We are pleased to announce that Rearview has been recognized with three American Graphic Design Awards. Delano Homes & Communities Logo, Elanders Seiz Printing Presentation Box, as well as our own Who’s Behind Your Image? Brochure are all featured in the November/December 2008 issue of Graphic Design USA magazine.

The annual competition, which showcases excellence in design, has been around for almost 4 decades and receives more than 10,000 entries each year. Only 10% are chosen by a panel of top industry professionals and printed in the 300-page Awards Annual edition of Graphic Design USA.

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Earlier this month, color expert Pantone announced the 2009 color of the year -mimosa yellow. The cheerful and energetic shade (PANTONE® 14-0848 to be exact) replaces the 2008 color blue iris and and is inspired by the bright flowers of the Mimosa tree. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute® says, “The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance.” Shades of yellow motivate and stimulate creative thought and the color is always an attention getter. Yellow is already being seen in spring/summer 2009 fashion shows and will soon be hard to miss.

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Our client Windsong Properties wanted a winter ad campaign with a warm fuzzy, home for the holidays, feeling. The ads, postcards and email campaign encourage potential home buyers to move closer to their families and into one of Windsong’s active adult communities.

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Love it or hate it, the new Pepsi packaging is already in stores. Personally I am a Dr. Pepper drinker, but still love to see image makeovers. Unfortunately this new icon, which took five months to develop, does not impress me. The white band meant to resemble a smile just looks awkward. The can, designed to look sleek and modern, is a little too clean, almost as if its missing something. I’m not the only one who’s disappointed — read what others think in this creativity-online.com article.

The new logo, Pepsi’s 11th for the 110 year old company, was created in response to a decline in sales. But today its no longer about competition with Coke — energy drinks, teas and bottled water seem to be taking over. Along with the redesign of Pepsi there is a new look for Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist as well. Will it all be enough to boost Pepsi’s sales? Will the public love the new look even if designers hate it?

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One of our latest projects is a print piece for leading education service provider Mosaica Education. The company, who manages K-12 charter schools in the US and Middle East, needed a sales tool as they continue to grow and expand internationally. The finished piece, a colorful 12-page brochure, is filled with answers to frequently asked questions about their educational program.

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“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.“ – Carl Sagan

Desktopography’s collection of surreal, nature-inspired images just might bring a little creativity to that computer you spend hours staring at.

Take a look… desktopography.net

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You’ll soon be noticing a change in the weather, but also a change in color. Fall’s top hues like royal lilac and shady glade green are anything but boring. And don’t forget blue iris, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2008.

Visit pantone.com for more information on color trends.

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Even if you know nothing about art, you will find the stunning work of these photographers worth taking a look at. Jen Gotch’s polaroids capture the beauty of everyday objects, while Zena Holloway’s underwater shots show magical imagery beneath the water.

View their portfolios at jengotch.com and zenaholloway.com.

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Need to add a little glamor to your desk? Nantaka Joy’s line of stationary includes sophisticated floral covered notebooks and chic embellished cards. And even staying organized can be beautiful with kraft file folders covered in metallic leaves.

View the collections at nantakajoy.com.

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So I know all about recycled paper and soy ink, but what else can I do as a designer to help save the planet? I mean, my day is spent creating designs that will become printed material. Think of all that paper and all those trees.

But even if you are not a designer, these tips will give you good ideas for helping your office be kinder to the earth and it might also save you some money in the process.

Around the office…
• Reduce electricity by turning off computers and lights when they are not in use.
• Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent daylight bulbs (or sit near a window).
• Refill printer cartridges, or send empty ones off for recycling. Or even buy re-manufactured cartridges.
• Use both sides of the page when writing notes or making printouts. And then don’t forget to recycle the paper.
• Use digital proofs whenever possible and ftp or email files.
• Plan ahead to avoid air and rush shipping.
• Unsubscribe to stock photo catalogs and extra junk mail.

Layout and design…
• Create pieces with long-term value to avoid constant reprinting.
• Use fewer ink colors and avoid metallic and fluorescent inks which can be toxic. And use less ink coverage if possible.
• Avoid printing too many extras. Order only the quantity you need.
• Check with your printer to find out their press sheet sizes to make the most of each sheet. Also, designing pieces without bleeds will reduce wasted paper.
• Consider printing smaller sized pieces or reduce the number of pages. And print double sided.
• Use water based (aqueous) varnish instead of solvent based, UV coatings or laminates.
• Consider embossing as an alternative to foil stamping.
• Don’t forget about die-cuting to add interest to a piece and the dies can be reused.
• Avoid paper and ink all together – use online advertising, eblast and digital catalogs.

