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In Memory of Bill MoggridgeBill Moggridge (1943 – 2012)
Bill Moggridge, director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum since 2010, died on September 8, following a battle with cancer. Designer of the first laptop computer and co-founder of IDEO, the renowned innovation and design firm, Moggridge pioneered interaction design and integrated human factors into the design of computer software and hardware. “All of us at the Smithsonian mourn the loss of a great friend, leader and design mind,” said Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough. “In his two short years as director of Cooper-Hewitt, Bill transformed the museum into the Smithsonian’s design lens on the world, and we are forever grateful for his extraordinary leadership and contributions.” A Royal Designer for Industry, 2010 winner of the Prince Philip Designers Prize, and 2009 winner of Cooper-Hewitt’s National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement, Moggridge described his career as having three phases, first as a designer, second as a leader of design teams, and third as a communicator. For the first two decades as a designer, he developed his business internationally, designing high-tech products, including the Grid Compass, the first laptop computer, released in 1982. With the co-founding of IDEO in 1991 with David Kelley and Mike Nuttall, he turned his focus to developing practices for interdisciplinary teams and built client relationships with multinational companies. Since 2000, he had been a spokesperson for the value of design in everyday life, writing books, producing videos, giving presentations and teaching, which were further supported by the historical depth and contemporary reach of the museum. His professional activities included those of advisor to the British government on design education, trustee of the Design Museum in London, visiting professor in interaction design at the Royal College of Art in London, and member of the Steering Committee for the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy.
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Kirby RodriguezDesign Director, O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE, New York NY
Kirby Rodriguez has been named as Design Director of O, The Oprah Magazine. Rodriguez had been Associate Creative Director of Photography at Talbots since early 2010. There he rebranded and refreshed its visual identity and spearheading the brand’s first national print advertising campaigns, photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott and David Sims. Prior to that, from 2005 to 2009, Rodriguez was Design Director of Cookie, which was nominated for two American Society of Magazine Editors General Excellence Awards and two Society of Publication Designer's Magazine of The Year Awards. And before that, he was Art Director at W Magazine, playing a key role in the magazine's transition from broadsheet to perfect-bound format. W received multiple Society of Publication Designers awards and American Society of Magazine Editors awards during his ten-year tenure. At O, The Oprah Magazine, he reports to Susan Casey, Editor in Chief, who made the announcement concerning his hiring. |
As Suka approaches its 20th anniversary, the New York City-based strategic design and branding firm founded by Susan Karlin, has made three major promotions. These include Maria Belfiore to Creative Lead, Jen Pressley to Creative Lead, and Bruce Grover to Managing Director + Strategy Lead. Belfiore was one of Suka’s first employees, evolving from intern to Senior Art Director to leading the creative team. Her work includes creating identity systems, brands, print materials and online solutions for financial, higher education and nonprofit clients such as Columbia Business School, Bessemer Trust, Fresh Air Fund and Consumers Union. She holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts. Second up is Jen Pressley. A strategic design partner for nearly seven years, she joined Suka full-time in 2011. Pressley has played leadership roles in several design and corporate firms, where she created solutions for such clients as Johnson & Johnson, TIAA-CREF, The Museum at FIT and the YMCA. At Suka, Pressley has led projects for Columbia Journalism School, the Fresh Air Fund and Columbia Business School. She is a Cooper Union alumna. And the third promotion goes to Bruce Grover. Grover joined the Suka team in 2009 after working freelance with the firm since 2005. Leading day-to-day direction of the firm as well as its strategy/messaging work, he has nearly 20 years of expertise. Grover co-led the inhouse creative team at educational organization Road Scholar, and was a content strategist and copywriter with such clients as Colgate-Palmolive, NYU, the College Board, the Ms. Foundation, Siegel & Gale, and the Fund for Public Health. Since joining Suka, he has been a strategist and account lead with Stanley Black & Decker, Columbia Business School, Consumer Reports, the Robin Hood Foundation, and more.
The New Jersey Advertising Club selects Brian Ganton Jr., President of Brian J. Ganton & Associates (BGA), for induction in its Advertising Hall of Fame. Founded in 1981, this Hall of Fame honors professionals “who have made an outstanding contribution to the creative and/or economic values of advertising, and whose efforts have significantly advanced the status of the advertising profession in New Jersey.” Ganton heads the multidisciplinary branding and advertising firm founded in 1972 by Brian J. Ganton Sr., now based in Cedar Grove NJ. His award-winning work spans over 30 years in creating strategic marketing initiatives, brand development and advertising campaigns for a diverse portfolio of businesses, including DuPont, Pergo, Reader’s Digest, International Paper, Oldcastle, Construction Specialties, Rubbermaid, Simon & Schuster and more. He was educated at Seton Hall University and the School of Visual Arts.
After more than four decades, Louisville KY public relations and ad agency New West announced a major change in ownership. Carl Brazley, owner of Mo’ Better Marketing, has purchased New West from Tom Howell and Becky Simpson, who had owned the firm for more than 10 years. The acquisition places New West among the largest African-American-owned agencies in the country. Brazley is CEO of the agency and Howell continues on as Managing Director. While the merged company will continue as New West, Brazley and Howell said the Mo’ Better name will live on until it fulfills its current contracts. Brazley adds that Mo’ Better needed more size for some projects, and that by tripling it with acquisition ‒ and adding New West’s advertising, pr and graphic design professionals ‒ this problem is solved.
Zambezi, the Los Angeles area creative agency specializing in sports and entertainment brands, makes two key creative promotions. Kevin Buth has become Creative Director. Most recently Associate Creative Director, Buth has spent five years at Zambezi and was the fourth employee hired. During his tenure, he has worked with brands such as smartwater on the ‘Jennifer Aniston Sex Tape’ viral film, which made it to No. 1 on YouTube’s ‘Most Viewed Today’ list. He has also worked on campaigns for vitaminwater, popchips and Sprite. He now works directly with Executive Creative Director Brian Ford, helping to oversee and manage all company accounts. In addition, the agency elevates Madeleine Grandbois to Associate Creative Director from Art Director. In this role, Grandbois is responsible for direct creative oversight on Champs Sports and popchips. Prior to Zambezi, Grandbois spent three years at Peterson Milla Hooks as Art Director working on the Target account.
Jeremy Gilberto joins Red Tettmer + Partners as Art Director, having previously held the same title at Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett in Chicago. Gilberto’s work was featured in CMYK Magazine’s Top 100 New Creatives. He reports to Executive Creative Director Steve O’Connell, and is assigned to the Dial for Men, Century 21 and Planet Fitness accounts. “What drew me to RT+P,” says Gilberto, “was their ‘Idea Is Boss’ philosophy… not to mention the free beer.”