The History of the Olympic Pictograms: How Designers Hurdled the Language Barrier
Infographic design first appeared at the Olympics in 1948, when the games were last in London.
July 20, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Remembering Bloomingdale’s Chairman, the Dearly Departed Martin Traub, 1925-2012
The department store chain's visionary executive beat the competition in exotic fashion flair
July 13, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Wearing Wool, All Summer Long
Layered, corseted summer garments kept women proper and fashionable, if not cool
July 03, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The High-Tech Minimalist Sock-Shoe
Nike's latest innovation promises to improve runners' comfort, help the environment, and revolutionize shoe manufacturing
April 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Better Feet Through Radiation: The Era of the Fluoroscope
In the 1940s and 50s, shoe stores were dangerous places. At the center of the shopping experience was the shoe-fitting fluoroscope—a pseudoscientific machine that became a token of mid-century marketing deception.
April 04, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
How To Be Taller
A modern Scottish elevator shoe designer runs a global business from his Bangkok outpost
March 23, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Shape of Fruits to Come
How our need for convenience is redesigning our food supply
March 16, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
And for Dessert: An Object Lesson on Simple Pleasure
How a disappointing dessert becomes an object lesson on simplicity and pleasure
March 14, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Who Is Linda Tatersmith?
If flashy package design can lure people into eating factory-extruded chemical slurries, why shouldn’t it work to trick junk food addicts into eating a vegetable?
March 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Airships and Oranges: The Commercial Art of the Second Gold Rush
How citrus crate label design fueled a boom that caused the art form's own demise.
March 01, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Design Specs for a Genetically Ideal Snack
How plant geneticists are growing convenience food on trees
February 27, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Designing the Perfect Fruit
How a tiny, seedless fruit becomes the iPhone of the produce aisle.
February 23, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Strike Up the Brand
In an ever more competitive world, nations strive for the perfect slogan
September 2011 |
By Richard Conniff
The History of Sweetheart Candies
For over a century, the Valentine’s Day treats, and the messages printed on them, have matched the tone and jargon of the times
February 08, 2011 |
By Annette Foglino
Snowman Gone Wild
Before the age of Frosty, the snowman was abused by children and exploited by advertisers
December 12, 2008 |
By Bob Eckstein
