Bright Bright Great™ a design company.

February 1, 2012

Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles For Good Design (Circa 1970) & Why It Is Still Relevant

While working as Chief of Deisgn for Braun (from 1961-1995), Dieter Rams was notorious for his groundbreaking style and thought that went into the design of his products.

Even after all these years, Bright Bright Great follows every single one of these original 10 Principles every day. These principles are timeless. They will never be dated and we will still be using them in 50 and 100 years.

1.
Good design is innovative

The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

2.
Good design makes a product useful

A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

3.
Good design is aesthetic

The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

4.
Good design makes a product understandable

It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.

5.
Good design is honest

It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

6.
Good design is unobtrusive

Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

7.
Good design is long-lasting

It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

8.
Good design is thorough down to the last detail

Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

9.
Good design is environmentally friendly

Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

10.
Good design is as little design as possible

Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

Back to purity, back to simplicity.

December 13, 2010

BBG’s Work For Michelin Star-Rated Bonsoiree Restaurant Chicago Is Live!

We are exctied that Bright Bright Great’s work for Chicago-based Michelin-star rated Bonsoiree Restaurant has launched at http://www.bonsoireechicago.com and http://www.bonsoireechicago.com/catering. Bright Bright Great not only created a new brand ID for Bonsoiree, but also held 3 photo shoots, developed their new website as well as their catering website.  Way 2 go team.

Here are some images from the launch.

November 2, 2010

BBG Does iShootRockstars Visitors Project / Logan Square Auditorium Nov 19, 2010

Join us for this one night only special event celebrating the culmination of iShootRockstars VISITORS project, a year long photography project that featured a portrait of everyone who visited the home of Kyle LaMere for one year, sponsored by Old Style & Reason To Give.

This special event at Logan Square Auditorium is being thrown to raise the money to self-publish 319 VISITOR coffee table books for you to enjoy! Yes, only 319 books will be printed to represent each VISITOR. You can pre-order your book here or at the event only. The VISITOR book will be printed in December and will arrive in January, 2011

Logan Square Auditorium
November 19, 2010 8pm
$10

Featured Performances: The Loneliest Monk, DJ Matt Roan, The Juliets, DJ Kid Color, & DJ Jobot

Bright Bright Great is not only featured as Visitors in the book itself, but is also laying out the actual coffee table book, so you know it’s gonna be hottt. Like, sizzling hot.

Check us out Visitor #231 & #232!

April 1, 2010

Interviews Are Beautiful

First BBG reviewed and blogged about The Visual Miscellaneum. Now the nice peeps at Harper Collins have made our day again by letting us interview his creator, David McCandless!

David makes our world clearer every day through his website Information Is Beautiful, and we share the love for information graphics, facts and whiskey.

The future according to David? New Apple gadgets like the iBuprofen, the iPod Utility Belt (just like Batman’s!) and something mysterious very appropriately called “Mysteron.”

Ok read!

1. If you could have actual data of something very intriguing to make a chart, what would that be?

I’d like to make more images of psychological and emotional data. Like patterns in dreams, moods, relationships – the kinds of things that don’t technically “exist” materially speaking, but are likely to have some hidden patterns and structure in them. Not quite sure how I’d do it though!

2. What chart has been impossible to make?

No chart has been impossible. NOTHING CAN RESIST THE ALL-SPANNING MIGHT OF THE CHART!

3. How do you decide what should be turned into a graph?

Frustration, ignorance and curiosity. Those are my leads. If I’m annoyed that I don’t get something important. Or I don’t understand something. Or I wonder how something works. Those feelings are the fuel for an image.

4. Are you making a chart of this questionnaire right now?

Negative.

5. Fave website today to catch up on worthy information.

Reddit. (Very intelligent comments)

6. Apple’s “Next Big Thing” now that the iPad is out?

http://www.theinternetnowinhandybookform.com/schmapple/

7. What is the best way to drink whisky?

No ice, in a green leather armchair, by an open fire, next to a window, over a loch, at the end of the day.

8. I like Twitter like I like ____.

Cashew nuts

9. Top 3 reasons why you love information.

1. It’s learning – brain food!
2. It’s fun – like putty!
3. It’s everywhere – no escape – so get with it

10. Any chance we can see a David McCandless life chart soon?

I actually really dislike Life Charts. Shhhhhhh! For me, designers should be solving problems and helping the world be more excellent.  I don’t see how life charts contribute. Who cares how many bus journeys a designer took??

11. What is the aspect of design you give the highest priority to?

Answering questions.

…

David’s book, The Visual Miscellaneum is out everywhere, so give in and buy it. You can go see your cousin’s new boring play some other time.
By Jocelyn Ibarra for Bright Bright Great.
BBG loves books!

Images via. One more for the road:

November 6, 2008

Ads of The World Loves Boronas!!!

Super duper big props to longtime Bright Bright Great collaborator Art Director Boronas for his inclusion on Ads Of The World today for his Red Spot Pizza campaign.

“I’m not sure about Mexico, but the last time a pizza man entered through a bedroom window in Chi-town he got shot up!” -Jason

It’s very hot, very technotronic, and very Boronas and Rik.
We are currently jealous of the fun they are having in Mexico.

October 25, 2008

Bright Bright Great Official Mixtape Vol. 2 Released!

Oh yes.
It’s now official. Download Now. (Link only available for 2 weeks).
PS, how dope are those Air Jordans?

Check out our other downloads (IE iPhone Wallpaper) on the Downloads page.

October 21, 2008

Best Buy’s New Logo… OMG LOL!

Let me be the first to say, “Hmmmmmmmm.”
I put it in quotes because it’s a direct quote. I just said it out loud.

I think Best Buy might want to run with “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” on this one.
UPS kept Paul Rand’s beautiful logo for decades before opting for a modern update.
Maybe BB should take the hint. Good logos should stick around for a while.

Check it out.

With money being strapped, profits down, and consumers having a hard time spending their hard earned money, companies (especially large ones) are realizing that now is a great time to revisit the marketing budgets to develop sparkly-fresh identities that still get the consumer through the door.

Wal-Mart redesigned just a few months ago and now it looks like Best Buy is hot on their heels.

Logoblog goes in-depth about what Best Buy is hoping to achieve, with their test-run luxury store in the Mall of America, but I want to take some time to talk solely about the aesthetic issues BB potentially overlooked.

#1 Klavika, the pretty font.

The new logo is utilizing the pretty font Klavika (modified), that they have been using in the Sunday mailer over the past few months. It’s modern, it’s cool… kids like it. However, not so great in the logo application “as-proposed.” It’s very post-Web 2.0, and very similar to every other san-serif modern font logo. The old logo was unique. They are losing that with the redesign.

The old font is EXTREMELY LEGIBLE and guess what… you can read it from the highway and when you pass by you notice it. Maybe even space.

#2 Legibility.

I seriously hope they don’t think they are going to be pulling off a reverse color logo at all times. The old logo’s black on yellow was very visible. (Even without my glasses on.) The new white text on blue background is hard to see and can get blurry depending on distance and application. They go one step further by abstracting their logo into an outline, in turn losing all of their nice “call to action” area.

#3 Their icon… “is an icon.”

People recognize that big yellow tag! The new simplified version is forgettable. They really should reconsider modifying the existing version before outright axing it. I’ve seen new locations and Best Buy trucks using the simplified “yellow tag, no text” version of the icon stripping out the text and putting it alongside the logo, which still worked. I thought they were on to something.

#4 Their colors are also iconic.

That color combination is recognizable. What happened to the yellow in the new logo? It’s more like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese color. It’s not fresh. Same goes for the updated blue. In the stores, people look for help from people in the bright blue shirts. Not so easy with navy. It’s a blending color.

#5 Wow factor.

Old Logo: 8 New Logo: 3.5? I think the new logo loses some wow. It’s not different. It’s the same generic logo using the same generic san serif font. (See the Wal-Mart logo redesign). I understand that Best Buy is looking to create some new “upscale” specialty stores, but the first question to ask is “Is a new logo even necessary?”

Maybe BB could’ve revisited their materials and applications first. Think backlit matte stainless-steel Best Buy tag with white glowing semi-transparent letters. Ah, luxury.

I really think that Best Buy needs to spend some time listening before jumping in.

Update: Here’s a nice pic of the Besy Buy “luxury” store in Mall of America with the logo in action. Thanks to Ronald Hennessey for the pic. Looks decent, but I really am going to need to see external building applications and Sunday mailers for further judgement.