Vivitiv

Vivitiv and The Seattle Design Festival

2011-10-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Vivitiv was asked to participate in the Seattle Design Festival Design Marks Project last month. Vivitiv along with 24 other local design firms designed 8-foot tall location markers with QR codes where viewers could experience how the design of Seattle’s urban landmarks has influenced the city’s culture, and how that culture has, in turn, influenced design.

Our video and installation was about The Seattle Art Museum and was titled "I Do Not Understand This Thing". The aim of our project was to express the idea that the value of SAM lies not in the collection of paintings, film or sculpture housed within it's walls, but in our relationship to it. More about the project here. The You Tube Page can be found here.

Newsbound: Budget Breakdown

2011-06-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

Got a few minutes to get schooled on the complex and crazy Federal Budget Negotiations? Check out this video that features the illustration of Vivitiv partner Mark Kaufman.

2011 Technology Alliance Luncheon Branding

2011-04-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

Once again Vivitiv is pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Technology Alliance on their annual luncheon. This year the keynote speaker at this event for the technology, investment, research and legislative communities will feature the nation's first Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra. The keynote is titled Accelerating Innovation: Harnessing the Power of Technology. The main thrust of our branding effort was to play up the speed of innovation, the power of technology clusters, and the concentric influence that the technology industry has on on the economy.

And it's always cool to be in the same room as other titans of industry. You still have time to register for this May 10, 2011 event.

Totem Awards 2011

2011-03-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

On a frigid evening in February, an intrepid group of public relations and marketing professionals climbed the stairs to the Hard Rock Cafe's party space for the Puget Sound PSRA's annual Totem awards. The Totems celebrate the best public relations programs and practitioners in the area. This year's theme was "Make Your Mark," and we're proud to report the City of Bellevue did just that. They brought home a Totem Award – congratulations!

Vivitiv worked with The City of Bellevue on their Watershed Outreach Campaign, a program encouraging residents to take actions and "pledge" to reduce water pollution. Actions included natural lawn care, using a commercial car wash and cleaning up after your dog.

Despite a weak keynote address, a fabulous time was had by all. A fun venue, great work and outstanding company makes for a fine awards banquet. Save us a seat for next year!

Washington Innovation Summit Branding

2011-03-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

Vivitiv is pleased to report that we have been working on brand identity and promotional design for the Washington Innovation Summit. The Summit is the must-attend event for the technology, business, venture capital and economic development sectors in Washington state. If you are reading this before March 18, 2011 there is still time to attend. The summit is at the Microsoft Executive Conference Center in Redmond on March, 18, 2011. More details on the program here: http://bit.ly/dXU2Wg

Vivitiv Holiday Schedule

2010-12-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

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.

I Am Not A Sewer

2009-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Detail from a new display that promotes water pollution prevention for Puget Sound Starts Here and The City of Bellevue. The portable display is part of a larger campaign of new educational projects on water quality. I am legend. I am stormdrain.

New Year/New Advert

2009-12-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here’s our latest print ad due out later this month in Marketing Magazine. Have a safe and happy New Year!

Alternate Ending

2009-12-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here’s an alternate version of the graphic from our recent year end/holiday email blast. We couldn’t quite make up our minds about which one to use. This seems like a good a place as any to let it see the light of day. Cheers to all.

Vivitiv Vacation 09/10

2009-12-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Vivitiv will be closed for vacation from
December 17, 2009 through January 6, 2010

Design Taxi Interview

2009-12-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is a bit of old tosh, but Mark Kaufman's interview for Design Taxi, the global creative network can still be seen online. Find out about Mark's illustration and more than you really care to know here.

Smart Mouth iD

2009-12-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Vivitiv is happy to announce the rebranding effort for Smart Mouth, strategic writing and brand consultants. We partnered with the fine folks at Smart Mouth on a new identity, business papers, print advertising and a new web site holding page. Think Smart Mouth!

Big Book of Green Design

2009-04-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that we have several entries in the forthcoming BIG BOOK OF GREEN DESIGN coming out in August 2009 from HarperCollins Publishers. Our work was cited for our collaborations with the City of Bellevue, WA. Projects to be in the book include a booklet and traveling display on reducing our carbon footprint, a series of posters on stormwater runoff, and a print advertising campaign for the City’s food waste to compost program. The image above of a Vivitiv self-promotion was also cited. It was a giveaway tote bag made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Eight out of 10 plastic bottles end up in the landfill–a real drinking problem. We have a few left over, please write us if you would like one.

Vivitiv Peer Reviewed

2009-03-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that a brochure campaign we created for Drawmark was selected for inclusion into the 2009 Seattle Show, where work in advertising, design, illustration, digital and broadcast media is judged by a top panel of creatives from outside the Seattle market.

Vivitiv is Dropping Science

2009-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

We have attended several of the Technology Alliance’s Science and Technology Discovery Series lectures over the past few months and recommend them highly for anyone curious about science and technology issues, but more generally we recommend them because they are fun, interesting and inspiring. What better way to spend a morning before heading off to work than to spend it with the researchers, academics, venture capitalists on the cutting edge of innovation in Washington State and beyond. It’s really future now stuff in the fields of robotics, stem cell research, search technology, and sustainability issues. There are lectures in Seattle and in Spokane, so check out the Technology Alliance web site for upcoming lecture schedule.

Full disclosure and brazen plug, the TA is a long time Vivitiv client and the image above shows some of the promotional communications that we have designed for both the Seattle and Spokane Discovery Series lectures.

Vivitiv Holiday Schedule

2008-12-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Our office will be closed for the holidays from December 24th, 2008 through January 2nd, 2009. We would like to thank our families, friends, clients, associates, friends and enemies alike for your support in 2008, and we wish you a wnderful holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous 2009. Cheers.

Vivitiv Fashions a New Online Presence for the NW Trend Show

2008-12-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Pacific Northwest Apparel Association launched it’s new website designed by Vivitiv with technical assistance of McNamara Publishing which is based in Minnesota. The new web site now falls under the brand and identity design that Vivitiv created for PNAA, offers many new features, highlights a name change for their trade show and a new location at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.

Garden Party

2008-06-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

From the good news about good people department. Gavin Groves and TJ Montague Groves of Garden Party Flowers, Vivitiv friends and clients. Better Homes & Gardens Magazine has highlighted their rose stem cleaner in their “Our Favorite Tools” section of the magazine. The rose cleaning device designed and invented by Mr. Groves is also available for sale at the New York Botanical Garden and at fine garden supply shops nationwide. Congratulations to two very talented and hard-working folks. it is always nice to see good things happen to nice people.

Magnificent Marvelous Me!

2008-06-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

For once the statement above is not about Vivitiv. It’s about the new book from Art with Heart, Magnificent, Marvelous Me!, which is aimed at the siblings of children with serious illness or disabilities. Art with Heart is a wonderful organization providing positive support for children and families facing trauma, illness or other crises through therapeutic books and artistic healing programs. We are pleased to announce that along with illustrators, therapists and health professionals from around the world, Vivitiv partner Mark Kaufman has contributed artwork to the new book. You can help this very worthy cause, and thousand of children around the world by donating here.

Bob Walsh Website

2008-06-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Vivitiv is happy to announce that a website that we designed and short film that we produced for Bob Walsh is now up and running. Check out the site to find out about his incredible true life story, his adventures across the globe, his book and speaking engagements. Big thanks to Capitol Media and Promotion Arts for their assistance on this project.

Vivitiv in Step Inside Design Magazine

2008-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Vivitiv partners Mark Kaufman and Jacqueline McCarthy are very pleased to announce that we are the subjects of an eight page spread in Step Inside Design Magazine. We know, we know, slow news day. Several months ago we were interviewed by the noted design writer (and heck of a nice fella) Matthew Porter, about our work, our careers in design and illustration, and all things Vivitiv. The greatest thing about the article is the fact that based on these interviews, Mr. Porter has deemed us the Fred and Ethel of American Design. It’s right there in print. A higher honor we could not wish for.

Of course, as thrilled as we are to be featured in a national design magazine – great for the ego don’t you know – we would be remiss if we didn’t thank all of the people that have helped us along the way in the last 18 years, all of the great clients, associates, employees, friends and even arch enemies. We couldn’t have done it without you.

38th Annual Creativity Awards Jury

2008-04-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Vivitiv partner Mark Kaufman has been selected as a juror for the 38th Annual Creativity Awards. Mark will be judging work in the Publications, Illustration, Typography & Photography category.

New Logo For Society of St. Vincent DePaul

2008-03-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Vivitiv recently completed work on a
new logo for Society of St. Vincent DePaul’s
175th anniversary.

Vivitiv Move

2008-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Vivitiv is moving.
As of March 1, 2008
our new address will be:
4745 40th Ave. SW, Suite 101
Seattle, WA 98116
vivitiv.com

Shop Talk

2008-02-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion with students of the Visual Communications Technology program at Shoreline Community College. Joining me on the panel were David Kendall of Kendall Ross, Brian Boram of RMB Vivid and Chris Holt of Coolstone.

I discussed the Evolution of a Recycling Brochure which drew some laughs from the audience. The presentations by the other firms were beautifully designed and explained their firm's creative process. The students had probing, thoughtful questions-it was a lively session that went way over the originally scheduled time limit.

Thanks to Daniela Birch of Theorem and to Bob Hutchison of the college for setting it up.

Roman Holiday

2008-01-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

We are back from our Roman holiday. Here is a short Zapruder-like clip of New Year’s Eve in Rome. The big explosion at the beginning of the clip had Mark’s ears ringing for a few hours. Our trip to Italy was absolutely amazing, great art, great food and wine, and great weather, Not hot enough to get a tan, but we are pale, rested and ready to roll. Wishing everyone a belated Happy New Year/Buon Anno.

Mark Kaufman + Jacqueline McCarthy

Just a Reminder

2007-11-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

We have been working hard in order to finish up a bunch of projects in preparation for our long-awaited, long-time coming, long vacation. We just want to thank all of our clients and vendors, friends and acquaintances of the last 17 years. Without you we would not have been around so long. And after all of that hard work we need a big vacation. We hope you all enjoy your holidays wherever they may take you. We will be back in January, tanned, rested and ready to take on 17 more years of issue oriented design. Happy holidays to all and to all a good night.

Perfectly Seedy

2007-11-13T14:59:00.001-08:00

Run, don't walk to see the movie "Gone Baby Gone" at a theater near you. The movie itself is terrific, but what was truly stunning was the spot-on set design. If you've ever lived in a northeast, urban neighborhood with row houses, you will feel right at home. The interiors and exteriors are perfect, complete with low-rent furnishings and decor. And one of the houses was truly scary, but I won't be a spoiler—go catch this flick!

We knew our pal Lisa Shaftel (shown above on the set) worked on this film, so we waited to see her name in the credits. Unfortunately, they didn't list any of the team. This is our small tribute to a job well done.

Gone Baby Gone
Sharon Seymour, Production Designer
Chris Cornwell, Art Director
Kyra Friedman, Set Decorator
Dan Courchaine, Scenic Charge
Lisa Shaftel, Scenic Artist

Lisa is a long-time friend and colleague we met through the Graphic Artists Guild. She is the Advocacy Chair and does herculean work on behalf of illustrators, designers and graphic creators.

Saving the Planet One Event at a Time

2007-11-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here's Jacki again in the Vivitiv labs, pointing out a portable display that we designed which outlines what is recyclable, compostable and trashable in the City of Bellevue, WA. The display is for events, presentations, festivals and the like. Saving the world one set of eyeballs at a time.

Wind Tunnel Testing

2007-10-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

At the Vivitiv Labs, we make sure things work! Here’s Jacki testing the stability of a table top display for The City of Bellevue’s Utilities Departnment.

Bob Walsh

2007-10-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to note that we have been working with the legendary Bob Walsh on a digital presentation. Here’s a slide outlining just one of the amazing adventures that Mr. Walsh, a Seattle icon, has been involved with. It is both a pleasure and an honor to work with Bob on this project.

Vivitiv Brands Puget Soundscape

2007-06-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Vivitiv recently created an identity for Puget Soundscape, a community celebration of Puget Sound through art, ecology and culture. Vivitiv developed the Puget Soundscape brand through posters, brochures, advertising and the event web site. The event had its kick off event June 1st in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. The leading cultural, educational, government and non-profit environmental groups will hold events all over the region in June and July, 2007 to raise awareness for this natural treasure. So get out there, have fun and lend your support to a most worthy cause.

Vivitiv. Issue Oriented Design.

2006-05-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

New Name. New Look. Renewed Focus. As of April 1, 2006, we officially changed our name to Vivitiv. After 15 years as Artomat Design, we figured it was time for a change. After much deliberation we created the Vivitiv name to more closely reflect who we are and what we do. Loosely based on the Latin Vividus, meaning full of life, we hope that the new name and logo will evoke the notions of vivid, vision, active, informative, etc.

Over the years our most gratifying and successful collaborations have been in the areas of technology, housing, education, the environment, public policy and the arts. The new name reflects our renewed focus on issue oriented design, and helping organizations in those and other fields to inform, entertain and inspire.

Foss Harbor

2006-05-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Vivitiv developed this mark for Foss Harbor, a waterfront high rise community, located on Tacoma's Thea Foss Waterway. We also created a small site for this luxury development which can be seen at www.fossharborliving.com

Drawmark.com

2006-05-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

We recently created a new logo and website for Drawmark.com, a new site for the illustration of Mark Kaufman. Drawmark.com features a Flash animated opening on the value of illustration and a portfolio of editorial illustrations, cartoons, new works, bio and client list. An e-commerce feature and blog page will come online soon. In the meantime, you can purchase some buttons designed by Mark Kaufman at www.prickie.com and look for my page. Massive thanks to Brian Beardsley at Studio B Media for help with the site.

