Southwest 2007 - The Graphics Office
Transcription
Southwest 2007 - The Graphics Office
Qn-1-21U6mudml l V V by Angela Voulangas Thisyear's canvassingofdesigners across the Southwest yielded a rush of enthusiastic reports. Sentiments ranged from formal satisfaction ("Business is outstanding") to harried excitement ("It's been crazy here") to giddy exuberance ("Through the roof!"). So it seems odd that this positive flush didn't translate into a deluge of entries to the Annual. On the contrary, submissions were down for most areas of the Southwest. Few seemed able to offer any real insight into this apparent contradiction. Steve Sturges, partner at Visual Image Advertising in Oklahoma City, suggests, "Big agencies are feeling the pinch. Technology has allowed the best talent to migrate to smaller, more creative shops, but small agencies are less comfortable entering their work in award shows and design annuals." Another explanation comes from Rex Peteet, partner at Sibley/Peteet Design in Austin: "The culprit may be that folks are just really busy." Fair enough. A population surge, a real estate boom, and a wealth of new businesses are recurring themes for the entire region. In particular, Austin and Albuquerque are experiencing seismic shifts. DJ Stout, a partner at Pentagram Design, explains that Austin's skyline is rapidly changing, with attention turning toward downtown, an area that traditionally emptied out in the evening. With the influx of high-end business and residential construction, says Stout, has come "lots of collateral and identity work"-witness the Spring Condominiums marketing brochure, one of Pentagram's four winning submissions. Lastyear, Donna Romano of Ripe Inc. let us know that Albuquerque was a city to watch. How right she was! Stories of expansion came from all sides this time around. Tim McGrath and Sam Maclay of 3, a design studio, say they've tripled their personnel in the space of two years. Bart Cleveland of McKee Wallwork Cleveland was one of several people to point out that the movie industry is putting down more roots in the area: Lions Gate Entertainment reportedly has plans to build a new studio in nearby Rio Rancho, and a large new production facility built in Mesa del Sol earlier this year is already fully booked. Many designers in the Southwest mentioned signs of digital evolution. Peteet explains that, in his experience, the web has influenced the world of identity design. "Dimension, reflectivity, kinetics, and complexity are now mainstream," he says. Aaron Opsal, owner and creative director of Dallas's The Brand Hatchery, says that almost every new assignment has some digital component. And Brandon Murphy of Squires & Company, which has offices in both Dallas and Albuquerque, posits that annual reports, that oft-maligned corporate staple, will increasingly go digital as well: "Think rich media, streaming video, or sound." There were fewer significant stylistic trends this year. Bo Bothe, managing partner at Brand Extract in Houston, notes, "The whole flowery-flourishy design trend seems to be coming to an end." It's true that many Southwest winners evince a top note of sleekness. A case in point is the silk-screened aluminum invitation for the Dallas Cowboys by Rovillo + Reitmayer, which is bold and Texas-sized but also spare and sophisticatedit's an elegant statement for an industry that often chooses flash over refinement for its graphics. Other outstanding entries from the Southwest include a pair of stylistic opposites: "Weeping Mary," Pentagram's emotionally affecting photographic document of a rural Texas town settled by former slaves, and Squires & Company's vibrant and visually complex brochure for a wood products company that records a charity home renovation project. The