An excellent example of clean, cost-effective graphic design by Form. The photography shows how well each item sits withe the others.

24th International Biennial of Graphic Design Brno 2010
Poster, Corporate Identity, Informational and Advertising Design
22/6—24/10/2010

The Brno Biennial showcases the very best of graphic design.

The Brno Biennial was established in 1963, and is thus the oldest exhibition of graphic design in the world. It regularly alternates between two subjects. The 24th year is dedicated to corporate, informational and advertising graphics and posters while the 2012 Biennial will focus on graphic design and type in books, magazines, newspapers and the digital media.

Apart from the main competition show, the Brno Biennial features a specialist symposium and a number of accompanying events, thanks to which Brno becomes a major centre of contemporary graphic design for four months.

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The International Biennial of Graphic Design is held every other year in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic – right in the heart of Europe. The main organizers are the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Moravian Gallery in Brno, in the buildings of which the Biennale takes place.

The event covers two regular themes that are alternated with each other – one includes posters, corporate identity and advertising graphics, while the other deals with graphic design and type in books, magazines, newspapers and new media.

Although many renowned artists participate, the Biennial is also open to young fledgling designers. The only priority is the quality of work. The volume of submissions is usually about 3,000 works by several hundred designers, from virtually every continent. From these, items for exhibition are chosen by the selection committee. All of the accepted designs are displayed and the International Jury then awards the Grand prix, prize for the best work in each category, as well as other prizes.

The main exhibition is accompanied by a number of associated events – in particular the symposium dealing with major contemporary issues in graphic design. Each Biennale is supported by a colour catalogue in which all of the exhibiting artists have one page with their brief details and a reproduction of their best exhibit. Each Biennial presents the most interesting ideas produced during the previous four years.

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The international biennale of graphic design will be held in the Moravian Gallery next year. The 24th year of the biennale, scheduled for 22 June – 24 October 2010, will present new items in the fields of poster, corporate identity, information and advertising graphics. All those interested in taking part in the biennale should submit their applications by 31 December 2009. Graphic designers may apply in person, through an organisation to which they belong, or through their publisher, agency or company. The application form and conditions for participation are to be found at http://www.moravska-galerie.cz/en/biennial/24th-international-biennial-of-graphic-design-brno-2010/entry-form/. The MG website also contains the names of the members of the international jury and information about the main exhibition and accompanying shows planned for next year’s biennale.

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The rest informations you can read it at the official website of 24th International Biennial of Graphic Design Brno 2010. There you can download the entry form and the terms for the participants!

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“Do you want to have some dinner?” I asked the fellow freshman out of the blue as we stood in the hallway after class.

Her intensity, energy and even short black hair framing a pale white face had attracted me for some time, but I’d never found a good time to ask her out.

Dark brown eyes darted off to the right, and a small slit smile off to the left.

“No thanks I don’t date,” she told me quietly.

“Oh well, maybe tomorrow then?” I asked with plenty of helpful puppy personality.

“No, I mean,” she added, her smile growing larger. “I mean I don’t date.”

Finally all the clues I had been overlooking for weeks came to mind: her friends, her interests, her attitude toward our instructor. There had been plenty of clues that should have told me what her answer would be. I just hadn’t taken the time to observe and reflect on them.

And that’s how most business owners go prospecting. Absorbed in what we need–more business and recognition–we constantly overlook all the clues that point to someone’s lack of interest, or at least the psychological button we should be pressing to keep their interest.

A few years ago it was easier to stay oblivious to all the clues: they were more subtle and elusive. But today we have no excuse for not being better educated. Almost every blog offers a fresh insight or technique that we could use.

Social media sites not only offer education; they also provide a powerful example of how differently people interact in the social media age. Those who have made huge fortunes on the internet are really culture-builders; while the second-tier success stories only manage to build communities or “tribes.”

Internet success has always been mostly about seeing which the way is blowing. Even after leaving our computers, we need to feel special, smart, and acknowledged by someone rich or famous for our personal qualities. As we use social media more, we carry away these expectations and dreams. In the second decade of the new century, successful businesses will become better at recognizing all the clues, and responding to them creatively.

How many media-savvy college freshmen are repeating the mistakes I made so many years ago? Probably thousands. We’re all merely Getting Any human after all.

