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PUBLISHERS NOTE: TWITTER QUITTERS
Being a skeptic of the latest and greatest new media fads is
not fun. I hate being that guy, but sometimes the hype becomes unbearable. Twitter is
the latest example. Daytime media coverage! Celebrity endorsements! Ballooning traffic
numbers! Marketers get on board! Venture capital on the move! This changes
everything! Except for one inconvenient truth. Nielsen Online reports that more than
60 percent of Twitter users in a given month do not return to the site the following
month; some months 70 percent abandon the service. Why the pitiful retention rate? The
Nielsen folks speculate that Twitter may be a fad, and one reason is lack of meaningful
content. Ya think? As I write this, Ashton Kutcher, the face of the medium, is generating
his longest tweet of the day: "I wonder if people need less sleep in space. It seems
sleep is gravity's vaccine." Later he's planning to "kick it with Usher." Can't
wait to log back in and see what theories that twosome — or their entourages
— come up with.
— Gordon Kaye
PS. At the request of many in this strange year, GDUSA's American
Graphic Design Awards entry deadline has been extended to an absolute final date of June
30. A downloadable entry form can be found at...
http://www.gdusa.com/contests/agda.php
GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Play Ball
When the first pitch was thrown at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankee brand
experience was apparent in every aspect of the venue. C&G Partners captured
the origins of the 1923 stadium in a contemporary setting through signs, murals,
architectural graphics, wayfinding systems, and the museum. (Shown here: the
Great Hall.) Keith Helmetag, served as Partner-in-Charge and Exhibit Planner. Amy
Siegel is Associate Partner and Lead Sign Designer, and Craig Gephart was Senior
Designer and Content Developer. More on this story soon in GDUSA, the magazine.
The Rules
The AIGA has reaffirmed its longstanding position against spec work —
speculative work done prior to engagement with a client and in anticipation of being
paid if selected — and issued new supporting guidelines and information.
"The types of unpaid and speculative work that are solicited, offered and
distributed today are very different than they were even a few years ago, as a
result of a design market facilitated by the internet," said Richard
Grefé, AIGA executive director. "By providing educational information
on what it means to do work without the promise of compensation, and the resulting
risks for both the client and the designer, we hope to empower every designer to
make an informed and intelligent decision on an individual basis."
http://www.aiga.org/position-spec-work
Creative Credit
San Francisco CA-based Ammunition has designed a new corporate identity for FICO,
whose products and services include the FICO® Score, the leading measure of
consumer credit risk in the US. The logotype reflects a simplification of the corporate
identity from Fair Isaac Corporation. The Ammunition team, led by partner Brett Wickens,
developed a bold, uppercase logotype meant to assert leadership and strength, underscoring
FICO's position as the de facto standard. David Feder is senior director for corporate
marketing at the client.
Philadelphia Fellow
Laurie Churchman has received the AIGA Philadelphia Fellow Award. "Not only is
Laurie a great designer, but she's been an inspiration within our community," says
chapter head Kelly Holohan. Churchman is the principal of Designlore as well as an
Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Communication Design, at Penn. Prior to Designlore,
she had over 20 years of experience with clients including IBM, Goldman Sachs, Museum
of American Folk Art, First Union, and COMEX. Her interests are now centered around
non-profit and cultural projects.
http://www.designlore.net and
http://www.aigaphilly.org
Return To Normalcy
Goodwin, a strategic youth brand design firm, in partnership with Kimberly-Clark's
GoodNites brand, debuts new packaging design for the number one youth pants category
brand. The design features a more contemporary look, prominent sizing and weight range
scale, and clear differentiation between briefs and boxers. Says Christine Mau, associate
director Packaging Graphics for Kimberly-Clark: "It is important for the GoodNites
brand through the use of more intuitive packaging design to convey a sense of normalcy
to the moms and children who purchase and use the product."
