In December The New York Times published this diagram under the Opinion banner. Nice organizational idea.
Phillip Niemeyer's Picturing the Past 10 Years...
Phillip Niemeyer and Dana McClure head the Double Triple art and design studio...
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YouWorkForThem.com is a shop founded by two talented designers--Michael Paul Young and Michael Cina. Their eclectic collection is certainly worth adding to your list of resources.
Example 1: Stock Images > Oils & Ink...
Example 2: Stock Vectors > Flowers...
Web of founder Michael Paul Young...
Web of founder Michael Cina...
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YouWorkForThem.com is a shop founded by two talented designers--Michael Paul Young and Michael Cina. Their eclectic collection is certainly worth adding to your list of resources.
Example 1: Stock Images > Oils & Ink...
Example 2: Stock Vectors > Flowers...
Web of founder Michael Paul Young...
Web of founder Michael Cina...
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I'm so engrossed with the design world that I often miss the mainstream stuff. From the look of it Rocketboom has quite a following. Each day its correspondents dig into a subject and report on it from unusual angles. Mostly humorous, often insightful, always interesting--Rocketboom.
Here, for example, is coverage of the Futura vs. Verdana IKEA Smackdown...
Another, a brief biography of Edgar Allan Poe...
Rocketboom also produces Know Your Meme...
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What first drew me to Nigel Buchanan's illustrations was how adeptly he tells a story. They are, at once, striking, unusual, and technically interesting.
But he really got me wondering about the tools he uses to create his illustrations--it looks like he uses an old-fashioned mechanical airbrush but they also have a distinctive digital quality about them. So I asked.
He tells me he primarily uses Adobe Photoshop--at times creating images with as many as 100 layers. If the illustration includes elements such as typography or mechanical-looking items he might also incorporate Adobe Illustrator. "I used an (mechanical) airbrush years ago," Buchanan says, "and the computer technique I use now employs the same principles; paths as masks and a pressure sensitive stylus."
But here's the takeaway for young illustrators: his emphasis is on creating a clear concept and a beautiful drawing to work from. "It is too easy to rely on computer programs (and filters or trace tools) to make an illustration look acceptable. What many illustrators forget is that it's the strength of the image and the idea behind it that makes an illustration successful."
Well said.
An interview with the artist...
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It is sometimes referred to as 2.5D animation, sometimes as pseudo-3D, this technique involves creating a series of 2D images separated into layers and animating them simulating film moves such as trucking and zooming. It can be elaborate or simple but either way it's eye-catching.
Thanks to Twitter friends Joel Wires, Paul Casper, PJ Cassel, Jean-Claude Tremblay, Filmjr, Harold Thompson, Jesse Gardner, Ken Fisher, and others for helping me research this...
Example 2: Jesse Gardner points us to the VISA "Trip for Life" TV Spot...
Example 3: Ken Fisher points us to a very cool variation using CSS...
Example 4: The opening from the Showtime's United States of Tara...
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Today Apple announced a 9.7-inch, touch screen device that gives the user access to the Web, books, music, news, all types of social networking, commerce, plus every type of creative tool you can imagine--and a 16 gigabyte version will sell for $499.
Now pause and take that in. In 1980 IBM produced and sold the first one gigabyte hard drive for $40,000.00. And it weighed 550 pounds. Today--sixteen times the size for $500 at 1.5 pounds.
Makes me wonder how many people had the experience of being on planet earth when the wheel came into being? Or when the dramatic effects of the printing press were first taking hold? And I think how fortunate you and I are to be here at the dawn of an age where computing is becoming available to the billions.
What will it mean in decades to come for so many to have access to so much knowledge? For so many to connect with those so distant from their physical place on the planet? I'm guessing it will produce amazement we can not yet even comprehend.
Pretty cool.
Coverage and first comments on MacRumors.com...
Coverage and first comments on AppleInsider.com...
Okay developers let's get started...
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Designer (and friend) Jeff Russell points us to a pocket-sized map that, as it unfolds, "zooms" in on the information. Pretty cool idea.
Map2's zoomable map on paper...
If you like that, you're bound to like this...
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The technique of integrating typography with moving images has always intrigued me. Kyle Cooper and Prologue Films continue to pioneer the medium.
The end titles from Sherlock Holmes...
A television spot that integrates typography...
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The FWA (Favourite Website Awards) describes itself as "...an industry recognized website award program and inspirational portal based in England and is one of the World's leading website recognitions". Throughout the year the FWA names a SOTM (Site Of The Month) winner and then enlists an impressive panel of judges to discern the web site of the year.
Such judgments are, of course, subjective, but you can bet that the winner is something worth seeing. For 2009, the winner is WeChooseTheMoon.com. The concept, design and development is credited to The Martin Agency and Domani Studios.
There is also a People's Choice Award, Soytuaire.Labuat.com developed by Herraiz Soto & Co..
The FWA 2009 site of the year: WeChooseTheMoon.com...
The 2009 People's Choice Award winner: Soytuaire.Labuat.com...
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Kevin Kelly's illustrations caught my eye. I like them, they feel new and different and are obviously well-crafted.
Kelly's site, Pixel Pusher Design...
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Jean François Porchez is a well-respected typeface designer and the proprietor of the Porchez Typofonderie. I think of his work as among the industry's top-tier.
I'm a long-time fan of Anisette and Anisette Petite...
Porchez's custom type offerings...
An interview with Porchez at MyFonts.com...
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Copywriter Jessica Hagy explains ThisIsIndexed.com as "...A little project that lets me make fun of some things and sense of others. I use it to think a little more relationally without resorting to doing actual math."
Her big collection of little diagrams is well worth a look.
Explanation of a Venn diagram (relations between groups)...
An interview with the author and copywriter Jessica Hagy...
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Wonderwall is an interior design firm that specializes in commercial space. First of all, its amorphous project page is, itself, pretty unusual. Second, its collective eye is very different and very interesting. Don't miss The Ice Cream Store--a high-end apparel retailer in Hong Kong--it's just plain weird (not that there's anything wrong with that).
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While we're on the subject of crafts. I've been wanting to point you to designer Cathe Holden's wonderful Just Something I Made...
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Paul Overton explains DudeCraft.com like this: "I think it's great that there is so much DIY going on these days and that access to techniques and advice is fairly universal, but I'm bummed that there aren't more guys out there making things. Enter DudeCraft."
DudeCraft.com includes many idea starters that could be applied to graphic design as a well. Great for men AND women.
Paul Overton's DudeCraft.com...
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I happened on a post by Grant McCracken, the author of Chief Culture Officer. He says, "At year's end, I have an unhappy thought, that some of the creative professionals who rose to prominence in the first decade of the 21st century will be eclipsed by the end of the decade coming, that the first decade of the 21st century will be, for some creative professionals, a brief moment in the sun."
Some perhaps, but overall I pose that consumers are becoming more sophisticated about the quality of design, not less--and that, contrary to riding into the sunset, designers are just now seeing the dawn of a new day.
My propositions:
1. Markets are multiplying.
The Web provides for conventional worldwide, regional, and local markets as well as an entirely new class of specialized markets that were not previously feasible. The proliferation of products, services, organizations, and ideas that make up those markets point to a virtually endless stream of work differentiating one from the next.
2. More markets mean more stories and more frequent story cycles.
For most organizations, the design of all types of communications is not an end, it's a cycle. As markets become more competitive and design becomes more of a distinction, it stands to reason that more designers will be needed to cast and recast the messages.
3. Core design skills cannot be automated.
There is no such thing as an organization that is exactly the same as its competitor--location, timing, finances, and personnel are just a few of the many factors that make each organization one-of-a-kind. A smart designer is able to see an organization and its products and services in ways that the organization itself cannot. You can't replace the need for, or automate the creation of, intelligent analysis and vision-casting.
4. The definitions of design, communications, and marketing are ever-changing.
Certain approaches to design run their course, but no one believes that design can be confined to any one course. Those who are able to effectively identify, define, and communicate organizational, product, and service distinctions are more in demand than ever before.
The future of design, I believe, has never been brighter.
Grant McCracken's post, Creativitys brief moment in the sun...
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As the inventor defines it, Readability is a browser utility that "removes the junk around what you're reading and displays a clean, readable view." It is quite simple, what amounts to a series of generic style sheets that remove extraneous information and reformat text for optimum readability. Hats off to the folks at arc90 for seeing the trees and the forest.
Thanks to my friend Lee Garvey for pointing us to this.
arc90's Readability experiment...
More projects from the arc90 lab...
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If you haven't yet found the Advertising Educational Foundation, you're in for a real treat. This one site provides a massive amount of quality information about the advertising profession.
I'll give you the nickel tour...
A library of current adverting and marketing book excerpts...
Interviews with top marketers...
"ADText," a virtual textbook on advertising...
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At one time or another Bill Nelson's rich, beautifully detailed color pencil illustrations have appeared on the pages of most of the major publications I can think of. But they are by no means the whole story. Bill also has a passion for 3D work--ventriloquist figures, dolls, masks, and so on.
I've known Bill for many years and just caught back up with him recently. It recalled several times when I had the privilege of sitting in his studio and watching him work his magic on paper. It's great to see all the wonderful work he has produced in recent years.
Bill Nelson's signature style...
Exaggerated, "pushed" portraits...
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Here are two sites that specialize in pointing to out-of-the-ordinary mapping concepts, the latest in cartographic technology, and some just plain weird ideas. First, an example...
Watch how you control the information time frame using the slider to the left of the map...
