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# Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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A Type of Candidate

On the NYTimes.com Campaign Stops blog, design writer and critic Steven Heller asked several industry notables to weigh in on Sen. John McCain's choice of Optima for his campaign logo. (Actually, it's not like McCain himself actually chose the face.) Heller previously posted about Sen. Barack Obama's use of Gotham by Tobias Frere-Jones.

Read the whole post, which includes Seymour Chwast's curmudgeonly-in-kind-of-a-funny-way comments and Cyrus Highsmith's comparison of the campaign to his dentist. And then there's a fun bit from Matthew Carter, who goes so far as to set the names of potential VP candidates in Optima:
"The moment of typographic truth will come when Senator McCain picks a vice presidential running mate and two names have to be combined on banners and bumper stickers. By choosing Optima, a rather distinctive typeface, he may have seriously limited his options."
Carter notes that both Huckabee and Romney look a little silly in Optima, but that Rice fits the typeface quite nicely.



Posted by Bryn

Typography
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 6:06:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Font Bots

Jonathon Yule, a Canadian Designer, has a series of three robot illustrations on his site that are created from sans serif fonts. I love you, helbotica.



via Boing Boing

Posted by Megan


Typography
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 2:24:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Loving Vintage Design

As I noted in yesterday's post about competition judging, we're seeing lots of vintage elements and inspiration these days -- the most successful designs update that old imagery with a modern (and not ironic, thank you very much) twist. If you're looking for some retro design eye-candy, check out a couple of sites we've stumbled across recently:

The German-based web design-focused Smashing Magazine has a gallery of retro goodies. (Thanks to the HOW Forum for the link.)

And GrainEdit.com features vintage children's books and other ephemera (like these gorgeous Israeli stamps from the 1970s), plus modern works that carry that same aesthetic. The site also includes interviews with current designers, like the guys from Wink in Minneapolis, whose work echoes the past in a cool way.



Posted by Bryn

Creativity
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 1:41:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, April 21, 2008
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Jason Santa Maria

I included designer Jason Santa Maria's business card in my story "Hey Good Lookin'" in HOW's December 2007 issue. Today, eight of his cards are arranged on Swissmiss in a way I didn't realize they could be. I loved the cards because of the humorous copywriting. I like them even more now.

Posted by Megan


Designers
Monday, April 21, 2008 6:44:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Micro-trends

Over the past three days, the HOW magazine team pored through nearly 3,000 entries in our latest Promotion Design Competition. It gave us a micro-level look at design trends throughout the U.S. and in a few well-represented European countries (Croatian design rocks). The majority of work was solid -- nicely designed, appropriate for the message, with decent production values. But about 125 entries really stood out for conceptual excellence, stellar design and top-notch production. (Stay tuned for HOW's September/October issue for a look at those top projects, or peek at past design competition winners here.)

In the meantime, here's a list of the trends we spotted among the entries:

Hot
Wood-grain paper (like Gmund’s Savanna line)
Vintage imagery, found materials and influences (like these)
Screen printing (especially for projects other than posters)
Gritty, realistic photography
Instead of sending tchotchkes to clients, making a donation in their name and sending a thoughtful and well-designed token of that donation
Cloth shopping bags with your logo or message

On the way out
Tiny patterns (though we still love them)
Brown/blue or brown/chartreuse color palettes
Buttons
Greeting cards and wrapping paper as client gifts

Not
Customizing a Viewmaster with slides of your portfolio
Making your staff pose for a goofy holiday photo
Desktop calendars packaged in a CD case
Coasters
T-shirts with your logo or message


Posted by Bryn

HOW Magazine
Monday, April 21, 2008 3:56:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Design and Music

The HOW staff always plays music during competition judging. Design and tunes just seem to go together. Over on Design Observer, they're conducting an informal poll about what designers like to listen to while they work. The selections are all over the map, but you may discover some good new music.

We discovered an interesting CD that was entered in the competition. The design didn't make it into the winners pile, but we did throw the disc on because we were intrigued by the title: Songs For Ice Cream Trucks. The music did indeed evoke a certain ice cream truck quality. We especially like the track "Where Do Ice Cream Trucks Go in the Winter?"

Posted by Megan


HOW Magazine | Just for Fun
Monday, April 21, 2008 3:47:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, April 17, 2008
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Most Unusual

This morning, I'm offering an unofficial award for most unusual entry. The winner is Lincoln, NE-based the minnow PROJECT for their Heat Activated Urinal Billboards for Spilker Ales. The "billboards" are stickered inside urinals. At first, it looks like there's a big black square in the middle. But add a warm stream, and a fire hydrant is revealed.

Posted by Megan


Designers | HOW Magazine
Thursday, April 17, 2008 1:42:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [5] 
# Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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Promotion Design Awards

Live from the HOW Promotion Design Awards judging. Here's one of the largest categories, Client Promotions.

Posted by Megan


HOW Magazine
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:42:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Young Guns

Are you a designer who's under 30? You have until June 2 to enter the ADC Young Guns competition.

ADC Young Guns exists to identify the vanguard of creative professionals who let loose their imaginations, shattering conventions and breaking boundaries with a dash of brilliance and personal flair. Those of you who’ve set your minds to making a name for yourself, raising new standards from within cubicles, conference rooms, cramped apartments, and studios across the world—this is your chance to put those battle cries in action. If you’re under the age of thirty and have two years of the working life under your belt, we’d like you to show us what it’s all about.

Posted by Megan


Call for Entries
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 8:08:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Designer Chocolate

We're about to be inundated with entries in HOW's Promotion Design Awards (judging starts tomorrow), so I've got clever promos on the brain. I was delighted by San Francisco-based Coco-luxe Confections, which makes gourmet truffles that can be customized with logo or text. The yummy candies would make a delicious, memorable client gift.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 4:26:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1]