Modest Needs is a web-based philanthropic organization founded in 2002 by Keith Taylor, a teacher who decided to use small portions of his $33,000 yearly salary to help others in need. This small effort by one man has now grown into a much larger operation, funding 1,582 people this year and giving away $884,990. For our clients, many of whom we assist in fundraising efforts, we found this site to be a great example of the real possibilities of the online medium. Not to mention a very worthy cause! We were convinced on a professional level and moved on a personal level. See for yourself.
Will market acceptance of the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers sound the death knell for printed books? Having used the Kindle 2 for several months now, I find it perfectly adequate for my requirements—functional, comfortable, and portable. However, I’ve yet to develop the same emotional attachment to it as I have with my iPhone. Perhaps this is due to the Kindle’s somewhat awkward interface—for a 2nd generation product, its navigation is surprisingly clunky.
Once absorbed in a story though, technological flaws are forgotten. Words are just as powerful displayed in e-ink on a screen as printed on paper. And I can keep all of my digital books together in my purse, on my bedside table, or in a carry-on bag. I’m finding it easier to let go of many books already sitting on my shelf. Like an art patron who improves the quality of their collection by gradually culling out lesser pieces, I am steadily giving away my one-time-reads and making room on my bookshelf for literary classics, photography-driven books, and illustrated compendiums that have been squirreled away in storage.
We’ve partnered with the Southern Governors Association (SGA) to create a brand identity that reflects the remarkable transformation the south has undergone in the last 75 years. The “Transformation with Tradition” theme incorporated into the new identity inspires modern Southern leadership as the region quietly emerges as the nation’s economic and energy powerhouse.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the organization, SGA hosted a Gala Celebration in the birthplace of the Association—Warm Springs, Georgia—at Roosevelt’s Little White House. Levine provided materials and Gala graphics, while Georgia native Travis Tritt supplied the soundtrack to the festive event.
Left: Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue provided quintessential “Southern hospitality” as host of SGA’s 75th Anniversary Gala. Right: FDR’s grandson, David Roosevelt, provided an inspiring address to Gala guests.
We’ve been thinking a lot about Blue Zones. One of our current projects includes designing informational diagrams related to longevity and aging populations of the world. "Blue Zones"—a term coined by scientists and demographers—literally, are blue colored areas in a map showing regions with a significantly higher than average concentration of healthy people living well over 100 years old.
Currently, there are five identified Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan; the Barbagia region of Sardinia, Italy; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; and Icaria, Greece. What is fascinating about the research is how shared lifestyle patterns in each community have tremendously affected the centenarians’ longevity, health and happiness.
We’ve used Dan Buettner’s book The Blue Zones as a resource. Working with National Geographic and a team of researchers and statisticians, Buettner’s book contains invaluable information, and inspiring and engaging stories about the people in the Blue Zones. Buettner is also the founder of the Blue Zones online community, where people can track, improve and discuss healthy lifestyles.
Levine & Associates designed the logos for three new business ventures, all to be housed within the same building in historic downtown Memphis. Our entrepreneurial clients, both doctors, have strived to create the ultimate neighborhood one-stop-shop. This includes the Frix Jennings Clinic, which the doctors have designated a "medical home," providing holistic, comprehensive care to patients in a friendly environment. Down the hall is Besso’s, a coffee shop selling fresh roasted coffee and Italian gelato, and, to top it all off, upstairs is 59 South Main, a quartet of spacious, modern lofts available for sale. All three businesses are scheduled to open in mid-October.
The passing of Irving Penn put us in mind of Alexey Brodovitch, Harper’s Bazaar art director from 1934 to 1958. This Russian emigrant championed the careers of Irving Penn, Richard Avedon and Hiro, and worked with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Man Ray and Salvador Dali. Brodovitch was one of the 20th century’s most influential art directors and is known as the pioneer of the double page spread. His impact is still felt today. For a nice trip through this ground breaking art director’s work, check out Alexey Brodovitch by Gabriel Bauret (published by Assouline).
Government reports are a dime a dozen in this city. Good design can make the difference between affecting sweeping change or getting brushed aside.
Levine & Associates was tasked with crafting a visually compelling report from highly technical statistical data by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a major player in the race to better educate America’s youth. Known as "the nation’s report card," the NAEP assessments provide a common yardstick to measure and compare student performance in urban districts or states nationwide. The highly anticipated The Nation’s Report Card: Mathematics 2009 was released last week, which tracked the progress of fourth and eighth graders in mathematics. The report’s results was covered in major news outlets, from the Washington Post to the New York Times. The potential impact of the math report (as well as upcoming reports in other subjects) on education policy is momentous. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan weighed in on the results, saying that this is "evidence that we must better equip our schools to improve the knowledge and skills of America’s students in mathematics."
The Reading and Science Reports, also designed by Levine & Associates, are scheduled to be released in 2010.
The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) held its national conference this year in Memphis, Tennessee, October 8-11th. In between attending inspiring lectures, hob nobbing with the rockstars of the design world, and touring the FedEx facility, Greg managed to sneak in some time to explore Beale Street and sample some world-famous BBQ. The theme for the four-day event was “Make/Think.” The overall focus was on the importance of design in business, and the unique role graphic designers play as communicators between business and consumer. David Butler, vice president of global design for Coca Cola, said it best: “We are the people we’ve been waiting for.” We couldn’t agree more. It’s time to apply the world of design to the design of the world.
We’ve turned our website mobile-friendly! Keeping technological limitations in mind, we created one version for the iPhone and one for the Blackberry. Although developing a mobile version of a website sounds like a simple task, there are inherent challenges that have the potential to be quite extensive. Obviously, the more complex the mobile website, the larger the necessary budget for design and development. For more information on limitations, best practices, and the latest technologies for mobile web development, check out W3C Mobile Web Initiative and mobiForge.
This high-level fundraising piece for the Edison National Historic Site set the stage for a $60 million capital campaign to support the preservation of Edison’s laboratory and home in West Orange, NJ. Cited as one of the 11 most endangered historic sites by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it’s exciting to see the newly restored complex make its public debut. Our invitation to the Grand Opening arrived this week.
"Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success"
– Thomas Alva Edison
With autumn nearly upon us, we are focused on the Fall 2009 edition of American Rivers magazine. We are very excited to be working with American Rivers, a leading conservation organization working to protect and restore rivers for the benefit of people, wildlife and nature.
Working with illustrator Lee Calderon, we’ve been busy creating the Bike for the Heart logo, posters, ads, point-of-purchase displays, and brochures. This is a first-time event for Sister to Sister, a nonprofit organization dedicated to women’s heart health awareness, education, and early detection of disease. You can sign up here to participate.
Six Thinking Hats
by Edward De Bono
1st edition, MICA Management Resources, 1985
“The Six Thinking Hats method may well be the most important change in human thinking for the past 2300 years.” This is the first line in the preface of Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono. Humble he’s not, but clearly he’s on to something. Six hats in six colors represent six modes of thinking. Change hats and change your focus. Try on each of the hats, and you’ve thought yourself all the way around a problem. It’s a cool approach for those of us who spend a good portion of our time brainstorming.
As summer comes to an end, we closed the office for a day to refresh our creative spirits. We hopped on a bus and headed up to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The museum’s mission statement reads, "Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself."
We were awed and inspired by the both the finished works of art and the strength of the inner voices that compel these artists to create.
Welcome to our blog—a behind the scenes look at Levine & Associates. See what we’re working on, how our projects come together, and the talent and trends that inspire us. There are always new posts, so check back often, or subscribe.
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