http://www.rockpaperink.com Inspiration, Ideas, & Opinions from Design Fanatics en-us Thu, 17 May 2012 00:10:02 CDT PROJECT: World Trade Centers Association global positioning and branding update CLIENT: World Trade Centers Association INTENDED AUDIENCE: primary, local WTC leadership; secondary, international business/world trade community CREDITS: creative director, Christopher Liechty; art director, Jeff Johnson; designers, Hiedi Blackwelder, Nick Redd, David Dick, Jane Clayson The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) called on Meyer & Liechty, Inc., an American firm specializing in cross-cultural design, to revitalize their brand. The designers set to work, building a strategy to refocus messaging and bring greater consistency to WTCA communications. The goal was clear, but achieving it required considerable research and creative development, particularly because of the unique nature http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1172 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1172 Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Design ethics is a slippery slope. Even though graphic design originates from the dawn of consumer culture, there is more to it than shopping and advertising. The first official attempt to re-radicalize design was called First Things First manifesto, published in 1964 by Ken Garland, in which 400 graphic designers railed against consumerism, hoping to start up a new design theory based on a humanist dimension. This manifesto was later appropriated and updated by Adbusters in 1999, under the name First Things First 2000 manifesto, and signed by thirty-three important international graphic design figures. Some choose to live by it, others http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1058 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1058 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT "If you are thinking about going freelance, you are probably already a qualified designer. But do you know how to run a business? Do bookkeeping? Set up billing? Pay your quarterly taxes? Find a business mentor who has already done this and can guide you." You may be the best at designing killer collateral that creates sales, but what do you really know about running a business, especially when you're going to be busy trying to get interesting clients and create challenging work? Your expertise in visual communications has no application to spreadsheets, tax preparation, and billing, among other critical business http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=534 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=534 Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Great design can be pretty. If pretty is the right way to deliver the right message to the right people, then by all means, a designer should make their work pretty. It's all about connecting an audience to a client's product or service. Design at its best uses all the artistic and aesthetic tools possible to do the job it was intended to do. Aesthetic Truths Aesthetics plays a significant role in cognitive processing-the way things look and feel affects the way people think or understand them. Consider the following truths when thinking about how a design can move an audience to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1331 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1331 Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Milton Glaser's "Dylan" poster was perhaps the most influential graphic object of my formative years, the early '70s, when I just got out of school. "Dylan" was full of the spirit of the time, and if on one hand it described in a perfect manner a singer, author, and poet of great charm and success, on the other hand it was having a deep dialogue with the artistic culture of the 20th (it is known that the first inspiration for Glaser came from the famous black-and-white silhouette of Marcel Duchamp). The poster also brings about a wonderful synthesis between the world http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1118 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1118 Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT When clients, deadlines, and conventions begin to chafe, or there's no apparent place to speak with an alternative voice, there's nothing quite like starting your own publication for the like-minded. Adbusters was the concrete result of just this dilemma. Formerly a documentary filmmaker, Kalle Lasn got involved in Pacific Northwest political issues and set out to use his film skills to make and air television spots. "I was interested in getting people together and airing these spots to get some provocative stuff on the television," he recalls. "But none of these stations would give me any airtime." Instead of being http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1343 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1343 Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Derided as resembling a plasma bottle by early critics, the Absolut Vodka bottle achieved commercial success and design recognition soon after its introduction to America in 1979. Its subdued design is an actualization of Gunnar Broman's "when all others are screaming, you must whisper" philosophy - a reference to the loud, if not garish, bottles of competing brands of the time. The Absolut bottle has long since achieved iconic status, no doubt aided by its role as centerpiece in one of the longest-running advertising campaigns of all time: 25 years and 1,500 advertisements all built around the bottle. Its form was inspired by http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1352 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1352 Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT For many design jobs, websites are the first place an art director will view a designer's work; the designer then needs to follow up with a print portfolio and live presentation. But for website designers, motion video designers, and product designers, websites are the best and, sometimes, only meaningful way to show their work. Online portfolios, however, aren't just for tech-heavy design. They are also a great way to display any piece that would need to be photographed for inclusion in a traditional print portfolio-everything from food packaging and outdoor signage to large three-dimensional objects. Because websites can be viewed at http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1367 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1367 Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Every design project brings its own unique challenges. Here are some common reasons why design projects to go off track: Creativity means uncertain durations-it doesn't always happen exactly within a specific time allotment Problems on another project demand the team's attention and everyone must focus on addressing that and not the current project Client delays in approval or providing information A poorly forecasted or overly optimistic schedule was created by the project manager Technological troubles-software conflicts, IT issues, bad file management Steeper learning curve than anticipated More client and/or designer revisions were required, causing more work and expanding time requirements as well Bad creative brief, meaning poorly defined http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1205 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1205 Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT With the problem identified, all the research done and necessary information gathered and analyzed, it's time to mould your concept. The ideas are about to crystallize in your head and you need to let them settle and incubate for a while. Catrin and Adrian from Pixelgarten explain to us how their process largely depends on each individual project, since they differ quite a lot from each other. Apart from that, the process also depends on the client, and the constellation you're working in, that is, your modus operandi: "Working as a team is like a ping-pong match-one has the first idea, the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1075 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1075 Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Creating a strong collaborative partnership with clients is critical for graphic designers. Design is, by and large, a commercially driven applied art form that is nearly always commissioned by a client seeking to send a specific message for a specific purpose, often in service to their business. There would be no design project without a client. Even when designers are creating self-promo materials or their own products, they are their own client with set goals and expectations. Here are the keys to having a successful and lasting client relationship: Do what you say you're going to do. Exceed clients' expectations. Stay in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1222 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1222 Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Forms and Ideas 1 Level: Third (Final) Year Faculty: Goddur Duration of Project: Eight Weeks Project Brief Design a new display typeface based on an existing typeface. Expand the formal language of this new typeface into a visual system that encompasses the underlying ideas and objectives. Create a brand using the microcosm of forms and ideas already designed. Project Goal How a graphic designer becomes a god: Over the course of some years, Goddur's class has been experimenting with an exercise in identity creation based on form by making a display typeface the starting point for holistic graphic design. The idea is to research an http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=946 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=946 Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Some of today's most successful brands capitalize on human emotion. The organizations behind these brands focus not only on achieving business goals but also on meeting human needs. Competitors might be able to mimic Nike or Apple aesthetically, but what makes these companies true originals isn't the fact that they have beautiful graphic identities and execute them as part of disciplined programs. In both cases, these companies also have built brands that dial into primary human needs. Original thinking developed a brand identity for each company that goes well beyond the products they make. Originality inspires designers. We like to think that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=690 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=690 Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT A friend gave me Doré's History of Holy Russia when I was twenty-five. I wish I had gotten it a lot earlier. First of all, it is incredibly well drawn (no surprise given its creator, Gustav Doré). Much more amazing, however, is the humor that reveals itself not only through the language or the skillful caricatures. I have to admit that before I had seen that book, I had considered Wilhelm Busch and Saul Steinberg to be the inventors of 80 percent of the visual humor vocabulary that is used today. It's so hard to come up with something truly original, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1097 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1097 Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Birthplace: Bremen, Germany Residence: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Connecting cities: Barcelona, Spain/Berlin, Germany/London, UK Lena Panzlau is an independent graphic designer who was born in Bremen. She currently lives and works in Amsterdam. Since 2006 she has worked independently developing commercial and personal projects. The portfolio of this visual communicator includes projects for clients in different areas. Her work ranges from corporate design to editorial design, catalogs,posters, flyers, interior design, and projects for digital media. With a touch of irony and a sense of humor, experimentation with 3D typography is evident in the majority of her work. She also pays great attention to the packaging She http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=796 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=796 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT New media are continually offering new opportunities for identity programs. Many of these avenues present wonderful options for gaining customer mindshare and loyalty. Social media in particular is ripe with new places for innovation. These tools-and the customers using them-are changing rapidly. As organizations venture into the social media landscape, they need to have a greater willingness to learn and experiment than they may have allowed with other media. Adopting the mantra of Web 2.0 software developers, "failing fast" is a good way to think about progress here. The winners on this new frontier will need to take some risks. At http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=671 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=671 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Hewlett Packard Anthem Client: Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Hewlett Packard With the merge of digital giants HP and Compaq, HP and its advertising agency sought to communicate the unique advantages of the new company to business and retail customers with a major television campaign. The concept"+hp" shows how HP works with its customers to empower their businesses. The strategy was to create simple yet powerful graphic design laid over film images from a variety of fields in which HP's products have made a difference. The visual motif of a + sign followed by the HP logo interacts with environments symbolizing innovation and achievement http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1017 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1017 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Joy Morton started the Morton Salt Company in 1910 with a novel idea: By adding magnesium carbonate to salt crystals, moisture would not affect the granules and lumps and clumps could be avoided in damp, humid weather. This allowed for a uniquely consistent, smooth pour. In 1911, after a number of clunky iterations, a clever advertising slogan touting the brand's benefit was created, and "When It Rains, It Pours" has been in use ever since. In 1914, design history was made in the form of an illustration that graced Morton's cylindrical package. It featured an image of a mop-headed little girl http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1148 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1148 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Design management is challenging. Running a graphic design business is, for the most part, exceptionally challenging. Being successful at a service-oriented consulting profession such as graphic design is difficult to accomplish consistently year after year, all while maintaining creative excellence. Just as designers constantly strive to improve their creative and technical skills, they also need to work on growing their communication and business skills. This is the ongoing practice of design management that has been the subject of this book. And it is the essence of building great client relationships. Finding and attracting those great client relationships is an ongoing game http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1227 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1227 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT While the functional requirements of printers, the post office, budgets, and reader expectations mean most magazines end up being similar sizes and even utilize similar paper stock, the special sections of newspapers present different challenges and opportunities. "One of the biggest problems with newspapers is paper," notes designer Nicki Kalish. "Because everything prints terribly on newsprint." However, the sheer size of a newspaper makes other, more interesting things possible, even on newsprint. "You can do things on a much larger scale in a newspaper that you can't doin a magazine," she says. "So you can do something big and grand, where http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1265 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1265 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Stefan G. Bucher's firm, 344 Design, is founded on the idea that art best serves commerce if it's built on a solid foundation of truth, integrity, and heart. "Because that's when art actually works. Anything less, starves a soul and isn't worth anyone's time or attention," says Bucher. 344 Design specializes in complex solutions for ambitious clients with graphic design as the starting point. Bucher also does writing, illustration, animation, and music. LA Louver: David Hockney Catalog 344 Design creates many distinctive publications for the international all-star roster of LA Louver Gallery artists. For David Hockney's exhibition, "The East Yorkshire Landscape," Bucher http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1221 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1221 Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designers are driven to do great work. The pitfalls of perfectionism notwithstanding, collectively, graphic designers seem to want to create powerful and aesthetically pleasing designs that work hard to meet clients' needs and support business goals. It's all about quality. In graphic design, quality refers to the client's, the designers', and even the design industry's expectations. Lack of quality in design projects causes Wasted time Additional revisions Increased costs Decreased team morale Unhappy clients To ensure quality in their work, designers may wish to employ a quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) program. QC is about the standard operational activities a company uses http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1219 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1219 Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Great design takes great designer and client collaboration. There are many facets to the design process that must be managed in the concept development phase: How design works to solve problems How design has been used to tackle society's goals while serving client businesses How research informs design; how strategic thinking is developed Why taking calculated risks makes design more effective How aesthetics plays a huge part in the success of a design How all of this must be contained in a creative brief That is a lot to accomplish, and yet, every design project requires these things be done. All http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1336 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1336 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT By focusing on the strengths-and pleasures-of print, publications can and will remain relevant. After all, while legions of people indulge in the guilty pleasure of checking the latest Hollywood gossip online before the boss gets in, it's the print version of People magazine that gets stuffed into the beach bag. Arthur Hochstein thinks of print as "more of a niche experience, but also a more satisfying experience, like the 'slow foods' movement. You have to focus on what you do well, like presenting photography and having discursive stories that are more pleasurable than utilitarian." Casey Caplowe agrees. "Certainly you consider http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1341 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1341 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT For designers who want to specify environmentally responsible print production but don't want to or have the time to do a lot of legwork themselves, print brokers and distributors can be great resources. These experts amass an impressive amount of information from a variety of vendors and can help advise designers about the best choices for the environment, the job, and cost. Environmental Print Brokers A print broker works independently as a middleman between print production providers and their customers. A broker may have preferential relationships with the printers that they represent. This often translates into intimate knowledge of a facility's capabilities http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=814 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=814 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Polly Pocket! Licensed Product Style Guides Design Client: Mattel, Inc. Polly Pocket! is a product line centered around a small toy doll. The first job assigned to Chase Design Group was to update the personality at the heart of the brand: Polly herself. This included exploring Polly's likes and dislikes, defining her style preferences, and giving her a lifestyle and friends. Next, an entire line of graphics, patterns, and illustrations was designed, along with concepts for soft and hard line products such as apparel, electronics, and activities that would support the brand. The goal of these licensing guides is to create a line http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1012 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1012 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT From distant lands we bring liquids to markets where everyone can enjoy the fruits and grains of labor. Vodka is made from many ingredients, but the distillation and filtration process is really what distinguishes one product from another. That is, until a brand name, identity, and package are created to announce from the tallest point in Slovakia, "We are not like all the others." Old Nassau Imports sought to create a vodka product and brand with enough confidence to boast from any mountain top. Planning Taking a swim in the marketplace for vodka may seem like an adventure worth taking, but it http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=420 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=420 Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT An inspiring business plan that addresses a commonly understood human need provides the best of inspiration for a brand identity. If the brand story is clear, then the work requires translating the brand into various media and messages. It can be difficult-though not impossible-to develop an inspired brand identity without inspired positioning. This is where marketers get a bad name. Indeed, many less than satisfactory brand experiences have been promoted with excellent campaigns. However, the smell of false advertising ultimately will rise as consumers become savvier about brand promises-and more willing to hold brands accountable when their promises are broken. Customers increasingly http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=714 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=714 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT When thinking about pricing a project, it's logical to consider who will be doing the work. The members of a design firm are likely paid at different rates depending on experience and expertise. For example, a partner in the firm will typically have a higher rate than a junior designer. Therefore, in calculating a fee, consider what it costs the firm to do the work. If a junior designer is doing 75 percent of the work, the project can be priced lower. Alternatively, you can calculate the price by determining the average rate of all the designers in the firm. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1211 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1211 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT "I try to only work with people I like and respect. That goes for vendors as well as clients." Independent creatives can get pretty close to their clients. After all, you may have to end a call because the doorbell rings or a child falls down while you're brainstorming a brochure. Because the lines between personal and professional life can get a bit blurry when you're working for yourself, it's critical to surround yourself with clients, vendors, and projects that fit your life, values, preferences, and sensibilities, as well as your professional aspirations. Don't forget that the opportunity to work on http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=563 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=563 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT The search for original ideas and visual solutions will never end. As modern technologies blur the boundaries between various media, myriad styles and techniques become available. In order to do your job as a freelancer or as a part of a team you need to harness the skills of a project manager, accountant, copywriter, seller, architect, psychologist, as well as a typesetter, photographer, illustrator, color expert, and filmmaker. Not only do you need to be familiar with the history of graphic design, but also with the world around you. (Let's be honest, many of you are blessed with the curiosity to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1051 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1051 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT PROJECT: The Art Institute of Chicago website CLIENT: The Art Institute of Chicago INTENDED AUDIENCE: museum visitors, museum members, educators, the general public CREDITS: Studio Blue; Art Direction: Cheryl Towler Weese and Kathy Fredrickson; Design: Tammy Baird; Information architecture: Matt Simpson; Programming: Tiffany Farriss and George D. Demet, Palantir.net After years of benignly neglecting its website, the Art Institute of Chicago contracted Studio Blue to develop a redesign that would accurately portray the museum as one of the world's finest. This initiative came about because of a change in museum leadership; therefore the timeline was compressed, and expectations were high. Studio Blue sought to create http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1178 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1178 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT It's been said that half the money in advertising is wasted, but the trick is figuring out which half-a problem online advertisers have endeavored to solve. Progressive firms will be targeted but aggressive in building digital brands, taking opportunities to experiment with new models, to fail fast, and to stay agile enough to react to changing conditions. There is clearly fertile ground in the identity elements such as motion, time, and sound. The opportunity for innovation is too large to over-look. In the future, digital brand identities will be less about any specific artifact or brand control, and more about inclusion, affinity, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=663 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=663 Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT BLAD stands for "book layout art document," and it's another necessary tool to ensuring a book's design and commercial success. "On a technical level, after the cover has been designed and approved, I design a BLAD,"says Maya Drozdz. "It's a promotional piece to presell the book. Typically it's eight pages, and gives you a front cover, table of contents, and sample of the content that will be inside the book." The BLAD is not used to sell the book to the public; it is a marketing tool to present the book to the legions of booksellers who are trying to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1314 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1314 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT I made this in 1964. I was thinking about how wordsboth separate and join people and how reflection is both a description of thinking and an action of rejection. I had started writing poems on aluminum foil because I loved the world that the reading and thinking and the sounds of turning the pages created. Then, I looked across the street and saw a new roof being installed made of heavy copper and I thought, "I object defy myself." As an object, I defy my being, and as description, I separate myself from my experience. It was too good. I went http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1086 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1086 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Vancouver-based smashLAB is an interaction design studio directed by partners Eric Shelkie, who plans and codes, and Eric Karjaluoto, who does strategy and design. The firm builds websites both for themselves and clients. "People tell us that we've really helped them focus and spread the word," says Karjaluoto. "We think this is in part because we're small; as such, there's no bureaucracy here. Our clients get direct access to the people who actually do the work, and they seem to find that refreshing." SmashLAB helps clients leverage technology, but also works with them on the positioning of their organizations, developing http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1248 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1248 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT I've been predominantly a magazine illustrator for thirty years. I went into the field because I wanted to be in an industry where my art would be useful as part of a dialog about social, political, and cultural issues. I'm interested in the media and how things are described in magazines. I think that the point of illustration is to entice the reader to read the article, but it also should contain the germ of the idea of the article. I'm looking for what the manuscript is about, but as I'm reading, I'm also looking for things that would suggest http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1292 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1292 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Being on the constant lookout for a project that makes your portfolio shine does not really make for a creative process. Competition surrounds you. With every magazine you look at and every website you frequent, you wonder: are they all a step ahead of you? It always seems other people have better clients, more time, and consistently come up with better solutions, which creates an altogether new kind of pressure. At the same time, trends in graphic design are changing quicker than you can flip through the pages of the latest issue of your favorite cutting-edge graphic design magazine. Between the pressures http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1057 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1057 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Project: Design & Visual Communication Level: Second Semester Faculty: Priscila Lena Farias with Delfim Cesário Jr., and José Alves Oliveira Duration of Project: Eight Weeks Project Brief Faculty will choose up to five different real Brazilian magazines (for instance, one sports magazine, one children's magazine, one music magazine, etc). Students will be organized into groups of eight to ten members, with each group assigned one magazine. Teams must analyze the typography adopted by their assigned magazine and propose new type families to be adopted in specific parts or sections (for instance, sections titles, article titles, tables, text, captions). Smaller teams will be formed, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=983 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=983 Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Even with the best of intentions, lots of designers don't always play well with others. This may stem from having an independent creative nature. Couple that with the thrill of the hunt as they chase ideas and pursue innovative design solutions, and hours or days can go by before a designer looks up from the computer and checks in with others. In reality, that doesn't work well, and designers probably should not be left alone without supervision. However, it must be useful supervision. This is why design managers need to figure out an unobtrusive yet effective way to monitor the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1218 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1218 Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT There are other publications where consistency of structure is not only less necessary but actually impedes the editorial mission. Magazines less interested in the mass-market-literary, youth market, rabblerous-ing, niche, and others-have developed audiences that expect and embrace change. Ina Saltz points to, for example, the Transworld family of skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, motocross, and surf magazines, which maintain their edgy vibe by constantly changing their look-even their logos-to keep themselves up to date and relevant with their hyped-up, adrenaline-fueled, youth-market readers. The all-volunteer literary magazine, Matter, foregoes not only structure but also more fundamental navigational devices, such as a table of contents. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1237 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1237 Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Programs are all about context, and each place the identity is expressed reveals an opportunity to extend a narrative. If a graphic identity is the cover of a novel, program elements are the chapters. The first experience with an identity program provides the exposition. As an audience experiences an identity program, consider the sequence, length, and character of each beat in the story. Consider the where and how of use. Is a sign near the bathroom an opportunity for humor, a reminder of basic hygiene, or both? Is a website intended to surprise or comfort? If there's a television in a lobby http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=637 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=637 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Long-term memory likes to keep a tidy cerebral cortex. Somewhere at this moment, it's rolling up its sleeves and tossing out the name of that B-list movie star. It probably figures you'll never need it again. Tomorrow, it just may tackle those high school fight song lyrics gathering dust in your medulla oblongata. When it comes to cleaning house, memory is fickle. If you want your logo to stay in people's memories, make it something that attaches to something in people's lives, something they want to remember and maybe even share with friends. Essentially, make it mean something. Even if the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=442 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=442 Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Los Amorales by Carlos Amorales Client: Artimo Los Amorales is a book about a coherent series of works by the Mexican artist Carlos Amorales. The book was commissioned by the publisher Artimo and edited by Mevis & Van Deursen in collaboration with the artist. It chronicles an art project in a series of snapshot-like images and large, raw typography. Amorales, working with professional fighters, organized Mexican wrestling matches in museums and art institutions. The wrestlers normally dressed like comic book heroes, but Amorales had them wear suits and masks based on a portrait of the artist. The book documents the behind-the-scenes story of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1016 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1016 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT User testing, also called usability testing, employs a broad range of techniques designed to measure a product's ability to satisfy the needs of the end user (accessibility, functionality, ease of use) while also meeting project requirements (budget, size, technical requirements). Usability testing is most commonly used in interactive and Web design, but many of the concepts can apply to any product intended for human use-digitally delivered or otherwise. Usability in interactive and Web design has been linked to several key performance indicators listed below. Staying under budget: User testing in the early stages of development, as formative research in an iterative design http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1043 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1043 Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Customer touchpoints shape a customer's perception of a brand. These perceptions shape brand identity as much as the work of any designer or brand manager. After all, brand identity is all about what the customer thinks-not what you think. Customer perceptions are created by a series of touchpoints-the interactions customers have with a brand. Customer experience planning is a powerful brand-management tool. It provides a framework not only for answering key questions but also for realizing better outcomes: How do customers currently experience a brand? What about competitive brands? How would you like them to experience the brand? Changing, adding, or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=711 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=711 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Fumi Watanabe is a designer, painter, illustrator, and conceptual thinker who grew up in Japan. After earning her design degree, she started working in the in-house design group at Starbucks. Fumi combines her graphic design training with her passion for illustration and art in both her work and her personal projects. I was a bookworm growing up in Japan, and I was always drawing, but I never thought that drawing was accepted as a career. So, I thought I was going to study literature. When I came to the United States, art was more accepted as an area of study. I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=722 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=722 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT "Modus operandi" is just a ten-dollar Latin word for 'mode of operation,' that is, the way you work. Different models work for different people and types of organizations. Depending on how big the studio or agency is, what purpose it serves and what services it performs, different rules apply. Some individuals work better in a strict environment with closer supervision, other work better in a flat hierarchy that offers more flexibility. It might take you a while to find out which model renders you happiest and most efficient. Everyone works differently. Some sit in front of the computer and stare until they http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1063 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1063 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Poster Design Level: Junior, Senior, and Graduate Elective Faculty: Nancy Skolos Duration of Project: Three Weeks Project Brief The creative act of collage can provide endless inspiration for graphic design students. Everything in a graphic designer's bag of tricks-words, ephemera, materials, colors, and contexts-can be recombined to create unique visual/verbal phenomena. These visual configurations engage both our minds and our eyes and challenge our preconceptions. Collage is at once a process and a result. It has been employed for at least a century, and its potential as a creative force shows no sign of being exhausted. As a methodology collage is invaluable. Once a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=980 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=980 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT If a project contains many pages, a good practice is to leave a gutter margin large enough to keep the text from getting lost in the binding. When the project is a book, a spread that looks proportionate on screen or in laser printouts can change radically once the book is printed and bound. The amount of spatial loss in the gutter depends on the length of the book or brochure as well as the binding method. Whether the piece is perfect bound, sewn, or saddle stitched, it's a good idea to make certain that nothing goes missing. Binding http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=64 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=64 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT There are so many ways to get inspired; to feed yourself. No one is looking through design annuals ripping people off because they're lazy or mean. It just feels comfortable. Designers, like all humans, want to run with the tribe on some level. You stick with the family by copying the behavior and work of others. You align yourself. You calibrate. You get comfortable and efficient. By looking at annuals, you figure out what you need to do to get into annuals, but if you want to evolve your own work, looking at annuals is a dead end, of course. I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=153 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=153 Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT As with art, literature, and life, some of the most memorable work done in the area of graphic identity gives people a reason to smile. While comical logos can easily go too far-after all, you don't want the organization to be perceived as a joke-a clever, witty graphic identity can rise above the rest. Look into the all-seeing CBS "eye" for an example. One of the major broadcast television networks in the United States, CBS easily could have based its service mark on a more literal image of a TV set or TV camera. Instead, with a wink (pun definitely intended) http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=691 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=691 Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Bruno Monguzzi (b. 1941) was born in the small town of Ticino in the southern lake district of Switzerland. He studied graphic design at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Geneva, and then in London. During this time, he was influenced by the work of modernist designers such as Carlo Vivarelli, Josef Müller-Brockmann, Herbert Bayer, Jan Tschichold, and Piet Zwart. Monguzzi began his career in 1961 as a designer with Antonio Boggeri at Studio Boggeri in Milan, Italy, and remained there until its closing in the early 1980s. Now residing in the secluded town of Meride, in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=53 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=53 Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Timothy Everest is one of the best representatives of the renovation in tailoring that seeks to grant a contemporary and progressive touch to a trade which, for years, has been bound to tradition and craftsmanship. Timothy's impeccable and punctilious work is directed at customers seeking both elegance and sophistication. He is sensitive enough to appreciate the sober grace of good tailoring while seasoning it with a touch of color or an unusual accessory. For this reason, musicians, artists, actors and many other clients have visited his Georgian workshop in Spitalfields in search of an exquisite suit with a personality all its http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=493 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=493 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT 2002 Product Catalog and Dealer Toolkit Klein Bicycles Klein Bicycles is a favorite of professional racers and hardcore mountain bikers, but few outside that small circle of devotees knew of the brand's existence until recently. Since 2000, Liska & Associates has helped build the Klein brand and raise awareness in an audience that purchases luxury sports equipment. These goals are accomplished by focusing on the proprietary advantages built into a Klein bicycle's design and by positioning Klein as a best-of-class brand. Two pieces that have been key to the successful brand efforts are the catalog and the dealer toolkit. Both heavily emphasize Klein's http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1015 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1015 Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT The New York Issue Publication Design Client: The New York Times Magazine The designers were charged with a brief to visualize a design for the annual "New York" issue of the New York Times Magazine that spoke to that year's topic: the arts and culture. The design needed to clearly communicate "special issue," setting itself apart from the regular Sunday version while retaining the magazine's identity. The approach to the project was to view the issue as a gallery or museum exhibition translated into the form of a magazine, taking design cues from the design and graphics used in these environments. The http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1018 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1018 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Authentic brands are built day by day. Program materials are the bricks, and standards are the mortar. Be intentional when considering these materials, and be consistent when executing them. More often than not, a lot of little things add up to an authentic brand. Any provider can make a claim about on-time service, but only those that deliver on such claims day in and day out are being authentic. An authentic brand message might acknowledge an organization's effort rather than puffing up performance claims. A little thing like follow-through goes a long way in developing program materials for an authentic brand. For http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=698 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=698 Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Multimedia Design Studio 3 Level: Fourth Year Faculty: Oguzhan Ozcan and Asim Evren Yantac Duration of Project: One Semester Project Brief In this advance design practice class, the students study how to break the rules in interaction design that they learned in their second-year course "Basics in Interaction Design." We give certain design obstacles to the students, to encourage them to find a new way in their creative look while not ignoring basic usability principles. Each year, we present different design obstacles to monitor student efforts in the course of their design education. Project Goal In this project, we forced the students to design an http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=956 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=956 Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Peter Mendelsund is a senior designer at Knopf, an art director for Vertical, and an independent Japanese-American publisher. A philosophy major, Mendelsund also holds various graduate degrees in music from several conservatories. Also, before becoming a graphic designer he performed, taught, and wrote classical music. When his first child was born, he realized he needed to improve his income and, according to him, graphic design was a natural choice. His first job was designing CD covers for a small record label with which he had previously recorded. After that he began designing book covers for Vintage and then hard covers for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1061 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1061 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT This humble bottle is a souvenir from my father's trip to Egypt in the early 1980s. I like its strangeness and history, as it is familiar yet exotic, ordinary but slightly off. The almost unbreakable glass container is a relic from the Cold War era. Containing a sugary syrup drink, this coca pod-shaped vessel was intended to spread democracy and good will. Even as a prop, it is a movie star as instantly recognizable and meaningful as James Dean. The bottle transcends its functional role, standing for the good, the bad, and the ugly of the country that created it. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1107 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1107 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT "When I did this drawing, the album Ray Lamontagne was promoting was Trouble," explains Jeremy Pruitt. "It had a dancing devil on the cover. I thought it was a great visual, but I wanted my own take on it. I had just visited the Chicago's Field Museum, and they have a wonderful collection of Native American masks. My favorites were from the Northwest region. The concert was also taking place in the Northwest, so I thought it would be appropriate to combine both elements. I think the use of handcrafted art and type lends itself well to Ray's music, and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=251 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=251 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Sandrine Pelletier and Alexandra Ruiz formed Madame Paris in 2004; they describe the partnership as a "multifunctional robot." In more practical terms, the duo creates everything from art exhibitions to window displays and installations-the latter for fashion designers and brands. It's a long-distance creative relationship, with Pelletier based in Paris, and Ruiz in Geneva. Ruiz designed this piece, This Book was Made for my Cat Figaro, to highlight Pelletier's work from 2002 to 2006. "This is Sandrine Pelletier's first monograph disguised as a brochure," Ruiz says. What was the driving concept for the design? Ruiz: The design was to be simple. There http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=356 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=356 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Like the larger environmental movement, Two Twelve's expertise in green design has evolved over time with the help of different experiences. The firm's principals and staff have gradually discovered and integrated sustainable principles in their personal lives, the day-to-day workings of the office, and in the design and production of professional projects. It didn't happen overnight, and we're not there yet. It's an ongoing process, a way of thinking, working, and living that we eventually expect to be as natural and important as breathing. In the realm of professional practice, Two Twelve's first serious encounter with sustainable design came in 2003, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=825 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=825 Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Steinbranding consists of more than sixty professionals and fifty designers committed to inspiring and revitalizing brands. Clients are primarily entertainment companies based in Latin America, but Steinbranding does have a variety of corporate clients and has branded two airports, one in Argentina and one in Armenia. Steinbranding calls their work "design for the southern hemisphere." Primarily known for branding television networks and developing on-air promotions and show packages, the firm also creates off-air graphics in both print and web formats. With more than fifteen years of experience in branding Hispanic television markets, Steinbranding has often handled the Latin American presence of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1028 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1028 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Typographica No. 5-a special issue containing overeighty illustrations of postwar printing-is devoted to an exhibition, Purpose and Pleasure: A review of book, magazine, and commercial printing from fourteen countries. Contributors include Max Bill, Paul Rand, Herbert Simon, James Shand, and W. J. H. B. Sandberg. I can't quite remember when I acquired this issue, other than sometime during the 1960s. I put it into a frame and it hung in my studio cubicle for many years, probably up until the early '80s. Actually, I wasn't that interested in what was in the issue or what it espoused back in 1952, as http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1078 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1078 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT One thing you can't be taught, not even by books or the Internet, is how to create or control the "force" behind all of your work. This "force" makes you stay up at night tweaking that last block of text on a poster, making it fit the mental image you initially had while drinkin' juice in the hood. It is all in your head. Inspiration and creativity are a blessing (and sometimes a curse) that only the best have in unlimited amounts. What is it really? Creativity, to merge a few serious definitions into a lighthearted one, is a strange ability http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1068 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1068 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT What do product and service names, taglines, headlines, body copy, captions, and sidebars have in common? If you hope to build a successful identity program, let's hope you answered "editorial style." Successful identity programs use a consistent editorial style that addresses their intended audience and remains cognizant of their brand positioning. Just as a graphic identity sets a visual tone for identity programs, names and taglines set the tone for the program's editorial style. A name that underscores an organization's solid foundation of dependability might lead more naturally into an editorial style that echoes themes of tradition, stability, and trust. On http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=634 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=634 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Visual Communication: Semiology Level: Third Year Faculty: François Caspar Duration of Project: Four Weeks Class: International Workshop Level: Fifth Year Faculty: François Caspar Duration of Project: One Week Project Brief Students should research and collect images that represent and memorialize the events of September 11, 2001, from the point of view both of Chile and New York City. The collected images can be of small size on a sketchbook. The goal is to compare how the media in both countries portrayed the event, how the audiences reacted, how it impacted the different societies, and how it is commemorated or forgotten today. Students will bring the result http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=943 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=943 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Derek Welch and Jason Bacon started UNKL in 2004 as a way to focus their creative energy on non-client based projects. Besides selling vinyl toys, their toys have been animated as charac-ters on network television. They continue to make characters they love. UNKL came out of a need from within our design firm, Big-Giant, to explore design solutions without real consequences. We were looking for something that wasn't a client situation where we're dealing with the weight of someone else's business. We didn't initially intend for UNKL to be a business as much as a creative outlet for ourselves and our http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=729 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=729 Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Times change. People change. And the identities of some organizations-although not all-change right along with them. Why is it that some logos seem to age well while others do not? AT&T, UPS, and Burger King have all updated their graphic identities in recent years, while Volkswagen, CBS, and the Olympic Games have not. Certain graphic elements age better than others. Companies pin the fate of their illustrative logos on the longevity of the particular drawing style they chose. Typefaces are increasingly susceptible to looking dated, which may account for some degree of graphic identity reinvention. Like hairstyles and clothing, certain graphic embellishments http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=682 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=682 Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Rip Georges' work for Brooks Brothers in 1998 and 1999 is an equally distinguished example of identity evolution. A millennium was ending, and Brooks Brothers, who had been around for 180 years of it, was facing a problem common to well-established brands of a conservative nature: their buyers, too, were old, conservative, and established-and getting older. They needed to attract a new crop of dapper dudes. But how do you refresh your brand without driving away the conservative buyer? How do you get the old dudes and the young dudes to shop at the same place? The company had to find the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=765 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=765 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Designing with Type Level: Junior Faculty: Paul Sahre Duration of Project: Four Weeks Project Brief Part 1: Read The Crystal Goblet or Printing Should Be Invisible by Beatrice Warde. Think about it. Formulate an opinion on the text. Part 2: Find an additional text that responds to/reacts against/supports your beliefs in/has some relation to the The Crystal Goblet. Part 3: Design a multipage document that contains both texts. Typographically show the relationship between the two texts. All text from both articles must be used, but the format (size, number of pages, etc) is up to you. You should give both texts equal conceptual weight. Project Goal This assignment http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1008 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1008 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Ethnography is a research strategy, created by anthropologists, that focuses on the link between human behaviors and culture. Ethnographers strive to understand and separate the emic perspective (pronounced ee-mik) from the etic perspective (pronounced eh-tik). Emic investigations define cultural phenomena through the perspective of the community under study. For example, to develop an emic understanding of graphic designers, one might conduct individual interviews directly with practicing design professionals. Etic investigations define cultural phenomena from the perspective of an individual who is not a participant in the community under study. So an etic view of graphic designers might be found by http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1039 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1039 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Ken Carbone sometimes feels like he's talking himself out of business when clients come to his New York studio for a logo redesign. "If a logo has equity, recognition, or a legacy, I have to ask: 'Why change?'" he says. "Change is difficult under the best circumstances, so the reasons for a redesign have to be sound." To challenge his clients to consider the "why" question in depth, Carbone borrows a trick from Socrates, another fellow who talked himself out of business. "We approach clients with the assumption that their reasons for changing are unclear," he says. Asking the "why" question is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=766 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=766 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Segura, Inc., is a multifaceted design and communications firm that specializes in print, collateral, branding, and new-media communications. The firm is one of five completely separate but united ventures founded by creative director Carlos Segura; the others are Segura Interactive The Web Division; 5inch, a product-based company that offers predesigned blanck CD-Rs; Thickface, an independent record label; and [T-26], a digital type foundry focused on the creation, distribution, and sale of original typefaces. Born in Cuba and a refugee from the Cuban Revolution, Segura immigrated to Miami in the 1960s. He started as a musician who developed flyers for his band http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1027 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1027 Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT This section provides an overview of traditional research methods and a discussion of their application to the field of graphic design. Because design artifacts (websites, brochures, annual reports, logos, etc.) are generally visual vessels for the application of research findings, it is important to begin with a survey of methods (theory), strategies (planning), and tactics (action). QUANTITATIVE + QUALITATIVE RESEARCH When discussing research methods, there are two distinct categories into which most data-gathering exercises fall: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative Research Measuring sets of variables or quantities and their relationship to one another produces quantitative research. This form of research is built around numbers, logic, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1036 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1036 Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Pentagram is one of the world's premiere design companies. The firm is notable for its work, its unique business structure, and its longevity. Not given to the styles and trends of the day, Pentagram's work stands the test of time, and the company has been thriving for thirty-three years. Pentagram is a multinational, multidisciplinary collaboration of designers who do print and screen graphics, product and environmental design, and architecture. The firm is organized around its nineteen partners, all practicing designers, who work with small dedicated teams and share minimal corporate infrastructure and support personnel. Pentagram has offices in London, New York, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1026 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1026 Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT The amount of visual input we receive daily is growing exponentially. New advertising surfaces, products and media channels are becoming increasingly available, as graphic design infiltrates everything everywhere, expanding into a plethora of nooks and crannies of everyday life. More than ever, there is a need for someone to design these means of visual communication, to render them more visible, usable, and powerful. "Advertising is everywhere. Books are commonplace. Billions of people use the Web every day. I believe there is an innate desire in people to create. And the most logical things to create are those with which people surround http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1049 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1049 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT William Drenttel and Jessica Helfand are partners in the design consultancy Winterhouse, and cofounders of the critically acclaimed online newsletter/blog,Design Observer. They are recipients of a Rockefeller Foundation grant to organize designers for social change and innovation. William is a senior faculty fellow at the Yale School of Management. Jessica is a senior critic at Yale School of Art and is thedesign chair of the USPS Citizens Stamp Committee. One of the benefits of having the studio attached to our house is that there's really no division between life and work. Naturally, this isn't always a good thing. But where inspiration http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=730 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=730 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Once you've arrived at a perfect drawing or configuration for your graphic identity, take the time to write it down. Documenting the origin and development of a graphic identity challenges designers to work out what's been going on in their heads. Quite often, this process also leads to refinements that improve the mark. Articulating these ideas amounts to more than self-exploration. Documenting a graphic identity this way also allows you to share a record of your decision-making process-and the wisdom behind it. This record can build in room for variation while protecting against compromising the integrity of the mark. It establishes http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=679 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=679 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Design of Messages III Level: Second Year Faculty: Felix Beltran Duration of Project: One Month Project Brief Redesign the cover of the popular book El Llano en llamas (The Burning Plain) by Juan Rulfo, one of the most internationally renowned of Mexican writers. It is a book of short stories that deals with conditions of rural life at the time of the Mexican Revolution, highlighting social contrasts, the struggle for land, religion, and politics. The students have to read the book thoroughly and make assessments of the covers of previous editions. The cover trim is 4.5 × 6.5 inches (11.5 × 16.5 cm) and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=996 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=996 Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT 5inch Custom-Designed CD-Rs and Cases Client: 5inch Segura, Inc., developed the 5inch brand of CDs and cases as an alternative to drab and dull ready-made CDs and time-consuming, expensive custom labels. These predesigned silk-screened blanks are available in CD-R and DVD-R formats and are suitable for storing all kinds of data, from design projects to music. 