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GRAPHIC DESIGN ENEWSLETTER / NOVEMBER 13, 2008IN THIS ISSUE:
Publishers Note: Lou Dorfsman |
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PUBLISHERS NOTE: LOU DORFSMAN
— Gordon Kaye DEAR GORDON: WE HATED THE COVER
Over the years I have found GDUSA to be creative, entertaining and intellectual. There have been designs showcased that have pushed the envelope and some that have been edgy and shown success by leaving the viewer with an uncomfortable feeling. But, in my humble opinion, the cover of September 2008 (taken from the book “3030 New Graphic Design In China”) just took it a step too far. The image of what appears to be a child with a nail stuck in her stomach, coupled with whatever that awful goo is coming out on the opposite side, is disturbing. And why? There was never really an explanation of the design so the reader is left wondering if this is all just shock value. Believe me, as a designer I see the importance of drawing creativity and knowledge from designers of all walks of life from around the globe. Obviously, great things are happening in China's art world, but maybe this work was not the best selection for the cover last month. Next time, have a little more discretion. Elizabeth Nici, Owner, Gusto Designs, LLC, Dear Gordon. What were you thinking? The “3030 New Graphic Design In China” illustration is a bad, bad cover choice — it's not provocative. Certainly not in good taste for a cover. Shame, shame, GDUSA. Christy Godfrey, Art Director Mason & Kichar Recruitment
Advertising, Dear Gordon. Maybe generational, maybe cultural, but communication is still the problem. I was hoping for a little more from “On The Cover” in illuminating the message of this cover art (September 2008). The article inside did not help, either. Left to my own limited devices, I interpret this to be a warning that oriental ice cream may cause flesh-eating wormies to eat through the lining of our tummies and skin, and expel the contents with great force. Something may be lost in the translation. The 3030press site didn’t assist. I am dismotivated* to buy a book I am quite certain I will not understand. (*I cite “disrespected” as a precedence.) Irwin Schuster, Designer, Corporate & Sales
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When I was little, my father was the publisher of Print magazine. This
gave me the opportunity — I did not appreciate it at the time
— to meet many designers who later became legends. One evening,
Massimo Vignelli visited our little subdivision house and I was
introduced to him wearing little feet pajamas. To clarify, I was the
one wearing the feet pajamas; Mr. Vignelli was probably wearing
something sleek from mid-60s Milan. Most times, thankfully, I was
more appropriately dressed for such interactions. During this era, I
also met Lou Dorfsman, about whom my father spoke with particular
awe. It comes back to me now because Mr. Dorfsman has passed away
at the age of 90. If you do not know of him, you should: he was
the director of design for all of CBS, and was later senior vice
president and creative director for marketing communications and
design. This at a time when CBS was truly the “Tiffany
Network” and Mr. Dorfsman’s graphics never let you
forget it. Though he did not design the famous eye logo, he
maintained strict creative control over the logo and proprietary
CBS Didot typeface, assuring the network a simple and elegant
presence for decades. And this does not even begin to credit
his powerful print advertising, memorable annual reports and
promotional commemorative volumes, on-air graphics, and the
striking building graphics for Eero Saarinen’s CBS
Building in Manhattan. In Steven Heller’s obituary of Mr.
Dorfsman (The New York Times, October 26, 2008), George Lois is
quoted as follows: “[Lou Dorfsman] was the kingpin of the
New York School of Design, a pluperfect, fearless, uncompromising
perfectionist, and a father of corporate image in the
world.” I met him many times over the years, but even
the first time I knew it — he — was special.
Dear Gordon.
McDonald's is putting a focus on its food and a more whimsical personality,
says global Chief Marketing Officer Mary Dillon, with “the biggest new
packaging initiative in the history of our brand.” The design, which
features photographs of food and utensils as well as oversized typography,
rolls out this month in the US, UK and Ireland. It replaces packaging,
carrying images of consumers, used for the past five years. Explains
Pierre Woreczek, chief brand and strategy officer for McDonald’s
Europe. “We’re moving from lifestyle packaging to one that
expresses our passion for food quality while keeping our brand
tonality.” Creative credits to Boxer, a unit of The Marketing
Store Worldwide, Birmingham, England.
The most recent Ferroconcrete project is the branding of a new varietal grape
juice company called First Blush. The firm, led by Yolanda Santosa — a GDUSA
Person To Watch in 2008 featured on the front cover of the January issue
— is also well know for its Pinkberry branding work.
Rocco Piscatello has designed the poster for a November 20 lecture by
Jessica Helfand and William Drenttel at the Fashion Institute of Technology
in New York. The event is sponsored by the Communication Design Department
at the School’s Katie Murphy Ampitheater. Piscatello is also chair of
the event.
Riding the wave of interest in all things Presidential, a new cookbook from
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) has sold out in
five days. The book features recipes of Mary Todd Lincoln, family members and
other Lincoln era kitchens. The A. Lincoln Cookbook: A Cookbook was designed
by Steve Hartman of Creativille, Edwardsville IL, with dividers featured
photographs of dining-related artifacts from the Library and Museum’s
Lincoln collection. Rightfully so, Hartman states that “what we gave
them was a museum-caliber design that eclipses the genre of non-profit
volunteer cookbooks.”
The entry form can now be downloaded for GDUSA’s American Package
Design Awards, our fastest growing national competition. As marketers,
retailers and designers are challenged to convey their message and move
product off the shelf, this annual competition celebrates the power of
graphic design to advance the brand promise and to forge an emotional
link with the buyer at the moment of truth. The program is presented by
GDUSA and sponsored by Neenah Paper.