6.05.2009

I guess the real question here is...

...Will Conan save the princess?

I'm not a big late night TV fan--if I can stay up past Jon Stewart's monologue, that means I'm usually up working--so in our house, Jay Leno's last show came and went without mention, as did Conan's first week as Tonight Show host.

However, I got in late last night, and I did turn Conan on right before bed, if only to see his new backdrop. Have you seen it?



It's fine, it's a backdrop; serving the exact purpose it's there to do... look nice behind the host. However, the folks over at Serious Lunch (found via Gizmodo) must have played a LOT of Nintendo back in the day, because they found that Conan's kind-of stained glass backdrop is really Super Mario in disguise!



Check out Serious Lunch for an animated gif layover of both images.

I think it's really cool--plus, it gives me an excuse to restart my quest to beat MarioKart; apparently, there's a ton of inspiration I'm missing as I try not to fall off Rainbow Road!

6.04.2009

So yeah... I want this

First of all, let me just say that I am a huge, huge fan of Swiss Miss. Not just a (huge) fan of the blog, but a fan of her; as her personality shines through in most everything she writes about. I really want to sit down and chat with her for a bit; we clearly like the same sort of things, and if we ever ran out of cool design stuff to talk about (ha!) we have parenthood in common as well.

But enough gushing--about Swiss Miss, anyway. Let's gush about this awesome, AWESOME chest of drawers she came across:





Made by Kent and London, it is definitely drool-inducing.

Inspired by vintage printing blocks, this beautifully finished chest of 26 drawers is made from solid oak - the perfect place to file everything from A-Z!


I think they probably could have stopped at the word perfect--because it is.

(Thanks swiss-miss!)

6.03.2009

Hey Microsoft, Bing this!

OK, maybe I'm just biased; but man, when it comes to design, Apple really gets it right. Microsoft? Yeah, not so much. Behold, the new Bing logo:



Bing is supposed to be the next Google--the search engine that is going to change. Your. Life. Or, at least help you find things better. And, taking a page from Google's book, they've designed a pretty bad logo. Brand New has a pretty good post titled Bing sets New Record in Horizontal Scaling. I think we all know where this is going to go:

This is like setting the resolution of your screen to 6,000 pixels wide by 1,000 high. I can’t even imagine how someone arrives at a design solution like this. The shapes resulting from the strenuous horizontal scaling are simply too unflattering and unattractive. There is bad taste and then there is this. What was going through the designer’s mind? “I’ll scale it a little bit. Hmmm, maybe just a little more. More. More. I have so much power. I’m drunk in scaling power. More. More. Scale it more. Don’t stop. Do it. Okay, that’s enough.”


So there you go; yet another check in the bad design column for Microsoft. I think one of the commenters said it best when they said: "Was it designed by an engineer?"

6.02.2009

New logos: refreshing, or no?

This weekend I was thumbing through the Week In Review, and what would have been a pretty decent article on some recent logo redesigns was completely ruined by the fact that the magenta plate was about 1/16 of an inch off on press, which meant that every image that had even the tiniest bit of magenta in it pretty much sucked.

Thank goodness the article is online.

Behold the new breed of corporate logo — non-threatening, reassuring, playful, even child-like. Not emblems of distant behemoths, but faces of friends.


Companies like Walmart, Stop and Shop, and even Cheer laundry detergent are going out with the old; in with the new, softer, more fun, wheeeeeeeeee, we're having a good time over here! I mean, lots more lowercase and swooshes (but not those late 90's/early millennium tech swooshes).

Check out the slideshow at the top of the page for some before and afters.

6.01.2009

Toy Story 3

Seeing as though we just saw Up this weekend (I love you, Pixar!), I thought this was appropriate:



Can't wait!

5.29.2009

Right on Target

I have a love (love, love, love, love)/hate relationship with Target. I love the place, I really do. However, I hate the fact that I can't go into one without spending $200 in one pop. Seriously. It's like their pumping the air full of some kind of chemical that makes me want to buy every. single. thing. in. the. store.

Or maybe I'm just a sucker for packaging.

Not that their old packaging was anything to brag about... but their new packaging certainly is.

Last time I was at Target (probably last week--maybe the week before; I try and stretch out the time in between trips but it never quite works out the way I want it to), I was in the baby section, and I noticed that the Target brand diapers and wipes had a new, exciting look:



Fancy, fancy, I thought. Turns out, all of Target brand health and beauty products (all 800+ of them), will be looking more fancy fancy. Check out Brand New for a side by side comparison of old versus new packaging, and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Yet another check in the love (love, love, love, love) Target column.

5.28.2009

Beer!

I love beer, and I love design; so what's not to love about the following post on the history of beer packaging?

Beer has come a long way since breweries first had the idea of developing can packaging nearly 100 years ago. In the early 1900s, breweries had a problem producing a can that would withstand the pasteurization process and allow the beer to still taste good when it reached the consumer. In order to withstand the heat and pressure of the process, the first beer cans were constructed of tin and steel and were much more thick and sturdy than the ones we see today. By 1935, the first commercially produced beer in a can hit the market.




Some of the vintage cans are so cool--I love the art deco look of Krueger's. Very interesting to read--and see--the evolution of beer in a can.

(Thanks designsoft, via Twitter)

5.26.2009

Salt

The installation in the following image is made of salt. Salt, people.



