News
February 2010
“Pittsburgh: A New Portrait” selected for book show
Franklin Toker’s book “Pittsburgh: A New Portrait” was selected for the Association of American University Presses annual Book, Jacket, and Journal Show. We designed the book for University of Pittsburgh Press. A catalog of the selections will be published in June.
Blogging on Pittsburgh Creative
Rick will be one of 30 monthly contributors to the new Pittsburgh Creative blog. The daily blog features observations from some of the city’s leading creative professionals.
January 2010
Before the earthquake
In 2006 Rick visited Haiti while working on a small book about Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. The three-hour ride from Port au Prince to the hospital was punctuated by scenes of colorful, vibrant street life. Rick shot a few minutes of video from the window of the moving car. “It was as if all life was lived out on the road. What an amazing place, and what engaging people.”
We hope this glimpse of everyday Haitian life, providing such a contrast to the current tragedy, might inspire you to help Hopital Albert Schweitzer in their critical mission. The video runs about 3.5 minutes.
Rick teaching
After a hiatus of 10 years Rick has re-joined the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design, teaching a course on Graphic Identity to juniors, seniors, and grad students.
Rick featured in SEGD teleconference
On January 21, Rick was one of three speakers to participate in a national teleconference presented by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design, entitled “Beyond Signs.” He spoke on the integration of signage, print, and graphic identity.
Design (and Goat) Observer
Rick’s short piece “The Bleating Edge” appeared on Design Observer. Read it here.
November 2009
Rick gives a TEDx talk
TED (Technology Entertainment Design) is a well-known annual invitation-only conference devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” Rick was an invited speaker at LeadershipPittsburgh’s TEDx conference; this two-day independently-organized TED conference gathered curious, open-minded, visionary thinkers of all stripes to share ideas on creating a better future for our children.
Here’s a video of his talk, which you can also read here.
Video: Pecha Kucha on Arnold Varga
Watch Rick’s presentation on Arnold Varga for AIGA Pittsburgh’s Pecha Kutcha night:
October 2009
Landesberg in Print 2009 Design Annual
The Kenyon College admissions prospectus will be included in Print magazine’s 2009 Regional Design Annual.
The Regional Design Annual is the most comprehensive survey of graphic design in the United States—over 20,000 individual entries are submitted, representing almost every state. The work selected for inclusion represents the best design, illustration, and photography being produced throughout the United States.
A Small Edition Book for the G20 Summit Dignitaries
A celebration of famous Pittsburghers is a fitting gift for visiting G20 dignitaries. The digitally-printed books were presented to Michelle Obama’s guests at a private dinner held at the home of Theresa Heinz Kerry. Working together with our friends at The Heinz Endowments, we designed and produced the books in one week.
This Remarkable Building Audio Tour
Visitors to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh can learn about the Center’s green features using a cell phone. We wrote the script and designed bright markers to cue calls. The Audio Tour was launched for the G20 Summit.
Wall Street Journal reviews “Pittsburgh: A New Portrait”
Franklin Toker’s wonderful book about Pittsburgh’s history, neighborhoods, and architecture gets a great review. We designed the book for University of Pittsburgh Press.
August 2009
UCDA Gold Award for Kenyon’s Admissions communications
Kenyon College’s Recruitment series was awarded one of only 9 Gold Awards in the 2008 University and College Designers Association Design Competition.
The judges selected 255 winners from the 1300 entries submitted to UCDA’s highly-regarded annual competition, awarding 9 Gold Awards, 9 Silver Awards, and 237 Awards of Excellence.
Kenyon’s Prospectus, entered alone, also won an Award of Excellence.
Two other Landesberg projects won Awards of Excellence: the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business report, and the University of Pittsburgh Science 2008 identity.
July 2009
August Wilson Center transit ads
Our designs for the August Wilson Center’s new membership campaign have been appearing all around town on bus shelters and billboards. For more info on membership and the grand opening of their new building, visit www.augustwilsoncenter.org.
June 2009
Kenyon Prospectus receives Gold CASE Award
Kenyon College’s admissions prospectus is the recipient of a 2009 Gold Medal from The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), in the category of student recruitment publications.
Out of 171 entries, only two gold medals were awarded.
CASE’s membership includes more than 3,400 colleges, universities, independent elementary and secondary schools, and educational associates in 61 countries around the world.
Debra Tomson Williams in RECTO-VERSO exhibit
Debra Tomson Williams is participating in RECTO-VERSO, an exhibition of artists’ handmade books from the traditional to the unconventional.
Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Sewickley
Opening reception: Friday, June 5, 7:00–9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: June 5–30
http://www.sweetwaterartcenter.org/events.asp
Debra’s piece was selected for the exhibition announcement.
