graphicology

107. The New Graphicology

2007-07-02T09:27:00.001-04:00

Hello friends. After lots of planning and weeks of trying to manipulate CSS (not to mention paying $1500 for the url) - I have managed to switch the graphicology blog to a new location: www.graphicology.com. This change also comes with big plans for new proprietary content, a small group of content authors of like minded designers, art directors and film pros from around the country (currently being assembled) in addition to a more professional approach to covering all things design. The transition will take some time and I ask for not only your patience, but also your constructive criticism. Please check out the new site where you can still find all the now 'old' posts as well as a few holes that will soon be populated with new articles, opinions, forums and editorials. Go ahead and tell your friends and remember to bookmark the new site or RSS feed. I (soon to be We) hope that the new graphicology will be one of your favorite links to stay current and inspired. Thank you for your continued support and feedback.

(If you know of anyone whom you believe would add a little something special to our team of authors - please tell them to contact me via the new site.)

106. A Courageous Post from Armin.

2007-06-19T11:56:00.000-04:00

Go to this post by Armin Vit of SpeakUp. It's one of the most courageous and introspective posts by a designer I've read in a long time. In it, he breaks down his recent logo designs (not selected by the client) and objectively categorizes and evaluates them in order to explore or discover his own design perferences. Quite thoughtful and interesting to say the least. I love it and want to try it on myself.

105. AICP's The American Commercial.

2007-06-11T16:20:00.000-04:00

The Association of Independent Commercial Producers, or AICP have published the winners from their annual show of the best spots produced in the US, in a collection called The Art & Technique of the American Commercial. Browsing each year's category winner is a good resource for beginners (and veterans) to see the potential of great storytelling. The surprise spot I liked – and hadn't seen before – was for Sears and called Arboretum... it's great. Check it out. Link via Rm 116.

104. Wieden & Kennedy Website.

2007-06-05T10:48:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, Wieden and Kennedy has taken a beating lately on their lack (perceived) of interactive ability/integration. Read this article about their long time client Nike and you'll begin to understand how the agency's 'new media' reputation is affecting their business. I think it's silly really - an agency like W&K hires smart, creative people that regardless of the medium, will produce ground-breaking work. I think they have led the industry in interactive applications of creativity too, but somehow they are not getting credit for it - at least from CMO's and the like. Eventually, they'll be fine, but I recently noticed that they changed their website from their long-time, understated, uber-negative space, black and white, spartan website in favor of a new, flashy, time-line oriented, modern, whiz-bang interactive experience of their work. I bet they did this to counter the heat they've been taking lately – and it will probably help; but I wonder if it will have the longevity of their previous version? Ånd I wonder if internally, they feel like this reflects their culture or if it was just a big middle finger to all the critics? (FYI: their London branch's blog is a great peak into what I consider one of the best pound-for-pound agencies around.)

103. London 2012.

2007-06-05T10:32:00.000-04:00

There's a great discussion going on about the identity for London's Olympic bid in 2012, on Speak Up. Check it out. Personally, I think it's ugly - although it does generate an entire system of graphic communication as well as stand out from the normal crowd... sometimes two out of three aint bad. Compare it to Chicago's recent Olympic bid, which is really beautiful. (Done by VSA Partners as pro bono.)

UPDATE: Check out what Coudal Partners has to say here. They make great points.

UPDATE 2: Yet one more thing to considering when designing.

102. Seventy-Nine Short Essays on Design.

2007-05-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

Michael Bierut's new book, 79 Short Essays on Design, was released today on Amazon. (A lot of the content has already been released as essays on Design Observer – where he discusses why he was compelled to compile this material into a book.) But I think it'll still be well worth the Jackson. I've already purchased mine and will update this post with highlights.

101. BMW Art Cars.

2007-05-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to visit the BMW manufacturing plant's Zantrum (that's German for museum;) in South Carolina and saw an exhibit of art cars designed by such greats as Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Matazo Kayama, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol - of whom I'm not a big fan just so you know. Apparently every year from 1975 and 1999, BMW commissioned one artist to paint one car. The cars provided a great medium for which to show off their unique styles and I hope that they restart this tradition soon. Check them out here, and here. (And for diecast versions - click here.)

100. Cross-Country Design.

2007-05-08T11:42:00.000-04:00

Over the past week, I had the privilege of driving cross-country from San Francisco to Greenville, SC. This country is amazingly beautiful, but when I wasn't admiring the scenic views or stopping for a bag of these - I had time to think about two almost-design-related items. First, I believe that Tennessee has the best (standard) license plate of the states. It's pleasing, a lot of the state looks just like the image, and as a bonus - the numbers are quite legible too. Also, as I passed all of those U-haul trucks I wondered which state had the best mural (U-Haul calls them supergraphics by the way.) You've seen them on the sides of their trucks. Though none are well-designed per se, I have to give the nod to Louisiana, with the worst design by far going to Arizona. I have to admit that they are a guilty pleasure for me, I was forced to look at each one as I passed. (I have always liked what Budget does with their trucks too. But where's the D in this one?) I promise to get back to serious design matters within a few days.

99. Miami Ad School, Thank You.

2007-04-27T13:13:00.000-04:00

For the past few quarters I have had the privilege of teaching at the Miami Ad School here in San Francisco. I met some fantastic people and worked on some very interesting projects all the while enjoying myself tremendously. The cliche is right, when you teach you end up learning more than anyone in your class. Thanks to all, especially Denise and Sachie for giving me the opportunity. (Kaan, Jake, Denise #2, Bryan, Dave, Matt, Amy, Charles, James, Addy, Roberto, Jess, Niklas, Josh, Andrew, and Sam – Good luck and remember to use your talents for good.)

98. Campaign Logo Designs.

2007-04-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

Some applications of design seem more void of creativity, craft, and inspiration than others. Cereal boxes. Grocery store inserts. Local car dealer spots. All usually terrible and mostly unbearable. The set of presidential candidate logos for 2008 provide another such example. One would think that given the visibility of the campaigns and the sophistication of the people working behind the scenes (not to mention the budgets,) the identity work for their efforts would be more professional and meaningful. Take a look at this blog which compares and contrasts the campaign designs of the major Republican and Democratic candidates. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the written critiques found on the site - but it does serve as one-stop window shopping to form your own opinions. I find Obama's to be the most crafted, though still quite amateur when compared to the best corporate design. At least there's some sort of expandable graphic mark. I also think McCain's decision to use black in lieu of good ole red, white, and blue is daring - and in the right hands, potentially powerful - though in this execution it only exemplifies the Senator's reputation of being somewhat out of touch. (One website reviewer recently wrote that he must have 'joined the Oakland Raiders.' Ha. Though more color has since been added to the homepage.) Seems to me if you are a great designer and politically motivated, your services could be put to good use backing a candidate of your choice. (Does anyone else miss Perot's charts by the way?)

Politics being what it is, this is all that I can find about who did what.: Sol Sender of Sender LLC and five others in his firm created the logo the Illinois senator is using for his 2008 presidential bid. (source: Chicago Business.)

Anyone know anything about the others?

97. I Love Pinstriping.

2007-04-24T15:17:00.000-04:00

Pinstriping combines some of my favorite things: applied design, attention to detail, craftsmanship and an interesting medium. Even if you are not a car person per se - you can easily appreciate how talented some of these artists are and how intricate and amazing some of this eye-candy can be. I particularly like this skull design (shown above.) Take a look at this wiki page, this video (which I posted long ago,) this video, Herb Martinez – one of the more web-recognized artists, a flickr group on the subject, a couple books, as well as some helpful how-to articles to get you started by a fellow named Rocky Jr. I'm thorough if nothing else. Enjoy.

96. Type Specimens.

2007-04-23T19:06:00.000-04:00

On a fairly mundane afternoon I decided to search Flickr using the words 'type specimen.' Below are some of the best surprises.

