NEWS
LOS ANGELES COUNTY 'COMET' SPEEDS BUS RIDER ADOPTION
Los Angeles CA: Brought in by the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to develop an identity for Los Angeles' new Metro Rapid bus program — an ambitious program that is intended to speed up travel time on buses and thus make them more widely attractive — Suisman Urban Design has created a visual integrity that ties together the vehicles, the stops and the graphics as well as making the Metro Rapid identity fit into the larger transit picture.
The project, headed by Doug Suisman, includes new nomenclature, color-coding and a galvanizing comet icon that connotes speed. The comet is also used to dot the 'i' in Rapid, and the words 'Metro Rapid' are superimposed on the icon on a 19-foot-tall flagpole at each station. As for the bus itself, Suisman saw it as a blank canvas and approached it as an architectural problem, treating the bus as a building on wheels and dealing with issues of scale, visibility and distance. Explains Rex Gephart, Metro Rapid project manager: "The idea was to keep it simple, the fewer words the better. On the sidewalk side of the bus, the words are high, well above the heads of waiting passengers, but they don't need to be large, as people are up close to them. On the other side, where visibility is an issue, large characters are used." The transit stops, one mile apart from each other, were approached functionally. They share the color scheme and a "carpet" of Metro Rapid-red pavers alerts patrons to the precise point where the bus will stop. Translucent sky-lit 'umbrella' canopies provide a simple modern appearance and, says Suisman, are easy to install.
The MTA has judged the Metro Rapid bus program a success, having shaved 25% off travel time in a cost-efficient manner; from the initial two lines with 90 buses, new proposals call for 22 additional lines with a potential for up to three dozen.
Q&A HAS THE ANSWER FOR A NEW SPIRITUAL PRODUCT LINE
Seattle WA: Quesinberry and Associates has developed and produced the brand identity and packaging for a new line of spiritual gift sets and candles created by zena moon. According to Wendy Quesinberry, principal of Q&A, "Every detail of the packaging and its product labeling is meant to inspire and invigorate the soul with its delicate use of color, shape and text." zena moon is a new company based in Snohomish, Washington. Its creator, Carla Blazek, says each gift set has a theme, supported by individual products such as journals, books, love coupons and eye pillows, as well as a signature candle.
CHICAGOLAND GRAPHIC ARTS FIRM CELEBRATES ITS 50TH
Chicago IL: Handelan-Pedersen celebrates its 50th anniversary this month. Dan Handelan and Ken Pedersen founded the firm as an advertising art studio on March 2, 1951 and, over the years, it grew to be one of the Midwest's largest, providing graphic art services to ad agencies, design firms and corporations. In 1985, the founders retired, selling the firm to Lawrence J. Burke, publisher/editor-in-chief of Outside Magazine. In 1987, Tim Fanning joined Handelan-Pedersen to restructure it as a graphic design firm providing corporate and promotional design services only to corporations. In 1993, Handelan-Pedersen was sold to Tim Fanning. The acquisition, in conjunction with Fanning's printing company, FGU, enabled Fanning to offer corporations inhouse capabilities. He also changed the focus exclusively to the technology industry and today, says Fanning, the firm provides services to Silicon Prairie companies such as 3Com, AT&T, Motorola and NEC/Mitsubishi. Says Fanning, "We will be opening new offices in Silicon Hills, Austin, TX, in May, and in Silicon Valley, CA, by the end of the year."
NEW AIRLINE GRAPHICS HELP BRITISH MIDLAND GO GLOBAL
London UK/San Francisco CA: Landor Associates has developed new brand positioning and a corporate identity for British Midland, the United Kingdom's second largest airline. The unveiling ceremony took place last month at London's Heathrow Airport. The airline — to be known as bmi british midland — has coordinated this launch with its aggressive move into the global aviation market with research indicating that the former British Midland brand was trusted but too confined to the Midlands region and to the idea of short hauls. The corporate identity will be implemented with the launch of bmi british midland's trans-Atlantic services this spring, including new long-haul scheduled services from Manchester to Washington, DC in April, and from Manchester to Chicago in May. Peter Knapp, executive creative director, Landor Associates, said: "This new identity will ensure that the airline has greater relevance to and rapport with its customers, given the changed demands which have been placed upon the organization..."
WATER AUTHORITY STILL THIRSTY FOR HANSEN EXPERTISE
San Diego CA: Hansen Associates designed the San Diego County Water Authority's 2000 annual report. Ted Hansen, ceo and creative director, says the full-color, 50-page publication is the 29-year-old marketing communications firm's third annual report assignment completed for the Authority. Hansen served as creative director and worked directly with SDCWA's Patricia Brock, senior public affairs representative. Hansen Associates' Gabriel Waite was lead designer and also provided layout and computer production services. Tracy Sabin, a San Diego-based illustrator, created six original illustrations for use on the report's cover and five dividers.
MARGO CHASE IN GOOD COMPANY WITH WOMEN DESIGNERS
Los Angeles CA: "Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference," an exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City, has been extended through April 8, 2001. Showcasing the multifaceted contributions of women designers to American culture in the 20th century, the show features designers from the fields of textiles, ceramics, graphics, furniture, interiors, metalwork, fashion and jewelry. Graphic designer Margo Chase of Margo Chase Design is included in the exhibit. A companion catalog features essays on the different design disciplines included in the show. Chase's ESPN Billiards logo and opening sequence for the cable network (with background image by Seth Epstein at Fuel) are featured in Ellen Lupton's essay "Colophon: Women Graphic Designers" included in the book. Lupton notes Chase's contributions to television graphics.
GO FISH! UNLEASHES CAMPAIGN FOR DOGWATCH SYSTEM
Boston MA: A brochure featuring dogs on one page juxtaposed with images that may tempt a dog to leave a yard, such as a child on a bike or a school bus, illustrates the benefit of DogWatch's hidden fence system. Go Fish! Design's creative concept is that the hidden fence system is always in the middle, protecting both sides, says designer Brenda Preston. To capture a wide variety of dogs in a suburban setting, Go Fish! tapped Boston photographer and dog enthusiast Michael Malyszko. Project manager Beth Caeren comments: "As a studio full of dog lovers, we understand how important a pet's safety is to the entire family. DogWatch gives dogs the freedom they deserve while providing peace of mind to pet owners."
KING-CASEY FRESHENS SUBWAY'S INSTORE APPEAL — AGAIN
South Norwalk CT: To clearly communicate that Subway is committed to serving top quality fresh food, King-Casey created new menuboards and merchandising including a distinctive brand identity and logo for Subway's combo deals called "Fresh Value Meals." Tom Cook, president of King-Casey, says a key strategic objective of the new instore communications system is to increase incidence of Fresh Value Meals. The new communications are built around Subway's core menu items: Subway Classics; the 7 Under 6 subs with 6 grams of fat or less; and its new line of Subway Selects, which come with gourmet sauces. The relationship between Subway and King-Casey began in 1997 with attitudinal and behavioral research among Subway customers, and led to the design firm's first generation of menuboards and merchandising in 1998, which made ordering faster and easier, says Subway's Chris Carroll, director of marketing.
SEYBOLD BOSTON SET FOR APRIL, DIGITAL MEDIA CONFERENCE IS NEW, DESIGNER DREAM TEAM TO DISCUSS CREATIVE FUTURE
Foster City CA: Seybold Seminars has added a Digital Media Conference that seeks to educate web designers, architects and other communication professionals on the opportunities streaming video offers. The new conference will be chaired by digital media authority Tom Britt, and offered at the conference and exposition that takes place in Boston on April 8-13. The Seybold event is the granddaddy of "desktop publishing" seminars and shows and has traditionally attracted graphic designers and other content creators in large numbers. The Digital Media Conference complements three other longstanding Seybold offerings: the Publishing Strategies Conference, Print Publishing Conference, and Web Publishing Conference.
Craig Cline, vice president of content for Seybold Seminars, comments: "With the continuing evolution of media technology, it is natural for Seybold to create an extensive educational program on streaming, wireless and other forms of digital media." Indeed, the new conference will focus on key issues in digital media including digital media distribution, syndication models, rights management issues and successful business models. There are two tracks: one for developers, that focuses on the nuts and bolts of building an online business; and another for executives, that focuses on giving senior executives in the industry the knowledge and vision to properly navigate their media companies into the opportunities available in convergence.
States Tom Britt: "At the Digital Media Conference, companies looking to augment their current content distribution model with broadband media or writing a streaming media content business plan will have their questions and concerns addressed." Britt is the founder of Channelseek.com, where he pioneered the syndication of streaming media content on various broadband portals and published the first printed consumer magazine, Channelseek Guide. He has also served as the executive director of the International Webcasting Association.
As for the other conferences, the Publishing Strategies event is focused on helping companies make the right strategic business decisions and remain competitive as publishing practices, technologies and markets continue to evolve; the Print Publishing Conference addresses leading edge digital technologies and infrastructure from networks and services to preflighting and PDF workflow; and the Web Publishing Conference is billed as presenting design and tech expertise and tools necessary to "planning, building and maintaining successful web sites and e-business initiatives." Keynoters for these conferences include Christie Hefner of Playboy Enterprises, Mark Getty of Getty Images, and Fred Ebrahimi of Quark.
To add further texture to the event, a number of special interest days have been scheduled to intensively address hot topics such as Color Production, Digital Asset Management, PDF Print Publishing, E-Books, On-Demand Printing and Corporate Portals. And, of special interest to designers, the "dream team" of David Carson, Clement Mok and Roger Black will discuss how design is changing and what the future has in store for the discipline in an age of digital media; the panel is free and open to all attendees. Another bonus: attendees can meet J.D. King, creator of Seybold Seminars 2001 artwork, and receive a signed, limited-edition poster.
Concludes Gene Gable, who heads Seybold Seminars and Publications: "As we move
forward in the era of cross-media publishing, we are seeing an ever-increasing need to share
information and collaborate for effective, instant communications. Many things are coming
together at our Boston event . . . "
Contact:
www.seyboldseminars.com or 888.886.8895