The plates are sizable for a book of this size (6” x 8” or so). The majority of the projects are European and of those most are British. Save Stefan Sagmeister’s Trying To Look Good Limits My Life, the selections are refreshing and new to a pair of American eyes.

If anything, Dialogue has a fair breadth: it covers a variety of designer situations from large communication conglomerates to freelancers. It does give a visually stimulating survey of the variety of working relationships in design. If Cole’s intentions were to provide a survey, however that may belie what was summaraized as in-depth, the survey could be compelling to those new to design. If it's not assigned reading in a design program somewhere, it probably should be.

For a hungry reader though, eager for a revealing text—a deeper analysis of the social mechanics of designing and how they affect the designed outcome—the book discloses no deeper than the norm. It’s been stated about client X and Cole tells us about client Y. What’s missing is the insight into why this client’s case study is of importance and was selected for inclusion over countless others. Nonetheless, I did enjoy reading it.

In short, designers work with other people. Those other people include bosses, clients, other designers, photographers, illustrators, vendors, competitors, spouses… It’s the friend of a friend of a benefactor of a former employer that’s most curious and most compelling. For this understanding of design relationships, the dialogue must continue.

Ken Kaess, who was chief executive of DDB Worldwide, died at the age of 51.

The Washington Nationals now have an alternate cap Sans W, perhaps in preparation for George W's departure from the White House in ’08.

It's official, Google's easy webpage creator is now full, but they have a waiting list if you're eager to get a G-domain.

CNN gets on the computer is making designers stupid bandwagon. [Thanks to Frank Lin for the link]

We've shown you how to make a UFO in a previous edition of Quipsologies. Today we show how to make your own Jesus Toast. [Thanks to Josh Berta for the link]

Even more from Josh Berta (a fellow Pentagrammer):

Animation celebrates its 100th anniversary

Two more entries from the same website, Mexican Lobby Cards and The Greatest Cartoonist You've Never Heard Of.

Then check out John Kricfalusi's blog (he created Ren and Stimpy). Pure unadulterated cartooning! And some interesting thoughts on "design" as it pertains to cartooning.

Microsoft steals Linotype's Frutiger LT 45 Light. A CD — like those you buy at Staples in bundles of 100 [ed. author's drama added for effect] — serves as evidence. [Thanks to pk for the link]

Introducing Word on the Street, a series of photographs featuring, well, words on the street.

Word on the Street #1, Berlin:

Domains with .eu become available to anyone who resides in the 25-nation European Union, and sell by the thousands in a few hours.

June 17th. Every year. A ritual. One family. [Thanks to Jason Mannix]

And you thought your straw sculptures at the local diner where so ingenious and cool in their abstraction... well, you might have some competition. [Via]

A fabulous website that documents that mysterious architectural wonder known around here as "the Vancouver Special." Images sorted by architectural details (brick facades, statuary lions, roof type, lot placement...). Just when you thought you wanted to move to Vancouver ...For extra fun, leave the site and browser open on just watch them update. Kinda like a screen saver, only different.

Rejoice! Oskar Fischinger on DVD from the Center for Visual Music — including the magnificent Spiritual Constructions! (And if you don't know Fischinger's work, then your education is not complete!)

Currently at The Getty Center Research Institute Exhibition Gallery until June 25: Agitated Images: John Heartfield and German Photomontage, 1920-1938— an overview of the pioneering photomontage/political artist. Above, The Voice of Freedom in the German Night on Radio Wave 29.8 from 1937.

As I get older, I’m less interested in opinions, whoever holds them, and more interested in ideas and information. Excellent writing can still grab me ... but I also want to learn approximately true things about film, and this requires going beyond most current models of what a piece of film writing should be.

We could, for instance, aspire to the power of fine science writing. Why couldn’t a book on cinema achieve the rigor and lucidity irradiating Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, Matt Ridley’s Nature via Nurture, or Helena Cronin’s Ant and the Peacock? Nearer to home, the other arts have given us essayists who write with full sensitivity to history and technique. Charles Rosen on music, Jacques Barzun and W. H. Auden on literature, Robert Hughes on painting—all provide not only vigorous opinions but little-known information and provocative ideas. We learn from them.

Before spouting any random opinion about the AOL logo or ITC Garamond, designers might want to read David Bordwell's Backpage: Against Insight.

Now, that's how you write an opinion! Michelangelo Drawings: Real or Fake?

In 1997, an earthquake basically destroyed the frescos of the St. Francis Basilica in Assisi, Italy. Over the weekend, officials announced the final piece of an amazing restoration: an image of St. Matthew by Cimabue.

Meanwhile, New York City's emerging artists are in danger of their own special kind of disaster. Berlin, anyone?

Is this Qual or Quan? "Canine Reactions to the Mona Lisa" (PDF download)

At the same time, both the world's greatest and the world's stupidist tattoos. Careful of that last one — NSFW.

Imagine the pitch for the redesign of Britain's newest jail cells as wardens and policemen discuss the psychology of colors.

Hmm... this gives me an idea for a paper: "Structuralist Strategies in Late 20th Century American Tourism."Look At Me.

Related to a previous Quip, West Yorkshire Police are searching for the owners of a book bound in human skin.

Movie Quip Time. The author of my favorite French/English blog has recently learned the word "murmuration" — as seen above.

From the department of A Good Picture Editor Could Save Your Ass In More Ways Than You Could Imagine: Perhaps you've all read this, but Howard Kaloogian — of the backwards apostrophe Kaloogian's — posted an image (since taken down) which he claimed represented a "calm and stable" downtown Baghdad. Well, it seems he isn't quite sensitive to the differences between alphabets. The photo was actually taken in Istanbul.

As expected, Kaloogian responded by blaming someone else (the US Army) and then everyone's favorite scapegoats, liberals, as he passed the hat.

Are you bragging? Self-promoting? Hiding under a rug?

Is it wrong to brag?

If you are looking for that little push towards bragging your way to success (boy, that was cheesy) this could just be the nudge you need. Sensible, approachable and specific. In a nutshell, Peggy Klaus has five main tips for you:
1. Toot your own horn — in the business world of today, you have to self-promote
2. Create a “bragologue” — quick story with strengths and accomplishments
3. Be prepared — to brag at a moment’s notice
4. Team un with technology — and promote yourself
5. Bragging saves bucks — nicely done, it is cheaper than a PR campaign

I now ask of you:

Do you toot your own horn?
Are you good at it?
Do you feel awkward doing so?
Are you against it?
Do you reproach those who do?

If you decide to read this book, you might change your mind, and yet you might not. But that, my dears, is up to you and your bragging potential.

Baskin-Robbins

"The Baskin-Robbins name is known by 98 percent of Americans, but we're not in every neighborhood. We want to build off the foundation we have," James Franks, the company's director of franchising, said.

Internally labeled "The new FUN Baskin-Robbins Logo"

Spike TV

A more modern and streamlined logo featuring block print was introduced, standing in stark contrast with the cursive lettering and chevrons of the past. Spike's new logo will makes its debut on-air starting in May, along with the tagline Get More Action.

AOL

"Our company long ago accomplished the mission implied by our old name ... we literally got America online," said Jon Miller, Chairman and CEO of AOL. "Our new corporate identity better reflects our expanded mission - to make everyone's online experience better. Plus, consumers in the U.S. and around the world already know us by our initials."

Well, the interesting thing I discovered, as I plunged into the geeky world of heraldry, is that here is one of the things I’ve been looking for for a while: a distinct graphic language. All crests look the same to us just as all Chinese characters look the same to those of us who are not Chinese. They’re not all the same, we just can’t read them.

Basically, heraldry is a lost vocabulary. Every symbol, shape, colour and arrangement of colour means something. You can’t just say “I’d like to have a castle/rose/lion/boat on my sheild ...” each of those symbols has meaning, and you’re not allowed to just slap them on at whim. Not only is each item symbolic, but there is a wealth of terminology used to describe graphic material in a way that could actually be quite useful. This language of heraldry is called Blazon.

(I promise: no dwarves, no wizards, no unicorns, no escarbuncles.)

Also, there are rules about how colours are used—rules which were designed to allow maximum visibility: Very practical, as these crests were often seen on battlefields and you really needed to be able to see and read the graphics at a distance.

For instance, colours are called “tinctures” and come in three categories: metals (gold [yellow] and silver [white]), furs (a spotted look, usually reminiscent of ermine), and colours (red, blue, black, green and purple). On a shield, a metal icon may not be placed on a metal background, but only on a colour; and similarly a colour icon may only be placed on a metal or fur background. So you can’t have a green gryphon (I did not promise “no gryphons”) on a blue background, it must be on white or yellow. And you can’t have a yellow lion on a white background, it must be on one of the colours. Visibility. (Rules which, if followed would not have resulted in The Yellow Ruth.)

The background of the shield is called the "ground", and it can be divided up in a number of different "divisions". Divisions don’t have to follow the metal-colour rule as they are considered to be beside each other. Plus, there are "ordinaires", which are basic shapes and they do follow the rule. Here’s a few divisions and ordinaires:

A horizontal bar is an ordinaire called a "Fess". A horizontal division across the middle is called "per Fess" (the way of the Fess), and things that run across the middle in a horizontal row are called "Fess wise". A vertical bar is a "Pale" (ordinaire), a vertical division in half is called "per Pale", and things that run in a column down that line are called "Pale wise". Got it? A “V” bar is a "Chevron", and if you turn it upside down it is a "Chevron inverted". A diagonal bar is a "Bend" (leading to "Per Bend" and "Bend wise"), and if it goes from top left to bottom right it’s "dextre", and if it goes the other way it’s "senestre". There are more.

There are also names for the shapes and edges of the ordinaires:

There are many other divisions, ordinaires and edges. I will spare you.

OK, you got the ground, you got the division and/or the ordinaires, and on top of that you have a whole shitload of little symbols, called "charges". These range from simple shapes like "lozenges" (diamonds), "roundels" (circles), stars, crosses, etc. to animals. All of which have various symbolic meanings, or sometimes include a graphic pun on the name of the bearer (which are called "Canting Arms"). Furthermore, the animals take various positions, all of which are named, and even have names for the positions of their body parts (especially heads).

"Rampant" is an animal on its hind legs, "passant" is in a walking position, "passant reguardant" is walking but looking back, "passant repassant" is when two animals are walking past each other in opposite directions, "rampant sejant" is sitting with the forelegs raised. Honestly, it goes on and on.

As tedious as this may sound, it is of course no more tedious than learning any language, and once learned it is invariably useful. Many of the symbols are named for antiquated weaponry, garb (yes, I just said "garb"), and terms no longer in use or in French, or both. But in a world where such things matter, it’s much easier to say “reboundant” than “a lion’s tail when it forms the letter ‘S’ with the point outwards,” when you need to.

“Chequy” describes a field covered with small squares of alternate tinctures. Similarly “lozengy” refers to a field covered in lozenges (cute, huh?). When animal parts are coloured differently from the animal, they are called “hoofed” or “maned” or “legged,” etc. “Despectant” is used of animals looking downwards. “Embrued” refers to drops of blood falling upon or from something. And here’s a handy one: “decked” is when the feathers of a bird are trimmed at the edges with a small line of a different colour from the rest of the body.

That, too, goes on and on.

But imagine being able to say "Give it a division senestre per bend, red over black and arrange the stars fess-wise on the black field. Add an embrued Cow Couchant Guardant above it and you're done!"

So all shields are not the same; in fact, they’re very different. They are readable, and describable, and most importantly, they mean something. Not only do they tell us something when they are first constructed, but shields and Coats of Arms change and evolve over time as the family or institution changes, specifically to reflect those changes. When people get married, or if they go on a long voyage, or move, their shields might change to reflect those things. Each significant change is registered on the shield so that it is always relevant.

Now, if you can’t see where I’m going with this, you don’t know me very well.

Here we are in the 21st Century, and we have very little graphic vocabulary that we can count on and read in a precise way. Corporate logos are most often completely meaningless, or they try to portray something quite complex without having a language to express it. They are quite often designed based on the whim of a CEO or a marketing department. They are vulnerable to fads, egos and stupidity. Colours are applied largely according to taste. Old logos are thrown out and new ones ushered in with little or no regard to history or story. It’s mayhem.

But what if ... what if we had a graphic vocabulary that actually meant something? What if it were a hard fact that, say, an open swoosh = transition, and a closed swoosh (halo) = transition completed. What if, say, rows of dots indicated franchisement, underscores indicated automation, bevelled edges indicated ... god-knows-what ... ?

What if various types of lines indicated mergers, takeovers and other states of corporate structure?

What if even the gradient had meaning? Or the drop shadow?

What if there were a fixed range of symbols for industries?

Designing logos would be an act of science: careful symbology applied in, yes, a creative and pleasing manner, that tells the tale of mergers, takeovers and change of business. At least then it would all mean something. Anyone could look at a logo and read its history. Logo changes would indicate what had changed. And it wouldn’t matter if the CEO did or didn’t like green; wanted or didn’t want a dog; loved or hated the shape. Then at last, we could look at a new logo and understand, “Ah, a young telecommunications company with sales over $100 million/yr which has merged with a digital company and is transistioning into the entertainment industry. I see.”

It is my pleasure to announce our latest Speak Up author, Randy J. Hunt. Profile and mug shot forthcoming.

Opening titles for Thank you for Smoking in all its Quicktime glory. And Stephen Coles, in all his typographic geekness, attempts to identify all the fonts in use.

Good idea, not so good execution: Drop Shadows Not Bombs [Thanks to Mark Notermann for the link]

USB — yes, the USB that connect stuff to other stuff — as art: dialog05 presents Universal Connections. [Thanks to Jolo for the link]

"Presented by the American Preschool Resource Information League and the Fontographer Organization Of Lithuania": Typochild. [Via] *

Type foundry P22 announces the sale of LTC Spacing Sorts, for all your digital typespacing needs. *

McDonalds arranged a design competition in Sweden where people could send in designs for paper coffee mugs that will be launched this summer. They later selected a few of them and let people vote on their webpage; 3 winners have now recieved 20,000 SEK as a scholarship, their designs will be printed this summer and one of them will also have their mug/design made in porcelain by the Swedish manufacturer Gustavsberg.

Japanese manholes (previously linked) vs. NY manholes

You can see this as a helpful tool, an animation accomplishment or the intro to your next nightmare. (NSFW)

Bored of your apple? or your thin blackish box? get a removable schtick and cause stares at your local coffee shop.

Amazing street art from around the world. [Thanks to Carmen Garcia]

Express yourself, with a customized toilet seat.

Caps For Watertowers?

It's been over a year since the supposed "Apple" phone hit the news, but nothing's been spotted since then besides the Motorola products with iTunes. The folks at ThinkSecret say that a true Apple phone is not likely in the near future.

The online promotions for Coke BlaK (pronounced like the absence of color; not pronounced like you're clearing your throat) tout a brand new soft drink. Appearing to be Coke's version of the famed Manhattan Special, it fuses soda and coffee together for what sounds like one heKuva kick. Don't be surprised if Coke BlaK's 'a' looks familiar, as the company's also been busy resurecting Tab.

For some web design nostalgia, check out the 35 Sexiest Designed Websites You've Forgotten

Cool, man. [Via]

David Apatoff lauds the great Saul Steinberg in part three of his "One Lovely Drawing" series.

Brazil... Delta... Get it?

The Evolution of the American Front Porch [Via]

How to make moss graffiti.

You might want to visit this
this new blog about optical illusions.

The great (concrete) poet, (conceptual) artist, gardener and pacifist (with a fascination for fascism) Ian Hamilton Finlay passed away on March 27 at the age of 80.

Ever wonder why comics avoid the name "CLINT"?

Andy Warhol: proto-blogger. [Via]

Speaking of which... yadda, yadda, yadda... something about an Andy Warhol wig. (umm... thanks, to Tom Recchion)

After 9/11 author, cultural critic and ex-SDS president (and many other adjectives) Todd Gitlin hung an American flag outside his apartment — to the great disconcertion of his friends and fellow liberals. His new collection of essays, The Intellectuals and the Flag, addresses the American traditions represented by the flag and accuses Bush and his followers of being "patriots of symbol rather than patriots of duty."

Ever since Kevin Spacey as Jim Williams uttered the phrase "nouveau riche" in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil I've found such guilty pleasure to adoring the word. Lauren Greenfield, captures peculiarities of the new opulence in China.

Please, don't pronounce it as "new"; how to say "neue" at Typophile.

"A unique new subscription service" providing critical views with a narrow focus each issue on a single emerging trend. We're talking future-new here, from the hands of Andrew Zolli.

The New Press publishes fine texts on a world of topics. Recommended: The Vatican to Vegas: A History of Special Effects.

No need to frame it: The Top Ten New Web Design Mistakes of 1999

What would we do if we didn't know the difference between Times Roman and Times New Roman?

* Even though April Fool's fell on a Saturday some people still cared about it.

C L E A N

Clean is the Word It for April.

With that said, please read the specifications for submittal, and go create based on clean.
Word-its will be updated on a weekly basis.

Our expectation of the assignment and the activities outlined in our original proposal required working on numerous products at once. In other words, we expected to design the look of each brand and all the flavors and line extensions simultaneously. This was not unlike many other projects we have undertaken in the past, and we felt confident that this was the best and most logical approach. Though the client agreed, getting them to give us copy and all approvals for an entire line at once proved challenging and we often ended up designing one flavor at a time. Allowing this to happen was our second mistake.

We continued in this manner for several months, all the while hoping the process would somehow improve. It didn’t. In fact, it got to a point wherein we realized that if something didn’t change quickly, we would actually end up paying to do this project ourselves. We approached our client and asked that a line item allocated for a brand manual be remanded to the design stages and she reluctantly agreed. She wasn’t convinced that the scope had indeed changed, and though we were happy that she agreed with the reallocation of the fee, this concerned us. But we didn’t want to belabor the discussions about money any longer than was absolutely necessary and so we put the niggling worries behind us. This was our third mistake.

Cut to two years later. The first phase of the redesign has undergone a rigorous quantitative test, and the facilitators told us that the results were some of the best they have ever seen in their thirty years conducting market research. The client chose the design we recommended and we are thrilled with the way the brand is being visually redefined. However, the assignment has moved slower than what was reflected in our proposal and we are less than a third of the way through. As you can imagine, we have depleted the original budget, and are now effectively paying to do the job ourselves. Via our time sheets, we have calculated that we have lost about $250,000 in time alone. I had to do something to remedy this.

Three weeks ago I went to visit our client with the account and production teams to ask for more money to complete the job. Our rationale was that 1) the project scope had changed significantly via the re-segmentation of the corporate portfolio, 2) the job was moving much slower than was allocated in the 2004 proposal and 3) they were so far behind the agreed upon timeline of 9 months. We had a respectful and cordial meeting; our client told us that she would look into the budget and would do what she could. We then went over other project logistics, were told we were doing good job, we hugged goodbye and went home.

This past Friday we met again, this time in my office; presumably to go over a new budget. The account team joined us for a friendly lunch; afterward I was scheduled to meet with her privately to go over the financials.

As soon as we were alone, she pulled out our 2004 proposal. She looked me in the eye and told me that her company had no additional money to spend on the project. She then said that she had spoken to her legal team and they told her that we were obligated to finish the job for the original fee. Before I could get a word in edgewise, she proceeded to tell me that she thought it was curious that I was bringing this up now, when the project wasn’t going that well. I was stunned and asked for details about what was wrong. She went into issues I was unfamiliar with, and I asked if I could bring in the rest of my team, as they could better address the problems she had introduced.

When the team came back into the room, she once again reiterated her displeasure at our recent performance. The group was baffled. They tried to defend their actions and pointed out how and why they did what they did. My production director, (an over-achiever with an impeccable work ethic) addressed our client’s issues one by one. She reminded me of Marisa Tomei in the movie My Cousin Vinny, when she was in court and on the stand. She was logical, clear, and in my estimation, irrefutable. But the client wouldn’t accept what she was saying and as she listened, she became more and more agitated. As the team tried to explain our decision making process, she became outright angry. And then she started screaming at us. As I looked around at my staff, I saw a variety of reactions: shock, fear, bewilderment, and one young woman near tears. Before I knew it, without any pre-meditation, without any consciousness of what I was about to do, I did something I never did before: I yelled back at my client. I did it in a way I am now ashamed of, as I got all “street girl” on her. I told her under no circumstances could she talk to us that way. I told her that I found her tone disrespectful and offensive. It was primal, really, what I said and how I said it. I did not plan to do this and if I had to do it over, I would do it differently.

