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Sue Tallon Rory Kurtz Wexley School for Girls
unit9 Exhibit
September/October 2013 Twenty-Four Dollars www.commarts.com
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ight dogs charge across the sparse grass, chasing tennis balls, chasing each other, taking the zaniest routes around Hoxton Square. Their owners chat in a group, sipping coffee from cardboard cups, enjoying one of the first sunny days in weeks. Respite from the British weather makes for a laid-back morning here in the district of London called Tech City. That same sunshine is streaming through the front windows of unit9’s studio, tinted a rainbow of colors thanks to stained glass artwork by the designers at Critical Architecture Network. It’s part of the ongoing Hoxton Window project, curated by unit9 interactive director Anrick Bergman. Every three months a new artist’s work appears—it’s a way unit9 gives something back to the community it has been part of since 1999. Inside unit9 the window artwork is just one of many groovy features. There’s a meeting pod by the reception area that looks like it’s from a 1970s-style space station, and a neon light installation runs just above head height all the way along another wall. In the boardroom, there is a huge collection of awards, and a strange Heath Robinson-like machine with levers, buttons and car parts sticking out. Perhaps it’s symbolic of unit9’s creative engine. What makes unit9 unique isn’t its location or its décor, though. As founders Piero Frescobaldi, Yates Buckley and Tom Sacchi point out, unit9 has its own approach to digital creativity. Often referred to as a digital agency, unit9 actually promotes itself as a digital production studio. “We describe ourselves as a creative production company because we see our role the same as that of a tv production company,” explains Frescobaldi.
Instead of creative directors, developers and design teams, unit9 has producers, technical leads and its all-important interactive directors. The directors are represented by unit9 in the same way that traditional production houses rep the directors who make tv commercials. “If you’re talking to somebody who’s in digital, they are slightly confused by it,” says Sacchi, “but anyone who’s been working on the TV side of things finds it incredibly reassuring because it’s like, ‘Oh, I get it, I can do a website in the same process that I’ve made a tv commercial.’” Does it work? Well, the director system was introduced in 2008 and over the following twelve months, unit9 tackled roughly twice the number of briefs and won twice as many awards as it did the previous year. The current roster holds fifteen directors, each specializing in different areas—from 3-d to websites, from interactive storytelling to game design. So unit9 seems equipped to tackle the most challenging and outlandish of briefs. This is a good thing because that’s what clients tend to want when they come knocking. As technical director and co-founder Yates Buckley explains: “Nowadays the technology and creative work are very close. In general, clients love the work that’s the most difficult to create, and they love the worst technical problems, so it’s tricky.” One of his recent favorites is Find Your Way to Oz. Created for Disney, ostensibly to promote the recent film Oz the Great and Powerful, the site is a Google Chrome Experiment enabling users to explore a 3-d carnival full of Oz-related attractions. You can write your own pipe organ tune, take a photo and turn it into a stop-motion animation and find your own route through the attractions. It’s not exactly a game; it’s not a trailer either—and it certainly isn’t a movie poster.
The captions were supplied by unit9. Right: “Find Your Way to Oz was a Google Chrome Experiment supporting the launch of Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful. The interactive experience we present is a simple journey that flows toward the world on film, alluding to its characters and storyline, but stopping just short of being a fully fledged trailer.” Fredrick Avén, art director; Anders Andersson/Jarrod Castaing/Elena Lombardi, designers; Silvio Paganini, technical lead; Gilles Boisselet/ Yates Buckley, technology directors; Anrick Bregman, director; Alessandro Pula, executive producer; Disney, client. 66
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INSTITUTIONAL BROCHURES 1 D’Arcy O’Neill, associate creative director Alon Shoval, creative director Joe Alexander, chief creative officer Nadav Kander, photographer Anya Mills/Neel Williams, art buyers Rebecca Gricus, project manager Paul Martin, producer Fritz Kuhn, strategy The Martin Agency (Richmond, va), ad agency Morgan Stanley, client “After the worst days of the American financial crisis were over, the financial firms still left standing faced cynicism and even full-on hatred from everyday investors. Our objective was to remind Morgan Stanley employees that the firm’s name still stood for excellence, and tell the rest of the world that a glimmer of hope still lived on Wall Street. We combined images of industry, commerce and philanthropy with portraiture, as if to suggest each Morgan Stanley employee’s inner vision and values.” Eight pages, 12 × 23, 4-color.
2 Lucas Badger, art director/designer Christian Lallo/Kerry Skarda, creative directors B. Creative Group (bcg) (Baltimore, md), design firm Sheridan Libraries and Museums at Johns Hopkins University, client “Through collections ranging from ancient art to scientific data sets, the Sheridan Libraries and Museums at Johns Hopkins University inform research and teaching in the service of inspiring and advancing discovery. The 2011 report is presented as a collection of barrel-fold brochures, taking the spirit of discovery beyond the walls of a classroom or laboratory.” Six brochures and shell, 6 × 9, 4-color plus 1 PMS.
