"Tiny Desk was always a passion project."

In 2008, Bob Boilen (host of All Songs Considered) and NPR music critic Stephen Thompson went to a Laura Gibson concert. The venue was noisy, and Thompson jokingly suggested that she come to the NPR offices to perform where they could actually hear her. She said yes. They taped it—and a tradition was born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka1DKkj7pGk

Flipping the script as a company and brand strategy

Mathieu Flamini and Pasquale Granata created GF Biochemicals with a clear mission: to tackle climate change and chemical pollution by creating chemicals that replace harmful petrochemical ingredients found in everyday products such as detergents, paints, and personal care items.

https://www.thestable.com.au/not-wiedenkennedy-ex-arsenal-stars-planet-saving-company-flips-chemistry-into-greenness/

Many of the old messages in classic protest signs remain strikingly relevant today.

UN Women Sweden reminds us that the fight for gender equality is unfinished business.

https://lbbonline.com/news/UN-Women-Sweden-Breathes-New-Life-into-100-Year-Old-Protest-Signs

William Stout Bookstore just unveiled a refreshed brand identity, courtesy of Jony Ive’s firm, LoveFrom.

Design geeks, rejoice: William Stout Architectural Books in San Francisco’s Jackson Square—a beloved destination for art, design, and architecture lovers—has a new visual identity.

https://www.archpaper.com/2025/05/william-stout-architectural-books-identity-lovefrom/

It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

Jasmine Mohsen is a doctoral researcher in consumer psychology and behavior.

https://theconversation.com/shop-smarter-not-harder-how-gentle-messaging-can-help-the-planet-more-than-tough-talk-249217

"DEI isn't a brand statement, it's a business strategy."

Recent headlines claim corporate America is abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), but the broader reality is more nuanced.

https://youtu.be/VtgAHLB69RI?si=Gpr8BCZBzBHYOCLj

Using graphic design as a cornerstone of visual identity

In 1925 the Underground Group published a series of posters designed by illustrator Kathleen Stenning to promote travel on the London Underground.

https://jasonshorrillustration.tumblr.com/post/745079949295271936

'Writers, please remember to reward yourself.'

https://lithub.com/the-first-step-in-the-writing-process-be-kind-to-yourself/

Spread the love.

BLOG POST: Haiku Vandal

https://www.swiss-miss.com/2025/02/haiku-vandal.html

How to educate parents about the dangers of excessive TV watching

In 2011, UNICEF Indonesia partnered with Lowe Jakarta to tackle the issue of excessive television watching among children.

https://theinspiration.com/2024/02/unicef-see-what-you-can-switch-on-when-the-screen-is-off-2011-by-lowe-indonesia/

Acknowledging and learning from the beauty and intelligence found within global design practices

Centered is a new insightful book of essays, interviews and images taking a global look at design diversity.

https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/kaleena-sales-centered-design-publication-241023

Giving voice to the victim of wars and its consequences

EMERGENCY is an independent and neutral international organization that provides free, high-quality medical and surgical care to victims of war, landmines and poverty.

https://www.lbbonline.com/news/emergency-and-ogilvy-italy-launch-new-campaign-365-days-a-wish-for-a-2025-against-war

Community-centric focus, dynamic visual identities and other brand strategy and design trends of the new year

I’ve spent this year chatting with design pros, dissecting pitch decks, and analyzing emerging campaigns to uncover where the branding industry is headed.

https://www.printmag.com/branding-identity-design/brand-design-predictions-for-2025/

Misinformation that triggers fear is one of the most powerful rhetorical devices and has been used in propaganda for centuries.

As we've been saying, those of us telling the stories of truth, understanding and justice need to up our game.

https://today.usc.edu/why-truth-is-no-match-for-misinformation-qa-with-kristina-lerman/

One of the most progressive graphic designers of the 1920s and ’30s, one who challenged traditional conventions, did so at a time when fascism was taking root throughout Europe.

Last week Steven Heller reviewed the Letterform Archive rerelease of a founding masterpiece of modern typography from one of the twentieth century’s most ambitious creatives, Piet Zwart, the Dutch photographer, typographer, and industrial designer.

https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-piet-zwarts-best-client/

Imagine if this ad were selling the common good instead of sports clothes.

Set aside for moment that this is a TV commercial for a sports fashion retailer that operates 3,400 stores across 32 countries.

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/11/15/ad-the-day-central-cee-and-maya-jama-redefine-family-jd-sports-s-christmas-film

Communication and community are inseparable.

Put simply, the 20th-century broadcast model of mass communication simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/communications-beyond-broadcasting

'Trust is the most valuable thing on any balance sheet.'

When newspaper veteran Ross McDuffie became the first-ever chief portfolio officer for the National Trust for Local News, the nonprofit organization owned two dozen newspapers in Colorado and generated around $5 million in earned revenue.

https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/09/the-national-trust-for-local-news-keeps-buying-local-newspapers-heres-what-theyve-learned/

This ad campaign was developed with a team of young audience members who shared their personal insight throughout the creative process.

