DUN DUN DUN...THE FINAL PAPER.

Robert Greenberg Associates

Robert Greenberg Associates is the self-proclaimed “Agency for the Digital Age”. Founded in 1977 by Bob Greenberg ad his brother Richard, R/GA began with the “idea of creating a company that valued design while it focused on developing leading–edge motion graphics and live–action film and video production.” This powerhouse company is a pioneer and leader of digital studios. It is a digital partner that serves world–class brands and Fortune 500 companies. It is a seamlessly integrated digital studio, merging print, television, commercials, feature film, and advertising. Its successes have included 400 feature films, 4,000 television commercials, and over 2,000 awards and individual merits including the D&AD Black Pencil, the Cannes Cyber, Grand Prix, and Titanium Lion, the Academy Award and the Grand Clio Award. It is the most award–winning agency operating in the world today.

Five cornerstones encompass the R/GA vision: planning, creativity, engagement, integration, and accountability. Their well developed vision create experiences that consumers seek out and choose to spend time with, rather than norm of advertising interruption. Their work is engaging, they desire to provide experiences rich, compelling, and useful so that it transforms a consumer’s relationship with a brand. They are true innovators of interactive and visual effects. High profile clients include Verizon Wireless, Target, Nokia, Nike, and Subaru. Their designs are vibrant, energetic, and infuse depth into any 2–D design. Their dimensionality tends to separate their work from the rest of the pack. R/GA is fast paced and fun, and infused with sound, but always appropriate; their believe their model is appropriate for the client because what they do is appropriate for the customer. Their work strives to create experiences as dynamic and passionate as their consumers’ daily lives.

One of their strengths and recognizable methods is multi–channel marketing. Audiences are more likely to be effected by a marketing message if it is consistently delivered across marketing media. One very powerful principle exploited by R/GA. Their use of video, photography, web, print, and graphics is unparalleled. Robert Greenberg explains the importance of successful, in depth experiences by his “two–minute by 120 seconds wide” format. The two–minutes represent a short subject video or game, and the 120–minutes equal the multiplicity of links that lead to additional content and information.


Their work exemplifies what design is about, aesthetics. Their body of work, across the board, is clean, sophisticated, and clear. As true innovators, they have come along to reinvent themselves and what it means to design integrated media. R/GA produces design so engaging it is impossible not to immerse yourself in the experience. They create in order to get the consumer to participate, and growing trend, especially in new media design. I think it’s important that a company stay ever changing, instead of having a trademark solution. Robert Greenberg saw and understood that there is no one perfect solution other than good design and a satisfied customer. They produce work for us, not in order to be recognized. Their trend setting is merely a necessary means to keep up with the constant fluctuation of the consumer society. R/GA has been able to stay number one because they recognize good design requires change, and change is inevitable—so keep up.

time for some serious games...

Oh yea, it's play time, so that mean times to get get serious...wait, what? Yes, yes it's true, the Serious Play conference (hosted by The Art Center COllege of Design) said so. Maybe my Californian personality is partial to the "serious play", but this might be a manifesto the world should think about adopting.

The theme: play is seriously creative and innovative if you take it seriously. Play is collaborative, iterative, experimental and generates new moves, new sounds, new music, new games. Play is natural to all primates and when you take play away, development is curbed in people--and monkeys.

We should be understanding that play and innovation are crucial component to successful design. It's the unwritten rules of the playground. In today's world everyone is just looking for some serious fun.

"The Power of Interface"

This Seth Godin guy is pretty cool. Just a two line post about the power of the interface:
"Here's what happens when you rearrange YouTube to make it work. Architecture matters."

Good stuff. The new creation was pretty awesome too! It also goes along with the Smart Objects paper I posted not too long ago... =). It switched up youtube to where all realating videos were documented in a timeline corresponding with the video you searched for. Super cool.

TAG!

WHATERU THINKING???





