|
Renew Your Free Subscription
|
PUBLISHERS NOTES: MIND OVER MATTER
My professional life started in a testosterone-flooded business era where bigger was always better: the more square footage your office had and the more head count, the more your power and the bigger the size of your... uh ... realm. When GDUSA was launched four decades ago years ago, and again when we moved to Madison Avenue in the 90s, that framework continued to govern. And it was not entirely in our heads (or pants) since the analog era did, in fact, require lots of dedicated space for production, trafficking, film and art materials, storage and heavy equipment, files for memos and reports and phone logs and documents, and corner offices for the hierarchy of managers and the multitude of meetings. The past decade has changed most everything for design and publishing, of course, including notions about workspace. The new paradigm is digital, virtual, fast, flexible, fluid, lean, flat, smart, responsive, collaborative, open, democratized. Publishing prowess is now all about ideas and delivery, and not letting walls get in the way or bricks weigh you down. So as we made plans to move offices this summer, I did my best to shed the preconceptions, strip away the ego, and embrace a space that is appropriate to this new ideal. All of which culminates in the following announcement: "After several years of accelerating growth, and to prepare for a new phase of expansion coming this fall, we are moving to smaller headquarters."
— Gordon Kaye
PS: The new address is...
Graphic Design USA
89 Fifth Avenue, Suite 901
New York NY 10003
Through the miracle of modern technology, phone, fax and email remain unchanged.
GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Space Needle Sharpened
Seattle WA: Seattle's famed Space Needle has received a makeover that climaxes with an innovative Immersion Interactive system — themed "Live The View" — designed by Hornall Anderson. The design firm created four distinct sub-brands for the Space Needle, each linked to a different visitor experience, that together turn the superstructure into a "Vertical Village." People can visit the Space Base, a rebranded ground level gift shop, or begin their journey upward aboard a glass-encased elevator. Along the way, they pass SkyLine, where groups host special functions, the rotating restaurant now known as SkyCity, and eventually arrive at the newly rebranded 0-Deck for observation. There, overlooking Seattle, Hornall Anderson delivers on its "Live the View" promise. Intuitive user-friendly stations extend the 360-degree view, not just visually, but experientially, as people learn about the treasures of the Emerald City and the Pacific Northwest. Hornall Anderson is also credited with print collateral and merchandising materials. www.hadw.com
The (Recycled) Envelope, Please
 Scott Buford, Art Director, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, has teamed with Mdots, a motion graphics design firm, to create the look of the upcoming 59th Emmy Awards. Buford essentially worked as an art director for the Mdots group, focusing on creating the key art image for all printed pieces and signature motion graphics. The overriding goal: create a cohesive look across all media for the Primetime Emmys for the first time. The core visual features an elegant close up of the Emmy statuette with emotive, evening colors to suggest the lighting in the Shrine Auditorium. Buford's other goal: set a strong environmental example. He achieved this by selecting a Corporate Sustainability Partner, Mohawk Fine Papers, whose Mohawk Options 100% postconsumer waste fiber papers are being used for all materials. An FSC certified commercial printer was tapped for the print job. The Primetime Emmys air September 16 on Fox.