1. Artistic Hebrew Type, 2. 1923 ATF Specimen, 3. 1971 Photolettering, 4. Type Con 2006, 5. Fellow Typophile, 6. Design Things, 7. More Type Specimens, 8. I love Merga, 9. Type and Lettering, 10. More Type Goodness, 11. Signs and Type, 12. Any Type, 13. More Typography, 14. Matt Desmond, 15.Typographic Findings, 16. Typographie, 17. Typostammtisch, 18. Lots of Cool Specimens

95. Type Directors Club Annual Winners.

2007-04-11T18:35:00.000-04:00

The Type Directors Club just released the 2007 annual winners with images from many of the designers and scans of the entries from others. Of course, low-density scans cannot do complete justice to the high quality of the printed material. No rankings are assigned in the TDC competitions; listings are categorically alphabetical. Olga, Subtil, and Nassim are my favorites. I think they would prove to be a useful addition to any type library. Enjoy. (Olga is the specimen featured above.)

94. Dynamic Identity.

2007-04-09T18:10:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was sent this article written by Alice Rawsthorn at the International Herald Tribune (which has a great style and design section by the way.) In this article she discusses the trend for companies to have dynamic, seemingly ever-changing identity systems instead of one static logo. She uses Sak's Fifth Avenue new identity (we blogged about it here,) MTV, Google's versatile logotype and others to demonstrate this newer design trend and concisely discusses the pros and cons. I offer up Snickers (see this and this) and Perrier (download this pdf) as two recent examples of not just versatile identities but dynamic logos that are actually the advertising message in themselves. The article is food for thought for anyone designing an identity system, though I think it's pretty easy to decide when this makes sense and when it doesn't. Ask youself: does the added versatility serve a longterm purpose?

93. Viktor Koen's Toyphabet.

2007-04-02T13:50:00.000-04:00

Another reason to subscribe to Baseline, the latest issue (#50) highlights artist Viktor Koen and his toyphabet. This alphabet is an amazing collection of somber letterforms comprised of toys, machines, spare parts and other mechanized junk. His 2005 cover of the New York Times Book Review (here) showcases this peculiar take on typography and is awesome(!!!) Be sure to visit his website and peruse his artwork – it's definitely worth the time.

92. Ad of the Week. I think.

2007-03-29T13:42:00.000-04:00

I have walked past this board everyday for the past three weeks. And because I'm an ad/design nerd, I've asked myself several questions: Do I like it only because it features a skull? Do I not like it because the designer didn't use the Economist font (a proprietary, Erik Spiekermann designed font family, I believe. Originally called Ecotype but now something like "The official Economist, you only wish you could buy it Font Family?") I think the Economist font would look more spine-like, though I recognize that it's easier to set a monospaced font vertically. Back to my questions: do I like it because it continues the economist tradition of very clean, quick (and red) communication? Do I not like it because it betrays that witty copy-driven tradition by going all vector-art on us? (Though they've gone visual many times before. View what is possibly my favorite ad of all time here.) Do I like it because of the clever way of using the magazine's masthead as the logo? Do I not like it because this also bucks their usual logotype sign-off? Do I like the headline or do I think it's a cliche? (The economist ads always walk a fine line between pun and clever word-play; most often on the good side.) Do I like it because it's almost impossible to ignore due to it's size and location? Do I not like it because someone felt the need to over-explain what they do with 'Insights on the world, weekly' which is only vaguely related to the 'having an opinion' thing? Ultimately, after three weeks, I think I have decided that I don't really like it – mainly because it could easily have been better. That's always frustrating to see. Or maybe I like it.

91. The Good. The Bad. And the Ugly.

2007-03-27T17:05:00.000-04:00

Here are two new logo design examples that contrast good design with bad. Dairy Queen's logo was probably in need of a little 'freshening, sure. But the new version can be summed up in one word: ugh. To balance things out in the design universe, however, the redesign of Portland State's identity system (by Sockeye Creative in Portland) is elegant and beautifully executed.

I haven't been posting too many new logo designs mainly because Armin Vit's Brand New (a spinoff of Speak Up,) does such a great job. Be sure to read his thorough reviews of both of these examples as well as future identity projects.

90. Kerning Online.

2007-03-13T19:36:00.000-04:00

Today, a former production artist that I worked with asked about a site that I had sent to him over a year ago. On this site – by the University of Delaware's Department of Visual Communications – you can test and train your kerning eye against the experts using various typefaces. This little exercise demonstrates the importance of kerning and is a great tool for aspiring designers. (Login using guest.) Though, I'm not too sure about the professional recommendation for BEAD, most examples are dead-on.

89. Picasso Exhibit.

2007-03-12T02:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to an exhibit at the SF Museum of Modern Art focusing on Picasso and his influence on American Artists. (I all to easily forget how powerful it is to be so close to such great works of art, especially by an artist I would consider a favorite.) I left better understanding the large shadow Picasso's talent and prolific output of masterpieces cast on other artists. If you are in town - check it out - it runs until late May.

88. Ad of the Week.

2007-03-09T12:46:00.000-05:00

So, I'm walking near the Ferry Building here in San Francisco and came across these mobile billboards. ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) They are most certainly attention-getting and very, very well done. The image retouching is grade-A hollywood type stuff and quite powerful, especially when you walk past these buildings everyday. I just don't like using fear as a motivational tool. Maybe it's a powerful and effective device; but I don't leave these boards thinking what a great job the Red Cross does during unimaginable circumstances (which is true) - I just walk away thinking they don't have much taste. Maybe the copy could be stronger to make that point - what do you think? Despite this error in strategy, they are still a great cause to support. (Images by Jason DeFillippo as posted on flickr, here.)

87. Nike's Fitted Uniforms.

2007-03-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Nike recently debuted a radical uniform design for four NCAA men's basketball teams. The design features a fitted jersey top, larger/longer shorts, and long-sleeve fitted under shirts – ala Under Armour. The materials and construction of the uniforms seem too extreme for me (especially the long sleeves,) but what I do like are all the little design details. For instance, the dark Florida jerseys feature a subtle alligator pattern, the Syracuse version incorporates a logo used on their very first uniforms, and some of the tights feature the names of alunmi players.

Team uniforms are a great place to watch design trends and are always controversial. If like me, you are into such things, visit Paul Lukas' UniWatch.

86. Letterpress Guide.

2007-03-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

This is great. Design Sponge recently posted a letterpress guide - a growing list and short review of the best studios around. Perhaps the most useful feature is the ability to search by location for a local letterpress shop. Or if you're like me, you can just peruse the sample photos. Check it out here.

85. The Pentagram Papers

2007-03-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

If you've followed graphicology for awhile, you know that I admire the work of Pentagram. Recently, they published a compendium of 36 papers containing, in their words, "curious, entertaining, stimulating, provocative and occasionally controversial points of view." These papers were released over the last 30 years and were written or collected by the partners. Crop Circles. Pop architecture of New Jersey. Mao Buttons. And rural Australian mailboxes are just a few of the papers included. Visit Chronicle Books to order The Pentagram Papers.

84. Red on Roundball.

2007-03-04T15:52:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered that nba.com has a series of old basketball training videos by the late, great Red Auerbach - Red on Roundball. Short-shorts and grainy footage aside, there really isn't a lot to be garnered from a design standpoint, but if you can get past the pixelized footage they are certainly fun to watch. Topics include shooting, dunking, defense, fundamentals and my favorites: intimidation (with Bill Russel) and Rick Barry's granny-style free-throw shooting. Enjoy.

83. Garamond vs. Garamond.

2007-02-28T20:29:00.000-05:00

A delicious rundown off the most popular versions of my favorite typefaces: Garamond. Even though in French, you can still get the gist based on the comparison graphics. This is just fantastic.

