Attract, Engage, Respond
The Holy Trinity of Direct Mail Design

The fold names and puns are nearly as much fun as the folds themselves, reminding us of dance steps or card games: Stepped Accordion, Two-way Circular Gate, Roll with Diagonal Die, Angled Roll Fold, Center Stepped Accordion, Pop-Out Accordion, Twist Fold, Box Top, Iron Cross, Layered Corner, Staggered Step, Wrapped Step…. Sounds like a contest from the movie Hair Spray does it not? How can formats with names this fun be anything but fun to put into action for your brand?

You will not get an argument against folding fun from Trish Witkowski, “Chief Folding Fanatic” at FoldFactory.com. As Witkowski told Bruce Rhoads of Deliver Magazine last year, “Why send 100,000 yawns when you can send 30,000 ‘wows?’ It’s wasted money if you’re not getting the attention of your audience…” The goal, she said, is NOT to make it into somebody’s “great idea file,” but to get them to respond to your brand: “[The printed piece] has to have purpose and accomplish a goal — which is response.”

FoldFactory is an online resource and community forum for and about people who love paper folding. It offers a subscription service that provides “production-perfect” folding templates in 85 styles, ranging in cost and complexity. Trish Witkowski is also FoldFactory’s online blog personality, demonstrating over again how design complexity creates print production risks which FoldFactory die lines can mitigate.  Her knowledge and stage presence also have also made her a popular speaker at print and paper gatherings across the nation.

Elevating the Possibility of Design

The award winning folded invitation to last fall’s Unisource Chicago Paper Show (shown above printed on CLASSIC® Linen Papers from Neenah Paper) stands out as a model of pre-production, print and design collaboration by FoldFactory, O’Connor Design (Jim + Debra O’Connor) and Ace Graphics (Rodney Krantz). The designer and printer were asked to share their thoughts on the process and final product, printed on CLASSIC Linen.

Working from Chicagoland (Glen Ellyn,IL) , Jim O’Connor knows how folded paper can capture attention unlike any flat screen digitally displayed design. Says O’Connor, “Folded formats do not translate online. Dimension and tactility allow me to combine creative folding with typography, color and design to create an experience that directly engages recipients. It begs them not only to look at it  — they will touch it, open it, flip it, turn it, play with it. It becomes a personal interaction and that is the name of the game in direct response design and mail.”

O’Connor elaborates:  “The concept for the UniSource invitation involved pairing groups of related words that describe paper and printing. We wanted a fold that would reveal each pairing slowly, one by one. Foldfactory provided the solution with their Nine Panel Reveal format — even its name sounded like the perfect vehicle. Since we knew the die-line could work mechanically, we were free to concentrate on typography, colors and paper, and Ace was not burdened with the task of trying to make our concept into a die-line that would work well with our design. They were free to put their focus on the details that distinguish good printing from extraordinary printing.”

Jim and Debra O’Connor of Chicagoland

Elevating the Possibility of Print

From Rod Kranz’s point of view at Ace Graphics, a ready-to-use guideline such as the Nine Panel Reveal provided by the FoldFactory affords a higher degree of certainty and print precision. “A design of this complexity with this many critical color breaks means that a mere 1/32 inch difference in the die line and the sheet can alter the result — for the worse. Subtlety and accuracy are essential. A ready-to-use die line saves hours of expert, high cost skilled labor necessary to build a die. With the die line in hand, we can turn our focus to specific mechanical adjustments to compensate for the caliper specifications of the selected sheet [CLASSIC Linen] and the mathematical adjustments required by the quirks and nuances of our production equipment.”

From Neenah’s point of view, Witkowski, O’Connor and Kranz reflect and substantiate a core value: print must be a part of any successful brand communication strategy. “We say it all the time, ‘When you print, do it well,’” says Tom Wright, director of advertising and design at Neenah Paper. “FoldFactory’s message coheres with our own. Trish and Janice Reese at the FoldFactory.com evangelize for highly effective printed and folded communications by encouraging everyone see paper not as a two-dimensional object, but rather a three-dimensional experience.

