FEATURE | PEOPLE TO WATCH
Graphic design is an increasingly valued asset in commerce and culture. This special report looks at people who are thriving in — and influencing the shape of — our communications-needy and visually-hungry society. Clearly there are thousands to watch in our talent-laden and personality-packed community. But we think you'll agree that these are intriguing individuals who display a special mix of design talent, strategic capabilities, business acumen, joy of creation, and, often, a commitment to professional and public service. As a bonus, each comments on the role and future of the creative business in the coming year.
joan nicosia
As executive vice president, chief creative officer for The Coleman Group, Joan
Nicosia has overall responsibility for the creative output of the firm's graphic
staff, including strategy, brand design and packaging. She has led
design teams for accounts such as Haagen-Dazs, Coca Cola, Tylenol,
Snapple, Tropicana, Pillsbury, and Hewlett-Packard. She is currently an
adjunct professor and member of the curriculum advisory board for package
design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and has recently
been working with organizations such as Art Start and Habitat for Humanity.
DESIGN CREATES PERSONALITY
The opportunities for design to continue to play an important role in our
daily lives are tremendous. Our world is littered with a sensory
onslaught: the sights and sounds of a marketplace clamoring for
attention. What succeeds in standing out from the crowd? Consistently, it
comes back to fundamentals: Good, solid, smart design and a healthy
dose of imagination.
The essence of good design is its ability to effectively create personality the lifeblood of a brand allowing it to speak for itself. Good design engages the intended audience and inspires a call to action. It establishes a style, expresses an attitude, provides a solution, satisfies a desire. It fulfills a need.
Today, the need for clear and effective communication is greater than ever. What makes this even more interesting and challenging for designers is that we too are influenced by our environment. We have greater access to information, diversity of ideas and extraordinary resources. Without the right focus, designers run the risk of inspiration overload!
The road to successful design is clear. We as designers need to cut a clean path through a world of clutter, all competing for our attention. By successfully sifting through this, we will actually find the things that truly inspire the imagination.
J.J. Sedelmaier
J.J. Sedelmaier is founder, president, and creative director of J.J.
Sedelmaier Productions in White Plains, New York. Established in 1991, the studio has brought to life broadcast animation projects ranging
from the launch season of MTV's Beavis and Butthead, to an ongoing series of edgy shorts for NBC's Saturday Night Live, to the retro-hip
Japanimation style VW Speed Racer commercial. Clients include all the major tv networks, Nike, Converse, Old Navy. Recent awards include
several 1999 Telly Awards and a 1999 Art Directors Club Gold Award.
THERE ARE NO RULES
I don't think there's much to worry about when discussing the continued and future growth of the American design industry. In fact, I
would state the same opinion in a worldwide regard. Between print, animation, and of course graphics for the internet, there are no boundaries
and more outlets than ever. Cable television and the internet have supplied artists and design firms with endless opportunities, and their work
gets a level of exposure that we could have hardly imagined ten years ago.
Thanks to computers and the internet, designers and animators can now do the work fast, efficiently, and in the location of their choice, providing the artist with more control and the marketplace with a wider source of options.
On top of all this, the receptiveness in America of design that certainly would have been considered "too edgy" or even naive a decade ago, has not only expanded but has emphasized that there are no rules. Long established logos in corporate America which were always considered sacrosanct have been modified and restructured to fit different uses. The flexibility in animation design has evolved more in the past ten years on a mainstream level than in any period in the past. The look of digital domain projects such as Beavis and Butthead and Toy Story has squarely challenged the safe, conventional "ducks and bunnies" approach, and done so on both a youth and adult level.
Absolutely none of this provides the public with quality on a quality basis, however, the ratio of crap remains the same. But the variety and climate for freshness in new design is high and will continue to grow.
jerod dame
Jerod Dame is design director of Neiman Marcus Advertising. Educated in graphic design, he started his career with Rigsby Design. Dame
remained senior designer for two and a half years before joining Emrich+Haus Publishing as senior vice president and creative director for
Spoon magazine. After the successful launch of Spoon, Dame was asked to join Neiman Marcus where the redesign of "the book"
exceeded merchandise sales of the previous issues. He has won awards for a range of projects including annual reports, catalogs, corporate
identities and collateral, and pro bono pieces for non-profit organizations. Honors have come from the likes of the Type Directors Club of New
York, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Dallas Society of Visual Communications, AR 100, Type Directors Club of Houston, and leading design
publication competitions. Dame is also a founding board member of the AIGA Houston Chapter.
WOWING THE CONSUMER
The need and demand for design is ever growing. The reason is clear. Design is able to influence and persuade. Design can evoke
laughter, love, wanting, needing, even sadness and hatred. It can inform and encourage an individual to take action through involvement.
In the luxury retailing industry, the affluent consumer is savvy. He/she is current with the latest trends. The consumer wants to be 'wowed!' and surprised each time they see collateral from us. Design is key in presenting merchandise in a new light. We create a new experience in each piece we design. Each season, creating and reinventing 'the book,' an eight- issue magalog produced by Neiman Marcus, we are challenged with the problem, "How do we make it new, different, and exciting?" It is a very energizing time when every aspect is looked at to see how it could be made better. Analyzing what works and what doesn't, it's continuously an experiment.
Design here is what keeps "the books" together as a whole but allows flexibility to create individual experiences.
sharon mahoney
Sharon Mahoney is design manager at the March of Dimes, the national
nonprofit organization that saves babies by carrying out innovative programs and raising funds that support lifesaving research. The
organization's 20-member creative group produces over 500 print projects annually ranging from award-winning national fund raising
print campaigns to prenatal care and education collateral material.
PROFITABLE NON-PROFIT DESIGN
There's no way that today's consumer can absorb every message in today's visual marketplace. This presents quite a challenge for
designers — and even more so, designers in a non-profit — because graphic design is the vehicle by which the message
is communicated.
It has always been a challenge for non-profits to achieve brand recognition and maintain brand differentiation. Today's consumer is flooded with new dotcoms, tv ads overlaid with Top-40 samples and, of course, new and improved something-or-others. This is what designers at non-profits have to compete against and it is increasingly more difficult for the audience to distinguish messages of substance from fly-by-night empty promises.
Quality graphic design, however, is what enables the viewer to focus. It is a well-designed print ad that intrigues its audience long enough to communicate the message. It uses an appropriate, bold headline. It uses compelling language and captivating imagery. It is exceptionally produced.
Although these qualities are necessary, they are sometimes difficult to achieve in a non-profit due to limited resources and budget.This should not discourage, but challenge creative and talented designers. It is our responsibility as graphic designers to ensure that our work is executed with excellence in order to captivate the audience and communicate the message, especially where the message may need it most.
mike hughes
Mike Hughes, president and creative director of The Martin Agency in
Richmond, Virginia, has been with the agency since 1978. Hughes says, "I want us to be known for two things: outstanding strategic
ideas and brilliant creative executions. One of the reasons this is such an exciting time to be in this business is that those ideas and
executions aren't limited to traditional media ads; we're better than ever at building brands and sales on all kinds of platforms."
A former director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies and chairman of its creative committee, Hughes also served as a
director for the One Club for Art and Copy in New York. Ad Age lists The Martin Agency as one of the three best creative agencies in the world.
THE RIGHT TIME TO BE ALIVE
The world has changed. Designers of all stripes are taking leadership roles in business and society. Designers have at least as much say as
engineers or manufacturers or marketing strategists in determining what car I buy next, what toaster sits on my counter, what house I live
in — and what piece of advertising holds my attention.
Once upon a time, it was a big deal in advertising when art directors moved up in status to become equal partners with writers. Now we're one step beyond that.
In the new millennium, design is concept — or, at the very least, it's an acceptable, attractive alternative to traditional logic-based concepts. In pop music, advertising, movies, etc., it's hard to be cool without being at least a little cynical. (I think that has something to do with the times we live in.) But in architecture and design, it's still possible to be open-hearted, naive — and undeniably cool. Think Bilbao or iMacs or the best advertising from the Gap or Target.
If you're going to be a designer, you definitely picked the right time to be alive.
ken hanson
Kenneth J. Hanson, founder of Hanson, Dodge + Sutter in 1980, oversees much of
the project direction and manages creative direction overall. The e-business consultancy specializes in solving business problems through the
integrated application of strategic, creative and advanced technology solutions. Hanson conceived and chaired Design Milwaukee, the first annual
design competition and conference established to recognize design achievement, foster critical dialogue on design, and advance the relationship
between graphic design and the business community. He is also president of AIGA Wisconsin, and serves on the Advisory Committee to the
William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design.
AN INFORMATION-DRIVEN ECONOMY
I believe that design is at the center of the transformation of the economy. Our economy is in a transformation more significant than any of us
have witnessed in our lifetime. Our culture is transforming from an industrial economy, the economy brought on by the industrial revolution, to
an information driven economy. And what is that information driving? It is driving the consumption of goods and services. So on the one hand, the
economy needs to move information effectively. Solution: Technology (or delivery) design. On the other hand, the customer needs to understand
the information, be able to use it effectively and enjoy the experience. Solution: Experience design. Experience and technology design is driving
consumption at record levels. Result: a very important role for the design of branding and marketing programs.
Words used in the old economy: paste-up, flush left, picas, logos, have been replaced in the new economy with; information design, legacy systems, user experience, bandwidth. When the language changes, the world follows. And the language is really changing.
These times are very similar to the Bauhaus — a time in history known for its idealism and energy. During the Bauhaus, founded in 1918, artists were very interested in convergence. The convergence of design, art and technology. Technology then was a steam locomotive, the ability to make perfect dishes on an assembly line, or an endless supply of bentwood chairs. Artists were building their careers professing that the products of industry could be beautiful. Technologists were working with designers and artists to form a new society. A society where objects were beautiful and useful.
That's exactly what can happen today. The products of this new economy can be beautiful and useful. Marketing can be smart, honest and insightful. Information can be organized and delivered in such a way that our customers' life is enhanced by the experience.
As a design community, we can choose to be at the cutting edge of what some are referring to as the "new practice of design." The new practice of design as defined by the AIGA is a community of new media practitioners — design planners and strategists, information designers, product designers, graphic designers, usability specialists, engineers, web designers, design researchers and educators — who are challenged to design for a world that is increasingly digital and connected.
Exciting times. We are embarking on a time that each of us can look back on as an amazing and important time. Important for designers and the society in which we live.
diane sterman
Diane Sterman serves as creative director for Marriott.com, which is Marriott's
successful online channel to 14 hotel and hospitality brands. Marriott was named by Business Week to the "Web Smart 50" in 2000
and Wired Magazine identified the hospitality company as one of the "40 companies that are driving the new economy."
CUTTING THROUGH CLUTTER
Have you ever gone into a beautiful store only to discover they did not have, or you could not find, the product you were looking for?
This can be a problem, as well, for visitors to web sites. Web consumers are overwhelmed with information. Their ability to cut through the clutter is paramount to achievement of their goals.
Our success as designers will hinge on two key issues. Our understanding of why people visit a particular web site and our skill in providing them with clear, useful information through intuitive interfaces. The web is still in its infancy. Designers need to partner with business, technology, and marketing folks to understand, analyze and incorporate industry data and customer analysis to design successful web experiences.
This is where our future as designers will lie: in our ability to evolve our design understandings and solutions with ever changing technologies and user norms.
We need to make sure our 'beautiful stores' are so much more than skin deep; they must stock the right products, simply found, so the customer will be sure to come again.
susan vinik consales
Susan Vinik Consales is senior vice president and director of design at Ketchum
Sheppard, Glendale, California, the Workplace and Employee Communication practice of Ketchum. She uses design as a strategic tool for providing
clients with effective solutions to their communication needs. Consales draws upon her design and design management experience to understand
the client's perspective and business goals, as well as the designer's perspective and creative approach to meeting those goals. She holds a
bachelor's degree in graphic design from the Rhode Island School of Design and a bachelor's degree in design from the University of California,
Los Angeles. Notable clients include: 3M, Bell South, Boeing, BP, Gucci, MetLife, Sun Microsystems.
IMAGES AS INFLUENTIAL AS WORDS
Graphic design not only will continue to grow in importance... it must. Today more than ever, noise and clutter create a need for messages to be
packaged in ways that break through distractions.
The internet and the new economy are training our collective mind to demand more information in less time. In our work at Ketchum Sheppard, we're competing for the impatient minds and impatient eyes of clients' employees all over the world. With our global society more visually oriented, images are as influential as words — maybe more influential — when it comes to engaging people's attention and shaping their sense of 'reality.'
While the media may change (more online, less print), there is more need now for good graphic design than ever. Unfortunately, too many people think that because they have powerful (primarily computer) design tools available, they therefore are designers. They're not. They must recognize the need to partner with designers who understand and embrace the fundamentals of effective design. They must recognize the value that creatives bring to clients in this time of change, clutter and marketplace competition.
Design will continue to play a critical role because graphic design represents clarity, structure and organization — elements often sorely missing in communication today.
ed han
Ed Han views the world through rose-colored, half-full glasses. He likes to wear sweaters.
Prefers honey mustard on his Chicken McNuggets. Looks forward to the change in seasons and actually likes Chicago winters. Always liked
Mary Ann more than Ginger. Doesn't have any pets but considers himself a dog person. Prefers Pepsi over Coke because of the smaller
bubbles. Actually liked Waterworld, the movie. Doesn't floss as often as he should. Has a magazine fetish. Collects staplers. Wore Underoos
as a kid. Actually likes fruitcake (has nothing to do with wearing Underoos). Appreciates the fact that he enjoys what he does for a living.
Han is currently a senior art director at Publicis in Mid America-Chicago, where he works on integrated advertising campaigns for clients such as CharBroil Grills, Shoney's Restaurants, OfficeMax and Whirlpool.
CREATIVE THINKING ISN'T AN OXYMORON
We are responsible for the growth of creative design and we can certainly do a better job of promoting its importance. This means being business
people first and foremost. We aren't in the business of creating tv commercials or print ads, annual reports or corporate identity. We are in the
business of providing sound strategic thinking. And until clients start thinking of us this way, we will be relegated to the level of vendor and not
consultant. As long as our clients think of our services as a luxury and not a cost of business, then we have failed them, ourselves and our industry.
How can we bring about this change in perception? In a word, education. We must show that great design can help deliver the message more effectively and even make the audience more receptive to that message. We must show our clients that creative thinking isn't an oxymoron. Creative for creative's sake is the quickest way to becoming a vendor. A vendor is someone who provides an execution but not a solution. Someone who provides a technique and not a concept. Someone who says "Yes" when they should say "No." A vendor is reactionary by nature, linear in thinking, and ultimately disposable.
So, yes. I do feel that creative design will continue to grow in importance, but how much progress is made will be up to us.
chris do and jessie huang
Chris Do and Jessie Huang began Blind Visual Propaganda four years ago out of
their desire to create conceptually driven motion graphics "possessing intelligence and emotional resonance." Blind is described
as "an openly collaborative, creative habitat of artists, writers and designers that passionately craft images and ideas in the form of
compelling motion graphics." It seeks to fuse traditional film-making, photography, animation, typography and creative problem solving.
Clients have included Kodak, Lycos, Microsoft, Nextel, Merrill Lynch, Citra, MCI Worldcom, Nike, Unisys, Amnesty International, and the Partnership
For A Drug Free America. Chris, the president and design director, is a graduate of Art Center College of Design. He has been an art director at
Cole & Weber as well as at Epitaph Records, a punk-rock music label. Jessie, partner and art director, worked for Wieden & Kennedy
before coming over to co-found Blind Visual Propaganda. She is known for a very personal and interpretive approach to the creative
process. Jessie's formal training was at the Art Center College of Design and, interestingly, early on she won first place in a
Coca-Cola "next generation" competition.
GRAPHIC DESIGN IS THE FACE OF BUSINESS
Concurrent with the digital revolution and the advent of the internet, society continues to move toward what has been described as an
"information culture." Every day, the global marketplace affords us more products, services and choices. As high-bandwidth
connections become more widespread and delivery technologies improve, more media-rich content will be available. Design's importance
will mirror this growth.
Graphic design has become the "face" of business today, defining companies in an age where commerce is transacted with a monitor and a mousepad. It creates the identity systems which consumers are educated or conditioned with in their everyday lives. It defines the age as it is reflected, and continually redefined, in television, film, and the internet. Contemporary graphic design has transcended the single image to a sequence of images, enabling designers to create an "experience" within a time-based medium.
natalie pryor
Natalie Pryor is the new art director of Parade Magazine. She has been at Parade since
1996, where she had previously been a senior design associate and supervisor. She started off her career serving with Earl G. Graves Publishing.
From there she moved to Cahners Publishing before taking an art directorship with Excerpta-Medica. She worked with Cardinal Business Media
before joining Parade. During her career she has garnered several awards from the likes of the Educational Press Association and the Rx Club.
MORE INTERACTION WITH AUDIENCES
In our information driven society, there will always be a need for information to be funneled through as quickly and efficiently as possible to its
target audience, but the audience is growing. An audience that's demanding more interaction with the information they access.
Advances in technology such as kiosks, PDAs, home-use and handheld devices have made information more accessible and affordable in our daily lives. Many magazines and advertisements now use digital imagery as well as direct people to web sites for more information.
We're moving toward more personal interaction with our audience. We as designers are having to adapt to meet the needs of our clients and society as a whole. In the past, we met the client's needs by creating designs that clearly organized information and expressed emotion in a visually pleasing way. Now we're thinking beyond the printed page. Designs need to work as web graphics, downloadable files or incorporate moving images as well as printed media. This is becoming more of a consideration than not.
We're in the midst of a fast-moving and exciting age of technology. We've had to keep up with technological advances to create across media platforms. Perhaps someday you'll be able to launch the latest version of Sports Illustrated on your handheld device, click on the photo to watch a clip of a touchdown, and hear a voiceover calling the game on your headset!
rondi tschopp
Five Visual Communication & Design is based on the concept that when you were
five everything was new and anything was possible. The studio in West Chester, Ohio, balances business by giving back through non-profit work
and interaction with students and young designers. As well as being principal of Five Visual, Rondi Tschopp serves as president of AIGA Cincinnati
and is past chair of CrafterNoons, an auction/fundraiser for children. She has a husband and two teenage children... and is still five at heart and
believes anything is possible.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE BIGGER PICTURE
From a cultural standpoint, I believe the significance of graphic design will continue to grow as demonstrated in two recent examples.
First, the AIGA's "Get Out The Vote" poster series received positive responses from communities around the country, such as individuals from local boards of elections and the League of Women Voters. Each poster, while unique in its implementation, evoked a strong and immediate response, thus contributing to an important process in our society.
Second, the presidential election ballot fiasco in Florida. The ballot failed to provide clear and concise visual communication essential to implementing a fair election process.
From a business standpoint, we as graphic designers are being asked to expand our perspective and change our expectations and business practices; to do more with less; to be business managers, marketing and technical specialists as well as designers. This creates new challenges and the potential for greater opportunities to become a more integral part of the business community. Designers, like other professionals, need to respond to the needs of an ever changing world market and the business "bottom line." We have to think beyond ourselves and our own creative needs and look outward to how we can contribute to the bigger picture. I believe this will strengthen graphic design as an important cultural force and allow us more visibility and credibility.
carla hall
Carla Hall heads the full-service communications agency that carries her name. Founded in
1980, the firm develops brand communications in all media. Known for its disciplined project management and innovative thinking, the firm's
client roster is heavy with Fortune 100 companies. The firm is located in New York City.
DIMENSIONAL, CHANGEABLE, EMOTIONAL
The graphic design profession continues to be in a pivotal position to grow in importance in American business and society, commerce and
culture. The availability of new technologies and media has provided designers with exciting ways to communicate as well as added challenges
in how we distinguish our clients.
We are no longer just creating objects marked in time. Instead, we are designing "experiences" that are dimensional, changeable and emotional. In order to effectively create these "experiences" and fully integrate all the available types of communications we create for our clients, it is important for design professionals to have the strategic vision to form and lead selected teams of technology and new media alliances.
robert keren
Robert J. Keren is director of marketing and communications for the Language Schools
and Schools Abroad at Middlebury College in Vermont. A graduate of Hamilton College, he has worked as a newspaper reporter, photojournalist,
and as the director of two college news bureaus. He never forgot the advice Bill Cosby gave him courtside during a college basketball game at
Madison Square Garden in 1969. ("Here's five dollars, Red. Now don't tell any of the other vendors I'm down here.") He didn't, and
someday he hopes to thank Cosby for the tip.
NOTHING BEATS A PERSONAL TOUCH
I have to wonder when I hear about Fortune 500 companies engaging in one-to-one business practices with their clients. Why? Because I can't
imagine how a major soft drink maker or automobile manufacturer could convince customers that the company actually cares about them. That's
why I enjoy marketing for colleges. We know who our audience is, the numbers are manageable, and people want to have a relationship with us.
Every college has alumni and friends just waiting to be asked to be part of the process. If you can't make integrated relationship marketing work at
an institution of higher education, then you're in the wrong business.
But the competition is fierce, even in the safe, secure world of academe. So every day I follow the advice of Lee Clow: I try to figure out what my customers want to hear, how they want to hear it, and how I can build a bridge to their souls. Nothing can beat the personal touch; sure, we have a web site and e-mail, but I'd rather spend five minutes on the phone with an alum or ten minutes having a cup of coffee with a prospect any day!
I learned about marketing in the late 1960s as a vendor at Madison Square Garden and Shea Stadium. Try selling ice cream to a beer-drinking college hoops crowd or soda on a chilly evening at the ballpark and you learn in a hurry that if you have the wrong product, people aren't going to buy it. It's really the same thing in marketing higher education. What is it that people are looking for? What is it that they need? Do we have the product that's right for them? I spend a lot of time listening to customers — students, alumni, parents, faculty, etc. — so our marketing plans will be in tune with what people want because that's really the only thing that's important.
bill thorburn
Bill Thorburn became founding principal of Carmichael Lynch Thorburn
(CLT) in 1996. CLT specializes in the design needs of clients looking to establish their identities and build their brands. Thorburn has 20
years of internationally recognized design expertise. He started way back then with a fine arts degree from the Minneapolis College of Art
and Design. He worked in the agency setting for several years and then became design director for Dayton-Hudson's-Marshall Fields. With
CLT, Thorburn exercises his vision for strategic, powerful, lasting design every day. His list of client work is impressive: Nike, Microsoft,
Harley-Davidson, Neiman Marcus, Dayton's, Caribou Coffee, ESPN, and Porsche, just to name a few. Bill Thorburn's design work is included
in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum of Art in London, and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. He has also
had individual exhibits in Japan and London. Some of his greatest inspiration comes from the crayon drawings that decorate his
office — compliments of his two young daughters.
DESIGN IS THE SOUL OF THE BRAND
It's the place where customers actually touch, feel and interact with a brand.
Design has power. Two of the most influential business stories of the last few years have been design-centered — the VW Beetle and the iMac computer.
Design has many points of contact. It extends into every aspect of business: product and package, business forms (or ballot design), web interface and architecture, a store's ambience.
Design is the intangible and the tangible, the form and the function, the rational and the emotional.
Great brands come to us all the time with wonderful products, solid brand strategies, supportive advertising, and then, WHAM! We see packaging that's difficult to read on the shelf, competitive products that look similar in the store, packaging that is dated and industrial when the product is contemporary and high-end. We see companies poised to be smart world players when their corporate identities are inconsistent and provincial. We see companies thinking it's time to chuck it all and start fresh when they've got enormous equity in an established brand.
Savvy brand managers are realizing design's value to their brand-building strategies. But it's still not as top-of-mind as advertising, distribution, or sales strategies. When design is included as an integral part of a solid marketing communications plan, a brand's momentum becomes unstoppable.
It is energizing to be part of that success.
rob deluke
Rob DeLuke is graphic resources manager & creative director for Finch Paper, responsible
for all conception, advertising, design, production, promotion and media. With 17 years of experience with east coast agencies and design firms,
DeLuke's focus at Finch is on corporate branding and product development as well as marketing collateral and new cross-media — from web
site design/e-business and CD-ROMs to video and interactive presentations. DeLuke began his career as senior art director at Forsyth &
Connors, moving up to creative director prior to the firm being purchased by Earle Palmer Brown in South Florida. He then served as creative director
for H. Linn Cushing and Wolkcas Communication Group in New York before founding his own creative consulting firm. In the mid 1990s, DeLuke
was recruited by Finch to spearhead their surge into the fine paper and text and cover markets.
DESIGN IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
Graphic design as a profession will only progress if the designer has an inherent ability to constantly evolve. The designer's role will continue to
grow and change as we shape our culture, society and business environments. Graphic design has gained immense power and influence with ever
emerging technologies that are available to transform cultures and mold the way a consumer thinks, reacts or interacts to a particular product or
subject. Graphic design not only mirrors our culture, influences society and directs commerce, but also has the ability to reshape and revise views
within each of those categories.
The graphic design field has taken on a more integrated marketing stance, because in today's world of vast technologies, corporate downsizing and decreasing budgets driven by more intense competition, designers need to develop very targeted strategies which solve extremely complex marketing problems in unique creative ways. Because of all the sensory overload consumers now endure, designers no longer have the luxury of taking uncalculated risks. We have to be more concise, more creative, and very sensitive to current maket trends. If the concept lacks in strategic thinking and it does not gain the attention of the target audience in seconds, the true communications objective has been compromised.
Design has the ability to influence key decison makers and big business with the click of a mouse, the stroke of a pen or the emotion of a visual. It's obtained this power because design is considered by many to be the universal language. Great design is the one true element that remains cross-cultural with no hemispherical boundaries. Graphic design is no longer just about appearances or a certain "look." It's much more complicated now. It's about communication and the ability to create brand awareness, market share and product dominance in an ever shrinking world.
brad gensurowsky
Brad Gensurowsky is creative director, Magic Room, The NBC Agency
in New York. When he started there ten years ago, an ambitious project would have been an animated typographic logo or a type design for a
movie title. Now their designers can design and direct film shoot spots, and work with editors on video cuts to make them more dynamic. The
department has grown from two people working on a paintbox creating still graphics for the On-Air Promotions department to 15 people and
six highend Flame, Inferno, Henry workstations plus lots of Macs. Scope of work ranges from commercials for The NBC Agency to cable and
network launch campaigns to daily topical promotion for the NBC network. Gensurowsky describes the latest evolution of his career as designing
with live action. He began his career with stints at West Virginia Public TV and CNN.
CONVERGENCE OF PRINT AND MOTION
From my point of view, the next ten years will be a golden age for design professionals and their ability to influence and shape the direction of
corporate communication and entertainment. The convergence of print and motion graphics is happening now on the internet. Every company
has a presence on the web; that means more designers, more artists are needed to accommodate this growth. Broadcast designers also have to
think like print designers and print designers now have to think like broadcast designers. To be an influence in the future, however, a designer
can't limit their role to just one discipline, but rather must become a visual organizer of information and presentation in any medium, film,
television, print as they all will come in to play on the internet.
kent hunter
Kent Hunter is executive creative director and principal at Frankfurt Balkind
Partners. Bringing the strategic to life has been Hunter's mission at the integrated communications agency based in New York, Los Angeles
and San Francisco. Known for his expertise in annual report design, identity and advertising, he now has taken the lead role in directing the
firm's new media creative work for clients such as Goldman Sachs, RCN, Pitney Bowes and Schering Plough. He serves on the board of the
AIGA New York chapter.
BRAVE NEW MEDIA WORLD
It's an exciting time to be in graphic design. The birth of the Digital Age has brought exponential growth in the ways we communicate. And never
before have designers had the opportunity to touch so many media forms. Now, more than ever, we face the challenge of seizing an audience's
attention and giving them reason to invest their time, be it interacting with a web site, checking out a rich e-mail, or reading an annual report.
While sophisticated clients have long recognized the value of good design, they are just beginning to understand the communicative power of a coherent message wrapped in the creative framework of interactive design. This includes not only designing the "room" where information resides, but also providing the "signage system" to help a user navigate through those rooms, finding the information they seek or the product they wish to purchase. And we have the added dimensions of sound and motion in creating those spaces.
In today's media-saturated society, designers play a critical role. Using our unique talents and skills, we guide people through our Brave New Media World, trying to make it a more interesting, informative and inviting place.
jackie merri meyer
Jackie Merri Meyer is currently vice president and creative director of Warner Books, where
she is responsible for the jacket designs of approximately 300 books a year. In addition, Meyer has acquired and edited books for Warner, most
notably Fifty on Fifty: Wisdom, Inspiration and Reflections of Women's Lives Well Lived by Bonnie Miller Rubin, The WASP Cookbook by Alexandra
Wentworth, and Don't Touch that Doorknob! How Germs Can Zap You and How You Can Zap Back, by Jack Brown, Ph.D. She has also held the
position of publisher of Warner Treasures, a gift book imprint of Warner Books.
Meyer received her BFA from The Cooper Union. As an active member of the Cooper Union Alumni Council, she has served on its executive board. Currently, she is serving on the executive board of the Art Directors Club of New York, and was president of ADC Publications where she conceived, produced and edited the book Mad Ave: A Century of Award-Winning Advertising published by Universe, a division of Rizzoli International. In addition, Meyer serves on The Advisory Board of The Small Press Center and has been on the Board of Directors of The Society of Illustrators. She was also a faculty member of Parsons School of Design/undergraduate program, and lectures widely at major events, conferences and universities.
In the course of her career Meyer has held positions at Macmillan, McGraw-Hill, Abraham & Straus and Vogue and has received over 350 awards for her design, art direction and photography. Her design work was exhibited at The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and is included in the permanent collection.
Meyer has organized several publishing events to raise funds for Hale House and The Make-a-Wish Foundation. In 1982, she co-authored a humor book, published by Macmillan, with her husband W. Scot Carouge, who is also a graduate of The Cooper Union. He is a senior vice president and executive creative director at Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising.
THOUGHTFUL DESIGN
The coming year faces some uncertainty and obstacles. The changing of the guard in Washington and the way in which the year 2000 ended left
the world on shakier ground. However, I am an optimist and I believe that as long as the world works toward peace on a global level we will see
the greatest productivity and prosperity ever seen.
I see graphic design as an important communications tool in commerce and society that will grow wildly in numbers and in stature over the next few decades. The important thing is for us as a design community to make sure that thoughtful design solutions are used to better mankind.
I would love to see graphic design used in the same way John Lennon used music when he wrote 'all we are saying, is give peace a chance.'
doug joseph
Doug Joseph is the president and creative director of Douglas Joseph Partners Limited
(DJP) in Los Angeles. DJP has expertise in business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing programs, financial and corporate
communications. DJP clients include Crystal Cruises, Fraser Papers, Spicers Paper and Univision Communications.
GOOD DESIGN IS NOT ELITIST
I believe that all fields of design — automotive, fashion, multimedia, print and product — continue to gain recognition as an
important element in people's lives. Fantastic new products that clearly demonstrate this sensibility to design are now available for mass
consumption.
The TT has shown Audi's commitment to cutting edge design in a mass produced automobile. The design simplicity of Apple's iMac brought the company back from near extinction through wide public acceptance of its unique design. Target Stores have demonstrated how good design doesn't have to cost more than mediocrity, through its line of household products.
Each of these examples is supported in a marketplace by exceptionally well done print, packaging, television and web design. However, until wood-grained plastic is abolished, we still have a long way to go!
For myself, universal recognition of design will only be achieved through education and a high degree of professionalism. Designers should be willing to educate their clients and in turn society to the benefits of "good" design. Although this is nothing new, the process needs to continue and be more inclusive of all people regardless of socioeconomic status. Good design should never be elitist.
With respect to professionalism, I believe the design community can do a much better job. Without any form of professional accreditation and instant printers offering "graphic design," our profession will continue to suffer from lack of credibility.
My outlook for this coming year? Positive and enthusiastic.
sam j. ciulla
Sam J. Ciulla brings more than twenty years of experience as a designer, creative director
and brand consultant. As managing director/creative of Lipson Alport Glass & Associates, he manages and directs a staff of designers and
production specialists, working in the areas of branding, package and structural design, integrated communications and new media. He helps
guide all creative efforts in LAGA's Chicago, Cincinnati and New York offices, as well as its design partnerships worldwide. He has served as a
designer and creative director for such clients as Coca-Cola, General Mills, Keebler, Kraft Foods, Motorola, The Perrier Group of America,
S.C. Johnson & Son, and Upjohn. Prior to joining LAGA, he was associated with three nationally- and internationally based design
consultancies.
WITHOUT A DOUBT...
Design rules! In this incredibly success-driven society that we live in today, design plays a key and fundamental role, no question about it.
Personally, I have always tried to develop design solutions that not only excel aesthetically, but strive to make my clients successful. If a
design doesn't function strategically the way it was intended to, then it's merely an artistic exercise, and we have failed to meet our clients'
goals and objectives. This may sound somewhat elementary or weighted toward the marketing side of the equation, but it exemplifies the
essence of the question, which is why design continues to grow in importance and stature not only in America, but throughout the world.
