While our minds may be on the year ahead of us, I wanted to take some time out to spotlight my favorite studio-made gifts from 2024 that truly stand out.

Tavern’s House Lambrusco

To celebrate their second year in business, Tavern created a limited edition sparkling red Lambrusco, Tavern House Wine, for clients and close agency friends. This follows their first-anniversary project, Tavern Beer, a design created to showcase the team’s capabilities and attract beer clients. Their wine takes inspiration from dive bars, Italian American social clubs, and red sauce joints, a nod to the studio’s love for food, drinks, and hospitality. “Since the beginning, taverns have shaped our agency’s identity,” said Mike Perry, founder and chief creative officer. “Drawing influence from the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, the oldest running tavern in the U.S. For this project, we imagined the kind of house wine an old-school Italian American establishment would serve, blending history with our signature creative approach.”

The Century Schoolbook wordmark—a timeless nod —pairs with Minuet, a vintage wine label typeface, and Grilli Type Standard comes in for contrast. Hidden details include vintage seals and stamp overlays that evoke some of the team’s favorite beer labels. The label’s horses resemble chess knights to symbolize Tavern’s two years in business, and repeat in the wax-dipped top, hand-stamped, horse insignia. The Tavern team has created a story and experience that extends well beyond the bottle. The patinaed brass glorifier, which doubles as an ashtray, and a membership card to the studio’s imaginary tavern are theatrical and playful nods to a bygone era. Perry said, “Ultimately, this project is as much about celebrating our clients as it is about indulging our own passion for design, storytelling, and handcrafted details.”

If Only Creative’s Bespoke Salsa

If Only Creative, a Chicana-led creative agency, has always championed collaboration and community at its core. This ethos came to life in their recent partnership with celebrated Chicano chef Jacob Croom of pop-up and supper club My Friend Fernando to develop two custom salsas for existing and potential clients. From the recipe itself to the packaging, this collaboration reflects their shared passion for uplifting culture, storytelling, and artistry. By blending Jacob’s culinary expertise with If Only Creative’s design vision, they’ve created a product that is as authentic and bold as the communities they serve.

“This partnership also marks an exciting moment for the agency,” said If Only Creative’s founder, Marisa Dunning-Sanchez, “as Jacob Croom will officially join If Only Creative as a food partner for our private dinner, El Otro Lado, in 2025.” This announcement underscores the agency’s commitment to bridging creative and culinary worlds, forging relationships that amplify voices within communities of color. Together, they aim to push boundaries, bringing new ideas and flavors to life while celebrating the rich heritage of Chicano culture.

As an agency rooted in food and beverage, If Only Creative consistently prioritizes supporting POC-owned businesses. This collaboration is more than just a product launch—it’s a celebration of heritage, innovation, and the power of collaboration.

Wedge’s Staff Meal Recipes

Speaking of food, pull up a seat to STAFF MEAL: 12 Recipes from the creative directors, designers, and team at Wedge. Born out of a shared love for cooking, gathering, and all things food that comes from the best of hospitality, each recipe comes with a personal anecdote. “From Justin’s Tartare de Boeuf to Alon’s Korean Stew to Cap’s Cookies, there’s something sweet and savory for everyone,” said Sarah Di Domenico, Wedge’s co-founder and chief creative officer.

Bon Appétit!

Stout’s Holiday Cards

Every year, Stout creates a special set of holiday cards for clients and friends of the studio—a cherished tradition that brings delight and creative expression. Each edition takes on a fresh approach, shaped by intentional constraints such as dimensions and a defined color palette.

Over the years, Stout’s designs have ranged from intricate illustrations to bold, experimental concepts. This year, however, the studio embraced a different philosophy: simplicity and elegance. “Inspired by the timeless themes of Peace, Love, and Joy, the 2024 holiday cards embody a refined minimalism, allowing the message to take center stage,” said designer Brigitte La.

CENTER’s Circle C Blanket

Each year, the CENTER team creates a special item of custom merch as a gift for clients and collaborators. “Though we’ve had plenty of requests to sell these items,” said Alex Center, founder and chief creative officer, “we prefer to keep them exclusive—reserved for our close-knit “friends and family.”

For this annual winter tradition, the team has designed everything from sweatshirts and beanies to water bottles and t-shirts. For 2024, instead of something to wear, they created something to snuggle with and keep you warm during the winter chill.

The 2024 CENTER Blanket is a bold design in orange, blue, black, and taupe, featuring a clever twist on the studio’s Circle C logo. It’s not your average branded merch though. Up close, it’s an abstract pattern, worthy of a permanent spot on your couch or favorite chair.

The color palette is a nod to the studio’s signature couch and tables. The blankets are modeled and photographed by the team—the familiar faces that bring the studio to life show us exactly how to rock the blanket with style.

High Tide’s Palmy Candle

The inspiration behind High Tide‘s annual gift was to create an object that paid homage to our longstanding brand symbol and mascot (whom we affectionately refer to as Palmy). “High Tide recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary,” says Danny Miller, founder and creative director. “So it felt right to commemorate the moment with a physical manifestation of our brand symbol that people could enjoy as a candle or simply put up on their bookshelves.”

With a minimal and straightforward studio identity, Palmy was born out of the team’s desire to represent the more fun, laid-back side of High Tide. The anthropomorphic palm also speaks to the studio’s origin story: Miller was on a surf trip in Costa Rica during the studio’s inception, and the name materialized in between long days of surfing.

Transport’s Brass Oil Lamps

Merry and bright? It takes a village.

Partnering with industrial designer Joe Doucet, Transport New York designed brass paraffin oil lamps to embody warm wishes for bright holidays. What is less obvious is the time and effort it took to make their idea a reality, something they started in 2023. Development, prototyping, and applying the team’s signature attention to detail took, well, a bit longer.

But it was worth it. The team always thinks big, and the gift invites the recipient to think big about what they can do together.

Vintage Danish inspiration was only one point in the team’s collaborative effort, down to the group packing and shipping party. “For us, it was a project in bringing Transport’s esprit de corps to life,” said Andy Gray, Transport’s founder and creative director. “It’s a sentiment we were sure to share in our message to recipients.”

Clever Creative’s Signature Scent

As Clever Creative approaches its 20th anniversary, the team wanted the studio’s recent brand refresh to culminate in a meaningful, sensory-driven experience. This special mailer serves as the final touchpoint of that journey—a way to reflect on the studio’s roots while looking ahead to the future.

What better way to celebrate than by creating a signature scent? “With Bonfire, we sought to deepen our brand’s connection by engaging all five senses crafting an experience that lingers long after the first impression,” said Shannon Gabor, founder. More than just a fragrance, Bonfire embodies the warmth, creativity, and spirit that have defined Clever Creative for two decades—a truly memorable and immersive way to share their story with clients and collaborators.

ThoughtMatter

Persistence: More than a drink, it’s our stance: creativity over complacency.

Thought Matter

Crafted as a provocative toast to resilience, ThoughtMatter created zero-proof kombucha to be a reminder that while power can falter, the potential to rebuild with thought and purpose, never does.

Timed for delivery intentionally between Inauguration Day and Presidents’ Day, Thought Matter sent a message about what’s at stake for progress: a possibility only when we dare to break and build with purpose, not perfection. Says the studio, “This year’s gift is a declaration of the strength in our partnerships and the enduring power of creative collaboration,” said Jessie McGuire, managing partner.

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Tight

“I wanted to create a brutalist sculpture using two blocks of steel inside a C clamp. I always found tools to be very inspirational when creating still life photographs.
I was also inspired by Walker Evans B&W photographic series of individual tools he created over a century ago.

Craig Cutler

Adjectives are tough. I have to represent a certain feeling. I initially thought of things like a tight situation of tightening a bolt. It’s kind of mechanical. I pulled on a surgical glove as they are always too tight. Sure enough, if I didn’t put it on all the way, it exaggerated the tightness. It was fun to draw with colored pencils—a homage to Craig’s red hand (#28).

Craig Frazier

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Fruit

“When we started this project, we both agreed that the format would be a 4×5 proportion. I have spent much of my career shooting with 8×10 and 4×5 view cameras so l thought this word was appropriate to introduce that camera to the party.

My idea was to use the actual 4×5 film’s edge as a creative tool that would contain the lemons. Once the image was shot I sent the film off to The Icon Film Lab to process and create a drum scan.

The film’s edge is just as important if not more than the actual objects in the image.” – Craig Cutler

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Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

And there’s no question the former Robert Zimmerman of Hibbing, Minnesota did a magnificent job of creating the artist, Bob Dylan.

But there were some pieces to the “Dylan myth” that he found.

He found music on the radio when he was quite young. He discovered the guitar. He unearthed the poets from Rimbaud to Kerouac. He found Woody Guthrie, Suze Rotolo, and Joan Baez.

And all the while he was finding things, he was also creating.

It strikes me that “finding yourself” and “creating yourself” is not binary.

It’s not either/or.

I suggest it’s both. Indeed, I see it as a process.

First, you find some things you are drawn to. Pay attention, now. What do you like? What do you like to do?

You then start to store up these ideas and actions and they become encoded in your brain. And once you have these pieces, you start to put them together in the puzzle that becomes…you.

The process?

From hunting and gathering to making.

From searching to creating.

And from creating to being.

As Dylan sings: “May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung.”

Who are you?

It begins with what have you been finding.

Rob Schwartz is the Chair of the TBWA New York Group and an executive coach who channels his creativity, experience and wisdom into helping others get where they want to be. This was originally posted on his Substack, RobSchwartzHelps, where he covers work, life, and creativity.

Header image: Benoît Deschasaux for Unsplash+; photo of album cover courtesy of the author

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Level

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Vimeo, the pioneer of high-definition video sharing, sought a brand identity as innovative as its platform. The result is a dynamic design system where resolution isn’t merely a visual detail but a central, functional element.

Uncommon’s approach involved creating traditional brand components — logo, color palette, and typography — but with a twist: they employed generative tools to modulate the resolution of these elements. This concept was vividly brought to life during REFRAME, Vimeo’s inaugural video innovation conference.

In the lead-up to the event, outdoor media installations showcased posters with resolutions that varied based on their proximity to the venue. Distant locations featured low-resolution images, which progressively sharpened to ultra-high-definition as one approached the event site. This clever use of resolution not only mirrored the evolution of video technology but also engaged audiences in a playful, interactive narrative. Fascinated by this activation, I reached out to Nils Leonard, Uncommon Creative Studio’s co-founder. Our conversation is as follows (lightly edited for length and clarity).

