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Image © Jamie Kripke


While in NYC and over the Christmas break, I made some very cool contacts with some very cool people doing some very cool things. Additionally, my exposure at TEDx has opened up Colored by Design to others who want to spread those ideas. Community is great.

So to help continue to give young creative hopefuls, well...hope, we want to talk to more of you. So this is a call for entries (well sort of). I have made some contacts with a few gentlemen in the advertising communities in New York and Dallas, I have a good friend in Portland I'm going to get in front of the lens, and a couple of photogs as well. However I am hoping to tell the story from a female perspective. There are so many great art directors, authors, and fine artists who are women, and our youth need to see the full spectrum of our diversity.

Make your suggestions via twitter @Themilkfarm or @CorwinStone.

Thanks.

Back to work

After a long needed break, Colored by Design moves forward.

First Look

The clip I shared at TEDx in NYC.

Special thanks to Cody Dingle of
Cricket Engine for his support with
the track Pocket Science.

And thank you to all who watched
the event on LiveStream.com

Colored by Design in NYC

Friday afternoon I had the honor of presenting Colored by Design to some really great people at TEDxEast. The room at City Winery was filled with great people that were curious about life, helping others, and ways we can reach one another with good ideas.

Everyone was eager to share, and more importantly, eager to encourage. Rarely do you find a group of strangers united around the broad theme of sharing. In our society today, we are simply being nosey, opinionated, or just flat out greedy. But the people that TED has brought together are an awesome community of people who are doing their part to help make our world a better place.

I shared the stage with some innovative thinkers, passionate voices, and performers that use their physical talents to reach others. And from the audience, I met people who were also innovative thinkers, passionate voices, and performers that use their physical talents to reach others (no that is not a copy/paste error).

Thanks to all of the great people who laughed at my jokes, received the message from my presentation, and encouraged me to continuing on my journey.

God bless.
Corwin

ps. See more photos at TEDxEast.com

A complex society

NPR seems to be the "go-to" place for relevant news these days. No disrespect to the main stream networks, but I only seem to hear the same thing over and over again.

Or is it just me?

Any how, a couple of weeks ago, I was listening to Market Place and there was an interesting interview with Peter Francese from Ogilvy and he shared his thoughts on how our society is more multi-generational, multi-cultural, and waaaay more complex than before. Thus, there is no more "Average American Consumer".

Yeah, well, not to sound all "like duhhh", but it is always funny how news is made by those who are among the last to know, or among the last to tell. While the interview was great and the insights that the 2010 census will reveal are interesting, hasn't it always been the case? I, like many of you, have know for years that our population is made up of small niche groups and enthusiasts galore. Anyone who has stumbled into a dad's garage, an aunt's kitchen, or even a teenagers bedroom could have concluded as much.

Yet I did use this bit of "news" to give further credence to the fact that we need a more diverse creative work force. Unfortunately, for now, most of us exist in a time where we must work to live. And that's fine, but if I must work, I want to spend my time doing something I like, and better yet...something I love!

So let's all do our part to help out our economy. And hey, why not help out the organizations that clearly need more creative minded individuals who are born out of the multi-cultural, multi-generational, non average American consumer world. Let's help guide our young (and old) creative thinkers and artists towards a life that is fulfilling to them and contributes to the greater good. Go help others find their path to living life abundantly.

TEDx

Okay, I'm über excited, and I know black guys shouldn't say über, but I am. I will have the opportunity to attend TEDxEast in NYC in November. Big love to Julianne Wurm for helping to making this happen. If your not up on TED, Check it out.

A big leap

One of the most amazing designers the world has yet to hear of. Her name, Abbie Gong of Passing Notes. I had the pleasure of working by her side for a few years in San Francisco and when I found myself with her in front of the camera, I realized that I never knew why or how she came to be a designer.

Coming from a professional Asian family, Abbie knew going to art school was a huge departure from the family status quo, but she followed her heart and made the transition from nursing (parent inspired) to graphic design (passion inspired). Now she has her own studio, a husband who is an animator for DreamWorks and an amazing new design in her belly.

If a house can dream, why can't you?

http://www.rossarossa.de

Designers Rock...and Roll

Matt Pavlovcic runs his design studio, Pavomatic out of Petaluma Ca., and he is truly his father's son. Born in Michigan to a GM engineer, Matt grew up attending custom street rod shows with his father in the 80's.

Dad would play the rock and roll classics from the 50's while Matt would blanket the show grounds for memorabilia, key chains, and stickers. As Matt shared, this was the beginning of his appreciation for good design, color, and aesthetic value.

Matt shares his experiences about design diversity abroad and he has found a way to fuse his passion for music with his profession of graphic design. In this interview, Matt shared with me how an old flame helped him fall into graphic design.

Love of the Game?

As my research for this project began, I had two different people tell me about a great designer doing great things. His name, Maurice Woods. In passing, they mentioned that Maurice was this "super tall black guy."

Sho'nuf!

Yes, Maurice is 6' 11". Yes Maurice played basketball. And yes, Maurice is a senior designer at Pentagram in San Francisco. But what makes this story particularly interesting is the fact that a successful collegiate and professional basketball player would end up working at...Costco.

