Wonderland: Romeo & Juliet, The Final Kiss

Wonderland Behind the Scenes

This is the last in a series of posts about the work for the Washington Ballet by DC-based Design Army. The book, Wonderland, was produced to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the dance company and to help it raise important operating funds. The results have been sensational.

Image of Romeo and Juliet

1) How does this selected image fit into the book's narrative?

This is our recreation of Romeo and Juliet. We designed it more as an emotional rather than a recreation of an image from ballet. It is a visual break in the book. In Wonderland, this image also suggests the line “Down, Down, Down the Rabbit Hole” and the line “if you drink much from a bottle marked POSION it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.”

2) What were two or three of the most challenging aspects of this particular photo shoot?

The biggest obstacle was how to get our sheet-rope to the top of a 50' tower. We had a 24 ft ladder that carried us almost half way. Next, we employed a heavy rock and that we tied to the sheet and tossed toss over the top. It took awhile. The other creepy and challenging part was shooting underground – you could only see about 25 ft in front of you, and we were in an area the size of several football fields. You could hear things running in the background. We were hoping that they were only rats, not people.

3) Did the performer perform this feat of physical artistry live? Was there any Photoshop retouching done?

We had to retouch some of the outdoor shots because the grass and surrounding area was littered with garbage and our lights. With the dancers we did some basic retouching of their skin to add some “glow” and emotion. These dancers are in shape and easy on the eyes so not too much retouching was needed.

4) Where was this shot taken?

This was shot at the McMillan Filtration Plant. It is a HUGE area in the northeast section of DC where they used to treat wastewater. Above ground there are rows of 50' venting towers across many acres. Underground you find a cavern of vaulted areas filled with 5' of sand. Above these caverns are sporadic “depth check holes,” basically manhole covers used for tests of the system. We pulled off one lid and lit it with an HMI light to simulate a sunbeam — and to create a romantic mood. We shot directly down on Romeo and Juliet to give a nice juxtaposition of shadow and light.

5) How long did the shoot last and how many crew were there?

This shot took about 2 hours from set up to break down with a crew of about 20.

6) How many frames did you shoot?

Around 400+ frames for the four separate shots we needed.

7) Any other interesting thing you would like to add?

On the first frames we shot underground we really had explore the poses since we were confined to a sheet of plywood covered with sheets – so ballet poses were difficult at best. We turned to an emotional pose to capture what Romeo and Juliet were about. This place would make the ultimate RAVE party setting. In the spring we are going to try to get the city to allow us to do a Wonderland party there – but we are not sure if we can get the permit.

Brain Picking: Threadless and Mig Reyes

You can't touch this.

Brain Picking With....

Mig Reyes Interactive Designer at Threadless

[pictured above]

(www.threadless.com)

1. What is your job as AIGA Social Media Liaison?

A few years back, AIGA had no presence on Facebook, LinkedIn or even Twitter. Without any actual permission, I started all of them. Those social channels grew on their own, and eventually AIGA asked me if I wanted to "officially" represent with the title of Social Media Liaison. So now, I keep a watchful eye over the social sites and help out the AIGA communications team whenever possible.

2. What did you learn at Rule29?

Having @Rule29 as one of my first design jobs out of school was great. I learned a lot about relationships with clients and co-workers, how to wear multiple hats at once and more importantly, discovered that it -is- possible for one person to hold over 8 cups of Starbucks.

3. Does Threadless specialize in interactive or T-shirts?

Threadless, at its core, is an online community.

4. How many folks are there at Threadless/Skinny Corp?

Between Threadless HQ in Chicago, Threadless HQ in Boulder, CO, and the two retail stores, you're looking at around 75 employees of awesome.

5. Can you send some snapshots of the studio?

Check these out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellpanda/sets/72157605768325074/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellpanda/sets/72157605768280524/

(Photo credits: Sean Dorgan, resident Threadless photographer. He's great, and shoots all the models on our site.)

6. Who do you love to collaborate with?

Anyone who gives a damn about what they do.

7. If you could spend a day talking to anyone in the world, whom would that be and why?

I'd like to pick Cookie Monster's brain on what the best home-made chocolate chip cookie he ever had was.

8. If you could work for anyone in the world, for whom?

I think it'd be great to have @TonyHawk as a client. Mainly for the after hours skate sessions.

9. What are you reading these days?

Flipped through Gary Vaynerchuk's (@garyvee) Crush It. Steinbeck is in my backpack. Gladwell is on my desk at home. Trying to do more fiction, less emails.

10. Name your five fave blogs!

In no particular order: Grain Edit, A List Apart, Bobulate, Hot Biscuits and The Donut Project. But of course the Neenah blog is in my rounds!

Wonderland Behind the Scenes: Cinderella

Wonderland: Behind the Scenes

Image of Cinderella

Design Army

1) How does this selected image fit into the book's narrative?

This is our recreation of the scene in which Cinderella so badly wants to go the ball but is stuck doing her nasty chores. In Wonderland we illustrate it with the line, “Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you join the dance?”

2) What were two or three of the most challenging aspects of this particular photo shoot?

The biggest obstacle on this shot was figuring out how to get a van full of taxidermy packed and then mounted on the walls of a dilapidated room unfit for human habitation. There was mold, grime and filth everywhere. What you see is real — no new grime was added. I do not think a Hollywood set designer could recreate a more filthy room.

