typestorming
Tun Sie sich was Gutes
2009May 19
We at wollzelle are honoured to entertain a long-term creative relationship with the Wiener Hauskrankenpflege, a non profit organisation that provides home care services in and around Vienna, our hometown. In fact, they have been client of ours since I got on board with them as part of his civil service.
Not only are they a very worthy cause to support, they entrust us with a wide variety of tasks, ranging from interactive design to the production of promotional items. As a creative agency, we like to “mix things up” and the WHS gives us plenty of opportunities to do just that, both in terms of form and function.
Case in point, our latest project: turning a potentially dry document (their 2008 annual report) into an engaging whole that would reflect the warmth and energy that radiate from the institution and empower its staff.
Having complete control over the project allowed us to take many liberties not usually seen with such documents: out with the traditional white gloss stock and in with a natural, lightly processed paper to emphasise the group’s down-to-earth approach.
Working with Ursula Röck, a highly talented, unconventional photographer and friend, we put together a collection of unexpected still lives, reflecting the everyday reality of those the WHS supports, and emphasising how small touches converge to dramatically improve their overall quality of life. Each shot is both a work of art in itself, and a powerful testimonial of life in Vienna today.
Of course, a report isn’t all fun and games. By bringing design into the visual representation of data, turning pie charts and graph bars into silhouettes and cartoons, we were able to directly link the data with what it represented, thereby facilitating its understanding. Strong type structures the pages and links together the various sections of the report.
High-end printing techniques, such as UV varnishing, completed the effort, and allowed the text to become a de facto design element, working with instead of against the report’s layout.
You can see the results in our Flickr Photostream and a little Video from the production.
Design is all about making quality content approachable, and we can think of no better content to work with. The WHS’ 2008 annual report is part official document part catalogue, showing both the human and financial aspects of this respected institution, in a single go.
Easy, breezy, Gucci
2009April 22
Designing a breakthrough interactive experience for Gucci was one thing. Extending it with a deep overlay to celebrate the launch of a new collection was another. Refreshing Gucci’s suite of web sites to reflect the new spring-summer 2009 designs, all the while keeping the experience consistent and smooth for our long-term online audience, was a whole new ball game.
As Gucci introduces their spring collection, we are delighted to introduce the brand’s spring website.
Building upon the existing platform and designs we have developed for them over the past three years, it introduces fluid, translucent touches that make navigating from page to page and line to line easier than ever before.
Drawing inspiration from this season’s emphasis on chromatic leather, floral ambiances and its juicy, yet classy aesthetic, we have introduced whole new interfaces for the homepage, catalogues and ad campaigns, including a fresh collage layout to present multiple shots at a glance.
Our revamped video integration platform helps blend sound, text and motion further to create an experience that is not only entertaining and informative but, above all, immersive. (We’re especially thrilled about the new full screen mode!) Nobody switches modes and moods at the flip of a switch in real life. Instead, we transition from one emotion to the next, and it is great time web sites adapt to our natural behaviour.
Of course, despite this ever-increasing level of — standards-based! — technical and visual sophistication, our ultimate goal is to create an interactive experience that supports the Gucci brand, allowing users to just “dive in.” In fact, we feel the machinery that powers a site should be completely invisible to the untrained eye, and hope this latest iteration of Gucci.com raises the bar a little further.
We hope you enjoy the collection as much as we enjoyed designing the site, and will be looking forwards to hearing your comments.
Guten Touch
2009April 21
The Internet is a bottomless repository of wondrous and wonderful things. From the enticingly original to the enormously bizarre, it is an endless source of surprises and inspiration.
We at wollzelle spend quite a bit of time collecting these artefacts of modern culture: lots of it may be noise, but the occasional gem is well worth sorting through the masses of cats, copycats and lolcats.
Too short for news and too cool to lose, these titbits tend not to appear on typestorming. Now that we’re Twitter-enabled, however, we can finally share them with you as they pop on and off our finely-tuned collective radar.
So, for news, inspiration and more cool links, remember to head over to our Twitter page and subscribe to our feed.
Of course, and as always, typestorming — this very blog — will keep on serving the latest information on our client work, technical research and branding endeavours.
We’re looking forwards to “tweeting“ from you!
