Archive for the 'Environments' Category
Great design from our friends at WSDIA in NY.
WSDIA: A very talented group of people that take design seriously.
On a recent trip to New York I was introduced to a small, but very talented firm: WSDIA.According to their website: “Our name WeShouldDoItAll (WSDIA) is simply a goal. Designers and all other professionals alike should not feel constrained to some singular expertise. To survive our own creative game, it is imperative to know that there is not one absolute solution to a given problem. To immerse oneself within different avenues of creative production and mediums forces you to consider the otherwise unconsidered. It’s that method of working that’s exciting and motivating to look forward to the next transition.”
Nice people. Lots of talent. And plenty of ambition.
I was introduced to Jonathan Jackson & Sarah Nelson, two of the three principals at WSDIA, by my very good friend (and also very talented designer), Chris Vivion. In the course of my travels and my work I meet a lot of designers. Sometimes I meet people who are exceptionally talented…on occasion I meet folks who are really smart…and at times I meet designers who are very nice people - alas, they’re personality does not always match up to their work. Meeting Jonathan and Sarah was refreshing because they represented a combination of the best qualities I find in true designers: talent, curiosity, passion, intelligence and ambition. On top of all these great qualities, they struck me as unassuming, approachable, and extremely nice people. BTW: By “ambition” I don’t mean a drive to make a lot of money. No, no, no. I mean the ambition to keep pushing the limits, and the desire to do bigger, better, more interesting and more meaningful projects. That’s the kind of ambition that people that end up being really, really good must have. And the folks at WSDIA have plenty of it.
New Practices New York
Jonathan and Sarah shared with me several projects that I thought were really smart and exceptionally executed. I really enjoyed the New Practices New York exhibition design.
This project exemplifies the firms ability to create striking solutions that blend the aesthetics of architecture and graphics in a combination that is visually fresh and dimensionally interesting. I learned that WSDIA is made up of people that come from backgrounds that include architecture, graphics and fashion…which may explain why their work is so multifaceted. I love the physical nature of the signage and the attention to detail that went into the execution.
Young Guns Live
Another project I really liked is the Young Guns Live project for the Art Directors Club of New York.
For this assignment the team created a set that they photographed as the key visual for the marketing materials. The typography was created from brown fabric and stuffed with cotton (now named, ‘Gotham Stuffed’). The end result is whimsical and sophisticated…and although it is definitely avant-garde, it evokes a certain level of craftsmanship that is not all too often part of today’s design aesthetics…which is what makes it so special and fresh.I look forward to seeing what this talented team will be designing next. In the meanwhile, if you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them.
Thanks,
Alfredo Muccino
Chief Creative Officer
Liquid Agency
Liquid brands Leonardo da Vinci exhibition!
It’s not often you get to design a project that features the work of one the greatest artists and inventors of all time. That’s why we were very excited when we heard that TheTech Museum of Innovation in Downtown San Jose asked Liquid Agency to develop the branding and marketing materials for the upcoming exhibition - Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future.
The show will open from September 27, 2008 thru January 4, 2009 at The Tech Museum of Innovation in Downtown San Jose. For more details, go to their website: www.thetech.org. This important exhibition promises to be the first of its kind in the US, showcasing priceless works of art direct from Italy - and over 200 artifacts and models of some of the inventions that Leonardo designed. If you’re anywhere near San Jose, be sure to check it out!
Our design solution included the image of what is known as “the flying man” - a prototype for an early flying machine modeled after the wings of birds. The artifact appears to glide into the layout, next to large lettering that spells out the inventor’s first name. As it does this, it casts a shadow…which actually is the shadow of a modern aircraft. According to Alfredo Muccino, Chief Creative Officer at Liquid: “This juxtaposition of old and new is representative of the nature of the exhibition - which seeks to present the impact and relevance of Leonardo’s inventions in the modern world.”
As part of the assignment we’ve created print, web, radio and TV spots, as well as the graphics that are featured on the website and those that will adorn the outside of TheTech. As soon as everything is released we will share it with you! We hope you will like what we did…but, most importantly, we hope that Leonardo would like it if he was around!
No commentsWhat happens at CES…
What happens at CES…does not stay in Las Vegas.
This year’s show attracted more than 130,000 attendees. The city of Las Vegas was inundated with techno-geeks from all over the world, showing off their new products and drooling over the latest gadgets. Getting a cab was a nightmare…and every restaurant was booked.
But all of this tells us that the technology sector is healthy - and people’s appetite for tech products is still strong.
The convention floor featured venerable tech brands alongside newcomers that are giving established brands a run for their money.
The level of activity - from deal-making to entertainment were as hectic as ever, with each company vying for attention in a very crowded environment. Standing out at CES is no easy feat.
We’re putting together our annual CES Report, with photos of booths and other branding activities that we observed while cruising the show floor. So, stay tuned…and we’ll post it on our site over the next few days.
No comments
