“Perfect Slice of Summer”

image via TheDieline.com

These are amazing. I love that the team has taken a new approach to the standard square/rectangle tissue box. (Though I suppose the shape may limited shelf space, a worthwhile trade-off in my opinion.) The illustrations are delicious, and immediately convey “summer.”

Uncommon Knowledge

via Ace Jet 170: Uncommon Knowledge in reference to James Webb-Young’s great book, A Technique for Producing Ideas

About as great a definition as I can imagine. (via Heed to Design weblog)

I love the way these business cards put a face to a name. The pop-up feature is just icing. There is still something so vital and interesting about a printed card. (via swissmiss)

New face of government?

Not only are these two newly instated government programs getting logos, the Obama administration has made the incredible decision to hire professionals.

Messrs. Draplin and Glass bring the bold, slightly retro aesthetic that I would expect from each of these fantastic designers (hat tip Coudal).

I’m thoroughly impressed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) logo. The seal and it’s iconography hit upon the major parts of the “stimulus”—investment in “green” technology and getting the gears of industry back in motion.

The USDOT TIGER logo is a little less inspiring. The type just sits on the page, even the tiger stripes can’t give life to the mark. It doesn’t feel like a unified logo, more like a headline. Naz Hamid had this comment via Twitter, “One thing bothers me about the Tiger logo: is the USDOT TIGER DOT.GOV a URL or what does it mean? Too many DOTS.” and I think that’s about right.

In the end, though, if this is indicative of the kind of change we can expect during the tenure of this administration, I’m all for it.

Design Critique

First, and most important, can we do something to make the logo BIGGER and more prominent? I’ve done a quick sketch using the circumference of my coffee cup as a reference guide (attached) and I’m sure you’ll see the the new eagle is much easier to see at about three times the current size (I’m not sure what that is in computer picas). Everyone agrees that the new eagle logo my daughter drew is GORGEOUS, so I really want those feathers to stand out over the “Stool” info scrolling through the eagle’s mouth (beak? bill? not important).

BUT, on that same subject, Sandra, what can you do to really make the new design “POP”? I want it to really POP off the page. People get many letters every year, and I want ours to be the ones that never get thrown away — just because the POP is literally almost audible. Even in a desk drawer. I want our letters on bulletins boards because of all the POP.

Just a selection from a(n) hysterical Merlin Mann post.

Boy, I’m sure glad that this kind of memo would never happen in real life. {sigh}

Redux Rant

This was originally posted on my Tumblr site, on second thought it seems more appropriate for this weblog:

Andy Rutledge is a talented and insightful designer and opinionated critic. I consistently enjoy his work at the Design View weblog, particularly the long-running “Redux” series ( where Andy provides a step-by-step analysis of a well-known website as well as his version of a redesigned user experience).

Sadly, his latest redux leaves much to be desired. Andy turns his attention to the US government’s information portal USA.gov which he describes as “poorly designed and often confusing.” Unlike his previous redux articles, Andy brings his political views to bear on this redesign.

It’s unfortunate that Andy decided to politicize this site design. It’s also surprising, given that Andy called out popular design blog Design Observer for using their site to further a political agenda.

Andy could have provided a serious look at usa.gov (a site in desparate need of attention) instead he went for a cheap shot at the Democratic presidential candidate.

Arts & Entertainment

Logo critique site Brand New, today, has a review of the newly released logo for cable network A&E. I have not seen the logo in use on television, but taken on it’s own the new mark seems off. Certainly it’s bold and nicely designed but I can’t help but feel like this belongs less to a TV network and more to a fashion brand.

Travel2SC.com

August 1 was the introduction of the new vehicle license plate for South Carolina. (PDF link)

Chosen as part of some kind of design contest, the new plates will begin running sometime in 2008.

My initial reaction to the design is skepticism. I’ve been noticing a trend among states to treat the license plate as a fancy advertisement for state tourism, often to the detriment of the plates real purpose—identification. I can’t recount the number of license plates that I have seen where the alphanumerics are nearly impossible to read. Ultra-condensed typefaces with “D”s that look like “O”s and “1″s that could be mistaken for “I”s.

I’ll reserve judgment on South Carolina until I see it “in the wild.” But I am worried that the dark background coloring could affect contrast and readability at a distance.

In Bloom

A new grocery chain has begun to open throughout the Greater Greenville area; Charlotte, NC-based Bloom.

Before I ever set foot in one of their stores I became familiar with their logo. This is not a logo that impresses me. The name is set in trendy, web-inspired lowercase but the typeface betrays this casual approachability with it’s hard-edges. Why not use a face with a softer, more inviting appearance? The icon, too, irritates me. I see less plant bloom and more vortex or abstract geometric shape.

Another judgment I made before shopping this new store was the physical building itself. The exterior is dull and uninviting. As I watched them construct it, I kept waiting/expecting there to be a more dynamic addition—windows, arches, graphics. Something more than sandstone-colored blocks.

And I’d be happy to end my relationship there, on the surface with first impressions. If only the shopping experience weren’t so good. The store is well laid out, brightly-lit with wide, navigable aisles. The shopping carts have maps of the store on them, good for first time visitors and a friendly reminder for regulars.

One thing that sets Bloom apart is their membership system. Members receive a 1% rebate on the total purchase of each visit. This “cash back” comes in the form of a gift card good at the store. Also available to members are individual price scanners. I love being able to keep track of my items and total. It is great for those shopping on a budget. It works seamlessly with the self-checkout registers.

All-in-all, Bloom will get my business and I hope they succeed. It will give them a chance to refresh their still young brand.