PUBLISHER'S NOTE: LOSING SLEEP
An ironic benefit of the grisly business of aging is that, as I grow older, I grow less anxious and, therefore, less likely to be tormented in the middle of the night by the million little challenges that make up life. Nevertheless, some things do keep me awake: the primordial fears unleashed by the approach of Halloween, the parenting skills of Britney Spears, the epic collapse of The New York Mets, the face of Rudy Giuliani's latest wife (perhaps that's related to the Halloween thing). More seriously, I am currently losing sleep over OpenAd.net. This new site is a Slovenia-based online marketplace — yes, I said Slovenia! — in which advertising and design ideas are bought and sold. Marketers pay to enter OpenAd.net and browse galleries that creative agencies and freelancers set up for free. When something resonates, the marketers pay an additional fee to purchase the idea or concept. Pricing, as they say, is variable. Marketers can also request pitches. For example, Gillette Puerto Rico recently entertained ideas for a razor campaign from creatives in nearly two dozen countries. Among the "winners" were a Slovenian student, a British photographer and an American creative director; they reportedly received $1,000 each. Lest you suppose such a venture as OpenAd.net is a pipe dream or a distant fantasy, think again. Nearly 10,000 creatives worldwide are participating, the format is being tested by major marketers, and the site is reportedly about to become a trans- Atlantic presence. In one sense, OpenAd.net promises to be another triumph of flat-earth globalization in which we all share in the benefits of collaboration. But in the real world — the one in which you and I actually live and work — the model could be painfully disruptive, and it most certainly will further commodify and cheapen creativity. The great American creative industry and the organizations that purport to represent it had better wake up fast, for we are about to enter a race to the bottom. Can you spell "Svetovni splet"? That's "World Wide Web" in Slovenian.
— Gordon Kaye
GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Designing For Democracy
 New York NY: As events in Palm Beach County FL in 2000 and Cuyahoga County OH in 2004 demonstrated, bad design can undermine elections and disenfranchise voters. Since 1998, a group of design professionals has met under the auspices of AIGA, tasked with the mission of improving the design of ballots and similar materials. Design for Democracy: Ballot + Election Design, by Marcia Lausen, gathers together the results of the body's nine year effort — including prototypes and recommendations which were already used to great success in major Illinois and Oregon elections. The book will be published in November by The University of Chicago Press and AIGA. See: www.aiga.org
Hinrichs Joins Scouts
Dallas TX: The Boy Scouts of America is offering the three million scouts across the United States a once-in-a-life-time opportunity: the chance to design an official logo for the organization's upcoming 100th anniversary. The contest is centered on the theme of "Celebrating the Adventure. Continuing the Journey." An expert panel of graphic designers and Scouts officials will judge the entries; the winning Scout will work with celebrated commercial artist and former Eagle Scout Kit Hinrichs to prepare his design for widespread national use. Participation in the contest fulfills on of the requirements for a graphic arts merit badge. The contest launched in August and closes on November 30th. See: www.scouting.org/100years
Pangborn Refreshes
 Atlanta GA: The Coca-Cola Company and Ritzenhoff Glassware tapped veteran graphic and product designer Dominic Pangborn, the president and CEO of Pangborn Design (Detroit MI), to create a glassware design for the May opening of Coca-Cola's museum, The New World of Coca-Cola. Ritzenhoff produced the glasses, which Pangborn says reflects his personal interpretation of the world's number one brand, in a limited edition run of 2,000. "I'm honored to have been selected to create a design for such a well-known and loved brand. My design captures the essence of the brand and how you feel when you experience it — refreshed, invigorated and inspired," said Pangborn. Three other designers also participated in the program. See: www.pangborndesign.com
Addison Adds Options
New York NY: During September, Addison launched a new division, Addison Options. At the same time, the company appointed Steven J. Grandis to oversee and grow the division. Addison Options provides communication and design solutions for growth companies and specializes in annual reports, corporate collateral and website design. Grandis, who comes to Addison after occupying top posts at Doremus Financial Printing (an Omnicom Group company) and Curran & Connors, was named executive vice president of Addison Options. Says Addison CEO Roger Byrom, "We are very excited to bring Steve's accomplished background and business leadership to the Addison family. Steve's skills are perfect to launch our new division, Addison Options." See: www.addisonoptions.com
Ikea's Homecoming
Plymouth Meeting PA: In late September, Ikea and Against All Odds Productions jointly executed a photo contest entitled "America at Home." The contest coincided with the rollout of Ikea's new branding campaign, "Home is the Most Important Place In the World." Participants in "America at Home" were encouraged to submit photos of their homes under the influence of daily themes — for example, "The Morning Rush" and "Home Treasures." Photos from the contest will be used in a coffee table book of the same title by Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt, the founders of Against All Odds Productions. The book will debut in spring 2008. Because of the contest's shared theme with Ikea's branding campaign, Pernille Lopez of Ikea says, "Our partnership and support for the America at Home project is a perfect fit." See: www.myamericaathome.com
Posters Confront Cruelty
 Chicago IL: The Humane Society of the United States gave Euro RSCG Chicago the task of creating a new identity for the organization and launching a print campaign to promote its key messages of celebrating animals and confronting cruelty. The logo leverages the talents of celebrated U.S. illustrator Michael Schwab, whose design arranges silhouettes of 18 animals into the shape of the United States. Each animal represents one of the Humane Society's concerns; for example, a chicken represents factory farming and a fox represents the fur trade. Posters — the first component of the print campaign — emphasize a single animal as a means to bring attention to particular concerns. See: www.hsus.org
Modern Dog Nets Account
New York NY: Modern Dog Design Co. of Seattle WA is executing a wide range of projects for the Seattle Aquarium. Already finished is LetLeonardIn.com — a Flash animation website promoting the aquarium's newly remodeled facilities — and a media system upgrade that includes a new informational kiosk, state-of-the-art animated cashier screens and a tank-side performance screen that plays original, Modern Dog-composed music. Modern Dog's ongoing projects for the aquarium include print collateral, annual report design and special events promotion design. See: www.moderndog.com
Decker Recruits For Global Law Firm
New York NY: Leading global law firm White & Case tapped Decker Design to create a website and print collateral to boost recruitment for the firm's summer associate program. The primary tool of the campaign is the website, a sub-site of the firm's corporate site, which features over 70 interviews with current associates. "The video interviews drive our creative execution. Using the associates was the ideal way to reflect the firm's credentials, personality and capabilities in a way that is young, hip and relevant. All law firms fight the 'stodgy' reputation, so we knew the message would be lost if we featured senior partners talking about the program," said Lynda Decker, principal of Decker Design. See: www.deckerdesign.com
Creation Myth
Hollywood CA: Network branding agency Troika Design Group recently completed an on-air rebrand for MHD, the high-definition all-music television network from MTV, VH1 and CMT. Included are a 35-second image spot entitled "Creation," three 10-second IDs, an on-air promotion toolkit and a logo bug system — all based on an elaborate, Book of Genesis-inspired myth about the primeval origins of music. "We loved the collaboration with Troika.
They totally understood our vision of showing a mythical place where music is experienced as never before," said VH1 SVP of Brand and Design Phil Delbourgo. The rebrand is set to launch in 2008. See: www.troika.tv
Plan B Executed
 New York NY: When the emergency contraceptive Plan B went over the counter in 2006, drug manufacturer Barr Pharmaceuticals looked to IQ Design Group to develop packaging for the product. It was a success. According to The Associated Press, Barr projects that sales of Plan B will total about $80 million for 2007. "We wanted the packaging design to have a confident and feminine feel to it," said Leslie Tucker, principal and CCO at IQ. "It was important that the finished design have a promising aspect, so we worked to make the identity and packaging approachable, with a responsible and refreshing appeal." See: www.iqid.com
PICTUREHOUSE AT PUCK
Picturehouse is the only event of its kind that brings together buyers and suppliers of photography, illustration and footage in city center locations worldwide. New York is next, scheduled for October 24 at the Puck Building in Manhattan, It is the perfect place for art and photo buyers to discover new imagery and meet the people behind the scenes, renew old contacts and forge new ones. You must register in advance for this friendly and intimate event.
