Inspirational Finds

Marketing future: Catvertising

2011-12-19T23:03:00.001-05:00

Noob Guide to Online Marketing

2011-12-08T13:36:00.000-05:00

Unbounce – The DIY Landing Page Platform

Beautifully made!
via unbounce.com

O.B. Tampon's Video Appology TO YOU

2011-12-05T17:57:00.006-05:00

Got to love it when a brand is wise enough to take a problem and turn it into an opportunity to communicate with consumers. A distribution problem last year meant that OB Tampons (Johnson & Johnson) were not available everywhere. To regain trial they are providing coupons of for the product (nothing special there right?), with a personalized apology to each consumer.

The consumer typed their name into the web site, and an over exaggerated (which makes is quite enjoyable) personalized music video is song to you. I have an uncommon name, which is usually mispronounced, making me a little skeptical of the quality of this video before I even tried it.
Surprisingly the personalization was seamless, it seemed like the video was created for me....I also really enjoyed having my name sung to me. What a great way to connect to consumers online (by placing them within the interaction) and generating trial (yes, I downloaded the coupon at the end).

I have tried it with both male and female names and it looks likes only female names work with the video...way to target the audience.

Try it out for yourself:
http://www.obtampons.ca/apology/

Paper Wedding

2011-12-01T19:27:00.005-05:00

I thought I would show off a little, and post photos of the wonderful paper decor we used for our wedding this September (some items bought on www.etsy.com, some we made). The idea to use paper came about for two reasons: 1. As a former designer I have always had a love for paper. 2. We fell in love with our venue and needed to be economical everywhere else.
Enjoy!

Connecting Brands to the Consumer by Doing Good

2011-12-01T12:19:00.007-05:00

How do you create a connection with a consumer? I have read what feels like a million branding books, blog sites, white papers that all explain the same conversion tunnels to fulfilling the needs of a consumer. But how do you make someone feel something for a brand identity? A real emotional attachment (proud to be connected to this brand), and share this information with everyone, any way they can.
I asked myself "what do my friends share with each other when it comes to a product/brand"?. Yes, when a new innovative product comes out with fancy bells and whistles it does create a buzz. So the quality and the features are huge. But, I have noticed more conversations focusing on when a brand is using their powers for good. We are drawn to brands that have added to their marketing strategy an investment in creating social awareness and helping out the world in some part. As a consumer I like being linked to these brands because I feel that I am taking action, and part of the solution (even thought it is a small part).

Here are a few good examples of brands proud to align their identities with a cause:
We have all seen the wonderful holidays ads Coke runs every year with the polar bears. This year Coca-Cola has developed white Coke cans in support of white polar bears and the World Wildlife Foundation or WWF. The white Coca-Cola cans are part of a marketing campaign aimed at protecting white polar bears and polar bear habitats.

The Cadbury Bicycle Factory’s mandate to build and send bicycles to school children in Ghan. Unlike in North America bicycles represent more than a way to have fun outdoors or a way to get some exercise. Bikes provide a much-needed mode of transportation to move food, water, and people and especially to give children access to education.

Finally there is Toms, a brand that embodies social change. TOM was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One.

I will be the first to admit that I am a consumer. I am drawn to advertising, and love to shop. But it's nice to feel like I am shopping with meaning when I can. Check out Giving Brands also if you are like me.

BRILLIANT!

2010-06-13T13:22:00.004-04:00

As some one who has been job hunting for quite some time using traditional methods (sending out CVs, portfolio samples, cold calling, etc) with out success I have started looking at more creative ways to get the attention of the firms I am interested in.
During my research I found Alec Brownstein and his brilliant idea of using Google to attract the attention of art directors in NYC. Not only did he get a job, but he has also won awards for his creative self promotional piece.

Watch out Montréal, my brainstorming has begun and I will find my brilliant idea that will set me apart.

Portfolio Night 8 - May 20, 2010

2010-05-03T11:41:00.000-04:00

Creative directors open their doors to give advice to the next generation of creatives. In Montreal the event will be hosted by BOS.
Tickets are on sale now for $35

Design Vernissage 2010

2010-04-27T18:08:00.005-04:00

Every year the graduating students from the Design program host an exhibition of their work. This year's event is under the theme "Pack Up."
The launch will be Wednesday, May 5 at 6 pm
Plier Bagage
Centre de Design de l’UQAM
1440, Sanguinet, métro Berri-UQAM
6 - 9 may 201012 - 6 pm
Free Entry

Dawson College Design Exhibition
Shift
June 2, 2010 at 5:30pm Dawson Graphic Design Graduating students
Exhibition from Thursday June 3 (my birthday) - June 8, from 10am - 6pm
Closed Sunday

4001 de Maisonneuve West
Westmount Quebec
Free Entry

Concordia University’s Graduation Show 2010

April 30^th, 2010 from 5pm – 11pm

FoFa Gallery Concordia University

EV building

1515 St. Catherine West

Montréal, Quebec

Sleeveface

2010-04-16T10:03:00.002-04:00

Sleeveface is an intriguing phenomenon making its rounds on the web. The concept is one or more persons obscuring any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) creating a full image.