How does incorporating ‘resolution’ as a core element of the design system challenge traditional branding conventions?

Without knowing it, we all often work within confines we don’t question. There are the common and accepted tenets of design systems: logo, typography, colour, layout, etc., but when we approached this project with true innovation in mind, we really asked ourselves how we might challenge the very nature of a design system rather than begin a process inside of it. We landed on a very simple insight, which is that if Vimeo were the original video innovator then surely our design had to represent that in an innovative way. Rather than try to create something within the existing framework of a design system, we sought to redefine the system itself. The task then became working out how the system might be able to play with resolution in an additive and remarkable way and how it might feature in the storytelling for the event and the brand itself.

We loved the idea that media could work like vision, or like resolution itself – that the closer you got to the venue, the sharper and more hi res the executions would get.

The proximity-based resolution concept for outdoor media is unconventional. What inspired your approach, and how did you ensure it would resonate with audiences attending REFRAME?

We loved the idea that media could work like vision, or like resolution itself – that the closer you got to the venue, the sharper and more hi res the executions would get. It was the perfect canvas for the resolution part of the identity to play in and was a game we felt the Reframe audience would enjoy as they made their way to the event. Once we had created the various executions using the generative web-based tool we developed, the task was then to plot the media along the routes to the venue we knew the audience would take. Some careful planning and media scouting took place, then we ensured each execution occurred in the right place for the overall effect to be felt. We weren’t worried about the lower resolution executions making little sense to people as we knew the repetition of the media and the buzz around the event would land the idea through the media mix and the noise around the idea. It was fun, though, seeing completely indecipherable posters around town. They were strangely beautiful and simple in comparison to overloaded and messaging-saturated posters. A little like Vimeo, nothing tried too hard: the overall experience was premium, simple, remarkable.

How did the partnership between Vimeo’s in-house design team and Uncommon Creative Studio influence the project’s outcome?

Dan and the excellent team at Vimeo really understood and shared the vision of the idea from the first moment. Of course, the identity had to work hard inside the venue and across all of the event’s touchpoints (including beautiful merchandise, publishing, and the myriad screens and media present). But we all recognised the power of the idea behind the branding to further reinforce Vimeo’s credentials as the original video innovator to everyone that came across the identity and the event. The project was a balance of pragmatism and trust as we went about the task. The design practice within Uncommon always strives for the work to have a deeper story, a more famous narrative, and something that could become a reference point – the team at Vimeo had desired an idea like this from the start and the partnership flourished in this shared ambition.

How do you anticipate the resolution-based design system will impact audience perception and engagement during the REFRAME festival? How does this approach align with Vimeo’s broader goals? And how did you approach crafting a visual narrative that embodies the evolution of video in the 21st century?

Whether new or old, branding always has conventional tasks to fulfill. The approach here was to satisfy those needs, but go further finding a narrative in how we branded the event to create deeper conversations around Vimeo and its place in the world. This role is usually reserved for internal comms or marketing tasks, but we saw the opportunity for the body language of the brand to say something that most marketing couldn’t: If the simple design of our event is this innovative, the brand must live and breathe this commitment to the future of video in every aspect. More than answering a brief, this work asks a question, where else could video go? What else could it do? What else could be a screen? Magic in design can exist in more than a clever logo or the beauty of a typeface. What you make can be magical, but so can how you make [it].

What is the potential for applying the resolution-centric design concept beyond REFRAME? How might this approach influence future branding strategies for Vimeo or other platforms in the digital space?

Vimeo is a true innovator, whether through our partnership or in countless other ways, they will never stop showcasing the power of video to challenge, change, and improve our work and lives. We look forward to asking the questions inside this work of other media, environments, and opportunities as the studio moves forward.

Dan Brooks, Vimeo’s VP of creative & brand, remarked, “For REFRAME, our first video innovation conference, it was great to partner with Uncommon, a studio who embodies inventive thinking and design. It was a great collaboration between Vimeo’s in-house design and production team, a bold, flexible design system with a core idea around ‘resolution’ at the center.”

This approach not only reinforces Vimeo’s identity as a leader in video innovation but also exemplifies how design can transcend aesthetics to become an experiential journey.

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Dark

Since Craig did a self-portrait (26/52), I thought maybe this was a good reason for me to do one. I took an iPhone photo with a single light and drew it in graphite. I kept darkening out information until the bare minimum remained.

– Craig Frazier

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Cold

and Colder

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This time last year, we declared 2023 as The Year of the Rebrand. Now, with 2024 coming to a close, we turn our gaze to 2025—peering into the horizon of the branding world to uncover what lies ahead. 

I’ve spent this year chatting with design pros, dissecting pitch decks, and analyzing emerging campaigns to uncover where the branding industry is headed. Spoiler alert: it’s anything but business as usual. From AI-crafted design systems to purpose-driven storytelling that actually feels authentic for once, brands are showing up in ways that make me want to stand and applaud.

Without further ado, here’s what we’re predicting for brands in 2025:

Brand Strategy Trends

1. Hyper-Personalization at Scale

Brands will leverage AI and data analytics to deliver more personalized customer experiences, from product recommendations to dynamic branding elements that adapt to individual user preferences.

Spotify Wrapped; Nike By You

2. Purpose-Driven Branding (Refined)

While purpose remains critical, 2025 will see brands focus on authenticity and measurable impact rather than broad claims. Brands must show clear alignment between their stated values and tangible results.

Patagonia promoting repairable products; Ben & Jerry’s backing up activism with specific partnerships

3. Community-Centric Strategies

Building engaged communities will take precedence over traditional marketing. Brands will invest in digital and in-person spaces that encourage connection and co-creation with their audience.

Nike’s sneaker drops through its SNKRS app; LEGO Ideas

4. Decentralized Brand Ownership

With Web3 and blockchain technologies evolving, brands may experiment with decentralized ownership models, such as letting customers co-own or shape the brand through tokenized loyalty programs.

Starbucks’ Odyssey program rewards loyal customers with NFTs that unlock exclusive perks; Red Bull’s The Paddock loyalty program

5. Regionalization Over Globalization

Instead of creating universal global identities, brands will adopt hyper-localized strategies that reflect the values and aesthetics of specific markets. Case in point: Coca-Cola’s “Every Coca-Cola is Welcome” campaign.

Coca-Cola adapts its packaging, flavors, and campaigns to resonate with local cultures; McDonald’s offers region-specific menu items.

Design Trends

1. AI-Enhanced Design Systems

Designers will lean heavily on AI tools to generate brand assets, optimize user interfaces, and create real-time adaptations of logos, packaging, and experiences across platforms.

Canva’s AI-powered “Magic Studio”; Adobe FireFly

2. Neo-Brutalism & Playful Imperfection

While minimalism dominated the past decade, brands will embrace bold, imperfect, and human-centric aesthetics that feel less polished and more approachable.

Glossier street campaigns, Tony’s Chocolonely identity

3. Tactile Design in Digital Spaces

Inspired by material textures and tactile interactions, branding will incorporate 3D and haptic-like designs for digital experiences that mimic real-world sensations.

Moncler uses subtle shadows and layered visuals to mimic fabric textures; Apple macOS Sequoia introduces visual effects like window shadows and blur for depth.

4. Typography Revival

Custom fonts and expressive typography will take center stage as brands seek to differentiate themselves. Expect a mix of retro-inspired serif fonts and modern sans-serif combinations.

Burberry’s return to a custom serif typeface; L’eggs reintroduces Herb Lubalin’s iconic logotype

5. Color Gradients with Substance

Gradients will evolve to include nuanced, story-driven applications, reflecting mood, time of day, or cultural moments, rather than being purely decorative.

Instagram’s background color shifts to evoke emotion and moments; Duolingo uses gradients to create dynamic and playful digital assets.

Emerging Practices

1. Eco-Aesthetic Branding

Sustainability will drive not only materials but also design language—muted earth tones, recycled textures, and visuals that communicate environmental care will become more common.

Everlane’s muted earth tones and recyclable packaging; Aesop’s recyclable materials and minimalist designs.

2. Inclusive Visual Systems

Representation will extend beyond tokenism as brands develop truly inclusive design systems that adapt to different audiences and accessibility needs.

Fenty Beauty’s diverse skin tones and body types; Microsoft’s Fluent Design System prioritizes accessibility and inclusivity by offering tools and guidelines for creating interfaces that work for everyone.

3. Multi-Sensory Branding

Beyond sight and sound, brands will explore taste, touch, and smell through innovative packaging, physical experiences, and AR/VR interactions.

Sonos integrates tactile textures and calming soundscapes into its store displays; Apple’s use of haptics and subtle sounds enhances physical interaction with products.

4. Dynamic Brand Identities

Static logos and color palettes will give way to flexible systems that adapt based on context, mood, or audience, offering a living brand experience.

Coachella’s branding adapts colours, shapes, and themes annually to align with the festival’s evolving vibe; Google Doodles adapts to celebrate cultural events and milestones.

5. Metaverse-Ready Branding

Brands will design for the growing intersection of physical and virtual worlds, ensuring their identity and assets translate seamlessly across AR, VR, and immersive platforms.

Gucci’s digital Gucci Garden; Balenciaga and Fortnite collaborate on branded skins and virtual events.

The Takeaway? Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Fun.

Here’s the thing: the brands winning in 2025 won’t just be selling products. They’ll be connecting with us on a human level. They’ll be playful, purposeful, and sometimes a little messy—but that’s the magic. The best part? These trends aren’t just for the big players. Small businesses can dive into this brave new world, too.

• Invest in Authentic Relationships: Build strategies that foster genuine connections rather than transactional interactions.
• Design for Flexibility: Ensure your brand identity can adapt to multiple touchpoints, from screens to immersive environments.
• Leverage Data with Empathy: Use insights responsibly to create meaningful, personalized experiences without crossing privacy boundaries.
• Sustainability as a Baseline: Greenwashing will no longer suffice—brands must integrate sustainability into their core ethos and design.

See you in 2025. I’ll be the one wearing Nike AI sneakers and chomping down on a Tony’s Chocolonely.

Imagery: sourced via Google Search and on the brands’ websites.