82. Send the Poolboys to the Mansion.

2007-02-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

I know three young gentlemen that have a dream. They are currently trying to get people to write letters of recommendations for their future aquatic employment at the, um, Playboy Mansion. That's right, they aspire to be Poolboys at the Mansion. Their dream is organized and gaining momentum. Visit this link and show your support by writing a letter of recommendation. (Otherwise, they'll have to try to get real jobs.) OH and one more thing, after writing your letter, call in (1-877-205-9796) on Sirius Playboy Channel (198) at 6am PST on March 19th to say nice things and learn more. Crazy kids - this might just work.

81. The Bottom Rung – Chapter 1.

2007-02-20T14:23:00.000-05:00

It's about time - I know - but I finally finished the first chapter in The Bottom Rung series. Chapter 1 (again, in no particular order) focuses on taking pride in the little projects that new creatives often are assigned. In the future I will be getting content, viewpoints and examples from higher profile talent from around the country. But for this chapter, you're stuck with a few of my own. I hope this series will be of help to those starting out in this crazy industry of ours.

Here's the introduction that was posted awhile back to get you up to speed. Soon, I'll add each chapter somewhere on the right panel for easier access. Also, I would gladly accept user submissions for future chapters as well as more examples of work that fit each subject. So drop a line. Thanks and good luck.

80. Designing Type by Karen Cheng.

2007-02-19T23:48:00.000-05:00

So, I've been working on a personal typography project - a hearty, sans serif face for personal use - and discovered Designing Type by Karen Cheng. This book is a great reference for such an undertaking, going through an alphabet character by character while focusing on balancing the optical issues of shape, form and consistency within a typeface. Here are a few preview pics (1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5) via youworkforthem.

79. Title Sequence Design.

2007-02-16T15:26:00.000-05:00

I've been traveling this week (from here to Denver and back) and haven't had a chance to post some of the bigger things in the works. (An online design resource guide and the first real content for The Bottom Rung series for two examples.) But I do want to share this link to a website called, Forget the Film, Watch the Titles. You can view some of the better title sequence designs out there, which often are far more entertaining and creative than the films themselves. (Thanks for sharing, Matt.) Though just getting started, they do have a personal favorite from the film, Thank You for Smoking, which I blogged about a while back.

78. The Art of Presenting - Nigel Holmes.

2007-02-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

I'm quite happy and humbled to announce Nigel Holmes' contribution to our presentation series. Breaking with our advertising focus, this is an opportunity to get a graphic designer's perspective on the subject, and not just any designer either. Nigel is a legend. He worked as Graphics Director at TIME Magazine before becoming a freelance designer, lecturer and the author of many brilliant books on information and explanatory graphics. (One of them, Wordless Diagrams is on our mandatory reading list.) His perspective on presenting covers the creative presentation of his designs to clients as well as presentations in front of a larger audience. I always say this, but it's no less true this time: We are lucky to have his insight on the subject.

You can see more of Nigel's work on his website and on the UnderStAnding site (my favorite.) You can also listen to a related interview with him via NPR or just enter his name on your favorite search engine and you'll find a ton of his work.

77. Adult Swim Guerilla Campaign.

2007-02-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've heard about this adult swim 'campaign' by now, but our intrepid intern here at Grant, Scott & Hurley acquired one of these puppies a few days before all the hoopla hit the fan and I thought I would share. These pics (main. back. detail. lit.) might show how ridiculous the scare was – or how ridiculous advertising can be, depending on your perspective. (Personally, I wasn't sure if this little guy was giving me the finger or threatening me with a syringe.)

Also, check out these pics (one. two. three.) I took of the Queen Mary 2 as she sits in Pier 27 during my ferry ride to work. (Apologies for the low-quality shots.) Here's a professional photo taken by a SF Chronicle photographer that better shows the size of the ship.

76. The Illustrative Designer.

2007-01-29T20:02:00.000-05:00

Just a quick link to a great podcast that Von Glitschka has started called The Illustrative Designer. The most recent episode is an interview with Paul Howalt, who I worked with on a project last fall. Both are very talented fellas. I would say that the two of them and Joey Mason are my three favorite illustrators out there right now, so check them out.

NOTE: Proving that he isn't just talented, but also a nice guy – Von Glitschka graciously sent me his keyboard characters just for mentioning his site(s) in a post a few months ago. (I have yet to take them out of the package.)

75. The Art of Presenting – Bart Cleveland.

2007-01-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about this blog has been interviewing the subjects of the presenting series. I have found their insight rewarding, helpful and occasionally surprising. No matter how experienced (or inexperienced) one may be with presenting – there is always room for improvement. For the sixth edition, I dropped the questions and simply asked Bart Cleveland to share his thoughts.

Bart is the Creative Director at McKee Wallwork Cleveland in Albuquerque, NM. His leadership experience at big agencies and his countless creative awards speak volumes, but it was his perspective shared on Advertising Age's Small Agency Diary that prompted me to ask him to participate. Enjoy - you won't be disappointed. (Thanks, Bart.)

74. Ad of the Week + Pentagram Calendar.

2007-01-19T12:58:00.000-05:00

I like it when I see a company doing something daring and dramatic with their advertising. Saatchi and Saatchi has produced some great print for Tide promoting the use of cool water detergents and the subsequent energy-savings. Done mostly with computer generated art from Saddington & Baynes, the print drives home the strategy in city-specific executions. I think it would be even more outstanding as an outdoor placement on the wall of a building or something, but not bad at all.

Also, I ordered the 2007 Classic Typography Calendar from Pentagram and Ken Knight yesterday morning online. It was delivered right after lunch the same day! Apparently their offices are close to Grant, Scott & Hurley - and they decided to waive the shipping charges and bring one over. That ladies and gents, is customer service. (They have great portfolios if you are looking...)

73. TDC's Letterspace Downloads.

2007-01-18T12:24:00.000-05:00

It had been awhile since I visited the Type Director's Club website, and I was pleasantly surprised to see their Letterspace newsletter available to download for free. It's a great resource about typography from every perspective - I particularly like their fy(t)i series (for your typographic information.)

72. Helvetica - Clips.

2007-01-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

A few clips have been posted for the upcoming documentary film, Helvetica by Gary Hustwit. You can view the clips here. (The first one with Erik Spiekermann is a gem.) I can no longer make fun of all those 'nerds' who wait for two days in front of the theater for a sci-fi movie release or in front of Best Buy for the new Nintendo console - because I could totally see myself doing that for this film. (Not that I will have to, mind you.) The film starts screening at the festivals in March.

71. Journals from Old Books.

2007-01-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

Just a quick link to a site where you can buy some great journals, made from using old books: bookjournals.com. They still include some of the original pages plus ample new blanks for all your rambling thoughts and creativity. Normally I would prefer to keep vintage books in their original state, but they seem to choose their 'materials' wisely.

70. Ad of the Week.

2007-01-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

I'm not on the liberal fringe by any means, but I do like this new campaign for Greenpeace - done by Zig in Toronto. A lot of work done in this genre (like PETA) is purposely offensive and you can debate the effectiveness of that strategy ad nauseam, but I like that this work didn't go in that direction. Guilty Since 1971 (a tag since their early days), finally has the same courageous spirit as the group itself and lends to that rebellious attitude, a legitimacy the organization sometimes lacks. Justifying disobedience – if convincing enough – can be a powerful tool for social change.

68. Monday Links.

2007-01-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

1. Coffee Art 2. Venn Diagrams 3. Cool Calligrams 4. The Pentagram Papers 5. French Explorers 6. What are you optimistic about? 7. Little Golden Books & Color 8. Boy, do I love old signs. 9. ...and album art. 10. Non-Hallmark Greeting Cards. 11. The Reasons Behind Stupid Decisions 12. Battle of the Fans 13. Book Plate Junkie 14. Russian Corporate Identity (some are quite nice.) 15. Insect Lab 16. Blog of the Week: Ace Jet 170. A kindred soul, no doubt. (Found type Fridays rocks.)

