Trifecta of Cool

Ok, it's actually a foursome of cool but quadrangle isn't a very cool word.

Heath Ceramics + Eames + House Industries + French Paper Co. = a reason to remodel the exterior of my house. Visit here for loveliness.

Full Bleed

Held at the Mandate Press in Salt Lake City, here is a synopsis of a recently-attended exotic AIGA event: Full Bleed.

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On Thursday, October 28, the world of contemporary art and body art will merge as AIGA joins with professionals from the Yellow Rose and Cathedral Tattoo shops for 'Full Bleed: The tattoo and design experience.'

Tattoo culture has seen an influx of new artists, many of whom have impressive technical and fine arts training. From drawings, prints, and paintings to skin, the art and culture of the tattoo industry crosses traditional boundaries by telling life stories. Using the iconography of experiences, from classic Tattoo Flash to the Old West, from Asia and Polynesia, each design carries it's own special meaning.

Join AIGA Salt Lake City as we explore the graphic perspective on today's global tattoo culture. Entry gets you two drinks on us, access to top local artists, local artwork, and plenty of ink!
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Empire

New York City in October. An island between seasons; an ephemeral escape; a sublime dislocation.

Like my previous color palettes based upon travel, I use my iPhone camera; then the Pantone application to extract colors from those images; e-mail ASE (Adobe Swatch Exchange) files; and complete the project in InDesign when I return from my trip. The goal is to be open and receptive to what turns up; not to force the colors. Brownstone's are a surprising conglomeration of hues I wouldn't have selected as brick. Yet the Brooklyn bridge colors are precisely what I recall. Incidentally, the green patinas on old edifices and sculpture share a lot of attributes with the emanations from electronic signs and monitors.

My airplane reading material for this trip was Maira Kalman's illustrated edition of Strunk's The Elements of Style. I read it in anticipation of her new book And the Pursuit of Happiness. So with Maira in mind, I feel this palette could easily have come from her ineluctable and intuitive character studies. That's the thing about New York ... everyone's personality is in the foreground, but we must find something to focus on before we spin out of control. It allows you to see and appreciate everything for what it is, and then forces you to move on before you can understand it.

Gallery Stroll

Any time I can use Zaner—the lush Spencerian script by P22—I will. Same goes for shiny paper. (In this case, CTI's Aspire Petallics Silver Ore.)

This past Tuesday we had an event for University Hospital benefactor's to unveil the new portrait gallery as well as our wall of engraved donor names. We needed to represent both giving levels, but that made for a lengthy event title. The solution: a type treatment for each exhibit split by a flourish evoking: the unveiling of draped art; strolling; and even a lyrical quality. (It looks like a violin to me. Someone else told me it makes them think of Phantom of the Opera.)

The event was a fine affair, attended by people with interesting relationships to the University of Utah. A recent heart transplant patient spoke about his experience here and that really helped crystalize why we give. From the generosity of an organ donor's family, to the financial gifts that keep our institution a pioneering one, to the time commitments of our volunteer staff, it's always heartening for me to see the underlying passions that keep people connected.

Millcreek BBQ

This is just a little snippet of an invitation I made for my family barbecue. You can never use maps enough in design. I had fun juxtaposing the save the date (left) against the actual invitation (right) which used a map of another sort. Liberty Park has a delightful replica of our local canyons as footpaths that empty out into a playful water feature for kids.

Sadly, the water is off right now as we are recovering from an oil spill that originated in Red Butte Creek and has overwhelmed our formerly-gorgeous city pond. Yes, an oil spill in Utah. A little solidarity for the gulf-coast states who are suffering badly from the BP spill right now, and will continue to for decades.

Revinylize

Revynilize is a project by the Salt Lake chapter of the AIGA. It's one of the better concepts I've seen under the rubric of reuse—an overlooked portion of the government waste-reduction campaign: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Designers love reuse, though. The DIY culture of ReadyMade magazine, and similar tribes, has been a pleasurable and inventive pastime of mine. I think the indie fashion world also makes great use out of repurposing fabric into exceptional, and coveted, commercial pieces.

Just a couple of rescued banners were converted by a local tailor into 8 messenger-style bags that are destined to be envied by U of U employees. It was a proud moment watching our local board members present the program in Memphis at the national design conference last fall. It was even nicer to have them be so eager to help get these custom-made for us. I can't wait to see the faces of the lucky few recipients.

More Food Drive Campaign Photos

Results of the drive:

51,500 lbs of donated food

+ 43,104 lbs of food (by way of $21,552 in cash donations)

= 94,604 lbs of food contributed to fight hunger

We nearly doubled our goal of raising 50,000 lbs of food. Equally impressive—U of U employees volunteered 270 hours sorting at Utah Food Bank.

Yes We Can

Asked to put together a food drive in just two weeks was it's own monumental task. Pulling it off with flair ... the only way we'd make it through. Our VP conceived the whole thing; our junior designer executed it; and I supported them with vendor management while attempting to keep the rest of our design projects from stagnation. What a relief to be on this side of the equation now.

We created a flat soup can, perforated and scored, to be delivered to every employee. A simple solution, but an ingenious one for not only creating an interactive opportunity for the message to sink in, but they also created instant decorative flair. As I walk through the hospital and office areas now, it's hard not to find stacks of our cans. Grocery bags were mailed to everyone's home with both a call to action, and a seasonal message from the CEOs. After shopping, employees drop their bagged donations off at work in giant barrels wrapped with the same soup can graphic. We designed an "I Gave" sticker to wear after dropping off your donation ... it looks like the top of a metal can. And to track donations, we're wrapping a two-story pillar after semi-weekly weigh-ins. By the time we achieve our goal, it will look like the largest grocery store end cap ever. More photos to come. (Including the dancing can mascot.)