Planet Brand

Any designer who is chartered with creating a brand identity has to consider the impact as well as the reach that global brands make. Our non-designing earthings forget, or never think about how deep some of our brands reach on this planet. Sure, it's sad, and yeah, I understand that it is business....and, maybe it really dosn't make a difference to the individual...but we also all know that this depth comes at a cost - this samness comes with a loss of individuality.

While traveling in Europe or the middle east, it's interesting to see Americans search for what they find familiar. Are we just fearful of anything which we claim as 'different'? I can't imagine why one would want McDonald's while skiing in the Alps.


As this Tibeten wine ad shows, branding is spreading through even third world countries. But it sure is a nice ad!


One can;t blame the rest of the world when it comes the the design excellence that Disney delivers....but somehow, it just seems odd in Chinese.....yet, maybe not.

Multitouch monitors - Future excecise?

Cool, yes. Realistic? who knows. Perhaps for presentation purposes, but cal me old school, mouse in hand seems more imediate.


http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid533361602/bctid422563006

Pop Customization - Design Pepsi can contest

Go Pesi, Go!
The trend of customization continues, and though this isn't exactly a new concept given Cokes ambitious Coke Challenge




which includes poster design, music and more, as well as Cokes metal can design, which features the planets leading design firms, this Pepsi contest is simple, and sounds fun. It begins April 1 and run until May 10. Check it out. http://www.pepsigallery.com/

Documenta 12 leitmotifs

documenta theme 1

Is Modernity our Antiquity?

The worlds most influencial art show, Documenta, held every 5 years in Kassel, Germany opens June 16, and rund through the summer. Three themes (ok......"leitmotifs) ( those Germans!) have been anounced, and the first confirms a premise that I ponder frequently in my articles, lectures and book, that of defining modernity. The Lietmotif of modernity as being the same as out antiquity is a reality that all of us creative face. Come on, visit any trendy boutique, furniture show or even Target, and the newest of the new looks more like 1967 than 2007.

We all know that modernity peaked in 1972, that there is nothin more modern than minimalism, but what about the future? If we have been recycling everything over the past two decades, what will happen once we recycle everything?

More disturbing...if creatives get much of thier inspiration from the worlds leading contemporary art exhibitions like Documenta, or the Venice Biennale, or the Whitney Biennial.....let's look at what the curators of these shows are saying. For instance, if Documenta's theme isn't proof enought that we've seen it all before......what about this......


" Today's artistic situation is highly complex, contradictory, and confusing. It's an environment that few can make sense of. Despite the proliferation of large scale, comprehensive international exhibitions-triennials, biennials, and the like-that aspire to reveal trends and meaning, the current state of affairs seems more complicated than ever given the sheer number of working artists and the morass of seemingly conflicting styles, conceptions and directions."
Alan Wienbergm Director
The Whitney Museum
(from the foreward of the 2006 Whitney Biennial)

Welcome to Beyond Trend

A book submission for BEYOND TREND from UK design firm, Vault 49

Beyond Trend will simply be a creatives blog about the challenges and passions experienced by those creatives who are obsessed with design (you know who you are, and what I mean by this) and for anyone who is continually on a mission to search for the new, to create the new, to invent the future.

My new book, BEYOND TREND, deals with this subject, look for it later in 2006 or early 2007 coming from HOW Books.