It has become widely popular on social networking site (flickr, blogs, facebook). They make me giggle. The largest collection I have seen to date is on Sleeveface.com

Enjoy

Thanks Jeffy!

Smiling Clouds Float Over London

2010-04-14T22:24:00.005-04:00

Young British artist Stuart Semple made the skies of London a little happier for anyone looking up. 2057 man made clouds with smiling faces were release every 7 seconds (lasting 30 minutes) near the Tate museum. The piece was created using helium, soap and vegetable dye.

A smile goes a long way!
Via DesignBoom

Montreal Design Open House 2011

2010-04-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

Once again, Montréal designers and architects open their doors to the public. May 1 and 2, 2010, from noon to 5 p.m. There are 100 free activities all over the city! The concept of the Design Montréal Open House, as a very public, accessible event similar to the city’s museum days and culture days, or the Commerce Design Montréal tours, is to get Montrealers to [re]discover design and designers, and in so doing, make the UNESCO designation their own and take pride in it, while increasing their interest in the people whose designs shape their daily lives.

Portes ouvertes design Montreal

Letterhead Resource

2010-04-14T20:40:00.002-04:00

Nice (new) blog that is filled with letterhead love. Good resource for inspiration.

Creative Space in Montreal!

2010-04-14T12:29:00.002-04:00

Across the country, a resurgent interest in things handmade is redefining the crafting world for the 21st century making it "cool".
Documentary filmmaker and author Faythe Levine says belong to "a younger generation of makers...who have the common thread of being motivated to do things for themselves." These artists take "the traditional handiwork methods and techniques and puts a modern twist on those techniques," making them more contemporary by, for instance, using new materials like high-quality, environmentally-friendly soy inks. Their approach to quilting, knitting and printmaking are highly personalized reclamations of the crafts, which have been ubiquitous in American culture for centuries.

If you fit this profile you will be interested to know that Emeline and Annabelle is the place for you! Opening this week it is Montreal's first sew and craft by the hour workspace. Check out the class calendar, I have a feeling it will fill up quickly (I know I want to take the sling tote class).

Handmade Designs

2010-04-14T11:50:00.006-04:00

There has been a rising trend in DIY,handmade craft in design. Advertisement, brands, and visual media that get back to basics are increasing in popularity. It's as if all the technological advancements are making us crave nostalgia and look at the world of crafts for inspiration. Some designers embrace the traditional techniques (silk screen, letter press, collage, stitching, etc) and try to incorporate them as a new approach, making their work look "fresh" and "new". But really it's just a nice change from the cold graphic world. A little hand touch makes the piece feel a little more human in my opinion.

Nolin BBDO launched a "milk as a source of comfort" campaign using hand knit visuals thought out the advertisement and web site to emphasize the "feel of comfort".

The newest iPhone application that is taking over my life (Hipstamatic) mimics the effect you get from using a toy camera and film. Creating a dreamy grain picture that looks like the photos my parents used to take.

There has also been an explosion over the past over the years of incorporating hand drawn sketches and typography in branding and packaging. Hand drawn typography is not a new trend, but there is a good chance that it was the first step towards the hand made nation leaking into the visual communication world.

Check out these books to get some inspiration:
Hand Job: A Catalog of Type
Hand made nation: the rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design

Color Your February

2010-02-21T22:28:00.003-05:00

During the month of February we all feel a little down. I blame it on the lack of color in our environment during this time of year. For a dose of something bright and beautiful I recommend the Tiffany glass exhibition at the MMFA. From February 12-May 2,2010, you can drown yourself in daring creations that are celebrated for the spectacular effects of color and light. This is the first exhibition on Louis C. Tiffany (1848-1933)of this magnitude to be presented in Canada.

If after your visit you (like me) want to create your own stain glass you can take a tour of the store and workshop at Studio du Verre in the Old Port of Montreal. There are also offers a full range of courses and seminars taught by professional artisans who work in our stained glass studio.

Ford Logo That Could Have Been

2010-02-04T23:00:00.001-05:00

"Paul Rand was hired by Henry Ford II to rethink and modernize...but Henry Ford II decided not to change the logo. “According to Rand, it was too radical a switch,” said Steve Heller, graphic design historian and the author of the book Paul Rand."

Read the rest of this wonderful article on the the logo that Paul Rand designed for Henry Ford II in 1966 that was not used.

Article via The New York Times

The Haiti Poster Project Call for Entries!

2010-02-04T22:41:00.002-05:00

A collaboration of artists and designers from around the world, benefitting victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
Check out the website for more details:
http://thehaitiposterproject.com/

Happening Gourmand!

2010-01-08T10:06:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things to do in Montréal is eat, because of this one of my favorite events is the Happening Gourmand. Just like in New York, Old Montréal offers you a Restaurant Week experience. During 21 days, discover new restaurants at friendly prices for the third year in a row.
Make your reservations ahead of time, the good restaurants get booked fas

Menu & Prices

Add A Little Fun!

