In the Works: 2010 Calendar ~ Formus Architects

As marketing mailers to our clients, we wanted to jump on the bandwagon of giving out a useful gift: a calendar, but marketing our graphic services also meant a custom designed calendar. The background is an image of a Formus project with the calendar playing off the perspective. We also are playing with 2 options of presentation: a flat card that can be posted on the wall or a 'pop-up' desk calendar to emphasize the 3-d nature of our business. Contact us if you want a calendar or need custom graphic design services.

Formus Architects

Architecture / Planning / Interior Design / Graphic Design

119 S. Court Square, Suite 200

Memphis, TN 38103

ph +1.901.323.1384

email smcrae@formusinc.com

http://www.formusinc.com/

Background photo by Nathan Elliot, Formus. Process photo and graphics by Sophorn, Formus.

Tasted ~ The "World-Famous" Peabody Sunday Brunch

This past weekend, we were looking for a special place to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday, and I saw a sign at the Peabody Hotel to try the "World-Famous Sunday Brunch" then remembered a friend raving about it recently. We made reservations and were glad we did as we noticed others on a list waiting at least 45 minutes to get a table. The breakfast items were comforting and expected but the special lunch items such as salmon and calimari with spectacular dessert bar made the brunch oh so worth the price. I'll take a guess that the desserts are what make the brunch "world-famous."

For reservations call 901.529.3668.

Capriccio Grill at The Peabody Hotel

149 Union Ave

Downtown Memphis, TN 38103

Brunch is served Sundays 11:00am - 2:30pm
Cost ~ $34.50 for adults / $12 for children ages 6-12 / free for kids 5 and under

Photos by Sophorn.

Inside the Design with J Press Designs ~ Jeffrey James and the Haul T-shirt

For this installment of Inside the Design, I welcome designer Susan McCanless with J Press Designs to talk about her design perspective and the process she took with the latest t-shirt design for Memphis band Jeffrey James and the Haul. When I asked Jeff what sort of direction they gave to the design, he said, "We like Susan's art so much that we said 'Hey Susan, make us something cool and she did.'" See Susan’s description below to understand how she caught the essence of their music.

The t-shirt design above is now available for purchase {just in time for Christmas} along with their vinyl records. Shirts and records are $10 each. Shirts are available in all sizes and 3 colors: green and red for the ladies and in smoke for the guys.
To order, contact Jeff Hulett at jeffhulett@hotmail.com or call 901.859.9430.

“Good design must have both function AND form - not one or the other.”

For me, concept is the most important aspect of design. Design is not about Photoshop or InDesign or any other programs; those are just tools.You can't build a house with a hammer and nails alone. You need the blueprints - something to back it up - an actual reason. If you are designing something because "it looks cool" - then you are missing the point entirely. Good design must have both function AND form - not one or the other.

In school, our teachers encouraged us to start the design process with a pen and paper - brainstorming - a skill that I use to this day. When developing the Jeffrey James and the Haul t-shirt - I started with a list of adjectives that reminded me of the band:
{folky, genuine, happy, country, loving, energetic, homespun, gritty, plaid}

After that I start with the nouns:
{guitar, ferris wheel, nudie suit, whiskey, smoke, cowboy boots}

Now I have a feeling of where I want to go with the design, and I begin sketching .


Once I have a couple of pages of ideas/concepts, I go to the computer to fine-tune my concepts into finished designs.

Once I have a couple + (2, 3, 4...) designs that I am happy with - I send them off to the client to get their feedback. For me, this is the scariest part of the process - sometimes you hit the nail on the head, and they LOVE you. Other times you have to start all over and you feel like you failed. The most important thing about this stage is to lose your ego. It's not about hurt feelings or the client not liking you or your designs - it's about problem solving. They have a visual dilemma that YOU as the designer need to solve. You have to listen to your client’s ideas and suggestions, because in the end, you AND your client both need to be satisfied – only then have you done your job.