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SELF-PROMOTION 1 Charles S. Anderson, art director Jovaney Hollingsworth/Erik Johnson, designers Charles S. Anderson Design Co. (Minneapolis, mn), design firm French Paper Company, client “We developed our company mascot and brand, Mr. French, to represent the retail face of French Paper Company. While our mascot’s name (like ours) is ‘French,’ he’s actually a Boston terrier, which is 100% American, just like our products. Watch where you step with this guy around, though. The Mr. French Mini Mascot comes fully accessorized with paper poop.”
2 Mathilde Fortier/Sébastien Legault/Geneviève Soucy, art directors Shawn Bedford/Lisa Tremblay/Nathalie Vézina, creative directors Olivier Humber, writer Gauthier (Montréal, Canada), design firm/client “For the holidays, Gauthier knew that a kind thought, as bushy as it may be, would count for a lot in the hearts of readers. The result: a bit of fantasy, a dash of cunning and, above all, the will to maintain a special connection with clients.”
3 Sam Cerullo, art director/writer Sam Cerullo/Steven Tiao, designers/illustrators Lisa Greenberg/Judy John, creative directors Judy John, chief creative officer Kim Burchiel, producer Leo Burnett, Toronto (Toronto, Canada), ad agency “Inside a box designed to mimic a book is a well-tailored apron with all the cooking essentials printed right on it: cooking times, different cuts of meat, measurement and temperature conversions. It’s printed upside down so the chef can reference it while wearing it. No cookbooks needed.”
4 Anthony Rutka, art director Julie Jang, designer Theresa Bedoya, writer Bruce Weller, photographer Rutka Weadock Design (Baltimore, md), design firm Maryland Institute College of Art, client “This artist’s guide is sent to high school students as they begin their college search. A series of questions and answers helps students determine if they are serious about art, and then, how to find the art college that is right for them. The book has been very popular with students, parents, high school art teachers and college counselors. It provides practical information about art colleges while promoting mica.”
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R DESIGN VERVE SOCIAL CAUSES & THE WEB JON REINFURT SARAH WILMER BILDER BRANDIN AN MILLER MILTON GLASER 50 YEARS OF TV GRAPHICS 50 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL COVERAG TER TYPE 50-YEAR TIMELINE TIM MANTOANI NOUMEDA CARBONE STEVEN WOHLWENDER EG ETA & ˇZINI C ´ MARK HOLTHUSEN DAVID&GOLIATH SAM WEBER EVOLUTION OF INTERACTIVE MED ZO PETRANTONI FERNANDO DECILLIS EIGHTHOURDAY STAMEN DESIGN BOONEOAKLEY JOH RIX PRINCIPLE FEMKE DE JONG SEAN WILLIAMS HUCKLEBUCK DESIGN STUDIO KATE BROOK JASON HOLLEY FRANK STOCKTON THE WHITE ROOM SHAUN FENN TIM FLACH SUSTAINABILIT STAUFFER SID LEE LISEL JANE ASHLOCK MATTHEW TURLEY MOLHO ENERGY BBDO ZACHAR T DESIGN IN PORTUGAL FIRSTBORN RACHEL MATTS CHRISTOPHER WILSON POMME CHA DSUNNY ODOPOD JOHN CUNEO ENTERPRISING DESIGNERS KAREN KLASSEN BRYCE PINCHA MARK ZIBERT ANNA+ELENA BALBUSSO AKQA LOTTA NIEMINEN TIMOTHY DEVINE FUNNEL HUG HADDON HAT-TRICK DESIGN KAKO EOLO PERFIDO JUSTIN ALLEN LAFONTAINE YULIA BRODSKAY AEL OSBORNE MCGARRAH JESSEE TRONIC STUDIO JAMES DAY CHRISTIAN NORTHEAST SHANNO REED YOUNG DELICIOUS DESIGN LEAGUE DISEÑO EN BUENOS AIRES ERIK ALMÅS UNDERWAR +MCVOY JILLIAN TAMAKI NATE DUVAL ELIZABETH WEINBERG NIVARD THOES MUCCA DESIG