5inch also offers unique CD cases, storage products, and wearables. As a subsidiary of Segura, Inc., the designers became, in a sense, their own clients in developing both the products and the marketing efforts to support them. 5inch products stand out because of bright colors used in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1019 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1019 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Market analysis and marketing research are two frequently confused terms. Market analysis is a quantitative business tool that measures the growth and composition of markets or business sectors. Market analysis considers elements such as interest rates, stock performance, price movements, and other measurable statistics that define the financial climate in which a business operates. For example, a manufacturing company might commission a market analysis to determine trends in outsourcing fabrication to foreign countries to help advise an appropriate location for its next assembly plant. Marketing research, in contrast, is a form of sociology that focuses on the understanding of human behavior http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1041 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1041 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT In record time, Temperley London has become one of the most internationally successful labels in British fashion. Proof is not only that stars of the caliber of Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman are crazy about Temperley London dresses, but the electrifying growth o fthe brand, reflected in the scope of its expansion: 290 boutiques in thirty-five countries in less than seven years. From Harrods and Harvey Nichols in the United Kingdom to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, not to mention 10 Corso Como, everyone is interested in having Temperley London in their store. This label's commercial success http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=484 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=484 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Dave Eggers, founder of McSweeney's Publishing, is a writer and designer. His first magazine, Might, was founded in 1999. He has designed most of the books and quarterlies published by McSweeney's. In 2003, his designs for McSweeney's were featured in the National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. He is the author of the novel, You Shall Know Our Velocity (2002) and the memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (2000), among other books. You studied painting. You worked at designing. You wrote an incredibly successful memoir about you and your brother. You started a literary journal and website http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=875 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=875 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT How Latitudes Become Forms Exhibition Catalogue Client: Walker Art Center This catalog documents How Latitudes Become Forms, the Walker Art Center's four-year global initiative, and its culminating exhibition, which explores a variety of international artists working in media ranging from painting and sculpture to video and performance. It acts as an alternative to the traditional exhibition catalog, reflecting the show's transient, humble aesthetic. The catalog features a utilitarian design and straightforward construction, which references the form and visual strategies of a research document. The components of the book are color-coded: essays are light blue, conversations are pink, writings are on pale yellow, and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1022 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1022 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Rethinking the Image Level: Second Year Faculty: Andreas Tomblin Duration of Project: Four Weeks Project Brief Students must choose something from the list below and produce a series of final compositions and a three-hundred-word explanation in support of the work. A fly A child that is lost An ant A cat at night A spy A person that has a phobia Determine the best way to communicate through a sequence of images, which can be very simple in its concept or more complicated. For example, if the story is about love, start the brainstorming process by listing all possible love-related words-heart, chocolates, honey, sugar, sweet, bitter, jealousy, etc. This will help http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1007 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1007 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT When Guitar Player magazine was introduced, it was one of the first guitar enthusiast publications of its kind. It set a standard for the genre and had very little competition in its category. Over the years, however, the newsstand became crowded with a host of imitators who were influenced by the standards set by the original Guitar Player. This increased competition gradually began to hurt the publication's overall subscriptions and newsstand sales. We were initially brought in to redesign Guitar Player for two main reasons: one, to increase newsstand sales and subscriptions, and two, to give the magazine a look that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1042 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1042 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT The sketchbook reflects the creative process of the designer. It is a means of expression where ideas are collected and proposals are developed freely, with the aim of presenting the conceptual character of the collection, the making of the garments, the search for materials and fabrics, and the suggestions of possible looks. It functions as a travel book as well as a tool that allows one to explore the sources of inspiration for the collection personally and by hand. The ideas developed in the sketchbook derive from two sources: Observation: centered primarily on external documentation that might include clippings from magazines, texts, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=970 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=970 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Michael Vanderbyl founded the multidisciplinary firm Vanderbyl Design in 1973. His studio works across disciplines-graphics, packaging, signage, interiors, showrooms, furniture, textiles, and fashion apparel. You can find his work in the permanent collections of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum (Smith-sonian Institution), the Library of Congress, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum Die Neue Sammlung in Munich. Being an instructor in a thesis class on graphic design, I'm always trying to instill in my students the idea that you let the problem solve itself. The issue with a designer is that you just have to listen to what the problem's http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=725 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=725 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Richard Poulin, Advertising and Design, School of Visual Arts, New York, New York, USA Briefly describe your class project. Two class projects are entitled "Visual Storytelling and Narrative Form." In these assignments, the student is given either a play (Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Millennium Approaches) or a poem (Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning") to read, analyze, and visually interpret with typography and photographic imagery. Both of these narratives, while extremely different in form, share the use of symbolism, metaphor, and rich, descriptive narrative elements. Play: The students have to conceptualize photographic imagery that visually communicates their point of view and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=919 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=919 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Initial research provides a better understanding of the constraints under which an identity program will operate. Constraints may eliminate some options, but in doing so, they help define the design problem. Embrace constraints as opportunities for innovation. Designers are well served to experience the context directly to better shape their understanding of what solution might be optimal. Find out everything you can: What is the resolution of the device? What are the color limitations of the output method? Are sound and motion options? Can it be interactive? What are the lighting conditions? Does it need to hold up to daily use? Most http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=707 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=707 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Richard Kegler, founder of P22 Type Foundry in Buffalo, New York, is interested in the history of art and design. He has been involved in various aspects of the book arts, from hand binding and hand printing to hypertext. P22's collection of fonts is a meeting of historical letterforms and the new processes of art and design. How, when, and why did you start P22? P22 (not specifically P22 Type Foundry) started in the late 1980s as a catchall for various projects where the name of a mysterious entity was preferred to having any one-person name attached. Why Buffalo? It has a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=883 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=883 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Another Limited Rebellion (ALR), based in Richmond, Virginia, is a socially-conscious design firm dedicated to creating high-quality communications in a sustainable manner. Principal and founder Noah Scalin didn't decide to become a graphic designer to save the world. But he wanted to make sure that the work he was doing didn't conflict with his personal ideology. Scalin began his business by asking a two-part question that he still uses to challenge himself: "Can someone make a living doing what they enjoy and affect positive change in the world? Can I create graphic design that upholds my deepest beliefs yet still be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=823 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=823 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Talking about color will always be a challenge. Colors are associated with emotional states, symbolism, cultural meanings, and aesthetic preferences-all of which are deeply personal and experientially specific to the viewer. In addition, color terms do vary from culture to culture but also the language itself constantly evolves. For example, a language may start out with one or two names for blue and develop hundreds of names to describe ever more specific variations on the hue blue. Associations Help Determine Color Names Color names are linguistic labels that humans attach to hues. Hues are determined by the physics of light reflection. The http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1023 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1023 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT James Victore is a designer who claims his studio is hell-bent on world domination. Clients include Amnesty International, the New York Times, MTV, Target, Moet & Chandon, and the Shakespeare Project. He is an Emmy-award winner for television animation, a Gold Medalist from the Broadcast Designers Association, and the recipient of a Grand Prix from the Brno Biennale (Czech Republic). What influenced you to start doing illustrated plates? I have been drawing on plates since I was 22 and spending time in bars and restaurants. I always carry markers and paint pens with me. I don't know what possessed me to pick http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=908 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=908 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Ethnography is a philosophical approach to human knowledge that says it's best to understand people based on their own categories of thought, behavior, and actions. It is often used when intimate knowledge about people is needed to define a new way of thinking about a design problem and its potential solutions. Ethnography is not just a series of research techniques, which may include observation, field studies, interviews, shadowing, and home tours. It is the objective of the ethnographic approach-obtaining information about people from their own perspective-that distinguishes it from other research fields such as military intelligence, which engages in observation, or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1040 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1040 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Based in Melbourne, Australia, Viola Eco-Graphic Design is devoted to best practices in ecologically sustainable design. With projects that draw on a range of services, including creative print-based design solutions, social marketing, designing for sustainability, strategic facilitation, and fundraising marketing, Viola demonstrates that visually sophisticated graphic design doesn't have to "cost the earth." Viola founder, Anna Carlile, and her team have developed a diverse portfolio of arresting designs and successful campaigns that integrate ecologically-inspired creativity with environmentally-sensitive production practices. Many of Viola's clients share a passion for positive social change and respect for the environment. There is a strong "values fit" http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=817 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=817 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT In opposition to the large distribution system-massive and offering affordable prices-there exists a totally different system of fashion, though one very typical of the design world: luxury. Traditionally, luxury has been defined as a way of life associated with wastefulness and ostentation, which is why for many years it was first limited to the aristocracy and later to the well-to-do classes. In the twentieth century, luxury became relative and plural, affordable to everyone according to their aspirations. In the new millennium, moreover, luxury has become emotional. In order for a brand to be considered a luxury label, its products must satisfy http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=968 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=968 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Advance Typography and Publication Design Level: Third Year Faculty: Ian McArthur Duration of Project: Seven Weeks Project Brief Publications are increasingly published for online access and distribution. Usually, a publication relies on writers, editors, designers, image editors, project managers/expediters, prepress checkers, advertising sales people, and a publisher. This project requires you to work as a design studio for the development of a downloadable online publication. Each of you will undertake a role within a team to develop, design, and publish an online publication. Discussion about individual design strengths and interests will assist each of you in nominating roles and developing a set http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=993 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=993 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT In the past, designers and creative firms commonly approached marketing and self-promotion in an uncoordinated fashion, with portfolio development relegated to the lowly status of being addressed only after the garbage was taken out-if then. While creatives play a huge role in the global economy, these individuals and firms find themselves reinventing their marketing techniques to compete in a saturated market. So how do the best creative firms create portfolios and self-promotion campaigns that make targeted clients comfortable enough to loosen their purse strings? Portfolio design and self-promotion can be a relatively simple matter: Take examples of your existing product or service http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=295 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=295 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT In an era when all designers have thousands of fonts at their fingertips, there seems only one way to cut through the logjam: Do it yourself. Nothing irks me more than seeing a type treatment for a corporate identity or an entertainment property-knowing how important it is for those entities to speak in a unique voice-rendered in a font straight off the shelf that any competitor can use the day after its unveiling. It nullifies the power and influence of the identity before it has a chance to embed in the viewer's consciousness. But it simply doesn't have to be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=279 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=279 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT If you were blindfolded and someone put five similar products in front of you, could you pick out your brand of choice? The next time you're consuming a product right from the package, close your eyes and ask, "What do I feel?" Do you feel the shape, texture, and general structure of the package? Is it unique to this brand? Shape and structure can be made simple; put the product in a box that's strong enough to handle moderate damage during transport and you're done. Or, it can be more complex, innovative, and satisfying. The shape of a package says something http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=407 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=407 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Purpose: Vega is a line of interior lights that fuse functional lighting and art into one object. Designed to provide versatility, artistic expression, and ambience, each light has the ability to showcase a multitude of interchangeable images, which allows Vega to change and grow with the consumer's style and taste. Back Story: My inspiration to create Vega stems from a passion for both lighting and art for the home. I have always been infatuated with lighting as a general concept. Not only does it provide an important function, but it also has a powerful emotional quality that can induce so many http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=832 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=832 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT "Be organized and stay on top of paperwork. Figure out a system that works for you and stick to it. From record keeping and invoicing to file saving methods-don't look at this administration stuff as the root of all evil. Instead, look at it as keeping you well armed for the road ahead. If you develop a system that works for you and attack the organizing duties in small blocks of time, you can reduce the weight of it all. Organization doesn't have to be a chore or a bore for that matter. Use funky labels, folders, stickies, or whatever http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=524 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=524 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Q: OK, first things first: Thank you for making my mother's pantry look so nice. Your lovely work for Waitrose supermarkets in England has enhanced her health and her décor. Now, I read an article recently where you talked about how important wit was to you. At Ph.D, we always try to integrate wit into our work. It's great to put a smile on someone's face. DT: When a Belgian magazine interviewed me not long ago, I discovered that there isn't a Flemish word for wit. It turns out the word is missing in many languages. It's an English word. Working http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=740 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=740 Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT A lot has been written about the early days of Modern Dog and their role as the class clown at the design table since their founding in the 1980s by partners Robynne Raye and Mike Strassburger, so this profile narrows the focus to why they stand before you as a New Master while others of their generation are bypassed. Their work has been exhibited worldwide in prestigious museums and collections, and their main representation in those lofty environs is the simple and direct poster. The firm started to make waves in the early days through funny and sometimes shocking designs for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=502 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=502 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT The design team took the time to understand the company's goals before they jumped into producing a brochure. What was Outfit Media Group trying to achieve? How is it different from the competition? It quickly became clear that a one-sheet-a simple brochure commonly used in this industry-wasn't going to grab attention. Designers also learned a key selling point for Outfit Media Group: the relatively small company could handle projects from start to finish. This insight led to the idea for the logo, a one-eyed octopus with many legs. It represents a company with multiple capabilities (the legs) and a singular creative http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=361 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=361 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Brands are promises, and keeping promises is all about being consistent. In many cases, the promise of a brand stems from the values of an organization's founders. The idea of keeping the brand promise needs to become institutionalized and socialized throughout the organization. But not only do the members of an organization need to understand the brand promise, essentially so do its customers. People who have no problem identifying a person when he or she is acting out of character often struggle to describe what is in character for the same person. Likewise, identifying brand inconsistency usually comes more easily than http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=641 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=641 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Ann Willoughby is the president and creative director of Willoughby Design Group, a brand innovation and identity design firm she founded in 1978. Willoughby Design Group has developed brand identity systems for numerous groundbreaking retail start-ups as well as creating innovative products, communications, and brand experiences through its holistic approach to design and business. A former board member of the AIGA National Board of Directors, Ann is a founding member of the national board for the AIGA Center for Brand Experience and is an AIGA Fellow. "I like to keep my inspiration tank full. My sketchbook is a touch point in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=721 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=721 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT A lot of brand positioning work relates to an organization's competition-a brand might be positioned this way, but compared to what? A brand identity is built in part on a competitive position. Being cognizant of the competition and its positioning is just doing your homework. An ownable brand position doesn't need to be the polar opposite of the competition, but it needs to be distinctive. Even fast followers have unique value propositions and identities-often addressing the competition head on. Avis' "We Try Harder" tagline put a positive spin on the company's status as the second-largest car rental company in the U.S. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=687 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=687 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT The role of a designer is undoubtedly a demanding one: You have obligations to your boss, your clients, yourself, and the project at hand. However, a graphic designer's responsibility to the environment is often overlooked and underestimated. Every day, we make decisions on behalf of consumers by specifying papers, inks, and special printing techniques that visually enhance our work, often without realizing the environmental consequences of our decisions. Designers who want to be proactive and minimize the consumption of natural resources can make relatively small changes to benefit both our clients and the environment. Proof On Screen, Off Paper Every day in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=815 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=815 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT As identity programs make their way into physical spaces, they present golden opportunities for amplifying brand attributes. Concepts suggested in the two-dimensional mark-translucency, shape, color, contrast, etc.-can be realized in sophisticated, surprising, and enlightened ways when they move into three-dimensional space. Well-executed programs demonstrate the personality or character of the brand through details of interior and exterior architecture as well as signage. Logos should be treated with care, but pulling other program elements into a physical space is a fantastic way to build a brand beyond the logo. Many other factors, constraints, and opportunities come into play here-including readability, materials, scale, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=609 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=609 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Graphic Design Level: Third Semester Faculty: Fons Hickmann Duration of Project: Spans Several Years Project Brief The projects assigned to the students explore the transgression of design limits in all respects, the critical discussion of up-to-date topics from different perspectives, the calling into question of medial and social conventions, and the development of new visual codes. The teaching concept is conceived as an ongoing enterprise, continuously spreading over several terms. Each semester, the course is entitled "Graphic Design with Any Media." It asks the students for conceptual thinking, which is experimental and applied at the same time. (Over the course of the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1004 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=1004 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Birthplace: Moscow, Russia Residence: Moscow, Russia Connecting cities: Madrid, Spain/Barcelona, Spain/London, UK Zunge Design forms a small studiolocated in Moscow and boasts renowned designer Protey Temen as creative director. This studio, founded in 2001, specializes in identity design, printed material, editorial design, and the development of visual concepts. In each project this atelier seeks a balance between bright colorful solutions and an effective commercial approach. Its designs have earned various honors at international competitions such as the Krakow Eco Poster and Graphic Arts Triennial, the Warsaw International Poster Show, and the Sofia Poster Triennial. In addition to his commercial work, as creative director, where http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=955 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=955 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Class: Graphic Design Level: Second Year Faculty: Gabby Raaf Project Brief "South African Stories" was the theme of Orange Juice Design's experimental graphics magazine i-Jusi (issue 24) in late 2007. Contributors were asked to write a five hundred-word short story to accompany their design for the cover. The cover needed to reflect a real book, such as one would encounter in any commercial bookstore. The story had to depict a typical South African encounter, experience, or fantasy. Project Goal Encourage designers to try their hand at creative writing. Experience and report on a South African-inspired personal story. Design a book cover with commercial appeal. iGolide Student: Sifiso Taleni Who http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=945 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=945 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Nik Hafermaas is chairman of the graphic design department and newly appointed acting chief academic officer at Art Center College of Design, where he regularly cohosts transdisciplinary studio-abroad projects that send students to work in places such as Berlin, Copenhagen, andTokyo. With his company, UeBersee, he designs major environmental installations. He was a former principal and chief creative officer of Triad Berlin, where he and his two partners formed one of Germany's leading design firms special-ized in communication design. I have great visual curiosity; I get inspired when I discover design solutions by nondesigners and when I visit extreme places like http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=726 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=726 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Originality is seldom the explicit client goal of a new graphic identity project, but stretching yourself to develop a graphic identity that doesn't look like anything else may help legally protect the mark in the marketplace. Just like names and taglines, the law recognizes a company's logo as its intellectual property. Of course, a designer wouldn't intentionally create a logo that looked like an existing mark (especially in the same category or industry). However, so many logos have been developed in the last sixty years that finding common, universally understood shapes or cultural icons that haven't already been used can be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=676 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=676 Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT "In Colombia, many groceries and small shops have a peculiar custom: They use Noggy as change when the shopkeeper doesn't have spare pennies, and everyone happily accepts," says Silvio Giorgi of Latinbrand. Ferrero, the global chocolate and confections maker that produces Rocher, Tic Tac, and Nutella-everything from gourmet bonbons to the famous rattling breath mints-knows how to match a product to a market. "That is why they produce Noggy chocolate here. It is a very well-known brand in Latin America," says Giorgi. In December 2007, Noggy approached Latinbrand in Quito, Ecuador, for assistance. Latinbrand did their homework: research showed that the brand's http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=781 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=781 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Green Map System (GMS), a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable community development, based in New York City, advocates for inclusive participation in sustainable community development around the world, using mapmaking as our medium. GMS supports local Green Mapmakers as they create perspective-changing community "portraits" that act as comprehensive inventories for decision-making and as practical guides for residents and tourists. Mapmaking teams pair GMS's adaptable tools and universal iconography with local knowledge and leadership to chart green living and ecological, social, and cultural resources. More than 300 vibrant Green Maps have been published to date, and hundreds more have been created in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=824 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=824 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Class: Image Design Level: Junior Faculty: Cedomir Kostovic Duration of Project: Three Weeks Project Brief Your task is to produce an illustration for a short story to be published in a fictional magazine and come up with design solution for a spread. Illustration is a visual counterpart to a written text. Successful illustration stimulates the potential reader's imagination enough to make the story worth reading; it suggests what the text is about, it supports it visually, and after the reading, it helps broaden and deepen the reader's intellectual and emotional horizons. In this exercise, we will try to create a multidisciplinary whole. We will put http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=959 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=959 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ever since Barthélémy Thimmonier invented the sewing machine in 1830 (replacing artisanal labor with the mechanized production of dresses and thereby lowering costs), the fashion industry has undergone tremendous changes. Previously, buying a suit or dress was a complicated affair: one had to choose the fabric, accessories and adornments needed for making the garment; decide on the style; summon the tailor or dressmaker; wait several weeks and then endure more than one trial. The most complicated part about it, however, was knowing what one wanted in time. Some fabric merchants were aware of the advantage of producing designs beforehand, with http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=963 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=963 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT "Make yourself feel OK with having downtime. Give yourself some minigoals or time frames. Perhaps set aside four hours of your workday for developing new business in some way and then the rest of your day can be spent any way you like." It will help you feel more focused and productive if you organize your downtime like it's real work time. But let's face it, you can't spend ten hours a day on new business development. There are not enough leads out there, and you'll burn out and be ineffective at representing yourself. So once you've done something that's productive http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=582 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=582 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT What John Bielenberg does best is help companies and their people find the courage and the sense of humor to consider entirely new and wrong ways to bring their stories, ideas, and innovations out into the world. He feels so strongly about the value of thinking wrong that he created a program called Project M that is designed to inspire and educate young designers, writers, photographers, and filmmakers by proving that their work-especially their "wrongest" thinking-can have a positive and significant impact on the world. In his career, John has won more than 250 design awards and is a founding http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=724 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=724 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Whether an organization invests up front in its graphic identity, or gets away with a cheap logo and carelessly slaps it on everything possible, a strong brand identity is hard to fake Brand identity taps into what an organization does, how it behaves, or who it is-or is trying to become. The graphic identity and identity program exist to enhance or describe the brand identity. They should all add up to a coherent whole. This takes work, practice, expertise, trial and error, and perseverance. Everyone understands the importance of being frugal. Whether an investment is advisable or wasteful changes by audience or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=669 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=669 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT The studio of Jason Munn, The SmallStakes, is located in Oakland, California. His posters are already emblematic in the American independent music scene having worked with musicians such as the Pixies, Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens, Death Cab for Cutie, and Animal Collective, among others. Since 2003 this designer has worked for various national and international clients in different print media, including everything from book covers, posters, and album art, to T-shirts and illustrations. His work has been highlighted in publications such as Print, Communication Arts, Computer Arts, Etapes, and Creative Review. He has also participated in numerous exhibitions, and his work http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=784 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=784 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Rip Georges is regarded as one of the nation's preeminent publication and fashion advertising designers. He is also a life-long friend of mine. My association with him began in the early 1970s when Georges was doing postgraduate work at the same school, Brighton College of Art, where he won my friendship while he stole my girlfriend. I eventually followed Rip to Los Angeles. He gave me my first job here, helping me get started as I established myself in Los Angeles. Here, we discuss two great examples of brand evolution at two famous brands: the former Los Angeles Times Magazine, where http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=762 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=762 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sustainable development is part of the Brazilian enterprise agenda, and more companies are implanting systems of environment management to get certifications such as ISO 14000 and FSC as well as working toward other sustainable environmental processes. Brazilian graphic designers who are interested in practicing sustainably often employ general guidelines that are taken from the available literature on product design, which has more fully developed research in the country. These include the following: Decreasing the amount of raw material used Prioritizing resources by using renewable and local produced material Using green stamps for the identification of recycled products or materials Promoting the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=811 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=811 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Dragan Mileusnic and Zeljko Serdarevic formed a creative partnership in 2003 in Zagreb, Croatia, and together have created award-winning websites, edited and published a bestselling monograph on former Yugoslavia, and designed visual identities, and books. The work combines graphic design, fine art, and video. What were your initial forays into being an entrepreneur? Initially, it was about having more control over the publications we create and not having to compromise with publishers over decisions we make as designers and editors. Also, working for corporations always left us feeling cheated by the disproportion of their profit to that of the authors. We http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=893 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=893 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ulyana Kalashnikova is a Ukrainian freelance designer whose illustration styles cross genres and reflect her passion for visual storytelling. "I began to be interested in art and design because of my sister. She is a cool graphic artist, and in childhood I watched her paint and started dreaming about my own works. When I finished art school, I realized I didn't want to be an artist. I wanted to be a designer. "When I want to do something creative for myself, I always revert to my subconscious. A few themes inspire me: pain, death, time, and erotica. And there is a set http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=718 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=718 Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT "Do work for artists in different areas of the creative fields and you may create a symbiotic relationship. Most of our work starting out came from an entire identity we did for a photographer. He and his rep landed six or seven jobs for us in the following months after the materials and site were done. We continue to do work for him and we continue to get referrals from him," says Eric Hines of Honest Bros. Working with other designers and creative professionals isn't always about working on the same project together. The creative may, in fact, be the client. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=568 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=568 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Some markets rely on a sense of stability and consistency. Others thrive on change. You might not expect a law firm or bank to change on a whim, but media companies or other organizationsmore closely tied to pop culture thrive on change. In the race for brand differentiation, however, the rules are loosening. Next-generation law firms are embracing the new, and bank brands once built on stability are eager to redefine themselves. Brand identities reflect and evolve with customer needs. Foundational brand attributes form the character of an organization. These do not change; a sense of reliability and continuity depend on http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=684 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=684 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT MDA Johnson Favaro is a prestigious ten-person architecture firm in Culver City, California. It has a nettlesome and unique problem. It was getting lost in the avalanche of proposals that were arriving on its prospects review desks. It desperately needed a new visual approach that would help it stand out. Enter Ph.D. Steven Johnson, principal of MDA Johnson Favaro said that in follow-up interviews with prospects that had not chosen his firm, he was often told that his proposal's visual presentation did not stand out. Not only was the identity grayish, but the layout of the pages were uninspired, and the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=773 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=773 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Not every pricey project hits the mark, and there are plenty of head-turning efforts created on tight budgets. Strong ideas and concepts-rather than dollars and cents-are the true measures of success. In fact, the limitations of a budget can help bring a project into focus. For a Steelcase annual report, for example, Watson knew that the production constraints didn't make photography a viable option. But this restriction actually led the Turnstyle design team to a bold, graphic look that gave the company's report a distinctive quality. Silhouettes of the company's office furniture set against a bright blue background make the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=369 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=369 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Upon graduating from the University of Wisconsin with their degrees in printmaking, this husband-and-wife team decided to stay put. After all, they had already begun to make a name for themselves as the Little Friends of Printmaking. Despite the heavy influence of a humorous visual language in James and Melissa Buchanan's work, their fine art background screams through in the details of their design and the craft of their printing. This controlled looseness and an affinity for the process has allowed their young firm to draw a great deal of attention on the national stage. Their work has made its way http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=495 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=495 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sustainability, like good design, relies on conceptual and theoretical frameworks as well as technical competencies. Just as we wouldn't consider our software skills to be a good indicator of design ability, eco-friendly printing is largely ineffectual if one doesn't understand the thinking that makes it necessary. Graphic designers are at an advantage when it comes to adopting sustainable practices. We are accustomed to conceptual problem solving and systems thinking. For most designers, taking on sustainability will require a subtle shift in thinking and practice but not the rejection of previously held beliefs. Biomimicry In her 1997 book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=482 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=482 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ricardo Leite is partner and creative director of Crama Design Estratégico, a Brazilian design agency founded in 1991 and based in Rio de Janeiro. As one of the biggest design agencies of Brazil, Crama's team works across all design disciplines. Ricardo teaches design at Uni-verCidade (University Center at Rio de Janeiro). Creative inspirations come from anywhere and at any time for me. Once, I found what I wanted when I saw the cover of a book about Frank Gehry in the window of a bookstore. It was a close-up photo of Bilbao's Guggenheim, and I saw shadows and lights, black andwhite, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=734 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=734 Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Tokyo, with a metropolitan area of more than 34 million inhabitants, is the most populated city on the planet. This metropolis is the headquarters of Delaware, "a Japanese supersonic group that designs music and musics design." Its members consider themselves "artoonists"- a mixture of art and cartoon. Comprised of designers Masato Samata, Aya Honda, and Morihiro Tajiri, this studio, since 1998, has participated in numerous exhibitions in galleries and art spaces. Many of its projects have been reviewed by important magazines and international publications. They have been invited as lecturers to professional gatherings such as AGI Ideas International, which took place http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=657 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=657 Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT The question of how multiple brand identities might peacefully coexist only recently became an issue. In the past, you might have seen multiple logos on a NASCAR driver's jumpsuit, but you wouldn't see a jumble of logos on the same magazine advertisement. Today, companies create logos for things that may or may not even warrant their own identity. How committed is Lincoln to Ecoboost technology? The first choice is whether or not a company needs multiple brands. A good rule of thumb: Don't build another brand until you have to. More brands mean more money. If an organization establishes multiple, overlapping brands, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=675 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=675 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT If you're going to work as part of a team from a larger agency or studio, you may feel a bit of anxiety. After all, this closely resembles the situation you left so you could work independently. Instead of letting your chest tighten in a claustrophobic memory of a former work environment, find a way to make your mark by focusing on doing one part, doing it well, and contributing significantly to the overall group effort. Enjoy the fact that for a change of pace, you don't have the full project on your http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=572 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=572 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Lorenzo Shakespear, along with his brother and sister, run Shakespear Design, a family-owned design consultancy founded by their father, Ronald Shakespear, more than forty-five years ago. Shakespear Design is constantly transforming and evolving by designing in areas such as corporate identity and architecture, wayfinding systems, Webdesign, urban furniture design, packaging, publi-cation design, and communications strategy. Sometimes, there's something contradictory about new ideas. Many will celebrate the new; others will find comfort in the known. This is how it goes many times in the design process. Sometimes, the new is threatening. For the client, this might mean my design does not look http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=716 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=716 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT This acclaimed South Korean designer has no words to describe his work, which is appropriate given that the language he uses does not belong to the realm of words. Lie Sang Bong moves in more imprecise, suggestive waters, using colors, pleats and volumes to create a poetic prose that embraces and encompasses the anatomy of the body. His unusual style synthesizes the elegance French fashion and the exquisiteness of Oriental ways. With his first collection "The Reincarnation," Bong made a name for himself in Seoul, in 1993. Later, in 1999, he received the Best Designer Prize for his creativity and strong http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=466 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=466 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Although it would be a mistake to place too much significance on the early stages of Luba Lukova's career and her childhood in the shadow of Bulgarian communism, her upbringing in a restrictive society has indeed had an undeniable influence on her work. Oppression-and the battle creativity wages against it-are evident in nearly everything she touches. She puts her heart into each and every illustration, and the clarity and conciseness of her vision belie the conviction of an artist who relishes the opportunity to create. However, the qualities that make Lukova's work so special are part of her, not just her http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=496 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=496 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Many things can occur in the blink of your eye. When you look at something, you don't just automatically see it-although that's how it feels. The brain interprets images in stages. First the brain identifies shape, then color. Look at a banana, and you first see the oblong curve and the tapered ends. The shape helps you decide what the image is. Then you see the color. The color helps you decide how you feel about the image. A banana's yellow perks you up. Blueberries soothe. Red fire trucks spark aggression. Color's influence runs so deeply into the subconscious that we http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=441 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=441 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT From religious parables to folk songs to business case studies, stories serve as a primary vehicle for communicating complex ideas in a clear, easily digestible way. Modern-day brands are promises, and every promise naturally sets a plot in motion: Will the promise be kept or broken? It goes without saying that a brand should keep its promises. They serve as the moral of the brand story-why the "story" was written and what it means to the reader/customer. Companies with memorable brands not only craft stories that are worth telling, they also live out the morals of their brand stories every day. In http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=638 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=638 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Bring your personality but check your attitude with the doorman. This is the time to show your confidence, but keep far from arrogance if you want to find a receptive audience. There's nothing more humbling than walking into a situation, thinking you know everything and finding out you know nothing. Start from a state of knowing nothing and let your portfolio speak to how much you know. Gain knowledge from each situation and either apply it right away or investigate further and add new tidbits of knowledge in the next presentation. Presenting is theater: You are the actor, your portfolio is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=326 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=326 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Many clients like to see that the creative people they're working with have received recognition by other entities. Credibility comes from having other recognizable clients, but it also comes in the form of awards. It's a good idea to enter design competitions. Many clients view these awards as a kind of honor roll that proves you know what you're doing. With this kind of recognition, you will be able to begin building a great network and attracting more clients. It's just like high school-once the "cool" kids give you their stamp of approval, everyone else decides they can like you, too. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=539 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=539 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Claudio Reston is a Brazilian graphic designer and illustrator who lives in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro. He is one of the four members of the motion graphics studio Visorama Diversões Eletrônicas and one of the designers of the fanzine Design de Bolso. He is a confessed lover oftypography and on his webpage there is awide selection of his personal typography projects. The majority of this designer's work doesnot have a commercial aim, althoughthis is not fundamental. His only real ruleis, he says, "to be typographic, whethercommercially or not, and to experimentwith diverse languages just for fun." He is inspired http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=630 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=630 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT The garments of Isabela Capeto exude delicacy, a simple and subtle sensibility reflected in work carried out with extreme care. Patchworks and embroidery tenderly border her garments; bows, lace and other elements of traditional dressmaking evoke quality handcrafted domestic attire. Isabela depicts a modern woman that seeks to live in harmony with her surroundings, free of the stresses generated by large Western cities where the triumph of the functional results in spiritless garments adapted to an accelerated pace. In the designs of Isabela Capeto, space is always left for details. This care is apparent not only in the finish, but also http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=347 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=347 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Design briefs: keep them brief. Seems simple enough to remember, no? It may be simple to remember, but lassoing 100 years of a business, three months of current research, and a gaggle of planning meetings into one brief document is a formidable task-and this will often be the case. Keep design briefs brief, to the point, and easy to follow. Beyond being spare, design briefs must set direction and inspire design. So the more focused the language, the better. And the more inspirational the language, the better. Start preparing the brief by defining brand strategy. From there, pinpoint the brand's core http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=429 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=429 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT At Cincinnati Children's Hospital, a 43-page book helps make sure every project that passes through the hospital's marketing and communications department accurately reflects the brand. "These guidelines set the stage," says Andrea McCorkle, senior art director. "They're the foundation of any communication we do." The hospital's identity guidelines have evolved over time, but the current set emerged from a brand refresh. During this rebranding process, the department conducted focus groups with different target audiences, including parents and referring physicians. This research helped refine the current visual identity. Parents, for instance, responded well to the hospital's bright, energetic color palette, but there http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=360 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=360 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT In an era when all designers have thousands of fonts at their fingertips, there seems only one way to cut through the logjam: Do it yourself. Nothing irks me more than seeing a type treatment for a corporate identity or an entertainment property-knowing how important it is for those entities to speak in a unique voice-rendered in a font straight off the shelf that any competitor can use the day after its unveiling. It nullifies the power and influence of the identity before it has a chance to embed in the viewer's consciousness. But it http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=208 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=208 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT What designer doesn't want his or her work to be memorable to the audiences for which it was created? Color can be a powerful ally in that pursuit. Color can work as a mnemonic device itself, aiding people's memories. The word mnemonic comes from the Greek mnemonikos, which means "mind." Many psychologists researching the process by which humans see and process visual information conclude that it is influenced highly by color. For example, the May 2002 Journal of Experiential Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition reported the findings of one study that indicated that people did not remember falsely colored photographic http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=128 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=128 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Planning "Analysis paralysis." We've all heard of it and some even live it on a daily basis. Planning can be a freeway you get on and off quickly to reach your destination faster, as well as looking smarter when you arrive. Planning can also be that country dirt road that doesn't have a turnoff for nearly 100 kilometers. The talent is seeing the road ahead before you enter and knowing when to use your blinker. A robust planning process teamed with a flexible facilitator can be two positive indicators that you're on the right road. The planning team for Brand Engine http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=417 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=417 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Whether it is new software or cutting-edge typographic styles, educators are expected to be at the forefront of their disciplines. They are in a key position to expose students to new competencies and theoretical shifts. Once sparked, an awareness of sustainable issues cannot be unlearned. One can no longer help evaluating book design, packaging, and brochures not only for evidence of creative skill, but also for environmentally responsible production and the visual marks that indicate third party certifications or use of recycled content. Many professionals believe that incorporating sustainable thinking into educational programs will lead to its widespread adoption in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=486 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=486 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT No creative form exists in a vacuum, given that the process of creation tends to implicitly involve the need to examine disciplines that converge with or run parallel to the one in which the artist is working. Such is the case of Martin Grant, an Australian designer who, after a brilliant seven-year career in fashion, decided to return to school, enrolling as a sculpture student in the Victorian College of the Arts with the aim of approaching his own field from a distinct perspective. After completing his studies, he headed for London, where he worked for different companies until, in 1992, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=470 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=470 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Many people's first expectation is that they'll work from home. Don't make the assumption that this will be the ideal situation for you. Some people are great at it and love to work in their own environment in their pajamas. Others need the social life of office spaces to stay happy and productive. And there are those that find that working from home tends to creep into their downtime, which includes time with family and personal activities, because they can't turn the professional world off. Maybe you're better suited to doing onsite freelance work; maybe you can share office space http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=520 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=520 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Four Malaysian and Chinese artists/designers are the members comprising :phunk, a multidisciplinary studio in Singapore. This group is one of the most active Asian contemporary art and design collectives and has been classed as "the champion of the Singapore graphic scene," "the hottest agency in Asia," and "iconic heroes of the new wave of young Asian creators." Books such as Tres logos and Graphic Design. A New History feature some of its work. In 2007, it published Universality, a monograph which is a compilation of its most recent work. This prolific group tends to mix and reinterpret the broadest of influences. In http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=518 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=518 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT You may know the name Sandstrom Design, but it's not likely you equate it with posters. They have had numerous successes and high-profile projects in the design field. In particular, their beverage packaging has won accolades around the globe. Their portfolio is full of pieces that have earned features in publications and collections worldwide. So what are they doing here surrounded by twenty-nine other "New Masters"? Before forming his own firm with two partners, "coincidentally named Sandstrom Design," Steve Sandstrom had a rich history of poster work from his early days in-house at Nike as well as with earlier partnerships. "I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=504 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=504 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT "Building a creative network is key to being able to take on a project instead of passing because you don't possess all the necessary skills needed for the job," notes Bowman. "I am fortunate in that after graduating from my MA course, several of my classmates and I decided to rent a studio space together and one came up at the right time," says Jones. "Workhaus already had other freelance creatives on board, including furniture, Web, and product designers, so it was great to become part of a creative collective. I share my studio space with a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=573 