Meanwhile, Trish Witkowski reminds anyone willing to listen that paper folds, while a whole lot of fun, are also good for business. As she reminded us in Deliver Magazine, don’t perish in the labyrinth of your own creation: let form follow function:

“Sometimes people see a fold and they make a mental note to use that in their next project, but if you force your concept into a cool fold because of the wow factor, you can create confusion. There is a form and function that has to take place in direct mail.”

CLASSIC® Linen is a registered trademark of Neenah Paper, Inc.

At last year’s HOWLive Conference in Chicago, I had the great pleasure to meet and interview James Victore. Part artist, part designer, part awesome, James Victore has been doing some great work over the past twenty-five-ish years now. So, of course I decided to ask him about movie recommendations. He mentioned The Town. I wouldn’t call myself a Ben Affleck fan by any stretch, but I don’t disslike some of his movies, so I figured I’d take his word on this one.

By this, I mean it took me until this week to finally watch it with my friend, Tom Nemitz. Sure enough, The Town was entertaining, had an actual plot and dialog that did not make me feel dumber for watching it, and was good enough for me to recommend as well. Not to the level of Hot Tub Time Machine, but recommend.

And it looks like it took me just as long to get around to saying, “hey, James Victore may have one of the coolest books showcasing his work I have ever seen.”

Office of Paul Sahre (OOPS) did what I now want to see more of – applying as much ink on the pages of a book as I think may be physically possible. I mean, the only space not covered in black seems to be a spot left for the sole purpose of James Victore signing these gorgeous things.

Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss? was a book that reminded me of why this guy’s work deserves a book that stands out from the others.

There is a real art to making something appear so simple. And the more I look at the examples shown, the more I realize how great the samples are.

I’m not sure I want to read another book on white paper. After this, it just seems… boring? tame? generic?

I know that e-books are part of the future, but great design showcasing great design still makes me happy – regardless of format.

{Editor’s Note: Happy Earth Day from Neenah Paper! Nancy Sharon Collins shows how the idea of repurposing is taken to a whole new level down in the Big Easy. Always fun to see NOLA through her trained eyes.}

Images 1, 2 and 3 Above:  In New Orleans, we generally re-purpose just about everything, from our graffiti to our WPA-era civic art. Check out this amazing documentary from local Canary Collective on (adopted) native son, Enrique Alferez. He’s sort of the Diego Rivera of New Orleans pubic sculpture.

Image 4 Above: We even re-purpose t-shirt silkscreening equipment, Elizabeth Buchta and Daniela Marx (local university educators) pictured here with the new-to-them, re-cycled, ginormous machine at the Loyola University New Orleans loading dock. Their plan is to create a co-op print studio open to the general public!

Image 5 Above: Delgado Community College’s typography class hosted Allan Haley, Director of Words and Letters at Monotype Imaging Corporation who imparting his type and font wisdom. Allan re-purposed his vacation, altruistically sharing personal time for the class.

Image 6 Above: The 2012 New Orleans Earth Day Festival provides an opportunity for fest-goers to participate in hands-on demos for loads of earth-friendly community activities.

Rule #1: Don’t Leave Your Bike in the Rain

Above: Fine Guy, Poster Artist, C-Survivor, Cyclist: Aaron Purmort

{Photo Courtersy of T.C. Worley, Photographer}

Rule #2: Be Kind

(Twin Cities, MN) At ARTCRANK’s kick-off event in Minneapolis last weekend (April 14, 2012), this three-dimensional paper “bike” made of Neenah Paper products raised $500 at auction for a very good cause. No, it is not waterproof.

Designed and assembled by Big Table Studio behind the mad genius of Peet Fetsch,  the incredible paper bike was auctioned to benefits the American Cancer Society in honor of ARTCRANK Artist Aaron Purmort, a brain cancer survivor who recovered from surgery, radiation and chemo treatments just in time to complete his poster for the show.

Says Chris Schneider, customer-marketing manager for Neenah Paper, “This great effort by ARTCRANK support two good causes, ARTCRANK mission to change the way people think about biking and the American Cancer Society. From our point of view, it also showcases the creativity and versatility of Neenah’s paper products.”