It’s Thanksgiving day, and although it sounds frivolous, I have spent the last few days thinking about what brands I really care about, that make a positive difference in my life, and that perform against higher standards than most. This is highly unscientific, personal, and random. But these companies make products that drive preference–mine at least–and stay the course in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

You will notice that the cool advertising is not  the reason these brands have been chosen. Cool advertising–or any advertising–is not the same as a brand. The same goes for the logo.

The list is in alphabetical order:

American Express For not recklessly pursuing the sub-prime market. For the wonderful Platinum card, which has earned every penny of the annual fee by giving me access to airline clubs on bad travel days. For retaining the original card member year on the face of the card.

Apple For gorgeous design, intuitive controls, and perfection in packaging. For not selling out to Intel’s co-branding dollars and keeping its advertising clean and distinctive.

Bergdorf Goodman For not contributing to the homogenization of the world and maintaining its one, spectacular and historic location. For merchandise that you can’t get elsewhere.

Felco For the best pruners in the world, in all sizes. 15 years and counting.

Google Voted in by my daughter, “because it answers all her questions,” and it’s hard to argue that. Besides, it isn’t afraid to take the logo out for a walk now and then. All I ask is that they stick with their mantra, “Don’t be evil”.

Hershey* For giving new meaning (or the original meaning) to “corporate social responsibility”. For employee retention and loyalty that few can claim. For staying true to its roots, even in extensions like the amusement park and hotel. *If they buy Cadbury and mess with the Trust, they are off the list.

Martha Stewart The brand, not the person. For inspiring me to get back in touch with my inner crafter, and make my home a better place. For an unerring eye for color, composition and quality. For products that are manufactured to high standards.

NPR For miraculous programing that brings a fresh face and point of view to whatever it covers. For Car Talk, Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, Jonathan Schwartz, An American Life, all of which have kept me in my car long past the time for me to get out.

Olay For reinventing itself from an obscure, old lady brand, to a well-priced, well-researched, line of skin care products just before the recession hit. Well done!

OXO For changing forever the experience of peeling a potato–in other words, ergonomic innovation. For standing out among all the endless kitchen tools.

The minute I finish this post, I will undoubtedly come up with other winning brands. I’ll just keep them until next year.

How about you?

Again, are my brains’ bolts and screws different from everyone else’s ? Do you also get that weird bottom of the stomach feeling, when looking at the above?

AOL Revamps Its Logo, Hoping to Revive Brand
November 23, 2009, 5:10 am
AOL is taking a cue from Boy George, hoping to improve its karma by becoming a chameleon.

A new brand identity to be adopted by AOL next month, when it is spun off from Time Warner, ditches the odd-looking triangle that has long served as the brand symbol and replaces the letters AOL with “Aol.” — complete with a period, The New York Times’s Stuart Elliot writes.

Andrey, pay your attention: New logo in Corporate identity

This goes to show that even if you work in marketing, even if you are remotely involved in any of its functions, your mind gets rewired. And now you are always on the lookout for how others are grasping their branding opportunities. At around 6 in the morning, after a 3 hour flight to Istanbul, while my prince charming was simply looking for our bag, which would later turn out to be lost somewhere in the hidden dungeons of Turkish Airlines’ storage facilities…I was thinking of how to get a good snap of this installation to put on my back then non-existent blog…And now that i’m frantically jamming that same suitcase for an impeding trip to Jordan, I thought I’d break my silence and, hopefully, entertain you.

To successfully restyle a corporate I.d. you have to look/think inside the box and see what you come up with. At least, that’s my opinion.

At Rebrand you will find a huge collection of “before and after” logo’s. check it out (and maybe you will start agreeing with me?!

Click this sucker to make her bigga.

This is my experience diagram for applying to the Rural Studio Outreach program. After discussing this diagram, I thought about it for a night or two, and decided to avoid the web aspect of the experience altogether. Instead for my collateral items I chose: 1. a promotional/awareness poster 2. an application package, consisting of a view book and 3. a removable application form. And finally 4. An acceptance package, for the handful of chosen participants.

This is an addition to the business card/envelope/letterhead set. plus B/W ad for grand opening, and invitation to …an opening event of some sort. stay tuned for this bizniss.

Individual identities for Thoughtworks offices, 10 of them in total to do, you’ll see them here or on the main site as and when they’re done!

