Inspiration is at the heart of what we do on a daily basis at Hexanine, and it’s something we love to talk about. That’s exactly what our co-founder, Jason Adam, did with the great folks at Western Digital’s Ventito in a wide-ranging interview. Here’s a snippet:

“My attitude now is the same as it was before: Opportunities need to be uncovered. And the best way to do that is by consistently making unreasonable requests. There’s almost always nothing to lose, and wild and incredible experiences to gain.”

You can check out the rest of the interview at the link above, and hear from other experts in creativity at Ventito.

“The game-playing wasn’t 100 percent of the experience. Part of what made the world complete was the artwork that conjured up this other place. I wasn’t sitting in my living room anymore; I was on this desolate planet or in space. And it was mostly because of that art.” – Tim Lapetino, quoted at The Verge

I have written before about my love for Atari, and how it morphed into a career and passion for design. It’s funny how some influential moments keep echoing throughout one’s life. I had the great privilege to be interviewed by The Verge’s Andrew Webster about the art of Atari, alongside some of the great artistic talents behind Atari’s amazing package illustrations. I am in great company, as some of the others interviewed for this story are now friends of mine, including amazing Atari artists Cliff Spohn, Steve Hendricks, John Enright, and Susan Jaekel. Definitely worth a read for another look behind the packaging of those great retro games.

Hexanine partner Tim spent a little time talking to Chris Green of Freelance Unleashed, about the joys and challenges of building a design firm.

Here’s a snippet:

Be a designer because you love it. This profession is a little crowded with people who thought design was just cool, or who believed that this was a more practical path to an artist’s life. But Design with a capital D needs people who get jazzed about strategy and beauty combined.

Alina Wheeler wrote the book on identity design. Literally. She is the author of Designing Brand Identity, which is just about to be released in its fourth edition. It’s an excellent resource and is arguably the textbook on the discipline of overarching identity design. Over the years, we’ve found Alina’s thoughts, insight, and process to be an invaluable roadmap in developing and shaping our own identity design process, leading to greater results for us, and our clients. The book is a great 50,000 foot view, allowing readers the ability to see the design journey from beginning to end, but also allowing them to zoom in on how each part of the process contributes to overall project success.

On the eve of the book launch, we wanted to chat with our friend and colleague about this latest version, and also pick her brain about the state of identity design today.

Tim Lapetino: This might be a silly question, but since this is the fourth edition, what’s different about Designing Brand Identity this time around?
Alina Wheeler: Each new edition is smarter and more robust — a quantum leap, and a year of my life. Brands continue to grow exponentially as the global currency of success. The world changes, new innovations and insights become mainstream, and brilliant new work is done around the world. The fourth edition has 37 new case studies, more than 400 new images, more than 200 new quotes, diagrams, and checklists. All in all, more than fifty percent of the book is new content. The structure is the same as earlier editions: DBI4 organized by subject spreads in three sections (Basics, Process, and Best Practices).

The fundamentals and the disciplined process that I believe in have not changed. The tools have changed. The third edition, for example, did not feature apps, tablets, responsive design, video, or mobile. Making a difference and social networks have become even more critical to success. The mix of 120 firms featured is more geographically diverse, less NYC-centric, more global, with more nonprofits. The case studies are even more diverse in terms of the types of problems solved. Many subjects (like positioning, customer experience, and intellectual property) have been completely rewritten. I’ve reached out to more experts around the world.

TL: Why do you think the book continues to be popular? Is it how you outline the process in this comprehensive way, or is there something else attractive about identity design itself?
AW: It’s easy to use as a resource, and it offers a lot of value. I believe that the book (DBI4) is the most comprehensive and accessible resource in the world for anyone who needs to understand brand fundamentals, the intersection of strategy and design, and the process to build a brand. The book appeals to leaders and managers who understand business but need insights into the benefits of branding and design. Designers who are eager to understand more about branding fundamentals, like positioning and strategy, or naming for example, refer to it regularly, and use the book to educate their clients and their staff. It helps many to write a better contract. It helps organizations understand the complexity of the decisions and commitments that need to be made to be the brand of choice. Companies use it to build a business case internally for revitalizing a brand. And I am happy that It is also used in universities for both design and business majors.

I believe that the five phase process is easy to understand, logical and helps ensure that the right decisions are made for the right reasons. It works for entrepreneurs and it works for very large consumer brands. The process to revitalize a brand is daunting if you have never done it.