3) Did the performer perform this feat of physical artistry live?

The dancer portraying Cinderella had to be coaxed in to the room. She was already freaked out by the taxidermy animals we were unloading, then she saw this tiny 10’ x 12’ room filled with fungus. We had to beg her to come into for the shots. The floor was a sopping wet mush so had her stand on a 2’ x 2’ sheet of plywood to make her feel more comfortable.

4) Where was this shot taken?

This was shot at the Old Soldiers Home in Washington DC. We only did one shot here in the former waiting room for the home’s funeral parlor. Macabre. It was a perfect setting for Cinderella, as small and run down as you could imagine. And very sad.

5) How long did the shoot last?

This shot took about 2 hours from set up to break down with a crew of 15-20.

6) How many final take of the "live" shot?

We shot around 200+ frames. We had a version of her without the broom pushing around a vacuum cleaner with a little bird on her finger. It started to get too complicated so we handed the broom back to her.

7) Any other interesting thing about this that you could add for our readers?

All of the taxidermy belongs to Septime Webre, the Washington Ballet Artistic Director. We went to his apartment to load it the day before. His neighbors were curious and afraid. I am guess that they no longer talk to Septime when they see him in the hallway. Or at least when they see him at mealtime.

Wonderland Behind the Scenes: Rite of Spring

Wonderland: Behind the Scenes (Fri)

Design Army

Image of The Rite of Spring Ballet Set

1) How does this selected image fit into the book's narrative?

This is our recreation of a performance called the Rite of Spring that the ballet performed in 2005. In Wonderland it is portraying the line “Paint the Roses Red.” This was as close as we could get to an English Garden in DC. And rather than having roses, we opted for the bright red dress.

2) What were two or three of the most challenging aspects of this particular photo shoot? Panhandlers? Heat? Cold? Filth? Mean spirited police?

The biggest obstacles on this shot was to get the dress to fly (and the dancers) – so we had trampolines and a lot of “ducking” to pull this off safely. On all the shoots we had to really be careful as the dancers dance for a living and we could not harm them – or let them do crazy things that could risk injury.

3) Did the performer perform this feat of physical artistry live? Was there any Photoshop retouching done?

There was not a lot of REMOVAL on this image and we shot MANY versions – some with and with out clothes. We had to clean up the bushes and sidewalk debris – but everything else was pretty much shot as you see it. We had a white chandelier hanging in the scene for a while, but removed it because it was too distracting.

4) Where was this shot taken?

This was shot at the National Arboretum. We did several other shots there as well – its an amazing location and is spread out over many acres.

5) How long did the shoot last?

This shot took about 2 hours from set up to break down

6) How many crew members, roughly?

On every shoot we had at least 15 to 20 people.

7) How many final take of the "live" shot?

We shot around 150+ frames. Possibly more.

8) Any other interesting thing about this that you could add for our readers?

This shot was really quite bland as we looked at on screen (on site) – but once we got it back to the studio and could start to remove elements (people and safety gear) it really became quite magical. I hope you agree.

Wonderland Behind the Scenes: Septime Clock

Wonderland: Behind the Scenes

Design Army

Image of Septime Webre & Clock

1) How does this selected image fit into the book's narrative?

This image is the opening of the book. It portrays the Artistic Director of the Ballet (Septime Webre) upon a large clock symbolizing the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. In his opening letter Septime alludes to the Wonderland and unexpected twists, turns and leaps that the ballet has made over the years – and it really sets the tone for the rest of the book.

2) What were two or three of the most challenging aspects of this particular photo shoot?

On this shot darkness that was our obstacle. We were shooting in an abandon warehouse where the city stores abandoned bicycles. We had to place the sun (aka the HMI Lights) on the roof shining down through a skylight. And of course we had to tear apart LOTS of bikes to create the surrounding “gears”.

3) Did the performer perform this feat of physical artistry live? Was there any Photoshop retouching done?

There was not a lot of retouch on this image and we shot MANY versions. We even built a unicycle on site as an option. Ultimately we went with post that shows Septime in a running/race pose; again to symbolize the The Rabbit in Wonderland who could never be late for a very important date.

4) Where was this shot taken

This was shot on 7^th and S St. NW at the old Wonderbread Factory. We did several other shots at the same warehouse in different locations of the building.

5) How long did the shoot last?

This shot took a while to build. Much time was taken ripping bicycles apart. I would say from start to finish it was a 3+ hours. Luckily we did not have to clean up the set when we were done – we just left it there for the next creative to discover!

6) How many crew members, roughly?

On every shoot we had at least 15 to 20 people. This included Design Army (Pum and Jake) and photographer Cade Martin and his assistants. The light crew made 3, and the EFX’s crew was 1 and RV driver and a producer; the hair and make up team was always 2 or 3, and then the dancers varied.

7) How many final take of the "live" shot?

We shot around 300+ frames.

8) Any other interesting thing about this that you could add for our readers?

AS you can see from the behind the scene pics, it was a lot of work to set this shot up. Making things look random is not easy!

Design Army: A Special Gift for a Special Client

[Pictured Above: Ballet troupe, one in Wig and four in tutus, crossing Pennsylvania Avenue around 7 am last summer. Any questions?]

