What's been happening with Open?

2009

Long time no update. We'll fix that soon, but in the meantime you can follow us on Twitter: our studio account is @notclosed and Scott's is @scottstowell. Pass it on.
(14 Dec 09)

"Features List," the short film we made for Google, is now playing at www.chromeshorts.com. Take a look and feel free to comment, favorite it, rate it, and/or pass it on.
(29 Apr 09)

We just heard that (our work for) Good is a finalist for the National Magazine Award for design--for the second year in a row.
(19 Mar 09)

2008


Open is now open on Facebook. What does that mean? Well, we have a "page," and you can become a "fan." See you there.
(2 Dec 08)

Vote! It's the most important thing you'll do this year. If you need a reason, there are 1,565 of them in the current issue of Good.
(4 Nov 08)

Scott here: I'm deeply honored and shocked and thrilled to have been given the National Design Award for Communications Design. I'm also relieved that we don't have to keep it a secret any longer! Whew.
(8 May 08)

2007

So Good didn't win the People's Design Award, but it did come in third out of over 300 nominees, beating all other graphic design--and the iPhone, too! Thanks to everyone that voted.
(17 Oct 07)

Good was nominated for this year's National Design Awards People's Design Award. So if you like Good, vote now (or at least before October 16th). Thanks for your support.
(17 Sep 07)

Good issue 006 is out now. We did a lot of extra designing and editing and writing this time, so we're extra proud. Also, Mr. Magazine loves it! So go buy a copy or check it out online.
(14 Aug 07)

Are you an AIGA member, 26 or under, and a great designer? Then enter Command X (we made the logo, but it's not on that site yet). You could win $1000 at the AIGA conference this fall. The entry deadline is July 15th!
(9 Jul 07)

The fifth issue of Good (which we designed, just like the first four) is now on the newsstands. Go buy your copy now or check out some of the content online. More info to come.
(19 Jun 07)

There's a nice post about Good on Jeremy Leslie's blog magCulture. Our favorite quote: "I can’t think of another magazine that has managed to marry an anti-status quo message with such intelligent visuals."
(19 Jun 07)

Welcome to Tom Manning, our summer intern, who comes to us from the Yale MFA program (and Scott's Advanced Design class).
(21 May 07)

Mr. Magazine likes Good: he picked it as the first runner up for 2006 Launch of the Year.
(3 Apr 07)

We just found a (slightly mixed) review of Good at the New York Review of Magazines site. We like this part the best: "...as if iPod designer Jonathan Ive had reworked the Paris Review."
(22 Mar 07)

The spring issue of Eye has a nice feature on Good. Here's a sample: "Not since Herb Lubalin’s all-typographic covers for Fact has anything stood out from its competition so aggressively."
(7 Mar 07)

Good issue 001 made it into the STEP Design 100 Annual at number 33.
(5 Mar 07)

2006

Check out the December "New + Notable" issue of I.D. for the first review of Good we've seen in print (it's not on their website).
(7 Dec 06)

Welcome to the latest member of our team: Serifcan Ozcan, from Scott's Explaining Yourself class in the SVA MFA Design program, will also be with us for the summer.
(21 Jun 06)

Welcome to Nick Rock, our summer intern. He's our first from Yale, our first grad student intern, and our first from one of Scott's classes.
(15 May 06)

Like type in movies? Then check out "Good Film, Shame About the Helvetica" by Peter Edidin in today's New York Times Arts & Leisure section. Scott's quoted in there (as a "militant typography fan").
(1 Jan 06)

2005


Find out about our network of collaborators on the Bravo network redesign in "All Together Now" by Rachel Abrams, over at Adobe's new Motion Design Center.
(12 Dec 05)

Are you in Kalamazoo, Michigan? This week, so is Scott (as a visiting artist at the Western Michigan University School of Art). You can see him speak tonight at 7pm in Sangren Hall, room 2302. And it's free.
(7 Nov 05)

Season three of art:21 (with our fancy 3-d animation) premieres tonight on PBS. As they say, check your local listings.
(16 Sep 05)