There's lots more to explore on Jonathan Crowe's blog, The Map Room...
And Frank Jacobs' Strange Maps...
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The publishers of the Oxford Dictionary are experts on plain English. Here are a couple of pages I came across that will be of value to any designer or copywriter.
17 tips for keeping your writing user-friendly...
Interested in how the English language is changing, read about the Oxford English Corpus...
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It is always interesting to me to see how talented designers do the unexpected. Baker Vail offers this example of a "conceptual" map.
One of several conceptual maps vrom Baker Vail...
An example of one of their detailed maps (2.9MB PDF)...
A site index (lots of interesting work to see)...
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This article describes four types of symmetry: rotation, translation, reflection, and glide reflection. If you are a nut for symmetry (me too), it is helpful to understand it from every angle.
The Four Types of Symmetry in the Plane by Susan Addington...
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I admire Chris Whetzel's thoughtful ideas and the bright, sharp shapes of his illustrations. If you haven't worked with an illustrator before, his blog posts also teach a bit about the typical interchange between and illustrator and his or her client.
An project example including the rough cut...
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If you've ever designed a book you know there are many parts and pieces--they run the gamut from the purely aesthetic to the legally mandatory. The trick is to understand the differences and to use them to your advantage. Here is a terrific source I came across recently produced by a guy who has a proven track record. Meet book designer Joel Friedlander...
An example: The copyright page...
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I'm a sucker for this type of 3D-design. It gives you a sense of depth you just can't match with most artificially built shapes and shadows.
While you're here, they also have a portfolio of work well worth a look...
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The folks at design studio Onetwentysix, among other things, have a talent for the text-only logo or "wordmark." I particularly like this "BROOKLYN" treatment.
As a fashion brand it is more decorative than instructional...
More logos and word marks from Onetwentysix...
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Alison Morris at Publishers Weekly points us to a couple of typefaces with big personality. One culled from a 1923 Speedball lettering manual and several from the Tart Workshop--a great source I had not yet found. (Thanks to my sister Deb Green for pointing us to Alison.)
Silverstein from Tart Workshop...
Nelly Script from Tart Workshop...
Seasoned Hostess from Tart Workshop...
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In her own words, "The Daily Drop Cap is an ongoing project by typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. Each day (or at least each WORK day), a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere."
It is a sight to behold.
A stellar Christmas present type lovers...
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McConnell & Borow creates props, displays, and editorial illustrations for a long list of clients including Absolut, AT&T, IBM, and so on.
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Don't know if you caught this. Pranav Mistry, a PhD student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT's Media Lab, invented a wearable device that demonstrates one possible direction for future user interface. I am less interested in these early prototypes than I am in his broad vision for how we might integrate the digital with the physical down the road.
Though you certainly don't need a crystal ball to predict it, it would seem that the future of graphic design, likewise, will be more about 3D than 2D.
Thanks to my friend Wayne Belvin for pointing us to this.
Pranav Mistry discusses his ideas...
More about Mistry and SixthSense...
More projects from the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT...
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This week marks the opening of the Tim Burton exhibit at the The Museum of Modern Art. Best known for his film making, Tim Burton is also a designer, an artist, and is, as you might suspect, a tad bit crazy.
The website created for the Burton exhibit...
About the exhibit and the design of the accompanying web site...
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Here's another good way to show off you work. I suppose you could use it as a primary destination, or as a way of boosting your visibility by offering an alternative source. In any case, Carbonmade offers both free and paid versions.
An example portfolio for copywriter Kathleen Honey (nice stuff)...
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Wow, what a gift for lyrical lines.
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I wish other things worked like the web. In many cases it provides lots of value for very little money. Wouldn't it be nice, for example, if you could buy a years worth of chocolate cake for the cost of a cupcake?
Well that's roughly the equivalent of an offer I stumbled across today. As of a couple of days ago, you can hire Khoi Vinh, Design Director for NYTimes.com, and WordPress authority Allan Cole to design the underlying structure of you web site for a grand total of $45. Not $45 per hour--$45 period.
How? By purchasing the WordPress theme/template they took a year to develop. Is it good? You tell me. Vinh says, "If I were to redesign Subtraction.com today, it would look like Basic Maths." (Subtraction.com is his much written about and admired personal web site.)
It would seem to be worth the price if only to deconstruct it to see how it works.
This is a live demo of the theme/template...
This is where you purchase the package...
Read developer Khoi Vinh's announcement of the release...
Allan Cole's WordPress blog...
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My interest in the aspects of graphic design that can be "proved" continues to grow. By "proved" I mean visual and informational structures that are actually based on some type underlying formula.
I thought this article was particularly intriguing: "The mathematics behind the Droste effect." It poses that when M.C. Escher drew his Print Gallery, he was, without realizing it, following a rather complex mathematical formula.
It reminded me of our discussion a few months ago about whether there exists some type of "design DNA" that we do not yet understand.
Seb Przd's conformal mapping imagery...
The mathematics behind the Droste effect...
Our earlier discussion, "Is there such a thing as design DNA?"...
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Stephen Bau has created a terrific collection of commonly used web elements built on Nathan Smith's 960 pixel grid system. As he explains it, "I have been looking for a means of rapidly developing interactive prototypes for our site designs at Domain7. So I have been building a library of commonly used HTML elements, combining these with CSS for typography and layout, and adding some basic effects available from popular JavaScript libraries."
Even if you don't use the code, the page itself will get you thinking about elements you might want to include in your design.
If you are unfamiliar with the 960 Grid system, I have also included a link below.
Stephan Bau's "design incluences" page...
Nathan Smith's 960 Grid System...
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If you want some terrific presentation inspiration, head over to The Art of the Title Sequence. It demonstrates how top film title designers, past and present, combine pictures with words to communicate ideas in thoughtful and intriguing ways.
While there, check out the wonderful collection of alphabet posters created for the film Coraline. Take note of how each letter of the alphabet is modified to provide a secondary meaning.
These are the titles for Coraline...
For fun... the Coraline movie site...
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I recently mentioned Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities and received a heads-up about another great resource from Caroline Fortin, Publisher of QA International. She referred us to The Visual Dictionary Online--an interactive dictionary with a long history and a futuristic approach.
"From the image to the word and its definition, the Visual Dictionary Online is an all-in-one reference. Search the themes to quickly locate words, or find the meaning of a word by viewing the image it represents."
Very cool.
Try it out. Choose a theme and drill down to a specific subject...
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The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) offers a two-year course of study that centers on the creation and dissemination of comics, graphic novels and other manifestations of the visual narrative. It's curriculum of art, graphic design, and literature reflect the wide array of skills needed to create comics and graphic novels. CCS emphasizes self-publishing and prepares its students to publish, market, and disseminate their work.
The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS)...
Download a free copy of CCS's How To Brochure (3.63MB PDF)...
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Next time you are brainstorming an advertising or marketing piece, consider the idea of using an illusion to illustrate your point. I'm thinking, if you find just the right illusion (something somehow related to your topic) and write a thoughtful tie-in for it, you'd have a built-in reason for people to stop, look, and get interested.
Thanks to my brother Jim Green for sending me this link to the 2009 Finalists of the Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest.
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In the last five years Yuko Shimizu and her work has been written about in all the major design and illustration publications. If you are unfamiliar with her illustrations, you'll soon see what all the fuss is about. She has a distinct style and a real talent for dream-like storytelling.
This is Shimizu's site (includes R-rated material)...
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I wish more of my work reflected the confidence and restraint this design does. So nice.
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Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities is a book compiled by John M. Carrera. It features over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster's dictionaries in the 19th century. Here is a fascinating look at the production of the book and the story behind it.
An overview of the project via video. Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion...
A discussion of the project at Quercus Press...
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Hope you'll share this with someone who has yet to grasp the idea that honest work deserves honest treatment. If they want to trade fonts and images outside of established licensing, all we ask is that they first email the designer to explain why they think the ability to create a design and the long hours necessary to produce and market it, does not merit compensation.
Here's an example of one step of the font design process. It does not even address the issue of the talent and dedication it takes to determine a need and to design something that is useful, stylish, and distinctive.
Watch John Roshell create the Moritat font...
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I was in a local convenience store a few mornings ago and the manager mentioned how significantly their business increases as the weather turns chilly--the coffee drinkers return. Sales, she explained, will remain significantly higher throughout the fall and winter. (I would have thought cold drinks in warm months would balance sales out, but evidently not.) In any case, it is another example of just how much I have yet to learn about specific marketing applications.
So my invitation is this: Share a practical marketing and/or design idea that the rest of us may not have thought of. Doesn't have to be your idea or ground breaking, just something a little off the beaten track.
I'll lead off with one of my own--a "web card:"
Share your idea in the comment section here...
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In the olden days we shot film positives (slides) or film negatives and printed the images on paper--why, all of a sudden, do I feel like Mathew Brady. If you've got some LPs or cassettes around, you likely have some slides and/or some black and white or color negatives--perhaps some stuff that you haven't looked at in years. The problem is, the old pictures aren't nearly so convenient to look at or share as the stuff we currently are able to churn out on our digital cameras.
ScanCafe.com doesn't fit the normal subject matter of these posts, but I thought it was a good enough find to merit a special mention (thanks to my friend Daniel Will-Harris for pointing me to them). In short, you bundle up your negatives or picture album and send it off to a place overseas where the folks at ScanCafe scan and spend a few minutes optimizing the images (don't panic, they claim the shipping is VERY safe--mine got there without a problem). Then, you review the scans online and choose (pay for) only the one's you want. The originals are then returned to you along with a disc containing the scans.