May 2009
Awardee Alex Lezberg, while studying abroad in Italy.
2009 Landesberg Design Award
Alex Lezberg, a graduating Communications Design senior from Carnegie Mellon University, is this year’s recipient of the Landesberg Design Award. The award has been given annually since 1992 to a student, selected by the faculty, whose work “exhibits the qualities of love, intelligence, discernment and playfulness.” Alex’s work can be found online at www.alexlezberg.com. Congratulations!
April 2009
1960s newspaper department store ads by Arnold Varga.
Pecha Kucha Night
Designers, artists, architects, engineers, writers—creative professionals of all stripes—came out for Pecha Kucha Night, co-hosted by Pittsburgh’s chapters of AIGA and AIA. Japanese for “chitchat,” Pecha Kucha strictly allows speakers 20 slides, shown for 20 seconds each. Rick’s tribute to legendary art director, illustrator, and designer Arnold Varga delighted the rowdy crowd and stayed within the time limit.
March 2009
Landesberg projects in AIGA Pittsburgh’s Context show
Seven of our projects will appear in Context: AIGA Pittsburgh’s Annual Design Competition, which opens at 6:00pm on Thursday, March 26, 2009, at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery. Included in the show are our annual report for Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, a history book of Giant Eagle, the Kenyon College Prospectus, signage for Hillman Library at the University of Pittsburgh, the Katz School of Business annual report, the identity for University of Pittsburgh’s Science2008, and a poster and invitation to WYEP’s Rock the Block celebration.
November 2008
Rick judges AIGA Philadelphia design competition
Joining four colleagues from around the country, Rick judged the AIGA Philadelphia Design Awards. Doing this had special meaning as his very first project when he started on his own in was included in the first AIGA Philadelphia competition in the early ’80s.
August 2008
Landesberg Design opens NYC office
Landesberg Design has a new location in New York City. Matt Lee heads up the office, which is located in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. See the contact page for how to get in touch with us there.
“The Essential Kenyon” honored by UCDA
Our new design for the Kenyon College Prospectus received a UCDA Award of Excellence and will appear in their 2008 Design Show. Out of 1600 entries across all categories, fewer than 200 projects were recognized.
The University & College Designers Association (UCDA) exists to promote excellence in visual communications for educational institutions. It is an organization comprised of more than 1000 members throughout the United States and Canada.
July 2008
Take Me To Your Robot
Our lively identity for Robot250, a celebration of Pittsburgh's love affair with robotics, popped up all over town.
June 2008
New Momma
Vicki Crowley and husband John welcomed beautiful Maren Adele.
May 2008
Landesberg project featured in new book on information design
Our permanent exhibit panels that describe the green engineering aspects of Pittsburgh’s new David L. Lawrence Convention Center are featured in Rockport Publishing’s newly published Information Design Workbook. Our client was the Green Building Alliance.
April 2008
August Wilson Center 07/08 Season Brochure recognized by American Association of Museums
Our 2007/2008 Season Brochure for Pittsburgh’s August Wilson Center captured a first place award in the 2008 AAM (American Association of Museums) Museum Publications Design Competition in the category of Calendars of Events.
March 2008
August Wilson Center “First Voice” Brochure recognized by Communication Arts
Our "First Voice" brochure for Pittsburgh’s August Wilson Center appears in the “Exhibit” section of the March/April issue of Communication Arts. “First Voice” was an 11-day festival showcasing an eclectic blend of performances and installations by local and international artists of African descent. The piece is also featured online on the Communication Arts website.
Landesberg in How 2008 International Design Annual
Pittsburgh Art in Public Places, a downtown walking tour designed for the Office of Public Art, is included in How magazine’s 2008 International Design Annual. The annual features nearly 300 of the year’s top print and interactive designs.
November 2007
Communications Arts 2007 Graphic Design Annual
Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, a book marking the 50th Anniversary of this small hospital located in rural Haiti, was selected for inclusion in this prestigious publication. Rick had the good fortune to travel to the hospital to research the book.
Of the 9,286 entries to the 2007 Design Annual, 249 were accepted, making the CA Design Annual the most exclusive major graphic design competition in the world.
Landesberg in Print 2007 Design Annual
Pittsburgh Art in Public Places, a downtown walking tour designed for the Office of Public Art, and Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, a 50th Anniversary commemorative book designed for the hospital, will be included in Print magazine’s 2007 Regional Design Annual.
The Regional Design Annual is the most comprehensive survey of graphic design in the United States—over 20,000 individual entries are submitted, representing almost every state. The work selected for inclusion represents the best design, illustration, and photography being produced throughout the United States.