Soziales Netzwerk: Aging gracefully
2009February 10
Aging healthily and gracefully is the key preoccupation of our time. It is also, coincidentally enough, the headline of the latest issue of Soziales Netzwerk, a magazine edited by the Wiener Hauskrankenpflege. It is almost ten years since we started working with this respected Viennese institution, shaping up the content and design of their magazine.
The Wiener Hauskrankenpflege approaches communication seriously. By making themselves known, and by interacting with people of all ages, they reach out to potential new clients, but also further the cause of affordable, quality home care that empowers elderly patients and helps them enjoy their lives to the fullest in spite of the ailments of age.
Issue 14 of their magazine features something unheard of in medical publications: a cover photograph borrowed from the ultra-hip WAD magazine (with kind permission), shot by the highly talented Sacha Goldberger. Indeed, we felt this image, initially developed as a tongue-in-cheek fashion spread for issue #38, embodied just what the doctor ordered.
Growing older may not always be fun, but it doesn’t mean giving up hope, originality or a sense of humor. Keeping a positive and creative outlook on life, surrounding oneself with friends, family and dedicated professionals, such are the secrets of graceful aging — and, one might say, of graceful living at any age.
We at wollzelle are honoured to be part of the Soziales Netzwerk adventure since it first got to press, and to help, in our modest but dedicated way, bridge the gap between the younger and elder generations. To us, this cover is living proof that, regardless of age, we are all united in our humanity and our creativity.
Saying it with paper
2009February 09
After decades of wishful thinking, probably kick-started by the first microfilm and roll of tape in existence, the paperless office is starting to become a reality. At wollzelle, pitching new projects and brainstorming with clients over a high-speed Internet link is an everyday reality. Our clients rely on us to introduce them to cutting-edge web solutions, and it seems only natural for our meetings to take place over the same medium.
Yet, we feel strongly about paper. Even in a virtual world, the plans of which we are drafting every day, paper has its place. In modern parlance, it’s an industry-standard, it’s energy-efficient, adaptable and compatible with the widest range of humans. What’s more, paper brings a feel to the words and images it presents, something a screen cannot achieve.
Screens are great for interacting, broadcasting and automating. Paper is great to encourage thought, free from technical boundaries. That’s why, for big presentations, we often use paper hand-outs. Building upon our architectural roots, we devised brainstorming portfolios reminiscent of those we once distributed to city planners and urbanists.
Crafting web sites and virtual worlds with down-to-earth tools encourages lateral thinking and creativity. Subtly but surely, it reminds us all that technology is an instrument, not a fact, and an adaptable one at that.
Finally, because paper is becoming a rare sight in the modern office, printed matter becomes inherently more valuable. We find our folders attract more attention, encourage repeat reading and carry more weight than virtual counterparts.
The lesson to be learnt? Stay true to your roots, and devise communication strategies that echo what you stand for. We are about approaching European traditions and cutting-edge technology with an architectural eye. Your own mix will certainly be different, but it pays to remember that technology should complement, and not override, your identity.
We’re featured in…
2009February 04
Today, we are proud to announce that Thomas Pamminger, our founding father, has just been featured in Karrieren, a brand-new publication from TU Vienna, showcasing the careers and accomplishments of its brightest alumni.
Part inspiration for aspirant students, part documentary on the vibrant life of today’s Vienna, this new effort aims to strengthen the relationship the university entertains with its alumni network.
Of course, Thomas is not alone in there. The whole publication can be downloaded here. Proceed to page 46 for a glimpse into wollzelle.
also in Kooperationen
Andreas Hofer, supervisor of our founders’ master thesis in 2004, just sent us this issue of Kooperationen, a publication dedicated to showcasing the new and exciting ways TU Vienna crafted a long-standing partnership with the National University Lviv Polytechnic. Today, both universities carry out numerous joint activities, benefiting both students and faculty.
Published in this issue is an excerpt of the aforementioned thesis entitled City Branding: City Image and City Profile. Those interested can check out page 47 of the fascicule, bearing ISBN 978-3-902459-12-1.
share your unknown faces
2009January 31
Have you also been spending the past few days tirelessly fine-tuning iPhoto ‘09 and its face recognition algorithm to successfully identify friends, family and maybe even pets?
Have you noticed, however, how iPhoto sometimes beats us at our own game by finding faces we didn’t even think of? Ghouls in the garage, deities in the draperies and warlocks in the wardrobe are the order of the day.
