@studiocatherine Not in the slightest! Our printers just require a little extra time.
Kevin Finn’s graphic design trivia games, 100+, are now on sale here.
There are two volumes available, with volume three coming soon; Volume 1 is Finn’s personal set of graphic design trivia questions. Volume 2 contains the personal selection of trivia questions from Steven Heller and Lita Talarico, and Volume 3 contains Stefan Sagmeister’s personal trivia questions.
These graphic design trivia games fall under the label DESIGNerd, which has been created by Finn as a means to produce and release a range of products and publications over the coming years, including the ongoing 100+ series of trivia games. Finn also founded a series of design journals in 2003 called Open Manifesto, which questions the discipline of design and explores the wider reach of design culture. But where Open Manifesto questions design, Finn says “DESIGNerd seeks to celebrate design.”
There are six copies of Stefan Sagmeister’s 100+ to be won. Just buy one of the first 200 copies of 100+ Volume 1 or one of the first 200 copies of 100+ Volume 2, and you could find your winning ticket inside.
From Kevin:
I’d been thinking about setting up the DESIGNerd label for a few years, since I’m a self-confessed design nerd. But I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the label, and my time to think about it was limited due to being busy with client commissions and researching for Open Manifesto. Then, mid last year, the idea for the 100+ Trivia Games just hopped into my head – unannounced and unsolicited. I immediately got excited as 100+ has great potential to be a fun, social and educational game to further promote design education.
But the most exciting aspect of this initiative has been inviting some of the world’s most significant designers to develop their own personal 100+ trivia volume. Steven and Stefan have both commented on how much fun it has been for them to produce their own volume. Each volume is like a personalised book of design information spread across 100 cards – with each card having one question, and most cards including an additional bonus question. 100+ follows the regular trivia format with points allocated to correct answers. The cards are based on a simple three tier points system and, of course, the winner of a 100+ trivia game can proclaim themselves a true DESIGNerd.
The DESIGNerd label itself has already provided me the opportunity to pursue more ideas, which I am very excited about and anxious to develop. All going well, the future for my studio practice will include an increasing amount of DESIGNerd initiatives, which is an incredibly exciting prospect for me. The 100+ trivia series is already receiving enthusiastic attention within design circles, and I already have plans in motion to develop a DESIGNerd 100+ series for Architecture, Product Design and Fashion Design. And since designers are notorious collectors, it’s possible this limited series of personalised trivia volumes from the world’s great designers will be scooped up quickly…
100+ is now on sale here. Only 1000 units of each volume will be produced and sold.
I have to ask, is the kerning between the G and the N intentional? It’s killing me. I can’t possibly open the tin, until I find the answer to this first question.
Surely it’s intentional. I don’t like it, though.
Yes, the small kerning gap is intentional. It has been specifically included to highlight both words – ‘Design’ and ‘Nerd’ – rather than one incorrect word – Designerd’.
Definitely intentional, very Kevin – love it.
The more graphic designers spend time on trivial self-congratulatory pampering, the more we risk looking like a completely trivial profession.
The world around us is in a mess. There are so many meaningful and good causes that desperately deserve contributions from skilled and experienced designers.
I cringe these days reading design blogs. People dribbling over the same old same old. Gold foil this, emboss that. Fancy over-curated portfolio photos of disposal marketing gumph…
And now, graphic design trivia in a tin? Seriously. Surely there are so many better ways to use the valuable time of some of these designers. Every day counts, every gesture matters. Do we really need to spend time on trivia? Is that sort of ironic?
James, I’m sad and disappointed by your response. You have some valid views on our profession as a whole but, like much of your comments, they are based on gross generalisations. Indeed, our profession is guilty of narrow, self-interested endeavours. But it is also rich with communal and enlightened endeavours, too. For the record, myself, Steven, Lita and Stefan have all contributed in our own way to ‘meaningful causes’ (by which I assume you mean social, political, medical, and environmental causes, among many other areas). With a little research you would see this is the case.
But on the topic of meaningful causes, I think education is incredibly meaningful and worthwhile. Coupled with this, entertainment of all sorts has played a valuable part in shaping human culture for longer than our profession has been classified as a profession. It would be much more constructive if you include with your comments a more defined notion of what you refer to as ‘meaningful’. I assume from your passionate response the only work you engage with is meaningful. I genuinely hope this is the case and applaud you for it. Equally, much of the work I do is meaningful to me.
James I am not sure if you are being sarcastic or not…but if not you need to lighten up. This game is educational and its a laugh (well done Kevin), whats wrong with that?
You cringe reading design blogs? Don’t read them. I cringe reading comment above. Everyday counts, every gesture matters? Well by your own reasoning why don’t you do something positive, rather then come here to vent and spit negativity.
I have to agree 100% with James, it comes under the category designers designing for designers, black, white, helvetica.
Why the need to tear somebody else’s efforts down? This kind of negativity and bitchiness doesn’t help the profession one bit.
Kevin has done more than his fare share of work for meaningful good causes (and I’m sure he’ll continue to do so) which you’d know if you scratched the surface at all. It’s a matter of balance–the fun with the serious, the the meaningful with the trivial. If you don’t like the cards, don’t buy them, no need to crap on them.
And FYI, this is a design blog, if you find them cringeworthy, don’t read them, I’m sure your time would be better spent saving the world.
Kevin, if you read this I wanted to be one of the first to say… Congratulations – anyone who takes the initiative to create anything for our industry deserves gratitude and respect.
If more designers realised that they have been blessed with a talent that should be celebrated with peer support and industry accolade then perhaps you wouldn’t encounter such snide comments from an industry that actually should support one another by utilising their energy in praise rather than persecution.
Lindsay, many thanks for your very kind words. James has every right to express his opinion, and I welcome criticism as much as I welcome support. I’m genuinely uninterested in self congratulatory, love-ins. But constructive feedback – like yours, Lindsay – is valuable.
As per my reply to James, criticism that is based on gross generalisations, and misinformed sweeping statements, doesn’t really help anyone. Nor does it achieve what James may be looking for from our profession. Like others, ours is a profession made up of individuals who can achieve more by ‘doing something’ rather than simply slinging mud.
I hope James is – in fact – actively engaged in the work he is calling for others to do. And I would welcome a more pointed critique from James after he has actually seen and assessed the 100+ content, which has not yet been launched or released.
It’s an unfortunate shame that some of our contemporaries feel it is more constructive to lash out at an individual or group because of their anger about something bigger than those they criticise.
That said, I agree, our profession is well placed to be engaged with ‘meaningful’ causes – many of us are.
Bloody brilliant idea Kevin
Kevin,
I think it’s a brilliant concept.
I’m still considered a baby in the profession, with just 5 years design experience under my belt, plus I’m working my way through my qualifications as we speak, so I’m always looking for new and engaging ways to gain further insight into the industry. I think this is a genius way to build and share knowledge with others about our profession and to have fun while you’re doing it.
I can’t wait for it to be released, so I can test how much of a design nerd I really am with my friends.
Well done!
Thanks Siobhan. As you point out, the main objective of 100+ is to share knowledge in a fun, social way. Thanks again for your feedback and support.
http://face37.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50
There’s no need for everyone to take a bit of criticism so defensively. Designers need to learn to have much more robust debate without squealing about mud slinging.
Is it really a brilliant concept? Is it really education? Personally it seems no more genuinely educative than that other initiative Kevin Fin is involved in – an ‘elite’ industry ‘school’.
I predict, given the participants, it will be a ‘test’ of your ability to conform to a tired picture of the industry that refuses to deal with the future. It will just reinforce the canon and continue to interpret the past in a self serving and predictable way. Where’s the fun in that?
Wow! Rheba, I think you have misinterpreted a few things.
First, I totally welcome debate. But debate is not supported by simply slamming something. Debate is driven by alternative solutions and different – but informed – opinions that are constructive, shared and fully explained, not simply made up of damning comments. I welcome debate. Truly! And I stated in my reply to Lindsay that I welcome criticism as much as I do support. However, outright condemnation without having seen or assessed what one is criticising seems a little premature.
As for whether you think something like this is adding to education or not, I completely accept you feel that it may not be. Either way, I just hope that it will, in some way, help with further design education. It’s that simple.
In terms of ‘that school I am involved with’, I assume you mean Tractor. For the record, I am not ‘involved’ with the school (or any other school, for that matter). I was approached a long time ago for my opinion on Tractor as a concept school, and I willingly gave my opinion on what I think will be a great addition (and compliment) to current design education.
It is so easy to fire off criticism without doing the proper research on what one is criticising – and it’s rather upsetting to receive.
As for my comment on ‘mud slinging’, James’s response was so ill-informed and judgemental that I fail to see how my reply is being over defensive. I just wanted to set the record straight and furnish James with the correct information. And I haven’t yet heard back from James to continue the ‘debate’, so it seems his intention was not to discuss 100+, just to slam it. If this is the case, I’m perfectly fine with that. Honestly!
My intention from this small initiative is not to make more friends, or become more popular, or impress everybody, or to generate an elite club. 100+ is a small contribution to our field as a profession. Some may accept it; some will not. That’s fine. It may die off as quick as it has appeared. I’m just interested in doing the best I can with something that I feel may – in some small way – be positive. This is what I do with my publication project Open Manifesto. And it’s what I do with as many client commissions as I possibly can.
In addition, anyone that knows me personally is well aware of my interest in the concerns that challenge our collective future, not only of our profession, but of our planet. But sometimes it’s useful to know where we’ve come from in order to know where we’re going…
I look forward to your reply, Rheba.
Kevin, like James, I’m just bored with all this endless designer lifestyle shit. No, I haven’t seen your product, that’s why it was a prediction. Based on participants who never really actually challenge anything, in spite of (or because of) their visibility in the industry. Happy to be proved wrong though.
Fair enough, Rheba. I understand you’re making a prediction. I just think it’s premature to have such a strong conviction against something you haven’t seen.
As for those involved, it never ceases to amaze me when our peers throw obligation on others simply because of the profile they’ve received from the very same profession – and, I should add, I don’t include myself in the same category as the more recognised practitioners in our field, like Steven, Stefan and Lita.
We all have a responsibility to do the best we can. Period! It doesn’t matter who we are or how well known we are, or not. I won’t speak on behalf of Steven, Lita or Stefan, regarding whether they ever changed anything in particular (though I believe they actually have) but, from my own perspective, I genuinely strive to make positive change in the work I do. Maybe I’ve missed the mark with 100+ (and maybe you feel none of what I’ve done has ever contributed to any sort of positive change). But this is my constant aspiration, regardless.
I hope, if you do come across a volume of 100+ you might reconsider your prediction and perhaps retract your comment that it is ‘shit’. I genuinely hope you can find some merit to the 100+ initiative – though you do sound very angry about it.
Until then, best wishes. Kevin
So good to see your name come up again Kevin and not surprising at all to see it associated with creative genius and progressive thinking. Hope all is well my friend.
Thanks Matt. Much appreciated!
Within this highly critiqued industry where we constantly ask serious, searching questions and pour over our design decisions – have we really forgotten about the lighter side of design?
For me this product is a welcomed bit of light relief, designed with no agenda – not taking itself too seriously. Anything that can make us smile and spread a little joy in the meantime can only be a good thing.
All the best with the product Kevin and the product extension ideas.
Wonderful concept Kevin, all the best with the project.