beyond trend

Being Excited to be 'Wrong'

2011-11-02T11:44:00.002-05:00

Jonathan Ive once said in a 1996 ( yes, 1996) interview that " It's the inquisitiveness, the sense of exploration" that drives creative teams to new concepts. "It's about being excited to be wrong because then you know that you've discovered something new". Today, the idea of "new" is often talked about in terms of innovation rather than invention, yet, truly new ideas are often scary, if only because they are unfamiliar, and let's face it - what is unfamiliar today? Very little.

It's true that most industries today have very little appetite for risk taking, let alone being open for truly 'new' ideas. A fact that has design trying to catch up in a world where cliche is more digestible to marketers and consumers, than something, different yet better.

New and different doesn't mean that an object or product is better, but it is often the first step in creating a new and enhanced experience. We all expect so much from products today, that often design teams and development teams over-think the evaluation process, resulting in either an over-design product, or a 'looks-like-wanna-be". Of course, most company's will never admit that they function that way, opting for a less aggressive, more cautious statement such as "evolutionary design' or, consumer friendly".

In the future, the real winners will be those who can set new bars - those who can invest with confidence those concepts that can become legend. Back to Ive's research just for materials, imagine convincing your computer electronics design team to visit a candy factory to see how jelly beans are coated, to discover a new way to treat plastic, now that is raising the bar.

The nuanced and informed work of Matt Lehman

2011-10-24T11:43:00.001-05:00

Matt Lehmon is talented.

Oh, and before you check our the rest of his work samples posted here, note that the Matt Lehman Studio is starting to get attention from everyone from Grain Edit to Nordstrom, it won't be long before this client list becomes more impressive so if you want to use him, hurry up! Not that it isn't well known already, after looking as his client list. Clearly, Mr. Lehmon has the chops, and the talent to combine multiple skills of type master, color, art style and creative tone, setting what are often new looks in a world where it is far too easy to look like everyone else.

It doesn't matter where you are from, what school you went to, or where you have worked before, real talent like this rises no matter what. Again, it comes down to what makes one creative different than another, and these differences must be more than just differences - it remains essential that all creative work meets the high standards of culture today, meaning, perfect execution, or perfectly-imperfect intentional disruption, as well as multiple micro skills that inspire oneself to combine techniques for the first time, or revisit old ones, to dare to use a new color palette, or to craft type with nuance and style resulting in a work of art that captures the attention of the audience. These are the skills which define average designers from the rest of the pack. (Yes, the same goes for the brands who hire those creatives).

Brands? If you want to stand out from the competition, and connect with the new consumer who demands that you understand them. then this is the sort of work that wins. Matt has the right DNA and clearly the right resume ( a few years at the venerable Anderson Design Group, and a few more at MTV). Not that either make any difference, for such talent will rise anyway, but it does prove one thing- his URL will be making it into many creative directors' bookmarks faster than you can say vectorize it.

Wang Bang and Bose? Watch out for these!

2011-05-31T08:28:00.010-05:00

Watch out Bose, the sound reducing headphone market is exploding with savvy cool brands and design. This weekend, I noticed at leave four different hot brands on a flight, and I wanted them all. Do they sound as great as Bose? If not, they look better, but looks aren't everything, right?

Hmmm.... I'm now not so sure. Like bikes, sneakers, homegoods and jewelry, headphones are making huge design leaps, and, best of all, they are layering in a huge does of lifestyle to boot. These folks know their target, and their market.

Thanks to Thrillist, check these latest ones out...Named after a Chinese factory worker with really awesome parents, FW's a new high-end headphone-maker CEO'd by a former Netscape dude and developed by a sound engineer from Monster, offering Bose-quality sound at half the price of an ~~N.W.~~A+ brand like Beats by Dr. Dre. Available as crisp black, red, or white over-ears, these sound-enhancers feature an aluminum-hinged duo-fold structure that lets you fold them into a more-compact Nerf football shape, plus a four-way noise canceling solution and custom-paired titanium-plated drivers to guarantee the sound is of the highest caliber, just like Omar's piece. Oh, indeed. Coolest of all, every pair comes with a built-in duo jack that uses an in-line cable splitter so you can plug in a second pair of headphones and share crystal clear highs and mids with your bros, which'll come in handy the next time there's a dispute over who gets to watch Fried Green Tomatoes first.

Expect to see FW's noise canceling headphones drop in the US sometime in July with expertly crafted, technology-backed over-ear sound delivery, which was no doubt a painful process for Mrs. Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo.

Millennials, Gen X want more from the retail experience

2011-01-31T10:23:00.002-05:00

Considering re-inventing your retail space? You're not alone. read here about how JWTIntelligence writes about the trend.

Data point: Millennials, Gen X want more from the retail experience

Discovering David Klein

2010-04-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

While searching for some period influence for art posters, I can across a site for artist David Klein ( 1918 -2005), and I realized that I am more familiar with his work that I had thought. Since my father was also ( is also) an illustrator and graphic artist from the same era in New York ( 1914- ), I recognized the style and many of the pieces from his studio. If you are looking to design vintage looking type, posters or advertising inspired by the mid twentieth Century, you must review the work of David Klein.

The original 1960's travel poster that inspired the Orbitz poster.

David Klein is more will known for his Broadway window cards since his first job was for the theatrical advertising agency Clifford Strohl Associates in New York City. His illustrations for Broadway' dbrdy knoen shows of the era remains on of the most enduring hallmarks of the golden age of Broadway and graphic design.

Hi book illustration ranged from children's books to text book medical illustrations.

A New Generation Pushes the Big Brands Hip

2010-03-01T16:05:00.003-05:00

LAB Partners design and Illustration's work for a new HP Retail Publishing group, who will appeal to a younger, hip consumer who expects more ( or less) from advertising. Thanks to the suaveness of Goodby, Silvertein and Partners, this idea grows into something completely new and fresh and very far away from the 1990's model of Neville Brody design that we still see so much of today in big business.

Happy Bottledays - Evian's Paul Smith Bottle

2009-12-14T16:27:00.006-05:00

Evian launches a bottle designed by British fashion designer, Paul Smith. An icon gets madeover for the Holidays.

ADC Young Guns - Julien Vallée and pecha kuchaism

2009-12-10T10:57:00.005-05:00

ADC Young Gun winner, Julien Valée may have presented a body of work at an Apple Store, but this could be a Window dislay equally, effective. It's high and low, tech, and could still sell the most sophisticated of electronics. Yeah, paper sculpture can sell technology today as well as a slick, perfectly shiny photo with a reflection, can. Maybe,even better. Take note, Apple.

Connecting with culture today takes much more than simply believing that modernity is the the answer. For, after all, what is modernity today, anyway? Recently, a number of factors are moving me, personally, to challenge conventional thinking when it comes to crafting creative design solutions. Mostly, I am exploring the curious trend of technology becoming more organic, and natural rather than the cliche expressions we see over and over again from the tech companies. Take Apple, for instance.

It's funny, and quite clear, to see brands beyond Apple, design packaging which is sold within the Apple stores. "Make it look like Apple" and suddenly, it's quaintly not new, not modern, not original, and definitely, not Apple. Sometimes, the answer can be found in the solution rather than the challenge. Creative people, who are brilliantly good at it, are discovering some amazingly elegant and yet, provocative ways to capture our attention. After all, marketing today should be more about engaging us ( even if it means, entertaining us) than boring us with the expected. The message, if presented effectively, can be said more in the experience, than in words.

Take Montreal ADC Young Gun Julien Vallée's work. Brilliantly new, a voice of today, if not tomorrow, and certainly worth noting.

Congrat's also, to ALSO, chicago design firm, and friends, who've I've been using for years for their creative collective minds. You go, Guys!

I can see the Future, and it's moving. Look out Harry Potter.

2009-12-02T10:57:00.011-05:00

The idea that motion in print, in our magazine, newspapers, or whatever we end up calling our devices it going to become a reality, seems unavoidable given the progress that technology is making. According to Mashable last week, it's really going to happen, and I can't wait. "Two still mythical tablet devices, the Microsoft Courier and the Apple Tablet, are probably the hottest and most coveted devices that do not yet officially exist.

OLED TEchnology allows for bendable screens.

With print on paper magazines failing left and right, (good bye Gourmet), and with everyone freaking out about books, magazines, journals and print going away for ever, and even with libraries closing, books and newspapers leaving our shelves and doorsteps, there comes along a disruption - thank you Harry Potter, and your world of moving images in Newspapers...maybe this fantasy will become reality sooner than we think ( Thanks Gizmodo) (Via Designdust).

I have always believed that even though many things which are creatively produced in our life are now repeating, that in reality, we are just in a time of tremendous change, a time of transition, a cultural florescence may be about to happen. Print may not be going away, only the medium. In our world where magazines seem old fashioned and quaint, we still love our printed medium, but we want it free, or at least in high def. Think about it////this Holiday season, many of us want an Amazon Kindle, next year, we may want a 4 color version, or a Microsoft Courier, even an Apple Tablet. Print isn't leaving us, it's only getting better. Much better. It's becoming motion-print, and not unlike those black and white newspaper photos in the Harry Potter films, we may actually be entering a whole new era of design and creativity that can, indeed, change everything.

OLED Technology allows for flexible, video

Sure, it may take a few years, but I can't help but to imagine that these digital devices are only a stepping stone to newer mediums, and with the introduction of flexible video by Sony and Samsung, the idea of 'Living Magazines" may not be that far off. The future of flexible video may be pricey now, at least to be disposable, but maybe it isn't disposable? And, come to think of it, the idea of me finding a $10,000 plasma screen TV seemed unimaginable 5 years ago, now, they are at discount stores for less than 300 bucks. As an avid reader and a fan of scientific and botanical journals, this concept may change how plant societies and main line magazines, if not certainly advertising, will consider print in the not too distant future.

