Recently finished this logo for the North American Coalition for Community Music. Thoughts?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
NACCM Logo
Recently finished this logo for the North American Coalition for Community Music. Thoughts?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Essay: Stefan Sagmeister
STEFAN SAGMEISTER
To the casual outsider, the world of Stefan Sagmeister might seem like a dysfunctional pit of rock n' roll hobnobbing and nudity verging on the edge of what might be considerably more than just bad taste. However, a closer look at the man and the process reveals a sponge-like sensitivity to a variety of disciplines outside of design and a surprisingly regimented methodology of, essentially, creating creativity.
BACKGROUND & WORK
Stefan Sagmeister was born in 1962 in Austria. After completing his studies in Graphic Design at The University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Sagmeister studied at The Pratt Institute in New York City on a Fulbright scholarship. After a brief stint at the Hong Kong office of Leo Burnett, he returned to New York to work at M & Co. with Hungarian designer Tibor Kalman. When the company folded in 1993, Sagmeister formed his own firm, Sagmeister, Inc. Clientele have included AIGA, magazines, fashion designers, perfume manufactures, universities and a whole smattering of musical artists including Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, OK Go, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Aerosmith, Pat Metheny and Brian Eno. (1) He won a Grammy Award for his work on the Talking Heads' box set, "Once In A Lifetime" and continues to design for a wide range of clients. (2)
IRREVERENCE & INGENUITY
The work Stefan Sagmeister has done so far is indeed thought provoking and some has even garnered him a certain amount of celebrity due to its controversial nature. One piece that earned him criticism and (unwanted) praise was an album cover for the hard-core metal band Pro-Pain that featured a simple black and white photograph of a naked autopsied female torso. Sagmeister has indicated that because of the unexpected "positive" reaction from some of the band's fan base, he would probably not design the CD cover the same, given the opportunity. (3)
Pro-Pain The Truth Hurts, 1994 (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pro_pain/the_truth_hurts/)
AIGA has commissioned several posters from Sagmeister and they have been equally as provocative as his other work. One poster featured a nude Sagmeister himself with information about a lecture actually carved into his skin, symbolizing the "pain" that comes with the production of each of his design projects. (1)
AIGA Lecture Poster, 1999 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
An advertisement for a Hong Kong design awards show organized by the Southeast Asia Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4A's) further demonstrated Sagmeister's ability to pull inspiration from a variety of sources, utilizing factory painters who created art reproductions and an irreverence that was sure to rankle the generally reserved nature of Asian businesspeople.
Southeast Asia 4A's Design Awards Show, 1992 (http://designmuseum.org/design/stefan-sagmeister)
Since the painters could only reproduce existing art, Sagmeister himself became the model for the "rear view" panel. (3) The above listed designs are some of the more controversial ones that have come out of Sagmeister, Inc. The company has produced a number of more conventional designs, but all have the signature edge that goes along with Stefan Sagmeister's work.
AIGA Biennial Conference, New Orleans, 1997 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
David Byrne, Feelings, 1997. (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
A UNIQUE WORK FOR A UNIQUE STYLE
Sagmeister, Inc. has become a leader in the creative industry. One of its most fascinating ongoing "projects" is the self-imposed sabbatical Sagmeister has implemented approximately every 7 years, his first in the early 2000's. He is currently taking his sabbatical in Bali. In interviews (5) and on his website, Sagmeister has indicated that the reasons for the sabbaticals are many, but most of all, he found himself coming up with the most creative ideas during periods of rest and that building creative time into your routine is the only way to really ensure that that "down time" will actually happen. The sabbatical periods tend to give way to a whole host of blog-worthy quips, including the title of this article.
Much of Sagmeister's work has featured creative use of typography and his own handwriting has appeared so often that some have remarked it has almost become a typeface of its own. Take for instance a 1996 poster for Lou Reed:
Lou Reed, Set The Twilight Reeling poster, 1996 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
When asked about the overall "style" of his firm, Sagmeister responded, "For a long time we prided ourselves not to have a style which to uphold became impossible. This is because if you really switch your stylistic approach from project to project, it is impossible to come up with a new one on a weekly or monthly basis, without ripping-off either historical styles or a particular designers' style. Although it would not cover all of our work, I would say we are probably best known for our hand-made quality." (1)
It is this handmade quality and attention to detail that has made Stefan Sagmeister one of the leading designers in America (and certainly in Bali) today. Whether its album covers or tongue-in-cheek posters for stuffy advertising associations, it's easy to see the ingenuity and creativity that has given Sagmeister, Inc. a great measure of success. One can only hope that this year's sabbatical will yield even more interesting and innovative work from Stefan Sagmeister.
