In the 32 years since, we have grown and changed. In the mid-1990's, when Sylvia and Juanita left Two Twelve to pursue independent activities, our Yale friend Ann Harakawa joined the firm as a partner and brought new ideas and energy to the business. We are now a company of 30 people with a core of four design teams.  

This year we also remember sadly and fondly our co-founder Sylvia who died so suddenly and unexpectedly last summer. She was such a bright light and an inspiration to all of us, and her spirit lives on in our service-oriented mission and our passion for design. 

On the occasion of this 32nd anniversary, we have much to be thankful for: scores of remarkable projects completed, many design awards, and a huge network of wonderful working relationships. We have an amazing array of tools we can use to design, to communicate, and to innovate: wayfinding systems are far more than signs, and information graphics are way more than fixed images on a page. These days we integrate all the communication tools available to us to tell stories and help people navigate in ways we could not have imagined in 1980. 

We hope that 2012 brings good things to us all and we look forward to collaborating with you this year. So let's continue the dialogue about design for people and places, at times it can be challenging, sometimes even surprising, but it's always interesting. We hope to hear from you - you will certainly hear more from us about our thirty-second anniversary celebration.  

Warm greetings to you from your friends at Two Twelve. 

Donor recognition was a significant component of the comprehensive graphics program that the architects and the institution hired Two Twelve to design for this important new cultural facility in Las Vegas. As a tribute to the significant contributions of supporters, Two Twelve developed a number of recognition elements, including two major "Founders" walls of names carved into the Rosso Verona marble panels. With advanced manufacturing technologies, Testi Fratelli were able to machine-carve fifty-seven supporters names into the flat and curved panels at their Verona facility prior to shipping them to Las Vegas.

For an identification pylon for the Alexandria Center for Life Sciences on Manhattan's east side medical corridor, we had the opportunity to conduct a thorough prototyping process. First we made a plywood mockup to assess the massing of the sign. Then we stuck printed plots of our graphic layouts on the face to review the letter spacing and scale of the type and artwork. What appeared huge in studio reviews suddenly looked just right. A few adjustments had to be made, like refining kerning and cap heights to compensate for the foreshortening effect we saw when we looked up at the long, tall pylon from street level. Next we had a fabricator build a small prototype with different variations of the letter treatment. We tried every combination we could think of: applied vinyl, engraved and in-filled, silkscreened, raised and painted, raised with a polished surface, and so on. We took the prototype on-site and elevated it to actual height using a crane. Although we couldn't get it in exactly the right place due to ongoing construction, having it hoisted high up allowed us to accurately compare the legibility of the different treatments as people would ultimately see them. 

We left the prototype there for a few days, going back to observe it during different times of the day and in different light conditions. The raised letters seemed easier to read than flat graphics. The polished face-raised letter treatment was a particular surprise; it caught light in a way that we could never have guessed from our computer renderings. The raised letters didn't cast as strong shadows as we had worried about, either. We also reviewed the internally lit sign at night. We tested the subtleties of a warm white versus a cool white as well as the other colors in the RBG color spectrum. 

When it came time to make the final decision, the choice was unanimous among the client and design team members -- we chose the polished face-raised letters. We all agreed that it had been helpful to see the design in context and at full scale. The prototyping had not only helped us avoid the costs of implementing a weaker solution, but helped us build consensus for -- and confidence in -- the most effective design.

With initiatives like the GIVE Program (Generate Inspiration Via Education), Seventh Generation develops training modules that educate their employees on the Seventh Generation mission, empowering them to speak knowledgeably about their products and enabling them to connect with the company's values. The GIVE program also provides "how-to" guides to companies interested in holding sustainability fairs as a way of motivating their employees on environmental issues. Most recently, GIVE programs started working with corporations like Starwood Hotels, to bring awareness of healthy-home issues and natural products to hotel guests.
 
In 2009, Seventh Generation and their sustainability partner, Pure Strategies, developed a new tool called a Product Scorecard. This scorecard allows product designers to determine various aspects of a product's environmental impact. Through categories outlined on the scorecard, the Seventh Generation team is able to see the "big picture" of product sustainability. The scorecard assesses a products based on impact on human health, water and air quality, and other categories such as resource sustainability. Along with an annual corporate sustainability report, the scorecard method aims to inspire product designers to new levels of innovation.

One important component of Seventh Generation's mission is improving production methods. To better understand their “cradle-to-gate" greenhouse gas emissions, the company tracks materials, ingredients, and packaging used in all their products. By monitoring the environmental impact of these products, Seventh Generation has been motivated to increase its use of natural ingredients, rather than petroleum, by 68%. The company aims to reduce their use of virgin plastic by 80% by 2014 and to use only 100% renewable materials by 2015, an ambitious but inspiring goal.
As designers who strive to consider sustainability through every step of the design process, we applaud Seventh Generation and their partners for believing that "for every environmental problem…there is an environmental solution."

