GRAPHIC DESIGN ENEWSLETTER / DECEMBER 9, 2008
IN THIS ISSUE:
Publishers Note: Design With A Big D
Holiday Hijinks: Jim Lienhart’s Bag
Graphic Design News: The Blues, Alan Siegel, Cheese Love
Take Five Career Tips: The ‘R’ Word
More News: MiresBall, Herron School, Lionshead Beer
Package Design Competition
More News: Brand Union, Hershey/Cause, Boston Banners
Giving Back: Artisan Makes A Match
More News: Drew Bledsoe, Jan Tschichold, Dever Designs
Designer’s Dream Office
Now on gdusa.com: Free Stuff
Who's A ‘Person To Watch’
PUBLISHERS NOTE: DESIGN WITH A BIG ‘D’
As I mentioned recently (GDUSA Enews November 18), the promise of a new year brings out the graphic design futurists and megatrenders, with thoughts that expand minds and — thankfully, for editors like me — fill pages. If the ideas are sound, as in the case of Gabe Goldman and Glenn Geisendorfer of Seattle’s Platform, so much the better. The unifying theme of their New Year’s Resolutions: “In these turbulent times of broken institutions and faintly dawning hope, consumers demand brands they can trust. They want products that are manufactured responsibly, safely, and honestly. And, they will happily pay for that trust. Design has a key role to play in positioning brands to succeed in this new environment.” Here are three resolutions of their resolutions that resonate.
1. Build brands, focus on rebirth and innovation.
2. Trend and gratuity are dead, move on.
3. Help companies build legacies of which to be proud.
The Platform guys have done some stellar work for Nike, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Microsoft. Rather than a thin veneer of design as an afterthought, Gabe and Glenn urge “a ‘big D’ Design that pays forward the brand cause — people, planet, profits — by marrying brand principles, creative thinking and business strategy from the very start of the process. Such an approach can yield innovative processes, energized products, empowered consumers and enhanced financials.” Hope springs eternal.
— Gordon Kaye
P.S. On our website, you have a chance to nominate someone for our ‘People To Watch’ issue. If you are ‘no popups’ web surfer, make sure to enable them when you click here.
FILL BAG TO THIS LEVEL
Here is our favorite holiday mailer this year. GDUSA has
always held that the great graphic designers are wise and
funny, and never moreso than when times get tough and humor
turns dark. Jim Lienhart of Lienhart Design in Chicago proves
it once again with his “Holiday Shopping Guide”
printed directly on a plain kraft shopping bag. The “fill
to this level” lines include “credit cards almost
paid up” right on down to “bailout didn’t
work,” and all points in between.
GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Getting The Blues
With the blues and blues artists struggling for the past several
years, Jay Sieleman, director of the National Blues Foundation
wanted to create a campaign to attract new fans. The result is a
viral/web campaign led by Ames Scullin O’Haire, Atlanta GA,
creative director Mike Bourne who used to gig regularly in Kansas
City. Additional creative credits go to art director Aaron Hartman
and writer Ben Lee as well as executive creative direction by
Patrick Scullin. More at…
http:www.igetblues.com
Alan Siegel Goes MAD
Alan Siegel of pioneering consultancy Siegel+Gale, was presented
the Museum of Arts and Design Visionaries! 2008 Award. The award states:
“Over the past three decades, Alan Siegel has become one of
the best-known figures in the branding business. He has achieved the
stature of both pillar of the establishment and provocative
iconoclast while building Siegel+Gale, a leading brand consultancy
devoted to positioning global companies for competitive success.”
Siegel has a decade-long history of involvement with the Museum as a
trustee, patron, and marketing committee head. MAD just opened its new
facility on Columbus Circle in Manhattan this fall.
Cheese Love
Wisconsin is synonymous with cheese. This fall, the Wisconsin Milk
Marketing Board is turning generalized affection into specific
“cheese love, focusing on the uniquely appealing personalities
of Wisconsin Cheese. A new print advertising campaign, the first effort
from Shine Advertising of Madison MI, kicks off spotlights the
personality of Cheddar, with a headline “Wisconsin Cheddar
— a Prima Donna he is not.” Other personalities include
Wisconsin Parmesan (“Long Live the Renaissance Man.”)
and Wisconsin Swiss, (“A Simple Man with Expensive
Tastes.”) Mike Kriefski is creative director, John Crull is art
director, Ashton Worthington provides fashion-like photography, food
styling is by Nir Adar, and Holly Dickens adds handlettered typography.
TAKE FIVE! CAREER TIPS
FROM THE CREATIVE GROUP:
THE ‘R’ WORD
It’s official… the U.S. is in a recession. For some people, that means having to look harder for work. But those who stay in their jobs may have to do things differently, too. Following are five changes designers can expect during troubled times:
1. New Priorities. Firms may be re-evaluating their programs and focusing on initiatives that will generate immediate revenue. Be flexible when you’re asked to take on new projects, and work with your manager to identify initiatives that are closest to the bottomline.