Finally: new things! We've posted new music, signs, places and links. Our reel has been updated. And much more is coming soon.
(14 Sep 05)

We'll be posting new news, new work and more on the site soon. It's been a busy year. More new (old) news is coming soon too.
(04 Apr 05)

2004

Take a look at the May 2004 issue of Metropolis to see our article (Scott wrote it; Kate took the photos) about graphic design landmarks. It's on newsstands now. Go buy a copy!
(26 Apr 04)

World Tour 2004 continues. This month you can see Scott show Open's stuff in Memphis (at the University of Memphis) and New Orleans (at Loyola). Next month: Australia.
(7 Apr 04)

Today's special announcement: Open has acquired Landor, MetaDesign, Pentagram, VSA Partners and several mid-sized chapters of the AIGA in a friendly takeover. Details to follow!
(1 Apr 04)

Tickets are still available for AIGA NY's Art of the Pitch, where you can see designers (like Open's Scott Stowell) and clients (like Trio's Jane Olson) talk about working together.
(22 Mar 04)

World Tour 2004 begins: see Open's Scott Stowell speak in Minneapolis (part of the Walker Art Center's Insights 2004) and/or in New York (at this year's AIGA NY Business Event).
(2 Mar 04)

Welcome to Anna Tribelhorn, our latest intern. She comes to us from Sweden (via Parsons), and she starts today.
(15 Feb 03)

There's a new article over at The Mac Observer about our Bush in 30 Seconds entry "Pop Quiz" and how we (and most of the other finalists) used Macs to make our spots.
(4 Feb 04)

It's an honor just to be nominated. "Pop Quiz," our entry into MoveOn's Bush in 30 Seconds competition, didn't win--but you can still see it here. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone that voted.
(13 Jan 04)

"Pop Quiz," our entry into MoveOn's Bush in 30 Seconds competition, has been nominated in the "Best Youth Market Ad" category! Log in now to cast your votes.
(8 Jan 04)

2003

Take a look at "Pop Quiz," our submission to MoveOn's excellent Bush in 30 Seconds competition. And if you've got the time, log in to view and rate some of the entries.
(17 Dec 03)

The January issue of Metropolis--a special issue designed by us--is on newsstands now. Go buy it! Or better yet, subscribe.
(15 Dec 03)

Look out for the November Grafik to see lots of our Nation covers. Meanwhile, the new IdN Special 03 features our Trio network redesign (stay tuned for more on that).
(13 Oct 03)

Don't miss the second season of art:21 on PBS--it premieres tonight! Meanwhile, both this site and wasscotogo.com are featured in the new Print Interaction annual.
(9 Sep 03)

If you didn't hear Open's Scott Stowell on WNYC radio's Leonard Lopate show, you can now (RealPlayer required). He talked with guest host Jeffrey Toobin about "Cabinets of Curiosity" in the July Metropolis.
(18 Aug 03)

Welcome to Ryan Thacker, our excellent summer intern from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. And welcome back to Cara Brower, who's now out of school and working at Open full-time.
(21 July 03)

Some of our 2002 covers for The Nation were picked for this year's AIGA 365 design competition. Meanwhile, the EarthAction Children's Rights Campaign was selected for Print Magazine's Regional Design Annual.
(14 July 03)

See pretty photos of all the junk behind Scott's desk (and on Rob Cristofaro, Maira Kalman and Milton Glaser's desks) in "Cabinets of Curiosity" in the July Metropolis.
(10 Jun 03)

The ad we designed with Sheila Levrant de Bretteville for Not In Our Name is in the "Art During Wartime" show, part of the Operation How, Now, Wow festival of dissent.
(25 Apr 03)

Going to be in Philadelphia next month? Then go see Open's Scott Stowell speak on April 8th. His talk wraps up this season of the University of the Arts' Exposed lecture series.
(11 Mar 03)

The Open website (yes, the one you're looking at now) was chosen as a Merit Winner in the HOW Interactive Design Competition. You'll have to wait until their August issue to see what they wrote about it, though.
(27 Feb 03)