According Big Table Studio’s Peet Fetsch, “We’ve printed thousands of posters, but we’ve never done anything like this. Creating a life-size bike with screen-printed graphics was an incredibly fun, challenging experiment. I’m glad we got the chance to do it”

ARTCRANK pedal-happy peripatetic founder Charles Youel says the intersection of the craft of fine paper and biking is a happy one:

“ARTCRANK was born from a love of bikes and art, but also from a fascination with the craft of printing and how paper and ink combine to make something amazing.”

This year, ARTCRANK will hold shows in Minneapolis, Austin, Texas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, London, Portland and San Francisco. Youel says he would love to have a different paper bike built to auction off for a cause or charity at each event.

Rule #3: Always Use Eco-Friendly Products

The element of surprise.

The “Bearded Guy”: Peet Fetsch Crank’n Out Art

Rule #4: Love Mother Earth With Every Crank

Looking Back Over The Years, Donovan Beery Recalls Some Good Advice

It’s weird to think that last month marked my company’s 10th anniversary. I realize that 10 is just a number, but numbers can make us reflect back on what it took to get to where we are sometimes, and this is one of those numbers.

I can’t count the number of projects since then that start with me hearing what the client is asking for, and trying to take a step back to hear what they want. And then seeing if another step back leads to a solution of what they really want.

A lot of this number has to do with having clients, contractors, interns, employees and business partners that are great to work with and for, but a lot of it really goes to people that are not involved at all, and that’s what this post is about.

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to meet some really great people in this profession, and sometimes just sitting down and talking for half an hour can change your thoughts, and with them, the direction of your career.

But advice only works well if you listen to it. And understand why it’s good advice. With that in mind, the following six may or may not be the best I have gotten in my career, just the best advice that I actually followed. These are listed not by importance, but in chronological order.

So with all of that, I bring the conversations that have had the largest effect to getting Eleven19 to 10 years.

“Get out before you get use to the money.”

The designer in the cubicle closest to mine said this to me many times at my first job. At first it was almost like she was joking. Then I got the same advice from someone in a different department. It’s hard to leave a job that pays well – especially if you really like the people you are working with. But we all know what we want to do long term and what we don’t. I realized this was not about taking a job that paid less. This is about not putting yourself in a situation where you feel trapped by the paycheck. I still miss the paycheck (and the people), but I like my current job a lot more.

I have no idea what this advice actually was.

Emily Ruth Cohen was coming into Omaha to speak to the AIGA Nebraska chapter. I had never heard of Emily, and I had no idea of what she did other than the fact that she was going to be speaking on estimating and bidding for design jobs at a luncheon the next day. When I joined the AIGA Nebraska board, I never considered much about what it would involve, what I would get from it, nor that I would be on it for the next seven years (as it turned out). I just figured, hey, this sounds like it could be fun, and I have enough free time to give it a go, so why not. Three of us on the board went out with Emily the night before she spoke, and I got more advice on how I should be bidding and estimating than ever before. Part of it was about presenting yourself like a professional. Part of it was about pricing fairly (it’s in the interest of both parties to pay/bid accordingly, as you are looking to be in this for the long run. Overpricing may not get you another project, underpricing may not allow you to pay your bills at times). Part of it was on what I was doing wrong.

I’m sure I forgot 95% of it immediately, but this did put me on a much better path to bidding and estimating. And these two items affect the bottom line more than anything.

“An even better client is one who says, ‘we have an idea that people want to hang things on a wall.’”

I was co-hosting a podcast, the Be A Design Cast, when I found myself in San Francisco with my co-host, Nate Voss. I somehow lined up interviews with the three partners of Pentagram that were located in that office. Kit Hinrichs was the only one of the three I had met at this time, and I knew little about Lorenzo Apicella (an architect, or Robert Brunner (a product designer). In fact, I know little about architecture and product design now. So, I did some initial research, and actually had a few questions lined up that I thought would be interesting to our audience.