Reasonable prices, good quality, and it's fun to see all those forgotten places and faces.
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It's one thing to choose from a large catalog of typefaces--it is another to envision how those same faces might be used on specific projects. Font Bureau's Image and Project Galleries reveal how designers apply particular combinations of typefaces to actual publications.
Be sure to click the "Inside Pages" tab to see the complete demonstration...
The entire Image Gallery (not as complete explanations)...
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As they explain it, "Trademarkia is the largest, most accurate, and most complete free search engine for U.S. federally registered trademarks on the Internet. We provide up to the minute contextual information about the current use of interesting business names, slogans, and logos through pictures, commercials, and conversations from Flickr, Google, Youtube, and Twitter for each U.S. trademark filed in with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since the year 1870."
This is not a "best of" or "how to," this is the work that is or has been in use in the real world. It is a resource I'm guessing every designer will want to link to.
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Adobe has produced a very useful white paper titled Deciphering the Web, A resource for print designers. It speaks to traditional print designers who need a basic introduction to web and interactive design.
Who doesn't do web and interactive design in 2009? You'd be surprised, I know more than a few talented designers and art directors have little or no web knowledge and have resigned themselves to thinking that it's "too late" for them to catch up.
Well that is simply not the case--as they say in the white paper, "Good design is good design." As a matter of fact, if you count yourself among this group, you might even have a bit of an advantage. Today, with some clearly established ways of doing things online, you can skip much of the insanity the online community has had to navigate for the last decade or so.
It is not necessary to be a technical wizard--if you so choose, you don't need to learn to write code, you don't even need to learn how to use all of the programs involved. There are many talented developers and technicians who are more than happy to team with you to produce whatever you dream up. Like print, the key is in knowing what you want to say and show, how you want to say and show it, and in cultivating a network of experts to get the work done.
Deciphering the Web: A resource for print designers (2.79MB PDF)...
This is an in depth presentation that introduced the white paper at the recent Adobe MAX 2009...
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I can bloviate about design this and marketing that all day, but experience is almost always the best teacher. A recent episode of The Office made mention of a YouTube wedding video. Curious, I looked it up and quickly discovered why a top-rated network television program highlighted a five-minute video staged, choreographed, and filmed by amateurs. It's a joy.
As of this writing, Jill and Kevin's Wedding video has been viewed 26,857,328 times. That's right, almost 27 MILLION times. Why? Because it embodies at least three elements of a good idea:
1. You've got to be willing to take a chance. These folks took a big risk--had they misjudged their audience they would have looked more than a little foolish. Obviously, part of the reason a good idea is good is because it's different. You've got to be confident enough in your own judgment to move forward.
2. A good idea needs a leader. Someone thought this up, convinced the others to participate, and motivated them to share the risks. Ideas are not exceptional until they are proven--someone has to believe in the purpose enough to be its advocate.
3. You've got to accept the fact that you can't please everyone. I'm guessing some won't find this as uplifting as others--they'll think it's silly or not befitting the ceremony--my point is, if you're going to be different, someone isn't going to like it.
Enjoy!
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Here is a 20-page web proposal shared by Rogue Element via HOW magazine. It is always interesting, often instructive to see how others conduct business. This (to me) is an excellent example.
The 20-page web design proposal (2.5MB PDF)...
Notes about the proposal on HOW...
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I like the way Pinch describes their work as designers, "We believe in clear, reductive thinking, and in helping our clients say what they mean, without pretense or artifice, and otherwise staying out of the way."
Watch how well that philosophy works.
A recent Pinch design for Smith & Fong...
A case study of the project on the Pinch site...
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I ran a sitemap of GordonRamsay.com and it exceeded the 500-page limitation of the scan—a rather intimidating figure (much like its namesake).
But you wouldn't know it by looking at the home page. Simple, elegant images and a thoughtful user interface make the information easy to find and pleasant to look at. Interesting how well it mirrors Ramsay's own mantra of "classic" and "simple."
(For those who don't know him, Gordon Ramsay is a chef with what one might term an "acerbic" personality who stars in several reality television series.)
Example of the depth of pages--a profile of the Head Chef at one restaurant...
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Just when I have fooled myself into thinking I have some type of handle on the scope of what designers are designing, I come across something like this. These organic, three-dimensional typographic illustrations by designer Luca Ionescu of Like Minded Studio redefine (to me) what is possible. Old dog. New trick?
Example 1: from Texas Monthly magazine...
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While we're on the subject of innovative informational design (my previous post), take a look at Newsmap—an application that "visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator."
It is the brainchild of design engineer Marcos Weskamp.
Not surprising Weskamp is also a Senior User Experience Designer for the Adobe Index group...
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Beginning in 2005 Seed Magazine began publishing a series of what they label "cribsheets." The formal explanation goes like this: "Scientific issues and innovations are figuring into everyday conversation more than ever before. Recognizing that we could all use some brushing up, Seed offers its Cribsheet."
It appears the last edition (#18 Biofuels) appeared in 2008. The series is both interesting and innovate for its content and design.
Cribsheet #11 Plate Tectonics...
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This morning, Seth Godin points us to a new project—Brands in Public—"a collection of interesting, accessible, public-facing dashboards for your favorite brands - from Zappos to Virgin America to In-n-Out Burger. Each dashboard organizes a hot list of what's being said about the brand around the web, via Twitter and blogs and YouTube and Google Trends and more. As well as polls and debates and commenting for people who want to do more than just watch."
What is most interesting to me is the fact that the owner of the brand is invited to control a portion of the page contents.
It gets right to the heart of the questions I posed in my recent post, "The most important design and marketing questions of a generation."
They are: Can your client's product, service, or idea survive virtual scrutiny? When it is illustrated, diagrammed, and dissected—revealed for its true self—will it continue to command the audience it commands today?
Brands In Public could be the type of consumer/corporate coexistance necessary for brands to honestly, publicly address the inevitable, increasing scrutiny they will encounter in the days to come.
The Brands In Public cover page...
The brand owner's interface....
The most important design and marketing questions of a generation....
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I don't have a clue about the subject matter here but Aaron Horkey's illustrations and hand-lettered word groupings are fabulous.
BTW, anyone know of an official term for the assembly of individual words into a composition—the process of putting together the pieces of the puzzle? Seems as if there should be a term for it other than "word grouping."
His portfolio on Rock of Eye...
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That is the beauty of the web—every so often you stumble on something really phenomenal. My latest happy discovery is this amazing collection of posters, photos and prints from the collection of Jaap Best, the Netherlands' largest collection of circus memorabilia. 3,500 colour lithographs and thousands of other pieces. Amazing stuff.
The Circusmuseum.nl cover page...
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This site, to me, is interesting on at least three different levels. First, it uses a standard metaphor—the printed page—in a slightly different way. When you click "Preview" at the top right of the screen, the entire page shifts to reveal the surface underneath it.
Second, I like the subtleties of the folds and light manifest as different shades of yellow.
And third, the icons ain't bad either!
Royalty-free vector icons, glyphs, and symbols based on the Helvetica Bold typeface...
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If you have all five weights of Museo...you might be a graphic designer.
If your computer monitor has a name...you might be a graphic designer.
If you need a forklift to move your back issues of Communication Arts...you might be a graphic designer.
If you know a style sheet is not something found in a linen closet...you might be a graphic designer.
If you would intentionally watch a video titled "Exotic Fold Ideas"...you might be a graphic designer.
Thanks to John McWade for introducing me to Folding Fanatic Trish Witkowski and her interesting, informative site at foldfactory.com.
Among other things, she offers a collection of video clips that show how different types of folds work.
And (of course) there is the crazy-weird bobblehead thing (bottom of the page)...
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I got a question this week that led me to believe that the writer did not fully embrace that fact. They asked, "Is creating a direct mail piece more effective than using something like Google Adwords?
My answer: I would have no way of knowing unless I knew your marketing DNA--what you're selling, who your prospects are, the options for reaching them, what your offer is, who you're competing against, what the current market conditions are, and so on.
My point is success is circumstantial. You should run in the opposite direct of anyone who offers generic yet "foolproof" advice, formulas, or solutions that do not acknowledge the importance of understanding and addressing the many inherent differences in each situation.
Its the old problem of the client who spends 95 percent of their budget on the phone directory ad space and five percent on the message. Whether you're creating a brochure, a web site, a direct mail piece, a radio spot, or whatever else, you need to understand the brand.
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Bill Blinn's picture is at the bottom of each page of his podcast web site--Techbyter Worldwide. It shows the bearded, somewhat graying author with a caption that reads, "This explains why TechByter Worldwide was never on television, doesn't it?"
That sense of humor is one reason I enjoy listening to his podcast--another is his perspective. It is not an "old" perspective by any stretch of the imagination--it is an educated one. He's the kind of person who shows you the flower, but who also (obviously) understands the root system of the plant.
Blinn speaks on a variety of computer-related topics. You can listen to each podcast (the player is near the bottom of the page) or you can read it and look at the illustrations.
I will point you to two discussions of Adobe products.
Commentary about Adobe Illustrator (CS4)...
About Adobe InDesign and InCopy (CS4)...
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If you're interested in graphic design and publishing you are (no doubt) familiar with America's Test Kitchen and its parent: Boston Common Press. The publications, books, television shows, and web content it publishes are among the best I've seen. The content seems well-researched, well-written, and well-designed--their web sports an impressive, intuitive user interfaces.
