Good Cover, Bad Cover

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THE (REALLY) GOOD:
This is what classic, balanced, and yet challenging typography can do over top (pun intended) the right imagery. If only I had more opportunities to work with indie bands who allow for such minimalism, right? Anyway, this is utterly gorgeous and striking on all levels. Love it. And while I heard this image was used in Cosmopolitan for an article titled "Is This The Most Satisfying Sex Position" (and no, I'm not kidding), I'm still a big fan. Just be careful what you license art directors and designers, is all.


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THE BAD:
I'm sure the rabid Radiohead fanbase will cry foul at my labeling this as "bad" but… well, it just plain is. In fact, it's the worst artwork featured on any Radiohead, or Radiohead-related, album or single since the regretful 1993 Pablo Honey album itself. While art, like music, is subjective – whoever might claim this as good is simply exercising their right to be wrong.


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THE (REALLY) UGLY:
Like hipsters walking around in Iron Maiden shirts, believing their pseudo-love of metal and hard rock to be as painfully ironic as their headbands and mustaches, this cover is a joke that has no laugh track. Even for someone like Lady Gaga who's far more relevant to ridiculous dresses than great music, I hope this is simply a bad April Fool's joke or something.

All Quiet (On The Surface)

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It may be quiet these days on the blog, and I sincerely apologize for that, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been very busy working on several projects that will see the light in both 2011 and 2012. In fact, between the final days of the spring semester's classes, the mighty, year-end faculty vs. student softball grudge match, and freelance projects in the book, CD, logo, and marketing/promotion realms – it's been an extremely busy season so far.

More to come from these projects as they mature throughout the year, for sure. In the meantime, here's an inspiring video I found whilst researching materials for inclusion in my Typography 1 syllabus this coming Fall. Enjoy!

When Designs Become Reality

(above: T-shirts and hats, featuring our team's
designs on sale at the museum's gift shop.)

As part of 2011's Designathon, two of our many designs went immediately into production in order to arrive in time for their new exhibit, The Grid, opening at the Quilt & Textile Museum on March 15th. Recently, team member Josh Yinger & I met up with Executive Director at The Heritage Center of Lancaster County, Wendy Nagle, to pick up a couple samples, take a few photos, and view the original (and ridiculously beautiful) weather vane that inspired our design. What a great moment for Josh to see the work we labored over during those 24 hours come to life, for sure. I tell you, holding your work once it gets printed never, ever gets old.


(above: Josh Yinger wearing and holding printed
merchandise in front of the Heritage Center's
weather vane that inspired the hat's design.)

Self-Promoting (The Heck Out Of Yourself)

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Earlier this year, I worked with a friend/client's husband to help him promote himself out of the freelance consultancy business and into the realm of full-time employment.

First, I photographed him for the better part of an hour against a neutral background. All the while, I held a conversation with him so his form, figure, and gestures would feel more natural. Second, I chose my favorite image and based on the design on its composition and tone.

In the end, he chose to go with another, more light-hearted photograph from the session that represented the voice he wanted to project on the card. The design itself adjusted accordingly but remained intact, which I was happy about as well.

Dirty, Dirty Bobbins

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As part of my aptly-named, extremely naive, and I'm-far-too-busy-for-all-of-this-and-yet-here-I-go Photographers for Architectural Preservation organization, this Saturday sees the first of 4 weekly events at the former General Textile Mill in Western Maryland. In order to make this more of an event instead of a simple money-for-access fundraiser, I designed a commemorative t-shirt (above) for each participant that was inspired by a 1950s-era note still inside the mill (below).

FYI: If you're a serious photographer and are either interested or feeling spontaneous, I have a few spots available for the morning of March 19th and the afternoon of March 26th. Otherwise, it's a sell-out! Just drop me an email ASAP if you'd like to join the event.

Designathon 2011

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For the third straight year, I participated in PCA&D's annual Designathon as faculty adviser to a design team of Central PA AIGA graphic design student members. Each year offers us new challenges, new experiences, and without fail – zero sleep, occasional hysterics, junk food, caffeinated beverages, and good times.

This year was no exception as I had the pleasure of working with former students of mine, and fellow type nerds, seniors Paul Sullivan and Josh Yinger. Our team was assigned to work with both Wendy Nagle and Mike Donnelly on merchandise designs for the fantastic Heritage Center, Quilt & Textile Museum, and the .918 Club – all historic and integral places of interest in my hometown of Lancaster, PA.

