Oh, What a Night!

Chelsea (right) and I talking with Patrick Coyne (he's in the middle) after the event.

Last night, AIGA | Connecticut welcomed Patrick Coyne, Editor in Chief of Communication Arts, to speak at the beautiful New Britain Museum of American Art.

With an enthusiastic full house of creatives from across our state, Patrick spoke thoughtfully about his personal experiences and career journey that led him to take the helm of the most respected and revered design publication, Communication Arts.

I learned that CA was started in 1959 by his father, Richard Coyne and parnter Robert Blanchard - and sold for $1.50 per issue! - making this year, 2009, their 50th anniversary.

It wasn't until the 1970's that the magazine actually began to make a profit. In the years following the exit of partner Blanchard from the publication, Patrick's father was ready to let go of the magazine. This decision was the catalyst which prompted Patrick to take over the 'family business'. Sadly, Patrick only had four short years to work beside his father before his passing in 1990. Together along with his wife, Patrick's sprightly 81-year old mother and a hardworking staff of 19, they continue to publish six much-anticipated issues each year. (Breaking news: This coming year, one issue will be dedicated to typography. This warms my heart.)

It was illuminating to learn of the sheer volume of work CA receives, organizes and reviews. Out of the hundreds of thousands of submissions, there is such a small percentage of work that actually appears in their publication - only 2% of design competition entries make the cut! Patrick explained the status of inclusion into CA the best when he said - and I'm paraphrasing here - "If you are a musician, you know you have arrived if you appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. If you are a designer, it is when your work appears in Communication Arts."

Patrick also shared some of his favorite designs from years past. What I loved about his picks were they all had nailed the "big idea" where the concept of the piece was equally important as its design execution - and in some cases, more so. I couldn't agree more.

At our AIGA | Connecticut board dinner (at Trumbull Kitchen) following the talk, the discussion at was lively and engaging. After a long day - which began with Patrick generously spending hours at Hartford Art School - we wished Patrick safe travels and we now look forward to CA's involvement in a future event I'm currently putting together. (Shhh! Details forthcoming.)

I crawled into bed after midnight dreaming of someday having my work grace the cover of CA.

Thank you, Patrick Coyne!


Lisa Burns, AIGA Membership Chair and our AIGA President Mike Scricco after the raffle where we gave away a stack of art books.



AIGA Programming Director Chelsea Lancaster and Lisa Burns, Membership Chair manning the registration table.


The How2Crew enjoying Patrick's talk.


Patrick Coyne (third from the left) mingling with everyone before the event.


Rena DeBortoli of Rena DeBortoli Design and Brent Robinson of Fathom catching up.

The in-sync boys of co:lab

Cute Clip

And because we never stop thinking about our clients, I was searching for something for Elements when I spotted these adorable clips and thought of our client Castlemere, maker of the finest pet products in all the world. This would be perfect for attachments on all their communications!

Find these cute clips at one of my favorite online paper stores, Paper Source.

TOMORROW: Patrick Coyne, Communication Arts, 6 - 9 pm

AIGA Connecticut is hosting Patrick Coyne, editor and designer of Communication Arts magazine tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 29 at the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Coyne will discuss the history and philosophy of the magazine, how CA‘s competitions work and how creatives are chosen for profiles in the magazine. He will also present a selection of award-winning design and advertising projects produced on limited budgets and will discuss the future of creativity in the post-information age.


Included in the admission price of the lecture, the galleries of the New Britain Museum of Art will be open for your enjoyment from 6:00 pm. The lecture portion of the evening will formally begin at 7:00 pm.

New Britain Museum of American Art
Thomas Hart Benton Gallery
56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT

Parking is available in the lot directly adjacent to the Chase Family Building. Parking is also available on Lexington Street and other streets surrounding the Museum, unless otherwise posted. You can reach the museum at 860.229.0257 or www.nbmaa.org.

AIGA Members $15
Nonmembers $20
Students with ID $5


Cash or check accepted at the door

Artistic Inspiration as a Basis for Business

Martha Stewart is slated to speak at Pratt Institute's 15th Annual President's Lecture Series tonight at 6 pm at the Brooklyn campus' Memorial Hall. The topic? "Artistic Inspiration as a Basis for Business".


Stewart’s creative principles and practical ideas have made her America’s most trusted guide to stylish living. Outstanding business sense and creative vision provide the framework for Martha Stewart Living omnimedia (MSLO) and its award-winning magazines, website, television show and satellite radio show, and a broad range of branded merchandise for the home. Just another reminder of how important creativity is in the world of business - it's the root of all things Martha!