Susan McCanless
J Press Designs
475 North Highland • 8H
Memphis, Tennessee 38122
t: 901.336.7560
f: 901.525.8820
http://jpressdesigns.blogspot.com

Special thanks to Susan and Jeff. Images courtesy of Susan McCanless, J Press Designs.

O-wow #7 ~ Nature Inspired Architecture

Although I have not posted an o-wow in a while, it is not why this project is featured. It's only featured because it's one of the most awe-inspiring things I've seen in a while in its sheer complexity. serie architects went through a complex study to create this indoor forest borrowing on nature's engineering of making something both strong and delicate.

See more photos and read more here. {Make sure to look at the design process diagrams.}

Found via designboom /Photo from designboom via serie architects. / Graphic label by Sophorn.

December Rock -n- Romp

We finally attended our first Rock-n-Romp after hearing so much about it from all our music-loving friends with kids. I attend a lot of free live music with Atticus, but when an event like this centers around welcoming kids, they are well accommodated therefore both kids and parents can comfortably enjoy themselves.

Memphis and about four other cities {Austin,Baltimore, Philadelphia and St. Louis} participate in Rock-n-Romp. I now consider it the hip way we do a playdate.

Atticus took front row when we arrived to see the second band up The Bulletproof Vests just starting their set. He also helped take a few shots with the camera. See the next two shots below.

Atticus was entertained with the fact that he could scream at the top of his lungs during the music and it didn't bother anyone. The rest of the shots of him and the other kids were literally a blur. It was constant movement but never did it feel chaotic.

Near the closing of Rock-n-Romp and the beginning of the South Main Holiday Parade, Atticus' friend and neighbor Elek joined us for the night without his parents. They were very excited when candy was thrown during the parade. It was the only thing that kept them wanting to stay out in that cold weather. {As evidenced above, Elek ate lots of not-so-good food. Sorry Diana and Peter.}

Related Links Memphis Rock-n-Romp / Snowglobe

Photos by Sophorn and Atticus.

Inside the {Logo} Design ~ Buck Daddy Blog / Part 4 / Refining

Based on the comments from Part 3 of the BuckDaddyBlog logo design, I started to refine everyone's favorites especially Buck. Part 3 options are on left and refined as it goes to the right or below. See further explanations below.


One of the greatest surprises for me was that the graphic did not look like a father tossing his daughter into the air to many viewers so that is why I see how much I needed that fresh perspective. Since Buck stressed that the logo should be fun, I wanted to keep going with that father-tossing-daughter image with modification of the father to look more like an actual figure. Separating one arm from the daughter in order to see a hand is the significant change. I just hope it can now past another fresh perspective test. {oops, Font Options are supposed to be labeling the rows not column.}



The second major set of refining involved making the logo look like a stamp or sticker. Boxing in the image seems to solidify everything. All of these options work well in black and white. The bd graphic at the start looks like a common logo I have started to see very often lately so adding the graphic image makes it much more unique to Buck. The last study of the text bubble addresses a suggestion to make the bubbly more like a "D."





The third major study that falls a bit outside of refining is the color study. Buck wanted a color scheme involving red, black and grey. There were various reds that I sampled from other logos that work {see Part 2} which is then tested against both black and white backgrounds. The logos below represent the options from above that have the most potential.

Stay tuned for Part 5 / Either Further Refining or Testing Application of Logo. Also please feel free to comment. Your input will be put to use.

Tasted : Hound Dogs Chili Specials

Cold weather does not mark the end of Hound Dogs hot dog cart downtown. Still on the same street corner of Union and Main, my hubby Christopher is warming things up by introducing a delicious vegetarian chili served up two ways: in a bag of Fritos and on a dog with unexpected toppings.

The “Christo” is Christopher’s version of another restaurant’s bowl of Fritos and chili called the Presto. I, myself, like the resourceful use of the bag which Christopher also called the “handwarmer”.

