Thinkside :: Blog

Submissions for the AVATAR Subtitle Typeface Contest

Submissions have begun for the contest. I'll post each as it arrives. Voting can commence in the comments section after the submission deadline, which is Wednesday, January 13th, 2009.

1. Matt from D'Angelo Design :: Helvetica Rounded Bold

"Perhaps my entry's solution is not the most unique but I'm quite certain that, primarily due to the nature of quickly-changing letter forms overlaid on full-motion video, legibility is paramount. Ok, so what's the most legible typeface? There are some contenders, but I'm not sure what can trump Helvetica for its simplicity, letter form recognition, rhythm and overall legibility. It's a ubiquitous typeface created by designers.

I ended up using Helvetica Rounded Bold at 18px with 10px of tracking. My subtitle is white (dropped to 85% opacity and 85% fill) and has a slight stroke and drop shadow to aid legibility against a dizzying array of moving backgrounds.

I think that motion picture subtitles are a utility element and not necessarily an appropriate vehicle for decoration (quite the opposite for movie titles and pre and post credits). This viewpoint, by default, deems Cameron's use of Papyrus as a complete 'fail'."

2. Nicholas Livadas from Livadas Consulting :: Majestos

"This custom font named Majestos was created by Silas Dilworth for the cable channel The Food Network. It can be found in their growing online and printed presence in addition to their broadcast identity for which it was developed."

The AVATAR Subtitle Typeface Contest

We've all seen it: James Cameron's AVATAR uses possibly the least desirable typeface available to the design community for the subtitles of the film's fictional species, the Na'vi. This decision has been rued by many a design blogger, railed against across Facebook, and spoken about in agreement by designers and non-designers alike. Perhaps only Comic Sans would have angered us more.

As designers, however, we have an obligation to approach this kind of atrocity with fortified resolve. That is our role in society. Sitting in judgment is easy, and fun, but snobbery doesn't help the world understand or appreciate design. Behold! The AVATAR Subtitle Typeface Contest. Using the image below, select an appropriate typeface and use it to format the following line: "You crossed the line." at the bottom (feel free to include a short defense of your choice). We'll re-post all submissions and allow visitors to vote in the comments section. The winner will receive wide-spread fame as the person who solved James Cameron's biggest problem.

Let the games begin! Send your edited image to contest[a]thinkside[dot]com. the deadline is a week from today, Wednesday, January 13th, 2009.

UPDATE: Submissions have begun to arrive ad are on view here.

Design at Work: American Heart Association Heart Walk

If you're new to the Design at Work project you can read more about it here.

On Thursday, July 9th, Matt and I visited Kristine Shah and Heidi Leone of the American Heart Association. Thinkside partnered with Kristine, Heidi, and Rafanelli Events (who Matt and I photographed earlier this summer) in 2007 for their annual fundraiser, the Heart Ball. The Ball extends AHA's mission: to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. This year's ball raised over $1 million.

The shoot was fun -- we set up right in Kristine's office and were fortunate enough to have some of the décor from this year's ball present in the form of a huge canister of lemon drops. The event's design this year featured an exciting canary yellow, which Rafanelli wove throughout the cocktail area and dining room. As I write this post AHA is already gearing up for 2010's Ball -- exciting!

"Profiles in Design" is now "Design at Work"

If you're new to the Design at Work (a.k.a. Profiles in Design) project you can read more about it here.

As I laid on the table this morning having needles inserted into my back and traditional Chinese herbs burned above my skin, a revelation presented itself.

I was at the home of Sharon Lim-Hing, a licensed acupuncturist and client of mine. A few years ago I worked with her in trade on an identity project. She taught me about acupuncture through a handful of sessions and I used what I learned to fashion her identity. Matt Hakola (of Lux Umbra Photography) and I were in her home this morning shooting her for the project. I couldn't see as I was face-down on the table, but I could hear Matt's shutter flying. I could also feel the needles driving into my skin as Sharon opened up the requisite meridians on my back (I'm just getting over a head cold). 

It dawned on me that these photo shoots are about work: my clients' work, my work, and the work that we do together. The moniker "Profiles in Design" suddenly felt too removed from that process. I decided then to change the project's title and went on to have a very relaxing Monday.

Field Trip: Diller Scofidio + Renfro's High Line Park

This past weekend's trip to New York City to shoot Lindsay, Margaret and Courtney of CECP for Profiles in Design afforded me the opportunity to see a project I've been following since it's inception. In 2005 I visited the new MoMA and came across the High Line project as an exhibit. I was fascinated. Since then I've been sure to stay current on its development and construction.

The High Line is a mid-block elevated rail that was once used to carry freight into the city. The New York City Parks Department worked with a nonprofit group, the Friends of the High Line, to reclaim the space, which had become overrun with plants and trees, and transform it into a usable park for the city's residents. It's only a third of the way completed, but already the experience is immersive. My favorite aspect of the design: original vegetation was used in the landscaping, endowing the otherwise modern surface with a sense of authenticity.

Learn more about the High Line here, or visit the website of diller scofidio + renfro, the park's designers. See the full set of my photos on the Thinkside flickr page.

Profiles In Design: Schwadesign

If you're new to the Profiles in Design project you can read more about it here.