I can't even wrap my head around that one. I mean, when I was a kid, and we went out to eat, I loved to pour out a package of sugar and trace designs into it. However, this takes it about a bazillion levels beyond that.

Here's video of just how Motoi Yamamoto does it:



And here's some links to view even more of his absolutely amazing work:

Design You Can Trust

Colectiva

Booooooom

Salt.

So cool. Unbelievable--but man, so cool.

5.21.2009

The Design Disease

Print Magazine tweeted a link to The Design Disease yesterday, and it totally made me laugh.

It seems to me that if you're a designer, a proper designer not someone who learnt Photoshop in between phone calls, then design runs through your veins like Pantone 7418. But more than that, it's there in every aspect of life. You can't stop looking at things through your designer eyes. Everything you do is clouded by this thing that lives inside you.

The post goes on to show a day in the life of a designer, through pictures. As in, you're out and about, and came across this parking garage sign:



and it would annoy you, really annoy you, that it wasn't quite centred and it wasn't quite justified and it wasn't left aligned and it wasn't right aligned. You see sometimes the disease will stop you enjoying things...


(Yes. Yes it would.)

Then you'd see this:



...and wonder how on earth that can be allowed to happened. Who would space type like that?


(Seriously. Why is this out for public viewing?)

The entire post is very, very funny--and very, very true (at least for me!)

5.19.2009

Dear American...

...Your website stinks!

My friend Marcy tweeted this link to Dustin Curtis's website yesterday, and I think it's pretty genius:

Dear American Airlines,

I redesigned your website's front page, and I'd like to get your opinion.

I’m a user interface designer. I travel sometimes. Recently, I had the horrific displeasure of booking a flight on your website, aa.com. The experience was so bad that I vowed never to fly your airline again. But before we part ways, I have a couple questions and three suggestions for you.

How did this happen? If I was running a company with the distinction and history of American Airlines, I would be embarrassed -- no ashamed -- to have a website with a customer experience as terrible as the one you have now. How does your CEO, Gerard J. Arpey, justify treating customers this way? Why does your board of directors approve of this? Your website is abusive to your customers, it is limiting your revenue possibilities, and it is permanently destroying the brand and image of your company in the mind of every visitor.


Dustin then goes on to show the current home page (view it here--blech, I know), and his suggested redesign.

What a great way to grab a company's attention! Not to mention market yourself as well. Brilliant, all around!

(Thanks Marcy!)

5.18.2009

One Day of Design

I'm pretty excited for this book to come out:

When I wake up, when I check the time, when I brush my teeth, when I get dressed, when I have breakfast, when I cross the street, when I call to say I’ll be late again, when I work, when I have a break, when I get back home, when I relax and when I go to sleep I am surrounded by graphics and illustrations.

'One Day' takes a comprehensive look at how these graphics have entered our daily lives, and adorn everything from alarm clocks to skateboards. Not only do these graphics apply beauty, life and personality to our objects, but they also create a relationship with us, when they become part of the “visual soundtrack” to our lives.






According to Amazon, it will be released stateside at the end of next week. Which is when I will be ordering it!

5.15.2009

More stuff I love

This business card:



A card for a developer, with a behind the scenes peek at all the code? Excellent idea! (My husband is a developer--I wish I came up with something like this for him!)

Check out webdesignerdepot for 99 more really cool cards--some you've seen, others you haven't... either way, a lot of these cards are great!

(thanks to Andrew Kelsall, via Twitter for the link)

Love it!

I want this shirt!



Visit Typography Shop ("Our Neue Blog." Heh heh heh) for all the font addicts in your life. I think I may have to get the kiddies some shirts as well--I love the tagline on that page, too: "Teach your children well. About type."

I love it!

(thanks to HOWmag, via Twitter)

5.14.2009

Yummy, yummy print

I am in love with FPO--For Print Only--a new site from Under Consideration. I think they say it best:

FPO is a blog dedicated to both the visual stimulus and the detailing of the development and production of printed matter... The content of FPO will be gathered by submissions from our readers as well as by the findings we make online. We will do our best to show the most recent work produced, so that the blog doesn't feel like you have seen everything before. Whenever possible we will have the full scope of production details and project overview but we will also post projects where we are unable to gather all that information when we think they are worth sharing despite the lack of minutia.



Jessica Hische Business Cards

The work featured thus far is so inspiring, so beautiful. I love that they are trying to feature all the specs: production costs and time, printer credits, etc. It's nice to see beautiful work, even nicer to see how long it took, how much it cost, and--of course--giving credit to all those involved in the process, not just the designer (because even though we designers rock, printed work doesn't happen without the, er, printer).

Stop by FPO and drink up some lovely printed work. Because print is SO not dead.

5.11.2009

Ha ha!

Found: Typographunnies, chock full of typography jokes! As in:

What typeface do fish fear most? Gill Sans!

and

Yo mama’s so old, she refers to Century as Futura.

and

Bob: Why the long face, Helvetica Compressed?
Helvetica Compressed: Remember that Bembo from the club last night? She was the Open Type. She let me kiss her and I contracted Monotype!
Bob: Oh man, that sounds horrible! At least you're not your cousin, Helvetica STD.


Good for a Monday morning giggle!

5.08.2009

Summer + Coke...

...equals fun, new packaging!



Check out psfk or the dieline to see the rest of the designs. I love it! OK, Pepsi? How are you going to respond?

(Thanks Daryl Ohrt via Twitter)

5.07.2009

Font fight!!!