Pum and Jake Lefebure of Design Army (Washington, DC) believe creative motivation supersedes cash promise. The Washington Ballet (TWB) surely benefitted from this attitude: DA’s collaborative effort called Wonderland, TWB’s 10^th anniversary book and fundraiser, is a work of art, pro bono.

TWB, a young organization that has blazed a bright path, was one of Design Army’s first clients and Design Army gave their loyal client a gift: a commemorative fundraising tool that no ballet in the United States could afford — not even The New York City Ballet. This 84-page coffee table book is over the top, designed to capture attention and drive in cash. It does.

The book was collaboration between TWB Artistic Director Septime Webre, Design Army and photographer Cade Martin. The design and photography were pro bono. The printing was billed at cost. worked pro bono), the book’s narrative is based upon ten of Mr. Webre’s favorite performances, a list culled from more 30. The selections were based upon costumes, number of performers, and adherence to the “Wonderland” theme and suitability to location selections.

Location scouting took three months. The locations were not DC tour bus stops; rather they were artistic and out of the way places that included the Old Soldiers Home, the former MacMillan Filtration Plant, the National Arboretum, the former Wonder Bread Factory , Meridian Center, Café Napoleon and Pennsylvania Avenue. The places greatly shaped the composition of each photograph.

But how do you tie ten diverse performances into one cohesive narrative? Why, with Alice in Wonderland, of course!

Wonderland arrived in time for The Washington Ballet’s 2009-2010 season opening. The limited print run of 2,000 has reinforced TWB’s high caliber of performance and creative chutzpah. Books like this rarely get made. Neenah bought into the print run thus helping to reduce per unit costs. The book was printed on Eames Canvas Solar White.

Design Army: Wonderland for The Washington Ballet

Behind the Scenes at Wonderland

Wonderlands begins with a quote from Alice in Wonderland...

"When I used to read fairly tales," thought Alice, "I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one."

Conceived of and designed by Design Army of Washington DC, breathtaking in scope and content, Wonderland was created to benefit The Washington Ballet 9TWB) on the occasion of its 10^th Anniversary. The book features sometimes beautiful, sometimes haunting, always riveting images of prominent TWB performers, past and present, surrounded by some of Washington’s most beloved architectural and botanic landmarks as “stage sets.”

The composition each of these images is remarkable. Given budget cuts and a [near] universal reliance on stock photography today, this kind of project is nearly inconceivable in today’s marketplace. Given that, we will visit with Design Army over the next few blogs to discuss a selection of these images, with behind the scenes image of each selection. If Wonderland is a dream assignment, note Design Army made this dream come true. The book was photographed and designed for free and printed at cost. Printed on Classic Linen, Neenah Paper ordered extra samples of the book that also helped reduce printing costs - 9x12 finished/86 pp / Case Bound with Jacket - on Neenah Eames Painting Canvas Solar White #100T.

“Blood, sweat, and tears went into this book,” said Laura Nunneker, co-director of marketing and communications for TWB in a press release. “With no budget, we all put our heads together to make this idea a reality and proved that group collaboration can still create groundbreaking projects.”

Let's all go to Wonderland...

Check Out This Steve Gordon Interview from Twitter!

Twitterview Transcript With Steve Gordon (@rdqlus_creative)
November 17, 2009

NeenahPaper: Ready to get #RDQLUS? We’re talking to Steve Gordon of @rdqlus_creative in 1 minute...follow along!

NeenahPaper: We’re here on Twitter with @rdqlus_creative’s mad word genius Steve Gordon...ready to talk design and other stuff, Steve? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: I’m up n here! #rdqlus

NeenahPaper: 1. First things first, where does the RDQLUS name come from? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper It was my phrase n college, said n ref 2 evrythng + it was just my style. It stuck so I wanted it on a license pl8 #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 2. How did you get your start in graphic design? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper I was an intern @ a $$ institution & got hired as an in-house designer b4 my last smstr of school. How stoked was I?! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 3.A little birdie told me that u r/were quite the graffiti artist... #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 3. ...How do u think free form design compares to more structured agency design? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: R u a cop? ;-) Free-form still has structure, but THINK+DO sync up 2 mkng the brain vry instintive. We can over-think @ times #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: No not a cop...I promise! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 4. So, who gave you your “big break”? #RDQLUS