67. Pentagram's New Work for Saks.

2007-01-04T16:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we all know that the guys at Pentagram rock. And we expect everything they do to be uber-cool and crafted, and somehow they always meet these high expectations. Take their new identity for Saks Fifth Avenue, it's elegant and gives all the collateral and interior packaging a consistent look without becoming repetitive – using a thought process that is simple yet profound. Check it out and read Partner Michael Bierut's explanation on their blog.

66. Two Typography Articles.

2007-01-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

The new year has arrived, and it finds me quite busy on many fronts. We have a lot of projects in the works here at Grant, Scott & Hurley of course, but in addition to that I'll be teaching an 11 week class at the Miami Ad School starting next week and I also plan on attending a letterpress workshop at the SF Center for the Book in the coming weeks. I'll be blogging about both of those in the near future.

Yesterday I came across a little typography resource that I'd like to share. It's an entry on a blog called Typies about choosing a good body copy typeface. It's not perfect by any means and the English is broken a bit - but it does bring up the majority of things one should consider when choosing a face for longer copy. (#11 is a pet peeve of mine about some font designers, as I've seen this 'm' many times. It can only be moderately corrected with kerning.)

And while we're on the subject of typography, here's another helpful entry on a blog by Mark Boulton giving five simple steps to better typography. And let me say, it's sad that most designers and art directors neglect these simple, yet important considerations.

65. The Art of Presenting 5 - Sally Hogshead.

2006-12-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas, for me at least, will be celebrated on December 11th every year from now on – because today is the day I posted Sally Hogshead's responses to our questions on presenting. Sally is an advertising legend, the author of Radical Careering (one of the mandatory reads to your lower right,) and perhaps one of the most inspiring people you can ever meet. She has a great site. A great blog. And the aforementioned great book. We're very lucky that she took time out to share her thoughts on the subject. Enjoy.

64. Good Magazine.

2006-12-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

While I am still getting ready to post a new Art of Presentation entry (Sally Hogshead's, yay!) and finish up a few chapters of the Bottom Rung series, I wanted to post about GOOD magazine. It's a publication that is donating all of its proceeds to charity and in their words represents the merger of idealism and capitalism. Their content is well designed sure, but more importantly it looks like they will cover some issues important to all graphic designers, let alone most citizens. Be sure to check out what WK12 did for what will be an invitation every issue for a designer or group to represent the theme for that issue. Watch it here. Jelly Helm (featured in the video) was my professor at the AdCenter and is running the ad school (or is it an ad school?) at Wieden & Kennedy's headquarters in Portland. Now, a reread of Jelly's 2000 article about saving advertising is in order. As usual, it's not just design that we designers must consider.

63. Ad of the Week.

2006-12-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

Our ad of the week comes from our friends up north at ReThink in Vancouver. (Yes, when referring to Canadians, it's required to say 'our friends' even if you don't really have any Canadian friends.) It's an ingenious idea for Orkin Pest Control that got a lot of attention on city streets. I do think the trend towards ambient advertising has become a little predictable lately - but this one makes sense since the little cards clearly show just how many bugs are crawling around the perimeter of our buildings. Eeek.

And just to keep your souls in balance during the holidays, check out this brochure from The New American Dream organization about parenting in a commercial culture. (I believe that you have to sign up. It's free and painless.)

62. The Laws of Simplicity.

2006-11-29T12:42:00.000-05:00

I may have to add a new book to the required reading list, John Maeda's , The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life). He has a nice mini site that summarizes the book's laws, that I suggest going to. You can easily translate these tenants into your graphic design craft. Be sure to check out his three keys too. This is great stuff.

I hope this tides you over until I post a new presentation entry, a few chapters in The Bottom Rung guide, as well as a new series on what constitutes bad design.

61. New York Magazine's High Priority.

2006-11-28T19:46:00.000-05:00

New York Magazine recently held a contest to design their High Priority feature for the year end double issue. Speak Up has posted the submissions with the winner being announced December 4th. (Yeah, I know it sorta sounds like spec work, but we'll leave that for another day.) For now, check out how other designers handled the constraints - if nothing else, it's fun to critique the work of others without having to put your own neck out there. (My personal favorites are done by Julia Townsend and Yann Legendre - even though this idea was in at least two other submissions, though executed with less craft.)

UPDATE: You can view the winner here which wasn't even in my top ten. I guess I have tired of using a major corporate logo and then changing it's meaning - must be all those stupid tshirts I saw at frat parties and emo concerts. But the runners up were great.

60. The Art of the Book Event in NYC.

2006-11-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

If you can, GO - it should be great. The Art of the Book: Behind the Covers with Dave Eggers, Chip Kidd and Milton Glaser. Michael Beirut will be moderating this event held at the 92nd St. Y in NYC next Monday, December 4th. The base price is super-affordable ($18.00 All Sections), but the next price is even better ($10.00 35 and Under). Summary and link via Core77. The image below is taken from a copyrighted material page in Egger's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius just because it reminds me of how his book was packed with interesting little tidbits everywhere you looked. (Yes, you'll have to squint. Sorry.)

59. Gifts Well Designed.

2006-11-21T16:26:00.000-05:00

One of the good things about being a designer is being able to appreciate well designed gifts. There are so many floating around that I thought I would post links to some of the best I've come across in lieu of our normal links post. Who knows? Maybe they'll make your holiday wish list in time to actually get them. (I'll probably be adding to this list shortly.)

The ECOSOL Powerstick is a universal portable charging device that's sleek, small, quite handy and the grease monkey in me loves the little fuel gauge to indicate the power left to dispense.
The Teak Personal Light by those guys who make that chair you are sitting on. This light allows you to adjust the color and the intensity of the light . I am trying not to covet this little gem.
Designer Blocks by House Industries will make you want to buy two sets. One for your child and one for your office to display next to your pantone books. At $100 a set, they are on the expensive side of the building block spectrum for sure.
The Kern Sweatshirt from Veer isn't that new, but I still haven't got one yet. I do love consistent and artfully set typography, but who doesn't?
The Space Invaders Scarf is one of a series of vintage video game art clothing designed by bits 2 die 4. Though it pains me to type out their name using numbers, these scarves are still cool.
The Hulger Cell Phone Base posted on MoCo Loco's blog would look really nice on any designer's desk. You plug your cell phone into it, allowing you to enjoy a little analog/retro design time. And it has the benefit of being more comfortable on those long 'where is this relationship going?" conversations.
The Collapsible Strainer and all the pieces by Normann-Copenhagen are so well designed that it makes buying kitchen appliances feel somewhat like buying cool electronics. Pamper your inner Kitchen geek.
The BabyKeeper is something I think I'd use a lot if I had a kid. Most likely, I'd get in trouble somehow, but that's why I should not have children.
The Micro Car Kits by Mitsuoka Motors in Japan look like they'd be a blast to build.
The Taeguk Business Card Case is a little beauty of a card holder designed by artist Young Se Kim. Everyone should have a nice card holder.
Moleskin Journals are the best and every creative should have one in their back pocket just in case.
38 Wrenches in One via the Crescent® RapidRench (again with the alternative spelling garbage!) is an awesome gift, especially if you don't have a full-size garage in your loft.
Eva Solo Teamaker is one product that can drive demand just by being well designed. I want to drink more tea just loooking at it.

And just in case you nab one of these cool gifts for a friend, make sure to give it in style: Emigre Wrapping Paper and great letterpress Cards from right here in SF.

UPDATE: Core 77 just released it's 77 design gifts under $77. Check it out.

58. The Cool. The Creative. The Strange.

2006-11-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

Here's another installment of our weekly links. There were so many that I had to edit, which is not one of my strengths. Enjoy.

