A bunch of news bytes from around the design world today:

• AIGA Boston and the Fort Point Arts Community Gallery present POSTGIG, a compilation of music posters curated by Clifford Stoltze; the exhibit runs September 15 to 20 at the FPAC Gallery in Boston.

• Sappi Fine Paper North America announced the 20 recipients of its 2008 Ideas that Matter grants, which provide for printing, paper and implementation of pro-bono design projects that make a difference in the world. The list is too extensive to include here, but you should check out all the impressive and noteworthy projects on the Ideas that Matter site.

• The 8th annual Picturehouse event is slated for October 29 in NYC; image-buyers can attend this free event to see what's new from 100+ stock-image suppliers.

• Utopia announced the 10 Platinum and Gold winners in its regional U B the Judge design competition. Platinum winners include Polo Ralph Lauren for the 2007 Ralph Lauren holiday catalog; Lambesis for the bebe Holiday II catalog; Phillips Design Group for the Loomis Sayles & Co. brochure; Stacy Sweat Designs for the Loyola University Chicago Madonna Della Strada Chapel project; and Squires & Co. for the Magic of 10 Colors brochure. View all the winners at Utopiapaper.com.

• Pantone and X-Rite have announced fall dates for their Color Control Freak seminar series.  or call 888.439.4403 to register by phone. Cities include NYC (September 24), Boston (October 9), Atlanta (October 15), Chicago (October 22) and San Diego (October 29); November dates also on the agenda.

• On the FSC-certification front: Neenah says its flagship brands CLASSIC CREST and CLASSIC Linen are now entirely FSC-certified. And SMART Papers' premium cast-coated Kromekote has the designation.

• Parsons The New School for Design presents "Ours: Democracy in the Age of Branding," features an international roster of emerging and established contemporary artists and an extensive array of performances, workshops and new commissions. The exhibition opens October 16 at the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, NYC.

I have ... let's see ... six posters in my tiny little office (including four from past HOW Design Conferences). I collect vintage posters at home (see Wednesday, March 12 post). I [heart] posters. In fact, the winner of this year's International Design Awards was, you guessed it: a poster campaign.



So we've decided to launch a design competition that spotlights my favorite kind of design project.

(drumroll please ...)

Here's the brand-new HOW Poster Design Awards. It's pretty slick: You can enter and upload your work entirely online. Judging panel is to be announced; the entry deadline is December 1. We'll profile the top 10 winners on HOWdesign.com.

Design Managers
Procter & Gamble (Geneva, Switzerland)

Three billion times a day, Procter & Gamble brands touch the lives of people around the world. Our purpose is to provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world's consumers, now and for generations to come. Our brands include: Tide, Bounty, Pantene, Crest/Oral B, Swiffer, Olay, Gillette Blades & Razors, Duracell, Eukanuba, Vicks, Cover Girl, Tampax, SKII, Clairol and Prilosec.

Procter & Gamble has multiple openings for Design Managers to work in our Geneva office. We are seeking individuals who have proven experience in strong strategic design management, with skills in Graphic Design, Packaging (on-pack design / structural packaging design) and In-store Design. Come and join P&G - one of the top ten companies to work for globally.

I'll admit my bias, but I really love the conferences that the HOW team hosts. Specifically, I love all the connections that happen: between the speakers and attendees, among attendees themselves (and also between our team and our audience).

If you're an in-house designer, chances are good that you have few opportunities to make meaningful connections with other designers -- other right-brain types like you. Which is what next month's In-HOWse Designer Conference is all about.

If you're thinking about going to San Francisco for this event, be sure to make your arrangements right away. The hotel discount we've secured will expire at midnight tomorrow (Wednesday). Learn more about that here. And if JetBlue flies into your hometown, you can score a 5% discount (here).

Still undecided? Here's why you should go.

For those of you playing along at home, you'll want to check out the winner of HOW's most recent design competition: our Promotion Design Awards. Sure, you say to yourself, it's such a cliche that a paper/printer promotion wins a design competition. But trust us: we KNOW paper promos (we get a zillion of 'em), and this one flat-out ROCKS.

While you're reading about this year's winner, take a listen to the free podcast we created to take you behind the scenes during the judging process as the jury deliberates which of several contenders will score the Best of Show spot.

A week after the Creative Freelancer Conference wrapped, and we're still getting amazing stories from attendees who are rethinking the way they do business. You'll find a whole list of links to photos (including the one below by Nicholas Nawroth) and posts on the CFC Blog, but the story that rocked my world today came from freelance writer Sarah Daly, who wrote to say that she walked into a client meeting last week armed with renewed confidence in her work and her fees—and she landed a brand-new gig! Seriously, we can't make this stuff up.
 

Graphic Designer
Poulin & Morris

Graphic designer positions available immediately. We are looking for individuals with a passion for design and visual storytelling. Ideal candidates should be detail-oriented and have 1 – 3 years experience, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and an ability to work independently and collaboratively when needed. Responsibilities include development, design, and implementation of various types of projects including environmental graphics and wayfinding sign programs, exhibition design, graphic identity/branding, interactive media, promotional print, and publication design for corporate and cultural clients.

Christie's today holds its first auction of contemporary design, with 30 works from stellar names like Ron Arad, Ettore Sottsass, Marc Newson, the Campanas and others. This stuff won't go cheap; estimates for most of the items top five figures.

via UnBeige

The London-based design firm Airside has just created Alphabunnies, an amusing take on the alphabet. It is hand screen-printed on high-grade 216g Astrolux paper. Limited edition of 100 with each print signed and numbered by the designer. Some of letters might be NSFW, depening on where you work, but the "A" is just cute.

Posted by Megan

Junior Graphic Designer
Kidrobot

Kidrobot is seeking a Part-Time Junior Graphic Designer to work in its New York office.

The Junior Graphic Designer will report to the Director of Art and Toy Development, and will be responsible for infusing the Kidrobot brand into all visual communications and projects. On the web this includes designing banner ads, homepages, and product-specific mini sites. The Jr. Graphic Designer will also work closely on marketing materials for toys, apparel, stores, and events. This includes the design of printed promotional items such as postcards, flyers, stickers, buttons, cards, signs, and presentation materials. This position will also be closely intertwined with the toy production process and will help with packaging concepts and toy development.

A strict attention to detail and an ability to manage a diverse and sometimes intense workload is crucial. This person must have excellent graphic design skills and the ability to conceptualize visually dynamic and concise ideas. This position requires flexibility and openness to adapting to the Kidrobot aesthetic. Experience with preparing and optimizing files for both offset printing and the web are key. Ideal candidates must be able to adapt to new technologies and techniques with ease. A mastery of Photoshop and Illustrator are a must. Knowledge of Flash Animation is a plus.

Posted by Megan