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B+L EYES SCHER FOR ID MAKEOVER
NEW YORK NY
Pentagram's Paula Scher has designed the new corporate identity for Bausch + Lomb, deftly shifting the focus to incorporate the company's commitment to eye health care and its pharmaceutical and surgical divisions. The previous logo largely emphasized the science of lenses with a graphic element that suggested angles of refraction. In the new identity, the ampersand becomes a transparent medical plus sign that conveys the company's commitment to partnering with the medical community. The element of transparency also suggests vision, as well as the liquid solutions that are integral to the company's product lines. The traditional corporate colors of blue and green have been reinterpreted in modern hues that suggest water, moisture and ecology. The new look includes a corporate icon that functions as a simple, recognizable B + L. This monogram can be applied in various treatments and will be embossed on packaging. The new Bausch + Lomb logotype is set in a proprietary font called Nobel BL, based on Nobel. The font is also used as a secondary typeface in all Bausch + Lomb communications. The new corporate identity will eventually appear on all products and packaging, marketing and promotional materials, and signage and corporate environments.
Contact: www.pentagram.com

CONVERSE KICKS TO LA COMUNIDAD
MIAMI FL
Converse called on independent creative agency La Comunidad to develop a campaign promoting the creative and irreverent spirit of the brand. The campaign looks to connect with the young and digitally tuned-in Converse fans throughout Latin America, as well as the US Hispanic market. The project was led by La Comunidad Miami and developed by the three La Comunidad offices, including La Comunidad Summer, which specializes in brand experiences. The agency's art gallery, ThisIsNotAGallery, was also involved in curating independent artists throughout the region who participated in the project. Credits include La Comunidad co-founders and Chief Creative Officers Joaquin Mollà and José Mollà, and Creative Directors Fernando Sosa and Ramiro Raposo. The videos appeal to the individualistic and artistic sensibilities of the Converse fan with, for instance, a demo of how to make a pin hole camera out of a Converse box that can actually take great photos; others are funny, like a video series that shows how to transform clothing left by an ex into new outfits to help attract a new boy/girlfriend.The 40 videos are being distributed via Converse's Latin American websites in a section of each site marked PLAY.
Contact: www.lacomu.com
or for Converse websites, see www.converse.com

NY PUBLIC LIBRARY TURNS A NEW PAGE
NEW YORK NY
The New York Public Library has introduced two new elements to its identity and communications, in a move to reflect that today's Library is both contemporary and grounded in tradition. A new lion logo, based on the iconic statues which sit at the entrance, was unveiled at an event that included a presentation from Steven Heller. The logo was developed in concert with the library's new mission, to "Inspire Lifelong Learning, Advance Knowledge and Strengthen Our Communities." The new look, designed by the Library's inhouse graphics team led by Art Director Marc Blaustein, emphasizes openness, with flowing lines speaking to momentum and forward motion. President Paul LeClerc says the visual identity "reflects the accessibility and dynamism of today's library." The redesign actually commenced in 2008 when the designers began sketching and photographing the marble statues from the steps of the landmark Manhattan building. Dozens of iterations, realistic and conceptual, pencil and digital, drew inspiration from periods and themes including 16th century printers' marks, Art Nouveau, stained glass and Japanese woodcuts.The resulting logo is versatile and can be used in a various forms and colors; it also reproduces well at small sizes and reads strongly in all formats, both online and in print. Blaustein notes, "Of our inhouse design team, Katharina Seifert has been particularly helpful in developing the continually-evolving identity system, as have Daniel Um and Matthew Poor. Tina Hoerenz, our office manager, has been instrumental in the logistical aspects of the project."
Contact: www.nypl.org

REBELLION IN THE AIR AT SUNDANCE
PARK CITY UTAH
Rebellion was the catchword at Sundance TwentyTen; emblazoned on print and banner ads, as well as take-home campaign print and merchandise. The first-of-its-kind campaign to promote the 2010 Sundance Film Festival urged film-makers and goers alike to "rebel," i.e., step away from what's worked and what's safe and understood, and move towards brave new ideas; It was even on the front cover of the film schedule, which read "This Is Your Guide to Cinematic Rebellion." A team with long-standing Sundance ties shaped the Film Festival's multimedia campaign, led by Josh Rogers, now creative director for Imagination The Americas, along with longtime Sundance brand/creative guru Jan Fleming; graphic designer Volker Durre of Durre Design rounded out the core team. In collaboration with Sundance Founder Robert Redford, and new Film Festival Director John Cooper, the team looked to the roots of Sundance to engage audiences in new, more active ways. As part of the campaign, the team tapped BUCK in New York/Los Angeles to create four film trailers with original music by former Fugee member John Forte. Each trailer dared film-makers and audiences with a tailored "call to arms" message.
Contact: www.festival.sundance.org/2010

DESIGN HITS THE ROAD IN AIRSTREAM
SAN FRANCISCO CA
San Francisco-based nonprofit Project H Design has taken to the roads in a vintage Airstream to promote design for social change. Having kicked off from the parking lot of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, the Design Revolution Road Show will run through April bringing a lecture series and traveling exhibition of "design that empowers people" to 25 schools across the US. The Road Show features an Airstream trailer exhibition and 40 humanitarian design solutions that have been showcased in the book Design Revolution:100 Products that Empower People written by Project H founder Emily Pilloton. The design universities and high schools are targeted to forge a stronger connection between education and design. Pilloton and project manager Matthew Miller will be behind the wheel for the duration of the event, which is to cover some 6300 miles in 75 days. Among the project backers are the Adobe Foundation, Sappi Paper's Ideas that Matter Grant Program and C2 LLC.
Contact: www.projecthdesign.org

PLAY A LETTER GAME WITH TYPEFLASH
NEW YORK NY
Typeflash is a interactive typographic site designed to help amateurs and professionals alike create an endless number of designs that they can then use to personalize eCards, logos, or banners. The concept of the website, designed by Peter Vajda, is to initiate people to the typography design process with a playful and easy-to-use application. Typeflash letters are not classic typefaces; instead it's the user who can choose to form, alter or modify letters in whichever possible way. For instance, with the SEX-labeled typeface, each character is made up of male and female gender symbols; the animation models a partnership between the symbols and as the letters are drawn, the relationships between the symbols can be varied, representing different positions — either making them closer, overlapping or moving apart. Using the site, you can create an animated logo or message to publish to a website, or just upload photos as wallpaper and publish it in the gallery.
Contact: www.typeflash.com

LESTER BEALL SITE A FAMILY AFFAIR
FAIRFIELD CT
The Estate of Lester Beall has launched a website featuring the American graphic design pioneer from a familial perspective. Seeking a website with a vintage modern approach, they turned to Jargon Boy's Greg Chinn to showcase Beall's history, emphasizing his early career, pioneering work and lifestyle, while adding to the visual language of the time period. Beall, whose work was considered avant-garde, was the first graphic designer with a One Man Show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1937, inducted into the Art Director's Club Hall of Fame in 1972 and awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by AIGA in 1993. The website was created from a very personal point of view; Chinn is married to the youngest Beall granddaughter and his respect for the portfolio of work is evident.
Contact:
www.jargonboy.com and www.lesterbeall.com

HANDMADE DESIGNS EVOKE WARMTH
NEW YORK NY
Amid all the new technology and digitalization of everyday life, there's a rediscovery of handmade elements in design, from hand-drawn pictures to homey collages. That's the gist of a new book entitled By Hand: Handmade Elements in Graphic Design edited by Maki Yoshimura of PIE Books. By Hand features examples of handmade elements and is loaded with designs for posters, direct mails, flyers and shop tools. Inspired by the recent "healing boom" in Japan and the simple, modern designs in Europe, the book says promotions, advertisements and graphic tools of trendy shops are using a homemade feeling in graphic design. "Handmade collages can evoke a feeling of warmth," it said, "and well-worn materials will bring to mind a feeling of nostalgia or coziness."
Contact: www.piebooks.com/english/index.php