From $35 to $1 million, the Swoosh story

The Nike swoosh created by designer Carolyn Davidson for Phil Knight and his fledgling Nike brand cost $35 in 1971. When first presented, Phil's comment was 'Well, I don't love it, but maybe it will grow on me'...

Today the Nike brand is worth $10.7 billion (Interbrand), the most valuable sports brand in the world. Knight is not only a outstanding entrepreneur, he is also a world class philanthropist. He has donated $230 million to the University of Oregon, $100 million to its Athletics Fund, $105 million to Stanford Graduate School and $100 million to the Oregon University Cancer Institute.

In 1983 he organized a party for Carolyn, gave her a diamond and gold Swoosh ring and an envelope containing 500 Nike shares, which today are worth... nearly $1 million. Just share it!

Canadian Olympic Brand launched

Branding for the Canadian Olympic Team by Ben Hulse and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Interesting play on the iconic Maple Leaf.

f3 design workshop 'form follows function'

Some of the work realized during my f3 packaging design workshop class with 4th year design students at the Ecole Bleue Paris.

SoupE by Monica turns the stratification of soup ingredients into a design feature that communicates ingredients and flavour.

Live(s) by Loic is a biodegradable 'last package' funeral urn that enables reincarnation in the form of a tree.

Simon at 51 logotype

Our logotype for Simon@51

Block Drugs - Classic East Village NY signage

Classic image and signage by leborkin from www.fab.com design auction site.

Origine vs Hexagonale...

Latest on the Origine France logotype: turns out there already exists a Made in France logo in the form of La Fabrique Hexagonale. Of course this does not mean anything to anyone outside France or any non French speakers (perhaps a weak point for a logo promoting French manufacturing?) but at least it is visually quite strong.

Oh, and still no reply from OFG concerning the designer. Seems they are as strong in communication and PR as in branding design...!

des!gn think!ng for iPad

Now follow des!gn think!ng on iPad

Sent from my iPad

London Underground typeface

Everything is type and type is everything. Tim Fishlock's amazing typeface is created using details of Harry Beck's seminal London Underground map.

Sugamo Shinkin Bank by Emmanuelle Moureaux

Love the very graphic treatment of Sugamo Shinkin Bank by Tokyo based Emmanuelle Moureaux architects. The luminous glow of reflected colour on the projecting white horizontal strata of the buildings volume is magical. Graphics and space in symbiosis.

Origine France Garantie logotype

19 May saw the official unveiling at the Assemblée Nationale of the new Origine France logotype. The stated objectives being the promotion of French industrial and artisanal 'savoire-faire' and a standard to identify French origin for domestic and export markets.

Disappointing to discover the outcome of 18 months reflection on the subject in this indistinctive and dated looking design. The message and national identity is a lot clearer in the origin logotypes of France's principal market competitors. No mention of the designer or agency is made in the press announcement. I am awaiting a reply to this from Origine France.

And what is that chisel tip 'marker' style typeface?

Water soluble Oil Spill Posters for notankers.ca

Oil Spill Posters - notankers.ca from davidgiovando.com on Vimeo.

How long is a piece of string?

What is the investment and what is the return on investment in design? The response is invariably another question - How long is a piece of string?

Nevertheless our design budgets and fee structure are dependent entirely on the nature of the brief and our intervention: the communication problem, the target objectives, the strategy put in place and the solutions proposed.

Our fees are calculated in function of the hours and days to be committed to each phase of the project, multiplied by the duration of the assignment and are mutually agreed. Typically our budgets range from

€5 000 to €50 000, with the occasional project at slightly more or less than this.

Return on investment and the added value of design are now givens and hardly need to be demonstrated. We have achieved 100% sales increases, touched one billion consumers, achieved thousands of site visits a day at launch, doubled turnover and exceeded targets with our interventions.

Design is the unique market differentiator and creator of added value.

It is design that creates icons and generates the 'must have' emotional response, that makes the difference between the generic and the unique - qualities and values that are, of course, priceless.

Parsons Paris workshop

Un déjeuner sur l'herbe, is a take away picnic packaging design created during a design workshop I have just run with the senior studio at Parsons Paris. A fun play on the Manet scene. Design Anna F.

$15 000 1st Prize in India design competition

My 4th Year Visual Communications students at the Ecole Bleue have taken the 1st Prize: $15 000 US and won 5 all expenses paid two week trips to India, in the India - Future of Change design competition.

623 students participated from 266 schools of design. The Ecole Bleue was the only winning school from France and the only school to take more that one prize. Pas mal!

Francois Robert 'Stop the Violence'

Brilliant typographic designs and images created uniquely with bones by Francois Robert. A hauntingly explicit message against violence.

Land Rover Defender 'Go Beyond' campaign

By RKCR/Y&R, says it all.

2011 logo trends by Bill Gardner

Bill Gardner of LogoLounge has published his annual review of logotype and branding trends. Always fascinating and insightful. www.logolounge.com

Rain reactive street graphics

I have talked here previously about snow advertising and interactive concrete poetry. Now here are street graphics that react to rain and appear when the pavement is wet. They disappear when the sun comes out again. By Fresh Green Ads.

Ecole Bleue winners of India Future of Change design contest

Congratulation to 10 of my students from the Ecole Bleue Paris, amongst the 25 winners of the India - Future of Change design competition.

623 posters were submitted from 266 Schools of design in 42 countries. Prizes include 15 day all expenses paid trips to India, 4 - 8 week Indian business internships and $$$.

The world's largest type at 1 360 500 pt

Al Futaysi Island, Abu Dhabi UAE, owned by the colourful Sheikh Hamad is 50 km2. The letters are 480 meters high, the whole word 1.7 km long. (Google Earth)

That is about 1 360 500 pt for typographers!

Pick digicam USB key from Japan

16 Go USB key and 1.3 Mp still and video camera all in one. I need one of these.

Poilâne edible fork & spoon

From France's bakers Poilâne comes these great edible fork and spoon biscuits. Curry flavoured forks and sweet shortbread spoons. €6.30 for a box of 18.

No waste, no recycling issues.

H20 - water the new luxury seminar

Creative work developed during the H20 workshop is visible here.

The brilliant Nordkyn destination branding

For anyone who missed it, the interactive Nordkyn brand, reacting to wind speed, direction and temperature change is here.

The future of interactive digital branding

The future of brands is interactive, dynamic and digital.

How relevant is a static 2D execution when most of our interfaces are web, video and digital? GreenPix is an interesting example: An interactive zero energy digital media wall by Simone Giostan and Arup for Xicui Entertainment, Beijing China.

Nordkyn's climatically controlled brand (using wind direction and temperature), as mentioned previously here, is another.

Gilded wooden letters on Bastille shopfront

Spotted this signage typography this week on a shopfront near La Bastille Paris. Gilded wooden letters, almost Gotham but with a Metro chisel style N. Nice.

p3 Paul on Packaging at Parsons

I will be speaking about Branding & Packaging Design in the Parsons Paris Communication Design lecture series. 6 April at Parsons.

Fazillac Noix walnut oil packaging on designspiration

Our walnut oil packaging in featured on designspiration.

Lee Never Wasted

Brilliant packaging for Lee by Happy, India. The bag is infinitely reusable for dozens of applications. Full story here.

Japan relief 1st design initiative

The first design initiative in aid of Japan's Sendai 8.9 quake and tsunami victims by Max Erdenberger and W+K studio. All proceeds from sales of the poster go to Japan aid. www.wkstudio.bigcartel.com/pages/japan-relief

Steve Jobs on US designer Paul Rand

"I asked him if he would come up with a few options, and he said, "No, I will solve your problem for you and you will pay me.

You don't have to use the solution. If you want options go talk to other people."

Via quotevadis.com

Paul is now on The Creative Finder network

www.thecreativefinder.com/paulvickers

The greatest brand ever created. Value $30 million

Whilst on the subject of love, here is the original sketch by Milton Glaser for the iconic I love NY logotype. Drawn in red pencil on the back of an envelope in a NY taxicab, it is now in the collection of the MOMA. Described as the greatest logo ever created its retail value to New York is estimated at $30 million. It was a pro-bono project by Milton Glaser.

Via Alastair Sooke for BBC Radio 4. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yb2v8

My Provence Festival

We have created a series of posters for the My Provence Festival. www.myprovence.fr

Packaging Design Conference podcast

My Packaging Design conference is available as a podcast at http://vimeo.com/19384469

Imagination Prefab logo and book design

Our logotype and book cover design for Imagination Prefab Houses has just been launched.

My writing on design, articles and published work

Samples of recent writing on design, branding reviews, articles and published work.

2011 New Year card published

For the third year running my New Year card design has been featured in design magazine articles and published on the web.

2011 new credentials portfolio

!ndia - Future of Change competition

Poster submissions by my students at the Ecole Bleue in the !ndia - Future of Change competition.

H20 - ecology the new luxury workshop

Some of the work produced during the two week workshop 'H20 - ecology the new luxury' that I have just run at the Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique. These projects will be exhibited at LuxePack 2011 in Monaco - the luxury industry packaging event.

Installation for Maje and MCC Foundation

Pro bono fundraising installation for Maje Prêt-à-Porter and MCC Children's Heart Foundation created and designed with students from the Ecole Bleue. The installation, on the Place du Palais Royale Paris, is visible over Christmas-New Year 2011. The concept has been extended to shop window displays in Maje flagship stores.

Packaging Design conference at the Lieu de Design

My packaging Design conference at le Lieu de Design and at Nantes.