UK designer Pete Harrison's Magic

2009-11-10T11:58:00.003-05:00

In time when Photoshop becomes more of the look than the artist, comes along someone like Pete Harrison. As a tool, Photoshop can be as useful as an Xacto knive or Rapidograph was to an earlier generation of creatives. But merely learning the filters and applying bevel and emboss to a font or image, rarely results in brilliant design. Usually, it's just a mess. Still, Photoshop and Illustrator along with many computer programs have become the primary cause for the recent demise of design and creative talent.

But in the right hands, this powerful tool can help artists create extraordinary designs that move, motivate and sell. Check out the work of the UK's Pete Harrison, known as Aeiko, and aeiko.net.

Live and Let Never Die

2009-11-10T10:57:00.006-05:00

Now that I've moved back into the home I was born in ( yikes), and the house my 96 year old dad was born in ( yikes), I've been living in a sort-of time warp. Cleaning out attic's and cellar, sheds and barns, has been rather cathartic, and healing. As a designer, I am also finding the venture less of an exercise in nostalgia than I had expected. It's been a bit surprising to see how relevant many of the magazine covers, advertisements ( not the tech one or auto ads, but the food ad's!) have been. In a time when I am constantly pitching against "I hate circus type" and " That ad feels, so......1970's" or :" I love it but change the sixties feeling image", it's been just plain old fun, to see some of the pure, vintage type and styles. All fodder for helping others understand the differences, and the real reasons why we are currently revisiting the past. Surely, many of these images will be making their way into my presentations.

First, a bit of naughty. I admit that I am old enough to remember this sexy cover by Herb Alpert - for the famous and still rather edgy Whipped Cream cover, was the foundation of a "private club' I created in 1967 in a back cubby of our chicken coop, um..well, goat house actually, which makes the story better, if not creepier. our 'boy's club' was called the Bradford Boobies Club, after all, we we're 9 years old, and this is what 9 year old boys do in the 1960's, right? It was inspired by random clipping swiped from my Dad's Art In America circa 1967 magazines, which, well, had lots of black and white images of boobies and such, since hey, it was the 60's. Anyway, I found this album cover in our cellar last weekend, and three days later, I get this email from a design firm pal,( thanks Gabe!) who shares, out of frustration, the struggle and sometimes irony that surround the recent trend of using the past as inspiration for something modern, specifically - recycled type, mid-century images. For those of us who 'Get it', it's been a time of frustration and defense, and sometimes, the only way to sell through a vision is to defend it with proof-of-concept. People and business will 'get-it' soon enough, until then, check out this re-creation:

Reinvention is fab when executed perfectly. Which reminds me of this recent redesign of the Hilton identity for Hilton Honors, which pay's homage to the 1966 logo, but still, so elegant and daring. Isn't it amazing when such vision is confidently brought to fruition in a business world which is sensitive to change? One has to admire such feats. Go Hilton.

While on the subject of vintage inspired type, I can't help myself, and must share these cover designs for books created by artist Michael Gillette for Penguin UK. Michael's work continues to show up on my radar, and on others, as I've noticed on a recent binge researching for another project. Surely, this won't be the last we see of him.

Brands be nimble, brands be quick

2009-10-30T09:19:00.004-05:00

After a week of globe trotting, I've had time to think ridiculously long on red-eye flights. Mostly, I've been thinking about what's next in my life. What do I want and where will I get it. What can I offer, and where do I want to offer it. Stuff like that. Oh, and yeah, I've also been thinking about the future, not just of design, but about nailing tickets to the opening ceremonies at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, about what color Nike runners should I decide on at Nike.com ( black with white soles, or black, steel grey and white soles?), but mostly, I've been thinking about bigger junk. Bigger opportunities, bigger steps that might change everything for me.

This sort of thinking has be bonking myself in the head sometimes, but this time it is different, for, sometimes, the answers are right there in front of you, the whole time, and you suddenly realize it only when viewing it from 33,000 feet.

That had be thinking about desire lines, a metaphor coined by landscape architects for those paths people ( or, my dogs) make in yards, parks, etc, that do not follow the identified paths, that the designer intended. Shortcuts, if you will. I read an article online by Peter Merholz and his concept of desire Lines as a metaphor for the 'Adaptive Path', brilliant, obvious, but brilliant because of that innate obviousness. I love that. The idea of adaptive design come slow, to some businesses, but in a world which is constantly changing, and redefining what one should and should not do when it comes to marketing or in attracting consumers, it's not surprising at all, after all, adaptive design is, um, scary. In the USA, a commercial is currently airing which confirms my theory that many still feel that listening entirely to the enduser, is still rather irresponsible, old school even, after all, what do they know about what they want? The ad is for a telephone service, and runs something with a line like this" You mean you are listening to the customer? What do they know, that sounds dumb to me".

Dumb? Well, perhaps, if you are in the business of blazing new trails, for I don't disagree with the fact that often, the masses will direct you in the most common direction, if not the most cliche one....then again, with some brands, the customer will only lead to to the most direct, and obvious path if you listen to them, and ...well, see? It might actually make stupid sense with certain brands. Confused? Look....

Peter references a recent talk by Doug Bowman, Creative Director of Twitter, and it reminded me of recently meeting him on the set of Martha Stewart, there, he talked about how the Twitter consumer is actually improving his idea, by use. User designed, if you will. Martha asked him why did he limit Twitter chat exchanged to 140 character message? And he responded with a technical solution, that that was the amount of characters that could fit comfortably on a cell phone window. Beyond that, not much thought went into what the user will think , or how they might use it.

All around us consumers adjust their use. At Hasbro, little girls played with The LIttlest Petshop Toys, but they never had names or a world, so girls made up their own, now, the brand is massive worldwide, and continues to grow. Twitter users created FollowFridays (#ff), hashtags, retweets,etc, and Twitter is now the number one choice for sharing news, thoughts and ideas worldwide. Somethings just don't need to be designed, rather, they are phenomenal, they evolve, they have a life of their own (scary) but exciting if you've got the balls. Mostly, you need to be open to such information, and use it properly, not over react, not deny it, not ignore it, and most definitely, have the ability to not only identify it but to jump on it. ( if not over it).

Desire lines are sometimes right there in front of us. "I want it, oh I don't know why, maybe because it's yellow" Or maybe because it makes me look successful, or part of a tribe. Maybe it makes me look sexy, hot, thin, rich, tough, cute, or maybe I want it because I am lazy, rushed, tired, the reasons are endless, but ultimately, they often are emotionally rooted. Still, we all desire something, and usually, that something, is expressed as a brand.

Especially in Internet usage, but even more so in architecture and space, well, anywhere where humans must navigate, be it a website, a mall, or a retail store. Even a magazine page, a package back panel, even a remote control for a TV, damn it. And, yes, even a park. Fact is, sometimes THEY do know better. Not always, but, sometimes design is so obvious, that the answer is right there in front of you. Just don't trip over the candlestick.

What happens when the mall, is suddenly, more experiencial than your retail store?

2009-10-19T14:14:00.004-05:00

The Tokyo, Omotosando Prada retail experience designed by Herzog & de Meuron

I was researching retail store design this weekend at my local high-end mall, and I noticed something. Amongst the faux wearhouses, concrete cubes and other fantastically designed retail stores, there were still rather average experiences, if not poor ones. The best analogy I can throw together is that now that the interior of the Mall is essentially, perfectly designed with birch forests, interesting angles and surprising arcs of glass and space, that some of the retail stores still stuck in the 1990's felt, um...a bit like shoe stores. Laminated wood, chrome, and some even had cash out areas at the door.

But the retail world is changing faster than many of us all thought, and I think, for the good. A recent trip to Tokyo reinforced this while researching Zaha Hadid buildings for retain, for my book Beyond Trend. Simple, think like the firm, Eight.inc.

As these images suggest, when retail design moves beyond the typically inward focus of interior design (something in which most retail stores take part), the results can elegantly (and instantly) raise the brand’s profile and even transform the shopping experience of neighboring stores. Herzog & de Meuron’s exoskeleton Prada store in Tokyo’s high-end shopping district is one of many “one-off” Prada stores designed by noted architects. Instead of developing a one-size-fits-all in-store experience, Prada shrewdly chose to bolster its image by being unique in each location - so long as each store is suitable for its level of luxury. Prada’s Tokyo store plays well against Toyo Ito’s Tod’s store down the street too, which consists of another equally original take on exoskeleton/open floor-plan architecture - this time in the form of poured concrete and seemingly random shards

The Apple’s store experiences are certainly among the most well-executed worldwide. Eight Inc.’s minimalist use of materials, color, and layout are perfectly consistent with the clean, efficient design of most Apple products; similarly, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s crystalline Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City serenely rests in a clearing of monolithic, concrete, behemoths (a fortuitous - or sly - Apple v. Microsoft metaphor).

Behance Brilliance. Go ffffffFFFFFAT Face

2009-10-14T09:52:00.004-05:00

Lately, I am loving the work of Montreal graphic artist Stefan Dukaczewski. Seems like others are too, after the buzz online at Freelance network Behance, as well as FFFOUND. Look how sweet his work is here - hint* it's the color!

The Eighty's Still? -Meet the new black

2009-09-24T14:50:00.007-05:00

Matt Moore

The work of Chris Saunder's is stunningly vectorific. If he can make this feel new, what else can he do?

The 1980's may dead, but only in the same what that Camo never really goes away, I'm afraid to admit.
In an effort to create this new presentation for the future of the 80's, and it's effects on contemporary design, I am actually finding myself rather enthralled with new recipes of delicious eightysness.