WHOA...this was pretty cool word association game (tell your friends). Somehow those sneaky marketing folk know how to get into our minds and form an opinion. Logos have always had an immediate captivation over the consumer, and with this game you can be more conscious of what you think. Have you ever wondered why you think basketball at the sight of the nike symbol or perhaps you feel or think happy thoughts when you seen the Disney logo. Crazy how an image can make you think an item is superior or carry macho connotations—brand magic as Mr. Godin calls it.
Have a stab at it!

GUEST LECTURE PAPER: SMART OBJECTS BY LEONARDO BONANNI

Smart Objects/Smart Spaces: From Functional to Social

Leonardo Bonanni introduced our class to the world of ubiquitous computing—a world quickly growing through the development of and progression of computers, mobile devices, mainframes, PCs, and people. There are no limits anymore to where and how we sync up to information around us, especially with the idea that the ubiquitous computer is actually us. There are four kinds of ubiquitous computing: tangible interfaces ambient displays, augmented reality, and wearable items. This style of computing is all about objects holding information, whether it is decorative glass bottles that play music when uncorked, marble answering machines, or gesture speech, being ubiquitous entails being able to reach a larger audience or make a larger amount of information available to you. No piece of info is trivial, it is more about the ability to access and provide it that is important, take Twitter for example. This website was made so people around the globe can send status blurbs about themselves for anyone to see. Ubiquitous computing is looking for ingenious and easy was of staying informed.

One of the really cool projects Bonanni talked about were ambient interfaces. These were little devices that seem trivial but can hold a lot of information. What is so cool about ambient interfaces, and most of the itmes Leo talked about, is that they can take on any form. They literally translate to adult toys, or toys with a function besides entertainment. Imagine having the ambient orb, a message beacon that glows with the fluctuation of the stock market, or how about Nabaztag—a French bunny rabbit that is Internet connected and receives and delivers messages. I saw them as cute alert systems.

After that things started to get real tech crazy in the land of augmented reality. These were computers that added even more information to what you already see. This class of devices is what we often imagine the future to be like. The example I like the most was the idea that a class room could be linked up so that if a professor wore a special pair of glasses the students names would appear above their heads. It’s like living in a video game, but with real world applications; like electronic price tags in markets—so long orange stickers!

It was interesting to see the process of what it takes to develop and even think of what the future is and should be. There truly are no limits. We are looking to personalize the ambiguous, and daunting task, be a rewarding one as well. Leo advised us to become more involved and conscious the changing future. We shouldn’t be content with improving everyday object, but transforming them. Before his presentation, I had never really questioned the function or importance of things I take for grated. He showed us how fast the world is changing; I was surprised that he asked what logos will be five years from now or what the future of buses will be. His encouragement to step out the box was scary, but revolutionary.

TAKE ACTION... AND READ THIS POST.

Man am I inspired! Peep this comment of the day, it kind of makes designers sound like super heros: "To paraphrase George Lois, designers have the power to defeat habit with creativity. There is no greater opportunity than sustaining the environment, humanity and civilization." So so good. Richard Grefé asked how can AIGA design a responsible future—by understanding the importance of sustainable practices of course! Society is starting to turn to designers for economic and environmental solutions—and without hesitation the design community is creating creative programs and adopting principles that provide the groundwork for a better future. Secondly, the AIGA is challenging students and the next generation to own the solution. "AIGA is determined to see that the designer’s voice is among those heard on the significant issues facing the world today." In the words of Captain Planet, " THE POWER IS YOURS!"
CHECK IT OUT!
How Can AIGA Design a Responsible Future?

ARTICLE + ME = REVIEW

Well Hello again! This was a really good article about communication & problem solving amongst designers, Techies, & Nonprofits, titled: Good For Nothing? Why Nonprofits, Designers, and Techies Can't Talk to Each Other By Ayça Akin.

More than food for thought, Akin points out problemS we may face when looking to volunteer services. We shouldn't shun ourselves away from Nonprofits because the work is pro bono or difficult to get off the ground. But we should be aware of some of the pitfalls many face when working as the intermediary between Nonprofits and Techies.