I love to spend hours curled up on the couch re-reading all seven Harry Potter books but lately time has been of the essence. Enter, Lazylibrary.com.

Lazylibrary is to Oprah Book Club as Sundance is to the Academy Awards. There certainly is power in efficient writing. Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in just six words. The result was, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” and he is said to have called it his best work. Some people say it was to settle a bar bet. Others say it was a personal challenge directed at other famous authors.

Hemingway’s example illustrates the point that in writing, less is more. I like to think of it this way (because I don’t consider myself a lazy reader but I see value in this idea): in the time it takes me to read one book with two good ideas I could read five books with 10 good ideas.

Postscript: Check out Rules of the Red Rubber Ball by Kevin Carroll on lazylibrary. I was lucky enough to attend his keynote presentation at the AMA Conference this year. I found his stories very motivational in the unconventional way that creative people respond best to. I would highly recommend his book for all designers.

Quite a few articles have come up recently defending the London Olympic logo, saying such knowledgeable things as “It doesn’t have to be beautiful to be effective.” and “It’s bold, everyone will remember it!” While the logo is effective in the sense that you can’t get it’s ugly shape out of your head, it needs to come with a translator. I can use my imagination and see a 2…0…that’s supposed to be a 0? Dash. Z? It’s like one of those games that you only have 3 pieces and you have to make a square.

Placed next to 50 Olympic logos from 1424 to 2016 its beautiful pink/yellow (orange, blue, insert random color here) zags stand out by burning my pupils. It by no means makes me want to visit London or get excited about the 2012 Olympics (especially if how it’s going to be run, will look like this.)

When I look at the logo I think, “Wow London must really have terrible traffic, bad food, angry people, only Microsoft paint, and be stuck in the 80s.” Instead we need a logo that says, “Wow, London has beautiful architecture, great restaurants, tons of shopping, a great underground transportation system, and so on. Really, anything that people would enjoy.

Granted the alternate London 2012 logos weren’t very inventive and the logo in question is a completely different concept (Is the logo raving about the club scene and the zags are what all the other people will look like after downing a bottle of Absinthe?) Both London’s Organizing Committee and Wolff Olins say they are trying to “inspire young people around the world” and that this logo reaches those young people. I can just imagine how the last meeting went “Mm, yes…kids these days are all on drugs, they’ll love this.”

Postscript: Getting paid £400,000 for a logo? SUH-WEEET!

Stinkerdoodle rocks. What’s the inspiration for today? Spontaneous collaboration!

My good mates over at Substance brought Stinkerdoodle to my attention this morning. Stinkerdoodle is a community doodle space (roughly as large as 1,922 square cyber miles so they claim) developed by Curious Media. As simple as a quick sign in and you’re good to go with colors, a pen and someone else’s doodles to add on to (destroy completely). The illustrations update in real time so you can see what booty the other sketching pirates have claimed.

My first contribution (as 58acres) was a pet horse for Stephen’s coffee drinking skateboard guy. Since this morning that friendly pony has turned into the powerful, yet beautiful flying unicorn ridden by none other than the Angel of Death himself. Also I added the rock bird (”rock on bird dude” he says to the other bird).

What’s your vacation personality? Let the wisdom of the suitcase reveal who you are and where you’re headed.

Big Spaceship and Arnold Worldwide brought Royal Caribbean International a FWA for their work on this vacation fun-a-lyzer.

I’m heading to Mexico to enjoy some world-class beaches, vibrant culture, lush green rain forests and vividly painted architecture that will dazzle my eyes. (Not really but that is what the suitcase says I should do. I agree.)

design: e2 (the economies of being environmentally conscious) is an original six-part mini-series that explores the vitality of the environment through design, water, energy, food, transportation, botanicals, textiles, and health.

Narrated by Brad Pitt, filmed in HD and released nationwide on PBS in June of 2006. design:e2 follows eight different topics - from sustainable architecture to water culture to alternative energy to organic farming to recycled clothing and more. Each presented in thirty-minute episodes demonstrating that living in harmony with nature is not only a matter of progress; it’s a matter or survival.

The following videos are a series of podcasts that expand the conversation that the broadcast series has begun.

episode 1 - green apple

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episode 2 - green for all

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episode 3 - the green machine

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episode 4 - gray to green

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episode 5 - china: from red to green

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episode 6 - deeper shades of green

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(Click here if videos are not showing up)

Passive aggressive advertising from Brazilian company Itambé for their Light Yogurt “Fit Light” campaign. The caption reads “Forget about it. Men’s preference will never change. Fit Light Yogurt.” Oh snap!

Itambé’s advertising through guilt is quite the opposite of Dove’s advertising through empowerment.

While both techniques may be successful in getting an audience, I have to ask myself “what is the importance of developing a loyal customer?”

Agency: Salles Chemistri