Welcome To GDUSA, The Blog

Welcome to the blog for Graphic Design USA! This blog represents a selected collection of editorial columns written by Gordon Kaye in the monthly graphic design magazine, Graphic Design USA. The magazine was founded in 1963 and is published out of New York City.

It Don’t Come Easy - 07/07

Welcome to the 2007 American Inhouse Design Awards Annual.

We at GDUSA tend to be modest and self-effacing by temperament. That tendency has been reinforced by the sobering experience of having our magazine scrutinized each month for 44 years by nearly one hundred thousand creative professionals — smart, knowing, sharp, perfectionist, critical and often outspoken. Trust me, it’s not a recipe for a bloated ego.

But today I do not feel like being modest — at least, for the sake of the winners — because this year’s competition brought out the greatest show of inhouse design talent ever.

And their performance is even more impressive when you understand the context.

The winning pieces, selected from 4,441 entries, represent more than individual triumphs, as important as those may be. They also symbolize some healthy collective muscle-flexing by a segment of our community that is finally getting its due. Signs of the rising influence of inhouse designers are everywhere. There is this annual, for one, but also the sheer number of inhouse practitioners, which is now estimated at more than 75,000. There are the numerous events and conferences springing up to address design management matters. There is the continued growth of InSource, our favorite association of corporate creatives. And there are the ephiphanies being experienced by more and more organizations that, in a cluttered and competitive post-industrial era, great design is the great differentiator.

For our winners the moment is especially sweet, since the path to a successful design solution is often steeper for them than for their counterparts at independent agencies. The unique constraints they face are explored in a special feature story in this edition. For now, suffice it to say that working in a corporate setting can trigger a singular existential challenge — justifying one’s place to senior management in order just to secure the resources and freedom to do the job right. George Harrison unwittingly composed the anthem of the inhouse designer when he wrote the lyric, “It don’t come easy. You know it don’t come easy.”

The American Inhouse Design Awards program is an attempt to make it a little easier, to turn conventional wisdom on its head, to declare that the best inhouse work is indeed the stuff of design annuals as well as — and most importantly — a fundamental and invaluable contribution to the missions of their respective organizations.

We (modestly) hope you enjoy the effort.

Ten Hot (Im)positions To Try Tonight - 06/07

It is in the nature of magazines to revisit topics of interest to readers and advertisers. Cosmopolitan seduces with “189 New Positions That Will Keep Your Man Coming Back For More” and its endless derivatives. Us Magazine dishes “Paris Hilton’s Heartbreak” weekly. Men’s Health beefs up on “10 Ways To Build Your Abs” pretty much every month. Rolling Stone replays “The Best Road Trip Songs.” Food & Wine uncorks “Rules of Thumb For Matching Wines With Food.” And Weight Watchers Magazine regularly serves up “Control Your Appetite Now!”. It is nothing short of astonishing that the editors find something — anything — novel to say. I feel their pain every Spring because, as our Annual Print & Paper Survey edition looms, I despair of unearthing something consequential to add to four decades of reports. But as so often happens here, our smart and accomplished readers have once again come to the rescue with fresh insights worth sharing: that print provides warmth and authenticity in an age of cool, remote and ephemeral communications; that the medium must evolve to remain relevant, timely and cost-effective; that “green” practices and materials resonate; that finding the right cross-media mix is an ongoing challenge; that digital printing is finally fulfilling it’s value premise and promise; that designers are reasserting dominance over paper specification; that design schools are failing to teach the power of print; and that ink and paper’s epic journey is far from over. Not all of this is virgin territory but — much to my relief — the report in its 44th incarnation is newsworthy, bracing and substantial. Admittedly, it’s no “Five Smart Solutions For Organizing Your Closets” (Redbook), but definitely worth the read.

