We Can Solve It

The political conventions are happening so I figured I give a short personnel input on a issue that needs to be looked at with our next president. We need to put an end to our oil demands from countries abroad and start the conversion of the US with clean power sources, which in itself will help the US economy out and start to slow the progress of global warming. I have spoken to friends for many years that we need a "new" Apollo project where our country invests in our future and this investment will lead us again in the right direction. We Can Solve It has a mission statement that I hope we can all agree upon-

We must rebuild our economy, lower fuel costs, free ourselves from our addiction to oil, and save ourselves from the climate crisis. To do this, we need to demand that we Repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years. Meeting this ambitious goal would create millions of new jobs, lead to lower energy costs for families and help America lead the fight against global warming.

To learn more about this go to www.wecansolveit.org. Sign up and let your government know that can and must find solutions.

Eva Font by OurType

I found this font inspired by the product designer Eva Zeisal from the type foundry of OurType in Europe. Eva Zeisal who will turn 102 in November has been an inspiration to many designers. This font by OurType is organic in it's sans serif format. The line of this font are gracious and refined like Eva herself. The font comes in 12 weights from normal to black and would make an excellent type for both both copy and headlines. OurType describes this font as the following-

Named after the warm, organic work of ceramicist Eva Zeisel, Eva defies the popular image of a sans, thanks to the contrast in its strokes and the freedom with which they have been drawn. This friendly personality provides added interest at larger sizes, yet Eva also has a notable clarity, and it works well for setting continuous text. Indeed, it was Zeisel’s “playful search for beauty” that is the crucial connection between her and her audience. Designer Merel Matzinger and Smeijers hope their typeface achieves a similar feeling.

I now need to persuade a client that they must have this font so I can get a copy. To view or purchase this font visit their site at www.ourtype.be

Typolution

I was forwarded this wonderful video the other day. (Thanks Eric) It was made with fonts only to tell the story of pollution and its effects. Watch and enjoy.

Sagmeister Designs New David Byrne Album

Stefan Sagmeister has a long history of album cover designs. One artist that he has worked hand in hand with over the years is David Byrne. David is best known for his early works with the "Talking Heads". The early producer for the "Talking Heads" was Brian Eno and now they have worked together to create a new album "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today". (Sounds like a Stefan saying no?) The album is crisp and refreshing. The album art was designed by Sagmeister and there is also a special collectable edition available that comes with bonus songs and a video by Hillman Curtis. To preview the album, buy the album or to get a free download of a song, check out the website at www.everythingthathappens.com.

A Book By It's Cover

Check out this wonderful link full of tons of book cover designs. Each cover is presented with a good quality image and who designed it. A great resource and inspiration. See more at this link.

Dieline Challenge Finalist

I was informed today that a design I produced made the finalist stage in the "Dieline Challenge". My design was one of 5 chosen based on focus group feedback. I will next be asked to make revisions on the package. The package that is picked in the end will win the designer a trip to Norway. Keep your fingers crossed for my design, I could use a nice vacation to Norway. To read more about this contest and see great examples of the newest packaging out there, go to The Dieline.com.

Speaking at Event Design Summit

Event Design magazine is hosting its annual Event Design Summit this year in Los Angeles. The conference will take place October 27-29, 2008. I am pleased to announce that I have been asked to be a speaker at this fine event. I will be speaking in the Loft Track on-

Promotion and Packaging
The best events leverage collateral that connects with the target well before the event or exhibit even gets set up. Hear successful tips and techniques for creating collateral that mirrors the look and feel of your live experiences.

To learn more about the Event Design Summit 08 go to its website at www.eventdesignsummit.com. I hope to see you in October at this great conference.

It comes from the Latin

Whenever someone brings up Latin, I am sure many of us run for the door screaming. When I was in high school you had a choice of Latin, French or Spanish. I said "bonjour". I wanted nothing to do with Latin. After all it's a dead language, right? Well I found two website that deal with one part of Latin that we use on a regular basis, the ampersand. It turns out it originated from the Latin for et. This became a scribal abbreviation for and. Can you see it, the e & t put together? To see more examples of ampersand, check out these two websites, The Ampersand and Ampersands.

Make My Logo Bigger Cream

Check out this website, makemylogobiggercream.com. I know we have all ran into this battle with clients.

Large Hadron Collider

Not sure what a Large Hadron Collider is? Well it collides particles. Beyond that, I will leave it up to people much smarter. To view some amazing photos of this huge scientific project on the France / Switzerland border check out this link. The images are crazy cool and show the magnificent size of this 17 mile collider.

City Neighborhood Posters

Check out these beautiful posters from Ork Posters. Several cities are now available including LA, NYC (Manhattan and Brooklyn), SF, Boston and Chicago. They are great typographical treatments and solutions. The posters are available online at www.orkposters.com.