Category: Visual Design

Graphic design, typography, grids, buildings, signage and more.

Saul Bass for the Bell System

Here’s the pitch that Saul Bass gave to the Bell System when he was updating their identity. It isn’t a must watch but I’m posting it for a couple of reasons.

#1). The beginning is really weird. I can’t imagine how this played to a bunch of corporate execs. The 60s!

#2) The second part contains a nice introduction to logo design and typography. It also is a mostly non-annoying explanation of what logos and identities do. It also highlights how this identity was more than a logo. It was a system of elements that included a wide range of things – from jewelry to printed material to trucks.

Each impression contributes to the whole. Each signal, one piece of a mosaic.

Libraries would benefit from this attention to detail and holistic thinking.

Operation Book Drop

A bookstore in Salt Lake CIty had some promotional book covers designed, wrapped them around books donated by publishers, and dropped them around town.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to discover one of the 878 books we’ve left lying around Salt Lake City, you’re undoubtedly elated, but probably also a bit curious about our objectives. It’s simple, we love books and our greatest passion is in sharing this love and promoting literacy in our community, which is why we’ve emptied truckloads of free books specially wrapped in seven custom Weller Book Works covers all around town. So keep your eyes peeled because there are literally hundreds of great books out there just begging to be read and spread. If you do find a book, read it and leave it somewhere for someone else to find and enjoy. If you can’t wait to find one of our free books, come visit our new location at Trolley Square and we’ll set you up with something just right.

More from Weller Book Works

Calgary Public Library: Everything You’re Into

I’m really impressed that this branding campaign was done in house at the Calgary Public Library.

Grant Kaiser, manager of marketing for the CPL sent some details:

Our “Everything You’re Into” campaign grew out of our extensive new branding project, which looked at all our interactions with customers and citizens, not just at the logo.
 
We tested dozens of potential slogans we developed in house with focus groups (managed by a research firm). “Everything You’re Into” was the clear winner.  People felt it was accurate, believable, approachable, and positive,  They also described it as a curious blend of inspiring and (positively) challenging – it made them think about themselves and what they liked, and then think about how the Library might help them.

All of the creative was done in-house, with the exception of the actual photography.

Once it’s over, we’ll do it again to see where the numbers moved.  We test things such as top-of-mind awareness – essentially asking if you considered using the Library recently when you needed information, wanted something to read, watch, or listen to, etc.  We also test recall of the actual campaign.

Gimme from Scottsdale Public Library

Gimme is a interesting discovery tool from Scottsdale Public Library. It has a fantastic visual design and it easy to use. Yes!

I can understand why they turned this into a web app but I’d also like to see something like this integrated into a main library site. Speaking of taking library users to perhaps disparate places, clicking “more…” on the staff reviews whisks users to the library’s reviews on Goodreads. I’d rather see an accordion function expand the rest of the review, keeping people on Gimme.

If you click through, be sure to resize your browser (or visit it on a mobile device and a desktop). This is the first responsive library related website I’ve come across. Really nice.

Perhaps they intended this to be used mainly on mobile devices. Clicking the “Reserve” button takes users to the mobile version of their catalog. Or maybe they just think the mobile version is better than their normal catalog and want to send users there.

With a little iteration this could go from great to really really great.

Top job, Scottsdale Public Library!