Two Fold Legacy

In 1993, Myrna Davis stepped in as Executive Director of the Art Directors Club in New York, a venerable organization with a legendary past which, like so many others, was struggling to find its place in a fast-changing communications industry. During her tenure, Davis achieved much — probably more than even she could have envisioned — including growing the Annual Awards, introducing outstanding educational and professional programs, upgrading the physical plant and facilities, increasing membership and recruiting a first-rate team. As she departs, Davis’ legacy is two-fold:  a rejuvenated ADC and a lesson in the capacity of the individual to shape institutions and inspire communities.

Citizen Soldier Artist

Sergeant 1st Class Steve Opet recently returned from Iraq, after having put his 33 years of art experience and training to work for the Army Reserve. With a degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and a multiple award winner in illustration and caricature at local shows and exhibits, Opet’s mission was to capture of the humorous side of an Army Reserve soldier in Iraq. In the process, he travelled to eight different locations to capture the wry side of being a soldier thousands of miles from home, following a long-established tradition that has seen American cartoonists-journalists enter war zones to depict everyday military life, entertain fellow soldiers, and tweak the system. Whatever one’s views of the Iraq War, it is heartening to be reminded that there are brave people from all walks of life doing their duty as they see it and trying to lighten the load for their embattled colleagues. Opet’s pre-Iraq work can be seen at www.steveopet.com

Hidden Gems

The influence of nature and the environment was the predominant (and somewhat predictable) theme to emerge from our May ’07 Color Forecast story. Green-mania aside, Margaret Walch and Christine Chow of the Color Association of the United States alone noted the potential influence of the upcoming presidential election and the catharsis that it promises. “2008 will be a year in which Americans will without hestitation embrace colorful attitudes,” they wrote. “As the election year approaches, there is an expectation of change and a new optimism in the air. Dull or predictable neutrals appear to belong to the past, just as vivid, full spectrum palette seems to define the palette.” The color story is full of such hidden gems; if you missed them, you can find the story which can be found on our website at www.gdusa.com/issue_2007/05_may/

Color Sells - 05/07

Discussions of color often inspire soaring flights of fancy and philosophy, of broad connections and grand visions. And why not? Without the ability to perceive color, the world would be a dark, dank, dismal and dangerous place. With it, our existence is richer, more beautiful and more comprehensible. Still, as an inveterate philistine — not so much a native of ancient Philistia as someone lacking in cultural or aesthetic refinement — I feel compelled to make explicit that which is implicit in the forecasting exercise:  Color Sells. In preparing this month’s special Color Forecast report, I was especially drawn to a story about the introduction in Japan of Pantone-colored mobile phones. The manufacturer, SoftBank, is betting that the color choices will differentiate its product from the many other perfectly functional phones available in the insanely crowded telecommunications marketplace. The product line was introduced on the fashion-forward runways of Tokyo with models dressed in color-coordinated outfits, and supported with matching print, packaging and posters. Early reports suggest tremendous success, and while the idea is not exactly novel, this execution is likely to spur the further integration of color into a range of technology products that are otherwise numbingly interchangeable. Why? Because color sells.

Keep Swinging

In the March 2007 magazine, we published a letter from Michael Stanard who argued that graphic designers, often liberal, sensitive and well meaning, overestimate their ability to effect social change. “As graphic designers,” he wrote, “we have no meaningful societal influence, because we don’t control the content of our work.” Needless to say this has touched off a lively debate, typified by an interesting response from Bob Rankin of Rankin Design, Bellevue WA, who writes, in part:

