Yahoo! Update: Yeah, I (Almost) Called It.

So, roughly thirty days ago, I predicted that Yahoo!'s month-long buildup to their new logo unveiling would culminate with a final design not too dissimilar from the sans serifed iteration that was kicked off in the “Day 1” slot. So how do my skills as a would-be design prognosticator stack up? I think I’ll give myself a solid "B". In essence, the final design is indeed an echo of “Day 1” (which in turn is a fairly conservative re-working of the original, belied by some of the more radical departures feigned at over the course of the last month, as I had anticipated): all caps, sans serif (with some subtle flaring and cupping), with basically the same arrangement and proportions of the respective letters. The final is decidedly more fragile-looking, with its much thinner weight, aforementioned nuances, and hints of sculpted shading, and I’m not so sure when all is said and done that “Day 1” wouldn’t have served them better. I’ve also got my doubts about the kerning: it looks alright when viewed small, as it typically appears at the upper left of their homepage, but viewed at larger sizes a rather unsettling rift between the “Y” and “A” seems to emerge. That could be addressed by the creation of slightly different versions for use at varying scales, but I think that would represent a less than ideal concession, at best, if not an outright failure of design. But at any rate, I suppose if the results are somewhat mediocre then it can be said that they were achieved by modest (but not tawdry) means: by conducting the re-brand via an in-house team, they avoided the two extremes of (outright) crowdsourcing and exorbitant payment to an (often equally mediocre) corporate i.d. leviathan.

Yahoo!: Thirty Days of ?

Hmm. I can’t help but wonder what’s really behind the month-long tease leading up to the unveiling of the new Yahoo! logo. Could it be a more controlled and camouflaged form of crowdsourcing (a trendy technique which has, in its rawer form, at least, a justifiably dubious reputation)? Perhaps Mayer and Co. will spend the next two weeks analyzing the reactions to the options presented here, and then the two weeks afterwards making any tweaks or adjustments which that data might recommend to their existing designs before finally unveiling the winner on Sept. 5? In any event, I certainly agree that the current logo, with its extended, slab-serifed font, is way overdue for an overhaul, and I’m furthermore guessing that the new logo will probably closely resemble the all caps, sans serif iteration shown at the beginning of the video. . .but we shall see.

God is Friendship

Here are designs I completed recently for the title God is Friendship, by author Brian Edgar. The version on top featuring the familiar Doré engraving ultimately won out, but the alternate design below was an early favorite also worth showing off. (The illustration in that case—the hands playing off of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam—was done by moi.)

The Darker Road

Here are some spot illustrations and a map I did recently for L.B. Graham’s forthcoming fantasy/sci-fi novel The Darker Road.

LifeWay Credit Union: Banners & Brochures

Really?! Is it already mid-April?! Sheesh!

I would be remiss if I failed to make mention of this recent opportunity to show off my corporate side: here are samples of some recent pieces produced as part of a re-brand for LifeWay Credit Union. I’ve had lots of fun working with That Writer to come up with these concepts (thinking of the banner ads, especially).

Another One Waters

I’m working closely with the good folks at New College Franklin right now. Here’s a mark I developed for their new fundraising campaign that’s just being rolled out.

Shaping Their Future

Here are two cover designs (final design plus one alternate comp) I produced recently for author Guy Chmielski’s new book Shaping Their Future. The illustration on the alternate comp is mine, but so is (this isn’t often the case, hence my drawing particular attention to the fact) the photograph on the final. (Who knows? Perhaps this will be the beginning of a new trend?)

Chronicles of the Cumberland Settlements

This project was quite a long time in the making, but the subject matter is more than worthy of the efforts involved. The story of the settling of my native region is one that features numerous examples of near-superhuman heroism and sacrifice. Residents of Nashville ought to at least recognize the names of Timothy Demonbreun, James Robertson, Charlotte Robertson, and John Donelson, if simply due to the fact that those names have been lent to various streets, buildings and other landmarks around town. But their legacy (that of the Robertsons in particular), and that of many of their still more obscure colleagues—Thomas Spencer, Kasper Mansker, Anthony Bledsoe, John Buchanan, and William Hall, to name a few additional notables—is worthy of much wider recognition and adulation. When the first permanent settlements were established in the Cumberland River Valley, the United States were still fighting to gain their independence from Great Britain, and the ultimate survival and success of those settlements, in many respects made all the more difficult by the fact of that larger conflict, played a very strategic role both in that struggle itself and in the subsequent development and westward expansion of the new nation. Had those settlements failed, and they very nearly did fail, subsequent U. S. history would no doubt have turned out quite differently.

So, given my pre-existant enthusiasm for the subject matter, I was excited as all get-out when, way back in 2010, I was tapped to help out on this project, a detailed, year-by-year narrative based on meticulously researched and compiled firsthand accounts of the settlers themselves. More than two years, over a dozen revisions, and just over 800 pages later, I’m still excited . . . to be done! No, seriously (okay I’m sort of kidding about that . . . I know that Paul will empathize) I’m incredibly pleased with the results and with the contributions I was able to make to this important work. For the record, those contributions included updating and finessing an existing (and voluminous!) interior layout which had already been touched by a couple of other designers, consultation on the production of numerous maps featured throughout, logo design, book cover design, business card design, consultation and guidance during the self-publishing process, social media integration, art direction for a promotional video (thanks Ricky Burchell and B4 Entertainment!) and web design (thanks to Tim Brown of Graphos Designs for development!). These books are hardbound and feature smyth sewn binding, which, taken in consideration with the enthralling story contained within the pages, makes them worth every penny of the $70 asking price. Copies are available directly from the author via the website.

Living Numbers

Back in early January I gave a presentation for a local group of men who get together regularly to hear lectures and to engage in discussion on various topics, theology most frequently, but also economics, science, moral/ethical/social issues, literature, and the arts. My presentation was focused on an overview of biblical numerology, the study of the significance and symbolism which Scripture assigns to certain numbers, and how we see that significance confirmed virtually everywhere we look, both in the natural world of God’s own making, and in the creative works of mankind. Along the way, I take numerous excursions into the disciplines of geometry, music, biology, architecture, the visual arts, and astronomy. An audio recording of the lecture as well as a pdf of my accompanying Keynote presentation are available here. There seemed to be a good deal of enthusiasm among the group for this topic, and the whole process—preparation, presentation, follow-up discussion—was a great deal of fun. My thanks go out to our hosts (Tom and Sylvia Singleton) and all the other folks who were in attendance. Perhaps there are others out there who would also take an interest in this topic, and if you have a chance to listen and/or browse through the pdf, I trust you will find it fascinating. And as always, I’d be delighted to hear your feedback, as well as any additional insights of your own on the topics covered.

American Airlines Rebrand

With all due respect to Massimo Vignelli, some of whose objections are legitimate, on the whole, this is nonetheless simply AWESOME!