2009-10-23T09:39:00.001-04:00

"We believe that the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory". http://www.rolighetsteorin.se/
Advertising Agency: Tribal DDB, Stockholm, Sweden

Wonderwall site

2009-10-23T09:17:00.002-04:00

An interior design firm with a very interesting web interface! Surf around the site, it's pretty fun.

via Swissmiss

iPhone Paper Dock

2009-09-16T14:19:00.003-04:00

French designer Julien Madérou has created a paper dock for the iPhone, free to anyone to download, print out, and assemble. Visit his website to download one yourself!
Via Dieline

Quotes Quotes and More Quotes!

2009-08-21T23:17:00.001-04:00

Fun inspirational design quotes! Get them here.

A Stroll Through History of Johnnie Walker

2009-08-21T18:41:00.002-04:00

BBH London brings the brand to life in a mini movie that tells the viewer a compelling story of the brands' birth, development and growth.
Director: Jamie Rafn
Actor:Robert Carlyle

Typography Resource

2009-08-19T16:44:00.001-04:00

"WLT is an image, video, & text ‘bookmarking’ site that is wholly dedicated to type-related content." It's a great resources for inspiration. Take some time and browse around We love typography.

Fallen Princesses Photo Series

2009-08-18T15:26:00.001-04:00

"These works place Fairy Tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The '...happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues." via JPG mag

Fallen Princesses Photo Series
by Dina Goldstein

Voila! A Color Pallet!

2009-08-18T10:18:00.001-04:00

Designer Paul Burgess has created ColorSuckr. A tool for designers and artists that will extract out the colors from any online photo you feed it. Try it out!

Smart Move By Rona

2009-05-08T10:27:00.001-04:00

Rona takes advantage of the wasted paint on the ipod billboards.

Via Montreal state of mind

Amazing Venn Diagrams

2009-05-06T15:50:00.002-04:00

My friend Lindsay found of a series venn diagrams from the interesting brain of designer, Frank Chimero.
Check them out here.

Happy World Graphic Design Day!

2009-04-27T16:42:00.003-04:00

On April 27 go out and hug a graphic designer. Graphic designers around the world can take a moment today to collectively feel pride in their work, and their role in helping their communities and the world.

Little note on the day from GDC.
If its on Wikipedia then it must be real!

Design Montréal Open House 2009

2009-04-27T12:12:00.003-04:00

Once again you are invited to drop in on the design community of Montreal. There are 50 design offices and agencies, 6 urban spaces entirely re-imagined (restaurants , boutiques, and more) and 9 exhibitions (museums, galeries,etc .) opening their doors for you to explore their world. The designers of Montréal-based projects will be on hand to talk about their creations and answer visitors’ questions.

Design Montréal Open House
SATURDAY MAY 2 2009
SUNDAY MAY 3 2009
You can get information here.

Tourism Montreal Web Campaign

2009-04-24T16:12:00.003-04:00

Tourism Montreal is doing an full web campaign, that involve blogs from 5 Montrealers. The blogs will give visitors (and fellow Montrealers) first hand experience on what to see and do, from arts and culture and girly activities to night life (Brendan Murphy is awesome). Go check all the blogs here if you are looking for something to do one night.

Brands that survived the Great Depression

2009-04-15T14:35:00.001-04:00

History shows that the Depression served as an incubation period for many of the brands we now regard as iconic. Landor has a great article on strategies developed by 3 brands (Procter & Gamble, Levi and Macy’s) during the great depression. The article reinforces the idea that during a recession companies shouldn't be cutting back on their marketing efforts if they want to survive, they need to adjust to the changes of the market.

You can read the article here.

Vanessa Holden

2009-04-15T09:55:00.002-04:00

When we have to work on publications in the office Jenn and I drool over clean beautiful layouts that are well thought out (and have a budget). We have been admiring the work of Vanessa Holden for some time now without knowing it. Thank you Em.

Some of her publications include : Real Simple, Donna Hay, Vogue and InsideOut.

Packaging | UQAM

2009-04-15T09:19:00.001-04:00

An old college professor has a wonderful blog site highlighting packaging design.
Check out Sylvain Allard's blog site if you need some inspiration.

Help Save The World: Ecofont

2009-04-09T10:33:00.003-04:00

The geniuses at SPRANQ has developed The Ecofont, a font that uses up to 20% less ink. They developed the font in hopes to increase environmental awareness.
The Ecofont works best when using font size 9 or 10. I am encouraging everyone to use it as their default font.
It is free to download here (for Mac, PC and Linux).

Sprint's new Now Advertising Campaign

2009-04-08T21:40:00.003-04:00

I just saw the new ad for Sprint's "Now" Campaign ,and I am very impressed. Goodby, Silverstein & Paterns, developed something that stands out from the noise, and in my opinion is fresh, appealing, and just raised the bar for all the other mobility firms. Don't forget to check out Sprint's flash based website here.

Alberta $25,000,000 Rebrand

2009-04-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

Alberta rebranded

Read more about it here.

The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko

2009-04-06T16:54:00.002-04:00

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous Bed-in, held in Suite 1742 of Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel, made headlines around the world. Forty years later, from April 2 to June 21, 2009, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts celebrates this legendary event with Imagine: The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko, organized in collaboration with Yoko Ono.

April 2 - June 21, 2009 - Free Admission

Check out the MMFA website for more info.

Free Movie: Sita Sings the Blues

2009-04-06T14:54:00.003-04:00

An old myth retold in a new wonderful way. Sita Sings the Blues is a joy for the eyes, the illustrations are beautifully done, and the message is one I feel strongly about, in the director's words, the film is "a tale of truth, justice and a woman’s cry for equal treatment"

A bonus the illustrator/creator is giving away the “content” for free. She is relying on the kindness of the audience to support the film with donations.Please support this artist by spreading the word, or sending money.

You can read more about "Sita Sings the Blues" here.
You can download it all online.

Enjoy!

Paper That Erases Itself

2009-04-06T14:27:00.002-04:00

Xerox Corporation scientists have invented a way to make prints whose images last only a day, so that the paper can be used again and again.
Check out the article "Experimental Xerox Paper Erases Itself, Results In Temporary Documents On Reusable Paper"

Book Cover Designs

2009-03-26T10:19:00.001-04:00

New blog focusing on book cover design.
Enjoy!
Faceout Books

Building Brands Through Social Networks

2009-03-26T09:49:00.003-04:00

This “new” love for social networking is allowing companies to communicate directly to customers. After a lunch meeting with Plank Jenn and I were discussing how branding is evolving with the popularity of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, blog pages, etc.

A brand is the single most important asset any company has, it is more then just a logo, it is the personality of the company. Through a variety if marketing efforts the brands main goal is to nurture the relationship between the company and the client. “Branding is a communication with the client”, as Jenn always says, and what better way to get closer to the client then by using social networking. If a company gives a reason for a customer to get closer to them, and return to their profile, the brand will stay at the front of the clients mind and almost instantly you have developed a relationship and a loyal customer.

In a recent BrandRepulic article “UK marketers do not understand social networks” it states that research done by Sapient Interactive, revealed that 41% of marketers cited "lack of understanding" as the chief barrier to investment in social media. Other issues raised regarded markerters who did not know where to start ("there's too much out there"), cited by 14% of those surveyed.

Social networks reinforces any marketing plan that is consumer centric, and should be taken into consideration when developing the marketing strategy. To start you out on your research here is a helpful sites with more information on how to get your brand out there via twitter:Tracking Twitter.

I Heart Beer Commercial

2009-03-25T14:05:00.001-04:00

I am not a beer drinker, but something happens to me when the "I am Canadian" commercials come on. I am consumed with pride when they describe me anf my fellow Canadians with such detail in a 30 second TV spot. I raise my glass to Molson Canadian for producing commercials that makes me connect to the product in an emotional way.
I still will not drink beer when I go out, but I do enjoy being Canadian a lot more now.

Check out the ad here

Designing For Designers

2009-03-25T10:37:00.002-04:00

There should be a solid understanding of the reasons a brand is changed. Of course the ultimate goal is to obtain the perfect harmony of esthetics and functionality.
The reality is that there is a constant battle between designing for the client and designing for yourself. Designers need to fight the urge to produce something beautiful that represents their "style" and be strategic when developing there design solutions by taking into consideration the client's needs, the target markets buying habits, the economy, etc. The failure of the new Tropicana packaging gives us all a reason to start asking smarter questions when we are presented a new project on how we should approach the job, and what will be the best solution.

Jennifer Gidman writes a great article on brandchannel explaining how a minor refinement in the design might be the smarter solution (instead of a full overhauled).

Read the article here.

Lovely Package

2009-03-25T09:59:00.001-04:00

An other lovely web site displaying tons of pretty packaging design.
Enjoy!

Lovely Package thanks Steve

2009-02-24T16:31:00.001-05:00

Here is a fun collection of table of contents.

So Proud!

2009-02-18T09:25:00.002-05:00

I was reviewing this years winners for the Grafika design contest and I was ecstatic to see my friend Homer's work winning in FOUR categories: poster, student, website for Periphere and website for Aires Libres (animation).
CONGRATS HOMER!!!!

You can see all the winners here.

Open Design

2009-02-11T12:58:00.001-05:00

For La Biennale de Montréal 2009, Sagmeister is opening up the creative process of his “Things I Have Learned in my Life So Far” project to the public, giving the Biennale one sentence from his journals that he has not yet designed, with an open invitation for public to be the designers of that sentence.

Get more details at Biennale Montreal

NUARS In Montreal

2009-02-10T10:03:00.001-05:00

The National Unisource Annual Report Show is coming to Montreal and it's FREE! You need an invitation to get into the event but I'm confident that if you really want to get in you can. If for some chance you do not get an invitation you can always download the PDF catalogue on the Unisource site.

NUARS
February 26th
5:30pm-9pm
Altitude 737–1Place Ville-Marie PH2

How Strong is Your Brand?

2009-02-09T10:50:00.002-05:00

Just recently we wrote an article on branding for the restaurant/food industry (to be published in March). With the constant talk of recession and the fear to spend money in an area that will not create a return on investment, we have been encouraging our
clients to invest in branding instead of short term promotion and advertisement. Last week on CNN they announced that consumers are spending money on the economical brands they trust: Campbells soup, Kraft, McDonalds. While other companies are loosing money, strong brands are profiting because of their high awareness, recognizability, and reassurance they provide the customer.

Denise Lee Yohn wrote a great article on how to ensure your brand not only survive but thrive in this economy, you must take action and ensure it remains strong. In her conclusion she state: "Rather than fretting over limited marketing budgets and skyrocketing media costs, use the above criteria (refer to article) to take an honest assessment of your brand. In doing so, you’ll uncover the areas to prioritize for brand-building efforts. You may discover that the ways to strengthen your brand depend less on how much (or little) money you have, and have more to do with focusing your efforts internally and putting your brand in the driver’s seat of your organization".

Via Brand Channel

Passion In Your Words

2009-02-05T16:35:00.004-05:00

I find that we have to often explain (and re-explain) to customers the strategic actions we take and why we insist on consistency in the work. Large businesses do not market the same way small businesses do. The larger corporations not only have a marketing plan, but they also understand their key message. This is the mistake that smaller companies make. Branding is an investment for your firm big or small. I will explain why.

Your ultimate goal is to make money-–and hopefully to make a nice comfortable profit. How do you do that? By making your customer care about your product or service. So I ask you, why and how will they care? Answer: by understanding what really drives the attitudes and behavior of the people you need to reach.

Before you even think about the design stage, develop your key message. You need to have some strong and precise language around who you are and why you're here before you go about naming your company or product. Think about how you are different, and what that means for your positioning and branding. This will help you find the best way to live in the hearts and minds of your customers.

After the key message has been developed a good company names is only the beginning, make sure everything is develop wisely and revolves around you keep message. The name that you select and marketing material created is a visual representation of your relationship with your customer, and the promises you have made to them. Branding is at the heart of everything you do that touches the consumer.

There is a branding process that most professionals follow to ensure that a successful brand is developed. Instead of ranting on about the topic I would like to direct you to a few references if you want to get a little more information on the process.

Logo Savvy: Top Brand Design Firms Share their Naming and Identity Strategies

Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifand Maintaining Strong Brands

The always inspirational Interbrand.

And the branding giants Landor.

Inspirational Designer

2009-02-04T15:49:00.003-05:00

Super cool Seigmester conference invitation design

Found Via NFGR

Potato Head of 2008

2009-02-04T12:42:00.002-05:00

I have been bad in updating the blog and you have missed out on my Potato Heads of the week. You can see all of them on my facebook album.
ENJOY!

Playing With Food

2009-02-04T10:07:00.001-05:00

Great little Flickr album by Anna the Red that shows her off love and creativity for making bento (lunchbox in Japanese).
She also has a blog site where she gives full detail on what goes into her creations.

LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-03T22:38:00.005-05:00

I found these here and here.

Her Morning Elegance

2009-02-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

Quotes On Design

2009-02-03T22:10:00.002-05:00

A full site dedicated to quotes on design!

HERE

BIGGER LOGO

2009-02-03T21:49:00.001-05:00

For those of your who have heard this comment from your clients, you can send them this link in response.

Make my logo bigger!

Dieline

2009-02-03T21:45:00.001-05:00

For some packing a little more to date check out The Dieline. It covers the world's best packaging design, latest package design trends, largest package design agency directory, packaging news, etc. I enjoy visiting this site for inspiration.

Retro Wrapping

2009-02-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

This site displays American packaging design from the early decades of the 20th Century. It's pretty fun to see what your favorite brands used to look like.

The American Package Museum

Wonderful Watercolours

2009-02-03T21:31:00.002-05:00

It's been along time since I have added anything to my blog. It doesn't mean that I haven't been surfing and finding interesting things.
I will start b sharing something beautiful with you. I wanted to direct you to the work of Stina Persson, an illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden. I just fell in love with her work when I first saw it.

www.stinapersson.com

Holidays In A Design Studio

2008-12-11T21:59:00.002-05:00

I have been working like crazy that I have completely neglected my little blog. Less then two weeks until the studio closes for the holidays we are all stressing out.
I found this video that was like looking into a mirror. I guess everyone in the industry has the same experiences.

Presidential campaign logos

2008-11-04T14:41:00.001-05:00

In the honor of todays big election in the US I thought I would share some of the Presidential campaign logos through the years.

Montreal's New Logo

2008-10-29T17:05:00.002-04:00

It's already hard to be taken seriously working in branding and living in Montreal and then this happens. Montreal decided it was time to rebrand the city and after $487,000 (so far) a stylized is suppose to represent the 82 Montreal municipalities under one vision. The Gazette was the first to introduce the logo to the city.