If you haven't seen Font Conference yet, I highly suggest heading over to collegehumor.com and watching it. Then, check out Font fight.



UPDATE: Sorry kids, I couldn't embed the video... Seems College Humor's videos are really wide; and, well, my blog isn't.

I think my favorite part is when Stencil shouts, "Increase your margins! That way, they'll think there's more of us than there really are!" Too funny!

(Thanks to HOW Magazine)

5.06.2009

Old stuff is cool

Here's a great essay from Rands in Repose on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Completely fascinating.

In the late 1800s, the Brooklyn Bridge was built with no power tools, no heavy machinery, and only a basic, evolving understanding of how to make steel. It’s not these facts, but the stories surrounding the facts that inspire me when I take a good, long stare at a suspension bridge.


When you're done reading that, head on over to Shorpy.com, to see some great images from NYC (among other places) from the late 19th/early 20th century.


(Queensboro Bridge, 1909, via shorpy.com)

Shorpy.com | History in HD is a vintage photography blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago.


Striking.

Thanks to Becky, for pointing me in the direction of Rands in Repose, and kottke.org, for exposing me--heh heh heh--to Shorpy.

5.05.2009

The greatest place ever...

...The most expensive ever, too.

Saturday we trekked on down to the Bronx, to see the Yankees play (and eventually get beat by--BOOOOOO) the Angels. It was our first trip to the new stadium, and it was Madeline's first game ever, so it was a very exciting day.

Walking into the stadium...



The "Great Hall" (view from a balcony, actually looking down on it)





Hey look! There's Derek Jeter!



Once we got settled, we got some food. While the prices are pretty outrageous (but on par for any major league stadium), the thing that got me was the calories listed next to each item. Ummm... 800 calories for onion rings? I'll pass. I wonder how much--if at all--this effects the sale of food.



First pitch:



Jeter at bat, right before he got hit by the pitch:



And finally, the Yankees (and their fans) recycle! And compost! I peered into a compost bin before we left the stadium at the end of the game, and it was pretty full. See that? Yankee fans ARE the best!



Even though the Yanks lost, we had a great day. The sun came out for the game, the new stadium was incredible, fun was had by all. I'm pretty bummed that ticket prices are so expensive--it was a Saturday game, and the stadium was probably about 80% full. It'll probably be one of the few--if only--games we get to this year. But definitely a good time.

5.01.2009

Oh what a night, is right!

Wednesday night was kind of surreal for me: I took our oldest and her friend (who are occasional readers--Hi girls! I'm blogging about you!) to see Fall Out Boy (and about 5 opening acts). I like Fall Out Boy--they put on a really great show, and I had a good time--but it was hard for me to make the transition from concert attendee to chaperone of the concert attendees. Now I know how my friend's father felt when he took us to see Depeche Mode.

But Wednesday night was also the night that Patrick Coyne, of Communication Arts, was going to be speaking at a Connecticut AIGA event. And since I haven't perfected being in 2 places at the same time (although I am getting close!), I had to miss it. Bummer, too; as I hear it was a great presentation. From my pal Amy, of Elements fame:

It was illuminating to learn of the sheer volume of work CA receives, organizes and reviews. Out of the hundreds of thousands of submissions, there is such a small percentage of work that actually appears in their publication - only 2% of design competition entries make the cut! Patrick explained the status of inclusion into CA the best when he said - and I'm paraphrasing here - "If you are a musician, you know you have arrived if you appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. If you are a designer, it is when your work appears in Communication Arts."


I can't. even. imagine.

Read about the rest of this amazing event over at Hello, Elements. And when you stop by, tell them I said hi!

4.28.2009

Yea or nay--I'm going with nay

Last night, I got to see small town bureaucracy at work, firsthand. First of all, let me just say that--sweet Mother of God--it takes an awfully long time to get one thing done!

Last night was our town's Representative Town Meeting (RTM), and I wanted to go because A) I was invited, and B) they were discussing the town budget, of which the school budget falls into--with 2 children in public schools, and one on her way, I kind of have a vested interest.

Well, the first item on the agenda was not the town budget. It was a $2+ million dollar something or other (hey, it was a long meeting, and there were an awful lot of numbers involved. Bear with me here) that involved funding to update bathrooms at an elementary school, update a cafeteria at another elementary school, and paving, among (many, many, many) other things. Oh yeah, funding for a girl's softball field was lumped in there as well.

So, first things first: they opened the floor up for member comments. The final RTM comment was by a rep who felt this issue should be delayed until their next meeting (so she could gather more information). Problem was, things like asphalt paving, and school issues are time sensitive, and really can't wait another month. So, let's have some member comment on waiting.

Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment.

OK, now let's have some public comment on waiting.

Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment.

Now, we vote. Oh wait, it sounds too close; let's do a roll call vote. What's that? The roll call vote is too close? Ya know what? We should have a caucus about this. Cue all 50+ RTM members leaving the room to talk about it. 10 minutes later, they're back, voting again.

Lucky for us--I think--they voted not to wait. So let's talk about issue #1 of issue #1 (remember, it's bathrooms, cafeteria, paving, a bunch of other stuff, and softball fields). Since there were many young softball players at the meeting, and we're already an hour into a meeting that started at 8pm, that was issue #1 (of issue #1--are you following?).

RTM comments: Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment (these are our reps making an argument for or against the proposed $400,000 field).