Open's Scott Stowell will moderate the AIGA New York Chapter's Business Series every Wednesday night in February at Lighthouse International in Manhattan. So register now!
(15 Jan 03)

2002

Starting this Thursday, you can see our posters for EarthAction's Children's Rights Campaign in "What's Your Problem: Graphic Design with Conscience" at Fordham University's Center Gallery in New York. The exhibition runs through February 1st.
(6 Dec 02)

If you subscribe to Creative Review, you'll soon receive their latest free compilation DVD, featuring "The Future," the video we made for Time magazine—along with work by people like Cornelius, Honest and Shynola. Not a subscriber? Why not?
(7 Nov 02)

Writers' Block Party Issue One and the EarthAction Children's Rights Campaign were both picked for the first STEP inside design 100 (full disclosure: Scott's on their advisory board, but he had nothing to do with the judging).
(5 Nov 02)

We're featured right now on Design Interact, a site about design and interactive media run by Communication Arts magazine. It's a nice studio profile that actually focuses more on style than content—and includes our work for art:21, HMGa, the American Museum of the Moving Image and more.
(30 Oct 02)

Take a look at the October issue of Photo District News for an interview with Open's Scott Stowell (it's in the print edition, not online). Meanwhile, look out for the Communication Arts Design Annual—our EarthAction Children's Rights Campaign is in it.
(19 Oct 02)

Welcome to Cara Brower. She's here for three months from the University of Cincinnati—and is our second intern in a row from Kentucky. And get this: this is her sixth internship!
(25 Sep 02)

Scott's speaking at Purchase College this afternoon. Check this space for details about upcoming speaking engagements being planned for Philadelphia, Hartford, Eindhoven, Iowa City and Melbourne.
(4 Sep 02)

Good news! Our work for EarthAction was selected for this year's Communication Arts Design Annual. Also, So Five Minutes Ago was picked for the design for film and television section of AIGA 365.
(6 Aug 02)

Open's Scott Stowell will give a talk called "Different is Good or: Why Does Everything Have to Look Like Everything Else?" at the ATypI Rome conference this September. Also speaking: Matthew Carter and Erik Spiekermann. Register now. Did we mention it's in Rome?
(25 Jul 02)

If you're in New York, tune in to Metro Arts this Wednesday and Thursday at 9 pm to see encore broadcasts of art:21 with new introductions by New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman. The shows repeat both nights at 11 pm and 1 am.
(16 Jul 02)

Our September 11th cover for The Nation was selected for the 2002 Print Regional Design Annual. Scott was also interviewed by Peter Hall (about the state of the New York design economy since September 11th) for the introduction to the New York section of the book.
(3 Jul 02)

The new season of POV, complete with new show packaging by Open, premieres tonight at 10 on PBS. Check local listings for broadcasts in your area.
(25 Jun 02)

Jenny Carrow, our summer intern from Cooper Union (Susan met Jenny at her talk in April—see below), starts today. Welcome! Now get to work.
(5 Jun 02)

Going to the Czech Republic this summer? Then see Open's work for EarthAction in the 20th International Biennale of Graphic Design in Brno, opening June 18th during the ICOGRADA conference. In other news: our "Fresh Politics" cover for The Nation received an SPD Merit Award, and the Art Directors Club gave Distinctive Merit awards to So Five Minutes Ago and wasscotogo.com.
(12 May 02)

Open's Susan Barber is giving a talk about our work this Tuesday as part of the "CU at Lunch" series at the Cooper Union in New York.
(25 Apr 02)

Open's work for art:21 and So Five Minutes Ago is featured (with Quicktime movies!) in the latest graphics+newmedia newswire (subscription required, but you can see our story for free) from ZOOworld, along with work from Fuel, Hi-Res!, and Tokion.
(8 Mar 02)

The So Five Minutes Ago: Spring Break special (with new Open graphics) premieres tomorrow night at 8:30 on MTV.
(8 Mar 02)