Gazette readers were unimpressed. Some of the comments the newspaper received: "Do we want to be known as the city of clowns?"; "Total waste of money and garbage logo"; "I thought my neighbour's cat puked on my paper again this morning."

Homer commented that it looks like a music video station logo following the "cubby logo" trend that's happening right now.

You can read more about the new logo here:

National Post: Montreal's new logo has people seeing red (and pink, and tangerine)
The Gazette : Stylized M will work just fine, director insists
Grafika: Le Grand Montréal fait jaser

Creative Challenge for Montreal Designers

2008-10-22T10:10:00.003-04:00

Message from Gérald Tremblay, mayor of Montréal

In Japanese, shukō, is an idea, a project, a plan. I'm throwing out a challenge to our creative community with these five shukō. Designers, visionaries, rational thinkers, old hands and newcomers. Five inspirational shukō, five opportunities to express Montréal's unique personality and join forces to bring Montréal, City of Design, to a new level. Our metropolis is bursting with ideas, overflowing with talent. As mayor, I'm committed to doing what it takes to turn these five shukō into accomplishments that all Montréalers can look upon with pride.

Creative professionals will be invited to enter five design competitions to:

create a method for showcasing the stained-glass work by artist Marcelle Ferron at the Champ-de-Mars métro station entrance;

transform the east wall of the Palais de justice;

create a new bus shelter;

develop a distinctive brand identity for Montréal's taxis;

design the temporary festival street furniture for the Quartier des spectacles.

The conditions of the competitions will be made public in the coming weeks. In the meantime, people thinking of participating in any of these design exercises are urged to express their interest in writing via the website Shuko Montreal

Source: Design Montréal Office

Paper 08

2008-10-15T10:45:00.002-04:00

For the second consecutive year, the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC) will be presenting the Montreal fair PAPIER 08, from October 23 to 26, 2008. This fair dedicated to art on paper, the only one of its kind in the country, will be open to the public from noon to 6pm and entrance will be free of charge.

Get all the info here.

50 Years Of Brands

2008-10-14T23:12:00.001-04:00

The Marketing Society in the UK had compiled a list of 50 brands that shone most brightly in each of the last 50 years (1959-2007).
I loved the video for Lego.

50 Golden Brands

Potato Head Of Many Weeks

2008-10-10T23:01:00.009-04:00

Since I have been absent from blogging in the past few months I have not shared all the Potato Heads with you. Sit back and enjoy!

Week of July 28th Designed by Michael Wou
I Can-See-You-Potato Head
My boss is going away on vacation so he designed this potato head as his guard to make sure we don't goof off too much. He kinda freaks me out. I wish he wasn't on my desk....Staring...Judging....I AM WORKING!! STOP LOOKING AT ME!!!

Week of August 4th Designed by Lucio
Two Wild and Crazy Potato Heads!

Cecilia little boy Lucio visited us in the office on Monday. He as well has a love for Mr Potato Head and made these two crazy guys for my desk. I think they are hitting on me.

Week of August 4th Design by Natalie
Oshega Potato Head
Nat and Jo stopped by the office Monday afternoon and Nat took Mr Potato Head and quietly in the corner created this guy.
Giant ears to listen to the music, he has VIP passes hence the crown and cap and he is going with his best buds.

Week of August 13
Presenting Petunia Potato Fang....created by Mai at work.
100% princess with a sharp tongue, that likes Slinkies.

Week of August 17
Peeled Mr Potato Head. Ready for the heat wave that is going to hit that weekend.
Made by Stephane

Week of August 25th
I walked into the office Monday morning to find "Mr Potato Hate" on my desk. According to the note sitting next to him he is protesting being left alone in the office all weekend with all the windows closed and no AC.
Made by Sylvie who worked in the office this weekend, and apparently was not to happy about it.

Week of Sept 1-15
With life getting in the way of my Potato Head making this little guy create by Cecilia in the office has been sitting on my desk for 3 weeks.
Cecilia has named her Sirenita. I don't know why that's her name, but it kind of suits her.

Week of Sept 29
Meet Potato Vishnu. Preservers of all things potatoes, he is with the poutine at your favorite dive and in the garden at your grandmothers house.
created by Michael

Choosing Brand Colors

2008-10-10T22:48:00.001-04:00

I am getting tired of our clients requesting that we design their brand in the color blue. There is a huge pallet of colors to chose from and one of the key elements of building a strong brand is color selection. Usabilitypost is filled with useful information including their guide to choosing brand colors.

12 Brain Rules

2008-10-10T22:38:00.002-04:00

You can explore each rule through illustrations, charts and video at the Brain Rules web site by John Medina.

Meditation Garden

2008-09-10T14:09:00.001-04:00

The process of naming and branding is quite delicate. I've learned that you don't always get brilliant ideas by sitting in front of the computer...who knew?!? You need to back away from the screen, talk to people, look around, take in information and sometimes sit in silence and meditate.
For those of you that need some time away from your project I direct you to the Naming and Branding Meditation Garden.