(BTW, if you're a foodie, these are also terrific products.)
Their online and print newsletter is CooksIllustrated.com...
Here you'll see the depth of their offerings...
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We all know that sound research can help us avoid many of the mistakes typically necessary to arrive at good solutions to common graphic design and marketing problems.
One source of such research is the Software Usability Research Laboratory (SURL) at Wichita State University. This group specializes in software/website user interface design, usability testing, and research in human-computer interaction.
I'd like to hear of other sources of graphic design and marketing research--all types. Do you have a source to recommend? A favorite study? A particular statistic that had a significant effect on your work?
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Traveling the web as much as I do, I see lots of "can't see the forest for the trees" issues. Problems and opportunities that seem obvious to the visitor that you, the site designer, might never figure out for yourself. A reaction. A technical bottleneck. An seemingly obvious deficit of information or direction.
One way to harvest the ideas of those who have that all-important, arms-distance perspective is (simply) to ask. Here, for example, is a form offered by the Smithsonian's Museum Studies site.
(I know that this is restateing the obvious, but sometimes what is obvious to you is not obvious to me.)
The page it originates from...
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I did.
I recently happened on this a guide to my town on Design Sponge and got to thinking about it. I live in a wonderful part of the United States, two hours south of Washington, D.C., an hour from the Atlantic Ocean, and an hour from the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Richmond, Virginia has a rich, interesting history, many nice neighborhoods in both the city and suburbs, great venues for entertainment, active design and technology communities, fine resturants, and so on. And I doubt that I have taken advantage of five percent of it.
This was a bit of a wakeup call. If you have a similar deficit, take a look at a web site that provides outsiders with a look at your part of the planet. You might be surprised about how blessed you are. (Thanks Design Sponge.)
A Richmond,Virginia guide from Design Sponge...
I live in a Richmond suburb: Glen Allen, Virginia...
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If you can continually expand your visual vocabulary, every day is new. What I like most about "lapsed Graphic Designer" Marian Bantjes is the seemingly endless ways she invents to say a thing. I'm guessing that making each project different is a challenge she relishes. Here are some wonderful examples.
And then something entirely different...
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The My Moleskine 2.0 Exhibition challenged Moleskine users to do things better, faster, more creative and innovatively with the popular Moleskine Pocket Notebook. The results are sometimes frivilous and fun, and sometimes serious and practical. In any case, if you are a Moleskine fan, you'll want to check it out.
The list of finalists...
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A work of art? I certainly believe it is.
Here's a bit of a controversy I'd like to hear your opinion on.
I love the Shorpy photographic site but something shown there struck a (dull) chord with me. It is the coloroization of an iconic black and white photograph--Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother.
I don't think the contributor is a bad person for doing this, I just think they don't fully appreciate the fact that it is wrong to copy and or edit someone else's work without their permission.
Personally, I believe a photograph is a creative work that should be protected from this type of defacement (ethically, if not legally).
I can't image anyone having the temerity to colorize Ansel Adams' The Tetons--Snake River. Or Pablo Picasso's Guernica. I doubt most would look favorably on a budding writer who decided to add a chapter or two to Joyce's Ulysses and republish it.
Is this any different?
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360 Cities presents an interesting dilemma. It is a gateway for visiting places on a map and viewing them in 360 degrees--an example of the type of virtual experience that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years.
My first question is this: As a vacationer, if you can go to a place and experience it virtually, do you need to travel there to experience it physically? "Well of course," you say. "To really experience a place, you have to be there." True--but what if, having experienced it virtually, you don't deem it significant enough to merit a physical visit? How many destinations that currently trade on mystique and discovery can survive that type of virtual scrutiny?
Now let's explode the question: Can your client's product, service, or idea survive virtual scrutiny? When it is illustrated, diagrammed, and dissected--revealed for its true self--will it continue to command the audience it commands today?
Here's an example of what I mean: I recently visited a city and had no idea where to find a good meal. A few years ago I would have found something that looked appealing and given it a shot. But now I look up restaurants on a site such as Yelp.com and see what people who have eaten in places nearby have to say about them. It is a helpful development for the consumer but a potentially worrisome one for the seller (especially one that relies heavily on mystique and discovery).
How does this relate to graphic design and marketing? It seems to me that our key challenge going forward will be to help clients achieve or retain significance. Not conventional significance but uber-significance--a type of honesty, clarity, style, and consistency that can survive the conclusions of those who view it through the virtual microscope.
The days when clever copy and gauzy photographs sell inferior products are numbered. The days of building brands on story alone are numbered. The days of predictable public relations are numbered. Assuming an organization can find a way to reach a prospective audience, I'm guessing the quality of its product and the honestly with which it is presented will have to be (in many cases) light years ahead of where it is in 2009.
Our success as marketers, graphic designers, copywriters, illustrators, and photographers will be wholly dependent on our ability to help clients re-invent and re-brand themselves--to help them see the world from all 360 degrees.
Another amazing example of 360 technology...
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I think personalizing a web site (in most cases) is a good thing. It provides a sense of who's doing the talking, the scope of the business, and (most importantly) that there is someone confident enough about the product that they are willing to attach their name to it.
Most sites are black holes--two or two hundred people so concerned about privacy that they don't even list the organization's street address. Don't get me wrong, providing too much personal information is not smart. But contracts require signatures. If you want information about me as a customer and are unwilling to share anything about you as the seller, I get a little queasy.
Here is one example of how it can be done. Have any others?
An example by Blue Sky Factory...
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John Solimine is Spike Press. Spike Press is John Solimine. Seems as if everyone has recognized him in the last couple of years--Communication Arts, Coudal Partners, illustrationMUNDO, Lettercult, and so on.
I was particularly impressed by his poster designs...
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Designer Richard Smith kicked off something he calls the The Dollar Redesign Project a while back. The idea, as he puts it, is to rebuild, rebrand, and revive currency design.
The Dollar Redesign Project...
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One of the great things about being a graphic designer in the year 2009 is that the playing field is almost perfectly flat. The tools cost next to nothing and clients are more willing than ever to work with you because of the quality of your work versus the size of your sign. We are judged by what we produce and little else.
But being a graphic designer in 2009 requires a skill we didn't even contemplate 20 years ago--an understanding of usability. By usability, I mean how people access information and accomplish tasks. It wasn't long ago that the primary mediums for messaging, collateral and advertisements, were pretty straight-forward. The vast majority of brochures had a headline on the cover, text and images inside, and a call to action toward the back. Similarly, though the information was situational, print, radio, and TV advertising were also presented in very predictable ways.
That has changed. Not only does the designer have to contend with communicating the message, they have to (at a minimum) understand the scope of the platforms available for presenting it.
Adobe's Scene7 site is a great place to see some of the most interesting and intuitive ways that are currently being used to present product information.
An overview of "rich media" in presentation form...
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Alison Carmichael has a wonderful gift for all types of lettering design. You can see the depth of her talent under "Poster ads."
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A couple of days ago I wrote a post on the design of street fashions, T-shirts, caps, and such (When the brand is the product). I understand the value of it, I like to look at it, I am intrigued by the designs.
But for some reason I have trouble with sneaker design. My mind does not recognize the same connection between design and footwear that it does between design and shirts and caps. I see people walking around with what looks like little sports cars on their feet and it looks weird to me.
So, in the interest of facing your fears, I sought out and sampled a site devoted to sneaker design--sneakerfreaker.com. I still haven't totally overcome my lack of interest in sneakers, but I do have a better appreciation for the craft of sneaker design.
An article about profiling Keep and Una Kim...
More interviews with sneaker designers...
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I saw a guy recently wearing an absolutely elaborate T-shirt. It was printed in four or more colors and what looked like gold leaf. It made me curious about the state of the street fashion industry so I started looking around to find some examples to share with you.
This may sound like I'm stating the obvious, but what makes it so interesting to me is that it appears that there is not real story or meaning behind much of the the imagery--it is just emblems, typography, patterns, and color. And that I am so conditioned to thinking of that combination of elements as having a specific purpose and meaning that it makes the whole thing that much more intriguing.
In any case, I really appreciate the quality of the design. Your thoughts?
A typographic sketch by Zoo York...
An elaborate embroidered cap by Stall & Dean...
Another interesting cap design by Leroy Jenkins ...
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True passion is rare.
Much creative energy and expertise is expended moving value from one hand to the other. That's not a criticism--commerce makes lots of good things possible--I am a card carrying member of the commerce thing. But I can't help but take special notice when I encounter expressions of interest and involvement that appear at least, to have grown out of a pure devotion to its subject.
I see that in a new publication--UPPERCASE magazine (2009). A magazine? Are you kidding?! Who starts a magazine in the year of Twitter? People with passion do--their names are Janine Vangool and Deidre Martin and they've enlisted the help of an eclectic collection of talented contributors--designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, writers, and others.
The purpose of UPPERCASE is to take a look at the creative process from all angles: profiling creatives, peeking into work environments, pointing to examples of styles and palettes, uncovering interesting ephemera--they even devote a section of the magazine to brief profiles of five or six of their subscribers--an approach that (to me) demonstrates something important about their thinking.
Enough with the accolades--at this point you probably think these are relatives of mine--they aren't, I have no connection with them whatsoever. But I can tell you the first thing I did after closing the last page was to go online and subscribe. I figure that when you find a passion you share, you should support it.
UPPERCASE Magazine: Issue 2 preview...
