Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design

How brands outshine, outlast and outperform their competition

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About David Brier
    • In The Press
    • Speaking
    • The #1 Alexa Skill on Branding and Rebranding
  • Branding
    • Branding Articles and Portfolio
  • Videos
  • FREE EBOOK – DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY NOW
  • Contact
  • Blog

The Weird (and Inexplicable) Shit You Find When You Move Your Office

Weird Shit and Moving the OfficeStray postcards.
Forty-year old oil paintings.
Forgotten artwork.
Awards.
Notifications you’ve made the cover of Rolling Stone (literally!).
Pre-computer design and lettering for everyone from my early work for HBO and Revlon to the logo I designed for R.S. Lauder (the son of Estée Lauder and Joseph Lauder, founders of Estée Lauder Companies).
Even a stupid trophy made for me with the nameplate reading “Best Jewish Graphic Artist (who can’t play basketball)”—it was an off-night after having not played for about a decade!

Yes, we’re in those stages of boxing stuff and preparing to move from the offices we’ve called home for the last 20 years.

One’s Sense of Time When Confronting Weird Shit

I also realized there’s a weird thing thing that happens to one’s sense of time when moving your office. In the beginning, it seems like you have FOREVER (and that it totally under your control).

Then it goes on and it seems OK.

Then your sense of reality implodes and even though (rationally) one knows they are closer to completing this move, a terror-stricken sense of endlessness overcomes one’s sensibilities and that feeling of FOREVER creeps back in (even though you’re closer than ever).

Here’s my infographic to explain it better (if you’re on a computer or laptop, click on the image to enlarge it):

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Moving Your Office: My Personal Confession

The new space is super exciting (only about half a mile from our current office).

Gorgeous floors, high ceilings, terrific open-space concept with lots of wall space.

But to start the new, I had to face the old. The stuff I’d collected over time.

Having moved to the Midwest from the East Coast (I was living and running my office out of New Jersey at the time), I transported stuff and hadn’t looked at some of this since the move. Whoa.

A postcard that I somehow managed to keep from 1990 from R. O. Blechman, a brilliant illustrator asking for samples from a project we’d worked on together.

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Some of the discoveries were sometimes endearing, other times completely humbling—and then there were the points when I spoke aloud to my younger self uttering, “What were you thinking?”

Part Archaeological Expedition. Part Therapy.

From early artwork (oil paintings I’d done in my teens to pre-computer design and lettering, yes folks, it was truly the prehistoric times!) to small antique collectibles to a poster I’d designed for a Jazz concert series at the original World Trade Center.

Plus the sheer volume of collected samples and other bits of “junk” I’d once considered valuable, I’ll admit it has been a therapy all by itself (filling the garbage dumpster at least 8X over).

So without any sequence or reason, here is some of the weird shit I’ve encountered while preparing for this exciting new move and next phase in the growth and evolution of our company.

I’d kept from around 1984 a trade magazine article that announced when I’d designed the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. This was a big deal at the time.

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

I then found another early poster which I’d designed for a NYC jazz station for a concert series at the World Trade Center (obviously before the 9-11 disaster).Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Weirder Shit

Then I ran into this, wondering WHY I ever kept it.
It was made for me from a local vendor with a weird sense of humor, hence the toilet roll forming the vertical base of this absurd trophy. As I said in the introduction, the nameplate read “Best Jewish Graphic Artist (who can’t play basketball)”—I’ll admit, it was an off-night for me after having not played for about a decade (though I did finally score at least one lay up).

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Then I ran into a number of great antique items I’ve always found inspiring (the small leather booklet is only 3 inches wide with lined yellow note paper inside). I’d forgotten about these, yet I’ve always loved attention to detail and fine craftsmanship.

Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the OfficePre-computer Design and Artwork Sees the Light of Day

Then I ran across some early work, some illustrations, some paintings and some typography (before there were computers—all hand drawn with something called a rapidograph. I’ve been doing this a long time so this is when we used to use a “Stat Machine” to make copies that were print quality—a good 15 years before anything could be digitally created, stored and transferred via email or Dropbox).
You’ll see a logo for Vanna for Vanna White, the legendary letter turner from Wheel of Fortune fame as well as oil painting I did of Ringo Starr when I was in my teens. Just can’t part with these creations. The sketch for “I am a New Yorker” was a concept for a t-shirt.

Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office

By this time, the office was starting to get some semblance of order (who am I kidding?):

Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Continuing on, I found an early piece I’d designed for Estée Lauder:

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

By this time, I’m starting to notice things I’d been taking for granted, things on the walls that seemed to be doing just fine without my paying any attention to them: clocks, early designs for a restaurant in Jersey, my gold Graphis award for a poster design, and a signed photo from Grammy winning cellist Eugene Friesen for whom I’d created his branding for his program Celloman.

Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Being into music and design, one of my early inspirations included Rolling Stone magazine so I emulated that look and feel with a journal I’d created entitled DBD Review. In 2005, I’d create a first video project showcasing work up until then and this definitely showed my love for the Rolling Stone typography and aesthetic. Weird Shit and Moving the Office
I then started to sort through my poster collection and was stunned by the sheer quantity. Again, what was I thinking?

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

And that’s just the framed stuff, not the unframed ones in our flat files!
I then unearthed one of of my first logo designs in my career for a small theater in Greenwich Village entitled, “The Birds.” While a bit dated, I still find the concept very strong and inspired. Weird Shit and Moving the Office

Slightly Less Weird Shit

Then I found a hardcover book I’d always loved, nearly 20 inches tall, made up entirely of black and white vertical photos of NYC and hadn’t seen it in years. So glad to run into this after all this time.Weird Shit and Moving the Office
And then I found a photo from when I toured Russia (delivering 4 seminars in 4 cities in 10 days) around 2005, along with an unopened bottle of wine, next to a painting I did of George Harrison when in my teens.
Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office Weird Shit and Moving the Office
Lastly, I found a cute drawing my daughter did when I would have her come to the office with me:

Weird Shit and Moving the Office

All in all, it’s been a treat digging through a lot of interesting things.

But it became two categories of interesting: interesting I would keep and interesting I would toss. I confess a LOT more was tossed.

Some things are better tossed: salad is one and useless artifacts in one’s office is another….

 

Related articles:

Leveraging Your Assets in Branding
Sales Teams Aren't Great at Branding. Here's How to Fix That.
Why Isn’t Your Brand Differentiation Working?
Where’s the Love? #WHERESTHELOVE Viral Video

Filed Under: Portfolio, Uncategorized (Indecision at its Finest) Tagged With: branding, Computer Design, Estée Lauder, infographic, office, posters

Schedule An Appointment

Speak-with-David-Brier
« The Italian Cookie That Changed My World
The 4 Traits of an Exceptional Brand »

Search

What is Branding?

MAGIC OF BRANDING

“DAVID BRIER IS A BRANDING GENIUS” — GRANT CARDONE

David_Brier_WITH_GRANT_CARDONE

First Time? Click Here.

START-HERE-GRAPHIC

Branding, Rebranding & Other Entrepreneurial Strategies

  • Brand Development (5)
  • Brand Identity (6)
  • Brand Leadership (59)
  • Brand Strategy (37)
  • Branding (54)
  • Branding Blog (188)
  • Branding Case Studies (21)
  • Branding Insights (16)
  • Design (16)
  • Design Inspiration (5)
  • Inspiration for Growing Companies (26)
  • Leadership (34)
  • Logo Design (6)
  • Must-read List (10)
  • Package Design (4)
  • Podcasts (13)
  • Portfolio (79)
  • Power of Words (16)
  • Rebranding (30)
  • Seen on Fast Company (10)
  • Seen on Slideshare (6)
  • Social Media (35)
  • Storytelling (88)
  • Tourism Branding (1)
  • Uncategorized (Indecision at its Finest) (27)
  • What is Branding (7)

GET FREE UPDATES

BRANDING INSIGHTS DELIVERED RIGHT TO MY INBOX

I want to join the thousands of smarter businesses and brands that already receive free updates, case studies and smarter strategies to defy gravity and rise above the noise.
* indicates required
Email Format

What Does R.O.I. Really Mean For Your Brand?

