states united

Despite my avoidance of politics, I am fascinated by designers who create pieces inspired by the government. Take Greg Beauchamp, for example, and his stunning States United - inspired by Barack Obama's following words:

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Beauchamp also has an advertising documentary out, Art & Copy that I'd love to see.

What really struck me in the Creativity article is the idea behind the work. His goal is for States United to reach Obama directly via online word-of-mouth. The point, should he succeed: everyday citizens have the capacity to grab the president's attention.

the ferrari of vending machines

Let's face it: vending machines are ugly. Stuck in the 80s, the cheap and clunky machines make me want to go Office Space on them.

Until I read an article in W's January issue about U*tique, the self-proclaimed luxury vending machine that made its debut at Fred Segal this month.

Each U*tique will tout 50 products at a time, relevant to its location. Some featured partners thus far include: Lancome, Bliss, C.O. Bigelow, Smashbox, and Vosges Chocolate.

What's really cool? Product reviews and ingredient information are available at the touch of your fingertips.

For the most part, their intentions seem on par. I'm skeptical that consumers will forgo traditional shopping venues for the nearest U*tique. I'm also surprised by the company's seven-page press release announcing the product launch.

Nonetheless, I'm all for aesthetic upgrades. So long D16, hello 21st century.

design in the future

Photo from ReForm School / Home Ec

Advertising Age's Lenore Skenazy posted an article today featuring a chat with futurist Richard Watson and his predicted trends that will affect marketing. I was elated to see Watson's second insight: physical design will become "infinitely more important."

Why? Well...

First: It's hard to get anyone's attention with an ad, so the product has to do the attention grabbing. Another reason for the ascendancy of product design: the aging population. If seniors can't open it, hold it, press it or use it, your product will miss a huge market.

One small step for marketing, one giant leap for designers everywhere.