TL: Why did you write this book?
AW: I wrote this book because it didn’t exist. I wanted it on my shelf. The world was filled with smart strategy books written by MBAs and eye candy books written by brilliant designers. I wanted to simplify and clarify what is, to many, a daunting process, deconstruct the process, and bridge the gap between strategy and design. I wanted to create a single resource where someone could get answers fast, and learn from other experts and best practices. As tools and technology become more provocative, it’s more important than ever to stay steadfast to brand fundamentals.

I meet a lot of smart people around the world who are confused by radically different methodologies used to ignite and revitalize brands. The book continues to be popular because it’s a single resource that is easy to understand, and easy to use.

My book is filled with smart things that others have said. Many of the processes and checklists are developed by other practitioners — my job is to find them, get their permission, edit it all down to its essence, and then weave it together in a logical framework.

TL: Since the publication of the first edition of DBI (2003), how would you say the discipline has changed?
AW: There is more C-suite consensus that brand is the most valuable asset that any organization has. Design thinking is being embraced by the business schools. As the world migrates to mobile, there is an even greater need for brevity, simplicity, radical differentiation, and coherence across platforms. There is a greater understanding of how important employees and the internal culture are to being the brand of choice. Branding is no longer about massive deployment of messages; it’s about having a conversation. There is more customer data than ever in the history of the world, armies of algorithms working hard, and more managers uncertain as to how to measure success. There are even more specialists standing in line to be the brand authority. The world continues to have people that claim they do branding, but they don’t.

TL: How would you encapsulate the state of identity design today?
AW: Heightened! Good design continues to be a great and powerful differentiator, when it evolves from putting a stake in the ground about who an organization is and what it stands for. It is an exciting time — an explosion of global talent and new tools. The possibilities are infinite. It is also the most challenging time — a crowded marketplace, fierce global competition, rapid-fire change, and an unstable economy.

TL: What makes a great logo? An excellent identity system?
AW: A great logo has meaning. It is the fusion of strategy (intelligence) and visual form. The best ones are radically differentiated, work effectively across media and marketing channels, are easy to protect, and are immediately recognizable at different scales. It always blows my mind that a favicon can be immediately recognizable within nanoseconds even though it is 16×16 pixels wide. An excellent identity system balances coherence (everything holds together regardless of the marketing channel) with flexibility (an ability to anticipate a new product, a new technology, or a new marketing channel).

TL: What principles cut across the decades, resulting in strong work? Or would you say the rules have changed for organizations and their visual branding?
AW: The strongest work thrives when there is leadership that has committed to protect, preserve and grow this valuable asset. The strongest work always evolves from an authentic foundation: we know who we are, we know what we do best, we understand our customers, we value and nurture our internal culture. It is harder than ever to be a player and transcend the clutter. Even when you are a local business, you now sit on a competitive global stage 24/7. More of us will need to design a brand architecture that works in new markets like China. So brand builders need to have tenacity and a good toolbox, to insure that every opportunity is seized to be the brand of choice. Have the rules changed? Customers are using a wide range of devices to be connected. Social media is an increasing part of the marketing budget. Brands are now two-way conversations are opposed to rapid deployment of one-way communications. Icons now may need to include a growing family of apps. So, the fundamentals are the same, but there are new challenges each time you wake up in the morning!

An excellent identity system balances coherence with flexibility.

TL: How did you develop the processes and steps you outline within the book? Do these come from your own design practice, or have you gleaned insights and methods from others over time? Who are those influences?
AW: Ever since I was a young child, I’ve been fascinated by how people and organizations express who they are and what they stand for. English was not my first language, and I have always valued clear, simple communications. Over the last decade, I’ve interviewed hundreds of experts — on the client side, and on the consultancy side. I have heard stories about how remarkable results were achieved, and stories I can never repeat, about major initiatives ending mid-stream. I have talked to CEOs, CMOs, SVPs of Design — in essence, everyone who is involved in a branding initiative. I’ve interviewed both happy and grumpy employees who work for companies that have been rebranded. I met with movers and shakers from some of the best branding consultancies and design firms in the world. My book is filled with smart things that others have said. Many of the processes and checklists are developed by other practitioners — my job is to find them, get their permission, edit it all down to its essence, and then weave it together in a logical framework.

