Chiquita's Design Sticker Competition

Image from popsop

Last week when I was reading last weekend's newspaper I read about this new design campaign for bananas. The article had some very interesting observations on package design. Read it at the NY Times.

Vote for your favorite of the 50 finalists here.

Most Relevant Infographic (For)Ever

Image from Jezebel which got it from The Daily Wh.at

I missed out on a lot of 1980s childhood things because I was moving all over the globe during my formative years. Recently I learned that there is a word for people like me called, "Third Culture Kids". Anyway, perhaps because of this I have a super duper emotional connection to The Muppets. It's one of the few TV shows that I know from my youth. That and Gunsmoke.

(I normally am not too into personal disclosure here, but when Jim Henson died I was a mess. What a man he was! So imaginative! Such a loss, too early in his life.)

Anyway, my dad and I had a ritual of watching The Muppet Show, which in retrospect was maybe more his thing than mine. But I still have The Muppet Movie cassette tape which I will occasionally pop into the deck in my car (now you know). Also, I chose Rainbow Connection as my high school senior song. It's true, I am not afraid of cheese.

Anyway, these furry creatures shine bright in my shared cultural experience.

Also, read the comments from the original post for a detailed critique of the design. It seems more research would have been beneficial before designing the Venn Diagram. Let this be a warning when designing for an audience in the know.

Designing for the iPad - A Free Talk

Sure, the iPad is a magical and revolutionary product. But what does it mean for designers hungry for innovation and new possibilities? The answer is simple: a whole new world of apps is waiting to be discovered and pushed to a new level. This presentation will be an overview on prototyping design concepts for testing and visualization on the iPad.

Michael Newman is a designer who has developed and created original content, brand identities, interactive experiences, and creative solutions for such companies as AT&T, Sundance Channel, Vh1, and IFC, for over 12 years.

When: Thursday, September 16th, 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Location: 1010 Westwood blvd, 90024 | room 407

RSVP by September 15th to your AIGA student group president, Lutska Mamos, at lmamos_aigauclax@yahoo.com

Portfolio Blog

The other day I was meeting with a student to help her prepare for an interview about a possible internship with Disney. (How did it go?) We were looking online together for portfolios ("books") and came across this:

http://derkpeters.wordpress.com/

I don't know Derk and he appears to have abandoned his blog (upon graduation perhaps), but I still think it's a great example of how you can get your work online using free and easy technology. These-a-days everyone needs their portfolio online.

Check it out! Try it for yourself.

Scott's Coffee

I first saw one of these Pantone mugs on Scott's desk. Now it's on apartmenttherapy.com. I like it when real life meets web world.

Type That Moves (You) Tomorrow

There is a making component! And, it's nearby! Plus, it's FREE.

From aigalosangeles.org:

An inspiring evening of motion design and titles from some of Hollywood's most talented designers. See and hear what they experience, and what inspires them, designing with type that moves you.

Chris Do, President and Executive Creative Director - BL:ND.
Mark Kudsi, Director / Creative Director - Motion Theory.
Jenny Lee + Gareth Smith - Shadow Play.
Simon Clowes, Design Director - Prologue.
Jens Gehlhaar, Creative Director - Brand New School.

Ellen Kahn, Co-Owner, Creative Director - Twinart.
Lynda Kahn, Co-Owner, Creative Director - Twinart + Governor for EMMY's Title Design Peer Group.

Video and Music: Josel Cruz

Also, participate in The Group Typeface Experiment, in which you'll collaborate with other guests to form a single typeface over the course of the evening. What will be the end result? You'll have to attend to find out.

This is a FREE event (RSVP required - space is limited).

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm / 18 Aug 2010
Century Plaza Hyatt Regency @ TypeCon2010
2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Presented by AIGA/Los Angeles.
In conjunction with TypeCon2010: Babel (8.17-22.2010).

Event produced by Sabrina Ortiz.

Wondering about web interaction...

Maybe I'm too old, maybe I'm too much of a curmudgeon, maybe I just don't like Mariah Carey enough. But nothing about the interactive experience for MC's fragrance empire appealed to me. Also, I don't like perfume.

Jezebel details the magazine ad that prompts you to the web that leads to your photo being in some infantile billboard on your monitor. Dodai Stewart also details the frustrating technical problems the site offers.

Overall, it's weird. Maybe I would have liked it when I was still playing Chutes and Ladders, and maybe that's the age they're targeting? But wait, that doesn't make sense because someone who is playing Chutes and Ladders should not be wearing perfume. Right?

Internz Wanted

My name is Libby Kauper, and I work at StarGreetz, a new digital content company in the Santa Monica/West LA neighborhood. [...] We specialize in mobile and online personalized content for consumers (retail) and corporate brands (marketing campaigns).

