Digital: Audience Participation

These days, social strategy should be part of every one’s growth plan. From crowd-sourced content to rewarding five minutes of fame, every brand is hoping to engage using digital technology, beyond the sweeps of yesteryear.

Here are a few snapshots of Forever 21‘s Time Square store. The video loop on their LED screens is playful, engaging and larger than life. Models “walk” up to the screen, summon the crowd then take a Polaroid shot of the street, capturing everyone who’s a fan. Remarkably, hundreds of people are willing to wait through the five minute loop to see themselves on the big screen, over and over again.

Just across the street, the monolithic LED screen that belongs to American Eagle takes a similar approach, merging their customers, twitter and a branded photo booth. Developed by the brains at RGA, customers can have their picture taken with a short caption and it will scroll down the outside of the building. Not only do the photos make their debut in Times Square, they’re also easy to share using a computer or mobile device.

Keeping with the theme of models trapped inside their own advertisements, Lara Stone‘s most recent billboard for Calvin Klein located at Lafayette and Houston is as engaging as it gets for still imagery. Similar to Forever 21’s loop, her proportions are skewed, slightly edgy and entirely engaging.

March 7, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Digital: Patterns Overtake Times Square

A few years ago, while sitting in a creative meeting at Renegade, a digital marketing agency here in New York, a design colleague gave a presentation on Sao Paulo’s no advertising policy, blowing all of our minds. We all thought, “how could that be? No ads, not anywhere?! Amazing.”

Fast forward, as this idea recently seeded a digital collaboration between great minds here in NY. Morgan Spurlock, of Super Size Me, The Barbarian Group and the creative team at Aviary made it their mission to create a website with the intent purpose of removing all visual advertising from Times Square, entitled No Ad NY.

While the advertising is arguably the kitsch appeal of this commercial hub, the idea is fun and inviting- so much so, that I took a few of my own patterns and tossed them into the spread. Have a look, play around, and make some of your own designs- the final results will look like life-sized presents.

February 17, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

New York: Michael Riedel's Text Displays

Michael Riedel is known for using text as his source material and utilizing a wide range of media to examine interesting effects. His latest exhibition features silk-screened “poster paintings,” which were created by accessing websites where his works were mentioned.

By first highlighting, then copy and pasting the text into InDesign, the words appear in a linear but nonsensical order. Included are algorithmic commands, search keywords, and links, intermixed with miscellaneous sentences on the artist, copyright phrases, and contact information. The portions are affixed with circular shapes that resemble the ever-dreaded spinning wheel computers display when processing too much information at once.

The posters are hung on wallpaper covered in text from the gallery’s website creating an interesting text-based art experience. The quirky and playful title, a pangram generally used display typefaces and to test typewriters and computer keyboards, is used here to underscore the staccato relationship between text, canvas, paper, and architecture. For more info, click here.

Opening: February 17th 6:00 PM – 8:00pm

David Zwirner
533 W. 19th Street
New York, NY 10011

February 16, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Color: Opposites Attract

On this day of love, what could be more fun than pairing two non-related/related pictures side by side? Incorporating red, wine, green, black and cream, both Tori Higa and Daniel Canogar capture the essence of each sex in each of their layouts. Higa’s mixed media greeting card is a combination of feminine line paired with vintage fabric. In an alternate space, Canogar’s digital exhibit, Trace, uses light, color and technology to engage the viewer. Going beyond the tangible, it’s fun to see these styles bounce off one another. They’re more similar and more different with each glance.

February 14, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Repetition Elsewhere: Test Your Color Sense

We all know how fun and interactive optical illusions can be. From stark and colorless to busy and vibrant, a design well done catches your eye like a sneak attack. Recently featured in Creativity Magazine, Dentsu London’s collaboration with Professor Kitaoka, an industry great, and Wallpaper Magazine has yielded some fabulous results. Check out the project here.

February 10, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Evening Projections

After returning from the Alt Design Summit, it was fairly evident that incorporating ‘surprising’ touches into your party planning is a very big deal. I’m no stranger to this concept, as I’m often hired to design content for branded activities, however the DIY spirit was in full effect, reminding me to keep a few things off the adobe punch list.

Using digital technology, projections and a starry night theme, all of the imagery above overlaps in one way or another. Casting gem-like projections on back-lit silhouettes, this party, from the pages of Elle Decor proves that subtlety can be elegant and luxurious. Keeping with the color scheme of blue and white, Sofitel, the luxury hotel chain evokes a Peter Pan-like mood with floating pillows. Applying this concept to an enormous symphony hall ceiling, Departures Magazine shares a the stunning results of a concert fueled video projection.

February 1, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik