posted by Ryon

May 14, 2012 @ 7:00am

Collected Ephemera: for the love of print

For years, I’ve collected folders full of old ticket stubs, receipts, catalogs, booklets, invoices, postcards, labels and other printed pieces dating from 1900 – 1975. These items are best defined as “ephemera” — things that were created to serve a practical, short-term purpose — not really meant to be saved (or written about in a blog post some 50+ years later). But being a designer who loves history and design history, it comes as no surprise that these items interest me. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever met a designer that doesn’t like rummaging through shelves of thrift stores or antique malls looking for cool printed “stuff”. I believe that collecting and studying these artifacts is really important — we can learn from the past and can find inspiration for current work.

I realize that some may classify all of this “stuff” as trash, but I see it as treasure. I appreciate the printing process, the craftsmanship, the hand lettering, the attention to detail and the history behind each piece. So I’ll keep on colllecting — I’ll just have to add some more folders to the filing cabinet.

Here are just a few samples I’ve collected over the years:

What a great script — and the perfectly tracked Futura typestyle.

1900 self-promotional brochure for a Chicago architecture firm

Back of an old photo card showing amazing lettering and detail.

Sheet music with hand-drawn lettering

Camera brochure cover. I love the Pilot logo.

A great example of good design for everyday purpose.

Kodak box cover

Great numbering style on a receipt from my grandfather's hardware store (1968)

Citizens Radio cards.

Invoice from my grandfather's hardware store - I forgive the spacing (kerning) between the W and the A in "Hardware" but love the typographic choice.

Beautiful lettering style and attention to detail on the back of this photo card.

 

What a nice lettering style and a capital "F". c.1925

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posted by Ryon

Apr 09, 2012 @ 7:00am

The Golden Ratio: where design and mathematics coincide

The golden ratio (also known as the golden mean, golden section or divine proportion) is a height to width ratio that measures 0.618 and manifests itself in nature, art and architecture. The Parthenon in Greece incorporates the ratio, but it’s unknown whether or not the designers actually used the principle. The human form has this same basic geometric relationship — DaVinci studied this and created drawings that illustrated the proportion in his Vitruvian Man (below). Piet Mondrian used the golden ratio in much of his work in  the 1920′s. Even Twitter uses the golden ratio principle for it’s screen design.

The Golden Ratio looks like this:

And is defined as the ratio between two segments such that the smaller (bc) segment is to the larger segment (ab) is to the sum of the two segments (ac), or bc/ab = ab/ac = 0.618.

 

And can be calculated like this (adding 1 to the ratio is phi, yielding the same basic geometric relationship):

 

 

More examples of the Golden Ratio:

 

 

 


Fascinating! Is it an inherent aesthetic preference or is it a design technique turned tradition? How do you explain the proportion found in nature? However you decide to answer those questions, it’s hard to argue that it has had an enormous impact on art and design over the years and continues to influence design today. Next time you see something that just “feels” right, or that you just can’t take your eyes off of, take a look at the proportions and remember – Ahh, it must be the 0.618!

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posted by Ryon

Feb 15, 2012 @ 10:33am

New Work: Central Carolina Community Foundation 2011 Annual Report

What is a community, if not the sum of its stories?  

Thus begins the 2011 Annual Report for the Central Carolina Community Foundation. We were thrilled to work with photographer Jeff Amberg and Crowson Stone Printing on this project. Thanks, also, to CCCF’s Tonia Cochran, who wrote the profiles and was equally masterful in managing the project’s many moving parts.

(Turns out it does, in fact, take a village.)

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posted by Ryon

Oct 20, 2011 @ 7:27pm

There’s a story behind that.

I love finding a good story behind the design of something, especially when there is meaning and symbolism involved. For instance, the ubiquitous barber shop sign – the revolving, helical red and blue striped sign that’s typically mounted on the facade of the shop.

Back in the day, barbers used to perform medical procedures, including tooth extractions and bloodletting services. Apparently, they would hang the bandages on a pole outside to dry and the wind would wrap the bloody bandages around the pole. Yes, disturbing, but we’re talking the Middle Ages here. Leeches are part of the story, too, but I’ll leave that out for now. The pole represents the staff that was used for the patient to grip to encourage blood flow. The color red is symbolic for arterial blood, blue represents venous blood and the white symbolizes the bandages. It’s also possible that the blue was added when the signs were used in the United States, to honor the national colors.

And a note of caution: If you’re in certain parts of Asia, the barber’s pole design could be used to advertise and disguise a completely different type of business establishment, but I’ll choose to steer clear of that story.

