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PUBLISHERS NOTE: FUN FRUGALITY
Always up for a trend, I am trying to convince the team at GDUSA to take their pay in coupons, some paperclips I have turned into jewelry, and General Motors stock. Should be fun to see their reactions. — Gordon Kaye PS. Toniq can be found at http://www.toniq.com GDUSA NEWSFresh Perspectives Innocence Lost The Big O Breaking Barriers GDUSA CONTEST: PACKAGE, POP & INSTORE DESIGN
The entry form can now be downloaded for the annual American Package
Design Awards, our fastest growing national competition. As marketers
and designers are challenged to convey the message and move product off
the shelf, we celebrate the power of graphic design to make the difference.
The program is presented by GDUSA and sponsored by Neenah Paper. MORE NEWSSuper Signs Print Buyers Brainstorm Not Just A Line 25 Years And Growing CUSTOM HOLIDAY CARDS STARTING AT 29 DOLLARSFun to share. Inexpensive to print. Custom cards featuring your photos and message make every holiday or occasion extraordinary. For more information, click HERE. LETTERS: MORE ON THE COVER
Dear Gordon, I just read the November 13 GDUSA enewsletter, and I finally figured out what the cover visual of the September 2008 GDUSA (taken from “3030 New Graphic Design in China”) is illustrating — at least partly. For me, like the others whose letters you published last week, this cover was also “hate at first sight,” and I was miffed that there was no explanation inside as to what the illustrator was trying to say (since, although unattractive, it was nonetheless intriguing). My associate, Andi Harris, enlightened me to the fact that the object in the girl’s stomach is an air valve (for blowing up a balloon, tire inner-tube, or such). So, that made me think that since the girl is also eating ice cream, she has “eaten so much that she has popped.” How many times have we heard that phrase? Are there political overtones — the Chinese suggesting that this is America (girl with “round eyes” and a “spare tire around her middle”) and that we are so bloated (with food, waste, surplus, wealth, whatever), we will “pop” while the rest of the world does without? I have no way of knowing without reading more about the illustrator. Maybe, or maybe just a reference to the potential results of a kid overeating ice cream, and her eyes are so round to show her surprise. Because the illustration focuses on the pink (red?) blood-and-guts and because it blurs the line between cartoonish and more realistic illustrative detail, it's a bit disturbing — taking a simple pop to a potentially serious medical threat. So, in light of all this, maybe this was a really great cover in the end. It certainly got us talking here. Marcella Drula-Johnston, Spectrum
Creative, LLC, Design/Advertising/Publishing, SPECIAL OFFER: SHUTTERSTOCKRegister for a free trial browse account and discover why
thousands of graphic designers subscribe to ShutterStock. GDUSA EVENTSNovember 18-19. Boston MA. Managing Creative Staff is an
upcoming seminar by Dr. Leonard Glick, a professor at Northeastern
University's College of Business Administration. Sponsored by the
Design Management Institute, it provides a fundamental overview of
an extremely complicated issue. November 19. Detroit MI. AIGA Detroit presents Celebrate
Michigan lecture and reception, recognizing the present and future of
graphic design in Michigan. It takes place at the College for
Creative Studies. November 20. Philadelphia PA. Sol Sender, who turned
the letter “O” in Barack Obama’s name into an
iconic logo, shares his electoral experiences at Moore College
of Art. The event is being hosted by AIGA Philadelphia and is
open to the public. November 22. Frederick MD. Delaplaine Visual Arts
Education Center. ClockWork is a celebration of giving back
through design. Alongside AIGA BlueRidge, area creatives come
together to provide local nonprofit organizations with
communications products to raise awareness and funds for
their cause. Thru November 26: New York NY. Highlights from the
AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers competition are on display at the AIGA
National Design Center. Thru November 29: Various Cities. The popular Color
Control Freak Seminar, sponsored by Pantone, HP, EIZO and X-Rite,
makes its annual trip through the country. December 1-13. Chicago IL. The Art Directors Club 87th
Annual Awards Traveling Exhibition visits Columbia College Chicago.