Within this past year, TIME magazine's cover was graced with the headline 'The Rebirth of Design.' Tom Peters, America's business guru, said, 'great design = the risk (& rewards) of emotional attachment... or rejection'; and Robert Hayes, professor at Harvard Business School, said, 'Fifteen years ago, companies competed on price. Today it's quality. Tomorrow it's design.'
Am I confident and excited about the role of design in America for the coming year? Definitely! Design is the differentiator when it comes to the many products, services and communications that we, as designers, deliver and create each and every day! In the next decade, I envision the appointment of design professionals to the boards of many of the world's most enlightened companies. These companies will be led by integrated teams of marketing, design and business professionals managing the assets of the world's preeminent brands.
tim larsen
From a one-room, one-person firm founded in 1975, Larsen Design + Interactive has
grown to an 80-person staff serving a national client base from offices in Minneapolis and San Jose. Founder and president Tim Larsen's philosophy
that effective design is the foundation for a successful business keeps companies calling. His company's capabilities include brand strategy, naming
and identity as well as the full range of communications and interactive design.
TOUCH IT, HEAR IT, INTERACT WITH IT
What's next?
Right now the importance of design in the marketplace is growing exponentially — but it's a new kind of design.
No longer is it just a visual medium; you must be able to touch it, hear it, and interact with it. Design can no longer simply communicate; it must also entertain. And design is not limited to America; our work crosses global boundaries. The catalyst is technology.
Today, the world is smaller — but opportunities are larger, communications faster, and audiences broader than ever before. Design must instantly cut through the clutter, reach and engage an individual, and communicate. All mediums merge: print, interactive, and motion graphics work together to create a complete, sensory experience that informs, yes, but also entertains.
To be successful, we as designers cannot be content to be current. It is only by asking, "What's next?" that we can continue to lead. This is our point of differentiation. This is the future of design.
janet odgis
Odgis + Company, founded in 1985 in New York City, is a concept-driven communications
design firm. Founder Janet Odgis says, "Odgis + Company generates ideas. From there, we create smart, elegant, and persuasive work. Work
conceived and executed to succeed in the marketplace." Clients include PricewaterhouseCoopers, MetLife, IBM, Prudential, Towers Perrin,
and PaineWebber. Janet Odgis is an adjunct professor of graphic design at Cooper Union for the last ten years.
DESIGNING FOR THE ACCELERATED STATE
Client expectation for more comprehensive work, delivered at an accelerated pace and conceived for a range of new applications will lead many
print-based communications firms to consider strategic alliances to expand their capabilities across an ever-expanding range of media and
platforms.
Corporate marketers who have reallocated budgets from print media to web and other electronic platforms will come to see that technically proficient, purely formal interpretations of their brand lack effectiveness. They will be compelled to create more integrated and fully strategic work. Work that reflects a deeper understanding of their brand and how to communicate its relevance.
This new dynamic will result in more sophisticated brand integration which will combine the best media to communicate most effectively... which is to say sharper focus, greater discrimination, deeper penetration. The result will be work that goes beyond the formal color, grid, structure, typeface selection to reveal the real working heart of the brand.
kenneth cooke
Kenneth R. Cooke is chief creative officer of Siegelgale, responsible for design and
creative strategy on corporate and brand identity assignments worldwide. He has directed voice and identity programs for American Express Blue
Card, Harley-Davidson, U.S. Air Force, Lycos, 3M, International Center for Photography, National Semiconductor, among others. Prior to joining
Siegelgale, Cooke was senior vp/creative director with Frankfurt Balkind, where he was responsible for design of corporate identity programs for
Chase Manhattan Bank and Time Warner. Cooke was founder and partner in the identity management consultancy IDENTICA, and creative director
for Landor Associates' New York and Tokyo offices for five years before that.
REAL CONTENT
Graphic design as an industry is maturing. There is without question a lot of bad work out there, and when I say bad, I mean communications that
don't clearly put forward a compelling idea, move people to action, or inform them in some way. But there is also a great deal of good and even
great work being done by people we've never heard of. Not too long ago, the industry was dominated by a few individuals and a few well-known
firms. That's an indication of how far we've come. That's not necessarily true today, and I think that's good for everyone.
However, separating the substantive from the merely good looking is becoming more difficult. Evaluating design in context is getting to be like judging design in a competition: you have about 10 seconds to decide if you like something and to absorb it, and even then you may not be compelled to go any further to discover what its message is. There's just too much to read, see, absorb, and agree or disagree with.
Designers and firms that deal in ideas and concepts — real content, however you define it — will always be important to society. Even on the most basic level, as demonstrated in the Florida elections ballot design, clarity is imperative. But the product of moving stuff around on a page, a box or a screen will only continue to be more commoditized. Yet, that's not a bad thing, because it means more people are getting better at it.
Siegelgale has always been about content, whether simplifying and improving the understanding of someone else's, or creating our own. Our tagline — Ideas That Transform — refers to ideas that transform an entire business, brand, product, or service from the ordinary to the extraordinary. And we take that promise very seriously. Siegelgale provides a level of impact and value with clients and industries that are experiencing disruption and have complex problems. And that is what it takes to break through today.
brian hill
Brian Hill is the creative director/principal of Axiom Creative Group, a graphic design firm
located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The group takes a multidisciplinary approach to creating anything but the ordinary, applying their skills to
such work as corporate identity, collateral, direct mail and web design. Axiom's work has been published in all the major design trade publications,
and has won several design awards.
Brian is also married and the proud parent of three boys and two cats (Waffles and Scooby), and a graduate of Ohio University.
ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY
In an age of media over saturation, good design is more essential than ever before. No matter what the venue, whether business-to-consumer or
business-to-business, the need to deliver a concise message through a broad range of communication vehicles will become increasingly important.
A well-conceived strategy of connecting business to culture will provide a way to break through the cluttered and crowded marketplace. This focused communication platform, in combination with smart design, will increase company brand awareness in a culture searching for anything but ordinary solutions.
Design will continue to impact the bottom line and ultimately help shape how companies do business. But good design will elevate the culture, not just add to the ever growing glut of media clutter.
jaye donaldson
Jaye Donaldson is president and ceo of Donaldson Makoski Inc, an image
communications firm in Avon, Connecticut. The company's focus is on branding for the corporate and consumer marketplace for clients such
as Aetna U.S. Healthcare, Duracell, EMCOR, Everest Broadband Networks, Fidelity Investments, Gillette. Donaldson is president of the Association
of Professional Design Firms. In 1998 she was named one of the 40 Under Forty top leaders in Connecticut and currently serves on the Boards
of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England and the Foundation of Mental Health. Prior to Donaldson Makoski, Donaldson was marketing
director for Johnston/George Companies in Houston.
BRAND INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY
Graphic design is at the foundation of building and managing successful brands worldwide, and the value that intelligent branding brings to the
global marketplace has been proven.
Corporate America has invested time, money and resources into their brands. Consumers understand brand promises; they count on them. B-to-B customers demand brand integrity and investors bank on brand loyalty.
Our culture is challenging us to push the limits of creative thinking. It is relying on graphic designers to communicate in new ways and to push design (new products, new technologies, new ideas) to new limits.
As we continue to enhance user experiences at all levels of society, the momentum our industry has encountered will be maintained and we will continue to grow as a viable (and profitable) industry.
jonathan pite
Jonathan Pite is the creative director at Carl Thompson Associates in Boulder, Colorado,
where he has designed over 100 annual reports and more than 50 web sites for public corporations. He is also chairman of the Art Directors
Club of Denver, board member of Design Coalition/ USA and an AIGA member. Awards have included the Potlatch Annual Report Show, the
Strathmore Annual Report Show, Financial World, Art Directors Club, Graphic Design:usa, PRSA's Gold Pick, BMA's Gold Key, IABC's Gold Quill,
AMA's Gold Peak, Nicholson and CIPRA as well as profiles in a variety of publications. Prior to joining Carl Thompson, he was design director at
Deutsch, Shea & Evans Advertising in New York City. His background includes over a dozen years as a corporate/travel photographer with
assignments for The New York Times, Forbes, General Motors, AT&T, Manufacturers Hanover Trust Bank, The Jamaican Tourist Board and
Connoisseur.
MESSAGE HOLDS THE MEANING
Successful graphic design is communication. Technology and demand are not a substitute for creativity. Adobe and Macromedia won't replace
the designer any more than photography replaced the painter or video replaced the filmmaker.
Communication today hits us from every direction. The emerging information technology revolution and exponential population growth are fueling a booming business in graphic design. And with this onslaught, more than ever it is good design that determines what gets listened to. The packaging is crucial to the delivery of the message.
But behind every messenger it is the message that holds the meaning. It is the substance that will touch your soul. What does the package hold in the long run if it's nothing more than an empty box?
david ford
David Ford is creative designer for K-VA-T Foods, with operational and advertising offices
in Abingdon, Virginia. Doing business as Food City, K-VA-T operates 86 grocery stores in Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Ford designs weekly
newspaper inserts that must compete against market giants such as Kroger and Wal-Mart. He studied graphic design at Ringling School of Art,
Sarasota, Florida, and graduated from The Harris School of Advertising Art in Franklin, Tennessee as an advertising illustrator. Ford began life as
an illustrator for Scott-Mead Paper Co.
VISION AND BASICS
I think that graphic design as a whole will continue to flourish and expand into the next several years. Since the advent of the speed of
internet communications, super computers on your desktop and state of the art software, there has been an explosion of
"quote-unquote" designers and ad agency startups that are leaping into the creative arena. Some justifiably so and others not.
I remember a few years ago that the reports on graphic design and designers' futures were a little on the dismal side. Only the truly creative innovative ones would survive.
So, what's new? That is how it has always been. Creativity, strategy, branding, etc. These are all things that had to be dealt with before the technology boom. There are just lots more folks to compete with, lots of new equipment to use and lots of faster ways to do things. As I see it, I think the strongest and most innovative will survive and spur on even better, more competitive design and designers.
If I had one bit of advice to offer new designers entering the marketplace, it would be to learn the Basics of great design. Don't hesitate to buy your own equipment and your own software. Put in the hours to make it perform for you. Never stop learning and most importantly never break the rules of good design... but be sure to bend the heck out of them. Don't think a degree makes you a good designer. Vision, love and good old fashioned hard work will ALWAYS get you there.
I think in the coming years graphic design will have to be GREAT for companies to survive. Good will be a thing of the past. I look for better and better design to explode in the near future. Competition for customer dollars is heating up at a frantic pace. Design will thrive if it does one thing... sells your client's taters! So, what's new???
dave miller
David C. Miller is principal/director of brand strategy for Phinney/Bischoff Design House
in Seattle, a full-service shop spanning brand strategy, print and interactive design. Clients include SAFECO Insurance, Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, InterNAP, Microsoft, Alaska Airlines, and the Margaret Thatcher Foundation. Miller's ten years of experience in strategic marketing
and creative planning includes tracks at The Seattle Times Company and in the broadcast industry at Surrey Broadcasting in Denver and Radio
Hauraki in New Zealand.
THE PROOF IS IN THE DESIGN
The data and tools available today permit marketers to target consumers at levels unimagined just a few years ago. Customer modeling has
liberated marketers from the wasteful expense of 'one-to-many' mass marketing, empowering them to invest in targeted customer acquisition
and retention in a refined 'one-to-few' model.
Marketers are making investments in the direct and meaningful communication imperatives of segmentation. The 'voice' for that communication is design. The niches being created, the product customization we're seeing, all of this is very promising. Just look at the beer category in the past 10 years... the new brands are regional, seasonal, attitudinal... you name it.
Simultaneously, consumers are slammed with messages and imagery. They've got their filters up, screening brands and being critically selective. Consumers now manifest their personal identity by the goods and services they consume. 'Abercrombie' is considered a clique in school, like jocks, goths and stoners. So there's the new reality: Customers demand that brands prove that they really, truly 'get it.' The proof is in the design.
As brand marketing moves from the generic to the specific, our clients challenge us to deliver authentic and emotionally connected design that resonates with their audiences.
This economy commands a premium for creative thinkers and problem solvers. Design will continue to grow in importance as the cadre of design professionals leverage those skills to direct brand customization for the new culture.
dennis ryan
Dennis Ryan has been a designer in the highly competitive motorsports industry for 14
years, with contributions ranging from the purely technical and instructional to magazine design and production. Now he has brought his
experience to the internet, and is involved hands-on with design and layout of a major industry web site as web site developer for Yamaha
Motor Corporation, USA in Cypress, California.
ADD DIMENSION TO LIFE
Ours is a visually oriented society. We depend on graphic elements to communicate in nearly every arena of life: on the internet, in advertising,
on product packaging... the list is enormous. Certainly a primary reason is that well-designed graphic images can carry a message very quickly
and in ways other media cannot.
Yet powerful tools are in the hands of virtually everyone with a computer today, to be creative with graphic elements. While one might suggest that these tools make the graphic design professional unnecessary, I believe the very opposite to be true. Our visually oriented society is barraged with visuals — in a very real sense we have "visual noise" all around us. That raises the bar in the effort to capture attention. With visuals everywhere, the graphic designer's role has become more vital than ever.
People may not know the principles of good graphic design, but they instinctively know when good design is lacking. And that is one of the important contributions graphic design will continue to make in the future: to ensure that our commercial and cultural communications add a dimension of quality and enjoyment to life.
kenneth white
Kenneth White is a designer with Robin Easter Design Group which, he says, "functions more like a family than a business, pushing each other to grow." He is also president of the Knoxville, Tennessee chapter of the AIGA. White observes that "getting involved with AIGA is one of the best things I've done personally. The organization continually challenges me to be a leader and a visionary within the community."
DESIGN DEFINES OUR LIVES
In the past, design was considered icing on a product or service that already existed. Now, and on into the future, design increasingly defines our
lives, our experiences and the products we use. I think graphic design, in its various forms, will be central to communicating the soul and substance
of complex, abstract ideas to people.
Iti
Iti is creative director of Deepend NYC. He joined Deepend in London in 1996 as their first full
time graphic designer, and contributed to a range of projects that blanket all disciplines of new media: branding, broadband, game
design, interactive television, motion graphics, multimedia and web design. He was named creative director in 2000 and joined the startup
team for the new U.S. office last May. Deepend offers creative digital communications services and strategic brand planning. It is driven by
"creative vision and technical innovation" and is among the leading creative interactive agencies. It is, in turn, the design arm
of Deepgroup, whose services also include business strategy, backend solutions, digital advertising, support and maintenance, digital
media public relations and interactive tv commercial production.
SURPASSING OTHER DESIGN DISCIPLINES
Design shares a collective subconscious; as one discipline moves forward in its field, the rest will follow. Each one inspires and influences the
others; when one makes a leap it paves the way for the rest.
The mobility of technology has allowed graphic design to move at a rate that surpasses its counterparts in commercial activity and value through its accessibility and inherent dynamism.
A continued growth in importance will need an element of time and trust to bring out the best in graphic design. For designers the reward is the agony within labor and the satisfaction of creation.
terry o'gara
BlisterMedia, founded by Terry O'Gara, executive producer, and composer Michael Sweet,
specializes in the creation of music for new media, broadcast design and advertising. Recently, BlisterMedia created sound designs for online
game Blix and TNT/Cyber Bond (online James Bond films trivia game). The New York City-based company won a 2000 BDA Gold Award for its
score for HBO: The Zone.
DELIVERY MODELS ARE MULTIPLYING
The coming year presents new challenges for media producers who provide content and service via the internet. Delivery models are
multiplying; unlike television, where protocols have been in place for years, internet artisans can't bask in their knowledge of the current
methodologies. We still must keep abreast of every technological advance to maintain an edge in the online marketplace. The more you know,
the more you can do, and the more clients you can accommodate. Saying "No, we can't do it" might be valid when it comes to creative
issues. But not being able to produce a project because you're stuck with last year's technologies is certain death.
No resting on your laurels yet. Maybe after a few more mergers, or if programmers run out of ideas. However, both scenarios seem highly unlikely for some time to come.
candy piemonte
Candy Piemonte was recently named director of strategic design at MLR Design,
formerly Murrie Lienhart Rysner & Associates, in Chicago. She is responsible for facilitating creative efforts between MLR Design
and its design partnerships. MLR Design specializes in package design, corporate identity, naming, e-business branding, and structural
design for an international client base of consumer and business-to-business companies, including Nabisco LifeSavers, World Kitchen,
Quaker Oats and Target. Prior to joining the firm, Piemonte worked for more than 15 years as a design director and marketing
consultant in Chicago and New York with two other design firms. She has a BFA in package design from Fashion Institute of
Technology in New York.
