We are almost caught up to 2010 in our walk down memory lane. 2009 was by far the hardest year to weed out 10 projects that we really wanted to highlight; we feel fortunate that we had so much creative matter to choose from. These 10 highlighted gems include web, video, our stop motion reel, a restaurant identity, our first documentary, This Is My Home,  and our first company authored book for Rockport Publishers: The Best of Business Card Design 9. Check these 2009 projects out and let us know what you think.

Other than going to Avatar and listening to Lady Gaga, what did you do in 2009?

2008 was a historic leap year. Possibly the biggest moment was the election of President Barack Obama, while events such as the summer Olympics in China, Fidel Castro’s resignation, and (how could you forget) the New Kids on the Block reuniting made the year even more unforgettable. The design monkeys at Rule29 busily worked on books, web, social media, video, brands, packaging and some other memorable creative matter. One of our favorite 2008 historic moments was beginning our work for Life In Abundance, which included our inaugural trip to Africa. Since then our work and our perspective on what truly matters has changed, and we discovered if done correctly, creative can help save a life and change the world. Check it all out here.

What were you doing in 2008?

I’m on my way home from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya after working on our second documentary film. I’m exhausted, and my head is continually spinning. To put it simply, as with every Africa trip so far, I will not be the same. I was hoping to post every day while there, but with limited web access and two great writers, Bob Davidson and author Kelsey Timmerman on the trip, I decided to simply photo blog (via Facebook) and spend the majority of my time trying to run the crew as best as possible and fully soak in the experience.

It’s hard to explain or express what an experience this trip to Africa has been. Filming a documentary in the slums is bound to change you, but I was not expecting this. I had been to Kibera (Africa’s 2nd largest slum) and Mathare (Nairobi’s oldest) before, but not up close and personal.

We spent seven straight days trying to get to know the slum residents, seeing what they see, walking, touching and smelling their environment. The location was different than our last documentary project (This is My Home), but sadly many of the same issues exist, all of which are simply not right. Dangerous living structures, no roads, unhealthy water, no sanitation, no waste removal, lack of education, no health care, crime, fear, HIV/AIDS, loss of hope, and the vulnerability of children to simply name a few. It was a rare day when you didn’t turn your face to cry for a few minutes.

The issues of the slums are so complex – government corruption, health concerns, religious culture, commerce, structural issues, etc… And the fact of the matter is that us Westerners tend to think we actually live in an Extreme Home Makeover world. If we build this, or fund that project, all things get fixed and fall in place. But that way of thinking is simply not accurate, and it inevitably continues to add to the issues. The reality is that we need to help battle the biggest monster of all: generations of slum residents with mindset that slum life and its living conditions are acceptable. But, hopelessness cannot be an option.

However, it was a feeling that continued to surface wherever we went. Mathare Valley (a section of the Mathare slum) is without question the worst place I have ever been. With a contaminated river, treacherous pathways, raw sewage, horrible living conditions, and water not safe to drink – it’s simply an awful place to try to survive.

I will be sharing more stories and details related to the slums leading up to our documentary premiere (this Fall); however, I will leave you with a few facts, thoughts, and stories from this week: Read the rest of the entry >

Last year we filmed our first documentary with @liaint and @macdonaldphoto called This Is My Home. It was a challenging, heartbreaking and beautiful journey. Our combined efforts helped raise over $300,000 for LIA’s project with the street kids in Ethiopia’s capital. This year the bar has been raised. We have been asked to go to one of the most challenging slum areas in the world and will be spending 8-10 days telling the story of a poverty that shouldn’t exist anywhere (here are some thoughts from my first trip to these slums Mathare and Kibera two years ago). This year the Life In Abundance USA director has gone before us to help line up the access and various items needing coordination. He recently sent me a note to share with the team, from which I’m sharing an excerpt with you. I couldn’t write for you what is ahead as well as he could, please read and keep the team in your thoughts from April 25-May 5.

/// Real and Raw ///
by Justin Narducci, Director of Life In Abundance

To be honest, it is easy to say that the poor will always be poor and there is nothing that can be done about it. This is especially true, if you see the tremendous needs that are present in Africa in light of and the tremendous amount of resources that have been poured into the continent over the last twenty years. At the very same time, this disposition also comforts those of us who are looking for a self-justifying way of not being involved with the plight of the poor, though few of us would probably admit to it.

Even me, as I walk the streets of Nairobi with my wife and children over the past few days, my gut reaction is indifference and apathy rather than compassion and grace. Naturally, I want to walk as fast as I can through these ‘uncomfortable’ alleyways with the implied purpose of ‘getting my family out of there as fast as possible’. ‘These streets are dangerous,’ I further reason, ‘these cars could easily hit and kill my toddlers’, or ‘these men could easily abduct my wife and do who knows what to her’ are the thoughts raging through my head. My body sweats, my heart pounds, my alertness seemingly suffocates any form of rationalization. This still happens to me and I have been working among the world’s poor for the past five years!

Read the rest of the entry >

We thought this would be the perfect time to give all of our friends a break from winter’s chill with an R29 recipe complete with strategic creative, dynamic sites, an inspiring video documentary, awesome blogs…and much more. Now, we don’t want to oversell it, but it’s going to be better than ten Super Bowls…so without further ado…

:: Click here to download Creative Matters 23 ::

As with previous Creative Matters please download the interactive PDF to click your way through via each hotlink, or simply scroll through it page by page (best viewed with the latest version of Acrobat Reader).

We hope you enjoy our new projects. If you would like to know more about any of the featured pieces in this edition, please give us a shout, and we’ll be glad to explore how we can make creative matter for you.

TEN X TEN – RULE29′s 10TH ANNIVERSARY
From our humble beginnings in 2000 all the way up to today, we have had the pleasure of working with tons of interesting people and companies. In celebration of our 10th, you will see a new online presence, updated print promotions and a recap of some of our favorite work. This project blog will feature 10 projects from each year, published monthly for 10 months.

Currently on the site you’ll find projects from 2000, but 2001 will be going up soon. To see more, check out Rule29 10 x 10.

Our first documentary is now available for sale – please get a copy today and continue to support work being done by Life In Abundance in the slums of Ethiopia! Click here.