It's at the Averill and Bernard Leviton A+D Gallery. December 9, 2008. The AIGA Minnesota welcomes new
members at this informal gathering to learn the layout and make
up of the Minnesota Chapter and meet the current Board. December 5, 2008. Santa Monica CA. The Association of
Professional Design Firms hosts a leadership forum at Shutters
on the Beach hotel. Leadership Effectiveness: Breaking the
Barriers to Success explores the barrier to design companies’
growth and strategies for growth. December 10, 2008. Boston MA. Growing business challenges and
shrinking print buying budgets are on the topic at the Boston Print
Buyers’ (BPB) first Brainstorming Session on December 10. It is
led by Margie Dana. December 11-February 20, 2009. New York NY. AIGA National
Design Center hosts 365: AIGA Annual Design Exhibition 29. All
selections will eventually be housed at the Design Archives at the
Denver Art Museum in Colorado. Methodologie is responsible for the
exhibition design. January 12, 2009. San Luis Obispo CA. SustainCommWorld and
the Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly present the 2nd Annual
Business of Green Media Conference. The theme: Being Lean, Green and
Profitable in a Shrinking Economy. January 24, 2009. Reno NV. Nevada Museum of Art hosts a
workshop by Kit Hinrichs for professional graphic artists, designers,
and design students, whose flag collection is on exhibit in Long
May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag. Through February 1, 2009. New York NY. Exhibition called
Ours: Democracy in the Age of Branding, a timely exhibition exploring
democracy as a global brand. It inaugurates the first fall season
at The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, Parsons New School For
Design venue for exhibitions and public programming. TRADE UP TO THE PERFORMANCE OF AN HP WORKSTATIONGet proven performance. And get up to $400 cash back. For information on HP Workstations, click HERE. |
The best part of the end of the year for me — at least the “me” who
needs to fill this column every week — is that the futurists and megatrenders
come out of the woodwork to share their futurisms and megatrends. Are the smart ones
provocative? Yes. Do they ever get it right? Not sure, I never remember to check
back. A favorite futurist of ours is brand development consultant Cheryl Swanson
of Toniq whose views will receive more space next month. Meanwhile, here is one
sliver of insight from her extensive “From Surviving To Thriving”
report. Observing a brave new era of austerity, she contends that “this
forced frugality can be fun frugality, however, and many consumers are
approaching the ‘belt tightening’ in an optimistic and creative
manner.” Among the evidence she cites, people are: hanging out at home
for comfort and connection; reading books already on the shelf; enjoying
public spaces such as parks, free concerts and museums; getting out the sewing
machine to create or fix clothing; turning thrift store visits into scavenger
hunts; involving the whole family in couponing; making homemade gifts such as
cookies and DIY accessories; shopping at mass merchandisers or discounters that
have a sense of style. I believe Cheryl is spot on: we have a collective need
to turn inward and refocus on things that really matter. Within limits
“fun frugality” may prove healthy and even rejuvenating for a
society strung out on stuff. 
Sol Sender and his team at Sender LLC have turned the letter
“O” in Barack Obama’s name into an iconic logo
— the centerpiece of America’s most historic presidential
campaign. This coming Thursday November 20, at Moore College of
Art in Philadelphia, Sol Sender of Sender LLC will share his insight
and his experience of working on one of the most recognized brands.
Obama’s brand has sparked many conversations about the importance
of design in political campaigns. When Michael Bierut from Pentagram
was asked where Obama’s brand stands against the best commercial
brand design, he answered “I think it’s just as good or
better.” The event is being hosted by AIGA Philadelphia and
is open to the public. 
MERJE, a Philadelphia-based environmental graphic design practice, has
designed the new downtown Tampa FL wayfinding program. The system will be
in place when Tampa hosts Super Bowl XLII on February 1. The downtown is
experiencing a resurgence along its waterfront with the creation of a
continuous pedestrian walkway, the 2.4 mile long Tampa Riverwalk.
“The selected design focuses on deep blue and vibrant green
colors, these colors were chosen based on the surrounding and natural
features of downtown, this helps the colors of the system to remain
timeless within the environment,” says Senior Designer Glen
Swantak.
Today more and more consumer brands are aligning with nonprofit
organizations that share similar values. Redwood Creek wines is
a nice example, establishing its “Greater Outdoor
Project” to help preserve, protect and provide access to
the great American outdoors. Trout Unlimited received a $50,000
grant and a print advertising campaign from the winery. The grant
will be used to fully fund the restoration of Camp Creek, a
fishery located near Madison WI. The ad is brought to life by
illustrator Jeff Foster, and will appear in December issues of
Men’s Journal, National Geographic, Adventure and Outside. 