@NeenahPaper Big brk? Plz, I'm still grindin'. ha! 2 d8, I'd say Bryn Mooth @HOWbrand. Long story, but she had faith n me 4 sum rsn. #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Yeah, they’re gr8! They’re so supprtv of me & I love being able 2 give bck & b a part of the conf action. Hi crew! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 5. You are very involved in design conferences. How did that evolve? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper As an in-houser, I got 2 choose a conf 2 attnd… chose HOW… SOLD! 4 me it’s alwys about the shared vibe & communication #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: Agreed. HOW has a way of making you feel inspired by the people around you. #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 6. Tell us about your book “100 Habits for Successful Freelance Designers”. #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper I wantd 2 do a ref guide of candid info 4 those going solo… w/lots of books on the subject, it reads btwn the lines #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 7. We met via Twitter. How do you think Twitter is changing the way that we do business? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Some say social media mks us anti-social zombies. I say it shrinks gaps. The best Tweet’s r evn mor social offline! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: I would have to agree. It’s great to be a part of the "water cooler" conversation. We love social media! #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Yep! Ppl hv a plat4m now 2 hv a constnt convo… either join or get talked about @ lunch. Like high school! LOL! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 8. You seem to know EVERYONE! Assuming you don’t, who are 2 people you have yet to meet but interest you? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper I don’t knw… I don’t knw if ur interestng until I talk 2 u, even the most knwn peeps could blame so it’s hard 2 say #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper I guess that means I want 2 meet the WORLD & whittle dwn from there. LOL! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: Love that answer- thanks for the honesty! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 9. What’s the most important thing we can pass on to the young designers out there? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper LISTEN! U know ur stuff, but it’s not about how badass ur port is. Trust, I learned this 1st-hand! I listen hard now! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 10. Who is your design hero? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper dont hv any. Rather find amzng’ness n my peers. The distnce btwn being knwn & obscure is only skills+opportunty #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: I love that can I use it? "The distnce btwn being knwn & obscure is only skills+opportunity" #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Go rite ahead… I’m 2 for 2 today. That quote… & "tweetroglyphics"! ROCK! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 11. What’s the future of print? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Print has often = paper. As long as we can mrk things, we’ll hv print… hello, cavemen? Print on diff stuff… lots! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: YAY! Long live print as I always say! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 12. Office or outside? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper OUTSIDE, hands down… or @ least on-the-move, constantly! Gotzta keep it pushin! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 13. What are 3 things you cannot live without? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Simple; 1. my CHROME courier bag full of toys aka my mobile office… 2. my freshy fresh sneakers 3. my constnt curiosity #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: Last question coming up and then we’ll take questions from followers...get ready! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: 14. What are you working on right now? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Wrkng on a few iD projects, speakng, consulting w/a few gr8 studios & co-wrkng w/my talented yng colleague @downsdesign #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: Make sure you keep us posted where you’re speaking- always love to hear you talk #RDQLUS!

rdqlus_creative: @NeenahPaper Will do… although I’m still amzd ppl listen @ all. LOL! What do I know???? #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: We’re taking questions now for Steve Gordon of @rdqlus_creative- be sure to tag with #RDQLUS when asking! THANKS!

creativesquall: What’s the proudest moment of your career so far? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @creativesquall Wow… I’d have 2 say the day, no, the second I saw my book on a shelf @ Borders. I almost cried. #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @creativesquall … Just 2 b able 2 show my mom that her hard wrk & sacrifice paid off! #RDQLUS

indiehouse: 1st met @rdqlus_creative on the HOW forum many moons ago ♥ the large personality! Q: HOW has your critiquing style evolved since? ;) #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @indiehouse Hey there! I get mor & mor understanding about the fact that others hv a process & I hv 2 figure that out b4 the crit #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @indiehouse … it’s like cr8v briefing clients. Get the story 1st. I wrk on that constantly #RDQLUS

creativille: @rdqlus_creative Any thoughts on diversity within the design community? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @creativille Gr8 ? … there is still a lack of tru diversity. I think it has a lot 2 do w/historical aspirations & goals… #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @creativille … I never knew I could do this as a career. In my community, I was told I had 2 b a doc or lawyer. U knw? #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: Any other questions for @rdqlus_creative? #RDQLUS

jeniherberger: @rdqlus_creative What’s ur favorite color (PMS not necessary) and why? #RDQLUS

rdqlus_creative: @jeniherberger Good 1! ;-) Gotta say deep blue (perhaps a PMS 540)… calming, cool, but strong & fathoms deep! #RDQLUS

NeenahPaper: We thank you Steve @rdqlus_creative for your time today...he has generously said you can tweet him questions at any time! #RDQLUS

Paul Sahre's Type Director's Club Poster: Simplicity

Paul Sahre is an author, teacher and designer who works out of a small studio nestled between a Dunkin Donut shop and a Driving School near the corner of 6^th Avenue and 14^th Street. Sahre’s intelligent designs and op-art appear frequently in the New York Times. Sahre is a man of few words. And when he utters them, he makes them count. Witness that in this brief interview.

Against the Grain

Tom Wright wanted me to ask you a few questions about this poster. I hope you can take the time to explain it to me. First, there is a lot of type. Go figure. What made you take on this challenge?

Paul Sahre:

This was the way I presented the concept to the TDC board:

Direction A: Your Work Here

Super boring, one color self-referential poster that relies exclusively on matter-of-fact descriptions of work that will be recognized by the judges of TDC 56 and eventually be included in the annual exhibition to come.

Against the Grain

This is a poster/direct mailer. Do you expect a lot of folks to save this and hang it on the walls of their studios?

Paul Sahre:

We were working with a set format that the TDC does every year. It is a poster that happens to be mailed, so, yes, I do hope people hang it up and look at it often, maybe even for hours on end with no breaks. And then send in tons of entries to the TDC.

Against the Grain

Your geometric design on the face side is mesmerizing...will you discuss your concept and execution?

Paul Sahre:

These are placeholders for the actual work that will be submitted.

Against the Grain

Fourth, who wrote the text in the face page? You?

Paul Sahre:

I wrote a bunch, then my studio mate Peter Ahlberg wrote a bunch and then designer Mary Banas wrote a bunch.

Against the Grain

Was the point to express the near infinite possibilities type offers designers?

Paul Sahre:

Nope. we were literally asking for the work that would eventually get into the annual.

Against the Grain

Finally, I was not told yet which Neenah paper this was printed on...did you select the paper and, if so, why?

Paul Sahre:

The paper is Classic Crest, Welsh Blue. It was the closest Neehah had to default light blue Xerox paper, only much nicer, of course.

Annual Reporting is Beach Reading

Addison’s Review of Annual Reporting: Beach Reading

Working with colleagues Richard Colbourne, Michelle Steg Faranda and Eliott Saltzman, design director Jason Miller teamed up with Neenah to create their report on the trends in annual reporting. The poster ships inside a sample package containing four model annual reports. The kit showcases the versatility and uncommon beauty of CLASSIC Linen.

Says Miller, “Addison is an independent branding and communications agency. Among other talents, we have a particular strength in helping our clients tell their stories in meaningful and memorable fashion. Even the really corporate ones — sometimes no easy feat! One of my greatest joys is designing the Neenah Paper annual report. I've worked on the past three, and the next one is underway.”

Miller said he also enjoys less serious stuff like “looking at art, taking pictures and buying expensive books.... what else?

Jason Miller is Design Director at Addison knows how to get attention. His interview follows:

Against the Grain

So, please tell us more about how you conduct your research into annual report use and practice. You tell us in the promo you review more than 1,000 such publications. Are they mailed to you? Do you spend equal time with on line versions — and videos? How long does this take? Do you have a war room where you spread these things out and get a visual comparison? What kinds of folks at Addison actually conduct this onerous (and tedious) task?

Jason Miller

Without giving too much away, we actually do receive about 1,000 printed annual reports in the mail during the course of the year and, yes, only two people in our marketing department log them — two folks survey certain format and content attributes, largely during the summer months. Fortunately, these two are the type of personalities that actually enjoy reading annual reports at the beach, so it works out well. We also spend time looking at other online annual reports and interactive presentations. The result of all this looking and poking about is a fine snapshot of the year's reporting. We then analyze these with prior year's reporting to find trends insight into the state of the shareholder communications world.

Against the Grain

When you speak of a “suite of materials” that combine the purposes and messages of financial reports, sustainability reports, philanthropic reports and such, do you believe it wise to consolidate these publications into fewer publications or keep them separate? How do you keep the messages distinct? For which companies have you recently created such a suite of materials (using Neenah Paper, of course!)?

Jason Miller

The suite approach is not for everyone. It depends on the message and the audience. For our client Time Warner, we did a separate annual review, philanthropy report and corporate responsibility report in order to reach three distinct audiences. For other companies a "one report" approach is best, and we do see this as a growing trend among a group of companies whose CR reporting is considered as important as their AR reporting; combining these two reports into one lends gravitas to the unregulated CR report and underscores the company's commitment to maintaining and reporting on sustainable activities.

Against the Grain

You speak of the SEC mandate for “plain English” and information design in financial reporting. Do we truly want an official in a cubicle making decisions about what plain English and clear information design actually are? One creative communication solution could be considered Rococo to one critic but by another as sleek and minimal as a Van der Rohe high rise. Can we find effective and subjective guidelines to define “clarity” in writing and design?

Jason Miller

Yes. It's not as "Brazil" as you describe — the movie, I mean, not the country. The degree of obfuscation in regulatory docs is quantifiable, through several tests that are available. We look more towards the science of plain English and info design and are able view it objectively. Style matters aside, we believe that clear and effective communication is pretty easy to recognize.

Against the Grain

You quote Security and Exchange Commission’s official James Freeman as saying, “I’ve been the Investor Advocate here since January of 2006 and I’m still trying to find retail investors who read this stuff.” Your report is well written and full of solid advice. But it is a lot text on one page. Who do you think will read it carefully (besides yours truly, those of us here at Against the Grain)? In a world of Tweeters, is language lost?

Jason Miller

Good questions. I like posters a lot more than I like "trends reports," and I believe most designers are with me on this. So we decided to turn our trends report into a poster. I should also mention posters are much easier to hang on the wall than a trend reports. As far as the actual copy, we worked with our writer pal Austin Howe to give it some personality, but even the most thoughtful and entertaining prose about annual reports (which we fully intend this to be) is not exactly pleasure reading (except for our previously mentioned marketing people, of course, who read it at the beach).

So, in order for this thing to have a prayer of being noticed, it needed to first arrive in an interesting and surprising format. It needed to be slightly curious, and it needed feel a bit like a gift to the reader. That’s why we made it a poster on beautiful, shiny linen paper (CLASSIC Linen White Pearl 80lb text, to be exact). That is why we use 24pt body copy and purple ink.

We think people will notice. And we think some of them might even hang onto it. And for those folks that just cannot bear to read text in increments longer than 140 characters, we've boiled the whole thing down into a single statement, that runs on the other side of the poster: "Annual Reports Are Hot*" (its true!) But as far as the whole printed-page-versus-tweeted-text thing, we believe that most often, paper connects more meaningfully (and beautifully) than web content, through texture, color and permanence.

There will always be a place for paper, to expand, express, remain. Perhaps paper will even be "rediscovered" by a generation bored with fleeting thoughts on screen.