I also was the managing partner of Katz Wheeler, the design firm I co-founded with Joel Katz. Joel introduced me to the rigors of symbol design and information design. Our staff was filled with super bright and talented individuals that inspired me each and every day. I was very involved in AIGA nationally and locally, and started lifelong friendships with some of the leading design thinkers in the nation. I later founded Rev Group, where I developed my process methodology, and started developing some of the tools that I write about.

TL: What would you say is the difference between logo design and identity design?
AW: Logo design focuses on one element: a pictorial or abstract symbol, or a wordmark. Identity design looks at a whole integrated system: organizational goals, key stakeholders, key messages, brand architecture, typography, color, imagery, look and feel, sound, motion, and of course, the competitive landscape. My experience is that most designers are either good at designing symbols, or designing a whole look and feel and standards. Most clients do not understand the rigors of logo design or identity design.

TL: How do you feel about the crop of logo critique sites that have sprouted in the last handful of years?
AW: I really admire the thoughtful analysis by people like Tony Spaeth and Armin Vit. These are professionals who have been involved in complex problem solving, and who understand the fundamentals of good design and positioning, and the implications of designing larger systems that work. I prefer analysis that takes in consideration context and touchpoints, or why a change was needed. I am less enthusiastic about any kind of voting or public commentary about intrinsic design qualities or any type of competitions. There is a wealth of intelligent commentary, but unfortunately so little time.

TL: With projects like the GAP identity and the Big 10 logo redesign, it seems like redesigns are becoming big news outside of designer circles. Is this a good thing for identity design and practitioners, or does it hurt the process? How do you think social media is changing this part of the design landscape?
AW: When Starbucks launched their rebrand, I was astonished by the amount of chatter by loyal customers who either applauded or questioned the strategic move. Starbucks did a great job of posting why the change was made. It was exciting for me to see the redesigned icon in a town square in Cusco, Peru. It made me realize that the mermaid without the type was actually more respective of the local culture. Social networks get out the news faster than any press release in the history of the universe. Fiascoes like the GAP and Tropicana have a really negative influence on the perception of the profession as a whole. Clients new to the process become phobic — risk taking and change become less appealing.

TL: How can the practice of identity design grow, and where do you see the discipline going?
AW: Identity design will continue to grow because the world is a fiercely competitive, complex, and dynamic marketplace. Differentiation is survival. I am excited by more multidisciplinary collaboration to solve increasingly complex problems. Most problems involve issues of identity, and so identity design will be even more vital. I see more engineers working side-by-side with designers. I am hopeful that design thinking will even have a broader global impact. If I think way into the future, I see a lot more personalization, where private labeling will be replaced with personal labeling in holographic shopping malls. I think that there will be more designing an experience, as opposed to designing a thing.

TL: Who do you think is breaking new ground in identity design?
AW: I am drawn to dynamic identity systems: Tate by Wolff Olins (still fresh but designed 10 years ago), IBM’s 100 Icons of Progress by VSA Partners, IBM Smarter Planet icons by Ogilvy Worldwide, MIT Media Labs by TheGreenEyl, and OCAD by Bruce Mau. Each of these builds on brilliant strategy, big ideas, and good design. They all have what I call long legs, i.e. engendering infinite possibilities. It’s not for everyone and you need to determine when it’s right. I am fascinated by successful country brand identity, like Peru. There have been so many failures, that it’s good to see a country brand that is achieving what it set out to do.

TL: What is your advice for aspiring designers who are drawn to the allure of brand identity?
AW: I always ask an aspiring designer “why?” I would encourage them to work hard, look at everything, read a lot, be a sponge, live life to its fullest, and immerse themselves in the culture of their communities. Experiment a lot and determine what aspect of brand identity they can add the most value to. I would encourage them to study marketplace dynamics, psychology and organizational development in addition to design and communication.

—

We’d be remiss if we didn’t thank Alina again for her time with this interview, as well as her significant contribution to the field. If you haven’t already, pick up a copy of the newly-updated edition of Designing Brand Identity.

At this year’s HOW Design Live conference, we got to take some time to chat with our friends at HOW about creativity, inspiration, and why we go to events like this one. This year’s Chicago experience was amazing, and we’re looking forward to attending in Boston next year as HOW authors, as well! Here’s a little edited tease of great HOW authors and creative personalities, including James Victore, Sally Hogshead, Darius Monsef, ourselves, and more.

