In recent years the fabled Northwest Passage has become more navigable because climate change has reduced the pack ice. One story in the most recent issue of
The New Yorker chronicles the voyage of an enormous ship transporting iron ore across the top of the world. Frank's latest cover (on newsstands this week) commemorates this lamentable crossing. Read all about it
here at The New Yorker's online Culture Desk.
Eve Ensler and the rest of the team at V-Day were struggling to find a compelling design strategy for the ONE BILLION RISING initiative. In the middle of the project, they decided to switch gears and turned to Viva & Co. for assistance on their
website and ad campaign (now running in magazines like
Mother Jones and
Harper's). ONE BILLION RISING began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. On February 14, 2013 (V-Day’s 15th anniversary), activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities and women and men across the world will come together to express their outrage, strike, dance and rise in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end at last to violence against women. To date, the success of the campaign has been overwhelming – and we are gratified to have been able to help in a small way. Activists around the world have already planned thousands of ONE BILLION RISING events for February 14, 2013. We urge you to visit the website and
join a rising near you.
Josh Greenhut is a brand strategist, researcher and writer based in Toronto. Because we were brought in on day one – and because Josh encourages a dynamic team approach – we were able to help with all aspects of this start-up, including the logotype, stationery,
website and tagline. Without any legacy issues to complicate matters, we were able to ensure that every creative decision supported and underscored Josh's "inside up" approach to helping his clients. This not only applies to the integrated ladder in the logotype and countless other details, but also the way the website navigation works. Both companies learned a lot in the process, such as this: if a person's name begins with the word “Green,” you simply can't use red for the logo. And although we haven't committed the time and resources necessary to carry out conclusive research on the matter, we know it to be true.
Trufflepig creates custom travel experiences for discerning clients who appreciate all things smart and sublime (including websites). At its core, the brand is about connecting dots, unearthing new finds and, above all, curiosity. In keeping with Trufflepig's raison d'être, our response to their request for a
new website was to create an entirely customized solution from the ground up. We even went a step further and produced an exclusive backend interface to suit TP's internal workflow. While we could package up the code and architecture we developed and resell it as a website "theme," we never will. As Charlie Scott (cofounder of Trufflepig) states, "I sort of feel like we ordered a garden variety salad and got a steak - with sizzle to spare. Viva & Co. kept the project moving forward smoothly, always with a smile. We're tickled pink, of course."
Click here to learn more about this project on our portfolio pages.
The most recent brainchild of serial entrepreneur and all around do-gooder Rob Forbes is San Francisco-based
PUBLIC Bikes. Well known for founding
Design Within Reach, Mr. Forbes decided it was time to address his passion for cycling. The quality and style of these bikes clearly demonstrates that he still believes in great design – but this time around he's taking it to the streets. With a thoughtful brief, Mr. Forbes asked
27 designers – including Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Maira Kalman and Erik Spiekermann – to each design a poster for PUBLIC Bikes. The focus of the project (and the travelling show) is to draw attention to public space, the value of our civic lives and how bikes can help. To view and/or purchase the posters – and for more information about the project and the travelling show –
click here. A beautifully produced book, t-shirts and other products will be available shortly. Frank Viva's poster is shown on the left.
Frank's latest book, A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse, came out on September 25. Early notices - including a starred review in
Publisher's Weekly - bode well. This one is from yesterday's
New York Times: "Viva's debut,
Along a Long Road, was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2011, and he brings that same visual audacity and forward momentum to his first early reader. Told in full spreads and comic-book-style panels, the story of a boy in a bat T-shirt and his mouse takes readers aboard a small boat headed to Antarctica. The mouse is initially reluctant, but the boy eventually wins him over with a swim in a wondrous volcanic lagoon. What child wouldn't be on board for that?" Read more reviews
here.
Located on University Avenue near Osgoode Hall, Pinto Wray James LLP is a member of a new breed of fast-growing law firms that truly understand how to use the web as a powerful marketing tool. While the site we built uses best practices in SEO, PWJ also makes great use of social media and AdWords. They regularly create and publish fresh online content and do everything possible to improve their rankings – Google loves PWJ.
In addition to their website, Viva & Co. created a comprehensive brand identity system that the partners are very happy with. The exercise repositions PWJ as the brand they are: a progressive and innovative law office firmly rooted in tradition. Each component – including logo, stationery, digital templates, signage, forms and the new website – came in on budget despite a very long (but thoughtful) list of requirements.
Looking back, perhaps the biggest undertaking was transferring the mountain of existing content from the old database to the new one – we didn't have to be told that this task had to be completed flawlessly with careful editorial oversight. We knew.
What unsolicited comment did PWJ share with Viva & Co. as the four-month project wrapped up? “Thank you for your exceptional work on the website and our rebranding all around. You have done just excellent work and we are greatly appreciative!”
Visit the new site.
With two luxury rental properties, an olive oil business and a winery located on a 50-acre estate in Umbria (near Todi), this family-run business has grown steadily over the last decade. Our tasks?
1. Create an engaging and unique identity system - that works across multiple platforms (including product packaging and signage) - with rigorous application standards and a thoughtful plan for brand governance.
2. Build a website with all the latest advances, such as adaptive design strategies that ensure a readable and engaging digital experience on all devices (including hand-held), custom embedded fonts, a powerful content management system, a smart online booking application, and an underlying architecture that will allow for an online store when the time comes.
All designed, programmed, written and edited at Viva & Co.
Visit the site.
Created for the London 2012 Olympics, Frank Viva's latest cover for
The New Yorker is on newsstands this week. Read all about it
here at The New Yorker's online Culture Desk.
The second edition of Vacations magazine – after a complete redesign by Viva & Co. – just came off the presses. For this travel publication, we had to rethink the structure and sequence of the various departments. Moreover, we had to create a new grid, font families and colour palettes – in short, a cover-to-cover overhaul. If greater evidence was needed to demonstrate the validity of a redesign, this second edition does it. In addition to a more upscale appearance, all of the typographic hierarchies are clean and readable. Divisions between feature stories and the departments are easy to understand and the overall pacing works perfectly.
We just received advance copies of our first annual review for RGA (Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated). With $2.7 trillion of life reinsurance in force and consolidated assets of $32.1 billion, this FORTUNE 500 giant needed a design partner that was as good at process as it was at design. With RGA headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri (and with offices around the world), our extensive experience managing complex projects across international boundaries and time zones helped a great deal. As RGA, notes, "Viva & Co. did whatever it took to get the job done and we have received very positive responses to it. Well done!"
When Patrick Harbron was invited by the New York Public Library to mount an exhibition of his classic rock photography, he asked Viva & Co. to help. Working with the staff at the library, we designed a system of invitations, programs and street posters. The show opens May 9, 2012, and runs until August 10.
Frank Viva’s latest cover for
The New Yorker is on newsstands this week. Frank started out as a seltzer water delivery boy. Read more
here at The New Yorker's online Culture Desk.