Design : Buzz

Design review firm 10 Best Design recently released its ranking of the country's top web design companies, and Minneapolis-based Artropolis won a spot on the list.
 
Coming in at number eight, Artopolis specializes in driving visitor purchases on e-commerce websites. Featured work on the 10 Best Design site included sites for temporary staffing firm Current Temp and restaurant company Big Thrill Factory.
 
10 Best Design evaluated firms based on multiple variables within its proprietary analytics system. The top three agencies were The Creative Momentum in Atlanta, Kohactive in Chicago, and Vento Solutions in New York.
 

Advertising and branding industry magazine Adweek recently singled out "Five Famous Female Frontwomen," and Minneapolis-based General Mills won a spot on the list for its iconic creation, Betty Crocker.
 
The persona was first created in 1921, when Gold Medal Flour wanted a personalized way of responding to customer letters. Advice from "Betty" was so popular that the company created a full-blown character in 1936.
 
The article notes that Betty's appearance has been updated seven times since then, transforming her from "a matronly lady to one who today embodies four brand attributes: She's resourceful, committed to family, community-minded, and likes to bake."
 
Other frontwomen who made the list are Progressive's Flo, Mrs. Butterworth, M&M's Ms. Brown, and the Chicken of the Sea mermaid.

Influential industry magazine Advertising Age recently released its annual "40 Under 40" list of top executives that haven't reached their 40th birthdays yet, and two Minnesota execs made the list.
 
Dustee Tucker Jenkins, vice president of public relations for Target Corporation, and Michele Vig, senior director of retail marketing for Caribou Coffee, were both named as young marketing leaders who have made a mark in the client, agency, and media realms.
 
Jenkins joined Target in 2010, after serving in government and consulting positions. AdAge notes that the 34-year-old has developed a political-campaign-style field team that serves local Target communities.
 
Caribou's Vig, age 39, joined the company in 2007, and has overseen the introduction of new products such as revamped breakfast sandwiches. Her vision has been invaluable, considering that the coffee chain will be expanding its footprint in the near future. 

A recent Star Tribune story highlights art as a successful development tool in a number of St. Paul building projects.

While in the past, artists may have been viewed as “a mysterious and crazy bunch,” today they’re sought out by the city to help make development plans, the story states.

They’re seen as “innovators who can fill hard-to-adapt historic structures like the long-vacant Schmidt Brewery and turn them into vital and lively corners of the city once again,” the story reads.

Renovation plans for the Schmidt Brewery, for example, include studio, gallery, and performance space. The place is also a part of a developing Midway arts district.  

Mayor Chris Coleman says in the story, “I look at every thriving city in the country and there's a thriving arts community within it,” adding, “It helps shape investment decisions. Things are enhanced.”

Airports across the country are expanding their amenities in an attempt to set themselves apart from rivals, notes USA Today in a recent article about airport perks.
 
The story cites a survey by Airports Council International-North America, which gathered information on 89 airports in the U.S. and Canada. The survey found that hubs are featuring services that range from pet hotels and hair salons to rocking chairs and live jazz.
 
Minneapolis St. Paul airport got a nod for its children's play areas, indoor walking path, and salon services. In the article, airport spokesman Patrick Hogan says, "We believe if people enjoy the airport they're more likely to make connections through [here] as opposed to Chicago or somewhere else. There's a competitive advantage to providing a good airport experience quite apart from revenues."
 

In an op-ed article, New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman recently attempted to create a food labeling system that would benefit consumers rather than food companies.
 
In developing the system, which he proposes to replace current nutrition labels on packaged foods, Bittman turned to St. Paul-based design firm Werner Design Werks. The firm helped him create a label that "can tell a story about the three key elements of any packaged food and can provide an overall traffic-light-style recommendation or warning."
 
Werner Design Werks' clear and straightforward label would be a large improvement over existing labeling, Bittman believes. He notes that such a shift would help to counter obesity, a problem that "all but the most cynical agree is closely related to consumption of junk food."

