The Pepperspective

Textures are a great way to add some depth to your work, especially when used correctly. They can emphasize key elements and break up solid colors. Textures are totally valid in both the print and digital worlds (I’ll say it again) when used correctly. For the longest time, textures were associated with being grungy and dirty. They were used in music videos from the 80s and on old circus posters. They were often the main focus and left designers less than pleased. But with everything becoming so sleek in this age of digital, people were left craving an element of the tactile world, bringing the texture back into the limelight and forcing people to learn how to use them correctly.

BTS: M&M Type Photo Shoot from redpepper on Vimeo.

Last week, I had the pleasure of judging (and learning from) the “Split & Twisted” design show at Watkins College of Art and Design. I saw a lot of talent among these kids. (I know a many of them aren’t kids but I like calling them kids.)  

If you are a student and you have a piece in the show, you should be proud. We (the 3 judges) didn’t think about hurting feelings or trying to make a full show. Department chair Professor Dan Brawner, told us that he wanted the show to be high quality not high quantity, so we were pretty strict on our criteria. 

“The world is full of order that doesn’t necessarily deserve our respect… sometimes there’s meaning, justice and logic present in the way things are, but sometimes there just isn’t.”
 
Just this morning, I was vetting some niche blogs for one of our clients. My mission was to find some great home decor bloggers, and thanks to some good tips and resources, I was able to do so. But in the process of this project, I stumbled upon a little treasure all for myself.
 
Is it ironic that the blog post that disrupted my work zone was titled, “Disruptive Wonder”?
 
Well, I took it as a sign. And now I’m sharing it because I think most of you will agree the 16 minutes spent watching this video is well worth it.
 
Props to Kelli Anderson for this TEDxPhoenix talk. Above is her inspiring video about abandoning our rituals when they become empty gestures.

As a long-time believer in minimalism, it’s no secret that I am a fan of simplicity and clarity-so it’s no surprise that Dieter Rams (an industrial designer most known for his work at Braun) is one of my personal heros. Many of the products he has designed (ranging from coffee makers to calculators) have been permanently added to museums and galleries the world over-including the MoMA in New York City. Not only are these objects highly coveted by museums, collectors, and designerds (myself included) they’ve served as a beacon of inspiration and influence for decades. Perhaps the most accessible example of this influence is Apple. Many of Dieter Rams’ principles shine through the Apple products designed by Jonathan Ive—Apple’s Senior VP of Industrial Design—and I think that’s one of the reasons they are so often admired.

Recently, our company did some remodeling and we decided to decorate with posters of our Core Values. Our 5 core values are… 1. We believe everyone is uniquely creative. 2. We love what we do or we won’t do it at all. 3. We actively promote personal growth. 4.We provide creativity with provable benefits. 5. If we aren’t changing we’re dying.

There were five designers that wanted to design a poster. We (the designers) get excited when we hear the words “creative freedom”. To be fair we drew numbers to randomly choose the core value we would work on. I got “We believe everyone is uniquely creative” which is one of my favorites so I was ready to create something cool.

A few months ago, the subject of email marketing and design was still in the uncharted waters of my career. I had the very fortunate opportunity to be a lead creative for Kirkland’s email campaigns and learned some things that were quite eye opening. For a consistent, long term email campaign to remain interesting for the customer base, it requires a strong team of forward thinking managers and creatives who can focus on the big picture. The goal is to retain brand recognition while introducing fresh ideas and products to your customers that truly engage and excite them. The challenge comes from doing this several times a week and consistently driving them to further interact with your brand. Testing numerous elements throughout the campaign gave us powerful insights, enabling our team to craft emails that would engage the Kirkland’s customer base in the most effective way.

Desks. They can be square. They can be round. They can even be somewhere in-between. Some are messy; others organized and systematized right down to the very last detail. You can stand at some, but sit at most. Your desk may house important documents or simply provide you with your own personal workspace. For some, it can be an object that tells others about you, provides them with a snapshot of what you’re all about. Does your desk have pictures of your children on it? Display examples of your or others’ creative work? Perhaps you use it only as a place to sit your computer. Whatever you use your desk for, the fact remains that it expresses something about you, about your individuality. And what you don’t have on your desk can often tell someone just as much about you as what you do.

I am always inspired by Martha Stewart. All aspects of her brand blows my mind. I found Erin Jang’s blog today and was incredibly inspired by her Art Direction for Martha Stewart Living magazine along with her personal illustration and design work. It’s lovely to see how designers bring their own fresh ideas to a powerful brand to offer fresh ideas that truly compliment the overall aesthetic.

Editorial design isn’t something we get to do often, and I loved seeing the behind the scenes projects for their featured spreads and the clever stop motion videos she created for the iPad version of the magazine. Seeing her projects got me excited about my own, and that is always a great day to end the work day.

You know those classic cartoons of a snowball rolling down a mountain, gaining size and speed by the second?

That’s a great metaphor for the way a brand grows. We call it a Katamari, which is Japanese for “clump.”

Once a Katamari starts rolling, it picks up whatever it touches. Good and bad, true and false, planned and unplanned.

People who think print is dead just aren’t doing it right.

I still believe that even the most immersive and interactive digital experiences fall short of the tangible excellence of a well-designed, exceptionally-produced, printed piece (be it poster, book, card, etc.). There is something magical and intimate about holding a thoroughly thought-out object. Print allures me with so many experiences: running your eyes and fingers over a piece, discovering textures and visuals simultaneously, flowing with time and tempo through the turning of a page, the list goes on and on (and after taking a second look at my word choices when speaking of print, I do believe this qualifies as a love affair).

So when I say people who think print is dead aren’t doing it right, I mean that they aren’t using their imaginations enough. They aren’t being creative about how they approach the piece. While people are less likely to tolerate stale and traditional print materials, new and exciting ideas are keeping the medium alive and well.

One example I stumbled across this morning are the paper record player wedding invitations designed by Kelli Anderson. I love this piece because this experience is fresh, creative, and fun—combining the tactile, auditory, and visual senses in a surprising and delightful way.

Enjoy.

A friend of mine sent this to me the other day and I thought it would be worth sharing. It’s a website that gathers a collection of all kinds of social media related charts, graphs and infographics. It’s great for visual inspiration when looking for creative ways of displaying a lot of day or for doing some research. 

Check it out!

Jerome Corgier, a graphic designer from Paris, spends a considerable time cutting and pasting three dimensional letters. Designing and hand sculpting one letter can take anywhere from two days - two months. The letterforms are beautiful … see more work here.

Client: Jane Cigars

Project: Brand Launch

Objective: Create wardrobe for upstart cigar brand targeted at wealthy Chinese businessmen.

Result: Cigar becomes an anonymous mistress men frequent during the afternoon. More on Vimeo.

Client: Magnolia Pediatrics

Project: “Let’s Grow” Printed Brochure*

Objective: Design an informative printed piece for new and expectant mothers that sets Magnolia apart.

Result: Using Magnolia’s tag line “Personal care from bud to blossom” as inspiration, the natural direction for the project was a playful brochure in the form of an illustrated growth chart to provide new mothers with something that would be informative and functional.

*Silver ADDY Award Winner