Home Sweet Office

playing Guitar Hero in a swanky office, my kind of workplace

I'm an idealist. Clearly. I have very strong opinions about what I feel an agency should be, and how it should be run. Today, however, I'm taking a look at what a creative workplace should physically be, that …

Celebrity Products Hall of Shame

Celebrity branding has run amock. We've been saying this for a while, like when I wrote that post on brandcurve.com a while back. That's not news, but if you haven't quite realised the drama of the situation, perhaps take a look at this.

Cracked.com has assembled a …

Biohazard: Origin of a Symbol

The Biohazard symbol is one of the most well-known and universal warning signs of modern society. The symbol, and the threat represented thereby, are respected and feared for the sterness and severity. But where did the symbol come from?

A post turned up yesterday on

Gigantic Earbuds

Call it a spoof or call it an homage, but the new desktop speakers from Fred electronics are basically oversized earbuds in the style of an iPod.

Just one more bit of evidence that the iPod is an incredibly iconic piece of design, and powerful brand. Love it.

Saw this …

Starbucks gets burned by UK critics

Ouch, more bad news for our favourite coffee juggernaut. An article in Britain's The Independant points to a recent consumer research test wherein Starbucks scored on the bottom of table for taste and quality among UK high street coffee chains. In other words, it's …

Heinz Hot Ketchup

This one's just a quick post of something clever I saw on Fredrik Samuel.

Heinz Hot Ketchup - click here for a larger view

I love that European style of print/outdoor advertising where they use absolutely zero copy. It's probably due to the multi-lingual nature of the …

Starbucks goes for broke

In a potential re-enactment of Marlboro Monday, Starbucks has announced a plan to sell cups of coffee for just one dollar, and with free refills!

The report said Starbucks is experimenting with a "short" $1 cup as well as free refills for brewed coffee in its …

Iraq's New Flag

You know how I love symbolism, national identities and the 'branding' of nations so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the BBC is reporting on Iraq's freshly unveiled updated flag. Apparently, the stars were removed because they signified Saddam Hussein's Baath …

Political Ads During Super Bowl?

Are we about to see a dangerous precedent set at this year's Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl has long been the biggest night in advertising, not only in terms of dollar costs for air time, but also for the sheer volume of eyeballs who watch the ads 'for fun'. However, …

We Try Harder

I saw this the other day and had to take a photo of it. I mean, are graphic designers that hard to find? Well, how about a ruler, or at least a level table. Man, some people just don't put in the effort. And would you actually buy a sandwich from these people? …

Office 2008: First Impressions

Microsoft took their sweet time unveiling an updated version of Office for the Mac. Until this week when version 2008 was officially released at Macworld, we've been using version 2004 to get on with officey-type stuff. I, being ever the modernist, felt the need to get …

Pun-don Underground

Oh, those British and their puns. Gotta love this new campaign for the Tube where the last names of popular singers are swapped and conjoined with the names of tube stations. Get it? Check out the mini-site from TfL.

But also take note of the visual pun of the Oyster …

Best of the Worst CES 2008

Awful copywriting or classic Engrish?

CES, the largest trade show this planet has ever seen, concluded last week i n Las Vegas. As usual, companies break out the gadget bling to wow patrons with dreams of 1503 plasma screens and electronics so thin you literally can't …

Logo Design Basics

Following the logo design trends of 2007, and with the recent debacle with the new Xerox logo, it seems logos are on the brain for more than just me. But what makes a good logo? What's the process and what are the criteria? Well, there's a lot of alchemy.

But if you're …

McDonald's Points the [Fat] Finger

McDonald's has cast its vote for who's to blame for the state of obese children --

Logo Design Trends of 2007

... And moving into the future, of course.

LogoLounge has a quick rundown of the trends in logo design today. Some of these have been persisting for the last few years, of course, but this is nevertheless a fresh take on things. Head over and read the editorial.

oo Article Here

Don't Blame Your Customers

Yesterday, I wandered into a national chain pharmacy to buy some NyQuil. When I [finally] got to the register, the price showed up $2.50 more than I expected based on the shelf price. Turns out someone put it in the wrong place on the shelf and the girl behind the …

Reading List

In case you didn't notice, I added a "Reading List" section to this site over the holidays. I'm keeping track of books I've read and others I'm still reading. This is my ongoing recommendation list, meaning if I list it, you should read it. (That is, of course, if you …

Xerox Brand Re-Design

Xerox's old and new logo

Xerox, our favourite juggernaut of a global tech company, has debuted a new brand identity. The mark is an evolution of the existing and well-known wordmark, but we're also treated to a icon, something new for Xerox. Check out a [much] larger …

Chinese Fake Brands: Auto Edition

By now the Chinese are master artisans in the craft of knocking off well-established brands. But this time around, we're voyaging beyond the realm of sneakers and handbags and hitting the road in style.

Check out this brilliant collection of auto company knock-off …