New Zealand Book Council

Take a look at this amazing animated short film for the New Zealand Book Council. Gorgeous! ••••

Redefining a Profession

Great article in the New York Times about the design profession. It certainly makes me want to buy this book by Tim Brown.

His book's objective is summed up by its subtitle: to demonstrate “How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation.” He marshals lots of examples of how this works in practice, although his underlying theme is as much about how design itself is changing, as how it effects change in other industries.••••

Most Agreeable, Indeed!

I love Jane Austen, and I LOVE these book covers. What lovely and appropriate use of needlepoint by designer Leigh-Anne Mullock. Many thanks to Coolhunting for posting on her work. ••••

Chip Kid's Book Cover Picks

Love Chip Kid's book covers and love his picks of favorite book covers. (Except I disagree with his pick of A Heartbreaking Tale of A Staggering Genius...or maybe i don't like it because I don't like the book. hmm)

Click here to see them all.••••

Hogwarts School of Design

I just finished reading all of the Harry Potter books for the first time in rapid succession, so needless to say I was drooling all over my keyboard when I stumbled across the site of M.S. Corley, who cleverly re-imagined the Rowling series as Penguin Classics. I really love the restricted, graphic illustration style of these—and the fact that he is planning to release the series as prints. Approved by the Ministry... and the Crew! ••••

Start them out young

A children's book like this one doesn't come around every day— perfect for the budding graphic designer!

The plot, in brief: a Serif Fairy "has lost her left 'magical' wing, disabling her ability to fly and perform magic. She sets off in search of the lost wing, wandering through the Garamond Forest, the Zentenar Gate, the Futura City, and finally to Shelley Lake where, after falling into the water, she finds her lost wing and flies into the air." The best part is, all the characters and landscapes in the story are built from type by German graphic designer Rene Siegfried. I'm enchanted. ••••

From the Mind of Stefan Sagmeister...

A few months ago now, Meghan B and I ventured out to the ICA in Boston to hear a lecture given by a Design Great— the one, the only Stefan Sagmeister. The website for his NYC based design firm Sagmeister, Inc. will give you some idea of his unique approach to design— he is perhaps best known for his album covers or the AIGA lecture poster in which he famously carved typography into his body with an X-acto knife (ouch).

This weekend, I finally read Sagmeister's most recent book, Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far, and it is something I would recommend to designers and non-designers alike. In his straightforward, honest tone, Stefan writes about his thoughts during a client-free year. Twenty of these musings were transformed into some of the most impressive typographic creations I have ever seen— videos, billboards, murals, mailers, etc. The topics he touches upon relate to the creative process and life in general. Below are two of the fantastic video pieces that resulted from the project.







Stefan has also launched thingsihavelearnedinmylife.com, where anyone can share their own typographic reflections. ••••

Double Oh Design

I am a sucker for a well designed book series, and in my opinion Penguin has again knocked one out of the park with their most recent collection of 007 covers. I love the mod, 70s feel to the illustrations (which are sometimes, I think, as deliberately awkward as they are provocative) and the way the type works with the images— plastered across the backs, chests, and stomachs of all those memorable Bond girls. ••••

Designing For a Good Cause

50 designers were asked to share their current favorite typefaces in this hand-held booklet. 100% of the proceeds go to UNICEF's Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Children's Appeal in the wake of Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on 2nd May 2008. You can purchase the book here. ••••

Melting Creativity

Book covers are melting. Not literally of course, the imagery on the covers. Christopher Bonanos from New York Magazine discusses the latest book cover imagery trend of ice cream melting on the cover. A few designers weigh in on the topic: "It’s actually pretty creative...If you want to suggest, say, conflict over being at home with kids, you wouldn’t want a broken toy, which suggests abuse. This is just something that’s not as it was—sweet but not perfect anymore." John Fulbrook III, a former book designer who now works in branding, agrees: “In jacket design, one classic solution is using the charged object—one that tells you more than it should.” “And then it also gives you a sense of time—which is hard to convey without showing someone running down the street or something—because the ice cream’s melting. It’s one of the rare cases where you get to add a sense of action, that urgency, to a personified object.” Moreover, adds graphic designer Rodrigo Corral, it’s practical. “It doesn’t require styling. All you need is to watch it melt.”

Ok Ok designers! I understand all your points, but my opinion is... that's about 4 covers too many using the same ice cream cone. ••••

Mind the Quote

Great campaign to "Get London Reading" by KentLyons, a design agency based out of (where else?) London. The passage below was found in multiple spots along Brick Lane. The concept is simple and, I think, very effective— a well written sentence drops off the page and right onto the path you tread everyday. What better way to remind people to take time out from their busy schedules for a good book? The Get London Reading website shows its visitors where books are found around the city, offers a list of literary events, and even has a "Rough Guide to London by the Book," which is basically a tour of the city through its writings. I would love to see a campaign like this hit the US! ••••

An Interview with Blythe Russo

CrewDesign is pleased to bring you an interview with Blythe Russo, a Graphic Designer and Illustrator from Waltham, Massachusetts. Blythe is a good friend and a coworker of mine, whose work in the field of publishing and beyond never ceases to impress me. Enjoy reading more about Blythe, and when you're finished, you can view more of her work on her website: www.blythedesign.net

1. Who or what inspires you?
I find inspiration walking around Boston and taking photographs; flipping through design magazines; visiting galleries and museums; shopping in thrift stores and collecting vintage house wares; collaging and scrap booking; enjoying the amazing work that House Industries produces; getting turned on to new music; checking out cover designs on older albums, as well as book covers from the 50s/60s; studying decaying or distressed textures and surfaces; del.icio.us bookmarks; images posted on Ffffound and Drawn. I’m mostly a shut-in, and get a lot of joy spending time at home with my boyfriend. His constant support and dedication to his songwriting and recording keeps me focused, and our goofball cats are the source material for an animated project that’s in the works.
2. Do you have a favorite designer/artist?
Neville Brody – I’m very drawn to his design sensibility. He’s a British designer and typographer who started his career designing magazines and record covers in the early 80s. His layouts and typefaces have always been very radical and experimental. The Macromedia logo is probably his most recognizable work. I love the angles and shapes he creates with the placement of his type – lots of layered elements and bold colors.

3. What frustrates you most about design (or your biggest pet peeve)?
People with unrealistic expectations. I often look for freelance jobs on Web sites like craigslist to help build my portfolio. It’s difficult to not only find a decent job and client, but to get them to accept a reasonable quote. I learned early on not to low ball myself or get taken advantage of by people who ask for excess design changes they don’t want to pay for. I remember quoting a low $500 for a full identity package design and Web site creation a few years ago, only to hear back “Ohhh, wow … that’s MUCH higher than I anticipated. I’ve got several other designers who gave me lower prices. I will get back to you…” Total headache. The problem is that too many young professionals under price themselves, creating lower paying entry level positions which leads to a more competitive industry, but only in the negative sense of the word. Out of desperation, many designers end up devaluing the design process itself. Some clients think they shouldn’t just get professional services for under $100, but also feel that they can be overly demanding because they’re paying.

4. What is your favorite website to visit daily? Why do you like it?
I discovered The Consumerist about a year ago and visit several times a day. It’s a consumer affairs blog that posts reader-submitted tips and complaints about companies and corporations. I can stay informed, avoid scams, share my experiences, and occasionally find shopping deals and discounts. After reading that a customer found a metal machine bolt in their package of Perdue chicken breast, it boggles my mind why people choose to buy their produce at Wal-Mart. Yeck.
5. If you could design or redesign anything, what would it be?
The streets of Boston – traveling in town makes me crazy mad sometimes. The roads are all a giant mess of one-way loops, the Mass turnpike’s city exits get backed up for miles, and the commuter subway has the most inefficient, outdated system imaginable. I appreciate the colonial history of the city, but the street layout causes so much traffic everyday. It would be ideal to have Tokyo’s lightning fast on-time train systems combined with Chicago’s easy exit highways.

Also, I really like supermarket shopping – I think it would be interesting to redesign the layout and interior of one to see how it affects shoppers’ behavior.

6. What's the strangest request you've received from a client?
I’ve had a few bad experiences with clients that either ask for too many adjustments, or have no idea what they want from the beginning. The most annoying experience I had was with this woman who found me through craigslist. We signed a contract and I agreed to redesign a logo for her husband’s wedding photography business. She went on and on about how amazingly creative his vision was ... however the only proof of his supposed design brilliance was a desperately ugly black & white 8-ball (made up of two circles) with his initials in the middle. Again, this wasn’t for a pool-hall, it was a wedding photography business. Not a promising start.

Anyway, the visionary’s wife was disappointed with my initial designs, claiming that they “look like every other wedding logo out there – he wants something that stands out!” She even had the nerve to suggest that my work “couldn’t possibly have taken me as long as I had billed her for.” The fonts I used were “very typical and boring,” and my mock-ups were not far off from her husband’s existing logo. On top of that, it turned out that the logo redesign was to be a surprise birthday gift for her husband The Genius… so my instructions were based on what she thought he’d like!

I agreed to call her husband to discuss his ‘vision.’ I remember the night I had planned to, I got in from work late and decided to shoot him an email explaining so and that I’d be able to chat tomorrow. He wrote back, “Hehe … party girl!” Gross – I don’t even know this man! Amazingly, he was just as vague and directionless as his wife. He was sure to mention how accomplished he was in Photoshop, and how impressed he was by his own lame 8-ball. I agreed that it was ‘unique’ and served a purpose (certainly not a positive purpose), but he couldn’t seem to grasp that an 8-ball had nothing to do with weddings. Instead, he agreed with his wife - my logos were too cliché and ordinary. And goody for me, he had designed more 8-ball logo variations that night, which he proposed I modify free of charge since his wife had already paid for my first round of ‘unusable’ mock-ups. It was obvious that no matter what I designed, this guy would be unhappy if it was too similar to his logo, and disappointed if it was too different. To avoid further hassle, I emailed his wife to say that I would not be able to help. Luckily we had a contract, and she paid the kill fee built into it. Always have a contract!

Unfortunately this guy has repeatedly sent me friend requests on Facebook and his mini-feeds fill up my home page. I’m sure he’ll find this post at some point, but for the sake of comedy and to top off a lengthy story, I have to post this image. Douche chills.
7. Favorite font?
Futura – and any sleek/thin font like Avant Garde

8. Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession?
Purchase this book: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. Published by the Graphic Artists Guild, this is an essential reference book for people in the design and illustration field. It definitely helped me start my freelancing business. I love that it has standard invoice, contract and legal letter templates in the back that anyone can use with their clients. Most importantly, never sell yourself short - don’t underestimate the value and quality of your services. And always use contracts, no matter what the job is!
9. If you were to change professions, what would you choose to do?
A musician. I love to sing and want to get back into playing guitar.

10. Tell us three things about yourself that no one else knows.
I’m pretty open and share everything with my partner. I’ve wracked my brain and anything personal I’m keeping to myself. Sorry Crew!
Oh wait … I heart 8-balls.

[If you, or someone you know, would like to be a featured artist on CrewDesign, email us at thecrewdesign@gmail.com] ••••

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life

I finally made it over to the Legion of Honor (the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco) to view the Annie Leibovitz exhibit, A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005. I have long been a fan of Annie Leibovitz' photography and the exhibit did an amazing job of representing her work and her life beyond the camera. Over 200 images showcase her award winning photographs of celebrities as well as a surprising collection of personal images from her childhood, and current family life. Her well-known celebrity portraits are strongly lit, staged, and often provocative. However, I was drawn to the photos from her personal life. Showing a vulnerable side, Leibovitz proved that she is human beyond all else. Pictures of her siblings growing up, her dying father, and the birth of her children were honest in their candid, raw appeal. Leibovitz said it best herself when she stated, “I don’t have two lives. This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it.”

Of course I recommend everyone make their way over to the exhibit at the Legion of Honor, but I realize geography might interfere for some of you. So check out the next best thing - her recently published book, A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005. ••••

Penguin Masterpieces

I have a new design hero within the field of publishing. His name is David Pearson— which is a funny coincidence, I think, because Penguin is also owned by Pearson Publishers— and he is the man behind all of Penguin's amazing cover series. I was positively drooling over the nature imagery and color palatte used for the Great Loves series (above). But to get the full effect of how brilliant he really is, you need to view the full set here.
I went on to learn that Pearson was also behind the covers for both of Penguin's Great Ideas Series. What I love most about these covers is that they are driven mainly by typography, with plenty of white space and subtle, appropriate imagery for each subject. Very smart designing. Each cover is both beautiful in its own right and fantastic as part of the whole. Here for the full series of Great Ideas Volume 1 and here for Volume 2.
And because I really am just that obsessed, here are a few more from his Great Journeys series.

Spring Reading

Some springtime inspiration came in the mail today! Amazon.com, ever heard of it? It's an addiction.
Hand Job, a Catalog of Type, Michael Perry- Dubious title, AMAZING book. Flipping through it gave me so many more artists and designers to obsess over ( I hope to feature them in the coming weeks?) I recommend this to anyone who designs like I do...with paper and pencil first.
Fingerprint, Chen Design Associates- Gorgeous designs, with human touches. So tasty!
Banksy, Wall and Piece, Century- I never used to be into graffiti, until Banksy. It's not about his tagging skills, but about his sense of humor and poignant social commentary. Also his ability to hang fake works of art in museums around London and NYC...without getting caught...is awesome. This book makes me want to write in the bathroom stall at work tomorrow, but we all know that's not going to happen.
Gustave Courbet, Hatje Cantz- This book is completely comprehensive of his work, dividing it into subject matter as opposed to chronological order. It also places most works in the context of other works that may have influenced him at the time. It is a beautiful book, so inspiring. Make sure you see A Burial at Ornans at the Musee D'Orsay before you die. (Tess?)
Up top is some Amy Butler fabric I got from Reprodepot to make new kitchen curtains for our teeny-tiny window in there. Of course I wanted Marimekko...maybe someday!
"Sometimes I feel so sick at the state of the world I can't even finish my second apple pie." - Banksy
(Please excuse the messy room and crude MacBook photograph.)

Bookbuilders of Boston

On Wednesday, BookBuilders of Boston presents the Annual New England book show— and this is an exciting day for me, because for the first time my work will be featured! I am a designer for Pearson Custom Publishing, where I make customized higher-ed book covers for specific college. The two covers that made the cut are below— one on the subject of Abnormal Psychology, and the other on Principles of Transportation Economics. All the winners will be on exhibit at the Fairmont Copley Plaza on April 9th and open to the public between 11-2. (Paid attendance then begins at 5:30). They also give away free (well-designed!) hard-cover books of all the winning entries to anyone who drops by and inquires. So if you work downtown or can take a long mid-week lunch break, come by and check out the show.

ABC3D

Remember all those type exercises back in design school? Turns out they really can have real world applications! Marion Bataille's ABC3D is an "adult" pop-up book that inventively explores letterforms. The transitions Bataille makes are so clever (and even witty!): I especially enjoy the vellum overlay leg additions transforming OP into QR, and the mirror effect changing V to W. I know I am going to need to own this book– someday it could really come in handy for teaching my kids their ABCs! Available for pre-order on Amazon.

The Art of Looking Sideways

Whenever I'm feeling uninspired (or just plain bored) I pick up my copy of The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher. I originally purchased this book after I met the famous graphic designer a few years ago in his London studio. Which was a memorable experience indeed! Not only was it fascinating to see the famous designer in his home and studio, but he was surprisingly humble, and had a wicked sense of humor. Although Fletcher's body of work includes some of the most impressive graphic design I know, this book takes a far less formal approach. The Art of Looking Sideways is practically a sneak peek into his private sketch book, or journal. With over a thousand pages, you can never get bored looking through this book. Full of inspiring quotes, witty musings, brilliant colors and humorous illustrations this book is fun for everyone - not just designers!

Christopher Silas Neal

I'm digging these prints and drawings by Christopher Silas Neal. Christopher is an illustrator and designer, born in Texas, but now lives in Brooklyn and teaches at Pratt Institute. He blogs about his creative process and current projects on his website, redsilas.com.

Recommended Reading

Identity Crisis: 100 Redesigns that Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands by Jeff Fisher is going on my reading list. This book takes a look at successful before-and-after case studies of businesses that have updated and rebranded their images. The right branding and positioning helps businesses find success in the marketplace and eases the communication with customers.