-----
(1) DesignBoom, Stefan Sagmeister Interview, May 23rd, 2006. (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
(2) Sagmeister, Inc. (http://www.sagmeister.com/), Accessed 11/16/09.
(3) Harper, Laurel. Radical Graphics. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999.
(4) DesignMuseum, "Stefan Sagmeister." (http://designmuseum.org/design/stefan-sagmeister) Accessed 11/17/09
(5) Heller, Steven. "Stefan Sagmeister: Designer on Sabbatical." Print Magazine, Feb. 2009, p. 34
To the casual outsider, the world of Stefan Sagmeister might seem like a dysfunctional pit of rock n' roll hobnobbing and nudity verging on the edge of what might be considerably more than just bad taste. However, a closer look at the man and the process reveals a sponge-like sensitivity to a variety of disciplines outside of design and a surprisingly regimented methodology of, essentially, creating creativity.
BACKGROUND & WORK
Stefan Sagmeister was born in 1962 in Austria. After completing his studies in Graphic Design at The University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Sagmeister studied at The Pratt Institute in New York City on a Fulbright scholarship. After a brief stint at the Hong Kong office of Leo Burnett, he returned to New York to work at M & Co. with Hungarian designer Tibor Kalman. When the company folded in 1993, Sagmeister formed his own firm, Sagmeister, Inc. Clientele have included AIGA, magazines, fashion designers, perfume manufactures, universities and a whole smattering of musical artists including Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, OK Go, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Aerosmith, Pat Metheny and Brian Eno. (1) He won a Grammy Award for his work on the Talking Heads' box set, "Once In A Lifetime" and continues to design for a wide range of clients. (2)
IRREVERENCE & INGENUITY
The work Stefan Sagmeister has done so far is indeed thought provoking and some has even garnered him a certain amount of celebrity due to its controversial nature. One piece that earned him criticism and (unwanted) praise was an album cover for the hard-core metal band Pro-Pain that featured a simple black and white photograph of a naked autopsied female torso. Sagmeister has indicated that because of the unexpected "positive" reaction from some of the band's fan base, he would probably not design the CD cover the same, given the opportunity. (3)
Pro-Pain The Truth Hurts, 1994 (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pro_pain/the_truth_hurts/)
AIGA has commissioned several posters from Sagmeister and they have been equally as provocative as his other work. One poster featured a nude Sagmeister himself with information about a lecture actually carved into his skin, symbolizing the "pain" that comes with the production of each of his design projects. (1)
AIGA Lecture Poster, 1999 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
An advertisement for a Hong Kong design awards show organized by the Southeast Asia Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4A's) further demonstrated Sagmeister's ability to pull inspiration from a variety of sources, utilizing factory painters who created art reproductions and an irreverence that was sure to rankle the generally reserved nature of Asian businesspeople.
Southeast Asia 4A's Design Awards Show, 1992 (http://designmuseum.org/design/stefan-sagmeister)
Since the painters could only reproduce existing art, Sagmeister himself became the model for the "rear view" panel. (3) The above listed designs are some of the more controversial ones that have come out of Sagmeister, Inc. The company has produced a number of more conventional designs, but all have the signature edge that goes along with Stefan Sagmeister's work.
AIGA Biennial Conference, New Orleans, 1997 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
David Byrne, Feelings, 1997. (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
A UNIQUE WORK FOR A UNIQUE STYLE
Sagmeister, Inc. has become a leader in the creative industry. One of its most fascinating ongoing "projects" is the self-imposed sabbatical Sagmeister has implemented approximately every 7 years, his first in the early 2000's. He is currently taking his sabbatical in Bali. In interviews (5) and on his website, Sagmeister has indicated that the reasons for the sabbaticals are many, but most of all, he found himself coming up with the most creative ideas during periods of rest and that building creative time into your routine is the only way to really ensure that that "down time" will actually happen. The sabbatical periods tend to give way to a whole host of blog-worthy quips, including the title of this article.
Much of Sagmeister's work has featured creative use of typography and his own handwriting has appeared so often that some have remarked it has almost become a typeface of its own. Take for instance a 1996 poster for Lou Reed:
Lou Reed, Set The Twilight Reeling poster, 1996 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
When asked about the overall "style" of his firm, Sagmeister responded, "For a long time we prided ourselves not to have a style which to uphold became impossible. This is because if you really switch your stylistic approach from project to project, it is impossible to come up with a new one on a weekly or monthly basis, without ripping-off either historical styles or a particular designers' style. Although it would not cover all of our work, I would say we are probably best known for our hand-made quality." (1)
It is this handmade quality and attention to detail that has made Stefan Sagmeister one of the leading designers in America (and certainly in Bali) today. Whether its album covers or tongue-in-cheek posters for stuffy advertising associations, it's easy to see the ingenuity and creativity that has given Sagmeister, Inc. a great measure of success. One can only hope that this year's sabbatical will yield even more interesting and innovative work from Stefan Sagmeister.
-----
(1) DesignBoom, Stefan Sagmeister Interview, May 23rd, 2006. (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
(2) Sagmeister, Inc. (http://www.sagmeister.com/), Accessed 11/16/09.
(3) Harper, Laurel. Radical Graphics. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999.
(4) DesignMuseum, "Stefan Sagmeister." (http://designmuseum.org/design/stefan-sagmeister) Accessed 11/17/09
(5) Heller, Steven. "Stefan Sagmeister: Designer on Sabbatical." Print Magazine, Feb. 2009, p. 34
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Cohda RD Legs Chair
This is brilliant. And so.... "green." (eye roll)
Watching this is fascinating. It's very old-world-craftsman-like. Who would have thought that a chair made of molten plastic waste would be made with a mold that could have been constructed by an Amish person.
via core77
Making the RD Legs chair from Cohda Design on Vimeo.
Watching this is fascinating. It's very old-world-craftsman-like. Who would have thought that a chair made of molten plastic waste would be made with a mold that could have been constructed by an Amish person.
via core77
MindMapping
So many "design inspiration" books talk about mapping the creative process and the mind. I love this representation of what they all really boil down to... (which is self-help slop).
via core77
via core77
"Who Shot Rock and Roll"
Gail Buckland has it right. The way we think about bands/artists is shaped by the photos we see (unless of course we see them in person). It is so important to choose the right photographer to make your band's image.
via NYT
via NYT
"How To Protect Your Items In A Digital Age"
"If we're in the idea business, how to protect those ideas?
One way is to misuse trademark law. With the help of search engines, greedy lawyers who charge by the letter are busy sending claim letters to anyone who even comes close to using a word or phrase they believe their client 'owns'. News flash: trademark law is designed to make it clear who makes a good or a service. It's a mark we put on something we create to indicate the source of the thing, not the inventor of a word or even a symbol. They didn't invent trademark law to prevent me from putting a picture of your cricket team's logo on my blog. They invented it to make it clear who was selling you something (a mark for trade = trademark).
I'm now officially trademarking thank-you™. From now on, whenever you use this word, please be sure to send me a royalty check.
Another way to protect your ideas is to (mis)use copyright law. You might think that this is a federal law designed to allow you to sue people who steal your ideas. It's not. Ideas are free. Anyone can use them. Copyright protects the expression of ideas, the particular arrangement of words or sounds or images. Bob Marley's estate can't sue anyone who records a reggae song... only the people who use his precise expression of words or music. Sure, get very good at expressing yourself (like Dylan or Sarah Jones) and then no one can copy your expression. But your ideas? They're up for grabs, and its a good thing too.
The challenge for people who create content isn't to spend all the time looking for pirates. It's to build a platform for commerce, a way and a place to get paid for what they create. Without that, you've got no revenue stream and pirates are irrelevant anyway. Newspapers aren't in trouble because people are copying the news. They're in trouble because they forgot to build a scalable, profitable online model for commerce.
Patents are an option except they're really expensive and do nothing but give you the right to sue. And they're best when used to protect a particular physical manifestation of an idea. It's a real crapshoot to spend tens of thousands of dollars to patent an idea you thought up in the shower one day.
So, how to protect your ideas in a world where ideas spread?
Don't.
Instead, spread them. Build a reputation as someone who creates great ideas, sometimes on demand. Or as someone who can manipulate or build on your ideas better than a copycat can. Or use your ideas to earn a permission asset so you can build a relationship with people who are interested. Focus on being the best tailor with the sharpest scissors, not the litigant who sues any tailor who deigns to use a pair of scissors."
ATTENTION RECORD COMPANIES, FILM STUDIOS, NEWS MEDIA AND ALL OTHER LITIGIOUS INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS! READ THIS!!! !@#$^%^
It drives me nuts when I read about the insane lawsuits over copyright/trademark infringement that have sprung up lately. In essence, the majority of the plaintiffs failed to (as Seth says) "build a scalable, profitable online model for commerce." Quit clinging on to your old business models.