The architectural firm that designed stadiums for the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts will be taking on the new $975 million Minnesota Vikings stadium, noted Sports Illustrated in a news item on the magazine's website.
 
Dallas-based HKS Inc. won the bid for the project, with a $34 million design contract. The stadium is due to open in 2016, and drawings of the new facility could be unveiled as early as this January or February.
 
According to the Sports Illustrated article, HKS is considering whether a retractable roof, wall, or window can fit within the current budget. The Vikings management is hopeful that such functionality can be part of the finished design.
 
Some developments that are likely to make it to the finished stadium are wider concourses, more restrooms, and a "game-day plaza" that connects the facility with surrounding neighborhoods.

St. Paul parks designer Don Ganje recently joined the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects, according to Minnpost.

ASLA describes this induction as "among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members and recognizes the contributions of these individuals to their profession and society at large based on their works, leadership and management, knowledge, and service."

ASLA goes on to say that with Ganje’s “eye for the smallest site detail and mastery of vast public open spaces, he has the ability to make places where people feel welcome and that comfort, excite, and encourage them to interact,” adding, “He further infuses his colleagues with a passion for the highest levels of design excellence.”  

National Public Radio (NPR) recently highlighted a technology-based gambling tactic that's being used to help fund a new NFL stadium for Minnesota.
 
In its "All Tech Considered" blog, NPR noted that state residents can use approved iPads to play a digital pull-tab game, and the money will go toward financing the stadium, which is estimated to cost about $975 million.The Minnesota system is the first of its kind in the United States

The iPads are available in bars, where patrons can play at their own tables. Gamblers can place bets of either $1 or $2, and boxes at the bottom of the screen keep a running tally of cash reserves. 

Golden Valley-based General Mills recently took a step into the arena of "branded content," assisted by popular news site Huffington Post, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal.
 
The site, LiveBetterAmerica, is aimed at giving visitors information on healthy living, with a focus on eating more nutritious foods, and it's built on the Huffington Post technology platform. Although the site isn't directly linked to the news source, articles from Huffington's writers will appear on LiveBetterAmerica.
 
The move is part of a growing shift in online content that pairs publishers like Huffington with advertisers like General Mills, creating journalistic-style articles that tie to brand awareness and online advertising.

The Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis has been re-imagined as a “hotel for locavores,” according to a recent New York Times story.

Part of the hotel’s recent $25 million renovation used area manufacturers, artisans, and artists. Its new décor “pays tribute to the city’s heritage and industry,” it states.

While the hotel is internationally known, architect Mike Suomi of Stonehill & Taylor says in the story, “We also wanted to craft a narrative that is specific to the location.”

Design touches reference timber and woolen mills while an oversized map of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers is tied together with Post-Its, which the city is also known for.

The Twin Cities are home to 18 companies in the Fortune 500, so it's little wonder that such a lengthy list of ad agencies have set up shop here, according to industry must-read magazine Advertising Age. As a bonus, Minneapolis is a "smart and artsy town," the article states.
 
Another unique aspect of our local ad agency scene is the breadth of new agencies and their ability to thrive, Ad Age notes. As an example, the article points to Olson, which has 330 employees in the Minneapolis office, and counts Target, Bauer Hockey, and Northwestern Mutual among its clients.
 
The article goes on to list other benefits to living and working here, including our fast-growing craft-beer scene, startup culture, and progressive diversity programs.

The Pioneer Press reports that a local fashion designer will appear on the next season of Lifetime’s popular reality TV show, “Project Runway.”

The 27-year-old Raul Osorio describes himself as self-taught, according to the story. He’s “known for his attention to tailoring and striking a balance between feminine and masculine designs,” the story states, adding that his combination of hats, rolled-up pants and ankle boots make him a striking sight at fashion events all over town.

Four other Minnesotans have made it onto the TV show. The show’s 10th season starts on July 19.

Lifestyle magazine Whole Living recently showcased Minneapolis as a top destination spot, in a July/August feature titled "10 reasons to love Minneapolis."
 
