From October to mid-December, I traveled to Buenos Aires and throughout Argentina. While abroad, it became overwhelmingly apparent to me that traveling is so vital for creative minds. The act of navigating life in a different culture forced me to expand my concept of reality (which had slowly narrowed since starting my career). Rarely will unfamiliar sights, sounds, and settings fail to inspire you to think about life in a new way. It’s been written in countless books that ambitious creatives are driven by an intellectual curiousity that isn’t satisfied by the newest gadget or acquisition of creature comforts. In Fall of 2011, I couldn’t deny that I had been craving an experience that would open my mind to new perspectives, ideas, and ways of interpreting the world around me. Luckily, my business partner was supportive and encouraging when told about my big scheme to work from South America.
It should be noted that this journey was both a creative indulgence, as well as a celebration to the start of my marriage. Before our wedding, my wife and I had talked about traveling abroad and nothing seemed to make more sense than to extend our honeymoon into a short-term expat experience in Buenos Aires. Upon our arrival to one of the world’s largest cities, I immediately began to discover so many new and creatively energetic things beyond the borders of my mind. It took a couple of days to find ease in the sense of feeling alien, but reaching that mental state permitted a hypersensitivity to my surroundings and the incredible visual art around the city.
Not only does Buenos Aires have a grand collection of museums and galleries, but the city boasts an amazing wealth of vibrant street art (or graffiti). As a graphic designer from the United States, this is beyond inspiring. Everyday, I found myself walking amongst 19th century French architecture featuring expressive murals full of color and conceptual subject matter. More than nearly any place in the world, Buenos Aires is especially open to street art and the people of the city value it.
In the US, we have a beloved aesthetic that compulsively bleaches all things into an orderly cleanliness in order to relay sophistication and modernity. Street art just doesn’t seem to have a place in our culture. This is just one of the reasons to travel. Other people value mediums that may not be embraced in our hometowns and creative people can thrive in those mediums. The standard and quality of the artwork one can find along the buildings of Buenos Aires is both inspiring and eye-opening. I wish I could credit the artist for every piece of work that I saw, but I hope sharing images of their art will serve as an extension of the public nature of their medium.
Let me be straightforward about my experience – I was foreign to Argentina and I was pretty foreign to the world of street art. I knew of a few people in the US that dabbled in the post-graffiti style and skate culture, but no one seemed like they really knew all that much. Actually, the scene is fairly minimal because most places in my country are in an active pursuit of destroying this artform wherever it exists. So, I’m no expert. I was just lucky to find myself somewhere with an abundant display of unsanctioned public art. While in Buenos Aires, I was even lucky enough attend a citywide street art event that brought artists from around the world to exercise their talent on spaces throughout the city. The event was called Meeting of Styles (take a look at the great promo video on YouTube).
Buenos Aires isn’t the only city to find value in this form of public art. Surely, there are loads more places in the world that embrace the artform (Meeting of Styles happens in great cities around the globe). Really, I was just new to it all. Discovering an appreciation of street art was only a slice of what I gained while traveling, but it hits a note that resonates for me as a designer. Throughout the world, creative people are expressing their talents and trying to push boundaries. It’s encouraging to find that there are millions of people out there who appreciate the efforts of these artists.
- Mike Sakoonserksadee
Great Info & Links on Buenos Aires Street Art
http://www.estilolibrearg.com.ar
http://www.buenosairesstreetart.com/
Video Link: Meeting of Styles Promo
Video Link: Meeting of Styles Coverage
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The famous Times Square NYE ball gets a new design this year. The new “Let There Be Friendship” pattern features the addition of 288 Waterford crystals with a new engraving of people holding hands around the world. The newest design join 288 crystal hearts from the 2011 “Let There Be Love” pattern; 288 triangles with the 2009 “Let There Be Courage” ribbon medal design. There are also 864 crystals that feature the “Let There Be Joy” design and 960 with the original “Let There Be Light” sunburst design.
The updated ball is expected to create a palette of more than 16 million colors. If you won’t be around to catch the countdown live (in New York or on television) this weekend, sneak a peek at the 2012 ball above.
Happy New Year!
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Vote! by Shepard Fairey
Today Americans head to the polls to cast their votes for local, county and state officials. Polling locations are open across the country into the evening for registered voters to cast their ballots.
In honor of election day, here are a few voting-centric links and images that you can enjoy while waiting in line.
- AIGA Ballot Design Examples – Proposed examples of election ballots show solutions based on Design for Democracy/U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) guidelines.
- I VOTED Sticker Designs – The iconic “I voted” sticker design has adorned the lapels of millions of voters since 1986. Zazzle features user-contributed content of Americans designing their own stickers.
- Original Shepard Fairey Obama Prints for Sale – Shepard Fairey released his propoganda-style Obama poster during the 2008 Election. The first run of posters (the ones that were NOT sponsored by the campaign) featured the word PROGRESS rather than HOPE. These posters are going for thousands of dollars on ebay.
- How the World Votes. The Political Consequences of Ballot Design, Innovation and Manipulation – A hefty 42-page discertation by North Carolina student Andrew Reynolds and Marco Steenbergen.
