Mark Weaver wasn’t trying to attract attention—he was just trying to stay busy. So when fellow graphic designer Olly Moss issued a challenge on January 1 to “Make Something Cool Every Day,” Weaver, along with hundreds of other artists and designers, dove in. The objective was as simple as it was daunting: Make something cool within a twenty-four-hour period and upload it to Flickr, one upload per day. Many started, but few remain. Now, almost a year later, Weaver has emerged as the star of the project with dozens of design bloggers, from Booooooom to Kanye, spotlighting his signature blend of typography and collage.

The Boston-born, Atlanta-based designer credits the demands of the MSCED project for forcing him to fine-tune his graphic vision. Using vintage photographs as source material, Weaver has developed a crisp and iconic style all his own. “People have called them ‘refined collages’ and ‘retro futuristic collages,’ which I think are pretty good descriptions,” he says. “I’m inspired by things like mid-century architecture, vintage space images, clean typography, old photographs—I’m a very nostalgic person, and I think that’s reflected in my work.”

Weaver realized early on that he’d need to pace himself if he was going to maintain his commitment to MSCED. “At the beginning I decided I needed to give myself a time limit on these or else I would spend all day working on one,” says Weaver. “So all the pieces I’ve created for MSCED were made within a half hour to two hours.” Still, he found that his creative output does have its limits, and after several months of posting something new every day, he’s settled into a more sustainable rhythm of three or four uploads a week. “I’m not trying to keep up with anyone or impress anyone,” he says. “I just create things that inspire me.”

Many people have been impressed nonetheless, and with a client list that already includes Wired and Paste magazine, Weaver is now in talks with ReadyMade magazine about helping them with their re-design. As for the future of his MSCED enterprise, Weaver is keeping his options open. “I want to keep going until the end of the year, and I may just continue after that.”

Related Links:
Mark Weaver : http://cargocollective.com/markweaver