Record sleeves? I know, right.

Creative Review – Record sleeves of the month »

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Bloomsbury, publishers of the Harry Potter series, have announced a new “Signature Series” of the popular books, aimed at new readers who missed the madness the first time around. After all, an entire generation of schoolchildren were barely alive in 1997, when the first book in the series hit shelves.

There’s also a financial motive, with Bloomsbury missing the Harry Potter sales, which had sent profits soaring every time a new book was released. This news comes from a post on UnBeige, who always has the inside scoop with publishing and magazines and that.

I, of course, am more interested in the book covers than the inner workings of the flailing publishing industry. The new series features illustrations by Clare Melinsky and design by Webb & Webb. While I enjoy the illustrations, with a old-school inspired, litho-print feel, I’m not a huge fan. In my opinion, there’s too much white space, and the Harry Potter signature dominates but distorts the relationship with the rest of the title. Makes it seem like the book is actually called “and the Order of the Phoenix,” for example, but happens to be part of the Harry Potter series. Further, while I enjoy anything branded into a series, I don’t understand the slim strip of colour along the right edge. It seems tacked on, a last-minute addition to say “oh yea, we’ve gotta have colour distinction as well.” Check out the full series, in high-res, on the Bloomsbury site.

Also, shouldn’t the signature be that of J.K. Rowling, instead of fictional character Harry Potter? Plus, readers of the book will certify my belief that Harry, raised in a less-then-nurturing [muggle] household, probably would never develop the calligraphic skills required for such a signature.

By my eyes, the series of “minimalist” covers designed by M.S. Corely are a much better execution, utilising bolder imagery and a more-graphical use of the two-colour printing to give it that mid-century feel. I wrote about these way back in February 2009, if you were paying attention.

And of course there’s also the “adult” covers, available in the UK, where the normal, child-focused covers are brighter and indeed more child-like. These, I felt, were quite sharp all along and would be happy to have these on my shelf. You can find them on Amazon.

And for a full menagerie of Harry Potter covers the world over, check out The Leaky Cauldron. No doubt they are the authorities on this shit and will likely be discussing these covers in no time.

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I do hate myself a little for compiling an end-of-year top ten list, but in the spirit of professional altruism, I’m sharing with you, dear readers, ten brilliant blogs I’ve discovered, and have since become addicted to, in 2009. In no particular order:

1. It’s Nice That Touches my soft spot for Britain and provides daily doses of cool, especially in the realm of painting and visual arts

2. Print & Pattern While pagination and formatting are not the best, P&P has an immense archive of goodies. Lots of vintage and vintage-inspired.

3. Design Work Life Fantastic curation of mostly print work. Gorgeous stuff, mostly daily. I don’t know where author Courtney finds it, but the work here is almost always unique to this blog.

4. Information is Beautiful Dedicated to information design and infographics. An underrated practice, indeed.

5. Missed Connections Illustrator Sophie Blackall brings to life the often-beautiful-often-bizarre storyettes of the Missed Connection section of Craig’s List NY.

6. The Artist and His Model Having only subscribed a few days ago, I’m not sure how to categorise it. Products, print, posters, photography. Cool stuff.

7. Flickrdesign A digest of the best designs found on Flickr.com. Mostly posters, and great ones at that. Not too many examples of live-in-the-marketplace design, but still excellent.

8. The Intrepid Owl Sightings and thoughts from London-to-New York illustrator/designer Lisa Edwards. A slant towards illustrative design, but a bit of everything. And words.

9. Clients from Hell The recently-debuted site is already jam-packed with actual, real-life quotes from finicky, argumentative, uninformed, and unprofessional clients. Stranger than fiction, and therefore brilliant.

10. Magic Molly A bit of a cop-out since Molly is a writer, not a designer, but her thoughts and quips and observations constantly smack me awake with concise brilliance and poignancy.

11. (bonus) Lesile Miles Collections of theme-based photography. Lots to look at and gawk at and drool at. I don’t know where it all comes from.

This list alone should be enough to top off your daily dose of jealously, but if you need more, check out the resources page. And please, post your favourite design blogs in the comments — let’s try and spread the word about some overlooked blogs hiding gems.

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Not that I want to sit here and comment on the tempest-tossed magazine industry, but I spotted a news item last week that got lost among the business section. Bloomberg, the financial data and media company run by New York Billionaire-Turned-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has bought the popular BusinessWeek magazine.

One shocking figure is how cheap an entire magazine operation will go for these days. According to Gothamist, “… The deal’s terms weren’t disclosed, but BusinessWeek reported that it may be in the $2-5 million range.” Holy crap, that’s nothing! There are folks who can pay that with a personal check. Then again, the magazine is also $31 million in debt, which will now go to new owners Bloomberg. I guess that’s the downside.

But the real reason I’m writing about this is because they’re changing the name! The mag will now be known, appropriately as Bloomberg BusinessWeek. While the new name is a classic example of monolithic brand extension, it’s also completely unwieldy. This feels almost as awkward as the recently formed Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

I’m anxious to see if we’ll see another redesign of the magazine’s logo, which isn’t terribly old itself. Bloomberg has a different typeface at work, and a different overall feel within its brand identity, so will that affect the publication under new owners?

