The Chicago International Poster Biennial Exhibition opens tonight at the Harrington College of Design, through July 28. It features 185 posters from around the world, curated by an international jury of renowned designers, including Paula Scher (US), Holger Matthies (Germany), François Caspar (France), Marta Granados (Colombia), Emek (US), Rafal Olbinski (Poland), and Takashi Akiyama (Japan).

Office's "Missing Limbs" poster for 826 Valencia's Pirate Supply Store was selected for the exhibit. You can buy it here. All proceeds benefit 826 Valencia, a nonprofit tutoring and writing center for youth.

Office is honored to be part of the Plywood for Good art auction benefitting Japan's rebuilding efforts.

Collective Good asked 30 local artists to use blank skateboard decks as a canvas for their thoughts on Japan's earthquake and tsunami devastation. The decks will be auctioned off this Thursday, July 14, at Project One, with all proceeds going to Direct Relief International.

Office's skate deck is a painted illustration of a Japanese dragon -- a sign of good fortune -- that loops around a Shinto shrine to spell the word "hope."

Get your tickets here.

Inspired by language-based experimentation and how it can unlock new avenues of cultural expression, Getting Upper curator Amos Klausner asked 26 designers, including Office, to re-imagine a letter from the alphabet using the deconstructive nature of graffiti as a starting point.

Office reinterpreted the letter "J," inspired by grandma's crocheted doilies. "I've always been drawn to the contrast between organic/handmade and geometric/symmetry. And we gave it a splotch of pink punctuation," says Office founder and creative director Jason Schulte.

The 26 screen printed posters are now on display at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and limited edition prints are available for sale at the museum store and online.

“Some [designs] look like traditional letter forms. Some used the idea of deconstruction theoretically rather than literally. Yet all show an interest in reconsidering language, meaning and how we communicate,” says Klausner.

On Feb. 10, eBay Inc. hosted an Analyst Day at its San Jose, CA headquarters, where company executives shared their vision of the future with financial analysts and investors.

Office created the identity and visual language to help reinforce the company's strategy of consistent innovation to stay ahead of the ever-evolving retail landscape. John Donahoe, eBay Inc. President and CEO kicked off the day-long event with an overview of the four trends that are rewriting the rules of retail: digital, mobile, social, and local. These trends are shaping "how consumers connect, shop and pay," says Donahoe.

For AIGA-SF's annual gala, Office was a proud participant in the "Pimp My Pinewood Derby" silent auction fundraiser. Former cub scout and Office creative director Jason Schulte (who won the Marshalltown, Iowa, Pack 308 Pinewood Derby in 1981) worked with Office intern Jenny Pan to create what we think might be the first-ever ceramic Pinewood Derby car. It doesn't roll, but it sure is pretty.

Office hosted a full house of design professionals and students last night as part of AIGA SF's studio tour series. Attendees got a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Office, and a big welcome from Elvis.

Photo courtesy of: Nancy Stadler, Jim Hill Media

The largest Disney Store in in North America opened its doors to fanfare and fairy dust in New York's Times Square on Tuesday.

Considered the crown jewel among 360 Disney Stores worldwide, the 20,000 square foot experience features a 20-foot tall princess castle with magical mirrors, a mini-theater, and a Cars display where kids build their own toys.

Office collaborated with the Disney Store team to develop the store's new visual identity, voice, signage, brand guidelines, and ideas to help create an engaging experience for kids.

“Disney Stores play a critical role in how millions around the world experience our brand,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger. “The new store design allows kids and families to have a fun and immersive experience while shopping for their favorite Disney products."

The Disney Store opened its new flagship in San Francisco's Union Square today. "The new design complements the creativity and innovation that the city is known for," said Molly Adams, VP and GM of Disney Store N. America. San Francisco landmarks inspired the design throughout the store. And this week, Disney-branded cable cars on the Powell Street line are celebrating the store opening.

Office collaborated with the Disney Store team to develop a new visual system, voice, and dozens of innovative ideas to engage kids in the shopping experience -- from signage, to cast member uniforms, to naming the "pixie dust trail." The new store design has been rolled out in 19 stores around the world so far this year.

Office's poster for 826 Valencia's Pirate Supply Store was selected for the 2010 Chicago International Poster Biennial. The worldwide competition recognizes a selection of outstanding posters that will be featured in a catalog and exhibition in Chicago later this summer.