Lucia Lotti shoes from Spain. Luscious.

More, more, more, of Maine's Matt Moore! I love his work, and apparently, so does Nike, Wired, and moore.

In Heart with Papercuts

2009-09-10T09:35:00.004-05:00

Doing some research recently on folk art influences, I was shocked at the number of Etsy stores dedicated to the art of paper cutting. Even more shocking, is how modern and beautiful much of the work is, particularly the work of Elsita Mora.

Elsa work goes on sale any day now at the Couturier Gallery in LA, and on their site soon.

Adore Katie Kirk

2009-08-26T10:21:00.004-05:00

Just discovered illustrator Katie Kirk, and I love both her style and color palette. Yes, her work looks similar to mine, so I don't want to hear it! But maybe, that is why it appeals to me so much. Clearly, she understands vector graphics and period influences enough to make magic. If there is anyone to watch move the line on style, I think it is Katie. Her work is modern and fresh, and her typeography design is particularly sweet. Check out her work, and her stock images, here.

Lost Charlie Harper Artwork Found

2009-06-23T13:48:00.003-05:00

I've loved Charlie Harpers work ever since I was a kid in the 70's. My Aunt Ann would buy be a subscription to National Wildlife Magazine each year, and Mr. Harper's work was often featured in those articles. Add to that, the fact that I was a bird nut ( I wanted to be an Ornithologist or a wildlife artist), I really connected with his work. Although, I think I felt that it was too modern, at the time ( meaning, not realistic enough for me).

If I only had the insight that not only would I beta test Adobe Illustrator in 1988, but that I would become a vector art geek in my adult life, Imagine the possibilities.

When Todd Oldham released his massive and impressive Charlie Harper: An Illustrated Life two years ago, I was reminded of his amazing work, and so impressed that it felt so fresh and new, in 2008.

Now, the estate of Charlie Harper has released news that more lost works have been found. Check them out here.

Erich Strenger and friends. 1960's Porche Posters

2009-04-14T13:29:00.009-05:00

Thanks to GRAIN EDIT again, I had saved these vintage Porche posters by many of the classic sixties designers like Targa Florio 1967 - Volz, Erich Strenger, Renn Termine 1971, Atelier (studio),
Most of these images are from via AUSmotive.com via Auto kopen. The rest of the images via VP Racing.com.

But more so, this has me curious about these designers, many of whom I have never heard of. There is a lot to mine out there, clearly, and although many informed designers surely know who Erich Strenger was I didn't so here is some foundational information about him, and his work. All very interesting and good visual influence to any of you building a library of relevant influence ( both figuratively and literally). All information courtesy of racingweb.com

Erich Strenger was born december 1, 1922 in Bad Cannstatt which is a part of Stuttgart. Nowadays this part of the city is well-known among the Mercedes-Benz addicts, since the MB museum is situated here. But that's another story.

Strenger was intrested in arts and photography since his youth, so it is clear that after he finished his basic school, he started studying repro-photography. After completion of this studies, he went to the Kunststaatsakademien (Governal Art School) in Stuttgart for an artistic education. In 1942, 2 years after WW 2 broke out, he was ordered to join the German army. As a mountain trooper he staid in France, Norway and afterwards in Russia where he was taken prisoner. As Prisoner of War, he had to stay in a Russian prison environment till 1949. That's exactly when he returned to his birth-town Stuttgart.
Soon after his return in Stuttgart he noticed a little sportscar in town, which impressed him a lot and influenced his further life. That was the car of his dreams, a Porsche. Unfortunately for him, at that time, he could not afford a car like that.

Coincidentally he met Richard von Frankenberg, which at that time was working on the startup of the Porsche Marketing department. Both were attending a Miss Cover Girl election in a movie theater, and they started talking. As you understand the subject was Porsche. This coincidence soon gave birth to the Porsche Christophorus magazines, and lots of brochures and posters designed by Erich Strenger for Porsche.

In 1951 Erich Strenger designs the first poster for Porsche. Later on, the Porsche race leader Huschke von Hannstein orders posters with Erich Strenger to desing the Porsche race victories. Since Huschke von Hannstein wants the posters real quick, Strenger has to work day and night to deliver them in time. Soon at race time he starts listening to the radio, and when he hears Porsche wins the race, he starts designing a poster as he knows Huschke von Hannstein will be ordering one.

Some time later he even decides to design posters even before races are held. So one day,Huschke von Hannstein calls him in the morning to order a poster, and Strenger just has to put the name of the winning race pilot on the poster. In the afternoon, Erich Strenger visits Huschke von Hannstein and show him the poster. Ofcourse von Hannstein was surprised that designing a poster didn't take more time, and he started thinking he was paying Erich Strenger too much. Strenger was paid 1000 German Marks for the design of a poster at that time. After that, Strenger wisely decided to wait a bit longer before going to von Hannstein to show him the new designs, as he didn't want to be paid less.
In 1987 Erich Strenger retired, after he had been working most of his time exclusively for Porsche. Strenger and his wife Ursula Eberst moved to Mallorca in 1988 , where he found the quitness he always wanted. He finally had time for one of his great hobbies, sailing, and in the quitness of the sunny island he found inspiration for the art he always wanted to make.

Februar 17, 1993 Erich Strenger passed away after a long illness.

The I Can't Read Movie Series....wait!

2009-02-23T15:24:00.004-05:00

Sure....I am a complete Flickr freek, I can't help myself. But one of the most amazing aspects of the site, is the sharing of creative work beyond ones digital photos of their cat. I mean, I first found myself on Flickr not for photo sharing, but as a researcher - for it's better than any flea market for vintage ads, childrens book art, vintage cereal box covers, and even fabulous vintage book covers designed by dead mid-century graphic artists.......no wait. These are new!

Of course, I'm slightly late on the band wagon, and there is no excuse since I have bookmarked SPACESICK's animation blog for about 2 years now. I found these on his Flickr page while searching for some infuence for a new animated TV show I am designing, when, once I see these, I am smitten and had to download some for my office wall, when I later discovered that they are also featured in Entertainment Weekly. OK. So I am a validated trend hunter, but sometimes others get there first. Still....the graphic designer in me LOVES these fake book covers. Check them out here.

American i-doll A blurry spectrum of difference.

2009-02-12T13:22:00.008-05:00

Guys have relatively been ignored by fashion, by style, by a glass ceiling, or by opportunity, right? But American Idol, the TV show that makes stars out of talent, does show more about our culture than screaming girls and Simons chitter with Paula. This latest season is demonstrating that young men are starting to evolve into expressing their soul, all in very public way. Guys now can cry, they can hug, move beyond the metrosexual movement into whatever they wish to become. A road which might be painful for many of us to watch, but in our modern world of Facebook and MySpace, reality is not just skewed, it doesn't really exist.

It is interesting to see how the writers and producers of this show, structures the edits to show stereotypes ( the welder and the oilman) but at the same time, they show the full spectrum of our society, which perhaps helps breakdown those walls of stereotypes and glass ceilings. Today, young people are more OK with macho, if they choose so, or camo, or fem, or gender blurring, our world is complex, both visually and figuratively, so it the influences are blurred, why too aren't who we are?

Watching American Idol last night, I noticed a trend or is is a newly accepted comfort zone, of some teenage males being increasingly flamboyant. However, greater pressure is on young males in terms of body image, with many feeling forced to slim down or beef up depending on their social network, many are also not afraid of femming it up, wearing earings, scarf's, purses, etc. Have you noticed that jean sizes seem to be getting smaller for guys? Many are even admiting that they prefer shopping for teenage girls' clothes to get the colours, fits and patterns they are looking for.
Still, guys get tattood, shave their heads, wear combat boots and they too aren't gay. What up? Welcome to the future, dude.
My 95 year old dad still says that "you can't tell the women from the men today". I remember him saying that in the 60's when he took me to a 'hippie joint" so that he could be 'inspired' for a painting series he was doing. Then, is was simply long hair and emotions, now, it's makeup and glitz. So what. Being individual today is harder, you just can't go to the Gap, because so does everyone else. You can't go start a 'movement' because they've all been taken. Minimalism, again, will only make you look 'very seventies'. Today, it takes guts, Is it beacause shock value is worthless in a post 9/11 world? Who knows really, but one thing is for certain, creativity is tougher to express in original ways.

The Worth Trend site WGSN recently posted a report by trend hunter Laura Jane Preston, who reported: "that UK author Richard Milward recently told The Observer magazine (January 6): "All my socks are from Topshop, the girls' section. I like girlie jumpers too, with patterns and that. Lads' clothes are dead boring." She also notes....

Adam Lambert of American Idol. Photo from Americanidol.com
Anyone who is a fan of this seasons American Idol, can see that not only is there a new level of talent with Americas youth, there is also a new confidence with many of the younger men.

American Idol's Nathaniel Marshall - Talent and confidence
"On the flip side guys are looking to traditional hyper-masculine male role models.

WGSN noted that "The New York Times (January 13) recently cited Chuck Norris, Rambo and Hulk Hogan as the new male icons, claiming that we are entering into a renaissance of brawn: "At a time when the country is faced with a new tangle of problems, the return of the 80s action hero suggests that some Americans, particularly men, are looking to revel in the vestigial pleasures of older times and seemingly simpler ways. (Witness the popularity of the best-selling The Dangerous Book for Boys).