After I yelled, our client backed down a bit. She still felt that the scope of the job hadn’t changed but she was willing to review our position provided we could outline the changes on paper. I agreed to do this and shortly thereafter, she departed.

Following the meeting, I had a “debrief” with my team. They were elated. They felt that I had stood up for them and they were proud and grateful. I told them I was glad they felt vindicated, but I also said that I wished I hadn’t lost my temper. They didn’t care, they felt protected and understood.

Three days later, I am still feeling a combination of sadness, shame and shock. I am glad that my team felt I defended them. But I am also disappointed in myself. As I mentally review the many alternatives in responding to anger with anger, I know in my heart that there had to be a better way to handle this situation. As I relived the experience, I remembered something I learned in school about negotiation: the best negotiation between two parties is when each believes they have left the table winning something and losing something. I don’t think we accomplished this. But I was also reminded of a passage from the Charles Olsen poem 'Maximus, To Himself.' I think it best describes my sentiment:

I know the quarters
of the weather, where it comes from,
where it goes. But the stem of me,
this I took from their welcome,
or their rejection, of me

It is undone business
I speak of, this morning,
with the sea
stretching out
from my feet.

Design is a curious business. If we are lucky, we never stop learning our craft.
But this situation has taught me something more: the longer we persevere--as wonderful and as painful as it may be—the bigger the opportunities we are given to learn about ourselves.

Now that we have American Inventor, it might be worthwhile to go back to the totally absurd inventions site (where you can study such things as the neck fanny pack and the sled pants, among many others).

Lately there is a lot of effort to be found surrounding "maternity design", and now you can even have fun playing dress up.

Read the numbers on your fruit, they actually mean something.

In her new book, Branding for Nonprofits: Developing Identity with Integrity, DK Holland demystifies the branding and design process for nonprofits large and small and shows how you can use both to enhance the effectiveness of your organization.

An assortment of images:
electrical wire art
sleepy...
signage
banana art

Redaction, a new graphic design publication. that presents "works of design educators and periphery practioners striving to create new paradigms in design practice and design writing." [Thanks to Maya for the link]

Plagiarism spotted in Iceland. And not so good plagiarism at that. Male hairlines as metaphor for business graphs? Top image is the copy by Glitnir bank in Iceland, bottom image is "original" by Fokus Bank in Norway. [Thanks to Thorri for the story]

Many thanks to the various folks who have written in pointing to the Make $100,000 as a Desktop Graphic Designer web page. There is also a more mommy-endorsed version here.

What do you put between No and Spec? You put an exclamation point, that's what: NO!SPEC.

A pair of high-speed internet-averse turtles, created by Goodby Silverstein for Comcast, The Slowskys, now have a blog of their own, created by NY-based Honest.

Put those empty FedEx boxes to good use.

A very extensive collection of record covers by Mr. Saville. [Via Coudal]

To celebrate her 90 years Sun-Maid Girl goes, well, baba boom. [Via Los Apuntes Gráficos]

I'm really in the wrong profession. Last week a John Chamberlain sculpture of a roundish ball of aluminum sold at Christie's New York for $38,400. Yes, a ball of foil — just like the kind you make when cleaning up after your burrito delivery.

That's right. Perhaps I should just give up... because design only gets in the way.

Besides, the whole "originality" thing is just a construct we've made in order to hide our nodes of inspiration.

Thankfully the world is full with reminders of one's inspirations. For example: the cover for the paperback edition of Erica Jong's Fear of Flying, above. Thirty years on, I still have vivid memories of seeing this cover in shopping malls, drug stores, window displays… pretty much everywhere. Yesterday was her birthday, and while she may be perceived as a one-book author — see the zipless zipper motif on the above right cover — she's a wonderful, vulgar treasure. Also, her website has a scheduled appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher" this Friday.

With the inevitable death of print and television advertising (at least that's what everyone tells me) comes the growth of "out-of-home" innovation, as documented on Billboardom — an OOH blog.

Do we need TV in public spaces? Anyone who's had to sit at Newark Liberty (Apple-Pie Patriot Eagle Bible) Airport while being blasted by CNN at top volume, would probably say "No."

How to fake a UFO photograph.

Upheaval and revolution dominated the 1960s. The Civil Rights movement bubbled over into riots and assassinations; feminism pushed for equal rights at home, the office, and the world; and anti-Vietnam protests and the Hippie counterculture challenged and changed the previous lifestyle of a majority of Americans.

But less known to historians, the 1960s was a time when a small group of American graphic design students were taught how to think, design, and give back to their community in a revolutionary way in Kansas City, Missouri — probably not the first city that comes to mind when you think of revolutionary design.

On March 10th, the Kansas City Art Institute held Another 60s Revolution: The Rob Roy Kelly Years at KCAI . What began as an article in Print magazine had developed into a day of celebration, reflection, and another education lesson for current students (this time, history replacing type and image). Katherine McCoy, quite the design educator herself, asked prominent faculty during that period, former students, and a few special guests to discuss the RRK years at KCAI: what the world was like at the time, how design education developed, and where they hope to see it go in the future.