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posted by Apprentices

Jul 26, 2011 @ 11:53am

Toolboxes: A Narrative of Process

Whether you’re a writer, designer, illustrator or a grandmother turned pastry chef, you have a toolbox. If you’re a writer, you probably have an arsenal of pens and paper. If you’re a designer, you’ve certainly got a mighty mouse and some x-acto blades, and the illustrator could have anything from paint tubes to charcoal.

In the past three months, I’ve discovered Design*Sponge, a fantastic blog for anyone looking to be inspired to create or recreate your space. Design*Sponge has a recurring post called “ What’s In Your Toolbox?” and it’s a brilliant idea. Not only are these little features wonderful because they show beautiful work, but in a quick snap shot, they reveal process. You can see which artist is completely square and thinks through things all the way, and which ones work intuitively —grabbing the first piece of material at hand and working with what emerges.

These little toolbox portraits are beautiful, friendly and inspiring.

I’ve started throwing in random things into my own office drawer to see what I can reach in and find.

Enjoy these little vignettes. Photos from SCOUT’S HONOR Co. and Design*Sponge.

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posted by Cathy

Feb 09, 2011 @ 7:18pm

Discovering the perfect brand experience, freewheeling through Etsy

I’ve always longed to take a freewheeling road trip. You know, the kind of journey where you head out, no real destination in mind, no particular route to follow. You just go, following the option that looks most interesting at the moment.

Where would it lead, I wonder? Where would I end up?

I made that journey last week, albeit vicariously. Sitting right on my sofa, right in my pretty little keeping room, I jumped into a blog I love, saw something interesting, clicked on a link, which lead to a link, which lead to a link, which lead to a link, and before I knew it, I was joyfully lost amidst the wild DIY wonderland that is Etsy.

There were beautiful treasures everywhere I clicked. Such creativity. Such originality. Such inspiration. I wandered. And then I landed at Jaros Designs. Every pretty offering spoke to me.

my heart's desire

I wanted that pair of Vintage Valentine Red Freshwater Pearl and Antique Brass Drop Earrings! And the Mixed Metal Petal hoops. And that sweet, pretty Ocean Droplet Pearl Seafoam Necklace. I needed them. They needed me! And so I ordered, and just two days later, the little box of boxes arrived on my doorstep. I tore into it.

The joy of a simple blue bow. There they were—a collection of pretty little chocolate brown jewelry boxes, each with simple, gorgeous, happy blue bows. And suddenly my shopping spree (oh, the guilt!) became a wonderful indulgence (presents for me!)

Inside, the pretty treasures were wonderfully cocooned within fold after fold of tissue paper, secured with yet another pretty bow. Analisa Jaros had included a handwritten note, thanking me for my purchase. “That’s the difference in handmade,” I thought. “There’s a human being on the other end of this purchase.”

the complete package

Minding the details. The package from Jaros Designs made me think about the power of an exceptional brand experience. I landed rather randomly on Analisa Jaros’ Etsy shop, but in the midst of my freewheeling click click click excursion, something about her merchandise, and its mouthwatering photographic presentation, made me stop. And stay. And buy, even though that night’s cyberspace journey was begun with no conscious intention to shop. Analisa’s personal touch and attention to the tiniest details brought her Etsy “handcrafted jewelry” brand promise home to me, full circle. I loved buying from an artist who included a personal note and with whom I have now had several pleasant email exchanges.

That, I believe, is a brand experience done right—well defined, differentiating, consistent, relational, and intentional. Nicely done, Jaros Designs.

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posted by Cathy

Nov 04, 2010 @ 3:24pm

getting ready for debbie millman

debbie millman     aiga south carolina     columbia     december 1

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posted by Teresa

Nov 04, 2009 @ 2:30pm

New Work: Spartanburg Soup Kitchen Part 1

ssk_logo_hor

Imagine cooking 500 hot meals every day from a 300 sq. ft. kitchen. For 20 years or so, the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen had been operating out of a church kitchen and dining room, while the need to serve more meals just kept growing.

The board embarked on a capital campaign to raise money to build a new Soup Kitchen facility. While their case for support was sound, they lacked the packaging and community awareness to make the campaign a success.

So the CreateAthon team went to work on developing a new brand identity, outdoor campaign, and web site to re-introduce the Soup Kitchen as a vital part of the community. These outlets gave the Soup Kitchen the marketing foundation it needed, but the team didn’t stop there. Lee Price, Julie Smith, Tim Floyd and Teresa Coles developed a strategy for the Soup Kitchen that would help attract individual gifts to the Soup Kitchen well beyond the capital campaign. More to come in Part 2.

SSK_billboards

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