The post Forecasting the Future: Brand & Design Predictions for 2025 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(This post was originally published on Dec. 24, 2018)

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Dream

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Red

Probably the most used color in my design career—possibly the most beautiful and powerful color. I had just sketched an idea (book and letters) and rather than use multi-colored letters, I decided to solve this problem by coloring it entirely in red. The accidental bonus was the other read.

Craig Frazier

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Over 700 creatives from around the globe contributed to this ambitious project. Each designer was paired with another, tasked with interpreting a specific date through opposing concepts. The result is a stunning visual exploration of duality, presented in two volumes: one dark, one light.

Designer collaborators include Katharina Saurer of Germany’s Heine Warnecke Design, Belgium-based book designer Tina de Souter, Mashael N. Alajmi of The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (the first-ever Saudi participant), Margarida Rego from Lisbon’s Ilhas Studio, Q’s Magdalena Cardwell, and Aaron Levin out of Paris, as well as some of the below-quoted creatives.

The book is a work of art, printed lithographically in one special color (877 silver) to a variety of 28 different Fedrigoni papers. The tactile experience is as captivating as the visual, with each page inviting you to touch, feel, and appreciate the nuances of paper. The publication was printed and foiled by UK-printer Pressision with binding by Diamond Print Finishers.

My task was to represent the word “fix” using the number 26, a unique challenge since “fix” is hard to show without illustrating “break.” My solution: 26 ‘fixed’ to a wall, with a nod to the U.S. phone repair brand UBREAKIFIX. A fun exercise in the moderately absurd—thank you, Fedrigoni!

Naomi Usher, Studio Usher (NYC)

Sarah Bloor, account director at Pressision Creative Print & Packaging said the company was thrilled to collaborate with Fedrigoni on the 2025 Fedrigoni 365 project. “Printing on both the white and black paper ranges with silver ink showcases Pressision’s specialist printing capabilities and highlights the unique qualities of each material,” Bloor said. “It’s a privilege to help bring this project to life, blending innovation with craftsmanship to celebrate the creative potential of paper.”

This year, the theme of exploring opposites offered an intriguing challenge. I was fortunate to receive a thought-provoking word, which inspired me to take a fresh, more conceptual approach, breaking away slightly from my usual style. I’m excited to see how people interpret it!

David Sedgwick, Studio DBD (UK)

There’s something about the equation “calendar + paper + typography” that makes it one of those perfect design exercises on par with an LP record sleeve, a beverage can or a paperback book cover. So, I was thrilled to participate.

Aaron Levin (France)

Each designer had a unique process of homing in on their interpretation of their opposing concept. “When I discovered my word was “Universal”, I was very intimidated,” said Aaron Levin. “I thought, wow, that’s a pretty broad subject, how can I do something that screams out ‘universal’? In the end, I tried not to convey the theme but to think about it in terms of a universal language. I realised that even though what we call “Arabic” numerals are recognized throughout the world, they are far from universal. You have only to go to any market in Japan or Kuwait and you will see their own number system scrawled on cardboard price signs. Initially, I thought of sign language but, after researching it, saw that it was language-dependent. Braille, on the other hand, seemed to be consistent everywhere, so that ended up being the basis of my design.”

The designers knew they were working in two-person teams, but they didn’t know who in the world they were partnered with. “My unknown partner has to illustrate my opposite, “Particular”. That could turn out to be equally daunting,” Levin said of how this additional layer informed his process and thinking. “How do you make something look particular without comparing it to a set of “non-particulars”, or “other-particulars”? I’m going to go out on a limb here and speculate that it will be something pretty elaborate and odd, maybe even dissonant or provocative? But who knows! I’m eager to discover it!”

I was tasked with designing the 10th of February. The seed word “Stressed” inspired me to draw a distorted, stressed number 10 that visually conveys inner tension through typography.

Laura Markert, Büro Bungalow (Germany)

Positive and negative are simply frames of mind. Our artwork for the Fedrigoni 365 (black) brings this philosophy to life, using the block to communicate the beauty in contrast and balance.

Anup Agarwalla, Azure Communication Pvt. (India)

By showcasing the work of so many talented designers, Fedrigoni 365 2025 reminds us that creativity knows no bounds. It’s a testament to the power of design to inspire, challenge, and unite.

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Folded

My mind inextricably connects folds to paper. Still under the influence of Japan—I was thinking utmost simplicity. I made a couple of sketches then a folded model, cut the segments from PMS colored papers, and pasted in my sketchbook.

Craig Frazier

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Always curious about how color reflects culture, Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025 is PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, which offers plenty to unpack. A rich, earthy brown, it’s positioned as a color that balances sophistication and comfort. But does it capture the mood of the moment?

This year, much of the design world has been focused on themes of sustainability, simplicity, and connection. Mocha Mousse seeks to tap into those ideas, evoking warmth and stability. It’s a grounded shade that nods to nature and the pleasures of everyday life—a safe choice, perhaps, but also a versatile one.

Pantone’s reveal, featuring a light show on the London Eye, certainly adds some drama to the announcement. The collaborations, too, are impressive: Motorola’s vegan leather phones and Joybird’s plush fabrics demonstrate how Mocha Mousse can be used across industries. Other product collaborations include Pura’s smart fragrance diffuser with custom scents, Wix Studio’s web design assets, Libratone’s UP headphones, Spoonflower’s print-on-demand home décor, IPSY’s limited-edition beauty products, Society6’s artist-driven designs, Ultrafabrics’ premium interior textiles, and Post-it® Brand’s special collection celebrating expressive color.

Still, the color feels understated, even subdued, compared to the bold selections of previous years. Perhaps this choice reflects a response to the chaotic and unpredictable events of 2024, offering a sense of calm and grounding in a time of upheaval. “The everlasting search for harmony filters through into every aspect of our lives, including our relationships, the work we do, our social connections, and the natural environment that surrounds us,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Color Institute. “Harmony brings feelings of contentment, inspiring a positive state of inner peace, calm, and balance as well as being tuned in with the world around us. Harmony embraces a culture of connection and unity as well as the synthesis of our mental, spiritual and physical well-being.”

…for Pantone Color of the Year 2025, we look to a color that reaches into our desire for comfort and wellness, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others.

Laurie Pressman, VP Pantone Color Institute

For designers, Mocha Mousse has potential. It’s a great neutral for grounding palettes, and its tactile qualities make it appealing in interior design and packaging. But it’s not the kind of shade that demands attention or inspires an immediate wow factor. Instead, it’s a quiet presence — more about being a harmonious complement than a leading show-stopper.

As we move into 2025, it will be interesting to see how this color plays out in real-world applications. Will it resonate with audiences craving simplicity and comfort, or will it fade into the background? Time will tell. For now, Mocha Mousse offers designers a tool for creating warmth and subtle elegance, even if it doesn’t quite steal the spotlight.

Imagery courtesy of The Pantone Color Institute.

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Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how the pair translate the prompt through photography and illustration.

Shatter

My wife and I were traveling in Japan when this word got assigned. I was seeing a lot of sake vessels and their silhouettes were always striking in simplicity—inspiration supplied. In order to know something is shattered, you have to know what it was whole.

Craig Frazier

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And if you’re still reeling from it, the holidays are a perfect time to get punch-drunk distracted on a bounty of brilliant book covers.

For as much insanity as the year held (and it was … a lot!), it was offset by a constant stream of cathartic tomes and jackets. To that end, in 2023 our annual December list featured 50 titles—and it has now doubled to 100. 

Some of my personal favorites: Thomas Colligans’ beautiful cover for Beautyland, which has been stuck in my head for the better part of a year. Janet Hansen’s work on Ask Me Again, is equal parts electrifying and haunting. Pablo Delcan’s genius VanderMeer covers the best encapsulations of the Southern Reach series since his Spanish editions. Arsh Raziuddin’s jacket for Knife. Alex Merto and Seymour Chwast’s Tom Wolfe reissues. Pete Adlington’s utterly perfect Not Waving But Drowning. Grace Han’s take on God of the Woods, which disproves the theory that great covers are only the stuff of niche imprints and genres and not mainstream bestsellers. And so many others, which you’ll see below.

Here’s to all the striking work in 2024, and all that we have to look forward to in 2025. There has truly never been a better time to get lost in a book—or a book cover.

The post 100 of the Best Book Covers of 2024 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Left image: 404 Branding, Right image: Co-founders (left to right) Renan Monjon, Rafael Caldeira, Saulo Monjon

Their debut project, The Cruise Heist, is a masterclass in creative risk-taking. Tackling a Netflix campaign when the company was less than three weeks old, with just five people on the team, is the kind of audacity that defines 404. Co-founder Rafael Caldeira put it perfectly: “Our name ‘404’ celebrates the idea that mistakes and risk-taking are essential parts of the creative process.”

And it’s not just a nervy concept—they’ve proven it works. In its first year, 404’s design-first approach and lean, two-department structure have delivered results that rival even the most established agencies. From partnerships with global heavyweights like Google and Natura to snagging awards at Cannes Lions, Effies, and El Ojo de Iberoamérica, 404 is shaking up the industry. They fully embrace their tongue-in-cheek, “error-prone” ethos by leaning into the spirit of a 404 error — playfully owning the fact that they don’t even have a website (yet!?) to showcase their award-winning work. You can, however, find them on LinkedIn and Instagram.

What stands out about 404 isn’t just the awards or the high-profile clients. It’s their philosophy: innovation thrives in uncertainty. In a world increasingly dominated by AI, the team champions the power of human creativity and thoughtful design. By blending cutting-edge tech with a distinctly Brazilian flair for bold ideas, they’re redefining how creative problems are solved—not just in Brazil, but anywhere.

As they enter year two, 404 Design & Innovation is on a mission to grow even bigger. Their rapid rise is a testament to the idea that with the right mix of creativity, collaboration, and courage, even the newest player can make waves in a competitive industry. Keep an eye on this agency. PRINT is excited to see what’s in store for 404’s next chapter!

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From a fresh face (or lack thereof) on some Murakami, to Dante’s Inferno as you’ve never seen it, to a psychedelic Clockwork Orange experiment, the rest of our favorite finds from the month(s) follow!

Publisher’s description:
With his bestseller Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates established himself as a unique voice in his generation of American authors, a brilliant writer and thinker in the tradition of James Baldwin.

In his keenly anticipated new book, The Message, he explores the urgent question of how our stories—our reporting, imaginative narratives and mythmaking—both expose and distort our realities. Traveling to three resonant sites of conflict, he illuminates how the stories we tell—as well as the ones we don’t—work to shape us.