The World Economic Forum, Nussbaum and the Design Manifesto at Davos

2009-02-10T14:22:00.007-05:00

©2009, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

Design is finally a discussion point and creative intellects deep-dive at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

Many of us creatives, who sit behind out Macs, and spend our days selecting fonts, or choosing color palettes rarely think about the greater scope of design, it's role in culture, or how the many product we create or invent affect other people. It might come as a surprise then, that not only did Hillary Clinton and the scuffle between world leader make world headlines last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, but that Bruce Nussbaum and his Global Agenda Council (GAC), presented thier analysis and observations, as well as some suggestions about the future and impact of design in our global community.

The idea of Global Agenda Councils is interesting in itself. According to the World Economic Forum website, "Global Agenda Councils represent transformational innovation in global governance, creating multistakeholder groups composed of the most innovative and influential minds for the purpose of advancing knowledge as well as collaboratively developing solutions for the most crucial issues on the global agenda." Read more here.

These GAC's met earlier, and then reported thier findings at the larger World Economic Forum in Davos. To anyone who is interested in design theory, or the future of design, be certain to visit the related links, and snoop around. It is fascinating and quite interesting to see our world leaders considering such TED conference-like issues. Joy, in the design world, all hail Nussbaum.

Also, Harvard's IdeasLab was a new session format presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week with a weekend of events and interesting speakers, presentations and programs.

Design is stepping to the forefront, and as the worlds leading intellectuals, universities and business leaders join forces, the future of design is suddenly looking brighter. ( hence, the "light bulbs"). Baby steps.......baby steps....

Bruce Nussbaum is our contemporary hero. Last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he presented again, the Creative Manifesto, which he shares a bit here gathered from his Innovation article on Business Week:

"My own thoughts on our troubles are simple. We are in a sustained period of ambiguity, with traditional institutions no longer working and established leaders failing us. This fog of uncertainty requires new pilots and piloting methods. Designers and design thinking methodologies are the best we have to guide us through uncertainty and ambiguity today."

Mr. Nussbaums "manifesto" which his Global Agenda Council/Design group crafted was inspired by and was the product of a discussion his team had in Dubai where 68 Global Agenda Councils met, and were asked to focus on answering two questions:
1. What is the state of the world on this issue and how is the economic crisis impacting this issue? and
2. What should be done to improve the state of the world on this issue/region/industry, and by whom?

Mr. Nussbaum has posted the Design teams' GAC response on the Business Week.com site, and I share part of it here, since it is relevant to both my book ( Beyond Trend) premise, and it provides some context to all of us in the creative field, seeking guidance and leadership towards a future which may seem unclear.

“ON DESIGN

Throughout history, design has been an agent of change. It helps us to understand the changes in the world around us, and to turn them to our advantage by translating them into things that can make our lives better. Now, at a time of crisis and unprecedented change in every area of our lives – economic, political, environmental, societal and in science and technology – design is more valuable than ever.

The crisis comes at a time when design has evolved. Once a tool of consumption chiefly involved in the production of objects and images, design is now also engaged with developing and building systems and
strategies, and in changing behaviour often in collaboration with different disciplines.

Design is being used to:
· Gain insight about people’s needs and desires
· Build strategic foresight to discover new opportunities
· Generate creative possibilities
· Invent, prototype and test novel solutions of value
· Deliver solutions into the world as innovations adopted at scale

In the current climate, the biggest challenges for design and also its greatest opportunities are:

· Well-being – Design can make an important contribution to the redefinition and delivery of social services by addressing acute problems such as ageing, youth crime, housing and health. Many
designers are striving to enable people all over the world to lead their lives with dignity, especially the deprived majority of the global population - “the other 90%” who have the greatest need of
design innovation.

· Sustainability – Designers can play a critical role in ensuring that products, systems and services
are developed, produced, shipped, sold and will eventually be disposed of in an ethically and environmentally responsible manner. Thereby meeting - and surpassing - consumers’ expectations.

· Learning – Design can help to rebuild the education system to ensure that it is fit for purpose in the
21st Century. Another challenge is to redefine or reorient the design education system at a time of unprecedented demand when thousands of new design schools are being built worldwide and design is increasingly being integrated into other curricula. Designers are also deploying their skill at communication and visualization to explain and interpret the overwhelming volume of extraordinary
complex information.

. Innovation – Designers are continuing to develop and deliver innovative new products at a turbulent time when consumer attitudes are changing dramatically thereby creating new and exciting
entrepreneurial opportunities in the current crisis. They are increasingly using their expertise to innovate in new areas such as the creation of new business models and adoption of a strategic and
systemic role in both the public and the private sector.”

Mr. Nussbaum credits his collegues here:

"I was fortunate to be able to work with an amazing group of people in the Design GAC: Chris Luebkeman, director of global foresight and innovation for ARUP, was our chairman. Paola Antonelli, senior curator of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Brian Collins who now runs his own ad/marketing company in his own name, Tim Brown of IDEO, Toshiko Mori of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Chris Jordan, a photographic artist, Alice Rawsthorn, design critic at the International Herald Tribune, Milton Tan, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council, Ministry of Informatin, Communications and the Arts and Arnold Wasserman, chairman of The Idea Factory in Singapore."

My addition is this. The idea that there is a global group of world leaders who look at design is most encouraging. Especially when I look at the esteemed list of active participants, the collective intellect is impressive. This make me very hopeful that culturally at least, our human society is moving towards a deeper appreciation of the arts and sciences, of creativity and design, and of humanity and the greater collective spirit of invention.

Transforming the ordinary

2009-02-09T11:43:00.010-05:00

I am smitten by this new Japanese Masking tape available at DWR. I don't know how I missed it, but I must have it ( Thanks Jessicle for turning me on to it). The above image is from Jordan Ferney's awesome site, decor8 (see below for link). This tape exemplifies how something so simple, can be reinvented just by adding the emotional shift of color ( not any color Mr. 3M company - the perfectly right palette of color). No one is running out to by cobalt blue masking tape to create art with. No matter what you believe, color itself, is a powerful emotional driver, but like anything emotional, getting it right requires a sensitive understanding of what your consumer desires, this is not something that can be forced. Taste and style evolves phenomenally, not by dictation.

Apparently, artists wrote a letter to the President of Kamoi, the Japanese manufacter of a particular brand of crepe masking tape, to inform him that they desired more choice, more color, etc, since many designers in Japan were using their brand of tape for artwork. The company decided to release this set of 'designer colors' and now, nothing is the same.

Kamoi is an old company with an interesting heritage, they made sticky flypaper in rolls, which alone could be another opportunity in our 'green' world -even if they never redesigned the vintage packaging. Boy, I would love to get some of these authentic designs of Japanese fly paper, surely it would do well in the states, if released in both the vintage packaging, as well as in a stylish refreshed model. Again, more possibilities.

From the Kamoi Kokoshi Co. website, where there is an art gallery of work that designers have made with Japanese Masking Tape.

It's worth snooping around their website, even if you cannot read Japanese. See Kamoi Kakoshi LTD for more ideas.

Made from Washi paper, a Japanese rice paper, which is flat and tears nicely, this tape was first 'discovered' by some savvy trend hunters and creatives last year, such as on Jordan Ferney's blog Oh Happy Day, and the design blog decor8. Now the tape is available at Design Within Reach, and one size is already sold out so hurry!

The manufacturer in Japan, has a website too, but apparently the links are not working, so I will not post it for now. Imagine the opportunities this simple color shift makes. I find it so inspiring, because now I want to walk through a Home Depot and look for other missed opportunities. There are so many places where one can still factor in design, to make the ordinary, extraordinary and desirable. Who would have thunk that a year ago,the idea the by simply changing the color of tape to a series of thoughtfully stylish palettes, could take something as banal as a roll of masking tape, and make it so desirable that it could become sold out on a global website.

Total Hydrocity - HYDRO74

2009-01-30T13:34:00.006-05:00

I am continually impressed with the work of Hydro74, especially with their diversity - type, print, modern, classic, rough and tough, cute, edge, macho, feminine, but most of all, beyond trend. It's just one of those sites where on a Friday afternoon, I like to go and snoop around, to get stimulated. I mean, come on....how many firms can you name whose work actually looks more modern than what you could find at your local mall. Just check out the range of work here, then check their site.

THe design firm Hydro74, exists for one simple reason. They are extraordinarily talented, and continually impress clients, of which, they have many of the best ( NIke, Coke, Hasbro, XGAMES/ESPN, etc). Simple said, they do more than skulls.

Technorati Profile

Simply Different or Clinically Defaulted? Food Packaging Trends

2009-01-06T15:56:00.005-05:00

Does Helvetica 'say'chips?, I wonder...... But this simplicity works for me.
(Although, I am not comfortable with the type face yet for 'Dill Pickle", maybe they are using the same 4/c packaging internationally, and adding the black plate later in some global efficiencies project? Who knows.? Aside from that, elegance is a great thing, I wonder how these redesigns will affect the competition, many of which are store brands who blindly mimic whatever the mega brand does. Trends are indeed, funny animals.

What are your thoughts on the new Pepsi logo?
Considering the older logos.........

I do love this.......but, of course, not everyone does. But all of this simplicity is interesting, but in a way, a logical next step, since we've tried everything else. So comes next, after simplicity and minimalism? A revisit to "classic"? Or do we start at the begining again with 'vintage' and nostalgic'?

It started a year ago, with Frito-Lay products, what at first looked like a default typeface, in it's Helveticaness, was, in fact, a new brand packaging design for the Lay's brand. Hmmm....Actually, although it captured my attention because it was different, it felt, a, bit,.......simple. Not that there is anything wrong with being simple, but....why simple?