Cosmetics brand Maybelline New York has unveiled a powerful new campaign to mark World Mental Health Day (earlier this month).

https://www.creativebloq.com/creative-inspiration/advertising/maybellines-new-campaign-is-a-refreshing-take-on-mental-health

'I commit to using my marketing skills as a force for good acting responsibly with full transparency and honesty when it comes to messaging, communications and creative.'

Laura Stein, Chief Creative Officer at Bruce Mau Design, named this book one of the five books that shaped her approach to design, branding, and sustainability.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/can-marketing-save-the-planet-9781399411219/

'Eliciting laughter is proof that you’ve connected with someone on a fundamental and human level.'

Undeniably, we live in deeply polarized times.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91198375/humor-in-advertising-can-cue-more-than-laughter

To persuade people to support pro-environmental policies tie those policies to cherished cultural traditions.

https://www.futurity.org/climate-change-action-patriotic-liberals-conservatives-3248752/

The first daily newspaper in the U.S. to become a nonprofit has published a refreshingly readable and transparent annual report.

It started when Andy Larsen, sports reporter and data columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune, got annoyed with an “obnoxious” ad on the Tribune’s own site.

https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/09/the-salt-lake-tribune-profitable-and-growing-seeks-to-rid-itself-of-that-necessary-evil-the-paywall/

The power of a smile, and five other things we can learn about body language from this week's debate

What lessons can business leaders draw from the different body language styles displayed at the Harris-Trump debate and how can they leverage them in their own high-stakes appearances inside and outside their organizations?" - Harrison Monarth

https://www.fastcompany.com/91189734/6-lessons-in-body-language-leaders-can-take-from-the-harris-trump-debate

A London illustrator is using his experience in advertising to help freelancers in his neighborhood.

Lawrence Slater is an art director at Saatchi & Saatchi in London.

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/lawrence-slater-local-flyers-illustration-project-220824

What's new is old

I like this visual identity program for New York-based digital company Friends From the City.

https://abduzeedo.com/branding-and-visual-identity-case-study-friends-city
No items found.

A dad draws the first week of his daughter's life

The past week has been a wonderful blur.

https://mitchellvolk.substack.com/p/one-week

The Harris-Walz logo references Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 campaign to face off against then-President Richard Nixon.

Before Vice President Kamala Harris announced on social media that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her running mate, her campaign had already updated its website with a new Harris-Walz logo.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91168459/new-logo-harris-walz-campaign
No items found.

'All of nature needs a habitable planet, so we’re giving nature a voice through this campaign.”

Flora and Fauna joined the Democrats’ reinvigorated 2024 presidential campaign when a team of creative professionals from Portland, OR, launched 'Creatures for Kamala,' a grassroots effort designed to energize voters around Vice President Harris.

https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-nature-for-kamala/

Tupperware now depends on retail and online channels to sell its products. So it needed a visual identity that would do more of the work.

Historically, Tupperware could count on the social equity of its sales reps to sell the brand.

https://thedieline.com/landor-throws-a-tupperware-party-with-a-brand-refresh/

Less than an hour after Joe Biden announced his departure from the presidential race, a call went out on Slack to see which staff were available to redesign the campaign's logo.

“'The Harris for President creative and web teams sprang into action, rebranded the entire campaign overnight, and launched a new website in just 26 hours,' Harris for President Creative Director Kate Conway told The Independent.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kamala-harris-logo-campaign-design-b2585355.html

United We Vote puts political material in the hands of the people by creating posters that are free to download and edit as you please.

Last June, the European elections took place.

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/united-we-vote-photography-project-100724

'To make science’s stories more concrete and engaging, it’s important to put people in the story, explain science as a process, and include what people care about.'

In my book “Science v.

https://theconversation.com/storytelling-strategies-make-communication-about-science-more-compelling-228858
No items found.

'Remember, video essays aren’t essays. They’re films.'

Every Frame a Painting is a series of 28 video essays about film form, film editing, and cinematography created by Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou between 2014 and 2016.

https://youtu.be/1GXv2C7vwX0?si=JMvpI1dD2X9aa7EJ

“Kissing Doesn’t Kill: Greed and Indifference Do.”

https://fansinaflashbulb.wordpress.com/2017/10/11/gran-fury/

'The Balena library’s motto, 'Beyond pages', expresses our cultural heritage and knowledge that books carry, while also reflecting the extended functions of the library.'

Many people today are concerned about alienation, the tensions and anxiety that come with social polarisation.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/200597243/Balena-Community-Library-concept

The history, art, and design of LSD blotter paper

Blotter art are the designs printed, hand-stamped, or hand drawn on paper before sheets are dipped in a liquid LSD solution to absorb the drug.

https://themicrodose.substack.com/p/acid-blotter-paper-art-5-questions

An eco-friendly Brazilian skater brand has partnered with a streetwear designer to create Olympic skateboarding uniforms.

In 2020, skateboarding became an official Olympic sport.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91125740/these-skateboarding-uniforms-are-bringing-street-style-to-the-olympics

"The good thing about everything being so messed up is that no matter where you look there’s good work to be done.”

- Derek Jensen