Enjoy!

Wonderful Signage

2008-08-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

I've been reading a book called "why we buy" and in the section on signage it says that a sign can be well designed but you will only know if it works when it's in the environment and is being used.
On that note I found this wonderful signage system for a parking garage. I've never seen anything like it, and it solves the problems beautifully.

Eureka Tower Carpark

Week of July 21st

2008-08-05T21:50:00.000-04:00

Combo king- princess-knight Potato Head....representing all the actors of MIDEVIL TIMES. I am only missing a half a chicken on a plate to recreate the full experience.

Souvenir Photo Collection

2008-08-05T21:48:00.001-04:00

When I travel I take some weird photos, one of my favorite set of pictures is me in different tourists shops with what ever is the head gear of that country.
There is a photo collection that I loved and is in the same spirit as my tourist photos Michael Hughes Souvenir collection for his ongoing book project.

Check it out.

Jeff's Web Site

2008-07-29T15:08:00.003-04:00

I some how landed on Jeff Bridge's web site today. To my surprise it was quite pleasant to surf through. I would say its a site designed for designers.
Check it out, its full of fun stuff. One of the thinks I enjoyed the most on his site was his photographic documentation on the making of Iron Man.

Week of July 7th

2008-07-29T11:03:00.001-04:00

I am posting this a little late.
Summer social calendar full Potato Head. So many birthdays,BBQs and showers in the summer time....special note alcohol tolerance has increased because it.

Helveticat!

2008-07-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

I can not believe that I found two of my favorite things mushed together to make one glorious font.
Helvetica (for any one who has not worked with me this is one of my favorite fonts) and cats were brought together by Florence Tetier to create HELVETICAT!

ENJOY!

Subliminal Message

2008-07-24T20:17:00.001-04:00

I have heard many times that design is just brainwashing the public, I even had a stranger bitch me out on the metro one time after overhearing that I was a graphic designer. My boss sent us this very interesting video about the power of persuasion and how easily we can be manipulated.

Ambi Blog

2008-07-24T20:02:00.001-04:00

I remember reading Angels and Demons and being impressed by the ambigram calligraphy in the book. I thought it was quite smart and complicated.
Well if learning how to make your own here is a great blog dedicated to the subject.
The site is filled with tips as well as posting of other designers amibigrams.

Ambiblog

Metro Logos

2008-07-24T19:49:00.003-04:00

Here is a nice collection of the world's metro logos. See if you can spot Montreal.

Metro logos

Fonts As People

2008-07-23T09:38:00.001-04:00

"In a world where fonts are people, Times New Roman is king. But also, Wingdings is annoying and talks in gibberish, Arial Narrow is a racist, and Futura is a sexy lady from the future. How awesome is this?"
source: Gizmodo

Check out the video from College Humor

Eat Pes

2008-07-11T16:45:00.001-04:00

PES is a New York based animator and movie maker. The stop-motion animations
are known for their skill and brilliance.
I really enjoyed watching the shorts, especially Game Over.

Twisted films of PES

Week of June 30th

2008-07-07T17:00:00.001-04:00

After a few weeks of neglecting Mr Potato Head I came back to work to find that they have gone crazy.
An other employee got tired of waiting for me to come up with some thing creative and created princess alien potato head.

The little spud drank too much and got stuck in his own glass.

The Brown Corporation

2008-07-07T16:58:00.000-04:00

Just when I think the Internet has nothing else worth finding, I find something like this.
THE SHIT BOX, a portable cardboard toilet.

The Brown Corporation... a solid company

Icons

2008-07-03T15:23:00.002-04:00

I have been giving our free gifts on Facebook like crazy, as I was doing this I was thinking to myself who designs these icons". Well after a little research I was introduced to Susan Kare's work.
Her projects include the famous the card deck for Windows 3.0's solitaire game, Facebook gifts, Apple icons.
Susan Kare, according to MoMa, is a "pioneering and influential computer iconographer"

Check her out!

The Image Mill

2008-07-03T09:54:00.006-04:00

Starting June 20, the evening of the summer solstice, this forty-minute visual and audio production will be projected against the grain silos in the Port of Québec. This huge concrete structure will become a narrator that tells the tale of Québec City’s 400 years of history.

The Image Mill will be presented from June 20 until August 24, 2008, at 10 p.m., in the Port of Québec, and admission is free.

Created by Robert LePage

Week of June 9

2008-06-23T12:31:00.001-04:00

Little late posting this one.
Usually a multi taster and can do a million things at a time. The last two weeks with NOTHING to do at work, except for surf the web has flared up my carpal tunnel making one of my arms useless.

Best Canadian Brands

2008-06-18T15:13:00.000-04:00

When I introduce myself as a designer I find it difficult some times to explain what it is I do. I create brands for the most part and I am passionate when I explain to business that their Brand possibly the most important part of their business, unfortunately Canadian brands, barely register on the international radar.