In the spirit of fun, I have started a little Flickr group dubbed unknown face that highlights these very moments. These shots may be fun, unwillingly witty or downright absurd, but they’re all genuine misfirings.
Think of it as a fellow-developer — and photographer! — paying homage to the truly excellent work of the iPhoto team. If you feel like a little procrastination is just what the doctor ordered, feel free to join the group — it’s open to all — and contribute your own snappy snafus. See you there!
Update: A tip of the hat to the ApfelBlog for mentioning our virtual get-together!
whs promotional items
2009January 28
In the fall of 2008, we were busy designing and orchestrating the production of a great many promotional items bearing the colours of the Wiener Hauskrankenpflege, an agency that provides home care services in and around Vienna, our hometown. The aim was to create tokens and presents for clients and personnel (e.g. calendars, sticky-notes, pens, watches, umbrellas…), which could also be handed out at certain events.
The wooden pen depicted above is doubly special. Indeed, the Wiener Hauskrankenpflege operates hand-held terminals to organise and control work protocols meaning clients, who are often elderly, are required to sign on a screen to confirm various actions. This wooden pen has been specially designed to work with this modern technology, all the while providing a comfortable, familiar sensory experience. Furthermore, it was manufactured by volunteers enrolled in a special care programme.
We at wollzelle loved this project, in no little part because of its diversity — each object had unique design and production requirements. From a visual standpoint, our personal favourite is the green umbrella, because it allowed us to introduce a new typographic device for the WHS, thereby instating a shorter, purely visual mark that can be placed on objects too small to support the full word-mark effectively.
Stay tuned for more, and be sure to check out the latest WHS magazine issue, which will roll off the presses in the coming days.
'Tis the season to be jolly
2008December 20
Whether the month of December has to you a religious significance or merely a cultural one, chances are you too are battling against the gloom of winter and early nights with light arrangements, decorations and the usual assortment of seasonal foodstuffs. The wollzelle team is, of course, no exception.
This year, we are proud to introduce the wollzelle Santa, who, unlike his more traditional colleagues, opts for orange dress and winters in Vienna. It started innocently enough with an idea to spruce up our office for the holidays, which gradually turned into an ambitious wall decor project requiring the confection of special stencils and the consumption of many a delicious croissant, as evidenced by our Flickr photo-stream.
As the project grew, so did Santa, and he now adorns a full wall of the office, from top to bottom, casting a gleeful eye over our busy operations. Acute viewers will notice we introduced an element of the third dimension in the mural, in the form of magic tokens springing out of his hat — and out of the wall, onto the tree.
Of course, this is only the first of many outings for our Santa. He has already made an appearance on our holiday cards (front and back) and reliable sources have let it be said he may be back among us with renewed energy in 2009.
In the meantime, we at wollzelle would like to grasp this occasion to thank you all for your continued interest in our work. Your energy and enthusiasm keep us energized, and we are very much looking forwards to spending another year in your company. To you and to yours, a very good month and a great many cheers!
revisiting an old favorite
2008December 12
wollzelle is a photo buff’s haven. Over the years, we have had the honour of devising identities for some of the biggest names in photography, design and fashion. fluxiom, our asset manager, is used by countless professionals to build books and portfolios.
Today, we’re revisiting an old favorite, the web site of Peter Rigaud, a Vienna-based photographer with clients around the world and across all major industries.
Whether working on one of his artistic projects, snapping shots for advertisements or framing portraits for personal or editorial use, Peter’s work always marries a strong, precise structure with fluid and unexpected movement.
Peter’s home page originally went live in 2001. Its current design has evolved little since its inception in 2003. As his projects have grown and evolved, however, the time was ripe to add a new Publications section, presenting the many magazines into which his work is featured as well as the books dedicated to his work and career.
If you aren’t familiar with Peter’s art, we encourage it to give it a look. As always, your comments and feedback are very much welcome!
featured in: Nuova Comunicazione
2008December 09
Does the name Chiodo mean something to you? Our faithful readers will remember wollzelle had the honor of being commissioned by Gucci earlier this year to lay out and deliver a comprehensive communication campaign around this season’s most remarkable watch.
Today, we are thrilled to report that Italian design magazine Il Giornale della Nuova Comunicazione is running a feature on our work in its latest issue (October 2008).
