There’s something surreal about sipping on your morning coffee and reading the newspaper to see a local story on the front page with a logo you designed prominently displayed in the photo. This is how I started my day today.

About three years ago, we designed a logo and complete brand identity system for a proposed state of the art sports training, medicine and therapy complex in Burnaby called The MultiSport Centre of Excellence. After years of delays, the construction has finally begun with a ground-breaking ceremony.

Congratulations to all involved in the project!

If you’re in any field related to art or design, you very likely know who Syd Mead is—the artist primarily responsible for the look and feel of influential movies such as Aliens, Blade Runner, Tron and others. Well, as a volunteer on the SIGGRAPH board I had been sent to run a couple errands for an event we’re hosting tonight and it was a bit of a surreal jolt for me yesterday as I realized that I not only had film cans in the back of my car containing a print of Blade Runner: The Final Cut but that Syd Mead himself was sitting in the passenger seat next to me after picking him up at the airport. Wow. On the ride into town I found Mr. Mead to be warm, charming and with a terrific sense of humour. You can hear and meet the “Visual Futurist” yourself at tonight’s event in Vancouver—including watching Blade Runner in a large theatre the way it was meant to be viewed with its Art Director in the audience.

Information and tickets available online at www.siggraph.ca.

A few days ago a brand planner in New York named Noah Brier launched a simple new site called Brand Tags that explores public perception of brands by inviting visitors to input whatever pops into their mind when shown various logomarks. The result is a series of tag clouds specifically around particular brand identities and the results are rather interesting indeed. It’s actually rather fun for those of us in the business of researching, analyzing and developing brands and brand language—and a good reminder that brands really only exist in people’s heads and are whatever they say it is.

A good friend of mine, Brendan – originally from Vancouver but now in Cambridge via Australia and Senegal, wrote a great article on the perspective he’s gained from being a Canadian abroad. It’s a great read that I encourage all of you, but especially Canadians, to read. I wish I was that eloquent and I encourage you to share your thoughts.

That’s right, I’m blogging about American Idol. Deal with it. I watch it in passing (never longer then 30 seconds at a time) with the same fascination that I watch my dog lose a fight with a chain saw or my left foot hacked up for human sashimi. A lot of my pent up anger and frustration with process and seemingly endless praise for mediocre wanna-be B level cocktail lounge crooners stems from the fact that the contestants aren’t very good.

There’s a musical term called Melisma which is singing one syllable on more then one note. There’s a great article in the New York Times (2003) called The State of American Singing As Heard on ‘I-I-I-I-I-I-Idol that compares classic singers (Ray Charles) to every modern wanna be on their use of melisma’s. It’s an interesting take on the comparison between good and god-awful new and old.

Finally! Someone who illustrates and writes bedtime stories for adults. Check out - The Museum of Modern Fiction, a blog site created by Josef Lee. It’s dark humour for others, but just right for IBC. Sweet dreams!

Thanks JK Chan again for sharing.

Milan, 20.04.2008 - Wolda, the Worldwide Logo Design Annual, announces the distinguished panel of 30 independent judges that will select the winning entries for its ‘08 inaugural edition, see www.wolda.org/judges.

This unique three-tier jury comprises ten design professionals selected by Icograda, ten marketing managers representing major international clients selected by Aquent and finally ten members of the public, representing the ultimate target market of consumers, selected by Consumers International.

Built on the success of Eulda, the European Logo Design Annual (which it replaces), Wolda is the high-profile graphic design award scheme that rewards the best logos and trademarks designed throughout the world. The winners are selected by an international three-tier jury consisting of 10 top design professionals, 10 marketing managers from major international clients and finally 10 members of the public (provided respectively by the worldwide organizations Icograda, Aquent and Consumers International).

For more information: http://www.wolda.org

I blogged about controlling websites through video a while back but knew it was only a matter of time until someone used the same technology with a really hot girl (or guy). Mentos KissCam does a pretty decent job. I won’t ruin it for you but it’s worth a look even if the page takes forever to load. (warning - you will need a video camera attached to your computer for this site to work). Don’t worry, if you can’t get your lips to do the trick, you can always use your hands!

Did you hear about the corduroy pillows?

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You know you’re cool when you can read these “Command” posters made by Atmostheory.

I love vynl, bring back the LPs back to the mainstream - OK, back to reality. I found this BEAUTIFUL company producing not only great sonic performance beyond all expectations normally associated with their price but are extraordinarly sexy turntables.

Visit their site.

One of my dearest friends Heitor Alvelos recently launched his blog, check them out.
He says “Some would (will) call it pretentious, sorry, it’s the way it pours - on the ever-precarious tightrope between the confessional and the universal. Visit:

Site one

Site two

Our Creative Director, Ben Garfinkel, is a lucky boy indeed. At approximately 11:30 pm on Sunday, April 27th, he and his wife Andrea welcomed their first child to the world: Lila Rose Bellamy Garfinkel.  There have already been hundreds of photos taken of this eight pound, bedimpled beauty, so keep an eye on Ben’s Flickr page for a set soon. Congratulations to Ben and Andrea from all their friends at Industrial.