DESIGNER RESOURCE OF THE
MONTH: EYE 4 PACKAGING
At eye 4 packaging, our eye is always on creating high quality custom engineered
solutions for you. From CAD design to prototype creation to final production, eye 4
packaging provides a fast and dependable resource for everything packaging. And we
can help get your product to market in the blink-of-an-eye while maintaining the impeccable
attention to detail you've come to depend on. For more information on choosing
the right packaging construction or to receive our free new services catalog
contact: sales@eye4packaging.com or
call Don Prill at 815-464-3081. Or check out the website at
http://eye4packaging.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Perfect Marriage
SJI has just completed the identity system and website for Chemtob Moss
Forman & Talbert, LLP, one of New York City's largest matrimonial law firms. The
identity features the initial letters of each partner, simple but ownable and featured
in a complete stationery suite. The website features clean lines and neutral tones.
http://sjiassociates.com/casestudies.htm
Young Photographers Alliance
The Young Photographers Alliance (YPA) made its debut in Chicago at Picturehouse's
4th annual event held in the spring. YPA is the creation of Jerry Tavin, co-founder of IC
Worldwide and Deborah Free, president of Picturehouse Marketing
US/Visual ConnectionsBoth are recognied advocates and leaders in the photography
industry. Founded as an international not-for-profit educational foundation, YPA brings
disadvantaged students opportunities for advancement in photography. In addition to
two scholarships already provided by Jerry Tavin and Picturehouse, Alamy pledged a
third scholarship for the 2009 recipients. Picturehouse New York is scheduled for
October 14.
http://www.youngphotographersalliance.org and
http://www.picturehouse-us.com
Turning The Volume Up
A new identity for Avid, a market leader in digital audio and video technology, has been
designed by The Brand Union. At the center of the initiative is a new logo: composed of
simple yet iconic shapes, it forms a visual connection that represents "volume up, volume
down, play, pause, record and forward" while at the same time spelling out the
company's name.
Do Your Homework
In the latest of its advocacy initiatives around urban wayfinding, SEGD has helped
Charlotte NC navigate the approval process for an integrated vehicular, pedestrian,
and parking signage system that will direct visitors from the interstate system to the
city's Uptown core. The City of Charlotte, Charlotte Center City Partners, and the
North Carolina Department of Transportation are involved. Says Jim Kimbler, Uptown
transportation planner: "Basically, SEGD helped us do our homework so we could
effectively present our concepts to NCDOT," says Kimbler. The multiple
components of the system were planned and designed by a team including two
SEGD member firms: Two Twelve/Harakawa and DAWA.
Entrepreneur Honored
Christina Vaughan — founder and CEO of Image Source royalty free stock photography
— has won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Asian Women of Achievement
awards held in London. The winners of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards were
announced during the black-tie event in Park Lane, attended by His Royal Highness, Prince
Charles. Now in their tenth-anniversary year, the Awards have become a showcase for
some of the leading lights in the British Asian Community.
HP: THE COMPUTER IS PERSONAL AGAIN
Learn more about the revolutionary HP Z
Workstation Family Click
Here
PROJECT OF THE MONTH
It may be tough times for the car industry, but at
least one dealer is forging ahead. Hoffman Auto Group, one of Connecticut's top
auto dealers and among New England's biggest, engaged The Worx Group of Prospect
CT to standardize marketing communications across all media. In the initial
research, it became apparent there was an opportunity to alter the venerable brand
more significantly, including an update of the original Hoffman script logo. The overall
effort seeks to elevate the brand to a new status level — an "auto
brand" — less a dealer look and more like the premier car brands they
represent. The project included anoverhaul of the brand, identity system, internal
communications, environmental design, tv and print advertising. The program kicked
off at an employee event at Rentschler Field, the home of UConn football.
TAKE FIVE! CAREER TIPS FROM THE CREATIVE GROUP:
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK WHILE ON VACATION
Is there sand stuck in your laptop keyboard? Does your BlackBerry get more use on vacation
than your bathing suit? If so, you may be like a growing percentage of creative executives
surveyed by The Creative Group who check in with the office multiple times while on
holiday. In fact, six out of 10 respondents said they check in at least once a day during
time off. The following five tips can help you make a clean break from the office this summer:
1. Put Someone On Point. Managers should select someone
whose judgment they trust to make decisions in their absence. It's important to give the
point person the responsibility and authority to make judgment calls.
2. Establish Ground Rules. If you need to check in, set specific times
when you'll be checking in, rather than having people contact you throughout the day.
3. Let It Go. Delegate projects that must continue in your absence. Be
sure to let coworkers know where to find key materials.
4. Bring In Reinforcements. Hiring temporary or freelance professionals
to bridge gaps can help projects stay on course while you're gone.
5. Consider Remote Locales. If you have a hard time breaking away
from the office, consider vacationing in a spot that doesn't have cell phone or Internet access.
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
MORE GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Milton Glaser Works
Milton Glaser Works is a new commerce site featuring signed editions of books and
other works, including the legendary designer's posters and silkscreens. The newest
addition to the offerings: a series of electonically produced prints (Giclées) in
limited editions. These are numbered, signed and printed using archival ink and
paper. They all are embossed with an archival stamp to ensure authenticity.
http://www.miltonglaserworks.com
MyObama Mashup
HP and Rick Smolan, co-creator of the "Day in the Life" and "America
24/7" books, announce "The Obama Time Capsule," a customizable
coffee table book showcasing the President's journey to the White House. HP
print-on-demand technology allows readers to customize the content of their books
— e.g., a customized dedication page or a personal back cover photo —
and print on demand. "In the digital world, the mashup of professional and
personal content is happening all the time. We're bringing the same capabilities into
print by allowing people to customize content before it's published," said
Michael Mendenhall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, HP. The
original 200-page hardcover book is out and for sale, and is sponsored by HP
with support from Blurb, Google, Facebook, AOL, Glam Media and NewPage.
Contact: www.TheObamaTimeCapsule.com
Oh, Canada!
In the spirit of philanthropy, Toronto-based Belladonna Communications created
"Canadian Greatness" to celebrate 28 personalities who have helped
shape the modern image of Canada in the arts, business, culture, philanthropy,
politics and sports. The book was then followed by a series of double-sided
puzzles. The book or puzzle was then given as a gift to Canadians donated a
minimum of $25 to a not-for-profit. The result: over a hundred thousand dollars
were donated to dozens of causes.
http://www.belladonnacom.com/
Dula Merges
RiechesBaird, a branding firm that specializes in B2B companies, merges with Dula
Image Group. Michael Dula joins RiechesBaird to lead the corporate design and identity
capability. With work for such clients as American Express, American
Telecommunications, Paramount Studios, Viacom, MCA Universal and Howard
Hughes Properties, Dula brings more than 26 years of high-level design
experience. "This is a significant event in the growth of our company,"
said ceo Ryan Rieches from headquarters in Irvine CA.
Design Degree Unfurled
This month, Full Sail University commences a new online Graphic Design Bachelor of
Science Online Degree Program. The new online degree program incorporates courses that
teach students industry-standard disciplines including Digital Art & Theory, Color Theory,
and Digital Storytelling. Students will use these disciplines along with industry-standard concepts
such as corporate branding, typography, and page layout to produce their own high-end
design projects. For the past 30 years, Full Sail has been as an educational leader in the
entertainment industry.
http://www.fullsail.edu
GRAPHIC DESIGN EVENTS
June 16-18. Los Angeles CA/New York NY. Promax|BDA, a leading global
association for design, marketing and promotion professionals n the entertainment
industry hosts a powerful slate of speakers. Presenters includes Rhode Island
School of Design head, John Maeda; Justin Cone, Editor of Motionographer and
celebrated artist Ralph Steadman. It takes place at the Hilton New York.
http://www.promaxbda.org/
June 17-June 18. San Francisco CA. The Stanford Court.
"Re-Thinking... Design" is an opportunity for designers to collaborate on the
leadership role that design should take on facing the relevant challenges of today's
design business, becoming a change agent, and creating emerging opportunities to
make an impact. This event will be hosted by the Design Management Institute.
http://www.dmi.org
June 17-June 18. New York NY. ReBoot is a two part series that "opens the door to rethink, refresh, reimagine and renew your career strategy. Fresh ideas form industry experts.
http://adcglobal.org
June 18. Milwaukee WI. AIGA Wisconsin presents Debbie Millman as keynote speaker at the chapter's First Annual Member Celebration. Milwaukee Art Museum's Lubar Auditorium is the locale.
http://wisconsin.aiga.org/
June 18. Mystic CT. Connecticut Art Directors Club 34th Annual Awards Show at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. A portion of the entry fees will be donated to the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program.
