The GOOD 100 cover: magazine issue 017

King of Pop Pepsi can tribute concept (discovered via TheDieline.com)

 “Mixed to Perfection” 

“…Lori Tharps shares the motivation behind the new line: ” As the mother of two mixed kids and a journalist who often writes about race and identity, I knew that the phrase ‘What are you?’ is one of the most annoyingly pervasive questions people ask of those who don’t look like the stereotypical definitions we have for racial categories…”

(first discovered via Visual Culture)

Lately rejected/killed designs have been a hot subject on the blogosphere. Following this trend, blurb, has launched their “Killed Ideas” competition. “This is where great ideas come to play. You nailed it the first time and you know it. — Now it’s time to bring your best work back, and let it stand on its own.”

It’s really interesting to see how designs that used to never have the chance to see the light of day outside the office, are getting some air time with the general public.

Many designers have sections on their websites dedicated to their favorite ideas that didn’t make it. There is a Rejected Designs pool on flickr. And book cover designer Kimberly Glyder just launched her Shelved Books blog.

I get a kick out of looking through rejected comps of designers I admire (and often find ones that I am shocked didn’t make the cut). But when it comes to sharing my own, I feel squirmish about this. Usually I place an incredible amount of trust in the final judgment of art directors, editors, authors, publishers, marketing people, etc. There are educated reasons why certain designs are killed (even if I struggle internally to agree), and I worry that presenting these designs on the web could be seen as disrespectful. What do you think? Am I just too old fashioned?