The first of the book’s three main parts finds Coates on his inaugural trip to Africa—a journey to Dakar, where he finds himself in two places at once: a modern city in Senegal and the ghost-haunted country of his imagination. He then takes readers along with him to Columbia, SC, where he reports on the banning of his own work and the deep roots of a false and fiercely protected American mythology—visibly on display in this capital of the confederacy, with statues of segregationists still looming over its public squares. Finally, in Palestine, Coates sees with devastating clarity the tragedy that grows in the clash between the stories we tell and reality on the ground.

Written at a dramatic moment in American and global life, this work from one of the country’s most important writers is about the urgent need to untangle ourselves from the destructive myths that shape our world—and our own souls—and embrace the liberating power of even the most difficult truths.

What was the brief for this book? 
The brief was a very simple one: simplicity, strength, and a three-strand story. Then, a lot of discussion with the editor around really capturing the essence of the book. In terms of visuals, it was completely open.

Tell us about the blank space in the middle—how you arrived at it, and what it represents.
The blank space in the middle was almost not an intentional solution. I felt the overall package needed a timelessness to feel intriguing, and powerful but also elegant. The temptation with a book like this is to make a bold countercultural statement, to rely on protest graphics, etc., to give it an outsider attitude, which would be a completely valid approach and is certainly something I explored early on. But I also felt strongly that I wanted to play up to the alignment [of] Ta-Nehisi Coates in the lineage of socio-political [authors] such as Toni Morrison, Noam Chomsky, and James Baldwin. With that in mind, I wanted to convey clarity and authority. I felt the title and author name in themselves did a lot of that work for me.

How did you choose the type treatment?
The typeface I used was Grobek; this arose partly [because] it’s not a type aesthetic I have used previously (sometimes, there’s no better reason than that) but also this goes back to my decision to shy away from protest graphics in this design route. I decided to do the opposite, something elegant and light with a slightly unconventional serif. Somehow I found that through not being shouty, this stood out more, possibly due the sheer mass of negative space on the cover, which is echoed with a lighter typeface with huge counters.

How about the color bands?
The color bands frame the type elements, anchoring them to the top and bottom of the jacket. They are simply a reference to the three strands of the journey undertaken by the author, referencing Senegal, Palestine, and the U.S. But they also serve a purpose in harking back to Midcentury book cover design, further signaling the literary lineage I wanted to emphasize for Ta-Nehisi.

Is it difficult to make a cover this restrained yet effective?
I guess it can be sometimes difficult to get a cover this restraint approved. I think as long as it’s been well-designed, restraint is an admirable trait in designers (if appropriate!). But I had great supporters straight away for this cover in my art director, Richard Bravery, and the publisher for the title, Simon Prosser. It was one of those occasions where there was pretty much consensus straight away that was the strongest route—let’s just go with it!

Is there any added pressure when designing a book for such an important voice as Coates?
There is always some pressure for whoever you are designing for; you are trying to visually communicate the essence of another artist’s work in a different medium. But working for Penguin and Hamish Hamilton means that you get to work on covers for some of the most seminal figures in literature, so the excitement of that far outweighs the pressure. (Unless I’m on like round 80 and everything I’m doing still looks shit.)

Cover design by Matt Dorfman

The post 22 of the Best Book Covers of the Month: November 2024 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Backstage on the Two Craigs website is on hiatus for a few weeks, but if you’ve missed any of the last few prompts, it’s worth a look back.

Wind

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With bold flavors, nostalgic branding, and a playful mascot named Sando Sam, Ayoh! isn’t just a condiment—it’s a love letter to America’s sandwich culture. Designed to bring the spirit of the classic deli counter into your kitchen, Ayoh! seeks to redefine what it means to make a great sandwich at home. Collaborating with CENTER Design to build a brand as flavorful as its sauces, Ayoh! promises to revolutionize home-cooked sandwiches by combining chef-level flavor with playful Americana-inspired branding. I was lucky enough to speak with Alex Center about Ayoh!’s creation and talk brand strategy and direction; find gems from our conversation below.

Baz’s journey from recipe developer to condiment creator was fueled by a love for sandwiches and a frustration with boring, dry options at home. “Ayoh! is all about taking the sandwich shop and everything that means—from American culinary heritage to its vibrant energy—and bringing it to today’s countertop,” explains Alex Center, founder of CENTER Design​.

Ayoh! is about taking the sandwich shop and everything that means—from Americana heritage to its vibrant energy—and bringing it to today’s countertop.

Alex Center

The brand’s creative direction leans heavily on nostalgia, with a nod to mid-century sandwich shop culture. The Ayoh! logo draws from vintage deli signage, combining art deco script styles with a modern gloopy twist. The custom-designed typeface even includes a subtle drip in the “o,” hinting at its saucy DNA. “We wanted the brand to feel like it’s always been here—a tribute to the enduring charm of the great American sandwich,” Center shares. Vibrant hues inspired by Formica diner surfaces and zany illustrations complete the aesthetic​.

What inspired the nostalgic-meets-modern design for Ayoh!’s branding?
Alex Center: We wanted the brand to feel historic without feeling vintage, and modern without being trendy. It’s about bringing the American sandwich shop’s heritage to the countertop—infusing nostalgia from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s sandwich shop culture while ensuring it feels fresh and relevant today. Molly’s vibrant energy and love for sandwiches were central to this design, and her unique color palette, inspired by elementary school hues, added an approachable and educational touch.

At the heart of Ayoh!’s branding is its mascot, Sando Sam—a cheeky sandwich character with a penchant for accessories that change with each flavor. “Sando Sam embodies the fun and levity brands used to have,” says Center. “It’s a storyteller and a nod to classic mascots like Mr. Peanut and the Morton Salt Girl, adding personality to every bottle.”​

What was the rationale behind incorporating Sando Sam as a mascot?
AC: Molly’s ethos of making cooking approachable and enjoyable called for a character that could inject personality into the packaging. A little sandwich character with boots and a cap felt like the perfect way to echo the Americana vibe while adding a playful twist. It’s not just about sandwiches; it’s about celebrating the joy and creativity of making them.

Launching with four bold flavors—Original Mayo, Dill Pickle Mayo, Tangy Dijonayo, and Hot Giardinayo—Ayoh! aims to end boring sandwiches once and for all. Packaged in squeezable bottles reminiscent of deli counters, the sauces invite culinary creativity, encouraging users to “Pass it! Squeeze it! Spread it! Dip it!”​

How does Ayoh! stand out in the crowded CPG market?
AC: Ayoh! doesn’t aim to be another trendy startup—it’s designed to feel timeless, as though it’s been part of the culture for generations. The design avoids overt nostalgia or modern clichés, instead blending both into something era-less. Molly’s storytelling and passion for sandwiches shine through, turning Ayoh! into more than a condiment—it’s a tool to elevate home cooking with personality, fun, and purpose. It’s a true reflection of her brand DNA.

With a mission to make home cooking more accessible and exciting, Ayoh! perfectly encapsulates Baz’s ethos: “Cooking has to be fun and easy, or no one will do it.” Whether you’re elevating a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich or experimenting with bold flavor pairings, Ayoh! is here to bring the joy of the sandwich shop to your kitchen.

A sandwich isn’t just food; it’s democratic, timeless, and for everyone. Ayoh! celebrates that spirit by ending boring sandwiches with fun, flavor, and a bit of personality.

Alex Center

To get your hands on this delicious sando sauce, visit Ayoh! and follow them on Instagram at @eatayoh.

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Backstage on the Two Craigs website is on hiatus for a few weeks, but if you’ve missed any of the last few prompts, it’s worth a look back.

Wood

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The post Two Craigs: 24/52 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

The New Look of Money

Remember when financial brands looked like, well, financial brands? They evoked trust and solemnity in shades of blue, with clean layouts and sophisticated type conveying decades (centuries-even) of dependability. Chime and Klarna are rewriting the rulebook, building sleek, mobile-first apps that feel more like social media platforms than bank branches. Chime uses inviting, saturated colors and uncluttered visuals, making money management feel intuitive and, dare I say, friendly. Klarna has also nailed the balance of simplicity and style but with a hint of playfulness. It’s as if these brands are saying, “Money doesn’t have to be a chore,” which resonates deeply with a generation empowered by quick, user-centric digital experiences.

Chime brand refresh by jkr.

Radical Transparency

Klarna stands out here with its “Pay Later” options, which are communicated upfront and without fuss. It’s all about empowering the user with knowledge and then trusting them to make informed decisions. On the crypto side, transparency is even more crucial given the complexity and volatility of the market. The best crypto brands don’t just list risks; they break down what those risks mean in a practical way, bridging the gap between excitement and informed caution. It’s refreshing to see brands lean into candor, and young consumers are responding with trust.

Klarna brand by their in-house team.

Personalized and Empowering Tools

For many young people, managing finances still feels intimidating. Enter brands like Check My File, which offers simple, comprehensive views of credit standing across multiple agencies. The service is not just about delivering numbers; Check My File offers insights, making credit monitoring feel like a useful, even empowering habit. Personalization isn’t just about flashy algorithms; it’s about creating tools that users actually find helpful and that build loyalty in an authentic way. For younger audiences, this type of personalization makes finances feel less abstract and more like something they can control.

Check My File brand by Ragged Edge.

Creating Community and Social Connection

It’s no secret that social media plays a major role in how young people make financial decisions, and these brands are tapping into that big time. Klarna and 1inch are turning financial management into a shared experience. Klarna, for instance, collaborates with influencers and uses a social commerce approach, embedding itself into the lifestyle and aesthetic young people are drawn to. Meanwhile, 1inch builds communities for shared learning, making finance feel inclusive rather than exclusive. These new brands are not just selling services; they’re creating spaces where people feel a sense of belonging (and dare we say, fun!), even when dealing with something as traditionally daunting as personal finance.

1inch campaign by Talent in collaboration with the Bruce Lee family

These fresh brand aesthetics and marketing strategies signal that financial companies are finally catching on to what young audiences have long wanted: accessibility, straight talk, personalization, and community. By embracing the values of younger audiences, financial brands can become more like guides than institutions. And as they continue to evolve, it’ll be exciting to watch just how far this new wave of finance brands can take us.

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Backstage on the Two Craigs website is on hiatus for a few weeks, but if you’ve missed any of the last few prompts, it’s worth a look back.

Time …

after Time

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“How do you know if you have a good idea?” This profound query came at the tail-end of a robust day.

My answer was true, but a bit pat.

I said a good idea should make you feel something. I bolstered my answer with the classic line often attributed to legendary creative director Phil Dusenberry that goes, “If you don’t feel it in the board room, the audience won’t feel it in the living room.”

The emphasis on ideas that make you feel something: a laugh, a cry, motivated to take some action.

It was a fine answer, but something about it was bugging me.

Today’s communication efforts are sprawling and complicated.

I didn’t feel I gave a good enough answer and wouldn’t you know it — it kept me up that night.

I got out of bed early the next day and wrote down some notes and came back with a better answer.

I re-confirmed that a good idea should indeed make you feel something.

I then went further and talked about how a good idea should reveal something.

Then I went deeper and talked about how a good idea should drive all the executions of the communications ecosystem.

The Sea Leggers appreciated this deeper answer.

I kept going with one more thing.

I told them that, ultimately, the best method for determining a good idea is the timeless framework from legendary designer Milton Glaser. His notion is that there are only three reactions you can have to a piece of work:

Yes, No, Wow.

Meaning…

Yes, I understand the idea. It’s on strategy. Fine.

No, I don’t get it. I don’t like it.

Or…

Wow.

Yep, Wow is in, you can’t control how you’re feeling. And your overwhelming reaction is to just go, “Wow.”

Sure enough, the next night, we were all together at an art studio creating masks for a Lucha Libre wrestling event we were about to attend.

We had tasked ourselves with taking existing wrestling masks and making them uniquely our own.

We were armed with glue guns, scissors, and various pieces of glittered craft foam.

I saw several fun improvements our Sea Leggers were making to the classic masks.

And then out of nowhere, one appeared that was completely amazing.

One of the rising stars from our Paris office emerged with an Art Deco masterpiece.

She crafted the foam pieces into magnificent gold and green feathers. The mask looked like a piece of art that belonged atop the head of some kind of mythical goddess. Or a piece of sculpture you’d find in an Art Deco masterpiece like the Chrysler Building or Rockefeller Center.

It was such an incredibly high-brow approach for something as populist as Lucha Libre.

But in the end, it worked magnificently.

I tell you all of this because each person who saw her mask had the exact same reaction: “Wow!”

So how do you tell if you have a good idea? Start with this. Is your first reaction Wow?

Rob Schwartz is the Chair of the TBWA New York Group and an executive coach who channels his creativity, experience and wisdom into helping others get where they want to be. This was originally posted on his Substack, RobSchwartzHelps, where he covers work, life, and creativity.

Header image: Getty Images for Unsplash+

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Remember this name – Letrástica!

Held biennially (2024 was its fifth edition), Letrástica Festival is led by Gen Ramirez, an experienced typeface designer, sign painter, calligrapher, and educator from Guadalajara. Ramirez studied at TypeMedia at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and completed the Type@Cooper Extended program in San Francisco and the Condensed program in New York.

At Letrástica, I was surprised by the small but growing ‘letters’ community, how passionate, dedicated, and professional they are, and, most importantly, how connected and supportive this collective is. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend design and branding events all over the globe, where you might see creative superstars, but they often exist in their own separate worlds. At Letrástica, you can mingle around the creatives and experience how they all gladly cheer for each other when presenting their work.

Event photos courtesy of Mau Nogueron

The festival featured many engaging workshops where students and professionals gathered to learn from their peers. Also, typography work by students and professionals from around the world was displayed on the conference walls.

Event photos courtesy of Mau Nogueron

The highly skilled and professional Latin creative force from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico was complemented by foreign designers like Kalapi Gajjar (India), Cyrus Highsmith (USA), and the one and only Ellen Lupton (USA), among others.

Collaboration was the main topic around Letrástica, at least from my perspective, as most speakers credited a big part of their success to active participation with other creatives. I found their candor honest, emotionally resonant, and refreshing. This transparency showing the struggles and successes that creatives go through was motivating, making it even more real and relatable.

It was hard for me to narrow down the creatives to highlight in this article, as all are incredibly talented and inspirational.

Marte is an Argentinean designer now residing in NYC who initially studied to be a geologist. She made us laugh about that choice, but we all quickly realized how lucky she was to have made that decision. Her work often is influenced by the shapes and colors found on earth, from the inside or outside of a stone or straight under the microscope. She said this powerful phrase: “What forms you never leaves you.”

© Marte

Daniel Barba, a local designer, leads MonotypoStudio, a company specializing in packaging design, branding, illustration, and editorial design. What caught my attention wasn’t the superb work that Barba and his studio are producing, it was mostly his quirky mind and his ability to extract, deconstruct, and apply concepts from literature, poetry, and philosophy, among other research-rich areas. If you want to have a debate with Barba, come prepared!

© Daniel Barba

Alicia Márquez is a graphic designer and typography professor from Argentina. Her clear and stunning approach to transforming materials was mind-blowing. Márquez’s stone carving craft is soothing and impressive and most definitely could be seen as art. She explained that to her the process is what matters most, probably more than the end result.

© Alicia Márquez

Last but not least, legendary designer Ellen Lupton, or as many know her, Type Mom, for her educational yet fun Instagram posts about typography. I was lucky to spend more time with her and was surprised at how eager she is to keep exploring after all her success. She’s quite passionate about baking and explained how similar it is to design. From the selection of the materials, ways of mixing them, timing, quantities, and finishes, you can get an amazing result or burn the whole thing. Lupton imparted a sensorial design workshop and a lecture about how to fall in love with typography, and she killed it!

It has been a while since this old dog has been this lifted and inspired by the spirit and work of the upcoming young creatives and the successful and experienced designers.

A spark has been lit inside me.

Letrástica is not just a festival, engaging a growing community of hundreds of type and design enthusiasts spanning 39 countries. Its focus is on sharing the typographic work of the Latin American and Mexican regional community with the world. The organization hosts free workshops, drawing sessions, contests, mentoring, and more, all centered around learning, sharing knowledge, and exchanging ideas.

Learn more about Letrástica.

Ricardo Saca is the US and Mexico managing partner for Cato Brand Partners, a global design and branding consultancy. He has a Master’s in Branding from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and has 20+ years of experience working with a wide range of companies, from startups to airlines. He is a plant-based animal lover and a cyclist.

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Our gratitude is individual. Like the lines and whorls on our fingers, our relationship with gratitude is unique.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be about big things. It doesn’t mean everything is perfect. Our gratitude can be most sustaining and most profound when things are falling apart. We can be grateful for things that are vast, things that are ineffable, but we can also be grateful for small things, for a favorite coffee cup, a soft pillow, the flash of a bird in the tree.

Finding gratitude in the quotidian can help center you, can help you find perspective, and can make a difference in how you experience the world around you.

Talking about gratitude is more commonplace now than it was a handful of years ago, or maybe it feels that way simply because I struggled with gratitude. I struggled to find my footing in gratitude as a mindset and a practice at a time when it seemed like things were falling apart.

I was a late-comer to the gratitude table, or, in my case, hilltop. I found my way there not as things got better but as things started to dissolve. When I first talked out loud about gratitude, I got emotional. I remember feeling like I was shedding my surface as I admitted that what I thought I needed was to focus on gratitude. It didn’t make sense to me, but my discomfort, and even my resistance, seemed important. I struggled with my sense that gratitude was a superficial practice, something that blurred or elided reality. I remember feeling silly. I might as well have been admitting I was going looking for unicorns in the park.

That was a beginning. I was struggling with fear and anxiety and worry over ongoing health issues in my house. I was feeling like there was no bottom to bottom, like I didn’t know where “bottom” was, but I recognized that something was increasingly hollow in me. Almost instinctively, I reached for something shiny, something I thought might be powerful. I reached for gratitude.

The next year, in November, I did 30 days of gratitude writing and recording. I found myself standing at the top of the hill, the literal hill on which I live, at sunset most days, and looking out, a point that lets me see the ocean and the bay, a point that puts the sky in motion overhead. I can turn in a circle and see the whole world. That’s how it feels, the moon over the bay, the sun dropping into the ocean, rose light warming the faces of the houses on the street. November has the best light.

That year, I gave myself over to the top of the hill, to my appreciation for all that was right then, for having that beauty within the distance of a short walk of our senior rescue. I noticed the colors of paint on houses after rain. I wrote about memory, about all that I don’t remember. I wrote about being present, being aware of things we take for granted, and appreciating things that are within reach.

I try to keep gratitude in mind all year long, but November is always a reset point, a month steeped in a gratitude mindset. I no longer cry when I talk about gratitude.3 Like most things, with practice, we get over our resistance, find our own patterns, move past the things that hurt, and find comfort in the routine.

I’ve done a number of November gratitude projects now, both written and drawn. I’ve tracked November light, the barest of diagrams showing the bands of the sky when I first walk into the kitchen and see the light over the bay in the distance. I’ve added gratitudes to daily planners and my Notion dashboard. There is really no wrong way to approach it. One year I did a series of portraits of people in one of my online communities. Two years in a row, I did large drawings to which I added a simple drawing each day of a concrete thing for which I was grateful. (Those projects are favorites.)

It may feel silly to focus on daily gratitude and on gratitude for small things, the favorite coffee cup, the favorite pencil, the familiar quilt, the cozy sweater from a loved one who has passed, but the practice is powerful. It is deceptively simple, but it can make a dramatic difference in how you feel. All that is wrong doesn’t go away. That remains the tension with gratitude. It isn’t an eraser. But something happens in the process of paying more attention, focusing, and looking around with intention and naming and recognizing our gratitude.

Spirals grow infinitely small the farther you follow them inward, but they also grow infinitely large the farther you follow them out.

John Greene, Turtles All The Way Down

Snail Mail – November Postcard Prompt

This month’s postcard prompt is gratitude-infused, but on the concrete level, the prompt is a spiral.

A spiral is a winding path, one that either moves in on itself or radiates from the center out. In walking, tracing, or drawing a spiral, literally or figuratively, there is mindfulness, the coiling or unfurling of thought, the chance to see what sits or stands or dances at other points of the spiral as you pass again and again.

Mathematically speaking, there are a number of different types of spirals, including: the Archimedean spiral, the hyperbolic spiral, Fermat’s spiral, the logarithmic spiral, the lituus spiral, the Cornu spiral, the spiral of Theodorus, the Fibonacci spiral (also called the golden spiral), conical spirals, whorls, and the involute of a circle.

