Good morning from Dieline’s editor-in-chief, Bill McCool. Here’s your daily side serving of design news, short musings, brand stuff, and forgotten ephemera.
Everyone should read Chloe’s latest Shelf Life on end-caps and in-store displays, but I would like to offer a completely unreasonable water cooler counterpoint: they are the devil. All you are really doing is diverting product from where it rightfully belongs, and most grocery stores don’t even do a good job of keeping that highlighted in-store display anywhere remotely near where it belongs category-wise. I mostly think they are an eyesore that takes up valuable store real estate, and more than once I have thought, Boy, I sure hope I don’t bump into this elaborate La Croix display designed to look like an angry pumpkin because it will rain down Pamplemousse atop my head and I will be severely concussed.
Yes, I am a Virgo. Why do you ask?
JFC: a guy wore one goofy hat 30+ years ago and we can’t STFU about it?
This piece from Andrew Bell felt like the perfect distillation of how my own ADHD brain works, along with a few helpful tips on adding structure to your routine so you don’t burn yourself out on the ol’ catch-up cycle (and I have burned myself out so, so many times in the past).
An unequivocal yes to Giorga Lupi’s wonderful New York Times piece from yesterday. AI is absolutely destroying how we think and find solutions. The journey is the process, and when you remove the research and the thinking required to make good work, you are most often left with pablum. Also, I support anything that references Kind of Blue, but naming AI output “visual elevator music” is a chef’s kiss.
Hidden Valley Black Mold is gonna do serious numbers.
I would never support anyone “killing mayo” or contributing to the “mayo graveyard” because mayonnaise is the GOAT of all condiments. That said, I do like shouting out the occasional packaging designer gig, and this one is for what appears to be an alt-mayo made from whipped cottage cheese. So go here to apply already, will ya?
Eye spy Abrahma Lule in The New Yorker!
Phinal note: the Phillies made the postseason, and we all have some VERY JUSTIFIABLE FEELINGS:
-Bill