Note: In our last installment we walked through the release of Pantone’s Goe system, and the lessons learned from that product’s lackluster launch. Those insights fed directly into changes to the Pantone Matching System (PMS) that culminated in this year’s launch of Pantone Plus. Now, we’ll dig into the details of the this brand new system, and what it means for designers, printers, and anyone else involved in laying ink on paper.

Plus One? The Pantone Plus System
After Pantone Goe failed to catch on with its core audience of graphic designers and printers, the braintrust at Pantone realized there was still an unmet need in those communities. Also, the storied color matching system, PMS (Pantone Matching System), was crying out for a refresh. So Pantone took the best parts of Goe and the foundation of PMS, fusing them together to form the new Pantone Plus System.

We got the inside scoop on Pantone from Giovanni Marra, Pantone’s Director of Corporate Marketing. To add a more diverse set of views, we also interviewed a select group of offset printers (Elk Grove Graphics, Darwill Press, Van Lanen and Lithographix) and ink manufacturers (Sinclair Ink Systems) to get their input.

Introduced in May of 2010, Pantone Plus fills in existing gaps in the PMS color spectrum by adding new hues, while simultaneously incorporating some of the advances of the Goe system. There’s more to the Plus development story than that, so here are some of the specifics:

Something Old, Something New
While Plus does replace the PMS system, Pantone made sure not to repeat the mistakes it made with its release of Goe. This new system includes all of the old PMS colors, including the original metallics and neons. Those original ink formulations have not changed, and Pantone has added 556 brand new colors to “fill in the holes”. While no color names have changed, the familiar swatchbook layout is significantly altered. Each swatchbook is now organized chromatically rather than numerically, changing the sequence of many of the colors. (There’s an index if you need to look up a color by its number, however.)

Marra gave us some info on how Plus has been received thus far. “At the HOW Conference,” he said, “people loved the new chromatic arrangement. If you’ve been using the book for a long time, it takes a little getting used to. But people like the new colors.”

Additions To the (Color) Family: Neons and Metallics
In addition to the new spot colors sprinkled throughout the spectrum, Pantone Plus introduces a slew of new swatches into the neon and metallics categories. This includes 42 new neons (previously there were only 14) for total of 56 neon colors. Also, 300 new “premium” metallic colors have been added to the already-existing 300. Just don’t toss away your current metallics swatchbook—these new metals stand alone in their own book, labeled “Premium Metallics”. The metals also have upgraded ink technology behind them. “The new metallics are a much higher luster and have a cleaner feel to them,” Marra said. “They are made with a higher metallic base than the old ink. These Premium Metallics are ‘non-leafing,’ meaning the metallic particles lay flat so they have greater brilliance and luster, especially when coated.” Also, the new neon colors have been moved, and are now located in the Pastels and Neons book.

Listening To Your Printers
Pantone has also responded to critical feedback from printers that came with the Goe system, and acted accordingly with Plus. This new system utilizes the 14 traditional PMS base ink colors that printers are accustomed to. Marra explained, “We changed the ink film thickness on all the new colors, but not the old colors. It’s easier for printers and designers to move from PMS to Plus, because there are no new ink bases needed. Printers can keep using the same ink bases they’ve been using for years.”

Adoption costs for printers are also less than they were with Goe. Todd Petzak, Pressroom Manager of Van Lanen, explained: “The advantages for us as a printer are basically having an easier system for mixing colors and finding colors within the Pantone Plus library.” Printers just need to purchase the new swatchbooks, since all PMS-ready printers already have the 14 needed ink bases. However, this transition is sometimes easier said than done in the current economic climate, as Todd Mason, of Elk Grove Graphics said. “We need a minimum of nine new guides plus additional formula guides for each press. These guides represent a significant investment in the new Pantone Plus system — well over $1,000 for our shop. On our end we will need to update our system settings, to proof the new colors accurately.”

To offset (no pun intended) some of the costs of purchasing new swatchbooks (and to update your faded swatchbooks), Pantone has initiated its Chip-In program, where you can get a $25 rebate for every swatchbook ($50 for chip books) you exchange when purchasing the new Plus system swatchbooks.

Mason sees a mixed bag with the changes: “The PMS system is the backbone of our industry. We are familiar with the colors and how to match them consistently. The problem is, Pantone needs to reinvent itself quite often to bring in new revenue. We really have too many choices when it comes to spot colors. So many colors are similar enough that when printed on different stocks they will appear to be the same color. It makes ink mixing difficult and overhead expenses higher as our inventory needs are increased.”

