25 logos with hidden messages

some good, some bad ~ includes my 2 favorites….FedEx and NorthWest [before northwest messed up their logo]

link here

OUTrial House

Polish architects KWK Promes designed the OUTrial House in Ksiazenice, Poland.

A green clearing surrounded by forest was the only context for the proposed small house. Hence the idea to “carve out” a piece of the grass-covered site, move it up and treat it as the roofing to arrange all the required functions underneath. When the whole was ready, the client came up with another request, to create some space for a small recording studio and a conservatory. The latter was obtained by linking the ground floor with the grassy roof through an “incision” in the green plane and “bending” the incised fragment down, inside the building.

This procedure turned the roof into an atrium, as the only way to reach it was through the interior of the house. As opposed, however, to a typical atrium, the newly-created space has all the advantages of an outer garden while remaining a safe, internal zone within the building. This way, a new type of house was created, and its designation – outrial – is to convey the idea of an atypical atrium which is part of both the interior and the exterior of the building.

Visit the KWK Promes website – here. More photos here.

Piss Clear 1994-2007

Piss Clear, Black Rock City’s alternative newspaper, has been in print for as many years as I have been calling the playa my home. Published by Adrian Roberts on the playa as Burning Man unfolds each year, it’s an amazing collection of rants, raves, humor, and photos of the daily happenings.

Burning Man Live: 13 Years of Piss Clear, is a 320-page anthology compiling all 34 issues of PISS CLEAR. It’s the next best thing to actually attending Burning Man, and for those who have attended, this book is guaranteed to stir up compelling memories.

If you are in SF buy it locally at ResearchPubs.

Letterpress Poster Printing

more about "Letterpress Poster Printing", posted with vodpod

Brand vs Creative Overindulgence

Pepsi is pulling their new $35M Tropicana packaging after only 7 weeks on the shelves.

Although the new packaging was nice they somehow decided that tossing out the brand equity was the way to go. A huge, costly mistake. The new look has cost them a sales slump of 20% for the brand this year – $33M in sales lost to competitors including Minute Maid, Florida Natural and private labels, all of which are reporting sizable share gains.

My guess is that it was either a slippery slope of little mistakes OR one key person making big rash and inflexible decisions that landed them in this “hindsight” position. One can only guess how the final design was chosen but it does provide a good learning opportunity. “Don’t do that.”

A good solid Creative Brief based on good solid research typically eliminates this scenario. And now we have this debacle to reference whenever a client says “But my wife hates straws.”

new packaging

old packaging

Patterns Written By Sound

more about "Patterns Written By Sound", posted with vodpod

Searching for a Good Cause

Would your charity benefit from a marketing campaign? Posters, brochures, a direct mail piece with a targeted message to GET THE WORD OUT?

A decade ago, Sappi Paper launched Ideas that Matter, the industry’s only grant program aimed at helping designers contribute their talents to the charitable activities that they care about most.

Sappi believes that the creative ideas of designers can have an impact beyond the aesthetic and that those ideas can be a powerful force for social good. To date, Ideas that Matter has awarded $9 million worldwide in grants supporting causes that range from youth centers and health care awareness to wildlife protection.

We are going to apply for the grant this year and that means finding the perfect charity or non-profit partner.

Ideally this partner would relate to our business focus which is Green Build or Organic Foods however, that is not mandatory. Basically, we’re looking for the perfect fit. A motivated person or group who believes passionately about their cause.

Sappi is a paper company so the campaign will revolve around traditional tangible paper communications like these examples from 2008.

Think books, brochures, direct mail, posters, stickers, fliers. Of course we’ll be using recycled and sustainable paper options.

Don’t be shy. We’ll review and consider all submissions.

All that’s required from you is:

• The Charity or Non-Profit name and contact information
• Why you feel compelled to support this cause
• Any ideas about the campaign you may have or on how a campaign would benefit the cause

Once we choose an idea we’ll contact you to finalize the grant submission. Obviously this doesn’t mean that we’ll get the grant we’re simply applying. Sappi will announce the winners in Fall of 2009.

Due date for submissions to DK Design is May 31st.

Sign up at this LINK.
Fill out as much as you can, leaving blank whatever fields do not apply. Or you can just email us at info(at)dkdesignstudio(dot)com

Chain Letter Exemption Certificate

Feel free to use when necessary.

mmmmmmm….photograzing

Send an old-timey telegram

Unique and witty way to get someone’s attention [stop] I just sent one to my sister [stop] With her IQ hovering somewhere around 50 she won’t get it but it was fun to send no less [stop] Check them out here [stop]