As Time Goes By - 04/06

A recent Zogby poll asked the general public to rank modern U.S. presidents. John F. Kennedy topped the list, for the first time besting Franklin D. Roosevelt. This outcome seems inexplicable, even bizarre, given FDR’s transcendent stature and monumental achievements over three terms. Bizarre, that is, until you realize that the group of people who lived through, and have personal memories of, the Great Depression and the Second World War is shrinking. And until you consider that today’s Americans don’t know much about history. In a recent presidential survey, 10% of 18-24-year-olds named Abraham Lincoln the first president, 20% declared Germany our ally in World War II, 52% did not know who was president during that war, and most rated Ronald Reagan and Jack Kennedy above Roosevelt in the pantheon.

Poll results tend to reflect the wisdom and experience of the young and the living; the dearly departed rarely vote, except in parts of New Jersey, Texas and Illinois.

Which brings me, once again, to our own 500th anniversary poll on the most influential creatives of the era. Happily, the consensus is that the results have a sort of “rough justice” about them. Milton Glaser and Paul Rand: check. Pentagram and Pushpin: check. Chiat Day and Crispin Porter Bogusky: check. Nike’s logo: Check.

Still, there continue to be lamentations over the conspicuous absence of some grand names: Lippincott & Margulies, Raymond Loewy, Anspach Grossman Portugal, Herbert Bayer, Alvin Lustig, Lester Beall, James Cross, John Massey, Paul Davis, William Golden, George Tscherny, Will Bradley, Will Burtin, Allen Hurlburt, Colin Forbes, Cipes Pineles Burtin, Samuel Antupit, Katherine McCoy, Ed Benguiat, Reba Sochis, Jim Miho, L. Moholy-Nagy, to name a few. Concomitantly, critics have hinted that the poll tends overrate today’s design notables and projects relative to their true significance.

In an erudite email, Frank C. Briggs, A.K.A. “Design Maven,” attributes this phenomenon to the “ignorance of readers.” Jeff Fisher of LogoMotives, addressing some anomalous findings, writes: “I think it says a lot about the education of young designers and a lack of design history in that education.” Many of you agree, including recent graduates who tell us they simply have not been taught about the giants on whose shoulders they stand.

Our poll is a snapshot of today’s memories and perceptions, no more and no less. That makes it fun, interesting and provocative reading. But we are the first to acknowledge the flaws built into the very exercise: the fading of memory, the failure of pedagogy, the passage of time and the ever-evolving judgement of history.

You can see the poll highlights at gdusa.com; search the archives for “500 and Counting.”

Reality Show

Speaking of gdusa.com, we have posted our 2006 American Graphic Design Awards Call for Entries as a downloadable PDF on the site. This complements a direct mail piece sent roughly a week ago to all subscribers. The awards program is open to everyone in the creative community, including design firms, advertising agencies, publishers and other media, inhouse designers at companies and institutions. It is big and welcoming and arguably the truest reflection of how real creatives produce real victories in the real world.

Color and Causality - 05/06

I used to feel uneasy about color forecasts. Some people are discomfited by crowded elevators or long airplane trips or mayonnaise on white bread or mimes on street corners or illegal immigrants or cellphone addicts or even the slightest hint that Al Gore may seek a comeback. To each his own. For me, it was color forecasts because they stubbornly refuse to adhere to strict rules of cause and effect but, instead, promote the altogether disconcerting notion that many influences can lead to many outcomes. I like simple explanations. Concern for the environment? The color trends are blue, green and brown. The Gulf War? Red, white and blue. The Pope is making a world tour? Think purple! China as an emerging superpower? Lacquered red interiors. The Olympics in Australia? The golden glow of a Fosters. One cause, one effect.

Fortunately, over time I have been educated — within the limits of what is possible — by smart and subtle minds such as Leatrice Eiseman at the Pantone Color Institute and Margaret Walch at the Color Association of the United States. Slowly but surely, I have come to see truth and beauty in the complexity and variability of these forecasts, and to look forward with great anticipation to our annual roundup.

This year is no exception. Among the themes presented for your contemplation: a movement toward colors that are dependable and traditional, have meaning and heritage, and evoke a sense of restoration and well-being; a retreat to cooler, calmer colors given geopolitical turmoil and tensions; the powerful influence of Earth and the environment in the directional palettes; a backlash away from technology toward artisanship, crafts, depth, solidity, tactility and textures; the rise of metallics, effects and hue-changing colors; the effects of an aging population; and the impact of growing multiculturalism within our borders and globalization without. It’s about graphic communication, but it’s also about life, health, politics, society, economics and religion.

Even hair. Without giving away too much, let me suggest that you stop with the blond, streaky highlights. I know I have.

One final point. Graphic artists are the bridge between color theory, practice, production and output. Accordingly, we are pleased and honored to have Agfa as corporate sponsor of this Color Forecast issue. Agfa is a world leader in prepress solutions for the design, printing and publishing industries, and has a proud heritage in color and the development of color technologies. For two decades, I have known and worked with the people of Agfa, even attending the memorable ribbon cutting ceremony at their current U.S. headquarters back in 1987. Theirs is a corporate culture rooted in quality, service, responsibility and commitment to the graphic arts community. It is especially appropriate that the venerable Agfa logo is orange, the color of the decade and “a powerful force in everything from fashion and interior design to politics and corporate identity,” according to a very recent Financial Times story.

Harmonious Match

It is roughly the mid-point of the entry submission period for the American Graphic Design Awards program. Though many of you have already received entry forms via direct mail, we are including another copy in this month’s magazine and continue to post a downloadable version on gdusa.com. As you may have noted, Adobe is the exclusive sponsor of the 2006 competition and the 300-page Design Annual planned for later in the year.

Adobe and creative excellence. A harmonious match for many reasons, and here are just two: In our recent 500th Issue poll, GDUSA readers voted six Adobe products among the top ten “must have” items. And our readers also named Adobe one of the top five most influential corporate design departments of the era. More on the significance of Adobe’s participation as the year progresses, including the exciting possibility that selected winners may be showcased on the Adobe website, within the Adobe Stock Photo service, in print advertising and more.