Katherine McCoy opened the event with a summary of her research into the RRK years at KCAI. Though only midway through her research, she had amassed a substantial amount of information through personal interviews and a previous panel discussion at a Philadelphia AIGA event. The research ran from the pedagogical to the personal, weaving both personal stories and class objectives into a rich picture of the time in American design education.

Gordon Salchow, a student under Kelly at MSA and at Yale's graduate program after Kelly, was one of his first hires at KCAI in 1965. He recounted personal moments with Kelly, a few humorous stories, and a description of his own education. Only a few years after beginning to teach at KCAI, he left to begin the Graphic Design program at the University of Cincinnati. There he combined Basel-trained personnel, Kelly's methodology, and his own to create a program that remains well regarded. (Interestingly enough, his daughter Kelly — the name is of no coincidence — now teaches at KCAI, following her father's and namesake's footsteps.)

Inge Druckrey, the first faculty member arriving from Basel, discussed how RRK's open approach gave her free reign to develop her own projects and  create lesson plans. that mirrored Swiss methodology while meeting the needs of a new American student culture. Druckrey's interest with letterforms is evident (she mentioned she is researching its history in education — dating back to the early 1900's in Switzerland — in the preparation of a book). From her initial work at Basel to her classes in Philadelphia, her work showed her evolution from naive student to capable professor. Her subsequent teaching at RISD, Yale, and University of the Arts show how her simple forms and typography classes begun at Basel have developed into something distinctly different with American students.

Hans Allemann, another Basel graduate, arrived in Kansas City in 1967. His joke about landing on the moon was pretty spot on — Kansas (and America) was very different than his native Switzerland. A few weeks into one of his first courses at KCAI, the students asked to do something completely different from his instruction. He relinquished control, but eventually faculty and students compromised on a new assignment — a real hybridization in learning. Now teaching at University of the Arts in Philadelphia and designing professionally at Allemann, Almquist, and Jones, his teachings show how the American and Swiss blend has made something completely new, both in learning process and finished work.

Roger Remington, Rochester Institute of Technology professor and friend of Kelly's, showed a brief collection of his work (Unfortunately, perhaps Kelly's most known influence in design today is his seminal book on wood type, 100 Wood Type Alphabets in which Remington was involved). Remington, along with RIT students, recently developed a website of Kelly's writings. Kelly, a faculty member at RIT a few years after his departure from KCAI, left his writings to the school because he believed young educators should have instant access to the writings so that they can continue a curriculum of progressive graphic design.

A short panel discussion followed, led by McCoy. Rob Roy Kelly's legacy as an educator and friend above all else became apparent. A few alumnifrom the program shared their own stories. Remington acknowledged that many current students of design were in the audience and a short discussion on current education topics ensued. It should be of no surprise that all the schools influenced or developed by Kelly and his KCAI faculty (of which RIT, University of Cincinnati, and the University of the Arts are to name a few) have become highly regarded programs. What began at KCAI was just the beginning of a lifetime of design education for the people at Another 60s Revolution symposium; and their subsequent programs gained from their earlier experiences.

To many not in attendance, this symposium may have seemed like a fitting close to the end of an era. All of those involved in RRK's program, however, saw this as a fittingtribute to the man and a steady progression of design education. While a few moments were emotionally charged, even the few tears from friends, family, and colleagues were in thanks for Rob Roy Kelly's undying support for design and its future. Of the hundreds (possibly even a thousand) design programs in the country, it is hard to imagine that it may not have been the same without one school in Kansas City. He may not be as world-changing as Martin Luther King or Betty Friedan, but Rob Roy Kelly may have created graphic design's Woodstock — and we're just now beginning to see its full effect.

Katie and Derrick are both Juniors at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in Graphic Design.

Michael B. tackles a taboo topic among design blogs: writing about stuff that doesn't relate directly to design.

One city's garbage is another man's art.

50-year-old Miffy, the rabbit, will get a museum exhibit, and so will his creator, Dick Bruna. "With a permanent collection of his work, Bruna takes his place alongside other Dutch masters, Rembrandt, Mondriaan and Van Gogh". [Thanks to John Stephenson for the link]

The Cooper-Hewitt is putting a $2 Million gift to good use by envisioning a future web site for the museum where users can curate their own shows online. Flickr is, of course, mentioned as a source of inspiration. San Francisco-based Method is leading the charge for the museum. [Via Coudal]

Jason Fried of 37 Signals and Jim Coudal of Coudal Partners deliver the opening remarks at SXSW: less is more, curious is better. Download the MP3. More SXSW podcasts here.

Video game fans, rejoice at this jaw-dropping collection.

When Typography Attacks II: Cleavage Edition. [Clusterlinked back to Gizmodo]

Chromeography: Admiration of the metal logos and lettering affixed to mid-century automobiles and appliances. [Via Coudal]

Truth in clothes labeling.

Martha does it again. Will it stick?

Unusual cards by Francesca Berrini. [Via Sam Potts]

The streets come alive! An in-depth look at those wacky sidewalk illustrations.

Opening soon — Modernism: Designing a New World 1914-1939 at the V&A.

