Summer Olympics 2012

London 2012 Olympics LogoSummer is just around the corner, and that means that the Summer Olympics are too (July 27 – August 12). I just received an enewsletter from BrandsoftheWorld.com and I was reading about all the hype surrounding the logo created for the games held in London, England this year. According to www.spiked-online.com, criticism about the logo include: “the design sucks. It’s just too difficult to read the numbers ‘2012’. They are barely distinguishable as jagged, cut-out shapes, and the colours are garish. Meanwhile, the Olympic rings… have been shrunk to a tiny detail and treated in a single colour.” You are welcome to read the entire article here to get all the juicy details.

A couple of years ago we wrote a blog post about historical olympic logos and we asked what your favorite logo was. I’m curious what your thoughts are on this latest Olympic logo! I had a look at the ticket design for the games as well, and I can honestly say that I quite like them! I love the bright colours and I think that they have echoed the “jagged, cut-out shapes” and “garish” colours quite nicely in the design! Your thoughts?2012 Olympics Tickets

View them here

Jian Ghomeshi – Pop Culture

CBC Radio

I was invited to The Ambassador Hotel in Kingston last week to hear a speech about Pop Culture. Who better to do that than Jian Ghomeshi, radio host of Q, CBC’s national arts magazine show http://www.cbc.ca/qIt was a very interesting conversation about “new media”. Being in the communications field I found this to be very interesting! He mentioned that the “new world is new media”, as it always has been. Thinking back, twelve years ago Facebook, U-tube, Google and Twitter all did not exist. Change is everywhere around us and we cannot predict the future. There is an immediacy about Pop Culture that didn’t exist before, and today we are harnessing it for political and social change.

He spoke about the classroom in the Philippines he was visiting recently. He was given an opportunity to teach the children all averaging about 7 years old. Not only was the language barrier and issue, so was the socio-economic barriers that he was facing. Funny story is that after mentioning he was from Canada, one student at the back of the room said “Bieber”…..as in Justin Bieber…..and yes! …an instant connection was made. Where it seemed hopeless at first, Pop Culture allowed him to connect with these students from a very different world. Very cool.

Creativity in Education was a topic highlighted as well. Jian referenced that employers today are looking for renaissance people. “You are your own unique brand, follow your passions and don’t be afraid to be a unique and individual person…all of this drives your brand”. I found this to be very interesting as we apply this to branding philosophy at Engine. It is nice to see personal and professional lines blurred.

Jian finished with the importance of “the pause”. We live in a world where everything is moving at such a break-neck speed that it is time to slow down and listen. “Part of listening is the pause. Listen and let the person finish speaking. The most amazing things can happen”. Well said.

It’s that time of year!

Well, it’s that time of year! I was excited this morning when I received an e-newsletter from Pier 1 Imports for their annual Unicef Christmas card design contest for children. I make a point of buying these cards every year. Christmas is a special time for family, and we all want a safe world for children to live in. UNICEF is the leading charitable organization dedicated to just this main goal. Children are our future, and what a wonderful way of spreading the message of the tireless efforts of UNICEF. Download the entry form and add your child’s Christmas card design and they could be the next Unicef artist for 2011. Good luck to all!

Unicef Canada

GAP Logo Controversy

This holiday weekend while online I saw an article about the new GAP logo that was revealed on October 4th and the criticism the popular retailer is receiving for it. Now that I’ve had a chance to compare the two logos, I think that I am partial to the old one, only because it is what I grew up with. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of happy days and buying cool clothes…..it brings me back to my University days. I guess I’m not the only one feeling this way. According to the Yahoo article this morning, this comment from a Facebook user is typical of the online response: “By changing it, you’ve completely destroyed what it took 20-plus years to build.” I wonder what is the average age of those who dislike the new logo. I’m curious…which one do you prefer?

Check out the article!

– Kathy

Hungary Disaster

First thing this morning my full attention was on Hungary and the toxic sludge disaster that happened yesterday. My relatives live in Budapest. My Aunt said that the Magyar Aluminum factory’s residue reservoir burst 160 km Southwest of Budapest and millions of cubic feet of toxic sludge spilled into the streets of the town of Devescer, and two neighboring towns. The sludge contains lye, which eats through everything. Six people are missing and another eight are in critical condition suffering from chemical burns, with more to be expected. According to the Daily Telegraph this morning in some places the torrent, which swept cars off roads and damaged bridges, was eight feet deep. With contamination this extensive, everything will need to be scraped up and shipped away once neutralized.

The biggest danger is the sludge seeping into the water supply. My Aunt said that one river is already pink and if it gets into Raba, Tisza and at the end Duna (Danube) then it would be disastrous, effecting many countries. Business week says that following the Marcal, the contamination would reach the Danube at Gyor (my sister taught English there for two years…it’s a beautiful little town), about halfway between Vienna and Budapest. The river reaches Croatia about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of the Hungarian capital, then travels through Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine and Romania before reaching the Black Sea.