Richards Group of Dallas created a simple yet sophisticated poster series for immigration lawyer Kam Naidoo that features coloring-book outlines of such American icons as the Statue of Liberty and encourages viewers to "just add color." Sanders/Wingo's invitation for the Austin Ad Federation takes the shape of a diminutive voodoo doll-the perforation is slyly positioned to run across the figure's neck. This year, as always, we asked designers to give us their thoughts on any issues that stood out. Apparently, green production methods have been on many people's minds. Allyson Lack, of Principle in Houston, notes that designers are "paying more attention to the materials they specify and what happens at the end of the life-cycle of their printed matter." And Brandon Murphy thinks that "the new buzzword of the year is 'sustainability'." But one wonders whether this phenomenon, like blurred type and bird silhouettes, will be one more passing fad. 122 0 Art by Matthew Rodriguez Austin, TX Matthew Rodriguez's posters of rainbow monsters and frowning candy corns, and the faces he draws on trees, piles, and poles can be seen on the streets of every city he visits. In February, some of his work will be indoors, at New York's Rare gallery. -- I % FASH- U.. .Fr k k -EV . YR ?S IT 2 Dallas "I've never seen so many crazy invitations!" "They really do go all out." These were just a couple of the comments we made while judging this year's Dallas design competition. "Dallas is a very social city," explains Sam Reitmayer of Rovillo + Reitmayer. So how does a designer make sure that an invitation holds its own against a plethora of party announcements? By upping the ante. Rovillo + Reitmayer's entries-a flashy, square, red Plexiglas mailer with screened type for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts and a quietly extravagant aluminum invite for the Dallas Cowboys-were two of the showstoppers that made it into this year's Annual. Brandon Murphy, creative director at Squires & Company, reminded us that paper companies have a strong presence in Dallas, which might be another contributing factor to the city's myriad social mailings. Squires's "Cougar Project #z19" brochure for Weyerhaeuser, a wood products company, is a vivid and impressive winner in this section, as is the firm's oversize, self-promotional holiday calendar. On a more serious note, the nonprofit Mothers Against Drunk Driving benefited from award-winning design from two different companies this year. A large poster by RBMM brings to mind the bold, loose feeling of a concert promotion. Editorial advertisements for the organization by Square One recall starkly clever typographical approaches from the heyday of Madison Avenue. 1Z4 SOUTHWEST 1 Symbol for the Young Executives .. : Squires & Association. Brandon Mur- Company. phy Jerome Marshall. 2. Birthday invitation for Scott Burnett. The Matchbox Studio: JeFf Breazeale, Liz Bur- as, nett Liz Burnett 3. Page from The Dallas Morning News. ?: Kern Abrams; : Kiran Koshy. 5 Poster for The Dallas Society fiting amfAR and the Dallas Museum 2cdesign. of Art. Ryan Gibson. of Visual Communications. 7. Spread from The Dallas Morning r: .-r-:Rovilo + Reitmayer; Richard Krall. DALLAS Lisa Veigel: News. 4. Advertisements for Kam Naidoo- Butler Looney. Immigration Law. " 6. Catalog, event program, and The Richards Group Invitation for a charity auction bene- SEvans Caglaqe as // '\\ 'a says spnng En thw9hfl -VOAa -AM& 6 print NOV/DEC Z007 1Z5 SOUTHWEST DALLAS 8. Symbol for the National Association of Little League Baseball. Agenc RBMM; mt director: Steve Gibbs; dh ;Jqner: Brian McAdams, 9. Self-promotional holiday calendar for Squires & Company. Ar t directni/ wiot: Brandon Murphy; designers: Brandon Murphy, Jerome Marshall. 