- Oregon voters await iPad election – Residents in parts of the US state of Oregon are to cast their votes by iPad during a special election on Tuesday.
Unless you are like me and have neglected to update your voter registration information after a recent move, be sure to get out vote today.
]]>- Show, Don’t Tell
- If the Client Wanted an Excel Chart, They Wouldn’t Need You
- Do not use Typography as a Crutch
- Be sure to Tell a Story
- Visualize the Hook
- Use a Three-Color Palette
Infographics (information graphics) are a popular trend on the web these days. They serve as visual representations of data or knowledge that present complex information quickly and clearly.
Be sure to check out the Smashing Magazine article for the full read.
About working with a small design firm, Howe states,
They only want to do world-class work for world-class brands. And so they treat every assignment as if it was the most important, most visible project of their careers … they try to elevate each project and get their clients to see its potential–both in terms of the project’s impact on their business as well as its cultural and aesthetic and even internal (morale-building) possibilities.
We love this article for the obvious reasons. Many of his points parallel how The North State approaches projects. Howe’s article is an excerpt which appears as a chapter in his book “Designers Don’t Have Influences”, published in September.
Read the full article: “What Sets Small Firms Apart From The Pack? They Think Big”
Buy “Designers Don’t Have Influences” on Amazon
Adobe acquires Typekit – Just a few moments ago, Adobe’s CTO Kevin Lynch took the stage at their annual MAX conference and explained the company’s Creative Cloud strategy. Part of that announcement is very big news: Typekit has been acquired by Adobe.
Unique typography on the web has been a constant struggle for designers. Just 3 years ago, we were confined to the “Big 3″; Times, Verdana, and Arial. When Typekit launched in 2008, it was the designer’s answer to using an expanded font library on the web. They brought expansive collections of typefaces for use on the web via a simple platform.
It will be interesting to see how Adobe integrates the Typekit pricing model into their cloud-based services. Also, the ever-expanding Google Font Directory is sure to see more changes in the near future.
]]>Cobalt has been popping up everywhere from home decor and fashion, to the consideration of my first summer vacation. In the world of fashion, blue has always been a wardrobe staple, especially when paired with the classic nautical theme, which is bigger than ever this summer. But the difference this season is that the usual sophisticated royal or navy is being turned up a notch to a more intense hue.
Even consumer packaging and display signage has gotten on board. Visit your local mall or beauty and health store and you can see pops of Cobalt on the shelves, in-store displays, as well as window displays. It is an inspiring color trend that creates stunning and energetic design, sure to get attention.
When Cobalt is teamed up with select colors, it creates a wide array of impressions. For a more classic, sophisticated appeal, it can be paired with neutrals or grays. But when paired with summer’s other on trend colors: lemony yellow, crisp white, metallics, and even coral, it is extra vibrant and adventurous. An identity that we created recently for a gospel music client utilizes Cobalt, and is paired with deeper shades of blue and gray to create a solid, trust-worthy brand that also has a great deal of vitality.
Because Cobalt is such a bold color, I think we will see it carry strong through summer, into fall, and possibly beyond.
Will you find that Cobalt blue is the perfect hue for your next project?
Thank you to the following featured brands, stores, and web sites: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Reed Krakoff, Tuleste Market, Anthropologie, West Elm, Bottega Veneta, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Etro, Emilio Pucci, Costume National, Isabel Marant, Calvin Klein, Korres Natural Products, ISO, Pantone, The Dessy Group, Ulta, Gap Kids, hapersbazaar.com, dianiboutique.blogspot.com
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Far too often in the creative industry, a studio meets with a new client and learns that they want something designed and they needed it yesterday. Sometimes it’s a joke, and sometimes it’s the truth. Either way, this is a very telling sign about the potential success of the campaign, project, or design. As many experienced creatives know and have struggled to explain to clients, great ideas and great results take time. It’s not that the end result takes time, but that the necessary plan and process for the conceptual work requires dedicated attention, as well.
In most businesses, a plan can simply be defined as the proposed strategic path to reaching the targeted goals. For our business, goals are established between our studio and the client in conceptual and strategic meetings. It’s often the case that the essential objective to most marketing, advertising, and interactive media is the communication of a message. Generally, the art director and designers serve as conduits to visualizing and communicating messages while the creative director holds the position of a conceptual trailblazer to establish the necessary plan for reaching that goal.
For creatives, the transition from amateurism to professionalism is usually motivated by the dedication to their craft and a discipline in their process. Too often, young designers and students produce works of inconsistent quality that reveal the lack of preparation more than any lack of skill. Oddly, it usually take time for most of us to discover that hard work (and smart work) early in a project, will make the practice and execution of design much easier.
Plans don’t usually end up on as a line item on an invoice, but they are invaluable. In professional graphic design, the plan usually lies somewhere between the communication strategy, the thematic concept, and the “make it happen” ingenuity that drives any good studio. If you don’t believing in proper planning and want to cut corners, just compare the results of your “wing it” approach to the thorough and dedicated work of your award-winning competitors. As Scottish-born author Robin Sieger writes, “Planning is as natural to the process of success, as its absence is to the process of failure.”
