Brand Library & Art Center: A Restored Gem in the Jewel City

1969 addition (left) connects Moorish-influenced main house

Behind the majestic Miradero gate sits a grand house — Brand Library & Art Center, Glendale's jewel for art and music.

Art Research

In college, I spent countless hours at Brand poring through art and design books for research papers. The library contains a stellar collection of fine art, design, typography, architecture and music books and a fantastic CD and video collection. My interest in visual and performing arts was nurtured at Brand, and in the 1990s I served on the Board of Directors and designed the library's quarterly publication.

The Moorish-influenced house is more like a movie set than a library, and unlike anything in Glendale. Or anywhere!

The name "Brand" is an important name in town. Leslie Coombs Brand was the "father of Glendale," a land developer and successful businessman. He passed away in 1925, and deeded his 5,000 square foot house and grounds to the City of Glendale for a library and park. The library opened in 1956, 10 years after Mrs. Brand's passing.

R E S T O R A T I O N

I recently heard a terrific lecture and tour given by Debra Gerod, FAIA, LEED AP, who directed the Brand Library restoration team. She presented an inside look at the two-year restoration and shared the challenges and triumphs of the multi-faceted project. Thank you, Debra! She is a Partner in the architectural firm Gruen Associates: http://www.gruenassociates.com.

Those who haven't been to Brand Library lately will marvel at the interior colors and the details. I hardly recognized the rooms, now restored to the original 1904 look (as much as possible). I never realized that my favorite room was originally the Solarium, right in the middle of the house. In the 1980s and '90s, the room was filled with art books and didn't have much natural light. Today, the Solarium mimics the feeling of being outside. Fantastic!

Plenty of space is available for reading and doing research. Books line the walls in various rooms, and many items (110,000 books, scores, DVDs, CDs, LPs and magazines) are located in taller shelves towards the back. Brand is now accessible to the disabled, too.

A larger central courtyard and new interior lobby connects the original 1904 house and 1969 addition seamlessly. The 1969 building contains the galleries and recital hall and features a terrific skylit space. Free concerts, art and music lectures, films, exhibitions and more are offered all year: http://www.brandlibrary.org. Don't miss this jewel, right here in the Jewel City.

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Design is our passion

Contact Emilie for help in getting the word out about your company or organization, online and in print: websites / corporate communications / corporate identity.
E-mail studio@emiliepallosdesign.com. Visit us online: http://www.emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

Restored library interior — the blue wall color is dramatic and beautiful.

Mrs. Brand's sitting room. This stunning space reminds me of one of the ladies'
salons in Bullock's Wilshire, the late, great Los Angeles department store.  

The Solarium — now the center of the renovated library.

Ceiling stencils were applied by a team of five skilled artists during the restoration.

Mr. Brand surveys his domain — this famous portrait is now on view in the house.

Mr. Brand's monogram is seen in this recently discovered pedestal hidden in an alcove for many years.

Architect Debra Gerod, FAIA, LEED AP,
Partner in Gruen Associates, led our tour.

The Brand Library CD collection is astounding — from grand opera to the latest stars.
Designers will note the Saul Bass book to the right. 

Need a music score? Brand probably has it.

Moorish-influenced architectural shapes grace sunscreen in 1969 building.

Sculptural Moorish archways: west façade of 1904 library.

Let's get moving! Movement Links website launched

NEW Home Page:
Lighter background, strong photos, good copy

Movement Links, a presenter of neuromuscular physical therapy rehabilitation seminars, hired Emilie Pallos Graphic Design to update its online presence. Owner Clare Frank likes our firm's "clean, modern visual style," and was referred to us by client Karen Joubert (owner of Joubert Physical Therapy).

Custom-designed website

The new website is targeted to a well-educated, sports-oriented demographic — physical therapists. Testimonials by well-known trainers and PTs from professional sports teams appear throughout. Site was programmed by our web developer who understands a designer's strict attention to detail. Text is easily updated as seminars are added during the year.

Viewers will find pages easy to navigate in both desktop and mobile versions. Video and audio content is included, and readers can register for upcoming seminars through the new site.

As a full-service creative firm, we also took new staff portraits and edited copy.

Social media integration
To coordinate with the launch of new site, Emilie created a blog (for postings by staff members), and Facebook banner artwork. Since Movement Links presents seminars worldwide, its Facebook page attracts new followers daily — that page was viewed by 1,229 readers last week!

