Archive for July, 2007

h1

links for 2007-07-31

July 31, 2007
h1

links for 2007-07-30

July 30, 2007
h1

Looking for design: Marie-Claude Doyon

July 30, 2007

A few days ago I read about the launch of Vinisimo and suddenly realised I knew who the graphic designer was… I’ve been waiting for a photo and some images from her for a while, but I think this one will do :)

Thank you Marie-Claude for speaking with me, could you describe yourself and your work briefly?

I am an independent graphic designer with interests mostly in conceptual work, typography and our responsibility on the environment. I do web and printed work for my own clients and for some other small graphic design studios. I spent half a year working in a small studio in Rotterdam back in 2006.

How long have you been working professionally in Montreal ?

I started in 1996 building web sites. Since then, I went back to university to obtain a Graphic Design degree at UQAM. I almost always worked as an independent.

Do you consider design to be well understood in Montreal?

It always depends who you are talking to. But I would say that, in general, people are not really aware of what design is, especially in my field of graphic design. When I say that I am a graphic designer, people think that I am a DTP and that I know very well how to use Photoshop or they think I am an artist. Design is in part technical but is mostly about thinking, functionality and concept, and that is what people don’t get. It’s also something that surrounds us so much everyday that we don’t even see it anymore.

In your opinion, what key designers/business are shaping the design scene in Montreal?

To my opinion those businesses/designers have strong remarkable presence in Montréal:

- Orange Tango
- Sid Lee
- Paprika
- Stéphane Huot
- Annie Lachapelle
- Alexandre Renzo
- Frédéric Metz (has a very good presence and speaks about design in the medias)

What is missing from the Montreal design scene?

We need more implication from everyone and more get togethers. We need to transmit what design is to the public and make it more accessible. I also think that we need to raise our standards and educate our clients instead of doing what they ask of us.

What would you say is the hardest thing about working in design in Montreal?

The general visual culture is not very high. Design and art are not well understood. Conceptual work is very rare.

What would you say is the best thing about working in design in Montreal?

There is a nice community of designers. It’s easy to know who does what. It’s also a city where there is a lot going on in different fields.

Where do the opportunities lie for the future of design in Montreal?

I think it lies in education and in raising our standards to meet those of cities like Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Zürich. It would be great if some of our universities would offer a Master degree in Graphic Design to form more “thinking” people.

If you had the choice to work somewhere else, where would it be?

I would work again in Rotterdam, Netherlands because this city is very alive culturally and there is a lot going on over there in graphic design, industrial design and architecture. I would also like to work in Amsterdam or Berlin.

h1

links for 2007-07-29

July 29, 2007
h1

Missed service opportunities

July 29, 2007

I just finished working with Dave on a proposal for the second edition of the Muji award, and being designers of course, we waited till the last minute to submit our proposal.

In this particular case, Dave is in Boston, I’m in London and the proposal had to be sent to Japan by Tuesday next week. We were done with everything by Friday afternoon, but that meant that traditional postal services were no longer an option (we also had to get 2 A3 printed etc…)

We turned to the most efficient option, in this case Fedex Kinkos. Trying to figure anything online with these services is a mess but we didn’t have a choice. We thought about it a little and then thought… hey wait a minute! What if we get their Japan-based office to print this out, and they can send the stuff through from there as well! This will not only mean that the proposal will be received on time, but will actually be much greener as it wont have to take a plane to get there!

With all the greenwashing going on, it was refreshing to find a nugget of sustainable opportunity in a clunky service. Only thing is that it seems that Fedex haven’t figured this out yet, because payment online, without a Fedex account, is not possible and transacting between Kinkos and Fedex seemed to involve someone from their office printing it out, calling Dave to arrange payment on the phone (!!) and then being able to send it…

This is when you realise that there are organisational and corporate roadblocks to a seamless and converged service that could otherwise make an experience much more enjoyable (and sustainable).

h1

links for 2007-07-28

July 28, 2007
h1

links for 2007-07-26

July 26, 2007
h1

Quote of the day

July 26, 2007

Found in the Hackney Freecycle mailing list:

“Offered: wedding dress size 10/12 with veil. N16 pick up”

h1

links for 2007-07-25

July 25, 2007
h1

Topoware update

July 25, 2007

Quick update on something else that keeps me busy :)

I’m really happy to announce that Topoware will be part of Designboom’s “Handled with care” exhibition as part of the London Design Festival, hosted by designersblock in Shoreditch.

Additionally, it is being featured in the Stanford-based design magazine Ambidextrous 7: Food.
Download the article here (pdf)

Karola and I are looking into selling the china collection as of September, so stay tuned!

Update: Thanks to Mark from Experientia for featuring Topoware on core77.