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Recycled
It takes less energy to make new paper from recycled paper and it also keeps more of our trees from being cut down. Recycled paper fiber can be sourced from two types of waste. Pre-consumer waste fiber is recovered from the manufacturing process and includes paper mill scraps, offcuts, trimmings, unsold magazines, etc. Post-consumer waste (PCW) comes from paper that has been used by consumers and was recycled instead of being sent to a landfill.

Tree-Free
Tree-Free paper is another way to produce paper with minimal environmental impact. There are many speciality papers made from agricultural residues (husk and straws left in the fields after harvesting of the main crop) and textile waste such as cotton, linen and rope. Fiber crops (hemp, jute, kenaf and flax) and wild plants (wild grasses, sisal and bamboo) can also be used. Plant-fiber papers tend to be more durable than wood fiber papers. Kenaf in particular contains less lignin than trees, requires fewer chemicals, and is naturally acid-free.

Chlorine Free
Chlorine is used to to remove lignin which causes yellowing and gives paper its white appearance. Totally Chlorine-free (TCF) paper is unbleached or has been processed without the use of chlorine. The use of any type chlorine produces extremely toxic compounds that cause environmental damage when released into waterways. Oxygen, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide are bleaching alternatives to chlorine and chlorine derivatives.

Uncoated
The clay that gives coated paper its smooth, shiny surface also makes it harder to recycle. During the recycling process, up to 40% less fiber can be extracted from coated paper. So choose the natural feel of uncoated paper or select a supercalendered paper, which has been pressed to create a smoother surface.

To ensure you are making an earth-friendly choice, look for papers certified by Rainforest Alliance, Green-e, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green Seal or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

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Be inspired. Here are a couple of sites dedicated to the love of typography…

The name says it all. I love typography features lots of images including handwritten and found type, as well as articles on choosing a font and web typography. Still want more type? Type for you is filled with creative samples and designer interviews.

On a search for the perfect font? You must take a look at the incredible choices at House Industries.

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Online invitations are a great way to save on paper, envelopes and stamps, as well as manage your guest list. And by now everyone has sent or recieved an Evite, but did you know there are lots of other options? The latest is Pingg, a free site offering clean and modern invitation designs without the annoying advertisements.

With Pingg you can create and manage invitations for your social or business events and even add them to your facebook profile. Choose from simple yet stylish designs, not cheesy clip-art graphics. Be sure to take a look at the designer series, which I love, or you can upload your own image. Pingg has also partnered with Fotolia allowing users to purchase stock photos to customized invitations.

Pingg’s easy to use site simplifies the management of all your event communications including follow-ups, reminders, guest list additions and last minute changes. Guest can RSVP from their email or go to the site to view more photos, maps, videos, and gift or charity registries. Need to send invitation via snail mail? For $1.50 Pingg will print, stamp and mail a postcard invitation to selected guests.

Now I can’t wait to try it out. Who’s up for a party?

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Soy ink (made from soybean oil) requires less energy to produce than traditional petroleum-based ink. Soybeans require no irrigation and leave fewer agricultural residues than other crops. Development of soy ink began in the late 1970s by the Newspaper Association of America, who sought a different way to make ink because of rising oil prices. Now over 95% of America’s daily newspapers use soy ink. While soy ink is not edible or 100% biodegradable (because of the pigments and other additives mixed with the oil) it is overwhelmingly more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based ink.

Cleaner Air
As soybeans are growing they temporarily remove damaging carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere. During printing soy inks significantly reduce the amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released into the air.

Brighter Colors
Soybean oil is clearer which makes for bright colors so less color pigment is needed.

Cost Effective
Because soy ink provides more intense color, less ink is used.

Stability
Soy ink maintains its lithographic stability throughout the entire print job, so the press operator makes fewer adjustments during production and rejects fewer copies because of inferior quality.

Recycling
Soy ink can be removed more easily from paper during the de-inking process. This allows the recycled paper to have less damage to its paper fibers and have a brighter appearance. Also, the waste from the ink is not hazardous.

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