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=573 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Viktor & Rolf make an unusual yet nonetheless acclaimed pair in the world of fashion. Their creations, like themselves, occupy an exceptional place in an industry where originality is all too often sacrificed in exchange for recognition. Viktor & Rolf have carved out a much-deserved niche for themselves within Parisian haute couture, which they joined step by step in 1998, without betraying their essence, their unbounded sense of humor and their delicate, glamorous elegance. This unlikely duo met while studying in Arnhem, both graduating in 1992. One year later, as a prelude to their successful career, they received three prizes at http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=499 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=499 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Image File Formats Digital files can be saved in a number of file formats that will allow them to be moved between different types of imaging and page layout applications. These file formats also allow imagery to be cross platformed. EPS or .eps (Encapsulated PostScript): Used for placing images or graphics in documents created in word processing, page layout, or drawing programs. Supports both rastered and vectored data. EPS files can be cross platformed, cropped, or edited. GIF or .gif (Graphics Interchange Format): An 8-bit, low-memory option for posting images online. GIF images are limited to 256 colors, making them unsuitable for most http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=184 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=184 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Few designers in the world so perfectly bridge Eastern and Western sensibilities as designer and educator Jianping He. From his upbringing in a rural farming village in China, where his parents were sent to work in fields hundreds of miles apart and his grandmother kept watch over him, to his immersion in the world of cutting-edge design in which he now resides in Berlin, He has emerged as something unexpected from his meager beginnings-unapologetically modern. Educated under Heinz-Juergen Kristahn at the University of Arts in Berlin, He decided he had found a new home and never left. Here he combines his http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=487 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=487 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT "Curb appeal" isn't just for houses anymore. How you put your portfolio together-namely the materials used to house your portfolio-is often as important as what goes inside. Historically speaking, portfolios have traditionally come in two formats: books or binders. You know the ones-sleek black cases tucked under the arms or in the tight grip of creatives of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes referred to as "show portfolios," these sophisticated renditions have garnered work for individuals and agencies alike. Remember, potential clients and employers get an immediate impression of you at first glance, so your portfolio format-both the exterior and interior-needs to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=323 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=323 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT "Fantastic squirrel!" Encouraging words, if said logo is indeed a squirrel. If it's supposed to be an elephant, you've got a small problem. But not to worry. The planning phase is the time to uncover these issues. It allows you to wrangle them before they charge into the real world and do any major damage. Testing is a euphemism for disaster management. It uncovers any previously overlooked flubs-because it's surprisingly easy to miss big-picture stuff when working so closely to a project. Before embarking on a project, keep in mind that testing can do great damage when applied at inappropriate stages http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=431 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=431 Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Joe Casely-Hayford quickly realized he wasn't going to continue in the academic tradition of his Ghanaian family. As a child, he was fascinated by the urban tribes of the 60s and 70s-by their aesthetic identities, their personalized composition of style. For this reason, at the age of just fifteen, he was creating garments out of the remnants of second-handclothes. This taste for the mechanics of clothing and the composition of an outfit came to fruition in his intense tailoring training in London. Subsequent training in art history and studies at Central Saint Martins rounded out his education. Hayford's technical training has endowed http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=351 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=351 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT If this elegant fundraising brochure somehow morphed into a mystery novel, its title just might be The Hunt for Blue Matches. Hornall Anderson Design Works designed this piece-largely as a pro bono effort-to help aishSeattle solicit funds from prominent donors. The Jewish educational and outreach organization needed something to leave behind when calling on potential supporters. The Z-fold brochure features two covers and, in essence, two different stories. One side reveals the organization's emotional and spiritual side, following a little girl as she celebrates with her family. "It needed to touch the heart," says Yuri Shvets, a graphic designer at the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=367 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=367 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT "I went through a phase of animals dominating my illustrations," explains John Foster. For this gig poster, he chose the dapper image of a vegetarian lion. "I create these by working in layers-basically in the reverse manner that the silkscreen is created for press. I paint and draw the original pieces of the illustration but then I work on top of them to create what amounts to be the background so that I can control the ragged overlaps and the knocked out shapes that actually make the body and plate." The final result is a blast of quick energy via http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=233 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=233 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT For over forty years, Armin Hofmann (b. 1920) has devoted his life to teach-ing art, design, and the principles of visual perception and communications. His students' works are benchmarks of visual excellence, as well as the envy of students and teachers of graphic design worldwide. In 1937, he studied foundation art at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich; he also worked as a draftsman and lithography apprentice in Winterthur and as a lithographer and designer in various studios in Basel, Switzerland. Hofmann began his career as an influential educator at the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule Basel School http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=52 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=52 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention, and naturally, that applies to graphic design as well. Sometimes budget constraints are a limiting factor that wears down and frustrates designers. Stretching design dollars does not mean that down and dirty must be ugly and ineffective. Effective color usage can provide impact and beauty on a limited budget. Financial concerns are not the only reason for limiting the number of colors specified; sometimes it is a question of aesthetics as well. Using only a few colors, perhaps on colored stocks, can result in a rich-looking piece. Pushing the boundaries http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=132 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=132 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Latin America is a continent for discovery, especially when it comes to fashion and its relation to culture and folklore: fashion that tends to focus more on international catwalks than its own runways; fashion that induces many Latin American designers to be more receptive to external stimuli than those from within. This, however, is not the case of Jorge Luis Salinas, whose collections are an example of the extremely rich popular culture of his native Peru. His collections feature the highest quality indigenous fabrics such as alpaca and cotton: boldly interwoven materials and exquisitely delicate embroidery handmade by artisans from different http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=352 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=352 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Do blondes really have more fun? If so, do they need more help being blonde? This brand identified an unmet need that any brunette would turn up a nose to: helping blondes care for their specific hair color. If there was a need to give blondes a greater advantage, this product was formulated to service that need. The package design had to gracefully convey the help the product was offering this underserved segment. Planning Planning for such a product required significant scientific discovery and experimentation before a package could even be considered. Then, after dedicating so much time to the product, the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=419 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=419 Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Spend days, nights, and weekends to create a unique-to-the-world package. It leaves your office, heads for the printer, packager, and then onto the shelf. Now what happens? It comes to life in ads, alongside other packages in product reviews, people talk about it, write about it, and the world starts to take notice. Now everyone wants to be attached to success and add it to their portfolio. The package starts to change. The line of products evolves as other designers find ways to "improve" the package even though it has seen amazing success. Change happens, whether good or bad, and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=414 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=414 Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Noah Scalin, founder of ALR Design, sometimes heads straight to the printer with his budget and print-run requirements, then he asks for advice about what is possible. A small change in the size of a brochure, for instance, might make it fit better on the press sheet and significantly reduce costs. Unfortunately, there's no magic formula to spitting out the most cost-effective print strategy for every job. One- or two-color printing, for instance, doesn't necessarily save money over four-color. The cost of any print job depends on variables ranging from the size of the print run to who provided the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=370 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=370 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT "When Stuart Alden, the gallery owner, wanted a show called 'Stuff from Jay Vollmar's Basement,' I tried to design a poster that would look like something you would hang in a 1970s-style basement rec room," explains Vollmar. "And because my basement looks like a time capsule from 1974, I designed it to match the tacky décor." Velvet was the key. "This project wouldn't have worked if it was printed with any method other than silkscreen. The tactile nature of a velvet painting wouldn't have come off any other way than by actually printing it on velvet using T-shirt inks." An http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=254 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=254 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT When they started working on a promotional brochure for RSVP Soirée, a catering and event rental company, the design team at Rovillo + Reitmayer knew they had to send a distinctive message. The client's target audience was an upscale, exclusive crowd, so the piece needed to feel high-end. So how did they grab attention? In part, it was with a gold foil stamp displayed prominently on the cover. This shiny effect contrasts with the uncoated brown cover stock to create a bold contrast. "It's something people want to touch and feel," Reitmayer says. "It makes it a little harder to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=372 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=372 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Before you pick up a sketch pad, review the previous work done during the planning stage. Initial work is often a fertile source of inspiration and ideas. Give a man a fish and you've fed him, for today. Teach a man to fish and you've fed him for a lifetime. Or at least until he gets sick of seafood. Fishing for ideas is an art form. Seasoned art directors know which bait nabs which prey. They know ideal times and the special, secret "spots" that greenhorns blindly trample past. And when they sense a real tug, they reel http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=438 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=438 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT The feeling of putting a good pair of socks on cold feet can be a special moment in someone's day. The Fox River Sock Company has more than a hundred years of experience giving customers those little moments of joy. Their socks have gone to the moon and have reinforced many a foot fetish. Still manufactured in northern Iowa, they offer a great example of sustainable, community-focused manufacturing that confidently defies most MBA analytics. This and many other heroic brand stories were not being sung from the tops of mountains. That needed to change. Planning The world's first corn sock is completely http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=415 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=415 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Though it's relatively small in scale, this brochure needed to make a lasting impression: It kicked off a new brand called Knoll Space. The legendary furniture company wanted to make select pieces from its studio line normally sold through architects and interior designers available directly to the public. So the company turned to New York design firm Giampietro+Smith to help launch this venture. The firm worked on everything from the name and attributes of the new brand to the look and feel of the introductory print piece. One name considered was Knoll Home, but ultimately, it didn't make sense to associate http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=381 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=381 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Turn on the television or open a newspaper, and you would be hard-pressed not to find information on living green. The sustainable design movement has embraced the global marketplace and captured the attention of consumers like never before. From sustainable building design to alternative fuels to water conservation, entire industries are taking notice and changing the way they're doing business. Even creative professionals looking for sustainable options for their portfolio development have reason to celebrate and can make their portfolio more sustainable. The sustainable movement is receiving a tremendous amount of attention, so what goes into a portfolio is as important http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=324 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=324 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Polish by birth and English by adoption, Katarzyna Szczotarska is among those artists who have most successfully reinterpreted the London streetwear of the 80s by uniting it with the influence of such charismatic designers as Martin Margiela. Trained in her native Poland and a graduate of the London College of Fashion, after two years as chief assistant to Martin, she skillfully navigated the intricate byways of fashion, working for ten years between London and Milan. In 2000, with the confidence that came from working side-by-side with one of the most important designers of all time, she founded her own label, Absolut. Her http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=463 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=463 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Marketing executives use it as a key tool for their success. Financial consultants use it to obtain new clients and often make it a key part of their overall business strategies. Brand management consultants see it as a necessary effort to expand their business. What is it? It's networking, and in the world of business, people network to help smooth out the potholes on the road to success. Whether you are the owner of a small design firm or a global firm with offices worldwide, networking with your portfolio in hand-or at least a mini portfolio-will give you greater leverage than http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=329 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=329 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Walk into a retail environment and look around. Now, start counting the brands you can identify and those you cannot. If you begin to feel like you're counting stars in the sky, only less romantic, then you're getting it. Navigation in the age of pirates and treasure chests involved the challenge of crossing vast oceans. Today, consumers face the overwhelming task of navigating vast megastores stocked with brands and packages from all over the world. So if you want to help the pirates reach your treasure trove, you have to consider the importance of navigation when packaging a product and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=402 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=402 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT In his student days at the Royal Academy in Antwerp, Kanya Miki was already demonstrating his immense talent. It's no surprise, then, that designer Walter Van Beirendonck, a professorin-and now director of-the Fashion Department at the Royal Academy, choose him in 2003 to be his design assistant, a post which, one year later, Kanya took up with British designer John Galliano. In 2005, he decided to found his own label, Kosmetique Label, and present his first collection in Paris. Having been born in Japan and having studied in Paris, grants Kanya a very personal visionof fashion, one characterized by the unification http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=456 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=456 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Before conducting any customer research, be sure the methods are valid and agreed upon by the client and a research professional. Solid research will build a strong foundation for the rest of the project. Clients like to know that the designer is educated about the customer. When you can speak authoritatively about target markets and key demographics, it reflects well on your design. This doesn't mean the design needs to be explicitly driven by the client's customer. A logo needs simply to reflect the brand attributes and audience. That said, a little business savvy goes a long way with http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=433 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=433 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT One hour of planning usually eliminates two hours of reworking. Plan now and enjoy extra time later. "I do my best work under pressure." Ever heard that? Ever said that? It's the credo of procrastinators everywhere. We'd all like to think that great work is the product of ingenious, "Eureka!" moments, when lightning strikes and creations miraculously spring forth. This is risky. Even if procrastination has worked in the past, a happy fluke does not a modus operandi make. Beware-or, before you know it, you're holding a snarling deadline at bay with nothing but a mocha-fueled all-nighter and a presentation riddled with http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=428 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=428 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT This technique allows you literally to raise parts of your design to another level. Maybe you want to elevate and emphasize a company's name on a brochure cover or give extra oomph to an illustration. "An emboss should be used to enhance the design or message," Paul Wharton of Larsen in Minneapolis says. "It is used most effectively when you're trying to do something very subtle or to give something more impact than it would have any other way." A blind emboss, for instance, should highlight the beauty of the substrate, while an embossing used in conjunction with printing needs http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=375 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=375 Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT We package because we need to; how we package is up to each of us. Asking the "how" and "why" questions are good starting points for any packaging design process. At a basic level, we package to protect, contain, and identify products and materials from point A to point B. Sometimes that's the extent of what the package does. More often, there are other objectives behind why a product gets a package. These might include the vast number of specific marketing objectives to render a competitor helpless or take a step in the direction of a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=191 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=191 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT For this piece, I just started drawing and let it happen," explains Zach Hobbs. "The show was a label showcase for a good friend of mine who owns Skybucket Records in Birmingham, Alabama. Usually he just lets me go and I try to come up with something fun. However, including so many bands can be a typographical nightmare-all those names, no real headliner. So I just went with it and let my pen do most of the work. I drew the head and the type together as one, and then just split things up into different colors. Easy! The hand http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=289 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=289 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT A witness to the Soviet change, Igor Chapurin belongs to a new generation of Russian designers searching for an identity of their own in the fashion universe, and there is little doubt that their search is proving fruitful. Born near the Estonian border, he is one of the most celebrated Russian designers working today. He garnered attention fashioning dresses for the Miss Europe, Miss World, and Miss Universe pageants and, thanks to the international reach of these contests, gradually accumulated a prestige that resulted in his being the first Russian fashion designer to have a show in a Paris. His stellar year http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=345 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=345 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Law firm brochures tend to be a little too starched around the collar-in fact, you can probably describe the typical formula. Two men wearing suits and shaking hands. A buttoned-up layout and muted color palette. It's all a little too predictable. So when the team at Design Army revamped Arent Fox's brochures, they wanted to avoid the visual equivalent of legalese. To help this law firm stand out from the competition, the Washington, D.C.-based design shop decided to run with the client's tagline: "Smart in your world." This brief phrase helped inspire the concept for a capabilities brochure. Rather than emphasize http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=385 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=385 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designing a package today is made to look easy. Get a flat screen monitor, a Mac, some Adobe software, buy a library of typefaces and photography, teach yourself the basics, and you're on the road. Right? Some might say, "It's easier than flipping burgers." But then you start to make decisions. This typeface versus that one, red versus blue, this photograph versus that illustration. Where does it lead? There is a reason why design professionals apprentice for a period of time and a reason why they're constantly seeking greater knowledge and applying it to their work. Design isn't about pulling http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=408 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=408 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Not long ago, plump ships glided into the ports of majestic empires, straining under vast cargoes of spices, textiles, and adventures plucked from faraway colonies. Today, logos act like mighty vessels, transporting brand messages wherever the brand roams, from shopping carts and refrigerators to the opposite ends of the Earth. Effective logos are like ships, but bad logos act more like anchors, fixing brands tightly to one moment in time and leaving little room for the brand to move. They are often missing one of three principal elements: simplicity, metaphor, and uniqueness. Consider how your designs embody each of these, in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=439 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=439 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Certainly one could argue that designers like Art Chantry still paste up mechanicals based on their comfort with that process, but that would be missing the point. Chantry works in that manner because it yields results not easily achieved on the computer. Working smaller than scale can give a final image a certain look, and cutting into Rubylith gives a shape that would inevitably be cleaned up if executed using the pen tool in a software application. And sometimes the issue is not the design; it may be a love affair with archaic forms of production and printing such as http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=266 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=266 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT "The Quanto Project," says Lanny Sommese, "is a thematic poster competition, held in Milan, Italy, soliciting designs that focused on the increasing problem of exploitation of women worldwide. The silhouetted positive/negative image depicts a female trapped in the coils of a huge snake, which is intended to metaphorically represent 'woman's' exploitation by human slave traders. Obviously, the pink represents the female, and black ink was chosen to heighten the vile nature of her attacker. To capture the 'horrific' theme of the project, I created an image from the result of combining a number of iterations of the pencil drawing I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=225 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=225 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Many designers carry sketchbooks wherever they go, capturing the little things in life that most people take for granted or completely disregard-from the architecture of a building to the smirking smile of a stranger across the room. They draw to pass the time on the train or bus to work or while talking on the phone. Often, these doodles end up being the inspiration for client projects, and that personal touch comes through in the final product. The creative mind solves problems when left to its own devices! Handmade touches give projects a unique voice in the market and can http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=212 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=212 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Born in Toronto, Jeremy Laing spent the majority of his childhood on a military base. Instead of becoming interested in weapons, however, he chose a far different path in life. His mother, a master of dressmaking and arts and crafts, was the one who indirectly instilled her son with a passion for the needle and thread. At age thirteen, Laing was already an expert tailor. His destiny was set: an European exchange led him to study at Westminster University in London and then to work with one of the most creative and charismatic designers of this decade, Alexander McQueen. His talent for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=349 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=349 Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT About creating a print for Tiny Showcase, Stephan Britt says, "I started off with a crude pencil sketch, then inked it using an Irish Fancy rat-hair brush and some old India ink I picked up in Bombay-that should give you an idea as to its age. Because I derive great pleasure from wasting time, I then began digitally erasing all the lines I had just inked and started blocking out the basic colors on various layers in Photoshop. After that, I started to hand-paint the assorted elements (sky, trees, disgruntled tortoise, etc.) on bits of scrap paper with tempera, watercolors, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=217 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=217 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT From design and public relations to advertising and new media, Intereurope Communications Group (ICG) is a "one-stop shop" for clients who are passionate about strategy, design, and getting their message out there. PLANNING As part of its new-business drive, ICG has historically sent out various brochures to businesses to gain account wins. "However, through follow-up calls we discovered that our brochures were not gaining the attention of decision makers," says Simon Couchman, creative director at ICG. "Simply asking 'do you remember the blue brochure?' wasn't working, as marketing managers receive so much material from agencies." In addition, ICG's online presence was weak, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=336 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=336 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Boston-based Alphabet Arm Design is a full-service design studio specializing in bold, creative, and distinctive print design solutions including logo design, branding, collateral design, CD art direction, and merchandise design. PLANNING At Alphabet Arm, they take self-promotion seriously. Well, like a seriously funny joke. Their studio environment is very focused on producing high-quality work, all while having as much fun as possible. "Our portfolio is an ever-evolving and changing collection of materials to promote the various services that Alphabet Arm offers," says Aaron Belyea, art director at Alphabet Arm. "When we create a new promotional piece, we always bring that 'fun' attitude to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=339 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=339 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT In the creative industry, it's all about getting people to remember your business, your products and services, and your brand. For many creative firms and individuals, portfolio design is the arena that puts the "big picture" perspective into focus and determines where a company takes and makes its future. It's the philosophy and core behind all business development for many creatives. With that said, more and more business owners are realizing the important role portfolios and self-promotions play in making immediate and lasting impressions on their bottom line. While creating a solid portfolio and self-promotion program does not happen overnight, you http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=331 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=331 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Worrell Design recently created New: For Lateral Thinkers to tell stories of design and innovation from around the world. "Our vision is to raise awareness of global concerns that affect the design of business and the new roles of designers," says Kai Worrell. "We want to be recognized as a thought leader. We want people to be able to gain from the valuable insights we have uncovered as a company over the past three decades." With eye-catching, colorful graphics and rich, meaningful collages of images pertaining to the articles, Worrell Design wants readers to be able to flip through the magazine http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=320 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=320 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Brochures present a storytelling challenge. They're like miniature books in which you get to spin a tale with words and images. Will your brochure be reminiscent of a coffee table book? Or read more like a well-presented technical manual? From the trim size to the fold and the paper, there are almost endless possibilities to create a format that enhances the overall message-one that makes people stop and hold the piece in their hands or spend a few minutes skimming through the pages. Since the messaging is just as important as the design, the first http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=196 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=196 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT If at first glance anything calls attention to Alexander Wang, it would be his youth. At just twenty-three, he has already become one of the designers that young Americans adoremost. This is due in large part to his ability to give his garments that insouciant yet eleganturban look that so fascinates Americans, one not everyone knows how to carry off with such skill and expertise. This, alongside a style founded on the juxtaposition of elements (good and bad taste, the 80s and current trends, the luxurious and the basic, etc.), has given Wang's creations an unusual identity that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=192 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=192 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT If you grew up with a houseful of siblings or ever had a college roommate with a penchant for "borrowing" clothes, you know the value of a good Sharpie marker. Why, with two little initials, you can take passive-aggressive control of all your worldly possessions, one thick, black scrawl at a time. Logos are like Sharpie markers for brands. They tell everyone which brand owns which product, service, or communications vehicle. This is a Nike shoe. That is a FedEx box. This is a Pepsi billboard. Logos identify ownership, first and foremost, and often end up doing much http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=189 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=189 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Design blossomed from architecture, a craft that evolved into a profession. Since then, the term "design" has been adopted by almost every professional field, from engineering to advertising to technology. The reason for this is most certainly because the very definition of the word "design" is so ambiguous. Like water or air, the concept of design is so elemental that it can slink silently into the backdrop of virtually every scene. One area in which design boldly takes center stage is the graphic design industry. Hence, with the focus on design, the key player is the designer. And the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=190 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=190 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Marketing, advertising, and promotions are vital components of most companies' business plans, and creative professionals are no exception. The right portfolio mix and the shape it takes can enhance your ability to make a name for yourself in the industry. In today's competitive marketplace, designers must compete to survive. And yet some creatives believe that simply putting a few cardboard business cards in the hands of prospective clients is their best marketing tool. Others would like to utilize stronger, more impactful portfolios so that they can entice more clients to join them in conversation. As part of the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=197 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=197 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Experienced designers agree that besides being willing to take creative risks, successful creative professionals share a common trait: persistence. It's the name of the game for portfolio design. Persistence is what makes us try again and again in the face of rejection and setbacks. Bottom line: The responsibility of self-promotion and getting your portfolio in the hands of the right people rests with you. If you can't pay your electric bill this month, guess whose fault it is? If your portfolio doesn't impress your prospective client, then you probably won't get their business. The good news is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=198 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=198 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT A logo is just the start of the story. A good logo-or sometimes simply a familiar one-is visually arresting and symbolically potent. It sums up the company or organization it represents … which is exactly why it's just the start. The personal associations a logo calls up normally aren't apparent in the visual symbol itself. The Coca-Cola logo pulls some emotional triggers for everyone-positive and/or negative depending upon whom you ask-but the emotional content of that response isn't just in the familiar flowing script. I was a Coca-Cola collector as teenager growing up in England. I gathered bottles http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=201 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=201 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT A designer can have a great project, for the most amazing client, with a generous budget, and still barely break even. Designers can actually lose money, plus be tearing their hair out in frustration throughout the project because their team is disorganized, or worse, their client is out of control. Their project mismanagement can turn a great opportunity into a nightmare. Good project management affects Creativity Quality Relationships Work flow Timelines Costs (fees and expenses) Profitability A Brief History Project management has its origins in the multitasking, multiperson, highly schedule-driven construction industry. Early project management theory and practice came http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=203 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=203 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT What Is Sustainable Design? Sustainability can be defined in many ways, but perhaps the easiest way to describe it is as the balanced use of natural, social, and economic capital for the continued health of the planet and future generations. Designers can enter into the discussion and begin to adopt sustainable practices at a variety of levels depending on their individual situations. Even professionals who have spent decades immersed in this issue agree that we have yet to find the perfect ways of balancing our economic needs with the needs of the planet. Therefore, sustainable practice is more about working http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=204 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=204 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT During the mid-1950s, an era-defining phenomenon overtook the advertising and design fields; it was called the "Big Idea" revolution. Although no shots were fired or governments overthrown-and maybe the word revolution is more hyperbole than truth-nonetheless, the revolutionary spirit was consistent with the innovative philosophy underscoring the Big Idea. It was certainly a coming-of-age period of American consumerism and prosperity, when advertising and design were more than the process of making things look good. The result had to sound, read, and look smart. Indeed, smart ideas were supreme, and everything else http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=206 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=206 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT In the 1960s, American paperback book publishers and American graphic designers started working together for the first time with a collective, creative objective. At the forefront of this new collaborative movement was a group of visual pioneers and designers such as Paul Rand, Alvin Lustig, Roy Kuhlman, Rudolph de Harak, Tom Geismar, and Ivan Chermayeff. Ivan Chermayeff (b. 1937), with his partner, Tom Geismar, have created some of the most memorable and recognizable images of the twentieth century. In his formative years, Chermayeff worked as a record album cover designer as well as an http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=60 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=60 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Personal Characterization. Imagine a future when the font you use is directly connected to your appearance. Designer Luke Atkinson recognized how facial proportions relate to typographic ones, and set about designing a font using the face as his two-dimensional palette. The final product, called Facetype, generates a unique typeface based on facial proportions. Physiognomy and facial recognition would scan your face and generate a font just for you, based on the proportions of your head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, chin, jaw, and cheekbones. Crossbars would be positioned as high or low, depending on how far your mouth appears from your http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=161 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=161 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT John R. Hoke III serves as vice president of Global Footwear at Converse. John leads an international team of designers responsible for conceiving, creating, and commercializing hundreds of footwear styles each year. Previously, he served as vice president of Nike Global Footwear Design and global creative director of Nike Brand Design, where he provided creative direction for Niketown stores in New York and London. Inspiration is a funny thing. There is no magic city or store or magazine or book or website. It comes down to your ability to comb through a lot of different things and be able to find http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=169 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=169 Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Like texture, pattern is a fundamental design principle that helps define the visual quality of surface activity. The visual characteristics of any pattern help us see distinctions between one object and another. Pattern is a specific type of visual texture and is traditionally derived from a defined and repeated compositional structure always appearing in an organized and regimented graphic manner. The visual elements of point, line, and shape are the basis for creating pattern throughout history. Combining pattern with the organizational design principle of the grid, graphic designers can create an infinite variety of end results. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=35 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=35 Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Color is always seen in context. Sometimes that context is proximity to another color, which alters its meaning or even the perception of the color itself. At other times the context is the environment surrounding the color-for example, the white of a page or the physical environment as a whole. The perception of color is always shifting, never fixed. All colors appear more brilliant when set against a black background. Conversely, they seem a bit duller on a white background. Complementary colors make each other appear brighter, yet the effect on the brain, when taken in total, is a balanced http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=125 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=125 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Although somewhat obvious, Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL insists that one of its mantras of work is to always be open to new ideas. The "Save Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL" poster was designed in 1992 as part of a series for Virgin Records. It was one of Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL's first commissions as a group and was screen-printed by them at the Royal College of Art. Playing on the name of their group, they were able to convey a relatively uncontroversial ecological sentiment. This sentiment may be important to the people involved at FUEL because they went to school together. The http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=91 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=91 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT In Margo Chase's office, she cultivates an air of excited calm. "I'm lucky, because Chase Design Group is a lively place filled with talented people and not a lot of ego issues. Conversation and open exchange of ideas flow freely. Even in the creative group, when a project is being executed by one designer it often gets kicked around, and the ideas get better. One of the things I look for when I hire designers is people who are open to that and not threatened by it." What makes the studio unique? "Really loud music! We have an open plan in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=96 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=96 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko created Emigre magazine because they were unhappy with their regular jobs. VanderLans describes the foundation of Emigre as "a tediously slow process that would make for some very boring reading when retold in detail. Let's just say we were very naive, and we worked very long days." In addition to working on the magazine, which in its first years was published sporadically, Licko edited fonts for Adobe and VanderLans did design work for other magazines. Their company was called Emigre Graphics, and their magazine was a forge for their emerging styles. VanderLans and Licko were quick http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=104 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=104 Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT To complement his typographic experimentation, Ed Fella started experimenting with direct mail advertisements, or flyers. He began creating what he calls "after-the-fact" announcements, which function as a souvenir for the event they advertise. "The one I'm doing now is from a lecture I did at Yale University in November 2001, so I'm just now working on the flyer. I'll print it-a couple hundred copies, that's it. They become a kind of idea about art design and art practice. Those other ones that advertise, they function as real flyers-they print a couple thousand of them and mail them out. I would http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=86 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=86 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Paul Rand (1914-1996) was a designer, author, and educator who shaped and influenced the course of twentieth-century graphic design. For forty years, he also devoted himself to teaching graphic design at Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, and Yale University. Through his work, writings, and teaching, he has educated and inspired generations of graphic designers worldwide. Rand was educated at Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, and the Art Students League under George Grosz. In 1937, at the age of twenty-three, he became art director of both Esquire and Apparel Arts magazines, for which http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=44 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=44 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Symmetry is a fundamental and timeless principle of visual perception. In visual communications, symmetry conveys balance, stability, and harmony. When visual elements are completely balanced or centered, they are in a state of equilibrium where all elements have equal weight. The result is a state of visual balance and is identified as symmetry. It is a compositional state where design elements are organized on thecentral axis of a composition (either its horizontal or vertical axis). A similar compositional state can be achieved when design elements are organized in relation to each other's central axes. A symmetrical http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=23 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=23 Sun, 04 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Fernanda Cohen grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and splits her time between her home country and New York City, where she has her studio. Besides her illustrations for editorial and corporate clients, she has a line of illustrated kitchenware, notebooks, handbags, and tea towels. She is a teacher at the School of Visual Arts and a writer. I love watching people at cafés and overhearing conversations. I'm inspired by patterns that I see a lot in architecture. The worst thing for me is to be inspired by other people's work. I don't have other artists' work on my wall. I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=164 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=164 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Brand New School (BNS), a live action and design company, responds to visual culture all over the world, translating it into television commercials, music videos, and on-air network identity packages. BNS has evolved in a very short time from boutique shop to major player in on-air television broadcast design and commercial production. Founded in 2000 by Jonathan Notaro, later joined by typography master Jens Gehlhaar, the firm has offices on both U.S. coasts. Notaro founded BNS to be a creative boutique that he describes as "a bit off center, where we're comfortable." He is determined to create a new school of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=120 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=120 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT These words and images are taken from one of a series of animated identities that Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL produced for the Sci-Fi Channel. The Sci-Fi brief was flexible, but the main idea for the campaign was to produce something with a philosophical and scientific feel that challenged any audience preconception that the network solely caters to traditional science-fiction enthusiasts. FUEL came up with the idea of a sinister voice, something between a warning and an advertisement. They chose the topics in the identities because either they are fundamental to science fiction or they have some relevance http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=95 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=95 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL began by publishing experimental magazines. "The publication of our own magazines and books is the foundation of our business. The books' broader distribution gained us a wider audience and subsequently helped to attract commissions," notes Damon Murray, one of Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL's partners. (The other partners are Peter Miles and Stephen Sorrell.) The majority of Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL's work comes by way of referral, and they do not do any advertising or self-promotion per se. "The starting point for our personal work is not primarily to gain more commercial work. Often our personal work is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=84 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=84 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT America is not the only place young designers have latched on to the silkscreen movement to promote a subculture. Poland's music and skateboard scene has spawned an unlikely hero: a designer whose work hangs side by side in museums with Europe's finest masters. Working under the guise Hakobo on the street and under his own name in the museum circles, Jakub Stepien has served notice that the next wave of Polish poster designers already has a champion. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, Stepien is well aware of the designers that have come before him in Poland's long http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=149 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=149 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Stefan Sagmeister has never bothered to do any self-promotion, save a change-of-address-style postcard when he opened his new shop in New York. "We basically don't do any self-initiated self-promotion. We haven't even done a Christmas card, ever. We have never sent out a press release, ever." Despite this fact, Sagmeister consistently has to turn clients away. This admonition also belies the fact that Sagmeister does not actively create self-promotional materials to gain business; rather, he uses his design work to promote himself, creating posters for talks that he gives in New York and around the world, such http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=75 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=75 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Experimenting with color is a way of challenging a designer's imagination and often results in a variety of unexpected new solutions. Whether through changing contrast, volume, and proportion; stretching conventional notions of color harmony; or altering color temperature; new dynamics of color interaction are always possible. Allowing one color to dominate, in contrast to others, focuses attention on design elements in that color and allows them to communicate a distinct message. Layouts that feature strong contrasts between colors in terms of hue, saturation, and value have the greatest possibilities for expressive effect. However, designers must work to unify the contrasting elements http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=126 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=126 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT John C Jay does an amazing job of balancing the mangagement of his award-winning creative team at Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo, and running his own freelance studio, Studio J. At this studio he takes on jobs with high-profile clients such as Lucasfilm, for which he did the Star Wars, Episode One advertising campaign for Asia and Europe. He comments, "Wieden+Kennendy at this stage is a lot about creative mangement responsibilities, but at the heart of my existence I'm still an art director and designer. Certainly through my talented staff, I'm able to implement some of my thinking." In addition http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=98 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=98 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Josef Müller-Brockmann (1914-1996), designer, writer, artist, and educator, was one of the pioneers of functional, objective graphic design and the Swiss International Typographic Style. His poster series for the Zurich Tonhalle is a seminal example of this modernist, constructivist style and set the standard for the use of pure geometry, mathematical systems, and the grid in visual communications. During the 1950s, he explored various theories of nonrepresentational abstraction, visual metaphor, subjective graphic interpretation, and constructive graphic design based on the sole use of elements of pure geometry without illustration, nuance, or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=39 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=39 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Although a typical approach to a two-column grid employs columns of equal widths, a two-column grid can consist of two unequal columns. When the purpose of an information-rich piece is to be open, readable, and accessible, an option is to construct a grid containing a narrow column and a wider column. The wider column works well for running text and enables the author(s) to deliver a coherent running narrative, while the narrow column can hold material such as captions, images, or tables. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=66 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=66 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Why Not Associates place a premium on sense of humor when approaching design problems. A fan of comedy himself, partner Andy Altmann was quite pleased when he was able to help with the Tern redevelopment project in Morecambe, near Lancaster. Rather than featuring a public servant in the classical sense, the redevelopment project proposed a statue of Eric Morecambe, the comedian who is closely associated with the town of Morecambe. By selecting a figure that melded with local culture and history, the designers were able to dispute the idea that only generals and princes could be the subject of statues, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=93 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=93 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Dynamo, established in 1992, is one of Ireland's most respected design consultancies, combining award-winning design with intuitive strategic thinking. Since its inception, the firm has developed expert creative skills to meet the diverse requirements of its varied client base. It has added new skills, new technologies, new people, and new thinking to evolve into a hybrid communications company. Dynamo does print and brand identity, motion graphics, interactive design, and packing for consumer brands. "We want to create communication programs that enhance brand performance. And we achieve consistent results by adopting an intuitive, strategic approach to brand communications. That means strategy borne http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=134 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=134 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT John C Jay rarely participates in design conferences in Japan; rather, he concentrates his professional development on speaking with small groups or doing internal presentations for clients. In addition, he works with Illustration magazine to develop and encourage young talent. "I just personally judged 2,000 pieces of art that were sent to Illustration magazine. I'm very involved with them in encouraging young artists. Most recently, they did a call for entries for young artists in Japan. I wrote a brief, and the first thing they said to me was, 'Your client is Nike-why don't you do http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=112 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=112 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Vladimir Stenberg (1899-1982) and Georgii Stenberg (1900-1933), also known as the Stenberg brothers, were Soviet artists and designers who came to renown following the Russian Revolution of 1917. After an initial interest in engineering, the Stenbergs attended the Stoganov School of Applied Art (later renamed the State Free Art Workshops) in Moscow from 1917 to 1922, where they designed the decorations and posters for the first May Day celebration of 1918. In 1919, the Stenbergs along with a group of comrades founded the obmokhu (the Society of Young Artists) and participated in its first group exhibition http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=40 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=40 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Methodologie is a brand firm that specializes in comprehensive, business-critical communications systems such as brand development, investor communications, corporate identity systems, and print and interaction design. The firm's work is mostly business to business, with a strong presence in the "yin" industries, such as technology, biotech, and property development, balanced by the "yang" of nonprofit, human services, and fine arts clients. The designers say, "The hard side and soft side of our client list influence each other for the better." Methodologie is very much a collaborative team of twenty members, with five principals and two creative directors, probably best known for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=141 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=141 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Willem Sandberg (1897-1984) was a Dutch typographer and graphic designer, as well as a unique presence in the Dutch cultural world during the 1940s and 1950s. He was born in Amersfoot, Holland, and studied art at the State Academy of Art in Amsterdam. As a young man, he served as a printer's apprentice in Herrliberg, Switzerland. In 1927, he studied in Vienna and then at the Bauhaus in Dessau. Following his return to Amsterdam, he worked as a graphic designer until he was appointed deputy director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1938. His http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=55 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=55 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT In 1960, after completing his architectural studies in Milan and Venice, Massimo Vignelli (b. 1931) moved to the United States as cofounder and design director of Unimark International, at the time one of the largest design-consulting firms in the world. During the 1960s, Unimark and Vignelli designed many of the world's most recognizable corporate identities and public information systems for clients such as American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, and Knoll International, as well as the iconic sign program for the New York City subway system. Unimark's philosophy was based on a disciplined and systemized approach http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=63 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=63 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT In visual communications, closure can basically be described as a visual illusion. Closure literally means the act of closing or the condition of being closed. It is also a definitive finish or conclusion. As human beings, we have an innate need to make sense of what we see; therefore, if we anticipate a form we will always complete it. In human nature, we are constantly searching for resolution in everything we see and do. We have been taught to strive for the perfect balance in our lives. Even when we experience something incomplete http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=26 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=26 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT The Green Dragon Office is led by its founder and creative director Lorraine Wild. As a designer, writer, critic, lecturer, and faculty member of the Program in Graphic Design at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Wild has been a highly influential figure to scores of students, teachers, practitioners, and thinkers in the field of graphic design. Her business, Green Dragon Office, is a collaborative studio that designs publications, identities, websites, posters, signage, and other communication media for clients ranging from museums to schools, publishers, corporations, and nonprofit organizations of all types. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art notes, "Lorraine http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=136 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=136 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Hideki Nakajima has published two books that feature most of his work. He finds them useful for establishing credibility with his prospective clients. The books also serve as his portfolio for exhibitions in which he is asked to participate. "Two books that collect my works are titled Revival and Nakajima Design 1995-2000. I also did the exhibition 'New Village/Code Exhibition' (2002). The magazine IDEA had a special feature on my work in 2000 as well."Most of Nakajima's clients come to him over and over, so he has little need to self-promote. On the other hand, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=83 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=83 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Keep proportions in mind, even for the page foot, and leave plenty of space for your page number. The Golden Ratio Designers often work by eye and instinct to determine the most handsome proportions. They then find that other people working in the realm of space and planning have similar approaches, using similar proportions and ratios. The golden ratio has been used in art and architecture for thousands of years. Also called the golden section, the golden ratio describes a ratio of elements, such as height to width. The ratio is approximately 0.618. In other words, the smaller segment (for example, the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=65 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=65 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT To solicit new business, Scott Santoro of Worksight does the conventional work of making calls and networking through existing channels. But Santoro finds that the best way to create new business for himself is to start small and count on a bigger payoff down the road. "I'll try to do an extra-good job on tiny projects in the hopes that a company will grow and use me again. Sometimes it works. With a new client I'll work especially hard to design something that's smart and efficient. I guess I'm trying to prove my designing http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=82 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=82 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Clinical and anecdotal tests on color psychology and emotion have led to the development of widely accepted theories about color. That's why schools and hospitals favor teal paint for interior walls to make people feel calm, while restaurants are more likely to choose red interiors to make people feel hungry. But the power of certain colors changes over time and across cultures. One cannot deny the influence of fashion industry trends on color choices. Seasonality in fashion markets creates programmed obsolescence: What is the new "black" this season? Color-trend experts try to predict what car colors consumers might want to buy http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=175 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=175 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT An image is an artifact usually defined as a two-dimensional picture, idea, or impression of a person or physical object. A powerful and memorable image can make or break any visual communication. Photography, illustration, and other types of image forms can communicate a specific idea oremotion, gain a viewer's attention, further a reader's imagination, and ultimately enhance and enrich any visual message. Characteristics In visual communications, a graphic designer can consider numerous forms and methods when undertaking the act and process of image making-glyph, pictogram, symbol, drawing, illustration, painting, photography, and even typography can all be described as forms http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=34 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=34 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT The combination of a lagging economy and some do-it-yourself pluck provided the circumstances for a novel business development tool: hitting the pavement. Scott Santoro of Worksight knew that he wanted more business with book publishers, so he decided to go ask them if they needed his services. "I heard that there was a book-publishers' fair down at the Javits [Convention] Center. I thought, that would be a great place to bring laser prints of my book work. I'll walk around until I see books that I like. I'll walk right up to the people representing the company http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=85 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=85 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Art Chantry observes, "Graphic design is a weird art form; it is half business, half art. Most people who get into it do so because of the art. The successful ones get into it for the business. You may be a critical success doing art, but you are not going to get rich." In making ethical choices about who to work for and what kind of jobs to take, Chantry decided that the system is designed to "make hypocrites out of all of us." In his early career, he was not particularly picky about who he worked http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=88 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=88 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Often the most amazing work is being done where you least expect it. In the United States, it may be in the garage down the street from your office where some kid is silkscreening band posters. Internationally, it has to be the work being done in Iran. A great deal of pressure is on Pedram Harby, though he is up to the task, as he stands in for an entire movement in his country. The work of Maryam Enayati is discussed in the Next Wave section, but honestly, an entire third of this book could have been taken up by the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=151 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=151 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Asymmetry is the opposite of symmetry. Asymmetrical balance, also called informal balance, means without symmetry. This definition by itself has nothing to do with balance. It means only that images within a composition do not mirror one another. The term, however, is usually used to describe a kind of balance that does not rely upon the principle of symmetry. With asymmetry, one dominant form or compositional element is often offset by smaller forms or compositional elements. In general, asymmetrical compositions tend to have a greater sense of visual tension than symmetrically balanced compositions. References in Nature Asymmetry http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=24 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=24 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Lorenc + Yoo Design is an Atlanta-based environ­mental graphic design firm whose projects include retail spaces, tradeshow exhibits, furniture design, wayfinding signage, museum exhibitions, and event and corporate visitor center environmental graphics. Partners Jan Lorenc and Chung Youl Yoo came from very different cultural backgrounds. Lorenc emigrated to the United States from Poland as a boy, while Yoo immigrated more recently from Korea via Paraguay. Together they work within a wide range of stylistic environments and vocabularies for a variety of clients. Lorenc + Yoo Design's philosophy is one of exploration, inquisitiveness, and commitment to innovation. Its approach centers on collaboration http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=139 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=139 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Everything, but especially communication, is becoming increasingly complex. Things change so rapidly due to technology and new ways of interacting as human beings. It had given us more connectivity, but in many ways, less time to enjoy it. Plus product life cycles are shorter, and there is increased competition and a much higher demand for productivity and quality. There is also simply so much competition for everyone's limited attention. We may have become multitaskers, but you have to wonder how well any of us is accomplishing the task at hand. With increased capabilities http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=178 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=178 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Graphic design can't cure cancer. It could, however, bring attention to the cause, solicit funding and investment, facilitate community discussions, celebrate success stories, and help make dealing with it a bit easier. Design can play a number of different and valuable roles in supporting any organization's or business's big goals. These tend to be goals that go beyond a client's bottom line. Design helps audiences participate in a better future, or it can support a purely commercial purpose. Good design can motivate action in either case. A few years back, there was a so-called "designism" movement-the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=181 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=181 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Chase Design Group, lead by creative director Margo Chase, believes that questions can liberate great ideas from the chains of assumption. The firm challenges themselves and their clients to embrace the "why?" and the "what if?" This is a group of designers that knows that award-winning design doesn't happen by accident. They believe it's the product of many minds working together, and it starts with open-ended questions. It is a philosophical stance that fosters innovation. By working to push their thinking higher and their designs farther, Chase Design Group helps their clients http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=182 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=182 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Some clients are so busy focusing on their products and services that they neglect their most valuable asset-their employees. If you think of employees, and other stakeholders like investors or the board of directors, as a target audience, it becomes clear that they are also another audience for design. Too often, clients neglect to spend the money to do internal communications well. Graphic design and its enormous ability to communicate well to a variety of people in a range of media is an activity clients should invest in and nurture for their http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=183 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=183 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT One of the most prolific collaborations between a graphic designer and client in twentieth-century American design was the one shared by Alvin Lustig (1915-1955) and the progressive publisher New Directions Books in the 1940s and 1950s. During this time period, Lustig designed dozens of groundbreaking book covers and jackets for the Modern Reader and New Classics book series for New Directions. A designer, writer, and educator in Los Angeles and New York City, Lustig was one of the first designers to approach his craft and profession in a nonspecialized manner. He believed that all design http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=54 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=54 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT To a certain extent, pleasing color harmony is just like any other aspect of beauty: it is in the eye of the beholder. What is pleasing to one person may not be pleasing to another. Color harmony nevertheless is related to the organizing principles of all artwork: balance, variety, proportion, dominance, movement, rhythm, and repetition. These are some of the traditional metrics for determining whether or not a piece, be it fine art or graphic design, is pleasing and works. Making Color Choices Keeping this in mind, designers need to select the colors for each and every project carefully. Some of their http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=123 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=123 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, also known as A. M. Cassandre (1901-1968), was one of the most influential poster designers of the twentieth century. Born in Khrakov, Ukraine, in 1901, Cassandre spent most of his life in Paris following his family's emigration to France during the Russian Revolution of 1917. As a young man, he studied drawing and painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and at the Academie Julian. Cassandre was a man of many talents and, like most creative individuals, he experimented throughout his life and career with a wide variety http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=45 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=45 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT The Chase Design Group enters shows, such as those held by Communication Arts, How, and Print, and submits work to books as a way of self-promotion. In addition, they do occasional mailings that show their new work to specific types of clients. They also have an elaborate Web site on which they display a portfolio, a client list, and contact information. Referral is a huge part of the Chase Design Group's business development, and it constitutes the means by which they get much of their new business. Maintaining a good account office http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=79 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=79 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Uwe Loesch is an internationally recognized poster designer (Plakatgestalter) and professor at the Bergi University of Wuppertal in Düsseldorf. Although Professor Loesch works in a variety of media, including book and catalog design, identity establishment, and campaigns for social and cultural institutions, he is known best for his posters.Loesch's posters have strong meanings and messages delivered with a minimalist approach. He does not have a predefined visual style. He works with intelligence, wit, strong contrast, and the interaction of words and images to raise awareness for a variety of sociopolitical causes. Growing up in postwar Germany affected the way Loesch perceives http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=138 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=138 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Herb Lubalin (1918-1981) was a legendary art director, designer, and typographic master who brought humor, sensuality, and a modernist flair to every letterform and typographic element in his work. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he attended Cooper Union, where he began his love affair with calligraphy, letterform, and formal typography. Immediately following his graduation in 1939, he joined the advertising agency of Sudler & Hennessey (later Sudler, Hennessey & Lubalin) as an art director. In 1964, he left the agency to start his own design firm, where he ultimately worked in a broad range of areas including http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=61 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=61 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Typography can help define columns. The use of different weights and sizes can help to determine the order of information, creating a hierarchy that can be either horizontal (title, description, yield) or vertical (columns, left to right). Different type, such as a sans serif, can set off lists or information that differs from running text or instructions. Bold weights for titles or the numbers in instructions can function as alerts as well as add zest to the page. Lighter weights, possibly in a different face, can work for headnotes or subservient copy. The clearly-defined spaces can keep the range of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=71 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=71 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Every designer is both an artist and a businessperson. That duality exists in every aspect of their work and practice-whether in their own studio, or their work for a design firm, or their work as part of an in-house design team. They must be creative on demand one moment and professional the next. They might be in artist mode playing around with colors, shapes, type, and imagery, and be interrupted to take a phone call, or an email, requiring them to discuss the details of client deliverables, budget adjustments, or technical specifications for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=179 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=179 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT The following tips are key indicators for both clients and designers to use to determine compatibility and competence: Background: Research them. Do your homework and visit their website. Who are they? What do they make? How do they present themselves? Expertise: Is the designer's previous experience relevant to the project at hand? What kind of projects is the designer capable of handling? Are they a problem solver? Regarding clients, how much control do they need/want over the design process? Professionalism: How do they conduct themselves? Do they have references? What is their attitude? Do they have good communication skills? Are they well http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=180 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=180 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Max Bill (1908-1994), born in Winterthur, Switzerland, was an architect, painter, typographer, industrial designer, engineer, sculptor, educator, and graphic designer. Bill was initially a student at the Kunstgewerbeschule and apprenticed as a silversmith before beginning his studies in 1927 at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, with teachers such as Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Oskar Schlemmer. He permanently settled in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1929, and in 1937 became involved with a group of Swiss artists and designers named the Allianz. The Allianz group advocated the concrete theories of art and design and included Max Huber, Leo Leuppi, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=57 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=57 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Lester Beall (1903-1969) was a twentieth-century American graphic designer notable as a leading proponent of modernist graphic design in the United States. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and later moved to Chicago, where he stud-ied at the University of Chicago and later at the Art Institute of Chicago. As a self-taught graphic designer, he initially designed exhibits and wall murals for the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress World's Fair. In 1935, he relocated to New York City and eventually opened his own design consultancy in Wilton, Connecticut. Beall was deeply influenced by the European avant-garde http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=47 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=47 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Whereas some agencies spend a lot of time and money testing their advertising-addressing it with a scientific model of effectiveness-Waterbury stresses the importance of finding the emotional connection and inspiration in the audiences he speaks to. The scientific method quantifies data, which is only useful for analyzing events of the past. It does not predict the future, and it does not set trends. Because Wieden+Kennedy place a premium on the cultural relevancy of their campaigns, only a forward-looking model can power the organization. When some clients look at the Wieden+Kennedy portfolio, they wonder if their http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=87 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=87 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Design is not just for designers. At the very least, it involves a client-someone with a problem, goal, or objective-who engages the designer to provide solutions or meet needs. Design can serve a person, company, product, service, or idea. The client usually has someone they are directing these efforts toward-a customer, community, or audience, and it is typically commissioned by one person, but intended for another. According to AIGA, the professional association for design, "The act of designing is an inherently power-ful act. In that act, we share the stage with CEOs, government officials, civic leaders, passionate activists, and fellow http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=177 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=177 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Artists have been pursuing the ideal standard for proportion and composition since ancient times. The classical Greeks established the Golden Mean, also called the Golden Section or Golden Proportion, as a mathematical ratio and unifying force. The Golden Mean is a standard proportion for width in relationship to height in which the division of a given unit of length equals the ratio of the longer part to the whole. So, if the longer part is called x, and the shorter part 1-x, then 1-x is to x as x is to 1. The Greeks understood that a small part relates http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=129 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=129 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Some designers, especially those who have been working for a number of years, have the opportunity to publish their collected work in a monograph. In 2001, Chronicle books published Some People Can't Surf: The Graphic Design of Art Chantry. In 2001, Chronicle books published Some People Can't Surf: The Graphic Design of Art Chantry, an excellent introduction to Chantry's work written by Julie Lasky. "I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that book. It is a terrific piece of self-promotion, obviously. I think I can safely say that up until that book I didn't ever http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=78 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=78 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT In developing the multilayered audio and video pieces to advertise the first products in a Nike shoe line called "Presto," John C Jay, creative director and partner at Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo, wanted to create a momentum beyond what their work is able to do for the current product launch. "The things we make are never for sale," he comments. These can include special CDs, DVDs, or LPs. "We use them for special promotions, although promotions wouldn't be quite the right word. We use these things to make sure that key influencers of sports and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=80 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=80 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT The most successful grids have consistency, order, clarity, and a strong structure-then they shake things up. A two-column grid can be set with columns of different widths, which add visual tension and movement to a project. Even when quirky variations are used to enliven a design, a stable basic structure provides a clear framework while allowing drama. Consistent elements in many projects are a heading area at the top of the page a consistent text box in the same location on both left and right pages that acts as an effective signpost for the reader running feet and folios at the foot of the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=69 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=69 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Max Huber (1919-1992) was one of the most significant graphic designers of the twentieth century and an influential figure in the history of modern graphic design. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich and worked as an art director before moving to Milan in 1940, where he became art director of Studio Boggeri. Huber was also a member of the distinguished association of Swiss modernists called the Allianz-a group whose members included Hans Arp, Max Bill, Le Corbusier, Paul Klee, Leo Leuppi, and Richard Paul Lohse. In his early career, Huber was greatly influenced http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=46 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=46 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT LUST is a design, typography, and propaganda collaborative based in The Hague that was started in 1996 by Thomas Castro and Jeroen Barendse. The studio accepts commissioned work-such as books, posters, websites, and interactive projects for architects, art groups, designers, and publisers-and also produces self-initiated work, including type design. LUST describes its work as "typography graphic design abstract cartography mapping random mistake-ism fonts type design multimedia interactive Web design internet www art abstract big bang chaos." Underpinning its work is a point of view that becomes apparent when understanding how LUST defines the concept behind the name of its company. LUST http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=140 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=140 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Creating a coherent identity program involves more than slapping a bug on baseball hats and polo shirts. The style of additive visual elements-photography, illustration, etc.-truly helps define an identity program. Sometimes, designers overlook the obvious. Granted, there's a fine line between obvious and banal, and you do not want to cross it. Keep in mind, however, that art and design serve different purposes. Art is a one-to-one communication. Design needs to communicate directly with a specific group of people. When developing the photography or illustration style for a program, you don't need to trade clarity for sophistication. A lot of programs http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=171 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=171 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Balance occurs when visual elements within a composition are equally distributed and arranged to communicate a feeling of stability and harmony. This visual principle can be described as formal and symmetrical, dynamic and asymmetrical, or radial. Our response to balance is intuitivelylinked to taking our first steps as human beings. It is that essential need to stand, walk, and run that also relates to our fundamental, primal need to prefer balance in our lives, as well as in any composition. Balance is achieved in a composition by arranging dissimilar elements with different http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=22 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=22 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT AdamsMorioka is interested in prescient vision pared down to its most direct and powerful level. Formed in 1994 by partners Sean Adams and Noreen Morioka, the firm's ideas of clarity and purity have led a revolution in design away from complexity, chaos, and dystopia toward simplicity and utopia. The designers' definition of simplicity involves using the most salient and minimal forms to communicate. AdamsMorioka aims to eliminate visual clutter and provide designs that are smart and unexpected. The firm's work is intended to be understood and resonate with multiple audiences, not just visually sophisticated designers. "We think the message should be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=119 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=119 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Herbert Bayer (1900-1985), was a pioneering designer, typographer, architect, painter, photographer, and educator. After completing his military service, he was an architect's apprentice working on commissions including interiors, furniture, and packaging. In 1921, Bayer enrolled as a student at the Bauhaus in Weimar, where he studied under Wassily Kandinsky and later under Lazlo Moholy-Nagy. Following the closing of the Bauhaus, arrangements were made to transfer the school to Dessau, and in 1925 Bayer and five other former students including Marcel Breuer, Joost Schmidt, and Josef Albers were appointed teachers. As an http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=42 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=42 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Saul Bass (1920-1996) was a graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker who received global recognition for his work in graphic, film, industrial, and exhibition design but was best known for his animated film-title sequences. During his forty-year career, he worked with some of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers, including Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. His work included the epilogue for Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), his direction and editing of the racing sequences for Grand Prix (1966), the shower sequence for Psycho (1960), and the prologue for West Side Story http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=58 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=58 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Johnson banks provides creative and pragmatic solutions to communications problems in a smart and lively way. Its interpretations produce designs that keep clients' brands fresh and in the public consciousness. Looking at the firm's work gives a sense that there is thinking behind the graphics. What might be especially unexpected in the work of Johnson banks is its use of color. If designers are influenced by the region of the world in which they live, then creative director Michael Johnson's color palettes are not what should be, given the grayness of London. His work typically features pure vivid colors, often jewel http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=137 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=137 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT From my experience, the creative process never sleeps. I process experiences and memories differently than so-called left-brained thinkers who need to rationalize everything. Maybe it's because I was awful at math in high school, but fortunately I was okay at drawing. I wasalways trying to do album covers or movie posters, anything other than math. I can remember images, color, type, textures, and experiences more deeply than something like math. If I'm trying to solve something, I may go for a run, go for a walk down a New York City street, or go to a store or a restaurant and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=156 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=156 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Abstraction is independent of our visual world. It is an illusion of our own visible reality and solely a sensory experience. In graphic design, abstraction provides us with alternative ways of communicating visual messages containing specific facts and experiences. It is a visual language that does not rely upon the literal nature of things-familiar and identifiable to us in our own world. Relying on an abstract visual language can reshape the familiar into the expressive. It is free from objective content, context, and meaning. It can be symbolic, interpretive, imaginary, impressionistic, nonrepresentational, nonobjective, or nonfigurative. Historical http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=28 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=28 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Worldstudio, Inc., keeps in touch with its clients by sending them thank-you cards and a fancy box of chocolates at the end of the year. In the note, they thank clients for their business and remind them that 10 percent of the proceeds from every job goes to the Worldstudio Foundation, their socially progressive, nonprofit organization. They highlight the Foundation's activities that year, giving clients a chance to recognize that they have helped without even realizing it. It is one of the only times that the clients of Worldstudio, Inc., hear about the activities of the Worldstudio Foundation. Otherwise, the partners http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=76 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=76 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Jan Tschichold (1902-1974) was born in Leipzig, Germany, the eldest son of a sign painter and calligrapher. He studied calligraphy, engraving, typography, and book arts at Leipzig's Academy for Graphic Arts and Book Production. Soon after establishing himself as a graphic designer, he became aware of the need for a new approach to typography. At the time, typography was based on the principle of centered type or symmetry, using frame, border, and ornament to provide further texture, distinction, and individuality to each composition. Tschichold identified this approach as the "box block http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=50 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=50 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Oded Ezer is somewhat of an anomaly for this book because he is primarily a typographer. He is at the forward edge of Hebrew type design and now leads a small movement concerned with three-dimensional typography in Israel. This passion for type has found him at an odd destination-the poster. Each year he works on an "ongoing project: the Nonprofit Item Project, or NPI, as I call it," he says. "I use these posters as a platform to disseminate my conclusions and suggestions for typographical design." If the description sounds dry, then you had better look at the work again. It http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=148 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=148 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Expression is a design principle fully dependent on the graphic designer's individual ideas, personal moods, sole emotional outlook on the world, and place within it. It is perceived visually, as well as psychologically, in any visual message. It is also a completely subjective principle and reflectsdirectly on the time and experiences in whichthe designer has lived. Expression cannot betaught; it is learned by each and every graphic designer. It is also a reflection of thedesigner's inner thoughts, dreams, fears, and passions. As a result, an inherent bias completely depends upon our separate experiences or realities. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=27 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=27 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Light is a constant source of kinetic energy, ever changing on the infinite continuum of day into night. It is also an essential design element in visual communication because it fundamentally allows us to "see" and visually experience our world as we know it. In visual communications, light is either used as a sensation of light, a source of light or illumination, a representation of it, or an awareness of it, on design elements in a graphic composition. Technically, light is defined as an electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths that are visible to the human eye. It http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=16 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=16 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ludwig Hohlwein (1847-1949) was trained and practiced as an architect until 1906, when he became interested in graphic design and the visual arts. During the 1890s, he lived in Munich, where he was part of the United Workshops for Arts and Crafts, an avant-garde group of artists and craftsmen dedicated to the tenets and principles of the Arts and Crafts movement. Hohlwein moved to Berlin in 1911 and started working as a graphic designer primarily designing advertisements and posters for the men's clothing company Hermann Scherrer. Hohlwein's most creative phase of work and a large variety of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=62 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=62 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Proportion is the systematic relationship of one thing to another in any given composition. In visual communications, it is an essential design principle defined as the integral relationship of sizes within a composition. These integral relationships are transparent and function as an underlyingframework for all compositional elements. Proportion also represents the critical relationship between one part of a composition and another or between the whole of a composition and its size, quantity, or degree. Generally the goal of any proportional system is to produce a sense of coherence, harmony, and integrity among the elements. Historical References Proportion http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=33 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=33 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Images add immediacy, power, and clarity to communications, from stained-glass church windows to Michael Jordan billboards. Consider what images mean for a brand identity, and choose wisely. The evolution of online stock photography and photo-sharing sites has given designers access to a plethora of easy-to-come-by images. Search iStockphoto for "guys in ties running through airports," and you'll find ample imagery to represent just about any business customer. But using these clichéd images won't carve out a visual niche for the brand. It will merely add to the noise. With everybody using the same pool of photos, it's hard to use images as http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=172 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=172 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT As color spreads across an identity program into environments, packaging, websites, and more, consistency and meaning reign supreme. Strong identity programs use color in a fiercely consistent fashion. Choosing the right color is important-if you end up owning the wrong one, you can drag down a brand-but the importance of consistency in application can't be overstated. Anything less adds confusion to the emotional spectrum that inspired the color choice in the first place. As you think about how a base color and its accents tie a program together, remember this: Color communicates at the speed of light. The brain responds to color http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=174 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=174 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Content, margins, amount of imagery, desired number of pages, screens, and panels all factor into deciding how to set up a grid. Above all, the content determines the structure of the grid. The grid you use depends on each specific design problem, but below are some general guidelines: Use a single-column grid when working with continuous text, such as an essay or a book. A single column of text can seem less intimidating and more luxurious than multiple columns, making it suitable for art books or catalogs. For more complicated material, two-column or multicolumn grids afford flexibility. Columns that can be further http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=3 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=3 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Typography is designing with type. Type is the term used for letterforms-alphabet, numbers, and punctuation-that when used together create words, sentences, and narrative form. The term typeface refers to the design of all the characters mentioned above, unified by common visual elements and characteristics. Typography is also a unique principle in a graphic designer's vocabulary because it has dual functions. It can function on its purest level as a graphic element such as point, line, form, shape, and texture in a visual composition. However, its primary function is verbal and visual. It is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=36 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=36 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Born in Los Angeles sometime between the Korean War and the Bay of Pigs, Joel Nakamura is a graduate of the world-renowned Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where he later became an instructor. He currently resides and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where his surroundings can clearly be identified in his vast body of work. His work has been featured in newspapers and magazines around the world, and he has had many one-man shows. Today, he counts two young persons-his children-as the sources for some of his most compelling and intriguing ideas in paint. "They are http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=168 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=168 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT All illustrative logos are pictures, but they cover quite a range of meaning. Some literally illustrate a product or service. Others symbolically represent an idea or metaphor more loosely related to an organization's mission. A third group suggests meaning or captures a spirit rather than illustrating something specific. The more literal an illustrative logo is, the less work a potential customer needs to do to interpret it. If your client is a dentist, and you create a logo for her practice that resembles a toothbrush, her logo functions like a highway sign. It says, "This is the dentist, not the cobbler." Sometimes, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=170 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=170 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT One of the most important parts of John C Jay's creative direction is establishing a vision for the office. Jay consistently asks: Who do you hire? How do you maintain the most interesting and skilled people in your company? He notes, "I want to bring in the most skilled, of course, but I also want the most interesting people who lead the most interesting lives-people who bring something into the office besides just focusing on a typeface." If you go to the fourth floor of Wieden+Kennedy's office in Tokyo, you will find a studio full of DJ equipment-mixers and turntables so http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=94 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=94 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designers can spend countless hours looking for the perfect typeface to match their semantic and syntactic objectives. Because that can be a daunting and even futile quest, some designers choose to create a custom typeface. Custom fonts fall into a number of categories, such as original designs, tributes, remixes, and hybridizations. In the essay "Call It What It Is," published in Emigre's Tribute type specimen booklet, John Downer divided typeface tributes into two categories: those that follow the original closely, and those that follow the original loosely. Whether it becomes a tribute or something entirely new, the final typeface can http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=160 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=160 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Christopher Simmons is a Canadian-born, San Francisco-based graphic designer, writer, and educator. He is the author of three books on graphic design and a frequent speaker on graphic design at schools and design organizations across the United States. He has contributed to works in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian Institution. He is an instructor of design at the California College of Arts in San Francisco (his alma mater), and he runs the design firm, MINE. Someone famously observed that no matter what pathway you make in a park, people will inevitably cut http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=163 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=163 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Color vision is a result of the way our eyes and brains interpret the complexities of reflected light. What we see is a result of different wavelengths of light stimulating parts of the brain's visual system. The three types of light receptors, called cones, are located in the retina of the eye and recognize these different wavelengths of light. Not every human being's receptors and interpretations of color are quite the same. In addition, some people have inherited genetic conditions, such as color blindness, that further affect color perception. Color Blindness Limits More Males Color blindness, of which several varieties exist, affects http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=127 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=127 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Consumers see a wealth of symbols each day in the form of logos. Because a company name has such staying power-and since designers have a wealth of alphanumeric characters to choose from-many of these logos take the shape of singular emblems, monograms (two or more letters that come together as a sign or trademark), or wordmarks. Emblems + Wordmarks The journey from corporation to corporate identity is a circuitous one, but some things remain consistent: The mark should be appropriate and embraceable, legible and effective. When letters come together to form these new word signs, they operate in a visual and verbal http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=162 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=162 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Jorge Alderete is a pop illustrator, influenced by trash culture, 1950s science fiction movies, wrestling, and surf music. His illustrations, animations, and comics have appeared around the world. He graduated with a degree in fine arts from Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina, as a designer in visual communication. He has done animations for MTV Latin America and Japan, and Nickelodeon Latin America and Brazil, and he was the animation de-partment coordinator of MTV Latin America. My work is a mix of the city, the street, real things that I see, and fantasy things like monster movies. But most of my http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=165 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=165 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sean Adams is founding partner with Noreen Morioka of AdamsMorioka. He has been recog-nized by every major competition and publication. A solo exhibition on AdamsMorioka was held at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has been cited as one of the forty most important people shaping design internationally in the ID40. AdamsMorioka's clients include the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Adobe, Gap, Frank Gehry Partners, Nickelodeon, Sundance, Target, USC, and the Walt Disney Company. Fifteen years ago, I was so clear in my direction and goal to clean up the world, and finding inspiration was so easy. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=166 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=166 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Agnete (Nete) Oernsholt is an award-winning graphic designer and art director with OERNSHOLT, a design company founded in Copenhagen, which also operates in Los Angeles. Oernsholt was schooled in the renowned Scandinavian design tradition and is influenced by her wide experience within the fashion industry. Nete is a former art director at Bergsoe, Denmark, and was a brand design manager with the LEGO Group. I have drawers full of "good" ideas that I never produced. Most I've never shown to a single person. The reason is that for me, the process of getting to the idea is what I enjoy. I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=167 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=167 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT The visual principle of scale is defined as a relative, progressive classifi-cation of proportion or adegree of size, amount, importance, and rank in a composition. Proportion and scale are related design principles in visual communications. Proportion refers to the size relationships of design elements relative to the space they occupy in an overall composition. Scale refers to the size comparisons of the design elements in a composition, or a size relationship when comparing one design element to another. On a day-to-day basis, we all make scale comparisons relating http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=19 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=19 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Type Anatomy. Each letter part has its own name that refers to the form or counterform. The form is the positive space, such as the black shapes that make up this text. The counterform refers to the negative space bound within the form or around its extensions. Many of the terms used in the typography lexicon are the same as those used for anatomy and physiology. These terms have been built up over hundreds of years, and can change depending on the culture, language, and letterforms. Some of the more common terms that a designer should understand include x-height, counter, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=158 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=158 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT To accommodate huge amounts of information, large websites are organized using grids. Space is broken into chunks to control information. Start by reviewing any constraints. Take into account screen margins and toolbars, such as the navigational toolbar for the screen, as well as the browser. As with print, web design calls for considering anything that takes up space. In the case of many websites, items to consider include ads, videos, and a complex array of heads, subheads, bylines, lists, and links. Therefore, clear typographical choices are crucial. Screen Sizes Users have different screen sizes, so many designers define a live area, of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=72 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=72 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Hammerpress of Kansas City, carries on a proud tradition of printing that requires a different approach to design than that of many contemporaries-the beloved letterpress. Designer and printer Brady Vest is one in a long line of devotees to this printing process. With its metal type and custom-engraved plates biting into the paper, this age-old process provides vivid color and the unique characteristics of hand-set type and borders married to custom images. Letterpress was the manner in which printed materials were produced for hundreds of years, and it instantly gives each piece a nostalgic feel. Hammerpress may practice an old-school way of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=150 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=150 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Piet Zwart (1885-1977), a Dutch craftsman, draftsman, and architect, was born in Zaandijk, an industrial area north of Amsterdam. From 1902 to 1907, he attended Amsterdam's School of Arts and Crafts, where he became interested in architecture. His early work involved designing textiles, furniture, and interiors in a style that showed his affinity for de Stijl. Zwart was influenced by many of the modern, avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century, as well as Tschichold's The New Typography. He was one of the first modernist designers in Holland to apply the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=51 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=51 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Why Not Associates formed in part because the skills of three came in handier than the skills of one. Andy Altmann remembers, "The three of us were in college together, and we grad-uated in 1987, myself, David Ellis, and Howard Greenhalgh. [Greenhalgh] was asked to design a magazine, which he said he could do. He came up to the college and said, 'I've got to do a magazine. Can you help me?' Later, we thought up a name and set up a studio in Soho. Greenhalgh always wanted to do film things, so he eventually ended up doing pop videos. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=97 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=97 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT As color is a visual language in and of itself, a designer can use it to attract the eye and focus attention on the intended messages in the work. Color can be used to irritate or relax, encourage participation or alienate-it is completely up to the designer. Josef Albers said, "Whether bright or dull, singular or complex, physiological or psychological, theoretical or experiential, the persuasive power of color attracts and motivates." Color Physiology Influences Design Strong visual statements can distinguish a designer's work and the client's message from the competition. Using physiological phenomena to get attention will also assist in this goal. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=124 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=124 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Basic forms are derived from basic shapes-a square becomes a cube, a circle becomes a sphere, a triangle becomes a pyramid. The terms shape and form are often confused with one another as if they meant the same thing. Form is achieved by integrating depth or volume to the equation of shape. It is a three-dimensional element of design that encloses volume. It has height, width, and depth. For example, a two-dimensional triangle is defined as a shape; however, a three-dimensional pyramid is defined as a form. Cubes, spheres, ellipses, pyramids, cones, and cylinders are all examples of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=15 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=15 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT cyan-always lowercase-has brought a sense of intensity to the German design scene. Daniela Haufe and Detlef Fielder worked together elsewhere before deciding to concentrate on their cultural work and form their own studio, where they were joined by Julia Fuchs and Katja Schwalenberg. They quickly found themselves feted in international magazines and collections. The firm was even identified by Neville Brody as one of the few worth watching in Germany. Due to their extraordinary ability to unify content, form, and image on a single sheet of paper, the poster is a natural vehicle for their talents. Haufe and Fielder share their design http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=147 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=147 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Joel Templin and Katie Jain founded Hatch Design in 2007. Since then, they've attracted great clients and have gained critical acclaim for their design and branding work. But this new entity, Hatch, was born to enable them to do more than help clients build brands; it was designed to allow them to create and grow their own brands, as well. JAQK Cellars is the first idea to crack out of the egg, and it couldn't be a more beloved first hatchling. JT: Inspiration comes from so many places. We http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=155 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=155 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Color is one of the most powerful and communicative elements in a graphic designer's language. It affects all of us by providing visual energy and variety in what we see and experience on a daily basis. Color is used to attract attention, group disparate elements, reinforce meaning, and enhance visual compositions. It can also immediately convey an attitude or an emotion, provoke a response, create emphasis and variety, communicate a specific message, and further strengthen an established hierarchy. Color increases visual interest and can reinforce the meaning and organization of elements in any http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=17 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=17 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Figure-ground is primarily the visual relationship between the foreground and background of a composition. This relationship between figure and ground is one of the primary principles of visual perception and visual communications. Related design elements of shape and contrast have a critical anddirect effect on how a figure and its ground interact with one another. Figure-ground relationships also refer to the optical phenomenon that occurs when specific design elements in any composition appear to move forward or recede. For example, the page that you are currently reading contains typographic text and images that constitute "figure," http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=31 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=31 Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT The most successful design looks simple but is subtly versatile. A design that seems open and spare can support a lot of material, especially in a book or catalog. If the project contains both text and images, look at the proportion between the two and determine how much space is needed for each. When captions are long and contain a lot of additional information, such as credits and supplemental descriptions, distinguish the captions from the text by using different typefaces, by setting the type smaller, or by varying the amount of space between elements.One structural solution is a three-column grid that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=70 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=70 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Fang Chen is a thinking man's poster designer. He constantly works to elevate the level of creative thinking in the world, and one of the ways in which he pursues that goal is through designing posters. "From the beginning of my career, I have worked as an art educator, and I have taught graphic design at the university level for more than ten years," says Chen. ­ "As a teacher of design, I feel a responsibility to practice design-I choose poster design-because good teaching is based on professional knowledge, and practice is essential to effective learning. Designing posters, for me, is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=146 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=146 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT In 1947, Jan Tschichold (1902-1974) emigrated from Switzerland to Great Britain to accept a position at Penguin Books as its new design director. Founded in 1935, Penguin Books was one of the most commercially successful book publishers in Great Britain. Prior to Tschichold's arrival in London, Penguin paperbacks were not produced with any specific design standards or production criteria. Their existing standards, dated and limited, were generic and inappropriate in comparison with the publisher's reputation and offerings. Tschichold quickly realized that a new and unique set of compositional rules and standards were needed at http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=49 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=49 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Why did you become a type designer? I started my college studies in architecture, but then changed my major to graphic design, and I soon realized that typography interested me the most. Experimenting with type as a form of illustration fascinated me. But this was before the digital revolution opened up type design to anyone with a personal computer; so at that point, I only got to use typefaces, not create them. The Macintosh computer was released the year I graduated. We purchased one, and I immediately started experimenting with designing bitmaps, which was state-of-the-art type design for the Mac http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=157 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=157 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Inspiration can come from anywhere and at any time. There's a difference between inspiration, influence, and reference. When I'm asked what inspires me, I think people expect the answer to be more about a particular reference. For instance, going to a book to see how a certain style looks, that's reference material; going through books or magazines and picking up ideas, that's influence. For me, inspiration is a spark out of nowhere, a leap of the imagination, often from a surprising source. I mostly get my inspiration from things unrelated to what I do. It's that moment of juxtaposition when the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=152 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=152 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT I get inspired by getting outside. Meeting new people, traveling to new places, and immersing myself in new experiences is essential to finding inspiration. Spending time in different cities throughout the world allows meaccess to different cultures and approaches to design. These diverse experiences help to serve as catalysts during the creative process and ensure that the designwork represents a world beyond just my daily experiences. Cataloging and documenting these trips is key to getting the most out of them. And technology has made that process easier, not only to gather but also to share. What used to require stacks of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=154 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=154 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Beautiful for a Moment"The nicest compliment I've had is when a simple passerby said that seeing my poster in his street has made his everyday life more beautiful for a moment," says designer François Caspar. The impressive list of galleries and museums that show his work and the awards he has won probably feel pretty good as well. Caspar's bold sense of design, use of large central imagery, and inherent playfulness generate a classic appeal with a French twist. Caspar's work for theater productions has garnered most of the attention. When asked why he designs posters for theater, he recalls, "I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=145 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=145 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Working side by side at Planet Propaganda, a top U.S. design firm, Dan Ibarra and Michael Byzewski decided to form a haven for their interest in screen-printing. Originally conceived as an outlet for fun and one-off side projects, they quickly became so successful that making the choice to turn Aesthetic Apparatus into their full-time gig was a no-brainer. Building their business around limited-edition screen-printed concert posters, they were one of the first firms to benefit fully from the explosion of this market. With the path cleared by Frank Kozik and Art Chantry, Aesthetic Apparatus left Wisconsin and headed west to the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=143 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=143 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT "I know that this advice may seem a bit wide-open and perhaps even a little existential; but the point is to realize what kind of person you are and how that will affect your expectations, hopes, and preconceptions about being in business as an independent. I'm no rebel and I worked many years in-house and at studios, but the truth is, I knew early on in my career that I was going to eventually venture off to do my own thing. Being aware of this helped me get the most from my jobs and also curb behaviors that could have http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=144 