Robert Brunner had a hammer he had designed in his portfolio, and knowing nothing about how to go about asking someone to design a product for you, I simply asked something like, “Is a good client someone who asks you if you can design a better hammer?” He said something like, “That would be an ok client. A better client is someone who says, ‘we have an idea that people want to drive nails into a wall.’ An even better client is one who says, ‘we have an idea that people want to hang things on a wall.’” Knowing that he came from Apple, I immediately got the difference between the iPod and the Zune. One was created with the idea that people may want to carry their music with them. The other was created that people just wanted an iPod with a bigger hard drive.

I can’t count the number of projects since then that start with me hearing what the client is asking for, and trying to take a step back to hear what they want. And then seeing if another step back leads to a solution of what they really want.

I also do not remember the actual advice from this one.

Before Bennett Peji spoke to the AIGA Nebrasksa chapter, he stopped by my office to record a podcast with Nate and I (by this time we had started up The Reflex Blue Show, which I still host at 36 Point). Between this, the event itself, and dinner afterwards, Bennett was a constant inspiration to listen to.

First, this guy is as happy as a designer as you would want to meet. You can tell he loves what he does, and it’s contagious. He also had a great work/life balance, and was very serious about keeping it that way. He then spoke of working boards (like the AIGA Nebraska board I was on) and policy boards. When my AIGA term was over, I took his advice and moved onto a few policy boards (I am currently working on a few of these, and I’m not sure I would have jumped right on them without his advice).

But of most importance, to me, was the talk of how he sold his work. I gathered from it that you have to be who you are, figure out what makes you different, and sell it. Remember, it’s not about getting the most work, it’s about getting the right work for you. Last month we went through a streak of turning down four clients in a row without even making a bid (they were not good fits, or based on my experience, were such long odds of us getting the work that it was not going to be worth the time). I felt terrible after the fourth one, but it did allow us to not have to turn down the next bidding opportunity we got (which was a great fit). And it allowed us to not be miserable working on projects we wouldn’t have been good for.

“Market in the recession.”

Has it been almost three years since I ran into Terry Marks after the kick-off to the 2009 HOW Conference in Austin? After the main event, we headed a block away for drinks and food. During dinner, Terry was discussing a recent project he did that was based on research in how to market during a recession. When money tightens up, it’s natural to look to ‘cut the fat’ out of a company’s budget. And face it – a lot of advertising is seen as unneeded fat (whether it is or not, that is not the point). This makes sense to me, why would I not cut back on things that may or may not be needed in my business, especially if everyone else seems to be.

Well, according to the research he discussed, because a lot of businesses cut back, some advertising becomes cheaper (a supply and demand sort of occurrence). And more importantly, since there is less advertising and marketing going on, you can have a bigger impact if you ’stay the course’ (or go the other way, and actually increase your budget). How much more memorable is marketing when there is less for it to compete against? The end game of this is suppose to be that those who stayed to their marketing scope, or went up seem to (historically) grow slightly during the recession. And these businesses than have a head start when the recession ends (historically, all recessions have ended at some point), grew at twice the pace of the companies that did what would seem natural and scaled their marketing back.

I figured, hey, having a one-man creative team (with a part-time creative) company, why not increase this? So, we went forward with more marketing than ever (still nothing crazy, still based on a budget for a small shop), and I think it’s made the difference. Our yearly client mailings went bigger, and went with what we thought would be fun. To celebrate our 10th year, we sent out an 18″ x 24″ poster for an invitation to an open house instead of a simple email blast (because how much impact does a mailing tube have now that nobody gets them anymore?) I can’t say for sure if it is the only reason or not, but we just hired the part-timer on as full-time last month. Welcome aboard, Ben Lueders! (That’s him, on the left, in the photo at top, getting ready for our cookie and beer open house to celebrate 10 years.)

Our open house invitation. Printed on Neenah (blatant shout-out) Classic Crest.

“Don’t be afraid of cliches.”

To celebrate the first year of The Reflex Blue Show, Justin Ahrens, Steve Hartman and Christine Taylor visited Nate and I in Omaha to celebrate and record the first show of season two. Hearing this was happening, Nate and I decided to take advantage of having designers with much more talent than ourselves being around, and decided to work on a project.

We had one day, zero dollars, and no ideas. Sometimes limitations are all you need to create a project.

One day? Five designers? I guess that gives us enough time to design a poster.