The project encompassed a dedicated overlay on Gucci.com, widgets for Mac and PC doubling as organizers, digital tokens and more.
Most thrilling of all, however, was the design and development of a specially crafted touch-screen based interactive totem, that some of you have seen in stores around the globe over the season. It was fun and exciting to dip our fingers in so many pies and see our vision for Chiodo unfold smoothly on so many supports.
Find out more in our previous blog posts about the Gucci Chiodo project and the about the Gucci Chiodo widgets. Of course, and as usual, we hope you enjoyed the widgets and displays, too.
introducing fluxiom's free plan
2008December 01
As a regular typestorming reader, you probably know us best for our design adventures. Indeed, you may have read about how we support fashion, seek out great music and craft interactive interfaces.
Did you know, however, about our darker side? At night, wollzelle engineers come out of their orange coats and roam neon-lit data centres to manage heavy-duty storage gear, high-speed network links and redundant power supplies.
Of course, we’re not quite the mad rocket scientists! We do, however, have a genuine passion for technology. Why, might you ask? Simply because aesthetics make design attractive, but method makes it work. We at wollzelle aim to excel in both.
From this layered approach was born fluxiom, a novel online file manager that aims to annihilate all clutter through the effective use of the latest technologies in storage, search and sharing. Its technical core is wrapped in pure wollzelle design, making it a snap — and, we hope, a joy — to use.
To celebrate fluxiom’s latest accomplishments, we have recently introduced our first free plan.
If you too feel encumbered by files and dragged down by the demands of asset management, you can give fluxiom a spin, and try its most popular features for as long as you wish, without any financial commitment. Once you feel ready, heavier-duty plans are only a click away.
Of course, we couldn’t let the occasion go by without putting together a little video for you. It presents fluxiom and its unique approach to data management better than words ever could. It also introduces a series of features designed to help you manage your own data more effectively.
A high resolution version can be viewed over at fluxiom.com.
We hope you enjoy the video and take fluxiom out for a spin. As always, we very much welcome your comments, questions and suggestions!
Gucci Trunkshow Spring Summer 2009
2008November 28
If the fashion shows are the creative highlights of the couture world, the subsequent, and lesser-known, “trunk shows” signal the true launch of the collections. In an intimate setting, the designer’s best clients get an early look at his latest designs as well as a chance to pre-order the freshly introduced pieces.
Unfortunately, these events can also quickly become an exercise in frustration. Those who cannot attend find themselves unwillingly sitting on the sidelines while coveted items fly off the shelves, and those who do attend often find themselves hesitating between looks and alternatives.
Enter Gucci, and their desire to put a realistic, lifelike experience into the hands of each and every one of their best clients, be they on-the-spot or not, armed with a precise list of looks or a mere idea of their inspiration.
The solution to this problem turned out to be right down wollzelle’s alley.
By envisioning and developing an immersive online experience, putting videos, look cards and close-ups on a single page, we were able to bring all of Gucci’s select customers back in time, to the show itself. With all this knowledge in hand, they can easily phone in orders, even if they cannot attend the trunk show in person.
The precise referencing of all the elements displayed on the site makes collecting and processing orders a snap. The unique, mixed-media presentation of the collection ensures clients know exactly what it is they need — and what it is they want —, down to the minutest detail. By using just the right amount of visual cues, such as panning and fading, we were able to restrict and expand the amount of information displayed on-the-fly, seamlessly guiding the user in her quest for the right piece, all the while respecting Gucci’s polished, high-end, aesthetic.
We at wollzelle are honoured to have contributed to this piece of fashion history and helped spread a true fashion experience to the most far-flung corners of the globe. We hope you enjoy the site… and the collection!
Don't vote
2008November 03
See the stars struggling to grasp the concept of using reverse psychology to get young people into voting booths for the United States presidential election of 2008, Tuesday November 4, 2008.
One of my favorite quotes: “I can do anything, I was in a boyband, ok.” by Justin Timberlake.
Let's make money
2008October 28
The new film from Austrian director Erwin Wagenhofer looks behind the scenes of the colourful backdrop of banks and insurance companies.
The film is shown at this years Viennale and officially premiers on October 31 (the world saving day). It’s bizarre but the current economic situation seems to be the biggest worldwide advertising campaign promoting this movie.
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