The Schwadesign photo-shoot for Profiles in Design was such fun. Josh Silverman, who started the firm in 1997, hired me directly from Boston University's Graphic Design program when I graduated in 2002. BU's program was a great challenge, but working with Josh taught me most of what I know about the field. Beyond what I gained professionally, the studio gave me an early and very exciting vista into the world of design and the immense potential of creative partnerships.

Matt and I travelled to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to Josh's studio, which he moved there from Fort Point in 2006. Josh now has a staff of several talented individuals, or "ministers" (each collaborator is given their own ministry, or area of expertise -- mine was "progression"). I spent the remainder of the weekend in Providence, and witnessed Josh's own work on the streets of the city. In 2008 his firm partnered with Providence's Mayor and a market research firm to encapsulate the city's strengths in the form of a rebrand. "Providence the Creative Capital" was born as a new platform for civic engagement, as was a host of wonderful design collateral including web presence, signage, and outreach.

We decided to shoot a project that Josh and I worked on together in 2003, a cookbook for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that helped raise $100,000. Notable chefs from New England's top restaurants contributed their favorite recipes.

The studio itself is a visual candy store, and Matt had some great ideas for how to shoot there. We began with Josh standing in front his "wall of vernacular," a collection of design pieces he's amassed over the years. Orange is his studio's signature color, and there was plenty to fill the shot. His dog Maggie was kind enough to sit for us as well.

Profiles In Design: Rafanelli Events

If you're new to the Profiles in Design project you can read more about it here.

On Wednesday, June 10th, Matt and I travelled to Boston Harbor's Long Island to photograph Creative Director Billy Evers and Event Producer Morgan Tayloe of Rafanelli Events. They were setting up for Camp Harbor View's annual Beach Ball, which happened on the following Saturday, June 13th. This year, the Beach Ball, an original concept created by Rafanelli Events, raised $2.7 million, an increase from last year. The Camp is the brainchild of Jack Connors Jr., who two years ago worked with Mayor Thomas Menino to create a place where teenagers from the inner city of Boston could enjoy a safe summer outdoors while developing leadership skills. This is the second year for the event, which Rafanelli has developed faithfully. I've had the privilege of working with the Rafanelli team and the Camp, making the event's materials a highlight of my portfolio.

The event was in the process of being built at the time of our shoot, which gave Matt and I the opportunity to capture Billy and Morgan in their element: handling the various tasks and decisions that come along with creating, designing and executing an event worthy of Rafanelli's signature. We used the vacant tent and rigging equipment as the setting for the shoot, with the vinyl signage of past Campers' faces (and the skyline of Boston) as a backdrop. We shot the work on the same floor for visual continuity.

This shoot, the first of eight currently scheduled for the summer, was an ideal first step into the project. Matt and I came away with much to think about, and have been able to develop a visual language for the work. The next shoot will be with Josh Silverman of schwadesign in Pawtucket, RI.

Thinkside is Now on Yelp

Thinkside is now on Yelp, and I'm excited to read your reviews. Please submit them here.

Field Trip: A Visit to Philip Johnson's Glass House

Yesterday's visit to Philip Johnson's modernist masterpiece "Glass House" was electrifying and affirming. The tour lasted two hours, and we were able to explore most of the buildings on the compound. The property was more overgrown than I expected, and the house itself was masterful.

My favorite building was the painting gallery, which was built underground and entered into through a large doorway in a hillside not far from the Glass House itself. The structure is composed of three large cylinders, joined at their edges. The gallery "walls" radiate out from the central column of each, and hang down from circular tracks in the ceiling. Each of the seven panels in each cylinder display different works of art, allowing the visitor to pick and choose what is on display.

Other highlights included the pool, sculpture gallery, and Donald Judd sculpture (below).

 The Glass House organization's choice of House Industries' Neutraface for their logotype is elegant, if somewhat  predictable.

If you'd like to see the full set of photos I took, please visit the Glass House set on the Thinkside flickr page.

Thinkside Kicks Off Client-Focused Website Redesign

In 2000, Thinkside was approached by a small hip hop label for a logo. The project was not destined for greatness, but much was learned and as a result Thinkside came into being.

Ten years later and I've worked with some of the most fascinating people. I love my clients, and not just because they have inspiring missions or are great at what they do. They allow me to perform a function for which I've always felt destined; they let me listen to their needs and engineer a visual solution.

So when I re-launch my website later this year it will function as a series of client profiles as much as a portfolio of my work. I'll be working with photographer Matthew Hakola of Lux Umbra Photography to capture clients in their respective environments along with the work I've done with them. These photographs will work in conjunction with short passages about their organizations and goals, as well as brief analyses of how design was used as a solution.

So far the following clients have signed on: Matthew Hakola of Lux Umbra (I recently rebranded him, so he gets to shoot an environmental self-portrait), Billy Evers and Morgan Tayloe of Rafanelli Events, Lindsay Seigel and Margaret Coady of The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), and Josh Silverman of schwadesign, who was my first colleague and mentor.

I'll (naturally) be blogging and tweeting about each profile as we shoot it. I'm also going to write about each step of the project (concept, design, execution, and launch) to give clients and followers some perspective into my design process. You can check back here for updates or follow @Thinkside to stay in the loop. I'll also be marking each tweet with a #profilesindesign hash tag.