everything is design
Monday, November 30, 2009
Game Changing Advertisements
Interesting review of advertising's past in terms of creative that actually made a difference.http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0908/gallery.iconic_ads.fortune/index.html
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Quote of the Day
Imagination is one of the last remaining legal means you have to gain an unfair advantage over your competition. — Ed McCabe
Green Stay
Highly recommend the Olive 8 for a LEED certified, eco-friendly hotel. Prices are not over-inflated (It's a Hyatt) and the location is super convenient for all of Seattle's downtown offerings. A fully-functional green roof is viewable from many rooms and your key-card activates all the lights in each of its rooms so when you head out so do the lights saving energy and resources. Aside from all the green features its a great stay. iPod charger alarm clock, plasma tv's and cool modern design. For those who wish for an extended stay the Olive 8 offers condo's as well in their own private wing.
DWR : Womb Chair
Loving this chair. It's actually very comfortable, took a test drive this weekend at a DWR in Downtown Seattle.
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Womb™ Chair - Fabric
When Florence Knoll challenged Finnish-born architect and designer Eero Saarinen in 1948 to create a chair that she could curl up in, she had found an apt candidate for the task. The Womb Chair's enveloping, lap-like form continues to be one of the most iconic and recognized representations of mid-century Scandinavian organic modernism. In fact, ask most designers and architects what lounge chair design they covet and they'll promptly tell you it's the Womb Chair. Manufactured by Knoll according to the original and exacting specifications of the designer. Made in U.S.A.
Foam applied over a molded fiberglass shell creates a single-piece that perfectly facilitates a relaxed sitting posture.
The slender steel rod base is chrome-plated using a multiple step process that results in a flawlessly polished mirror finish.
Fabric upholstery options include Mohair, Boucle, and Cato. In stock colors are swatched left.
For additional custom color options, please see the Measurements and Materials tab below.
Additional seat and back cushions provide a further degree of comfort.
Womb™ Ottoman available, sold separately.
Greenguard certified.
Experience Design
Tis' the season for gift giving, always better to give than receive I've believed. I'll be sprinking my posts for the next couple weeks until the big day with some different design ideas. Today's is a classic recycled thought but gets to the heart of what I think is vitally important which is to experience design not just with stuff but with actually getting to live with something cool even if for a short while. The Rolling Huts of Mazama offer the opportunity to camp modern style. You can rent the huts for a couple of nights and experience beautiful design with an even more beautiful landscape. Details can be found here.
Emigre the Book
Emigre was definitely one of the many inspirations for me as a student of design. The newly released book is definitely worth checking out, especially the hardcover version. I used to collect the emigre magazines and this book is a tome of many of those classic layouts. As a type foundry and creative powerhouse of typography and design thought emigre was definitely ahead of its time.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Design is about Getting Out There
Photos courtesy of build, llcA really good post from the folks at build, an experiential architecture firm who I have high regard for. They host lots of cool events and have an amazing blog sharing their experiences and processes. They recently held an event where they allow students and fellow architects to come and tour some of their projects, ask questions, etc. They are open to new ideas, new approaches, etc. and in doing so I think they make not only their work more visible but it becomes an attractive recruiting tool for their practice. I truly think this is a new model for how to run your business. Let your friends, your colleagues and even, gasp! (your enemies or competitors in...) to have a completely transparent view into process, etc. At the end of the day if we are all offering similar services it is truly the brand of you, the experience of what you offer that creates distinction and niche in the marketplace. One more thing I'd like to add is that design is about getting out there. In many disciplines of design it is a truly solo or individual effort. The graphic designer or architect working along at their desk, etc. I think this is an important thing, a reality of the creative professions we embark on. However, inspiration rarely springs from these moments I find. It is when the pencil is down, the mouse is tucked away, the power switch clicks off and you venture outside in sometimes completely unrelated events to design that inspiration for design hits. It is a social experience. It is going to a museum or a show, wandering the aisles at a truly great bookstore that is not a national chain, having a great meal, hanging out with friends, taking a road trip, etc. It is difficult for business types (suits) to get the idea of why creatives need to spring from the lockdown of cubicle land to bring fresh ideas back in the building but I know for myself I always feels re-energized when I can take fellow designers out to see what's going on within and outside of our own discipline whether it be design or the specific business niche we are serving.
Design Out of Reach
A good story about a strong brand, a once-strong business vision that has gone awryand the fight to get things back on track. Let's hope for all who care about design that DWR
gets its act together so they can become once again a voice for design / modernism / choice
for the greater public (and maybe, slightly....lower their prices a bit). I think DWR is a strong
case of having a premium product without building the foundation for irrational loyalty. I go
in there wanting a lot of things.... but I hardly walk out with anything (not good for their bottom line)..... but not say, like I'd pay $60 for a new Apple magic mouse even though I have a perfectly good generation 2.0 mouse at home. The transformation from want to have does not happen at DWR. That is a branding thing. Not a business thing (except for maybe their prices).
A good brand is a good story. DWR is a good story. I think if you look at some of the things said about DWR from the people who work there you'll see maybe the brand is not in its strongest
moment (branding is afterall what they say about you when you are not in the room)
"The current state of the DWR is actually really sad for some of us who worked there for years, in my case, over the course of 3 CEOs. The company not only helped to teach the nation, but it's employees about the great history of design. It filled our homes with pieces of art that we could live with and it introduced us to friends around the country who shared our love of design. However, I am sure that like myself, 100% of the employees who worked there under Ray have a cringe-worthy story or 20 about his irrational decisions, uncomfortable behavior in meetings, or unexplainable random outbursts. I'm sure others, or maybe some of those same people, were given opportunities they would have never been afforded in another company due to his refusal to hire experienced professionals in every department of the company. He was always so threatened by the intelligent opinions of anyone outside of his "pack" that half the time it was like arguing with your mean dad. In that way, I guess he was a father figure. The thought that the brand will survive while being navigated by those who are ONLY fiscally invested in the company does not make me optimistic. We always dreamed of a fearless, design-loving leader who would really mentor us and not bully us into selling fakes and accepting the trickle down of bad decision making."
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Playboy Re-Brand
http://blog.iso50.com/2009/11/24/rebranding-playboy/#more-12310
Interesting student project examining process behind a major brand re-do.
Huck
Huck is cool. More standard size. Surf. Skate. Snow. Travel. Music. Film. Art. Fashion. It promises some serious range editorially but seamlessly delivers and more. Many US titles covering the same subjects only wish they presented these subjects with the originality and attention to detail that Huck does. This magazine is definitely not your corporate take on your favorite outdoor adventures. Design wise it succeeds in its balance of photography and illustration and although templated in many places I found the articles to be worth the ride and the photography and illustration a bit on edge and with a distinct point of view. Huck has attitude and a club like feel to it that makes it a must-read. They let photo essays be photo essay and much of Huck lets the photography drive the design. I got one issue in the mail but was left wanting to see what they come out with next. Huck can be found online where you can check out their digital version and find out info on ordering the physical copy. Their website is really nice and compliments well to the digital and print version. Huck is a brand, a force to be reckoned with and a bright spot in editorial design. It doesn't feel like the corporate looking Transworld titles you see on the newsstand in the US. It doesn't feel so perfect and predictable. Its feels original and right. Special thanks to the folks at Huck and Little White Lies for sending out complimentary copies to the blog. This reviewer is straight up passionate about magazine design and not everything passes the muster. Both these titles are getting some serious holiday reading time and I'd recommend not just to magazine fans but anybody who appreciates solid design and isn't against the printed word. Kudos!
Print is Not Dead : Long Live Huck and Little White Lies
Ok here goes. I discovered these two magazines awhile back and emailed over to their respective editors/owners/founders/etc. and today I come home to a package from the UK. Rip it open and the still fresh scent of the printed page overwhelms me. Print is not dead. Little White Lies "The Where The Wild Things Are Issue" is a treasure. The size is intimate and the mix of uncoated and coated stocks only adds to its appeal. The design is sublime and never overwhelms instead gives way to the content which is beautifully packaged in photography, illustration and rich and poetic typographic treatments. If ever a magazine could be art this one delivers. There is a different read from longer pieces (but not long winded) to short bits that are packaged in easy to digest chunks. The pacing is well-thought out with a predictable grid and format where it needs to be and in places a more spontaneous free-flowing design where it wants to be.... I haven't had time to fully take everything in but look forward to curling up with this gem over the holiday weekend. For more information check out Little White Lies by clicking on this link.
