In 1912, the Titanic sank, Woodrow Wilson was elected President, and painter Jackson Pollock was born. Also that year—on Valentine’s Day, no less—the United States lovingly opened its arms to welcome Arizona to the Union, making it our 48th state. The people of Arizona have lived through so much and have an abundance of unique stories to show for it. Along with Arizona writer Lisa Schnebly Heidinger, O’Neil Printing, Roswell Bookbinding, and countless photographers and historians, Rule29 worked to collect those stories in Arizona: 100 Years Grand—a commemorative coffee table book to celebrate the State’s centennial.

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It’s always been a dream to write a book. Honestly, though, I haven’t had much to say until I asked myself this question: “How do I live a life that fuels my work and work in a way that fuels my life?” I’ve been speaking about this idea, trying to figure it out, and working through trial and error until I came up with a “process” (or at least an outlook) that my good friends at Wiley felt was good enough to publish. Life Kerning is all about making small steps to get closer to that elusive work-life balance.

I really enjoy business/help books that are friendly and approachable, so I tried to tackle this issue head-on in a relaxed, “I’ve been there” manner. I share some tips from great friends and observations from speaking to a variety of people about this subject. I really wanted to challenge the notion that positive change can come only through a complete system overhaul. So, the book provides quick strategies to fine-tune specific areas of your life and career.

Wiley gave Rule29 the opportunity to create the whole package as well – the cover, a clean typeset style, and fresh illustrations for each chapter. These illustrations were custom geometric-style shape drawings that were set on a textured background to set the stage for an engaging read (special thanks to Kara “The Cheech” for working so hard on those with me). We also extended the style to a fun and simple website, facebook tab, and a video.

My biggest hope is that readers find some peace of mind mixed with inspiration topped with a fresh outlook on some things that can be completely overwhelming at times. I made this for you.

I hope you consider getting the book either physically or in ebook form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million. I look forward to your thoughts both good and bad; either way I hope you are awesome today.

No design project is inherently easy – but if you were to ask designers which audience would be the most difficult to design for, you’d probably get “other designers” as a response more often than not.

Rule29 set out create a unique promotion for O’Neil Printing at this year’s AIGA Pivot conference that would help the in-kind sponsor stand out to the 1600+ designers (and other designerly-types) that passed through the marketplace to snatch up all the freebies. Read the rest of the entry >

Choosing a college is a difficult task, considering all the options students have today. On the opposite end, being a college or university trying to attract the right students is an equally daunting task.

This past year, Wheaton College invited us to join them as they tackled this task of wooing new students. Our part in this process was to help rework their admissions materials. From the viewbook to Facebook apps to direct mail, every piece of paper and digital connection point was up for reinterpretation. So we went back to school; both college and high school – learning how (and why) the average high school junior and senior choose a college or university.

Our goal was to create pieces that would stand out among other college materials while communicating clearly that Wheaton College is a high-level academic institution that fosters and promotes a grace filled community, all on the backdrop of a beautiful campus.

The “Who We Are (As You Are)” campaign was what emerged from all our research and brainstorming. This campaign was developed out of the College’s desire to help prospective students and parents see the school and its students for who they really are and encourage future students to see themselves as part of this community.

The following are a sampling of the different materials we created for Wheaton to send to prospective students as well as for welcoming them on campus.

This brochure is sent out to prospective students to introduce them to Wheaton College and encourage them to visit the website to learn more about the College.

Students who request further materials are encouraged to attend the Wheaton Connection Weekend to experience the college first hand.

The Wheaton College View Book

The Wheaton College Welcome folder

Every Fall we collectively are bombarded with a mass of pink merchandise—at least more than usual. Some may not even recognize the significance, but ultimately many of our pink purchases go to a special cause. October is breast cancer awareness month—in honor of all the moms, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, and cousins who have dealt with the disease. A portion of the sales from the pink goods often goes to breast cancer research, supporting research and events. (It should be noted that not all Pink Ribbon merchandise goes to support breast cancer research—sold with the intention that the buyer will use it to support the cause.)

Unlike many of the organizations selling everything from mugs to hats sporting the Pink hue, the American Cancer Society wants the public to Pink Differently—not just buying a shirt with a Pink Ribbon to be supportive, but doing more. Take that shirt and wear it to an ACS cancer walk, raising funds to go directly to cancer research. The Pink Differently campaign asks us to go beyond the barrage of products and do more to fight the war against cancer.

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