David_Brier_on_Great_Branding

Brand Intervention Gallery

Before & After Brand Transformations

Before & After Examples

Package Design

Package Design

Brand Identity

2012-BRAND-IDENTITY-2

Tourism Branding

Tourism Branding

Technology Branding

Technology Branding

The Branding Book That Redefined the Rules — Now in Hardcover and epub format

Free eBook -Defying Gravity and Rising Above the NoiseThe definitive book on branding, "Defying Gravity and Rising Above the Noise" by David Brier is now available in hardcover as well as in ePub format readable in any browser or iPad. Get your copy here.

Testimonials

What Design Taxi Had to Say

"Brier goes through [with his free Lucky Brand ebook] the evolution of brands in the changing face of communication and seeks to answer three key questions: How to stand out; How to be noticed at all; and How to be thought of when it's time for your customer to buy.”
Design Taxi
Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
2013-06-21T10:20:47-05:00
"Brier goes through [with his free Lucky Brand ebook] the evolution of brands in the changing face of communication and seeks to answer three key questions: How to stand out; How to be noticed at all; and How to be thought of when it's time for your customer to buy.” Design Taxi
https://www.risingabovethenoise.com/testimonials/design-taxi/

As seen in Forbes.com

“An award-winning brand specialist consulting small-to-medium sized companies and cities as well as a Fast Company expert blogger.”
Forbes.com
Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
2013-06-21T10:07:32-05:00
“An award-winning brand specialist consulting small-to-medium sized companies and cities as well as a Fast Company expert blogger.” Forbes.com
https://www.risingabovethenoise.com/testimonials/forbes-com/

As Seen in Firmology

“David’s work has earned him over 320 industry awards and can be found everywhere and anywhere you look, from his expert blog on Fast Company to his #1 ranking YouTube channel. David may head a creative design agency, but I liken David to an entertainer at the top of his game.”
Firmology
Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
2013-06-21T10:10:16-05:00
“David’s work has earned him over 320 industry awards and can be found everywhere and anywhere you look, from his expert blog on Fast Company to his #1 ranking YouTube channel. David may head a creative design agency, but I liken David to an entertainer at the top of his game.” Firmology
https://www.risingabovethenoise.com/testimonials/as-seen-in-firmology/

El Paso Chile Company

"DBD rocks. To express how good they are would require words they probably couldn't publish. I love DBD's work.”
P.K. - President, El Paso Chile Company
Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
2013-06-21T10:11:10-05:00
"DBD rocks. To express how good they are would require words they probably couldn't publish. I love DBD's work.” P.K. - President, El Paso Chile Company
https://www.risingabovethenoise.com/testimonials/el-paso-chile-company/

One of the best branding minds and talents in business today

"The way David Brier worked with me and embraced my project, I see why he's considered one of the best branding minds and talents in business today.”
New York celebrity skin care expert, Joanna Vargas
Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
2013-06-21T10:12:03-05:00
"The way David Brier worked with me and embraced my project, I see why he's considered one of the best branding minds and talents in business today.” New York celebrity skin care expert, Joanna Vargas
https://www.risingabovethenoise.com/testimonials/one-of-the-best-branding-minds-and-talents-in-business-today/
0
Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design

Ready to Defy Gravity?

For over 30 years, David Brier has worked with large and small companies and startups that refuse to blend in and want — not only a brand that has something to say but — a brand that demands to be heard: to defy gravity and rise above the noise. Read More…

The secrets behind explosive growth

What to do when you're not Joe Rogan
Luxury Brand Success for Nimbl
Why Branding Matters to an Australian Company
the perfect brand extension
serving customers the right way
Rebranding a Company: Woof! Woof!

Subscribe to my Branding Insights email and get my Free E-Book on Branding


You Know You Want To...
Copyright © 2022 · COPYRIGHT DBD INTERNATIONAL, LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED · Privacy Policy · Log in

...