http://www.picturehouse.org
ADOBE FONT FOLIO 11 LAUNCHES
Adobe Font Folio 11 Software is an essential part of any creative professional's toolbox, offering complete type solutions for web, digital video, and electronic documents. It includes more than 2,300 fonts from the Adobe Type Library in OpenType format, which offers enhanced linguistic support, advanced typographic features, and true cross-platform compatibility.
http://www.adobe.com/products/fontfolio
NEW DESIGNER BOOKS
Rob Carter's Meggs: Making Graphic Design History (4th ed.) is being re-released by John Wiley & Sons. This story of the life and work of the beloved graphic design historian Philip B. Meggs, best known for his seminal study, Megg's History of Graphic Design, provides an interesting view into the professionalization of graphic design. 1.800.225.5945
In the latest Essential Design Handbook from RotoVision, Jan Lorenc, Lee Skolnick and Craig Berger answer the question, What is Exhibition Design? This ultimate guide to the rapidly emerging discipline covers every facet and field involved in the successful designing of exhibitions.
www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com/
Look out for the new book from industry veteran Jeff Fisher, the "engineer of creativity" at Portland's Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns that Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands (HOW Books) delivers exactly what the title promises.
www.jfisherlogomotives.com
In The Art of Digital Branding (Allworth Press), brandchannel.com contributor Ian Corcoran provides business with a wealth of tips and strategies for building a web presence that increases revenue, improves customer relations and boosts brand loyalty. www.allworth.com
Designers are designers, writers are writers, and never the twain shall meet, right? Wrong, says Barbara Janoff and Ruth Cash-Smith, authors of The Graphic Designer's Guide to Better Business Writing (Allworth Press). Business communication skills are essential to beating the competition. Janoff and Cash-Smith want to give you the tools. www.allworth.com
Retro is the new modern. Steven Heller and Gail Anderson, two of the world's foremost historians of graphic design, urge contemporary designers to rediscover classic typefaces in New Vintage Type: Classic Fonts for the Digital Age (Watson-Guptill Publications). www.watsonguptill.com
CREATIVE EXPRESS BY GETTY IMAGES
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 TAKE FIVE! CAREER TIPS: MAD LIBS AND MORE
Variety is the spice of life, and it also may help you keep your design team inspired. Following are five exercises that winners of Graphic Design USA's American Inhouse Design Awards said they use to keep their creative staff in top creative form:
1. Hide everyone's keyboard and make designers work on paper.
2. Look at good design versus bad design at a dollar store.
3. Assign a project that is unrelated to your target demographic. If you make educational toys, have designers create a wine bottle label.
4. Do Mad Libs at 4 p.m. every day. No excuses.
5. Give designers an allowance for magazines and design books.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis. To order a complimentary copy of "In-Spired! Bringing Out the Best in Your In-House Design Team," which contains tips and tools based on our survey of Graphic Design USA design award winners, visit www.creativegroup.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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: InSource, the association for corporate creatives, holds its fall event — White Noise: How A Predominantly White Label Created So Much Noise For Publix And Its Inhouse Team. Tim Cox, creative services manager for Publix, hosts at the corporate office in Lakeland FL. www.in-source.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 15: Ken Carbone provides a visual guide to idea generation, highlighting excerpts from his journal. Its sponsored by the AIGA New Mexico. www.santafe.aiga.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. www.influxideasconference.com
October 22-December 1: Steven Heller 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. Contact: www.picturehouse.org
October 25: Wilson W. Smith, Nike Design Director, visits Orlando, and the Full Sail-Film Building. Black Enterprises recently named Wilson one of America's Top Black Designers. orlando.aiga.org
November 1: Four Young Guns, honored as such by the Art Directors Club of New York, share their fresh new images. The event is called Frame by Frame. www.adcglobal.org
November 5-7: DUX07 is a conference for discussing, documenting and archiving the world's current thinking on user experience design, and focuses on the explosion in user-generated content and social media. The Association for Computing Machinery and the AIGA are co-sponsors. Contact: www.dux2007.org
November 7-8: Margie Dana's Print Buyers International produces its second annual print buyers conference. Westford MA is the location, and the keynote is co-delivered by Frank Romano and Dr. Joe Webb. www.printbuyersinternational.com
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
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