The article singled out Red Stag Supperclub and Spoonriver as must-visit eateries, with a nod toward Peace Coffee for its Fair Trade focus and cold press blend.
 
For activities, the magazine recommended hiking through Minnehaha Park, renting a kayak on Lake Calhoun, and visiting the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden near the Walker Art Center.
 
Paper Hat, Design Collective, and Moss Envy were singled out as top shopping locations, and rounding out the list was the Radisson Plaza as an eco-friendly place to stay.

In a recent story, Slate.com profiled a Texas library that occupies a building that had once been a Wal-Mart.

The Minneapolis-based architecture firm Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd., “breathed fresh life into the warehouse, about as big as two-and-a-half football fields, late last year, when they repurposed it as the country’s largest single-story public library,” it reads.  

Interesting signage, reading nooks, and special spaces, such as a quiet room, several computer labs, and a bookstore and café, have redefined the place.

So much so that the McAllen Public Library won The International Interior Design Association’s 2012 Library Interior Design Awards, the story states.

The Wall Street Journal highlights a standout Minneapolis home that was locally designed. It belongs to Kaywin Feldman, who leads the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and her husband, Jim Lutz. 

The house originated as a part of  the prefabricated “weeHouse” series designed by area architects Geoffrey Warner and Scott Ervin of Alchemy Architects, the story states.

The modern house has a boxy exterior and glass walls, while the couple’s art collection, midcentury furnishings, and library fill the space, the story reads.

About the white walls, which provide a neutral backdrop, Feldman says, "It's my world," adding, "Our museum is all white walls."

Reclaimed wood and renewable bamboo floors characterize the place, which has a treehouse feel.  

Besides being an attractive retreat, the home is energy-efficient and doesn't require too much in the way of upkeep, according to the story. 

Fifteen companies have been named as the Healthiest Employers of the Twin Cities for 2012, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
 
The results come from extensive surveys about workplace wellness programs, and include factors such as access to fitness facilities, communication about wellness topics, and disease-management programs.
 
Companies that made the list include Target, StoneArch Creative, Syngenta, Minnesota Elevator, Great River Energy, and Accenture. The Business Journal will hold a special recognition event for the companies in mid-June.

Traditional crutches can be cumbersome, difficult to use, and downright painful. That was the experience of Minneapolis-based designer Jeff Weber after he had to hobble around with a broken heel.
 
He was determined to create a better option, and came up with Mobilegs, a plastic and aluminum crutch that recently won the medical and scientific category award in the Society of the Plastics Industry's design competition.
 
The product was covered in a recent issue of Plastics News, which included quotes from the award's judges. One industrial design judge joked: "You almost can't wait to hurt your ankle just so you can use it."

A recent USA Today story highlights the makeover of the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

As a part of a $25 million project that started in December 2011, the hotel charged its designers with creating a “sleek, new look with an eye towards all things “local”--including Red Wing Pottery,” the story states.

Michael Suomi, design chief for Stonehill & Taylor, which came up with the architectural and design plans, is quoted saying "We had a specific goal of bringing as much of the manufacturing and sourcing back to America to promote job growth, increase speed to market and celebrate American craft"--adding that this way, “we saved money!"

Stonehenge recreated in miniature with Rice Krispies. A bearskin rug made from a single Gummi Bear. A treehouse built into a single stalk of broccoli.
 
These charming, diminutive creations are the work of Minneapolis-based artist Brock Davis, who captured the attention of LA Weekly recently. In a blog posting, the newspaper featured photos of Davis' work, along with an appreciation of his style.
 
"In some pieces, Davis elevates a humble product, often iconic out of ubiquity in its own right, by manipulating it to resemble an iconic image," the writer noted, pointing to a work that recreates a Pink Floyd album cover out of Dorito bags.
 
The blog states that in Davis' world, junk food can be medium, muse, and, perhaps even a message.

Vending machine industry publication Vending Times profiled two Minneapolis entrepreneurs who are boosting the robust local biking scene. The pair, Chad DeBaker and Alex Anderson, have launched Bike Fixtation, which combines a large vending machine with a standalone bike repair rack.
 
