Since last year, we started posting news and events through our new GDC/BC Blog. This BC Chapter Blog is now officially closed. If you want to know our latest news and events, please check us out at http://www.gdc.net/chapters/bc_mainland.htm. Thank you.

Best Regards,
Pauline

If you are looking to upgrade your membership status or get your Professional Certification our next portfolio review is coming soon. Get your work ready!

Portfolio submission will happen the week of January 11 – 15, 2010.

Send your portfolio with your resumé and application to:

Industrial Brand
Suite 106 – 336 East 1st Ave
Vancouver BC | V5T 4R6 | CANADA
T > 604.737.1958 F > 604.737.4347

Please call ahead.

Resources: How to Join, Portfolio Review Criteria

The 2010 Portfolio Review #2 is tentatively scheduled for April 2010.

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Social change. It’s the adoption of new behaviour on a scale that is visible and sustainable.

Design. It influences our daily lives: our work, our habits, our outlook.

Practivism. It leverages design to catalyze the change our world requires. Designers are investigating the complex challenges facing the world, and our problem-solving abilities are being put to the test. We’re asking each other and ourselves: can design ignite change? Can we design with people, not for people?

Or, is design the problem?

We don’t have all the answers, but we are pausing to ask the questions. Join GDC/BC for a dialogue about design’s role in creating social change.

Join us at the Museum of Vancouver on Thursday, November 19th for Practivism2, part of our ongoing GDC/BC Design Speakers Series. We’re proud to bring you an incredible group of presenters who will talk about design and social change: Andréa Pellegrino (Design Ignites Change), Kara Pecknold (IDEO Human Centered Design Toolkit) and Nathan Shedroff (Design is the Problem).

Bring your questions to the moderated Q&A session. Enjoy food that is locally sourced and sustainably produced. Explore the beautiful MOV space that provides an unparalleled view of the city. Discover the MOV exhibits, “Ravishing Beasts” and “Working Wood.” Have a beverage with others in the local design community, students, vendors and associates. Learn useful tips to enact social change in your role as a designer. Open your mind and be inspired by those around you.

Speakers:
Andréa Pellegrino - Design Ignites Change
http://www.designigniteschange.org/ and http://blog.worldstudioinc.com/

Kara Pecknold – IDEO Human Centered Design Toolkit
http://olivelifegroup.com/ and http://www.ideo.com/work/item/human-centered-design-toolkit/

Nathan Shedroff - Design is the Problem
http://nathan.com/ and http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/sustainable-design/

Where:
Museum of Vancouver
1100 Chestnut St
Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9, Canada
http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/

When:
Thursday November 19th 2009 5:30–10:30 p.m.

How much:
$25.00 Members
$30.00 Students and MOV members
$40.00 Non-members

Ticket includes complimentary access to the MOV exhibits “Ravishing Beasts” and “Working Wood” ($12.00 value)

http://www.gdc.net/about/store/product_category1.php

Schedule:
5:30–6:50 Reception and Networking
7:05–7:30 Welcome Address
7:30–9:00 Speaker Presentations
9:00–9:30 Moderated Q/A Session
9:30–10:30 Networking

Blair Enns provided good food for thought at the sold-out event. His talk focused on two specific business models: marketing-based and production-based. A marketer looks at what needs haven’t been met yet and sells a product that meets that need, while a producer makes what he knows best and attempts to find people who will buy his product or service.

According to Enns, the most successful design firms are run by non-designers. It takes a strong marketing approach to keep any business alive, particularly in these economic hard times.

Our industry has an oversupply problem to begin with, and during a recession there’s even less demand from clients. Making matters worse, when one design firm shuts down, its designers start up their own businesses.

Enns firmly believes that the problem of free pitching is not one that will be solved by any collective design organization such as the GDC or AIGA. Instead, he places the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of individuals and design firms.

The best take-away advice from the talk? Narrow your focus and deepen expertise in order to rise above the competition. By narrowing your focus, you’ll begin to see unmet needs in the marketplace. Make a choice; don’t stay in the “mushy middle [ground]” that sits between a marketing-based and production-based organization. The mushy middle designer will soon become a thing of the past.

For information on membership, whether you are a student, graduate, practicing professional, or design associate click here for more information.

Leo Obstbaum, Design Director for VANOC 2010 Olympics

My friend and colleague Leo Obstbaum, the creative mastermind behind the designs of the Vancouver Olympic Games, died suddenly in his home of natural causes in the early hours of Friday, August 21st. He left behind his beautiful wife Monice and young daughter Dakota. He was just 40 years old—the same age as I am.

Leo and I spoken numerous times that week and even had plans to meet that day after work to catch up over drinks and discuss a presentation he’d been preparing about his work on the Olympics. It was a talk he hoped to refine and present during Icograda Design Week Vancouver next spring. I’ll never forget hearing the tragic news and trying to come to terms with the fact that my friend was suddenly gone. It really shook me up. As devastated as I felt, I couldn’t imagine the feeling of loss his family was enduring.

Leo working with his team during 2010 identity system development

“My name is Leo Obstbaum, and I am a dreamer.” is how Leo used to introduce himself at every meeting in his role as Design Director for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Whether he was meeting a new merchandise licensee, or embarking on a collaboration to design the torch, he was a dreamer. He saw endless possibilities in everything and everyone he encountered. Leo moved halfway around the world to live in a city he loved dearly, giving up a lucrative business in Spain to pursue his dream of leading a design team on an international event so important to so many. Unlike many of us, he fulfilled his dream.

Leo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but spent most of his life in Barcelona, Spain, where he studied business communications and identity design at  ICOMI (Instituto de Comunicacion Integral). In 1990, he founded his multidisciplinary design studio specializing in fashion, music, and film design. Whether he was designing an exquisitely elegant issue of a skateboard magazine, developing striking packaging for a new music project, or creating an arresting, futuristic film installation for Barcelona Fashion Week, Leo was in his element whenever he was able to stretch his imagination and that of others.

The combination of Leo’s enormous passion and the speed with which he worked produced a long list of spectacular creations, big and small. Just a few of his highlight projects include the wardrobe design (comprising 300 costumes)  for the multimedia opera Don Quixote in Barcelona (by theatre company La Fura dels Baus), the graphic identity for the film Son de Mar (by renowned director Bigas Luna), and the wardrobe design for the Barcelona Olympic Games 10th Year Anniversary. A collaboration with composer Miguel Marín resulted in a personal video art project called Beyond Identity, which was featured at the Sónar Music Festival (Barcelona), in Paris and the Lovebytes Festival in Sheffield (UK). Examples of Leo’s designs can be viewed at his website www.obstbaumstudio.com.

Examples of Leo's earlier work, including film, environmental, and costume design

I have many vivid memories of my friend Leo from the few short years I knew him. We first met online in 2005, then in person as he assumed the role of VANOC Design Director. He, Ali Gardner, me, and then GDC/BC President Yves Rouselle met for coffee to discuss how we could work together to support the design efforts of the VANOC design team. Leo was so excited to dig in, build a world-class team and fulfill his dream of leading the design of an Olympic games. He clearly had a vision and I was instantly charmed by his passion.

Leo was an inspiring and creative mentor to many young designers whose lives he changed forever. Over the last few years Leo helped GDC a number of times, sometimes volunteering to review portfolios at student events. In fact, at one such event, called POGO, in 2008, both Leo and I were rather impressed by one young design graduate. We chatted excitedly about her portfolio and potential, and I immediately offered her a part-time job at my design firm. She lasted about two weeks before Leo called and offered her a position at VANOC. Ever since, I’ve teased Leo for stealing my talent, but of course I couldn’t stand in the way of such a unique opportunity.

VANOC Brand Director, Ali Gardner, and Leo Obstbaum reveal 2010 identity system

VANOC colleagues described Leo—short for “Leonardo”—as a modern-day Da Vinci, constantly designing in a wide range of media and industries, and always learning and mastering new creative frontiers as a result of his boundless energy, curiosity and intellectual agility. It is a testament to his talent that he was so often the designer of choice for other creative stars and artists; however, Leo also remained loyal to many of his first clients, including a pizza parlour for whom Leo designed flyers between designing album covers and fashion shows. He also had a soft spot in his heart for designing wedding invitations and baby announcements for family and friends. Leo never viewed himself as the international design superstar he was quickly becoming.

Leo moved to Vancouver from Barcelona with his wife and daughter in 2005, nine years after spending his honeymoon here with his Canadian wife Monice, who grew up on Vancouver Island. He instantly fell in love with the region, the country and its values, and as he said in his cover letter to Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee (VANOC) in 2006, “I wanted to give [my daughter Dakota] the chance to grow up in Canada”.

After a short stint as a Lead Designer with Vancouver-based interactive agency Invoke Media, Leo was selected as a candidate for the position of Design Director with VANOC. “Even in the short time we had him on our team,” says Invoke President Ryan Holmes, “we knew Leo was destined for greatness.”