The “You Dirty Dog” is a heaping spoonful of lentil based chili on your choice of kosher beef or turkey dog. Toppings are relish, onion, and mustard sure to make you crave the exact combination every time. {I usually don’t eat onions but I love it in this combination.} He cuts the dog in segments so you can easily eat it with a spoon. Also must mention by request of my hubby, when you order you have to say "You Dirty Dog" like a old New York gangster {for his entertainment ~ I don't question it anymore. It's better to play along.}

Hound Dogs Hot Dog Cart
Corner of Union and Main
Downtown Memphis
Ph +1.901.596.7941

twitter

Motivational Mondays : Keep it Simple

Thanks to architect Rob Norcross for this mantra that he shared with me during a project we worked on together. It's from a book by Arnold Pearl that reworks the common phrase "Keep it Simple Stupid" with the understanding that sometimes the most intelligent of us can overcomplicate things. I think I'll pin up this "poster" I made at my desk.

Gingerbread House

Our gingerbread house: Atticus' daily experiments in desconstructivism. We're not sure how much of the house will be left by Christmas.

Tasted: restaurant iris

There is one word for restaurant iris: superb. We actually got a chance to taste the new restaurant way back in September so although the seasonal menu has probably changed, I recommend trying it out this weekend. The photos above are the dishes we tasted. The amuse bouche was a crostini with shrimp salad. My hubby says that the topper was how delicious they made his and probably everyone's least favorite vegetable ~ brussels sprouts.

restaurant iris

Chef Kelly English ~ 2009 Food and Wine Magazine's Best New Chef {Right here in Memphis!}

2146 Monroe Avenue

Memphis, TN 38104

ph +1.901.590.2828 ~ For Reservations

Open Tuesday to Saturday {Dinner} and Sunday {Brunch}

website / twitter / menu

Photos by Sophorn

Southern Architecture ~ McRae Residence

McRae Residence ~ Troy, Alabama
Built in 1895 for Dr. Murphree

Just off of downtown Troy, my father-in-law and his wife turned a foreclosed and disrepaired old home into the grandest house on the street. They have a remarkable collection of antiques that I always pay special attention to. In the left photo above, Atticus is riding the stone lions that flank the front entry. Take a look inside their home below.

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Pop {Dr. Wilton McRae} and Christopher pictured above .

Southern Architecture ~ The Henderson House

The Henderson House ~ Troy, Alabama

Built 1869 and recently renovated with period true detailing.

Current owner Ms. Jones (sister of the Sister Schubert) proudly invited us to take a look inside her beautiful home although she had just gotten out of bed. If she had not been in her bathrobe, I would have had her in some of the shots below.

The painting above the dining room mantel is of the original owner who Ms. Jones claims still “lives” there. Ms. Jones also pointed out a rare detail in the ceiling. It was a delicate icing or lacing probably done with plaster.

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Next door to the Henderson House is the Little's house which we tried to get inside without any luck.

All photos by Sophorn.

Around Memphis ~ Photo No.1

One of the ways I like to relax is just by driving around and really observing the surroundings. This particular day I missed a turn and passed through the south side of downtown Memphis. I rode by this old shopping center sign and, having a thing for signs, stopped to take this shot. There’s a lot of great pieces of history in Memphis that deserve notice and, as far as photography goes, the grittier the better.

Work Fashion ~ Harvey Faircloth

As someone in the design field, I find it difficult to find work appropriate clothes that says both powerful and creative. Since working with some respected women designers, I have learned that skirts and dresses can still be powerful. Power is confidence and if you can pull off tomato red stockings, you probably have that much respected confidence.

Here are some of my favorites from the clothing line Harvey Faircloth .

1} Button Dress

2} Pocket Wrap Skirt

3} Serape Dress

The clean lines and, dare I say, architectural look is both classic and modern.

Thanks to Sheetal for sending me this link.

Photos from Harvey Faircloth website. Graphic layout and id by Sophorn.

