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PANTONE Color of the year 2021

PANTONE Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another, best express the mood for Pantone Color of the Year 2021. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, the union of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity. It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly.

As people look for ways to fortify themselves with energy, clarity, and hope to overcome the continuing uncertainty, spirited and emboldening shades satisfy our quest for vitality. Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power. Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation. The colors of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness, and resilience.

Source: PANTONE

Choosing the right paper and print process

There is no one way to make—no one style, point of view, tool, reason, pallete or philosophy. That’s because…there is no one maker. These different points of
view exist all at once, all part of the graphic conversation we have
through our work.

This is the beauty of making. We share our point of view, you share yours. We contrast, we riff, we come together. Our work speaks for us.

So, how do you choose the right paper and print process to use to communicate your work? This isn’t easy to answer, but visit the link below for a list of things to consider including touch, embodied cognition, and message.

Learn more form our friends at Mohawk at tinyurl.com/ucda-choice.

Difficult Person Test

People love taking personality tests, and it’s perhaps because, deep down, they help them feel good about themselves. They serve as reminders that there are light and shadow sides of a person—so even if you aren’t feeling great that day, you can still appreciate the positive bits of yourself.

If you’re down for some hard-hitting truths, though, IDRLabs’ new assessment called the Difficult Person Test lets you know if it’s you, not them.

Chelsea Sleep, Ph.D., and her coworkers at the University of Georgia believe they have found the seven universally consistent factors that make a person difficult: callousness (a lack of empathy or concern for others); grandiosity (a high sense of self-importance and entitlement); aggressiveness (rudeness and hostility); suspicion (having a mistrusting nature); manipulativeness (the tendency to exploit people for self-gain); dominance (the inclination to put on airs of superiority); and risk-taking (the need to behave riskily to seek sensations).

You’ll be asked to rank how much you agree or disagree with 35 statements, and from there, you’ll be shown a chart with traits you present more of, and the percentage of difficulty that others might face when hanging out with you.

While the results are probably going to sting, you can use the feedback to overcome some of your issues in social settings, such as within the workplace.

Take the test at tinyurl.com/ucda-test

TikTok is quickly taking over Instagram as a go-to for design inspiration

Can’t turn to the great outdoors for fresh ideas to use in your next project? Try TikTok.

With most of the world stuck at home, the video-sharing social network is fast becoming mobile users’ source for design and architecture inspiration, ArchDaily’s Kaley Overstreet reports. To date, videos with #design have been viewed 4.5 billion times, while #architecture clips have been watched nearly 990 million times.

The most popular design discipline on the platform appears to be fashion, with related videos amassing 47.6 billion views. This is followed by interior design, with #InteriorDesign and #homedesign posts garnering 4.3 billion and 394.4 million views respectively, #GraphicDesign (3.2 billion views), and #logodesign (366.7 million views).

But why TikTok instead of Instagram? Well, Overstreet surmises that its content does more good than simply serving as visual fodder. Instead of the usual photoshopped buildings, users also get a snapshot of the design process, and can learn more about a place’s history through animated editing and narrations. These bite-sized videos are packaged in a format many wish schools had taught them in.

Not to mention, TikTok is an abundant source for trend-spotting and DIY tutorials for things you can easily make at home.

Source: DesignTaxi

UCDA mourns the loss of three emeritus members

WARREN C. PRAY
April 16, 1947 - June 7, 2019

Warren Pray was an emeritus member of UCDA and served as conference chair in 1981 and as president in 1984.

Warren’s journey in life was full and blessed. After graduating from Junction City High School in 1965, he attended Kansas State University and earned his Master’s Degree while working as a graphic designer with the Extension Service at KSU. Warren was incredibly devoted to the University and to KSU athletics. His working career also included retail sales, teaching art, Director of Communications at the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Maryland. His ultimate blessing was joining Edward Jones in 1992 and opening an Edward Jones branch office in Shawnee, Kansas. During his 22 years as a financial advisor, Warren valued his clients, co-workers, and the friendships he developed.

Among Warren’s many community activities, he served as president of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce and was a leader in chartering the Shawnee Rotary Club. He had a love of meeting people, sharing with them, and being a very trusted friend.

DALE ROSENBACH
April 11, 1947 - July 3, 2019

Dale Rosenbach was an emeritus member of UCDA and served as conference chair in 1978 and as president in 1983.

Dale lived in Des Moines, Iowa, briefly in his youth. He later moved to Denver, where he would eventually graduate from Abraham Lincoln High School. He then graduated from the Denver Institute of Art where he was later inducted to the institute’s hall of fame. After accepting the position of Art Director at Colorado State University, Dale moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. He spent the majority of his career at CSU in the design department. He started an internship program while he was there helping his students to build their portfolios. After retiring from CSU, Dale taught at Front Range Community College for a few years before ultimately retiring to his mountain home.

Dale’s strength and courage were surpassed only by his kindness and loving heart. He was an inspiration and a guide toward how to become a better person. His generous gift of himself was a true treasure and he will be missed by those who knew him.

REX WICKLAND
January 16, 1942 - October 17, 2020

Rex Wickland was an emeritus member of UCDA and a member since 1973. He most recently attended the UCDA Design Conference in Grand Rapids in 2018.

Rex grew up in Chicago and had fond memories of the Uptown neighborhood. Rex was an accomplished designer and graphic artist. He worked for Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and the Kohler Arts Center. His retirement job was as receptionist and secretary for a Verona, Wisconsin, probate research firm, where his graphic talents were put to use creating artistic genealogical charts.

Rex and his wife Julie loved to travel, and went to Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Living for decades in the Westmoreland neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin, they were regulars at their local village bar, where many an afternoon included watching Jeopardy.

Rex was thoughtful, friendly and kind. He loved animals, classic cars, Southern cooking, his iPhone, and puns.