Phoenixville Wayfinding by Drexel design students

March 12, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Filed under City Happenings, Design education, Signage, Wayfinding

Over the past ten weeks, graphic design students at Drexel University have been collaborating with Phoenixville community members to develop concepts for a brand identity and wayfinding signage program for Phoenixville, PA. As a culmination of their creative journey, these students will be exhibiting their conceptual designs at a gallery in downtown Phoenixville. This Saturday, March 13 members of the Drexel University, Phoenixville, and graphic design communities are invited to the opening of the exhibition to view the conceptual designs and celebrate the students’ achievements. Stay tuned. Your devoted bloggers will be posting more info and pics as they become available. (Thanks to SEGDster, Kelly Bennett! @kelbennett) — S.N.

Let there be Art (please)

March 1, 2010 at 10:07 am
Filed under Arts and Crafts, City Happenings, Public Art

Artwork: Kenneth Anger

In a town where image is everything, the ongoing battles among local government, residents, and billboard companies over what constitutes commercial signage and art are no surprise. As the various interests continue to duke it out in Los Angeles, a local arts center is having its say.

“How Many Billboards? Art in Stead” is a large-scale urban exhibition that proposes, simply, that in a highly mediated environment like LA, art “should occupy a visible position in the cacophony.” With its exhibition of 21 contemporary artworks on billboards, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture attempts to show how art can provide a needed respite from commercial images.

The show, in the works since 2006, was made possibly by donations from major billboard companies and by thought-provoking work from commissioned artists. It’s up through the end of March. — P.M.K.

Artwork: James Welling

Artwork: Kerri Tribe

Paging Dr. Brendan. Dr. Brendan to the coffee shop.

February 10, 2010 at 10:12 am
Filed under City Happenings, Technology

Your devoted blogger would not even own a cellphone if she didn’t have to, but most SEGDsters are surgically connected to their iPhones.  If you live in Manhattan (or Houston), now you have another option when your baby goes down with a cracked screen or worse.  Dr. Brendan makes free house, office, and coffee shop calls. He says his prices are the best around, and you know you can trust a doctor. — A.M.

Love Letters

February 6, 2010 at 11:15 am
Filed under City Happenings, Placemaking, Public Art, Street Art

Steve Powers with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program is covering the City of Brotherly Love in love letters — just in time for Valentine’s Day?  Some of the murals will be seen in Burma Shave progression from one of the train lines. — A.M.

Navigating the Labyrinth: February 3 in NYC

January 26, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Filed under City Happenings, Designers, Symbols, Transportaton, Wayfinding

If two of our fave SEGD Fellows are going, this must be worth attending.

NAVIGATING THE LABYRINTH: UNIMARK INTERNATIONAL AND THE NEW YORK SUBWAY SYSTEM
On the 40th Anniversary of the New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual join Massimo Vignelli, Tom Geismar, Lance Wyman, Michael Hertz, Doris Halle and Peter Joseph in a conversation about the past, present and future of the New York City subway signage. The evening will be moderated by Paul Shaw and Jan Conradi. — A.M.

NYC slated for Italian design museum

January 14, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Filed under City Happenings, museum

“New York City may soon have more museums devoted to design than to art…

The Milan-based Triennale Design Museum has signed a 15-year lease for 18,067 square feet at 40 W. 53rd Street, to open a four level museum. The space will be the Triennale’s first location in the United States, and its third overall. A Japan outpost opened in 2006. The museum has been a Milan institution for 90 years.

The new museum is slated to open in May, in an effort to coincide with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. It will have 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 3,000-square-foot café and a 3,000-square-foot shop.” — K.E.Toshiba lighting exhibit at the Milan Triennale Design Museum

Cool breeze

December 8, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Filed under City Happenings, Misc.

Don’t try to raise the volume on this video of Tokujin Yoshioka’s window display for Maison Hermes in Tokyo; there’s no audio.  Just sit back, relax, and enjoy it. — A.M.

Dieter Rams

December 8, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Filed under Books, City Happenings, Design education, Industrial Design, Technology

One of the most influential product designers of the 20th century, Dieter Rams is currently profiled at London’s Design Museum. It could be argued that Rams is THE most influential as the physical aspects of his iconic designs—primarily done over 40 years for Braun—still show up in the work of contemporary designers’ work like that of Jonathan Ive for Apple and even in the calculator app for the iPhone. His ten principles of good design are highly relevant and thought provoking in their simplicity:

• Good design is innovative.
• Good design makes a product useful.
• Good design is aesthetic.
• Good design makes a product understandable.
• Good design is unobtrusive.
• Good design is honest.
• Good design is long lasting.
• Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
• Good design is environmentally friendly.
• Good design is as little design as possible.

If previous catalogs are any guide, the one for this exhibit (yet to be released at Amazon) will be inspiring. — K.E.

A great dog is hard to find.

October 26, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Filed under Architecture, City Happenings, Food, Misc., SEGD Conf + Expo

Since the next SEGD Conference + Expo is in Washington, DC, your devoted blogger will be preparing you for your trip (you’re coming, right?) with some tasty tips on the National Capitol Area.  Not to be missed is Ben’s Chili Bowl, known not only for its half smokes (a local specialty between a hot dog and a sausage) but also its vintage decor.  Put it on your list.  But bring cash because only Bill Cosby and Barack Obama eat for free. — A.M.

Artful branding

October 8, 2009 at 8:38 am
Filed under City Happenings, Public Art

Giant foam likenesses of the Lochness monster, gargantuan balloon sculptures, and portraits rendered in salt and earth may help put Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the map. It’s all thanks to ArtPrize, a new public art competition that will culminate tonight with the naming of a top prize winner of $250,000. It may be the largest art prize ever awarded and in a town that’s known for its love of art, the entrants have caused quite a stir.

More than 32,000 residents registered to vote in the competition. In the first round, they were allowed to cast “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” votes for as many artworks as they wanted from the field of 1,262. In the final round, they were allowed only one vote. The competition attracted a wide range of artist types and skill levels, and has inspired plenty of debate about the merits of the art vs. spectacle. But competition organizers say the 17-day event has not only helped promote Grand Rapids, but has engaged people with art. There’s no downside to that.  –P.M.K.