Posts written by Bill Powell

Yesterday, we happened across this great video featuring Michael Bierut of Pentagram—designers of some of the world’s most famous brands. I enjoyed the way he breaks down the four different types of logos

1. Wordmark
2. Pictoral
3. Abstract iconography
4. Logo system

And his comparison of a logo design to a swimming contest instead of a diving competition? Pretty brilliant.

It’s not what kind of splash you make when you hit the water. It’s how long you keep your head above that water. —Michael Bierut

Now if only we could design another swoosh and find a client to invest in marketing it the way Nike did. Though the $35 was probably nice for a student’s budget, and the Tiffany ring was undoubtedly beautiful, I’m glad she eventually received something more as a token of their appreciation.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” –Pablo Picasso

Are our souls just way too dusty? I recently came across a video that got me thinking. Is there too much great stuff out there? Are we so overly-programmed to tune out stimuli from meaningless and unverified sources that we will ignore great work when presented to us?

World-renowned and notorious artist Banksy set up an experiment recently on a street in New York. He offered his work for $60 and hired an older man to sit at the booth all day to see if he would find any buyers. For perspective, Banksy’s work Keep it Spotless went for $1.8 million in 2008.

Would you pay $60 for a Banksy?

Another similar sting operation was set up in a subway station in Washington D.C. with famous violinist Joshua Bell… would you stop to listen –would it even phase you?

Check out this article from bloomberg.com for more on art vs. hype.

Among the numerous things that fill a normal week with work, family, exercise and the occassional game on my iPhone is the routine of catching a TED talk.

If you’re not familiar with TED. From the TED website –”TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. ”

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Yesterday I received this unique 15% off “gift” from my favorite store, Anthropologie, wishing me a happy birthday. I must say it stood out and has remained front and center on my desk since. I admire the uniqueness and relish the value of this customer touch point.

Not only was the gift timely, relevant and personal but it reminded me of the experience I enjoy each time I visit the store, and the satisfaction I’ve had with each purchase.

Next week Bill and I head to Indy for the ExactTarget Connections convention. I’m not a huge shopper, especially when it comes to clothing, however my plans for this weekend will include a visit to the St. Louis Galleria Anthropologie store. I need a new outfit for the convention and this unique gift has intrigued my interest to see what’s new. You can bet the color orange will be somewhere in the mix and I’ll be wearing my new Happy Birthday / candle necklace as an accessory.