Neenah Wallpaper: Nothing Same Same Here

Steve Sikora and Beth Ketter (see toasted above) at Design Guys in MPLS have been delighting and informing Neenah Paper fans for many years. Their latest offering is a three-part poster series entitled Neenah Wallpaper, focusing on Neenah Environment Papers and the compelling need for a greener and more sustainable planet. The first poster was released in July. The second has just arrived at your local merchant. Steve, creative director and copywriter worked with designer and illustrator Beth Ketter on this assignment for Neenah. Here is what they had to say...

Q: What is the message you needed to communicate with the Neenah Wallpaper poster series?

A: From the outset, the medium was as important as the message. With the Neenah Wallpapers, Neenah wanted to engage designers in a way that is very different from the usual print promotion. As designers, we always want to create value for our client’s message, but that value can be realized in radically different ways. Most typically in paper promotions the value is found in the precious quality exhibited in the high production/low volume print pieces in which demand outpaces production. Those pieces are pre-destined to be desirable due to their rarity. That is a great model for the fortunate few who secure a copy. And still effective for those who want one and can’t get a copy, but much less meaningful for designers who never even see or hear of one. This promotion was meant to do exactly the opposite. Instead of rare, it should be everywhere!

Q: Why did you come up with this direction, especially the series (3?), size and the interaction that the posters require?

A: As I told audiences back in July, The Neenah Wallpapers serve a range of purposes:

One. We have for a long time wanted to produce work that encourages designers to think about the physical medium of paper. We wanted to make spatial use of the fact that paper can do things in the third dimension and that hold the potential to touch a greater number of senses than most interactive media. We think it is as important to sell the idea of “paper” as much as it is to sell the ideas that support the Neenah brand of paper. Paper when posted, can affect our surroundings.

Two. We have been working with a number of clients to help communicate their sustainability platforms. Environmental issues tend to be deadly serious subjects. A sober tone is characteristically how sustainability is addressed because after decades of ignoring the ever-mounting problems we’ve created for the planet, everyone wants credit for seriousness of inytent. However, even when we are prompted to “do the right thing” we want to feel good about it. When issues education takes the form of a lecture, it is “one-way” andvery different from when it takes the form of an open conversation. We wanted to invite people to converse not simply “hear and obey”. There is obviously limited space on one of these wallpaper sheets to tell a multi-dimensional in-depth story. But we have adequate space to put a few facts in front of people, to pose the problem, tell them what Neenah Paper is doing as a corporate citizen and what we as individuals can do to get started making things better.

Three. Since we are encouraging these things to be posted, we dreamed up a lot of ways to ensure that would happen. We devised a system to keep them flexible They are omni-directional so it does not predicate how you position them. They are meant to link together in whatever configuration fits available space. The only way you can hang them wrong is to face them into the wall. By making them attractive they are more likely to be posted. Once they are on display, the content subtly takes over.

Four. We felt very strongly that something like this needed to launch in a tightly clustered series. The idea depends upon multiples and so the promise of the next, and the one after that and the one after that needs to be there from the beginning. The size was driven by the practicality of the delivery system. Paper reps who had to hand-carry them into agencies

Q: Tell us about your illustration and choices and editorial choices.

A: The first series is about CONSERVATION issues, Recycling, Energy and Water. Neenah Paper suggested the topic categories and we agreed completely. Obviously there was a mountain of factual information available to us that could have potentially gone into each of these. Instead, from the earliest layouts we settled on a succinctly edited text that left plenty of room for visual expression. The colors we used were earthy brights. The characters came in part from a set created for a larger environmental project that Design Guys has the works. Again, it is about balancing the visual weight with the weight of the message. Sharing with the audience what Neenah has been doing and showing the rest of us a few ways we can get engaged in making a difference. Making it a little fun is intension.

Q: How would you like users to respond to this series -- where you would you like to see them and how would you like the audience to put these good messages to use?

A: As designers, whether or not it is apparent to us we have a greater impact than most ordinary consumers. To the degree that we influence purchasing or consuming behaviors we are also affecting rates of, kinds of and even attitudes toward consumption. Ergo, because of the little soap-boxes we get to perch upon, we can make a bigger difference than the average person on the street. Positive influence is key. The Neenah Wallpapers should be a pathway to further inquiry for designers. There are unlimited resources for information. It is “our responsibility” and perhaps better expressed as “our privilege” to inform ourselves and to work from a solid ethical place in everything we do.

Q: Final thoughts?

A: I once heard Milton Glaser say that he made “no distinction between good design and good citizenship”. That isn’t the way most of us begin thinking about our work, but I think he is exactly right. If, it was the way we approached design, how incredible would that be?

Micaela Nauman, Student, Thanks AIGA

Cynics?!! Banished! We caught up with Micaela Nauman, (above left with Command X host Michael Beirut) the student we met on the plane 10-08 coming to Memphis out of ATL, to see how she enjoyed her FIRST AIGA conference. She loved it. Marcela wrote...

"The conference lived up to my expectations, but came to an end too soon. I left from the bustle of Memphis to bucolic Ohio Northern University with newfound inspiration that I gained from my conference experience. I , have set new goals to push myself as a designer.

"Friday was an informative day all the way around, from all the speakers in both the general and affinity sessions, and through my participation in the student portfolio review.

