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If a Tree Falls in the (Digital) Forest
How much does a pixel weigh? In my office most of our day is spent creating digital products, online advertising etc. We been talking recently about the need to feel the weight of our work. The carpenter can look back after a hard day’s work and see wood and concrete making a dent in the…
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Little Wobble
In the early 90s my dad’s shop got their first vinyl punch. They’d feed in a strip of vinyl tape and could cut out letters, one at a time. You could your own name – only one font available – on anything! Later they’d get a vinyl plotter that would make a big sticker out…
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Logo and Visual Branding: Gifts of Light
The Bethesda Foundation for many years has put on the “Gifts of Light” campaign to raise money for health care projects in Steinbach. This year, Golden West partnered with the foundation, helping develop the campaign to give it more visibility and more opportunities for the public to be involved and give. The campaign included a…
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O Canada (and the Olympic Team Brand)
Yes, the Olympics are around the corner again. Lately I’ve been inspired by the Canadian Olympic Team brand. Based around a simple, elegant, iconic logo and a bright mosaic of colours, it’s something that should make Canadians proud, and might even make non-Canadians shed a tear as well. Beautiful, no? Below, check out a brief…
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Burton Kramer
Recently I’ve been checking out Burton Kramer’s design work. NYC-born, Kramer trained in graphic design in the USA, but spent several years in Switzerland (during the hay-days of Helvetica). He later moved to Toronto, where his modernist style became hugely influential in the Canadian design world. Probably most well-known for his iconic 1974 CBC logo…
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Summer in the City
This year I had the opportunity to work with Summer in the City, our local annual arts and culture festival, as part of the Marketing team. In the months leading up to the festival we put together the posters, mail-out postcards, billboards, programs, website, and social media updates. It was my first time working with…
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Madness
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Be At-Home Good
A while back I read REWORK, written by the founders of 37signals. Lately I’ve been reminded of this idea of “Be At-Home Good.” The idea is that, while a product can be bright and shiny and amazing in the store, a truly great product also is amazing once you bring it home. That’s the real…
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Take Your Bike
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The Human Element in Design
As kids on family vacation, our mom would make us stand in the picture when she took photos of the sites. As much as I disliked being in photos at the time, I understand the value of capturing memories of the people, not just the places, on vacation. Putting people in the picture is not…
