion designers, abstract linear narratives, cartoons, interactive web designs, to the titles sequences from a couple of well-known films. The quality and range of the examples is simply dazzling - and whilst most tend to be rather avant-guard, the best show how a simple combination of image, movement, and music can create stunning effects. Anyone interested in seeing what can be done with digital animation should see this. *Highly* recommended. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/klant-1.htm 0----- QUIZ - Who wrote the novel, "Miss Lonelyhearts"? 0----- 'Homepage Usability' This is the latest broadside from usability guru Jakob Nielsen - well known for his radical and uncompromising views on Web design. It's a follow-up to his best-selling 'Usability Design'. What he does is spell out the basic principles of what makes a Web page efficient - then he applies these principles to fifty commercial sites. The analysis is detailed and unsparing - and he is brave enough to take on companies such as Amazon, the BBC, and Disney. If you follow his arguments, you will learn a lot about web design. He is keen on simplicity, clarity, minimalism, overt navigation, and lack of visual clutter. This is an attractive and well- illustrated book. Even if you disagree with him, Nielsen is a major influence in design. http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/nielsen2.htm 0----- QUIZ - From which country did the US buy Florida? 0----- Typography + Design + FREE fonts Last week I came across a terrific web site dedicated to the work of designer Saul Bass. He did the animated film credits for films such as 'Psycho', 'The Man with the Golden Arm', and 'Anatomy of a Murder'. The site was created by Manchester (UK)-based Brendan Dawes. It's written in Flash using a style which is an enthusiastic homage. You can download your own 'Hitchcock' fonts, and there's even a side-site which invites you to re-edit the famous shower sequence from 'Psycho'. Brendan offers a filmography, stills, motion clips, audio, and a bibliography too. This is a great site - and it's not pedaling anything, except a love of the subject. Go to - http://www.saulbass.net 0----- QUIZ - In which European city is the Pitti Palace art gallery? 0----- Information Design Journal This is a journal for design professionals which covers typography, instructions, public signage, product labelling, websites, and general issues on the effective presentation of information. The latest issue has a special collection of articles on the work of Jacques Bertin, a cartographer who believes that humans can discover patterns easier in visual presentation than in numerical tables. There are also articles on computer games, conference summaries, airport signage, and book reviews. It's an elegant production, it's well illustrated, and it manages to strike a tone which combines professionalism and academic rigour whilst remaining readable. Details at - http://www.benjamins.nl/jbp subscriptions@benjamins.nl 0----- QUIZ - What is the Latin name for Switzerland? 0----- 'The Internet - A Writer's Guide' The second edition of Jane Dorner's excellent handbook has just appeared. It covers everything writers need to know - from getting connected to getting published. There are new sections on electronic publishing, and a very much expanded selection of Web resources. Strongly recommended. Full details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/dorner-2.htm 0----- QUIZ - Who composed the song cycle, 'Dichterliebe'? 0----- Writing Skills - again Gremlins struck our URL of the writing skills title 'Students Must Write' we reviewed in the last issue. For those who couldn't get through, the address is - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/barrass.htm 0----- QUIZ - What is the name for the highest point on a triangle? 0----- Concise Oxford Dictionary on CD-ROM The Concise Oxford is often regarded as the writer's favourite dictionary. It combines depth, breadth, and portability. Now it's available on CD-ROM as an electronic dictionary. And it has some interesting extra features. You can have the dictionary running in the background. Then, whilst working on a document, it will produce instant definitions for any words you double click. See what guest reviewer Kate Smith makes of it. She was converted from sceptic to enthusiast. Full details - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/oxf-cdr3.htm 0----- QUIZ - Who designed the original Volkswagen? 0----- Plagiarism - Redux The URL bug also chewed the address of our new guidance note on plagiarism. For some reason, colleges and universities are tightening up on plagiarism in all its forms - so you might do well to inform yourself. If you need to know how to offer references and citations, or how much of another writer's work you can use - it's available for FREE download at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/plgrsm.htm 0----- QUIZ - What is the name of the nine-headed monster in Greek mythology? 0----- 'XML and Java' 'Enterprise Application Integration' was a new term on me until I read guest reviewer Charles Johnson's article on the subject. XML and Java can be used to organise and manipulate data not only for different applications - but even for ones which do not yet exist. Yes, this is heavy-duty information management, but both XML and Java are powerful tools. Can they do the trick? Have a look at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/morgen.htm 0----- QUIZ ANSWERS Who wrote the novel, "Miss Lonelyhearts"? ANSWER - Nathaniel West [US] From which country did the US buy Florida? ANSWER - Spain In which European city is the Pitti Palace art gallery? ANSWER - Florence What is the Latin name for Switzerland? ANSWER - Helvetia Who composed the song cycle 'Dichterliebe'? ANSWER - Robert Schumann What is the name of the highest point on a triangle? ANSWER - The apex Who designed the original Volkswagen? ANSWER- Ferdinand Porsche. What is the name of the nine-headed monster in Greek mythology? ANSWER - Hydra. 0----- COMING SOON 'Remediation' - [media studies] 'Flash - in Easy Steps' 'Semiotics - the Basics' 'Blown to Bits' [e-Commerce] 'How to Write Critical Essays' 'Crime and the Internet' 'Innovating in Higher Education' (c) Copyright 2001, MANTEX All Rights Reserved PO Box 100 Tel +44 0161 432 5811 Manchester Fax +44 0161 443 2766 M20 6GZ UK www.mantex.co.uk If you like this newsletter, PLEASE FORWARD IT to friends and colleagues. New subscribers should register at the following address -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm FREE BACK ISSUES featuring news items, reviews, and product details are available at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/news/archive.htm Please retain the copyright and subscription information. It may be posted, in its entirety or partially, to newsgroups or mailing lists, so long as the copyright and subscription information remains. If you have any requests, observations, or items you would like to be included in our next issues, just mail us at -- news@mantex.co.uk You receive the MANTEX newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you wish to unsubscribe, go to -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm News-60-mid-Dec-2001 ISSN 1470-1863 The British Library