Sussman One Of Six
Culver City CA: Deborah Sussman, renowned graphic and environmental designer, is one of six women being recognized for nothing less than changing the course of art history in Southern California. Her work is being displayed at the George Billis Gallery through August 25th in an exhibition titled "Summer In The City". Her firm Sussman/Prejza & Company designed the look of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad among other innumerable public places around the US and beyond. Other artists in the exhibition include Lita Albuquerque, DJ Hall, Rachel Rosenthal, Patissi Valdez and June Wayne. www.georgebillis.com
Wrapped in Speed
Charlotte NC: BooneOakley, a full-service advertising agency, has created the identity for the Nascar Hall of Fame, opening 2010. The motif is a silver "Speed Ribbon" depicting the sheet metal racetrack that will encircle the completed Hall of Fame building. The identity program, unveiled at the Bobcats Arena Jumbotron, includes logo, stationery and merchandising. John Boone served as creative director and Erich Roch von Rochsburg as designer. The renowned Pei Cobb Freed firm is architect for the Hall of Fame. http://www.thenascarhalloffame.com
Flowers For Diana
 New York NY: When audiences tuned in to the high profile Concert For Diana earlier this summer, they saw a graphics package created in a collaborative effort between VH1 and design/branding company Bombastic. The concert honored the Princess and raised funds for her favorite charities. Accordingly, the look embodied a symbolic image of how Diana connected with her friends, fans and those in need. "We drew inspiration from the striking image of flowers left behind at Kensington Palace to commemorate Diana when she died," says VH1 VP of Brand and Creative Phil Delbourgo. Bombastic also designed on-air elements for the broadcast concert. The emphasis reflected both the concert's logo, taken from Diana's own signature, and the color blue. To view: http://www.bombasticinc.com/Summer07/PAGES/VH1_Diana_goods.html
Sailing Through History
Newport RI: For many people, Newport is synonymous with grand yachts, grander mansions, and Gilded Age splendors. But the new book designed by Poulin + Morris, Newport: A Lively Experiment, takes the reader through more than 300 years of the city's history including it's locus as the birthplace of the separation of church and state. The result is a smart and sweeping narrative history. Poulin + Morris also developed related promotional material. The 544-page hardbound volume, published by Redwood Library and Athenaeum, contains more than 200 color and duotone images. http://www.poulinmorris.com/main.html
Tom Fowler Famed
Portland CT: The Connecticut Art Directors Club inducted Tom Fowler into its Hall of Fame. More than 250 guests viewed video of his work, including art direction, design and illustration for brochures, packaging, logos and carvings, as well as his highly successful series of posters of the Connecticut Grand Opera & Orchestra. The video also showed many of his pencil and marker sketches leading up to final designs, a crowdpleaser in this digital age. http://www.tomfowlerinc.com/html/portfolio.php
Thanks For The Memories
Philadelphia PA: gdloft developed the brand for women's shoe boutique Bus Stop. The owner wanted to convey the atmosphere she recalled fondly from her youth in London, hence the evocation of the famous British public transit signs. To address the idea of "memory" — important to the client — gdloft employed transparency in the production of the identity; business cards, letterhead and signage all function with layering in mind, only registering the full mark when seen with a degree of transparency. The core shapes of circle and bar are also completely separated in some applications, e.g., on bags, postcards and receipts. http://busstopboutique.com
CREATIVE EXPRESS BY GETTY IMAGES
From searching to downloading to purchasing an image, Creative Express can save you time and money daily. Download up to 50 images a day instantly from your choice of over 100,000 shots, all for one flat fee. Every professionally shot image offers model and property releases and 1,000 new images are added every month. Get all the details at...
http://www.gettyimages.com/c-exp
IN MEMORIUM
This summer, the creative community lost two educators of enormous importance and influence.
Silas H. Rhodes
The School of Visual Arts, in New York City, mourned the passing this summer of its founder and Chairman. Mr. Rhodes died in his sleep at age 91. He co-founded the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in 1947, renaming it the School of Visual Arts in 1956. His vision for the college, which included hiring professionals working in the arts as faculty and ensuring that humanities and liberal arts courses take a prominent role alongside studio courses, helped define art education in America. In the first few decades, he attracted award-winning instructors like Ivan Chermayeff, Tom Gill, Tony Palladino, George Tscherny, Phil Hays, Milton Glaser and Robert Weaver. Mr. Rhodes was also the first president of SVA, serving from 1972 to 1978, a term which began when he succeeded in winning authorization from the New York State Board of Regents to confer the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film, Fine Arts, Media Arts and Photography — the only school at that time to be so authorized. During his term as president, SVA became the largest independent college of art and design in the country. In 1978, Mr. Rhodes became chairman of the board. As creative director, a position he held at the time of his death, Mr. Rhodes art directed the college's most visible and highly regarded works, the posters created for display in the New York City subways. He is a member of the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, received the medal of the AIGA, the nation's highest honor in the field of design, and has also been honored by The One Club, the Society of Illustrators and the National Cartoonist Society. Born in the Bronx in 1915, Mr. Rhodes received a BS from Long Island University and a MA and PhD from Columbia. He served in WWII as a volunteer member of the 1st Air Commando Group and was awared the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster and Bronze Star. He is survived by his sons, SVA President David A. Rhodes, SVA Executive VP Anthony P. Rhodes; Steven Rhodes, DVM; and their families. Commented Milton Glaser, now acting chairman of the board: "Silas Rhodes lived a rich and remarkable life. His unwavering devotion to art education has benefited thousands of students and teachers over the last half-century."