Public comment: Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment x about 30. No kidding--people are really either vehemently for, or opposed to this field.

RTM comments about the public comments: Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment. The last comment actually ended with a poem the rep wrote while the public was making comments. Are you kidding me??!

OK, let's vote. Oh wait, let's do a roll call vote again. Permission to allocate $400,000 for a girl's softball field denied, 30-19.

Next issue: asphalt (issue #2 of issue #1).

OK, by now it's 10:30. It took 2.5 hours to go over this one issue. Now I'm pretty sure that people are not as passionate about paving as they are about softball, but I wasn't leaving that up to chance. I got up and left. And glad that I did--because according to sources, the whole shabang ended at 2AM.

So that's it; that's my foray into small town politics. I have no idea what happened with the town budget, I just hope that my being there (along with many, many other parents and educators) had an impact. Lord knows this meeting had an impact on me.

4.22.2009

Happy Earth Day!

Here in Fairfield, we actually have an Earth Day Festival that takes place a few weeks after the actual, official Earth Day. I am on the festival's committee, and have been spending a lot of time recently putting together a guidebook of exhibitors, as well as "green" tips, recipes, and articles. Actually, I think it's rather appropriate that today is the day that the files are going to the printer.

In our little guidebook, there's a bunch of little factoids dispersed throughout. In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would share some with you. Many thanks to the talented Lauren Bove, who pulled all of this information together for me:

If the U.S. average miles per gallon of all automobiles was brought to 35 mpg, it would reduce global warming pollution and save more than 1.1 million barrels of oil each day or half of what the U.S. currently imports from the Persian Gulf.

Honda was rated the cleanest automaker by the biennial Automaker Rankings report from the Union of Concerned Scientists as of 8/27/08.

Chrysler was rated the dirtiest by the same agency.

Recycling saves energy: Creating a new aluminum can from scratch takes 95% more energy than making a can from recycled aluminum.

Energy Star notes that in the average home, 40% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Across the US, this equals the annual output of 17 power plants.

Swapping 16 incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) saves emissions equivalent to taking a car off the road for a year.

Americans use about 385 million gallons of gasoline every day, which means more than a gallon of gasoline every day for every man, woman and child.

If every household in the United States replaced just one package of virgin fiber napkins with 100% recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees. (NRDC)

Since 1980, the earth has experienced 19 of its 20 hottest years on record, with 2005 and 1998 tied for the hottest and 2002 and 2003 coming in second and third. (NRDC)

The polar ice cap is now melting at the alarming rate of 9% per decade. NASA has reported Arctic ice thickness has almost halved since the 1960s.

Paper products are bleached to make them whiter and brighter. The chlorine used in many bleaching processes contributes to the formation of harmful chemicals that wind up in our air and water and are highly toxic to people and fish. (NRDC)

About one-sixth of the wood delivered to a construction site is never used. Instead, it's hauled to the landfill as wood waste scraps. (NRDC)

Half of the forests that originally covered 48% of the Earth's land surface are gone. Only 1/5th of the Earth's original forests remain pristine and undisturbed. (NRDC)

55% of our trash goes to landfills, 14% is burned, and 31% is recycled. (Energy Information Administration)

The U.S. uses nearly $1 million worth of energy every minute. (Energy Information Administration)

The removable roof rack on a car can reduce fuel economy by as much as 5%, states the EPA.

The National Recycling Coalition reports that recycling supports 1.1 million jobs in the U.S. (Energy Information Administration)

The average American generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day, which is almost twice the amount of trash the average American produced daily in 1960. (Energy Information Administration)


Some of these facts are just plain scary. I hope you join me in celebrating Earth Day today, by adopting some small changes to your everyday life that will hopefully, in the long run, make a difference. And if you're in or around Fairfield, CT on 5/9, stop by Fairfield Warde High School and join Fairfield's Earth Day Celebration!

4.17.2009

Damn, those pants are square!



This commercial never ceases to make me smile, for many reasons. First of all, it's Baby Got Back. Whether you like the song or not, it should always, always put a smile on your face. Second? "Damn, those pants are square." Third, finally, is the end: Sir Mix a Lot sitting on the couch saying, "Booty is booty."

Brilliant. And a perfect Friday late afternoon pick me up.

4.15.2009

Launched!

So... if you're one of my five regular readers, you may have noticed a gap in posts. Yeah... sorry about that. This little thing called work kept me pretty busy. The good news? I have something to show for it!

First up, Healing Barsanti, launched just last week:



The interior design firm Healing Barsanti also operates 2 retail stores (HB Home, one in Westport, and one in Greenwich), they wanted a site to combine the retail aspect, along with their incredibly gorgeous interiors. Mission accomplished!

Second--just launched today--Greenwich Dance Studio. Kate Truesdell needed a site that was going to work with her growing studio. The black background adds quite a dramatic flair, no?



So, sorry for the lack of recent posts... I'm going to have lots more to share in the next few weeks--as a matter of fact, I think I might just be kissing sleep and my weekends goodbye... I'm certainly not complaining (not in this economy!), but ya know... sleep is good.

4.14.2009

With a last name like Valentino...



...it's almost as though Eleanor feels has to live up to her lineage. What wasn't captured was just how enthusiastically she was stuffing her face.





Oh, yeah... these last two pics? Yeah, she's actually mopping up extra sauce with her bread. I'm not quite sure if she was sucking up to my inlaws, or what; but if that was her goal, she succeeded.

4.07.2009

Twitter madness

Last week I was approached by my pal Dave of ConnCreatives, and asked if I wanted my Twitter feeds to appear on the site. Uhhh.... yes? Problem is, some of my tweets were kind of personal; ya know, stuff about the kids (what? I can't help it that they say and do totally adorable and funny things!), life, ski weekends... stuff like that. Since this site is a creative one, Dave suggested opening a different twitter account and keeping it more business related.

So I did. Problem is, my old Twitter handle was traciedesigns; which is the name of my business. Of course I want that name to be associated with my business. So here's what I did: I changed my old, "personal" account to tracietoo. My shiny new "business" account is traciedesigns.

So we'll see how it goes... I really like Twitter, a lot, so I don't foresee a problem with having 2 accounts... for now (See? This is what happens when I attend social media events... I become a social media monster!). The site is now up and running, check it out here. I think it'll be pretty cool. In the meantime, feel free to follow both accounts... I'm interesting like that.

4.01.2009

Type Wednesday

This morning I went looking for another gorgeous font to post today (before all hell broke loose--you don't want to know) and naturally I came up empty (sometimes a good font just has to find you, I guess).

However, the Periodic Table of Typefaces just landed in my inbox, courtesy of The Type Studio... so on we go, with this week's theme of fonts and type.



Hint: click anywhere on the image to zoom in. Click again to zoom back out. If I was in any mood whatsoever to talk about technology, I'd say yipee! But I've had my fair share technical issues today (I'm good for a while, actually)--referenced above: all hell breaking loose.

3.31.2009

Type Tuesday

I feel like I am being spoon-fed gorgeous type this week... and you know what? I don't mind one bit. Today's beauty comes via the MyFonts blog (thanks to Jeff Fisher, via Twitter); ladies and gents, meet Memoriam:



Just a little FYI: any type that's described as "big, sexy, high-contrast curves" I am pretty much guaranteed to love. Yum, yum.

3.30.2009

Monday morning fonts

Last night I was reading the Times Magazine, and, as usual, I stopped at William Safire's On Language. Truth be told, I usually skim the column (it's like, about words, and stuff), but I'm always interested to see the opening typographical treatment. This week's--by Daren Newman--was no disappointment:



So there you have it. Some pretty type to start off your week. You're welcome.

3.27.2009

Just one hour

Make a statement about global warming and turn out your lights tomorrow night at 8:30! From the Earth Hour website:

World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.




Our lights will be out tomorrow night--I hope yours will be as well!

3.26.2009

Hanging with my creative peeps

I made this mental note to start blogging more... and then I get bogged down with work. I'm sorry I've temporarily fallen out of the blogosphere--I'm certainly not complaining about the work at all (quite the contrary, I'm happy to have it!), but it does take away from time I can devote to the blog.

The good news is, hopefully soon I'll have a fresh new crop of work to show off!

In the meantime, I did have some downtime last night, and made my way up to New Haven to hang out with some of other AIGA | CT peeps (including my pals from Elements, and my new friend Dave from ConnCreatives, among others) in an AIGA sponsored event, XTown (there was a simultaneous event up in Hartford for the northern half of the state). It was nice to get out, let loose, and mingle with other creatives. There's photographic evidence over at Elements--and by photographic, I mean, "Hold very still, my iphone doesn't have a flash." Hee hee.

3.20.2009

Snapple: Hey, what the--?

I have to confess, it's been quite some time since I last enjoyed a Snapple. Any time I'm at faced with a decision that involves Snapple and something else, I almost always go for the something else (usually water--and not the flavored stuff, either).

But today, while picking up lunch at the corner sandwich shop, Snapple caught my eye: their packaging is completely different! Their logo is completely different! And, a little internet research later, it turns out that the ingredients are different, and therefore, the taste is different!



According to the dieline:

Snapple, the original new-age beverage, is undergoing the most significant makeover in its 37-year history...

“We want to ensure Snapple continues to be the Best Stuff on Earth,” said Bryan Mazur, vice president of marketing for Snapple. “These changes to the formula and packaging come with one goal in mind: deliver the same great product, just make it even better.”

... Snapple will retain its clever and light-hearted brand personality, but with a more premium, mature execution. Gone will be the old logo and packaging, replaced with a sleeker bottle and label design that speaks to its new formula.


I haven't heard much chatter about this, but then again--while the change is drastic for Snapple--it's not like they're pulling a Tropicana... or are they?

Upon first glance, the new bottle and label definitely evoke a feeling of happiness--it's much brighter and cleaner than the older packaging:



I can't say I'm really crazy about the logo, but it does fit in nicely with the new packaging--although I do think one of the things that stood out on the old packaging was the logo. I can't say anything for the taste, but anything that gets rid of the high-fructose corn syrup, and adds real sugar in it's place has got to taste better--right?

For nostalgia, here's an image of the Snapple packaging from the early 90s (because you know you drank it back then):



AND, for your viewing pleasure, an old Wendy the Snapple Lady commercial (because you know you loved these spots):



(PS How cute is that little kid's laugh?)

3.18.2009

More fabulous color inspiration...

...this time from Tori Burch. Behold, the blues:



Oh fashion, how I heart you.

(Oh, and by the way? Hellooooooo, shoes!)