10. Self-promotional Halloween poster Communications. Design firr: The for RBMM. Art dire tor/designer: Breazeale, Liz Burnett, dcsignets: Josh Kenny Duggan; photogriphoi: John Wong; fltustratoT Dave Basden. 11. Cover and spread from a brochure for the Dallas Society of Visual Bishop, Jeff Breazeale, Liz Burnett, Kristen Ley, Garrett Owen, Kerry hiEimEms nl - mn- - uum~ rm:Uli Matchbox Studio; aýt direcAors: Jeff PoIcsik; :hus,Uators: Paul Kepple, Jude Buffum, Michael Newhouse; photo,- i• *-uumnnEE® r* *um E•nEuilE EUn. •a ' "U,..•. - EmEmnmm *uu inu- Eiuu ** *•m-mm Emmmmn E •EEinE,EEuuEEu'i ZEii '-EKi mmEi -' * mmmm..m-Emmmm,- 10 ROUeH 9 11 1Z6 PRINTMAG.COM rarppr: Jeremy Sharp; write s: Josh Ege, Wayne Geyer, Jeff Barfoot. DALLAS SOUTHWEST 12. Identity system for Amy Berlin de,týsni•t- and Associates, LLC 14. Logo for Jackson Cooksey, a Drunk Driving. A 1 ti enr,er real estate consulting firm. 16, Brochure for Olmsted-Kirk : [he Brand Hatchery lSibley Peteet Design; Don Sibley, Aaron Opsal 13 Invitation for the Dallas Center 1,1 il il i%. t' L' tý ........... L, 1, L' 1" 1, .......... .. . ......... 1" 1, L, 11 t, Chet Phillips, George Toomer, Jack Unruh. Mel Cornelius, Bart Forbes, 15. Poster for Mothers Against 11 11 11 L, 1- 11 11 1" L' 1, c- RBMM, Kenny Duggan. fimv Rovillo Paper Company r: Emily Charette; + Reitmayer, o : Artman, Jeff Barfoot, Rayi!ust t : Brandon Kirk. for the Performing Arts, D,r ,,w Rovillo + Reltmaver: Pi f 11 11 Sam Reitmayer. 1,ý 11 11 t, L, 11 L, !,ý 1,_ 1' 1" L' L, it, 1" 1" 1, 1, 1" 1' L, i" i" i., - 11 1, t, 11 il 11 L, 11 . 15 13 JACKSONCOOKSEY ! 14 "' '' e R II 1 16 print NOV/DEC 2007 1Z7 SOUTHWEST DALLAS 17. Posters for the Southern Methodist University Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Agency: Temerlin Advertising boys. Design fm: Rovillo + Reitmayer; designer: Sam Rertmayer. 20. Page from The Dallas Morning Root, Brandon Murphy, 19. Self-promotional pamphlet News+Desiciner: Kerr Abrams; Institute; art duector/writer: Mark Allen; desiqnor: Patty Alvey: illstrator: for Squires & Company. Art director: dhotographer: Laura Wilson. Rick Sealock. 18. Event invitation for the Dallas Cow- Laura Root, Jennifer Brehm; i,iusttawr Brandon Murphy; designers Ernesto Pacheco; witers: Laura is I- . -1. 17 We st of Eden UNDER THEBRILLIANT TEXAS SKY, A WEATHERFORD RANCHis T4E ECCENTRIC OASIS FORA FAMILY OF ARTISTS, HORSES.DOGSANDCATSANDSOMEOF THESEASONSMOSTORIGINAL COUTURE*MEETS-COUNTRY CLOTHES -1 19 128 PRINTMAG.COM 20 SOUTHWEST 21. Symbol for The Home Depot Aý Christy Gray. RBMM; 22 Ads for Mothers Against Drunk ri•,• Square One, Driving. George Reynolds Robert Germany:w Pablo Ampuero • 23. Brochure for Weyerhaeuser, an international timber and wood products company. pany; i hosi ' : zi: Squires & Corn I Brandon Murphy, ;t: Brandon Murphy, Bret Sano, Laurie W ilriamson, pi-t-'Toal, :Wayne Geyer, I. John DALLAS 24 Annual report for Crosstex Energy n: Squires & Company; •-t toBrandon Murphy, Bret Sano, Pete Lacker, Bill Maselunas. Bill Maselunas:, 25. Identity system for Fusion Advertising rci9tiet: Rey Latham. 21 T=== 23 22 24 25 print NOV/DEC 2007 129 2 Austin Among Austin's notable entries this year was Pen- tagram Design's sophisticated and splashy poster for the Austin Film Festival. The piece mixes oldfashioned Hollywood glamour with components of the Texas state flag. Pentagram also submitted the deeply moving "Weeping Mary," a photo essay of a rural Texas town that was originally settled by slaves. The stark black-and-white images began as part of an editorial assignment for Pentagram, but for photographer 0. Rufus Lovett it soon became an obsessionas well as a full-length book. McGarrah/Jessee's studied but appealing work for Central Market is a sprawling retro design package that encompasses signage, catalogs, and collateral. The Decoder Ring makes a showing with a new generation of silk-screened concert posters that have become more elaborate and tactile: The CraneWife poster for The Decemberists features step-by-step instructions for folding the sheet into a giant origami crane. The Hold Steady tour poster works around a central deckled edge, cut by hand, that divides the image in two. Austin's characteristic design style-a product of the city's college culture and music scene-has traditionally been looser and more experimental than design produced in most parts of the state. With the radical reshaping of Austin's real estate market and a subsequent refocusing on luxury branding and marketing projects, will the future bring an equally radical evolution of Austin's design sensibility? Future Regional Design Annuals will tell. 130 SOUTHWEST 1. Brochure and coaster for Central Market, a food retailer. McGarrah/Jessee; d Crutchfieid: i ,mw Craig Mary Malouf, Brian Jordan. 2. Poster for the Austin Film Festival. Pentagram Design, Int d'. o: DJ Stout; Danielle Boebel. 3. Invitation for the Austin Ad FederaSanders/Wingo; tion. ,n : Mari Digiovanni: Randall Ford, writer: Ravi Costa. 4. Identity for Eclectic Images. 6. Logo for Colibri, an open-source Flair 76; web application. ):Spoonbend; G r :Kevin Sean McKenna; AUSTIN - ;Jason Graham. Meade, Lindsay McManus. 7. Logo for Crush, a wine bar and 5. Poster for Ravenhouse Ltd. Manage- restaurant ment. Des;q, k n The Decoder Ring; I Christian Helms Idea 21, -or Berno, Jeff Davis; Tom Berno. rx ,es eCLeCT,C Coilbrir 6 C1.aL rUE1 print NOV/DEC Z007 131 SOUTHWEST AUSTIN 8. Logo for the exhibition "Radical NY!: The Downtown Show: The New York Art Scene 1974-84." Design firm: The Decoder Ring; desiger/Mustrator: Christian Helms; dient: Austin Museum of Art. 9. T-shirt for Whataburger, a restau- rant. Dsýqn flrn: McGarrah/Jessee; designer: Ryan Rhodes. 10. Book cover and spread for Chronicle Books. PesiN• fln: Pentagram Design, art dgrecioi: DJ Stout; designer: Julie Savasky; cýIent: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. 11. Brochure for Arthouse, a contemporary art center in Austin. I Vrm: Milkshake Medi a Chris Oil0er; de:ignrs: Ryan Thompson, Chris 01lier. MR" WNNAXWR eT K11CHUP LVINEGAR. IS:TOMA70"01KINFRAI INGREDIEN CORN SYRUP, SUGAR. SAIT, ONI13K V91SOH, ARIK POWD[R. NAIDRAI RAVORIKS 132 PRINTMAG,COM . ...... SOUTHWEST 12 Brochure for Spring Condominfw Pentagram Design, iums d' f [iDJStout, I Julie Savasky. 13 Book cover for University of Texas Press I ni :Pentagrarm Design, D_1Stout. 15. Logo for Talulah Bleu, a florist Julie Savasky,;p O. Rufus Lovett. Dosign fl,m: Z6calo Design & Adver- 14. Logo for El Pato Fresh Mexican tising: Blake Trabulsi, Food. Desigih slgn; out dir Sibley Peteet DeRex Peteet, Gerald Ben Serrato; Tucker, David Kampa, Presents. Rex Peteet: iMutra AUSTIN i: Rex Peteet. _i : Ryan Martin 16. Poster for The Decemberists/CA m: The Decoder i Ring;, .s i . Christian Helms. wi 13 I 12 PITT ZIIZo 14 15 f 16 print NOV/DEC 2007 133 2 Houston j Rest of Texas 3 "Corporate Houston is a bit less sexy [than Dallas or Austin], but there issome amazing work here," reports Bo Bothe, managing partner of BrandExtract. "It's an exciting time to be in Houston," agrees Allyson Lack, one of the heads of Principle. "The creative community is welcoming and full of energy." Principle's sophisticated gift cards for Nordstrom and packaging for Paddywax candles appear on these pages. The firm, which has offices in Cleveland and Quebec, moved its third office from Baltimore to Houston last year. Among the many striking entries in this section are the sleek identity package from Ignition, with its flipbook of business cards, and a logo for a yarn store by Switch Creative Group of Addison, an unusual entry for the big business-oriented Houston orbit. The rare sobering note this year was struck by a winning entry from Benoit Design of Plano. "Tested," the annual report for Entergy, a utility company serving parts of Texas and Louisiana hit by Hurricane Katrina, is a powerful record of the disaster's aftermath, rendered in journalistic documentary style with strong black-and-white imagery. 