Vivitiv Holiday Schedule

Tentative Vivitiv Holiday Schedule.
It's time to put this elf on the shelf for some R&R. We will be closed from December 21, 2010 through January 4, 2011.

King County Housing Authority: Stimulating the Local Economy

We recently completed a 26 page brochure outlining how the King County Housing Authority used funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to preserve jobs, improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower the cost of public housing to taxpayers, and improve the quality of life for thousands of residents. See the full story here.

Vivitiv is a Technology Alliance Luncheon Sponsor

There is still time to join more than 800 business and civic leaders at the premier annual event for Washington's innovation community. Don't miss your opportunity to hear from the authority on disruptive innovation at the 2010 State of Technology Luncheon, featuring a keynote presentation by Clayton M. Christensen, bestselling author of The Innovator's Dilemma, Disrupting Class, and The Innovator's Prescription. Register Here.

We are brand sponsors of this event and are proud to say that the Technology Alliance is a Vivitiv client of long-standing.

Logo Devolution Hits Vivitiv

We designed the original 710 KIRO logo way back in the mid to late 1990s. Amazingly, lo these many years later, the basic structure of what we created is still intact. Sort of. Our Original logo is at the top, followed by logo from a few years ago after frequency change and the current iteration at the bottom.

In this day and age it is a remarkable feat for any logo to stand the test of time, what with mergers and acquisitions, new business models, the speed of technology, the faddishness of the marketplace, clueless brand managers and the basic short attention span of the average American. So in a small way I am pleased that the latest KIRO logo still retains the ghostly vestiges of our design. A very tiny pleasure, because what they have done to the mark is downright pitiful.

We don't claim that the mark we created for this once mighty radio station was a classic of logo design, but we are suitably proud of it, it works, it stood out in a sea of radio logo sameness, and it ably served it's purpose to give a strong, local visual identity to the brand. But over the years, the station group was sold off, they switched formats and went from the am to the fm band, losing audience and market share along the way. Instead of calling in Vivitiv or another design firm to create a new mark to address the NEW station identity/frequency head on, the station management instead chose to make incremental changes to the mark that we created. As with other bad decisions for the station, we believe that draining the life out of a logo in order to keep some semblance of brand continuity was the wrong move. Given what is shown here, we are probably giving too much credit to station management, the devolution was probably driven by an unwillingness to spend any dollars whatsoever to have it done right than it was to retain brand equity.

We are proud that the mark we created for 710 KIRO has lasted as long as it did, but we are equally  saddened to see the devolution of both our work and the radio business in general.

Personal Oil Spill Prevention

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to horrify. While the muck pollutes and slogs onward at a colossal pace, there is something that the Average Joe Gearhead can do here in the Northwest.

Are you crafty enough to change your own oil? If so, did you know you can recycle used motor oil at local shops like Jiffy Lube and Schucks/O'Reilly? That's right, just put it in a container, (taking care not to spill any on the ground-it can seep into storm drains and local streams) cap it and take it in to a participating location. Here's a list for King County:
http://www.lhwmp.org/home/HHW/motor-oil.aspx

Gearheads, we designed this logo with you in mind. We salute you!

You'll Find Vivitiv in the Nicest Places

Over the 20 years we have been in business, we have worked for some of the some of the classiest organizations in the country, informing, entertaining and educating the public on a wide array of issues. Our work has graced boardrooms and museums, magazines and annual reports, but some projects do the important educational work that we care about, like this project we undertook for Waste Management, designing labels on proper recycling, trash and food waste disposal. So while our work may be featured inside of a concert hall, it is also on display outside, in the alley, 24/7, and that makes us smile every time we pass by.

Portrait Commission For AaronEdge.com

Very pleased to announce that new web site of musician and designer Aaron Edge has gone live. Mr. Edge has a new website that features an illustration by Vivitiv partner Mark Kaufman very prominently. Please head over to aaronedge.com on the double.

Pollution Posters Pick Up Prizes

The National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies awarded Vivitiv first place prize for a poster series on stormwater management that we designed for the City of Bellevue. The NAFSMA advocates for flood prevention and stormwater management across the country. Alliteration and article from the KOMO News website. Thanks to the fine folks in the Utilities Department for the heads up.

Canadian Content

A couple of snaps from our trip to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Yes, we did take photos of the great Olympic design and infrastructure, mascots, sporting and cultural events, but this is the kind of thing that we go out of our way to document, garbage and recycling graphics from around the world. Go Canada!

2010 Seattle Show

Vivitiv partner Mark Kaufman joins the board of The 2010 Seattle Show, honoring the best advertising and design work created in Seattle. Follow the exploits of The Seattle Show and the board on it's Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Wake Up Call

It takes alot to get us up early in the morning, but the Technology Alliance's Science and Technology Discovery Series continues to impress. This past Friday, Dr. John Stark, Director of the Puyallup Research & Extension Center, Washington State University, gave an informative presentation on the effect of pesticides on salmon. Surprising, it's not the pesticides that may directly harm the salmon. The pesticides kill the salmon's food. Detergents, even ones that may be considered benign, actually DO harm the fish directly by coating the gills of the salmon. 

But it's not all bad news. WSU Puyallup is retrofitting their campus to reduce stormwater runoff, a major source of pollution in the Puget Sound. They'll also measure the effectiveness of various low impact development practices such as installation of permeable paving surfaces and stormwater bioretention facilities. As we are heavily involved in stormwater best practices education, we're anxious to see what proves to be most effective and what can be adopted throughout Puget Sound.

Merci Beaucoup to Matthew Porter

We are incredibly flattered that the noted design writer and journalist Matthew Porter included Vivitiv in his presentation to the Acadiana Ad Federation in Lafayette, Louisiana last month. The talk titled I Never Met A Stranger, A Design Journalist’s Life, featured Matt's travels and discussions with designers, photographers, illustrators and artists and their work.

We were flattered that Matt included a section about Vivitiv, but as always we were humbled to be in such great company. Martha Rich, Joel Nakamura, Chris Sickles, Dan Ibarra and Michael Byzewski, Brian Stauffer, Robynne Raye, Holly Linden, Terry Marks, Marc English, Michael Osborne…these are some heavy hitters and people whose work we have long admired. In the cajun vernacular this would be referred to as a Lagniappe, something thrown in, gratis, for good measure.

A big Merci to Matt, the fine folks at the Acadian Ad Federation, and Eddie Talbot at BBR Creative in Lafayette for the use of the graphic.

"Art Works" For Free

We just came across a Request for Proposal for a very ironic speculative logo project. It comes from the National Endowment for the Arts. What's so ironic? Straight from the RFP:

"Art Works" is a reminder that arts workers are real workers who are part of this country’s real economy. They earn salaries, support families, pay taxes. Artists are also entrepreneurs and placemakers, who revitalize towns, cities, and neighborhoods – both the economies and the ethos of them.

How better to champion artists and the American worker than by having them work for free?

For those unfamiliar with the term "Spec Work," it is work that is done upfront, without pay or a contractual agreement with the hopes of getting compensated when the project is completed.

This is extremely disappointing from an organization that supports excellence in the arts.

Vivitiv for Verity Credit Union

We just finished off some brochure updates for Verity Credit Union. Sometimes we tend to promote the NEW! NEW! NEW!, projects and initiatives that we are working on and tend to ignore talking about the day in, day out work we do for great partners like Verity. Pictured is a selection from the informational and product brochure system we devised. Brochure illustrations are by Timothy Cook, and the photo  is by Kate Baldwin. Just sayin'.

Vivitiv Signs on as Sponsor for WSRA Conference

We are very please to announce that we have signed on as sponsors for the Washington State Recycling Association Conference which takes place in May of 2010 in Vancouver, WA.

2009 Best Florist

 A belated congrats to one of our long-time clients Garden Party Floral Design for winning Best Florist in Seattle Bride Magazine's yearly competition. We recently updated their stationery system to highlight this prestigious accolade.

Owner/Designer T.J. Montague creates stunning, distinctive arrangements and bouquets that stand out—not just for their beauty, but because of the company's commitment to sustainability. T.J. strives to use seasonal flowers, herbs and foliage from small, local farms and uses her own organic garden when possible. And if you like, she will donate your post-event flowers to your charity. Her designs are delightful and will truly set your event apart. Congratulations Garden Party!

One Person’s Trash is Our Treasure

We do all of the normal things people do on vacation, we relax, visit tourist spots, museums, and markets, but work does intrude. While the aforementioned activities are great, the most valuable thing is to keep an eye out for visual inspiration, like advertising and packaging, store design, wayfinding systems, subway maps, and as pictured here the lowly recycling bin. These are all over Barcelona and people emerge from their apartments day and night to stuff them with bottles, cans, paper and food waste. We love the sturdy shape of the bins and the bold graphics and colors speak volumes in any language. Yes, we’re inspired by recycling bins.

Feel Blue for 2010-Turquoise That Is

Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2010: 15-5519 Turquoise. The site states, "Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing."

We like the choice-it's a beautiful accent color, complimentary with oranges, rusts and browns. And of course, as Pantone suggests, it takes the mind to a tranquil getaway where the only decision needed is what kind of umbrella drink to have.

In case you were wondering, the color of 2009 was Mimosa 14-0848, a bright orange-yellow. Good on the Pantone folks for trying to cheer through a trying year.

First Post of TwentyTen

We’re back in our places with bright, shiny faces after the holidays and vacations. I know everyone is happy that 2009 is over and done with and we’re all eager to get on with it and to get 2010 off to a great start. We had a flurry of projects we finished at the end of 2009, so we’ll post some of those in the coming days and we are very excited to be working on new things right out of the gate.

As always we look forward to collaborating with our long-term clients, vendors and colleagues, and working hard to make our new partnerships prosper and thrive.

Whether it’s Two Thousand and Ten or TwentyTen, have a great one.