Blogs By Tim Girvin
H E L L O,
Stacking Stones | A Cairn of Ideas
A brand allegory reveals itself in an ancient practice A question for you might be—"have you ever stacked stones?” "And, what for, why did you arrange them?” Start at the bottom, rise up. Stacking stones is a symbolic act and it’s a global proposition— with a...
Attention in the age of distraction
And a good question: what are you paying attention to—and why? As brand people—idealists, founders, makers, strategists, writers, designers, customers and guests—we focus on how our experiencers are paying attention. It’s interesting [as it always is, in my historical...
Designed 250 Years Ago | The Art of Anniversaries
50 years ago, I got my first passport, it was in 1976—a US Bicentennial year. This was my first international travel, alone. I was 23 years old. But it was the beginning of a journey that would change my life. I’d been corresponding with designers in the US, as well...
In the Realm of the Senses and the Empire of the Hand
And gratitude in being. I was talking to a theatrical advertising designer at Paramount Studios about making. And, as creatives, “how do we make?” Imagination, mind, fist, fingers, lips—mouth and tongue, eyes and ears. What we absorb, as humans, and what we express is...
Blandism and the Detailing of Typographic Design Linguistics
What sways to blandishment? A lot of discussions around last week’s blog— and the notion of brand blandism, and some asked, “wait, so you’re saying that san serif is too bland, too plain, not… ‘exciting’ enough?” No, that’s not the point. As I’d mentioned before, in a...
Classical Modernism. What’s old, and what’s new?
Modern Clinicality, Emotional Heritage and Blandism In my history as a designer, lettering artist and calligrapher, I’ve spent decades studying the history of the alphabet, from pre-Christian Greek letterform development, cut in stone and inscribed in pottery, to...
Ever get a KPI in units sold?
As a Brand Expert, ever Get a KPI in units sold, or tonnage? What if you had a project that had a number of units for sale as a core goal—your KPI deliverable? I’m wondering, have you ever been in a situation where the expectation is in millions of units sold, or some...
From The Grounds Up | GIRVIN’s Coffee Brands | Caffeinated Brand Storytelling
We're rolling into 50+ years of continuous involvement in brand strategy and integrated design— and as coffee connoisseurs—we’ve savored this brewed beverage all over the world, from Seattle to NYC—Maui too, LA to Vancouver,southwards to Costa Rica, east to Paris,...
The Touch of Patterning | Sensate Brandspace, Building Brands, Branding Built Places
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, A KEY POINT OF RESONANCE IN BRAND EXPERIENTIALITY* COMES DOWN TO THE HOLISM OF SENSATION. How does it feel? How unforgettable is the holism of your feelings— or your guests feelings—about it? For many of us, that would be what we see—but...
The Designer’s Grimoire | The Symbolism of Marks
GIRVIN’s Symbolic Patterns for Interiors and Meaningful Graphics in Placemaking Any designer knows that a simple plane, an empty piece of paper, a coverless book, an empty package or the “undefined” skin of a shopfront is a presence without place—there’s no story,...