1. Who doesn't hate call centers? 2. Mob of Waldos in SF 3. Inventors after my own heart. 4. Crazy Characters 5. Breaking my ban on YouTube links, but for a good cause. 6. Very Addictive. 7. Toothpick Art 8. Go Fishing. In a goldfish bowl. 9. More High-Res Photos. 10. Rock Paper Scissors Rules! 11. Playstation3 Deconstructed. 12. JPG Magazine. 13. Your 15 Minutes. 14. Reset Design. 15. I hate this. But I love it too. 16. MAKE is Awesome. 17. Blog of the Week: Professional Excuses.

57. Ad of the Week.

2006-11-12T19:41:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite collateral pieces has been translated into some great outdoor and print executions for Jeep recently by BBDO Detroit. The new four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, seen from above with all its doors open, toting sports gear, bears an uncanny resemblance to a bug. Beginning as a handout at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, the new species concept works just as well or maybe even better in outdoor. I think the broadcast executions on the idea could be better, but they're really not bad either. It's nice to see a good idea being recognized and utilized across many mediums.

Credit Writer Ty Hutchinson and Art Directors John O'Hea and Paul Szary.

56. The Bottom Rung.

2006-11-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

Oftentimes I find myself giving advice to a creative who is just starting out in the business and only recently have I thought to put that stuff down in writing so that a wider audience may benefit. And it's with that inspiration that I'm starting another series on graphicology called, The Bottom Rung - How to Begin and Foster a Creative Career. I plan on supplementing my own experiences on many subjects with those of some of the best designers, writers and art directors around.

Topics will include such things as 'How to find a good mentor and how to be a good apprentice", "What should I look for in a first job?" and "Becoming Indispensable within the studio/agency environment." We'll also tackle issues important to every designer no matter what their experience level such as: selling your work to a creative director, how to develop good relationships with clients, and becoming more meeting friendly. I'm also open to suggestions for upcoming topics, so email me if you like.

Basically, I'll just keep updating the pdf with a new chapter as they come to me or as I can get contributions from other pros. If you read the introduction, you'll get an idea of how it's going to work. I'm excited about this new venture and hope that you will be too.

55. LaLoo's Goat Milk Ice Cream.

2006-11-08T01:48:00.000-05:00

I first came across LaLoo's in the frozen food section at Mollie Stone's (a local, higher-end grocery here in the bay area.) I was curious about goat's milk ice cream and the company's part in the slow-food movement, but was instantly drawn to the packaging (which is quite pleasing, especially when you can see all the flavors in a row. The lighter ones are yogurt.) I think the design is a great example of what you can do on a small budget; using only simple shapes, an appropriate font, and intelligent color selection to create a strong visual identity that stands out on the shelves. When working on a project with a lot of restraints, it's always nice to remember that you can still arrive at an elegant solution and I'm always on the lookout for more and more such case studies. (The longer you do this, the more you realize that there is never an excuse for uninspired work.) This isn't redesigning a national brand or anything, but you can tell the project was given just as much love from the designer.

I know the owner has an advertising and entertainment background but I am still trying to find the person responsible for this understated yet classy solution. Maybe I'll get them to talk about it here, so stay tuned.

As an aside, LaLoo's runs about $8/pint - this stuff is expensive – but where else can you get flavors like Black Mission Fig, Molasses Tipsycake (you can't believe how good this is,) Chevre Chiffon, and Chocolate Cabernet? And you can sleep at night knowing those goats are running free on 350 acres of Sonoma County, CA and probably are fed better than you are.

54. Monday Links.

2006-11-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

Boy, I'm excited for the coming week as it's going to be a good one for the ol' Graphicology blog. Just wait, come back every day and I'll make it worth your while. But to tide you over until tomorrow, here's our usual grab bag of interesting links. Our crack team of surfers scour the internet 24/7 so you can more efficiently waste your time.

1. The Internets 2. An Amazing Notebook 3. Building Letters 3 4. Crazy Bug Photos 5. Vote. Then Shoot. 6. I need one of these (Now, see it in Japanese.) 7. Miss Halloween Already? 8. South African Condom Ad 9. Charts and Graphs. 10. Apollo Visuals 11. Get The Scoop on Poop 12. HIFI Literature 13. Playing Card Art 14. Cigarette Pack Art 15. Vintage Wallpaper Gallery 16. Blog of the Week: What's in Your Bag?

53. Ad of the Week.

2006-10-31T12:51:00.000-05:00

I should have started this long ago - as I have hundreds upon hundreds of the best ads I've seen in a huge digital archive on my desktop – but here is my favorite ad campaign I've stumbled across over the last week. A fellow AdCenter alumn, Steve McElligott wrote the campaign at BBDO/NY for the BBC World News. As an aside: BBDO is benefiting from Eric Silver being the Executive Creative Director in my humble opinion and this is just one example – but what do I know?

Why it works: I love the solution because the typography isn't simply a decoration for the message - it's actually the message. They managed to convey complex ideas using no imagery, but also a strategic differentiation that the BBC is presenting only the facts and that they prefer the viewer interpret those facts how they choose. And this is all done with just a few elegantly placed, and carefully chosen words. Greatness, I tell you. (I'll be bringing this feature – focusing primarily on print – on a weekly basis just like the links of the week. Which I have neglected this week. !+#$%@!*)

52. The Art of Presenting 4 - Debbie Millman.

2006-10-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

Let's keep this presentation series rolling; for volume 4 we have Debbie Millman sharing her perspective on the subject (click here to view.) Debbie is a Managing Partner and President of the Design Division at Sterling Brands, a board member of the National AIGA, a mentor at the High School of Art & Design and she teaches at the School of Visual Arts. She is also an author on the design blog Speak Up, a contributor to Print Magazine and she hosts a weekly internet talk show on the Voice America Business network titled Design Matters. So, yeah - she probably can help us out. Check out her Design Stories from NYC and this video when you're done. Thanks Debbie.

51. Monday's Links on Tuesday. Volume 4.

2006-10-24T12:02:00.001-04:00

A day late - but no worse for the wear.

1. Blue Note Covers 2. Stefan G. Bucher 3. The Stephen Wiltshhire Gallery 4. An Interesting Note About Form and Craft 5. Clifford Ross's Super High Resolution Camera 6. Scrabble Furniture 7. A Great Illustration Source 8. The Ring Tone Society 9. Carnegie Mellon's Swiss Poster Collection 10. A Ridiculous Digital Illustrator 11. Japan's Ping Mag 12. Debbie Millman's Blog (She's Our Next 'Presenter') 13. Piven's Awesome Portraits 14. My Boy - in the "I'm glad to know him sense, not in the "I'm really his dad sense." 15. Blog of the Week: The Desks of Artists

50. The Art of Presenting 3 – Cathy Monetti.

2006-10-20T15:46:00.000-04:00

Continuing our series on presenting, Cathy Monetti graciously gave her thoughts on the topic. Currently she serves as President and Creative Director of RIGGS, an integrated marketing, advertising and public relations firm headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. She is also co-founder of the national CreateAthon network, a small agency partnership that has donated more than $7 million in marketing and advertising services to nonprofits in North America in the past six years. I met Cathy awhile back and know we're lucky to have her expertise on the subject. Enjoy.

49. Sony Bravia's New Spot.

2006-10-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

Directed by Jonathan Glazer, the new Sony Bravia TV spot is an example of how to be daring and engaging in a traditional medium. I don't know if I believe that their screens show 'colour like no other,' but I want to believe it. Some details from their site:

"Our latest TV ad - featuring massive paint explosions - took 10 days and 250 people to film. Huge quantities of paint were needed to accomplish this, which had to be delivered in 1 tonne trucks and mixed on-site by 20 people. The effect was stunning, but afterwards a major clean-up operation was required to clear away all that paint! The cleaning took 5 days and 60 people. Thankfully, the use of a special water-based paint made it easy to scrape-up once the water had evaporated."