"The portfolio review made for a day of slight unease, but nothing compared to what the Command X contestants were faced with, both in the Cap’n Crunch design and through the introduction of the Civil Rights assignment. Come time for the test of my own abilities, I ended the review very happy, and with a feeling of complete satisfaction with the feedback I received. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and I’m glad I took advantage of it.

"Saturday was full of a variety of topics, and was also very informative. I also had the pleasure of attending the roundtable lunch with none other than Michael Bierut. (see photo above). He barely ate any of his lunch with all the conversation, but he took it in stride and was completely down-to-earth for someone so well known. The day ended with some interesting, unique and seemingly controversial topics to some, and with the revelation of the Command X winner, and a well deserved win at that. With one last night of BBQ and music, the members of ONU and I took advantage of Beale Street and enjoyed one last night of fun before we had to come back to the reality of college.

"There were so many speakers, moments, and experiences that made this year’s Make/Think conference amazing. I cannot pick a favorite moment, because it was a fabulous combination of various facets of design — three days I will never forget."

Make/Think: After Thoughts with Eric Boisvert

Blogmeistger

We met Eric Boisvert (www.pushoffices.com) in the vendor’s fair the first night of the conference. Eric told us that he was a graduate of both RISD (undergrad) and Art Center (grad school). Personally, I had never met someone who had attended both programs, much less someone who had earned two degrees from both. Interest piqued, I asked Eric (pictured above) how many conferences he had been to in the past. He told me this:

Eric Boisvert

“Throughout my design career I’ve had at least five prime opportunities to attend an AIGA conference. I missed all of them. Undergrad at RISD–missed. Practicing designer in Chicago & Boston – missed. A double miss. Grad student at Art Center – nope. Global interactive creative director at Motorola – nada.”

Blogmeistger

I asked him if he would share with us his thoughts on his first AIGA Design Conference after it was all said and done. He sent this insightful and delightful reply a few days after he got back.

Eric Boisvert

“Now, having one under my belt I can safely say I’ve been missing out. I feel like the kid who slept through Christmas and has to wait a whole year to open presents, only I’ve slept through five years of Christmas.

“The speakers at this AIGA conference in Memphis who connected with me were the ones that had the biggest connection themselves to the current state of design.

“While it is always inspiring to see the work of Sagmeister, he is honestly on a level professionally that few of us will ever reach. He is in a class all his own. More like an institution. Welcome to the university of Sagmeister, graduating class of one…Me, Sagmeister.

“So when he says things like ‘take a year off every 7’, I can’t help but feel like he is a little out of touch with some of the realities going on now in the design community. Don’t get me wrong, I would encourage the powers that be to invite Sagmeister back next year, his talk was one of the most inspiring. I’m just advocating for a holistic mix of tactical tools for designers, strategies for business and practice, and inspirational topics.

“Presenters like Nick Law from RGA and David Butler from Coke who had a perspective about the state and trajectory of design were the most fascinating for me personally. Probably one of the most influential sessions for me was Emily Cohen’s. Halfway through her talk about how to structure a creative practice I had an “AH HA!” moment.

“I suddenly realized the challenges I’ve been having with some of my employees lately weren’t wholly their fault. They were mine. As Ms. Cohen reminded us, the fish rots from the head down. As a young designer starting his own studio with a merry band of collaborators the culture that I set has a huge impact on the rest of the team. If I show up late, it set’s the tone for the rest of the team. If I skip lunch and work through because I’m not hungry, it makes the team feel obliged to keep the nose to the grindstone no mater how much everyone’s stomachs are grumbling.

“As I write this to you on the plane back from Memphis there are dozens of ideas and tools I’m flying back with to infect my studio in LA. I’ve already decided to bring my larger team on next year’s conference. This is one kid that’s not going to sleep through Christmas next year.”

Blogmeistger

A special shout out and thanks to Eric for sharing his thoughts on conference. Our friends at AIGA will appreciate them too, and benefit from them. And a final word about Mr. Sagmeister: this man is one of the incandescent creative forces in American design today. His work always inspires and provokes. He is personally a very nice and generous man. My only question is why he let AIGA talk him into talking about his sabbatical —it was a personal undertaking and it is already going to be features in Communication Art’s Design Issues section in the near future (just as his last one was.) Few could ever relate to taking a year off – unless it was an unwanted year off due to job loss or illness. The subject matter seemed a bit tin-eared to me and I think it made a smart, generous man look like he did not 'get it' during these hard times. And that is unfair to Sagmeister.

Quaker X: Everyone's A Winner!

Elvis' XXX Grand Prize Fits All

The three presentations were all solid. I preferred the finished quality of Ryan's and know it can go viral tonight on YouTube. But Monina and Alison's were deep and lovely. So who can decide? I have a friend who teaches PE at a Quaker elementary school. He tells me, "At Friends School, everyone's a winner in the relay." We laugh about that -- but there is something kind and true about it, too. So, I will NOT report on the winner of the contest today. Everyone here will know it anyway. Chip was nice. Paul helped. The guest judge was most insightful. Bonnie always gets it. Bierut is a terrific host. Adams is so poised as an interview that whatshername at CBS better not carve her name into the desk at Nightly News. Soooo...at Command X, everyone's a winner...sponsors, please pony up $1k each plus other prizes and send me their emails.

Redesigning America's Future: Back to Butler

Snap out of it. Let's get serious again.