2. Internal Moves. Many companies may be filling open roles internally instead of hiring, so this could be a good time to put feelers out if you’re interested in a different sort of position within your firm.
3. Added Responsibility. Designers may be asked to take on additional tasks as companies becoming leaner. Be willing to learn new skills and put old ones into use. Also, identify tasks that can be delegated or put on hold as your duties expand.
4. More Reporting. Managers performing cost/benefits analyses of specific programs may request more detailed reports on the time and expense associated with your projects. Carefully track expenditures and monitor how your time is allocated so you don’t have to scramble to provide this type of information.
5. Pared Down Perks. Firms looking for ways to reduce budgets may cut down on pricey “extras.” For example, this year’s holiday party may be a potluck versus a lavish spread. Accept that sacrifices are being made, and try to maintain a positive disposition.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis. Find more information at www.creativegroup.com.
MORE GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Bringing A Museum To Life
Lux Art Institute, one of the nation’s first artist-in-residence
museums where artists live and work onsite, celebrated its official
opening a year ago. Lux has established itself as a major contemporary
art venue in Southern California, in part, because of the continuing work
of MiresBall in branding the image every step of the way. This has
included — continues to include — sophisticated design
including collateral pieces such as invites, flyers, newsletters, website,
brochures and artist post cards. San Diego-based MiresBall has worked
pro bono on the project for nine years; several of the pieces have won
recognition from the American Association of Museums.
Rings Of Herron
The Herron School of Art and Design has a striking new website design
thanks to Studio Blue of Chicago. The site features a ringed interactive
chart that runs through every level of the site, highlighting examples
of the school’s public engagement at local, national and international
levels. Cheryl Towler Weese notes that the site thus demonstrates how
faculty and students “actively collaborate with community-based
organizations, businesses, and government agencies, creating works that
address critical issues facing these groups.”
http://www.studioblue.us
Still Roaring
The Lion Brewery, one of the oldest remaining breweries in Pennsylvania,
is poised for growth after tapping Little Big Brands to overhaul their
signature Lionshead brand. Lionshead beer, popular in the college scene,
received a complete packaging makeover with authentic graphics,
tongue-in-cheek neck labels and “paw holes” on the six-pack.
“Lionshead was just good fun to work on. It’s a brand that
doesn’t take itself too seriously and lends itself to creative
thinking,” said John Nunziato, creative director of the Nyack NY
design firm. The project also included upgrading the venerable Stegmaier
beer brand and creating an overall identity for the brewery.
http://www.littlebigbrands.com
GDUSA CONTEST: PACKAGE, POP & INSTORE DESIGN
The entry form can now be downloaded for the annual American Package
Design Awards, our fastest growing national competition. As marketers
and designers are challenged to convey the message and move product
off the shelf, we celebrate the power of graphic design to make the
difference. The program is presented by GDUSA and sponsored by Neenah
Paper.
http://www.gdusa.com/contests/apda.php
MORE GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Power Logo
The Brand Union, WPP’s global branding and design agency, has
unveiled a new brand identity and positioning for HP Labs. The advanced
research group is the first organization within the company to receive
its own brand. Brand Union, which has has handled HP’s global
brand strategy business since 2006, sought to communicate the
group’s transformation under the new leadership and its sharper
focus on several key research areas. Says executive creative director
Wally Krantz: “Using the existing HP logo as a departure point, we
developed the ‘Labs to the power of HP’ concept, where HP is
represented exponentially, and the circle and rectangle shapes create
brackets — similar to those in the original HP logo — to
signify the space for innovation and collaboration as defined by HP.”
http://www.brandunion.com
For The Cause
Hershey|Cause is strategic communications counsel for The Council
on Foundations’ Diversity in Philanthropy Project. It is the
first-ever nationwide effort working to promote and establish
voluntary diversity and inclusion practices among foundations and
the causes and organizations they fund. DPP has provided support
for improved research, data, tools and resources to help individual
foundations strengthen diversity-related transparency and performance.
The brand building and communications firm is based in Santa Monica
CA, and says “it look forward to a day when diversity is
celebrated for its many contributions to advancement in all
sectors.”
http://www.hersheycause.com
Banner Performance
Boston tourists and residents are currently encountering an array
of colorful banners along the waterfront that promote the Boston
Harbor Islands national park area. Created by Hull Creative of
Brookline MA, the graphics give the Island Alliance and its offerings
a stronger presence along the heavily trafficked waterfront area.
“We set out to simply portray and promote the wonderful Boston
Harbor Islands,” says Caryl Hull. “Yet, we faced a much
bigger challenge… to make the invisible visible. Many people who
walk Boston's waterfront don’t even notice, let alone inquire
about, one of the city’s greatest and most diverse resources.