Sometimes you just don't wanna know The Truth about the Billable Hour. (gee thanks Plep, now I'm depressed)

A well-designed diagram that shows where your tax dollars go. (gee thanks Boing Boing, now I'm even more depressed)

The war in Iraq is now three years old and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is reforming on campuses across the country. Their proposed sticker and flyer may not look as nice as P. Diddy's or Howard Stern's clenched fists, but they're a welcome return to the image's roots.

Brown University Library's Center for Digitial Initiatives has an impressive online collection of the SDS-affiliated publication Radical America.

More SDS graphics.

La poésie est dans la rue and while there have been sightings of Atelier Populaire posters from 1968, I suspect such reports are either wishful thinking or perhaps misidentification of look-alike slogans.

While searching the web for current manifestations of Atelier Populaire posters, I came across this groovy 2001 image from Quebec Indymedia ("Media is watching. Sleep citizens.").

On the Grotesque.

On the twilight of film photography. (via 2 Blowhards)

On Hand-drawn lettering & experimental typography.

A friend claims that whenever you walk into an art gallery, you see either "doodles" or "porn". Perhaps these would be considered refined doodles.

Porn.

Doodles.

Who says nudity doesn't pay?

Who says you can't read in the dark?

There are more Hip-Hop flyers in the world than dreamt of in your philosophy.

Comic critique through medical criteria.

Copyright critique through comics.

Jerry Lewis' comic adventures (Happy 80th, you Legion Commander).

We were to meet at 7am on a workday at his storage locker in Lower Manhattan. It was in the middle of New York's 10 straight days of rain which came in October. It was pouring and I was late and lost. I decided to walk one block east after standing on a corner getting wet even under an awning, and I found it.

Doug already had a bakers' rack wheeled out of the 5' X 10' space but the rest was filled with boxes stacked to the ceiling. We were looking for a single sheet of paper.

Fueled by a combination of history and simple pride, Doug and I were driven to find Paul Rand's original sketch of the Servador logo. Doug knew it existed. I just hoped. Two weeks earlier, I had posted an article highlighting what we believed was Paul Rand's final logo for a company called Servador. Well, not only had it come into question that it was Rand's final logo, but that he had even designed it at all.

I believe we moved some scuba gear out of the way. A few lamps. Two leopard statues. Maybe they were dogs. A 3' X 4' original silk-screened poster autographed by Rand. The signs were good. There was a bunch of other stuff but it was the three or four file boxes which had my focus. Finally, we reached them.

Doug found the Servador sketch almost immediately. I have to say, his files were surprisingly well organized considering the hodgepodge of collectibles in the locker and Doug's Einsten-like hair. The sketch was perfect and exactly what we wanted. We had actual proof that Rand designed the Servador logo. There was more though. For the next half hour, sketch after sketch of logos emerged along with faxes, computer printouts, doodles, personal letters, and sketches of posters and book covers. In addition to those covering Servador, we found material on American Express, Sears, USSB, NPR, Enron, and Computer Impressions (One of three companies of Doug's for which Paul Rand designed a logo). There was a world of design history there, never before seen by most of the profession, never by Steve Heller and possibly Marion Rand. Maybe no one other than Paul Rand, Doug Evans and their clients had seen this work.

We were moving quickly. I was trying to take in and absorb the work knowing that once it passed my eyes, I would probably not have the chance to see much of it again, at least not the originals. I found myself staring, almost paralyzed at times looking at faded pencil drawings only to be pressed by Doug to keep focused.

We also found a file for Doug Evans + Partners, Doug's consulting firm, loaded with sketches and back-and-forth from Paul and Doug. The process was similar to Rand's other late work. Rand would do all of the sketching and Doug would produce the work on the computer. There were many faxes and what was surprising to both of us was that the dates showed that the work was actually done after Servador, and in fact was done right before Rand passed.

As quickly as we had unloaded the space, we repacked the locker and headed for a copy store. As I rushed and fumbled to make copies, Doug raced to his apartment to wash up and pack as he was in New York for less than 24 hours. He picked me up before I was really finished, and then we drove to Steve Heller's office in Midtown and showed him the sketches. Heller confirmed the autheticity of the Servador logo and commented on Speak Up regarding Doug Evans + Partners, Rand's actual final logo. Heller wrote that Rand's final logo "was, in fact, designed for Doug Evans' consulting firm and was fine-tuned by Rand while he was in his hospital bed." Heller went on, "I do recall him telling me on the phone that he was working on a logo days before he passed."

After Heller's confirmation, I went to work and Doug drove straight to Connecticut to share the work with Marion Rand and to leave it with her. She in turn has passed the work to the Yale Archives where she believes it belongs.

Paul Rand's actual final logo was for Doug Evans + Partners. Below are the sketches and final designs. Enjoy.

Click on sketches for a larger image

Paul Rand's logo for Doug Evans + Partners, one-color and full-color:

Click here for Part 1 of Paul Rand's Final Logo

]]> http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives_x/002560.html http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives_x/002560.html Branding and Identity Thu, 16 Mar 2006 08:27:53 -0500 David Weinberger The Face of Human Rights weighs in at 4.5 pounds, and while its mass challenges readers to hold the book in their hands, its subject matter challenges us to consider the values and freedoms that we too often take for granted.