http://www.cadc.org
June 18-July 24. New York NY. In cooperation with Waging Peace, the AIGA National Design Cetner presents a selection of drawings by Darfuri children depicting vivid memories of violence. The illustrations were accepted by the International Criminal Court as contextual evidence of atrocities committed in Darfur.
http://wagingpeace.info or
http://www.aiga.org
June 20. Tucson AZ. The documentary portrait "Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight," will be shown at the University of Arizona School of Art. The firm, directed by Wendy Keys, glances into everyday moments of Glaser's life and work.
http://arizona.aiga.org
June 24-June 27. Austin TX. Austin Convention Center. The HOW Design Conference offers a substantive view of real-world and current design projects and, as always, centers around career tips, creativity boosters, and software instruction in a tough economy.
http://www.howconference.com
June 25. Birmingham AL. Hatch, one of the oldest working letterpress shops, is the focus of this evenings presentation by owner Jim Sherraden. Letterpress art and history will abound. Hatch Show Print is based in Nashville TN.
http://birmingham.aiga.org
June 30. Washington DC. The Museum for Women In The Arts. Leading women involved in sustainability in Corporate America; what they think, their evaluation of the progress, and what they want from their vendors. Industry expert Derek Smith is the organizer. xpedx and Mohawk are among the major sponsors.
http://www.paperleadership.com/
July 9-10. San Francisco CA. Design Management Institute presents a seminar on integrating sustainability and design using a systems approach. The teacher is Adam Richardson, director of product strategy, and Sara Todd, senior design analyst, both of frog design.
http://www.dmi.org
July 14-19. Atlanta GA. TypeCon2009 is an annual gathering of the best and brightest in the typographic community. It includes workshops, forums, networking events and exhibitions.
info@typesociety.com
July 31. Chicago IL. Deadline for submitting works for potential inclusion in the Society of Typographic Arts Archive09, the best work that Chicago has to offer. Judges are Kelly Kaminski, Yang Kim, Scott Thares, Rick Valicenti, and Armin Vit.
http://sta-chicago.org
September 22-24. Nashville TN. 2009 SFI Annual Conference. Speakers will include Brian Dumaine, Global Editor of Fortune Magazine; Michelle Desiderio, Director of Green Building Programs, National Association of Home Builders Research Center; Craig Hanson, Director, People and Ecosystems, World Resources Institute (WRI); Sean Ross, Director of Forestry Operations, The Lyme Timber Company; and Scot Williamson, Vice President, Wildlife Management Institute (WMI).
http://www.sfiprogram.org/conference-2009.php or 202.596.3458
September 22-24. Atlanta GA. The 5th Annual Sustainable Packaging Forum, a looks at responsible business solutiions and sustainable packaging. Among the topics: sustainability as a driver of economic innovation.
http://www.bnpevents.com
September 26. Denver CO. Annual show of the Art Directors Club of Denver. It takes place at the Sherman Events Center.
http://adcd.com
September 29-October 2. Chicago IL. NPTA Alliance Convention. Each year theses leaders of the paper and packaging industry — distributors and suppliers alike — meet, network, plan for the future, and solidify relationships.
http://www.gonpta.com/convention/index.cfm
October 8-11. Memphis TN. AIGA National. "Make/Think" is the 2009 AIGA Design Conference, exploring the dual roles of designers as makers of beautiful things and strategic problem solvers. Mainstage speakers, roundtables, social networking events and more.
http://designconference2009.aiga.org
AWARDS DEADLINE EXTENSION
At the request of many, GDUSA's American Graphic Design
Awards entry deadline has been extended to an absolute final date of June 30. A downloadable
entry form can be found at...
http://www.gdusa.com/contests/agda.php
JOB OF THE MONTH
Make Your Mark! Internet leader seeks results-driven
graphic designer with strong skills in direct response and landing page
optimization for fast paced, entrepreneurial environment. Responsibilities
include: Sites and site-lets. Banners of all sizes. Audio and video
streaming.
Qualifications:
Bachelors Degree. Strong organizational skills.
The ability to handle multiple projects. Ability to work to a deadline The
ideal candidate will have a proven track record in direct response and
will have worked at an agency, affiliate advertising network, or direct
response client. 1-3 years industry experience required. Excellent
salary and benefits. For immediate consideration, send resume and links
to: jobs@loebenterprises.com
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