I wonder if Bloomberg will start gobbling up magazines and launch a line of branded titles the way Condé Nast has Traveler and Portfolio and the like. As long as the content stays true, why not? Bloomberg already has a strong brand association with business and financial media, so why not extend to print? However, there is something to be said for independence in media sources. Conglomerates, whether in newspapers, tv, or in magazines, can get dangerous when it comes to influencing the wider world. I’m sure someone can pose an argument for super-independence within the financial sphere, especially after the year we’ve had. Oy.

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If you’ve been following the design news, or even the regular-ass news, for the past week or so, you’ve learned once again that magazines are in trouble. Condé Nast recently folded four titles, and with folks still losing jobs and having to scale back recreational spending, it seems that the magazine industry needs a miracle to survive the continuing economic storminess.

Enter Barack Obama. The man is like gold — put his face on the cover of a magazine and it sells. Not only that, but the images are almost instantly transformed into timeless pop icons, if not proper gallery-worthy art.

Obama. No explanation required.

Yesterday, the American Society of Magazine Editors announced at their annual Magazine Innovation Summit that the Cover of the Year award would be handed to Rolling Stone for their minimalist Obama cover (above). The same cover also won in the Obama category.

Wait! An Obama category? Yes. That’s how serious this shit is.

This isn’t unprecedented in the world of magazines, however. Princess Diana helped achieve a similar effect of instant desire for any title that bears her image. Clearly, her tragic death caused a spike in interest, but even today, she remains incredibly marketable and a useful tool to sell magazines. A sort of last-resort-secret-weapon-hail-Mary situation.

Diana. No explanation required.

What’s interesting is the similar minimal nature of the covers. Unlike most magazine covers, which shout shout shout for attention, these are super subtle, almost stark, in comparison. What’s this issue about? May ask a reader. Does it matter? Replies the publisher. In this case, the icon of Obama (and of Diana) is bigger than the story-of-the-day. The figure is larger and more permanent than any stack of monthly papers.

Similarly, Obama’s face appears in front of the magazine’s name. The masthead is obstructed, rather severely, by Obama’s image. A similar tactic has been used with Diana (below), but isn’t terribly common. We do see this occasionally with fashion titles like Cosmo and Vogue, but that’s mainly to do with hair, or to add some interest to the layout, and less of a statement of hero worship in popular culture, in my opinion.

Diana. Just the facts.

This reminds me of the Obama-branded sneakers, where the Nike swoosh, usually a revered and cult-like symbol, is hidden by Obama’s face! This shows us, once again, that people will always be more powerful than brands, even the strongest brands. A true icon of flesh and bone is more relatable and more actual than the brand metaphor which takes it’s place.

Or maybe it’s just him.

via FishBowlNY »

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Ikea, the long-standing pillar of minimalist style and European design savvy, has abandoned Futura, the typeface used for decades in favour of Verdana. The choice to change typefaces is somewhat unexpected, but choosing Verdana, generally considered a web font, is truly puzzling. Ikea have used Futura, and later their own variant, Ikea Sans, for a long time. At least since 1965, seen in these images from a vintage catalogue.

The design community is already buzzing. I learned about it from a post on Idsgn.

The reason for such a change is understandable, but ultimately lame. Like I said, Verdana is an on-screen font, and since the web is super-important these days, sources say the move will unify the materials. But at the same time, they acknowledge that the Ikea catalogue is the third most printed publication around the globe, trailing The Bible, and the Harry Potter books. (major skepticism for this statistic, by the way. I mean, don’t most people already have Bibles? It’s not like they need new editions.) If there is still so much weight behind the print endeavor, which abandon the standards for a web-print compromise.

Previous catalogue using Futura

Present catalogue using Verdana

And, hello people, Helvetica also works in print and on the web. Why not go with Helvetica? (And having just visited the site, it seems they are using Helvetica for all but the big goofy animations. Now I’m confused.)

I hate to be a type snob in this matter, but as usual, I’m look at things from a branding point of view. Because Ikea has so much brand equity in their catalogue, and because their catalogue makes such use of bold, undecorated type, the change has far-reaching impact on the face of the brand. Also, Ikea is seen around the world as a Swedish national brand. They used to embody Scandinavian design within reach. Do they still?

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Follow yesternight’s post, I dug up another Flickr page of gorgeous design work. This one is from Adam the Velcro Suit, who designs posters, CDs, badges, skateboards, and other brickerbrack. Love the mid-century style with reference to low-tech print making. Great sense of colour as well.

Adam the Velcro Suit on Flickr »

via Design Work Life »

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This is a quick one — the other day, Gothamist featured a few photos from the many, many, forgotten tomes of the New York Public Library. These are gorgeous. We should all take time to appreciate the beauty in simplicity of yesteryear’s printing techniques.

If you’re interested in these, part of the Rare Books series at NYPL, check ‘em out online or in person.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you might recall a certain similarity to The Typography of Harry Potter, and especially The Daily Prophet as featured in the movies.