The talk is sure to be inspirational to the budding talent at Pratt - I'm wishing I had known a little sooner, and would have considered making the trip. Since I learned of the talk via Martha's tweet, (follow her on Twitter @MarthaStewart), I'm hoping she will post some content on her blog tomorrow. Check back soon for updates!

Tabletop show at Forty One Madison

On Tuesday Amy and I had the pleasure of attending the Tabletop show in New York City. We were tipped off about the show by one of our clients, Tienshan. They were introducing new lines of dishware and pet accessories, including some pieces that we had designed.





It was great to see banners we had created hanging in their showroom. Pretty sharp, don't you think?




It was really amazing to see the range of product styles being exhibited - definitely something for every taste imaginable.

Illustration Love

Now, I just need the right project ...

Illustrations by: Nate Williams

How Green Are You?

Take this test and find out!

Earth Day

Opening today: "Earth" by Disneynature.



Synopsis:
The Walt Disney Studios will celebrate Earth Day 2009 (April 22nd) with the debut of "Earth," the first feature-length nature documentary from its new production banner, Disneynature. This amazing new film is from award-winning British producer/director Alastair Fothergill, whose credits include the Emmy and Peabody award-winning "Planet Earth" series (BBC and The Discovery Channel) and "The Blue Planet."

"Earth," takes moviegoers on an extraordinary tour of our home planet as its never been seen before. The film will be narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones.

Booksetting

{Via Amandine Alessandra}

"The adaptation of Thomas Fuller’s phrase “A book that is shut is but a block” in the previous bookshelves installation was illustrated by my use of the book for their shape and colour, rather than content; as it is, Muller-Brockmann orange grid book is only interesting for its vermilion a4 shape.

Building up the letters also reminded me very much of typesetting, as every type made of colored books had to be blocked with white books, just as it is done in letterpress, where large areas of white space are created by wooden blocks called furniture."

Impressed by the Power of Letters

New York Times' Ashley Parker describes the process by which Mike Kelleher, White House Director of Correspondence uses to select which ten letters per day will reach President Barack Obama. And yes, he answers them, "sometimes by hand, in black ink on azure paper".

Be sure to check out the interactive feature, giving examples of some letters and Mr. Obama's correspondence.

Tape Roundup!

A few recent finds that make us here at Elements swoon: Tape Swell which sells decorative tape & Happy Tape, Japanese Washi Paper Tape. Ahhh. So pretty.


These are just the types of little discoveries that get the creative & inspirational juices flowing. We already have plans for one of these beauties in an upcoming Elements mailer. But, shhh! We can't show you until next week, so check back for an image later next week.

Signs of Spring

I Want This Poster

{via dannyjones}

Fruit Juice

From designer Naoto Fukasawa, these are tactile, wild, original and fun. How could you pass these in the supermarket and not want to pick them up?


Simko:

Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa has created a series of creative fruit juice packages that have the look and feel of the fruit they contain. “I imagined that if the surface of the package imitated the colour and texture of the fruit skin, then the object would reproduce the feeling of the real skin.” Alongside banana, strawberry and kiwi fruit “juice skins” Naoto Fukasawa also offers a wild card “silken tofu skin” for a carton of soya milk.

Marketing Chops

Here's one marketing genius dentist - low budget AND attention-grabbing!

Elements Loves Wallcoverings

Via New York Times....

“Timeless,” one of three new murals by Jennifer Clark, a graphic designer in Great Barrington, Mass., offers armchair travelers an alternative to vacationing in France this summer. The mural was made from a photograph taken in Toulouse by Dianne Bos, a Canadian photographer; the series also includes “Eiffel Tower” and “Along Paris Streets,” based on images by other photographers.

Made by Brewster Home Fashions, a wallcovering company, all three murals are printed on vinyl-coated prepasted paper and measure 90 by 108 inches. Available online only, from Target, for about $200; information: (800) 591-3869 or target.com.

We need more wall space here at Elements to mount all of the beauty we find out there in the world! Sigh...

Is It All About You?

Elements joins Package Design Magazine's e-Forum to debate this trend. Check it out here.

Decorate for Spring!

Hosting an spring party? Or maybe you're just planning to celebrate sunshine and warm(ish) weather. Why not decorate with these rice paper daisies from Pearl River?

Via SwissMiss.

Fortune Follows the Brave

Here are some very poignant marketing facts from past recessions to help shed some light on tough marketing decisions you may be facing with your company today:

"1974-1975 recession years -- ABP/Meldurm & Fewsmith 1979 study covering 1974/1975 and its post-recession years found that "Companies which did not cut marketing expenditures experienced higher sales and net income during those two years and the two years following than those companies which cut in either or both recession years." (ABP/Meldrum & Fewsmith study, 1979).

"McGraw-Hill Research's Laboratory of Advertising Performance studied recessions in the United States. Following the 1981-1982 recessions, it analyzed the performance of some 600 industrial companies during that economic downturn. It found that "business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their marketing expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth both during the recession and for the following three years than those which eliminated or decreased marketing." (Greenburg, Eric Rolfe. "Fortune Follows the Brave," Management Review, January 1993).

From the Harvard Business Review: "The company courageous enough to stay in the fight when everyone else is playing safe can bring about a dramatic change in market position." In addition, the article points out "Advertising should be regarded not as a drain on profits but as a contributor to profits, not as an unavoidable expense but as a means of achieving objectives. (Dhalla, Nairman K. "Advertising as an anti recession tool," Harvard Business Review, Jan.-Feb. 1980).

Bad Logo! Bad Logo!

Hump day got you down?

Check out these awful designs at YourLogoMakesMeBarf.com.

My personal fave is this post from March 27 on "The Instant Oval Logo Maker". Sad, but unfortunately, very true.

Easter Cake Pops

Easter Cake Pops
Originally uploaded by Bakerella

Wish I had time to make these adorable Chick Pops for Easter. So creative!

Peep and Tweet

To find - and to be found - here are two Twitter-related directories to check out:

Find hometown peeps @ Localtweeps. Be sure to register yourself so your peeps can also find you!

Also, at wefollow.com, a large Twitter directory, you can hook up with your favorite musicians, politician, newscasters, celebrities - you name it. And by hook up, I mean virtually follow via their tweets. I am always interested in knowing what that Ryan Seacrest is up to ... now I know.

Note: Image found @ Bakerella's Flickr pics

Sharing Hour!

I found some good twittering advice that's also helpful for those of us still trying to figure out what twitter is all about, click here.

Also, if you'd like to follow Elements on twitter, here's our link.

What's in Your Basket?

Peeps Lip Balm?

Now, that's line extension.

(I wish they asked us to design their packaging, though. What a missed opportunity to have some fun with this brand!).

"Have A Tasty Holiday"

As we busily work on redesigning the Elements website, we're having one of our favorite photographers, Derek Dudek, shot some new images of our recent work.

This was our Elements holiday client gift this year.

Themed "Have a Tasty Holiday", the ribbon sealed box was packed with wildflower honey, a tin of hot cocoa mix, a clear bag of sugared mixed nuts and fresh maple syrup each from a different Connecticut farm.

In addition, we included a recipe book with two traditional holiday dishes - one savory, one sweet - collected from each of our personal memories of what our families serve at the holidays (complete with vintage holiday photos).

Printech printed all of our holiday materials - cards, labels and the spiral-bound recipe booklets. As always, Jerry Kelly and the team at Printech did a fantastic job and we thank them.

I hope it's obvious how much we enjoyed putting this gift together.

It's never too early to begin planning next year's collection!

The Hunt

Game on, Easter Bunny!

The Cat, Day 751

In light of an ad campaign we recently wrote and designed for a client featuring the personalities of various pets, I thought this mat I spotted in a gift shop last weekend was a.) Hilarious and b.) Timely. Happy Friday!

Can Design Save the Newspaper?

From TED.com:

"Jacek Utko is an extraordinary Polish newspaper designer whose redesigns for papers in Eastern Europe not only win awards, but increase circulation by up to 100%. Can good design save the newspaper? It just might."



I love this quote, which encapsulates the goal of any red blooded designer worldwide. Talk about inspiration! “Design can change not just your product, it can change your workflow, it can change your company. We just need inspiration, vision and determination to operate at the highest level. To be good is not enough.” - Jacek Utko

See more of Utko's newspaper redesigns at Utko.com (click on Portfolio > Newspaper Redesigns).

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers include Al Gore, Jane Goodall and Phillippe Starck. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts.

¡¡ɐɥɔʇoƃ

If you haven't been punk'd already today, here's a reminder: It's April Fools' Day!

Here's a few fun facts:

• In some countries, jokes are only to last until noon. In Australia, a person who plays a joke on someone after noon on April 1 is called an April Fool.
• In 1996, Taco Bell announced that they were purchasing the Liberty Bell and renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. That day, the National Park Service in Philadelphia was inundated with calls asking if it were true - and they had no idea what callers were talking about.
• Google has played annual pranks on techie users who fell for hoaxes such as last year's "Custom Time". Gmail users were told that they could now "pre-date" outgoing emails. The feature only allowed for ten pre-dated emails per year, claiming that any more "would cause people to lose faith in the accuracy of time, thus rendering the feature useless."
• On April 1, 2008, YouTube linked every video on its homepage to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” (Hint: Check out YouTube today.)
  
• And, on a personal note, I just had Barack Obama confirm me as a cousin using the We're Related app on Facebook. Touché.

Happy Fooling!