We currently are fortunate to have interns from Pepperdine and Syracuse University helping us this summer in marketing and distribution, but are now interested in having an intern who is studying Graphic Design to assist in our Product Development/Talent Outreach area with presentations and other design needs.

The qualifications we are seeking include PowerPoint, Illustrator, and some web/HTML design experience.

Please let me know if you are able to offer any candidates for credit. We are a professional company, and offer a friendly, clean work environment with a full kitchen.

I may be reached at (310) 806-6410.

Thanks very much for any and all help.

libby@stargreetz.com

(We are able to offer credit, so if you're interested, email Libby 2-3 work samples with your resume and cover letter. If things work out, let me know and I'll get the internship paperwork ready, and then you can register for the course, which is $575. - Karen)

Enter the Type Competition at Comm Arts

Here's their official promo:

Promote your talent—enter our inaugural juried competition celebrating the best use of typography as the primary visual element in design and advertising, plus original typeface design, calligraphy and hand lettering.

Why enter?
If selected, your award-winning work will be beautifully reproduced in the 2011 Typography Annual, and on the Communication Arts Web site, assuring a prominent place on the premier stage of the industry.

Submission Guidelines and FAQs:
commarts.com/competitions/typography

To Enter Online NOW:
submit2.commarts.com

Entries must be sumitted by September 10, 2010. Entries submitted after that date require a $10 per entry late fee. No entries will be accepted after September 24, 2010.

By Request: Scott Hindell's Reading List

Thanks to Tiffany's suggestion on this very blog, I contacted Scott Hindell (not to be confused with Scott Hutchinson, our program director who I often refer to here as Scott) and asked him for a reading list to share. Sure enough, he came through and in a jiffy.

Now, as you can see, this is a lot of reading. I'm not going to lie: I don't want to embed links for each of these books and articles. So I hope you will not mind terribly having to cut and paste into Google (or your search engine of choice) and then clicking rather than just clicking.

Happy Reading!

Books:
The Design of Business by Roger Martin
Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim and Mauborgne
The Essential Persona Lifecycle by Adlin and Pruitt
Tough Choices OR Tough Times by NCEE
The Predictioneer's Game by Bruce Buena de Mesquita
The Medici Effect by Frans Johan
The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida
A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink
The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan W. Watts
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Tim Gallwey

Articles:
Annals of Design: The Inventor's Dilemma by David Owen (The New Yorker)
Don't Bother with the "Green" Consumer by Steve Bishop (HBR Blog, IDEO)
It's Green, But Will People Want It? by Steve Bishop (HBR Blog, IDEO)
Why Should I Do Business With You? by Bill Taylor (HBR Blog)
If Your Company Went Out of Business, Would Anybody Notice? by Bill Taylor(FastCompany.com & HBR Blog)
Jonathan Ive on The Key to Apple's Success by Helen Walters (BusinessWeek)

Bye Dragos!

About five years ago Dragos Bogdan came to work at UCLA Extension for the Visual Arts. Last week, he departed to work full time at Seven Arrows. Bon Voyage, Dragos!

The good news is that although you may not see him in the Mac lab, you can "see" him in the winter quarter, teaching online as he has in the past. His courses include Web Design I and CSS I and soon, Web Design II.

It won't be the same without Dragos' stories during our birthday parties, that's for sure... If you'd like to say farewell, you can do so in the comments.

Get Illuminated for Less

Illumination from the Book of Kells' Gospel of Matthew

You can make illuminated manuscripts! I don't know how, but Kelly Williams does, and she can teach you in the studio. You will do the same step-by-step practice of the masters (think Middle Ages, Renaissance) and design, write, and illustrate your own illuminated pages using traditional materials and techniques.

Plus, it's $100 off for DCA certificate students! It's $275 for the 6-week course.

To learn more, or register go here.

On the Westwood Tip

Image by Mark A. on Yelp

I've worked in Westwood for going on five years now. I've always loved college towns, and Westwood Village is sort of a college town, but perhaps because it's so small everything that isn't so great about it seems so big. Occasionally, Westwood feels downright oppressive between high prices, eager idealistic fundraisers and screaming evangelists.

There is, however, relief. In the last few months I've frequented an oasis in Westwood, a small European escape that is away from passing cars and self-serve stations where you can get your body weight in frozen yogurt and techno beats.

That place is Espresso Profeta. Because I feel for you, tired student making your way to class late at night after a long day of work, I share this with you. With one Cafe Nico in your system you will be able to create the most inspired work of your life. Or at least, of the night.