No dollars? Sounds like we need to get this donated.

Donated? Sounds like we need to have a good client. Maybe we ask Justin if his non-profit client, Life in Abundance, would like some help.

And with that, Spark Stationery and Neenah Paper (I did not know anybody from either of these companies when we did this) printed a 6-plate letterpress poster.

The morning started with Justin giving us a rundown of what Life in Abundance does, and then we stared at a giant blank sheet of paper. Somewhere in this time I remember Justin saying, “don’t be afraid of cliches.”

Designers love Target and Apple (right?), and aren’t their logos the biggest cliches there are? I’m not saying the easiest solution is always the best, but don’t discount it just because it appears ‘too simple.’ We ended up with a poster based on the shape of Africa as a starting point.

The finished poster. Printed on Neenah (another blatant shout-out) EAMES™ Paper.

And I’m not too worried about doing a post with a cliche of a ‘list’ either. Although, like all cliches, sometimes you need to add that twist in there. And my twist today is that I’ll stick with 6 items instead of the generic 5 or 10.

I guess it’s only fair to end with the advice I try to give. It may take more time than you want it to, it may not pay much most of the time, but it’s a great thing to work in a creative field. If it’s what you want to do, don’t let the little things stop you from doing it. And don’t be afraid to ask others for advice or help – I don’t plan to stop with that.

Old New Borrowed Blue: Spring Weddings 2012

A guestbook is one of the most sustainable paper pieces you can make and hold. It is an item that should be touched and shared by all guests, making it a tangible artifact to cherish. Follow Abbey’s step-by-step process  to make one for your wedding  — or as a gift for someone you adore.

I suggest to clients that they make the guestbook more than simply an autograph book. With some thought and planning, it can be something wholly unique, and so much more than one of those store-bought varieties.  I have come up with a few samples here to demonstrate my meaning and intent.

For example, cut up small pieces of paper and ask your guests to write a special wish for the bride and groom, then tape the slips inside book right next to their signature. Here, I use the beautiful Japanese Washi Tape — something I also used to decorate the front of the book (tip:  make the tape long, then trim the edge).  The letters shown here are simply made:  I just spray-painted some wood letters I found at my favorite craft store. Remember, not every guest will write a note. Many couples will write a note together. You only need about 60% to 75% of those cards cut ahead of time.

My next example also features little pieces of paper, but these slip into small envelopes which guests are invited to write comments and wishes on. Double-sided tape is used to adhere the envelopes to the guest book pages. This cover was easy too: I simply found and printed a little saying on a nice thick paper and laid it on top. Rather than binding which could damage the pages or crush some of the offerings, just use a pretty bow and then find a beautiful box to set the guest book sheets inside!

A Guest Book of Memories, Not Autographs!

There is nothing more disappointing than an empty guest book. Here are some tips to make your guest book inviting and easy to interact with so that your guest book will be filled with some of the most treasured artifacts and thoughts from your wedding day.

• Provide Direction — Don’t assume your guests will see the guest book, or know what to do with it. Your sign can use some gentle humor or pleading to encourage them to set aside their shyness and put their love and creativity to work to honor you on your wedding day.

• Oops! Use pencils instead of pens. How often have you changed your mind in mid-thought? I constantly make mistakes when writing things down. You don’t want to put a big scratch out through your accidental misspelling of the groom’s name. How embarrassing! Pencils with erasers let them correct mistakes with (hardly) a trace.

• Outward Bound — Keep the binding simple. This makes it easy take apart all the pages, so multiple guests can easily write notes at the same time rather than stand in line loosing their courage to express themselves with eloquence and sincerity. One easy bindery technique is a hole punch in one corner and a binding ring… or simply tie a pretty bow around it and find a beautiful box to store it in later.

• Engage Your Neighborhood Stationer —There are a lot of small business owners like me who live to help folks like you find elegant and affordable paper solutions. Find a stationer convenient to you and ask for their help and ideas!