Our Review of the Plus Products
After a detailed look at the Plus system and swatchbooks, here is our take on it. [Full disclosure: Pantone provided Hexanine with a set of Pantone Plus swatchbooks for review.] Overall, we are very pleased with the new colors and changes that make up the new Plus line. Pantone seems to have taken the best parts of the existing PMS and moved them forward to provide more options for everyone—designers and printers alike. And what designer doesn’t want more color options?!

We applaud that Pantone has carried over its “Color Checker Light Indicator” from the Goe line, at the back of the swatchbooks. The checker is a set of two colors that look identical in corrected, neutral “daylight”, but color shift apart if viewed under poor lighting conditions that will affect color viewing. This is especially helpful for designers with color-sensitive clients who like to look at proofs and pieces in fluorescent or incandescent lighting conditions.

Our critiques of the Plus system are relatively minor. The new swatchbook color arrangement isn’t a big issue—after all, most designers will be searching visually (by color) anyways. But it would have been helpful to see which colors are newly-added, as a quick reference. As it stands, there is no easy way to know the difference, except to view the old PMS and new Plus swatchbooks side-by-side. Some sort of subtle notation within the Plus swatchbooks would be much-appreciated.

The new metallic colors are welcomed, and serve as a much-needed addition to that part of the Pantone line. We are excited to have so many new options in that arena. But on the flip side, referring to the neon additions as “new colors” seems like a bit of an exaggeration. The new colors are more like tints of the 14 original neon colors rather than completely new hues. Whether this was an ink technology hurdle or just a weak effort, it falls short. It would have been nice to have some truly different neons.

The Plus system also lets you download the color libraries for use in the Adobe Creative Suite apps and QuarkXPress with the Pantone Plus Digital Libraries software. The color libraries are simple to download and install, and you don’t even need to restart your design applications.

While these libraries are available for download on the Pantone site, we were dismayed to see a confusing message when registering our new swatchbooks. (You can now register your swatchbooks on the Pantone website.) The registration site and confirmation email gave us following error in red type: “We apologize that the installer for Adobe Creative Suite is not yet available. Please check back in a few days.” This inaccurate and unfortunate programming hiccup will probably confuse early adopters, since the color libraries are available elsewhere on the site. This problem could frustrate designers who register their swatchbooks, and could mistakenly slow use of the Plus system by designers.

Final Analysis
In the end, we believe that Pantone has respected the legacy workflows of PMS while injecting some needed energy into their color matching system with a bevy of new colors. Pantone Plus seems like a worthy successor to the PMS system, and unlike Goe, designers and printers can basically keep all their entrenched practices intact. Todd Petzak, of Van Lanen, summed up the future well: “As printers, we are open and ready to implement these colors. Designers are the ones that will drive the popularity.” We see no reason why designers and printers won’t adopt the new system wholeheartedly with their next upgrade of swatchbooks, and add a whole lot of color to our world.

Have you had experience with the new Pantone Plus system? Or have additional questions? Please weigh in with your comments below. Thanks!

What is Pantone?
If you’ve ever held color-printed piece in your hands, there’s a good chance you’ve been touched by Pantone. The self-described “authority on color”, Pantone has become an integral part of graphic design and printing, greatly influencing the color of our world. Since 1963, Pantone has been the force behind the printing industry’s color standard, the Pantone Matching System (PMS). PMS is a standardized color reproduction system whereby different manufacturers and printers can accurately reproduce the same set of colors without direct contact with one another. This is significant for brands, because of the importance that consistent color reproduction has on brand identity and packaging. Color plays such a crucial role in brand association that some companies even commission their own colors. (Tiffany’s, well-known for its signature teal blue, actually has its own custom, trademarked Pantone color, PMS 1837.)

In the last 40 years, Pantone has become the de-facto print color standard  by eclipsing its competitors and evolving into other arenas. But despite Pantone’s ubiquitous presence in the drawers of any self-respecting designer, and its use in all major design software, the company has recently made some significant product line changes—changes which are important to anyone who needs to select or print colors. We’re hoping to break down these changes and give designers, printers, and color aficionados some much-needed insight. In our first installment, we’ll discuss Pantone’s Goe ink system. And then, in part two, we’ll give you the latest on Pantone’s brand-new replacement for the PMS, called Pantone Plus.