The country has declared a state of emergency and could take up to 12 months and tens of millions of dollars to clean up and is considered to be “an ecological disaster” that is “unprecedented” in the world. My heart is with Hungary today.

Business Week Article

– Kathy

TIFF – Lights, Camera, Action!

I seem to have a movie theme this week. The big news for avid movie-goers is that the 35th Toronto International Film Festival is under way. It opened  September 9th and runs to the 19th. The Festival showcases more than 300 films from across the globe, with a diverse selection of titles for you to explore. Festival programming is divided into programmes this year to help guide your choices. Visit www.tiff.net to get the latest news from the festival along with daily film schedules and ticket and package information if you are thinking about attending the festival. You can also join their Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/TIFF, and follow them on Twitter http://www.tiff.net/twitter for everything TIFF – enjoy the shows!

– Kathy

The Social Network Movie

While watching television last night I saw the movie trailer for The Social Network movie in theaters October 1st, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and directed by David Fincher. It’s a story of the conception of Facebook – two friends – one a computer genius and the other a business expert – who began the wildly popular website that now has millions of followers, including myself. I actually don’t know anyone who is not on Facebook these days, do you? I am really looking forward to seeing the movie. I can’t even comprehend how one could go from being a student to being a billionaire in less than one year, at the age of 22. I think that’s simply amazing. Here is the movie trailer and the official website for you to view:

The Social Network – Movie Trailer

http://thesocialnetwork-movie.com/

– Kathy

Facebook – An Outlet For Narcissists?

While on lunch today I was reading an interesting article on Yahoo about Facebook. According to an article by Andy Blatchford of The Canadian Press, a new study of Canadian University students suggests that Facebook is a magnet for narcissists and people with low self-esteem.

The article states that people who have a low self-esteem or who are narcissistic spend more time on the popular social networking site than those people who have adequate levels of self-worth. Apparently, the surveys were conducted two years ago, and the findings were published last month in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. An interesting comparison was also made between male and female Facebook users and how they promote themselves differently.

With Facebook having an estimated 500 million users, 16 million of those being Canadians I find the results of this study very interesting. The article ends with this question: “Is it that narcissists are more likely to use Facebook, or people who use Facebook are more likely to become narcissists?”

I’m curious – what are your thoughts? Here is the link to view the article:

While on lunch today I was reading an interesting article on Yahoo about Facebook. According to an article by Andy Blatchford of The Canadian Press,  a new study of Canadian University students suggests that Facebook is a magnet for narcissists and people with low self-esteem. The article goes on to state that people who are low on self esteem or who are narcissistic spend more time on the popular social networking site than those people who have adequate levels of self worth. Apparently, the surveys were conducted two years ago, and the findings were published last month in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. An interesting comparison was also made between male and female Facebook users and how they promote themselves differently. With Facebook having an estimated 500 million users, 16 million of those being Candians I find the results of this study very interesting. The article ends with this question: “Is it that narcissists are more likely to use Facebook, or people who use Facebook are more likely to become narcissists?” I’m curious – what are your thoughts? Here is the link to view the article:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100907/national/facebook_narcissists_insecure

– Kathy

Summer Holidays

It’s summertime and you know what that means – summer holidays! I had the best vacation last week. I went to Minden (near Haliburton) and spent my days relaxing by the water on South Lake while spending time with close friends. I noticed that on long drives I like to read the signs that are dotted along the side of the highway – they are good reading material! While driving back through Bancroft, I decided to try find the Tim Horton’s, which was harder than it sounds. While I was sitting in the drive-through I saw the Be Realistic Not A Statistic sign we designed for the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit. What a nice surprise! That’s not it, though. I also saw another sign we designed while driving South on 62 towards Belleville – Speeding Costs You Deerly (another Health Unit initiative). Very cool. It’s nice to see the work we do actually put to use out in the public. It made me feel good. Needless to say I took pictures of both for you to view. I hope enjoy the rest of your summer!

—Kathy

Fabric Printing

One of my favourite resources, Colourlovers is offering something very cool. Have you ever wanted your custom designs printed onto high quality fabric? Well, now you can! They have partnered with Spoonflower, an on-demand fabric printer that allows people to design, print and sell their own fabric designs. This is perfect for all you artsy types – you know who you are. Why not have your favorite designs printed onto fabric instead of paper! I’m thinking … I need new wall art…and curtains…and pillows….the possibilities are endless! I like how print design is overlapping with interior design today.

Browse any pattern on ColourLovers to purchase it in fabric form, or visit the Spoonflower site to check out all they have to offer.

As their website states, Spoonflower digitally prints using eco-friendly, water-based pigment inks on natural fiber textiles. No additional chemicals are used in the printing or preparation process. I love it!

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—Kathy