The Boston Globe has an amazing section on their website titled, “The Big Picture.” Which serves as visual documentation of news stories all around the world in hi-res, BIG, images. Today, I looked at their recent album, “Haiti Six Days Later,” and was able to catch a glimpse into the state the country is in right now. Both visually stunning, and utterly tragic, these photos really capture humanity where traditional forms of mass media do not. And as much as I am tempted to post all of these pictures on the blog, believe me when I say that 50% of the impact you feel from these photos come from the size and hi-res quality they are in:

A mob of Haitians reach out as goods are thrown from a nearby shop in the downtown business district on January 17, 2010

A Haitian mass grave receives unclaimed, unidentified bodies in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince January 16, 2010

A man rents mobile phone chargers by the hour in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Survivors of Tuesday’s earthquake extend their arms as U.S. troops with the 82nd Airborne Division distribute water in Port-au-Prince, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The troops gave out over 9,000 bottles of water and 2,000 meals Sunday.

A view of the badly damaged presidential palace - the center portion formerly 3 stories tall - after an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on January 13, 2010.

All photos via the Big Picture.

Sad, sad

Heard from the grapevine that MOCA named Jeffrey Deitch of the New York gallery, Deitch Projects. Many sources confirm this as of today.

This may seem like a odd move to some as most American museums hire directors from other museums or from academic ranks. I think this is a bold and positive move by MOCA, which recently suffered from funding woes and staffing problems. Deitch, a mover and shaker in the international art circuit, is not only educated in art and art history but also holds an MBA from Harvard and was once a VP of Citibank.

He’s known to be a game changer. Let’s all hope that this will be the end of the MOCA’s financial troubles.

Today came a sad news of another magazine’s death. This time, the forefront of all design magazines, the oldest of its kind, I.D.. The January/February 2010 will be its last issue, ending its long run of 55 years in print.

I’ll leave you with the press release released today of its decision to cease.

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December 15, 2009

To Readers, Advertisers and Friends of I.D. Magazine:

Since 1954, I.D. Magazine has served as one of America’s leading critical magazines covering the art, business, and culture of design. Today it is with regret that we announce its closure. The January/February issue of I.D. will be its last; subscribers to I.D. will receive Print magazine for the balance of their subscription.

Ceasing publication of an iconic brand like I.D. is never an easy decision, but there are several forces that have worked against its sustainability. Certainly the downturn in print advertising has contributed to this decision, but other factors include the fragmentation and specialized information needs of I.D.’s core readers (product designers) and the plethora of information resources available to them–some for free (online and B2B) and others that are highly specialized and targeted to specific industries served.

F+W Media will to continue producing the I.D. Annual Design Review, its flagship international product design competition, in an expanded fashion online. This new web initiative will feature not only 2010’s winners but will catalog thousands of notable entries from past competitions. Going forward, in addition to the I.D. Annual Design Review, F+W Media’s Design Group is comprised of the award-winning HOW and Print brands–magazines, books, events, and competitions serving the information needs of graphic designers in all media.

We thank the entire I.D. community, past and present–staffers, contributors, readers, and advertisers–for their support of the magazine throughout its 55-year history.

Sincerely,

Gary Lynch
Publisher & Editorial Director
F+W Media Design Community
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