The machine vends bicycle repair products such as tubes, lights, tools, and patch kits, as well as refreshments like energy bars and water bottles.
 
The article notes that the bicycle service stand allows patrons to perform repairs at the site, and includes an assortment of tools like Allen hex keys and wrenches.
 
DeBaker says in the feature that the company sees the potential for expansion to college campuses, bike trails, and any public location that attracts bicycle ridership.

The web-based Education News, which covers various national and international education topics, recently highlighted the comic degree that’s available through the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.  

It’s one of only three such programs around the country, the story states, citing information from MPR and the Star Tribune.

Local author Britt Aamodt, who profiled over 20 area artists in a book called, “Superheroes, Strip Artists & Talking Animals: Minnesota’s Contemporary Cartoonists,” is quoted saying that a “recent crop of artists is taking Minnesota’s scene to new heights.”

Aamodt goes on to say that the local comic artists have "really spread their wings,” and, “They can tell any kind of story. And they just don’t have to be about men in tights.”

 

About 500 unique and formidable mansions have vanished from the Twin Cities, and now many of them can be "visited" thanks to a new book by architectural historian Larry Millett.
 
Showcased in The Downtown Journal, Millett's work, Once There Were Castles, tells fascinating tales about the wealthy individuals who lived in these often-massive homes. A notable example is a mansion on Lake of the Isles Parkway East that became the largest private residence ever built in Minneapolis. Yet the owner died before he could move into the behemoth.
 
As noted by The Journal, Millett will talk about his book on Nov. 7 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.

The American Planning Association (APA) put St. Paul's Rice Park in downtown St. Paul on its 2011 list of 10 Great Public Spaces across the country. 

Through the APA’s Great Places in America program, sites such as the historic park are recognized for “exceptional character and highlight the role planners play in creating communities of lasting value,” according to a press release about the award.   

The park, which is characterized by decorative lamps, statuary, benches, and a central fountain, “serves as much as a pathway and shortcut as it does a lunch stop, festival grounds, and outdoor sanctuary,” the release says.
 
The 1849-vintage park is also surrounded by a number of historic buildings, museums, and music halls that developed over the course of more than a century.  

Talk about a cage match: the Jolly Green Giant is up against Smokey Bear, the Energizer Bunny, and even Subway's Jared.
 
The Giant, a longtime brand rep for Golden Valley-based General Mills, is part of an online popularity contest held by New York's advertising agencies in anticipation of the event-packed Advertising Week 2011.
 
As noted by USA Today, the winner will be celebrated with a permanent banner on Madison Avenue, the ad industry's answer to Hollywood Boulevard.
 
People can vote via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and the 20 ad icons range from Progressive's Flo to Mr. Clean to Sparky the Fire Dog.
 
Even the U.S. Department of Transportation's crash test dummies (named Vince and Larry, for you ad trivia buffs) are up for consideration.

Target's new ad campaign for Missoni, a fashion line of more than 400 products, is distinctive for its nod toward Italian films of the 1960s, notes a recent story in the New York Times.

In its advertising column, the paper reports that representatives from Target traveled to Milan to collaborate with the Missoni family, in order to strengthen the brand and give the campaign an authentically Italian feel.

In the campaign, which includes TV ads and Web spots, swinging 1960s music accompanies images of a dining room decked out in Missoni products, and models wearing the brightly hued clothing line.

The ads were done in collaboration with Minneapolis-based Olson, a creative firm known for high-profile work for clients like General Mills, Amtrak, and Converse.

Cool Hunting, which showcases interesting new developments every week in the areas of design, tech, style, travel, culture, and more, recently featured an invention that comes out of Minneapolis.

Bike Fixtation, the bicycle-repair kiosk from the Minneapolis company of the same name, topped a recent list of picks on the Cool Hunting website.

"If you've ever ended up stranded in the city with a flat tire, you'll find the new Bike Fixtation kiosks helpful. The self-service stations are open extended hours for bicyclists in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan areas," the notice reads.
 