October 2007
NEXT: AIGA’s National Conference
Vicki Crowley, President of AIGA Pittsburgh, and Rick Landesberg travelled to Denver for NEXT: AIGA’s National Conference, for three days of inspiration, professional networking, and trend forecasting.
August 2007
Landesberg Design Supports WYEP’s Rock the Block
For the second year in a row, we were happy to donate the design for the annual block party hosted by our Bedford Square neighbors at the WYEP Community Broadcast Center. The colorful invitations, posters, and flyers can be seen throughout the city in the weeks leading up to the September 8th event.
91.3fm WYEP Pittsburgh is an independent, listener-supported public radio station. Rock the Block features live performances, free food and drink from area breweries and restaurants, a silent auction, photo booths, and more. For more information, visit their website at www.wyep.org.
May 2007
August Wilson Center Season Brochure recognized by Communication Arts and the American Association of Museums
Our season brochure for the August Wilson Center for African-American Culture is featured this month in Communication Arts’ story on visual typography. The brochure has also garnered an award in the “Calendars of Events” category of the 2007 American Association of Museums (AAM) Museum Publications Design Competition.
February 2007
Big cheese
Vicki Crowley is the newly-elected President of AIGA Pittsburgh.
AIGA, the professional association for design, is the oldest and largest membership association for professionals engaged in the discipline, practice, and culture of designing.
AIGA Pittsburgh has 280 members.
Celebrating 25 years of design
Rick started Landesberg Design in February, 1982 with one client and a big pair of specs. Happy 25th anniversary to us, and heartfelt thanks to all our clients and partners—writers, photographers, printers—for making it a great quarter century.
January 2007
Haynes Flute Brochure featured in Communication Arts
Our Haynes flute brochure appears in the Exhibit feature in the latest issue of Communication Arts.
Good show
Nine of our projects will appear in Context: AIGA Pittsburgh’s Annual Design Competition, which opens at 6:00pm on Thursday, February 1, 2007, at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery. Nationally recognized judges selected a number of our publications for inclusion in the exhibition, which showcases the very best of Pittsburgh’s graphic design, advertising, and digital media. Each piece was selected for its appropriateness within the context of its purpose, content, objective, audience, and resources.
Included in the show are our 50th Anniversary report for Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Pittsburgh Art in Public Places, a guide to Oakland’s public art, business cards for internationally-renowned photojournalist Lynn Johnson, a brochure for Amadeus flutes, a series of brochures promoting The Campaign for Kenyon, the In Our Own Words brochure for Kenyon College, an invitation to a Strada Architects event, and a poster and invitation to WYEP’s Rock the Block celebration.
December 2006
Our Three Rivers Park signs featured in segdDESIGN
Our signs for Three Rivers Park appear in an article on park signage in segdDESIGN, the magazine of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD).
October 2006
Library signage included in a new book on the relationship of design and research
Our signage and wayfinding system for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a featured case study in the just-published A Designer’s Research Manual (Rockport Publishers). Designing effective signage for this large urban library system required various qualitative research tactics (with assistance from MAYA Design) to understand the experiences, patterns, and expectations of library users.
May 2006
Rick visits Haiti for book project
Rick Landesberg traveled to Haiti to visit the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. It was a remarkable trip. For 50 years, this hospital has served the people of the rural Artibonite Valley. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and its people are beset by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malnutrition. We’re designing a book that will capture the spirit of the hospital and raise awareness of the challenges faced by staff and patients.
The Heinz Endowments’ h Magazine receives a 2006 Wilmer Shields Rich Gold Award from the Council on Foundations
The Wilmer Shields Rich Awards were created in 1984 to promote excellence in communications by grantmaking foundations. The Gold award garnered by h Magazine is the highest given. This is the second consecutive Gold award for The Heinz Endowments’ quarterly publication.
We’ve designed h Magazine since the premier issue in fall 2001.
Kenyon College publication earns CASE award
“From Day One,” the yield piece we designed for Kenyon College, was awarded a silver medal in the Individual Student Recruitment Publications category of the 2006 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence awards.
February 2006
Landesberg Design honored at AIGA Pittsburgh 100 Show
Our work for The Heinz Endowments, Riverlife Task Force, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, City Theatre, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Eastman Strings, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and Mark Perrott was selected for inclusion in the annual AIGA Pittsburgh 100 Show, held on February 9 at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery. The event, co-chaired by Vicki Crowley, showcases the 100 best examples of graphic design produced in the Pittsburgh region over the past year.
Bag design featured in new book
A tote bag designed for Leed’s is featured in the new book, 1000 Bags, Tags & Labels: Distinctive Designs for Every Industry (Rockport Publishers). Joe Petrina was the designer. The book has some wonderful examples of package design. We’re excited to be included.