A few comments about our design:

"Excellent website, easy to negotiate and provides clear guidance to your courses and positive comments from participants. Well done!"    — Inger Villadsen

"Your redesigned site looks so great, Clare. Layout and content are nicely organized, too!"   —Erin McGuire

 "It (site) is very good, welcoming and grabs your attention!!"    —Lin Choo

View Movement Links site here: http://www.movementlinks.com

We love referrals

Please continue to let your friends and colleagues know about our work. We appreciate your referrals. Emilie can be reached at studio@emiliepallosdesign.com. Thanks!

NEW Resources page which features video and audio files.

"OLD" Home Page
Copy can be difficult to read on a dark background.

Sussman's Supergraphics: Witty & Fun

Last month I visited Woodbury University's gallery on Hollywood Blvd. (WUHO) to see an exhibition featuring the graphic design work of legendary Los Angeles-based designer Deborah Sussman.

As a young teenager, I attended many events during L.A.'s Summer Olympics in 1984, and have long remembered the "supergraphics" and colors used in and around the venues. Orange, bright green, turquoise and magenta were chosen by Sussman and her design team to reflect the world's athletes.

One of my favorite large-scale design elements at the Olympic venues were "Sonotubes," stylish cylindrical artwork which flanked venue entrances — modern-day Greek columns. They look a bit like giant paper towel rolls wrapped in bright hues, patterns and type. A group of Sonotubes was assembled in WUHO's space. It was great to see them again after 30 years!

This show also featured the artist's early work — including brochures and packaging Deborah created while working in the Office of Charles and Ray Eames (where she began her career in 1953). In the 1950s, Ray Eames and Deborah were among the few women designers in our profession.

In the last few years, Deborah's artwork has been featured in several exhibitions. And she's still doing impactful design — Sussman/Prejza & Co. designed downtown L.A.'s Grand Avenue Park wayfinding and graphics (2012). You can't miss the "signature" magenta park benches.

Thanks, Debbie, for inspiring generations of designers — including me!

Interviews
Deborah talks about her career in these video clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Qx9eC3DvE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl8j0VSVnW4

About Our Firm
Emilie Pallos Graphic Design

website & print design / identity / marketing communications / advertising

Contact Emilie today to talk about your creative project: studio@emiliepallosdesign.com or call (818) 242-9055. Visit us online at www.emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

Bright colors defined the '84 Olympics.

Poster showing "kit of parts" (graphic standards) for '84 Olympics.
Get out your sunglasses! :)

Gallery murals show Olympic architectural structures.

Visitors enjoy the artwork.

Vintage brochure for Eames chairs. I have a bright blue "PKC-1" from 1968.

Bags for L.A. County Museum of Art's gift shop (1960s)

Sonotubes flank the rear of the gallery.

More Sonotubes in the spotlight. Cheers!

Memphis Bound!

Standing tall!

Once in awhile a special opportunity comes around. Yesterday, I had a chance to join a VIP tour of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA. Although we visited other cool spots in the terminal and on the field including Million Air (ritzy corporate jets), and the Glendale/Burbank police air patrol helicopter unit, the highlight for me was "backstage" at the FedEx hangar, located west of the main passenger terminal.

B A C K S T O R Y

When talking about logos and branding with our clients, I have long cited the FedEx identity as an example of one of the best ever created. Futura Bold typography, strong secondary color combination (orange and purple), and that cool "hidden" arrow — a classic. The FedEx logo was created by international design and branding firm Landor (yes, they do "land" some great projects...).

Here's Landor's case study on the FedEx branding: http://landor.com/#!/work/case-studies/fedex/

B O U T I Q U E   F I R M :  B I G   I D E A S 

If you count the number of humans at our L.A.-area studio, no, we're not as large as Landor, but our work is creative, original, and targeted. We think big. Give Emilie a call or send a message to studio@emiliepallosdesign.com to talk about your design and marketing projects, online and in print. Please visit our website at www.emiliepallosdesign.com.

Au Revoir!

Hangar 4 at Burbank Bob Hope Airport

Hangar interior

Loading area

Each aircraft is named after FedEx employees' children. Hello, Whitney!

This Airbus A-300 aircraft can be fully loaded in 45 minutes by the most efficient crew in the business.

Notice the perfectly placed white arrow in the logo? One of my favorites.

All aboard!

Dress accordingly… It might be chilly on board.

Flightdeck

Metal rollers on the floor make loading and unloading cargo so much easier (but difficult to walk on).
Ladies in high heels, beware!

Cargo configuration diagrams posted inside the aircraft.

Parking space clearly marked in a cool stencil. Notice the "FedEx orange" tether.

Au Revoir!

Fiddler on the Boulevard

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

The stylish terrazzo and brass stars on Hollywood Blvd. are only a 15-minute drive from our Glendale studio. It's fun to pop down once in awhile to people-watch, especially on a sunshine-filled winter day.

There's also a smart little gallery run by Woodbury University right in the heart of Hollywood - more on the WUHO gallery in our next post.

In our office, we love great art and music. Violinist Isaac Stern was a master - one of the best players ever to pick up a bow. And Emilie's yellow-soled Sperry Top-Siders add a touch of modern cool to this photo!

Good design is good business.

Autumn Design Inspirations: October 2013

Emilie is always on the lookout for great design in L.A.  Interesting color in manmade or natural objects or an unusual texture may provide inspiration for a client brochure, logo or website design. And she needs no excuse to go shopping, either — all in the name of "design research." Concerts, art exhibitions, zoos, historic buildings and gardens are favorite places to visit. The many varieties of plants and flowers feature great natural color combinations, especially during autumn.

Our studio has a fantastic library of digital typefaces, and it's fun to review them once in a while. Like all designers, we have our favorites: Gill Sans, Huxley, Univers, Futura, Garamond 3, Perpetua, Michelangelo, Shelley Allegro, Poetica... Yes, these are mostly tried and true classics, but we also use a '50s-inspired type called "Mr. Sparkly" once in awhile, or an obscure European type or ornament.

Web Projects
Clients benefit from our comprehensive type collection and knowledge of letterforms. We always specify the bulk of a site's text as "web-safe" for the best search engine optimization (SEO) and solid Google rankings (plus compatibility with Mac, PC, various browsers and mobile devices). For instance, we'll set body copy in web-safe Helvetica, Palatino or Verdana, then choose something "finer" such as Rotis or Adobe Caslon Italic for headlines and pull quotes. This presents a unique look and coordinates with print materials, which we've also created.

Good page composition, beautiful letterforms and smart navigation make our designs engaging and dynamic, online and in print.

Contact Emilie for help with your company or organization's creative projects: websites, identities, marketing collateral: studio@emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

Here are some of our inspirations this month —

Huxley — one of our all-time favorite typefaces. Designed in the 1930s and just as cool (and modern) today!

Historic 1927 Train Depot: Glendale, California

French dressing at Macy's (formerly Bullock's) department store on Lake Avenue
Pasadena, California

Is there anything more beautiful than the flagstone facade of Bullock's Pasadena?
This classic store was built in 1947 and designed by architect Welton Becket.
Total design, inside and out. And still gorgeous!

Color-coded spools of thread add an inspired design motif
on the wall of our favorite dry cleaner/tailor shop

Hollywood Bowl outlook with downtown L.A. skyline in the distance:
The gorgeous sparkly lights of Tinseltown.

Happy Birthday to a World-Class Artist: Sir Thomas Allen

Sir Thomas Allen 

(born on this day in 1944) is an extraordinary artist — internationally known baritone and operatic director, author, painter (he exhibited paintings at the Chelsea Flower Show on more than one occasion), and now Chancellor of Durham University. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnu5AhlFvjc

We have seen Tom sing many times in person, in Donizetti to Mozart (the title character in "Don Giovanni" and Count Almaviva in "Le nozze di Figaro," both signature roles). I first heard him in 1991, as Sharpless in "Madama Butterfly." My half-price L.A. Opera student subscription seats were in the very back of the 3,000 seat Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The stage was a tiny speck, but this extraordinary voice carried all the way "to the heavens."

His most recent performance in Los Angeles was in 2011 in Rossini's "Il Turco in Italia." After the performance, I had the chance to meet Tom and chat for awhile about art and music. When I gave him my business card he said "Nice card — isn't that Charles Rennie Mackintosh type?…"

:-)

Inspiration is everywhere — in nature, in architecture, in literature, and in the arts. Bravo, Tom. Here's to many more years of creativity!

Good design is good business.

Sir Thomas Allen and Emilie
backstage at the Music Center

A Swiss Design Classic

H E L V E T I C A , the unadorned, utilitarian typeface which graphic designers have used for more than half a century, is the subject of a 2007 documentary by director Gary Hustwit. Helvetica is everywhere — from bus benches to food packaging.

A documentary about a typeface?... What a great idea! Watching this film gave me a better appreciation for the 1957 typeface formerly known as "Die Neue Haas Grotesk."

As an art director/designer, I always like the challenge of choosing the perfect typeface(s) for each creative project. For print design, the choices are practically limitless. (Although I must admit to having my own sans serif favorites: Gill Sans, Futura, Frutiger, Rotis...)

W E B  - S A F E   T Y P E F A C E

In the last few years, I've used Helvetica quite a bit. Its clean, minimalist design is a plus for all-digital online (website) projects. Helvetica is "web-safe," reads well on both large and small screens, and still feels contemporary.

Many well-known designers are featured in the documentary: Massimo Vignelli, Paula Scher, Michael Beirut and Erik Spiekermann, among others. Mr. Vignelli, an award-winning Italian designer living in New York, shows some of his firm's work including the iconic 1972 New York City subway map — a project which used Helvetica extensively. Type designers are featured, too: Matthew Carter, Hermann Zapf, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones. Definitely "A-List."

Films about typography are a rare treat. Anyone who is interested in design and communication will enjoy "Helvetica."

WATCH "HELVETICA" FILM OR TRAILER HERE:

http://www.helveticafilm.com/watchnow.html

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At Emilie Pallos Graphic Design, we create print, web and signage projects, and are known for classic, yet modern design. For a FREE consultation about your marketing or visual communications project, please send a note to Emilie at studio@emiliepallosdesign.com. View our work here: http://www.emiliepallosdesign.com.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Photos: Spread from "Helvetica Forever: Story of a Typeface" by Lars Muller Publishers (2009)
Type specimen book featuring different weights and point sizes.

Saul Bass: 20th Century Design Icon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=64lDaAmpvSo

In honor of the 93rd birthday of the iconic designer Saul Bass (1920 - 1996), a new "Google Doodle" debuted today. This short film pays tribute to many of Mr. Bass' film designs: The Man with the Golden Arm, Vertigo, North By Northwest (my favorite — how can you do better than Cary Grant starring in this 1959 Hitchcock movie?!), West Side Story, Anatomy of a Murder, and Around the World in 80 Days (my dad Vic's favorite), among others. And turn the sound up — the jazz score is by Dave Brubeck.

Illustrator/designer Matthew Cruickshank created the short tribute film.

Mr. Bass was legendary in the graphic design profession — his client list boasted a "Who's Who" of Fortune 500 companies, and his Los Angeles firm won every major creative award. The office produced marketing communications and comprehensive corporate identities, print and environmental graphics (and airline graphics, too). This was the respected, successful practice designers dream about.

Mr. Bass also created brilliant film titles and posters in the 1950s and '60s — WAY before computer graphics and Photoshop. Some of his identities are below. Notice how many of them are round or rounded, and many appear to be dimensional, even though they are flat. All have strong, solid colors.

Saul Bass' corporate identities.
How many can you name?
(The answers are below if you get stuck!)

A Personal Recollection

I heard Mr. Bass speak once in person, at a 1993 AIGA seminar in Culver City, CA. He walked with a cane by then, but still had a commanding stage presence. I still remember how a fellow young designer seated near me stood up and asked Mr. Bass for a job at Bass/Yager & Associates. How bold! Mr. Bass' response was "Come over to my office and we'll talk." The young designer was dumbfounded.

I kept my notes from that roundtable discussion (which also included designers Jim Cross, Toni Hollander and Rod Dyer). Even after almost 20 years in the profession, I still consider myself a 'student of design.' We have much to learn from our predecessors — IF we take the time to listen.

Last week, as I was finishing the last "Savannah Smile" cookie of 2013, I noticed Mr. Bass's memorable green silhouette Girl Scout logo on the box. Girl Scouts have used this identity for decades because it still "works."

At Emilie Pallos Graphic Design, we respect and study the talented designers of the past. We also create meaningful, powerful creative design solutions for clients in a range of industries, from healthcare to the arts, for private businesses and non-profit organizations.

Contact Emilie to talk about your project: studio@emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

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Background information on the Saul Bass Google film is HERE.

Saul Bass logos (shown above)

From top left: Bell System, AT&T, General Foods, United Airlines, Avery International, Continental Airlines, Celanese, United Way, Rockwell International, Minolta, Girl Scouts of the USA, Lawry's Foods, Dixie, Quaker Oats, Frontier Airlines, Alcoa, Warner Communications, and Fuller Paints

It's a Skating Tooth!

A CHARMING ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION

One of our newest creative projects is an advertising campaign for a longtime dental practice client — the artwork above is now on view at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center in Pasadena, CA. Clients are Drs. Hillary Kim and Ray Kwok, DMDs, who own one of the best contemporary dental practices in the area. 

Original Art: Joanna

When a photo is just too ordinary, why not consider illustration? 

This fanciful tooth (we call her "Joanna," after the doctors' young daughter) leaps off the page to land her jump perfectly. The artwork captures the structure of a "tooth" in a fun, kid-friendly way. Joanna even sports a jaunty ponytail — just like the real girl!

Our talented artist colleague/friend Sandy McDaniel created the original illustration. Sandy can draw or paint just about anything which appeal to the most discerning clients. Little wonder, with a background working with Walt Disney Imagineering, Mattel and The Getty Center. Emilie handled art direction and typography for the project.

We're looking forward to incorporating the new "skating tooth" character into other promotional products for the practice. T-shirts, stickers and a prime spot on the practice's new website are on tap for Joanna.

Please contact Emilie to talk about YOUR next design and illustration project: studio@emiliepallosdesign.com.

Websites / Marketing Communications / Illustration & Photography / Corporate Identity

Good design is good business.

Pencil sketch of skating tooth — she's cute in black and white!

The Spectacular Cavalia

A  V I S U A L   F E A S T
For any art director / designer, Cavalia, the French Canadian equestrian/acrobatic show (based in Montreal), is a visual feast. Cavalia was created by Normand Latourelle of "Cirque de Soleil" fame and features some of the best trained and pampered horses (stallions and geldings) anywhere. Add to this trick riders and acrobats who do amazing feats on a multi-acre dirt "stage," with bigger-than-IMAX high-definition background projections – from Easter Island to waterfalls, Iceland, the steppes of central Asia, to the African desert in all four seasons - including a rain and thunderstorm sequence. Audiences are swept away in a worldwide tour: an Odyssey. The tent alone is an amazing feat – reportedly the largest in the world at 10 stories high – with seating for 2,000 people.

"O D Y S S E O"
I saw Cavalia for the first time here in Feb. 2011, and it was spectacular. The show returned to nearby Burbank in April, even better than 2011 with all-new sets, imagery and theme – "Odysseo." And new this year, a ridiculously talented troupe of acrobats from New Guinea enthralls the audience with spectacular athleticism and skill. Music, performed live by a small ensemble, is a blend of native sounds from around the world, with lyrics in French. Everyone, and especially those who work in creative fields, will appreciate the artwork and the fantastic performers. Aerialists, musicians, equestrians. Exotic costumes and makeup. Scenic design like no other. And those gorgeous horses….

G R A N D E   L I B E R T E
My favorite part of the show was the opening sequence – six Arabian horses wander onto the stage, guided by a single trainer. The "Grande Liberté" is performed unbridled, and is simply beautiful. These four-legged charmers are the gorgeous stars of the show. The other sequences are breathtaking – from jumping to trick-riding. The finale began simply, with a single dressage rider and horse, and then grew to include the entire company – cavorting in a lake that filled the stage with 80,000 gallons of water. Inspired!

Following a six-week run in Burbank, the show is returning home to Montreal and scheduled to open in mid-May. You can experience some of this amazing show on http://www.cavalia.net. I can't wait until it returns!

Click on the link below for a dramatic preview:
http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo/videos

http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo/videos

A suburban L.A. policy blog makeover

"Timeless" new identity

Client Elise Kalfayan hired us to design a new logo for her Glendale, California-based policy blog "Sunroom Desk" which originally launched several years ago. She wanted the 2013 identity to "be appropriate for a publishing company." Elise and I met at one of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce's Business Expos. (This fall event is always a nice opportunity to exhibit my work personally and talk with clients.)

The logo (above) is featured on the newly-redesigned blog www.sunroomdesk.com. We also assisted client on creative direction for site, with updated layout, colors and customized WordPress theme. Our firm oversaw professional local programming and launch.

RESULTS
Client is now able to write and post new content as needed, quickly and efficiently. And the blog is easily read on all modern devices, both desktop and mobile.

TYPOGRAPHY & COLOR
Classic Roman type (Baskerville Small Caps) works seamlessly with clean, bright colors (blue and yellow). We also added a stripe of reddish brown color underneath the letters to signify client's "Sunroom Desk." Color fields add dimension and interest to the typography.

We always start by considering how best to communicate a client's service or business in a "visual" manner.

FACT-FINDING
We'll ask the following questions for every project:

What is the marketing strategy? Core audience?
How will final art be used: Online, print, signage?
Do we need original illustration? Photography?
How about a specific color scheme?

Addressing these details prior to Phase One is important for a successful project. Collaboration between designer and client is key. Many of our clients still use identities we designed more than 10 years ago because our work is "timeless" (to quote a client) and effective.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

At Emilie Pallos Graphic Design, we help businesses in all industries reach diverse markets — online and in print. Creative, custom websites, printed marketing materials, signage, corporate identities, and more… Since 1996.

Call Emilie today to discuss your project: 818 242-9055 or send a message to studio@emiliepallosdesign.com.

Good design is good business.

Two-sided business card