134 SOUTHWEST (I ý L, il 11 11 il 1, Logo for The Austonlan, a luxury I'll condominium project os Kerr Creative, Carrollton, ort t,), HOUSTON/REST OF TEXAS il Danny Nguyen. , Les Kerr, , ;ww: Levinson & Hill. 2 Brochure for Schirrmeister Diaz-Arrastia Bram LLP. De,,,:m BrandExtract, Houstonm,a Bo Bothe, Jonathan : Will Cunninghamý Fisher Jack Thompson, Greg Giles. 3. Poster for DCF Concerts. lqr: Demonsweat Design, Friendswood Todd Slater. 4 Stationery for Ignition, Piano. )o,•,g -ý Ann Livingston. S. Poster for The Melvins Demonsweat Design, Friendswood, l i: Todd Slater. J 6 Gift cards for Nordstrom Principle, Houston, Allyson Lack, Jennifer Sukis, Pamela Zuccker. LA I IONITION NOWIlN0I ! ( 1\ print NOV/DEC 2007 135 SOUTHWEST HOUSTON/REST OF TEXAS 7. Packaging for Paddywax, an 9. Logo for Murillo Design, San Anto- artisan candle retailer. Design firm: Principle, Houston; designers: nio Designer: Roland MuriNo, Allyson Lack, Pamela Zuccker. Design flirn: Demonsweat Design, 8 Symbol for L&B Yarn Company. Deziqn firm: Switch Creative Group, Friendswood; desý9ner/01w;ttator: 10. Poster for Live Nation Concerts. Todd Slater. Addison; desicner: James M. Wilson I IIL 7 136 PRINTMAG,COM SOUTHWEST Friendswood: Todd Slater. 12 Poster for Live Nation Concerts :Demonsweat Sprý Todd Slater. 13. Logo for EGL Oil and Gas. :Day Six Creative, McKinney; Jeff Simpson. 14 Cover and spread from the 2005 annual report for Entergy Corpora- Design, Friendswood:: tion 11 Poster for NIPP Concerts :Demonsweat Design, in Artc •e HOUSTON/REST OF TEXAS Dennis Benoit: Larry Chuck Hodges, Schnadelbach (cover), Entergy staff (spread), ;rýe :Barbara -<ieker r: Benoit Design, Piano, 12 6 13 14 print NOV/DEC Z007 137 Rest of the Southwest Steve Sturges, director at Visual Image Advertising in creative Oklahoma City, says that lately, he's seen clients embrace all things digital. Lorenzo Romero of Rome & Gold Creative in Albuquerque agrees, and reports an increase in client queries for motion graphics. These requests are often accompanied by attention to the bottom line, which can mean more work for designers, as Romero notes: "Clients are requiring tracking methods to show the results from their branding efforts." Albuquerque continues to be the main story in this region. Bart Cleveland of McKee Wallwork Cleveland claims that the "market is maturing" and describes the continuing influx of businesses to the city, from movie studios to jet manufacturers. One of MWC's entries, a book entitled Tomorrow Today Yesterday: The Life of Mariposa,is a sensitive look at desert plants, created for an environmentally responsible real estate development. Other highlights this year include the cheery, stylish Elephant Pharmacy identity by Tactix Creative in Mesa, Arizona-one of many impressive logo submissions-and, for sheer bravado, the oversize promotion by MWC for O'Connor Brothers Contracting. The piece, a very convincing X-ray of a skull meeting a nail gun, screams, "Don't do it yourself." Tim McGrath and Sam Maclay of design studio 3 say that developing Sack, their own T-shirt label (the company's letterhead with its stitched-on label appears on these pages) taught them what it was like "to be a client." In doing their self-promotions they found themselves uttering the dreaded words, "Should we make the logo bigger?" 