by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Cool People, Human brands | Aug 30, 2010
SEEKING INSPIRATIONS | CREATIVE MENTORS: HAROLD BALAZS: THE DEFINITIONS OF DESIGN SPIRIT: A CHILDHOOD, RECALLED GROWING UP CREATIVE | WHO’S THE TEACHER THAT PLANTS THE SEED? Creative [V I B E] is juice, it’s jazz, it’s fire; unquenchable —...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts | Aug 25, 2010
Seeking beauty, active focus, and contemplative strategy in remote locations: working someplace other than where you’re supposed to be. Found in the dirt, as a reminder of something special, recalled in a remote place of work. I’ve thought about —...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Cool People | Aug 23, 2010
Designing things to be altered by fire. Girvin Smoke principles, brands and the waft of fire. Firebrands. I’ve been thinking about fire and smoke a lot these days, as you might’ve noticed. But like the proverbial A persona, I can’t relinquish the...
by Tim Girvin | Scent | Aug 20, 2010
An exploration of trees, their saps, the resinous outcomes, the essences and their fragrances. And Birch bark — a visit to the Early Buddhist Manuscripts Research Project in the palaeographic laboratories at the University of Washington. Scent, script and...
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Retail, Storytelling | Aug 18, 2010
Brand storytelling that goes back 130 years, and pitched as a marketing strategy for merchandising sales at Barney’s. Notes on selling old brands as something newly hip. Buy, here: I’m looking for True Brands. What I seek is: A story. A person. An offering....
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Concepts, Luxury, Trends | Aug 15, 2010
LOGO DESIGNERS OUT OF BUSINESS? EXPLORING THE NEW TREND, LOGO-LESS MERCHANDISE? DOES THAT MEAN BRANDERS ARE OUT OF BUSINESS? HARDLY SO, UNLESS THE PREMISE OF BRANDING IS DESIGNING LOGOS. But there’s more. Off and on, over the years, the idea of logo on, logo...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Storytelling | Aug 13, 2010
DRIVING, AND SHOOTING, IN A JOURNEY OF 4 HOURS. SPONTANEITY AND IMAGERY. I SPEND A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT PHOTOGRAPHY — AND I WRITE ABOUT IT, DESIGN AROUND IT, SHOOT IT. AND I PACKAGE AND DESIGN OTHER PHOTOGRAPHER’S WORK. DOING THAT, GIVES ONE A RESPECT...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Marketing 2.0, Storytelling, Trends | Aug 11, 2010
Wi-Fi ubiquity: Starbucks + new digital content. What if Starbucks created its own content for Wi-Fi users? Who cares? Concepts of wi-fi contrary concepts in New Dehli, India (Photo by Girvin, story) I say: no thanks. For years (going back a decade) the Cingular,...
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Concepts, Human brands | Aug 9, 2010
Brand, story, positioning and strategy, what’s working here? I was struck by Steve Ballmer’s presentation of the Slate technology at the Microsoft WWDC and the profound difference in positioning that the two brands represent — and by two, you know...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, General | Aug 6, 2010
ALPHABETICA | THE STROKES OF THE ALPHABET STROKES, FINISHES, GESTURES, DETAILS — ON THE SERIES OF THE RIGHTFUL MOVES. Teaching calligraphy: the craft of the letter at Girvin. A broadside from 1975, still used in the calligraphy classes at Girvin There’s a...