The CIPBA's mission is to help realize posters as the quintessential public art form — one that requires an emotional and intellectual response, and stimulates dialogue and articulation of important social, political, and economic issues.

You can buy the poster here. All proceeds benefit the 826 Valencia Writing Center. 

Office's work for 826 Valencia's Pirate Supply Store was selected to be featured in the California Design Biennial exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA).

"The exhibition highlights the most significant and innovative designs being created in California, focusing on how California's established and emerging designers are responding to current economic, political and environmental challenges," says the PMCA.

The opening reception for the exhibition is on July 17, and it's on display at the PMCA through November 1, 2010.

Photo courtesy of: N. Johnson and I. Johnson

Disney Store celebrated its worldwide grand opening at The Shops of Montebello outside Los Angeles on June 29, calling it "a crowning achievement of The Walt Disney Company."

Office worked with the Disney Store team to re-imagine the store experience with unexpected ways to engage kids. This included a new visual identity system and voice, as well as concepts for signage, shopping bags, boxes and cast member uniforms. Office also created brand guidelines to help the Disney Store team implement the new visual identity in its more than 300 locations around the world.

"Disney is setting a new standard for the specialty retail category," said Disney Store President Jim Fielding. "This is truly an immersive, one-of-a-kind retail experience for children and families."

The newly-designed store will be unveiled in Madrid in July, followed by more than 20 stores in North America and Europe this year.

As part of San Francisco Design Week, AIGA and other professional design organizations are staging an exhibit featuring award-winning San Francisco design. Office's Holiday Art and 826 Valencia Pirate Supply Store products will be on display in the AIGA/AIA Gallery space from June 14 through August 6, 2010.

For more information, visit the AIGA Events Calendar.

Office was happy to participate in The Urban Forest Project. This included mentoring super-talented high school student Francesca Hernandez. The team collaborated with Franky to create tree-inspired banners — two of which were selected to line the streets of San Francisco this summer. Once the banners come down, they'll be repurposed into one-of-a-kind products designed by Academy of Art University students. The proceeds will benefit Friends of the Urban Forest to sustain their mission of “creating a greener San Francisco, tree by tree.”

Photo courtesy of: Naz Hamid

Office's Jason Schulte and Jill Robertson will be speaking at the Academy of Art University on April 15, as part of the school's 79DesignSpeak lecture series.

On January 29, IBM opened a new Smarter Planet exhibit at Innoventions at EPCOT.

The interactive exhibit, which was developed by IBM and Walt Disney Imagineering, prominently features a series of more than 15 icons that were created by Office. The illustrations were inspired by IBM's bold vision to improve the planet, and influenced by iconic designer Paul Rand's original creative vision for IBM.

The experience brings to life how technology is helping solve the world's most complex problems — from reducing road traffic and city crime, to improving food safety and local water supplies — and encourages visitors to think about their role in building a smarter planet.

Gestalten's recent release, Boxed and Labelled: New Approaches To Packaging Design, features the products and packaging Office developed for 826 Valencia's Pirate Supply Store. The publication chronicles innovative methods designers use to appeal to consumers overwhelmed by the abundance of choices. The Pirate Supply Store is called out as a model of the "new old-fashioned," complete with a handcrafted look and vintage illustrations and typography. Gestalten offers the book for sale on its website.

Office was honored to be included in Iowa State University's College of Design alumni exhibition, 30 and Beyond, celebrating the college's 30 year anniversary. Exhibit curator David McFadden, also chief curator at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, selected Office's work for 826 Valencia's Pirate Supply Store along with 29 other works that he called "exceptional and memorable." McFadden described Office's work as "brilliant brand identity and packaging ... fresh, intelligent and engaging." The exhibit is on display in the college's 181 Gallery until September 26, 2009.

Thanks to your votes, Office won the AIGA SF's Cause/Affect People's Choice Award, recognizing work for 826 Valencia's Pirate Supply Store. The Office team donated the monetary award to 826 Valencia, an incredibly worthy nonprofit based in San Francisco's Mission district that provides free writing programs for kids.

AIGA created the Cause/Affect competition to recognize design that supports social good. Thank you, AIGA SF.

eBay Inc. held an all-day meeting with analysts on March 11, 2009, where executives shared details about their business strategies.

Office helped articulate the company's story by developing a visual language, materials and the CEO's visual presentation for the event.

John Donahoe, eBay Inc. president and CEO, discussed the power of the company's portfolio, stressing the enormous potential of PayPal. “Increasingly for online consumers, there’s no paper, no plastic – there’s just PayPal. We believe this business is one of the most exciting and high-potential opportunities anywhere online today,” he said.

The annual Cut & Paste Digital Design Tournament is a showcase of design as a fast-paced, high-intensity, internationally competitive spectator sport. Office founder and creative director Jason Schulte judged San Francisco's 2-D competition on February 28.

With eight designers on stage, music blaring, minutes ticking on the clock, judges hovering and emcee's on the mic, thousands of design fans watched competitors' every move. Congratulations to winner Allison Torneros, who will be traveling to New York for the Global Championship in June.

If a salesman ever shows up at your office door offering “an exciting new array of ingestible tanning juices,” turn him away. Because we didn’t, which is probably why our entire staff simultaneously contracted gigantism.

We were excited by the sudden growth initially. “Look how big and tan I am. I can do anything!” Elinor exclaimed as she shattered a mug in her hand. But, soon we were an office of golden skinned, lumbering giants, not one of us (including our dog Elvis) under nine feet tall. Heads would smack into doorways as hands became stuck in Cracker Jack boxes. Damn you, you fascinating and inconvenient side-effect. Our office could no longer contain us.

And so, we moved to the always-sunny Mission District. With our new office’s vaulted ceilings and reinforced chairs, we couldn’t be happier.

Please come visit us. We won’t hurt you.

AIGAsf asked Office’s creative director Jason Schulte, along with 40 other area designers, to create a wine label for the organization’s benefit auction. Event sponsor Clos du Val winery selected Schulte’s design, and will be producing it for its limited edition release of 2006 cabernet sauvignon next year.

The label is laser cut wood, depicting a tree illustration designed to reflect the wine’s balance, complexity and elegance -- and to integrate with the winery’s existing logo.

Proceeds from the auction support Inneract Project, a professionally supported program that provides free design classes for inner-city youth.

Office's Get Out the Vote posters were selected to be exhibited at the Denver Art Museum and Walker Art Center in Minneapolis during the national conventions.

AIGA, the professional association for design, invited designers from across country to create and submit nonpartisan posters that inspire people to vote in the upcoming general election.

As part of a juried competition, AIGA also chose two of Office's posters to be printed and displayed in public locations across the country.

Office’s 2005 Holiday art was selected to be featured at the Ginza Graphic Gallery in Tokyo in April. The exhibition features winners of the world's best-known international competition for cutting-edge trends in typography, the Tokyo Type Directors Club Award. Office’s art was also selected to be part of a traveling exhibition celebrating 20 years of typo-graphics from the Tokyo Type Directors Club. The show is currently in Melbourne, Australia.

What is next in brand design? What's the next step in this age of viral marketing—where branding has moved out of the office, off the shelf and into the cultural narrative? As the consumer is continually sliced into microscopic markets, the next continues to arrive sooner and sooner. Brand designers are challenged to discover the newness and innovation in the client that is neither. A panel of brand experts -- Jeff Flemings, Digitas; Ravi Hampole, Tank NY; Michael Jager, JDK and Jason Schulte, Office -- discuss the branding process and how they create, recreate, envision, and imbue the next. Thursday, April 26, 2007, 7-9 pm, Vessel, 125 Kingston Street, Boston.

The Creative Summit was founded by Chris Hill to further the knowledge and spirit of creativity of his students at Texas State University – San Marcos, where he taught for 15 years. Now in its 22nd year, the Summit has grown into a highly respected regional student competition and conference that is attended by students and professionals from across the country.

This year the Creative Summit proudly presents the talents of printing guru Kim Blanchette, design duo G. Dan Covert and Andre Andreev, designer Eric Heiman, fine artist Lance Letscher, painter Gary Panter, illustrator Everett Peck, pop culture aficionado Charles Phoenix, master bookbinder Myers Raymer, photographer Sandro, designer Jason Schulte, and designer Ken Shafer.