November 2005
A Century of Heroes chosen for Communication Arts
2005 Design Annual
We recently received the good news that A Century of Heroes, the book we designed for the Carnegie Hero Fund, was selected for the Communication Arts 2005 Design Annual.
Strada invitation selected for 2005 Print Regional Design Annual
Joe’s party invitation for Strada Architects strikes again: after appearing in the 2004 Communication Arts Design Annual, it’s now been selected for the 2005 Print Regional Design Annual.
Rick participates in exhibit at the Mattress Factory
Rick Landesberg collaborated with book artist/photographer Dennis Marsico and poet Jim Daniels to produce Flinch, a book featured in Marsico’s installation, Passion and Politics, at the Mattress Factory museum in Pittsburgh. The book is letterpress printed on handmade paper and features Marsico’s quietly incendiary images. The show, Messages and Communications, runs through April 2.
Vicki co-chairs the AIGA Pittsburgh 100 Show
Vicki Crowley is the co-chair of the AIGA Pittsburgh 100 Show, the annual design competition that showcases the 100 best examples of graphic design produced in the Pittsburgh region over the past year. The show, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, will be held Thursday, February 9 at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery, 937 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh. Visit the show’s site for more info.
Vicki organizes a series of events at Carnegie Mellon featuring designer Marcia Lausen
Since 2000, Marcia Lausen has worked on an election reform initiative for AIGA’s Design for Democracy. Her efforts address the physical and informational systems used by voters and election officials nationwide.
Vicki Crowley is vice president of AIGA Pittsburgh and an adjunct faculty member at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design. She enlisted support from IDSA Pittsburgh and the School of Design to present Ms. Lausen’s lecture and a related series of School of Design activities.
October 2005
By Design opens November 4
Rick Landesberg, Neil Donnelly, and fellow Pittsburgh designer Brett Yasko are the guest co-curators of By Design, an exhibit of new installations by 16 local designers. Julia Zimmerman is a participating artist in the show, which opens at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery on Friday, November 4. See the By Design website for more information.
Landesberg Design shocked by permissiveness of
United States Postal Service
Thanks to Julia’s trickery with the folks behind the counter at Pittsburgh’s South Side post office, a much-needed stapler arrived at our “Midwest Operation” wearing nothing more than a label and some Priority Mail tape. The only thing more thrilling to Neil than pushing the bounds of postal convention is his newfound ability to attach sheets of paper to one another, so, needless to say, he was pleased with this stunt.
August 2005
Landesberg Design opens a Chicago office
Landesberg Design has opened an office in Chicago. Neil Donnelly heads up the office, which is located in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. See the contact page for how to get in touch with us there.
July 2005
Rick judges for Communication Arts
Rick Landesberg traveled to Menlo Park, California in late July to serve as a judge for the 2005 Communication Arts Annual Competition. The annual is America’s most prestigious design competition. 13,000 entries, but a really good time.
Rick and Neil curating By Design
Rick Landesberg and Neil Donnelly, along with fellow Pittsburgh designer Brett Yasko, are co-curating By Design, an exhibit of new work by 11 local designers and architects. Julia Zimmerman will also be a participating artist in the show, which is scheduled to open at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery in November. Stay tuned for more details.
May 2005
Vicki elected Vice-President of AIGA Pittsburgh
Vicki Crowley was elected Vice President of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). She’s been actively involve in chapter activities for years, serving most recently as the Chair of the AIGA Pittsburgh 100, a juried competition of Pittsburgh design work. Julia Zimmerman also joins Vicki and Neil Donnelly as an elected member of the chapter’s board.
Green design in Communication Arts
The permanent exhibit we designed for Green Building Alliance appears in a special “Green Design” issue of Communication Arts magazine (May/June 2005). The interpretive exhibit explains the green design aspects of and is located in Pittsburgh’s new David L. Lawrence Convention Center—one of the world’s largest green buildings.
April 2005
Landesberg Design down under
Australia’s most recognized design magazine, Desktop, features our work in an article entitled “The state of America” (Issue 184).
January 2005
h honors
The quarterly magazine we design for The Heinz Endowments, h Magazine, appears in the internationally prestigious 2004 Graphis Design Annual, a collection of the world’s best design work. The magazine also won the 2004 Gold Wilmer Shields Rich Award from the Council on Foundations—the highest accolade available for communications by grantmaking foundations.
November 2004
Strada invitation in Communication Arts
Joe Petrina’s hip and understated party invitation for Strada Architects appears in the 2004 Communication Arts Design Annual.
On the road
Rick Landesberg delivered a lecture entitled “Passion Matters” to the University of Michigan chapter of the AIGA.