“It's a good thing to express frustration — that’s the first step to finding a solution. Our society was founded on debate, it makes some of us think. GDUSA often has thought provoking ideas. From my 35 years of experience, I am sympathetic. I worked for a couple of years in a design group at a large airplane manufacturing company. The joke was, "Who will care about the particular design/advertising project I'm working on 50 years from now?" They were right, most often no one will care or even remember, not even the printer. Design is what it is, a plan, a plan that effects branding, marketing, the bottomline and is affected by the same. Sure, sometimes what graphic designers do is banal and simply lubricates the wheels of commerce. But take an object such as the Apple iPod. This was a timely product design (I sold my stock too soon) and the graphic design that expressed the product was on target. The product/brand/design have combined to have a profound effect on society. Why are some designers considered important, like Herb Lubalin or Paul Rand? Their design had an impact, it affected our society, the way we perceive things, and more importantly developed and introduced new expectations for our culture. There many examples where graphic design has help define and explain (brand) our culture. The microcosm — designing a direct mail program — might not seem significant. The macrocosm — helping to introduce a new drug or zero emission auto — could have a global social impact. In terms of making an impact on society,

it’s like baseball, the designer gets called from the bench, some of us don’t get to bat in the regular line up. A designer has the opportunity to hit a home run, every time, or maybe just a hit — I’ve been walked before — we work hard for every trip up to the plate. Sometimes we can make a difference, sometimes not. But we stay in the game and keep swinging ... we love the game.

Context

Positive reaction to the April 2007 LogoLounge trends piece continues to flow. My own favorite observation by Bill Gardner, lord of the logo, is that “whether we are noting social, conceptual or aesthetic trends, remember that none of them exist in a vacuum or a single moment in time. They are the results of many trends before them and are developing taproots as we speak.” If you haven’t read the article — how logo development can be shaped by science, economics, technology, politics and pop culture — I urge you to do so. Visit gdusa.com and click on Current Issue or Past Issues, depending on when you are reading this.

Privacy For A Song - 04/07

Cash is no longer king. Indeed, it is under siege from the electronic revolution, which is to say, the credit cards, transit cards, phone cards, paypasses and, soon, mobile phones that can act as payment devices. Defenders of the paper note and the metal coin have long pointed out that the small, everyday purchases we all make are still most easily handled in the old-fashioned way. But that rationale may now be short-lived. Cadbury Schweppes and MasterCard are testing hundreds of vending machines to answer two questions: Will people use plastic for this purpose, and will they spend more if they can use plastic? The early answer is... duh... yeah. Some machines have seen sales increases of up to 35%. Soon it may come down to this in our society: cash will only matter to individuals who still care about privacy and do not want their purchasing history and, indeed, their every movement to be trackable. Are there still people who value privacy above convenience? Apparently not, if it means slower access to a stale candy bar or some shrink-wrapped vanilla creme cookies. The vending machine example may seem trivial (and I like vanilla cremes as much as the next guy), but we are collectively on a slippery slope. A recent survey revealed that “consumers are increasingly willing to trade off privacy for electronic personalization.” The number of people who blithely provide extensive demographic information in exchange for having a customized computer experience has grown dramatically over the past year, as have the number of consumers willing to allow websites to track their clicks and purchases. It’s a funny thing: Fireworks go off, whistles blow and Congress holds hearings if the FBI taps a few phones, but tens of millions of people will happily surrender their sacred privacy for a song. My mother taught me that if I have nothing nice to say, then I shouldn’t say anything at all. But, frankly, this behavior is lazy, sad and, ultimately, dangerous. Sorry, Mom.

Roaring 20s

Graphic design is a relatively young discipline — unless you are one of those whose date it back to cave art, in which case it is arguably the second oldest profession. Conventional wisdom treats it as a post-World War II phenomenon, and, surely, it’s growth has largely occurred in the past 50 years. Interestingly, however, two news items in this month’s magazine — regarding the Art Directors Club annual and the AIGA Medal awards — date the start of those traditions to the early 1920s. It is good to be reminded, once in a while, that today’s vibrant and expansive graphic design community is built on a firm historical foundation. And a surprisingly long tradition. In that spirit, we have listed some of the formative graphic artists of the Harding, Coolidge and Hoover eras in our April GDUSA Enewsletter and provided a few other links to the history of design. (Visit www.gdusa.com and click on “Enewsletter”).