Change is difficult, I know, but the rewards are endless, the profits uncountable for those who will embrace the fact that we live in a vastly changed world of media. Many artists/businesses are still in the mode of believing they are the only people who own a CD burner/website/printing press. GET REAL! The rest of the world is just as savvy as you are. You have to create something so good that people will be falling over themselves to PAY you for it. Stop putting out drivel and people will stop treating it as such.
via Seth Godin
One way is to misuse trademark law. With the help of search engines, greedy lawyers who charge by the letter are busy sending claim letters to anyone who even comes close to using a word or phrase they believe their client 'owns'. News flash: trademark law is designed to make it clear who makes a good or a service. It's a mark we put on something we create to indicate the source of the thing, not the inventor of a word or even a symbol. They didn't invent trademark law to prevent me from putting a picture of your cricket team's logo on my blog. They invented it to make it clear who was selling you something (a mark for trade = trademark).
I'm now officially trademarking thank-you™. From now on, whenever you use this word, please be sure to send me a royalty check.
Another way to protect your ideas is to (mis)use copyright law. You might think that this is a federal law designed to allow you to sue people who steal your ideas. It's not. Ideas are free. Anyone can use them. Copyright protects the expression of ideas, the particular arrangement of words or sounds or images. Bob Marley's estate can't sue anyone who records a reggae song... only the people who use his precise expression of words or music. Sure, get very good at expressing yourself (like Dylan or Sarah Jones) and then no one can copy your expression. But your ideas? They're up for grabs, and its a good thing too.
The challenge for people who create content isn't to spend all the time looking for pirates. It's to build a platform for commerce, a way and a place to get paid for what they create. Without that, you've got no revenue stream and pirates are irrelevant anyway. Newspapers aren't in trouble because people are copying the news. They're in trouble because they forgot to build a scalable, profitable online model for commerce.
Patents are an option except they're really expensive and do nothing but give you the right to sue. And they're best when used to protect a particular physical manifestation of an idea. It's a real crapshoot to spend tens of thousands of dollars to patent an idea you thought up in the shower one day.
So, how to protect your ideas in a world where ideas spread?
Don't.
Instead, spread them. Build a reputation as someone who creates great ideas, sometimes on demand. Or as someone who can manipulate or build on your ideas better than a copycat can. Or use your ideas to earn a permission asset so you can build a relationship with people who are interested. Focus on being the best tailor with the sharpest scissors, not the litigant who sues any tailor who deigns to use a pair of scissors."
ATTENTION RECORD COMPANIES, FILM STUDIOS, NEWS MEDIA AND ALL OTHER LITIGIOUS INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS! READ THIS!!! !@#$^%^
It drives me nuts when I read about the insane lawsuits over copyright/trademark infringement that have sprung up lately. In essence, the majority of the plaintiffs failed to (as Seth says) "build a scalable, profitable online model for commerce." Quit clinging on to your old business models.
Change is difficult, I know, but the rewards are endless, the profits uncountable for those who will embrace the fact that we live in a vastly changed world of media. Many artists/businesses are still in the mode of believing they are the only people who own a CD burner/website/printing press. GET REAL! The rest of the world is just as savvy as you are. You have to create something so good that people will be falling over themselves to PAY you for it. Stop putting out drivel and people will stop treating it as such.
via Seth Godin
The 2%
Seth Godin talks about the 2% of people who, no matter what safe guards you put in place, no matter how clear your instructions, will manage to screw things up. He says that we either have to put in place resources to accomodate these faulty few or weed them out through trial and error.
Even in the context of the classroom (or even more so, depending on how you look at it), there are the 2% of people who will constantly ignore directions or doggedly avoid doing things correctly. I have very little patience with these kinds of people, but it is always a wake up call when you suddenly find yourself in the embarrassing situation of being THAT person who missed some important directive. Can we really fault people for being human? We can try to eliminate as much uncertainty as possible, but isn't there that simple law of life in our plane of existence that states that nothing is completely perfect?
Perhaps we need a little of that 2%?
via Seth Godin
Even in the context of the classroom (or even more so, depending on how you look at it), there are the 2% of people who will constantly ignore directions or doggedly avoid doing things correctly. I have very little patience with these kinds of people, but it is always a wake up call when you suddenly find yourself in the embarrassing situation of being THAT person who missed some important directive. Can we really fault people for being human? We can try to eliminate as much uncertainty as possible, but isn't there that simple law of life in our plane of existence that states that nothing is completely perfect?
Perhaps we need a little of that 2%?
via Seth Godin
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