]]> This is not a design book, nor is it a book full of flashy stunts and whimsical typographic treatments. Rather, it is a book designed to communicate about a problem that plagues humanity. Over 700 pages are dedicated to visualizing and critiquing human rights, civil rights, standards of living, the protection of private life, the right to work, torture, and more. We could just as easily turn on the nightly news to learn about these problems and see where they’re happening in our world, but this book does more than paint a brief picture, it questions these problems and forces the reader to do the same.



Is it human to live in a cardboard box?

Should the word ‘free’ only be allowed in statements as “This dog is free from lice”?

What are we supposed to believe?

Is the state entitled to kill?

How can they say I am different just because of the colour of my skin?

Who has the right to own what?



These are some of the headlines that lead into each chapter, neighbored by a spiral of human rights that acts as a table of contents as you move through the book. Powerful photography captures people going about their day: frozen in a state of fear, protesting, looking over a home’s barbwire fence, toting a gun through the desert, waiting in a chow line for some rice, enjoying the right to life, smiling with friends and neighbors, playing in the streets, laying in abandonment on the dirt, or tending to the ill. Visually and verbally, the book not only showcases people celebrating human rights but also those suffering through times of human rights violation. Just as the editors state that it is “impossible to cover all relevant problems and all countries,” in this brief space, I am not capable of painting a complete picture of what The Face of Human Rights shows its readers, nor can I sum up its call to arms and moral imperative.

The power of design has been an issue covered at conferences, in essays, and through academia. Designers define that power through their own values and judgment, choosing how they will serve an audience and client. The Face of Human Rights is a prime example of how words and images can come together to serve the public and greater good—communicating about both the blessings we cherish and frightful situations some must cope with.


Book Information
The Face of Human Rights
edited by Walter Kälin; Lars Müller; Judith Wyttenbach
Hardcover: 720 pages; 500 Illustrations
9.6 x 6.6 x 2.2 inches
Publisher: Lars Müller
ISBN: 3037780177
]]> http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives_x/002558.html http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives_x/002558.html Book Reviews Tue, 14 Mar 2006 10:35:40 -0500 Jason A. Tselentis We dare you… no, we double-dare you to enjoy this edition of Quipsologies.

]]>

~ ARMIN ~

When typography attacks.

~

The Paulagiarisms™ continue: This time in Italy. [Thanks to Paula for the link, and Julia and Lenny for the journalistic report].

~

A couple of events that were meant to be posted in the News & Events section but will probably not:

Alphabet: An Exhibition of Hand-Drawn Lettering and Experimental Typography is currently showing, until March 31, at the Workhorse Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.

&

London-based Don't Panic will be holding an exhibition of their famed posters — by the likes of Banksy, Pentagram, Neville Brody and Shepard Fairey — from March 30 to April 29, at the Aram Gallery in London. For more information, download this PDF.

~

Intermittent Speak Up contributor, David Stairs, has taken blogging into his own hands with Design Altruism Project

~

And Debbie sends a quick quip: Suprematism.org.

~ BRYONY ~ Attack of the fake Starbucks ~

Londoners... wake me up stickers, anyone?

~ M. KINGSLEY ~

Website for a current exposition at the Bibliothèque nationale de France — Torah, Bible, Coran. Even if you don't read French, there are many wonderful images from the history of writing; including the above example of late 15th century marginalia and collaged Koranic commentary from central Asia.

~

Maybe the problem between designers and clients is that we always forget the happy ending.

~

As a follow-up to Debbie Millman's post on Intelligent Design: Dr. Barbara Forrest, a member of the reality-based community; interviewed at Daily Kos.

~

Ralph Steadman, an appreciation.

~

A composer's take on "If everybody's a designer, what separates us from the pack?"

~

"...if you strive to teach yourself the lost art of storytelling, you are going to suffer, and, as you work and age, you may look around you and say, “Why bother?” And the answer is you must bother if you are selected to bother, and if not, then not."

Kyle Gann has posted an excerpt from David Mamet's Writing in Restaurants — which should be considered when one complains about "those damn suits."

~

I finally saw these the other day, and they're quite striking: MoMA's dynamic signage observed.

~

Oh well, we might as well join in the clusterlink to yet another collection of bad album covers.

~

In the spirit of Speak Up's patented logo dogpiles, we direct you to web pages that suck.

~

My college art history text has been revised. Congratulations to Beth Tondreau Design for their future influence of tomorrow's visual artists.

~

As an update to a previous post on the black power salute, the University of California Berkeley Library hosts Lincoln Cushing's A brief history of the "clenched fist" image.

~

In 1987 the great literary critic Harold Bloom shortlisted Charlie Parker's "I Remember You" and "Parker's Mood" in his canon of the 20th-century American Sublime. Yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of Parker's death in Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter's room at the Stanhope Hotel, across the street from the Metropolitan Museum. I suspect one of the few times New York hipsters can be counted on to say a silent prayer is as they descend the Met's staircase and glance across Fifth Avenue. And yes, I know this quip seems as if it has nothing to do with design; but in my heart, it has everything to do with design. Because without knowledge of the sublime, or it's experience of exstasis, we appeal to our audience in vain.

]]> http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives_x/002559.html http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives_x/002559.html Miscellaneous Mon, 13 Mar 2006 09:06:36 -0500 The Speak Up Authors