BYE BYE JEEVES!

CNN reports recently that a new owner is dumping the ASK JEEVES butler mascot after a ten year run. See the story below.


Ask Jeeves to drop butler mascot
Site's new owner wants different image

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- The genteel butler that has been Ask Jeeves Inc.'s face for nearly a decade is getting ousted in a corporate takeover.

Jeeves, the slightly chubby and balding English butler, isn't the kind of image that e-commerce conglomerate InterActiveCorp wants representing the Ask Jeeves search engine, according to IAC Chairman Barry Diller. His New York-based company bought Ask Jeeves for $2.3 billion in July.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs investor conference last week, Diller announced that his company intends to drop Jeeves as a mascot and shorten the search site's name to Ask or Ask.com.

"Not that I don't like that fat butler," Diller said, according to a transcript provided by Thomson Financial.

After Diller's speech, Oakland, California-based Ask Jeeves issued a statement that said that no decision has been reached on what the company's new name will be or when the change will occur.

Ask Jeeves spent more than $100 million building its brand around the cartoon butler during the dot-com boom. The marketing blitz paid for a 70-foot Jeeves balloon that floated over Macy's Thanksgiving Day and 15 million labels of the grinning mascot that were affixed to apples sold in 8,000 supermarkets.

But the butler (modeled after a character in P.G. Wodehouse novels) started to become a liability after Ask Jeeves upgraded its search technology to become more competitive with industry leaders Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc.

Company research indicated that consumers still associated the butler with the early versions of the Ask Jeeves search engine, which was designed to field inquiries in the form of direct questions -- a technology that delivered inconsistent results.

"This research shows use of the character as the prominent symbol of the brand may inhibit people from recognizing that our search engine has changed," the company said in a statement.

Last year, Ask Jeeves tried to spruce up the butler, introducing a trimmer and more sophisticated-looking Jeeves.

Diller hopes to turn the search engine into the mortar binding together a disparate collection of Web sites owned by IAC and Expedia Inc., which recently spun off into a separate company.



Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/09/27/ask.jeeves.ap/

DESIGNERS WHO BLOG!

Adventures In Blogging has recently been recognized in a new website dedicated to graphic designers to blog. Designers Who Blog (http://www.designers-who-blog.com/) is a new website developed by Cat Morley of Katz-I Design (http://www.katzidesign.com/) and Creative Latitude (http://creativelatitude.com/whats_new/index.html).

The site orignally came to fruition when Cat was writing an article for Creative Latitude about the phenomenon of blogging and her introduction to it.

It also bears to mention, that my other blog, “Design” Inspiration is also listed on the site, and was in fact the first blog “featured” there.

The Box Doodle Project

Someone recently brought this site to my attention, thought I would share!

From the website: The rules are quite simple: rearrange a box to make any kind of figure or object.

You gotta see it to believe it...
















http://www.neu-e.de/

Displaced Designer

Alot has been written lately regarding the tragic events of the past few weeks resulting from Hurricane Katrina. I've been torn, in making up my mind as to whether to discuss it here or not. Mainly because the strong feelings I have concerning these horrific past few weeks. The events themselves have left me feeling powerless and horrified. I've had an almost overwhelming urge to just pack a bag and find transport to the affected area to help in any manner I was able, but the realization of the futility of that effort keeps me home. If there was anything at all I felt I could do, I would be there in an instant.

In any event, I've recently been made aware of this website, and felt compelled to share it here.

http://www.displaceddesigner.com/

From the website:

“In order to consolidate resources and efforts, this site is now working in collaboration with the AIGA — hopefully extending the reach and effectiveness of this initiative so that no designer is left behind.
There are so many displaced individuals who've lost loved ones, homes, jobs, possessions — in many cases everything. Many of us watching the tragedy unfold have asked ourselves, "what can we do?" People have responded by offering shelter, a space in their homes, jobs, equipment, advice, companionship.
We wish to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina by matching needs with offers of help. We have expanded the information requested on our forms so that we can present needs and offers in specific categories: space, gear, work, cash, school. If you need help or assistance, we hope this resource is useful. For those making offers of support, thank you.
This site is a project of the AIGA and The Chopping Block. Requests for help and offers of assistance can be made at either site. AIGA also has additional articles and resources in its Design Forum.”

The site lists a number of other resources as well. if you haven't made a donation, this is your opportunity to do so. Cliche as it may seem, we CAN make a difference. Check out the site.

Creative Latitude Article Mentions Blogs.

A new article at Creative Latitude mentions this blogsite and the new “Design” Inspiration blog as ones to watch. Written by my friend Catherine (Cat) Morley, project manager at Creative Latitude, the article outlines her new fascination nigh addiction with blogs, podcasts and the like. A great little article that showcases a number of mostly design-related blogsites and gives a humorous spin to her new dependency. It also has a great new interview with Chris Gee of The Prepared Mind. Check it out!

Click Here for a link to the article.

“Design” Inspiration

I've recently launched a new blogsite. “Design” Inspiration in a nutshell is going to be designer and illustrator focused. I'm going to be interviewing talented designers and illustrators, posting links of their recent work and to their respective websites. The idea, is to introduce the reader to new talent and seasoned veterans alike. Get a look inside their heads and see what makes them tick. It will also, hopefully, serve as a new venue for design inspiration, as the title so aptly implies.

Check out the first installment, a great interview with designer Keith Bowman. I think you'll enjoy it. I've got a list of designers and illustrators already lined up to contribute, it will be alot of fun to see what becomes of this.

If you're a designer or illustrator and would be interested in contributing, please visit the site and contact me at the e-mail address provided.

Hope you enjoy, and be sure to let me know what you think. Click on the link below to be directed to the new site.

“Design” Inspiration