Gather Round the Table

Thanksgiving is the day to gather around the table so why not a fabulous one. I absolutely want this table from furniture designer zhili liu. The "shrub tables" have table legs made from thin steel rods and top from a sheet of aluminum all shop fabricated. I also love the screws that come up from each table leg rod connection that add that extra layer of functional design.

Photos from zhili liu website.

Motivational Monday: Mustaches for Kids

I have featured some pretty hilarious stuff from comedic duo Stuckey and Murray but this mustache growing competition is not only pretty hilarious but makes a big impact for public schools around the country. See their official request below from earlier this month.

Friends,
The race is on. Stuckey & Murray are freshly shaven and over the next 30 days we'll each grow fabulous mustaches in an effort to raise money for "Mustaches For Kids", a charity that has raised over $800,000 for children.Over the next month, we'll each grow big, bushy, and somewhat creepy mustaches and you can sponsor us! The money you donate will help provide supplies for classrooms across the country.

You can support Stuckey's first mustache growing by clicking here. Stuckey's Mustache
You can support the giant stache Murray is going to have by clicking here. Murray's Mustache

We'll keep you updated on our progress as the hair grows in. Stuckey is the underdog in this competition and is determined to win at least one of the following categories.
1. Most money raised
2. Most likely to cause a stranger to cross the street
3. Best "Taco Stand" Mustache

Meanwhile, Murray hopes his mustache will "finally win the approval of his father".

Thanks so much for your help,
Stuckey and Murray

Through the links above, where donators choose which projects they can allot to, I donated to an art class in Mississippi and a comics class in New York in honor of Stuckey and Murray. Andy and Jon, Cheers to you both for your participation. I hope one of you wins the Best “Taco Stand” Mustache.

Posted using ShareThis
Photo from Stuckey and Murray. Graphics by Sophorn.

Great Ideas Go Further in Hard Times

This ad campaign I discovered in the latest issue of HOW design magazine is one of the best ads I've seen recently and in this economy, has been personal inspiration to not make excuses that limit creativity. The campaign by the VIA Group expresses one of the creative company's beliefs:

Great ideas and average ideas have one thing in common, they both cost the same.

See more of the HOW magazine article here. See more about the VIA Group here.

Excerpt above with images from HOW magazine.

Art Show Opening Party Tonight ~ The Majestic Grille

I am so grateful that Deni and Patrick Reilly, owners of the Majestic Grille, has offered me a two-month showing of my photography in their highly acclaimed restaurant. Tonight, they will be hosting the show's opening party from 5:30 to 7:30 offering complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drink specials.

I am very proud with what I am showing tonight, a sampling of all my work from over the years. The exhibit runs through January 6, 2010 so I do hope to add some of my latest experiments with graphic design {my better example of "design photography"} during that time. Also please note that I am very passionate about contributing to my home country of Cambodia. Proceeds from the sale of the prints of Cambodia will be donated to the Sharing Foundation. Their mission is to help meet the physical, emotional, educational and medical needs of orphaned and seriously disadvantaged children in Cambodia.

I hope you can make it tonight or any other night to enjoy a nice dinner as well. My recommendations are the pork tenderloin with fried onion rings and sweet carrots which taste just like sweet potatoes. Another favorite is the flatbread pizza with various options for toppings.

Banner photos above are thumbnails of prints being shown in the exhibit. See more of my work throughout this blog and flickr.

The Majestic Grille

145 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Ph +1.901.522.8555
Open 7 days a week

LOOK graphics and photos by Sophorn McRae. Photos of Majestic Grille from Majestic Grille.

Tasted: Rain Sushi Bar & Bistro

I am a proud midtowner but a few weeks ago my husband and I ventured out to the suburbs to try out a much hyped about Asian-owned restaurant in Cordova. I often crave my mom’s cooking so any Asian cuisine will have to compete with a high standard of authenticity and Rain didn’t do too badly. I must say everything had great flavor and was well prepared.

