AOL logo and identity redesign
Just caught wind of the new AOL logo and identity. What they’re going to spin as “raw”, “energetic” and “unique” is really just “unfinished”, “unfocused” and “generic”.
The new face is the brainchild of 27 year old Maureen Sullivan - former assistant product manager at Google. Apparently, Maureen is AOL’s new chief of staff. That’s right. In fact:
Brand consultants Wolff Olins did a lot of the creative work, but an AOL spokesperson tells us, “Since we don’t have a CMO on board, [Maureen] was the driver behind this rebranding effort from AOL’s side, working with and directing Wolff Olins.” 1
This goes to the heart of what we creatives face every day. It’s the idea that everyone is a designer. AOL’s new identity blows that myth out of the water.
Dear Mr./Mrs. Executive - I’ll stop opening your Excel spreadsheets and moving numbers around if you’ll stop directing design firms to create such insipid work.
1 From BusinessInsider.com
Best Buy redesigning brand?
Good article over here regarding the proposed redesign of the Best Buy brand…
Yo! Imma let you finish…
Music Appreciation 101
OK - even though this is a design blog, we all know that music and design go hand in hand. So here’s how this works - I’m gonna link to some songs by a cool, obscure groups or artists. I’ll give you the first link. The rest is up to you. Do your homework and send back other great related clips. Let me know who you find interesting.
My favorite absurd book titles
Anybody Can be Cool, but Awesome Takes Practice
Who Cares About Elderly People?
Cooking with Pooh
That’s actually my theme for 2009 - “Anyone can be cool, but awesome takes practice”. It also apparently takes a sweet mullet and wicked 80s sweater.
Thanks to Amanda Griffin for sending these my way.
Beautiful hand-lettered font
Incredible, creative stop-motion video
New Coke can designs for summer
This is just beautiful design. Addition by subtraction. Less is more. Not to mention, Coke is the nectar of the gods. I think I like the sunglasses design best, but they’re all fantastic.
See them in all their glory here.
Why can’t I just get gas anymore?
I pulled in to Exxon the other day to fill up my 96 Suburban. (Yes - I realize that I drive a gas-guzzler and Exxon is a notoriously poor choice of gas stations. If you’ll stick around, maybe I’ll beat a baby seal to death with an endangered owl ; )
Anyway - I swiped my card, put in my PIN and pushed the “Regular” button. Then, I removed the gas cap and put the pump handle in and squeezed - ready for the pumping to begin.
But the gas didn’t start flowing. The problem? Looking at the pump I noticed I had forgotten to answer a very important question:
Do you want a car wash today?
- Yes?
- No?
I could not continue until I answered this question. Really? What a horrible user experience! Not only did I not get a car wash that day, I will never get a car wash there because they pissed me off.