UnderConsideration is a graphic design enterprise that runs a network of blogs, publishes books, organizes live events and judged competitions, and designs for clients.

Online

FPO (For Print Only) / Celebrating the reality that print is not dead by showcasing the most compelling printed projects.
Art of the Menu / Cataloguing the underrated creativity of menus from around the world.
Quipsologies / Chronicling the most curious, creative, and notable projects, stories, and events of the graphic design industry on a daily basis.
Speak Up (2002 – 2009) / Discussing, and looking for, what is relevant in, and the relevance of, graphic design. Archives Only.
Word It (2003 – 2010) / Encouraging creative diversity in the community through monthly, one-word challenges. Archives Only.
Brand New Classroom (2010 – 2011) / Providing a space for critique and opinions on student identity work. Archives Only.

Publishing

The 2010 Brand New Awards / 2011, self-published.
Flaunt: Designing effective, compelling and memorable portfolios of creative work / 2010, self-published.

Events & Judged Competitions

Brand New Conference / A one-day event on the development of corporate and brand identity projects by some of today’s most active and influential practitioners from around the world.
Brand New Awards / Celebrating the best identity work produced around the world.
FPO Awards / Celebrating the best print work from around the world.

Writing

Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design / 2009, Rockport.
Women of Design: Influence and Inspiration from the Original Trailblazers to the New Groundbreakers / 2008, HOW Books.
The Word It Book: Speak Up Presents a Gallery of Interpreted Words / 2007, HOW Books.

Graphic Design

Department of Design / Designing corporate and brand identities and full development of printed and digital matter for clients.

In Brief BY Armin

Nickelodeon, an Exercise in Patience

Lest you think that I have lost my edge or immediate brand relevance, I have purposefully neglected to post the new Nickelodeon logo. I have never been eager to post scoops based on limited information. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s just not what we do. A new Nickelodeon wordmark, replacing the famous “splat” flexible identity, has appeared in a few random places but not yet on the main Nickelodeon site and it probably won’t until early Fall as new programming kicks in. You can feel free to comment about the new logo here on Brand New, but I’ll say that it would be premature. I’ve started a conversation with a couple of nice folks at Nickelodeon and I hope to have a fuller story in the coming weeks, if not months. In the meantime, you can visit idsgn, which has the best story on the change so far, or you can engage in some high-level brand and logo discussions over at Perez Hilton’s place.

DATE: Aug.05.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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In Brief BY Armin

Will the Real Waratah Please Stand Up?

In other Australian news, the Government of New South Wales has released a new logo based on the state’s floral emblem, the waratah. The problem is, according to leading botanists and the public at large, that the logo depicts not a waratah but a lotus — and with a reported (staggering, OMG) price of $A4,600 (US$3,750) everybody feels robbed. The NSW Government web site shows the new logo and this story is the most complete. But it doesn’t end there. DesignBay, an Australian logo crowdsourcer, decided to offer up $A1,000 (US$815) for anyone that can design a better waratah logo. I guess a simple, boring wordmark wouldn’t be the most wrong way to go, huh?

Thanks to Daryl Prondoso for the tip.

DATE: Jul.23.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

Graphic Design, Referenced

Before we proceed with our regularly scheduled opinions on identity I wanted to take a moment to inform all of our wonderful readers that our latest book, Graphic Design, Referenced is now officially on the market. This is a 400-page beast with way too much information and way too many great images on the dear subject of graphic design. For all you identity fiends, we have a special 20-page section on logos and identity programs, including obvious mentions like UPS, FedEx and Coca-Cola and perhaps some non-obvious inclusions like the New School identity, the peace symbol and a little logo for a certain U.S. Presidential candidate. If you buy our book and do a big logo project in the near future send it to us and we’ll give you a glowing review here on Brand New. (Not).

DATE: Jul.08.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

The Makers of Syfy

Syfy Branding

Possibly the last post on the evolving saga of Syfy as the channel officially switches identities today: London-based Proud Creative was the design firm responsible for creating the new Syfy identity. The victors of a four-way pitch, Proud Creative partnered with ManvsMachine for the onscreen graphics and with Chester Jenkins of Village to develop a bespoke type family. The results of the full package can be seen here. Will we have any converts that now like the new look?

DATE: Jul.07.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

In Brief: Bye SciFi, Hi Syfy

Syfy Idents

On July 7, continuing our well chronicled saga, SciFi will officially become the much-dissed Syfy, and to help in usher the change, motion graphics firm Blind created a set of 15-second idents that blow away the old SciFi. As with most identities, the best part comes in the execution, and these idents are starting to give some much needed life to the Syfy logo.

DATE: Jul.03.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

In Brief: Re-instituting the Institute

The Franklin Institute Logo

In other Philadelphia related news: In May of 2008 we reported on the redesign of the Franklin Institute Science Museum and how the logo made a big deal to change its name to, simply, The Franklin. Well, it didn’t work. Not going the full way back to their longer name they are going with The Franklin Institute and the logo has been amended as necessary.

Thanks to Chad Kaufman for the tip.

DATE: Jun.24.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

In Brief: 76ers, What’s Old is New Again

Philadelphia 76ers Logo

As a basketball fan, there is nothing more I love than the idea of Old School basketball with, say, Julius Erving and his sophisticated dunking in mind. And, sure, I’m a sucker for vintage NBA logos so it was pretty fun to see the Philadelphia 76ers announce that they would be reverting to their glory-days-logo and away from their overdesigned logo. “We are connecting the past with the future,” says the press release, but let’s just call it “we are going retro, because the merchandise will sell like pancakes.”

Continue reading this entry

DATE: Jun.24.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

In Brief: Pizza Hut The Hut

Pizza Hut

The reason this is not set up as a formal before/after is because, well, it is not. At least not yet — specially considering that some of this new look has been appearing since January of this year. The snazzy new design blog idsgn has a great feature on the introduction of new language and visuals into the Pizza Hut brand. Including an explanation of “The Hut” and its CMO celebrating its appropriateness for the text message generation. I have always liked the dopey script and roof logo but, I don’t mind the new possible design direction. “The Hut,” however is all kinds of wrong.

DATE: Jun.19.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

In Brief: Oreos and Ritz are Right on Target

Oreo and Ritz Summer Packaging

Over the last month we have received numerous e-mails about some mysterious packaging in the aisles of Target: Ritz and Oreos in a deceptively simple packaging. Without many answers available online, The Dieline finally solved the mystery by crediting Baker Associates as the designers of this Summer-only special packaging. Only at Target.

DATE: Jun.16.2009POSTED BY: ArminCATEGORY: In Brief COMMENTS:

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BY Armin

In Brief: Jello-O, What If…?

Jell-O Student Project

It’s not common that I’ll bring up student work in Brand New, but this effort by semi-recent graduate of Academy of Art University, Richard Perez is worth celebrating. While at SVA, Bryony and I used to have our students redesign the packaging for Sherwin-Williams paints, something mundane and ordinary that you don’t think much about, but when people are reviewing your portfolio it’s a brand they know, can connect with and are able to see the improvements the design makes. This redesign of the Jell-O packaging achieves exactly that: It takes the mundane and ordinary conventions of the Jell-O boxes and presents a vivid interpretation of what it could be. Many more images at Richard’s site.

Thanks to Dawn H. Buscher for the tip.