The sweet and spicy dipping sauce was a nice addition to the spring rolls. The Yakitori Trio featuring beef, chicken, and shrimp skewers was the perfect entrée for me. I really must compliment them on the avocado and shrimp pairing. Since they also featured French items, the crème brulee was an expected but welcome classic offering. I gave Christopher the honor of cracking the sugar shell a la the film Amelie. It was a nice and delicious end to the dinner.

See their full menu here.

Rain Premier Sushi Bar and Bistro
1250 N Germantown Pkwy #101
Cordova, TN 38016
Ph +1.901. 746.9455
http://rainmemphis.com
Open 7 Days a Week


All photos by Sophorn.

Slash and Ghost Stories

In anticipation of Halloween, I found the most fitting exhibits to the occasion from the Museum of Arts and Design. From Slash: Paper Under the Knife are two pieces that use laser cut technology.

"Theatre for Magicians" by Sara Shafiei and "Your House" by Olafur Eliasson.
Photos by Saraben Studio and kremo respectively.




From Ghost Stories: New Design from Nendo is the Fade-Out Chair pictured above made of synthetic material and rubber.

Photo by Masayuki Hayashi.

South Front Antique Market

This past weekend I parked in front of the South Front Antique Market to get to the River Arts Fest and then decided to stop in and browse the selection. I was looking for casters in particular and found more than I imagined. {All casters were $2.50 each.} See what other things caught my eye below.

Check it out this weekend! It's a pretty well-stocked showroom with nothing I would call junk. Although not listed on their website, they have furniture too.

South Front Antique Market

374 South Front Street {Downtown}

Memphis, TN 38103

ph +1.901.229.0299 or +1.901.527.0109

info@southfrontantiques.com

Click here for website.

{ Store Hours } Tuesday to Saturday ~ 10 am to 4:30 pm

Photos by Sophorn.

Fave Find For My Girls

Love this collection from Nervous System. The 2 necklaces and bracelet shown are machine cut to create designs you wouldn't expect from a flexible material like the rubber or felt used here. Their etsy shop will be a definite visit to find gifts for all the fabulous ladies I know.

Found via Design Milk. Photos from Nervous System website.

River Arts Fest ~ Don't Miss Day 2

Day 1 of the River Arts Fest in the South Main Arts District was definitely the highlight of downtown yesterday. Today should be another gorgeous day to shop for great art and crafts and to enjoy live music. Below are my highlights from yesterday to definitely check out.

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Urban Folk Art by Anthony Pack / Booth located near Ernestine and Hazel's /Just as I was admiring these whimsical creations, Anthony Pack was just awarded a prize for Best in Show {I believe that is the prize name). It was well-deserved. I do love the collection even the handcrafted wooden sign.

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Serena Kojimoto Studio / Booth located near Ernestine and Hazel's /A jewelry booth was not rare so I passed many of them after a quick glance but this particular booth made me stop to admire. The orange and blue colors were the real eye-catchers. It would go great with all the black I wear.

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CrepeMaker / The Opulence Entree Crepe ~ Chicken, Artichoke Hearts, and Spinach / They had such a great selection of entree and dessert crepes. I only had time to try the Opulence crepe shown below. I am definitely going back for one of the dessert crepes though.

Photos by Sophorn.

To Be Heard ~ Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe Presents Boxing Unformed / My Lunch with Randy

For 18 years, the non-profit group Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe has given a voice to those dealing with mental illness and the topic of mental health. Their latest production speaks about schizophrenia in a comedic way. The back and forth conversation that can be likened to a boxing match is to be heard and definitely to be seen. See details from the group below.

Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe presents Boxing Unformed / My Lunch with Randy a “post-modern comedy” that explores living with schizophrenia through dance, theatrical image-making and improvisation.

Upcoming Performances
October 23 and 24 ~ 8 pm
October 25 ~ 3 pm
At TheatreWorks, 2085 Monroe
General admission $10 and $8 for students and seniors.
Sunday matinees are pay-what-you- can shows.

