Even if you’re not a fan of jazz, you’ve heard of Miles Davis. His landmark album, “Kind of Blue,” is arguably the greatest jazz record of all time (and one I never tire of playing).

But this post isn’t about that Miles. It’s about someone else who shares his name. An artist who never recorded an album or played a single show, yet still left an indelible mark on the jazz world.

Reid Miles.

This Miles was a graphic designer and art director for Blue Note Records, one of the most respected labels in jazz. From 1956 to 1967, he designed the covers of nearly 500 Blue Note albums, including recordings by the likes of Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, Sonny Rollins, and countless others.

Miles’ designs were modern, playful, and dynamic. His style was distinctively Swiss (like our namesake, Helvetica), incorporating asymmetry, generous negative space, minimalist shapes, bold typographical elements, and photography. You can see these elements in the cover he designed for Lee Morgan’s popular album, “The Sidewinder.”

This design took the intangible qualities of the music – trumpeter Lee Morgan’s energy, drive, and precision – and made them tangible. And ultimately, that was good for business.

Because, as marketer Steve Woodruff says, “People buy tangibles.”

It was especially relevant in 1964, the year Morgan’s album released. Buyers had likely never heard the recordings, so they chose the album based on its front cover design and (sometimes) back cover notes.

“Miles made the cover sound like it knew what lay in store for the listener.”
– Felix Cromey, The Cover Art of Blue Note Records

“The Sidewinder” was a massive success. It became Blue Note’s best-selling record and kept the company out of bankruptcy. And Reid Miles’ cover art played a part in that success.

Yet, for all his creative genius, Miles earned a fixed commission of just $50 per album cover. After all, his work with Blue Note was only a weekend side hustle. During the week, he was employed full-time in advertising.

Nonetheless, Miles’ designs captured not only the unique sound of each artist and recording, but also the look and brand identity of the Blue Note label itself. He managed to make the intangible tangible.

To see more of Miles’ album covers, visit the Museum of Modern Art online.

posted by: Denise Wilson  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

I used to think math was fun. But that was before fourth grade, the year that math went from cool to cruel. All because of two simple words.

Long division.

I can still feel the frustration of being trapped at the kitchen table, long after dinner ended, solving row after row of division problems on ditto paper. I just didn’t get the point of all that busy work.

“Why can’t I use a calculator instead?” I asked my mom.

She gave me the standard (and totally unsatisfying) parent answer that long division was good for me. That it was teaching me how to solve problems. I didn’t buy her reasoning then, and I’m not sure I buy it now. But – as Murphy’s law of parenting would have it – I’ve run into the same question with my sixth grader this year.

Except his struggle isn’t with long division. It’s with handwriting.

Many nights, my son finds himself stuck at the kitchen counter, long after dinner has ended, writing paragraph after paragraph on lined notebook paper. He just doesn’t get the point of handwriting.

“Why can’t I use the laptop instead?” He asks.

It’s a fair question. For years, people have predicted that handwriting (especially cursive) will soon become obsolete – replaced by a keyboard or smart phone. However, that hasn’t been my experience at all. If anything, these days I write more notes, sketch more concepts, and jot down more ideas. Sure, I get around to using technology. Eventually. But it’s never where I start.

For me – and the rest of our team, I’ve noticed – the creative process begins with writing and drawing by hand. I’m convinced it’s because these kinesthetic tasks force us to slow down. And think more deeply.

There’s research to support that idea. A 2020 study from Frontiers in Psychology found that writing by hand is a more complex mental task than pressing keys. It requires a combination of visual, fine-motor, and processing skills. Compared to typing, handwriting and drawing stimulate a larger portion of the brain and produce more complex neural networks.

So, there really is a benefit to writing by hand. It makes us smarter.

I can’t wait to share that revelation with my son the next time he complains about a handwriting assignment for school. Just don’t expect me to believe that long division works the same way.

The penmanship books above belong to our own CK Anderson, who spent hours as a kid, practicing his penmanship. He’s obviously very smart, and now we know why.

posted by: Denise Wilson  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

What sparks creative passion? It could be something as simple as a Polaroid camera. That’s what first inspired Antoni Carlson, our 2022 Helveticahaus scholarship winner. As a kid, he got an old-school instant camera, and it went everywhere with him.

“I was always taking pictures with it,” says Antoni. “I’ve done photography my whole life.”

These days, his creative passion extends to graphic design too. And he’s building a future career on it.

The spark was different for Shirlee, one of our senior designers. Her creativity was ignited by an art exhibit that featured a series of Clint Eastwood posters.

“I went because I love Clint Eastwood,” she says. “But the poster designs were so cool. That’s when I discovered graphic design and realized I could make a career out of creativity.” (You might even say those posters were the good, the bad, and the ugly start of a 26-year career in graphic design.)

But it takes more than a spark for creativity to grow into a meaningful career. It requires fuel too. And that’s why CK and Linda started Helveticahaus in 2015.

Through the sale of merchandise inspired by Helvetica – arguably the most famous typeface in the world and our company namesake – Helveticahaus has been able to award a total of $11,500 in scholarships to 17 students. One hundred percent of the profits financially support students who are earning graphic design degrees at Spokane Falls Community College.

You can help us fuel the next generation of designers.

And you might as well pick up some cool merch while you’re at it.

Visit Helveticahaus to shop or learn more.

posted by: Denise Wilson  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

A few weeks ago, I was browsing a downtown boutique at lunchtime, when I saw it.

There, on a low table by the door – tucked into a cluttered display – was my next purchase: a perfectly imperfect hand-thrown mug. It was beautiful and one of a kind. The irregular shape and uneven glaze gave it just the character and charm I love in a funky coffee mug.

And to top it all off, this mug was the work of a local artist.

It was a find, for sure.

Or at least that’s what I thought until I got back to the office and hand washed it in the kitchen sink. I peeled the price tag off the bottom of mug, expecting to see the artist’s initials carved in the rough surface. What I found instead was a printed brand logo above a “made in” location.

And to top it all off, this location was decidedly non–local.

My one-of-a-kind mug was a scam. Just another mass-produced piece designed to look like an original.

Hey, I get it. Manufacturers are shrewd about consumer preferences. They know that people care more these days about where and how products are made. And many of us want to support our local artists and communities. It’s easy to see why a company would mass produce goods to look unique and handmade.

How can we avoid being deceived? Here’s what I learned about being a savvy shopper:
1. Shop at art galleries, arts and crafts fairs, and farmers markets – where you can meet the artists themselves.
2. Buy online at reputable websites for local shops, galleries, and artists.
3. Ask questions about the origin of a piece, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you buy.

In case you’re wondering, I do use the mug once in a while. Though not handmade, it’s still totally functional.

But I swear my coffee just doesn’t taste the same.

posted by: Denise Wilson  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

Recently, I discovered good design in an unexpected place: a video game.

Yes, I’m serious. And no, gaming is not my thing. Or helveticka’s, for that matter. Don’t expect to see our team heading to the next Lilac City Comicon, dressed like characters from Zelda.

My husband, on the other hand, is a bit of a gaming nerd. Sans the costumes and conventions. A few days ago, he got me hooked on the indie game “Spiritfarer.” And I do mean hooked – I’ve already put several hours into this game.

For me, that doesn’t happen. This isn’t my first gaming rodeo. I’ve tried video games before, and they just didn’t stick. (Okay, okay. Except “Animal Crossing,” and that’s one I chalk up to early pandemic boredom and those annoyingly cute characters.)

“Spiritfarer” struck another chord altogether. It’s slow-paced and relaxing, with a bittersweet orchestral score and a surprisingly moving storyline about death and the afterlife. But what I enjoy most is the hand-drawn art and detailed animation.

They’re skillfully done.

In a video game. I had no idea.

It turns out that, not only have I been ignorant, but I’m also late to the game (pun intended). This month, MoMA opened an exhibit on video games and interactive design. You can read about it here: http://www.wired.com/story/video-games-moma-art/

You can also see “Spiritfarer” at https://thunderlotusgames.com/spiritfarer/  Just remember, you may end up hooked on it too. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.

posted by: Denise Wilson  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

Maybe you’ve heard the report that our blog is dead. Well, like Mark Twain before me, I get to correct the news.

I’ll start with the obvious – the blog has been silent for a while. That’s because it takes time to work through all the resumes, inquiries, and interviews required to find not just any copywriter, but one with the experience and talent to work at a firm that has high expectations. Where clients are accustomed to clear, concise, and engaging writing.

Today, I’m pleased to announce the addition of Denise Wilson to our creative team. She’s got just what we were looking for: copywriting expertise, strategic thinking skills, and – perhaps most importantly – a sense of humor, which comes in downright handy when you’re surrounded by persnickety graphic designers.

This means we’ve found a pulse again. And the blog lives on.

Welcome aboard, Denise.

posted by: CK Anderson  |  category: staff  |  make a comment

On a flight home from grading hundreds of the 280,000 five-paragraph essays submitted for the Advanced Placement Test in English language and composition in 2007, an exhausted Edward M. White realized he’d had enough. He wrote a response—a five-paragraph essay on the five-paragraph essay. Here’s the fourth paragraph:

The last reason to write this way is the most important. Once you have it down, you can use it for practically anything. Does God exist? Well you can say yes and give three reasons, or no and give three different reasons. It doesn’t really matter. You’re sure to get a good grade whatever you pick to put into the formula. And that’s the real reason for education, to get those good grades without thinking too much and using up too much time.

Over at Aeon, David Labaree explores the “five-paragraph fetish” and how it came to be. “As so often happens in subjects that are taught in school,” he writes, “the template designed as a means toward attaining some important end turns into an end in itself. As a consequence, form trumps meaning.” Which means content and style are secondary—if not entirely unnecessary.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: the writing life  |  make a comment

Elizabeth Corey praises the slow, humble work required of true scholarship: “Though it can be fun to act as an impresario or a firebrand—to write with confidence, erudition, and verbal swagger on the hot topic of the moment—the most meaningful writing takes place when authors do not call attention to themselves, but to truths concealed beneath the busy surface of everyday life. These insights are best conveyed in language that is crafted carefully and at leisure, with the overgrowth of pride and self-concern cut away so that the prose itself stands luminous.”

John Horgan ponders the profound philosophical questions raised by derealization: “Sages ancient and modern have suggested that everyday reality, in which we go about the business of living, is an illusion. Plato likened our perceptions of things to shadows cast on the wall of a cave. The eighth-century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara asserted that ultimate reality is an eternal, undifferentiated field of consciousness. The Buddhist doctrine of anatta says our individual selves are illusory.”

Alec Marsh explains why the English love lazy sports: “The fact remains that getting out of breath playing cricket is like breaking a sweat on the golf links: it’s your body’s way of telling you you’ve got bigger problems to think about than your batting average. It’s time to visit the GP.”

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment