"I DARE JUST ONE MAGAZINE TO PUBLISH AN ISSUE WITHOUT RETOUCHING"

The French government may pass a law requiring magazines to disclose the amount of retouching in French magazine's pages. Check out this excerpt from The New York Times.

It is definitely a hot button issue. I'm actually on both sides...
What do you think about this issue?

STAMP OF INTENT

There's a lot of hubbub (sorry I had to use that word) going on over at the ABC news blog.

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President Obama announced today that his administration will begin stamping an emblem on projects funded by the economic stimulus package so that people can easily recognize the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

All projects will be stamped with the ARRA logo (short for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and lists the recovery.gov website on the emblem.

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Readers are questioning the validity of using "taxpayer money" to design this logo. Clearly, President Obama's team understands the role and power of design in communication. This is an effort to communicate. You can argue against his recovery plan, but at least THIS administration is doing their best to stay open and inform the American people.

ARNOLDBUCKS

The Courage Campaign recently released Arnold Bucks. What a fantastic concept!

from the Courage Campaign:

California faces financial "Armageddon," as Arnold Schwarzenegger bluntly stated a few weeks ago. And yet Arnold and his fellow Republicans rejected compromises by Democrats to rescue our state from a catastrophic budget
crisis, unparalleled in the history of California. Because of the ridiculous 2/3rds budget rule -- the super-majority required to pass a budget in the California state legislature -- and Arnold's failure to deliver even one vote from a small cabal of obstructionist Republicans, Californians may be getting IOUs in the mail next month instead of financial aid checks or tax refunds. Many Californians are so overwhelmed by this paralyzing crisis that they've just tuned it out. As a result, Arnold is not being held accountable for his failure to lead.

That's why we decided to try something a bit unorthodox -- raise awareness by using humor to highlight the absurdity of these IOU's, or what we are calling "Arnoldbucks."

So the Courage Campaign asks "What will you do with your Arnoldbucks?"

Well, for one, I might just pay my taxes with it.

ART + POLITICS

love the use of type by Lance Wyman

great piece by Michael Bierut

No one can deny the power of Shepard Fairey's "Hope" poster in communicating to a younger generation. I'm awed by how many artists, famous and nameless, have been inspired by Obama. It is all positive and full of hope: head over to Danzinger Projects to view the Obama exhibition. {If you're in NYC, it's at 512 West 26th Street.}

my favorite piece by Renan Molin

LUCKY NUMBER FOURTY FOUR

Talking about "Design," can always be a little bit ethereal and, well dorky. Sometimes people don't get Design (with a capital D).

But design as a practice, can be more than a typeface. Or a Pantone color. Or a runway. Design is the architecture of a movement. Design should be seen for what it can be: a way to communicate a message.

I'm elated America understood that message. Congrats to our 44th president. May you help design America's future.




Amazing shots pulled together by The Boston Globe, thanks to my informant Ann in DC!

PRESIDENTIAL DESIGN

My personal favorite, the classy and personal B+W card from Hoover

Over at the Daily Heller, design critic Steven Heller points us to a brief history of presidential season's greetings. I just love peering into a somewhat personal relic of holidays past, especially with the perspective of today. A Kennedy holiday card? Très chic if Jackie would have been plastered on the front of it.


On an more timely note, since I donated to the Obama cause, I can't wait for my holiday card... hint, hint! Will Obama bring a new updated design sense to the Oval Office's communications? I think so. His design team's fresh (for politics) choice of Gotham from HF&J in campaign branding is a design geek's indicator. The choice shows a new recognition and sensitivity to the changing faces of modern design, and I would argue, modern thinking. (Check out more on the politics of Gotham over at the Atlantic Community blog.)

Historical type references from HF&J

OBAMA ON STYLE

old school, super stylish Barack

"Here is my attitude: I think people passing a law against people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time. We should be focused on creating jobs, improving our schools, health care, dealing with the war in Iraq , and anybody, any public official, that is worrying about sagging pants probably needs to spend some time focusing on real problems out there.

Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You are walking by your mother, your grandmother, your underwear is showing. What's wrong with that? Come on. There are some issues that we face, that you don't have to pass a law, but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people and, you know, some people might not want to see your underwear -- I'm one of them."

VIA Black Voices

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A poignant message from a good friend who was married legally before November 8th. Please pass it on.

All love,
Sara
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Subject: Prop 8

Hi friends,

Have you seen Keith Olbermann's "Special Comment" about Prop 8? Keith eloquently expresses why the passage of Prop 8 is so tragic, and he addresses supporters of the proposition directly. David and I watched this the other night and it is amazing.

Here is a link to watch a YouTube video of Keith's comments. Please check it out and then join me and over 100,000 other people in signing a pledge from the Courage Campaign and CREDO Mobile to repeal Prop 8 and restore marriage equality to California:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/prop8repeal

Usually, discussions of political issues wind down after elections, but Prop 8 is not about politics. It is about love, equality and civil rights. That's why we cannot let the passage of Prop 8 stand.

We all need to talk to our family and friends about the importance of restoring marriage equality to California.

That is why I am asking you to watch what Keith Olbermann said and then sign the pledge to repeal Prop 8.

Thanks.
Scott