An international team of editors and contributors at Cool Hunting sort through all kinds of innovations to provide the weekly digest.

Hey, look over here. No, here. That's right.

3M has fine-tuned its tool to track just where your eyes went--and where they go--when you visit a website.
 
In a June 9 Fast Company article, Austin Carr takes a detailed look at 3M's visual impact scanner (VIS), which uses an algorithm called visual attention service.

William Smith, business manager at 3M's graphics division, tells Carr that the tools "predicts visual impact" — something of interest to advertisers and designers alike, Carr notes.

The article includes a video and several visual examples of the VIS at work.

Ever heard someone say they just like the feel of a good book in their hands--as a way of dissing electronic media?

Well, Pad & Quill is bringing the old feel to the new media, as Elisa Huang writes in a March 23 article in the Design section of Good.

The St. Louis Park-based company makes leather-bound covers for the Nook, Kindle, iPhone and iPad that look like the real thing because they are made "using traditional bookbinding techniques," writes Huang.

The covers cost $50–$70 dollars.

The graphic design project "50 and 50," is an ongoing collective project of graphic designers reinterpreting the 50 mottoes of the U.S. states.

The project's "leadoff batter" on Jan. 31 was local designer and printer Erik Hamline, owner of Steady Print Shop in the Wedge neighborhood of Minneapolis. (Hamline's design can be found at the bottom of this 50 and 50 page.)

Fifty and Fifty was created by Brooklyn-based designer and animator Dan Cassaro.

The Feb. 2 issue of the daily Fast Co. Design featured the project, then with just four designs of four states' mottoes.) Nearly half the states' mottoes had been completed by the end of February.

The Twin Cities Bungalow Club is bringing PBS's "This Old House" expert Bob Yapp to the Twin Cities for a couple of home-related presentations on Feb. 20 at the Hillcrest Community Recreation Center in St. Paul, a Star Tribune story notes.  

"This Old House" is a long-running home improvement TV show that centers on remodeling projects.     

One of the sessions that Yapp will deal with, called "You Can't Live in a Museum--Or Can You?" has to do with making historic homes livable, while "respecting their architecture," the story states.  

The other session, "Getting Shellacked, or Innovative Woodwork Finishing and Refinishing," will go over how to safely and efficiently remove old paint and natural finishes from woodwork.

A decade-old Minneapolis design firm is behind the new look of a New York Times financial blog.

The Minneapolis Egotist reports that Wink, Inc.'s portfolio now includes the design of Andrew Ross Sorkin's DealBook blog, which tracks stocks, mergers and acquisitions.

Images at the Egotist.

When Target announced a set of environmental sustainability goals last week, its press release was largely ignored. But GreenBiz.com took a closer look and sees the potential for Target to leapfrog Walmart and go transform from  "Tarjay to Targreen."

Writer Dara O'Rourke notes that most of what was in Target's announcement isn't worthy of hoopla. It's playing catch up with Walmart, which set more ambitious goals a few years ago. "[I]n 2010, pledging to eliminate waste is like pledging to close the refrigerator door."

But where Target now has a major impact is in the products it chooses to sell. "Based on an optimistic reading of the company's announcement, Target may now be positioned to do for sustainable products what it did for well designed, yet affordable, consumer products." Read the rest of O'Rourke's piece at GreenBiz.com.

At the Nov. 2-5 annual convention of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), about half of a dozen prestigious honor awards went to local architecture projects, including everything from a contemporary standalone classroom to a woodsy-looking church.  

Public-sector projects dominated in the 56th annual honors awards, due in part to the slowdown of commercial work in the recession, according to Beverly Hauschild-Baron, the executive vice president of AIA Minnesota, who comments in a recent Star Tribune story.

Among the honorees whose work is in state is the prominent Minneapolis-based HGA Architects & Engineers Inc., which took home four awards and St. Paul's Alchemy and Salmela Architect in Duluth.

The winners will be recognized at the Annual AIA Minnesota Awards Celebration on Nov. 19 at the Minnesota History Center.

Not all innovation involves high-tech solutions.

A Minneapolis nonprofit has developed a donkey ambulance that's helping to reduce deaths during childbirth in rural Tanzania.

The Downtown Journal reports that WellShare (formerly Minnesota International Health Volunteers) came up with the cart "as a sustainable and affordable solution to this crisis of emergency transport."

The cart is pulled by one or two donkeys and uses an animal-friendly design that places weight on the animals' back muscles instead of neck.

A woman dies during childbirth in rural Tanzania every 21 minutes, often because they give birth alone or with untrained attendants.

Oddee.com takes a break from cataloging the odd and bizarre to make a list of the world's 10 most breathtaking gardens. Of only three in the Western Hemisphere, one is the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden:

"The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is one of Minnesota's crown jewels and its centerpiece, the Spoonbridge and Cherry, has become a Minnesota icon. Claes Oldenburg best known for his ingenious, oversized renditions of ordinary objects, and Coosje van Bruggen, his wife and collaborator, had already created a number of large-scale public sculptures, including the Batcolumn in Chicago, when they were asked to design a fountain-sculpture for the planned Minneapolis Sculpture Garden....Van Bruggen contributed the cherry as a playful reference to the Garden's formal geometry, which reminded her of Versailles and the exaggerated dining etiquette Louis XIV imposed there."

Read the entire article here.

An idea born in Minneapolis is growing into a phenomenon in cities around the world, Cool Hunting reports. Artcrank art shows of inexpensive posters that celebrate local bicycle culture have spread to the West Coast and the United Kingdom:

"Started in Minneapolis just three years ago, the Artcrank show was a quick, fun way to publicize local artists by inviting them to create posters about bike culture. Since then, the concept has spread with lightning speed to cities like Portland, San Francisco, Des Moines, and even London. With new cities taking part every year, 'Artcrank is growing roughly 10-15% faster than I can keep up with,' said Charles Youel, Artcrank's director and curator--not a bad problem to have. ...

"Local works on display each sell for an affordable $30 apiece at each venue. 'The more accessible those experiences are, the more diverse and interesting a biking and artistic culture becomes. I see people arriving on bikes, discovering local artists they've never heard of and connecting with causes. If free beer and cheap posters are the catalyst for that, it's cool by me,' continues Youel....

"'We're betting that Artcrank can and will work anywhere that people love bikes and art. So far, it's a bet we've won every single time.'"

Read the entire article here.

Dwell magazine profiles the South Minneapolis home that local architect Julie Snow designed for Walker Art Center design curator Andrew Blauvelt and his partner, Scott Winter, who directs the Walker's annual fund:

"The deeply collaborative design process that ensued felt more like an architect-to-architect dialogue than an architect-to-client discussion. Snow shared sketches with Blauvelt and he drew designs to send back. Later, the trio would meet, handling chunks of concrete, wood, metal, glass, and other inspirational materials, to get a real sense of their tactility and material relationship. 'Andrew is not trained in architecture, but he knows more about design than many architects,' Snow says. 'His library of design and architecture books is the most extensive of anyone I know. He's compositional--he thinks in composed elements.'

"One game that the couple rejects, however, is the one where a seemingly agoraphobic modernist, flat-roofed home on a large lot carefully camouflages itself behind trees and a large lawn. Rather, the house is exposed to everyone, in a neighborhood largely featuring early 20th-century homes and apartments. 'It is a response to a corner lot at a busy intersection,' says Snow. And although it is unique to the neighborhood, 'it fits the city and the pattern of the neighborhood's older housing stock--front yard, porch, house, yard, and garage--but with an updated design sense,' she says."

Read the entire article here.

The Washington Post takes a close look at Target Field and likes what it sees. Describing the brand-new Minneapolis ballpark as "a modern-day Fenway…embedded in a city neighborhood," Bruce Adams and Margaret Engel accentuate the field's ecological sensitivity and historical sense--and add a quick guide to exploring the city for outsiders coming to a game. Read their piece here.

Source: The Washington Post