So it just hit me while laying in bed tonight. Maybe graphic design is less about problem solving than it is about story telling. That maybe the question becomes less about the problem and more about the story. Instead of asking, What is the problem? Maybe we should be asking, What is the story? I hear and read a lot about providing design solutions for problems and not much about providing a design platform for the story.

An engaging design needs a strong story not a strong solution. That ultimately it is a well designed idea and story that causes people to have that ahh-hah moment and look deeper into the design. Without it, even good design is just fluff. I think that it is this very idea of designing around a story that helps make good design, great. And with that story, everything needs to support it. If it doesn’t, then it is at best un-needed, at worst, horribly distracting. Remove anything that does not serve the idea or story, regardless how “cool” it might be.

I feel this is an important aspect that I’d like to learn to ingrain into my design. What it the story? Is it engaging? Then design around the story. I think this might be a life-long journey exploring this idea.

I wonder if this will really have any impact on sales. Or will it simply make it harder for cigarette consumers to find their favorite brand? I mean, are people smoking and buying cigarettes because of the packaging? I think this is more to punish and control the makers of cigarettes than it is to stem the tide of smoking.

Hmmmm. Is this the future of cigarette branding?

This is a personal design of mine created a few years ago. Thought I’d share.

Set of 5 postcards created by Tom Lovell to raise awareness of the work Ctrl+Alt+Shift does to help women in developing countries. The opinion is only changed with the help of the viewer. I love it!

(ht, It’s Stochastic)

During my research I came across this site that lists the 15 most toxic places to live. Pretty sad to see.

My question is this. Design has been used VERY effectively to help promote consumerism and capitalism. I see the tide changing. How can design be used to effectively help and promote the needs of the third world and other travesties?

Design is for people, ultimately. Toms, a shoe company created to make a difference, takes this basic tenant and gives flesh to it. Not only do they design great looking shoes that are comfortable to wear (design is for people); not only do they communicate very clearly through their graphics, type, and media (design is for people); but they have also made a commitment since their origin to give one shoe—to those without—for every one shoe sold (design is for people, after all). 1 for 1 is their slogan, mission and brand message. Here is an excerpt from their website:

In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.

Since our beginning, TOMS has given over 150,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Because of your support, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.

Is it a message that is needed? Well, according to Glamor, 35% of American females own 20-40 pairs of shoes. While nearly 40% of the rest of the world own 0 (zero). How many are in your closet? I counted mine and I have 12 pair sitting in my closet (ok, more accurately on the floor in my bedroom). As a family, that number would probably skyrocket to about 50-60 pairs.

Needless to say, I think Toms message, which is in part communicated graphically, is making an impact. At lease it is in my life. So much so that, when possible, they will have my shoe business from now on because of it. Thanks Tom (or Blake). Right on ya!