In order to ready several designs for their debut at the upcoming quilt show opening, 3 designs were chosen, revised, and finalized already for production – with hopefully more to come in the future. To view the complete set of designs in their original form, go here. To read more about Designathon 2011, go here.


(l-r: Paul , Josh, yours truly, and client Wendy Nagle)

Local Advertising & Design, Circa 1892

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This designs have roughly 5-10 different fonts each, hyphenation, and an excessive use of commas but still I'm 100% enamored by the styling of these advertisements dating from 1892. I found them while looking up my family's listings in the Lancaster, PA phone directory and they really make me yearn for learning the printing press (if only time was on my side). As a whole, you can tell the same group of men put together all of the ads in the directories as the look and feel of the book has an incredible continuity despite the eclectic nature of the design elements.

Collaborating With Old Friends…

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Friends and family, let the fraternal brotherhood once again rise from the ashes. Organizing and uniting on the soils of Europe and the United States in 2011.

Call For Entries! Um, No Thank You…

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It's that time of year, people: Everyone from How and Print magazines to the AIGA and Society of Illustrators are sending out their "Call For Entries" emails and promotional mailers. What an exciting time to be a communication artist, right? Wrong. Instead of buzzing about putting all of my entries together, I'm recycling all the mailers and deleting the emails immediately like I always do. Why, you ask?

• I value my client's praise and their willingness to hire me over and over again above and beyond anything else. Be it a book design, an ad, a marketing tool, or an album cover – that's all I'll ever need to be happy doing what I'm doing.
• I value my money and with fees of $65 per entry, I'd rather play the state lottery for $1 and have a better chance of winning.

But most of all…

• I've never been a schmoozer and when it comes to competitions, it's all about who created it ("Oh, wow, their agency is fantastic – I love this!") and what the subject matter is ("Check out this Elvis Costello CD and this Vampire Weekend tour poster!"). I can't tell you how many times I've seen the worst turd of a piece appear in these "best of" annuals that I wouldn't have even shown the client – let alone submitted for competition. Good luck finding anything that strays from the political left (that isn't mocking it), underground (that isn't ironically trendy), or non-hipster (that isn't ironically non-hipster) in the winner's pile – and that's not mere coincidence.

Now, I understand that it's exciting to see your work in print and that many people live for this time of year – for whatever their reason. For me, however, it's just not my concern and 2011 isn't going to see that change.

Puttin' The "Neutra" In Neutraface!

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Inspiration for the wildly-popular Neutraface font by House Industries, architect Richard Neutra (1892-1970), a native of Vienna, Austria, moved to Los Angeles in 1925 to work with Rudolph Schindler on Frank Lloyd Wright's Barnsdall Park project. In 1929, Neutra became famous in his own right with the completion of his landmark Modernist Lovell House in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. Over the next 20 years, Neutra became one of the recognized innovators and leaders of Modernist architecture.



We're talking Neutra today because I recently came across a real estate flier that listed the Neutra Office Building in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA. Listed for auction with a starting price of $3.5 million, the office may or may not still be available for purchase. While the attached photo doesn't do it justice, here's the full details from the real estate flier:

"The Neutra Office building, a pristine example of the work of one of the seminal architects of the Modernist movement in Los Angeles, has come on the market. It is where Dion Neutra, the present owner, has presided over this creative epicenter for the past 40 years and where the Chavez Ravine housing, US Embassy in Karachi, Los Angeles Hall of Records, Gettysburg Memorial, Orange County Courthouse, Huntington Beach Library and many other masterpieces were designed. It is a City of Los Angeles Monument, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a focus of pride for Silver Lake where so many Neutra buildings have defined the area. Dion Neutra, son and partner of Richard Neutra served as Project Architect supervising Red March, the Neutras’ favorite contractor.

"The incomparable value of this property derives from the fact that it is literally the only remaining example of Neutra commercial design, still with its original look. This is a Trophy property for an owner/collector who will carry the Neutra legacy proudly into the future, co-branding their own ventures and mission with the power of this icon."

For a jaw-dropping, mouth-watering, awe-inspiring exploration of all Los Angeles real estate listings linked to Richard Neutra, go here.

And, of course, to buy the Neutraface font, go here.