We launched more than one book at NeoCon this year. We also developed a new sample book for Tandus called the Blink Book. We replaced the typical small carpet swatches with pads of SIM, transforming the reference book into a design tool. The name is derived from the online sample program we launched for Tandus last year. Interior Design has a nice write up on it's features and benefits.
A bit of blog on biz: Earlier this year, Ric Grefé, executive director of AIGA, asked us to submit an article for the association's design and business journal GAIN. Caleb wrote an excellent article about our business strategy and the importance of understanding a market. In a competetive environment, it's not enough to just have a socially responsible product. Businesses have to know how to communicate with multiple vocabularies in order to reveal the relevance of sustainable design in each market segment.
Metropolis has some nice photos here of our NeoCon panel discussion with Bo Barber, Jay Shuster, Susan Szenasy and Penny Bonda. (And the guy with the beard looks so huggable!)
Just a quick post for the 4 people who read this blog (thanks mom!). We won two IIDA Awards for Creative Excellence for design of our booth and for one of our customers, Nood. The permanent showroom winners were Haworth and Keilhauer. Details are in the IIDA press release here; MocoLoco has a kind report on our space as well as Nood's (Disclaimer: MocoLoco cited us with designing Nood's new carpet line. We're flattered by can't take the credit. Read about the designer here.). This is the third year in a row that we've won this award and it continues our winning streak of an award every NeoCon since our founding in 2002! Of course we're chuffed.
We also had a hand in Lees Carpets NeoCon Innovation Award for their upcoming Design Studio program for which we created a SIM web-site and three-ring binder. Customers can configure and color over 100 carpet tile designs and then order SIM samples online. More pics and links to come...
We asked friends of the company who are leading eco-consultants, commercial designers and editors to write essays on a wide variety of topics, from greenwashing to educating interior design clients about green choices, from dematerializing research to the hot button issue of integrated design. The outcome was REVERB: an anthology of the moment in sustainable design.
Then, in a 5-day in a creative marathon, we designed the graphics and layout as Tricycle’s responses to, reactions to and affirmations of the articles. The book itself became an experiment in form, with 3 sizes: full size, just text, or just flipbook.
Best thing of all? 50% of every sale goes to Architecture for Humanity.
This is only possible b/c each writer donated his/her article, Tricycle editors and designers donated their time, Mohawk Fine Paper donated all of the paper, Dusk reduced its printing costs and Aquafil USA stepped in at the 11th hour to pick up the slack when another sponsor dropped out. Their generosity = we benefit from great content = AFH benefits from funding for their projects.
It's being launched at the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair, the biggest dang trade show in our industry. So come by our booth at NeoCon (8th floor, #4110), email Caleb Ludwick at caleb.ludwick@tricycleinc.com, or click here to get a copy.
We're in Chicago prepping for our 5th NeoCon. Our experience has taught us there's an inverse relationship between the amount of money spent and the amount of time it takes to prepare our exhibit. This year's booth is materially minimal, consequently it's inexpensive and a time devouring monster! I don't want to spoil the surprise of seeing it all put together so I won't explain the meaning of what you're looking at... yet. If you can't make out the details, it consists of weeds, bunnies and winged microphones. Here are some pics of the set-up process of days 1-3. Yes it taking that long! But it will be worth it.
We've been tapped as a content source for an upcoming paper sample package on the new Strathmore Writing 100% Post-Consumer Waste sheet. The promotion features identities and stories of corporate citizens and green initiatives: HP, Nike, Gap, Tricycle, Montery Bay Aquarium and the legendary Milton Glaser. One of the crazy things about this promotion is that Mohawk Fine Papers reprint 30,000 sheets of our corporate letterhead. To put this in perspective, we just purchased 5,000 for each of our offices to last the next two years! Of course it's distributed to 30,000 people, so after one use it's all gone. Willoughby Design is compiling and designing the full promotion. The roughs have been great and we can't wait to see the final. It's an amazing honor for us to be included.