TOWN PARTNERS CHICAGO FACTORY DESIGN LABS LAUREN GREENFIELD MIKE BYERS MARE SO ROANDCO HELLO DESIGN PENGUIN MARCO VENTURA WAX YUTA ONODA TYPEJOCKEY E ROSEN CHRISTOPHER WILSON MOMA TIM JESSELL TAIWAN DEBBIE POWELL CHRISTIA WYK LUCID INC. SARA REMINGTON TOOL OF NORTH AMERICA COLORADO POSTERS JUST RIA DESIGN RANCH RAQUEL APARICIO WAYNE LAWRENCE FRÉDÉRIC TACER MARC & CHANTA N ZINA SAUNDERS COMMERCIAL TYPE CHRISTOPHER WAHL DUNCAN/CHANNON ARTS AN ATION JUNGYEON ROH RYAN HEFFERNAN ANDREW ZUCKERMAN HELMS WORKSHOP JUNIPE METHOD ËLODIE; DEEPLOCAL TY COLE NICOLETTE CECCOLI NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CA CHEN DESIGN ASSOCIATES DROGA5 EDWARD MCGOWAN JILLIAN FREY PETER DAWSON LEDA QUES TOKY CHRIS BUZELLI SHINE RIKKA SORMUNEN MATT CHASE DAVE MEAD KAREN KLA BREAKAWAY STEVEN WOHLWENDER SWEDISH DIGITAL NICK LU ERIN DREWITZ JORDAN GRA K POIRIER DAVID STROHL ISOBEL ELIXIR JIM KRANTZ UNITED AIRLINES INTERNATIONA R DESIGN VERVE SOCIAL CAUSES & THE WEB JON REINFURT SARAH WILMER BILDER BRANDIN AN MILLER MILTON GLASER 50 YEARS OF TV GRAPHICS 50 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL COVERAG TER TYPE 50-YEAR TIMELINE TIM MANTOANI NOUMEDA CARBONE STEVEN WOHLWENDER EG ETA & ˇZINI ZINIC C ´ MARK HOLTHUSEN DAVID&GOLIATH SAM WEBER EVOLUTION OF INTERACTIVE MED ZO PETRANTONI FERNANDO DECILLIS EIGHTHOURDAY STAMEN DESIGN BOONEOAKLEY JOH RIX PRINCIPLE FEMKE DE JONG SEAN WILLIAMS HUCKLEBUCK DESIGN STUDIO KATE BROOK JASON HOLLEY FRANK STOCKTON THE WHITE ROOM SHAUN FENN TIM FLACH SUSTAINABILIT STAUFFER SID LEE LISEL JANE ASHLOCK MATTHEW TURLEY MOLHO ENERGY BBDO ZACHAR T DESIGN IN PORTUGAL FIRSTBORN RACHEL MATTS CHRISTOPHER WILSON POMME CHA DSUNNY ODOPOD JOHN CUNEO ENTERPRISING DESIGNERS KAREN KLASSEN BRYCE PINCHA MARK ZIBERT ANNA+ELENA BALBUSSO AKQA LOTTA NIEMINEN TIMOTHY DEVINE FUNNEL HUG HADDON HAT-TRICK DESIGN KAKO EOLO PERFIDO JUSTIN ALLEN LAFONTAINE YULIA BRODSKAY AEL OSBORNE MCGARRAH JESSEE TRONIC STUDIO JAMES DAY CHRISTIAN NORTHEAST SHANNO REED YOUNG DELICIOUS DESIGN LEAGUE DISEÑO EN BUENOS AIRES ERIK ALMÅS UNDERWAR +MCVOY JILLIAN TAMAKI NATE DUVAL ELIZABETH WEINBERG NIVARD THOES MUCCA DESIG TOWN PARTNERS CHICAGO FACTORY DESIGN LABS LAUREN GREENFIELD MIKE BYERS MARE SO ROANDCO HELLO DESIGN PENGUIN MARCO VENTURA WAX YUTA ONODA TYPEJOCKEY E ROSEN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER CHRISTOPHER WILSON MOMA MARCH/APRIL TIM2013: JESSELL TAIWAN DEBBIE POWELL CHRISTIA 2012: JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013: MAY/JUNE 2013: JULY/AUGUST 2013: ADVERTISING ANNUAL 53 TYPOGRAPHY ANNUAL 3 INTERACTIVE ANNUAL 19 ILLUSTRATION ANNUAL 54 PHOTOGRAPHY ANNUAL 54 WYK LUCID INC. SARA REMINGTON TOOL OF NORTH AMERICA COLORADO POSTERS JUST RIA DESIGN RANCH RAQUEL APARICIO WAYNE LAWRENCE FRÉDÉRIC TACER MARC & CHANTA can order back issues of Communication Arts at commarts.com, or by phone at (800) 258-9111 from the United States and Canada N ZINA You SAUNDERS COMMERCIAL TYPE CHRISTOPHER WAHL DUNCAN/CHANNON ARTS AN and (650) 326-6040 from all other countries. ATION JUNGYEON ROH RYAN HEFFERNAN ANDREW ZUCKERMAN HELMS WORKSHOP JUNIPE METHOD ËLODIE; DEEPLOCAL TY COLE NICOLETTE CECCOLI NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CA CHEN DESIGN ASSOCIATES DROGA5 EDWARD MCGOWAN JILLIAN FREY PETERCommunication DAWSON LEDA 215 Arts QUES TOKY CHRIS BUZELLI SHINE RIKKA SORMUNEN MATT CHASE DAVE MEAD KAREN KLA
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