“I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.”

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

This video is a summary of pretty much everything I’ve been into for the past two months.

While I was on holiday in the Philippines earlier this month, I had the great pleasure of attending a parade for Fiesta on the island of Romblon. I was loving the signs that each tribe had created, so I snapped a quick series of them.

Aina is the Hawaiian word for land and for me 2010 is a year of reconnecting to the earth. In 2009, we experienced a year filled with financial problems, political tensions and fear in the media… As a forest sometimes burns, new life regrows in its place. While we may have had a year of burning I feel like the soil we have to grow out of is fertile and full of growth.

-Mark Boulton

At least I think Mark Boulton wrote that on Colourlovers. I can’t seem to find it  now, but I scribbled it on some paper and I like it more and more each day. I believe the quote was in reference to the color he chose as the color of 2010. Apparently, Pantone decided it’s turquoise.

So, what’s the advantage? Some of them are obvious. Consider the Patagonia spread above for wetsuits: even though there’s tons of technical specs that need to be highlighted, they can be hidden until they’re needed — effectively allowing better spacing for the overall design.

And of course, there’s video. I realize this isn’t earth-shattering; most would argue it’s the way the internet is supposed to be. The difference here is that the web version isn’t a supplement to the printed version anymore. They’re one and the same.

But for me, the real potential in this way of thinking is with books. It’s one thing to have a company’s catalog that comes with additional views, information, and video. It’s a whole new ballgame to start thinking about the possibilities of interaction on a Kindle or similar device. Imagine a book that’s written with the intention of branching off into the 3rd dimension: certain words or sections are links for more information, or they take you to an alternate version of the part you’re reading.

Maybe there’s a link to a video. I envision a world where the book and the film adaptation are created and sold together as a single entity. They could weave in and out of each other seamlessly. Maybe you can choose to read through a section, watch it, or both. Think about it. It’s coming. It’s inevitable, and I can’t wait.

**UPDATE February 16th 2010**

Here’s almost exactly what I was talking about, courtesy of our friends at Adobe & Wired Magazine.

Without a doubt, Stoner’s surf photography has influenced the way I look at the world, perhaps more so than any other artist’s work. If you’re not familiar with Ron Stoner’s story, it’s an incredible rise to surf stardom, capped by his abrupt disappearance at the height of his game.

A retrospective of his work called, “Photo/Stoner,” is one of my most prized possessions.

So I’ll be putting things that were here back up as fast as I can. But it’s going to be a real process. Bear with me.