Question.
Is your form following your function?
Is your less really more?
Have you seen the big G-O-D lurking around in your details?
And the behemoth of all design questions, are you K.I.S.S.-ing?
For those of you that have been overloaded with design formulas–here, there, and everywhere–a book is coming that blows these rules out of the water, Never Use White Type on a Black Background: And 50 Other Ridiculous Design Rules by Anneloes van Gaalen.
I have a love affair with breaking rules, so this book gives me hard-core proof and comfort in this crazy “when in doubt–leave it out” laden design world.
Happy rule breaking!
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Jinean Robinson is…
Great ideas are hard to come by, but as elusive as they may be the crass ones are always the best. Check out http://usa.theviralfactory.com/ work for Trojan–hilarious! UK work…of course!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
For all those media doom and gloom reports about the economy and all of the woes you may be experiencing right now, there is still plenty to be done. Remember, readers, we are the keepers of our destiny and have the power to make it happen.
Peep these tips for all you creative folk out there.
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
Chicago – Dallas – Los Angeles – San Francisco – New York City – Seattle: These placement gurus have got some good work and clients brewing. Go get you some work and you are free to send all commission checks to me via Paypal 
Seriously, lots of great work and opportunity for freelance. Let me know how it goes!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
All the Michel Gondry fans out there say, “Hooooo!”
“Hoooooooooooooo!”
Say, “Ho! Ho!”
“Ho! Ho!”
He has released a new sizzling hot dvd of fav videos. If it’s anything like the first, it should be a real treat!
Check. Check. Check it.
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the importance of packaging and the artist Justin Gignac’s NYC garbage cubes. Well, I’ve stumbled on another of Gignac’s artistic ideas, completely different yet equally brilliant. I only wish I was as clever as this guy. His other artistic endevor, with his partner Christine, can be seen at www.wantsforsale.com and www.needsforsale.com.
They create a painting of an item they want and then sell it for the price of that item. Trades are also accepted, but only for the EXACT item the painting is for. For example, they have a painting of Pinkberry yogurt…
Growing up as part of the Hip-Hop generation, I developed quite the admiration for graffiti art from the simplistic (as shown above) to the elaborate that’s hardly legible. A lot of the allure is the illegal aspect of it requiring artists to be quick with their craft, but still manage to be precise; the desire to have their work seen by the masses even if it means risking criminal charges; the fact that the majority don’t make a penny for their art, but they continue to illustrate the city – this I can respect. Sure, some would argue that it’s…
I have a friend who doesn’t eat anything he hasn’t had before without a huge amount of coaxing. He decides he doesn’t like things even before he’s tasted them. There are literally thousands of amazing foody experiences he’s going to miss out on because of this. It boggles my brain how he can be so phobic of food – all he needs to do it pop it in his mouth, give it a whirl, and low and behold he’d probably like it. Maybe even love it.
The same thing happens in advertising. Clients are the main culprits of this extremely frustrating trait.…
Good…
click for site
A very cool magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn from some innovative designers that have given a damn since 2006.
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
In the past few days I was able to get some time off from my ever-so-enthralling retail job to head north by about five hours and visit a college friend in the beautiful town of Der Kommissar. While the origin of this trip was indeed to visit my old college roommate Blondie, it also had the added advantage of being close to a university that provided a master’s program I was sincerely interested in attending.
Making an adventure out of my interest, Blondie and I made our way to the nearby city of Taco, at the Dead or Alive School of Spinning…
When creatives work agency side they spend quite a lot of time moaning about clients. I am no stranger to this. When I worked agency side I used to whine about them until I was blue in the face for all sorts of reasons. Mostly, I used to moan because they said idiotic things like “I don’t like the colour of that background” or “I don’t like the model in that photo” when initial scamps were being presented. I always found this trait of the client quite moronic.
I used to moan about other things too. Like when clients would…
Ever wonder, “what does it really take to develop great ideas?” I mean the big ones. The juicy, sloppy, wet ones that drench the culture and live soaked in society for decades. Well, there is a great Cannes Selection film, “Art & Copy,” that does just that. Or, shall I say instead of wondering, the filmmakers decided to Just Do It!
Check out a screening in your area: http://www.artandcopyfilm.com/screenings/
While in Atlanta, I’m gonna go to the screening on Wednesday, April 22nd as part of the Atlanta Film Festival. Tune in Thursday for my review–like you care what I think–but I’ll let you…
Don’t you just love a photographer that can show a portfolio with many sides? Don’t cha wish you could curl up with one? Allow their depth of focus to take your design to a whole other level? Don’t cha wish your photographer was hot like this guy…don’tcha (sorry couldn’t resist)! From still to portrait to fashion this dude is GOOD!!! With clients changing things at the last minute down to the camera click it’s good to know that someone out there can handle it. Harold Daniels is one of my back pocket goodies that I’m itchin’ to use.
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO…
With the economy continuing in its downward spiral, last week’s start of baseball season saw the owner of Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers announce that prime signage locations that the automotive companies occupy at Comerica Park would be allowed to keep their billboards spots at NO CHARGE! Why? Mike Ilitch wanted to do something to help the Big Three and subsequently the city of Detroit.
Hello 12 Point Type readers! I’m a new writer to this blog and I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with an eloquent and compelling first post on par with my fellow bloggers here that would convince you to subscribe so fast you’d chalk it up to an outer-body experience. Unfortunately, my aspirations fail me. Instead, I offer this:
Now I know a good deal when I see one, but I think it’s safe to assume copy-writing just isn’t for everyone;
even if you do it for a living.
A little something to keep in mind when writing is content and…
Ok. Gonna tell you a little secret….
I know we can get caught in our rut of, “how much bigger do I have to make this logo,” “must EVERYTHING have to be sketched, comped, and spelled out to buy off on just the concept?,” or “do I have to work with the brand marketing all-star team from the 60’s?”
But on my way to meetings yesterday, I got a quick reminder of how lucky we are. I was riding on the interstate and saw a car on the freeway hit the guard rail only to be thrown into oncoming traffic. This reminded…
On Monday, April 13, one of the towering figures in broadcasting and commercial voice over, Harry Kalas died at age 73, prior to the Philadelphia Phillies – Washington Nationals baseball game. Kalas collapsed in the broadcast booth two hours before the game.
Kalas had been the voice of the Phillies since 1971 and was one of the most recognizable voice talents in the sports broadcasting industry for the past five decades. Before coming to the Phillies, he was the broadcaster for the Houston Astros from 1965 to 1970. In 2002, Kalas was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and received…
I know all of you lemonade-making-glass-half-full-rosey-tintazoids out there have had situations where you’ve made fragrant perfume out of a funky smelling malodorous mess! Well now is your chance to share, Rich Soil Clothing is seeking images of roses in unusual or bad situations.
So get your camera out and get yourselves on that sunny side to submit! http://www.richsoilclothing.com/rose.html
Also, stay tuned tomorrow, because I’m going to let you in on a secret and how timely this rosey snapshot bonanza really is.
Don’t forget if you create something please share your submissions, I’d love to see!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in…
Recently I lost someone in my family whom I loved and was very fond of. At a time like this, it makes you think about what that person will be remembered for. Invariably you also think about what kind of legacy you’ll leave behind. When Paul Newman passed away last fall, he more than anyone defined how to both live life and leave a legacy behind that so many people will benefit from.
Arguably one of the greatest American actors of the past 50 years. From the early 1950s to this decade, Paul Newman repeatedly set the bar high for acting…
Working as a creative means that you’re bound to come up with ideas that have been done before. It’s happened to me countless times; displaying a scribbly scamp to a creative director, complete with captioned arrows pointing to my rubbish drawings and puffing my chest out like a scabby city centre pigeon, only to be shot down in ratty, pigeony flames after being reminded that the same idea ran four years ago.
It’s annoying but it tends to happen. The term “back to the drawing board” has never been so true when it comes to creative solutions. But it’s part…
“After its package redesign, sales of the Tropicana Pure Premium line plummeted 20% between Jan. 1 and Feb. 22, costing the brand tens of millions of dollars. On Feb. 23, the company announced it would bow to consumer demand and scrap the new packaging, designed by Peter Arnell. It had been on the market less than two months.”
Sarah and Mason go out west to shoot a Dove commercial and Mason wants to use the opportunity to work the client’s brand manager for more work. Mason has been teaming up with Sarah now that he and Conner are on a creative time out. Conner soon finds out the extent of Mason’s loyalty to him. But things go awry as Sarah clashes with the insufferable director while Robin from Dove is on set. Never good!
Who said Surreal Life is the only home where washed up celebrities could roam?
Where oh where do accounts like this come from…little in the middle but got much back!!!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
Ok, ok…how many of you guys out there feel my pain.
“Jazz it up, add great graphics and make it snappy!”
This was literally copy and pasted verbatim from an email I once received from a client. Teaching clients the value of what we do is getting old and I refused to forward this to my creative teams because I value them waaaaay more than jazzy, great-n-graphicy, and snappy (sounds like the 8th, 9th, and 10th dwarf). So, glad I didn’t here my all time favorite, “make it pop.”
So I open the floor to two questions:
1) Why, oh why, do strategic communication…
I studied all the facts and memorized the stats on the back on the cards. Then I dove even deeper. Baseball cards were uniquely responsible for me getting an “A” in geography my entire education because I was intrigued to go find out where places like Mobile, AL and Fresno, CA were. Remember, I was 8 when I started pouring all over my dad’s atlas’ and road maps to see where my favorite players came from. Needless to say, any geography teacher I shared this with was NOT impressed.
This ad require no help whatsoever…. Brings a whole new meaning to fashion victim.
Joel Kirstein is a Creative Director who has been in the ad agency trenches for 25 years, specializing in shopper marketing, branding, and retail. Contact him on Linked In and www.coroflot.com/joelkirstein
Some WWF ads that do a great job reiterating a very important cause. Global warming and the severe impact on animals! http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html?sc=AWY0900WCG00&searchen=google&gclid=CLzll-7b2pkCFQu-GgodoUOvXA
Joel Kirstein is a Creative Director who has been in the ad agency trenches for 25 years, specializing in shopper marketing, branding, and retail. Contact him on Linked In and www.coroflot.com/joelkirstein
Last week the Detroit Lions, the NFL’s poster child for futility announced that they are finally up grading/refreshing their brand identity. If you’re not a foot ball fan, let me give you a bit of perspective on their plight. The Lions have not won an NFL Championship since Ike was president in 1957. They’ve never made it to a Super Bowl and in 52 seasons since then, they have only made the playoffs 9 times and and notched one post season victory. It gets worse. Last season the Lions became only the second team in NFL history to lose every game and the first to rack up an 0-16 record. Simply put the Detroit Lions have become the black hole of pro football.
. I tip my hat to the creators of these expressive portrayals. Emoticons started out as this : ) and have developed ^_^ and evolved 
with the Internet.
Joel 