"...basketball wasn't going to take me to the NBA...so I sat down and went through hundreds of options and it came down to architecture and graphic design."

Maurice grew up in an environment where either sports or music was the answer for your future, but his affinity for drawing, doodling, and sketching, helped him find his way to design. Now Maurice runs a program for students that brings design to their communities. The Inneract Project was born out his studies at the University of Washington, "use design to try to change the world." I'll let you be the judge of the impact Maurice is having on the spirit of creativity in the lives of his students.

Maurice's story is inspiring and will help Colored by Design communicate directly to our target audience and give them true hope for their futures.

Objectified Screening

Wednesday evening at 10pm, I find myself and a good friend, Devan Anderson, a custom footwear designer, sitting in the Kabuki Theatre in San Francisco (or the "Kabook" to you locals). I'm excited to to see the second installation from the director of Helvetica.

For me, this documentary was a true inspiration for embarking on a project like this, so, needless to say, I was excited to see the second film from director Gary Hustwit, Objectified. Not to mention the fact that I was among those fortunate enough to attend one of these sold-out screenings (well, fortunate enough to have bought my ticket months in advance anyways).

Like Helvetica, Objectified took us into the world of design. The designs of the world that we take for granted. Product and industrial design. Not only did we get an opportunity to see how these things are made, why things are made, and hear from the people behind the process of making those things, Objectified also illustrated the problem our world faces with our excessive consumption addiction.

Another good film and Mr. Hustwit left the crowd wanting more as he shared that there is another film in the works...yet to be discussed. Nice PR move.

Cheers.

Politics, Design, and Diversity

One of my favorite lines from Space Balls the Movie is "Smoke if you got'em". No I'm not advocating nicotine, but I do advocate working with what you've got. For more than 40 years, Mary Scott, the head of the School of Design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, has grown as an inspiration and a transformational voice for graphic design while parlaying layers of experience, into a career that has improved the quality of life for countless people who have worked with and for her.

She discusses teaching, the rise of women in the industry, and how the power of good design helped lead our first African American to the White House. Mary Scott brings a candid honesty to all topics of conversation. She is interested in interesting people, and you will be very interested in her too.

A Passion for Design

Jamie Calderon is one of the many hands behind some of the worlds largest brands. From his time at Landor Associates to his time at Tolleson Design, Jamie has developed a portfolio that is a who's who of the worlds largest brands. He's worked on high visibility project for FedEx, Applied Materials, Roxy, and Adobe (literally to name a few). And while those achievements are note worthy, the most interesting project that he opened up about...himself.

A passionate designer at his core, Jamie grew up in a world that showed him what life could be like. Ultimately, the choice would be his. On one end of the spectrum, a working mother who was divorced with two kids by the age of 19, who worked her way through college, to evolve into an international financial maven. On the opposite end, a father who lived in a beach community, worked when necessary, and enjoyed living life in the fast lane. And somewhere in the middle, Jamie, a young competitive skier, had an aunt who worked in an advertising agency that handled accounts for the same brand names who supplied his ski gear. At that moment, he recognized his passion for design, and he knew this was the work he wanted to do.

So with the work ethic of his mother, the freedom of his father, and exposure from his aunt, Jamie has created a process that generates great work, a great life, and a genuinely great person.

Mom, Dad, & the Ad Man

If you have not taken a moment to stop and smell the roses lately, may I recommend it. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Joanne Chan of Turner Duckworth in San Francisco. We discussed her colorful path that lead her to this place, the diverse world we live in, and most importantly, the people that helped expose her to the right career path for her. Was it mom (a painter), dad (a surgeon), or Robert (an ad man)? Hmmmm. You'll be surprised. More to come.

Jamie and Joanne

No they are not a couple, but they are a couple of great people.

Joanne Chan is one of the most influential women in the design community, and yet, you may have never heard her name. She is the Head of Client Services at TurnerDuckworth in San Francisco and she has helped run one of the most brilliant design firms on the globe.

Jamie Calderon is a Senior Art Director at Tolleson Design. If you have purchased any of the Adobe Creative Suite of Applications over the last 4 years, you have experienced Jamie's work first hand.

What makes Jamie and and Joanne special to this project, one is Asian American, the other is Mexican American. And they both have made their way through life to rise to the top of their field. Not only that, they will both be lending their experience and time to Colored by Design.

Wisdom and Grace

I must admit, I do not like to openly share my thoughts and ideas with just anyone. Believe it or not, you can't have a truly honest and open dialogue with most people. Feelings get in the way, a judgment evolves, or you turn and watch smoke billow up from behind you as a bridge unfortunately burns.

However there are exceptions to that sad truth. One exception is Mary Scott. Mary is the Executive Director of Graphic Design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco and one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Mary's enthusiasm, excitement, and honesty is refreshing in ways unimaginable. When I decided to get serious about this project, I knew she would be one of the first people I would begin my conversations with.

Over the years we have had amazing conversations about politics, sexuality, religion, race, and design. Mary possesses a lifetime of wisdom and insight into all things design, and she has been a voice for change and diversity in the design community.

Recently I met with Mary to illustrate my concept and gain her insights on what the design community has done with respect to the topic of diversity over the years. We also discussed the beauty of what it means to be "colored". Not simply that of skin color, but we discussed what it means to be "colored" by opinion, the media, experiences.

More to come from the graceful and wise Mary Scott.

Image by Jean-Marc Lubrano

Inspiration is Everywhere

I found myself in the camera section at a well know retailer this weekend and to my surprise I see Stokes McIntyre from Hotbed. Stokes is one of the the founders of Hotbed Media, a film production company in San Francisco, and we exchanged pleasantries and did the "dad" thing in the aisle. He shared that he had read about the Colored by Design project and was inspired by the endeavor (I'm para-laborating here).

So what? Well, while Stokes has yet to land his first Oscar, he has been making movies for a while and to see someone who is a true film maker, encourage some one who is not, was a true expression of the type of diversity I am seeking in this project. Diversity of inspirations that lead us to this place we occupy today.

My life is made up of these diverse interactions with seemingly random people who have planted seeds of hope, wisdom, enthusiasm, or simply...care. The barriers are falling my friends.

It's a beautiful thing.

The Producers

As a designer I often find that friends, small businesses, or visionaries need creative services, but may not be in a financial position to lay out the resources to retain said services.

Viva La Barter System!

Yes it's back (or maybe never truly went anywhere). So with this age old practice, I am well on my way to securing all of the tools necessary to carry me successfully to the end of this journey. Cameras, mics, and hopefully airfare will come from this "work for film" strategy I'm deploying. If you would like to secure your producer credit, send an email today!

hello@coloredbydesignfilm.com

(Image From: Fleeming Jenkin, Papers, literary, scientific, &c., London, New York, Longmans, Green, and Co., 1887, volume 2, p. 150.)

All Things Are Possible

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Citizen Kane

One camera? One Camera!

In 1941, Orson Wells made Citizen Kane. If you read the story of how the film was created, it looks as if the man was the ultimate control freak, or as I like to say "an artist". That said, in no way will I attempt to engage in the debate that is Orson Wells, but I will attempt to embrace an inspiring approach to how this film was made.

In Robert L. Carringer's book The Making of Citizen Kane, he shares how Cinematographer Gregg Toland filmed the movie with one camera and planned the film in such a way that most of the editing was done in the shooting process. Wow.

Not only is the film an inspiring achievement from the 40's, it's also inspiring to see that greatness on the big screen can be achieved with one camera.

Sign me up!

This project is very close to me and I am a bit reserved about sharing the process with others. Part of my rationale is that I don't want to waste anybodies time, part of it is that I'm not certain as to where I'm going, and another part is that I'm not sure I want anyone to tell me.

This is an adventure. I look forward to learning something new again...and yes, I am a little bit of a control freak.

Unity & Variety

Image by IRRI Images @ Flickr

The title for this project came to me as I looked at the workplace around me. I see so much variety, yet so much unity. Colored by Design is an intentional series of words that speak differently to different people. 

What I'm looking for is the soul of what has driven all of us to this place. A wise man once told me, you can't have an intelligent conversation, without first defining terms. So before we go any further, I want to take a moment to do just that.

• Col•ored, adj : Having color or a certain color; Sometimes used in combination (i.e. "colored drawing paper"); Having skin rich in melanin pigments, "NAACP" (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); A derogatory United States term used to describe African-American people; Biased; Favoring on side over another, positively or negatively.
• De•sign, v : To prepare for; To fashion artistically; Skillfully; To intend for a definite purpose (i.e. "The program was designed specifically for you"); n :  Graphic Design; A plan or project (i.e. "A design for a new process"); Organization of functions or elements; The combination of details or features of a picture, building, etc (i.e. "The design of a bracelet"); Intention and purpose.

As the process of drafting my roadmap for this project evolves, I am seeing the breadth of opportunities that can be explored. What inspires us? How did you get here? Where is the diversity? Who told you? When will we break free?

The variety is astounding. As designers we all have our unique styles, approaches to solving problems, our path to this point in our now, and yet we are all bound...no, united, by the same hope. 

To create. To communicate. To share.

Lucky Charm(s)

Image by Laffy4k @ Flickr

I found that as a young artist, living in a detached segment of the population, I had zero exposure to the creative possibilities that lay before me. However, through three separate occurrences, spanning 20 years, I was driven to this life that I am blessed to experience today. From one friend sharing his Lucky Charms Cereal experience to an educator seeing hope in my eyes, I was fortunate enough to be placed in the path of those who would help me find my way.

Colored by Design will focus on how we have been impacted by design. Through this exploration, we will look at under-represented minorities in the creative services industry, inspiration, your heroes, and what drives creatives to share their vision with the world.

A precious word of encouragement is all the spark needed to light the most passionate of fires. I hope Colored by Design will serve as that spark to illuminate the career possibilities available to the youth of our world.

I also hope this thing is actually worth watching in the end!

Ciao.

Corwin