The Columbus College of Art and Design recently published a report entitled Creative Columbus, which is an inventory study of Central Ohio’s creative industries including the arts, design, performance, media and marketing.

The prominent design fields in the area are fashion, industrial, interior and communication design, with a concentration of businesses in downtown Columbus and many self-employed creatives in based in Clintonville.

During our visit we took a closer look at communication designers and their role in local businesses. We want to highlight CSCA (Columbus Society of Communicating Arts) for its unique and independent approach to design promotion, and its Creative Best Awards initiative that rewards local talents.

A special mention goes out to Ologie, a branding agency that helps businesses with social media strategies, and to Gabe Shultz for his insight on the role that graphic designers play in the corporate world and for keeping the experimental alive through his project Bored Sketchbooks.

Photos: © Jeff Seslar of Chromatic Identity – © Gabe Shultz

The UICB fine press facilities are made of multi-disciplinary classrooms where writers can experiment with letterpress and calligraphers can collaborate with illustrators. All share a passion for the book. At UICB, narratives and poetry can be triggered in the process of making a book: through typography, graphic layout  and images. It is a place where the book goes beyond written words and becomes an integral art piece.

Letterpress studio and binding facilities at UICB (pictured above) are places where writers like to experiment and discover new territories.

Sara Langworthy who is an instructor at UICB shows us samples of fine press books by UI Alumni. Attention to detail is a common obsession in book art: from typesetting to engraving.

Years before he opened his custom bicycle studio and store, Sacha White – owner of Vanilla Bicycles and Speedvagen, was devoted to Vespa and Lambretta scooters. To this day the Italian design aesthetics stuck to him and inspired the look and feel of his custom bikes: pastel colors with a slight touch of red, a brand name that starts with a V like Vespa, curvy typefaces…

The symbol for Speedvagen (pictured above on a pair of boots) is inspired by Ferrari’s visual identity. More pictures from the Vanilla workshop are here.

San Francisco is a small big city that strikes a perfect balance between its beautiful surrounding geography, diverse urban life, vibrant creative scene, open-mindedness, ambitious character and entrepreneurial spirit. During our meetings there, one word was heard constantly: collaboration. Hence, SF is a place that brings together designers, engineers, artists and business people from different backgrounds and walks of life.

(Pictured above – from top left: Tram on Broadway, Chinatown, Museum of Craft and Design, Jessie Street, Golden Gate Bridge, Alamo Square)

On Jessie Street, we met with graphic designers Martin Venezky (Appetite Engineers), Scott Thorpe (MacFadden and Thorpe) and Jon Sueda (Stripe) in their shared studio space. It was an opportunity for us to take a closer look at their publishing and editorial work and witness the kind of visual experiments that are taking place in San Francisco. Martin, Scott and Jon are from different generations but all three of them are interested in challenging the medium of graphic design and typography. To them design is first and foremost a form of expression. Business is not a priority to them. Their approach to graphic design is very hands-on, using manual printing methods such as silkscreen and a lot of hand crafted techniques that deliver a certain uniqueness in each of their pieces. Martin has a desk away from the computer where he can dedicate himself to his sculptural work (pictured below)

In contrast, although very much related to SF’s identity, the product development company Moto is dedicated to the integration of high technology in everyday life via the combination of engineering and design. Moto works with large companies to provide them with innovative solutions for their future products. Moto creates new devices that have never been experienced before and therefore most of their projects are kept confidential. One of the few pieces that were shared with us was an interactive touch-screen and an E-ink device (pictured below).

Bennett Peji kindly welcomed us on a Sunday afternoon in his studio located in the Gas Lamp District of San Diego. Bennett wanted to be an architect but ended up becoming a graphic designer with a strong passion for “place making”. To him, graphic design is a key component of the built environment. It is through branding that districts can express their story and deliver a stronger sense of cultural identity for their community.

For the Asia Pacific Historic District in downtown San Diego, a visual identity has been developed to reflect the culture of three different countries: China, the Philippines and Japan. In the past, people from all three countries co-existed in the neighborhood.

Place branding at Bennett Peji Design follows a 17 step-process that ultimately leads to various visual systems such as logos, banners, street furniture, maps, etc. Branding a district can positively affect its image and economy. With a newly branded Asia Pacific Historic District (due in 2010), the goal is to attract more retailers and draw pedestrians from the nearby Gas Lamp District.

“Design can make visible the cultural richness of a city”. At Peji Design, the cultural dimension of design is highly viewed. In a diverse city like San Diego, design is a process that can connect people with their district in a meaningful way.

Roadside Relics (pictured above) is a gallery/studio that captures Austin’s quirky nature. Austin is the capital of Texas, but it is also a city that defies all cliches associated to its home state. Austin embraces the old, the new and the unexpected.

Signs are part of the visual landscape of Austin and many of the designs encapsulate the city’s love for American graphic traditions.

San Jose Hotel owned by Liz Lambert is a reconverted motel on South Congress Avenue that has become a local creative community magnet and is a promoter of good design. The presence of San Jose has helped transform South Congress Avenue into a vibrant and contemporary neighborhood (pictured below).

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On a bridge, approaching Baton Rouge (pictured above). Beyond New Orleans, Louisiana appears differently: very industrial and deserted. It is a region that is trying to survive the end of the industrial era.

Being on the road is another opportunity to look at design: American trucks in all shapes, colors and sizes, a variety of water towers, factory buildings, and regional logos.

Texas is a place that strongly promotes its brand: The Lone Star State

The infrastructure in Texas is a reflection of the state’s wealth. In Houston (pictured above), the Lone Star appears on every pillar. Everything looks brand new, the road feels brand new.

30 miles from Austin: Texan landscapes in every direction. There is something beautifully authentic about the American countryside.

We drove across Lake Pontchartrain to Covington in the north of New Orleans to meet with Nancy Sharon Collins. Nancy is Director of Special Projects at AIGA New Orleans and is currently working on The History of Graphic Design of Southern Louisiana, a digital and physical repository of engravings and other printed graphic works from the region.

Nancy showed us some of the early pieces from her growing archive. She is working to raise awareness on the importance of graphic design’s heritage in Louisiana and hopes to share her valuable findings and research in the future through exhibitions and a feature film in partnership with LSU’s Center for Oral History

Nancy’s studio archiving space.

Engraved ‘calling cards’ are a disappearing tradition but can still be ordered in a few places close to New Orleans.

Link | Trailer | Nancy Sharon Collins Stationer