“HO HO HO it’s off to work we go”. And just in time for the holiday grind, BXC’s mini 7.25 US maple custom skate decks and not available at a skate shop near you. Actually these are a limited production we’re sending out free as our holiday client and super friends gifts. Are you on the “Nice” or “Naughty” list? Call me to find out, or order yours online here and support the art of killing time… www.zazzle.com/nicelogo

Art credits: Drew Dougherty and Bethany Ng exclusively for BXC Inc. ©2009.

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Click here to download our FREE design portfolio: www.nicelogo.com

Choosing a graphic designer can be intimidating for many small businesses and entrepreneurs.  I’m going to focus the next few posts on helping make that process easier.

One of the most important things in choosing a designer should be looking at their portfolio.  Hopefully they have an online portfolio, but if not make sure you are able to see a hard copy.

When looking at the portfolio, keep a couple things in mind.

• Do you like what you see?  If you don’t like what they designed for other people, chances are you won’t like what they design for you.
• Is there variation in their portfolio?  While most designers will develop somewhat of a style, there should be some variation from client to client.  This shows that they take the clients’ personality and needs into account rather than just designing what they’re used to.
• Look for repeat clients.  If you see several projects done for the same client this can tell you two things.  One, someone else was happy enough with them to use them again.  Two, you can see how well these pieces work together to get an idea of how well the designer does at integrating multiple pieces into an overall branding and marketing campaign. 
• If you don’t see something in their portfolio that you want to, ask for additional experience.  You can ask for examples of a specific type of material, or for examples of an integrated campaign.

What do you look for when looking at a graphic designer’s portfolio?

Rebranding Representing All Women: A Case Study

A few years ago I started working with seminar speaker and dream coach Stephanie Beattie, owner of Representing All Women (RAW), a company dedicated to helping people reach their goals through insight and motivation.

When I started working with RAW, their corporate identity consisted of a background of baby blue sky with fluffy clouds and a pair of hands unclasping to release a butterfly. My client felt like it expressed her passion to help women learn how to have it all as they discover what they really want from their lives.

The Book

When Stephanie asked me to design the cover of her first book “You Can Have It All: Unleash Your Inner Diva”, we discovered that her existing brand image wasn’t really the strong, powerful image she wanted to portray. She likes strong colours and “a lot of bling”. She is a powerful woman with a lot of personality, so we needed to revise her brand identity to reflect that.

The cover design we settled on for the book consisted mainly of deep magenta and black–a clean design with colour that really popped. The text at the top of the front cover appears to be diamond encrusted, complete with sparkles to add the bling.

Corporate Identity

To carry that look through the rest of RAW’s identity and marketing materials, we updated the logo. The “Representing” in the company name was changed to a slightly different script font, and the colour was altered from a muddy red to 100% magenta, with the words “ALL WOMEN” modified to an updated san serif font. We wanted to update the logo yet not change it so much as to make it unrecognizable to existing clients.

With the logo redesigned, we then revised her business cards. A simple two pms colour printing process with an added spot varnish on an extra heavy stock made her business cards fit for a diva! The cards have a black background on the front, with a solid magenta background on the back. The all-over gloss varnish, with a diamond patterned matte spot varnish really made the cards look and feel impressive.

RAW | Representing All Women magazine

Our next project has been the most fun of all! Laura, my new business partner, and I recently launched Expressions Custom Publications. Since I’ve worked with Stephanie for the last few years, I knew she was the perfect person to approach about creating her own magazine.

As I expected, she jumped at the idea and committed instantly. Now that she and I are both comfortable with her new look, designing the quarterly magazine was easy. We kept the same colour palette and clean design of the book and identity, and created a new logo for RAW. We’ve designed the media kit and the first issue of the magazine is well underway, to be available in early February.

Website

I’ve already updated www.representingallwomen.com to reflect the new style and provide online registration for Stephanie’s workshops. Within the next few months, I’ll continue to revamp the look and add more features that incorporate the magazine and book such as excerpts, articles and some fun, interactive quizzes.

We need to create an effective website with quality content that has the functionality we’ll need to inform people about workshops and coaching services, sell the book, allow people to subscribe to or advertise in the magazine, and capture contact information from visitors.

We have created Twitter and Facebook accounts with Stephanie’s voice, and are also working on adding videos from her last workshop to YouTube to help people build a connection with the brand and Stephanie herself.

It’s not the end

Developing a brand identity is an ongoing thing that will continue to evolve. The Representing All Woman brand will continue to grow and add new products, services and events, so the brand will have to grow along with it. We’re ready for the challenge.