Make/Think AIGA Design Conference is not all about fun. Ahem...

"It's not about the world of design, but the design of the world," David Butler reminds us. Expand your imagination. Education. What does that mean? Milkyway. Possibilites. "We are the people we've been waiting for."

PS: Yes, I know Diet Coke will make us skinny, with regular exercise. Blogmeisgter lives in Coketown, USA. Atlanta.

Command X: Day Dreaming about Elvis and Stuff

Tuning out to dream about Command X and inspiration...the words "brand" and "commerce" and "infrastructure" pass from my mind...ommmmmmmmmmm.......and Elvis clothing.....

Coke, Butler and "Preciousness"

A practicing designer for ten years. Got frustrated with the "smallness" of design...chan I change the way I thoguht abou tdesign...look at behavior that drive results...what does that say on his shirt? How old is this dude? Twenty five? Does drinking Coke make me skinny, too?

OK -- let's look at the substance, not the style...

Command X: "This Will Be Hard, Actually.."

Next, Monina..."I want to provide an outlook for people of my generation to understand what civil rights means to them..." a website that engages to conversation...to engage is this kind of discussion about civil rights...special guest judge says she "hit the nail on the head," in engaging globally -- sahre asks for a review...bonnie says it is preaching to the converted, cross lines, make it more stern and a call to action...kidd, wants images to be in your face...target people who do not agree with that...

Bierut...:this will be hard, actually.."

Command X: The Final Chapter II

Next, Alison. She begins by reading. Quote on screen: "a patchwork of mountain of rolled-up trust..." from a poem found in the pocket of a raincoat worn by a Selma March worker...inspired her...tear away challenges, "you can trust me.." guerilla messaging...think about what trust means, how you give it and how you earn it...

Very nice....deep concept, the poetry, "beautifully realized," says Bierut...tension is tough...Bonnie feels a disconnect, Sahre helps explain an inclusiveness to it, Kidd is restrained, fair (thankfully) in his questions and comments...Paul, "going generic," asks for an explanation...Alison says it is "super simple" on purpose...

Command X: The Final Chapter

First, Ryan...remarkable. Inclusive civil rights message, quiet, moving. Kidd asks how Ryan how it can go forward...

Quote of the Day!?!

"Wherever we work or live or teach, there must be some type of engagement in that community." -- Bill Drenttel Make/Think/Change: Design and Social Innovation

Long ago Jessica and Bill left NYC for the relative peace and quiet of the Berkshires. There they have built a life of work in many aspect of design and publishing that has made a real impact on the intellectual value of design, especially design in America.

While Sagmeister might take a sabbatical every now and then, many would rather have the hard work in a place of peace and beauty every day of the year than in a hammock for a year in Bali! You go, Bill!

But one question: what do you two do for comic relief? Read old encyclopedias?

Make/Think: Intellectual Capital with Bill Drenttel

OK, enough fun. Time to get serious and there is no one more qualified for seriousness than Bill Drenttel of Winterhouse. And that's a good thing.

His talk, Make/Think/Change: Thoughts on Design and Social Innovation was thought provoking and challenging. The breadth of experience — corporate, not for profit, sublime, ridiculous, bool publishing, TIDE, The Rockefeller Foundation — informs his opinions and insights. He points the revolutionary change at Proctor and Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. He points how "design" is the rudder guiding so much evolution in our world, through engineering, planning, mapping, research....who knew? He speaks of John Bielenberg's Project M(s), a coming together of young designers to ID a problem and develop a design solution to it...

One Project M was conducted at Winterhouse last year for two weeks called Pizza Farm (distribution of local foods on pizza to poor people to inform them of the availability of fresh local produce)... Yes, make pizzas with local produce is a form of design...

Make/Think: Not Enough Coke to Go Around?

Pictured above: David Butler's personal bouncer from Kansas State U.

Picture below: The Shut Outs

This esteemed group of professional, (L to R Rebecca Bedrossian of Communication Arts, Ben Friedman of Iconologic, Ally Lack and Pam Zuccker of Principle) got locked out of the popular talk by David Butler of Coke.

So instead of being on the inside, they were on the outside, searching for Plan B. Never mind: Butler will reprise on the Main Stage this afternoon. And, memo to the health club, if drinking Coke keeps you as youthful as Mr. Butler, order me up two cases.

Make/Think: POSTGIG by Stoltze

The Next Best Thing to Being There...

Clifford Stoltze put together a terrific poster show at Make/Think entitled POSTGIG - All the Way from Memphis, bringing us the work of a luminous group of poster designers and printers. Among them Hatch, Decoder Ring, Ten, Modern Dog, Patent Pending and Aesthetic Apparatus. Sorry they could be here in the flesh...signing and selling posters to their rabid fans.

Make/Think: Generation Gap?

Charles Harrison, the elder. Ethan Bodnar, the younger. One at the end of great career in industrial design, the other at the beginning of a promising career, talk to us about their perspectives on the careers in design. Harrison designed more than 700 products for Sears, including the ViewMaster and the rolling plastic garbage can. Erics wants a "good mix." And it was a good mix on stage.

Thoughtful Main Stage morning session. Life goal: studio in Beverly Hills. Am I too late to dream?

Now, back to the coffee wagon...see you at the Morning Affinity Sessions.