IN THIS ISSUE:
Publishers Note
Graphic Design News
Fast Track
Package Design Awards
More News
The 45 Day Job Test
More News
Online Degree Offer
More News
GDUSA Store
My favorite line about the mid-term election results comes courtesy
of humorist P.J. O’Rourke: “This is not an election. This
is a restraining order.” True, Americans may be down on the
politicians and at the peak of political polarization, but perhaps
there is hope for reconciliation in the fact that several of our
American major brands are embraced by members of both political
parties. In a recent YouGov BrandIndex Survey — looking at
consumer impressions of brand value, satisfaction, reputation
— Democrats and Republicans alike ranked Cheerios, UPS,
FedEx, Craftsman, and J&J among their top ten favorites. Can
shared respect for a breakfast cereal help us start the healing?
Not so fast. The YouGov survey also finds irreconcilable brand
differences among the partisans. Turns out the Democrat’s
favorite brand is Google, not beloved by Republicans. And for
GOPers, their number one brand is — wait for it, wait for
it — Fox News Channel. And here is where the great divide
crystallizes once again. As Brandweek writer Dale Buss wryly
observes, the donkeys feel most comfortable with a “techie
elitist brand masquerading as populism” while the elephants
are drawn to a media brand that “treats their opposition
like a foreign occupier.” On to 2012 (sigh).
— Gordon Kaye
Geismar Serves Tennis Logo
Tom Geismar of Chermayeff & Geismar designed a new logo for the
Women’s Tennis Association, the governing body for professional
women’s tennis. For the first time since founded by Billy Jean
King in 1973, the WTA is not going to share title space with a sponsor,
and intends to become known as an independent brand similar to other
sports such as the NBA, the NFL, PGA. Helping introduce the logo:
Francesca Schiavone, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Caroline Wozniacki,
Jelena Jankovic, Elena Dementieva and Sam Stosur.
RISD Designs Fulbright-ers
Seven students from the Rhode Island School of Design won Fulbright
awards for 2010-2011. This topped the list of Specialized Institutions,
ahead of Julliard, Princeton Theological Seminary and the New England
Conservatory of Music. The Fulbright is the U.S. government’s
flagship international educational exchange program, For a complete
list of Specialized Institutions...
http://chronicle.com/article/Table-Top-Producers-of-US/125073/
Recognizing that demand for graphic designers
has never been higher, Parsons The New School For Design is holding an
information session on November 15 for its innovative AAS Graphic Design
program. Students earn an Associates Degree on the fast track while they
investigate up-to-the-minute tools and trends of the trade, including
introductory and advanced web design, and receive a solid foundation in
the traditional practices and concepts of graphic design. To sign up for
the free info session...
http://newschool.edu/parsons/aas-graphic-design/
You can now download an entry form for
GDUSA’s fastest-growing national competition. It is presented by
GDUSA and sponsored by Neenah Paper. The deadline is December 10.
http://www.gdusa.com/contests/apda.php
MORE
Fencers Roll On
Talamieka McNeil has designed the hubcaps for the USA Wheelchair Fencing
team. The design is making its first public debut in Paris this week.
Award-winning graphic designer McNeil says her inspiration was dynamic
skateboard design combined blended with the traditional corporate look
of the USA Fencing Team.
A Voyeur’s Treat
Newly released, Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World’s
Great Graphic Designers, edited by Steven Heller and Lita Talarico, looks
at the private notebooks of one hundred great designers and
illustrators. Artists include Stefan Sagmeister, Christoph Niemann,
Milton Glaser, Michael Bierut and Bruce Mau. Samples range from scrappy
scribbles, typographic explorations, photo collages, fully developed
ideas, and more. The Monacelli Press is the publisher.
TAKEStarting a new job? You better be prepared to fit in fast. Advertising and marketing executives interviewed by The Creative Group said it takes just nine weeks, on average, to determine if an employee is well suited for the job. Following are five tips for quickly adapting to a new work environment:
1. Clarify Expectations. Within the first few days, meet with your manager to discuss your responsibilities, immediate priorities and how your position fits into the company as a whole.
2. Watch How People Work. Spend some time studying when employees generally arrive at and leave the office, their preferred communication styles and how they collaborate.
