Winnipeg, Canada

We’re very pleased to have had the opportunity over the last six months of working with an exciting new First Nations initiative—TIPI (TWCC Insurance Partners LP)—on the creation, naming, and design of branding and communications materials. TIPI fulfills the dream of a single, national pension and benefit plan for Aboriginal People and First Nations organizations, and holds the potential to bring together more than 490 separate plans currently scattered across Canada.

Combining pension assets into a single plan will dramatically lower fees charged to First Nations pension accounts. This in turn means that more money stays in the communities, reversing the “economic leakage” that is currently the norm. TIPI will also lead to the creation of numerous jobs for Aboriginal people; and TIPI raises the bar with ethics based on honesty, openness, social responsibility, and regard for the well-being of People (vs. the well-being of the “corporate bottom line”).

Part of Circle’s work on behalf of TIPI has been the design and development of a launch website, where you can learn more about this exciting initiative.

Shown above is a screen-shot of the new WordPress-powered TIPI website, along with some of the key messages that appear on the splash page.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Opening next month at a Beta location in the Exchange District… thousands of (admittedly still-rough) square feet on the 3rd Floor of 125 Adelaide St., featuring 24/7 access to some remarkable rapid prototyping and 3D printing equipment, as well as a supportive “community” of good, passionate folks who are into unapologetic ideation and iteration, embedded system design, woodworking, metalworking, and a variety of creative disciplines related to “making.” Expect to encounter opportunities for collaborative project development, mentorship, and skills transfer in this non-profit environment…

We were pleased to be involved in the design of AssentWork’s corporate identity. More information on how to become a part of AssentWorks here.

See you there?

Winnipeg, Canada

No big celebrations or festivities, but we’re reflective and thoughtful today as we mark 35 years since our formation as a design consultancy. Heartfelt thanks go out to all those who have contributed to our history to date…  colleagues, clients, vendors, friends, and family members!

Cheers!

Toronto, Canada

An essay that Circle’s principal, Robert L. Peters, compiled for Applied Arts Magazine (pulling from various articles he’s penned over the past years) appears in the current issue (Vol. 25, No. 4, October 2010) with the following pull-quote featured on the cover…

“NEED is the father of thought. I would like to think that designing and dreaming have traveled in lockstep since our species began to walk upright… Graphic design ignites passion, identifies, informs, clarifies, inspires, and enables communication… Design shapes culture and it influences societal values.”

Read or download the whole essay here (384 KB PDF).

Antwerp, Belgium

Here’s a big shout of “Congrats!” to our co-design worldwide
partner Frank Andries Design. Keep up the great work!

Lisbon, Portugal

The May/June 2010 (#374 Illustration Annual 51) issue of Communication Arts magazine contains a feature article entitled “Visual Communication Design in Portugal: Land of Discovery” written by Circle’s principal, Robert L. Peters. The piece investigates Portugal’s unique attributes, history, culture, and current realities in relation to visual communication—the article is accompanied by a selection of design and illustration by Portuguese designers.

Peters visited Lisbon in 2009 as a speaker at OFFF 2009 Oeiras (International Festival For The Post-Digital Creation Culture), an event attended by nearly 4000 enthusiastic participants. He then drew from dozens of attendees who contacted him following his talk to crowd-source opinions on Portuguese design and related issues, as well as suggestions for representative works.

Peters has been contributing in-depth foreign feature articles to Communication Arts magazine since 1994, including pieces on design and design events in Russia, Portugal (the XVI Icograda General Assembly in 1995), Uruguay, Australia, Korea, Japan, Brazil, China, Denmark, Cuba, and New Zealand. Copies of CA issue #374 are available at book stores and major news outlets around the world and may be purchased online from the Communication Arts website.

Read the full feature article (with full creative credits for works shown) or download the entire CA Portugal design feature here (1.1 MB). Note: this feature article from Communication Arts magazine appears with permission by Communication Arts ©2010 Coyne & Blanchard, Inc. All rights reserved.

A special thanks to the numerous Portuguese designers and design educators who enthusiastically contributed their insights, viewpoints, and suggestions regarding works that appear in the article, in particular; Sarah Chaves Brasseur, Carla Carrão, Aurelindo Ceia, António (Tózé) Coelho, António Costa, Ana Farinha, João Cardoso Fernandes, Antero Ferreira, Afonso Figueiredo, Margarida Fonseca, Bruno Franco, António Silveira Gomes, Carla Ponte Júlio, Ana Lopes, Miguel Macedo, Mário Moura, Fernando Oliveira, João Maio Pinto, Rosa Quitério, Luísa Ribas, Catarina da Silva, Paulo Silva, and Patrícia Sobral.

Winnipeg, Canada

Amdocs Inc. provides primary physician services in remote and Northern Canadian communities. Its community-based approach fulfills the vision of Dr. Anthon Meyer to develop mutually rewarding relationships with First Nations communities by delivering high quality family physician services, chronic disease management, practice consultant support for nurse clinician services, and related continuous medical education services in full compliance with both College of Physicians and Surgeons and Governmental standards.

Over the past month we’ve been delighted to work with Dr. Anthon Meyer and his team at Amdocs (now located in Gibraltar House alongside long-time client The North West Company) on the design of a corporate identity, recruitment ads, print materials, and a website. Learn more about Amdocs and the good work the organization is doing here.

São Paulo, Brazil

Our talented colleagues at Oz Design (one of our co-design worldwide partners) were featured this week in the leading Brazilian weekly magazine Veja by means of a 10-page article introducing them as the graphic design professionals who “Give the city a face.” A piece of well-deserved recognition, we think, regarding the efforts that Oz has invested over the past 30 years to promote the value of design in Brazil. If you understand Portuguese, read more here.

Keep up the good work!

Winnipeg, Canada

We’re excited about a significant product launch happening next week here in Winnipeg. For nearly two years we’ve been working intensely with a visionary client team from Conquest Manufacturing Ltd. and a number of leading architects on the conceptual development, ideation, planning, and design of an exciting new product offer—eco-smart, sensibly-sized, precision-built homes reflecting best practices in sustainable design and offering future-proof comfort and convenience.

We’re currently launching the brand (an initial website went live this week here) and the new line of Challenger homes will kick off in dramatic fashion next Friday at the Autumn Home Show in Winnipeg. The Cube, an innovative, modern, two-story home designed by architect Ed Calnitsky, is being assembled right on the Convention Centre floor (from four precision-built modules delivered to the venue). This leading-edge demo home will act as the event’s feature attraction, and will show off innovative products from many of the show’s other exhibitors.

Find details about show hours, etc. here. If you’re in or near Manitoba, we’d encourage you to drop by Booth #217 (right across from The Cube) and see what the future of smart living will be like.

For more information about this launch, contact Robert L. Peters, FGDC
(Tel. +1 204 943 3693).

São Paulo, Brazil

Our co-design worldwide partners at Oz Design are celebrating their 30th Anniversary, replete with a move into new offices… here’s a congratulatory toast to our talented southern friends from the great white north…

Cheers!