3.16.2009

Spring into color

The weather is starting to be a little less harsh (50 degrees? I'll take it!). The crocuses have popped up, and I'm even starting to see the very beginnings of tulips starting to break through the dirt. And yesterday? I went skiing--sans jacket.

All of these things mean that spring is very well on it's way (hurray!). And what better way to welcome the new season with a gorgeous color palette--not unlike the one sent by J. Crew this morning:



Mmmmmmmm... Just what the doctor ordered for spring.

3.11.2009

Message for John Mayer



OK, John... Here's the thing: I know you're running around with that Aniston chick, and--quite frankly--good for you! She's very pretty, talented, has a killer body, and is quite successful at her craft. Not to mention I'm sure she is a very lovely person. However--and maybe I'm wrong--she doesn't come across as the type (Ha ha! No pun intended) of person who's head over heels about fonts. Seriously? I really can't see her getting all giddy about "the world's most beautiful and feminine script font." I mean, has she even heard of Burgues Script?

See, John, this is what I think might have gone down: you share with her that you're not quite satisfied with the font on your blog; she nods her head in agreement, clearly distracted by something like, oh, I don't know, pilates or something (She's got to do it like, 18 hours a day to maintain her shape, right?). "Uh-huh, honey, sure... whatever you think," she says.

Now, had you had this conversation with me--I would have been all. over. that. "OMG!" I would have cried, "I am SO not digging that font either! I know a couple of GORGEOUS scripts that would work so. much. better! Let's go check out Veer--if we spend enough, we might be able to score the KERN sweatshirt as well!"

See the difference? I get a little excited about fonts; clearly you do as well. We should talk some more about this--perhaps someplace not as public as our blogs. Call me!

xo, Tracie

3.10.2009

Isn't she lovely?

Last year, almost around this time, I began working on a very, very cool package design project for a client (yes, regular readers, it's the gluten free cookies--again). I was fortunate enough to work with Silver Creative in Norwalk, who actually did the hard work of speccing (is that even a word? It doesn't look like it when you type it out) the packaging--I got the cool job of designing it.

Long story short, I did a TON of research for this. I was buying cookies left and right (never mind eating them--and gaining about 5 pounds in the process); grocery shopping took forever because each new aisle brought a slew of new package potential. And forget about Whole Foods--the client's target demographic--I pretty much set up camp there. But the one place I didn't go, and I wish I had known about it then, was Lovely Package.





Mmmmmm... lovely is right. Gorgeous, gorgeous design--I'm definitely going to keep checking back on this site. Oh, and the pretty awesome sidebar? No weight gain involved!

(Thanks David Airey, via Twitter)

3.04.2009

Unleash your inner Pollock (without the mess)

Ashlee discovered Jackson Pollock in elementary school; ever since then, she's been after me to recreate one of his paintings. My excuse was, once the weather gets warm, you can do it in the yard. Well, warm weather came and went, and she (and I) forgot all about it. But every once in a while, she'll be reminded of just how cool it would be to drip paint on a canvas; and on those occasions my answer is always the same: In the warmer weather, in the backyard.

Well now she doesn't have to wait. Discovered via a friend's status on Facebook, you can now unleash your inner abstract artist--very neatly, I might add:



Madeline and I made this one tonight--and, might I add, she (and I) just thought it was the. coolest. thing. ever. Go here to make your own--just drag your mouse across the screen, click to change colors.

And no having to wash the paint off your hands (or carpet!).

3.03.2009

President Obama likes helping the economy, logos

When Obama was running for president, his campaign logo was one of the most different campaign logos in history. It was very graphic, and very well executed.

Now, as part of his stimulus package, the president has another logo:



According to the article, this logo will be stamped onto the projects funded by the stimulus package:

“We’re also making it easier for Americans to see what projects are being funded with their money as part of our recovery. So in the weeks to come, the signs denoting these projects are going to bear the new emblem of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Obama said. “These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people -- a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government -- your government -- is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.”


Designed by Chicago-based (duh) Mode Project, I have to say that I really like it--it's graphic, and yet, gets the message across. Well done. I'm not so crazy about the accompanying TIGER logo, but they can't all be winners, can they?

3.02.2009

Saved by a meme

Sick kids are finally better (thank goodness!), so of course there was a snow day today. Thank goodness for Marcy and her meme...

What are your middle names?
Lynn and Richard. I'm not too sure where Lynn came from, but Mattio's named after his grandfather (first name) and father (middle name). Incidentally, one of his brothers is named after his father as well. His other brother was not named after anyone (that I know of--my mother in law is one of 11 after all), and his sister was named after his grandmother. I think it's safe to say that family names are a big tradition in his family.

How long have you been together?
We just passed the 12 year mark! The traditional 12 year gift is silk or linen. The modern gift is pearls. I didn't get either, but--quite frankly--that's just fine by me.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We met at a Super Bowl get together (I don't say party, because that would make it sound as though other people were there; it was Mattio, our hosts--his friend and the friend's girlfriend--my friend and me.

Who asked whom out?
He got my number through my friend, and asked me out. It was like, a million years after our Super Bowl meeting, though (Actually, I believe it was two weeks. But the running joke is that the time in between us meeting and his calling gets longer every time it comes up). Our first date, by the way, was a disaster. Yet here we are, 12 years later...

How old are you?
33/35. He was actually born a year before me, but his birthday is at the way beginning of the year, and mine is at the end. So for 10 months out of the year, he's 2 years older.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
We probably see our siblings about the same--maybe once a month, if that.