3. Make Friends. While you want to get to know everyone on your team, pay particular attention to those you’ll need to rely on heavily. Reach out to project leaders, colleagues with whom you’ll frequently collaborate and potential mentors who can share with you the secrets of success in your new workplace.
4. Mind Your Meeting Manners. Pay attention to how meetings are run (with a formal agenda or as a free-for-all); whether or not attendees use laptops, PDAs or other mobile devices; and how vocal participants are expected to be.
5. Offer Ideas, When Appropriate. Wait until you’ve proven yourself and built rapport with your coworkers before proposing drastic changes. Your first priority is to earn people’s trust. Once that’s been established, colleagues will be more open to your suggestions.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing creative, advertising, marketing and interactive professionals on a project basis. For more information, please visit creativegroup.com. Connect with The Creative Group at facebook.com/thecreativegroup or twitter.com/creativegroup.
Larsen Honored
As Larsen Design President Tim Larsen's three-year term as Chairman of
the Board at the College of Visual Arts comes to an end, the school has
named one of its facilities — for the first time ever — in
honor of Larsen. The Larsen Digital Media Lab is a result of its
namesake’s dedication to the school through his board roles, as
well as generous donations of funding and in-kind services by his design
firm for a decade. Based in St. Paul MN, CVA Chair of Design is John
DuFresne.
Feinberg To Keiler
Keiler & Company names industry veteran Michael Feinberg as
Creative Director. In this new position at the Farmington CT agency,
Feinberg oversees all print and broadcast, and teams with Lucas McHale,
Creative Director, Interactive. He has held creative positions at McCann
Worldgroup, Publicis, TBWA/Chiat Day and BBDO. During his career, he has
created work for brand leaders such as Volvo, Verizon Wireless, Reebok,
Absolut, and GlaxoSmithKline.
Earn a graphic design degree online in a fast and fun way.
Click here to learn more...
Sabres Celebration
Mark and Jill Wisz, co-owners of OtherWisz Creative Corporation, has
designed a special 40th anniversary exhibit of Buffalo Sabres
memorabilia. The items come from the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum
and are on display at an installation designed by OtherWisz at the HSBC
Arena. It will appear through the 2010-2011 National Hockey League
season.
Let AIGA Take You Hire
The AIGA Boston’s next professional develop event is this
Thursday, November 11. Join them for networking and advice on creating
a portfolio, including a seminar, that will focus on developing a book
that showcases your particular brand of talent and create a compelling
portfolio online. Kristen Johnson and Eric DiChiara of The Creative
Group are the speakers.
professional_development@boston.aiga.org
Chardonnay Grande
Here’s welcome news for you freelancers using Starbucks as your
office. The future of the franchise has arrived as the stores plan to
begin serving regional wine and beer. It is all part of a middle age
crisis for the company, which is seeking to refresh the brand by making
the stores feel more like a neighborhood cafe and to offer a broader
range of beverages and snacks. The subtext: to get people to come in
after 2pm, when its market share tends to drop off. A prototype is up
and running on Olive Way in the Seattle WA Capitol Hill area.
THE GDUSA has teamed with Veer to offer creative professionals the most fun and interesting merchandise available. Current offerings include the following items and much more. And don’t forget that the holiday season is upon us.
| 1. Sketchbook Set. The Very Secret Order of Creatives Understanding exists to encourage and celebrate creativity. Nothing encourages creativity like a blank page. Or, better yet, 144 blank pages of 80-lb stock. Suitable for all creative jottings: Doodles. Designs. Diabolical improv theater group manifestos. |
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| 3. Kern Zip-Up. Next time you have to explain kerning to a layman, you’ll have a live demo just a zip away. The soft navy blue fleece on this fitted lightweight jogging jacket won’t pill. |
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| 2. White Space T-Shirt. Veer’s fairest tee places whitespace front and center, making negative space the compositional element. The Whitespace T-Shirt adds aesthetic balance to any designer’s wardrobe. It’s American Apparel 100% cotton. |
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Veer provides visual elements for use in professional creative work, such as graphic design, motion design, advertising and filmmaking. Products include stock photography, illustration, typefaces, and unique merchandise.