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But the real Cinderella story of this year’s winners is that of Matthew Dent, a twentysomething designer who snagged a Black Pencil for his re-design of Britain’s coins. The re-design was a submission into a nationwide contest.

Matthew Dent’s coin designs. The shield design is split among the various coins, and can only be seen all are united.

Matt’s coins, while graphically pleasant but certainly not overly elaborate, were so highly awarded because they changed the game. In fact, they changed the game that no one realised needed changing. In fact, most designers scarcely realise coin design is even a viable arena for graphic designers and design thinking in general. But they satisfy the unstated criteria for capturing the D&AD top honour: making us all slap our heads with the sort of “why didn’t I think of that?” jealously. As former D&AD President Simon Waterfall once put it, “[the winners] should make you sick with envy!”, and in this case, I think it’s mission accomplished.

Let me back up for a second and explain to readers who may be unfamiliar with this contest and its award scheme. The D&AD is an incredibly hard-to-win contest because the awards aren’t given out automatically. In most cases, like in the Olympics, for example, there are a set number of awards to be handed down. It’s clear from the start that someone will win gold, silver, and bronze. And in the event of some ties, maybe more than just those three. But in D&AD, there are no set number of anything!

Third place, earning a feature in the D&AD Annual (a big chunky physical book), is called a Nomination. There are no set number of Nominations. Above this is the Silver award, manifested as a Yellow Pencil trophy. In most categories, there are one or two Yellow Pencils, but this is not a guarantee. The peak of honour is the Gold award, and the associated Black Pencil. There are usually 2–3 Black Pencils given out in total. That is, in every category. But this too is not for certain. There are some years where no Blacks are given. Michael Johnson, famed British designer and studio principle, summarises how significant it is for a young designer to win Black so early in his career:

A black pencil is something else. Many designers struggle to win just a single yellow pencil in their lifetime, and there’s no doubt that it’s getting harder and harder every year. So black pencils are, generally, a once in a lifetime event (unless you work for Apple Computers). The Partners only won their first one last year, for goodness sake, after decades in business. Minale Tattersfield have never won one, even at their height. Pentagram haven’t won one for at least 20 years, by our reckoning.

Dent with Black Pencil.

So it’s worth sitting back in your chair over. Need more proof this is a big deal, check out these videos, posted by Ben Terrett of Noisy Decent Graphics, which illustrate how stunned and almost speechless (almost) the winners are. Even with a massive advertising agency-sized ego, you can’t fake this sort of humility.

D&AD Awards 2009 Winners from D&AD on Vimeo.

Creative Review has a more in-depth look at the additional winners, including two Black Pencils for Droga5. A feat in itself, even for a larger more advertising-y firm.

I thoroughly congratulate Matt and the other winners on a job well done. Hopefully one day, I can join you in the winners’ circle.

Of course I still think it would be better, not mention cheaper for the British taxpayer, to adopt an American-style coin system. 1, 5, 10, and 25 pence coins are really all you need. Seriously, we’re still use tuppence? I’m sorry, Britain, but as much as I love you, I never got into your fascination with odd denominations of coin. And worse, you brought Europe into this mess.

And the age-old question regarding D&AD in general: should one award have such ability to launch a career? Is it too much power to be subjected to what is, ultimately, the subjective fancies of the judges?

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There is still time for the folks in Albany to come through with some intrastate stimulus action — and considering how much cash NYC brings to NYS, they really should consider it.

So what’s this got to do with design? Well, it’s time to re-think how the MTA communicates with the average rider. One of the most obvious, yet most tragic methods, is the ubiquitous Change in Service poster.

Current Posters

Problem is, these posters suck!

The current posters were implemented not too long ago, sometime around the new year 2007. While these posters are indeed more colourful than their predecessors, they fail to communicate the message effectively. I’m not the only one has been caught by a failure to understand what is actually happening. Late nights? Weekends? Alternate route? It’s all a big mess.

While these posters do match nicely with the Metrocards, they don’t hit you with the info as efficiently as the earlier black and white ones.

Metrocard

Earlier Black and White Posters (this one is obviously a spoof, but it was all I could find.)

For one thing, why is “Service Changes” so prominent? Obviously, this poster is to indicate a service change, why else would it be stuck on the wall in the first place? Instead, we should emphasise whether it’s a late night, weekend, or other change. And there should be some sort of colour coding so folks can take a quick glance and know what’s going on. Let me take a stab at it…

Late Night Service Changes

Weekend Service Changes

Cancelled Service Changes

See, each version is colour-coded for understanding ease. With the use of simple and universal symbols, we can tell instantly whether or not we have a chance of getting ourselves home or if walking is a better alternative. Also, perhaps it’s time New York switched to a 24-hour time clock so we can actually keep track of this shit! None of this 12:01 AM bullshit; let’s be honest, it still confuses people to sit there and try to decipher what time of the day it actually is when the day expires and turns into the next.

Could posters be the start of a new era for the MTA? Would clearer communication cut down on headaches for riders and belligerence on the part of the staff. One could only hope.

Your thoughts?

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