“In his first VANOC interview,” says Brand and Creative Services VP Ali Gardiner, “Leo’s passion and warmth were unmistakable. Beyond the undeniable experience and talent that he brought to the table, it was also clear that Leo brought an infectious enthusiasm and love of working with others that would make him the perfect fit within the Vancouver 2010 team and extended family.” Against all odds, and beating all Canadian hopefuls, Leo’s lifelong dream of designing for an Olympic Games was coming true.

Official posters for 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics

Leo was a perfect choice for the position. As a designer, he had it all. His imagination and creativity was unparalleled. His mind was always going; he saw inspiration in everything. Once, he came back to the office after a doctor’s appointment and told colleagues that he had just read the hunting section of an outdoor equipment catalogue and had an idea for designing some Vancouver 2010 camo-print for the Olympic licensing program.

Leo was well known to have eureka moments everywhere, all the time. His VANOC team mates received a steady stream of emails, phone calls and “interruptions” at all hours of the day and night, whenever he wanted to share his latest discovery or idea. He took hundreds of pictures everywhere he went, from Saltspring Island to Beijing, and they were definitely the pictures of a born designer. From the wrapper of his sandwich to the pictogram on the bathroom door, to the title graphics of the airplane movie, he absorbed ideas—for the present or future—wherever he went.

2010 Winter Olypmics official mascots, Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga

Leo often said “God is in the details”, and he lived by that mantra no matter what the project. His files could be blown up to the size of a skyscraper, and you wouldn’t find one extra space or errant node. He educated himself on all aspects of a project, taking painstaking care to align the design and production processes, which allowed him to deliver world-class creative on a tight budget and extreme timelines. Whether it was incorporating the Vancouver 2010 emblem into a tattoo on the mascot Quatchi’s arm, or suggesting a maple leaf shape for the air intake hole of the torch, Leo found a way to take something that was 95% great, and make it perfect.

Leo and colleague working hard on perfecting the mascot plush toys

Leo’s colleagues described him as the ultimate problem solver. He was stubborn and clever enough to turn the boldest of visions into reality, or overcome the biggest of challenges in record time. He was an incredible team player, never wanting to let anyone down, never thinking himself above anything. The words “No,” “I can’t,” and “It’s not my problem,” were not in his vocabulary. This generosity of spirit resulted in many late nights on his computer, responding to an emergency request with the same conscientiousness and creativity whether it was a t-shirt label or an Olympic medal (Obstbaum’s designs for which have yet to be publicly revealed).

Leo and VANOC designer Shawn Parkinson reveal Olympic torches

Another one of Leo’s many gifts was his ability to find talent. Although he could have single-handedly done an exceptional job of any of the Vancouver 2010 projects, his desire to achieve the best possible design for our Games resulted in many great collaborations—both within VANOC and externally. He didn’t seek to be alone in the spotlight. He sought the magic of combining the ideas and talents of many to showcase the best of today’s Canada.

This was Leo’s ultimate vision – to celebrate all that he admired about Canada and the Olympic ideals through unique and inspiring Vancouver 2010 design. He wanted to capture Canada’s magnificent land, its cultural diversity, its progressive social attitudes, its artistry, its youthfulness, its “coolness”, and even more, its warmth.

Various merchandise branded with 2010 Olympics identity

In his first interview with VANOC, Leo described his mark of success in this endeavor. He said he would know our job was done if grandparents and grandchildren alike were wearing Vancouver 2010 t-shirts by the end of the Games. For those who knew Leo, this dream will undoubtedly come true, like so many of his wild and beautiful dreams.

Leo was a good friend who, on several occasions, helped me through hard times with his encouraging words and helpful advice. The last time I saw him in person he asked me how things were going with me—a typical question for this caring friend who commonly put interest in others before himself. After a rather mopey response about the economy and its impact on business and fears about the future, Leo responded with “You know I love you, right?” A bit stunned, I nodded of course. “Then suck it up!” he sternly said in his adorable Spanish accent. “You think things are easy for me? For everyone who looks up to you and I as leaders in our industry? You have an obligation to work harder and show us how we can all overcome these circumstances. You cannot fail.” I was speechless. But he was right. And in classic Leo fashion, he had reminded me of an important lesson about the dangers of wallowing in self pity. I’ll never forget that conversation.