Then....The Pepsi logo redesign. Which,frankly, I like. I had started to write an entire posting on what other people thought, but what's the point. Surely, enough has been said by its critics, and since I adore the work of the Arnell Group, and Peter Arnell, I can only imagine the intellectual work which went into this enourmous venture. Global brand identities rarely please everyone when re-designed, and, I think they shouldn't. because if the brand is successful, it is personal. Being personal aside, brands are also business, and there are good reasons why refreshing is often, needed.

Then......I was buying orange juice, and could not find my Tropicana.....
Now, this is interesting. Call it a trend, or call it change for changes sake.....I have to admit that there is little that I can say yet about the new Tropicana, brand identity. Although it is certainly different, it is confusing, even when I sent Joe or my 94 year old dad to buy juice, they either could not find it, or choose the wrong one. I would love to have seen the creative brief for this, certainly there was much work done, and I am curious as to what the goal was.

From what I can see, it may have been.

1. To appear more "European" (?) As if this was a Swiss brand (i.e. simple sophistication.
2. To appear less confusing ( Face it...Tropicana was suffering from over-brand-extentionism with it's pulp, no pulp, calcium, fish oil, Vit. C, Vit D. blah, blah, blah).
3. Maybe they wanted to appear more serious, although I am not sure that 'Pharmaceutical' was their intention.
4. Perhaps they just wanted to just simplify, and appear 'different' from the competition, which frankly was all starting to look the same.( influenced by vintage fruit crate labels with beautiful engravings, and wood typeography.)
5. Or, there was internal competition at Pepsico amongst Marketers, sort of a 'well, you changed your brand, so I am going to change mine" Which I doubt. But marketers can be quite competitive.

We all have to admit that Orange Juice line extensions were just becoming completely crazy in their variety. What could be next? PomOrangeAntiOxiMint? At least this simple design is consistent and it has great shelf presence, with its whiteness in the florescent glow of the refrigerator case, and it is surrounded by a virtual Kraft-ness of glossy, photos and stunning illustration of drippy, gooey fruitiness...., but it is this understated design effective in segmentation between flavors? Well, it takes a little work. I mean, I'm not that old, but I had to actually get my glasses, and I only have a stigmatism. Then, I helped the lady next to me find hers, but she still didn't believe that it was Tropicana brand, she thought it was the value brand. Which brings up another interesting trend - that of brands wanting to actually appear as if they are the 'value brand' or the 'generic brand"/ God, I hope that is not the case. I still can't understand why Sunchips brand redesigned their packaging to appear more "poorly designed", I can only assume that they felt that it looked 'more organic', with the logic that "organic brands are amateurish or at least naive in their appearance". Clearly, as a designer, I think about this things too much, no one wants to go shopping with me.

So, whether it was a shift to get more marketshare, or research driven, or simply a ballsy
Let's see what a redesign does for our brand?" decision, it is still, quite fascinating to see such a swing in style, to a rather, simple, clinical approach. Will it work? Well, it has to, but I still can't resist watching the consumers last Sunday at my local Price Chopper try and find their favorite OJ! That can't be helping sales.

Brands on Broadway

2008-12-02T13:30:00.005-05:00

As a fan of great entertainment, where ever it comes from, ( and believe me, today, if often can only come from the mega-corporations such as Disney and other studios), I was not surprised to see that SHREK will be opening on Broadway next week. As other shows close, such as the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTIEN, which I love, others open in good, old fashioned Broadway tradition. The only difference is that today, it costs a whole lot more ( 30 Million dollars and up) to assemble the talent and to secure the space to put on a 'show'. As an entertainment/Intellectual Property creator myself, I know that this is a trend not going away soon. Admit it, you really are not surprised, either. Come on.....look at the movies lately? Everything is a remake. I can only hope that this is not some global sign that creativity is waning, hopefully it is only a slightly exploitive use of licensed properties, only because humans enjoy seeing thier favorite characters in other venues ( much in the same way I loved my Casper the Ghost pajamas in 1967).

BTW.....look out for Spidey on stage, the MARVEL character is being cast for...yes, a Broadway Musical opening next year. Don;t laugh, it might be awesome........the music is by Bono of U2 fame. It can't be THAT bad. Anything done right, can be extraordinary.

Idea Painter - Nikki Farquarson

2008-11-12T14:13:00.005-05:00

Randomgotbeautiful.com by Nikki Farquarson

In our world of vintage-this and vintage that, I am always impressed with what elevates from the sameness. A recent post on the site THECOOLHUNTER.COM featured the illustrations of Nikki Farquarson, but she is much more than a mere illustrator with and undeniably fresh look - she is what I call a idea painter - visualizing new expressions out of most any material, regardless of any rules or limitations. I especially like her work on the site RANDOMGOTBEAUTIFUL.COM and her type which is hand executed.

Reminiscent of textbook cover doodles, Nikki's illustration demonstrates a rare gift today - a distinctive and authentic style that although influenced from the past, delivers newness. Call it collage, retro doodles or craft, I believe her work is nothing but pure genius because it takes me to an entirely new place, visually.

The technocolor world of Steven Wilson

2008-11-04T11:24:00.004-05:00

"What Happened to the Future? 2008 © Steven Wilson

UK artist/illustrator/designer Steven Wilson has somehow managed to keep off of my radar, but just like many of the planets hottest creatives, he has already designed for global clients like Coke and Nike. His unique imagery takes the omnipresent vector and ornament look to a new level. I even must say that some of his earlier work ( the outline imagery below from 2005) is even more fresh feeling. The perfect example of creativity today as mash art. 80's, 90's, photography, RGB images, gradations, ornament, and a hefty dose of style make Steven's work incredibly new feeling. It's work like this that makes me want to design again. Invigorate yourself with the following from his portfolio.

Cross Influencing - Creatives share to achieve new expressions.

2008-11-03T16:17:00.005-05:00

As one who is frequently called upon to craft exciting experiences at corporate events, I was so pleasantly surprised to run across one of the kings of event design's new blog, New York's David Stark. As someone who continually is hungry for creative experiences that deliver high impact, David's work also is documented on his blog in a most unique and refreshing way - with the influence that inspired his project.

How rare it is, to see both the result and the original idea, in fact, David also shows the process, the presentation boards he has created to sell the idea to the non-visual, the client. Believe me, often brilliant ideas slink away once presented to the 'committee' for whatever even one is planning. Hooray for David, and look at the results!
The Party in the Garden at MOMA was inspired by David Starks passion for Marimekko and Liro A Ahoka's pattern, below. Digital meets green, with a retro splash.

Iiro A. Ahokas designed pattern for Marimekko. Iiro himself is an interesting talent in his own right, with a degree in glass and ceramics and as a designer for Marimekko, he also is an artist and a designer, certainly one with a bright future.
A pattern by designer Iiro A. Ahokas for Marimekko
Iiro A. Ahokas, designer

David's design for the America's Society Gala last month in New York City, is an excellent example of how he shares his influence. How many times are we challenged by trying to communicate a cliche? Image such themes as globalism, or being global, or "reaching for the stars". How innovative can we be? But look at what Davids team created with postcards from all over the world.

It is always about light, color and atmosphere first, I say. THen, the big thing....whatever it is ( the big weenie in my Disney days- a castle, a spinning globe, a giant tree- whatever, as long as it is huge, dynamic and makes people go WOW)/ Here, it manifests itself as giant of giant chandeliers, made out of postcards from all over the world. Talk about being global without showing a spinning globe, and it is beautiful, stunning and goosebump material. I want to go to the event.

David was inspired by the recent windows at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City where the window displays were constructed with thousands of Post-it notes, to create a pixelated picture. (I'm sure a bit of artist Chuck Close was added too!).

I get to use ø - Tank Design

2008-10-30T10:17:00.003-05:00

There are other reasons for me to want to visit Tromsø, Norway ( their famous botanic garden and alpine plants), but after seeing the work of TANK, I now have another. Tank Design was founded in 1999 and now has staff in both Oslo and Tromsø. I am so impressed with their design, that I am sharing it in a new series where I will share my "dream list" of firms I find impressive for one reason or another, mostly for their visual work.

Just look at what the talented creatives at Tank Design have done with packaging graphics for both a water company, and a Beer Brewery. Outstandingly elegant, and fresh.

UNDIFFERENTIATION Syndrome

2008-10-22T21:58:00.004-05:00

I'm starting to believe that most people, when given the challenge of choosing something new, or something familiar, default to what is familiar. SO I have this theory - one which is not unlike the current trend of overusing antibacterial soap with the hope that one is eliminating germs and virus', while the germs and virus' mutate at a faster rate, becoming immune to the antibacterial soap.

Stay with me now....

In our over-designed world, where little seems new, visually, the problem may be greater than many of us believe. I've noticed that as I present new designs that are more original, they rarely are selected, while the more cliche solutions are often the winner. This safer choice seems to reassure people who I believe are growing dangerously immune to the idea of NEW. Fearful of anything different, are people growing conservative in our unstable financial world? Or does anything NEW seem strange since we rarely encounter ANYTHING original any more? For that matter, is originality, itself becoming extinct?

Familiar = safe
Original = risky

We can't be familar and risky, and we cannot be Original and safe.

Obviously, people want what is familiar to them. Any brand that can ride the coattails of an established concept instantly can be endowed with a particular identity. We hear it all the time. ‘How very Starbucks-y” “Hey, That ad was so Ikea”, “Those Macy ads are looking alot likeTarget”. Copycat design and homage design can only go so far, at the end of the day, these trends signify a despartate uncertainty that our global visual culure is reaching a point of slow development, but this has happened before.
For thousands of years, human cultures have grown, flourished and died, but generally, not without first having their effects on other cultures. Think about the connection between text today as we know it and the Romans... architecture today and the Greeks... China and cuisine... Italy and music. The lists are long and the influences are complex, but undeniably, influences are there and we’re working with them every single day.
Visual and artistic culture often develops towards idealism eventually reaching a zenith, often right after a period of contradiction, then flamboyant expression (such as the Italian Renaissance or Victorian architecture), and then eventually exhausting itself once it has exercised a full range of possibilities. Most cultures then enter a long period of undifferentiation. It all sounds a bit like today, doesn’t it?