If you haven't seen it already, check out the old Sony Bravia TV spot - which is every bit as dramatic. Both spots were done by Fallon, London. Great stuff, though I wish the soundtrack was different.

48. Monday Links Volume Three.

2006-10-16T11:20:00.000-04:00

It's Monday – and what better way to start off the week than to do so slowly, coffee at your side and mouse in your hand? Some of the links are serious, some are fun, some are nonsensical, but all of them will help us be .0000000001% more interesting. (Don't worry - I won't post anything that is a YouTube video, just out of principle.)

1. Make Online 2. Design vs. Illustration 3. Kurt Halsey Frederiksen 4. Packaging Digest 5. Delocate Starbucks 6. San Francisco Center for the Book (I'm so lucky to be here.) 7. Baseball Uniform Database 8. Fail Harder Video by WK12 9. Paul Howalt Rocks 10. Mark Fenske Wisdom 11. Real Beauty / Dove Short 12. Doppelgangers 13. What the Fluff Festival

47. Duffy & Partners.

2006-10-13T19:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever realized that one agency or studio is reponsible for a lot of your favorite work? Well, Duffy & Partners is that design firm for me. They are big time - and their founder, Joe Duffy, has been around awhile now - but inevitably I'd see a package design that stood out on the shelf, or an identity system that was phenomonally executed - and be surprised that it's one of theirs. Suffice it to say, I'm no longer surprised, I just assume Duffy did it. If you are studying branding and design, you should look at the great work they do for mostly conservative clients, with real budgets and real constraints.

(Pay particular attention to Smart Start, a beautiful example of great design sense in an ugly category. Unfortunately, the newer versions have been junked up to look more like the rest of the cereal aisle...which used to be a lot nicer. Yeah, back when Trix only had four colors, um I mean flavors.)

46. Shhhhhh Cards.

2006-10-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

From the "I wish I had done that" department comes Shhhh Cards from Coudal Partners, a design and advertising agency/studio in Chicago. They don't go around telling everyone how creative they are - they keep themselves busy actually being creative. Kudos. (Have I mentioned that I really, really wish I would have done these?!?) And in case you are a cell-phone offender check out this link about cellular etiquette.

45. The NBA's New Basketball.

2006-10-11T16:48:00.000-04:00

Though not design of the graphic variety - the new version of the NBA basketball should prove a very interesting study of product design. Formerly comprised of eight oblong panels, this new one is built from only two interlocking panels (think of the construction looking like two Cingular logos.) And the material apparently allows for moisture to evaporate more readily than soak into the ball itself. Still, there is a significant amount of controversy surrounding the new ball from fans and players alike and it will be interesting to see how well or how quickly it is accepted. (Compare with the old ball.) I'm not so sure about Spalding's 'Cross-Traxxion' technology, because you just can't trust anything spelled so ridiculously. Apparently, these guys had something to do with it.

44. Coca-Cola's Far Coast.

2006-10-10T19:38:00.000-04:00

Add another entry into the already crowded coffee business, that being a Coke project called Far-Coast. Initially opening only in Toronto, Canada; there are plans to expand internationally into Oslo and Singapore. And the reason it's on this blog is to comment on its identity and design merits; which I think are fairly well-done. I like the african-persian visual palette, and the brighter take on the coffee house. Although definitively not - it has a more authentic feel than say, oh Starbucks. However, big corporations need to stop with these kind of superfluous explanations for their new logos or marketing efforts: “Consumers are looking for quality and variety and are increasingly curious about the world around them. Far Coast was created to provide them with a window into different cultures through our range of delicious brews and infusions.” (from the official Coca-Cola press release.) Ughh. Check out these extra pics:

1 2 3 4 5

My kingdom for helping me find out the designers responsible for this effort...

43. Monday Links Volume Two.

2006-10-09T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here's another addition of the miscellaneous links that I have discovered over the past week - saving you the time and trouble of finding them yourselves.

1. Wine in a Can? 2. Very Small Object Classification 3. The Draw-Bot 4. Hidden Rooms 5. Ban Comic Sans 6. Another Good Type Site 7. Aztec Art 8. Neat Video. 9. Hillman Curtis' Videos 10. Designers Who Blog 11. The Bob Ross Cult 12. Pantone Paint

42. Illustration Class.

2006-10-09T11:59:00.001-04:00

One of the more prolific illustrators out there, certainly if only in terms of web presence, Von Glitschka has a great resource for those using Adobe Illustrator called Illustration class. Although in it's early stages, the site already has a few tips that can make the difference between average and professional vector graphics. He is also responsible for bad design kills, and an interesting project called the doodle archive. Also check out vonster.com

41. No Spec.

2006-10-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

Here's an issue that is relevant to every designer and very much related to how we can be more respected within the business world: Doing spec work. If you don't know what spec is, or why it can be a bad thing, or you just want to be better informed on the subject there is really only one place to go. Here's a short excerpt from the No-Spec! site: "With legitimate design opportunities turning into calls for spec work at an alarming rate, it is our goal to arm designers with the tools they need to take a stand against this trend, as well as provide businesses with resources and information on why spec work harms our industry, and alternative solutions to their design needs that do not involve working on spec."

40. D&AD's New Identity.

2006-10-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

Talk about pressure – try updating the logo for an organization of Design and Art Direction professionals – that's pressure. But that's a job that Rose, a design agency in London, took upon themselves; rebranding what was known previously as the British Design and Art Direction organization. Here's an excerpt from Adcritic.com:

"The project, led by creative partners Garry Blackburn and Simon Elliott at London's Rose design consultancy retains the D&AD logo designed in 1962 by Fletcher/Forbes/Gill, but with a substantial twist. "We took the original logo and combined it with a yellow hexagon — the shape of the pencil when upended," says Blackburn. "The original marque sits in the middle of the hexagon, like the lead running through the core. The D&AD 'seal of quality' will be easily identifiable from now on." Once again, we see that a graphic solution need not be complicated to be thoughtful. I like it even though it's a little close to the One Show logo in spirit. Check out the new mark in action on the organization's website.

39. Monday Links. Volume 1.

2006-10-02T15:21:00.000-04:00

Here are a bunch of links I have recently found, either on my own - or on the numerous blogs I regularly check. Some are helpful. Some are fun. And some will simply take up that five minutes before you are ready to go home. Check back every Monday for more.

1. Penguin Books flickr Set 2. Mini Burgers. 3. The potpourri that is the NYC subway system 4. NBC being all self-depracating 5. The World's Most Uselessly Useful Knife. 6. Little People Art. 7. Redesigned Monopoly Pieces. 8. The Year in Book Design (keep clicking.) 9. A New Way to Hurt Yourself. 10. Baby Toupees. That's right. 11. Pittsburgh Signs - I sent them a bunch of signs from my Pittsburgh days. 12. More Type Links. 13. Olympia to Seattle in 2 minutes.

38. Cadillac Through the Years.

2006-09-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Cadillac's Art and Science vehicle design which has made them a very bright spot within the somewhat more somber state of affairs at GM. The design reminds me of the sharp, muscular characters of the newer batman animated TV series. And I'd like to take credit for this association, but it was an insight that an old client in Phoenix first mentioned when we were discussing cars. I eventually bought an '05 CTS, which I happen to like very much - it's a nice option vs. all the boring car options out there. But on a related note, I found the following on Cadillac's website, a timeline of cadillac logos going back to 1902 - which I think provides an interesting example of design and how it can change and impact a brand's perception.

