George Lois in his New York apartment

When MoMA opened its current exhibition of George Lois’ Esquire covers last spring, the legendary ad man (”I want my MTV”, anyone?) enjoyed a second wave of fame and acclaim. As a new generation discovered the powerful and provocative images he created for Esquire between 1962-1972, even the supremely confident Lois was a little taken back by the response: “In the first month of the show, my web site got 1 million 700 000 hits. Who would have imagined that a graphic design show would have that kind of impact?” he says. But maybe it’s not surprising at all. In today’s climate of impossibly bland magazine art, Lois’ fearless statements offer a refreshing reminder that success does not always equal pandering. “I do stuff that punch you in the mouth sometimes,” he says. However, the fact that his 40-year-old covers are still considered so radical is also a little discouraging. How come not much else has happened since then? To ponder that question, and to revisit the stories behind his most iconic pictures, we sat down with the irrepressibly charming and outspoken 77-year-old native New Yorker in the beautiful West Village apartment he’s lived in for the past four decades. (more…)

Graphic design in the gallery can come across like a fish out of water. The gallery context facilitates engagement through looking and has historically discouraged touching or using. Design is made for the public to use and enjoy. The context of use for a designed object is a very different space than that of a gallery. Donald Judd aptly described that “design must work, art need not.” This distinguishing characteristic creates a challenge for the curator of a graphic design exhibition. (more…)

I sometimes wonder if my daughter, who is currently one years old, will read books when she grows up (and goes beyond her current favorites “Baby’s Animal Friends” and “Bear Goes To Town”). Maybe reading paper books will be a habit reserved for old people by then. Or perhaps they won’t exist at all. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, there will be major changes in the way we perceive and consume literature. On AIGA’s web site there’s an interesting article that offers some insight to how book publishers are trying to appeal to a younger generation that is more likely to spend every waking hour on their computer than pick up Dostoyevsky. (more…)

Few so called best-dressed society women elicit such adoration among lesser dressed women as Iris Barrel Apfel. I know several otherwise very sensible ladies who start to swoon at the very mention of her name. One friend even harbors a secret fantasy of becoming the glamorous octogenarian’s adult adoptee. Barrel Apfel is an interior and textile designer who attracted a die-hard following of fans when The Met exhibited her wardrobe in the surprise hit exhibition Rara Avis in 2005. The show drew record numbers of designers, students and regular museum goers who came back again and again to get their fix of Iris’ mad cap mix of colors, shapes and Tibetan jewelry. You don’t have to be particularly interested in clothes to be impressed and inspired by her creativity. Barrel Apfel dresses like a living sculpture, creating a perfect balance between strong, graphic shapes and vivid colors. Even though she wears top couture labels like Balenciaga and Lanvin, her clothes are not fashion statements but more like canvases for her self-expression.

If you’re in the New York area within the next few weeks and would like to get to know Iris, you should take a trip to the Nassau Museum on Long Island where the Rara Avis exhibit is on show until September 7. And if you can’t do that there’s always her book.

You are a strong graphic designer? Then find several strong web designers, make them aware of you, and suggest a reciprocal relationship that would help both of you meet clients’ broader needs. Also, consider approaching hosting providers in an effort to be on their short list of referrals for work.

Contact all friends and associates with design skills complementary to your own and set up an informal reciprocal agreement.

An image from Jisuk Jung’s winning campaign

Back in March we wrote about Design 21’s Millennium Promise competition. Now the winners have been selected. First prize went to the animated campaign “Eight Goals” by Jisuk Jung of South Korea. The jury found that Jung’s compelling animated version of each of Millennium Promise’s eight goals serves as a message of hope and clearly illustrates all of the Millennium Promise’s objectives. The upbeat animation will be featured prominently on the Millennium Promise website. Jung will be awarded $5000. (more…)

Have you created a fabulous trade show exhibition design lately? If so, you should let the world see it! Exhibition Magazine’s 23rd Annual Exhibit Design Awards is accepting entries.

Designs that were launched between Dec. 1, 2006, and Dec. 1, 2008, can be entered in several categories, which include categories: Green Exhibits (designs that reduce the negative impact on the environment, as realized through sustainability, eco-friendly or recycled materials, and/or a reduction of energy consumption.) Elements and Details (Innovative elements or materials that are part of a larger exhibit. Look here for examples) and Small Budgets and Small Spaces (Custom exhibits measuring 10-by-10 or 10-by-20 feet with a budget of $15,000 or less.)

The 2009 competition will offer one EDGE Award (for Exhibit Design and Graphic Excellence) and multiple Gold, Silver, and Special Merit Awards. Winners will be featured in the May issue of EXHIBITOR magazine, read by 30,000 marketing professionals in the trade show, corporate event, and meetings industries. To apply and find out more go the magazine’s web site.

It is crucial for the client to make a financial commitment to you at the project kick-off. Upon signing a contract, make sure that you get a deposit and have payment milestones. Consider 5% / 55% / 40%. 5% at signing. $55% at a midpoint deliverable that you have designated in the contract. 40% upon delivery. Some like to make 50% at kick-off. Your call…depends on your comfort level with the client. To explore these types of policies in more detail consider purchasing a copy of the Graphic Artist Guild’s Pricing and Ethical Guidelines.

Put this deposit and payment milestones requirement into your template agreements now.

First, an admission. I belong to a fraternity. A huge, national, button-down shirt, blue blazer, captains-of-industry kind of organization that celebrates all things left-brained and tangible. At one point, I was even president of my chapter. But that’s another story.

As the token creative in the group, my job was to “design” party t-shirts. Of these, one stands out in my memory. You’ve probably seen it — or one exactly like it. That’s because the “concept” was as follows:

1) Start with the logo for one of Bavaria’s… er… Germany’s most recognizable sports car brands
2) Cleverly add the fraternity’s Greek letters in place of the three initials in the existing logo mark
3) Alter the carmaker’s ubiquitous tagline by one word — replacing “driving” with “party”

This last step — the ingenious substitution of a single word in the tagline — sent a clear message: “Compared to other ‘machines’ engineered for the specific purpose of partying, we consider our fraternal organization (or ‘machine,’ if you will) to be the ultimate.” (more…)

The following post is the second part of an ongoing conversation between guest authors Rick Bennett and Andy Polaine, friends and partners in Omnium – a research group of academics, designers, artists, programmers and writers who work collaboratively (and from different countries) to explore the potential the Internet allows for what they term – online collaborative creativity (OCC). We asked Rick and Andy to explore the topic of online collaboration through a collaborative online conversation. Stay tuned over the next few weeks (or months?) as this unique meeting of minds unfolds:

ANDY: Rick, I hope my mocking hasn’t wounded you too deeply! I think you probably underestimate how au fait you are with new technologies and I think this brings us onto a couple of points that refer back to what you asked me about in your final questions. (more…)