May 6th, 2009
That sound you’re hearing right now is us tooting our own horn. We had some work included in the recently released Big Book of Self Promotion, (S. Stephens, 2009, HarperCollins Publishers). Despite it’s title, the book has hundreds of examples of work created for clients, including a chapter, titled “Its All About the Event”, devoted to materials created to promote events. That is where you’ll find the two pieces we have in the book (shown below). They were created for the 2007 Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon, held in Newport, RI, a fundraiser event to benefit the Providence Ronald McDonald House.
Shirt design inspired by the Hibiscus-banded Hawaiian shirts,
with a New England twist.
Tags: Design For Social Causes, event promotion, promotional materials
Posted in Design For Social Causes, Marketing & Promotions | No Comments »
April 21st, 2009
For readers in the U.S., we hope you’re enjoying a wonderful spring so far, and finding time to get outdoors and enjoy the warmer weather. As you are surely aware, April 22 is Earth Day, a perfect time to remind ourselves of the the many simple pleasures that nature has to offer, particularly here in New England.
In that spirit, we’d like to share a little gift with you, a Calendar of Simple Pleasures in New England Nature (PDF file, 216KB). It’s designed as a paperless doc that you can save to your desktop, refer to when you wish, check off boxes throughout the years (it never expires), or share with friends. We hope it helps you discover (or rediscover!) some new natural wonders and enriches your enjoyment of the outdoors a little.
BTW, if you’d like to receive occasional emails with these kinds of resources, news & events, and giveaways, perhaps you might be interested in joining the mailing list to receive SEEdlings, our newsletter?
Happy Earth Day,
Rob & Lisa
Tags: Earth Day, endless calendar, nature calendar, New England nature
Posted in Design for Environmental Causes, Logo Design, Marketing & Promotions, Random Ideas & Inspirations | No Comments »
April 7th, 2009
Soon after the start of my past career as an environmental educator, I learned the following about teaching, and the approach one takes to the practice.
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Nearly a dozen years later, at the start of my career as a graphic designer, I discovered a similar principle holds true for graphic design.
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Around that same time, I came upon a bit of self-understanding regarding my work and the topics I was addressing. While the following surely doesn’t apply to all designers, I have found the principle is typically true in my case, and perhaps grows stronger over time.
Tags: audience engagement, graphic design principles, Graphic Design Theory, teaching, teaching and graphic design
Posted in Graphic Design Theory | No Comments »
March 25th, 2009
Lisa and I were strolling through a local store recently when a wonderfully peculiar item caught my eye. It was a 9″ inch high ebony carving, made in Kenya, with a simple face etched in one side. We talked briefly about how funny the facial expression was. Despite its simplicity, it seemed to be all at once happy, puzzled, and a bit concerned. We laughed that it reminded us of Wilson the Volleyball.
So you can imagine my delight to discover it sitting on my desk one morning. Apparently Lisa had returned several days later and purchased the carving as surprise gift.
“Wilson” has claimed his rightful place beside my computer, looking back at me…and occasionally fielding my questions with an appropriate look of dismay, as if to say, “You can’t be serious?”
He also inspired the pattern/wallpaper shown here. If you can find some way to use it, please feel free. You can download a vector file of the pattern, and alter it however you wish.
Tags: ebony carving, free vector pattern, free wallpaper, Kenyan art
Posted in Random Ideas & Inspirations | No Comments »
March 17th, 2009
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Posted in Random Ideas & Inspirations | No Comments »
February 18th, 2009
Putting the back of your business card to work for you
Among those of us whose work includes designing business cards, there is often some debate about the most effective treatment for the back of a card. Many prefer to leave the back blank, or at least leave significant white space - to allow for making personal notations, adding cell numbers on occasion, etc., in which case printing on uncoated stock is also very helpful in in avoiding smeared writing. Others prefer to use the back of the card in some other way, including product or service descriptions, or perhaps an eye-catching design to help the card stand out.
Like most other areas of design, the best decision is really dependent on the specific needs of the client, the means of distribution (i.e. the client’s patterns and habits when handing out their business card), and the specifics of their intended audience.
When re-printing the latest batch of my own business cards (pictured above), I chose to include my mission statement on the back, along with a small illustration. In addition to serving as a sample of my work, the illustration is a nod to my background as an environmental educator whose work included leading birdwatching expeditions. Perhaps it also serves as a loose metaphor for the spirit behind my current work.
Tags: business card, business card design, business cards, marketing collateral
Posted in Graphic Design Practices, Graphic Design Theory, Marketing & Promotions | 1 Comment »
February 10th, 2009
Design Against Fur 2008, an event held by the Fur Free Alliance, produced many excellent posters (and animated shorts). Among them is certainly the poster (below) created by Feng Chen, a student from Beijing China, winning both the Grand Prize and the International Peoples Choice Award.
The event’s other winning designs can be seen here.
The Fur Free Alliance is “an international coalition of over 35 animal protection organizations working to bring an end to the exploitation and killing of animals for their fur.”
For “inFURmation” on this year’s competition, check out Design Against Fur 2009.
Tags: animal protection, animal welfare, Design Against Fur, Fur Free Alliance, fur-free, posters against fur
Posted in Design Events, Design For Social Causes, Design for Environmental Causes | No Comments »
February 5th, 2009
ALL THESE FEATURES AND “FLYING ACTION”, TOO!
Tags: bicycle ad, Columbia bicycles, comic book ad, vintage ad
Posted in Random Ideas & Inspirations | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2009
I’m normally not a proponent of contests within the visual arts professions, as they are often structured and/or carried out in a manner that devalues, and sometimes even degrades, the industry and its participants. Nevertheless, when I was recently contacted by a representative from The Jed Foundation and asked if I would share some information about their upcoming video competition, I dutifully checked it out, particularly since I heartily support The Jed Foundation’s mission.
Although I’m not familiar with the nuances of the video industry, this event looks worthwhile to me, so I’m pleased to share it here…
For starters, they’ve dubbed it an “award” (vs. contest or competition), The Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award.
The event is for “college students who have had mental health issues”, and asks them to “create a video on their experiences with mental health issues and how they are working to raise awareness and encourage their peers on the issue”. The creator of the winning video receives the award, which includes a $2,000 scholarship, a trip to NYC to our annual gala in June 2009, recognition through The Jed Foundation’s website and events and possibly appearing on MTVU.
The Jed Foundation which works nationally to reduce the rate of suicide and the prevalence of emotional distress among college and university students.
Additional information about The Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award is available on the foundation’s website: http://jedfoundation.org/programs/student-voice-of-mental-health-award.
Good luck to all who participate!
Tags: film students, mental health, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, The Jed Foundation, video award, video contest
Posted in Design Events, Design For Social Causes | No Comments »
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