37. Letterpress Article in Time Magazine.

2006-09-16T15:45:00.000-04:00

I found a short article about small letterpress operators in a recent Time magazine business section. More proof that it's always beneficial to read (or listen to, or watch) stuff that you may normally have very little interest in. Don't be surprised if I ever quit my job and have a small letterpress shop.

36. Cingular in Sprint's Clothing.

2006-09-13T17:22:00.000-04:00

Two days ago, I spotted something peculiar on my bus ride to work. (I was late for the ferry, so I had to take this less sophisticated mode of travel. Ha.) What looked to be a sprint ad was actually a cingular ad - mocking sprint while using their own visual standards. This idea, full-page on the back of the day's Wall Street Journal, would have been a lot better if the content were more interesting – or a few degrees more aggressive. It seems like the decision to use someone else's brand deserved a more powerful message. But I soon learned that sprint did something similar - though I'm having a tough time locating a visual for it. If nothing else, it's always interesting to watch a good fight. Here's a full-page version.

35. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss.

2006-09-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

I was on my way to the Sausalito Art Festival, in the beautiful seaside town when I happened upon an art gallery of work that had an odd familiarity to it. They were showing the wildly imaginative creations of Theodor Seuss Geisel's (aka: Dr. Seuss.) "Seuss single-handedly forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the Surrealist Movement of the early 20th Century and the inspired nonsense of a precocious child’s classroom doodles." Maybe I have been living under a rock, but I had no idea that his political, advertising and personal art was as varied and layered – and maybe even more thoughtful than the children's books that we've all read. My favorite is his collection of 'unorthodox taxidermy.' I left having a deeper appreciation for his talent.

Here are some camera-phone-pictures I took (non-flash, of course.)

34. Newspapers & Typography.

2006-08-29T12:57:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across another blog recently that is an excellent typography resource, if only a bit specific. Newsdesigner.com is a website that follows both the major and minor papers across the globe while focusing on their layout and design. You'll find articles about everything from the subtle headline change made recently at the Chicago Tribune to the nameplate revisions of international pubs. I particularly like the feature that allows you to quickly view the current front pages.

Also, I've found this little directory of newspaper publications and what font(s) they use. It's fairly current and a nice reference tool.

33. The Graphic Imperative.

2006-08-21T16:33:00.000-04:00

The Graphic Imperative is a collection of international poster designs for peace, social justice and the environment. Presented by the Massachusetts College of Art and Philadelphia University, this gallery really shows how powerful design can be when applied to some of the world's more pressing issues. There are 121 posters in all, dating between 1965 - 2005.

32. Snakes on a Plane, it ain't.

2006-08-17T13:56:00.000-04:00

A new documentary about typography, graphic design and visual culture is going to be released in early 2007, called Helvetica. Celebrating the typefaces' 50th birthday, the film exlpores the world of design, advertising, psychology and communication while promising to be a unique look at the power of typography in our urban world. Shot in high-def by Swiss Dots, a london independent media company, the film is directed and produced by Gary Hustwit.

You can follow news about the film and its release on (gulp) my space here.

31. The Art of Presenting 2 – Kevin Lynch.

2006-08-06T14:44:00.000-04:00

Here's the second installment of a series that I am very excited about, The Art of Presenting. This time, we sit down with Kevin Lynch (Partner and Writer at Hadrian's Wall Advertising in Chicago) and ask our questions about presenting. I think you'll find his insight applicable and quite entertaining.

30. The Hall of Best Knowledge.

2006-08-01T03:34:00.000-04:00

Here is a little bit of inspiration for those of you who like typography (in other words, all of you.) Ray Fenwick's series called The Hall of Best Knowledge. Though he tackles many subjects with varying degrees of success and thoughtfulness, the beauty of his stuff lies in the elaborate ink work and the letterforms. So nice.

29. Know When to Say When.

2006-07-31T03:56:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, we designers need to know when to stop and when to leave well enough alone. Allow me to use a somewhat silly example to reinforce this rather important princple. Take the Pillsbury Funny Face Drink Mix package designs from the Sixties and Seventies. Using a simple visual timeline, you can see that with each revision some of the soul of the original is lost.

Granted, each design may have been the work of a different designer with a different client mandate - but the end result definitely shows that they would have been much better off keeping the original design. It has fewer elements but it also has more personality while not trying too hard.

Let's all remember that sometimes, a light touch is best used when revising something that already works well. And when designing a new project - the craft is occassionally in what you do not add, more so than what you do.

28. Please Care.

2006-07-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

I rarely like to link to other blogs, mainly b/c I don't want to be redundant and partly because I'm arrogant enough to want to create my own content (tee hee,) but here's an excellent article about a designer's education that goes quite well with one of the books I recommend called, The Shape of Content, by Ben Shahn. The article is written by Dmitri Siegel, who admittedly, has a much better designer name than do I.

27. Payless Redesign.

2006-07-24T02:24:00.000-04:00

Ok, here's the new Payless ShoeSource look. I won't say as much about it as the last Mastercard fiasco (because that was terrible on a whole other level.) It's probably a little trendy and probably will not stand the test of time - but the one thing that does make me cringe is the growing problem of using bland, modern fonts in logotypes that render the identity almost meaningless and certainly blends in with the 50,000 other fonts of the same ilk. Don't get me wrong, I have no love for Cooper Black (the font in the old mark), it's just that all these new logos and their typography have no real personality. A million fonts to choose from (or create) and we get the same ones over and over again - as if the point is to look like everyone else. I (and others) have a suspsicion that marketing directors look at other major identity redesigns and figure if they do the same thing, they'll keep their jobs.

26. San Francisco.

2006-07-19T12:38:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone. I don't have regular internet access here in San Fran yet - so it's been impossible to blog. There are so many things going on that will be posted as soon as I can, including Kevin Lynch's (of Hadrian's Wall Advertising in Chicago) answers to the questions in our series on the Art of Presenting. So stay tuned.

25. Wash Me.

2006-07-10T11:35:00.000-04:00

Check this guy out. If Scott Wade ever did this to my car, I'd have a hard time washing it. Come to think of it, I have a hard time washing it anyway.

24. Mastercard Redesign.

2006-07-10T11:16:00.000-04:00

Well, this one almost happened without me noticing. Usually, I try to keep my opinion understated - but I really hate what MasterCard has done here. It will not display very well in certain situations, it doesn't add anything to the brand compared to the old logo, and in the end - it's just kinda ugly. I believe it will date poorly, time will not be good to this design. Here's what MasterCard Chief Marketing Office Lawrence Flanagan said about the redesign, just for giggles:

“The new corporate brand better represents the globally integrated structure and unique insights that MasterCard leverages to deliver business value to our customers, merchants, consumers and shareholders...As we took a close look at the company’s unique competitive strengths, we recognized that MasterCard Worldwide is a leader in advancing relationships, insight and commerce around the world. We developed a new corporate brand to reflect the company’s strengths in these areas, as well as MasterCard’s leading role in defining the industry playing field.”

Uh huh. Yeah, what he said. (Here I thought it was just a silly transparent sphere.) It's a mess.

23. The Art of Presenting. One of a Series.

2006-07-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

This is going to be good. I've asked a few of the best Creative Directors and design professionals that I know to give me their thoughts on presenting, and I'm going to share their advice in short installments. I'm calling this, The Art of Presenting. I hope that this helps shed some light on one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of working in a creative field. The first edition features Louie Moses, Creative Director and Partner at Moses Anshell, an advertising agency based in Phoenix, Arizona. I've worked for Louie for the last three years, and have had front-row seats to his effective and casual presentation style.

Here's the link.

22. The Best Movie Posters?

2006-07-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

Here's something that is sure to be debated: a link to the 100 greatest movie posters of all time. This collection, chosen by independentcritics.com, includes posters for films ranging from Breathless (No. 98) to Pulp Fiction (No. 3). I have a few favorites not included on this list, but do you? And if so, what are they?