We got the inside scoop from Pantone while talking with Giovanni Marra, Pantone’s Director of Corporate Marketing. To add a more diverse set of views, we also interviewed a select group of offset printers (Elk Grove Graphics, Darwill Press, Van Lanen and Lithographix) and ink manufacturers (Sinclair Ink Systems) to get their input.

Get Up And Goe Got Up And Went
After nearly 50 years, Pantone decided it was time for a change, and it did so with some fanfare, by launching a brand new color matching system, called Goe (and pronounced “go”). But what was the impetus for this launch?

Giovanni Marra said, “Over the years we have added colors, because designers always want more colors to choose from. The [swatch]books turned into a haphazard arrangement of colors, because we would always add new colors onto back of the book. It was easier because of mathematical numbering, but not intuitive. In 2007, were looking at how to upgrade the system, and integrate the features people were asking for. After a lot of research, we came out with Goe. It was laid out scientifically, in chromatic arrangement, with easy steps between colors, making it easy to find colors and work through the book,” Marra explained.

The Goe system yielded 2,058 colors, a system that could work alongside the original PMS, as well as features intended as benefits for printers. The Goe system uses 10 base inks instead of PMS’ traditional 14, which was less total inks, but still a completely new set of inks for printers to purchase. These new base inks allow for an expanded color gamut, and Marra explained Pantone’s intentions in using the new base inks: “With Goe we tried to make the system more easily printed,” he said, “because some colors can shift if they are coated certain ways. Most printers know how to get around these issues, but we wanted to fix them. We had to change some of the ink bases to deal with these coating issues.” For both designers and printers, employing the Goe system meant adapting to an entirely new numbering system as well, a huge change from the nearly-sacred numbering system of the traditional PMS. This change wasn’t received very well.

Why Goe Didn’t Take Off
Goe was launched with good intentions, but didn’t yield the results Pantone hoped for. “It never took off the way we thought it would,” Marra mentioned, “because people are very comfortable using the PMS system, and in general were very resistant to changing.” Right off the bat, the Pantone marketing was confusing. From the designers’ side, it wasn’t clear how Goe would relate to its older brother, the storied PMS. Was Goe meant to replace PMS? Or could the two be used in conjunction? The new numbering system and similar-but-not-identical colors just raised more questions. This put off many designers who were either annoyed or confused. Why mess with a tried-and-true system that seemed to work fine?

Printers were also not thrilled with elements of the system. Todd Mason, from Elk Grove Graphics, explained, “To date I am not aware of any jobs at our shop that specified using a Goe Pantone color. It really has been a flop because it requires printers to stock ten additional mixing colors. These colors are only slightly different in color to the original PMS system.” Marra is well aware of such sentiments: “There was resistance from printers because they had to inventory new ink bases, and they would sometimes be resistant to changing their workflows even when designers spec’ed the new Goe colors.”

Also, Marra said that international branding projects suffered too. Because of a lack of awareness of Goe overseas, design firms were hesitant to specify Goe colors that would need to be printed outside of the US and Canada, for fear that they would be sacrificing crucial color matching needed for important branding projects. In short, if your designs don’t include legacy PMS brand colors and your final products are printed stateside, you can use Goe spot colors comfortably and exclusively. And there are some colors unique to the Goe system, which can be a competitive branding advantage—though it’s not easy to figure out which colors those are.

Packaged To Goe
Despite all of these strikes against the Goe system, this isn’t the occasion for a eulogy. Pantone continues to support the product line, thanks in part to the packaging industry. This design niche has embraced Goe moreso than others—mainly because all the Goe colors can be coated without color shifting. “The packaging industry picked up Goe very well because if the similarity to flexo, being easier to reproduce because all colors are the same ink thickness, making it easy to run the jobs,” Marra said.

Our Review of The Goe Products
In the rear view mirror, it’s obvious that Goe wasn’t the success that Pantone hoped for. It might not be an ideal tool for specifying color, but you might still find the system useful in some ways. Here’s what we thought of the Goe swatchbooks and system overall. [Full disclosure: Pantone provided Hexanine with a set of Goe swatchbooks for review.]

With the Goe swatchbooks themselves, the new color arrangement isn’t a big problem, but it would have been more helpful to see which colors are similar to existing PMS colors. As it stands, there is no easy way to compare similar PMS & Plus colors to Goe, except to view the books side-by-side. Some kind of subtle notation, conversion tool, or documentation would make it much easier to use. However, Goe has made one excellent technical contribution to the line, in the form of the “Color Checker Light Indicator” at the back of the swatchbooks. The checker is a set of 2 colors that look identical in corrected, neutral “daylight”, but color shift apart if viewed under poor lighting conditions that will affect color viewing. This is especially helpful for designers with color-sensitive clients who like to look at proofs and pieces in fluorescent or incandescent lighting conditions.