As is mandatory on any Adelaide visit, Arthur and I went to Dumpling King today. On the way back to our car, an indigenous man stopped us to ask for some money. We got to chatting a bit and he asked us where we were from.

We tried to explain the whole we-live-in-Melbourne-but-we’re-from-Adelaide thing but he kept asking about ‘before that’ and ‘back’, looking at Arthur. Eventually we worked out that we was asking about our ethnicity – Arthur has been mistaken as of Italian descent before. Anyway, so I said, “Nah, we’re both Australian from way back.” (Oh, the irony of saying that to an indigenous man!) That seemed to clear things up for him and he told us a little about his family and how they travel from place to place.

What struck us was how important a corporate identity was to this man. We talked about ‘where we came from’ in terms of what city we lived in. Yet, for him, identity was caught up with his ‘people’. I don’t pretend to understand the intricacies of indigenous identity, or even whether this man was representative, but it gave me cause to think of who my ‘people’ are.

It’s easy to identify nationally, “I’m an Australian” or familially, “I’m a Lockery” or “I’m a Davis” but if I stop and think, I’m reminded that my ‘people’ are those who, like me, have been purchased by Jesus’ blood. In seeing how strongly this man identified according to his family, I think there’s something to learn. I belong to a people, and though currently displaced, we look to sharing together in a better country. I wonder how strongly that sense of belonging to the people of God shapes me? If someone asked me where I belonged, or who my ‘people’ are, I wonder if I would ever say that I belong to the people of Jesus?

Bauhaus: Weimar, Dessau, Berlin, Chicago

✍ 1969: Hans M. Wingler

(1969: MIT Press; ISBN 026223033x)

Designed by Muriel Cooper:

This is the one book I fetishize (thus my very serious attempt to make it look sexy whilst  photographing it).

It was a major expense back in the day. I got a discount on it, though — I was working as a Library Assistant at the Vancouver Public Library and saved, maybe, 25%. It’s one of my oldest books.

It’s also the “Most Pure” book in my collection. Muriel Cooper’s perfect design is zen-like. Slipping the huge volume into its minimalist slipcase feels like engaging in part of an elaborate Shinto rite.

The Bauhaus changed the design destiny of the twentieth century. Its influence continues to shape our material lives.

This tome (6.5 kg and 670 pages) was first published in 1962 in Berlin. MIT Press worked the translations, and this version was launched in 1969. It quickly became the ne plus ultra amongst the plethora of books on the Bauhaus that would follow in its wake. It’s still in print, but I haven’t read any hoopla about its 40th birthday in English, so this is my tribute to a book that changed my life.

One of my private treasures.

designKULTUR:
MURIEL COOPER: POLYMATH EXTRAORDINAIRE

MURIEL COPPER (1925-1994)

One of the giants of 20th-century design

Muriel Cooper using a Polaroid SX-70 for a self-portrait; video imaging at Visible Language Workshop, 1977

MIT Media Lab rendred as Soft Type, 1990

Composite comparison of calligraphy at three resolution levels, VLW 1990

Three self-portraits by a Visual Language Workshop student, using early copy, paste, and distort techniques, recorded with Poloroid, 1982

Books produced for the MIT Press during Muriel Cooper’s tenure as media director, 1969-1977

In 1967 Cooper joined the MIT Press as its first art director. Above: her logo for the Press, 1963

MIT Summer Session announcements, 1958

The official history of the Media Lab by Stewart Brand (The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at MIT, MIT Press, 1989) makes scant reference to this remarkable woman who was, at the time of her death, the only female tenured professor at the lab. Three entries in the index lead to passing mentions but, despite chapter-length discussions of other departments at this latter-day Bauhaus, not one is devoted to the Visible Language Workshop.

“Muriel Cooper’s Visible Wisdom” by Janet Abrams

Herald Tribune, AIGA website, and in a conversation with Ellen Lupton.

More info:

Muriel Cooper: “The unsung heroine of on-screen style,”

The New York Times

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designKULTUR:

BOOKS: THE BAUHAUS WEIMAR DESSAU BERLIN CHICAGO (1969)

Tijdens de A+A vakbeurs van 3 november 2009 tot en met 6 november 2009 heeft Van Puijenbroek Textiel uit Goirle een active Bluetooth zone binnen haar stand geïntegreerd.
Tijdens de vakbeurs in het Duitse Dusseldorf presenteerde het bedrijf haar nieuw workwear, protective wear en corporate identity collectie van de merken Bucofa & HaVeP .