21. The Cuba Book.

2006-07-03T18:03:00.000-04:00

In my ongoing attempt to bring you visually interesting material, that you might otherwise not get to experience... The Cuba Book documents one traveler's trip to Havana. Enjoy.

20. Icograda Design Week.

2006-07-03T17:22:00.000-04:00

For those of you in the northwest, this looks pretty interesting: Icograda Design Week in Seattle is an international forum for discussion about the role of design in the face of incredible change in the world. It will address how designers can contribute to a healthy world economy while being mindful of the cultural, environmental and political impact of design. (Summary taken from event website.)

19. Art Prints & More Letterpress.

2006-06-26T13:25:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to a couple of artists (Kevin Dart and Chris Turnham)
that I really like. They both have such a great touch. And here's another link for more letterpress goodness, since we seem to be on that subject a lot lately.

18. Hannes Famira's type design class.

2006-06-24T16:02:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would include this link for those interested in getting a peak behind Hannes Famira's type design class, held in NYC. If I were there, I'd go just because I think it would be a blast to attend.

17. Old School Typography.

2006-06-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered a link to a bunch of typography-related movie clips. Follow *this link* and you'll see some great stuff, such as: 1. A silent movie showing Frederick Goudy as he designs Goudy Saks. 2. A video of Douglas Coffin, one of a handful of people in the United States who still carves letters in stone with the same methods that were used in the Roman Empire. 3. A clip about letterpress printing and John Kristensen‘s Firefly Press in Somerville, Massachusetts (my fav of the bunch.) 4. And finally a few movies about The Linotype, The Ludlow Typography machine, and The Monotype Keyboard & Caster. This is good stuff.

16. The World Cup Logo.

2006-06-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for a little while now – because as is the case with any large event (The Super Bowl, The Olympics, the liteny of all-star games...) – the logo design is always controversial. It's no different than with this year's World Cup. (Which I have surprisingly been quite interested in...though if the US loses, I'm out too.) Here's one designer's take on the logo, Erik Spiekermann. Also, be sure to read the client's rationale here. And if you are a graphic historian, you can peruse earlier logos here. Designing for a world-wide stage is about as much pressure as you'll ever face as a designer, but what do you think?

15. InfoLust.

2006-06-20T17:10:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite non-design sites, trendwatching recently wrote about a subject they are calling, infolust. The insatiable need to know everything about everything, and now. This is the mind set of a growing number of consumers and is no doubt changing the landscape where our designs are living and the information they are to convey. Although a long article, it's definitely worth reading.

14. Baseline Magazine.

2006-06-19T14:15:00.000-04:00

Surprisingly, not very many people have heard of Baseline Magazine, published from our friends in the UK. They describe their efforts in this way, "Baseline sets out to reflect all aspects of type, including its design, history, use, and links to the graphic, art and craft scenes. Baseline’s contents are deliberately eclectic. It publishes mainly new material, from academic as well as journalistic sources. This means that the magazine provides a rich mixture of articles and reference materials." In their latest issue there is a great article about Jan Tschichold's redesign of Penguin books. His work set the standard of book design to this day and the baseline article is certainly worth the (somewhat steep for a magazine) price alone.

13. The Design of Complex Networks.

2006-06-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we designers complain about having too much stuff to cram into a finite space, and oftentimes, rightfully so. However, it's nice to remind ourselves how beautiful very complex design can be in things much more complicated than that brochure or small space ad on which we're working. Manuel Lima (Parsons MFA Design & Technology '05) runs the website, visual complexity. This excerpt about the site is from juliaset: "It's a unified resource space for anyone interested in the visualization of complex networks. The project's main goal is to leverage a critical understanding of different visualization methods, across a series of disciplines, as diverse as Biology, Social Networks or the World Wide Web." I love it and could spend hours on this site...an excellent resource for inspiration. Nerd-out!

12. What We're Up Against.

2006-06-13T15:02:00.000-04:00

Everybody is a graphic designer. Or so it seems. And unfortunately that has a negative impact on what we, the professional designer/art director, do and how difficult it can be. Here's an excerpt from Bad Design Kills: "The world is steeped in bad design. As designers we see something every day that makes us cringe or shake our heads in disgust. But, bad design does more than offend the eye of the designer It facilitates a poor public perception for what our industry does...as it lowers the perceived value of our services...Computers have brought cheap PCs, pre-installed software, clip art and fonts. Armed with these components, while void of skill and concept, a new visual scourge endlessly violates the retina on a global scale - all the while continuing to feed the ignorance and attitude that anyone who possesses these tools can call themselves a 'Designer.' After all, there are no absolutes in art, and if they do it themselves, it's just cheaper." If you want to get a good idea on how this is shaping the landscape of our craft, go here. Just a little food for thought.

11. Two More Logo Updates.

2006-06-13T14:29:00.000-04:00

You probably have already seen the new Sprite look in stores and on TV, with their sublymonal campaign, but here's a comparison on the old and new. I actually think this is a modestly positive update - all of the elements of the old can are in the new, they're just handled a little differently. Maybe I feel this way because the previous design was so badly done??? And just for fun, here's the new and old St. Pauli girl. Make you own conclusions as to what this says about our culture...

10. The Importance of Journals for Designers.

2006-06-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

Back when I was in undergraduate school, I was told how important journals were. I was told that it's where you put remarkable things you find, and designs that you personally do in order to record all of your work and thinking. It took awhile to buy into the idea of it being more than just an assignment, and years later my journals are very important to me - they function as my own encyclopedia of ideas and I refer to them all the time. However I'm finding that I now need an electronic version, an archive of all the things I find online that I like too...so now I have three: One to work/think/sketch in. One to keep work that I like. And one on a hard drive for digital work. Check out Kevin Cornell's sketchbook from front to back. Also, these recycled covers, with blank pages make the best journals. If you are a graphic artist and do not keep one - try it out for awhile, it will change how you work.

9. Book Cover Design.

2006-06-09T11:48:00.000-04:00

One of the more progressive areas of graphic design, is book cover and jacket art. There's a lot of good work going on, but it's not easy. Not only do cover artists have to design a package that readers will want to pick up, they also have to distill a novel down to its essence using just a few words and imagery (basically an ad for the book.) It's this reductionism that makes it difficult, but it's also what makes a good book design work. Fortunately, due to the wonders of the internet, there's a lot of sites that allow you to keep up with what's going on. And, I even think that there are still stores that sell books too. There's always that...Be sure to check the gallery of all the War of the Worlds covers while you're at it.

8. The American Airlines' NBA Playoffs.

2006-06-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

In a slightly odd twist of fortune, American Airlines is going to be the sponsor of both stadiums in this year's NBA Finals. The airline pays around $8 million in naming rights per year, including the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks; and the American Airlines Arena, which the Miami Heat call home. Of course, they won't have a monopoly on sponsorship as each pregame, halftime, postgame and post-postgame show will probably have their own separate backing. This will most likely include southwest Airlines, just b/c they seem to be everywhere. I have to say that although I like the design on the Dallas stadium better, the one in Miami is the most effective if you're looking from above. I hope I get to design a roof someday ... and I was oh-so-close to being able to design the planes for a major airline this past year. Oh well.

7. Vonage's New Look.

2006-06-06T10:59:00.000-04:00

I noticed a new logo on a vonage commercial this weekend, and although not impressed, I have to admit it looks a little more like what you'd expect from a technology company...which is both good and bad. Though I'm not sure why some designers feel the need to add little swooshes and weird little elements that make no sense, in this case the blue dot over the V. I'd rather the logo cleverly hint at what vongage does, especially because the name certainly does not. I believe this logo coincides with the company going public in May, but isn't the blue and orange a little too close to cingular (even though AT&T is killing that brand later). I'm still trying to figure out who designed this - and if it was in-house. Anybody know more?