STEPHANIE ORMA :: travel, arts, & design writer

Design enthusiasts from around the world gathered in San Francisco on September 16th for the 2nd annual Brand New Conference – the logo and identity event hatched from Bryony Gomez-Palacio’s and Armin Vit’s wildly popular Brand New blog. Eager to peek into the brand-making process by industry trailblazers and pocket juicy creative nuggets, the well-turned-out set received an ear and eye-full of inspiration from: Vince Frost of Frost Design; Christopher Simmons of MINE™, Paddy Harrington of Bruce Mau, Marina Willer of Wolff Olins, Jonathan Notaro of Brand New School, Claudia Boggio and Alfredo Burga of Infinito, Ben Barry and Everett Katigbak of Facebook, and Matteo Bologna of Mucca Design.

Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio opening Brand New Conference 2011 - photo credit Steve Maller

For designer and speaker Paddy Harrington, Armin Vit’s opening design-year-in-review was most memorable. In the same refreshingly honest wit as his blog, the design writer rehashed (for better or worse) a slew of noteworthy identity reveals including Time Warner, the Big Ten, CNN, Comedy Central, Starbucks, JC Penny, and PetCo. “I loved how Armin covered well-known and possibly lesser-known identities. I also loved that he included the My Little Pony redesign,” shares Harrington.

Read my full article on the awesome design blog IMPRINT.

Don’t mess with college football fans, their beer, their nachos or their…graphic design? There’s been big controversy buzzing on the web since Pentagram unveiled the redesign of the new Big Ten logo. To put it lightly, it was far from a touchdown with sports fans. Although I risk being severely tackled by football fans in my opposing opinion, I play defense in my latest article for Fast Company. Check out my article here.

Image courtesy Pentagram

Orma Design & Communications recently helped Tiburon, California kick-off the Shop Local campaign, ShopTiburon. Via branding, blog design and PR, we’re spreading the word that Tiburon is the BEST little town on the San Francisco Bay.

With charm reminiscent of quaint New England fishing villages and world-class views rivaling the most scenic European vistas, Tiburon is an oft-overlooked travel destination. Why visit? The rich, green rolling hills, the deep blues of the SF Bay, the breathtaking million dollar homes – all coupled with unparalleled views of the Golden Gate Bridge, city skyline and Angel Island.

But don’t take it from us, follow ShopTiburon for the most buzz-worthy news, events, and happenings in town. Or better yet, come visit and see for yourself!

From low-budgets to rush jobs to piss-poor project management, every designer has one time or another faced the inevitable, “I need a logo (brochure, website, etc.) done ASAP” scenario. Depending on the designers’ work situation, some can simply choose to decline these projects.

But for many full-time designers, this “rushing creative” is a very real and necessary part of their job requirement. So when asked to “just slap a design together” or “crank it out,” how do we as designers maintain our standards and integrity when a logo must be created in three hours? Or a website in a day? And for that matter, can we?

In this article, Stephanie Orma, a graphic design herself, hangs her head out the drive-through window and shares her personal experience, tips, and advice on how to handle the “hurry-up and be creative” demands of the graphic design industry.

READ FULL ARTICLE: Smashing Magazine