Leo Obstbaum on location with aboriginal athlete Leah Sulyma

Leo Obstbaum may have come to us from Argentina via Spain, but he was a wonderful Canadian. Although he was notoriously humble, as a communication designer Leo was a world-class talent whose passion and verve will not soon be forgotten. His legacy will be felt for a long time in Canada, so as a tribute to his contributions to the country he loved and the design community he served and inspired, The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada is pleased to announce that Leo is being awarded a posthumous Professional Membership into GDC. We are also renaming the Judges’ Award for Graphex 2010 to the “Leo Obstbaum Award of Excellence”.

It didn’t surprise me much that the media quickly reported Leo’s shocking death, with stories in numerous newspapers and on websites around the world. Leo was admired and respected by those who knew him, as was demonstrated by the hundreds who attended his funeral and remembrance celebration. But perhaps the most poignant description of Leo comes from one of his colleagues at VANOC, designer Ben Hulse:

“The brightest of eyes. The biggest of smiles. The warmest handshake. The proudest father. The cool hunter. The king of design. The king of the party. But most of all a dreamer. He helped each of us realize a dream, and how fortunate that the biggest dreamer realized so many of his. He remains an unstoppable inspiration to all of us. Leo, you are an icon. You will be missed dearly, but through us your dreams live on.”

Leo Obstbaum MGDC (posthumous), 1969–2009 R.I.P.

If you’d like to read more about the background, inspiration and development of the 2010 Olympics identity system in Leo Obstbaum’s own words, Shift Magazine interviewed him for an article shortly before his death. There are also interviews with Leo on the Vancouver 2010 website, as well as a touching video called Remembering Leo Obstbaum put together by Leo’s colleagues and played at his tribute in the packed VANOC atrium.

More images from the various designs Leo helped create follow below, showing the complexity and variety of solutions he and his team created over the last couple years. He will greatly be missed.

Various sports highlighted in 2010 Olympics identity system

Original set of 2010 Olympics pictograms

Infographic system to be used during 2010 Olympics

Sample of branded 2010 Olympic flags and signs throughout Vancouver

Aircraft livery for 2010 Olympics

[Many thanks to VANOC, Ali Gardiner and Leo's widow Monice for assistance with these words and images—my deepest condolences to you all.]

Congratulations go out to:

Greg Allen - MGDC
Adam Ball - MGDC
Thomas Keenoy - MGDC
Mina Radivojevic - MGDC
Sue Ward - MGDC
Amanda Weedmark - LGDC

The GDC will be having its fourth review in late November.
Stay tuned and get your portfolio’s prepped!

How do designers work in a time when a company can buy a logo off the internet, or request spec work under the guise of a crowdsourced contest?

Join the GDC/BC as we welcome Blair Enns, author of Win Without Pitching, to the Westin Bayshore Hotel on Thursday, November 5th. This event will begin at 7:30 am with a delicious breakfast, followed by a talk that will focus on the reality of design in today’s marketplace. Blair will share valuable information on how to thrive as a designer and how to deal with the RFP process: its pros and cons, strategies for coping with today’s challenges in the marketplace and how to gain new clients without first parting with ideas or sacrificing respect.

Westin Bayshore Hotel
Thursday, November 5th
7:30 - 9:30 am
GDC members $35/Non-members $45
(cost includes breakfast)

Register now on GDC.net

This event continues in our ongoing series of breakfast speakers and we’re always open to feedback. Is there anyone in the communications world that YOU’D like to hear? Let us know!

About Blair Enns
Blair Enns is the founder of the Win Without Pitching movement and a business development adviser to marketing communication agencies. Through his global consulting practice Enns works with principals and personnel of independently-owned design firms, ad agencies and public relations practices.

Enns lectures widely, addressing advertising, design and public relations audiences throughout the English-speaking world. He operates from a remote mountain location near the tiny Victorian village of Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada.

You can read more about his company and its ideology here

Emily Carr University offers a diverse mix of world-renowned creatives each semester in order to educate the audience and invite participation. The Speaker Series aims to promote interactive discussion surrounding current issues in contemporary art, design and media. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, October 7th, 7 pm
South Building Lecture Hall, Room 301
Emily Carr University of Art and Design
1400 Johnston Street, Granville Island
Visit www.ecuad.ca for a full list of guest lectures.

Emily Carr University’s ‘Design Essentials’ Grad Show presented by BCIT

Wednesday, October 21st, 5 to 8 pm
Radical Entertainment
8th Floor, 369 Terminal Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6A 4C4

The dna BCIT Digital Arts Grad Show will feature student work from the Design Essentials (partnering BCIT with Emily Carr University), New Media and Animation programs. For more information on the show, visit www.bcit-dna2009.com

For more information on Emily Carr University’s ‘Design Essentials’ program or other Continuing Studies visit www.ecuad.ca or contact Amy Clausen at aclausen@eciad.ca.