These quick line drawings (not mathematically precise) show some of the spirals listed above.

This elongated spiral doesn’t show up in the list, but we know this model from the world around us:

To multiply the fun, consider the triskelion (or triskele):

We can think about spirals in terms of galaxies (look up “barred spiral”), snails, pinecones, succulents, pineapples, and the horn of a goat. The list goes on.

As a metaphor, we can use the spiral as a path for mindfulness. We can walk the spiral in or out. We can wind our way around and back like a labyrinth.

For this month’s postcard, integrate a spiral and, if you are bold, let gratitude be your guide.

You may want to simply play with the spiral as an image. You might think about cinnamon rolls or the Fibonacci sequence or snails. Or you may want to use the spiral as the form of the writing, starting from the center and writing your message in a spiral. Maybe you choose a special quote or poem. Maybe you express your gratitude to the recipient. Maybe you simply write a letter as a spiral, something the reader will have to slowly spin to read.

There is mindfulness in the reading, too.

Primary or secondary, either way, gratitude is part of the November prompt. If the spiral isn’t of interest, you might use your postcard to document daily gratitudes (one a day). You might draw a series of icons of things for which you are grateful.

Gratitude Quotes

Here are a few gratitude quotes to get you started thinking and appreciating in November:

“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” — Rumi

“Gratitude bestows reverence…changing forever how we experience life and the world.” — John Milton

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” — A.A. Milne

“Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” — Walt Whitman

“Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” — Eckhart Tolle

We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.

Herman Hesse, Siddhartha

If you made and sent an October card, we would love to see what you did with the costume-themed prompt. If you share in social media, please tag me and use #PostcardPrompts.

Amy Cowen is a San Francisco-based writer. A version of this was originally posted on her Substack, Illustrated Life, where she writes about illustrated journals, diary comics/graphic novels, memory, gratitude, loss, and the balancing force of creative habit.

Images courtesy of the author.

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see their thought process as they translate each prompt through photography and illustration.

Hot

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*

Every morning for the last five or so years of my teaching practice, I have asked students a question that they answer as part of their attendance roll call. Ideally, the questions are generated by the students, but often, I pepper in questions of mine. It is a routine that has never ceased to be interesting to me, to see through the portals of these questions into the nooks and crannies of students’ lives. I have heard so many stories that stay with me…. a few most memorably include a pair of magical fish, a grilled roadside snake, and a phone that wouldn’t stop ringing in an attic.

This ritual is borne from my belief that questions, especially slant or searching or deep questions, connect us to each other in radiant and unexpected ways. 

The questions, as much as the answers, reveal us to one another.

*

Last year, at the beginning of May, on Instagram, my friend Shira (who writes a deeply beautiful Substack called Freer Form that you can read here) invited followers to join her in a month of questioning. The task was simply to notice the questions we ask and collect them in some way. I kept track of my wondering in a digital note called MAY I?

Some of my questions were mundane—Where did I put my phone? What time is my next scheduled ‘let’s hop on a call?’ How much cheese is too much?—but many of my other questions were surprising in the way that the world is when we stop to really look at it.

I discovered so many small mysteries littered in the track of my everyday life: What exactly is an email? (what is a byte??) Why does my toaster fling the bread a foot into the air after it’s finished? Is that failure or exuberance? Does it have to be one or the other? Why do I add the numbers of license plates together? How do I not know what 9 + 7 is without counting on my fingers? Why is a vase of fresh flowers something I delight in every time I see it? Is delight so SIMPLE?!

And there were so many bigger, deeper questions that began to stack up: What places does love make for you? What is your strangest encounter? What part of your body does sadness find first? What do you save? How does it feel to be you? Who is the last person you messaged? What is the most used emoji in your phone? What do you think about on an airplane during terrible turbulence? What is the earliest thing you can recall? What always makes you smile? What is your ugliest belief?

*

Of course, in the classroom, there’s never any sure way to predict how anything will go, and so I never know which morning attendance questions will generate a lot of conversation.

I, for one, did not think that asking What is the best bird? would create as much debate as it did. There were staunch supporters of penguins, of finches, of blue jays, of toucans. Others stood for birds I didn’t know, birds I had to look up and see for the first time: their dappled gray chests, their hard red eyes.

*

By the end of MAY I? I had so many questions written down that I would spend the rest of the year pairing the questions with photographs and sending them out to my corner of Instagram. As people answered, I realized the bounty of their responses—beautiful, heart-opening, often sad, often funny, often both at the same time.

Some answers, in particular, I wrote down and carried with me from the bed to the shower to the car to the highway and back again, carried them with me and showed them the parts of my life that they spoke to:

Here, here is the road he drove the wrong way down not once, but twice.

Here, here is the river freezing over.

Here, here is the corner store where the owner never makes anything quickly.

*

For myself, I believe the best bird is the demoiselle crane, so named by Marie Antoinette who was charmed by the crane’s small stature (the smallest of the crane species) and the graceful black feathers adorning its chest which stand in sharp contrast to the trailing ivory feather plumes that stretch from the eye over the head.

This crane, however, is only delicate in appearance. It is, in fact, the only bird whose long loop migration takes it over the Himalayas in the winter. Indeed, demoiselle cranes have been filmed flying far above the 8,848-meter peak of Mount Everest as they move from the steppes of Rajasthan in India to reach the softer grasslands of Mongolia to breed and raise their young.

It is an incredibly long and arduous migration and many cranes die of exhaustion. Yet, every year, those that survive begin to fly beyond the most towering peaks in the world in order to reach an unseen almost impossible land. I would tell you what this bird reveals to you about me but I already have.

*

I’m Wondering is a monthly column where I ask and then answer a question. More than anything, I hope that as I continue to wonder, it will open all of us up to paths we can’t imagine now but feel called to by a question that won’t let us go.

Amy Lin lives in Calgary, Canada where there are two seasons: winter and road construction. She completed her MFA at Warren Wilson College and holds BAs in English Literature and Education. Her work has been published in places such as Ploughshares and she has been awarded residencies from Yaddo and Casa Comala. She writes the Substack At The Bottom Of Everything where she wonders: how do we live with anything? HERE AFTER is her first book.

Header photo: Demoiselle cranes in Khichan near Bikaner. CC 4.0

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see their thought process as they translate each prompt through photography and illustration.

Small

Something is only small in relation to something larger—scale. If I wanted the figure to be small, I needed to diminish it in relation to its environment.

Craig Frazier

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

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Angle

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Pioneer 10 and 11 carried plaques conceived by Carl Sagan. The Golden Record hitched a ride on Voyagers 1 and 2. This 12-inch gold-plated copper record, covered in mathematical instructions for use, held Earthy greetings: sounds from nature, music from the bagpipes to Bach to Chuck Berry to Navajo chants, and spoken greetings in 55 languages. NASA has even commissioned engravings on its red planet rovers in case of a chance meeting with actual Martians.

Europa Clipper now travels across our solar system offering a special cosmic handshake. Aboard the robotic research spacecraft is an expression of the best of humankind— and who among us but the designers, poets, artists, and writers are best suited to translate us?

Europa Clipper’s vault (the vessel’s electronic “brain”) is clad in a triangular tantalum panel 1mm thick and only seven by 11 inches thick. The panel is designed to protect its precious cargo from harmful radiation and also features an artistic homage to life-giving water.

“Water Words,” the concept for the outer facing panel, was the brainchild of Dan Goods and Preston Dyches. Debbie Millman composed its design, representing audio recordings of ‘water’ in 103 languages, then engraved on the plate as soundwaves. A circular symbol at the center representing American Sign Language came to life through a technique known as Fourier transform. Debbie collaborated with linguistics researchers Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, Dr. Laura Buszard-Welcher, and interstellar message researcher Dr. Doug Vakoch of METI International on the project.

I am so thrilled to share my small part in this epic journey, which was one of the most thrilling experiences of my entire life.

Debbie Millman

The panel’s inward-facing side features an original poem entitled “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa” by Ada Limon, etched in the US Poet Laureate’s handwriting.

Directly above Limon’s poem is a microchip with the names of 2.6 million people along for the journey in a drawing of Jupiter and its four largest moons (Galilean satellites). But we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s expressed on the vault panel. Go down the rabbit hole on NASA’s website for more.

I am a proud space nerd. Like many of you, it does my psyche good to be in awe, witness the immensity and logic of the universe, and feel small and insignificant in a profound way. Last week, I saw the Northern Lights display in Colorado completely by accident—reader, I cried. Setting aside my feelings about Elon Musk—hell, I got goosebumps watching those mechanical arms catch a booster (yes, CATCH!) post-satellite launch just this week.

Human’s sheer willingness to continue to reach out across the stars is a reminder that, despite our terrestrial mess, we are still capable of wonder.

In the words of PRINT’s very own Debbie Millman, “Fly safe, Europa Clipper!”

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how they set about translating the prompt through photography and illustration.

Spin

I couldn’t resist riffing on Craig’s spinning top in his ‘balance’ photo. After drawing the little graphic top, I realized that it felt static—not spinning. So I made it into a diagram by adding a little cut paper arrow.

Craig Frazier

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Why are you such a dot fanatic?
Not a clue, just lucky I guess. Dots are joyous, who wouldn’t want to hang out everyday with dots?

You essentially stopped doing graphic design in favor of your art, am I right?
Correct.

How long have you been a dot-person?
Dots have been my signature motif since college when vintage polka dot dresses filled my closet. It was never my intention to focus on only using dots in my art, but I keep finding new ways to stay engaged. They are extremely versatile: groups of dots, grids of dots, negative dots, blurry dots, or dissected dots. For me, dots are a vehicle to explore my visual narrative rather than an endpoint.

Can you explain your process?
They are silkscreen collages. Everything I do is one of a kind. I think of myself as an artist who combines collage and printmaking. When I begin a piece, I pick a theme: comics, old books, or maps, then I edit. Editing is time consuming but it’s fun, I get to go through my many paper collections which are an essential component in my work. The next step would be to go to the SVA Printshop and print. Discovering my love of silkscreen changed my life in so many ways. I realized I had really missed using my hands after so many years of sitting in front of a screen. I love that it has allowed me to marry my love of ephemera with paint, color, and form— and it brought me back to polka dots.