Open is included in Who's Fast in New York, a web-only supplement to Fast Company magazine's Fast 50 Global Readers' Challenge. See our contribution. You can read and post comments as well.
(12 Feb 02)

Check out the February issue of Metropolis magazine—and see the cover we designed.
(4 Feb 02)

Open's Scott Stowell is featured in the January issue of Graphic Design: USA as one of "50 People to Watch in 2002." Also included are our friends Tsia Carson and Marc English.
(14 Jan 02)

2001

Finally! PBS will broadcast art:21 (see below) nationally on Thursday nights from 10-11 pm for four weeks starting January 17, 2002. Watch it!
(11 Dec 01)

The new AIGA New York Chapter website just launched. Open didn't design it, but Scott is the site's editor and wrote a lot of the text.
(10 Dec 01)

Broadcasts of art:21 (see below for more info) have been pre-empted by many PBS affiliates for programming related to the attacks of September 11th. Check local listings or the art:21 calendar to find out when you can watch.
(28 Sep 01)

New Yorkers are coming together to support each other and rebuild after September 11th. Go to helping.org to find out how to help or to donate to relief efforts and funds that benefit survivors and victims' families.
(17 Sep 01)

"The Future," the video we made for Time magazine, will be screened tomorrow night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco during the opening reception for the fifth annual RESFEST. Go see it.
(6 Sep 01)

The website we developed in collaboration with Flat for the new tv show art:21 · Art in the Twenty-First Century launched today. Check it out. And don't forget to watch art:21 starting September 21 on PBS—we also created the show's identity, packaging, and visual effects.
(4 Sep 01)

Look out for the September issue of +81 magazine from Japan—it's the special New York issue and includes a feature on Open.
(1 Sep 01)

Open's package design for Smithsonian Folkways' The Best of Broadside was accepted into this year's Communication Arts Design Annual as well as the 100 Show of the American Center for Design. Stay tuned for information about the 100 Show traveling exhibition.
(8 Aug 01)

Finally! Now you can buy fabulous apparel, paper goods, et cetera by our friend Chip Wass from his new online store. Site design and copywriting by Open.
(17 Jul 01)

Open recently completed the typography for a series of promos commemorating the 20th anniversary of MTV. A new one premieres every night in July at 10:00. MTV2 will be running them all month as well.
(1 Jul 01)

The identity we created for aMedia is featured in two new books from Rockport Publishers: Logo Design That Works and Magazine Design That Works.
(28 Jun 01)

If you can find it, pick up this month's issue of Graphics International magazine from the UK. In it you'll find "TV Culture," a story about Open's work for television and our collaborations with Chip Wass. We'll also post the article here soon.
(1 Jun 01)

A big welcome to studio manager Gemma Corsano, the latest addition to the Open studio. She is already whipping us into shape.
(28 May 01)

So Five Minutes Ago is a funny show about nostalgia for things that just went out of style. Open designed the show packaging. It premieres Saturday, May 19 at 3:30 pm on MTV and repeats several times over the next week.
(5 May 01)

Open has two projects (the Best of Broadside package and Scott's "Mall Directory" op-ed illustration for the New York Times) in the Young Guns 3 NYC show, opening this Friday at the Art Directors Club. The exhibition will be up through May 10th.
(3 Apr 01)

Three Open projects (the Time video, the Best of Broadside package, and the Look-Look logo) will be featured in the 2001 Tokyo Type Directors Club Annual. Look for it this fall.
(17 Mar 01)

The March/April issue of Communication Arts kicks off "Fresh," their new column on up-and-coming studios, with a profile of Open, including our never-before-seen Lakeside Lounge photo-booth staff portrait.
(1 Mar 01)

Any day now AIGA members should be receiving the first issue of the new AIGA journal Trace with "Accident Grotesk," Scott's (funny) article on typographic anachronisms in film. Not a member? Join today.
(1 Feb 01)

Open's new Flash-based site for the very nice and talented Helfand Myerberg Guggenheimer architects in New York launches today. Thanks to Arturan for the programming.
(15 Jan 01)