The Goe system also lets you download the color libraries and myPANTONE palettes for use in the Adobe Creative Suite apps and QuarkXPress. Installation of the libraries is simple enough, just requiring a self-installing download that adds the new Goe palettes to your design apps, without even needing to restart the applications.

The myPANTONE palettes creator is a standalone app for generating color palettes. This application is clearly meant to be a value-add for the Pantone set, but it seems like an unnecessary inclusion. Almost any creative professional worth their salt already has a way of creating palettes that typically revolves around their current applications. Why would you need another application to complicate your workflow? There are also other, more-useful applications like Adobe’s Kuler which has now worked itself into the native Creative Suite applications. Overall, Goe has some interesting characteristics, but nothing that would cause us to abandon PMS and years of experience using the old Pantone system. In that respect, Goe was a failure, though it might have some life in it as a niche product. Pantone seems to think so, and time will tell.

The Future Of Goe
Goe isn’t going anywhere right now, Marra explained. “Goe is still gaining in popularity, and combining the systems, you have a greater range of colors,” he said. “Our experience is that once people get over the hump of trying it, they generally like it. We are still supporting Goe, even though it’s not going to be significant in the market. But there are people who like it, and so we are still supporting it.” To that end, Pantone has also lowered the prices to help speed adoption. “Designers and printers were comfortable with the Pantone Matching System,” he said, reiterating reasons for the birth of Goe. “But we knew we needed to add more colors into the range that people would use. Designers were still wanting more colors.” These insights led directly into the creation of the brand-new Pantone Plus system, which we’ll discuss in our next installment. Stay tuned!

We’d love to here from those of you who’ve had experiences with the Pantone Goe system, so please tell us your stories in the comments below. Thanks!

Part of Hexanine’s core value is to give back in meaningful ways, using our time and expertise to help others. We’ve mentioned before the great work that Erin Huizenga’s EPIC organization is doing, and our part in it. We talked with Chicago Tribune “Minding Your Business” columnist Ann Meyer about the experience of working with Literacy Chicago during an EPIC creative rally. Print version of article with photo.

At Hexanine we’ve always been interested in practically using our design and branding skills to give back. Over the years, I’ve experimented with different ways of doing “pro bono” work to worthy organizations. Some have been individual relationships based on need, others were group efforts intent on doing more for cash-strapped non-profit organizations (NPOs). But I’ve never had a more focused, fulfilling experience than my time as part of an EPIC creative team earlier this year.

EPIC is a non-profit organization founded by Chicago design veteran Erin Huizenga, and she has rallied a team of great people around her to provide the framework for great work created for worthy NPOs. In my “creative rally” group I was teamed with a handful of other creative professionals to work with the great organization, Literacy Chicago. Not only did the experience yield great thinking and excellent work for Literacy Chicago, but the process was incredibly rewarding, stimulating, and gratifying. EPIC is the rare idea-turned-reality that shows how huge an impact design can have. Erin is also a good friend of mine, and she kindly agreed to an interview to tell us more about EPIC.

Tim Lapetino: You founded the non-profit organization EPIC. Could you describe its mission and vision to us?

Erin Huizenga: Our mission is to engage creatives in social change. We are doing this by putting together teams of creatives, who don’t normally work together, to do great things for nonprofit organizations. In the future as we get larger, we hope to begin to grow to a national level, to offer workshops to non-profit organizations and board of directors training to creative professionals!

TL: For EPIC creative “rallies”, teams are hand-picked from qualified volunteers, to provide balanced teams who will best be able to meet the NPO client’s needs. My particular team included two designers, two copywriters, a project manager, photographer and a creative director. The size and breadth of that kind of team seems like a luxury for most NPOs, and even many typical client projects! Why did you settle on this way of working, and how is it different from a lone designer volunteering with an NPO?

EH: It’s different in so many ways: teams get an opportunity to work with a team of folks they have never met or worked with, thus learning the concepting, designing, production habits/styles of many different avenues of experience. These people also get to work with top, award-winning creative director leaders, and the creative directors get a chance to mentor/coach/learn from people who don’t work for them–freeing them to have fun with the relationships and the work. Friendships and new networks develop while the NPOs get an amazing amount of thought capital and RANGE of talent from the team, rather than from just one individual. Also, commitment is inevitable since the team is signed up and accountable to one another.