Examining the period from WWII through the fall of Communism, Freedom on the Fence captures the paradox of how this unique art form flourished within a Communist regime. The documentary contains interviews with older and younger generations of poster artists, examples of past and current poster work, historic and current film footage of where and how the poster is viewed, and commentaries from both American and Polish scholars and artists on the significance of the Polish poster as a cultural icon.

Robert Bringhurst, Audrey Niffenegger, Anik See and Seth

Host: Jerry Wasserman

For these four, every element that contributes to the book as object—the look, the feel, the paper, the design—is integral to what the book is about. Robert Bringhurst wrote the bible on typographic style; Audrey Niffenegger has taught bookmaking for two decades; Anik See designs, makes and restores books; and Seth is an internationally acclaimed illustrator and book designer. At a time when book production threatens to move to pixels on screens, it is important to hear from people who care deeply about books as physical objects.

Don’t miss this incredible talk at the 2009 Vancouver International Writers’ Festival

Check the full list of events at www.writersfest.bc.ca

Jamer Hunt is the Chair of Urban and Transdisciplinary Design at Parsons, where is he developing a new graduate program in Transdisciplinary Design. Previously, he served for seven years at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia as Director of the Masters Program in Industrial Design.

His teaching and his professional work focus on design as a means for exploring the politics and poetics of the everyday. Dr. Hunt holds a doctorate in cultural anthropology and has consulted or worked at Smart Design, frogdesign, WRT, Seventh Generation, and Virtual Beauty.

His practice, Big + Tall Design, combines conceptual, collaborative, and communication design, and he is co-founder of DesignPhiladelphia, an initiative to energize Philadelphia’s design community and foreground the city as a laboratory for innovative design projects. Dr. Hunt has served on the Board of Directors of the American Center for Design, on the editorial board of the forthcoming journal Design and Culture. He is currently co-authoring a graphic design textbook for Thames & Hudson entitled Form Follows Context.

7pm | Monday, September 14, 2009
Theatre | Rm 301 | South Building

This lecture is free and open to the public.

Representing designers from across Canada, the winning entries from Graphex 2008: the Best of Visual Communications in Canada will be featured as an official exhibit from October 24–November 4 at the Gallery of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Going beyond Graphex primary goal of promoting the value of design to the Canadian public, the exhibit will place Canadian design on a world stage with potentially thousands of international viewers visiting the site during the week-long event.

A delegation of GDC volunteers are traveling to Beijing to represent Canadian design at the exhibit launch event on October 24th and promote Icograda’s Design Week 2010 being held in Vancouver from April 26–28, 2010.

It’s not too late if you’d like to attend this potentially life-changing design event, but act fast! More information can be found at beijing2009.org.

From Brazil and Bulgaria to Sweden and Singapore, worldwide graphic designers are uniting for an exhibition exploring their emotional ties with various countries. Common Thread – October 7 to 17 at Emily Carr University of Art and Design on Granville Island – will feature 20 posters showcasing work from respected contemporary designers such as Namibia’s Frauke Stegmann, Henrik Kubel of London’s A2-Graphics and Silnt from Singapore.

“Common Thread aims to trigger discussion about international graphic design as well as the specific topic of identity and national belonging. It’s also a great way to contribute to Vancouver’s vibrant cultural scene.” says Isabelle Swiderski, director of Vancouver-based Seven25. Design & Typography. which masterminded the event. The project was co-curated by Vancouver art director Xavier Encinas.

Freedom on the Fence, a documentary film about the history of Polish posters and their significance to the social, political and cultural life of Poland by Andrea Marks, an associate professor at the Oregon University, will run alongside the exhibition in partnership with the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada.

Where to go

Emily Carr University of Design + Art
Concourse Gallery (North Building)
Granville Island Campus
1399 Johnston Street
Vancouver, BC  V6H 3R9

Get your tickets at GDC.net

(604) 844-3800

This year there’s 3 days worth of world-renowned animators, art directors and filmmakers presenting their work – people like Dave Burgess, Head Character Animator on Monsters vs. Aliens, who will be joined by Director Conrad Vernon as they discuss the making of their film. Then there’s Production Designer Ricky Nierva, who joins Director of Photography Patrick Lin to discuss the making of Up, and Ricky will also be offering a Masterclass in Character Design at the Opus Room. Space for this Masterclass is limited so don’t delay, sign up now!

Passes and tickets are on sale now – be sure to get in quick, as you won’t want to miss out!

For more info and a full list of events, see here.