For reservations or more information, call (901) 274-1000.
Visit them on the web here.

More Details
The production will be directed by company founder Bill Baker and was written by long-time troupe member Randy Youngblood. This will be the tenth collaboration between the two men, and it’s fair to say that the company’s experimental techniques have developed to a large part from Baker’s efforts to bring Youngblood’s challenging texts to the stage.

Written in a style that has been described as “seemingly random non sequiturs gaining in resonance and texture,” Youngblood’s scripts like Supergroups A+, (1999), Country Spacecraft Ballerina (2002), Good Time Speech (2003) and Broadminded Mental Brains (2005) have pushed the company to develop its uniquely collaborative style of rehearsal and performance.“We self-consciously sought to represent the creative encounters that bring these words from the pen to the stage,” Baker said. “As the two old friends meet over a meal to discuss the play, the company will become the words of the script through dance, theatrical image-making and improvisation, with emphasis on improvisation. We’re excited. No two shows will be exactly the same.”

Created in 1991, Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe is a non-profit organization working to empower people marginalized by mental illness and striving to engage our community in dialogue about mental health.

Another Way to Support Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe

What if Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our troupe? Now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and donate to OOVTT at the same time! It's easy and free.

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause or nonprofit organization! Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting Our Own Voice.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe as the charity you want to support.

Poster (pictured above) designed by Allison Hennie.

Motivational Mondays : Women are Heroes

I have featured the work of French photographer JR before when admiring the sheer size and unique application of his portraits, but today his work is admired for using his art to uplift the spirits of some of poorest people in this world. Specifically, his latest exhibit “Women are Heroes” speaks volumes about how important women are in the success of its people. I say this, not necessarily as a woman, but more as a mother. It reminds me of the statement Dress for Success Memphis uses in defining the importance of helping women become self-sufficient. When a woman / a mother is changed, a child is changed; and as our future, our community will be changed, for the better.


His photos enliven the slums of Kibera in Naiobi, Kenya. Trains, buses, walls and rooftops become the gallery space.

On many levels his photos help the village. As the photos are printed on water-resistant vinyl, they also help provide a layer of protection over the loosely laid rooftops.

He has also had the portraits of women installed in Cambodia (as in photo below), India, and Brazil.

Below is a trailer from the first film from JR currently titled “Women are Heroes.” It is to be released in 2010.

JR - EXTRAIT "WOMEN ARE HEROES", Kibera, Kenya
by JR

Related Links JR Website / Ode Magazine Article

Photos from JR Website. All Rights Reserved.

Drifting Creatives ~ The Interview

I'd like to welcome today's guests Gavin Braman and Martin Hooper of driftingcreatives, a mobile design firm, featured in yesterday's Motivational Monday because of their adventurous spirit in making the most out of their situation. They would have been featured even if we had not crossed paths during their detour to Memphis for the national AIGA conference MAKE I THINK last week. This interview though likely springs from having them stay as upstairs guests and, I guess, researching everything possible about them before trusting them with the key to our apartment :) The questions I formed during the search are below.

When did you graduate / what was the date of the very first video "day zero"? {see previous posting to see video.}
Day zero was May 20th about 3 days after we walked across the stage (may17th?). Day 1 (first day on the road) was three days later.

I am sure you've already thought about this but it seems that working with clients with the use of the internet and email with graphic design can probably be done remotely without ever meeting face to face, why are you traveling? What are the advantages?
We work remotely on most projects, even if we connect with a client in a city we pass through, we typically finish the project remotely. We travel because we can! The mobility of design is really incredible because as designers we need to experience as much as we can. We're always exposed to problems in new fields/professions/cultures/environments/cities/etc. We solve them through research and experience. Traveling is just a tool.

We also travel to meet designers around the country. The number of people we've been able to meet and talk with in the last four months has taught us more than any experience in our life so far. Hopefully we're giving a broad perspective of what kind of design is out there for students. Sometimes it's good to get outside the comfort ring and explore. We're just trying to make it easier for that to happen.