Featured Papers
CRANE’S LETTRA®  Ecru 220 lb. Cover
Used on the cover and back of both examples
ENVIRONMENT® PC 100 Natural 80lb. Cover
Used for the little cards to write on
CLASSIC CREST® Smooth 80 lb. Cover
used for the pages of the sample with the kraft envelopes

We don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that designers qualify as power Kickstarter users. Last year, Frank Chimero grabbed blog headlines all over the Internet when he raised more than $100,000 to create a design book. And there are countless other design-related projects up every day—from ideas for new products to new typefaces. But we were curious what the process looks like from the other side of the donate button.

So we’ve picked three awesome projects kickstarting right now, and we’re going to follow them from start to finish. And perhaps pick up a few insights for anyone else thinking about Kickstarting a design project.

The path for Jennifer Sukis’s (pictured at top) 41-day road trip. She’ll camp and sleep on couches as she interviews people who made big, bold life changes. The end result: a book.

To Be Brave

Who: Jennifer Sukis, senior designer, frog design

What: A cross-country road trip to interview folks who ditched safe life paths to go in totally different directions—ones that felt closer to their values. Think finance executive turned yoga studio owner and academic turned baker. Sukis will turn these tales of transformation into a book.

Why: Many young designers would envy Sukis’s career path. She was a partner in a successful design firm, Principle, before moving on to a position at frog. But, lately, she’s been wondering what’s next. “I hit a point where I wasn’t growing,” she says. “I didn’t like being less interested or interesting about my work.” So she’s embarking on a design research project where she hopes to discover her own next path and inspire a few other people along the way. Her epic, 41-day road trip kicks off April 13. As Sukis puts it, she knows this adventure (and leave of absence from frog) is the right move because she’s “scared to death of it.”

Kickstarter Tip: “Take yourself out of the equation,” she says. “It’s really important that it’s not about you. Your clients are your donors. You are creating a product.”

A selection of finalists from the 1st Chicago International Poster Biennial in 2008.

3rd Chicago International Poster Biennial

Who: Lance Rutter, a designer and President of the Chicago International Poster Biennial Association (CIPBA)

What: A Kickstarter campaign to help this poster biennial become self-sustaining. There’s no entry fee for the competition, and the public events are generally free. This is the only poster biennial in the United States endorsed by ICOGRADA.

Why: The amazing work in the first CIPBA back in 2008 immediately turned heads in the design community. But as many designers know, it’s hard to pay the bills with posters—especially when you’re exhibiting rather than selling. The first two biennials were boot-strapped by going hat-in-hand to friends in the design community. “We started a little bit under the water, and we’ve been trying to catch up ever since,” Rutter says. “We’re on the cusp of making the biennial self-sustaining.” A Kickstarter donation would help support programming and allow the group to explore a traveling exhibition (a potential source of revenue).

Kickstarter Tip: “The video is really important,” Rutter says. “It’s what people relate to.”

We’ve all had close encounters with lackluster (and sometimes confusing) ballot designs. But what if election officials had a series of field guides to make voting better?

Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent

Who: Dana Chisnell, principal researcher, UsabilityWorks

What: A series of field guides to help public officials make easy, incremental improvements to ballot designs across the country.

Why: After the 2000 election ballot debacle, there was a lot of focus on ballot design. Voting systems were updated across the country, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. “AIGA’s Design for Democracy Project turned out the perfect ballot,” Chisnell says. “But this is completely overwhelming to election officials who don’t know anything about design.” These administrators are often working in a system filled with rules and regulations and aren’t able to accept InDesign or Photoshop files. And that’s where the field guides would come into play. They provide easy, achievable ballot design techniques that can be implemented one at a time. And help eliminate voter confusion.

Kickstarter Tip: “Pick a funding level that you think is achievable and actionable,” Chisnell says. If you don’t meet the goal, you get nothing, but blowing past your goal merely gives you extra funds.

So what are you waiting for? Skip your afternoon coffee run and give a few bucks to a worthwhile Kickstarter project right now.

Michelle Taute is a writer who is obsessed with paper fortune tellers.

[Editors Note: This is a second in series on graphic and typographic intersections that make NOLA one of the most delightful places to be a part of, as a newcomer, as tourist, as a native or a fan from afar.  Nancy Sharon Collins hosts these discussions.]

