Washington D.C. will be home to the three day annual Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) Conference in June, and BAJ Design and ex;it's principal Alan Jacobson will join the conference as a speaker. The theme this year is Designing Change, Changing Design. "At a time when the world is faced with rapid and dramatic changes in the economy, technology, and global communication, design can be a powerful agent for positive change." The conference is a design education event that combines inspirational presentations from design leaders, panel discussions, technical sessions and social events.

Alan will be speaking...

BAJ Design's own Brian Jacobson was just awarded the Professional Association for Design (AIGA) Fresh Award for his innovative work as an up-and-coming designer in Philadelphia. This is the first year that the award has been given and is geared towards designers who have been working in the field for 3-6 years.

His fresh work includes three smart and distinctive books focused on visual art and contemporary culture through GritCityInc. Brian has also worked as the Creative Directior of two.one.five magazine and continues to support the nonprofit youth arts organization The Village of Arts and Humanities thru...

This may be one of the only weekends that you want to fast-forward or perhaps time travel to Sunday. Why is that? To watch the LOST series finales that airs this Sunday, of course. (If you don't know about LOST; check out this Lost Encyclopedia). After six seasons of heart pounding, axiety-filled episode, we've finally reached the conclusion of this epic story.

It's not only the drama that's left us gasping at each commercial break, but how they incorporated sound design into the program as well. Sound is used strategically to enhance the viewer's experience and plays with emotion...

IKEA – the world’s largest home furnishing company – released the 2009 Sustainability Report, reinforcing their dedication not only affordable style, but also to the environment. IKEA strives to transition from “doing things right” to “doing the right things” by partnering with WWF to reduce supply chain emissions, to develop environmentally responsible transport services for customers and to improve reuse and recycling practices.

IKEA has looked at sustainability globally and has also included customers in the movement with the launch of the 'Never Ending Job' list. The project aims to encourage customer engagement and education about IKEA’s sustainable programs...

Yesterday I picked up a piece of mail as I walked into my apartment building and was drawn to the typography used to spell my name and address. It was clean, legible and begged me to open the envelope. The contents: my friend's save-the-date card for her wedding. Immediately, I texted her to let her know how much I liked her font choice (weird? maybe). 

It got me thinking about all the fonts we see on a daily basis and, more specifically, the fonts we use to express our brands. It is a very personal statement and oftentimes taken for granted....

Spring's kind of funny with its highs and lows in regards to the weather. Once we get a taste of the 80 degree days, it's hard not to think about the summer. My thoughts go straight to lounging by a pool and sipping on some fresh homemade blueberry lemonade. I found this product: a 100% recycled modern, outdoor lounge recliner from Loll. Now, where in this city can I find an open pool?

The ubiquity of computers, especially as part of the design process, is taken for granted in the modern world.  Therefore, it is very refreshing to see people, especially young people, keeping hand-crafted traditions alive. For their upcoming documentary "The Sign Painter", Faythe Levine and Sam Macon are traveling around the country visiting the folks that have been hand-lettering signs for years. The pictures of these people, their studios and workshops provide a glimpse into an almost lost art form.

Ask anyone and they'll tell you that the most important stage in any design process is proofing. Making sure every sentence has punctuation, words are spelled correctly, grammar, colors, font sizes...there are so many pieces to the puzzle. Someone once told me that a good way to proof is to read each word backwards. This takes patience, but it does work. I always recommend to have at least one clean set of eyes review before you go to production. It may add time, but in the end, it could save money!