Which situation is hardest on you as a couple?
I think the fact that Mattio commutes is rough--I don't see him nearly as often as I would like to. But I think the most stressful aspect of our marriage is money; he's a saver and I'm a spender. We've both come around--A LOT, but it's still a sticking point.

Did you go to the same school?
No.

Are you from the same home town?
No. I was born and raised in Fairfield; he hails from Wallingford. Growing up in Fairfield, Wallingford meant one thing to me, and one thing only: the Oakdale theater. When I found out he was from Wallingford, that was the first thing I asked: "Isn't that where the Oakdale is?" I had no idea where Wallingford was, save for that theater.

Who is smarter?
I firmly believe that Mattio is way more book smart. I, however, am the street brains of this operation.

Nah, just kidding. I think that there are some things that Mattio is smart about, like computers, and boy stuff. And there are some things that I am smart about, like shoes and sales.

Who is the most sensitive?
By far and away, me.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Mattio and I are very much alike in that we like food, and we are unafraid to try new things and restaurants. Our standby is Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield. Good bar, great food.

Where is the furthest you have traveled together as a couple?
Unfortunately, we have not traveled much together, nevermind very far. I think our honeymoon in South Carolina is about the furthest we've gone together. One day we will make it to our intended honeymoon, in Tuscany.

Who has the craziest exes?
I know very, very little about Mattio's exes (which, quite frankly, is just fine by me). But even if I did, mine would still end up the craziest of the bunch.

Who has the worst temper?
I think that all depends on what we are mad about. I stomp my feet and slam doors and throw things if I am just. that. mad. So yeah, I guess that would be me, then. Nevermind!

Who does the most cooking?
Because I work at home, I am the reluctant chef in our family. But he is a way better cook--if we ate his food all the time I would have to spend the rest of the day working it off at the gym. It's so worth it, though.

Who is the most stubborn?
I think this title is best won by our children, who really have the two most stubborn parents around. Apparently, the stubborn gene just pushed the rest out of the way to become the most dominant gene. EVER.

Who hogs the bed most?
He would say me. And you know what? He'd be right. I am drawn to the middle of the bed like a moth to a flame.

Who does the laundry?
If it's football season, Mattio. The rest of the year I do it during the week, he helps out on the weekends.

Who’s better with the computer?
Remember the first question? About Mattio's middle name? I lied above--it's really computer nerd. But I say that with love.

Who drives when you are together?
He does the majority of driving (nothing puts me to sleep faster than being a passenger in a moving car), but every once in a while--especially if he's unsure of where we're going--I'll drive. His inner compass--how shall I say this politely?--is broken.

2.28.2009

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy

I saw this earlier this week on Swiss Miss... but my lag in posting is due to yet another child who was sick all week. Anyway, enjoy the (true!) rants of Louis CK--one of my favorite comedians.

2.23.2009

Mark this

Chances are, you've seen a logo designed by Pentagram. Their impressive portfolio includes marks such as Citi, Saks, New York Magazine, Design Within Reach, Godiva... I could go on and on (and on. And on).

Their newest book, appropriately titled Marks, is out in the UK, and available for preorder here in the US. From Pentagram:

Marks, Pentagram’s latest book, collects 400 symbols designed by our partners between 1962 and the present day. The limited edition of 1000 copies has been published by Laurence King Publishing and is identical to the book produced by Pentagram for its friends and clients, sans tote bag but with the addition of a fetching white belly band. The book is printed on French-folded bible paper, bound in a red, cloth-covered softback cover and includes five ribbons for bookmarking.

I've already gone and placed my order, and will be anxiously awaiting it's arrival. A book of 400 symbols and logos? Designed by Pentagram? Ummmm... yes, please.

(Thanks David Airey, via Twitter)

2.20.2009

Layer Tennis

Did y'all remember to check out Layer Tennis this week? If not, check it out--interesting competition, I wasn't sure how I liked the WAY different feel of each volley, until I got to Layers 6, 7 and 8; and it became all about typography.

I also dug the last volley, excellent ending. All in all, it was nice Friday procrastina--I mean, inspiration (I keed, I keed... it was actually both).

2.19.2009

Sweet Home Alubama

Guitar Hero is a pretty big game in my house; while I continue to fail miserably and get booed off the stage (I'm more of a MarioKart player, anyway), my husband and oldest daughter love it. Their skills are pretty impressive.

There's a new version of GH coming out, the Metallica version. And while I don't think we're going to be buying it soon (we're still trying out the recently-purchased Rock Band), I'm sure many will. But will they notice the spelling error on the box? Rolling Stone did.

The new packaging lists all of the bands included in the game in the background. One of those bands? Lynyrd Skynyrd. Or, as it's spelled: Lynyrd Skynrd.

Obviously spell check isn't going to get this. But I've worked on enough projects like this to know how many back and forths there are, and how many sets of eyes look at the designs before printing. And the one thing that gets me, is that the list of bands is the cover art--as RS points out:

Even the (properly) misspelled Mercyful Fate get their name handled correctly, and the oft-mangled Mastodon pass the fact-checking test.


I don't know... if there's the most remote question on the spelling of something, I'd triple check it. Lynyrd Skynyrd is spelled different enough for me to quadruple check it (as I've done here. Way more than 4 times). But who knows? Maybe the package designer is more of a rap fan?

2.17.2009

Not Player Tennis... LAYER Tennis!