DESIGN IS THE DIFFERENTIATOR
Effective design will not only grow, it will flourish in its importance. Never before in history has great design been as affordable and readily
available to the masses. It used to be that design was reserved for the sophisticated elite; today the average consumer can purchase designer
linens at Kmart.
Technical innovations have decreased manufacturing costs and standardized quality, putting products at parity. Design then becomes the great differentiator that determines a product's image and identity while managing consumer perceptions.
While true product innovation will always be important, design can never again be left behind. For example, the personal computer market exploded only after Apple designed its user-friendly Macintosh. Of course people used computers before Apple, but not to the degree they did after the Macintosh introduction. The car industry is another great example. For a long time all cars pretty much looked the same and there wasn't much excitement. Then Volkswagen reintroduced the Beetle and WOW! Demand exceeded supply and people who were used to instant gratification happily paid sticker price or higher and waited up to three months to receive their car! Three months and no deal to get a car when there are dealerships on every corner sounds a bit extreme, but consumers fell in love with the Beetle and for them there was no substitute. It's hard to believe that such a strong emotion could be evoked by a design, but it was.
Design speaks a universal language that transcends geographic borders, culture and economic status. It touches people at core emotional levels, and it is precisely because of this intimacy that design will become an even stronger force.
kenneth quail
Kenneth Quail is the promotional art director for Cahners Publishing's Printing, Converting & Creative Group of publications. This
makes him responsible for concept, design and layout of all promotional and collateral materials for a range of printing, graphic arts and
design-related magazines. Previously, he headed his own firm with clients including New York Toy Fair, American Express, FOCUS Magazine,
Gerold Wunderlich and Company, U.S. Pharmacist Magazine, Jobson Publishing, and many more. He has also served as senior art director
of several magazines including Cheers Magazine and StateWays Magazine.
NO MEDIA-NEUTRALITY
Consumers today are bombarded with images as never before. The design-laden environment that is modern America has forced consumers
to be more selective in their concentration, therefore raising the bar for graphic artists.
The designer no longer has the luxury of creating for a single medium. Designs must translate across media formats, while maintaining an identity the consumer will identify with immediately. This is particularly important in the world of business-to-business publishing.
Gone are the days when simply supplying useful information was enough. Information that only five years ago was presented in journal format must now adopt a more consumer appeal, utilizing images that can make the transition from print to web, images that not only inform the reader but entertain.
Publishers today favor the term "media-neutral," but in the world of design there is no such thing. It is the function of the designer to create a seamless transition between the worlds of print and electronic media. Doing this well is the true challenge, as the two have a symbiotic relationship. In order for one to flourish, the other must flourish as well.
As consumers become more media-savvy, graphic design will continue to grow in importance. We cannot afford to take a Luddite view of the new media opportunities. We must rise to the challenge and create unique cross-media identities.
victor rodriguez
Victor Rodriguez heads the creative team at Creative Dynamics, Inc., a full-service design studio based in Las Vegas that uses both new and
traditional media to produce award-winning graphic, advertising, web, and multimedia design — merging the latest technology with
effective marketing ideas. Along with president Eddie Roberts, Rodriguez has helped build CDI into a regionally and nationally recognized
design studio with clients that include Cirque du Soleil, Westwood Studios, Caesars Palace, and Shell Corporate.
A VISUALLY ORIENTED CULTURE
Good design has always been an important force in traditional commerce and culture, and the advance of technology and the new media
makes it more important, relevant and influential than ever. Using traditional design techniques to complement and drive the opportunities
afforded by the internet allows designers to combine the very best elements of print, television and even radio to create a wholly interactive
environment that can tell a story, evoke strong emotions and sell something all at the same time. Value in both environments is driven solely
by the quality of creative ideas — ideas best executed at the design level. Because our culture is so visually-oriented, traditional forums
will merge and combine with elements of the new media to create tremendous opportunities for well-designed communication that not only
sells, but also informs, provokes, stimulates and changes the way people perceive the world around them. With so many possibilities, this is
definitely the best time to be a designer.
bonnie barnes
Bonnie Barnes was born and raised in Las Vegas. At 17, she opened her first business in graphic design. Ten years later, she joined Varityper
in Chicago. With a promotion to national systems sales support specialist, she trained staff and supported corporate sales. Intergraph, in the
process of developing desktop software, recruited Barnes to Huntsville, Alabama. In 1987, she opened "All About Type" in
Jacksonville, Florida, the predecessor to AAT Design. In 1998, AAT identified and refined the company's objectives. Designers, copywriters
and web developers have been added along with updated equipment. Today, AAT Design provides advertising, marketing and public
relations services. Barnes serves as president of the Jacksonville chapter of AIGA. She was recently awarded Small Business Leader of the
Year 2000 for the city of Jacksonville.
VISION AND INSIGHT
Now is an exciting time to be in graphic design. With the introduction of the internet, anyone can design web pages. Yet sites that are
professionally designed will stand out above all others.
Graphic designers who produce fast-loading, quality design will be sought after in 2001 to add impact and establish brand identity as those businesses become successful.
AAT Design believes the creation of excellent design along with a strategic marketing plan is the key to a successful company image. AAT's corporate mission: 'Through vision and insight, we develop image with style.'
bob whitmore
Bob Whitmore is creative director and partner at Walker Design, as of this month renamed WalkerWhitmore, in Tampa, Florida. Previously
he was a group creative director at TLP/Dallas working on Pizza Hut, Harrah's Casinos and VISA Promotions.
NOTHING COMES FAST AND CHEAP
There is no question that graphic design will continue to grow in importance. Unfortunately, what won't grow in importance are standards.
With the growth of "push button" design, clients will be able to get "graphic design" solutions from anyone with the
right software and the wherewithal to create anything the least bit sellable. Combine that with the kind of prices they will be able to offer this
work at, and what you get is more and more opportunities slipping away from people who know the difference between what is good work,
and what is bad work.
The importance of graphic design, as a commodity, will grow as a result of more and more companies simply needing to fill in the blanks and more and more people being able to supply "solutions" fast and cheap. The importance of GOOD graphic design, as a marketing tool, will grow when clients realize nothing of lasting value comes fast and cheap.
scott sugiuchi and steve carsella
Vibranium was founded in the spring of 2000 by Scott Sugiuchi and Steve Carsella, who have worked in the creative field since 1987. Their
six-year partnership has garnered numerous regional awards, including the Creative Club of Orlando's Best of Show award, 1997. The firm
was founded "to bring its distinctive brand of creativity to design, packaging, broadcast and new media." Clients include Walt
Disney World Food & Beverage, House of Blues, NBA City, Artisan Entertainment, Polygram Records, Penguin/Putnam Publishers,
Zooba.com, Fox Television and Haxan Films.
Steve enjoys Dove Bars, The Beach Boys and Japanese food packaging. Scott likes anchovies, vinyl records and Ultra Man. They are currently on a lecture tour of Florida colleges and universities speaking to design students on just how cool graphic design really is.
NEARLY UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES
Design can only continue to grow in importance. Today's amphetamine models for commerce demand the services of the graphic designer at
an increasingly accelerated rate. New forms of communication are being developed even as the most contemporary forms are still sending out
their shockwaves. We feel it is incumbent upon the designer to seize this opportunity and establish the graphic profession (whether you call
yourself a "designer," "visual developer" or — god help us — "strategist") as a cultural and
commercial force. There has never been a greater need for the creative visual mind than right now. From simple startups to branding overhauls
there are nearly unlimited opportunities. But this can only happen if the designer takes the initiative to inform and educate the public. Designer
as rock star? Make it happen. Stand and be counted, dammit!
limore shur
Founded by Limore Shur in 1992, Eyeballnyc calls itself a thinking design company. Creative director Shur says that "collaborative
creativity and developing ideas in a nurturing environment enable Eyeball and its clients to transform inspiration into innovative projects
that transcend media and every expectation. At Eyeball, ideas provide the illumination, foundation and formation of every project; technology
is our tool." Recent clients include Showtime, Nike, BBDO Worldwide, M&C Saatchi, FCB, Rawkus Records.
NOT KNOWING WHAT LIES AHEAD
As the final year of the old millennium passes, we have been witness to an incredible growth in visual communications.
The last few years have witnessed an over-saturation of graphic devices that have numbed the very viewers we try so hard to reach. The advertising community has become so obsessed with print and motion graphics that many designers find themselves speaking to other designers rather than to consumers.
Where does the industry go from here?