TL: How did the format (the creative director’s firm serves as host office and meeting place) and process of the EPIC creative “rallies” develop? Did you have a previous model to follow?

EH: The idea of meeting together at an office is inspired by how we work as creatives in the corporate, or real, world. I see EPIC as a new model of design office, having many collaborators who work at night for clients they are sincerely passionate about. We “rally” together because we are all that committed and passionate about seeing change. We aren’t paid and no one has to be there because it’s a “job”. Everyone commits to it because it’s part of who they are. And through that, EPIC becomes a movement–an expression, an ownership, an outward remark on who we are as a body of creative professionals who believe that we can make a difference with our amazing talents.

TL: You are a veteran in the Chicago design scene and are connected to many of the great designers in this city. Can you tell us about your design background, and how did those experiences shape your vision for EPIC?

EH: I have been fortunate to work for some of the best design and marketing agencies in the great city of Chicago. SamataMason, VSA, gravitytank, jones, IDEO, and others. There is nothing better than a great solution for a great client at the perfect time. As I’ve worked with hundreds of creative professionals over the years, I noticed that so many people wanted a venue or some mechanism for giving back with their extreme talents. They wanted something more meaningful than simply taking over some NPO freelance work or volunteering over a weekend here and there. This is how EPIC was born, from an insight that we could make giving back more meaningful and inspirational…and have fun doing it.

TL: What led you to the creation of EPIC? How did it come about?

EH: The inspirations began with dozens and dozens of journal entries. I was writing down ideas about others around me who inspired me at the time–things that were already happening that I respect and admire. And my husband and I started to brainstorm about what a business model could look like for EPIC–how could it function most realized? Then I started to draft a written plan that would make sense to people who read it (not just my crazy journal!) and began to recruit board members who believed in my idea, and who were passionate, committed people as well.

TL: What has the response been from those nonprofit clients involved?

EH: Every nonprofit has been intensely thankful for what EPIC has been able to offer them. Creatives who come together can accomplish SO much in such a short time period. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from NPOs that say it best:

“I want to thank you for the brilliant work you’ve carried out with EPIC over the past several months on behalf of Literacy Chicago. As the effort wraps and our new materials soon become a reality, the depth of your accomplishment is all the more impressive and humbling. How can we ever thank you for assembling the team and doing such a wonderful work for us? I hope you can understand the magnitude of your efforts, and how much good an organization like EPIC does.” -Barry Benson, Executive Director, Literacy Chicago

“The Organic School Project staff gasped in AWE when we initially opened the home page. AWE, you guys. Everybody loves it, and we are so happy to finally be entering the 21st century with a website that works for us instead of against us!” -Sen Haines, Organic School Project

Also, we’ve just begun our EPIC Fellow program. Our 2010 winner is a recent MBA grad who will be helping us to build case studies and a case study template by researching and interviewing our NPO clients to gain insight into measuring just how much of an impact EPIC rallies have had/will have on NPO organizations. This will help us to grow fans of EPIC and donors/partners to EPIC because they will quickly see how EPIC makes an impact.

TL: As I mentioned earlier, my team and I had an excellent experience working together for the first time. It is different working with people you don’t know, while still being tied together by the bond of all volunteering. It was refreshing and stimulating for us. Tell us about the reactions of other creative professionals who’ve participated in creative rallies. Who has been a part of the rallies and organization?

EH: We’ve had great response from so many involved people, and some of their quotes are here at the EPIC site. Volunteers have come from Thirst, VSA Partners, Grip Design, Threadless, a5 Inc., Simple Truth, gravitytank and many, many others.

TL: It seems like this generation of designers has a hunger to be involved outside of the typical design workday. Besides taking part in EPIC rallies, what is your advice to designers who want to make a difference with their talents?

EH: Be brave enough to tackle a problem before it’s identified as a problem by someone else.

TL: How can people get involved with EPIC?

EH: Creative pros can apply on our site and NPOs can do so as well. They can also join us next Thursday for our end-of-the-year fundraising party on Thursday, November 12, at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. We will have a silent auction with amazing art and prizes, an exhibition of the year’s work, a People’s Choice Award voting, and great food and cocktails. Tickets are available and are discounted in advance. We’d love to see many of you there!