138 SOUTHWEST 1. Catalog for O'Connor Brothers Contracting i McKee Wallwork Cleveland, Albuquerque;, toi/•rvttý 0esigqew: Darshan Phillips. quercue: d 3. Exhibition ads for McKee Wallwork 5. Booklet for Mercy Gilbert Medical 6. Tract for World View Cafe. Des,) PRome & Gold Creative, Albuquer- Center. Des que, Cleveland, Albuquerque. • Bart Cleveland, ....... rl, John Reams, Jill Efrussy, p td r , : Lightswirch Studio Lightswitch Studio; writ0r: Greg Hunter. 2. Poster for The Hero Factor, a band. 4. Logo for Technology Ventures Cor- mn hi, o,I Live4This. Tulsa. OK: REST OF THE SOUTHWEST poration. firm: Ripe Inc., Albu- : Donna Rormano. , Campbell Fisher Mike Campbell GG LeMere, Tracy LeMere, te h: Stacv Crawford Lorenzo Romero, Robert E Goldae. Design, Phoenix;-, 7. Logo for Oklahomans for Equality T Moss Inc, Tulsa, OK;,m Toni Moss. 3 Labis Z1" 3 print NOV/DEC Z007 139 SOUTHWEST REST OF THE SOUTHWEST 8. Cover and spread for a brochure for Walter B. Hall, a resource recovery facility. Design firm: Live4This/Littlefield, Tulsa, OK; desi,nei: Darshan Phillips; writer: Matt O'Meilia. 9. Symbol for St. Clement's Episcopal School. Design firm: Studio Hill Design, Albuquerque; art director: Sandy Hill, 12. Poster for Orange Cup Media, designer: Sean Michael Chavez, a fine-art and media publishing 10, 11. Promotional flying disk and logo company, Design firm: Brian Drake for Innovasic Semiconductor, Desicn Design Illustration, Scottsdale, AZ; firm: Rome & Gold Creative, Albuquer- de9neCr/1iILustrator: Brian Drake. que; art directou: Robert E, Goldie; designer: Lorenzo Romero. wbhf.etUityaver*view • m iS htiop•Mor •,.• 1 ooiI, 5 ia! 10 f0do 11 140 PRINTMAG.COM 12 IOUTHWEST AZ Dw ;w h,iwl Rome & Gold Creative, 15. Stationery for Work Labs, an Allbuquerqwe;m Romero, - Lorenzo Julie Hale, Capital Corporation, an energy Paul Howalt. 13 Poster for the Sweet Pea Festival advertising agency. Creative, Mesa, AZ Campbell Fisher supplier. Tactix Cabell Harris; 16 Cover and spread from the 2005 G reg Design, Phoenix Fisher; C: LeMere, Elvis Swift, PauIlHowalt. Robert E Goldie. 14. Logo for Canyon Rim Dental Tactix Creative, Mesa, REST OF THE SOUTHWEST Bill Marks annual report for Pinnacle West 14 EET PEA 16 bozeman montana 13 15 print NOV/DEC 2007 141 SOUTHWEST REST OF THE SOUTHWEST 17. Logo for Blue Heron Properties, a real estate agency. Design fuiri: Fervor Creative, Scottsdale, AZ; art dirtrto dI Jami Pomponi Alire, Don Newlen; g wr': Eric Graybill. 18. Stationery for studio4design D ngfimi: Brian Drake Design I- lustration, Scottsdale, AZ; art director: Brian Drake; designer: Sara Kobusch. 19. Poster for Coffee Creek Music Complex. Agency: Visual Image Advertising, Oklahoma City; designer: Jesse Owen, writer: Clay Miller. 20. Logo for Bridgeport Development. "Il Agoncy:Visua Image Advertising, Oklahoma City;,esiqnLr Jesse Owen. blue heron 4 /4 18 19 AT 20 "142 PRINTMAG.COM FOUNDERS PLAZA SOUTHWEST 21. Poster for Orange Cup Media. " . - fir •:Brian Drake Design Illustra- Tactix Creative, Mesa, AZ, tion, Scottsdale. AZ; i : Brian Drake, : Cabell Harris; 22. Stationery for Sack, an online T-shirt retailer. Albuquerque: mn Ie Sam Maclay. 23. Logos for Elephant Pharmacy. 3. Tim McGrath, Wallwork Cleveland, Albuquerque, I- Jeff Savage; Gold Creative, Albuquerque William Huber, Michael Barley, Lorenzo Romero Charles Mann: Paul Howalt. REST OF THE SOUTHWEST Robert E GoldiE; Greg Hunter, Judith Phillips. 24. Book design for Mariposa, a real 25. Brochure for the Quadra Health estate development Institute. McKee Rome & 22 eAnnn3 23 24 25 print NOV/DEC Z007 143 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION TITLE: Southwest SOURCE: Print 61 no6 N/D 2007 The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited.