Vancouver, Canada
* “An underdog to North American Culture and overshadowed by Britain, we have been searching for our own National Identity. Steeped in history, diversity, and compassion it’s time we celebrated on home turf.”
These are from a collection of student-designed type posters celebrating things Canadian…
Calgary, Alberta
Folks in Alberta who have had precious photos damaged in the recent floods now have the opportunity to have their pics professionally restored by volunteers organized by the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC).
(quote by Bill McKibben | poster by Chaz Maviyane-Davies)
Shepard Fairey’s “Obama” posters (in reverse chronological order)…
At some point last week this link crossed my desktop… a lovely collection of cautionary poster images (many more at the link).
To whoever sent me this link, apologies… let me know and I’ll give you source credit here.
Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change The World
by David B. Berman
AIGA Design Press / New Riders (Peachpit)
A little over four years ago I reviewed David B. Berman’s important new book here on this blog. I was delighted today to receive an updated/reprint version of this honest, hard-hitting, book—together with a lovely note from David (Duv to his friends), who I have known and exchanged ideas re: design ethics with for well over 20 years.
Do Good Design rails against the consumptive excesses of the so-called “developed world” and urges designers to help steer a better course for our planet—before it’s too late. Delivered with in-your-face directness, it presents a strong argument regarding the inherent power of design to shape our world and takes on greed, excess, and the scheming tendencies of advertising and “targeted” visual communications. Full of pithy quotations, well illustrated (with wide-ranging examples of manipulative media and manufactured needs) and impressively annotated and cross-referenced, David combines his keen observation skills with courage to question the status quo, expressing his marathon call for positive change with passionate zeal. In his words, “the future of civilization is our common design project.”
Thanks Duv—keep up the “good” work of shaping a more equitable and sustainable future!
More info at dogoodbook.com.
London, UK
In 2010, Fletcher Studio was set up by Alan’s daughter, Raffaella Fletcher, to manage the archive of her famous father’s work. The archive is now online, and Raffaella has given me permission to post some samples of Alan’s work here… please note that everything shown here and on the website at alanfletcherarchive.com is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and treaties around the world.
View much more of Alan Fletcher’s beautiful graphic design work (and descriptions for the images shown above) here.
Thanks to Ronald Shakespear, a mutual friend from Argentina, for bringing the Alan Fletcher Archive to my attention.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Two good designer friends of mine have launched the Mandela95 Poster Project : the basic idea is to collect 95 exceptional posters in 60 days that celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life and his contribution to humanity. The collection will be launched online on Madiba’s 95th birthday, 18 July 2013.
Great support has already been received from both the local and international design community, and many exhibition opportunities are arising. What started off as a small personal project, conceptualized by Mohammed Jogie and Jacques Lange three weeks ago, has turned into something much larger than what they ever anticipated or intended.
Apart from many close Icograda friends, Designmatters (Art Centre, Pasadena) and Bruce Mau Design Inc. have taken it on as special studio projects. Invitations have already been received to exhibit the final collection in Mexico, USA, Egypt, Cuba, and China (which is amazing because the collection does not exist yet and exhibition plans have not yet been promoted).
Details are being finalized with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust to collaborate on an international travelling exhibition for the Mandela95 Poster Collection, as a means to assist the Trust in raising awareness and funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, currently under construction in Johannesburg. (The hospital is Madiba’s final wish and his wife Graça Machel is personally chairing the Trust and its development). There are currently only three dedicated, specialist children’s hospitals in the whole of Africa and it is Madiba’s wish to provide a fourth where in his words, “no child will ever be turned away for inability to pay.”
To contribute your own poster design, access the Mandela95 Poster Project Brief here (94K PDF, deadline for confirmation of participation is 5 June; poster submission deadline is 21 June). Review the latest Stakeholder Update from the Nelson Mandela Chilren’s Hospital here (1.8MB PDF).