Well this is something new: Layer Tennis! From the site:

Two competitors swap a file back and forth in real-time, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets fifteen minutes to complete a "volley" and then we post that to the site live.

The players may be designers, animators, illustrators or pretty much anything else, and they can use any tool or application they like. The match progresses volley by volley.

A third participant, a writer, provides play-by-play commentary on the action as it happens.

The match lasts for ten volleys and when it's complete, opinioned Season Ticket Holders sound off and we declare a winner. Check Tennis HQ for more information and links to past matches.


Ummmm... Yes? How awesome is this?

No? You don't believe me? Check out last year's week 10 and dare to prove me wrong. Remember, each player only has 15 minutes to complete a "volley." Pretty impressive, right?

I am setting ical alarms as I write so I can remember to watch this awesomeness progress. Talk about great Friday afternoon inspiration!

2.16.2009

Staying in character

I love Will Ferrell. I like his humor, but what always gets me--every single time--is his ability to stay in character.

Over the weekend, Mattio and I celebrated his birthday a little late (and stimulated the economy) with a trip to the city to check out Will Ferrell's new show, "You're Welcome, America: A Final Night with George W. Bush." It was probably one of the funniest things I've seen lately--not only was it well written, but Will Ferrell is brilliant. He never breaks character--not even when interacting with the audience.

A few things:

--Yes, there is full frontal male nudity (which I applaud, only because the ratio of female nudity to male is like, a bazillion to one. Not that I want to see it or anything. Just trying to even things out a little). Actually, it works, in this instance.

--The Condi Rice lapdance? Yeah, it's funny. Alright, it's pretty hysterical. But there's a million hysterical things about this show so it didn't stand out all that much to me.

--Will Ferrell's brother plays the secret service agent. He also played one of the security guards in Elf. I would have never made the connection had I not read this fact in Playbill.

If you are a fan of Will Ferrell, but not of GWB, I highly recommend checking it out (if you can--pretty ironic that Will Ferrell as GWB is stimulating the Broadway economy these days). If not, check out a live showing on HBO March 14th, the night before closing. I think I might just have to get HBO again, if only just for that one night.

2.10.2009

Oh type... will you be my Valentine?



Seriously? I love the charms, but the type had me at hello. Or, more appropriately, yours.

I'm actually working on a logo now, and this was the creative burst of inspiration I needed. Thank you, Tiffany. And--ahem, Mattio--hint, hint: I need some pretty charms to go with my new fonts.

2.09.2009

Old School

I went to college, ahem, in the 90s--computers were slowly taking over (I remember just. how. big. Windows 95 was), but the school I went to either A) didn't really think that computers were the way graphic design was going, or B) the school and it's administration were really antiquated. Probably a little of both.

My first graphic design class involved xacto knives, rubber cement, rubylith, T squares, and proportion scales (and, if you know me at all, you will be VERY impressed that I could work one of these). There was no computer, there was no mouse, no command Z, no Photoshop... there was me and my paste ups.

Thank God that only lasted a semester. My knowledge of the inner workings of a stat machine have... well, they've never come in handy. Ever. So it was with a great big smile that I read Michael Beirut's account of his path to becoming the designer he is today.

Because I, too, have a T square... somewhere.

2.05.2009

Now THIS is a clever use of typography

I'm not as big on the awards shows as I used to be--and even now, I prefer the red carpet for the clothes, over the show itself. So it's not surprising that I had no idea that the Grammys are this Sunday. I was surprised--pleasantly--when I saw the advertising:





I love this--portraiture using only type! Brilliant!

See more by going here, and clicking on the Music Makes Us link.

2.04.2009

This makes me sad (not snooty, just sad)

Forbes has an a very interesting article, The Creativity of Crowds, online. The subtitle:

CrowdSpring aims to slash the cost of graphic design work--and democratize a snooty business.

Hmmmm. The article makes designers seem "snooty" because they--gasp!--actually want to get paid for their work. It's like hiring a team of lawyers, and only paying the one who wins you the case. Actually, one of the commenters said it best:

A designer who is worth his salt provides a service to a paying client in exactly the same manner as an attorney or an accountant. There is no difference. If the client simply needs window dressing, then my all means, he may prefer the work of my 12-year-old son to mine, but let's not confuse the issue here. A CAD program does not make me an architect and a copy of QuickBooks does not make me an accountant. Everyone deserves an opportunity to express their creativity, but there are serious liability issues to consider. I'm all for open competition, and in fact, I embrace it. But we should also recall that some of our greatest recent tragedies have come from poorly designed products, illegible signage, and confusing ballots...

...And the Forbes writer? You know, the one who penned this article's ludicrously silly subhead, was likely this year's lucky winner of Mrs. Winters' sixth grade journalism competition. Because why would we pay an experienced writer when anyone with Microsoft Word and e-mail can submit a story?


The article makes me sad; I went to college to do what I do. I LOVE what I do. Few things excite me more than a client coming to me with a dream, and I get to help them make that dream a reality. I hold my client's hands and find printers that are within budget, I show them why that color just isn't going to work, I stay up late at night making sure, in fact, my files are printer ready... because this isn't my hobby, it's my career. Good luck finding that at CrowdSpring.

If you're going to read the article, then I highly recommend reading all of the comments as well. Then head straight to No!Spec to see their (not surprising at all) take on it.

(Thanks, David Airey, SwissMiss)