Interbrand has just published second biennial ranking of the Best Canadian Brands by brand value, in cooperation with The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

Document highlights
-we need to understand how brands deliver value, and use this information to better inform business decisions.
-brand can drive revenue and profitability by influencing choice.
-top 25 Canadian brands’ total brand value is significantly less than the US$65.3 billion brand value for Coca-Cola alone

You can download the PDF at http://www.interbrand.com/

Free Idea Factory

2008-06-12T16:18:00.001-04:00

Some people have way too many ideas. If you have none your can pick any of these ideas for free!

Idea Factory

One of my favorite free ideas

Room o’ Balloons
A performance piece…fill a laaarge room with multicolored, inflated balloons (not the helium kind that rise, but regular air that keeps balloons floor level). The balloons should fill the room up to maybe chest height. Sell tickets for people to walk through the room feeling what it’s like to almost drown in balloons. the more people in the room, the more displacement of balloons, so I imagine people bouncing balloons into the air to give them more breathing space. How beautiful to watch.

Drawing With Light

2008-06-12T15:17:00.002-04:00

I am always looking for new ways to express my creativity. Since the summer hit I have been playing with flash lights and long camera exposure to create light doodles. There is a famous Picasso photo where he drew a bull with a flashlight in the dark, then turned on the lights for the last moments of the shot.

I found instructions on online on how to create LED Light Drawing Pens: Tools for drawing light doodles. Its seems pretty simple to make.
The same guy has Flickr gallery of the light doodles you can check out.

I know this is going to be one of my summer projects.

Graphic Designer's Future

2008-06-10T00:00:00.003-04:00

I often wonder where my career will take me in 5...10...15 years from now. This article by Luke Wroblewski clearly defines the Growth Paths of a designer. I still don't know what the future holds for me, but at least I know what options I have.

Design Group Growth Paths

Do It Yourself Doll

2008-06-09T23:53:00.003-04:00

My friend Dave got me a Munny Doll for my bday (you see him next to the Birthday Potato Head of the week). This is the greatest gift for anyone with a little imagination. You can paint on MUNNY. You can use crayons, pencils, pens, and paints. You can cover him in green fur. You can make things to put in MUNNY's hands, or hats to put on MUNNY's head.

You can create him to be anything you want.
MUNNY

Week of June 2nd

2008-06-09T23:51:00.001-04:00

Birthday Day Potato Head. Half the week I had off and chilled at Lindsay's country place, the other half I spent my week bored off my ass at work. I surfed so much that I grew a third eye just to keep up.

Helvetica the Movie (again)

2008-06-06T14:43:00.002-04:00

If you've missed it the million other times it has played in Montreal well here is your chance to see HELVETICA once again. It will be play at Cinema du Parc from June 6-12. Tickets $5-$10.

Cinema du Parc

Font Game

2008-06-05T14:14:00.001-04:00

There is a game that all designers play (even if they don't know they are playing). No matter where you are-out to dinner, at the movies, on the metro- you look at the typography and try to guess what font was used.
Try your hand at this font guessing game. I got a little more then half correct.

The rather difficult font game.

Newspaper Design

2008-06-05T10:08:00.002-04:00

Publication design/redesign is one of the hardest things for me to do. My Art Director has been a big help in guiding me in my publication skills.Good publication design makes bland uninteresting material into fun and readable.

Check out Innovations in Newspapers, news, tips & opinion from Juan Antonio Giner, founder director of innovation international media consulting group.

Jenn and I were drooling this morning over 3030, a prototype newspaper.

Appetizing Packaging

2008-06-04T16:30:00.004-04:00

This site is written in a language I do not understand, but I get the idea from the visuals. 100 food products photographically compared between what's yummily shown on the package and what you actually get.

Check it out (It's sad that this is what I do for a living)

Where We Do, What We Do

2008-06-04T16:06:00.002-04:00

I like peeking into people's windows when I am out for a walk if the curtains are open. Its fun to see how other people decorate their space. Same thing with studio space. I love to see where other creatives work (as you know I have Potato Heads on my desk).

The site "Where We Do What We Do" is just a series of photos submitted by designers around the world.
By submitting your space, whether it’s your dank and cluttered cubicle or your super fabulous living-room-based tattoo shop, you’re helping fill this site with awesomeness.

Where We Do What We Do

Spiritual Water

2008-06-04T15:51:00.002-04:00

A company can change its look, its CEO or even its ownership, but those major corporate makeovers have little effect on how consumers view the strength of its brand. In our studio we often say that the Catholic Religion has the best brand staying power we have ever seen.....Sure now there are not as many church goers, but we all know what Jesus looks like and the many symbols of the religion.

So I wasn't surprised when I saw that the Catholics have jumped on the bottled water bandwagon. Why not!!!! Everyone else is doing it!
In the studio was especially like how the bottle levitate when your mouse over them....Way to class up God.

Spiritual Water

Collage Type

2008-06-04T15:38:00.001-04:00

Why haven't I thought of this before? I love collage + I love type.
Check out the work of Oliver Barrett.