The Big and Small at the Brand New Conference
Newer names made their mark at New York's annual brand identity event last week
By Anne Quito, Superscript September 18, 2013
“The most exciting thing you can do as a graphic designer is to reinvent the world every day," declared Pentagram founder and irrepressible philosopher-king Bob Gill. Gill joined more than 500 attendees and fellow design luminaries including Michael Bierut, Debbie Millman, and Armin Vit for the Brand New Conference in New York City last Friday. As Bierut noted, it was a gathering of experts. Helvetica-hating, industry-insider, logo-design snarkasm was a reliable refrain.
From the Yahoo! logo redesign, to the strategic serifs on the Obama campaign mark, to rejected proposals for the Whitney Museum identity, branding war stories were at the forefront during this all-day event. But the most resonant presentations were those that lacked the built-in gravitas of a big-name client or the inherent self-consciousness of a practitioner working on his own personal brand, or tethered to a famous firm.
Best friends since kindergarten, Jason Klein and Casey White formed Brandiose, a San Diego-based practice specializing in minor league baseball logos for America’s heartland cities. From the Richmond Flying Squirrels to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, to the asparagus-toting Stockton Steve logo, Klein and White have built a thriving business immersing themselves in the history and lore of every city to ever hire them. Their work hinges on creating a memorable emblem that the town can rally around. “It’s fun to think Major league, but we’re minor league baseball guys,” declared White. If the best brands are about authenticity and clarity, Brandiose is grandiose in its candor and straightforward approach.
North Carolina-based designer/illustrator Matt Stevens’s work gained wide exposure after his parody of the Dunkin' Donuts logo went viral on April Fools' Day on the Brand New website. Having worked at small- to mid-sized design agencies throughout his career, Stevens decided to open his own practice and leave time to pursue passion projects in between client work. “I’m always trying to chase the feeling of being that kid at the kitchen table drawing stuff.” His self-initiated projects, notably the Max100 project featuring 100 variations on the sneaker archetype, showed off his versatility as an illustrator and led to commissions from paying clients. “Sometimes instinct is just as important as intellect,” Stevens remarked.
The Brand New Conference is organized by Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio, founders of UnderConsideration. The 2014 conference will be held in Chicago.
Overheard at the Brand New Conference:
"Listen to the statement, the statement will often design itself."
—Bob Gill on finding answers in design briefs
"What is this? An audience or a jury? This is the last time I come to 23rd Street."
—Bob Gill presenting before a silent audience after the lunch break
"To obtain an original image, you have to remove yourself from the mob."
—Bob Gill
"We design for the circus business."
—Jason Klein and Casey White of Brandiose on designing for minor league baseball teams
"This is all the magic of Photoshop. That water bottle is going to appear again, don't freak out."
—Michael Bierut revealing never-before-seen Pentagram proposals for the Whitney Museum identity
"Making is where our seeds of creativity began—making and marking."
—Debbie Millman on the origin of branding
"Don't ever test anything you can't live with."
—Josh Higgins on focus groups for Obama campaign
Announcements
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy
By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020
Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn
By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: October 2020
An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019
A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.
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Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context by David Raizman
Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context
By David Raizman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Published: December 2020
An innovative approach to graphic design that uses a series of key artifacts from the history of print culture in light of their specific historical contexts. It encourages the reader to look carefully and critically at print advertising, illustration, posters, magazine art direction, and typography, often addressing issues of class, race, and gender.
David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian by Rick Poynor
David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian
By Rick Poynor
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: September 2020
A comprehensive overview of the work and legacy of David King (1943–2016), whose fascinating career bridged journalism, graphic design, photography, and collecting. King launched his career at Britain’s Sunday Times Magazine in the 1960s, starting as a designer and later branching out into image-led journalism, blending political activism with his design work.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
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