Interesting article on NYTimes.com today about how marketers (and their advertising and design agencies) are taking their messages down a few notches on the luxury scale. From shooting commercials in less-glamorous locations (a middle-class home, not a mansion) to including pricetags on featured items, to dropping coupons into print advertising, seems like everyone's promoting value over extravagance these days. Are your clients taking the same approach? Weigh in on the HOW forum about the trends you're seeing.

I've always thought of ubiquitous advertising as a problem of the modern age, but apparently companies have been doing it for a long time as these turn-of-the-century envelopes show.

Posted by Megan

Senior Design Manager - Cheese
Kraft Foods

In this role, you have the opportunity to lead and participate in creating a new experiential vocabulary for the brands in the Cheese Category. You will participate in developing the design vision and strategy for the Design organization in our Cheese Business Unit (BU). You will also participate in implementing innovative design initiatives across the Cheese BU including some of Kraft’s iconic brands. You will partner with cross-functional team members in Research & Development, Marketing, and Consumer Insights & Services while reporting into the Cheese BU.

Posted by Megan

Scoop from around the design world to share with you on this Friday:

• The Art Directors Club and Idealist, a clearinghouse and website for nonprofit organizations, have teamed up on DesignismConnects.org. The new site connects creative professionals with nonprofits that need their services. Creatives can match their skills to causes they believe in; both sides of the equation post profiles and users can search to find partnerships they'd like to pursue. Organizations like Crime Stoppers of Mid Michigan, Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley and Evergreen4Kids have posted projects ranging from TV public service announcements to website design. As the year winds down and you're looking for a cause to support, look to DesignismConnects.org (and maybe even get your clients involved, too).

• Neenah has updated its flagship CLASSIC CREST brand with new colors, sizes and weights; the entire portfolio is also FSC certified and manufactured carbon-neutral and with renewable energy. A new swatchbook is available.



• Noted design educator Roland Young joins the faculty of Academy of Art University in San Francisco beginning in January. The veteran teacher was hailed by the school's graphic design chair, Mary Scott, as "inspirational and brilliant."

Print Liberation, a funky design studio that's featured in our Nov/Dec business annual, just released a T-shirt commemorating the recent election.

Posted by Megan

Graphic Artist
Pixar Animation Studios

Position Summary:
Provide graphic art, design & support to feature films and related projects. Execute still and motion graphics that enhance set and character elements, that support general aesthetic of films and related projects.

General Duties and Responsibilities:
• Work with Production Designer & art team to help determine elements in the film that require specific graphic treatment.
• Utilizing both still and motion graphics, conceptualize, design and implement graphic elements consistent with the style and quality of the film.
• Research items, timelines, events, people, etc relevant to the period being covered in film to provide a high level of detail and authenticity.
• Provide art, design and graphic artistry to feature films and related projects.
• Plan and oversee motion and still graphics deliverables and ensure that timelines for delivery are met.
• Serve as general production artist as needed on related projects.
• Other duties as assigned.

Posted by Megan

In October, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion featuring some of design's best-known business leaders, where they shared expertise and advice on how they've successfully marketed their design firms over the years.

The panel, which included Peleg Top, Petrula Vrontikis, Steven Morris, John Travis and Michael Hodgson, was part of the AIGA/Orange County's Ultimate Promo Show. The AIGA folks have made video segments of the event available, so you can benefit from the business secrets the panel revealed.

One hot topic: strategies these principals are undertaking in order to thrive as the U.S. economy tanks.

From Steven Morris: "We’re not going to change anything; we’re just going to keep doing all the things that we do all the time. I see it as an opportunity for growth."

From Petrula Vrontikis: "It’s kind of like riding out the storm and using it as a bit of education."

Check out the video (about 9 minutes) with more advice on how you can take advantage of the downturn.

Can you tell which of these logos is for a hair-care product and which is for a digital audio product? I got 13 out of 14 on my first try, but figuring out which one I had wrong took forever. Maybe it's time for a redesign.

via How About Orange

Posted by Megan

Moleskine recently announced a new collection of notebooks called Volant.

The newest addition to the Moleskine family of notebooks is a fresh, colorful collection! The Volant collection introduces a brand new format in an array of four colors and three sizes, infused with the Moleskine brand philosophy:
• a very neat and simple design;
• a soft Moleskine cover, light but resistant;
• the quality of the paper

Posted by Megan