Olympic Torch Evolution

2008-08-19T11:53:00.004-05:00

The New York Times article on the design on the olympic torch over the years is fascinating. ( Via core 77 ), is worth reading, if only for the images. I can only imagine how many people are involved in approving such designs, ( an we think we have it bad!). In design, new isn't always best - but sometimes, it is. Evolution, sometimes can be subjective - or stunning.

BEYOND TREND - the Book: Now at your local bookstore, worldwide

2008-07-31T16:42:00.004-05:00

OK, it's not about plants, but it is about design!

I think what is most different about this book, is that this is the book I wanted to buy. This is a book about trends, about the future of design, written not by a marketer, or a business person, but by a designer - a creative's vision on why the future is so hard to design.

It's not negative, it's optimistic ( for creative people). Basically, it's easy today for ANYONE to call themselves a designer, heck, they can buy a computer, buy the software to design a logo, and buy the fonts, and the best thing is, the computer comes with all of the colors you would every need!

At Home Depot, on a Saturday morning, young house mates choose color palettes themselves, to design their own space. On TV, reality shows pit everyday people in designing against each other, DIY has become a trend, and design is suffering for it. Design today is trivialized, diluted, and yet, it has never been in such demand by big-business.

Mass retail now knows that 'Design sells', Target and competitor, Wal Mart know the secret, heck, we are even fooled and challenge ourselves to identify the differences between a TV commercial from JC PEnny, Sears and Target - they all start to look the same.....so what's next? And Is there a next? Or, can there always be a new 'next
?

Those are the sort thoughts that keep designers up at night, and this is what my book BEYOND TREND is all about.

Please consider picking it up, you might enjoy the 200 pictures, or the quick and hopefully, easy read!

Thanks

BEYOND TREND - How To Innovate In An Over-Designed World by Matt Mattus hit's the shelves in bookstores and your fav. online book stores from Borders to Amazon to Barnes and Noble in the States, to Kinokuniya in Japan, and Asia, David and Charles in the UK, and, well, it seems most major retailers from Wal Mart to Target. ( eeek ).

A little more about BEYOND TREND.

I was asked by the publishers of ID magazine, HOW magazine and PRINT magazine, F & W Publications ( also the publishers of HORTICULTURE now, strangely enough!) to write a book about design trends and the future of design, something that I speak about at design conferences, and what I do, at Hasbro, as a Visual Brand Strategist.

The result, this little hardcover book with over 200 color images of everything from Sir Norman Foster's architecture to Zaha Hadid's renderings for the 2012 Olympics to Hand bag designer Kate Spade and everything in between. Visual design today is becoming boring, as is gardening, I must say. We live in a world where we are obsessed with the idea of 'New', and trends seem to come and go faster than ever before. As a trend hunter, I was being asked, "what is next?", and after traveling the world, I had to say " not much". But that was not the entire story.

BEYOND TREND examines my journey through this realization of discovery. As I edited the visual sameness searching for the next, hot color. What I discovered surprised me. Maybe you will find the read and the visual ride exciting too.

Juxtaposition -I Heart Paige Russell

2008-06-24T09:26:00.003-05:00

RV's and 4 x 4 vessels
I love it when I discover something that feels both new, and familiar. Meet designer Paige Russell, and her funny and beautifully modern ceramic work, as featured on her ETSY store.

Talk about must-have. Her Bad Beaver vase, is on my wish list, and certainly the entire set of 4x4 and RV vessels are too. ( not to mention the paint-by-number backdrop, which perfectly shows off her pieces, and would be a requirement for display. After all, the only problem with this work would be where to actually 'display' them, for they are more art, than object, and they demand vintage wood paneling or paint-by-number, certainly.

Bad Beaver Vase by Paige Russell

A feature animated film on a Mac?

2008-06-03T10:45:00.004-05:00

This August, check out Sita Sings the Blues, a remarkable achievement created by one amazing woman, who WIRED magazine calls "A One Woman Pixar". Meet Nina Paley, a woman who not only designed and created a feature animated film, she did it at home, on her Mac. Although animation is not new to Nina, since she is a longtime veteran of syndicated comic strips, creating "Fluff" (Universal Press Syndicate), "The Hots" (King Features), and her own alternative weekly "Nina's Adventures." Things changed in 1998 when she began making independent animated festival films, including the controversial yet popular environmental short, "The Stork."
In 2002 Nina followed her then-husband to Trivandrum, India, where she read her first Ramayana. This inspired her first feature, Sita Sings the Blues, which she animated and produced single-handedly over the course of 5 years on a home computer. Nina teaches at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan and is a 2006 Guggenheim Fellow.

Now, her greatest achievement yet, is winning major awards at film festvals around the world. Sita Sings the Blues is a story about Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told."

The art is amazing, stunning even. I can't wait to see it myself for many reasons. The artist in me wants to be inspired by the visuals, the girl in me wants to be moved by the story, and the animation director in me wants a kick in the ass to go make my own film!

INFLUENCE - James Welling

2008-05-22T13:44:00.003-05:00

I hate stating this but as a designer and an artist...more and more frequently I am finding contemporary art boring.

Certainly not influencial and rarely exciting me.

But then, along comes hope......a book by photographer James Welling.

If you are lucky enough to live in NYC, check out the Donald Young Gallery, if not, certainly buy his book which should be in any library of a curious designer.

James Wellings' latest images seem at first to be influenced by another movement we are all so familiar with - the vector floral sillo's seen everywhere.....but his unique effect of using shadow and natural form combine to create a surprisingly fresh expression. Surely, this will be ripped off in a plethora of homage's over the next few years, but steal it now, while it is still new!

Retronation

2008-04-23T06:36:00.002-05:00

A Joe PItt title card for Nick

Vintage Ray Payton illustrations

I don't know about you, but I can't can't count how many projects get dismissed by 'clients' because they slam-down-the-stamp of RETRO on them. What the hell? First of all, it's not all that simple, and second of all, it's not really retro, it's today.AND, yeah, there is a huge difference between retro and 'informed by movements of the past. Besides, there is no movement today, other than the extreme luxury for talented people to choose from the palette of history, much like new chef's today can mine the past and merge influences- influences that may, or may not 'work' but which also may fuse brilliantly. Dismissing something as merely retro frustrates the crap out of me.

I frequently, if not constantly, find myself fighting the future...the future of the past. I mean, a future which unescapably MUST include the past. As an artist, designer/whatever I am, the past, is what feeds style today, and any of you who create for a living, undoubtedly know this-it all comes down to three things: the influence you you choose to inform you, the reason WHY you select what informs you ( intellect) and the recipe you create ( 1 part mid-century modern, 3 parts textures you create, 1/2 part Mary Blair, a drop of Gergely, 5 parts random 80's influence, and perhaps some circus poster influence in a wood-block way). This defines talent today, in some of the planets most gifted artists and animators.

Evolution Revolution

2008-03-26T11:33:00.003-05:00

Soft Wall, freestanding wall
Tyvek and industrial felt
Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen. Molo Designs, Canada.

RISD's new exhibit, Evolution Revolution: The Arts and Crafts in Contemporary Fashion and Textiles

A new exhibit at the Rhode Island School of Design Art Museum entitled "Evolution/Revolution: The Arts and Crafts in Contemporary Fashion and Textiles", ( February 22 - June 15, 2008) promises to be interesting, and it in on my "to do" list for the weekend. Curator Joanne Ingersoll, quoted in a recent interview in American Craft Magazine's web site, say's "...around 1995...I started observing a lot of designers who were being impacted by the digital revolution, but rather than dismissing it, they saw it as liberating—they were showing me things that were a merging of high technology and the hand."

It makes me think even deeper about graphic design product design, any design being created today, and how technology affects it's development in both negative and positive ways. These are all issues that I address in my new book, BEYOND TREND ( available 7/11/08), but I never really thought about the impact on craft...nor even a connection with craft, so this exhibition fascinates me.

The CRAFT article, by Marc Kristal, states a new vision for craft in our culture, something which we might lable as a post Arts & Crafts movement..... Krisal say's "the similarities between then and now inspired Ingersoll to mount “Evolution/Revolution,” which showcases over 20 international designers, artists and architects, all active in fashion and textile design, who represent what, in the curator’s view, amounts to a latter-day Arts and Crafts movement: makers responding to the world-altering cataracts of the digital age by using technology to innovate creatively, take greater ownership of the production process, and incorporate ideas about sustainability, community and human rights into industry.

Creating and Consuming in Japan

2008-03-11T05:05:00.004-05:00

We all know that Japan is a blend of contrasts, new and old, but how do we market new brands in a market this unique?
Shibuya at 6:00 rush hour

I have a love / hate relationship with Japan. On one hand I love the strange newness, in unfamiliarity, the Japaneseness - if you will, of Japan. And on the other hand, I hate that I sometimes can't figure out the obvious, the literal. I hate that other Westerners sometimes don't see the strong connections that the Japanese have with their past., the respect, the gentle, informed influence that has roots stronger than any American could every imagine, if they could imagine such roots. We al shoudl admire this nation of polite, driven, innovative people, all who have a history that happens to run deeper than the 250 years we in the states can recal upon. Culutrally speaking, the Japanese are very human and fascinating, and for anyone interested in design, the country offers something that one can not find anywhere else on this planet - a commercial buisness system that rivals the west, with one BZIG difference - it's all designed without using English. To make matters more fascinating, the visual influence itself is informed by a completely different set of factors, some which find thier threads from the Shinto beliefs from the 1400's or from other cuoutral factors tha range from spirits and Shogun Edo period enthisiasts to natures patterns and cycles. Together, it all explains why a childs toy may more likely be a Milk rabbit, and not a Barbie Doll, or why a single cherry blossom can emotionaly move any female, from a 4 years old with Hello Kitty backpack, to a 90 year old grandmother taking a bus trip to Hokkaido to tour the blossoms......Japan requires work, to understand, and anyone who belives that they can simple sell a product there without researching the spectrum of influences and factors which are unique to Japan, is taking an enournous risk.

I believe that nothing happens by accident in Japan. That in fact, what we find as strange, or silly trends, actually are all every explainable, even though the answers may seem incomprehensible to most Western trained business professionals.

As a visual designer, I like to arrange trips to Japan during the countries most emotional moments, those of celebration, or at those seasonal pivotal moments that are so very important to the Japanese psyche. I just returned from a business trup there which happened to occur in late February, near Girls Day, velentines day and White Day for men, and at the blooming time of Prunus mume, the sacred Ume Plum, which smenas that certain ancient Shinto shrines that happen to dedicate thier shintoism to the Ume, open up their gates and let the Japanese celebrate this first sign of spring. It's amazing yet confusing to some of my peers who I brought along for the experience of this Shinto moment of respect, to see elderly moved to tears, an odd mx of old men, young husbands and modern housewifes all crowding around the lowly but respectable Ume apricot blossom, a seemingly underdesigned pink or white flower which appears before any other organic growth, even before the leaves, on the gnarled woody branches of apparently ancient Ume trees, which are kept in certain collections at certain shrines throughout Tokyo and Japan.

A guide moves crowds or orchid enthiusiates buying orchid themed product hrough the Tokyo Dome

My colleage Jess was confused and humored even, by the Tokyoites crowding around a certain branch on this cold Sunday morning with their cell phone cameras lifted in the cold air, through the smoke of the many street vendors seeling Ume blossom carved baked, then grilled potatoes, turnips and Ocotopus, all so foreign to us, but obviously an annual celebration which many have experienced their entire lives, as we in the west attent church or temple festivals and rituals. THis, my third Ume viewing, and I already felt at home, with the familar treats and scents. Ume wine, Ume candy, Ume carved dolls, Ume clothing, Ume bonsai, Ume cell phone decorative plates, Ume Hello Kitty limited edition playsets, Ume cookies, boxed ume lunches, Ume themed everything. I knew, that if I designed an Ume foam banana cover, to carry ones banan to work, that it would have sold oh so well! ( a current trend which respects ,and protets the Banana chosen to travel to school or office).

A school boy writes a wish regarding their future success on exams, on a cedar plank, a strangely traditionla task at the annual Ume Plum viewing as Shinto shrines through out Japan. Ume Plums, or Japanese Apricot floweirng,is the first official sign of spring in Japan, but not nearly as important as the upcoming Skaura festival - the Cherry Blossom festival.

So many photos were taken at the Ume festival, that there must be albums of images, and megabytes of screensavors all across the country, Even the book stores had magazines, dedicated to what flower viewing was featured at the moment,. although most were focusing on the upcoming Cherry Blossom/girls day festivals.

Anothing about Japan, it makes me feel young. At 49 years old, I can feel 5, instantly. In the hotels, the polite staff act like parents, lots of polite parents....makeing me feel as if I could do no wrong, kindly correcting me if I step on the wrong elevator, or tip someone who I should not, ( no tipping in Japan), . I feel as if I could not make a mistake. And I have that nice comforting feeling of "doing hte right thing; when I line-up behing everyone else, the elders, the business men in navy suits in the subway, as the line up in tidy neat rows behind the green painted lines on the subway platforms. No one out of place, and if there is an american or Austrailian not standing in line, it's OK too. THis isn't a feeling of conformity, just a sense of respect, staying with boundarys, a feeling that is so foreign and refreshing for those of us used to the american rush, anger, rudeness, roughness, crudeness 0 in Japan, I feel as if I am so safe, that if I tripped or fell, or had a heart attack in the subway, that everyone would rush to my side, and besides landing on a clean floor, I surely would find myself rushed to a hospital, not left alone after thier train comes.

I also feel like a child, a sense the designers generally love, when shopping. In a Toys R Us, we shopped and I found myself focusing on what I most likely would have focused on as a five year old. The character, the color, the toy. Not the graphics, not the structure, not the brand. All of my focus went to the toy. I didn;t care what the birst said, or the end cap, I could not read it. I had to be sold purely on the image and the object. The same went for food. It all needed to communicate with me on a more visceral and primal level. Something, perhaps, many of us designers forget, the purely visual experience sometimes isn't about the complex communication of words, logos and text, but of that instant read. That primative reason why humans are wired to be attracted to sparkle or shimmer ( it might mean 'water' to our primative mind) but in Japan, it rarely means tacky, and we in the west may dismiss such effects. A bobbling head on a toy, may mean not fun, but a horrifing resembalance to a shinto spirit from the forest, a Cherry Blossom bedecked anything most certainly badges a product as not only girl friendly, but celebrates femaleness in both rebirth and spring. Image the relationships between nature, culutre and trends when one takes the time to examine and study all of the factors and infliuenced that occur in Japan. Image what brands can learn if they take the time to study the importance of Blue Hydrangeas? Asagao, the Morning Glory, which when blooms in the summer, is not merely a trailerpark chainlink fence vine here in America, but is traded on baseball cards in tokyo school yards among boys, used to decorate ceremonial swords, kimonos for men, sold in august at in tiny pots at most every florist stand at the busy train stations in Tokyo, displayed on prints that date back to the year 400, all grown and displayed at specific Shinto shrines throughout the country, dedicated to the Asagao, collected by enthusiates, seared into gift boxes of cookies in August, on lunch boxed, on banners throughout the city.

Hello Kitty Sakura Blossom themed product was everywhere, in anticipation of both Girls day, and the viewing of the Sakura (cherry) blossoms, so important to the Japanese.

Even at the ORchid GRand Prix, at the Tokyo Dome, ochid themed cookies in gift boxed were sold next to Shishido's display of fragrance based on specific species of orchids endemic only the japan, Shishido fragrances not available outside of japan since teh believe that the western world 'would not understand or appreciate' the nuance.
Starbucks has it figured out, clearly, with a stunning line of products designed properly and sensitively themed around the Sakura Blossom and girls day season. In Japan, marketing can involve cultural influence successfully, especially if it wants to connect with the consumer at a deeper level.
And the same connection repeats itself with other important plants from the Edo era, last week, the Tokyo Dome was not filled with BaseBall players, but Orchid enthusiasts, at the Tokyo Grand Prix International Orchid exhibition, the worlds' largest. And inside, half the stadium was full of the typical, but perfect traditionsl orchid species, the other half was full of orchids that my friend said looked dead, but we're infact, highly important and respected species of Japanese orchids, only grown in Japan,, because the MEAN something to the Japanese. The species of Dendrobium moniliforme, and Neofinetia falcata, found on the out laying islands of Japan, we're common Edo period plants, only grown by the wealthy, the Shogun warriers, collected and worn by the Sumo and Shogun on thier belts, signifiying thier strength and power, risking thier lives swimming the fierce channels to these islands to get these tiny plants, which they would wear and grow with pride. These are not old lady hobiests. The Neofinetia falcata orchid has deep, emotional meaning to the Japanese.

Although I could go on and say the same about at least two dozen plants, like Chrysanthemum, Hepatica, etc, most ecery week or two has a celebration or shrine dedicated to a specific plant, that has tremendous meaning to the Japanese. Shinto is not a religion, but more of a belief of spirits of nature, a very Japaneseness surrounds the beliefsm and for any westerner looking for marketing any brand in Japan, I urge you to understand and respect this phenomenon, and then work with it, intergrate it, repectfully enhance it. But never dismiss these passions as foibles or odd displays of some unknown crazyness. And this respect for nature, and the world's connections go far beyond plants, it occurs with the arts, with music, craft, woodworking, leisure time, fashion, cultural traditions, and, it all strnagely or most wonderfully connects in a sort of web too, influencing each other. Marketing in japan must be honest, it must respect, and it must be mean something. Igonorance stands out to the Japanese as clearly as ininformed brands do in the West. We must enter this market carefully, but confidently, with the fundamental understnading that things that seem random, are not, and that just as random may sell an idea in American, simply because it is new or different, doesn't mean that random will sell in Japan. Here, design must be conscious, and designers must work consciously, not randomly, Influence must be consious, informed. You must know what you are using as influence, especially in a culture that is older than 300 years, for here, culutre does indeed have deep, and knarled roots, and it's like of helpful if you are marketing a face cream that you called Nebari, since Nebari is also the Shinto inspired word, for the certain area where an anient gnarled tree or bonsai interfaces with the earth, the smooth, curvy area, muscular and strong, where the root meets the trunk. Talk about specific, but are there opportunities in this market? You bet.....but know what you are doing in this highly influeced and highly influencial part of the world.

Koolhaas or Koolhaat?

2008-01-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

Koolaas designed Seattle Public Library

The uber-trendy Koolhaas cap, inspired by architecture.
With Pritzker Prize winning architect Zaha Hadid designing Louis Vuitton hand bags and a clothing line, I though I had just run across another Starchitect exercising thier intellectual property with a new medium. But better yet, instead I found a pure piece of influenced craft, juxtaposing, of all things architecture and knitting.

Meet the Koolhaas hat, insired by a knitter by Rem Koolhaas's new Seattle Public Library, this hat appeared in over 3000 images on Flickr when I was searching for a photo of Koolhaas's more significant structures. The architectural movement known as Morphogenisis, can mean abstract or geometric forms following the natural surface, letting nature, if you will, design the building. Who said, after all, that all buildings must have straight sides and a flat cieling? Think of how mother nature designs structure, cells in plants, repeating webbing. And now, her most perfect creation? The Homo sapien cap. The phenomenon of pure phenomenon.

Butch Beef and Baking Barbie

2008-01-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

If Barbie Baked

My daily grind suddenly seems normal. As a Creative Director for Hasbro, my world has always been divided by gender. Boys toys and Girls toys. Face it...we always knew that boys like to get dirty (Tonka) and girls like pink (My Little Pony).

I guess the rest of the world is begining to celebrate our gender differences. Look at what's at the super market right now.

At christmas I bought pink Breast Cancer Aware everything in my support for the cause......but now my whole cupboard is pink.

Pink Mayo
Pink Cereal
PInk Tomato soup
PInk Karo syrup
Pink Baking Soda.

My kitchen looks more like Barbies Dream House than the typical bachelors pad.

G.I. Joe Stew.....where is my safety orange can opener?

But thankfully, Dinty Moore has come to the rescue.
Beef Stew in a Chamo package has arrived, as well as Spam. ( ham in a can). Thanks to a limited time promotion, our friends at Hormel feel confident enough to come out of their marketing closet with thier surprisingly beautiful partnetship with Realtree® chamo brand pattern, (dead leaves in a photo-realistic fabric pattern normally seen on hunter's fleece at a Super Wal-Mart). Woo hoo! Whos da man now?

Spam for the Man...what the.....

Our Two Americas -The PInk States and the Chamo States

2007-12-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help picking up a NEWSWEEK magazine, out of pure boredom perhaps, but since my 94 year old father gets at least 4 subscriptions ( hey, he can't say no!) I discoverd the fine writing within (as if I should ever comment of ones writing! um....spell check Matt?). I then discoverd journalist Evan Thomas' piece entitled THE CLOSING OF AMERICAS MIND; a work that examines partisian warrierism in America, and our sad polarized culture which clearly can be separated into two types of people - the whole red state -blue state thing.

"America is populated by ignorant,racist, fascist knuckle-dragging NASCAR-obsessed cousin-marrying road kill-eating tobacco-juice-dribbling gun-fondling religios fanatic rednecks" and then the "Godless unpatriotic pierced-nose Volvo-driving France-loving leftwing Communist latte-sucking tofu-chomping holistic-wacko neurotic vegan weenie perverts".

When I read this joke, quipped from collumnist Dave Berry, I can clearly see how design consumption clearly divides along the same path. Sadly, I can understand this division - religion may seem evil to many blue staters - even me, but deep inside, I want to beleive that there is some sort of religion - I don't believe that religion is fundamentally bad, just fundamental religionists are because of thier brainwashed closed mindness - generally speaking of course. I must believe that deep inside all humans is that very fundamental need to believe that they are doing GOOD. And religions of all types are still fundamentally based on doing GOOD, and what is RIGHT. As a gay male American, raised as a Catholic, attending Catholic college and even church- alter boy and Sunday mass, volunteering etc until I came "out of the closet" at 21 years old and painfully discovered how naive I was about trusting mass religion, and discovering that indeed I was not "loved' or even "good", I too lost faith in what I believed was "right".

Now, as a creative.....imagine our creative partisan culture.....it too divides in much the same way....right, wrong, White Bread Amrican/Eurotrash, Educated/Ignorant, but in the end, it's really all about fear. FEAR of 'different', FEAR of Originality, FEAR of not belonging. In a world fighting over beliefs more than borders, the idea of BELONGING, is suddenly becoming much more important than where one originally comes from. In the end, we are all wanting to belong to some sort of TRIBE. God forbid we stand alone, vulnerable, independant, for then, would we really "belong" to anything?

Ornament it.

2007-12-03T07:03:00.000-05:00

2006 Target Back To School. Designed by OFFICE.

Dutch designer Tord Boontje Holiday theme for Target 2006.

I am frequently asked to either create, direct, or define the vector ornament style that has grown into the visual style of the moment. Thanks to early adopters like Target, the style which is composed of primarily vector silhouettes continues to evolve as more and more adopters and adapters craft the look that continues to feel fresh.

Coke bottles for European nightclub promotion.

Fancy, fanciful ornament is now expressed everywhere, in many styles. Sure, I wonder too, what designers might use next, but most likely, this movement of ornament will continue to evolve, as creative people use motion and different technology to continue this trend of visual design which hold the distinction of appealing to most everyone.

I personally beleive that the looks public exposure began in the mid 1990's with contemporary artist RYAN MCGUINESS whose installations of vector forms and sillo's inspired a generation of young artists who saw the style as a retaliation against a digital 1990's world of Photoshop photorealism, filters and solarflares. Oh yeah, it happens to be beautiful too.

"McGinness’s consumer-culture-inspired motifs have made their way from the corporate office to skateboards and coffee mugs to the image-heavy mandalalike painting and prints…. Moving from context to context, he has kept the concepts of marketing and branding as a launch pad for endless permutations of a consistent vision—simulacrums of the consumer environment." Excerpt from gallery guide.

Brands and Identity- Carhartt Crazy

2007-09-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

I had a friend end a friendship over this. Brands can be very personal - again, it's the whole meaning thing. Isn't it funny how today a brand like Carhartt, a working class, blue collar, practical brand of work clothes can mean authenticity to one consumer, let's say an oil rig worker in Alaska, and a completely differenet thing to a skater punk in Berlin? Smart brands know this, and even smarter brands are able to exploit it, or maximize it. I think it's fascinating how far some brands can stretch, but not surprising in a world where identity is more easily defined by the brands one chooses, than by originality.

Still the wholesome brand of the working class, construction workers in the US now have to share thier 'non-brand' attitude with fashionable youth who are adopting thier garb, but with a different statement to make. Should anyone be angry?

A Flickr Photo of the Alaska State fair's crusty Carhartt contest

A Carhart retail store in Berlin, Germany, catering to a street/punk/skater culture, where the brand allows customization across all of its retail stores.

Planet Brand

2007-07-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

Any designer who is chartered with creating a brand identity has to consider the impact as well as the reach that global brands make. Our non-designing earthings forget, or never think about how deep some of our brands reach on this planet. Sure, it's sad, and yeah, I understand that it is business....and, maybe it really dosn't make a difference to the individual...but we also all know that this depth comes at a cost - this samness comes with a loss of individuality.

While traveling in Europe or the middle east, it's interesting to see Americans search for what they find familiar. Are we just fearful of anything which we claim as 'different'? I can't imagine why one would want McDonald's while skiing in the Alps.

As this Tibeten wine ad shows, branding is spreading through even third world countries. But it sure is a nice ad!

One can;t blame the rest of the world when it comes the the design excellence that Disney delivers....but somehow, it just seems odd in Chinese.....yet, maybe not.

Multitouch monitors - Future excecise?

2007-04-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

Cool, yes. Realistic? who knows. Perhaps for presentation purposes, but cal me old school, mouse in hand seems more imediate.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid533361602/bctid422563006

Pop Customization - Design Pepsi can contest

2007-04-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

Go Pesi, Go!
The trend of customization continues, and though this isn't exactly a new concept given Cokes ambitious Coke Challenge

which includes poster design, music and more, as well as Cokes metal can design, which features the planets leading design firms, this Pepsi contest is simple, and sounds fun. It begins April 1 and run until May 10. Check it out. http://www.pepsigallery.com/

Documenta 12 leitmotifs

2007-04-04T12:14:00.000-05:00

documenta theme 1

Is Modernity our Antiquity?

The worlds most influencial art show, Documenta, held every 5 years in Kassel, Germany opens June 16, and rund through the summer. Three themes (ok......"leitmotifs) ( those Germans!) have been anounced, and the first confirms a premise that I ponder frequently in my articles, lectures and book, that of defining modernity. The Lietmotif of modernity as being the same as out antiquity is a reality that all of us creative face. Come on, visit any trendy boutique, furniture show or even Target, and the newest of the new looks more like 1967 than 2007.

We all know that modernity peaked in 1972, that there is nothin more modern than minimalism, but what about the future? If we have been recycling everything over the past two decades, what will happen once we recycle everything?

More disturbing...if creatives get much of thier inspiration from the worlds leading contemporary art exhibitions like Documenta, or the Venice Biennale, or the Whitney Biennial.....let's look at what the curators of these shows are saying. For instance, if Documenta's theme isn't proof enought that we've seen it all before......what about this......

" Today's artistic situation is highly complex, contradictory, and confusing. It's an environment that few can make sense of. Despite the proliferation of large scale, comprehensive international exhibitions-triennials, biennials, and the like-that aspire to reveal trends and meaning, the current state of affairs seems more complicated than ever given the sheer number of working artists and the morass of seemingly conflicting styles, conceptions and directions."
Alan Wienbergm Director
The Whitney Museum
(from the foreward of the 2006 Whitney Biennial)

Welcome to Beyond Trend

2007-04-04T12:09:00.000-05:00

A book submission for BEYOND TREND from UK design firm, Vault 49

Beyond Trend will simply be a creatives blog about the challenges and passions experienced by those creatives who are obsessed with design (you know who you are, and what I mean by this) and for anyone who is continually on a mission to search for the new, to create the new, to invent the future.

My new book, BEYOND TREND, deals with this subject, look for it later in 2006 or early 2007 coming from HOW Books.