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=144 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Color theory is a set of guiding principles that can be used to create harmonious color combinations. These ideas are represented in a variety of diagrams-color wheels, triangles, and charts that help designers understand color interactions, select and combine colors, and construct pleasing and effective palettes. A Brief History of Color Theory We offer this brief account to familiarize designers with the major color theorists and their significant findings. We encourage further exploration of this topic to gain a deeper understanding of color theory. Since ancient times, color theorists have developed ideas and interpretations of color relationships. Attempts to formalize and recognize order http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=122 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=122 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Increasingly, designers work across several media, including print, online, broadcast, packaging, and environment. Care must be given to create consistent reproduction results in a variety of manufacturing processes and materials. Consistent colors are managed through the use of standardized color systems. Several Choices of System For inks on paper, designers use the PANTONE® Matching System, TOYO, ANPA, or DIC (Dai Nippon Ink Colors). In the United States, the most ubiquitous color formula specification system, especially for spot colors, is PANTONE®, with colors referred to as PMS and a series of numbers (e.g., PMS185 is a bright red). These standardized colors are offered http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=130 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=130 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Chimera Design, established in 1997 by creative director John Magart, provides expertise for a diverse range of clients. The studio thrives on challenging projects and is focused on achieving unique outcomes in a diverse array of media. The designers constantly push the bounds of print and multimedia. Chimera believes that great design needs a strong conceptual base and point of difference. Color often provides the difference. In response to questions about their color philosophy, designer Keelie Teasdale speaks for Chimera. "One's reaction to color is very personal and affected by social trends, styles, or conditioning, yet we as designers must create http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=133 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=133 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Fauxpas Grafik was founded in 2001 by partners Martin Stillhart and Giles Bachmann. Stillhart studied at the Schule für Gestaltung in Basel, Switzerland, while Bachmann studied at Höhere Schule für Gestaltung in Zürich. Together with a small staff, they are engaged in various areas of design. Fauxpas Grafik functions is an architectural office, book publisher, and cultural institution. The firm works primarily in print and sometimes in online design. Their work includes packaging, logos, direct mail, posters, books, and websites. In addition to commissioned work, Fauxpas Grafik sells its own products, including boxed sets of custom-designed rubber stamps. Partner Giles Bachman http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=135 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=135 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT The human eye can distinguish among these wavelengths, so we see the world in color. Rays of light vibrate at different speeds. The sensation of color, which happens in our brains, is a result of our vision's response to these different wavelengths. When taken together, the various rays our eyes can distinguish are called the visible spectrum. This fairly narrow range of colors includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, blue-violet (which scientists call indigo), and violet. Apparent Colors Color is derived from light, either natural or artificial. With little light, little or no color is present. With a lot of light comes http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=121 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=121 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT The unique integration of Worldstudio, Inc. and the Worldstudio Foundation sets this organization apart. David Sterling and Mark Randall started the foundation before creating their design studio. Their goal was to have a business, but they first wanted to prioritize the mission of the nonprofit organization that became the Worldstudio Foundation. They discovered that it was impossible to merge the interests of a business with their socially active work, so the foundation and Worldstudio, Inc. developed as distinct entities. The umbrella mission of the foundation is to involve creative professionals in socially and environmentally aware projects. The most overt manifestation of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=113 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=113 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sagmeister aims to do about a third of its work for socially relevant causes. In 2002, Sagmeister teamed up with True Majority-a group of 500 business people under the leadership of Ben Cohen, one of the founders of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream-who had put together a 10-point program to influence national leadership in left-leaning political causes. Some members see it as a preventative measure against another 9/11; some see it as a plan for the United States to improve its behavior in the world; some see it as a group that makes the world a better place. It is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=114 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=114 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ed Fella worked throughout the '70s for arts organizations in and around Detroit. In addition to designing Detroit Focus Quarterly, a local art magazine, he did thousands of posters on which he would execute his typographic experiments. He contributed his design time as well as the facilities of the shop in which he was working. To get new typefaces, which at that time had to be purchased, he would piggyback the typeface from a paying job onto pro bono jobs. "I'd do a job for a car company for which we'd put on a few lines of type and send http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=116 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=116 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Color has the ability to evoke a response, create a mood, symbolize an idea, and express an emotion. Differences in particular aspects of color, such as a change in value or intensity, can further refine a color's tone and meaning. People have their own associations with color, but there are conscious and subconscious social and cultural connotations too. Every color has its own set of connections that convey information, with the color itself acting as a signifier of ideas-both positive and negative. Sources of Color Meanings All color meanings are relative; these interpretations are influenced by a variety of factors, including age, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=118 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=118 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sometimes information is a cross between a chart and a module. When presenting complex information, consider clarity, readability, space, and variation. Breaking complicated information into manageable chunks results in clearer layouts. Use a modular grid when there are so many chunks of separate information that continuous reading isn't necessary or possible you want all material to fill a similar block of space you want a consistent-or nearly consistent-format units of information are headed by numbers or dates, with similar amounts of materialBreaking the material down also involves the typography that serves the content. Playing off size and weight against the explanatory copy helps make a page http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=73 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=73 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Why Not's success has created the enviable situation in which they have never had to seek out work. Instead, their self-promotion has consisted of maintaining close client connections to keep the work coming in. Andy Altmann of Why Not notes, "This year has been the quietest we've ever had, and we've been like, 'How do you get work?' So we checked with all the clients we have ever worked with in the past, and that's worked, so now we are busy again. It the past, we've been quite blasé about it, but it is a little different now. We are http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=77 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=77 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT The flow of work through Sagmeister Studio is not complex. Initially, it comes in through Stefan Sagmeister. He works on it with his designer, Mattias Erstberger, and then it goes out through Sagmeister. Having only two designers in the office naturally limits the volume of work. At times, there are interns who Sagmeister judges to be particularly talented, and they work on jobs, too. Sagmeister takes on interns only if they are able to commit full-time to the studio-this generally means the person cannot have another job in addition to his or her work at the studio. This pared-down office is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=92 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=92 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT When developing the logo for pop star Madonna's "Drowned World" tour in 2001, Chase Design Group approached the work by gathering as much source information as possible. Doing the work to research and describe the aesthetic foundation of a particular design is essential to the way this company arrives at its final decisions. Chase Design Group developed a custom icon and logo type to convey the unique and ethereal qualities of Madonna's show-described by Chase as "a multilayered musical and spiritual journey through diverse worlds"-as well as to address some of her personal interests. "Madonna is a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=99 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=99 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Scott Santoro of Worksight was involved with the New York AIGA chapter, which kept him busy. "I served for two years as vice president, and I was really active. Since then, I started an AIGA student group at Pratt, which includes about 50 graduate and undergraduate students. We are able to attract good speakers, who also have a high-profile draw. "The students with whom Santoro works are interested in the wider industry of design, and this group gives them an opportunity to keep abreast of the variety of design-related events that happen all over New York City. Because the New York http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=101 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=101 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT When Matteo's president, Matt Lenoci, first approached the Chase Design Group, Matteo had a logo and packaging scheme, but it was clearly in need of an update. The new logo is based on a classical roman serif font updated for a more modern feeling. Chase Design Group's solution for the packaging resolved two problems. The first problem was how to give the company a luxurious look without breaking its modest budget. The second was how to package the variety of sizes of product without requiring different-sized labels for each item. Chase Design Group created a single card-label http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=105 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=105 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT In addition to teaching Type 4 at Cal Arts, Los Angeles, designer Margo Chase also gives workshops from time to time. "I find it very satisfying," she notes. "It gives me a different perspective on the practice of design. "Dirty Words was a project that Chase did at a design conference in Nebraska called "Art Farm." About 40 local designers participated in workshops presented by several prominent visiting designers. The point was to escape the routine of the standard workday and get inspired. Chase provided large pieces of white paper and pots of India ink. She asked the participants to search the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=109 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=109 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT The Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL team has never been drawn to teaching at art schools. Instead, they feel that they provide a good insight into their graphic sensibility as designers through their books. They continue to learn by producing work in ways that push the boundaries of their knowledge and keep their interest keen. "We set up and photographed the Adidas ad one morning in a local community sports hall. This ad was part of a European adidas campaign in which artists and designers were asked to come up with an image based around the line 'Forever http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=111 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=111 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Emil Ruder (1914-1970) was a Swiss typographer, graphic designer, author, and educator instrumental in starting the Allegmeine Gewerbeschule (Basel School of Design), as well as developing the International Typographic Style or the Swiss School. As a young man, he studied in Paris and trained as a typesetter in Zurich. In 1929, at the age of fifteen, he began a four-year compositor's apprenticeship and attended the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts. In 1948, Ruder met the artist-printer Armin Hofmann, and they began a long period of collaboration and teaching that achieved an international reputation by http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=56 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=56 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sometimes, instructional material includes so many discrete chunks of information that a page needs more than mere space between the columns for readability. In such cases, a vertical rule can function as a dividing line between columns. Horizontal rules can separate information within columns by dividing running text from boxed material, or by separating the overall text area from the running feet and folios by means of another horizontal rule. Caution: Too many rules can dull a page. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=67 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=67 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Good design reflects and relates to the material and, therefore, to the reader. Successful typography defines clear and understandable zones, no matter the publication's purpose. Zones can work both horizontally and vertically within a spread or story and still maintain orderly integrity. The key is to make certain that material corresponds. Specifically, make sure the reader understands the basic material at a glance. Make certain the headline or headlines stand apart. Ensure that captions are positioned so they correspond with their images and help the reader-especially when the piece is instructional. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=68 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=68 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Peter Behrens (1868-1940) was a true visionary and the first Renaissance designer of the modern age, moving with ease from one discipline to another-painting, architecture, product design, furniture design, and graphic design. His creative interests were boundless. Behrens was the first to pursue a seamless integration of visual communications and architecture and was an inspiration to the founders of the modernist movement. As a young man, he worked as a fine artist, illustrator, and bookbinder in his native Hamburg. In 1899, Behrens became the second member of the recently created Darmstadt Artists' Colony, where he http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=38 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=38 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Takenobu Igarashi (b. 1944) is a sculptor and designer who has continually explored the fusion of two-dimensional and three-dimensional form. His work is based on a language of basic elements-point, the purest element of design; line, which delineates locations and boundaries between planes; shape, realized flat or dimensional; texture, visual or tactile; and grid, whose horizontal and vertical axes provide order and logic to a composition. While the majority of his work for the last thirty years has been in graphic identity, environmental graphics, and product design, his exploration and experimentation with letterform and isometric grids has http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=41 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=41 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT In 1955, Jacqueline Casey (1927-1991) started her professional career as a graphic designer when she joined the Office of Publications (Design Services Office) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge under the design direction of fellow classmate Muriel Cooper. When Cooper joined MIT's faculty in 1972, Casey took over as director, where she created a series of iconic promotional posters to publicize MIT events and exhibitions. For over three decades, she was a woman working in a man's world, not only in the MIT Office of Publications but also in the environs of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=48 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=48 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Adrian Frutiger (b. 1928) is one of the most prominent typographers of the twentieth century and the designer of one of the most notable typeface families ever to be created-the sans serif Univers. As a young boy, he experimented with invented scripts and stylized handwriting as a negative response to the formal, cursive penmanship being enforced at the Swiss school he was attending. At the age of sixteen, he began a apprenticeship as a compositor with an Interlaken printer. During this apprenticeship, he also learned woodcutting, engraving, and calligraphy. Between 1949 and 1951, Frutiger studied at the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=59 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=59 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Movement is defined as the act or process of moving or a change of place, position, or effort. It can be actual or implied. In a painting or photograph, for instance, movement refers to a representation or suggestion of motion. In sculpture, movement refers to implied motion, with the exceptionof mobiles and kinetic sculptures that have actual motion, such as found in the work of Alexander Calder. In visual communications, movement apparent in a drawing, painting, photograph, book cover, or even magazine spread forces our eyes to move constantly and attend http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=20 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=20 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Space is an essential design element in all visual communications. However, unlike other elementssuch as line, shape, form, color, and texture, space cannot be placed or located in a composition. Space refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within other elementssuch as lines, shapes, forms, colors, textures, frames, and images in a composition. It can be two dimensional or three dimensional and described as flat, shallow, deep, open, closed, positive, negative, actual, ambiguous, or illusory. The fundamental principle of space is an integral design element to be considered in any http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=21 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=21 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT The principle of tension in visual communications is critical to effective graphic design. Tension is primarily a visual, as well as psychological, attention-getting device. It is also a tenuous balance maintained between opposing formal elements, often causing anxiety, stress, angst, or excitement, exuberance, and joy for the viewer. Tension and balance are interrelated principles in visual communications. Like balance, tension is an obvious and constant presence in our everyday lives. Unfortunately, we cannot experience one of them without the other. When something is out of balance in our life, we feel tense and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=25 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=25 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT In visual communications, tone (also identified as value or shade) means the degree of lightness or darkness apparent on the surface of an object. Tone is also the relative degree of a color's lightness or darkness-its content of black or white. It can be characterized by the degree of light that falls on an object and how it is then reflected, and ultimately perceived. It is also one of the most important principles in visual communication because it helps define an object's size, form, and position relative to orientation and composition. Because the majority http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=29 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=29 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Contrast is a visual principle that fundamentally provides the eye with a noticeable difference between two things or objects-large and small, red and green, light and dark, or hot and cold. In visual communications, contrast is the perceptible difference in visual characteristics that makes an object (or its representation in an image) distinguishable and distinct from other objects in a composition as well as its surrounding background. Contrast in a composition is the opposite of visual harmony. It can be achieved by exaggerating the visual differences in size, shape, color, and texture between compositional elements, thereby enhancing and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=30 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=30 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT In basic terms, a frame is an enclosure to a visual image. It is a fundamental element of visual communications and can be used to separate, organize, unify, contain, and distinguish, as well as increase visibility and immediacy in any visual message. Like an actual picture frame, it can take variousgraphic forms and can be found virtually everywhere. In the familiar world, a frame can set off a work of art from the wall on which it is being displayed and simultaneously bring visual attention to it. In the broadest definition of the word, a frame http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=32 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=32 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Fundamentally, a grid is composed of a series of horizontal and vertical lines that provide alignments and intersections for the graphic designer to use in an obvious or subtle manner. It is a primary design principle for all visual communications. Similar to many other design elements and principles in this book, a grid's functions are limitless. It can provide order and visual unity as well as enhance the rhythm and pacing of any visual message. A typographic page grid is a two-dimensional organizational framework used to structure content. It is an armature for the graphic http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=37 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=37 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Texture is defined as the look and feel of any surface. It is the surface quality of an object, be it smooth, rough, soft, or hard, and essentially a visual effect that adds richness and dimension to any visual composition. It can be seen and experienced by human touch or interpreted tactilelyby visual means. Textures can be described as flat, shiny, glossy, glittery, velvety, wet, feathery, gooey, furry, sandy, leathery, furry, cracked, prickly, abrasive, puffy, bumpy, corrugated, rusty, slimy, and so on. Texture, along with other elements in a composition, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=18 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=18 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT A point is the fundamental building block of all visualcommunication elements and principles. It is also the simplest and purest of all geometric elements in a graphic designer's vocabulary and used as an essential element in geometry, physics, vector graphics, and other related fields. Definitions A point has many definitions. It is often considered within the framework of Euclidean geometry, where it is one of the fundamental objects. Euclid (325-625 bc), creator of modern geometry, originally defined the point vaguely, as "that which has no part." It is an abstract phenomenon indicating a precise location; however, it cannot be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=12 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=12 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT One of the most basic and pervasive visual elements of a graphic designer's visual vocabulary is a line. A line's functions are limitless. It can join, organize, divide, direct, construct, and move other graphic objects. A line can be read as a positive mark or a negative gap. Lines can be actual or implied. They can be realized as edges or boundaries to objects as well as contours to shapes and forms. A line can lead the reader's eye as well as provide movement and energy to anycomposition. When used properly, a line can improve readability, immediacy, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=13 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=13 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT From ancient glyphs to contemporary symbols, shape is one of the fundamental elements of a graphic designer's vocabulary. Generally, shape is defined by boundary and mass. It refers to a contour or an outline of a form. A plane or shape is a point or dot that has become too large to retain its pure identity due to its weight or mass, even if it still has a flat appearance. When this transformation occurs, a dot becomes a shape. A shape is a graphic, two-dimensional plane that appears to be flat and is defined by an enclosing, contour line, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=14 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=14 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Consider the main text first and analyze the project's complexity-most projects have restrictions, such as size, number of pages, and colors. When paying attention to the content, also factor in any project criteria. Once you know the sizes of the page or screen and your basic text, figure out how the elements fit on the page. If you're working with text only, you can fit your text into the allotted number of pages. If you also need to include images, headings, boxes, or charts, first determine the amount of space needed for the text. The remainder is the amount of space http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=4 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=4 Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 CDT We live in an RGB world, in which both clients and designers view almost everything on screen. Color is a way to make modules or sections stand out. Color defines space as well as helps to organize elements within a space. Color also enlivens a page and provides a psychological signal for the kind of message that's being conveyed. When setting up colors, consider the audience. Saturated colors attract attention, while desaturated colors support the material in a more understated way. Too many colors can cause a piece to be busy and hard to naviagate. A Crucial Production Note about Color We http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=8 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=8 Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 CDT We are conditioned to respond to the controlling missives we receive, and not inconsequentially, by the illustrative and typographic appearance of those missives. Take the everyday act of crossing the street: It is dictated by terse commands-stop, go, cross, don't cross. Alt! Whatever the language, the orders are always comprehensible in print. If not the specific words (berhenti means "stop" in Malaysia)-or the alphabet (Cyrillic or Chinese)-then the colors (like red for stop, yellow for wait, green for go), symbols (flat outstretched hands for stop), and sign shapes are often unmistakable indicators. There is a wide range of forbidden (verbotten), http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=308 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=308 Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Jesse Tise Client: Self Size: 9 x 12 inches Printing Process: Digital / Silkscreen Number of Inks: 4-color process / Three One of the most exciting illustrators/artists I have come across is the enchanting mix of sophisticated whimsy in Jesse Tisse's work. Fascinated with science fiction as much as he is form and curves, his brilliant imagery is a breath of fresh air that he has applied to all media (be sure to check out is 3D and 4D installations.) Playful and graphic, textured and flowing, his work is accessible but incredibly unique. Creating a self promotional piece; Jesse Tise found that he "ended http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=311 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=311 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT I tend to be a little cynical when there is a campaign with a public challenge. It's the brat in me…come on, we all have one. But this challenge really got my attention. For those who can't travel to the poorest areas of this world of ours, or for those who just want to see life a little differently, this could be for you. Last week the Live Below The Line campaign challenged anyone listening to try in some small way to relate to those who are living on $1.50 a day (or less) in the US and around the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=309 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=309 Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Let's say you're on a deserted island (with Wi-Fi, of course) and you could pick just 10 colors to keep you and your Mac happy. What colors would you choose? It could be a difficult decision but Neenah Paper made it a simple solution with the Perfect 10 - essential colors that mix and match to serve every creative need. The new CLASSIC Tool Kit is not only equipped with ten life-saving colors, it also has real-world samples and solutions for your everyday design needs - just in case you do end up on that remote island someday. Neenah Paper Color http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=307 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=307 Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT In 2008 Chronicle Books published our first book-a collection of posters from our then 20-year history, Modern Dog: 20 Years of Poster Art. During the making of that book, my 14 year old Westie became sick - first with Cushings Disease, then Cancer - and died. So we dedicated the book to him. We decided to personalize the inside of the front and back covers with illustrations of our dogs and our friends dogs and other random dogs. So we put the word out to everyone we knew, they sent us photos, and we drew portraits which became the end pages. The end http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=303 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=303 Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT My high-school rhetoric teacher once told me, "Boy, you never write about love when you are in the middle of it." Well, I'm going to violate his first rule of writing. I'm in the middle of a venture and I'm going to attempt to give it some perspective. We as designers are never at a loss for new ideas. Products to make. Posters to design. Businesses to start. Apps to create. Causes to shine a light on. The problem comes down to deciding where to put our energy and where it is going to be the most efficient. Sometimes we might http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=304 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=304 Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Noah Woods Client: Chicago Tribune Size: 18 x 20 inches Printing Process: Offset Number of Inks: Four-Color Process One of the joys in my career has been having projects that allow for the opportunity to work with some of my favorite illustrators. The one and only Noah Woods is at the very top of that dream team. Working with Noah produced one of my finest pieces, one that I still show at every turn, and his talent is only rivaled by his easy going charm. I continue to watch his awe-inspiring work with an eagle eye, and a recent piece showed some changes http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=306 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=306 Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT As a graphic design student during the 1980s I still remember one stand-out art history session that radically changed my then naive approach to design and typography. The art history sessions weren't particularly popular amongst us students, and on the whole were a pretty dull affair, but one of our lecturers was particularly keen on the modernist movement and put together a piece on the Bauhaus. Many of us had never heard of the Bauhaus (excepting the goth band of the time that bore the same name), and that session was quite a revelation to one with as little knowledge http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=305 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=305 Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designers are the most strategic thinkers that I know. I believe this. And I will stick to this statement because I've seen it played out over and over. It goes something like this: I'm in a corporate conference room, there's a huge spaghetti tangle of a problem sitting smack in the middle of a wood laminate-topped conference room table. Around the table sits a selection of marketers, product developers, and a designer. Everyone stares at this conundrum with searching eyes. The product developers search for the start and finish of the problem, trying to rationally take it apart and separate all the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=301 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=301 Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT There is a distinct difference between Exploration and Wandering when it comes to creativity. Exploration will lead you down the best path, before you even know your destination. Wandering, on the other hand, is just plain being lost, distracted, thrown off course by inconsequential input and information. In any project, exploration is the key to finding the best possible outcome. When managing a task, how do we keep ourselves and our clients on the path? As an independent creative, you act as your own creative director, designer, production artist, and project manager. It's the last of these http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=302 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=302 Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch my friend and I have been working on projects together for a while now. We are thinking about formalizing our working relationship. Can you tell us about Partnerships? --Brett & Yuju A: Partnerships don't have to be formal legal entities. You can continue working together as independent contractors with one of you billing the client and getting paid for the whole project, then paying your collaborator. Alternatively, both you and your colleague can bill the client and be paid separately. This second situation works well if you each do something clearly different from each other (e.g. one of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=300 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=300 Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Recently I've been thinking about ribbons. And when I think about ribbons, I think about vintage soaps, food, and Wilbur (the pig from Charlotte's Web) winning first prize at the fair. I don't normally think about resumes, personal logos, headers, etc. … or at least I used to not think about those things. Lately I've been seeing ribbons (or ribbon banners) as frequently as the little boy in The Sixth Sense saw dead people. Maybe it was my own attempt to incorporate a ribbon into the design of a mark for a book publisher that brought them to my http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=298 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=298 Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Zeloot Client: Zeloot / Slowboy Records Size: 19 x 26 inches Printing Process: Screenprint Number of Inks: Five Some designers challenge your very perception as to what can be "design." Pushing and pulling at the imagination, and more importantly perplexing the viewer, forcing them to ask questions as to how, and sometimes why, a piece was created in the manner that it was. I have long since established a requirement as to the type of design I like to talk about, and it is the kind that causes me to smack my forehead and exclaim, "Why didn't I think of that?" Style is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=299 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=299 Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Art Editor of the New Yorker, Françoise Mouly, has collected an amazing gallery of covers that never made the cut. Her new book, Blown Covers, allows us the great opportunity to see outstanding work that we may otherwise have never seen. Remember, the most famous Salon des Refusés (Salon of the Rejected), that of 1863, included Manet's The Luncheon on the Grass. Not only was that event an opportunity for the public to see work refused by the judges, it got people talking, reacting, and eventually broadened the window of people's access to art. Not unlike the New Yorker, who's http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=297 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=297 Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT I am always careful to make sure that my writing here contains my specific viewpoint, but never veers into the overtly self promotional. It is what I think and feel, but not what I "do" per se, or more clearly, not what I benefit from. It has left me a tad perplexed as far as what to do with my most recent book; New Masters of Poster Design: Volume Two. Certainly I talk about many of the designers featured within by way of various articles, or perhaps a Poster Of The Week, but I feel strongly that everyone should see http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=296 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=296 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Every city has it's hidden gem, and Seattle is no exception; we have Cain Morehead, an artist who creates disposable art in the form of exterior A-frame store signage. Cãin (pronounced Ki-een - yes, his parents were hippies ) is the manager of City Market in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle, a grocery store located on one of the busiest intersections of the neighborhood. Morehead started working at the store more than 12 years ago. Since that time, he has designed and illustrated more than a thousand butcher paper signs which are generally tied into some newsworthy item as well http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=295 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=295 Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Should all designers understand and be able to design for the web? Not necessarily. Print-only opportunities exist. But if you take a look at today's job openings, you'll notice that a majority of them require some knowledge of web design, user interface design, as well as HTML and CSS. Most designers avoid learning about the web or taking on web projects because they feel "I already have to know about Adobe software, and layout, fonts, and color theory. If I have to know about one more thing, then that job isn't for me." But in a market where millions of designers http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=269 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=269 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT An Edited First Peak Every year after releasing the LogoLounge annual Logo Trend Report we are asked if they are being presented in a ranked order and which are the most important. The answer is no, the report is not ranked but for RockPaperInk we have selected five of the fifteen that we believe will have the greatest influence on design direction as we do our best to forecast a fickle future. The complete trend report can be viewed on LogoLounge.com. We'll start this abbreviated trends report-LogoLounge's 10th annual missive-with an admonishment that is repeated each year: If you're searching for how-to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=294 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=294 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Nate Duval Client: Lotus Size: 18 x 24 inches Printing Process: Screenprint Number of Inks: Four Long admiring Nate Duval and his quirky color palettes and intersecting (and at times incongruous) images, to the point of staring at his vegetable/fauna/animal head series and his intricate owls for hours, enjoying every tiny detail, it was no surprise to me when he branched into projects that fully exploited his love of patterns and detail. In some ways, he began to work in this way with his cityscapes, but the detail always had a storytelling purpose. It was only in his animals that he would get http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=293 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=293 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT I attended the AIGA Bright Lights event in New York last Thursday night honoring Ralph Caplan, Elaine Lustig Cohen, Armin Hofmann, and Robert Vogele for design excellence. Honestly, they should have been honored long ago. Poor Armin, couldn't even make the trip to the event-Steff Geissbuhler accepted on his behalf. Ralph was assisted to the podium, as was Elaine. Bob, at 83, was the youngest, and the most spry of the group. It was touching to see how appreciative they were for being honored for their lives' work, but also sad, in a way, that they had to wait so http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=292 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=292 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT By way of a (sort of) follow up to my last (sort of) travel related post, I've just come across some travel posters which have been commissioned recently by the French Tourist Board in the UK. It's an easy hop across, or under, the Channel for us of course and I need no encouragement to visit our Gallic friends across the water. Good wine that isn't overpriced-mmm. Proper weekday markets with amazing produce that isn't overpriced-mmm. What's not to like? But what about those posters? The series was illustrated by Paul Thurlby and art directed by Ruan Milborrow at mr.h, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=291 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=291 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT "Fashion is as profound and critical a part of the social life of man as sex, and is made up of the same ambivalent mixture of irresistible urges and inevitable taboos." - René König Clothes are often used to attract attention and elicit responses from others, but what about the garments that we use to stimulate our own minds, bodies, and libidos? fet·ish [fet-ish, fee-tish] noun 1. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency. 2. any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion: to make a fetish of high http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=290 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=290 Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT On the whole, we indie creatives are a quirky lot and have a fun bag of tricks that we adopt, adapt and develop to help us get through our careers-short-term daily, to long-term career. I figured I'd share a few of my own and if you feel so inclined, drop a few of yours in a comment. Let's start our own 'INDIE' cheat sheet. Sound Investments: I love the visual white-noise of a coffeeshop to make me feel like I'm in an office of people going about their business. Notice I said "visual." I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=289 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=289 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Aesthetic Apparatus Client: Andrew Bird Size: 18 x 24 inches Printing Process: Screenprint Number of Inks: Three When they first formed, the duo of Michael Byzewski and Dan Ibarra donned the name Aesthetic Apparatus and quickly set about redefining the look of the gig-poster world. Their early posters often worked in to darker corners, or tested the boundaries of design traditions, often with a midwestern bent. It was visually jarring stuff, and it made quick work of grabbing your attention and was often celebrated-including a profile in New Masters of Poster Design. As their portfolio grew, a more subtle side of their personalities http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=288 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=288 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT When I first read this article in Fast Company Design (Why Designers Need to Stop Feeling Sorry for Africa) my reason for reading was purely because the title annoyed me. If nothing else, this article is brilliant just for its title alone! After reading through the article quite a few times, and really looking into the heart of what the author's argument is about, I think I really agree with what he is saying. Take, for example, the prevalence of poverty porn. We can all picture Sally Struthers on a late-night commercial with emaciated http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=285 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=285 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Fences are everywhere. Walking by so many every day, it occurred to me that they would make a great canvas for a message. I am obsessed with typography, I also really enjoy cross stitch. Thus, the concept for the urban cross stitch project. Challenge: Create an outdoor typographic piece that will make the public smile. Project Materials: Flagging tape from the local hardware store (available in several colors), scissors, and a camera for documentation purposes and process shots. Time: Three hours (depending on how long your message is). Step 1: Gather a bunch of friends (type enthusiasts are ideal). Come up with a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=286 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=286 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT This began as a simple Poster Of The Week column, as I was transfixed by so many posters created by the masterful duo of Nancy Skolos and Tom Wedell. I had such spoils to go over, that I was having difficulty choosing. The pair have been creating groundbreaking design for ever and ever, through their own hands, and through their work in cultivating generations of visual powerhouses via RISD. The consistent quality in their portfolio was becoming a challenge in it's own right. Finally zeroing in on a piece for the Lyceum Fellowship, I soon found myself on a ride http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=284 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=284 Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Jonathan Lewis creates fabulous color pieces that cause ah-ha reactions and leaves you with a kid-in-a-candy-store feeling...but at an adult level. This whole candy adventure started out as an article on Mary Jane candy packaging, more specifically, the candy wrappers. For the record, I am not really a candy person, definitely savory over sweet for me. But to make my office peeps happy, I keep a martini glass of Mary Janes on my desk. People really like them, and the motivation for me was that I liked the design of the wrappers, and therefore kept them on my desk for folks. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=283 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=283 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Volume 3 of Type in the Real World looks at typographic packaging, signage, cement art, and temperature. Jack's Cookie Jar, hardware storefront, Matthews, North Carolina Sanitary Fly Destroyer, hardware storefront, Matthews, North Carolina This T-Pain packaging took me by surprise for its lack of typographic autotuning. Unfortunately, recent construction and renovation did away with this Ween asphalt art in the Cotswold Shopping Plaza, Charlotte, North Carolina. Tape reel packaging, various manufacturers. I'm not sure what's cooler, the fact that The Black Keys used Cooper Black for the Brothers packaging and promotion, or that the CD itself is temperature senstive. Note the rough outline of my hand http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=113 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=113 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT I know this column is supposed to feature a single poster each week, but sometimes current events dictate that the rules bend a little, and this is a case where I am certainly willing to make a whole new set of rules if need be. Sad news for the poster community, for the design community, for the letterpress community and for the city of Knoxville came in this week, as we learned that the iconic studio Yee-Haw Industries will be drawing to a close by the end of the year. Letterpress poster printing might seem ubiquitous now, but back when the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=282 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=282 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Written and edited by James Gaddy and Debbie Millman. In 1883, Thomas Edison filed the first United States patent for an electronic device, fourteen years before the "electron" was even discovered and three years after he had observed an effect known as thermionic emission: visible, visual evidence of invisible parts of matter. The discovery would become a crucial insight in the subsequent development of electronic devices that have similarly magical properties-devices that can eliminate distance, bring the future and past together, and make both the word and image visible. This magic, the ability to see, hear, and record experiences from across http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=280 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=280 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Are you "solo?" Get ready to work with others. We are "indies," dammit! We go at this professional creative thing all by ourselves, everyday. We wear every hat, proudly. We have degrees, minors, certificates, all manner of acquired skills and hobbies that say we can handle any and everything on our own. But, why should we? What does that prove? And how happy-and effective-are we truly being as we try to own it all? And let's be really real; is our reason for juggling everything necessity, or glory-hounding? Perhaps we "Indies" have it all http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=281 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=281 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT The media mash-up surrounding the London 2012 Olympics has created another love it / hate it moment this week following the unveiling of the latest publicity event promoting the Games. This time it's the turn of British Airways (with the help of another familiar face) to do their Olympic thing. The folks at BA decided to hold a design contest (warning bells begin to ring at the mention of that particular "c" word) to promote British talent in the run up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The winning entry was chosen by a judging panel which included artist Tracey Emin http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=279 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=279 Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch I work in-house as part of a corporate design team. How can we explain to the executives how valuable design can be in internal employee communications too? --Judy A: Many companies are so focused on their products and services that they neglect their most valuable asset-their employees. Executives need to think of employees, and other stakeholders like investors or the board of directors, as another target audience for design. Using design to inform, enlighten, and motivate internal audiences can result in: Clarity of goal definition Alignment of goals to actions Connection of staff to CEO vision and charisma Increase participation and empowerment Aid http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=177 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=177 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT "Amateurs look for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and go to work." - Chuck Close Every semester there comes a point after my fashion sketching level one students have developed a great croquis (their leggy fashion paper doll model), and learned many rendering techniques, that it's time for their first collection. The big question is always, "Where do I begin?" Student fashion designer Amanda Lee Dunham, School of Fashion Design, Boston. Inspiration: Artists David Hockney, Patrick Caufield, and Egon Schiele. "I must see new things and investigate them. I want to taste dark water and see crackling trees and wild http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=278 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=278 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Post Typography Client: Post Typography Size: 24 x 24 x 18 inches (arrow is 18 inches long) Printing Process: Digital Number of Inks: One Every once in a while, it is good to be reminded that a simple idea will trump anything you might be able to throw at the wall style-wise (literally, in this case.) I have had the supreme pleasure to be able to watch the progress of the dynamic duo that comprises Post Typography up close, from running in the same music scenes and our geographic proximity, to judging student contests and the like, and the one thing I always take http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=277 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=277 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Some of the best moments in life are those when we can completely unplug and unwind. Traveling can provide inspirational moments for you, because when you are completely away from your normal life, you don't have the daily distractions and your mind opens up. When the fresh breeze of relaxation flows in and the stress and anxiety of our daily grind blow out, we are left with an openness that all too often tends to get locked away in a room somewhere. Whatever style of vacation you enjoy, the key is to relax and allow yourself to be exposed to different http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=276 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=276 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT A few months ago, we-along with 10 million of our closest friends-started using the online public mood board known as Pinterest. Public mood boards help people express themselves nonverbally. You know, sort of like mood rings. An outgrowth of our increasingly visual culture and the subsequent growing need for sorting and curation tools, Pinterest is both exciting and disturbing for visual designers. After all, we're used to being the tastemakers. But just like desktop publishing, font menus, and Google images have done before, Pinterest promises to alter the landscape for professional designers. Frankly, we're not big fans of mood boards as a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=274 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=274 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT My relationship with Cornish College of the Arts began in January 2000 when I was brought in to teach a new class I proposed: packaging design. SInce that time the class has gone through many mutations and today it is taught in 2 sections by my business partner, Michael Strassburger and myself. It makes us nauseaus to coddle someone's feelings without telling the truth, so we don't walk on eggshells in our classroom. Sometimes that means that we are quite blunt, even to the point of causing tears, but the end results (see below) speak for themselves. We like to run http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=275 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=275 Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT A lesson for clients and designers alike: I like to share with clients that designers are very accustomed to rejection. If we present five logos to a client, and they select one, 80 percent of our work is rejected. I never focus on that since there is a certain elation that a solution was chosen. In my office there is a stack of presentation cards two feet high that only contains the marks that were not selected. On a weekly basis I am asked by a LogoLounge member if it is okay to post unselected logos to the site. If a design http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=273 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=273 Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Jennifer Sterling Photographer: Jurek Wajdowicz Client: Jennifer Sterling Design Size: 26 x 30 inches Printing Process: Offset Number of Inks: Six During the years when I would argue for days upon days about the merits of various designers (I have mellowed a touch since, just a touch), none was as polarizing a figure as Jennifer Sterling. Not David Carson, not Stefan Sagmeister, not Art Chantry; it was the woman who's love of typography and form surpassed them all, to the degree that she bathed her projects in that adoration through tiny, meticulous detail. When she forced the design world to make up their mind http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=271 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=271 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT I have a thing for granola cereal. Especially if it has fruit in it. So imagine my surprise when I excitedly opened this box, only to find half of it containing cereal. Besides the fact that the box is deceiving, think of all the materials that went into producing this package. Why not just sell the cereal in a bag and forget the big box? The company could reduce their overall production costs and pass some of those savings on to consumers. Archer Farms is Target's house brand, so it's surprising that a company http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=272 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=272 Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Life is a story to me. But there is no thorough narrative. Most of the time I feel like my dog Ollie, whose ears, eyes, and nose perk up everytime there is a distraction that floats past. There is the gnat of Twitter, and specifically the Tweetdeck app that buzzes past my field of vision all too frequently at 160 characters a second. Then my email pops up the fab.com reminder and I can't resist just checking out if there's anything tasty there that I just have to have. And then I realize that I need to check out fastcodesign for a daily http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=270 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=270 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT We all have our favored design movements or designers from past and present that inspire us, and I'm no exception. Amongst my personal favorites, I have a particular fondness for the Swiss School and its enduring influence on design and typography-and my favorite designer to emerge from that period, Max Huber. Formula One 2012, a free supplement accompanying The Guardian Newpaper © The Guardian, 2012 I've been prompted to choose this subject by the cover design of a recent supplement from The Guardian newspaper celebrating the beginning of the 2012 Formula One season. The sweeping curves with overprinted images of race cars http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=268 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=268 Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT "The fashion show is an event, it is theater, it's drama. You do things differently on the catwalk than you do for other events." - Sass Brown It was the early eighties and I was teenager with dreams of seeing my designs walk the runway. A few of my fellow fashion students and I decided to ban together and produce our very first fashion show. It may sound like the plot from a perky teen television show but we actually pulled it off-quite successfully in fact, considering the many challenges we faced as novices. We were lucky, because at the time a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=267 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=267 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT It's business. You understand? There's been a lot of chatter on the social stream about firing clients and strained relations between "indies" and their "customers." I'd like to attribute this to the growth of our industry and perhaps even the maturing of the so-called freelancer sect into a more business-minded collection of individuals instead of the lowest-number-wins-the-work group of creative henchmen. But either way, I figure it would be good to bring this up and share a few thoughts on the matter. Remember the old saying, "it's nothing personal; it's just business." Well, this http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=266 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=266 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Dawid Ryski Client: Go-Ahead Agency Size: 19.5 x 27.5 inches Printing Process: Digital Number of Inks: Three Having just returned from Flatstock at SXSW in Austin, I have to admit that I am in full-on gigposter mode. But, I am also in full-on gigposter overload. Seeing that mass of designers all collected in one enormous space warms my heart, but also serves to remind me how diverse the range of styles and mode of execution can be. Many of those in attendance benefit from the setting, as their work quickly shines through, but what is left in their wake is a wash of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=265 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=265 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT I'm pretty sure that all of you have heard at some level about Invisible Children's Kony 2012, unless of course you live in a cave or don't pay attention to any social media. It was, and still is, a social media hullabaloo. Add the recent missteps of one of its founders, and you have a recipe for news fodder for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=264 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=264 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT As a general rule, designers are not joiners. Design organizations notwithstanding, many designers prefer to be outsiders-even outlaws. Let's just hope we don't get run out of town. Some designers see design as rock and roll-youthful angst, shock value, and breaking things. Some of this is purely for fun. However, when it crosses a line, designers can be overly self-serving-to their own detriment. Energy and passion for the work are important, but great design serves the interest of the user and society as well as the designer. The art, err, 'work' of Milton Glaser Others see the objective of design as artistic http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=262 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=262 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Ahh. St. Patty's Day: A time to drink green beer and dance the jig. But there are no lucky green clovers here, only labor-of-love red hearts. This piece for The Washington Ballet showcases the world premiere of Alice (in Wonderland). With new costumes, choreography and musical scores, the ballet promises to be a most curious performance. The costumes are a true looking-glass of colors as Liz Vandal's (Cirque du Soleil's OVO) designs spring to life even when the dancers are standing still. We knew that a true photoshoot was in order and since our 2012 resolution was to be nice, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=263 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=263 Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT It's remarkable to have a client relationship like the one my studio, Modern Dog, has with the Phinney Neighborhood Association. For seventeen years straight, the PNA has let us create their annual art walk poster with complete and total freedom. If that's not the definition of a "Dream Client" I don't know what is. I have stand-out favorites. I like 2002 because it was the first time I got into the Warsaw Poster Biennial, one of the most prestigious poster shows in the world. I also like 2010, the one I did with Shogo Ota, because it was more labor intensive http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=260 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=260 Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designers and developers size typography for the screen using points, pixels, ems, or percentages (often denoted by simply %). But which one adapts to the user and device? Layouts that do not change sizes or formats benefit from points and pixels, which are absolute measuring devices. Absolute sizes ensure that the site's typography looks the same from one browser to another, and this was a key issue during the digital days prior to mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones. And although users have learned how to enlarge or reduce digital text using web browser preferences, relative sizes will help http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=114 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=114 Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Raymond Biesinger Client: The Manual Size: 16 x 22 inches Printing Process: Screenprint Number of Inks: 2 colors Raymond Biesinger has long been one of my favorite illustrators (his preferred title, as opposed to that of a designer) with his highly graphic imagery, throwing in just the right balance of modern and retro influences, to create a unique path that is all his own. His work is always smart, without being overly high brow and impenetrable. It is always bold, yet refined. When I saw his poster describing the varied factors that take place in the creative process, I was left breathless by the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=256 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=256 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT The book, Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands took over a year to research, write, edit, compile, and produce. In that time, my students in the School of Visual Arts Masters in Branding program scoured the earth for as many historical packs we could get our hands on in an effort to provide the most accurate images of the time. We gathered over 600 images to include in the book, and collected over 200 historical packages for brands such as Campbell's Soup, Coca-Cola, Ivory Soap, Band-Aid, Colgate toothpaste, Max Factor powder, Quaker Oats and many, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=254 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=254 Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Now that Brand Bible is out in the world, I wanted to go back to author/editor Debbie Millman and ask her about the process and what branding means to her. She's had some time to reflect since taking on this mammoth project. When I first approached you to write this book (which, at the time, had a different title), you seemed to really know what you wanted to do. Had you already thought about doing a book like this prior to my request? I have always DREAMED about doing a book like this. But, frankly, I didn't think I had the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=253 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=253 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT You know the glamorous life of a designer? If I may: 3M25 - Redeye from Seattle to NYC to give a speech at a design conference. Flight departs at 9:27pm and arrives at JFK at 5:15am. Okay, so there is this awkward time between when you arrive in the city and the time you can either get in your hotel room or your meeting or conference starts. During this enchanting time I get a chance to walk the streets with the last of the party goers, the women and men of the night, and the homeless; all inspirational moments to be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=255 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=255 Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch got any advice on how to evaluate a design strategy? --pers A: I'm a big supporter of the idea of project post mortems. It seems worthwhile to take a step back and review how a job went from both a financial and creative standpoint. Evaluating a design strategy seems like a way to learn and improve. Plus it can open the doors to suggesting additional work for a client. More work is always good, right? If the design is driven by the client's desire to achieve a measurable goal or objective, then it's pretty obvious as to whether or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=178 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=178 Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT "As a little girl, I spent countless hours playing with my Barbie doll's, even designing and sewing one-of-a kind outfits for the doll--I guess you could say Barbie gave me my start as a designer." - Cynthia Rowley Poupées de Mode/Queen Anne Dolls Bébé Jumeau dolls Beyond serving as mere playthings for children, dolls have been an integral part of the fashion industry as far back as 1396-there is a record of the court tailor of Charles VI having created a doll wardrobe intended for the Queen of England. These fashion dolls were also referred to as Poupées de Mode and Queen Anne Dolls. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=252 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=252 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Johnny Selman Client: Penn-Shank Memorial Foundation Size: 16 x 24 inches Printing Process: Screenprint Number of Inks: 3 colors "The Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival is a scholarship fundraiser in Martinsville, VA., that remembers two young music lovers who passed away recently; Edwin 'The Rooster' Penn and Walker Shank," explains designer Johnny Selman. Deeply connected to the event by his close friendship with each of them, Selman cherishes his involvement. "I design a poster for the festival each year to support my friends and to raise money for the scholarship that was made in their name." For the third annual Rooster Walk, Selman http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=251 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=251 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT If you are one of those creatives who is crazy for Pantone, you must be giddy about how your Universe keeps expanding. Aside from the true matching systems we value, the authority on color is producing goods that range from socks to bicycles. You can even stay at the Hotel Pantone in Brussels (talk about branding!). In the 1950s Pantone started as a small commercial printing company in New Jersey. In 1956, they hired Lawrence Herbert for a part-time position. He was a graduate from Hofstra University, with a double major in biology and chemistry. He had planned to go on http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=250 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=250 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT One of my favorite aspects of speaking at conferences and design organizations is meeting passionate people from all over the country. Steve Gordon has passion by the truckload and an amazeballs clothing line. He wears the crown at his one person shop RDQLUS Creative, and I figured he would provide a little insight to a completely different kind of studio. Full disclosure: I have precious little experience as a one-man wrecking crew, but in the name of the Culture Vulture, thought all of you would enjoy an inside peek into how a solo shop can create a killer vibe with a party http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=247 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=247 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT It's a disease and every designer at one time or another is afflicted with it. Not sure the name but the malady is the inability to distinguish the forest from the trees, and it's usually self inflicted. Every good designer has suffered this at some point but the tougher your skin the easier the cure. Recognizing the Symptoms: You design a logo of a cow and everyone walks by your screen and tells you what an amazing illustration of a giraffe it is. Your gently stylized horse shoe logo is strongly reminiscent of a toilet seat. Everyone looks at your highly stylized monogram http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=248 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=248 Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT I met my business partner in 1983, when we both attended college at Western Washington University. Michael Strassburger knew me when I used to hide my artwork under my dorm bed, refusing to show it to anyone. We decided to open the Modern Dog doors in 1987 after I graduated-a business born out of the sheer frustration of not being able to get a "real" job, for either one of us. Beside being a versatile designer, Mike is a brilliant copywriter, musician, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, and devoted father. And I've always thought he would make a great stand-up comedian. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=249 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=249 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Are you getting bored with using Impact for your Microsoft Word desktop publishing projects? Don't have a lot of fonts installed on your PC? Here are ten heavyweights to use instead of Impact. Geoffrey Lee designed Impact for the Stephenson Blake foundry in 1965, giving it a weight and width similar to Helvetica Inserat. Impact continues to be a reliable typeface, mostly because of the users who see its name and bold appearance in Microsoft Word's dropdown menu. Can you identify which Impact is set in Impact and which is set in Helvetica Inserat? The answer appears at http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=80 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=80 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Jim Mazza Client: Golden Voice Size: 19 x 25 inches Printing Process: Screenprinting Number of inks: 3 colors, including metallic silver There is a certain sub genre of the gigposter world where some of the finest illustrators around almost numb you to their talent through a constant barrage of stellar work. Jim Mazza is right at the very core, executing incredible images and type at every turn. Born from comic book styles that mix in a history of '60s psych posters and hard core flyers, they play out as a collection of historic gigposter greatest hits. It is easy to get lost in http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=246 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=246 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT I go to the store to get a pack of gum. There is a wall full of options full of flavors and brands and sizes and I start to feel overwhelmed. And then I see the brand of peppermint that I recognize and like. And that's how I feel about type; I stick to the flavors I know are good. This is my type path: Work as a temp, get asked to design the staff picnic flyer. Use too many fonts, most of which have goofy names. Tried every font installed on my computer. Especially Curlz. Realization: simple designs look good. Copy this strategy http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=245 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=245 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT I recently had the opportunity to write an essay on design legend Robert Vogele, who is being honored as a 2011 AIGA Medalist. In addition to interviewing Vogele, I had the pleasure of speaking with Bart Crosby and Dana Arnett, who really helped me understand Vogele, the man. Bart worked with Vogele at RVI in the early 1970s, and Dana joined him at VSA Partners in 1985. They spoke highly of Vogele and his accomplishments in business and design, and since I couldn't include everything they said in the AIGA article, I thought I'd share some outtakes from our conversations http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=244 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=244 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT In their own special way, the world of design, and the world of music, are both terribly small. The world inhabited by the true overlap of the two is even smaller, which is why it really hit me recently when I wanted to talk to Zach Barocas (probably best known as the drummer for Jawbox-you might have seen him rocking out on Jimmy Fallon not long ago) about his new music project BELLS≥, and all he wanted to talk about was working with the designer for their packaging. That designer is Version Industries' Caspar Newbolt. His firm spends their days working http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=235 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=235 Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT I've shamelessly stolen the title for this post from an exhibition currently running at London's Design Museum. The show marks Sir Terence Conran's 80th birthday and looks at the many and varied ways in which his work as a designer and as a retailer has affected, and continues to exert an influence on, contemporary life in Britain. Terence Conran, circa 1950. Source: Ray Williams Conran was born in 1931, so was in his mid-teens at the end of the second world war and experienced first hand the extremes of post-war austerity. To the good fortune of anyone with a desire to strike http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=243 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=243 Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch why do you always recommend writing a formal written agreement for each and every client project ? --Kyoung A: Creativity may often be difficult to define and discuss with clients, but consulting relationships have to be scoped, processes must be illuminated, and compensation needs to be spelled out. Your work is unique and special, it may defy neat categories, but you can't use that as an excuse for not to setting up jobs properly. The best tool for sorting all this out and coming to an agreement with your clients is a formal contract. Some thoughts on formal http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=176 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=176 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Andrew Lewis Client: Self Size: 70 x 100 cm Printing Process: Digital Inks: 4-color process Some people are born to make posters, and some are born to wear luchador masks in every formal photo ever taken of them-British Columbia's top design maven, Andrew Lewis, was born to do both! One of my very favorite things about Andrew, and there are many, just check out my profile of him in the first volume of New Masters of Poster Design, is that the man will make a poster at the drop of a hat. Any occasion that could remotely warrant one soon has a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=242 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=242 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT When Emily Potts, Acquisitions Editor Extraordinaire, contacted me last spring to write a book, I literally had no idea what was involved. She assured me that other designers had come before me and had all survived the process-more or less. "The first book is the hardest," she honestly shared. Boy, was she right. But having gotten the first book just wrapped up last week gave Ben Jura-my co-author-and me an opportunity to finally kick back and reflect on our experience. There were many lessons learned. Here were the biggies: Designers don't do deadlines. Like a cold glass of water in the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=241 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=241 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT [youtube:sZ-2-zlU2pQ:youtube] Links mentioned: Our Friday afternoon video project: http://vimeo.com/36415358 YouTube statistics: http://www.youtube.com/t/press_statistics Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/ Blip.tv: http://blip.tv/ Seaworld: http://seaworldparks.com/ http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=240 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=240 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Want to be better at conversations or more interesting in meetings? How to talk about things other than the weather. Not everyone is a great conversationalist, and even the best have a tough day now and then. Plus, we've all had a client that is challenging to talk to. So, what sort of things can you do to make better conversation? Here are four ideas: 1) Be interesting by doing interesting things "Interesting" can be simple or complex. Great conversations can come from things as simple as going to a gallery opening, book reading, or going to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=230 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=230 Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT If I ever had a chance to do something other than graphic design I want to swap lives with Chie Mihara. She designs shoes. The most kick-ass flippin' cute shoes I have ever seen. Chie Mihara lives in Spain, has fun doing what she loves, and she makes the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. (See the production process from sketch to finished product). Her beautiful, well-crafted shoes are best when they can take center stage; I like wearing them with an all black or monochromatic outfit, or with jeans and a t-shirt. The second of three sisters, Chie Mihara was http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=239 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=239 Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Casey Deming Client: Tuesday Series Size: 7.75 x 10.5 inches Printing Process: Digital Number of Inks: 4-color process Curating an improvisational music night at Madame of the Arts in collaboration with John Marks, designer Casey Deming has been simultaneously delighting and confusing Minneapolis with his poster work to promote these events. I have been watching his evolution of collage mastery, as it gets down to the very raw basics, and have been awestruck at his ability to make such sophisticated and evocative imagery, often with manipulating/cropping only two source photos. In a design culture that agonizes over intricate illustrations and photographs and prissily selecting http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=238 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=238 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Love is in the air and it's a ONEderful thing. It can make girls giggle, boys flee, and designers go crazy. That's because we'll do some seriously insane things when given just a tiny bit of creative freedom. Yes, this post goes a little off color but hey, love is blind. Besides, we're dealing with the color of creative love and it comes in many shades-including plaid and fur. The 2012 ONE SHOW, themed "ONEderful," celebrates the loving, wonderfully creative industry (and world) we live in. It's a place where attitude is left at the door and affection pervades - http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=237 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=237 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Contrary to the way we think of brands now, the brand has not always signified the imprimatur of a manufactured product. The word brand is derived from the Old Norse word brandr, which means "to burn by fire." From its eleventh-century Northern Germanic origin, the word has blazed a mighty path into the vernacular of twenty-first-century modern life. Ancient Egyptians marked their livestock with hot irons, and the process was widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages, not to mention in the American West centuries later. Such branding helped ranchers, both ancient and contemporary, to separate cattle after they grazed http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=234 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=234 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Here in the UK the Pantomime season has once again drawn to a close and I've just finished a three month stint directing a production of Alice in Wonderland for a drama group I'm involved in. The term "pantomime" is very familiar to us Brits, but maybe not so familiar in the States, where the equivalent would probably be referred to as a family stage musical. Pantomimes are traditionally performed over the Christmas period and along with song and dance, the style incorporates slapstick comedy, cross-dressing (with men playing pantomime dames and principle boys played by women), and a fair http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=236 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=236 Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Our studio, Go Welsh, has had the very good fortune to have been a core part of the development of Society of Design (SOD), a multidisciplinary design non-profit organization based in Central Pennsylvania. We've designed the typical range of graphic design projects in support of SOD - posters, collateral, websites, videos, event graphics, and several fairly intensive invitation designs for potential guest speakers. However, all of our previous efforts pale in comparison to the invitation we designed for Pennsylvania native and design superstar Jessica Hische. The members of Society of Design have consistently expressed a strong interest in having Jessica return http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=233 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=233 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Dale Edwin Murray Client: V&A Museum Of Childhood Size: 48 x 72 inches Printing Process: Digital Number of Inks: 4-color process Bringing modern whimsy, to a retro-style execution, London's Dale Edwin Murray has often made me smile with both his illustrations, and choice of subject matter (check out his Hip Hop Head prints). Hearing that he had been hired for a campaign for the Museum of Childhood, I instantly saw a match made in heaven. "The brief for this project was to create a poster for the V&A's Museum of Childhood that would encapsulate the concept and phrase 'playing is learning,'" explains Murray. "The http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=225 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=225 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT "Nature does not know the concept of waste; the only species capable of making something no one desires is the human species." - Gunter Pauli, Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives Mottainal Hikidashiguro tea bowl by Ryoji Koie Necessity may be the mother of invention, but true innovation can be found in the practices of artful, intelligent, and reverent designers. The Japanese arts and culture magazine Kateigaho International Edition dedicated their Autumn/Winter 2011 issue to the arts of reviving, remaking and revering. The theme of the issue is mottainai, a word that may be loosely translated into waste not want not. Zero waste is a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=232 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=232 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=228 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=228 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT We are career-long fans of the Institute of Design. Known to insiders simply as "ID," the Chicago-based school was founded in 1939 by Laszlo Moholy Nagy as he helped create the "New Bauhaus" in the U.S. after fleeing Nazi Germany. The other larger-than-life Bauhaus figure to arrive in Chicago in the 1930s was, of course, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, who was appointed to head the School of Architecture at what became Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). As the story goes, even though they taught together at the Bauhaus in Germany and remain among the select few credited with largely instigating http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=229 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=229 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT "Ask not what your typeface can do for you, ask what you can do with your typeface," is a slogan that many of the Republican nominees may have subconsciously thought about since launching their campaign for the Presidency. Or, at the very least, their campaign strategists and media experts may have considered that matter when creating a typographic identity to visually represent their candidates. With Super Tuesday approaching, many of the GOP Candidates are still making strides to get ahead in the race for the nomination. Although some withdrew from the race weeks ago, they deserve a retrospective in this http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=215 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=215 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Luba Lukova Client: Luba Lukova and Wright Gallery, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS Size: 27.5 x 39.25 inches Printing Process: Screenprint Number of Inks: 3 Creating some of the most iconic posters of the last decade, many captured in New Masters of Poster Design, Luba Lukova is one of the most important visual artists of our generation. This is not up for debate. History will remember her work. She continues her mastery of turning a few lines into the complex and sublime with this poster promoting her gallery exhibit in the Mississippi Delta. "I was very excited when I got an invitation to show http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=224 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=224 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Pike Place Market is the soul of our city. I can imagine living without the kitchy Space Needle, but I can't imagine Seattle without the Market. So we were delighted to be asked to be a part of the Fall 2011 inaugural Seattle Design Festival. We picked our favorite city landmark to commemorate the event. Modern Dog was invited to participate in the AIGA sponsored event, Design Marks. Over 25 design firms created a trail of 8-foot tall location markers for viewers to experience how the design of Seattle's landmarks has influenced the city's culture. Pike Place Market opened in 1907, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=206 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=206 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT With a month or so of time away from the end of year holiday madness, I felt it might be appropriate to reflect on various promotions and cards we received at the studio. The holiday season is that special time of year time of year when inboxes and snail mail swell with (predominately marginal) holiday wishes, cards and calendars (more on this later). Before you label me a scrooge, I want to point out that my greatest frustration is not with the intent of wishing others well, but the lack of creating anything meaningful when doing it. The waste that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=227 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=227 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch my firm is thinking about developing our own products. We've heard that we should create a Business Plan. What is that exactly? --Joanie A: A Business Plan is a formal document that outlines a business/product concept, a set of goals, an argument for why/how they are attainable, a rundown on who the people involved are, and a clear approach for reaching the goals. If you are trying to get others to participate, especially as investors, you need a professional presentation like a business plan. You could almost think of it as a brief. Traditionally, here are the key http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=175 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=175 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT At Tether, we have the opportunity to work on a gem of a beauty brand called TATCHA. We had this image in our heads that captured both classic beauty and old world tradition. It was one of a geisha getting out of a taxi cab in New York City. That image seemed to gel the concept that drove the name, the identity, and our aesthetic of classic craftsmanship meets modern sensibilities. Enduring beauty is a culmination of the wisdom of centuries. Having heard that many of the world's greatest beauty secrets orginated with geisha, we explored scientific journals, unearthed historical archives, and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=226 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=226 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Long before my heroes could be found in haute couture ateliers and on the pages of glossy fashion magazines, I was like most little boys, saving just enough every week to purchase the latest installments of my favorite Marvel and DC comics at the neighborhood grocery store. Not until later in life did I see any correlation between my inner geek and my faithful fashionista. "Up, up, and away!" - Superman The product line at Plum Pear Apple Designs include capes for little crusaders. http://plumpearapple.com As a child you believe. There was little that could compare with the exhilaration of running around with http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=221 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=221 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Mehdi Saeedi Client: Shams-E-Tabrizi and Maulana Foundation Size: 50 x 70 inches Printing Process: Offset Number of Inks: 4-color Process Mehdi Saeedi has long been one of my favorite poster designers, not just for his ability to simplify complex religious imagery and icons and translate them back into artistic joys, but even more so for his almost lyrical use of typography, making the culture of Iran, which can seem impenetrable at times, accessible and inviting. Keeping his text readable, but pushing the brush stroke nature to it's very limits, forming physical figures, where there were none before. He always makes me want to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=223 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=223 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Finding a place to handle your creative business is a challenge that is par for the course for any freelancer. And while it's not really that difficult to find the right setting to handle your creative business, it is crucial to understand how it impacts you and your business. Coffee Shop Cruising It would be hypocritical of me to say that I don't enjoy "going mobile" (as I call it) and doing my own "Occupy Starbucks" sit-in. I have a well-apportioned home-office setup, but I became very well-known at my neighborhood coffee shops. As http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=222 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=222 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT The one and only Bruce Springsteen recently unveiled the artwork for his upcoming album Wrecking Ball. Long known for iconic photographs (of Bruce) and simple typography, best personified by the iconic John Berg designed sleeve for Born To Run and its black and white Eric Meola photo of Springsteen leaning on Clarence Clemons, revealed when you opened the fold. The times that The Boss has deviated from that formula have usually encased his less commercial offerings. (Still selling hundreds of thousands of copies, if not clearing a million.) However, he has rarely taken any visual chances, even for the more http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=220 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=220 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Why do we do what we do? You've probably woken up at some point in your life and said to yourself, "What's it all about anyway? Do I really need to go in today and deal with the same old stuff?" Even if you have the greatest job in the universe, moments like this have a way of seeping into your mind occasionally. But if thoughts like these linger, or if you are looking for a new perspective, here http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=219 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=219 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT "We don't know what we don't know." Assuredly these words flow from the mouth of an individual that probably knows more than most. Recognizing the limitations of our knowledge is one of the most valuable admissions one can utter. Though our clients come to us because of our experience and are willing to pay a premium to those who have achieved great success and have a superior knowledge base. More clients are including a clause in work contracts that indemnify the client and lay blame on the designer if there is any copyright challenge with the delivered product. This may read http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=217 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=217 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT A live episode of my internet podcast Design Matters with Debbie Millman was filmed at the School of Visual Arts Masters in Branding Studio by Hillman Curtis late last year to celebrate the launch of Malcolm Gladwell's illustrated collection of The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers. Guests included artist and illustrator Brian Rea, designer Paul Sahre, entrepreneur Josh Liberson and innovation expert DeeDee Gordon. We had a lively conversation about what it took to make this boxed set. Hear all about the trials and tribulations of this historic collaboration and the trajectory this project took from concept to creation. [youtube:dqu2NxCD6J4:youtube] DeeDee Gordon, President, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=218 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=218 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Mike Joyce, Stereotype Design Client: Swissted Size: 35.5 x 50 inches Printing Process: Digital Number of Inks: 4-color Process The internet moves so fast some days. I was laughing with designer Mike Joyce (probably best known for his work for MTV) about the fact that I was one of the first people to contact him about his new project Swissted. Yet, in running this post a week later, the furor about the whole thing will have already long passed. People move on to complaining about Lana Del Rey and so forth. It is the times we live in. So while the project has http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=216 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=216 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT When I learned how to set metal type, my instructor taught us the difference between job cases. These large cases held the metal type slugs in each designated section. Early job cases had minuscule (lowercase) in a single case and majuscule (uppercase) in another. A California job case also had lower- and uppercase separation, but they were all in one case. The California case layout was used by many typesetters and printers because of a huge advantage it offered: less distance for the hand to travel to grasp letters. Type Cases An "out of sorts" job case meant you had letters or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=117 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=117 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT A new year is here, and with it the inevitable reflections ("What have I done with my life?") and resolutions ("I will shed my bad design habits-and 20 pounds"). Now is your chance to start with a fresh sketch pad, think a little different than last year, and make a statement. One of the resolutions we've made at Design Army is to be a little kinder, gentler, and cuddlier with our co-workers, clients and projects. Not sure how long it will last, but we are going to give it a try! And to prove it, we've started 2012 with a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=214 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=214 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Felix Sockwell is a designer and illustrator living in Maplewood, NJ. He is whip-smart and funny as hell. He has a way of saying exactly what's on his mind, and he doesn't give a damn what people think. Whenever I see a note from Felix in my inbox, I know it's going to be a gem, even if it's just a quick response. I've literally laughed out loud-not LOL-reading his notes about kids, life, projects, and-when he was in a dry spell-blue balls. He will tell you there are pros and cons to speaking your mind, but he wouldn't have http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=213 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=213 Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT I live in an area of England known as the South Downs. The Downs are in fact hills, or to be more precise, a range of hills that stretch from Chichester in the West to Eastbourne in the East, and a very beautiful place it is. I'm very lucky to have found a home here, where I can walk to the end of my garden path and look out on the same scenes that the subject of this article would have looked at some 80 years ago. Eric Ravilious was arguably one of the best British watercolorists of the 20th century. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=212 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=212 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT As part of our story, don't we all want to know that we've made this world a better place in some way? Often we just need a catalyst, a nudge, some kind of starting point. In the spirit of starting a new year, I thought I would give you a few ideas. A Weekly Reminder There are many reasons to like the 52 x 52 site. One of them is that it was started by the wonderful Jessica Hische, and another is this may be just the start that you are looking for. 52 x 52 encourages you to give something once http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=209 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=209 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Bircan Ak Client: Self Size: 50 x 70 cm Printing Process: Monotype Number of Inks: 1 As I was viewing the slowly revealed images, stark in their black and white appearance, as well as their interpretation of the subject matter, I arrived at one of the most stunning pieces I had encountered in years. Creating a series of monotype print posters, Turkish designer Bircan Ak was continuing a sequence of explorations that was taking her work to great heights. "I was preparing a thesis for the Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts show," she explains. "I am interested in gender in graphic design these http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=207 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=207 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT As the world gets turning again, we are a blur of activity but business is still a bit slow. So I've been doing a lot more reading of the newspapers [read: interwebs] and the word on the street is that a certain ancient civilization had the inside scoop on how much time we have left. As it turns out, we're running a little low. I guess we had better pull up that "bucket list" and have a closer look. The time for doing something we are passionate about is now. No, not because of some circular stone slab that ran http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=210 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=210 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT "The symbolic associations with color change from culture to culture. What might be attractive to one culture might be symbolic of death or misfortune to another." - Rob Roy Kelly Culture and Place Culture and geographic location affect people's perception and understanding of color. Even our way of describing color is determined by where we come from. Terms for red, green, yellow, and blue are part of almost every language except Kekchi, a Mayan language spoken by indigenous people in Guatemala and Belize. Though the difference in how color is communicated verbally is less pronounced among most modern languages, there are still http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=208 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=208 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT How we do what we do as designers has changed rapidly over the past decade. It's just amazing to witness new tools rolling out to make it incredibly simple to do what was once really hard. It makes you wonder how long it will be before robots will replace us entirely. Until then, we'll keep taking advantage of these tools-and debating their relative merits. Take LiveSurface for example. With its library of image templates, LiveSurface lets designers make comps of just about anything look real-and look really frickin' good. The first time we used it marked the last time we'd ever again http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=205 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=205 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Throughout my career as a user experience designer and strategist, I've often been accused of being a sticky note addict. I love the little colored squares of paper--the ease with which they can be moved around, and their small size, which necessitates clear and precise writing. I've even worn a halloween costume made of sticky notes. I'm not on the 3M payroll. I just think that sticky notes are an invaluable tool for user experience design. Design is about making choices-deciding to use one font over another, what information to display, or what feature has prominence on a page. Design choices http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=203 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=203 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT I am writing from the seaside village of Troncones, Mexico located about 20 miles north of Zihuatanejo, the town made famous by the movie The Shawshank Redemption. With a population hovering around 500 permanent residents, Troncones has magically maintained a charming sense of isolation-both good and bad for a cyber-phile like me as I try and find an internet connection and an ATM machine, the latter of which does not exist here. I journeyed here with five close friends, and I can't think of a more unspoiled and unassuming place in which to say goodbye to 2011. I count Mexico http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=204 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=204 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Designer: François Caspar Client: Self Size: 47.24 x 68.90-inches (x2) Print Process: Digital Number of inks: 1 This may serve as a sad statement on my social life, but one of the things I look forward to most about New Year's Eve is that I know a new poster by the one and only François Caspar will be waiting for me on January 1st. My feelings about his work are well documented around these parts, but he never ceases to delight me with each new piece. The fact that he has imposed so many rules upon how he must adapt this poster series each http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=202 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=202 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT One of my favorite things about a year ending are the reflective lists that pop up. I remember when I was younger, listening to the radio for hours as they played the top 100 countdown for the songs of the year. The No. 1 song in 1975 was "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain and Tennille (a song I have spent the last few decades trying to forget). No. 78 in 1975 was "Killer Queen" by Queen, and one of the few from that list I would revisit. It reminds me how something that seems so relevant in the moment becomes http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=201 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=201 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Both brand new brands and heritage brands will be featured in the book Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands coming out next month. Stay tuned! http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=200 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=200 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT It's that time of year to sit back and think about what has happened in the last twelve months. My first thought, like most years, is that it's been a great year! We experienced fabulous new design, advertising, music, and film. As well as history making events in sports, and people forcing global changes in human rights. We said goodbye to a great inventor, a glorious songbird, and some evil monsters. All that stuff that keeps us in motion, keeps us watching, wondering and hopefully thinking. I love creatives and I love people http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=199 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=199 Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch how do I fire my client? I hate them. It's just not working out. --Andy P. A: Are you sure you want to do that? I'm not saying you shouldn't ever fire a client. I'm just saying think about it with your business head, don't be driven strictly by emotion. It is so much easier to grow and evolve an existing client rather than acquire a new one. On the other hand, you'll know deep down if the relationship is not salvageable. Plus it isn't a bad thing to stop and assess your client roster periodically. It's good http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=174 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=174 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Volume 2 of Type in the Real World looks at typographic left-overs, for sale signs, newspapers, and weather maps, among other spectacles. Yes, digital typography has taken over our lives for the most part, whether on our phones, tablets, computers, or game consoles. But I've become more and more fascinated by what gets done with typography in a physical sense. Leftover Letters Found on Whiteboard, Writer Unknown Sinking or Rising "Battleship" Type, You Decide "Council Bluffs Nonpareil" 15 July 1969, from Stub Waldron's news collection Car Windshield Typography by Steve Wilson, Charlotte, North Carolina Malfunctioning Newscast Creates Storm-Covered Type-Creature at the Discovery Place Science Museum Tool http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=116 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=116 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Sonnenzimmer (Nick Butcher and Nadine Nakanishi) Client: The Art Directors Club of Tulsa Size: 18 x 24-inches Print process: Screenprint Number of inks: 5 The close of 2011 saw two of my very favorite things coming together. Following my own visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, earlier in the year, to speak to The Art Directors Club of Tulsa, I knew what a pleasure it can be and how wonderful the organization treats you. (I can't stress this enough, if you are ever lucky enough to get an invite.) When I saw that they would be finishing off their lecture series with an appearance from http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=197 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=197 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT "In difficult times fashion is always outrageous." - Elsa Schiaparelli Only the bravest in fashion dare to make or be true works of fashion art. In a world of follow-the-leader, even more rare are those who are willing to brandish humor to make bold statements in fashion. Designers with a vision that stretch beyond the borders of fashion will often collaborate with artists to forge un-chartered territory. Daring style makers weave wit and wardrobes to express themselves. FASHION PROPOGANDA Subtly does not usually come into play when a designer chooses to exercise their sense of humor, often poking fun at them selves http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=190 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=190 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT There's no longer any point in trying to deny the fact that eBooks are now outselling printed books, particularly in the areas of fiction, biography, and travel, and that 2011 has been a watershed year. A reported 115 Kindle editions are being sold for every equivalent 100 paperbacks, and both Amazon and one of the UK's largest book chains, Waterstones, have confirmed that eBooks are now outselling many hardback editions. This makes potentially depressing reading for book designers the world over. However, all is most definitely not lost and, as a direct result of the challenge presented by the Kindle, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=193 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=193 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT This is a shout-out to my friends at this site They're inspiring, informative, fun, and forthright. ◊ They meet tight deadlines and write and rewrite, design and redesign But they dare not, do not, will not whine (at least most of the time). ◊ Some finish their posts early, some wait 'til the bitter end, Which often causes me, their editor, to work on the weekend ◊ But hey, I don't mind, and I am quite sincere, Because it's been one helluva twisted, joyous, bedazzling year. ◊ So let me sing my praises to those I respect and admire, Sit back, relax, and warm your feet by the fire. ◊ Jason Tselentis waxes poetic on http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=194 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=194 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Late November one evening this year I find myself in Pier 1, World Bazaar, and Target. Amidst the holiday crowds of shoppers I am looking for any idea in a storm or piece of merchandise that I might be able to use as part of an invite I was designing. No more than two aisles deep at Pier 1 and I have already counted five owl motifs adorning various products. A wander through the next two merchants left me feeling product forecast nepotism must be rampant. Even though owls have been around for a while now, this year they http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=196 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=196 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT One of my favorite parts of life is that there are billions of us, all having different experiences every moment of every day. While we are all very different, we share many similarities. One of the most powerful is that, by nature, we prefer to be a part of a community. No matter who you are, you desire community and collaboration at some level. However, when the focus is on your professional community, depending on the profession, the concept of collaboration often can only go so far. Collaboration is very much a part of the process in most industries. As any http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=195 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=195 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT It only makes sense to lead with this amazing and apt letterpress print from the fine folks at Hammerpress. (You can read a lot more about those wonderful people here.) Originally I had intended for today's POTW to feature some mildly exclusive posters for a big entertainment property. But, sometimes things don't work out as intended. In fact, the holidays (and life in general) are all about what you do when your original plans fall through. Regrouping, I concentrated on replacing that initial focus with something that reminded me of my early Christmas years, the Peanuts wrapping paper I stuck to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=192 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=192 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT A few years ago, we decided to spend a bit more time than we had in the past with local outreach. While we had achieved a decent amount of national design press attention, designers rarely got local design press, aside from the Addy winners. So we started an AIGA chapter where there was none, joined boards, and generally made ourselves more visible. We moved to this part of the country years ago for jobs at Herman Miller, later starting Peopledesign. But it wasn't until we increased our interaction with the local scene that we really began to think more about the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=188 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=188 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT I know, I know, this is a blog about design. But sometimes I get tired of talking about design. So instead this piece is about what makes me happy: my dogs and my friend, photographer Brent Smith. Last weekend Brent and I took my two Cairn Terriers-affectionately nicknamed the Haggis Twins-to a local Seattle park. Brent had this idea of tying balloons to both Conan and Winnie's collars. But much to our surprise, Winnie went ballistic the moment Conan received his balloons, and the chase was on. Below is a photo essay of what we witnessed. Brent Smith started getting serious about photography http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=189 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=189 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT The students of the inaugural class of the Masters in Branding program spent an entire semester planning, researching, and writing Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands. After all the finished chapters and finalized pictures had been submitted there was champagne to celebrate the journey. However for one student the journey was just beginning. Noah Armstrong co-authored a chapter, interviewed the creative director of Sterling Brands and conducted photo research, but his Brand Bible contributions did not stop there. Noah Armstrong's first early sketch for the cover of Brand Bible One of the professors for the Brand Bible http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=180 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=180 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Here in the UK we refer to our freeways as 'motorways' and they're equally as boring to drive on as those that criss-cross the US. Boredom can of course lead to dangerous lapses in concentration and some pretty horrendous pile-ups when cars are traveling at 70 mph or more, that being the maximum legal speed limit in the UK. Not that anyone sticks to 70 of course. The other problem that comes with a failure to keep ones mind on the job is the signage, which has to be highly legible as it whizzes by. How many times have you http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=186 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=186 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch I have been working in the motion field for almost the past year now, and I'm starting to think it's time to explore other options. Got any advice on career transitioning? --Gopher A: I think a long and lovely career in design requires openness to change-in what you make, how you make it, who you make it for and with, and especially, your role in the whole dang process. Presenting yourself as a vital and employable creative talent is subject to ongoing refinement. Here's some things to think about: • Brand Thyself. Definitely update your website, portfolio, and reel http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=173 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=173 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Melinda Beck Client: Spur Size: 15 x 20-inches Print process: Screenprint Number of inks: 3 For an exhibition of their combined work at the Spur Gallery (run by a like-minded couple in illustrators Dave Plunkert and Joyce Hesselberth) entitled Before or Since, designer/illustrator Melinda Beck used her silhouette style to depict herself and husband Jordin Islip as a two-headed person, adapting their daughters Chloe and Simone into a hungry climbing bug and freshly hatched baby chick respectively. I didn't pry too much for the significance as to those designations, keeping in mind that the internet lives forever and the girls won't always be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=184 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=184 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT I remember hearing someone say, "Look around you, everything you see has been designed, or willfully undesigned, by someone." That certainly goes for the holiday season. It seems that around the holidays someone turned a firehose on design surfaces that can be covered with an assortment of red, green, baubles, and beads. We've all been infused with the glorious amateur holiday aesthetic since we first started gazing at family holiday cards magnetized to the refrigerator from our toddler vantage point. Or we glanced at the wrapping paper that we quickly tore off our childhood gifts.did you As a designer I remember the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=187 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=187 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT "A man without a mustache is like a cup of tea without sugar." - Old English Proverb About a year ago I started to grow a mustache to raise money for charity. It seamed like a fun thing to do and it was for a good cause after all. I had no idea that it would lead to months of careful cultivation of my facial hair that now also includes a beard. A barista at my neighborhood Starbucks put it best when he compared the process to tending to a bonsai tree. Tiny little modifications are made every morning to ensure the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=183 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=183 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT A steady diet of hanging with professional peers doesn't always translate to career success or even steady work. I'm a big proponent of "work" being as fun as can be. I don't believe that there needs to be a lack of very real enjoyment, or the subtraction of very real "fun" from our work days or the kind of work we do. Having a solid group of peers within the design industry makes it a nice diversion to attend events and gatherings full of like-minded people and kindred spirits. But there can be a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=185 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=185 Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT The season of goodwill is fast approaching, and as expected the usual crop of Christmas advertising has been gradually building up into a crescendo of pseudo French libertines chasing B-list movie stars on motorbikes and louche sailors who take their personal grooming far too seriously. And that's just the perfume ads. The avalanche of Christmas commercial breaks has become as much a part of British culture as turkey and roast potatoes. For the last few weeks the airwaves have filled to overflowing with school choirs singing about the gifts you can buy from their website and crowds of crazy party-folk wowing http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=171 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=171 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT I dig this time of year. Even as an adult, Christmas and this holiday time have always felt magical-and most importantly, hopeful-to me. Yeah, it bums me out that it's over-commercialized, and my mom still buys me some clothes a size or more too small and says that, with a little work, they'll fit fine. But mostly I find this season full of wonder. I like the music, mainly the classics (you know - Frank, Bing, Run DMC), and the movies that make me feel like a kid again. I recently found out something about a good friend of mine that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=182 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=182 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Joanna Górska + Jerzy Skakun (Homework) Client: SFP Size: 68 x 98 cm Print process: Offset Number of inks: 4-color process Homework's Joanna Górska and Jerzy Skakun have been producing some of the most brilliant posters the world has seen in the last few years. I could go on for ages about their incredible work, but I will make you pick up a copy of New Masters of Poster Design: Volume Two in order to read their profile, and see how I slobbered all over them. Despite my desire to capture everything about this dynamic duo in written form, they have the audacity http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=169 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=169 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Earlier last week I was interviewed by The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper regarding the Australian government's recent move to eliminate all logos from cigarette packaging in their country. Laws passed by their parliament in November will restrict branding, including logos, colors, and promotional copy on cigarette packs. Additionally, all packs will carry dominant graphic photographic images demonstrating the effects of smoking on the human body. And further all packs brand names will be carried in a nondescript san serif face with backgrounds printed in olive drab as it has been http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=181 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=181 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT A day before Thanksgiving, I was getting my yearly checkup with my dentist while listening to the sound of Christmas music. The ratio of bad to good music is astonishingly large this time of year. As I sat reclined in the chair of pain for more than an hour, I was at my limit. Listening to Justin Bieber sing "Under the Mistletoe" is enough to drive a sane person mad. I eventually asked his assistant if I was going to be reading about him in the papers. "What do you mean?" she asked. I told her I wouldn't be surprised http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=179 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=179 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT This second installment of the Points, Pixels, Paper Holiday Shopping Guide has gift suggestions for type nerds. What qualifies as a good gift for a type nerd? Is Helvetica their favorite movie? Do they quickly and easily choose a typeface when designing brochures, books, and websites? (Hint: they always choose Helvetica.) Then get them a stack of these babies, and they can tell the world to use Helvetica. If they couldn't care less about Helvetica, need a new watch, and have a taste for the quirky, go with one of the new Swatch watch Touch models. But be warned, the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=115 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=115 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch how can I be more profitable? --Carl A: Being profitable in graphic design isn't exactly simple. It means doing the right job the right way for clients that value and pay you appropriately. Any job, large or small, can be profitable if run well. You need to have: Good estimating (thorough yet enticing) The right rate (competitive but robust) Workflow oversight (staying within estimated parameters) Client management (keep them on track and corral expectations) Accurate record keeping (tracking and time sheet software systems in full use) Timely billing The key to achieving consistent profitability is good project management. Project management is one of those http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=172 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=172 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Once upon a time, designers of the world were antsy to pull the plug on black and white. Why cling to the static state of gray in newspapers and Zenith television sets when you could dive into a Technicolor dreamscape of LED and 10-color printing presses? But designers learned that an endless color spectrum doesn't always mean a better creative standard. Do antique fuchsia, psychedelic purple, and light salmon make the world a better place or do they simply sell more products? There is no cut and dry answer-but there will always be black and white. The time-honored combo http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=170 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=170 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Simon C. Page Client: IYC / UNESCO Size: 24" x 26" Print process: Gilcee and limited edition letterpress Number of inks: 6 One of the words that instantly comes to mind when you see Simon Page's poster work is "smart." So it comes as no surprise that his circle of admirers would include a clutch of scientists. "I had been contacted based on my work from the International Year of Astronomy," he explains. "They knew what an impact that had on the campaign, so they pushed for me to do some more related to chemistry for the IYC." The result was a series http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=168 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=168 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT This first installment of the Points, Pixels, Paper Holiday Shopping Guide has gift suggestions for type nerds. What qualifies as a good gift for a type nerd? Simple: anything with typography on it, so long as it's classy and snazzy. The gift wrap, by House Industries, uses French Paper and a plethora of glyphs. Wrap any and all gifts you get your typographic friends and family in this, and they'll know you really love them. Type Sketcher Notebooks give a tidy framework for sketching out your latest typographic doodles. Helvetica Scarf, available at Little Factory, keeps your neck warm using laser cut sans http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=159 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=159 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT The one and only Jesse LeDoux emerged as a major talent during his time working at Sub Pop Records (you likely have some of his sleeves in your record collection, assuming you have good taste in music, or design, or both) and then took to a little world travel, only to return as a force in both the illustration and whimsical fine art fields via his LeDouxville studio. The man is clearly more than a clever mustache, applying his incredible imagery to everything from toys and publishing, to massive gallery installations. When I heard that he would be manning a pop-up http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=166 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=166 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT As unlikely as it would be for me to find myself in the woods, nevermind being confronted by a mountain lion or a bear, I've been told by my outdoorsy friends that in the event of such a face off, I should make myself appear larger to discourage the animal from thinking that I'm easy prey. Along similar lines in sports, safety equipment increases the scale of our frame to provide protection, while also creating an intimidating silhouette on the playing field. Shoulder pads in football are part of a kit that amplifies power and strength. This is also true http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=164 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=164 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT It's the time of year when our minds are on anything but work. We find ourselves ramping up for various festivities and closing down projects to avoid the impending lack of communication with our clients and industry connections. It would seem that the business world is shutting down for a short winter's nap, but that is anything but true. In fact, my first day at my very first gig out of college started three days before Christmas and I had to be right back the two days after. This isn't school anymore http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=167 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=167 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Ron Liberti Client: Nick Kulp / Far-Out Fangtooth Size: 12" x 17" Print process: Screenprint Number of inks: 2 colors (with split fountain) My admiration for Ron Liberti has stretched across many books, including a profile in the upcoming New Masters of Poster Design: Volume Two, so it is no surprise that he would turn up here. Few designers personify my cardinal rule of "I would have never thought of that on my own," that separates the amazing from the simply great, like Ron does. The chopped face, while retaining the mouth, along with the hatched hole in the head, mixed with the ruled http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=165 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=165 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT I have to confess: I love infographics. I recently saw a HOW Interactive Design article about Infographics that was quite interesting. For me, infographics remain the quickest way to allow your audience to scan a large amount of dense information easily. Not only that, but if you did them well, they could become works of art. And like art, infographics often were a labor of love. You didn't do them to stay within the budget. You did them because making the complex simple was an obsession. All of that said, I wonder if the age of infographics as high art might be over. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=161 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=161 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Do we need a reminder to say thank you? Or to just be thankful? I guess the short answer is yes, of course we do. If we didn't, why would sharing our thoughts on social media be so huge, self-help books so popular, or the Hallmark Channel so viewed (you get what I mean)? I also think that every time I see something that reminds me to be thankful is a good thing. In fact, I don't think we are often thankful enough. Despite what we may complain about in this country, we are incredibly fortunate. We live in one http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=163 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=163 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT This is the first post in a series I'll be calling Type in the Real World, where I share typography found in my everyday surroundings. Grooming sign inside PetSmart. I love the substitution of the scissors and comb. Totem projected type, inside the Totem Cirque du Soleil tent. The entire production amazed me from start to finish, but for some reason, I kept gazing at this thing on the ceiling every five minutes or so. Those seated around me probably suspected I was bored with the production. Straight from the UK, this package of Jammie Dodgers lasted approximately two days in my house. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=79 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=79 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Joy Morton started The Morton Salt Company in 1910 with a novel idea: by adding magnesium carbonate to salt crystals, moisture would not effect the granules, and lumps and clumps could be avoided in damp, humid weather. This allowed for a uniquely consistent, smooth pour. In 1911, after a number of clunky iterations, a clever advertising slogan touting the brand's benefit was created, and "When It Rains, It Pours" has been in use ever since. A trajectory of the Morton Salt Umbrella Girl In 1914, design history was made in the form of an illustration that graced Morton's cylindrical package. It featured http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=162 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=162 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch I'm new to hiring creative talent for my firm. I can look at a portfolio, but do you have any suggestions for good interview questions that will reveal if a designer is actually a good fit for us? -Suzi A. Whether you are hiring a staff designer or selecting a temporary collaborator for a project, you need to interview this person. Many design firms make hiring decisions based solely on portfolio excellence. That's not enough, people! Sure, a lot of relevant information is contained in a portfolio: style sensibility, attention to detail, quality, and experience are http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=68 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=68 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Damien Tran Client: Loophole/Berlin Size: 35 x 50 cm Print process: Screenprint Number of inks: 3 colors One of my favorite things about keeping up with the poster scene is when you spot a breakthrough piece by a designer, the time when they are truly finding their own direction and pushing themselves to greater heights. Damien Tran had been producing solid work from Berlin, but you could see traces of his influences in his work-not a bad thing, if the feeling you see the influences of Aesthetic Apparatus or Sonnenzimmer. Tran has been slowly but surely disassembling his imagery in more creative ways, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=160 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=160 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT As a designer, you count yourself fortunate when a project comes to you that combines several of your passions. When an alternative fuels startup came to us looking for some help with their story from the ground up, it was too good to pass up. Their expressed mission was to make good, clean energy more readily available for all. They were to launch one of a nationwide series of alternative fuel stations. Their consumer is someone who is interested in doing good for the planet, but also in saving money. We were to help them build this community with tactics like http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=158 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=158 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT I think we would all agree that the idea to commission twelve individual posters to mark the London 2012 Olympics, with six for the Olympics and six for the Paralympics, was a good one. What a great opportunity to showcase British graphic design talent, which in turn would help our domestic communications industry to weather the hard times we're all experiencing during the global economic downturn. The long held traditions of typographic excellence and sharp graphic interpretation which have marked Britain out as a world-class creative source for many years are perfectly aligned with this most public of events and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=155 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=155 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Digital design is best done in collaboration with other specialists as well as your client. Like a giant puzzle, everyone comes together to create something bigger than themselves. In the process they share their own perspectives, ideas, and skills. Clients and team members will not always agree, and that is a good thing. That doesn't mean that collaboration is impossible. In fact, I believe it is beneficial to have different opinions, as they challenge your ideas of what is right or correct, and often result in a better product at the end. So when I was asked to write a book http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=154 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=154 Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT David Sipress created this cartoon for The New Yorker recently. It is testament to the that fact that profound changes in the publishing industry are causing some ... let's say anxiety. Do we need to panic? No. The times they are a changin', yes, and we do need to change with them. But we don't need to stop the presses just yet. People are still buying books. The music industry went through radical changes but musicians are still being signed, new music is constantly being produced, and people are still buying music, but the format has changed. No longer are people http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=157 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=157 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT "When in doubt wear red." Bill Blass Recently I received an invitation from Initiatives in Art and Culture to attend their 13th annual fashion conference in New York-RED: Allure, Style, and Significance. The scope of the itinerary was impressive and it got me thinking about the impact of the color in my life and in my design work. Red was always a big part of the Latin household I grew up in. I remember vividly my grandmother's fiery auburn hair and long polished red nails. Mi abuela also used Maja products, which featured a scarlet clad Flamenco dancer on their packaging. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=151 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=151 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ah, the holidays are approaching. A time of celebration, thankfulness, gift-giving, and self-promotion? Hey, what better time than holidays to slip a little cheer into a client's stocking or remind them that your relationship has been good and they should stick with you? Oh, the dirty business of the professional woo. But this is a great time to do some really fun things that connect you with the people inside the businesses you work with-and do so with some sincerity. That-as much as anything-is what attracts people to you. And it is people http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=156 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=156 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Zach Hobbs Client: Amanda Rose Cagle / Mast-Head Productions Size: 12 x 18 in Print process: Digital Number of inks: 4-color process Zach Hobbs and the Young Monster crew have been experimenting with pulling apart faces and reassembling them for the past year, often with thrilling results (a lot of those can be seen in New Masters of Poster Design: Volume Two, mentioned below) but the poster that caught my eye recently was the one where Hobbs tore it apart, then left the pieces to survive on their own. Contacted via facebook to do this project, the irony of listening to Hobbs lament the disappearance http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=153 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=153 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT I attended the RGD Design Thinkers Conference in Toronto, Ontario last week. It was a great conference with an unbeatable line-up of speakers. One of whom included Eric Ryan, cofounder of Method, the beautifully designed line of non-toxic, uniquely scented soaps. Great design fuels Method's success-from the packaging to the products to the company culture. Every detail has been considered. Ryan and his partner, Adam Lowry, recently released The Method Method, 7 Obsessions that Helped Our Scrappy Start-up Turn an Industry Upside Down. In his presentation, Ryan discussed the gory details around the start-up of their business-from sales pitches (good and bad), http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=152 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=152 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT I'm a sucker for premiere issues. I don't have a huge collection, but I pick them up from time to time - and I have for several years, pretty much whenever I come across one. And I've hung onto them long enough that it's made me start to wonder why. There is something intriguing about a group defining itself for the first time. When there are no precedents, every decision sets one: selecting just the right cover image, writing just the right headlines, or ditching one or both of those conventions altogether. Besides maybe a face tattoo, nothing boldly states "This http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=148 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=148 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT 256 Pixels are putting marketing mavens and visual brand experts through some amazing machinations. Literally the age-old challenge of shoving a round peg into a square hole has more designers designing square pegs. If you or your client have a URL, then you've been confronted with favicons, or the worlds smallest canvas resting at the left end of your address bar atop your browser window. If this 16x16 pixel chunk of real estate were a piece of cheese, a mouse wouldn't give it a second look. Yet multiply this favicon by page views on leading websites and you're talking acreage times http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=150 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=150 Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Describing the work of Seattle artist and retired Professor Ron Carraher is a daunting task; his impressive body of work spans six decades in the fields of photography, graphic design, illustration, sculpture and writing. One thing I know about Ron is that humor is central to everything he creates. When we first met in a neighborhood coffee shop he told me that he was familiar with the work of my studio Modern Dog, and much to my amazement he even knew our entire staff's first and last names-including our dogs. I was flattered. That was sometime in 2001, when I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=149 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=149 Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Most people take well-designed products for granted and never question the poorly designed ones. Kathryn Spitzberg as part of the SVA Masters in Branding class found out one's man quest to question all design. Kathryn had the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the mind of Dan Formosa, co-founder of Smart Design. For the book Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands, Dan talked in-depth about a brand he holds to the highest standards, OXO Good Grips. A variety of handle prototypes for OXO kitchen utensils. Smart Design has an incredible list of clients and an even http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=147 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=147 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT One of the more common issues designers have to deal with is the primes versus quotes versus apostrophe conundrum. When receiving copy from the writing and editorial team, it's easy to overlook these little pieces of puncutation because you're giving so much attention to setting it and the other glyphs in your favorite flavor of Helvetica, Frutiger, Univers, or Arial. Obviously, some people may have found fault with my Arial suggestion, but back to the issues at hand. ASCII single and double quotes (also called dumb quotes) are relics from the typewriter era, when they were multi-purpose, acting as primes, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=78 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=78 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designer: Jeff Kleinsmith Client: Experience Music Project Museum, Seattle, WA Size: 18" x 24" Print process: Screen printing Number of inks: Four This is the very first Poster Of The Week and I couldn't be more excited. You will be seeing posters from all around the globe, covering issues large and small and promoting everything under the sun-from tiny editions to massive worldwide commercial campaigns. The only deciding factor will be that it is breathtakingly good. I couldn't resist starting out with one of my favorite masters of the form, even if it is missing his trademark killer typography, it more than makes up for it http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=146 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=146 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Orange has diverse fans. Corporate banks, football teams, construction workers, and Tang drinkers all love the color-and so do we. Sure, orange carries a lot of baggage and it's one of the most dangerous hues on the palette-a shade too bright and it's toxic, a shade too pale and it's peach. If you go overboard, orange can be one big fake tan; use too little and it's an afterthought. Outside of Florida, orange is off limits… Unless you embrace its brightness and use it wisely. Here's how we do it. POSTERS: AR100 "Greed is Good" and Signature Theatre's "The Happy Time" SLOW http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=145 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=145 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT My grandmother, great-grandfather, and his father all lived in Mexico. I lived there for some years and am lucky enough to speak Spanish as well as having grown up with many Mexican traditions. When I started Tether, I wanted to bring some meaning to one of my favorite holidays, Dia de los Muertos. Tether has celebrated this holiday for the past three years at the Tether Design Gallery. This distinctly Mexican holiday centers around remembering family members who have passed away. We wanted to celebrate this holiday because we love the stories of families celebrating loved ones and all the traditions that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=144 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=144 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch my clients are always handing me these big fat decks of data that they call "research." A lot of this stuff simply isn't helpful, but they've spent a bunch of money on it, and they expect me to use it. How do I articulate why this stuff often fails to hit the mark so we can do it better? -Phooba All research is not created equal. If a designer has studied the people who are being targeted by the design they are creating, they can better tailor their efforts to the audience's needs and preferences. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=66 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=66 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT My first transmission from "across the pond" is no less than a blockbuster. I'm not referring to the post itself, but to the subject, next spring's major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert in central London. The V&A proclaims itself to be the world's greatest museum of art and design, and you know what, I agree with them. I know I'm biased because it's over here rather than over there, but if you've never paid the V&A a visit you really should. We can argue if their claim is accurate once you've seen it for yourself. The latest good reason for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=142 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=142 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Mirko Ilic and I have just finished a book called STOP THINK GO DO! That delightful litany of words is the essence of what we, as graphic "communicators" attempt to do everyday. This book, building on contemporary trends in "word-as-image" based graphic design, is a survey of how receivers of our work are commanded by direct, indirect, emotional and official declarations. And, moreover, how our behavior is altered by these demonstrative designs. We are conditioned to respond to the controlling missives we receive, and not inconsequentially, by the illustrative and typographic appearance of those missives. Take the everyday act of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=140 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=140 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT There are many ways a designer can stimulate the creative process. For some things don't fall into place until the fabric is in hand, ready to be transformed into a garment. Textiles continue to be the area of fashion where innovation is making strides in terms of performance, but there is also something to be said for looking back at the origins of fabrics. Specifically which fabrics have evolved regionally to become signatures of that region or culture. Whether you are captivated by the aesthetics of another time, the rituals of another country, or fascinated by your own personal heritage, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=138 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=138 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Whether you are a purely freelance hired-hand, a contractor/consultant or setting yourself to operate as a one-person shop, "working for yourself" truly does mean you don various hats that will put you to work on your own behalf. Your own public-relations is a major area to pay attention to. You want your clients talking about you because your skills are that sharp and your designs are the choicest of cuts, but that won't always be the best way to spread the good word about you. I know, it's often seen as boastful or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=132 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=132 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT More than anytime I can remember, I see a growing desire and mainstream effort in designers to work together creating for positive change. Everywhere I turn, I find organizations focused on changing the world in some form or fashion. There's the amazing John Bielenberg and his Project M, Dawn Hancock and her talented firm Firebelly, organizations helping to create environmental change like Designers Accord and Renourish, to name http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=141 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=141 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Creating a homage to another designer might just be the most difficult assignment ever given. How much of one's self to let show through? How true do you need to be to the vision of the original person? Winking nod, or reverential bow, or equal parts of both? Surely the viewer needs to immediately get the reference, but how heavy should that hand be? And if the person being blanketed with visual praise is going to actually see your handiwork and look you dead in the eye afterwards, are you up to the task? In the case of working on a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=137 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=137 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT The construct of the RFP poses a serious challenge to the professional practice of design. As a professional, how much work (and responding to RFPs is work) should you willingly do for the promise of maybe possibly someday getting paid? What's more, even after they've made a decision to work with you, some clients pressure design partners to reduce their hourly rates. Are the results also renegotiable? This Catch 22 is a way of life for designers and design firms. When we play ball, we essentially subsidize the client and their marketing efforts. We work longer hours because it's the right thing http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=135 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=135 Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch I love illustration. I want to include more commissioned illustrations in my designs. How do I convince my clients to go for it? -Rickie A. I'm with you. I love illustration too. It adds a very special quality to any design project. Sometimes it is tough to get clients to make the leap of faith required to approve the creation of a custom illustration from scratch. They need to pay for something sight unseen, and that scares away some folks. Designers often get pressured into using stock photography instead. Here's where designers can be advocates for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=67 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=67 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Trends Don't Suck: Trend reporting on logo design has become a normal slice of my life. Ten years ago while writing the first annual Logo Trend Report for Graphic Design USA, I had no idea it would become an annual phenomenon, published by nearly a dozen print publications and regurgitated and annotated by hundreds of blogs and websites in far too many languages around the world. As many speaking requests as I receive domestically and internationally, my first question is whether they want me to speak about the work from Gardner Design or other peoples work. Fortunately it's usually a bit http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=139 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=139 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT I graduated from college with an art degree on the cusp of the Macintosh revolution that would forever change our industry. I was one of the last to be trained traditionally in the preparation of mechanical graphic design. And one of my first freelance jobs out of college was working for a graphic design production company called Art Attack. They taught me how to order type from the typesetter, how to shoot and process stats in a dark room, and how to make "paste-up" or what were commonly known as "mechanicals" back then. A zine for Ford with one an illustration http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=136 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=136 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Current technology provides a constant bombardment of information to people. So how do you create a message that will get noticed? When you effectively use design as a communication medium, the results can be staggering, exciting, empowering, even life changing. [youtube:1e8xgF0JtVg:youtube] This video and support materials for girleffect.org are a great example of outstanding design that delivers an effective message. The videos use a simple text-driven narrative set to music. The result of this awe-inspiring presentation, is that people will want to share it, they will keep talking about it. They will want to be part of it. The http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=134 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=134 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT In the mid-1800s, soap was mainly a secondary product created from remnants of the candle-making process. Most Americans at that time bathed just once a week; few homes had indoor plumbing, and carting water indoors and heating it for a bath was a laborious affair. Because of this, most people didn't give soap much thought and usually used the same bar for washing themselves as they did for washing their clothes and other items that needed cleaning. Ivory Soap was first sold in 1879, and is Procter & Gamble's oldest brand The Procter & Gamble Company started as a manufacturer of candles, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=133 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=133 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Combining different typefaces can be a mysterious and vexing endeavor for neophytes or even experienced designers. On one hand, some of us have heard aphorisms such as "Never combine more than two typefaces." On the other hand, when a designer attempts to combine two typefaces, and gets reprimanded for matching up two that do not work, they may give up entirely if adequate reasons are not given for why they failed. A rookie mistake. The serif faces Times (in white above) and Garamond (below) are so similar that using them in a sentence won't achieve the needed contrast. So what should you http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=23 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=23 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch our creative was recently plagiarized. (Not once but twice!) There's a difference between being inspired, and being lazy, and this agency was/is just plain lazy. How would you deal with it? Out them to the design community at large? Tell them it's ok but don't do it again? Or just send them all of our design archives to make their life easier?!? WTF! -Dale A. This is a tricky one. Honestly, it's a situation that happens all too often and does not always have a super satisfying resolution. To tackle this question, I actually asked Dale to send http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=65 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=65 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Sometimes you have the opportunity to tell the stories of those that have no voice. The producers of an upcoming movie came to us with a challenge: how can we use the power of entertainment to mobilize the youth of this generation around an important issue? Tether approached this as an opportunity to help the producers tell this important story. Our challenge was how to "commercialize the cause" to touch hearts and engage minds, all with the end goal of inspiring action. In starting the project we looked at other examples that have been effective in inspiring action around a cause. An http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=131 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=131 Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT We all, from time to time, host events in our workspaces. Be it for clients, friends, or clients that became friends, opening the doors and having a few drinks always seem to bring tighter focus to a relationship. These events can take quite a bit of work and are often seen as a drag on billable hours. Because of this, I cannot stress enough how important it is that once a decision has been made to throw a party, you and your crew go all out to make the event a success. This is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=110 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=110 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT What does it mean to design for a good cause and how can one be an agitator, an organizer, and an agent of change? Good design is made by professionals who give a damn. Whether working alone or in collaboration with like-minded organizations, designers have the tools to be catalysts and make a positive impact at home, in their communities, and around the world. Design for a cause starts with doing what we do best and being flexible to a range of communication modes and outcomes. Working alone is often attractive for both practical reasons and because of the potential glory http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=130 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=130 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT "Once upon a time…" is the tried and true way to begin telling a tale that hopes to capture our attention and stir our imaginations. Annie Leibovitz could easily be credited with bringing more fairy tales to life on film than any other photographer. Photographer Annie Leibovitz Leibovitz's fairytale spreads for Vogue and the Disney Dream Portrait campaign featuring the heroes (and some villains) of legend have become storytelling benchmarks in fashion imagery. Disney Dream: Roger Federer/King Arthur by Annie Leibovitz Disney Dream: Scarlett Johansson/Cinderella by Annie Leibovitz Disney Dream: Olivia Wilde/Evil Queen and Alec Baldwin/Magic Mirror by Annie Leibovitz Disney Dream: Queen Latifah/Ursula by Annie http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=128 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=128 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT There are some recurring themes here at 'INDIE'. Call it reminders of the fundamentals, like a 10-year veteran ball-player still showing up to practice everyday. In our realm of visual communication, it seems like a note from the Department of Redundancy Department, but good communication should be a constant for us. Good relationships require good communication. We enter-deliberately-into relationships with every client, vendor, studio or fellow designer we work with. And like some relationships do over time, the sizzle turns to fizzle because the temporary aspect of our working connection to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=129 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=129 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT TED is one of the great gifts I often look to for inspiration. For those of you who don't know TED, you have been missing out. Take a minute, stop reading, go directly to Ted.com, and bask in its glory. You will find much goodness there. I download TED videos daily. I don't often watch them at work or at home, but I save them for when I travel. As soon as I'm in my seat I fire them up, excited to catch up on what I have been missing. I do intersperse watching these videos with catching up on http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=53 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=53 Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Frida Clements has been a quiet force in the poster scene for some time now. In recent years, her work has taken a huge leap into another stratosphere, combining clear concepts with a unique worldview that instantly let's you see a piece and know that it came from her caring hands. The only unfortunate part was that there wasn't enough of it. Spending the bulk of her time on her day job, where she still produced sparkling collateral and assorted materials, meant that her more creative visions came in fits and starts. When she announced last week that she http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=126 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=126 Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Professional design as we know it today was born by humanizing industrialization. As handmade crafts gave way to a revolution of industrialized manufacturing, we soon realized we needed a middle step-design-to help guide our decisions of What to Make. Many contributed to the movement, including anti-technologists, avant-garde artists, futurists, and humanists, but the ultimate commercial goal of design was simple: Once the production line is revved up, a million units later, you made something worth having. Design can help business but aims to benefit the user. The business is a secondary beneficiary of a focus on making industrial products more http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=124 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=124 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Hi, I'd like to tell you how easy it is to start a business using LogoLounge. In just one week I was able to thoroughly rape and populate my site with other peoples work. Here's how I did it. John Williams, founder of LogoGarden.com Early August of this year the design industry met John Williams the Proprietor of LogoGarden.com. What started in whispers detailing the theft of hundreds if not thousands of logos turned into a firestorm of utter indignation by the designers whose work was raped, abused and then sold into servitude. LogoGarden's reply was slow, and when John Williams had http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=127 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=127 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch can you recommend a job numbering scheme for tracking design projects? -Bruce A. Everyone handles this differently. There is no right or wrong way to do job numbers. What matters is that you create a system and then rigorously apply it. Always. Job numbers are one of those tiny details that really matter. You can avoid lots of confusion by using them consistently throughout the project life cycle. Each job should be given a specific unique number that is used for every aspect of the project- from billing to creative asset management. Every project's files, paperwork, and/or communications, whether http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=64 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=64 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Located in a building that was once a hat factory, Seattle's School of Visual Concepts has had thousands of students pass through its doors since its inception 40 years ago. The school provides supplemental training in marketing, graphic design, advertising, art direction, copywriting, and letterpress printing. And it was at School of Visual Concepts - some 18 years ago - that I was hired to teach my first design class. So I have a warm, fuzzy place in my heart for this school. (And I will always remember the odor permeating my classroom from the Hostess Cake factory next door, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=125 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=125 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT One of the more common digital typography mistakes happens when a hyphen is used incorrectly, such as substituting it for an en or em dash. This mistake happens because typing an en or em dash is not as simple as hitting the proper keyboard combination. And, those used to typing two hyphens together to arrive at an em dash, in the manner that Microsoft Word allows, are at a disadvantage. That trick doesn't work in the online world of typing emails, posting to Twitter, or building an HTML web page. Hyphens are not the same as dashes. Using a hyphen or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=72 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=72 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Disclaimer: I am not a designer, nor have I ever acted as one on TV. I am writing this column from the perspective of a consumer. These are merely my observations. In the past, generic food packaging was plain and, let's face it, kind of crappy. There was a reason for this-it was the cheap alternative to the brand name product. The store chain saved money by using generic labeling and those savings were passed on to consumers. Fast forward to today. Generic grocery brands have come a long way in recent years. It seems the store chains actually see a value http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=122 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=122 Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT The opportunity to hear designer Michael Bierut speak is inspiring; the chance to interview him is extraordinary. Jeremy DiPaolo, as part of the inaugural class of the SVA Branding program, had the rare and amazing chance to sit with Michael Bierut and talk branding, design, and the power of myths. His interview, which will be featured in the book Brand Bible, will detail his interview about the Saks Fifth Avenue rebranding. The Saks Fifth Avenue Logo The Saks Fifth Avenue rebranding effort, which launched a few years ago, was met with incredible curiosity and awe. Michael Bierut who is no stranger to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=123 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=123 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch we're considering creating an Employee Manual. Is that a good idea? What should it include? -Sally A. Even if you just have one assistant, let alone a small army of staffers, you need to figure out what your employee policies are. You can't just make it up on the fly and change it when the mood strikes you. Employees want to know the terms of their employment-what is expected of them and what they can expect from you in return. It is your responsibility as their employer to clearly communicate this information. One way to do http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=63 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=63 Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT The Tent at Boston Fashion Week is poised to become as iconic a landmark as the Hancock Tower for fashionistas in Boston. "If I can make it there I can make it anywhere," or so the saying goes when it comes to finding success in the Big Apple. Born and raised in New York, I can appreciate the value of a presence in the city, especially when it comes to the fashion industry. However, having a presence does not mean your business has to be based there. More and more cities are finding the value of building local platforms for fashion. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=120 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=120 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT At Tether we were invited to participate in an AIGA Design Festival in Seattle. Design firms throughout Seattle were given a sonotube as a blank canvas to create their own DesignMarks. We chose Pioneer Square, where Tether is located, as the historic city center to tell our story through these Tether-designed posters. As Pioneer Square is the birthplace of Seattle, it has a rich history, from the early settlers who skidded the timber down the hills to the water (the birth of the term, Skid Row), to the Chinese, then the Irish, then the Germans that came to the area to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=121 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=121 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT The Master of cheap-chic made quite a splash last Tuesday when the launch of their latest "luxury for the mass market" endeavor crashed their website. The collection, that was slated to be available for six weeks, virtually sold out in a day. Proving once again that Target is a very attractive partner for high-end designers. This latest partnering for Target was with the Italian fashion house of Missoni. Known for their trademark zigzag pattern of modern knitwear, their product line for Target included not only clothing, but housewares, patio funiture, and even bicycles. The collection encompassed over 400 products. A sampling of http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=119 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=119 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT R&B. It's a natural pairing. Rhythm and blues. Ribs and beer. Reggae and bongs. And most notably: red and black. The colors just go together. Like PB&J-only less messy and more sexy. But let's face it-the color combo has been used (and abused) by countless corporations, pop singers, dungeon masters, bean counters - and yes, graphic designers. In fact, red and black can be like peanut butter and jelly in all the wrong ways-an old, tired stand-by that's been done a million times. Clearly R&B is not the right mix for every project, but if you keep it appropriate for http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=118 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=118 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Nostalgia is in the air, literally. A new television series called Pan Am will hit the airwaves later this month and frankly, I have high hopes. Not just for the show, but also for the influence it will have on fashion. I don't believe that women will adopt hats and gloves as a way of life again, no matter how great Christina Ricci looks in them. However, it is obvious that a romance with the 1960s has not only begun, but is flourishing. This vintage aesthetic is enjoying a place in wardrobes everywhere. Christina Ricci as Maggie in the television series http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=101 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=101 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT How do you position yourself in your market? Hadn't quite thought of that, huh? Once again, we come to a place where the path of being a creative professional is less about the work and more about the business surrounding the work. For a person working solo, there are actually distinctions in how you view the way you work, totally separate from how you feel about your style or portfolio. The term that is most commonly used to describe the solo designer is "freelancer," but as is the case with any title or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=112 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=112 Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Creating art out of trash is not a new idea; however, creating art from trash of people, with people, who so happen to be garbage pickers themselves, proves to not only be an intriguing narrative, but a transformative experience. This is the story of Waste Land. Waste Land debuted at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary. This compelling story emerged after Director Lucy Walker stumbled upon the opportunity to follow renown Brazillian artist Vik Muniz on a two-year experimental project at the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, just outside of Rio http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=107 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=107 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT The despair that greets me at the black metal shell outside my door has reached silent movie status. I truly feel like I should have an organist twirling away frantically in the darkness as I reveal piles of bills, American Girl catalogs, and little else to the viewer. If there wasn't the outside chance of a check accidentally slipped in-between the riff raff, I might abandon the whole process altogether. The mail used to bring a lot of joy to my life. It doesn't seem that long ago that our collective nation couldn't wait for it to arrive each day. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=111 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=111 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT I'm a very practical person. I like things that make sense. I don't do well with just creating stuff for stuff's sake. That's probably why, as a design student, it wasn't too much of a stretch for me to learn to deal with gobs of information. At Carnegie Mellon, Karen Moyer taught us about working with information using Richard Saul Wurman's Information Anxiety as the textbook. Wurman coined the term "information architect" in the 1970s, and within a few short years, "visual stylist" became the worst insult you could hurl at a designer. Over night, we all wanted to be "thinky" http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=46 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=46 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch what is an EIN? When do I need one? Why should I care? -Benjamin A. At some point all designers have to deal with the government, especially the tax man. If you are practicing designer and earning income, then you are eligible to pay taxes. In the U.S., you may be responsible for city, state, and Federal (national) taxes. I'm sorry. It's the law of the land. That is why you must care. All individuals, including sole proprietors (that's all freelancers), are issued Social Security Numbers (SSN) to use as their identification number for paying their taxes. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=62 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=62 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT SWIMMING WITH THE FISH: Nothing lasts forever and neither does anything else. My wife is especially good at reminding me that "change is our friend." I think the sentiment sucks and it reminds me of a bad motivation poster. I have some really good friends and I have some crappy friends too. Not all friends are equal and neither is change. I ramble through this thought process because as designers we don't survive by telling our clients to stick with the status quo. Two thirds of the identity projects we do are not virgin opportunities. They are a rejuvenation, or a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=109 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=109 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT I teach because it makes me feel good. And it's fun. This past summer I taught the funnest class ever-a skateboard design class. Now in its second year, the summer program is aimed at High School students in Washington state and beyond. Though I have been teaching college-level classes at Cornish College of the Arts for 11 years, this was a new class for me. I had five students between the ages of 15 and 17. Each student was given two blank boards, and over the course of six classes made deck art out of collage, spraypaint, acrylic, stencils, and even http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=108 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=108 Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT In order to preview a typeface, designers used to request specimen sheets in the form of printed catalogs, flyers, or posters to see how the characters looked, and if the face would work well for their project. Both P22 and Emigre continue to offer catalogs, that a designer can requisition online, and then receive in their mailbox. Sample from the 258-page P22 font catalog. Sample from Emigre's elegant Historia specimen sheet. One of the many specimen pages available from Fonts.com, where designers can download printable PDFs of new releases such as Neue Haas Grotesk. But like most printed materials, said specimen catalogs and specimen http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=69 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=69 Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Writing, organizing and researching commenced in January of 2011 for the graduate students at SVA who were tasked with working on the book Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands. However, one student, Sascha Donn, remembers the real turning point for Chapter 7: The "Greatest Generation" of Brands, happening many weeks after the start of the semester. Working with fellow student Timothy Harms, the pair researched tirelessly to ensure all brands, products, and events from the 1950s were properly represented. It was in the middle of winter that the talented and ever-so-honest Kenneth FitzGerald paid Sascha, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=106 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=106 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT I just completed my second annual half-marathon relay on Sunday. The race route is through the historic Springdale Cemetery in Peoria, Ill., founded in 1854. It's 234 acres of majestic beauty-headstones in different sizes, dimensions, and colors nestled in a natural, hilly backdrop. When I see all those stones, it makes me wonder about the people who's remains lie six feet below the surface. There are certain factors that indicate a person's wealth or stature in the community-the size of the headstone, the ornate writing, carved graphics, etc. And there are those smaller stones, decayed from years of neglect-probably a http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=105 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=105 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT A person's response to color and tone can help determine how information is understood and can affect whether a consumer buys a product or uses a client's services. Scientists and psychologists have studied the relationship between people's conscious and subconscious perception of color and their associated meanings. Psychologists are particularly interested in the effect that colors have on the subconscious and on how these influences relate to people's understanding of the world around them. The psychology of color has both theoretical and practical relevance for designers. In certain instances, scientists have found that the presence of particular hues has foreseeable effects http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=98 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=98 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT As I traveled through the UK this summer and I tried to put work out of my mind, I kept seeing things that brought me back to the packaging world. One night as I was eating in a little pub in Northumberland in England, I noticed the packets of condiments sitting on the table that weren't playing their normal game of trying to grab my eye with a catchy name, graphic, or color. These packets were straightforward, just saying what they were in an honest unadorned way. I was intrigued. Because of their lack of information or coloration about who http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=104 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=104 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Brace yourself. The Category 5 design hurricane known as fashion week is upon us and a storm of colors is brewing for the new spring line up. But will our favorite stand-by-pink-make the cut? The color has long been a favorite for the fashion forward, but as with many things in the industry, "one minute you are in and the next you are out." The trick is to rethink pink. Make it new again, and again, and again with subtle touches of hues and accents. "OMG" campaign for DC Addys, and "Support Locally Raised Design" campaign for ADCMW. It's no secret that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=103 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=103 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT You got into graphic design because you love the creative work. But you also probably got into design, rather than say fine arts, because there's a commercial aspect to it. After all, graphic design was once referred to as "commercial art." Well, it's important to keep this commercial aspect in mind when it comes to starting, managing, and running your own business. There are a lot of supremely confident, competent creatives who have amassed titles, awards, and a portfolio of fantastic work-all from the clinical environment of a job. You know, where http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=102 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=102 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT There are so many design projects out there for the greater good, and in concept they are wonderful things. The first big design project that I was really aware of was the Hurricane Katrina Project. After the 2005 disaster that ravaged New Orleans and surrounding areas, most of us wanted to do something. Many designers joined as a collective to create something beautiful inspired by something horrible. The goal was mighty: to raise a $1,000,000 in relief. On the website it was reported that they raised about $50,000. Short of the goal, but I don't think that mattered because they http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=54 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=54 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT It is back to school time for ages young and old (and another reminder that I will be forever hopeless at picking out a great "outfit" for a 10 year-old girl. Don't even get me started on doing hair...) I couldn't help but think about the book that had made it's way to my desk time and time again over the summer. Lanny Sommese is the patriarch of design education in this region. With a litany of talented graduates sprinkled all throughout the Mid-Atlantic, from Chip Kidd, who wrote the loving/fearful foreword, to Jake Lefebure, who writes right here on http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=100 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=100 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT It's been said that design is all about communication. However, if you buy the argument that you cannot not communicate, then what isn't? This dilemma hasn't helped us understand the meaning of communication design. Nor did the "post-modern" graphic styles that emerged in the 1990s, along with the desktop computer. At that time, new styles which deliberately broke from past traditions were forged and popularized by April Greiman, Emigre magazine, the McCoys from Cranbrook, and others. David Carson's work on Ray Gun magazine epitomized this trend of rejecting modern formalism in favor of experimental typography, painterly images, and disorder. Much of this http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=71 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=71 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch what will be the graphic designer's future role when much of it gets automated by increasingly sophisticated software programs? Obviously, this could really impact my design business. -ChiChi A. This is where my dang crystal ball would come in handy. (Sigh…if it only worked). I've thought of asking psychic James Van Praagh to contact Charles and Ray Eames, or maybe Saul Bass, to see if they know what's up. All I'd get back is that JVP could "really use a web design refresh." No. That is not helpful. So I decided I'd better ask a living designer http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=61 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=61 Sun, 04 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Coming Up for Air Being immersed for several weeks in 36,000 logos submitted to LogoLounge, can be both suffocating and exhilarating at the same time. That's the number of logos uploaded by thousands of members in over 100 countries around the world in the last 18 months. Fortunately, we decided early on to work with an exceptional panel of eight judges on each volume, and let them blow out their own brains sorting and passing judgement on this immense field. TOP (left to right): Louise Fili, Louise Fili Ltd. - New York, USA; Ken Carbone, Carbone Smolan Agency - New http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=99 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=99 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT I like misfits, freaks, and outcasts. When Modern Dog designer Shogo Ota showed me the work of his friend Peta Matsumoto, I found it bizarre, dark, quite compelling. The camera angles place the viewer fiercely up-close and personal with the subject. Resolution is purposely less than optimum because Peta prefers the grainy texture of film over the perfection of digital media. Naturally I was excited to interview this twenty-something, Osaka-based photographer. Peta has lived a life off the beaten path in eight countries supporting himself as a fisherman, a hunter, and a bike shop mechanic before turning to photography. "I skipped http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=93 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=93 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Long before high definition displays rendered millions of colors before our eyes, writers, artists, programmers, and designers used simple alpha-numeric characters to create imagery. Futurists and Dadaists relied chiefly on cut paper to make their collages. But those seeking a higher degree of difficulty used a typewriter, as Flora Stacey did with great effect in her 1898 butterfly illustration. Butterfly by Flora Stacey, 1898, was made with various letters and predominantly hyphens, underlines, and punctuation, from ReadyMade. Futurist Guillaume Apollinaire's 1914 composition Il pleut (It rains) resembled falling rain drops, from WikiCommons. Bradbury Thompson continued the type as image tradition with his work http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=32 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=32 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT The 1960's were a radical, awe-inspiring, and influential time in this country's history; affecting everything from culture, counter-culture, politics, and in turn branding. Curtis Wingate and Abby McInerney were the lucky pair to tackle this transformative period in "The Evolution of a Revolution," in chapter eight of Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands. McInerny, a senior design manager at Time Inc., started delving into the global brand power and historical influence of this media giant. As it turns, out the popular culture magazine, Rolling Stone, was launched in 1967 as a voice for counter-culture and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=85 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=85 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT You can find out a lot about a person by looking at their desk. It's a "day in the life" personality map. When I speak with someone on the phone, I always try to imagine what his or her workspace is like. So, I asked several people to stand up, step back, and take a photo of their desk. My one stipulation was to keep it as is-no cleaning it up! I want to see what a real desk looks like and what it reveals about the person. "My husband, designer Abbott Miller, derisively refers to http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=96 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=96 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT So China is the place to watch it seems, everything is supposedly happening there right now. It seems so in terms of production and manufacturing because labour is so cheap. But are the Chinese up there in terms of design too? It seems the answer is no, not yet. To be honest, I think Chinese design is still a bit confused. Caught between communism and capitalism as a nation, the Chinese are yet to fully embrace the sophistication required to sell products and services in a capitalist society. As with all nations, there are some stand-out designers who are making great waves and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=41 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=41 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT I am, and always want to be an originator. I want to make things. Not just market things that others have made. Being a strategist or marketer and helping to point a brand in the right direction is wonderful, but the true fulfillment comes when you can get your hands dirty and start creating-when you have a chance to bring that strategy to life in a tactile way. True to that desire, I have always wanted a letterpress machine. I mean, what designer doesn't? After a trip to Nashville and visiting Jim Sherraden at Hatch Show Print, I knew the time http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=97 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=97 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT At last! Students are back on campus and freshmen are funneling freshly tapped kegs at institutes of higher learning across America. College pride is oozing with school colors painted on faces and chests, but who picked all of those unflattering colors anyway? Everywhere you look it's a stadium wave of maroon, navy, and metal tones. "Old school" colors are still the face of many institutions but they have all the inspiration of a No. 2 pencil or an engineering major in a history class. Traditional palettes may get parents to pay tuition, but they put students to sleep. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=95 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=95 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT At Grip we have the good fortune of working in Chicago, a market loaded with great agencies both large and small. Adding to that, our design community is vibrant and active with many unique opportunities to socialize/commiserate with industry friends. Why should any of this matter to anyone outside of this area? Because early on, this community taught me that a critical component to creating a lasting business with a creative culture is fostering the ability to reach out to industry friends on both personal and professional issues. It is no secret that http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=94 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=94 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT I am the youngest of three in my family. When my eldest brother went to college he left behind milk crates filled with albums-a fantastic collection of music, and by way of albums, a fantastic sampling of art and graphics. They eventually became mine, and I cherished them. This was the start of my deep appreciation for music and soon I was a regular at our local record shop, Record Town. Milk crates of records. Photo: Bess Sadler After my own journey through college, and several apartments later, this collection became more of a burden. I didn't own a turntable any longer, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=92 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=92 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT "I think there is beauty in everything. What 'normal' people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it." - Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty, the recent Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City made history when attendance went far beyond the expected numbers. Diana Vreeland would have been tickled pink - which by the way, she called the navy blue of India - to see the unprecedented number of visitors to a fashion exhibition. The exhibit had everyone weighing in on the man, the designer, and his work. One thing is http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=90 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=90 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Tears for Fears said it best: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World." For many designers, going out on your own and developing a freelance business is the ultimate ideal: Be your own boss, set your own hours, work with the clients you want. What's not to like, right? Well, like most endeavors, the reality of making this happen are quite a bit different from the dream, especially early on. As a freelancer you're much more likely to have a dozen different bosses, aka clients, work incredibly long hours, and take whatever projects you can http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=91 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=91 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT If you need a reminder that you need to continually ask questions, hang out with, borrow, or listen to kids from three to ten years old. The questions are in great supply and range from age to depth and repetition, but if you ask me they are all brilliant. Some of my favorites from my own kids are: "Dad, why is the sky blue and sometimes all kinds of colors?" "Is it okay to color outside the lines?" "Do you need to work all the time?" "Can I just mix the colors and see what happens?" "Did you see the milk shoot out my nose?" Remembering http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=52 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=52 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Standing before me is decades of musical genius in the form of a face bleating red from the strain of elongating the final syllable in the word "Chicago." Following a scrambled guitar solo and whipping of the elastic custom neck of his painted guitar, Jad Fair closes a short selection of songs with a nervous smile and miles of charm. This concert is taking place in a charming gallery, sectioned off from the thoroughly modern library that has been erected a few years ago in sleepy Thurmont, MD, nestled against the eastern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As Jad sets http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=89 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=89 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT It was a writer, not a designer, who first pointed out to me one of the most curious things about the design profession. Years ago, I was talking over martinis with Clark Malcolm, a very generous writer. We had just finished working together on an annual report project. He found it unusual that on large projects such as an annual report, designers could participate in high-level strategic conversations with executives one minute, then go off to toil away on the minutia of making stuff. As far as Clark could tell, design was the only industry where the same person might be http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=45 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=45 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch how do I write a contract for my design services? Where do I start? Should I just hire a lawyer? -Deanna A. Sure, you can hire a lawyer. If you do, get one that specializes in contract law and understands how to write an agreement for a consulting services practice. Be prepared to pony up a bunch of cash and be given a document that you'll likely have no earthly idea what it means. Or, you can take advantage of an amazing knowledge-sharing exercise sponsored by AIGA. A few years back, a group of designers and lawyers, lead by http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=60 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=60 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Preamble: I am a DESIGNER. If I'm to make a living at it I have to CREATE something that has value to someone else. Like most of us, we create out of thin air. As a rule, identity designers are a pretty smart band of folk. If our work is successful it's because we ask the right questions and understand the ramifications of our design decisions. We know how to coax the life out of a line or how to prompt a memory in the public's conscious. And if we calmly and intuitively seem to know when a mark is right, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=88 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=88 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT This past Spring, my business partner Michael Strassburger and I taught our second poster class appropriately called "Modern Dog Poster School 2" at our Seattle studio. We limit the class size to no more than 10 students so that we can offer individualized instruction and hands-on help that is often not possible in a larger traditional classroom setting. The six week class covers what we think makes a great poster including design, layout, color, and typography. We also explain how files need to be prepped for screenprinting through live demos. Then we send the art to Brandon and Brian http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=87 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=87 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Exploring how emerging technologies can help in the classroom has undergone a Renaissance thanks to tablet computing and other touch screens such as iPhones and iPods. For his masters thesis at Parsons, Dong Yoon Park investigated how an iPad could teach beginners and typophiles all about typography by creating the Typography Insight app. Screenshot from Typography Insight, version 1.10. An evolution of glyphs across various typefaces. Its simple and inviting interface exposes users to type terminology, history, as well as the intricacies of typesetting. One tool is particularly hands-on, made possible by the iPad's touchscreen: the comparison tool lets users analyze typefaces by http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=31 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=31 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Kleenex® is a household name, often a universal name for tissue. One student, Jessie McGuire found out the difference between a universal name and a billion dollar brand. Christine Mau, the Brand Design Director of Family Care brands at Kimberly-Clark the parent company of Kleenex brand facial tissue, has been at the forefront of innovative design and brand initiatives. Generous with her time, she took a few minutes from her busy schedule to talk branding, design, and nose blowing for the new book Brand Bible: The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=76 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=76 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Cooper Black was not the first face to have rounded serifs, it is the most demonstrative of the so-called fat faces. Used for advertising and editorial display, Cooper Black is as eye-catching as a charging bull and as loud as a carnival barker. Portrait of Oswald Cooper. Oswald Cooper (1879-1940), Oz or Ozzie to his associates was the man behind the face. Cooper was a native of Coffeyville, Kansas. In his teens he settled in Chicago to pursue an illustration career. He eventually became one of the progenitors of the so-called Chicago style. In the early 1920 and 1930s American design http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=30 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=30 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT When you try to get an overview of Dutch graphic design, you find yourself caught up in the most fabulous world of typography. Typography steeped in heritage too. What I love about the Dutch is they have the clinical influence of the Swiss and the regularity and order of the Germans, but with the quirkyness of the Scandinavians. Holland is like that: One minute you think you're somewhere fairly straight-laced and normal, and the next you think the world's gone bonkers. The people are lovely, then they throw a curve ball, just like their design work. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=40 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=40 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Look at her. Amy Winehouse lived her brand to the end. She branded herself as a free spirit complete with tattoos and unpredictable behavior. She was just following the brand book set forth by the other four musicians that also died at 27 - Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin. Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn in My Dinner With Andre. One of my favorite movies - My Dinner With Andre - has a scene where Andre Gregory explains why a famous director, Jerzy Grotwoski gave up the theater. "He just felt that people in their lives now were performing so well http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=84 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=84 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT It wasn't long ago that green was gauche. In the color family tree, it was the red-headed step child. Forgotten. Awkward. Ignored. Now? It's the rock star relative-the new mascot of Mother Earth and Next Generation Prius. Corporations have jumped on the green bandwagon. Marketing execs who once favored blue, burgundy, and gray are now suddenly lusting after olive, viridian, and emerald. Green is rewriting its reputation. It used to conjure shamrocks and traffic lights; now it's the king of colors, somehow managing to take credit for everything environmental and yet still embody the power of cold hard cash. Re-Cycle Bike Rack http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=86 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=86 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT A couple of months ago I was driving through the south side of Peoria. It's kind of a depressing area occupied with eroding architecture, abandoned buildings, and run-down homes. But then I saw something that really stood out … a glimmering sign of hope, literally. It was a sign in front of an old church that said, "This church is not a memorial for Saints, but a hospital for Sinners." There was really nothing special about the sign itself-it's unpretentious, raw, undesigned-but the message was powerful and refreshing in an age of megachurches and over-zealous religious rhetoric. Several weeks later, I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=81 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=81 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch, are employers truly only interested in specialists, not generalists? Should I silo off my work and make a portfolio for each of my specialties? -JB A. I think hiring is a pain in the ass for everyone involved. So much so that most employers are looking for the exact person who has the perfect one-to-one skill set and experience match up on their "Wish List." That these requirements are often seemingly contradictory is annoyingly common- "We want someone who does beautiful visual identities and dazzling illustrations, but must be able to create high-fidelity user experiences on mobile apps." http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=59 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=59 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Movies make magic. Fashion fuels fantasy. The relationship between the two has always made sense. Costumes help tell stories, and characters come to life when what they wear tells you as much about their role in the story as their deeds and dialogue. In some cases, clothes become an integral part of the story itself. 'The Women' - 1939 George Cukor's 1939 film The Women is a favorite among fashion designers, as much for its sparkling and often scathing script, as for the endless stream of costume changes. Not much has changed since then. Almost 80 years later in 2008, the Sex http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=75 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=75 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Creativity is not-nor has it ever been-about art. Creativity is about the basics of life, the forces that drive us, and the solution to any equation found blocking our progress. You can look to prehistoric man for reference: Environment too harsh? Find shelter. Still cold? Make heat. Hungry? Forage for food. All of the materials to accomplish these things existed, but necessity played "mother" to some inventive minds, looking to clear hurdles to meet their needs. Thinking of "creativity" in this way, it can be seen as more of a life-skill than some mystical http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=83 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=83 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT What gets you fired up? I mean, really fired up? Poverty? Politics? Aids, cancer, the environment? My next question is simply, What are you doing about it? My intent isn't to cause guilt; I'm asking more out of frustration. Let me explain. I was recently in an airport, and this lady was complaining about every cause under the sun. Cancer walks are a shame, Africa has had issues forever, people with HIV bring it on themselves, and the list went on. At first I was ready to drop kick her across the terminal, but as I kept listening, I realized http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=55 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=55 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Andy Smith is funny. Not regular funny. Rather, he is "real" funny. Taking a sly approach to his slightly dark writing and wrapping it into '60s and '70s hand-rendered typography, born from children's programming and hippy sloganeering, is a subversive act, in the best possible way. His observations on life touch on the obvious things that we rarely dare to utter out loud, and poke fun at our daily challenges, both small and large. The final result is a feeling that life may be tough but that doesn't mean you can't laugh along the way, especially at the worst parts. I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=77 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=77 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Design is becoming more of a profession. We have conventions, standards, guidelines, metrics, and support groups. As design continues to earn more credibility in the corporate world, some designers have rejected a standard professional path, perhaps fearing that their creativity might be impaired by banal corporate groupthink. I recently interviewed a young designer who preferred to be described as a graphic artist - not a "designer" at all. And certainly more artist than businessperson. I know a talented person (we won't call him a designer) named Chuck Anderson. Chuck specializes in creating photo-manipulated imagery for recognizable consumer brands. I like his work, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=70 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=70 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Ok, so we've discussed the first two historic rules already, and have determined they're no longer a mandate in modern logo design. We live in a fully saturated, detail-rich world, so designing a logo with black and white reproduction as a primary goal is seldom an imperative. I too love a beautifully crafted one-color logo without halftones, but there is a reason that every major identity firm is developing and exploring beyond these hallowed grounds. Rule No. 3: Thou shall create thy image with a clean sharp edge to it. Rule No. 4: Thou shall not make logos using any gradations or http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=82 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=82 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT In July of 1997, the Modern Dog Crew-Vittorio Costarella, Mark Atherton, co-owner Michael Strassburger and I-took a trip to Nashville for an Art-Directors-speaking-gig thing. Soon after arriving, and always on the lookout for interesting artwork, we spotted a used bookstore. But this wasn't a typical used bookstore. This place was a veritable shrine to all things related to the Civil War and the history of the American South. Many interesting things were displayed in the windows, including a Confederate flag (which should have tipped me off), so we walked in. We each went our separate ways. While nosing around I found an http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=57 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=57 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT While travelling to my first San Diego Comic Con this Summer, I began to wonder, "How many heroes use typographic monickers?" I arrived at this incomplete list while visiting the booths and watching costumed attendees (now called "cosplay") at Comic Con 2011. Many of the costumed patrons stormed through the convention center Thursday through Sunday, getting their pictures taken with starstruck fans, who were excited to see their heroes walking around in real life. Afterhours, the costumed heroes could be seen walking through San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, dining at restaurants, or drinking at the local taverns. The spectacle of seeing Batman http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=73 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=73 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT For one student Brain Gaffney, whose passions lie in jazz and faith-based communications, the opportunity to meet and interview the former design director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York and the designer behind the award winning work for Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem, was a chance of a lifetime. Brian was honored and thrilled to meet the talented Bobby C. Martin Jr. of the design firm The Original Champions of Design. OCD as it is most commonly referred to, is a boutique design firm in New York City founded by Martin and Jennifer Kinon. Brian was assigned an http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=48 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=48 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT There's a trend it seems in the United States, for texture. Whether it's a frivolous background or border, or type and layout creating a pattern, it seems to me that American designers can't stop making things busy. And loud. Really loud. Funny. You know how people start to look like their pets? I wonder if it's the same for design-work acting like it's owners? It's that whiff of ostentatiousness that's a little too prevalent in some parts of American design, a bit brash, a bit over-the-top. Hmmm, I wonder where that comes from? Where's the sense of calm, the clinical clarity, the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=39 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=39 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT A client comes to you and says something like, "I have a product we've been selling for 45 years, and it's done really well for us, but we're sure there is more opportunity out there. Can you help?" That's when the multifaceted aspect of being a designer kicks in-the part I really love. Designers are anthropologists, sociologists, strategists, and creators. We are archeologists digging in a cultural/consumer landscape. We assess the current lay of the land to see what we can judge from the surface before we start scratching to unearth underlying history. Many times we find brands that were cultural http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=74 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=74 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT From a creative point of view, the branding landscape has evolved into a sea of sameness. The swooshed-CGI logos tend to blend, companies' core messages just mimic the competition, and the odds of being first to market with that BIG original idea is like winning the lottery. So why try? When it comes to branding colors, it's survival of the simplest. Most well known companies don't have logos we would consider "current" by today's standards, but they know how to evolve. Their brands have become so familiar to us and they reinvent themselves over and over and over no matter what http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=37 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=37 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT I always have my iPhone at the ready, but not because I might miss a call. Whether I'm out shopping or watching television my reflexes are now instinctively poised to turn on the best app on my phone, Shazam. I tag an average of 10 to 12 tunes per week. I don't set out on an activity with the intent of collecting music but like any good Boy Scout, I'm prepared. The first part of the process is simply chance. Wherever I am, will they be playing music worth identifying? Phase two involves my physical and emotional responses. They are http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=21 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=21 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT There are many great things about getting naked… unless you don't like what you see. But in the end, what is even great about that is that what you see is reality. You know what you're dealing with. Perhaps this is an odd example, but it gets to my point about figuring out what is real for you. My colleague shared a quote with me this year that has really changed the way I have been leading in many areas of my life. Max De Pree, an American writer and past leader of Herman Miller, the company his father founded, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=34 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=34 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q: Dear Design B*tch do you know any independent sales reps that you could refer to us to represent our design firm? -Yolanda A: No. I wish I did. I have always felt like there might be people in a parallel universe wishing they could sell design services, but I haven't found them yet. If you are such a person please comment below and link us to your website. I mean it. One of the most common dream scenarios I hear from designers is that someday there is this magical sales person who comes into their lives (on a white Porsche?) and gets http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=58 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=58 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT If I had to pick a favorite piece art in my house, it would have to be three pieces. My Christo and Jeanne-Claude images. They are beautiful, perfect pops of color and composition, and they have always made me happy. I met Christo and Jeanne-Claude my junior year of college when they came to speak at the art school. I have been fascinated with them ever since. To me, their work is pure and communal on a very grand scale. Their independent attitude and fierce allegiance to doing their projects their own way, and only their way, warrants an enormous http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=56 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=56 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT As a freelancer or small shop, I know we'd all like to imagine that we have clients with budgetary windfalls and the hands-off approach to business that would allow us to send that 8-color, diecut, blind embossed, spot varnished project to the moon for space-age printing-we are often hit with the ever-present truth. Most often we are forced to squeeze all we can out of a small budget that leaves us just enough overhead to make a visit to, you guessed it; the "Feddy Kink" (as my crew calls it)-your neighborhood Kinko's. Many of my contemporaries frown upon the quick print http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=5 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=5 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Stefan Bucher is one of my very favorite people. It is amazing that he has been able to continue our friendship at it's neverending torrid pace, given his prolific writing of late. (Full disclosure, that was me that you saw standing next to Stefan, slightly shorter, yet just as funny, entertaining thousands at the HOW Conference in Boston a few years back.) As you might have surmised by my two fingered pecking, writing is something we have in common. Stefan is just better, and faster at it. He finished his latest book, 344 Questions: The Creative Person's Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=50 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=50 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT My first job out of design school took me to a farm in Zeeland, Michigan. And boy was I lucky. What you see when you enter Zeeland It wasn't the fresh air and wide-open spaces-although the spaciousness of my office, complete with drafting table (That doesn't date me, does it?), was pretty sweet. Yang's Herman Miller office I was lucky to land at a company like Herman Miller, and even luckier to get to work with a mentor like Steve Frykholm. Bill Stumpf's illustration of Steve Frykholm Those first weeks/months/years, I put in my time doing the things all apprentices do: implementing their mentor's ideas. After I http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=44 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=44 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT As I discussed in my first post on 07-05-11, there have been many logo design "rules" that have been cast by those before us, but are they still relevant? This is probably more of a history lesson for you youngsters, than a refresher course. Rule No. 1: Thou shall make all logos reproducible in black and white. When we lived in a black-and-white world, this rule made pretty good sense. No one lives there anymore. At best this was in the CMYK world, but we moved out of that neighborhood and are now ensconced in the RGB district. Red, Green, and Blue http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=51 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=51 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Every once in awhile I see a logo and it really sticks with me-there's usually a directness and simplicity about it that I find appealing. That's why I can't get the Skateistan logo out of my head: a kid riding a skateboard breaking a machine gun is fitting for the first indoor skateboarding park started by two Aussies in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan. Oliver Percovich and Sharna Nolan opened in 2007 with just 3 skateboards to share amongst their students. Since then Skateistan has grown to encompass an all inclusive skatepark and educational http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=11 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=11 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT With the Summer movie season in full swing, I'll visit theaters at least once per week from now until September 1st. But it's not just about getting my ticket and a bag of popcorn, then heading to my seat. I take a long and winding stroll from the box office throughout the entire theater to poster hunt. This ritual began in December 1979 on my way into Star Trek: the motion picture when I noticed Darth Vader on a poster with the headline "The Star Wars Saga Continues." My eyeballs jumped to the bottom and read "Coming to your galaxy http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=14 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=14 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT I am regularly asked what it takes to be hired at Grip and although my standard response is "the only skill you need to work here is the ability to learn new skills," the question really begs for a slightly more detailed response. Beyond the ability and interest to learn new things, we value the chemistry of the group as a whole and nothing is more important to creating chemistry than putting the right people into the right environment. Over the years our work environment has evolved into an egalitarian state of mutual respect http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=49 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=49 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Beer, brands, and a book: Three key ingredients for two lucky graduate students. Maxine Gurevich and Rebecca Etter, as part of the SVA Masters in Branding class, had the opportunity to research and write Chapter six of the new book Brand Bible. The focus of their chapter was brands between the wars-1917 to1940. Being the era of post WWI and prohibition, the prospect of writing a chapter about a beer brand was undertaken with great anticipation and curiosity. Popping the top of a cold canned beer is something every picnic, sporting event, and family reunion takes for granted. The country's youngest http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=33 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=33 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT I didn't know much about Australian design until I discovered the stunning work of Fabio Ongarato whilst compiing my first book for Rockport. I was gobsmacked. He put Australia firmly on the design map for me. It's refreshing to see what they're up to down under. The work is, on the whole, fresh, alert, and intriguing. There's definately a technology influence going on-perhaps it's the geographical location and an Asia-Pacific influence. If I'm critical, I worry that Aussie design sometimes lacks humanity, earthiness, and even authenticity, which I find strange from a bunch of people who are incredibly friendly, fun, and honest. Gary http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=38 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=38 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT I've lived in Peoria, IL, for nearly 19 years, and I rarely take the time to notice my surroundings. So I decided to venture out and photograph some of the more unusual sites in town-in areas, I don't usually go. This is my visual journal. Vanna Whitewall Vanna Whitewall has been greeting motorists at Peoria Plaza Tire on Washington Street in Peoria, since 1968. This is an older part of town, which unfortunately is now mostly occupied by vacant buildings-the businesses either closed or moved north, to the "better" part of town. But Vanna still stands tall and proud and adds some http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=13 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=13 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT It's SUMMER VACATION! What do you see? PINK: flip-flops at the pool or a bulldog's tongue drooling on your lap? RED: a Corvette cruising for a race or a traffic light making you late? GREEN: the lawn that needs cutting or the mint leaves in your mojito? At Design Army, we see all these colors and more - and we reimagine them in ways that inspire us. It's a labor of love we call Color Consumption. Every day on Color Consumption we combine two colors that stir our design senses - items we see while at work or at play - http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=1 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=1 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Designers, musicians, and producers spend an equal amount of time lamenting how music packaging has changed from large record sleeves, down to cassette cases, into CD jewel cases, and down to digital JPEGs. But one thing that gets overlooked is sheet music: printed notation that singers and musicians read in order to perform. When I received a guitar for my 35th birthday, I began to pay more attention to sheet music during my visits to the music store. Famous performers grace most sheet music covers and vie for your attention. (left) In the show tunes section, Julie Andrews dances under the http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=6 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=6 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT How many times do you look at pictures you've taken and feel yourself transported to that day, event, or moment? I love when that happens, but until I got an iPhone, I struggled to consistently take shots of my everyday experiences. Sure, I'd take a camera with me on vacations or business trips, but my everyday was left only to memory. Now, though, with social media and the myriad of photo apps available, there is no excuse to not stop throughout the day and take notice. Notice that interesting sidewalk crack, street art, cloud, foam in your latte, whatever. We http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=4 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=4 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT An almost daily catchphrase in the professional and career circles is, "work-life balance." Huh? I have yet to have anyone explain exactly what that means. Why does "work" come before "life" in that coupling? Life is the bigger stage, on which work is just a player. By any reckoning, it's no far stretch to understand that work is simply a part of life. It may seem as if it dominates our daily clock, but if you break it down, there's still more "life" than "work." Let's talk practical application of time spent; http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=35 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=35 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Donatella Versace recently said, "As a designer I look at the future, I never look at the past." The thick accent and the authoritative attitude almost make it sound cool, but never? Really? Statements like these make great sound bites from a marketing perspective, but on the creative front they undervalue history and undermine a vital part of the creative process-understanding and appreciating what has come before. This is a dangerous quote when it comes to newcomers who want to skip ahead to their bow at the end of the runway, as well as the professional who may feel as though http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=29 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=29 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Q. Dear Design B*tch I was promised a finders fee for bringing a branding design firm to a client/production company. We didn't agree up front what that fee should be. Now they want to give me 3% and I want 10%. Do you have a sense of what is most standard in the design industry? -Michelle A. Too little too late, Michelle. "Shoulda-coulda-woulda." Let's get this straight, people: contracts are your friends. This is the classic "get everything in writing http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=8 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=8 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT So what does the international landscape of design look like? And how often do we actually take a good look outside our own working environment to take stock of what the rest of the world is up to. I've seen some amazing design work in my years in this crazy business, but sadly I've seen an awful lot more atrocious design work than great work. If only everyone drew influence from the great work out there, rather than designing within their own limitations, wouldn't the bar be raised that much higher? And if only we were all better read... I was http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=7 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=7 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Design is hard to pin down. Designers themselves can be a squirrelly lot, but it's also a field of changing definitions. In the 2D world alone, we've been graphic artists in the '40s, graphic designers in the '70s, and communication designers in the '90s. Today, across the design spectrum, we talk about big-D and small-d design, design thinking, brand design, experience design, product design, motion design, interaction design, experience design, service design, design strategy, and more. No wonder we feel like our parents - and too often our clients - don't know what we do. Is it that we can't agree http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=9 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=9 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT The Original Sin, Part 1: No, I swear it didn't happen that way. When Moses came down from the mount with the commandments, Saul and Paul were not parading behind him. The storied rules of perfected logo design aren't chiseled in stone. Not even sure which, if any, academic tome lays them out, but every student of design has been lectured for straying too far from the prescript. My first offense was at a young age, when I had the fortune of designing a logo for Siegfried and Roy. That was only a venial sin. My mortal sin was cast the moment http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=10 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=10 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT I'm a big fan of used book stores. I love their musty smell... and you never know what you'll find while hunting for hidden treasures. In 1995 when my company took a fortuitous trip to Chicago, we hung out with designer extraordinaire Carlos Seguraa. He took us to Bookman's Alley in Evanston, Illinois, where we scored some of the best books ever, including a large collection of Gebrauchsgraphik, a German design magazine first published in 1924. Our treasure find included every issue from 1961 through 1969, for the incredible bargain price of $2 each. I knew very little http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=22 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=22 Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Once upon a time I had an epiphany. Moving pixels and characters around on a page or a screen or in an environment isn't what we do. That isn't who we are. A designer is someone who crafts stories. And the mediums through which we tell those stories are screens, paper and environments Stanley as a young actor. He can play them all- the boy next door or Vietnam veteran. Upon that realization I got giddy and knew that I could do this. I was trained in the theatre (that's right, the continental spelling so you say it just right) and that's http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=3 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=3 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT For three students who are in love with brands it is a dream come true to be asked to research, write and be surrounded by some of the first truly great brands. Jada Britto, Chi Wai Lima, and Mo Saad were the lucky students to be asked to work on Chapter Five of the book titled Brand Bible, The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands. This chapter appropriately titled "Manufactured Brands & Consumer Packaged Goods" took the students through the years 1890 to 1920. The group navigated the rich histories of Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=12 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=12 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Our love affair has been torrid at times, with a flame too strong to ever properly extinguish. Not to mention that this kind of inky romance should be kept away from any sources of ignition. Some might have been drawn in by the asymmetrical haircuts and humble sweetness, all of which I find seriously enjoyable. However, my uber crush on the Montreal art damaged duo of Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau, that churn out kick ass visuals under the Seripop moniker, is formed around one thing and one thing only: They think about design in a way that is completely http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=2 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=2 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT I'm in a post HOW conference funk … I'm back at my lonely home office after a great weekend of catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. The conference took place in beautiful downtown Chicago. The weather couldn't have been nicer, especially considering the other events taking place simultaneously - The Chicago Taste in Grant Park, and Gay Pride festivities on Halsted Street, which coincidentally, took on even greater meaning after New York legalized gay marriage last Friday. Before I checked in at HOW last Friday, I paid a visit to my pal, Bart Crosby of Crosby Associates. He http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=27 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/column.php?id=27 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT Here is the second series from Card to Art, the only greeting card that flips to become a matted work of fine art. This set was created by a diverse group of renowned designers and spectacular artists. These varied artisans have received a multitude of awards, written books, spoken at national design conferences and one even has work in the collection of the Louvre! Each print was limited to an edition of 250 and printed on one of the world's finest printmaking papers-Somerset Velvet. Someset is made out of 100% cotton which is a completely renewable resource. Series 2 was hand http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=86 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=86 Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 CDT Amy Shackleton works entirely without a paintbrush. Watch the artist work at 800x speed, creating a new urban landscape painting, "Terraced City." http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=47 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=47 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CDT Saying "I do" can be scary, but knowing when to say "I don't" is savvy. With Washingtonian Bride & Groom looking at the latest wedding fashions and planning faux pas, we put a colorful twist on a timeless adage: "Everything old, nothing new, items all borrowed, and some things blue(ish)." Soft tones from years past create the mood for the "I Do's and Don'ts" photo spread. Shot on location at the Armed Forces Retirement home in D.C., the vintage setting bathed the models in golden light and warm hues. Picture perfect colors for the perfect day…just without power and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=83 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=83 Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT So you want to be a design thinker? Here is a reference guide for everyone showing how a product can come to life using design thinking. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=57 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=57 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT This short film tells the story behind the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=82 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=82 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 CDT Jack Daniel's Does Letterpress by Aggrodesign (http://vimeo.com/aggrodesign) http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=81 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=81 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT Winthrop University design student Heather Prange's domino typography video, 2011. This video was shot in one take, with a cursive-like string of dominos set in A to Z. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=61 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=61 Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT A short film about letterpress and one of the few remaining movable-type printing workshops in the UK, situated at Plymouth University, featuring Paul Collier. http://www.plymouth.ac.uk http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=78 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=78 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CDT A fun Sunday project with my daughter on brand logos. Follow me: https://twitter.com/ladddesign @ladddesign http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=77 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=77 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Chip Kidd chats, sings and inspires in this video for Dwell.com http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=65 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=65 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Remember the PBS logo from the 70s and early 80s that scared the crap out of you? Well, by the time you watch this video, you won't take the creepy logo seriously. This is taken from the Media Probes episode about design. Here, Herb Lubalin is being interviewed about the origin of the PBS logo. During his interview, we see some humorous animation depicting the logo's phases. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=70 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=70 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT After organizing their bookshelf almost a year ago, the Ohlenkamps decided to take it to the next level. They spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto. Everything you see here can be purchased at Type Books. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=75 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=75 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Tether created this awareness video on child slavery. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=51 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=51 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT For more from the AT&T Archives, visit http://techchannel.att.com/archives Bass' work in logo design and movie title credit sequences spanned the latter half of the 20th century, with prominent work in each field. He worked closely with AT&T, designing not only the 1970 "bell" logo that was ubiquitous for a decade, but also, upon the divestiture of AT&T, he designed the original "death star" logo, unveiled in 1984. One reason for this bell logo's ubiquity? That redesign was the largest corporate re-identity program in the U.S., ever. The redesign covered: * 135,000 Bell system vehicles* 22,000 buildings * 1,250,000 phone booths * 170,000,000 telephone directories This film http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=69 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=69 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CDT Typographic process video by Savannah Holder, Winthrop University class of 2012, music by Hard Mix, Noah Daniel Smith http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=68 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=68 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CDT To stay on top of the ever-changing advertising landscape, john st. has opened the world's first cat video division with production, filming and seeding all in-house. Ask yourself: What can cat videos do for your business? http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=64 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=64 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Chip Kidd, the "supreme genius of dust jacket design" at Knopf, explains his approach to creating the perfect book cover-a daunting task when the author is none other than the "supreme genius of crime fiction," James Ellroy (LA Confidential, American Tabloid). http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=67 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=67 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT Massimo Vignelli explains his infamous 1972 New York Subway map and the controversy it caused. Then he realizes what he should have done instead... http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=60 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=60 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT What if there were no stop signs, and a major corporation was charged with inventing one? They'd brief their agency and let them do it. Sorta. Welcome to corporate creativity, where groupthink and endless revisions help good ideas get executed. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=58 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=58 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CDT http://www.ted.com Designer Philippe Starck -- with no pretty slides to show -- spends 18 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question "Why design?" Listen carefully for one perfect mantra for all of us, genius or not. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=55 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=55 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Nexus One: The Story. A series of short films documenting the making of Nexus One. Episode 1: Concept & Design http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=54 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=54 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Conventional wisdom says don't tinker with a classic. Well, Design Army doesn't do conventional; we do conceptual. The firm joined forces with Neenah Paper to transform their CLASSIC® line of swatchbooks from popular tools of marketing into progressive works of art. Check out the video to see how we custom-crafted stunning photos, and sparkling copy to reimagine the CLASSIC® quartet of paper. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=49 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=49 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CDT Type is everywhere. Every print publication, website, movie, advertisement and public message involves the creation or selection of a fitting typeface. Online, a rich and artistic typographical culture exists, where typefaces are created and graphic design seeps in to every image. In episode 2 of Off Book, typeface designers Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones outline the importance of selecting the right font to convey a particular feeling. Graphic designer Paula Scher talks about building identity in messaging, while Eddie Opara uses texture to create reaction. Infographic designers Julia Vakser and Deroy http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=38 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=38 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT 3000 photographs (-ish), 35 books, 2 months at the Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY. www.pressejanvier.com http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=35 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=35 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT Steve Heller discusses the current state of design ("We're living in an ecclectic moment stylistically"), technology's effect on the field, and much more in this video interview. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=46 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=46 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CDT by the popuplady. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=41 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=41 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Explore the art and craft of letterpress in this insightful video! http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=30 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=30 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT From the Smithsonian traveling exhibition American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print, this video shows you the art of letterpress printing as practiced by a 125-year-old Nashville, TN, print shop. Learn why only a handful of letterpress shops still exist in American and why this one is so influential in the music and entertainment industry. A great look at the craft. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=29 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=29 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Watch the intricate details emerge as they are carved by hand. For more on Hatfield and his graphic clothing line visit www.blindskull.com. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=39 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=39 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Check out this trailer for a documentary on Cutting Metal Type featuring Jim Rimmer. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=40 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=40 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 CDT Follow Stanley Hainsworth's team at Tether as they "write" Gatorade's G Series story. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=27 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=27 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT This piece, made especially for the Ads Worth Spreading Challenge, calls on the TED community to "rebrand capitalism." It's an ambitious call to action that has real potential, and we think it's worth spreading. COMMON, created by creative director Alex Bogusky, is a community-owned, open-source brand name for prototyping progressive businesses. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=13 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=13 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT The folks working in the Apple stores are so nice ... or passive. You decide. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=28 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=28 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT This museum provided inspiration and graphics for Vintage Varsity, Target's Fall Collection. Some of these design aren't available anywhere else in America, maybe even the world. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=32 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=32 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Screen printing with Aesthetic Apparatus. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=34 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=34 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Art Paul was the founding art director at Playboy magazine. His friends, Greg Samata and Joseph Michael Essex, produced this flimlet to show off his many faces. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=26 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=26 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT From the scene in the beginning of "Wedding Crashers" where Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) says what he really thinks about the idea of dating. http://briancain.tv http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=22 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=22 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Explore the vendor-client relationship in this video from Scofield Editorial, Inc.! http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=18 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=18 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT How to respond to a client who wants you to design their Web site for free. "Just think of the exposure!" From DigitalLiverpool http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=19 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=19 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Here is a compilation of our interview series. To see the videos in their entirety, check out http://gripdesign.com/blackbox/. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=16 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=16 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 CDT Featuring different logos that were rejected as well as the final logo for the new SKY LOUNGE in Steyr (formally known as Luxor Steyr). http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=14 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=14 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT See Design Army like never before in this exclusive, behind the scenes video for Adobe. Get the bare-bones, straight-up story of what really goes on at a design firm, and see what it takes for this small army of creatives to consistently drum out project after award-winning project. The five-minute feature includes revealing interviews with studio co-founders Jake and Pum Lefebure, footage of Design Army headquarters and an in-depth look from concept to production of the "Wonderland" site using Adobe's Flash Catalyst software. http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=2 http://www.rockpaperink.com/content/video.php?id=2 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CDT