Once I have my piles of silkscreened pages, the work begins. When work is fast and easy to produce, I don’t feel the same sense of accomplishment, so I often begin with complex and chaotic compositions. My goal is to make order out of the chaos. I work with multiple layers of information: the existing printed ephemera and the printed dots which come in many sizes, negative and positive. I decide then what kind of composition I want to create and loosely tape everything together. I have many series that I alternate working on. Last winter I worked on my strip collages that I weave together. Those are slightly less time-consuming than the large collages, which take 25–30 hours to glue. It’s exhausting, if I had a superpower, it would be flawless speed gluing.

Do you believe, as I do, that there is a kind of dot pandemic of late?
I would not say they are more dotular these days, they are always timeless.

What is next for you?
A trip to Tokyo and then back to work!

The post The Daily Heller: Dizzy for Dots, Dots and More Dots appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how they set about translating the prompt through photography and illustration.

Coffee

It wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t explore the cup. I love drawing a cup. But what says coffee first thing in the morning is our Bialetti coffee maker—and the smell. It’s a gorgeous object and gorgeous to draw.

Craig Frazier

One of my favorite books showcases the commercial work of the great Czech photographer Josef Sudek. He created this work between 1920 – 1930 and was inspirational for this week’s word. It was important for me to create this image in one shot.

Craig Cutler

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The UNO Artiste Series taps into this spirit of fun and connection, blending art with the nostalgia of one of the world’s most beloved games. Since its debut in 2019 with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s singular paintings, the Artiste series has become a celebration of creativity, featuring artists like Keith Haring, Nina Chanel Abney, Shepard Fairey, and most recently, Shantell Martin. Now, the series welcomes its first photographer, Gray Malin, whose work is all about capturing joy and escapism.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Gray Malin into the UNO Artiste Series. His photography invites fans to remove themselves from reality and experience new landscapes and environments, much like a game of UNO can do for families and friends.

Ray Adler, Vice President and Global Head of Games

Malin’s deck turns the game table into a visual adventure. Instead of just playing a card, you’re invited into his world of stunning aerial shots and vibrant, sun-soaked scenes. From tropical beaches to snowy slopes, and even a few playful animals thrown into the mix, his photography transports players to iconic destinations while they navigate the highs and lows of an intense UNO match. When you’re relegated to picking up cards after that “Pick Up 4” hits, you might pause to take in a breathtaking view of the world through Malin’s lens.

Gray Malin’s photographs, capturing everything from tropical beaches to snow-covered peaks, turn each card into a portal to a new destination. The collaboration is a reflection of Malin’s creative ethos: blending art, adventure, and a sense of wanderlust. This deck is more than a game—it’s a reminder that even in the most familiar moments, like a casual game night, there’s always room to explore the world, one card at a time.

It’s an honor to merge my photography, spanning many series of work in my portfolio, with a game I’ve loved since I was a child.

Gray Malin

“This partnership is meaningful to me because UNO’s mission to foster togetherness through play is so closely tied to my own personal pursuit to bring people together through my photography,” Malin said of the project. “I love creating images that everyone feels included in and offers a moment that families want to live within. From beach chairs to the ski lift, the scenes from my photos are meant to spark an adventurous spirit and create a shared experience through art. I hope that fans take and play their UNO Artiste Series: Gray Malin decks anywhere around the world – even in the places that have inspired my photography.”

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When was the last time you sent a postcard? When was the last time you carried up a stack of mail and found a small card, glossy photo on one side, handwritten note on the other, tucked in among the circulars and bills? Wish you were here!

There is something unique about a postcard. It is small and compact. It may be thin, bordering on flimsy, and yet with a corner stamp in place, it is designed to make it through the system.

How many words can you fit in the split panel on the back? Do you need words? What happens to the narrative if you send drawings? Portraits? A selfie? A sketch of your morning coffee, your pet, or from your favorite cafe? What happens if you swatch your palette (ink or paint or colored pencils) each month on a postcard and mail it to someone?

What if you record thumbnails of morning light every day for a week? What happens if you write how you really feel in that blank space and send it off?

If I look out my window and draw the shape of the tree and write the colors of the sky and, later, drop it in the mail, how will you reply? If I do it once a month for a year, what will I capture? What record will the postcards hold? What will it mean to the recipient?

Intimate and Exposed

A postcard feels intimate, a whisper in the wind, and yet its intimacy is undone by the fact that its contents are not hidden. It is not concealed. It is a message that is out there for anyone to read. Saying just enough is part of the allure, part of the puzzle, part of the dance. Maybe your words are cryptic or abbreviated or written in a shorthand that will only make sense to the recipient. Or, maybe you write plainly, hold nothing back. Maybe you have nothing to hide.

An Unassuming Substrate

As a surface, a postcard is a simple and beautiful container, a glorified index card, often with a photograph or art on one side, that we intentionally compose, address, stamp, and send on a journey to connect.

Other than the annual jury duty summons, very little real or important mail arrives as a postcard. Postcards, for the most part, are personal. They are from or to someone you know. They have been selected with specificity.

Maybe we are somewhere special, or on vacation, and are sending a note to someone to let them know that we are thinking of them. Maybe it’s a bit of a flex, a throwback to days before social media: “Look where I am.”

Maybe we simply have to share that bridge or that view of sunset or that hillside in the mist. Maybe we are enjoying ourselves so much that the desire to send someone evidence of our adventure is irresistible. We don’t really mean to brag, but we want someone to know, someone to witness our journey.

Or maybe our postcards are more humble. Maybe we are sending words from home, a note carefully tucked into the small space and a favorite art series on the other side. Maybe we have the Pantone postcards. Maybe we’ve selected a specific color. Does it reflect our mood? The sky? The color we think of when we think of the recipient?

Will you send national monuments or falling leaves, paint brushes or sunsets or roosters or cats or photos of chairs or bridges or lighthouses or quilts or children’s book illustrations? Will you send photos of works by favorite artists (like Hopper, Matisse, Van Gogh)? Will you send photos of hot sauces or birds or rainbows, stacks of books or spine art, Studio Ghibli scenes, New Yorker covers, national parks, or coffee cups?

The art is part of the equation, and then there is the flip side. You only have a small space in which to write (or illustrate) your note. What will you say?

Postcard Prompts

In a series of monthly prompts, we will create a set of postcards, each one responding to a simple nudge. You can use existing postcards, focusing on filling the blank side. This is the easiest approach. Or, you can use blank cards, your responses filling both sides.

Month by month, you will develop a set of postcards, a series of epistolary art. You might choose to work in the same medium or style or palette each month or work with repeated elements that help tie the cards together. Or you may view each postcard as a standalone piece, disconnected from others, and let the prompt guide your choices.

Simple and Mindful

The prompts will not be difficult. 

These are prompts you may have done before. But we will do them in this monthly format together as the world changes over the next year, as our lives change, and as we process whatever we are going through, highs and lows, celebrations and milestones, personal journeys, and the quest for meaning.

Who will you have in mind as you create your postcards? Will you mail them?

A Postcard from Your Journal

One of the projects that I run and that I encourage others to consider is the keeping of an illustrated journal that documents life with a combination of art and words. I use a weekly format because I particularly enjoy the ways in which taking things a week at a time allows for fluidity across a span of days. There is no pressure to finish pages or drawings every day. Instead, I work on spreads that can be built and shaped and filled in over the course of a week. It’s mindful. It’s flexible. Every Sunday, I start a new week.

Many of the postcard series prompts could easily be done in an illustrated journal or sketchbook or in the margins of a bullet journal or planner, but I hope you will consider the postcard as a format. The postcard presupposes a recipient, a reader, a viewer.

Postcard Logistics

To qualify for the postcard stamp, a postcard needs to be roughly 4×6 or smaller. The USPS lists the following specifications:

• Rectangular in shape (not square)
• At least 3-1/2 x 5 inches and at least 0.007 inch thick
• No more than 4-1/4 x 6 inches and no more than 0.016 inches thick

If using traditional, preprinted postcards, you will want to make sure the cards meet the size requirements (or plan to use a letter stamp for oversized postcards). If you are going to DIY your postcards, you can buy readymade blank postcards (plain or watercolor), use heavyweight index cards, or cut your cards from heavy cardstock, Bristol board, or watercolor paper.

Using preprinted cards minimizes the work. You’ll be sharing a photograph or piece of art you like and your own art and/or writing on the other. This is also a great way to use up postcards you may already have.

If it’s been a really long time since you saw a postcard in person, remember that on one side, you’ll need to put the address on the right and the stamp in the upper right corner. Also, be aware that the postal bar code will be added along the bottom edge. If you write or draw in that space, just know it will most likely be obscured during the mailing process.

Postcard stamps are slightly less expensive than letter stamps, but there aren’t a lot of options. Currently, postcard stamps feature sailboat art by illustrator Libby VanderPloeg. If you have old stamps floating around that aren’t enough for current first-class mail (and aren’t Forever stamps), using them on your postcards can be a good option. Just make sure they meet or exceed the postcard stamp in value.

Slowing Down

A postcard series almost sounds quaint, other than the fact that there are thousands of people writing postcards these days to encourage people to vote. Beyond that, sending almost anything with a stamp might feel just a bit old-fashioned.

As a creative project, thinking about a postcard series is exciting. I imagine postcards filled with lists, or data visualization (a la the Dear Data project), with drawings, portraits, quotes, poems, and more. I am hoping that we can push the envelope on this envelopeless space to create personal series that are unique, bold, quiet, honest, authentic, and visually awesome.

I hope we create postcards that, through their line and composition, through their art as much as their words, have something to say. I hope we send our postcards and reach someone.

An October Postcard

Not every postcard (or every piece of art) has to be deep or soul-baring or complicated. A lot of postcards just say something like “Wish you were here!” or “Wanted to let you know you’re on my mind.”

To kick off this postcard series, let’s focus on something that is relatively simple and can be tied to memory or not. It’s October, and Halloween will be coming around.

Your challenge for this month is to create a postcard (with a recipient in mind) and document a costume.

Maybe it is a costume that you remember from when you were a kid. Maybe it is a costume from your children’s Halloween years. Or maybe Halloween isn’t something that was ever a big deal for you, and you think about what kind of costume you might choose now or wish you had chosen then.

You don’t have to particularly like Halloween or be a dress-up person to do this prompt. I don’t, and I’m not. But I still find it interesting to think about my history with Halloween, most of which I don’t remember, and some of the characters that stand out for me from my parenting years, from comic books, and the world of cosplay.

You may want to separate the prompt from Halloween and think about the whole concept of dressing up (whether you do or don’t), the performative aspect of that, and even the ways in which dressing up can be used to flaunt or conceal. Maybe you are a fan of Chappell Roan and sometimes think about what it might be like to wear costumes like that. Maybe you loved Joaquin Phoenix’s version of the Joker. Maybe you love theater or anime. Or maybe you just have a soft spot for clever costumes, sewn at home or made from cardboard boxes.

So what will you put on a postcard?

I don’t dress up, but one of my favorite costumes that I’ve seen in the last few years, something that seems really “doable,” is Waldo (from Where’s Waldo), with his round glasses, red and white striped shirt, and striped hat with a red pompom. It’s an incredibly simple costume. It’s cute and clever. It looks like it would be fun. (The corresponding Wenda costume tends to involve a very short blue skirt. I would opt for Waldo. No question.)

I am also a fan of the Pantone color swatch costume. I love this idea even though it’s potentially an overthinker’s nightmare. What color would you choose?

Crayon. Alice. Rabbit. Harry Potter. Obi-Wan. Dorothy. The Tin Man. Banana. No. 2 Pencil.

Commemorate a costume on a postcard. You can draw your costume, or diagram it, or make a collage, or write it out in words. You might write the memory of a specific costume, a specific Halloween, or turn it into a poem. What does the costume say? Why this costume?

Have fun!

Notes: links to Amazon in this post are affiliate links. You can find postcards at your local souvenir stands, museums, and other shops. You can find postcard-making materials at your favorite art store or by scavenging paper products you already have.

Amy Cowen is a San Francisco-based writer. A version of this was originally posted on her Substack, Illustrated Life, where she writes about illustrated journals, diary comics/graphic novels, memory, gratitude, loss, and the balancing force of creative habit.

Header image: Assorted postcards. A. Cowen 2024

The post Connecting Dots: A Creative Postcard Challenge appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Climate change paralysis is a reality. It’s that feeling when the magnitude of the challenge seems so overwhelming that you find yourself unable to figure out what the right direction is, much less move in the right direction.

Individuals feel it, with a growing number of people feeling helpless in response to the enormity of it all (a recent study found that half of young people believe that “humanity is doomed”). Businesses feel it too. A report by The Carbon Trust earlier this year found that a large number of businesses are “greenstalling,” getting stuck in a state of “analysis paralysis” in their efforts to progress toward net zero.

Science, governments, and global organisations have a huge role to play in tackling climate change – through innovation, legislation, and guidance. But when it comes to envisioning a more sustainable future, creative thinking and the creative process are also crucial. A report last month by the Design Council in the UK found that 46% of designers feel they have the skills to help tackle the climate crisis. I agree. It’s time we start seeing the true value of design when dealing with such complex issues.

Nothing brings out creativity and innovation like a deadline – and what could be more urgent than climate change? But every deadline needs a brief to deliver that creative approach. What if we looked at the climate emergency through this lens—as the ultimate creative brief?

Time To Provoke

A designer’s role is to take the parameters of a given project and inspire, provoke, and envision solutions within those constraints.

Look at one of the most famous creative briefs in history: “Design a bottle so distinct that you would recognize it by feeling it in the dark or lying broken on the ground.” If you haven’t guessed already, we’re talking about Coca-Cola. But you don’t need to be a designer to feel excited by that challenge. That’s what a good design brief does: no matter who’s reading it, it sparks an idea, inviting anyone to contribute to the thought process.

Among the creative industries, there is always much debate about what makes the best brief – and it’s not just about stating the practical goals and needs, and laying out the hard data to build on.
It’s so important for the brief to inspire.

So when it comes to the climate crisis, a good creative brief wouldn’t just start with the obvious “Reach net zero by 2050” and other neutral sustainability metrics. Instead, it would challenge us to “Inspire hope that reaching net zero is not only possible but everyone’s responsibility” or “Create a net-zero strategy so inspiring and collaborative that every person feels empowered to create change.” It makes the challenge clearer, more urgent, and tangible.

Getting People Involved

Another area where a good creative brief can show the way is through engagement and collaboration. Ideas and solutions can come from anywhere. The discipline of design is about applying the widest possible lens and then narrowing that view based on expert feedback and collaboration with people of different perspectives. That’s when you get a tangible and impactful result.

So when we’re designing for brand experience, not only do we take into account the people who use our products at the very start of the creative brief stage, but we involve the internal cross-functional teams, external suppliers and agencies.

The Design Council distilled this process into the concept of the double diamond more than 20 years ago, with the steps of ‘discover, define, develop, deliver’ widening and narrowing the lens for the best outcome. As the then-director of design and innovation, Richard Eisermann, put it, “It’s not an instruction manual on how to design, it’s an invitation to get involved.”

If you apply this to climate change, it’s a reminder to unlock buy-in at every level. Everyone in or connected to the business should feel heard and accountable. They should all be asking questions about environmental sustainability at every stage. The preferred outcome of the marketing team or the constraints of suppliers when looking at sustainability metrics should be addressed by the brief just as much as users’ needs.

The creative brief then also allows you to frame the challenge in a language that people and businesses can understand. For climate change, you can explicitly state the ‘objective’, for example. For many businesses, this objective might be balancing economic growth with meeting net-zero targets. In some companies like Patagonia, this is weighted toward the latter – in fact, the company’s decision to make Earth its only shareholder is a prime example of how reframing the language around climate change can have a huge impact.

A creative brief also articulates audience, scope, and timelines. The ‘audience’ is who we’re designing for (in the case of climate change, people, planet and business), as well as what the competitor landscape looks like. For example, Reckitt’s involvement in the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Health Systems Taskforce, which is a public-private partnership to accelerate net zero healthcare, shows how businesses can understand the competitor landscape not only for market growth but for expanding knowledge.

Or take the ‘scope’ in a creative brief, where you stipulate the stakeholders involved and what resources are required. For a company’s climate change ambitions, stakeholders can be governments, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (above), internal business leaders, and individual people. The ‘resources’ are investment on the one hand and external benchmarks (such as the Science Based Targets Initiative’s net zero targets) on the other.

So, a creative brief is not just about maintaining the vision that pushes a project beyond its functional requirements. A creative brief also helps you focus and keeps everyone accountable.

The Human Connection

This is one of the most important aspects of the creative brief: to look beyond the immediate need and bring humanity back into the challenge. The dialogue around net zero often fails to connect the ultimate goal with the people who will be most affected. Corporations, governments, and organisations start with statistics or reduction targets. These are all important, but they separate us from the real imperative for change, namely billions of people affected. As designers, we start with a human problem and envision around it. It’s what we’ve been trained for.

The best design-led businesses do this. Airbnb, for example, recognised that people sought more authentic, personalised experiences when traveling rather than hotel chains and identical all-inclusive resorts – and its business grew from there. A great historical example was UNICEF and Pamper’s long-running ‘1 Pack = 1 Vaccine’ partnership, which distributed one vaccine for every pack of diapers sold. The idea that consumers could directly help provide life-saving help to the developing world shows how a focus on real-world change and human challenges is key.

A creative brief is always built around the insight, the human truth at its core. Design can take the functional and strategic requirements of a problem and embed humanity and emotion to create a shared vision. The human truth when it comes to climate change is that failure means growing inequality, reduction of liveable areas of the planet, public health risks, biodiversity loss, and food and water shortages.

Finding a way to keep this front of mind at the core of the climate change challenge – using the framework of a creative brief to do so every day can be part of the solution.

Sophie Morice is a Global Brand Experience Associate at Reckitt. As a Yorkshire-born creative with a passion for sustainability and inclusion, a key focus of her work is in developing strategies that implement sustainable practices into existing business processes, whilst driving to increase brand value and creative excellence.

Header image by Andrej Lišakov for Unsplash+

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Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how they set about translating the prompt through photography and illustration.

Chair

You can draw a chair with three lines—the challenge is making the lines interesting.

Craig Frazier

The only thing that could make a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair look even better would be a Vizsla.

Craig Cutler

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

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“Don’t wish you could be a famous photographer. If you do, you will fail” – Martin Parr joins WePresent’s excellent pile of manifestos.

All Tomorrow’s Pencils – in which Spencer Tweedy reviews the stationery stores he visited on tour. My favourite bit is the comment from his dad (Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy):

“Remembering one of the only real complaints I ever heard from your teachers growing up, I’d say ‘drummers’ love writing utensils because pencils double as tappity tap tap tapping drum mallets and pens can clicky click click like maracas. In fact they’re probably the first ‘drum sticks’ a future drummer ever holds. Which comes first? The drummer or the innocent child with a maddening urge to tap out a paradiddle with a pencil on a trapper keeper?”

As a relentless desk-drummer and stationery fetishist myself, yep, this all adds up.

Thoroughly enjoying Michigan-based book designer Nathaniel Roy’s A Book Designer’s Notebook, a regular peek behind the curtain of the craft.

Recent Letterboxding, including scattered thoughts on Alien: Romulus and a slog through the Fantastic Beasts films, equal parts cheekbones, coats and gibberish.

Got a little bit lost in Kottke’s posts about maps. I particularly like Andrew DeGraff’s maps of cinematic paths, although the Fury Road one does remind me that the two recent Mad Max movies frustratingly reduced the endless expanse of the apocalypse to an area about the size of the Isle of Wight.

Weird little animations from photographer Jack Davison.

Nolen Royalty (great name) made a website that simply had one million checkboxes and unwittingly created a surprisingly complex canvas for hexadecimal-savvy teens. Love this sort of thing – the internet needs more purpose-less sandboxes like this cough cough cough bring back myspace.

If you’re going to be outed as a serial killer with a trophy wall of decapitated heads in your basement, it might as well be through the medium of LEGO.

The Belvédère du Rayon Vert, a 1920s hotel that teeters above the railway tracks in the southern French town of Cerbère. Stunning. Desperately needs to be covered in neon and rain and plonked into a cyberpunk movie of some sort

SPINNING NEWSPAPER INJURES PRINTER and other Simpsons headlines.

This was originally posted on Meanwhile, a Substack dedicated to inspiration, fascination, and procrastination from the desk of designer Daniel Benneworth-Gray.

Header photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash.

The post Meanwhile No. 211 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.