Historically, New Orleans population was described as “Spanish and French colonists, English mercantilists, African slaves, and later waves of German, Irish, Italian, and other migrants.” Other migrants include a huge influx of Haitian refugees in 1809, including French colonists, free Creoles of color, and ex-slaves (who were subsequently thrown back into slavery once they arrived.)

Currently (or as the population flows…) our lively little city by the Mighty Mississippi remains a growing, vital port town where all sorts of folk—tall, short, dark, light, speckled freckled, big-eared and tattooed, Cuban, Viet Namese, Middle Eastern, Honduran, Mexican and Nicaraguan—make their livelihood and home here, albeit (for some) temporarily. New Orleans was and is a transient place; to some, as fleeting a dreamlike experience as the old-time movie musical city of Brigadoon. Compared to some 40% of the traditionalists who remain or return here generation upon generation, many others of us glide through on boats, tugboats and barges, streetcars, railroad cars, bikes, trikes and skateboards.

Though “graphic design” and “south Louisiana” do not, automatically, come to mind in the same sentence, this legendary port city is also home to generations of designers.  Ever since about 1757 when Denis Braud first ordered type from Paris for his soon-to-be printing press, legions of typesetters, Linotype salesmen, sign painters, printers, engravers, lettering artists, paper merchants, graphic artists, coders, programmers, information architects and commercial artists of all stripe have sought their fortune (or, at least, a good life) in this multi-cultured, multifaceted, very international, subtropical, area of the world. In 2011, Forbes.com named New Orleans numero uno “biggest brain magnet.” Recently, NPR reported that “In Katrina’s Wake, New Orleans Enjoys Startup Boom.”

There’s no one style that can be given pride of place here, rather, many lives and minds, talents and cultures, continually flow through our city beneath the sea and lend color, flavor and inspiration that’s part old Europe, part the very deepest of south, and part recent arrival’s spirited imagination!

Catch the New Orleans history fever for graphic design here:

:

Art Directors and Designers Association of New Orleans 1962 Slideshow Presentation from AIGA New Orleans on Vimeo.

Vile Donut Ballot Box Stuffing Strategy Catapults ArtCrank To Victory

Neenah will be anteing up on its debt March 14 at Coco Coffee location at 400 S 4^th Street in MPLS. ArtCrank began in MPLS in 2007. It is a on-going series of poster shows hosted in bike-loving communities across our green nation. Their mission is to use creativity to change the way people think about bicycles and the cycling community.  From ArtCrank Website:

“Generally speaking, we’re not big gamblers. Sure, we pour a little change into the slot machines in Vegas (not the ones in the restrooms, mind you) for amusement. But no one’s ever accused us of being high rollers. But a couple months ago, we noticed that our friends at Neenah Paper were less than 100 followers away from cracking the 9,000 plateau on Twitter, while we were similarly close to 10,000. So we proposed a friendly wager: If Neenah hits 9,000 before we hit 10,000, we’ll buy you drinks — cocktails being the standard currency in the sovereign republic of ARTCRANK. Their counter offer? ‘If ARTCRANK hits 10,000 first,’ Neeenah promised, ‘Okay, we will buy you donuts.’ Long story short, the race was neck and neck, but we lurched over the line to 10,000 mere minutes before Neenah hit 9,000. We did so by shamelessly mentioning donuts in all of our tweets for a solid hour. In a tremendous show of sportsmanship and good will, Neenah is making good on their end of the bet by teaming up with us to host a coffee break on Wednesday, March 14 at CoCo Minneapolis.”

Neenah is on of the many fans of Haute Papier of Washington, DC. We featured their lovely holiday and Valentine cards in December and February. Founder and owner Sarah Meyer Walsh asked us to let our readers and Twitter followers know about their wedding card promotion now running. Haute Papier will give away four sets of 100 Save-the-Date cards — one of each of the the designs shown here, each letter-pressed on Crane’s Lettra®, Pearl White 110 Cover.

The contest runs through Monday, March 12 — so act fastTo be eligible to win, visit the Haute Papier blog then choose your favorite design and offer information about your wedding and desired ink color.

A winning marriage, bien sur, will take greater effort. Good luck!