I can see networking is probably one of the answers to that. How important is that to your business?
Networking is KING. Without twitter this whole trip wouldn't have been possible. Since we haven't done any direct advertising for ourselves, nearly every every cent that has gone into DC has been the result of some sort of networking. Every person we meet, online or in person, has the potential to blossom into a very awesome connection. It's definitely important to our business, but it's also just awesome to build relationships across the country. We've made some great friends.

What are some interesting observations you've made or things you've learned maybe from only being out on the road?
We've grown incredibly as designers, but we are most inspired by the amazing nature of people. Everyone has been unbelievably nice, welcoming, trusting, supportive, and we are amazed every day by how generous people can be. (Minus the person in Memphis that broke into our car and stole our gps, although we have to thank you for not stealing our computers.)

How do you plan what cities to visit?
The first round we didn't really plan very well at all. We just kind of got in the car and left, we had a few cities that we knew we wanted to stop in but other than that our travel was really organic. i.e. "Where do you want to go today?"

Since this system obviously had its draw backs we decided to switch it up a bit on the second round. We set up a Google map and asked people to put a pin in it if they had one of three things, a place to sleep, a designer/firm to meet with, or a little work to help us out. This worked out wonderfully and we ended up with a loop around the U.S.

You've visited large cities and small but I like how you stressed the small town concept of needing smart design? Have they been receptive?
Most of the towns we've visited have been very confused not only by what we're doing but by design in general. That being said we've done a few jobs in small towns, but most of the time you strike out. On the other hand, some of our remote work comes from small towns in Texas. People in small towns need smart design and are willing to trust you, but that relationship can't always be built in three days. It takes a while for business owners in small towns to come around to what design can do for them.

Do you take suggestions for places to visit? The small town-design need idea above reminds me of the architecture projects in one of the poorest counties in Alabama via the work of the architecture students at Rural Studio. I would suggest that Newbern and Greensboro where the Rural Studio mainly works, as a place you should visit and maybe collaborate with them on a project.
When we started the second round we took suggestions of places to visit, we're not sure when round three will happen but if it does we'll make sure to check it out.

What's the greatest motivation to take on an "adventure" like this? If money, name the 2nd :)
The "adventure" part of the trip was a big factor for both of us. We also really wanted to help students like us. We had no idea what design looked like around the country and we wanted to help ourselves and other students learn and grow. Money isn't on the list!

Does one of you work in the car during the drive? Do you have any drive time where you are both looking for ways to pass the time? Do you play the typical road games or do you play any innovative road games that only graphic designers would only create?
Most of the time, the person in the passenger seat is drawing or working. We don't really play too many games. We also spend time talking about the most random subjects you could ever imagine. We're going to continue to operate as a firm when we get back home, so we have a lot of time to talk about business also. Here are a couple of silly videos of us in the car — a little word association among other randomness in the car and some terrible singing

Who takes the great photograph series of you guys holding the laptops?
Gavin is the photographer, usually with the help of our backpacks in a pile and a timer.Our original promo pictures were done by our good friend Savannah Smith.

What was the result of your "guerilla graphic design" exercise with the massage studio? Did they contact you and take you up on the new logos? Would you do that again? {click here and see posting "Take these Logos"}
We never heard from them, it was just for our entertainment though. We had been cold calling all day and needed a little creative excitement. We might do it again, it was fun.

Martin, how will getting married affect this endeavor? Well, as of now, we have about six days left on the road. Right now there are no def. plans for Round Three, but you never know. My fiancé is really understanding about what I'm doing so if I can't video chat one night, she normally forgives me. We're setting up our own firm and we'll probably stay put 10 months out of the year, I think she's okay with that. haha

***

Thanks for the interview Gavin and Martin. You're welcome to stay upstairs apartment anytime you're in Memphis {if it's not rented of course.} Also thanks for the cool t-shirts you left for us.

You can buy the t-shirt pictured above here to help them on their adventure or donate here.

Contact
driftingcreatives / driftingcreatives@gmail.com
Martin Hooper / mhooper627@gmail.com
Gavin Braman / gavinbraman@gmail.com
On Twitter @driftcreate
http://www.driftingcreatives.com/

Photos from driftingcreatives.

Motivational Mondays: Drifting Creatives

Instead of sitting around waiting for work, these recent graduates are taking life and their career in their own hands, and as designers are doing it a little bit differently and more creatively. See their introductory video explaining the idea behind Drifting Creatives and stay tuned for my interview with creative duo Martin Hooper and Gavin Braman.

Also see their previous feature in Process Magazine here.

To Crave ~ SOLE Restaurant / Downtown Memphis

Here's a sneak peek into the food feature on one of Memphis' newest restaurant SOLE restaurant and raw bar. The full feature will have my interview with executive chef Mathew Crone. Stay tuned.

Don't miss their Lobster Bake this Saturday night 10/10/09. Get a salad or lobster bisque and a whole lobster wtih peruvian potatoes, almond cole slaw and corn fritters for just $29.

Entrance to SOLE from Westin Lobby {with Atticus, the blur, in the foreground} and the Field Greens Salad ~candied pecans, goat cheese, crispy yams & caramelized shallot vinaigrette.

Springer Mountain Chicken Breast ~crispy polenta cake, collard greens & poultry jus. Everything was perfect. The polenta cake was the surprise favorite.

The bar and stock. Quite the selection.

SOLE restaurant and raw bar

At the Westin Hotel across from the FedEx Forum

221 South Third Street

Memphis, TN 38103

ph +1.901.334.5950

f +1.901.334.5959

Website and Menu

On Twitter

Special thanks to Sheetal, SOLE Director of Sales and Catering.
All photos by Sophorn.

Capturing Pure Happiness

Going higher, higher, and higher in the ferris wheel at Memphest 2009.

Photo by Sophorn.

Inside the {Logo} Design ~ Buck Daddy Blog / Part 3 / Experimentation

Even though I had initial ideas in my head, I started by just looking at the letterforms in a sans serif font {myriad} in black and gray to distill the big ideas and changing them virtually one change at a time to make sure I am as thorough with displaying, for the purpose of this posting, all design directions as possible. I wanted the printed letters/words to inform me of any ideas or to just show me that something for sure doesn't work.

None of these are refined but just one step into an idea, enough to help the client decide whether it should be further explored and refined. Below is the first series.



What's distilled} The gray starts to show the idea for a highlighting color which means the words can move closer together. Conceptually, it also seems to make more sense that the word "DADDY" should be in a bright color since it relates more obviously to kids. The all-capital letters helps clean up the logo, especially when you zoom out or squint. The squint test: it's a test I use to see if the silhouette is appealing and shaping up nicely.



What's distilled} The image of the father tossing a child up in the air is a familiar one that's usually associated with dads and always makes me smile. Conveying a good emotion is always a good thing. I will need to refine the image if it continues to be explored.



What's distilled} The evolvement of the vertical stack is definitely cleaner towards the bottom right. I see more potential with this series than the previous ones.

What's distilled} This series is a bit bleak since I don't have a large catalog of fonts to choose from, and I don't know if I have the time to create a custom font. I definitely don't think the thin font conveys the right message of strength, do you?

What's distilled} This series is where I started with ideas for the mark first to help inform the rest of the logo. I understand the text bubble symbol is commonly used for blogs and communication logos but I wanted to see if it was appropriate and if it could be done from a fresh perspective. The bottom symbol doubles the message since it also looks like a computer screen.

I haven't experimented yet with 3-D options. I want to wait for Buck's comments about the series above first. Please feel free to share your thoughts too.

Stay tuned for Part 4 / Either Refining Ideas or More Experimentation and Studies.