The magazine is just part of the mix, their web includes lots of interesting material...
You can buy the current issue or subscribe here...
Once you've seen it, I'd love to hear your comments below...
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Everyone involved with designing web sites and creating illustrations needs to understand copyright and fair use. Even if you think you have a good grasp of the subject, you need to periodically refresh your view because it is ever-changing.
Here is a great, new-to-me source of excellent information by (what I assume are) legal experts.
I also include a link to The Center for Internet and Society (CIS)--a public interest technology law and policy program at Stanford Law School--that "brings together scholars, academics, legislators, students, programmers, security researchers, and scientists to study the interaction of new technologies and the law."
Stanford Copyright & Fair Use website Overview and Resources section...
The Center for Internet and Society (CIS)...
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Can't believe I missed this before now. As the developers of these unbelievable maps explain, "In the future, every city will have a corresponding 3-D virtual city (E-city), where the population, geography, and commerce will be extended from the real city." Here is what they have in mind.
The illustrated city of Fuzhou...
The city of Hong Kong labeled in English...
The Edushi cover page with access to many city illustrations...
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File this under "curiosity" (I have absolutely no connection with any of the players here). I happened on this case study and thought it was of enough interest to share (I know many pageplane.com and ideabook.com readers use InDesign--as I do). I found it interesting to learn a little about how a publication that has over 120 people working on it is put together using a version of InDesign that operates within a larger, more complex framework--in this case a publishing platform called K4.
The National Geographic case study (1.5MB PDF)...
A screen shot of the software interface within InDesign...
The general workflow (1.7MB PDF)...
Managing Editor Inc. is the exclusive distributor of K4 in the Americas...
German-based vjoon GmbH is the developer of the K4 Publishing System...
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While we're on the subject of ephemera (my post on Monday). How would you use it? Well, one way certainly is to choose parts and pieces as influence and inspiration. Another way is to recast it in a new light. That is what Lorenzo Petrantoni does. In fact, in a profile on his philosophy in Communication Arts, he says, "I love old books. I want to bring them back to life, discover their stories and tell the present through the past."
A Petrantoni illustration for The New York Times Magazine...
The profile of Petrantoni at commarts.com...
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Here's a ten-page feature from the most recent issue of Communication Arts Magazine showcasing the story and portfolio of Design Army.
Feature about Design Army (846KB PDF)...
If, by chance, you don't know CA Magazine...
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Dick Sheaff is, among other things, is a collector of ephemera [i-fem-er-uh]--materials that were designed to be disposed of after they served their purpose: advertisements, pamphlets, posters, programs, labels, and so on. Sheaff is now sharing some of the best of his collection online. It is wonderful, inspirational stuff--a must see.
Sheaff is also a designer of postage stamps. Search Arago (a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum) and you will find Sheaff listed as the designer of over 100 stamps.
Sheaff's Gaslight Style Ephemera...
Sheaff's Artistic Printing Ephemera...
Sheaff's work on Arago, a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum...
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I was reading one of Tim Girvin's blog posts this evening (the well-respected calligrapher, writer, and designer) in which he mentions that his mentor was Lloyd J. Reynolds. That made me curious--who was Lloyd Reynolds?
A little detective work turned up this progression: In 1896 William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931) founded the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, England. In 1899 Lethaby encouraged a colleague, Edward Johnston (1872-1944), to start a class on illumination. One of his students was Alfred J. Fairbank (1896-1982) who later referred to himself as a "disciple" of Johnston. Fairbank was Reynolds' (1902-1978) mentor. And, as I explained, Girvin (1953- ) now names Reynolds as his mentor.
Why should you care? Because I think it is a good reminder of the importance of sharing what we know. This simple progression--Lethaby, Johnston, Fairbank, Reynolds, and Girvin--demonstrates a clear, distinct path of ideas and encouragement that was passed from teacher to student. Read their history and look at their work and you will see how profoundly one influenced the next.
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Historic Stock Market is an international online-market for historical shares, old stocks, bonds, and financial documents. Their collection includes at least 20,000 old stock and bond certificates, many of which include elaborate illustrations, ornate typography, and/or highly complex borders and patterns. This is one place to remember when you need some graphic design inspiration.
Look at the meticulously crafted filigree on this 1920s British certificate...
and this French certificate from the 1890s...
If you're interested in exploring further...
Another excellent source: George H. LaBarre Galleries...
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The consensus is good for Canadian illustrator Jillian Tamaki, she was recently awarded Gold medals by both the Society of Illustrators and the Society of Publication Designers. I particularly admire her ability as a storyteller.
An interesting life portrait...
A recent interview with Illustration Friday...
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Photograph 1 is fascinating. Photograph 2 is shocking. The difference is not that both animals are strange, the difference is that the second animal is shown in a totally unexpected context--surrounded by a pristine white background.
Makes me wonder how I better communicate a message by taking something people are used to seeing in one context and showing it in another.
See more of these wonderful creatures...
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Came across this excellent piece on packaging design that is every bit as applicable to today as it was when it was first published a couple of years ago. It was written by Steven DuPuis, the Founder and President of The DuPuis Group, developers of branding programs for clients including Dole, Heinz, Kellogg's, Mattel, The Walt Disney Company, and ConAgra. He seems to know of what he speaks.
10 Packaging Design Trends To Watch In 2008--or anytime...
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Some wonderful examples of how to make the paper more important to the design.
A laser-cut design from the Chartula Studio...
Die cut example from Studio on Fire...
More from the Studio On Fire blog, Beast Pieces...
A letterpress thank you card by Page Stationery...
Decorative embellishments from Huetopia Design...
A blind embossing example from Pinball Publishing...
More from the Pinball Publishing blog, CoinOp...
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Back in February I mentioned that Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California was doing a retrospective of Kit Hinrichs (my all-time favorite designer) titled, The Storyteller's Art. Now that it has closed (and in case you missed it) here is a look.
Who is your favorite graphic designer?
New to Hinrichs? Buy this book...
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I like the way David Pearson used asymmetrical illustrations to create these unique, decidedly symmetrical book cover designs.
The use of symmetry in design has long intrigued me. I guess it is some deep psychological attraction to the foundational balance and order of nature. It pays to recall how profoundly we are influenced by design.
Have you seen any other good examples you can point us to?
David Pearson's Great Journeys series for Penguin...
A passage from The Elements of Graphic Design by Alex W. White on Symmetry and asymmetry...
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I must get some kind of endorphin rush from "different." I like to see people break the mold, send the conversation in another direction, turn the tables, innovate, and so on. Web pages that scroll sideways are no longer revolutionary but I still love the fact that they are so counter-intuitive. Here is yet another excellent example pointed to by my brother Jim (thanks buddy). Music ain't bad either.
If you're curious, here's the background image...
The illustrations are by (the strange) Tony Millionaire...
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In addition to the fact that OurType offers some interesting typefaces, their web page offers some unique ideas about navigation. I must admit it took me a couple of beats to figure out that you click and drag the orange arrows to move up and down, but other than that I like how the designer has made everything accessible from one screen. The only downside being I can't point you to specific information--no variable URL.
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There is a theory that pose that making something complex makes it seem more valuable. But that is not always the case. This web page--a single page--is a great example of how effective it can be to tell a complex story in simple terms.
You condense your message to its essence and in doing so show respect for the fact that I don't necessarily have the time to read ten or twenty pages and condense it myself. That (in many cases) is what you want your reader to come away with correct? If you can do the condensing for me if would seem I am far more likely to get an accurate account.
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Art director and designer Kent Henderson has assembled a wonderful collection of type specimens via Flickr under the umbrella of Depression Press.
More print- and type-centric sets...
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Occasionally I find a shortcut for simplifying a process and I kick myself thinking, "Why didn't I take the time to figure this out before?"
If you know Google well, GoogleGuide.com will seem elementary--but if you use Google for nothing more than simple word or phrase searches you will find this information quite useful.
The Google Guide for Experienced Users...
A cheat sheet for making informed searches...
Another easy way to get the most from Google: Advanced Search...
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Catalina Estrada is an illustrator who has turned her illustrations into a small industry. Some applications of her intricate repeat patterns and icons are used to draw attention to another product, service, or idea--others make her illustrations the product itself. An important distinction.
If you've read this blog for more than a few months you know that, to me, commercial graphic design is not self-expression. This is an excellent example of the exception--how a designer or illustrator can successfully segregate professional and personal focus.
Estrada's bio and some downloads are featured on her rep's site...
Estrada's clothing line for Levis...
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It is, "the run-of-the-mill stuff that keeps the mill running." That's not a dig--I say it with great respect and affection. This is the type of work that rarely commands the recognition high-profile advertising work does, but that is often more consequential because of the much needed information it imparts. Hats off.
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I love how he recasts this type of retro style with vivid colors, hard shapes, and surprising perspectives.
Another surprising perspective...
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In less than 25 years we have moved from pasteups and X-acto knives to simplistic desktop publishing to the advanced graphic design systems and software of the moment. The transition from the board to desktop publishing software made it possible for the designer, who once spent a day assembling the parts and pieces of an advertisement, to produce the same product in an hour. In doing so, it allowed them to increase their work load and/or to devote more time to substance.
I'm guessing that transition will pale in comparison to the transition we now face. "Assisted" design further automates aspects parts of the production process. Instead of inventing your own systems for moving tasks forward you adopt a process built and perfected by others. Assuming it is equal to or better than a system you could create, why wouldn't you use it?