Donald Ariev
Donald Ariev, Chair of Graduate Communications/Packaging Design at Pratt Institute and award-winning designer of the HJ Heinz logo and other prominent corporate identity campaigns, died on July 4 from cancer at age 68. He had taught in the graduate and undergraduate communications design departments at Pratt for 39 years. Ariev served as Chair of the Graduate Communications/Packaging Design department for the past 16 years. During that time, the program grew to become one of the world's largest and most prestigious master's level graphics and packaging design programs. Ariev also served as a member of Pratt's Academic Senate, which speaks as the primary voice of the faculty, for 13 years, three as its chair. After receiving a Bachelor of Industrial Design degree from Pratt in 1960, Ariev found success as a package designer for the Olin Corporation, receiving a number of major awards, including recognition by the AIGA. Between 1967 and 1971, he designed and wrote more than a dozen corporate manuals while employed as a design director at the consulting firms of Lippincott & Margulies and then at Schechter & Luth. Ariev designed trademarks and directed graphics programs for Macy's Exxon, and other major corporations. Alongside his wife Laura, Ariev began Ariev & Ariev Design Consultants in 1980. He was a member of the AIGA and a former chairman and board member of the Package Designers Council. He also served on the board of directors of Brooklyn Communication Arts Professionals. "Don's influence on Pratt and its communications and package design programs has been profound," says Peter Barna, provost at Pratt. "He immersed himself in the learning environment, bringing his professional experience to bear, and expected the highest level of commitment from both faculty and students. We are grateful for his years of dedication." Ariev is survived by his wife Laurel, daughters Charlotte Ariev and Lauren Gellman, three granddaughters, and brother Ted.
 TAKE FIVE! SAYING THANKS
Saying "thanks" is always a wise career move, but it may be especially beneficial when you've just met with a potential employer. A well-crafted thank you note may give you an edge over other job candidates. While a brief email message can help you express your appreciation quickly, follow up with a handwritten note. A card that you've designed can be especially compelling. Following are five elements to include in your note:
1. The date. Write your note the day of the interview, if possible.
2. Your appreciation. Start by expressing your appreciation for the hiring manager's time.
3. Your enthusiasm. Next, mention your excitement about the job at hand, and what, in particular, you find attractive about the role.
4. Your qualifications. Conclude by reinforcing a few of your key qualifications that make you a good fit for the role.
5. The Close. End your note by letting the hiring manage know you look forward to hearing from him or her.
Remember that if you've met with several people within an organization, send an individual note to each one - people do "compare notes" so you don't want your thank you message to resemble a form letter.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis. Find more information at www.creativegroup.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
August 9-11. Society of Environmental Graphic Design is a sponsor of New Directions: Affecting Thought and Changing Minds Symposium on exhibit and environment design at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI. www.segd.org
August 12: The AIGA Los Angeles sponsors Craftivism, a stylish outdoor marketplace experience with ticket proceeds benefiting the AIGA Scholarship Fund. www.aigalosangeles.org
September 6-7: Meaningful Design For Corporate Culture, a new seminar series from Design Management Institute, focuses this time on China, Korea. San Francisco's Warwick Regis Hotel is the place and Gordon Bruce the speaker. www.dmi.org
September 9-12: Graph Expo, recently named one of America's top trade shows, will fill more than 450,000 square feet at Chicago's McCormick place. 703.264.7200 or www.graphexpo.com
September 17-18: RefineDesign 2007 Conference will return to Seattle at the events facility of the newly built Central Library in the heart of downtown. The conference will feature industry experts who will provide training on new graphics and web technologies. Contact: www.refinedesignconference.com
September 19: The fourth annual Design Legends Gala will honor... well, um... design legends. This year's honorees are Edward Fella, Ellen Lupton, Bruce Mau and Greg Olden. www.aiga.org
September 19: picturehouse, the event which brings leading image suppliers together with serious stock visual buyers, makes its first appearance in San Francisco, at Fort Mason on the bay. Free to creative professionals but advanced registration is required. www.picturehouse.org
September 21: Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It is being screened at Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL. Contact: www.helveticafilm.com
September 23-26: The Design Management Institute explores the changing role of design and design management in business at Thinking Ahead, its 32nd International Design Management Conference in Williamsburg VA. Contact: www.dmi.org/dmi/html/conference/annual07/annual.htm
September 27: As part of AIGA Minnesota's Luncheon Series, Andrew Blauvelt discusses the Walker Art Center's new graphic identity launched on the occasion of its recent building expansion. It takes place at 275 Market St., Minneapolis. Contact: www.minnesota.aiga.org
September 29-October 2: The University & College Designers Association presents its 37th Conference in Toronto. Conference includes speakers, hands-on workshops, studio tours and publication reviews. www.ucda.com
October 5-7: AIGA Minnesota Design Camp 2007 at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN, brings together 300 designers, students, educators and business partners to explore the fine line between exaggeration and fabrication. Contact: www.minnesota.aiga.org
October 5-7: To address numerous problems of non-Latin type design, the Type Directors Club offers a series of two-day professional seminars and workshops, with Gerry Leonidas as the instructor-moderator. Contact: tdc.org/events/index.html
October 11-13: SNDBoston has gathered speakers from around the world -- many from outside of newspaper industry — for this conference. Additions include portfolio critiques and practical hands-on sessions. Contact: www.sndboston.com/index.php
October 11-14: AIGA, the professional association for design, explores the future at its 12th biennial conference. Entitled "Next", it takes place in Denver CO. Contact: designconference2007.aiga.org
October 12-16: Held semi-annually, CMG's International Conferences focus on color forecasts for the real world. "For the Love of Color," to be held in Tampa FL, promises exciting networking and educational opportunities. Contact: www.colormarketing.org
October 14-20: National Design Week promotes a better understanding of the role design plays in all aspects of daily life. National design winners, including Chip Kidd for Communications Design, have been selected for honors through the auspices of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. www.nationaldesignawards.org
October 17-19: 8th Annual DesignThinkers Conference takes place in Toronto; it's the largest annual conference of graphic design and branding in Canada. www.designthinkers.com
October 19: Influx Ideas 07 is the fourth marketing conference hosted by Influx Strategic Consulting. The theme is Marketing 2.0. The event takes place in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Club. Contact: www.influxideasconference.com
October 22-December 1: Steven Heller, called "graphic design's biggest fan," is being honored by the School of Visual Arts with the Masters Series Award and retrospective exhibition. The exhibition kicks off with a reception on October 22 and lecture October 23. Contact: 212.592.2145
October 24: picturehouse, the event which brings leading image suppliers together with serious stock visual buyers, returns to Manhattan's Puck Building. The event is free to creative professionals but advanced registration is required. www.picturehouse.org
November 30: Sponsored by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design, the Dynamic Environments conference is targeted to architects, content designers, marketing professionals, advertising experts and environmental graphic designers. Its at the TimesCenter in NYC. Contact: www.segd.org/prof/workshops.html
MY1STOP.COM AFFORDABLE ONLINE PRINTING
My1Stop.com builds relationships with graphic design professionals every day. We base our relationship on solutions that make you look good in front of your clients. Our solutions include affordable printing up to 2400 dpi color - instant online pricing and ordering - fast artwork uploads - custom sizes, materials, finishing and bindery options.
My1Stop.com. You never looked so good.
www.my1stop.com
AWARDS NEWS
We've been busy. First, the supersized American Inhouse Design Awards annual is in the mail; you may have already received it. Sponsored by Agfa Graphics and The Creative Group, this is the premier program for recognizing the work and contribution of inhouse design departments. Second, the American Graphic Design Awards is now being judged. With a breathtaking 11,000-plus entries, the winners will be announced/contacted on or around September 1. Adobe is the exclusive sponsor of this fastest-growing and most democratic of all awards programs. Finally, we will soon be making some announcements regarding the expansion of our third and newest awards program, which spotlights the vital areas of packaging and instore graphics design. For more details on GDUSA competitions, see http://www.gdusa.com/contests
|
