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Rebranding the License Plate: 4 Designers Clean Up Graphic Road Kill

Why are so many license plates so bad? Ken Carbone sets out to revisit his state's much-reviled design and invites Craig Minor, Bart Crosby, and Stefan Bucher along for the ride.READ»

ICFF: The Best Branding Behind the Brands

99 percent of people on the planet would see ICFF as 145,000 square feet of "unnecessary." However, for the remaining one percent, it's an annual bazaar of the new and notable from the commercial and domestic landscapes that is not to be missed. READ»

The Toyota Crisis Calls for a Logo Tune-Up

The bad news for the automaker is in overdrive. Should they refresh their logo to signal positive change?READ»

The New Benjamin? Not So Money

The new $100 bill is a missed design opportunity. Wouldn't Franklin be disappointed?READ»

Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson: Father of Photojournalism

What is photography? What is a photographer? And, what is photojournalism today? Ken Carbone heads to MoMA to find out.READ»

"American Trademarks" Traces the Origins of Our Logo Lust

A new book on logos unearths unusual symbols and trademarks from the past. Ken Carbone surveys some of his favorites.READ»

London, We Have a Problem: U.K. Space Logo Proves Graphic Design Is Rocket Science

As the UK plans a new space endeavor, Ken Carbone boldly explores its less-than-stellar logo.READ»

Stone-Age Animation in a Digital World: William Kentridge at MoMA

We're dazzled by digital animation in Up and Avatar, but William Kentridge delivers as much visual wizardry with a chunk of charcoal.READ»

Iran: Looking Towards a Bright Future?

Another odd photo from overseas has Ken Carbone wondering if James Cameron is to blame for a breakdown in diplomacy.READ»

DESIGN   |  Comment

Super Bowl XLIV Ad Quiz: 30 Brands. 30 One-Second Ads. How Many Can You Spot?

What do you do if you want to advertise on the Big Game but only have a $100,000 ad budget? Try a one–second "blink" ad. It's a daunting design challenge to get a powerful brand message to stick.READ»

Hey Stupid! Diesel Thinks You're Awesome

Who is Diesel's new campaign calling "stupid?" Oh, it's us.READ»

DESIGN   |  Comment

Inspiration or Rip-Off? From "I Heart NY" Tees to Amex Smiley Face Ads

A new ad for American Express with murky origins gets Ken Carbone thinking about where great ideas come from.READ»

Big League Chew: Phils Out-Spit Yanks

Are the Yankees and Phillies actually playing baseball on Ken Carbone's widescreen TV? To him they're just hocking high-def loogies.READ»

Creepy, Crawly, Crafty: A Tapestry Woven by Eight-Legged Artists

What could possibly drive two men to spend $500,000 of their own money over four years, become employers of a million female spiders, and rekindle an indigenous tradition on the island of Madagascar?READ»

Bill and Kim's Excellently-Posed Adventure

What's up with that photo of Bill Clinton and Kim Jong Il that was released yesterday? Ken Carbone has some careful analysis.READ»