Binnen de stand werd de active Bluetooth zone gerealiseerd door middel van een aantal Bluetooth Servers. Binnen de Bluetooth Zone werd actief een bestand uitgezonden, waarin de kernkwaliteiten van de beide merken in beeld en tekst naar voor kwamen.

Een groot aantal bezoekers van de beurs ontving de slideshow direct op zijn mobiele telefoon.
Behalve de directe aflevering van het bestand bij bezoekers, hielp de inzet van Bluetooth Marketing om Van Puijenbroek Textiel zich tijdens de beurs te profileren als onderscheidend en innovatief.

Have you ever been handed a business card or brochure that screamed “homemade”?  You know…the one on the lightweight paper with the text that just doesn’t line up? The one decorated with clipart?

How about the website that is an online remake of the company’s brochure or an email that is just text rather than an online eNewsletter?

Regardless of how qualified these individuals are, their promotional materials say “not serious” or “hobby”.

Now the Flip Side…When you receive quality promotional materials, the message is  “experience” – “established” – “knowledgeable” – “credible”.  There is a consistent look between the printed materials, the website, and the email marketing materials. The logo and images are clean and the message is valuable and interesting.

The image you project with your promotional materials can make you appear larger than life…someone worth consideration.  A graphic designer can evaluate your requirements, develop a marketing plan, work within your budget and help you project a professional image.

So…Which message would you rather send…hobby? …or experienced and knowledgeable?

I have added a couple of whitepapers to the blog for your interest. The first, ‘Brand and Corporate Personality as Relationships – systems theory’, explores some thinking on brand relationships and some models including the brand-as-person model. The second, ‘Brand Dynamics and Eco-motive strategies’, looks at some ideas of mapping brand psychology on economic cycles.

Check them out on the ‘Whitepapers’ pages above or the links on the right.

Houston’s chapter of the prestigious American Society for Quality (ASQ) has invited me to speak at their November monthly meeting. My topic will be “Communications and the Cost of Quality” (see http://www.asqhouston.org/Meetings.htm).

The Cost of Quality is a big deal to business. Oil industry giant Schlumberger spends about a million dollars a day on its quality, health, safety, and environment (QHSE) program.

An effective quality program reduces such direct costs, and increases customer loyalty and retention. But it can only succeed if every employee is fully committed to its success from day one. Corporate policies are one way to make this happen. For example, Schlumberger strictly enforces personal accountability for quality.

Smaller companies need to find an economical, flexible approach to lowering the cost of quality. In next week’s presentation I’ll suggest building a strong community of stakeholders around a core message that supports a new corporate culture of quality.

Individuals and companies are already using my four-step process to market themselves to employers and prospects. Corporations can also use it to “market” quality to employees, in a benevolent process designed to engage and empower them and make quality improvement an important part of every task.

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Look at your business and see if marketing, sales, operations and your strategy are all going in different directions and then ask yourself; how much time do I spend on strategy and management?

Here is the deal we see will many clients:  they put together a 1-3 year strategic plan with all the research, charts, forecasts, budgets, and bells & whistles, but without proper management and EXECUTION they fail.  Execution is the key to maintaining an even or uneven keel in your company.  Your Business ID is what ever you want to make it, but it must be managed in accordance with you business plan regardless of if you are a start-up or F500 company.

What is your current Business ID?  I will give you a hint:  you are the wrong person to answer this question!  Your customers and employees should be surveyed to answer this question.  The goal of asking is to see if your employee and customer perceptions line up with the business plan you have been trying to implement.  Business ID is also known as your Brand (i.e. your reputation).  If the saying “your reputation precedes you” is true, then you better make sure it is a good great reputation.

If you own a business you understand the stresses and pressures of being an entrepreneur.  It is important to not let those stresses and pressures divert your time needed to plan and manage.  That is how successful execution is carried out.

Few tips:

• Your customers know what your Business ID really is
• A good idea is only a good idea…the same can be said for a lengthy 40 page business plan
• Execution is everything
• Through execution you find your Business ID
• Once you have a great reputation established, maintain it
• Take the time to plan, check how plans are going and managing the people and systems to facilitate