Published by HarperCollins this book will feature the best product packaging designs from around the world. The submission is FREE, please visit www.crescenthillbooks.com for more details.
Deadline January 15, 2010
In this new book, Index Books would like to compile all sorts of graphic communication designed to promote a more sustainable lifestyle and alert about the risks of environmental pollution, the loss of biodiversity, the dangers of climate change, etc.
Index Books invites you to submit your projects for this book regarding subjects such as residue management and reduction, recycling, energy saving, water saving, renewable energies, responsible consumerism, responsible packaging, promotion and packaging of biological products, sustainable transport, eco-tourism, protection of species and ecosystems, etc.
Participation or having your work selected for Green Graphics is totally cost free on your part. Also, if your work is selected, we shall give you a free copy of the book.
Visit www.indexbook.com/new to find the participation requirements for this book - and other new titles - together with the authorization form which must be filled in.
Deadline to enter your submissions is 15 February 2010.
By Vivian Fransen
The creative team at Smith Design (www.smithdesign.com) recently worked closely with the leadership of Antoine Amrani Chocolates to develop every aspect of this brand — from the design and shapes of each chocolate’s custom mold to the brand’s identity, packaging and web site (www.aachocolates.com). After taking a look at these images on the home page, who can possibly resist the desire to taste these exquisite chocolates?
ADCNJ Member Martha Seidner reports that “not only is the packaging beautiful, it is environmentally friendly.” She notes that Smith Design researches and recommends environmentally sustainable solutions to their clients because “it’s important to us, our client and consumers who purchase natural, organic, and premium brands.”
Vivian Fransen is the Art Directors Club of New Jersey Public Relations Consultant. Vivian can be reached by email at vfransen@rcn.com.
Color Is A Designer's Best Friend
Pantone Gives a Sneak Preview of the Spring/Summer 2010 Color Forecast
By Laurie Pressman and Giovanni Marra
Creating excitement is key for designers. Now is the time to think about new avenues to take, new ways of doing things, and, most importantly, innovative approaches to design. As we all know, using color is a vital design element.
Consumers at every level are evaluating their purchasing choices more carefully. And what we do buy has to offer a real intrinsic sense of value. We all want to feel good about how we are spending our money. So, whether we are reaching for something that simply needs replacing or buying something new, a product’s perceived value to us is dictating many of these purchasing decisions. Consumers are reaching for things that will make them feel good — that is, things that will make them smile, feel stronger and more powerful, or feel calm and comforted.
Spring/Summer 2010 is forecasted to be a season of gentle contrasts. Surface and texture are important to create subtle differences in tone, including the use of color abstracted from nature and how it contrasts with urban aesthetics. Light and luminous hi-tech surfaces sit alongside naturally organic surfaces. Hazy, blurred, and chalky color contrasts with reflective, sharply minimal overexposed tones. Grainy matt surfaces are also important to create the impression of absorbed color.
Looking ahead, our forecast at Pantone includes the following highlights:
• Black will play a smaller role in Summer 2010. However, when it is used, whether appearing as a liquid solid or in patterns with special textures, a very strong black will create an area of intense darkness in its purest form. This potent shade is complemented by a more grayed out, shadowy, and muted shade of black.
• Blue is the color of constancy. With the world in turmoil, we can count on blue to bring us a more calming effect. Ranging from the whimsical blues to those that are more tranquil, blue in all its shades and variations takes on increased importance for Summer 2010.
• Green, influenced by the environmental green movement, can be used for multiple markets and applications. Many dimensions of green — ranging from grass and lime greens that are more vibrant to the more yellowed and subdued shades of green — are desirable.
• Purple, the most enigmatic of all colors that combines the excitement of red and
the tranquility of blue, is used in tonal combinations to make a dramatic and impactful statement.
• Brown represents all of the nurturing, lifesustaining, down-to-earth qualities we find in our world. Just as in the sturdy oak tree, brown represents roots and a steady, stable source of security, comfort, and normalcy.
• Moving from the more tamed and toned down shade used in Winter 2009, orange will re-emerge in Summer 2010 as a color that is once again looking to be radiant and vibrant.
• White takes on a more immaterial feeling with texture playing a key role in the application of white.
One of the key color palettes for Spring/Summer 2010 is called Alchemy. Alchemy gives us the spirit of life and light, the energy of the sun, and the tantalizing flames of a dancing fire. This color frenzy is balanced by the essential neutral beige, which sits in a pivotal spot between the stimulating and enlightening bursts of orange and yellow and the creativity and spirituality of the pinks and purples.
The role of designers is critical — always keeping in mind the power and magic of color!
Laurie Pressman is Vice President Fashion, Home and Interiors at Pantone. Gio Marra (www.pantone.com) is an ADCNJ Board member and Director of Direct Sales and Marketing for Pantone.
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