I look forward to seeing more designers communicating in an effective yet provocative manner. Our goal has always been to challenge and teach viewers (a more intelligent audience than they get credit for) a new vernacular of visual communications. Hopefully more companies will do the same.
As a company we are excited to put reason and purpose back into design and to leave the lifestyle approach and design-for-design's-sake methodology behind. I am inspired by so many rogue designers who are making headway into new methods of communication, while still holding onto the viewer.
2001 represents the starting gate for this challenge. I hope to see more collaboration and inspiration in the coming year. We need to dictate by forward thinking and to respond through focused listening. Unique and powerful personalities will evolve from our challenge to find more exciting and successful forms of communication. Not knowing what lies ahead is the most promising approach for us to take. I know that I am very excited to accept that challenge.
todd mueller
Todd Mueller is creative director of Psyop Creative, a visual solution provider that assists clients in the development and production of
communications. Founded in September 2000 by Eben Mears, Marie Hyon, Marco Spier, Kylie Matulick and Todd Mueller, Psyop disseminates
its ideas and imagery from headquarters in the East Village of New York City. This team of technically skilled artists is focused on the idea of
design with a purpose in an environment of critical openness. Recent projects include spots for Starburst, AT&T, Globalstar, and promo
package/show open for VH1's My Music Awards.
DAILY RECOMMENDED DOSAGE OF JUXTAPOSITION AND IRONY
Graphic design is playing an ever-increasing role in our society and our appetite for it shows no sign of slowing. The retroactive loop of
trends will soon eclipse the current and our speedy, multicultural virtual community of ideas and meanings are now digested as fast as
humanly possible.
From wireless web devices to Cliff's Notes to emoticons, information is crystallizing down to its most essential elements. In order to handle this, language is becoming increasingly image-based. Language is being reinvented and compressed to fit shorter attention spans.
Iconography, symbolism and metaphor are the prime mechanisms utilized in this compression. But this ain't all that bad. Combining images and ideas in order to define, or redefine, allows for an extension of meaning and a stretching of the mind.
A related sidebar — scientists have studied brain-behavior interaction with the end goal of being able to quantitatively 'read' a mind. It turns out that the brain of a person who interacts on a daily basis with others typically has a complicated network of links. The neural network looks like a healthy tree, many levels of branching out ending in fine detail. In comparison, a scan of a sedentary individual looks like a dead tree. The key is stimulation; with it your brain grows, and without, it withers. In other words, the more input the better.
Information overload? Never heard of it. In this light graphic design could serve as our daily recommended dosage of juxtaposition and irony.
joe lisaius
Joe Lisaius was raised in the advertising business by a pack of talented wolves in New York City. He then had a short stint as a professional
wrestler, which he would rather not discuss. Ten years ago he formed Lisaius Marketing, now a 15-person full-service design agency based
in Burlington, Vermont. Accounts include Blockbuster, Rossignol, ADT Security, Pioneer, USA Home Entertainment, A&E, Winstar, Universal
Studios and IBM.
WE HELP MAKE LIFE MORE
Some days I want to quit this business. On those days it seems to be all about More. More money. More noise. More with less. The More, the
better.
But there are other days. Like when we create an effective design so simple, it's beautiful. Or I become engrossed in a magazine and marvel at its clean, intelligent layout. Or my eight-year-old son wants to hang around work because what we do is 'really fun.'
On those days I remember why I love this business. Our influence as graphic designers is growing in every facet of people's lives. We can help make life More interesting, More simple, More beautiful.
robyn streisand
Creative guru Robyn Streisand's commitment to her company, her team and her clients is paralleled only by her love for her work. Beginning
her career at Citibank, she was responsible for direct mail customer acquisition and the launch of new credit products. Prior to embarking
on her own company, Streisand was a partner in D-ZINE, Inc., a new-venture design company started in 1990, specializing in corporate
communications, corporate identity and collateral development. Inspired to take design to another level, she established The Mixx in
1996. Currently, The Mixx has a profitable $2 million in revenue and ten employees, including Streisand, who serves as principal, creative
leader, director of sales and marketing, coach, mentor and her team's number one fan.
PRINT TO WEB SEAMLESSLY
Over the next ten years, graphic design will become even more important in business and society. Everyone has the capability to print a piece of
collateral or reserve a url and post a web site. Amazing graphic design that couples a clean, intriguing look and creative functionality will become
a critical commodity for success in all mediums. The web will not negate the need for print design, as all companies need branding, stationery
suites and media kits to sell their online experience. The design shops that can apply the ingenuity of print design seamlessly to the web will be
the way of the future.
david annunziato
David Annunziato is president/creative director of Refac David Morris Creative. The Edgewater, New Jersey firm offers graphic and new media
design services that include brand communications strategy, corporate identity and packaging and implementation. RefacDesign provides
design and business consulting expertise in new product design and development and brand and trademark licensing.
DISTINCT PURPOSE AND PRESENCE
As the role of graphic design continues to evolve in the coming year, its importance will most certainly increase.
The need to differentiate in all areas of design and create a distinct and clear voice is essential, especially as new media platforms continue to advance both in sophistication and in reach. In addition, the need for end-to-end design integration will become increasingly important for the overall clarity of any message, idea, product or service. The end result must have a purpose and presence that is unified and distinct. It is the role of the designer to create that seamless environment, no matter where the experience is intended to take place.
Society will allow us to innovate freely. However, business is looking for design that can maintain relevance in the eye of the market and consumers over defined periods of time. Thus it is up to the designer to create that which can both be flexible yet maintain its integrity in the world around it.
Pictured in photo, left to right: Justin Becker, designer; John Morris, director of digital media; Agnes Gregorio, senior designer; David Annunziato, president/creative director; Lizza Guiterrez, designer; Nava Anav, senior design director; Paul Cirigliano, junior design director; Christopher Fuller, account director; Denise Spirito, senior designer; Monica Berckes, account executive; David Mills, senior account director.
brian diecks
Brian Diecks is president and creative director of The Diecks Group. The New York firm, which opened in 1993, is a concept, development
and communications company offering design, editorial and live action for clients involved in various media: broadcast, advertising, web
site, interactive and print. Client list includes ESPN, Turner Network Television, Fox Cable Networks, Young & Rubicam, National Hockey
League, Discovery Communications Inc., and Independent Film Channel.
BRIDGING TECHNOLOGIES
As technology advances in our industry, there are many more opportunities for graphic design to flourish than ever before. Whether it is in the
field of broadband, broadcast design, interactive, advertising or traditional print, the advancements in technology enable us to strengthen a
brand across several diverse digital media more seamlessly.
The broadband and interactive arenas are the hottest markets — from the convergence in the broadcast industry with the internet, interactive kiosks, web sites, presentations running off CDs and DVDs to e-commerce, to name a few. The challenge with these platforms is the ability to design for the bridging of the technologies and the clear direction for all consumers at whatever skill level.
We must not be too smitten by the "tech-bug," for the success of any creative assignment all begins with the concept — not the equipment to create a "digital effect."
That said, I truly believe the field of graphic design will become a leader in business and society, commerce and culture. Marketers, researchers, strategists and branding specialists are reaching out to the creative departments much earlier in their project schedules than ever before. Graphic design is no longer an afterthought.
gerri guadagno
Gerry Guadagno gives "niche" market a whole new meaning as president of Dying-To-Get-In: "Laugh in the Face of
Death." Taking an irreverent approach to traditional urns, she creates custom, one-of-a-kind or theme cremain containers for clients who
know the "two things certain in life" and want to make a grand exit! (A ride in the company's pink hearse is optional.) In
addition, YOUlogy, a self-expression writing and graphic design profile is offered exclusively at D-T-G-I workshops.
Since graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1976, Guadagno has been an art director, choosing companies in the entertainment industry such as NBC-TV, MGM-UA Home Video, Columbia House Video Club (a division of Sony Music) and direct mail sweepstakes Publishers Clearing House. Her expertise is in marketing and sales promotion, building brand awareness, packaging and thinking "outside-the-box."
IT'S IFFICIAL: internet is impacting importance of graphic design by:
• improving non-verbal communication through logos, icons and colors.
• infusing ideas through web pages, navigation bars, banner ads, links.
• identifying "page" to mean either hard copy or electronic.
• inviting us to imagine how we market, buy, sell, return and service.
• igniting brand building and corporate identity.
• instructing on-demand.
• immeasurable creative possibilities.
• incorporating the past with infinite opportunities.
In the end, it's instant gratification.