Content management systems are one example of how this transition is manifesting itself, EightShapes Unify offers another. Unify is a comprehensive collection of (primarily) Adobe InDesign templates and graphic elements you can use to present and prototype web pages. I point you to it not only because it is a very cool (free) product, but because it appears to me as another signal of a shift.
As the tools are improved, expectations increase, process is diminished, more resources are devoted to substance, and (in most cases) quality and effectiveness improves. You can easily see how each step prepares us for the next--the question is: where are we headed?
An overview of EightShapes Unify...
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I recently read an excerpt from Adolf Loos essay, Ornament & Crime (1908). He posed that, "The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use." He believed that "style" and "ornament" was "wasted manpower."
One-hundred years hence, to what I am sure would be Loos' great dismay, we are awash in graphic design--some ornamental, some practical, much of it both.
Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, one of the world's leading architectural firms, offers some good examples of the degree to which graphic design is integrated into every level our lives. Their web site features everything from articles detailing the design of multi-million-dollar buildings to an article detailing the design of carpet: "Three individual carpet patterns derived from the random graphic appearance of landscape, traffic, and water."
It got me thinking, what ARE the best purposes of graphic design? Is our best work ornamental? Functional? Essential? Instructive? Timeless?
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I'm sure you've read about Tokyo street style. And that the world fashion industry keeps an eye on how young people are dressing there--that it is one of those places from which designers draw inspiration.
Anna Rusakova reminds us that we need to keep our eyes open for inspiration everywhere. Though this might not be your style, I doubt you would disagree that she has a wonderful sense of her's. She creates fascinating illustrated Moleskine notebooks and presents them within an eclectic kind of color palette-interior design-fashion environment kind of thing that makes it all work.
I just found it very interesting that all these pieces, even the way she has organized and photographed a selection of candies, seems to establish a very clear sense of style.
What do you call this mix of design, illustration, fashion, place, and typography? Is there a better description than simply "style?"
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When it comes to illustration, Bob Staake is the top tier. His list of corporate clients includes names such as Sony, Disney, and Hallmark; Publishers such as Random House, Simon + Schuster, and Scholastic; Publications such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and Barron's.
His finished color illustrations command thousands of dollars, but you can buy an original, signed Staake doodle that you design for $40? Yup, no kidding. To me, one of the coolest, most unusual gifts you could get or give. (I know this sounds like an advertisement but nope, no commission, don't know Bob Staake.)
Bob Staake's Doodlekaboodle samples...
Some examples of Staake's work...
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If you are interested in technology, you have likely already heard about the three new tools announced in the last week--WolframAlpha, Wave, and Bing. I've included the links to each--each is a very interesting story--but my point is more about the environment in which those technologies are made possible than the technologies themselves.
It's not rocket surgery. Advances such as these are the result of the rapid expansion of knowledge made possible by the World Wide Web--historically speaking, a newborn that was just delivered moments ago. It stands to reason that as more people have access to knowledge, there will be more innovation. My point is: it seems we have begun to move in fast-forward.
What does this mean to graphic designers? I suspect that if you are talented at the craft and/or art of communicating ideas you are about to become very popular and quite valuable. Why? Because I believe that a talent for successfully instigating, facilitating, and improving communication is going to be in high demand. That the ability to break through the clutter and to identify and promote worth will be highly prized.
Stand by.
WolframAlpha: A computational knowledge engine...
Bing: Microsoft's "decision engine"...
Wave: Google's new model for communication and collaboration...
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Here is the 2009 installment of Bill Gardner's excellent logo design trends report for LogoLounge.com. As always, it is a must read.
Bill Gardner's logo design trends 2009...
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Density Design began as a part of a Master Degree Course in Communication Design at Politecnico di Milano in Italy. As they explain it, "Using complexity as a keyword to understand reality, combining it with a continuous research for information aesthetics and representation, DensityDesign explores the emergent relationships among communication design, information visualization and complex systems."
To me it is yet another example of the fast-forward progression of design discovery.
A quick way to review much of the work--DensityDesign's photostream on Flickr...
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I have often thought about how badly the license plate needs making over. If clear identification is the goal, most plates (with their scrunched up type and incomprehensible layouts), fail miserably. If style is what you're after, the only real challenge would be to do it worse than it is being done now.
A while back GQ invited nine designers to re-envision the license plate--here are their ideas. Though these are a bit frivolous, the exercise does get you thinking about the possibilities for clearer communication, tighter security, increased safety, and better communication. But that would require state and local governments to take it seriously.
License plate makeover (1.1MB PDF)...
Looks like an international problem...
If you're really interested, here's a big list of license plate links...
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Well--would you settle for Fonts, a couple of entertaining film shorts? You can thank (or blame) my son Jeff for bringing these to our attention.
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The older I get, the less I seem to know about the story I am a part of. By that I mean I have come to believe that we are a part of a system we know very little about--one that continues to reveal itself to us in unexpected ways.
Take the example of DNA. Imagine how profoundly the understanding of this code (now in its infancy) will ultimately effect life on our planet.
So here's the, "is Chuck a crackpot" question: Do you think there could be such a thing as a design equivalent of DNA? Some type of underlying blueprint that map non-visual information in visual form? Is it possible there is some hidden structure to all things that design is, in a clumsy way, trying to reveal?
At first blush it sounds nutty, but consider the fact that many folks have attempted to identify just that--a formula or approach that breaks design down to some "true" or "correct" combination of dynamics--white space, grids, form and color selections, and so on.
But, I digress. All that leads me to Stefanie Pasavec's Writing Without Words. Don't get me wrong, I do not equate it to some type of literary DNA, I simply find it fascinating to contemplate yet-to-be-defined alternatives for envisioning the world around us.
Love to hear your thoughts on this--I think. Use "Comments" below--I answer every entry.
An excellent article on Pasavec's work...
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You can enjoy this site on two levels. First by exploring the fabulously rich visual environment and the vast network it opens doors to. Second, to read some interesting theories about where planet earth and our universe is headed. Genuine "wow" stuff.
And now: a little visual stimulation...
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Let me make a simple point using a site in a language I do not speak--French. That way, it will be a tiny bit more difficult to find words that help to explain the significance of the imagery. As roughly translated via Google Translate, the first link shows a list of organizations and their logos associated with a creative media contest. I chose it because, you would expect that this type of organization would be particularly interested in branding.
My question is, what do these logos tell you about the organizations they represent?
Do they reveal anything about the organization's product, service, philosophy, derivation, purpose, or industry?
Or, from another angle, are these logos distinctive, versatile, memorable, durable, timeless, or symbolic?
My intention is not to ridicule--you have only to look at any random grouping of logos to see the prevalence of this type of white noise. I just wonder, if a client doesn't have hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to imprint its brand on its audience, shouldn't the logo at least tell some part of its story?
I have had my fair share of communication failures--my point is simply, when we don't fight for meaning, we haven't done our job.
Do you have a good definition of the purpose of a logo? Share it with us using "Comments" below--I answer every entry.
See the stack of logos down the left side of the screen...
Paul Rand's thoughts on logo design...
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Here is an excellent example of doing the work AND taking the time to present it in a way that shows it at its best. These studio LOOVVOOL is Tallinn, Estonia.
Have another example of great logo presentation? Share it with us using "Comments" below--I answer every entry.
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The skill is curiosity. I call it a skill because it is a discipline that can be learned but that, to be mastered, requires dedication.
To produce work that really helps clients achieve goals, you've got to look at their products, services, and ideas from all angles and understand the salient issues as well as, if not better, than they do. That is one of the great challenges of our occupation and (if you're curious) one of its great joys.
If you are working a project with a copywriter, it will likely fall to the writer to do most of the research and to compile some type of outline of the important ideas and themes associated with it. The point is, whether there is a writer or not, you need that information--to create a logo, an advertisement, collateral material, a web site, even a trade show display or a banner ad. It is all but impossible to create sound communications design without it.
Following are examples of two useful ways of organizing that core information--a creative brief and a copy platform. Yes, there are as many definitions of these documents as there are models and these are by no means definitive. In many cases, you may not even compile the information for anyone but yourself. I simply offer these examples as a reminder of their importance.
Do you know of another model or have your own? I'd love to see it. (Use "Comments" below--I answer every entry.)
A model for a copy platform...
From an advertising perspective: How to create a brief that sets creativity free (1.38MB PDF)...
An example of a creative brief (64KB PDF)...
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When I was a kid, my father had a subscription to the New Yorker. I would always study the covers and remember thinking how amateurish the illustrations were. My young eyes did not appreciate the insight and restraint it takes to create great illustrations (I even wrote to them offering my services but never heard back).
Christoph Niemann understands whatever it is that equips you to see the world as a series of little stories. He is the quintessential idea animator.
Abstract City, Niemann's blog for the New York Times web...
Niemann's The Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters ...
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Stirring up controversy, making a bold statement, and challenging conventional views are all valid ways of making a point. But using controversy as a tool of marketing is dangerous territory. If you use it, you should use it for a clearly defined reason that offers some substantial advantage.
Which leads me to an example of how not to use it. I came across it as I was looking through the newspaper a couple of days ago--it was a full-page version of this ad to announce the makeover of a city web site. (Go ahead and take a look before you read on.)
I couldn't help but ask myself, "What the heck do nude people have to do with the makeover of a city web site?" and, "What advantage does this controversial approach offer that outweighs the potential for narrowing or eliminating prospects for the clients product?"
I see at least three fundamental marketing mistakes:
Mistake 1: Assume that your audience knows what you know.
The first problem is that the ad speaks primarily to the existing audience. There isn't enough here to explain what Richmond.com is so who cares about the "new" version? An ad that speaks to the insider excludes the outsider.
Mistake 2: Don't say what you mean.
This ad is a misdirection. Everything it shows and much of what it says gives you no information about what the product is. "We've Gotcha Covered" how? Why a nude person? Why this location? Do you care enough about this anonymous product to make the effort to find the answers? Even more puzzling is that, as of this writing, if you go to site the ad points you won't see any nude people (thank goodness) and, if you search the phrase "We Gotcha Covered," there is not even mention of it.
Mistake 3: Be controversial for the sake of being controversial.
At a minimum, the sexual innuendo here sends a clear signal that the site is inappropriate for children--HUGE mistake. And in sending that message, it likely alienates the parents who already are burdened with monitoring every aspect of online life. It obviously slams the door (with relish) on any audience that doesn't share the same sensibilities as the ad's designer. Controversy has an insidious way of representing one narrow view, one sense of humor, and one way of understanding.
To me, good marketing takes a thoughtful, innovative approach to identifying and speaking to the greatest possible audience. Narrowing that audience is perfectly acceptable if you do it for a good reason. But if you narrow the audience simply because of your approach, your approach is wrong. Period.
All that said, I don't mean to pick on the folks who created this ad, I've made my share of marketing mistakes. It is simply the most recent case I've seen that perpetuates the "marketing is magic" theory--that, if you know the secret formula, you can get people to take meaningful action contrary to their own interests by being clever, controversial, or funny--it is a myth.
Your thoughts?
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Vendor Power! is a pamphlet designed to explain basic New York City street vendor rules and procedures in five different languages and to provide and overview of vendor issues. It is a collaboration between the Street Vendor Project, designer Candy Chang, and The Center for Urban Pedagogy. Pretty interesting.
A story in the NYT about the Vendor piece...
The actual Vendor Power brochure, side-two (2MB PDF)...
Several publications (including Vendor Power) from The Center for Urban Pedagogy...
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I can't even remember how I got started looking for information about menu design. I do not currently have a client in the hospitality industry, although I have designed a few menus in my years as a graphic designer. What got me hooked on the subject was the fact that, as with many design specializations, menu design has become quite complex and multifaceted. To the extent, for example, that the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University offers a Ph.D. program in Consumer Behavior/Menu Psychology.
Design and layout of menus now falls under the umbrella of "menu engineering" along with the disciplines of (as defined on Wikipedia): psychology (perception, attention, emotion/affect), managerial accounting (contribution margin and unit cost analysis), marketing and strategy (pricing, promotion).
As an introduction to the subject, I'll share some of my preliminary finds. I cannot testify to the veracity of each source, I have not even read them all word for word, but I thought you might be interested or at least curious.
Just for fun, let's start off with now NOT to design a menu...
The Psychology of Menu Design from Restaurant Resource Group...
The Ten-Minute Manager's Guide to Menu Design from R&I...
A short article about menu engineer Gregg Rapp from Time Magazine...
A full concept design for South St. Burger Co. by Jump Branding & Design Inc....
A case study from Restaurant Startup & Growth...
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This elegant tool by Czech designer Petr Stanicek allows you to create color schemes using monochromatic, complementary (contrast), triad (soft contrast), tetrad (double-contrast), analogic, and accented analogic models. It also offers presets, adjustments, reporting, and even simulates various forms of color vision deficiency. (via a mention by Jim Dudley through LinkedIn)
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When new designers ask for advice, I tell them to master their presentation skills:
"If your presentation skills are weak, you must improve them. Not should--must. Today, as you are reading this page, there are thousands of truly brilliant ideas being generated in the minds of timid people. They will never see the light of day because the artists are unable to sell them--they are too nervous, too intimidated, or simply lack the skills to communicate their ideas with clarity and enthusiasm."
Graphicology.com has produced an excellent series of interviews with industry pros (in PDF form) that speak about the art of presenting.
Nigel Holmes, Principle of Explanation Graphics (PDF -150KB)...
Debbie Millman, Managing Partner, Sterling Brands (PDF -150KB)...
Sally Hogshead, Creative Consultant (PDF -150KB)...
Peter Coughter, Jr., Owner, Coughter & Company; Professor, VCU Adcenter (PDF -150KB)...
Bart Cleveland, Creative Director, McKee Wallwork Cleveland (PDF -150KB)...
And, you'll find others listed in the right-hand column on Graphicology.com...
My post "Advice for new designers"...
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Love how each of Chris Gall's idyllic, rich illustrations tells a story.
Example 3 (Beautiful lighting)...
Example 4 (Interesting contrast between the background and foreground)...
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What strikes me about this collection of interviews is not only how different the disciplines of illustration, communication design, and fine art are (they are all represented here), but how differently each person sees himself and his craft. (I particularly like what Michael Lebowitz has to say about the fundamental changes we are in the midst of.)
Passion is the genesis of genius...
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I don't know where or when it began, but there is a terrible misconception lurking out there that creativity has something to do with youth. While younger people might seem to be more creative (perhaps because they are less encumbered by established rules)--I can't imagine any thinking person would actually try to claim that ground.
If you need proof, you have only to examine the 65-year career of one of the world's most talented and prolific designers--Milton Glaser. Now in his 80th year he seems (to me) every bit as bold and interesting as he did during his days at Pushpin Studios in the 1950s and 60s. He was an innovator then and he is an innovator now.
What gets me on this rant is when I talk to a designer--sometimes as young as 40 or 50--who seems to think their creativity is somehow used up. Ridiculous. To me, what they have misplaced is their appreciation of the craft--the privilege of participating in the exploration of new ideas and projects--and the joy of helping others to communicate them.
Whether you're designing a brochure for an industrial manufacturer or a web site for a leading edge start up, it is entirely up to you whether your work is drudgery or grace.
A sampling of Glaser's work...
As Glaser explains it, "The possibility for learning never disappears..."
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It is easy to underestimate the dimensions of the communities that exist to support and promote individual software products. I created a Twitter page in March to share tidbits about InDesign (Adobe's desktop publishing program) and, in doing so, have met hundreds (on Twitter alone) who have a similar interest in its workings.
In the course of my research I have been tracking down the experts--authors, trainers, and InDesign insiders. If you are a fan of InDesign, allow me to introduce you to some folks who have a similar passion.
Meet Michael Ninness, Adobe's Senior Product Manager, InDesign...
Meet Bob Bringhurst, Adobe's Senior Technical Writer for InDesign...
Meet Michael Murphy, author and InDesign Certified Expert...
Meet Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion, author, trainer, and consultant...
Meet Pariah S. Burke, author, speaker, trainer, and host of quarkvsindesign.com...
Here is the InDesign Brain-Storm Twitter page...
If I could promise you that for a mere $500 I could explain how (literally) the brain works to make decisions, would you pay it? I would.
Good news, it only costs $16.50. Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide reveals fundamentals about the complexities of the brain that every marketer should understand.
Frontal Cortex is his blog on scienceblogs.com...
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I did not write this book--but I sure wish I had. As someone who actively searches the Web for great design, I can testify to the thousands of hours it must have taken Patrick McNeil (of DesignMeltdown.com) to locate, categorize, and assemble such a large cross-collection of superior web ideas. Simply having a snapshot of these hundreds of sites at this time in the history of the Web is well worth the price.
The Web Designer's Idea Book by Patrick McNeil...
Here is an interesting case study of how industrial design firm Kerr & Co. teamed up with Hahn Smith Design to create a new line of Gourmet Settings utensils that could stand out in Costco's bare-bones retail environment.
I find it particularly interesting to contemplate being involved in the entire cycle--identifying the audience and distribution point, developing the product, and then marketing it appropriately. As you know, communication designers are typically involved with just one or two steps of the process.
The Gourmet Settings Case Study (860KB PDF)...
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I happened on a site this week that caused me to glance back at the road behind us. It is tempting to always be looking forward, but a dose of history from time to time doesn't hurt. The page I point you to offers the reflections of a man who ran THE most successful software company of its day--Pete Peterson and WordPerfect.
There are many points to be made about marketing, program development, competition in the industry and so on, but what I recall most by my encounter is the dramatic transition between the stark, code-like programs of the DOS era and the what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) programs of today.
Want to feel really old? Did you use any of the original versions of these: WordStar, Ami Pro, MultiMate, DisplayWrite, WordPerfect.
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Here's another version of the "infinite canvas" idea articulated by Scott McCloud. This time, we move screen-to-screen, box-to-box. I just wish I could isolate and point you to a specific frame--that, to me, is the big negative of Flash development.
Hawaiian Modern, The Architecture of Vladimir Ossipoff...
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On his blog, you can view the photograph of Daniel Will-Harris--hands clasped across his forehead--as an artsy portrait of an urbane intellectual, or the final attempt of a defeated soul to keep his brain from exploding. Whichever you presume, I encourage you to read this laugh-out-loud design review of what Daniel crowns the worst of all hotel web sites.
Bad design at a design conference...
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Our local newspaper (The Richmond Times Dispatch) laid off 59 employees yesterday. One in a long series of recent reports that would have you believe that nothing can save the newspapers.
Nonsense. To my way of thinking, the reason this and so many other newspapers are struggling is not simply from "a loss of advertising revenue," "changes in the classified market place," and "the difficult economic environment." What is killing newspapers is an extraordinary lack of creativity. Extraordinary because unlike other institutions that continually reinvent themselves to remain relevant to their audiences, city newspapers (generally speaking) seem to be paralyzed by their legacy.
The lords of news and knowledge need to wake up. We are in the midst of a fundamental shift in the control and distribution of knowledge. A kid with a computer in a remote corner of the planet can monitor a lecture at MIT. And I can sit in my chair and navigate my way, block by block, through the streets of Paris. To imagine that a publication, designed, written, produced, and delivered in much the same way it was 20 years ago, can continue to flourish, is not short sighted, it's blind.
Shutting down creativity is a destructive reaction to success. Instead of continuing to innovate--the very thing that lead to our initial success--we often cling to our original notions. Instead of devoting the research and resources necessary to take the next step we opt to carefully, cautiously, incrementally dabble around the edges of the old ideas--at times, beyond all good reason.
I have no doubt innovators in the newspaper business will survive and thrive. The resulting product may have little resemblance to the newspaper of today but a reinvented model that capitalizes on what works and lets go of what doesn't will surely emerge. It will come from those who, rather than fight the profound technological shift we are witness to, recognize how lucky we are to be living at such a seminal time in history and jump in head first.
The pursuit of making the world a better place is what makes life such a blessing. I find a real glimmer of hope in discussions such as these:
From a recent talk at TED: Can design save the newspaper?...
About reinventing newspaper classifieds...
The local story. Could this web site be any more nondescript?
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This post from the faceoutbooks.com blog points to a dramatic book cover Timothy Goodman designed for Scribner. Take a look and then take a few minutes to browse his portfolio--he does some nice work.
What really strikes me is how different (generally speaking) one piece is from the next. I know I harp on this but I really do think it is one or the fundamental qualities of a good designer--someone who is able to get so absorbed in the client's need that they are able to shed their own identity.
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If you were hopelessly addicted to looking around for exceptional design, you might have come across this striking package design on the Norwegian Design Council's site. It was designed by Strømme Throndsen Design for the Trygve Nesje flour mill.
Package design for flour from the Holli ancestral farm...
The design is discussed in depth here...
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I love the idea of exploring the size and shape of the page. In this TED presentation, author and artist Scott McCloud explains and demonstrates his "infinite canvas" design strategy.
It is SO easy to lull ourselves into adopting restrictions that are often the remnants of decisions that, in many cases, is no longer irrelevant.
I realize this is not a new idea, but it is the first time I have heard it formally discussed. Best of all, it has got me thinking about ways to expand on the idea.
Thanks to my friend Don Snyder "Don The Idea Guy" pointing me to this.
Scott McCloud lays out the premise (pretty entertaining)...
A written explanation from McCloud's site (be sure to look around, there is lots to see there)...
A "hypercomic" by Daniel Merlin Goodbrey...
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I saw an article from HOW magazine by Jean S. Perwin that looks at the legal side of typeface design. It led me to other sites that feature her discussion of other legal issues of interest to designers.
Not My Type: Typeface Protection and the Law...
Trademark issues in the Design Business...
Ten Copyright Myths That Can Hurt You...
Know Your Rights: Intellectual Property Basics...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Brenner Pricing Tables...
We've all run up against a typeface we want to use but can't identify. Just in case you had not come across it, here is a link to one of the type community's great resources: The Typophile Type ID Board. If this collective can't name it (or at least give you a hint to its origin) you may as well give it up.
And while we're on the subject, kudos to those of you who are willing to participate in the un-puzzling. The only thing that makes a forum like this possible is the willingness of those who participate in it. As someone who needs an occasional assist, I thank you.
The Typophile Type ID Board...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...
I got a plea for help the other day. A designer who frequents this blog had shared a recent post with an engineer friend and the reply was a bit condescending. The post, "The talent that makes a good designer great," points to an engineer who I thought was particularly innovative. My purpose in drawing attention to him was to emphasize the importance of the same type of innovative thinking to the field of graphic design.
The essence of the engineer's response was they saw little correlation between the skills of an engineer and those of a graphic designer. How could that type of innovation, they posed, have anything to do with a designer's sense of style, their ability to choose typefaces, their knowledge of color, and so on. After all, the subject of my post, the engineer asserted, was a PhD candidate.
I laughed out loud. Every designer has had (or will have) this conversation. At its root is the implication that devoting one's career to the design of communications and an interest in the aesthetic is somehow less of a calling than some other, more significant field of endeavor.
My response is this:
The ergonomics and aesthetics of design are to engineering what taste is to food.
Remove the aesthetic qualities (style, organization, presentation) of the clothing you wear, the book you are reading, the automobile you drive, the room in which you spend your time, and so on, and all you have left is...function.
It is important for every student of design (and engineering) to recognize and appreciate the importance of form to function and vice versa. And it is equally important to understand that to be a exceptional practitioner of either discipline requires out-of-the-ordinary instincts, curiosity, knowledge, craft, and so on.
Lots of people view art and science as a comfortable coexistence. But for those who are particularly attuned to one or the other, it is good to remember that the most debilitating form of blindness is to minimize the way in which others see. It is not only a sure way to limit your potential--it is a certain and swift strategy for diminishing your influence.
An example of substance without style...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
If you use Adobe products you are likely curious about the future of those products and, perhaps, the workings of the company that invents, produces, and markets them. Adobe makes itself known in many ways but I think this unassuming little page is among the most interesting.
Adobe Blogs aggregates posts from blogs written by the folks who do the work--the execs, engineers, writers, designers, and so on. If you have a passion for a particular Adobe software product or technology, this is where you will find someone who shares it.
Abobe Blogs aggregates the most recent posts from a long list of Adobe blogs...
And here is the LONG list of blogs from which it draws...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Becoming a Graphic Designer
Here, the designers contrast the mechanics of typography with an organic background. Reminds me that, often, the designer's primary challenge is to find new ways of doing familiar things. (The work is credited to Why Not Associates in collaboration with Gordon Young.
Typographic tree columns at the Crawley Library in Essex ...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Graphics For Business...
I've been a fan of Hornall Anderson for a long time. I point you to their site to show you some interesting ideas they have incorporated into the user interface. (Yes, they may not have invented these, but seeing them in this configuration caught my attention.)
A blog calendar time line (bottom) and pop-up search (top right)...
Hold your mouse pointer over an image for a slide show...
A slant column on each portfolio page that moves off frame when you click the "X"...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color...
Watch how the designers employ screen symbols to demonstrate Facebook's new home page design--the three screens below the heading, "More about the publisher." I like how they simply silhouetted the elements to show the position of what they are describing.
It's all about the details.
Look at the screens below the heading: "More about the publisher"...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Page Design...
What I'm trying to say is that she has a gift for making a combination of disparate pieces look as though they were invented exclusively for her purpose. She got my attention with her wonderful layouts and illustrations Esquire magazine but she hooked me with these bold, colorful covers for the Seattle Times.
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Desktop Publisher's Idea Book...
That, in essence, is what I told a good friend today. He is looking to make a job change and I was posing the possibility that he offer up his substantial experience online. Not that he hand out his social security number, but just that he begins to cultivate new relationships by networking online--Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and such.
But that is not his thing, he explained. He is a private person and the idea of sharing information with the public does not sit well. My response was, "Well you'll just have to get over it."
The link below is the embodiment of my point. Thru-you is a groundbreaking collection of songs mixed together by a Tel Aviv musician named Ophir "Kutiman" Kutiel using pieces and parts of YouTube clips. What is so striking to me is that the people who play the music clearly had no way of knowing that this outcome was even possible.
Like my friend, they did not understand that their contribution could net them something far greater than what they planned.
My favorite cut: 03. I M NEW....
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
Eamo has a penchant for fluid, complex lines and an acid-hot color palette. Nice stuff.
In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...
Last week I heard filmmaker Ken Burns say something that I think applies to every communications designer.
In the process of discussing his reverence for the stories and imagery he uses in his films he said, "...We, in the present, think that because we've survived we're somehow smarter, or better, or different from those who went before us--and it's not true. For ten thousand or more years human beings are the same, the conversations they have...are no different, the degree of understanding, the glibness of rhetoric--whatever you want to call it--is the same: we love, we hate, we feel jealousy and passion, in the same ways that other people did and it is the responsibility of those of us who labor in these historical vineyards to remind people of that."
So I am asking myself and you, to pause and think about what we can learn about going forward from what has passed. How do foundational concepts such as top to bottom, left to right, and beginning, middle and end dictate the borders of our creativity? How can we avoid losing simplicity in sophistication?
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
This is nothing short of bizarre. Within the last month or so three major companies have introduced logos reminiscent of amazon.com's well known mark. What the heck is with that?
If you doubt it, here are some references:
A Kraft Foods news release reads, "Starting today, people around the world will begin to see the new identity that deliciously features a smile, the natural reaction to delicious foods and experiences, and a colorful flavor burst."
And, if you look at the what is reported to be the original pitch on the Pepsi logo, (here) you will see the reference to the faces (and smiles) beginning on page 22.
Many sources (in 2000) pointed to documents that explained how the amazon.com logo "depicts the ultimate expression of customer satisfaction--a smile."
To be fair, I was unable to find any official or semi-official mention of a smile on the Jack in the box logo, I leave that for you to decide.
I don't mean to imply there is something unethical happening here, I just hope a discussion of this will keep others from repeating the same idea yet again.
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
You'll find Edwin Fotheringham's illustrations all over the web and on everything from books to billboards. Stylistically they are (to me), at the same time, both old and new. Love his web design (last link).
In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...