For a second, let’s step away from our professional point-of-view. In our lives, we’ve all set up great goals for ourselves. Some are easy to accomplish, and some take a bit more work. Personally, we can look back at some of our proudest achievements and see that our biggest challenges never seemed all that outlandish or lofty because we had a plan in place. Maybe, some plans (like our educational paths) were simply conventional or structured for us by someone else. Nevertheless, the challenges were met because we connected the dots and progressed according to a proposed method for achievement. For individuals and businesses alike, a steady practice of dedication and focus will make for successful execution of smart planning.
If a client wanted something done yesterday, they probably aren’t willing to wait around for you to conceive the best strategy to meet their needs. It’s likely they won’t understand that the newest app, the most noticeable campaign, or that amazingly incredible logo can’t be cranked out in less time, with less forethought, and less planning. So, if this is how a project begins can a design studio really expect great results? A client that values the importance of immersion and planning will not only appreciate your expertise, but they will likely challenge and inspire you to improve your own methods.
While this may be a general way to address the practice of planning for creatives, the topic is addressed much more succinctly in another brilliant quotation from Robin Sieger’s Natural Born Winners –
“Success is not a matter of luck. It is a matter of design.”
More Info
Tools : OmniPlan (software for manageable and visual planning)
References : Natural Born Winners by Robin Sieger
Related : An interesting Article at AIGA.org
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Pizza Planet, Buy n’ Large, Rust•eze…
These all sound like legit brands that represent companies in our world. However, they only exist in the magical world of Pixar.
Ever since Woody and Buzz arrived at a Dinoco gas station in the first Toy Story movie, the brilliant animation studio has woven wonderfully designed (and cheeky) faux brands in their films. With Cars 2 out in the theaters this summer, there is renewed insight on how brands can be integrated into entertainment.
The impact that fictional brands can have on consumers goes far beyond a sweet paint job on a Grand Am…
Using fictional brands gives the audience an alternative way to engage with the primary brand in an approach that is perceived as fresh, relevant, and creative.
Goodyear Tire modified their famous Spirit of Goodyear blimp to bear the “Lightyear” name during the Cars 2006 World Premiere celebration at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte.
Due to the fact that the Goodyear blimp is an international icon and the Goodyear logotype has upwards of 90% brand awareness among consumers, the Lightyear blimp is immediately associated with Goodyear. No questions.
The use of fictional brands in Pixar films is, in a word, fun. Since they don’t exist in reality, the brands can have starring roles and the audience doesn’t feel that they are being directly targeted. However, Cars 2 takes it to a new level by integrating automobile brands into the character names…
Brent Mustangberger
Jeff “Gorvette”
Does this cross a line? The role of the brands in Pixar films has been tasteful in the past, but is this over the top?
It has seemed to open the flood gates in auto-related advertising. Case and point, this State Farm commercial…
Have you ever seen Woody or Buzz in a Toys R Us commercial? I think not.
So it’s easy to see how delicate this approach to branding and marketing can be. Fictional brands have huge potential in the future of entertainment and branding but creative firms must use restraint in there approach.
Additional Articles on Fictional Brands
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Say goodbye to the food pyramid; say hello to MyPlate. The USDA is scrapping the decades-old nutrition guide in favor of a new icon shaped like a plate. Government officials, including First Lady Michelle Obama who was on-hand for its launch this morning, hope the new graphic will serve as a simple “how-to” for making food choices by providing a clear breakdown of what our plates should look like. It replaces the old Food Guide Pyramid, first launched in the early 1990s, then revamped in 2005.
The original food pyramid design compartmentalized the USDA food group recommendations into a logical visual hierarchy. A reader could easily understand that the groups at the top were supposed to be “used sparingly”. The food industry took issue with the original pyramid because it established hierarchies but the visual graphic worked effectively.
Then, 6 years ago, the USDA food group recommendations dramatically changed. Rather than redesigning the pyramid graphic, the new information was crammed into the old design. The new information had nothing to do with a pyramid so they added a staircase and a pictograph of a human.
The 2005 pyramid design is what I like to call “a camel“.
The government did all kinds of things to encourage adoption of this new pyramid, including making a game where kids “fill up their tanks” to launch a rocket ship.
Now the food pyramid is nothing more than a blast from the past and the new “MyPlate” concept being received with much more positive buzz.
“With the old pyramids, it was very hard to translate the recommendations into what you should eat,” said Dr. Margo Wootan of the Center for Science In The Public Interest. “This is very straightforward. It takes a lot of the guesswork out.”
The new food plate image reflects the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which promote measures like switching to fat-free or low-fat milk and opting for water over sugary drinks. The guidelines also recommend making sure that half your plate is filled with fruits and veggies — a recommendation that Wootan said is one of the major points highlighted by the new graphic.
The new plate design is graphic is clear and concise. The designer even added the “shine” to make it relevant to current design trends but can graphic design really solve the American health crisis?
I am interested to see.
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