New Logo Volume One and Two

2005-10-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

I was at a bookstore recently, and as usual I was flipping through design books. I came across yet another in a long line of logo design books. I don't know how many books on logo design there are but there must be hundreds by now. I'm not speaking of the books on the ins and outs of the art of identity design. I'm not talking of books on the subject of how a design firm works through reams of research and information on a company, product or service in order to distill a brand down to a few lines of type and a few brush strokes. Nor am I talking about the books recounting the body of work of individual designers like Paul Rand, Saul Bass or large design concerns such as Pentagram. No, I'm referring to those logo collections containing page after page of logos. No editorial, just logos.

I have nothing against this kind of publication. Hell, our firm has gotten plenty of marks into these vehicles over the years. They serve a purpose. I refer to them a great deal, as I am sure many in the industry do. It is also a way to keep up with what our peers are doing.

But the books that I was thumbing through may have crossed the line as far as this form of design "writing" goes. New Logo Volumes One and Two by Chen Ci Liang and published out of Singapore really annoyed me. Yes there isn't a lot of difference between these books and the others, in fact the printing is well done, between the two books there are over 600 pages and thousands of marks. Quite impressive right?

Until I saw a couple of my logos in the book that is. I never entered the logos in question to this particular publisher or editor. I don't know where they got the art from. I didn't send them the files, but all of the logo examples in the book are reproduced perfectly. I know for a fact that the marks from our office that appear shown in the books are around 5 years old. The book title seems to be saying that these are volumes that are showcasing NEW work. The assumption when taking the book off the shelf, or shelling out 60 bucks for each volume is that the publishers have compiled a vast collection of the latest and greatest, the cutting edge, the here and now. Of course having a few logos that are a little long in the tooth is neither a crime nor is it a violation of the non existent editorial standards that are the currency of most logo collections. Except upon closer inspection I found marks that are decades old, like the Girl Scouts, the US Bicentennial, and the 1984 LA Olympics. I also found logos from companies that don't exist anymore like Bell Atlantic. OK, maybe it's simply a matter of a lousy title for a book, and these are not new and are a collection of the best examples of the form, and I should be proud that my work is among such quality work. I see other designers blindly touting the fact that they "made it" into these books. And of course logos actually belong to the corporations and organizations that pay for them. But it seems to me that the publisher gained access to a treasure trove of logo files and decided to make a quick buck by putting out yet another book of logos.

Maybe that's my basic problem with this. That I didn't think of it first

International Relations

2005-09-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my partner Jacqueline McCarthy and I had an interesting encounter with one of our clients. We left our Seattle office a bit early on Friday afternoon and drove up to Vancouver, BC in order to meet up with Cintia Stella of Wow! Argentina. Cintia is a partner at the Buenos Aires based travel agency and she has been touring through Canada for the past three weeks, making her way westward from Montreal, Quebec City, Ottowa, Toronto and finally the last stop on her itnerary Vancouver.

It's another one of those modern business tales of developing a relationship via the telephone, email and Fedex. Sometimes it is halfway across the planet to Buenos Aires, sometimes it's halfway across town, but meeting clients face to face seems to be yet another casualty of the technological revolution. Cintia was so close, and had travelled so far that the least we could do was to take the 3 hour drive northward to meet for dinner. We had a lovely time discussing the day to day life of running a business, the hard work, the long hours and most importantly the successes. Wow! Argentina was recently added to the latest edition of the Lonely Planet Guides. So it is gratifying to see that all the hard work pays off. The conversation ranged from the cultural differences between Argentina, the United States and Canada for that matter, television shows that run in both the US and in Argentina, food and wine and futbol.

It was great to see one of our clients from south of the equator. So much so, that I'm going to make a point to meet with clients from right here in our own hometown.

Of course if you wish to vist Argentina, please talk to CintiaStella and Matias Mancuso of Wow! Argentina. You'll find that their dedication to showing you the best of their beautiful country will have you returning again and again to one of the great countries of the world. Chau!

Thelonious Sphere Monk

2005-09-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite pieces from Artomat Design. This was published in The Rocket, the music magazine out of Seattle. I can't remember the date but it was probably done about 10 years ago. Still, we think that the handcrafted type, the stark contrast, the disonant letterspacing, and the dignified silhouette captures the timeless essence of the man and his music