Graphic Design Inspiration on the Go
The stated purpose of the $1.99 addLib iPhone application is to monkey with iPhone photos and thereby make them more appealing. But to me, its real value comes in reminding us of graphic design fundamentals.
addLib was designed by WOW.inc. Although the Web site reads as if it were translated by a dim babelfish, the WOW team appears to be an arty, brainy bunch. For example: “addLib mixes the Grid System, a fractal theory, the golden ratio and the Facial Recognition System, and then creates graphic design. It seems the layout is made at random, but it comes from the rigorous calculated system. These theories have been made through the process that people has been trying to find new expression, and they are also the ways, to capture very ordinary ‘beauty’ in nature, namely algorithm.”
The results really can be inspirational:



In keeping with their background creating video installations for museums, WOW.inc also created this video demo of the app:
addLib – AppArt from wowlab on Vimeo.
This article was last modified on December 14, 2022
This article was first published on February 18, 2010
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