Posters

U.S. Open 2009 Theme Art

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 20, 2009September 4, 2014

This year’s theme art for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships (USTA), which starts August 31 in New York, was designed by Pasadena-based illustrator Paul Rogers. Invited to submit theme art concepts to the USTA for use on posters, banners, tickets, programs, etc., Rogers pencil-sketched more than a half-dozen ideas, and then developed six into fully rendered color images. Rogers admits that “On a project like this I tend to over-produce concept sketches because I don’t want to lose the project due to a half-hearted execution of an idea.”

In its creative brief to the select artists who were paid to submit theme concepts, the USTA cited three requirements. First, if the illustration depicted a player, the figure had to be generic and not recognizable as either a male or female. Second, New York City had to be a key element since the games are played in the renowned Flushing Meadows, located in the borough of Queens. Third, the US Open’s flaming ball logo had to appear in the art. The key impressions to evoke were entertainment spectacle, toughest tennis and high energy.

Design Quizzes

Quiz: Patterns of Culture

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 19, 2009September 4, 2014

Countries and regions of the world are known not only for their landmarks and the products they produce but for patterns, many of which embody traces of their history, their natural resources, their cultural temperament and beliefs, and even the mood of their landscape. Then again, that’s not always the case. When we were researching culturally indigenous patterns for this quiz, we found some countries were rich with choices, and others like the U.S. and Canada did not evoke anything definitive. Is there a pattern that immediately says “America”? What about Brazil, Sweden and Denmark? Weigh in please. And see if you can match these patterns with the countries from which they originated.

Pattern-Quiz
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Typography

Yes, but can u txt msg this?

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 17, 2009September 4, 2014

This tops doing wheelies on ice. Happiness advertising agency in Brussels, Belgium, got “Pleaseletmedesign” typehouse and a pro race car driver to create a font by choreographing the movements of the tiny Toyota iQ. The custom software was designed by interactive artist Zachery Lieberman. Do not try to duplicate this on the freeway.

www.pleaseletmedesign.com

Global Trends

Australia Launches Campaign to Export Design

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 16, 2009September 4, 2014

When nations consider their exportable resources, design is often far down the list, but a 2008 study conducted by the Victoria government in Australia revealed that over $300 million in state revenue can be directly attributed to design-related exports. The state ’s design sector, centered in Melbourne, contributes $7 billion annually to the economy and employs more than 76,000 Victorians – this in a country with a population of just 21.5 million people. The study made apparent that design talent is a highly desirable and exportable commodity. The Australian creative industry could be as marketable abroad as iron ore and manufactured goods.

AustraliaMap1

Australian designers have skills sought in many parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrializing areas like neighboring Southeast Asia. In fact, the vast geographic size of Australia actually makes the flying distance from Melbourne to Singapore or Indonesia shorter than from Melbourne to Perth. As it is, many studios in Singapore are heavily staffed by Australian designers.

Packaging

Changing Tide

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 13, 2009September 4, 2014

In this prolonged down economy, consumers are deciding that they don’t need to dine at the fanciest restaurant, buy a new wardrobe for every season, or even wash with the top-of-the-line laundry detergent. This trend was duly noted by Procter & Gamble, maker of the premium-priced Tide. With the Tide brand experiencing some of the steepest sales declines in its 62-year history, P&G looked for a way to compete with cheaper private label soaps by issuing a no-frills version of Tide. Instead of its continuous promise of “New and Improved,” P&G opted to remove some of the pricier cleaning additives from its Tide formulation in order to slash the cost by more than 20%.

Attaching the Tide name to this down-market soap, however, was fraught with peril. How do you make sure that Tide “loyalists” remain faithful to the higher-priced “true” Tide, while implying to thrift-conscious shoppers that this version — although not as good — had Tide qualities that made it superior to budget generics?

by Corporate Design Foundation

Author: Delphine Hirasuna