Our ultimate goal was to change behavior.”
http://www.islandalliance.org
ARTISAN: THE MATCH THAT GIVES BACK
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Artisan, the creative staffing
services agency, sponsored a national competition called “The
Match that Gives Back,” to benefit a nonprofit organization. The
concept: to match a deserving organization with a talented designer to
provide creative services. A prominent creative judging panel has now
awarded David Weik of Vik Design, $20,000 by Artisan and $5,000 by ABS
Graphics, to help rebrand Snow City Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to
bringing arts and education to hospitalized children who cannot attend
school like their healthy peers. Show here: (l-r) David Weik, Vik
Design; Kate Neisser, Board Member, Snow City Arts; and Bejan Douraghy,
Founder and CEO, Artisan. They are toasting with master mixologist and
author, Bridget Albert's, “Artisan’s Muse” signature
cocktail for the event.
http://www.artisantalent.com/match-that-gives-back/
MORE GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Wine Stars
Kendall Ross has teamed with former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe to
develop the football star’s new wine brand. Doubleback will
produce an ultra-premium red wine from fruit sourced in the Walla
Walla Valley in Washington. McQueen Vineyard, Doubleback’s
estate vineyard, was planted earlier this year and will start
harvesting grapes in 2010. Kendall Ross is handling naming, brand
identity and brand strategy, bottle and label design, website,
signage, event launch collateral, shipping packaging and
marketing/business collateral. The brands, explains David
Kendall, are about “discovering a deeper meaning or truer
nature… The simple black and white design is meant to
leapfrog current wine label design trends and strongly communicate
how the Doubleback brand is different and requires attention.”
Tschichold’s Legacy
Few have left a deeper impression on the world of typography than Jan
Tschichold. Not only was he a master in his field of design, but also
wrote many seminal books and was instrumental in promoting the modernist
strategy called the New Typography. A newly released book, Jan
Tschichold - Master Typographer by Cees, W, de Jong (Thames &
Hudson Inc.) is a substantial and lavishly illustrated volume that puts
his life and career in rich cultural and historical context. De Jong
is director of the Netherland’s design studio V+K Design
Publishing; the book is distributed in the U.S. by Norton.
Home Sweet Home
The National Association of Realtors and Dever Designs have collaborated
on REALTOR Magazine’s 2009 Media Information Kit. In lieu of a
newsstand presence, the magazine relies heavily on its media kit to
promote advertising opportunities and editorial positioning. The design
firm began by developing theme language and corresponding visuals for the
cover of the kit. The substantial purchasing power of NAR’s nearly
1.2 million members is emphasized against the backdrop of the magazine as
the conduit to home ownership. Bold colors and real-world imagery are
balanced with subtle neutrals to convey activity grounded in comfort
and stability. A mail-slot device to spotlight key selling points
throughout the kit brings the concept of “home” full circle.
http://www.deverdesigns.com
GRAPH EXPO: DESIGNER’S DREAM OFFICE
Shelly Manley, a copy editor at a New Jersey design firm of Venture Wise Design LLC, was the lucky winner of the Designer's Dream Office Giveaway at Graph Expo 2008 in late October. The Giveaway offered a complete package of top-of-the-line hardware and software. Manley’s name was randomly chosen from more than 700 entries. The package is estimated at roughly $20,000 in value. Manley says she definitely benefited from attending Graph Expo, and not just because of having lived the dream. “We discovered new and different ideas that we, as a small firm, were not necessarily aware of,” she says. “When Print 09 comes to Chicago next September, I will absolutely lobby to attend!”
Her prizes include: from Apple, a 3.2 GHz Mac Pro, running Mac OS X
and preloaded with a number of Apple applications, a Bluetooth keyboard
and Bluetooth two-button mouse, a 30-inch flat-screen monitor, and Airport
Extreme portable wireless internet; from Bose, mini speakers from Bose;
from HP, a laser color printer and flatbed scanner; from Wacom, a 12 x
19 tablet; from Adobe, a complete design software package including
Creative Suite 4; from Quark, a copy of Quark 8 software; from Markzware,
software that transfers files from InDesign to Quark and vice versa; from
Graphic Authority, a 16-product, 24-disc set of the best in design elements
and assets for Adobe Photoshop; from Herman Miller, a gift certificate for
office furniture; from PIA/GATF, several books for creatives; a two-year
membership to the National Association of Photoshop Professionals; and from
the Graphic Arts Show Company, two all-access seminar passes to the global
Print 09 show.
http://www.graphexpo.com
NOW ON GDUSA.COM: FREE STUFF
Companies noted in Graphic Design USA magazine often provide free
samples, swatchbooks, promotions, catalogs and other free information to
our readers. If you missed the October offers, its not too late…
http://www.gdusa.com/freestuff.php
WATCH