Jun 17, 2009 | Richard Bird | 0 Comments

Pascal, DaVinci, Frazetta, Dean and Mullen

In college, I studied fine art: Drawing, painting, and printmaking. I even traveled to Rome and Florence to study art history. As an aspiring illustrator, I had three significant influences at the time: Leonardo, Frazetta and Dean.

Today, while cleaning out my browser bookmarks, I found a link, that I saved as many as 10 years ago, to an artist I admired for the same reasons as the aforementioned trio. His works are, at the same time, fantastic, powerful and artistically sensitive.

Take a look! Pascal Blanche

P.S. As I acknowledge influences in this post, I must include Professor of Art and Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, Emeritus, at State University of New York, James Mullen, (and more ) who taught all fortunate to be in his classes, “how to see,” the most valuable skill I have ever learned as an artist and creative thinker.

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Jun 1, 2009 | Richard Bird | 1 Comments

The Global Importance of Innovation as an ROI Filter

Late this evening, I made the time to review a presentation by Alessandro Finetto, Director Global Consumer Design, Whirlpool Europe, at DMI’s Realities conference 13 in Europe. My big takeaway from Mr. Finetto’s presentation is this: He knows, instinctively... continued »

May 25, 2009 | Richard Bird | 4 Comments

Patterns: The Book (Cheap Tuesdays!)

Inspired by this article in the New York Times, I’m going to try some creative marketing and offer our book on package design, Patterns:The Book, at a special price every Tuesday! According to author, Motoko Rich, Amazon (via the... continued »

May 22, 2009 | Richard Bird | 0 Comments

For the Site Analytics Obsessed

I’ve always been fascinated with web site analytics. My favorites, I rely on every day, are: * Mint, and * Google Analytics Now, add to that list: * Quantcast Quantcast is very interesting, because its data analysis and presentation... continued »

May 14, 2009 | Richard Bird | 0 Comments

Issuu Rocks. Think digital publishing first. Paper second.

Lately, we’ve found ourselves looking, first, to digital or online publishing before anything else. Why? Practical reasons, really: faster, more portable, easily updated. My current favorite for R.BIRD publications is ISSUU. Publisher and user experience seems flawless and there... continued »

Jan 15, 2009 | Richard Bird | 0 Comments

Wacky Packs Are Back!

Wacky Packages, first introduced by Topps Chewing Gum nearly 40 years ago, are back in the form of a coffee-table-worthy book to be prized by casual curators everywhere. Wacky Packages were a series of stickers and gum cards made... continued »

Dec 2, 2008 | Richard Bird | 6 Comments

Maxwell House Redesign Leaves Tradition Behind

There’s no mistaking the trend in brand and packaging design toward more streamlined brand identity and packaging. Suddenly, it seems, marketers are beginning to appreciate how simplicity and clarity go hand in hand to create more aesthetically pleasing presentations... continued »

Oct 24, 2008 | Richard Bird | 1 Comments

Now Koke Smiling Too

The design blogs are on fire recently over the shock of new Pepsi brand and packaging, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun with the idea. This is our 30-minute strategy and execution to bring competition up-to-date... continued »

Oct 23, 2008 | Richard Bird | 0 Comments

Separated at Birth 003

Edition #3 for Separated at Birth (Yes, it’s been way too long.) Yet, due with this post. During a recent client commissioned Patterns report we came across this astounding matchup: On the left is Diet Pepsi MAX. On the... continued »

Feb 18, 2008 | Richard Bird | 0 Comments

Desktop Wallpaper Euphoria

Desktop Eutopia! I’ve been longing for pre-OSX and pre-Vista days, when customizing my desktop and UI (Mac or PC) was a pleasurable distraction that I devoted a certain amount of time to every day, like reading a good book... continued »