That Was Then

A few years ago, a major paper mill asked us to conduct a poll concerning how creatives felt about sustainability. I nodded knowingly, cleverly covering up for the fact that I hadn’t the foggiest idea what they meant — though it sounded vaguely prurient. (I was a younger man then, and everything sounded vaguely prurient.) The survey results proved that designers were in the same boat as me; few understood the concept ,and fewer practiced it. That was then, this is now. Evidence of the sweeping acceptance of sustainability is at every turn. This month is no exception, as two unrelated but, in the end, telling announcements indicate. Nordstrom, the deeply influential fashion cataloger, will become the first among its peers to print on FSC-certified stock with 30% postconsumer waste (in this case by sourcing Stora Enso’s Arbor grade). And xpedx, the largest North American printing paper distributor, has become the first distributor to receive both FSC and SFI chain-of-custody certification. Says Linda Finn, executive vice president of marketing at Nordstrom, “We realize the number of catalogs we send out and the kind of paper we use directly affect the environment. Our goal is to keep Nordstrom customers updated on the latest in fashion and inspire them to shop with us, but we want to do that in a way we can all feel good about.” Jeff Higgins, corporate director of marketing services for xpedx, has a similar message: “Designers and end users are increasingly looking to align their social and environmental philosophy with their specifying and purchasing practices. With our dual, national chain-of-custody certification, U.S. printers can now be assured they have a dependable supply of certified papers to meet growing demand.”

Graphic Design Interns From Heaven (and Hell) - 03/07

To every thing there is a season, and now is the time to start thinking about summer interns. If you are like us, you have hosted the intern from hell at one time or another: the lazy, the loud, the inappropriate, the delusional, the ones with strange habits, attitudes and noises who makes you pray for Labor Day to come and end the madness. You may also have had the intern from heaven who brightens and enlightens your life, and who you would instantly make a partner if only he or she were not 17 years old, and even then you try to persuade them to ditch school and stay by asking “What can you learn in college that you can’t learn here?” (In case you are wondering, this line of argument rarely works, though I keep trying.) With the happier experiences in mind, I spoke with Brad Kisner, an accomplished art director/designer and the new Communication Department chair at Harrington College of Design in Chicago, who believes firmly in the benefits of the internship system for everyone involved. “The classroom experience can only go so far,” says Kisner. “Internships offer students the opportunity to gain real world experience, learn the true meaning of deadlines, see the business side of the design industry and work as a team.” For the agency or department, Kisner says, “Interns offer more than low-cost labor. They can also reinvigorate a firm with fresh ideas, youthful energy and a humanistic point of view.” As for the practicalities, he recommends contacting Career Services or the relevant academic department at the school of your choice, hiring students in their junior year of college, conducting interviews as you would for any other employee, and providing a small stipend if no salary is attached to the position. Kisner makes one last and lasting point: “Internships offer employees the opportunity to give back to the design profession.”

Graphic Design Brand Revitalizations - 03/07

“God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion.” Thomas Jefferson uttered this famous phrase about Shay’s Rebellion, an uprising against the U.S. government led by disillusioned Massachusetts (where else?) farmers soon after the American Revolution was won. Some prominent marketers executives, it seems, are even more anxious than the third President to shake things up. According to a recent poll by Luth Research and the MiresBall graphic design firm, high-level marketers are acutely aware of the need to keep their brand vital in the face of heated competition, fragmenting media and market demographics, and pricing pressures. Indeed, the survey concludes: (1) brand revitalizations are essential and effective when conducted every three to five years; (2) companies are devoting more attention and money to their brand; and (3) brands must be continually fine-tuned in order to remain relevant. This means opportunity for graphic designers who can convince staid clients to anticipate change rather than wait for the inevitable consumer rebellion. Jefferson, himself, appreciated the need to periodically cleanse and renew, and may well have become a first-rate brand strategist, had he not gotten sidetracked with the whole Declaration of Independence thing.