The depth and breadth of Cornell’s vision helped make their's the winning proposal, beating out major competitors such as Columbia, NYU, and Stanford University.

It takes great design to present visionary ideas. For over a decade Two Twelve has been dedicated to taking complex and ambitious ideas and plans and making them visual - work we call visioning. On the Cornell-Technion team we applied this expertise, designing the original proposal submission and the team's subsequent presentation to the city.

We are thrilled to be a part of this extraordinary team that is helping to reshape the civic, cultural and business landscape of New York City.

He cited initiatives such as the Helen Hamlyn Research Center at the Royal College of Art's "crash cart" redesign project which, by making the essential tools for cardiac resuscitation easier to see and grasp from different angles, has enabled medical personnel to improve coordination and response time. (More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7726171.stm). The project was "commissioned by the National Patient Safety Agency to deal with the fact that out of 40,000 cardiac arrests which occur in UK hospitals each year, fewer than 19% of patients survive" (Savant Ltd).  The Resus:Station solution not only minimizes human error, reduces paperwork, and makes maintenance of the carts easier, but saves lives and saves time, and thereby saves money.

At Two Twelve we are working on several communications design projects that will contribute to a more efficient and cost-effective health care system closer to home. From redesigning a Medicare statement to make it easier for citizens to spot fraud, to creating a wayfinding strategy that helps people navigate a vast hospital campus faster and with less stress, we relish opportunities to apply our design skills to one of the critical issues of our time.

For Two Twelve, the make-up of our teams are fairly straight forward.  While our Creative Directors coordinate the activities and workflow of their design team, and are mindful of the project schedules and budgets, the Client Services Manager remains dedicated to monitoring and documenting the project's process.  However, for our clients, deciding on how a project is managed on their end can be a bit more complicated.  

Though we have had client projects where either one department or the other runs a wayfinding project effectively, we've found that increasingly, when both marketing and facilities are participating with input from other departments on certain issues along the way, the solutions are all the better for it. Each department brings important skills and perspectives that benefit the quality of the solution. While Facilities brings knowledge and expertise of how capital funding works and how to administer capital projects, Marketing is sensitive to issues of patient communications, the brand experience, customer service, and community outreach.

In our view, a balance of these talents and points of view is critical, because without one or the other, important issues can be overlooked and may hinder the process or weaken the final solution. For instance, Marketing might not know about local building code and life safety regulations that need to be followed, whereas Facilities might not have the frame of reference required to resolve nomenclature and branding decisions.

We know that good signage helps patients, visitors, students, faculty, and staff find their way effortlessly, reducing stress and improving their experience and impressions of the institution. But, without the input from all major stakeholders on what works for their own facility, we can only go so far in developing an effective wayfinding system that reflects the culture of the institution, and addresses the overall needs of the facility.

Right now, two of our major academic medical center clients are using a project management model that we all find especially effective. There is a multi-department Working Group comprised of mid-level managers who are tasked with running the day-to-day project, managing the budget and schedule, etc., with one member responsible for being the project manager, liaison with the design team, and overall spokesperson. More important than which department he or she comes from, this person has to have the passion and drive to keep it going and to advocate for the group's recommendations. The Working Group is comprised of both Marketing and Facilities people, as well as the design consultants, and may call in advisors from other departments to participate in resolving certain issues.

Development, for example, typically plays an advisory role with regard to donor recognition. For an integrated wayfinding system involving the hospital web site, an internal sign management database, or other digital tools, IT and/or Communications might need to be advisory participants as well. Which ancillary departments participate as advisors all depends on the institutional culture and the overall goals of the project.

A smaller Steering Committee comprised of more senior level managers reviews the decisions and recommendations of the Working Group at regular intervals. This group provides input and feedback from the perspective of institutional goals and objectives.  

Major decisions and recommendations that have been approved by the Working Group and Steering Committee are then presented to the highest level(s) of the institution -- the Executive Director, Chairman of the Board, CEO and/or other "C-suite" members, for executive approval. Again, whether this is one person or several depends on how the particular organization works.

The process may seem arduous, but by involving our clients, stakeholders and project partners throughout the process, we develop project champions and support internal to the client organization that will encourage the adoption of and adherence to the end program and guidelines for years to come.

Andy's Leek and Swiss Chard Tart
Locally grown vegetables from the green market

Anna's Crock Pot Turkey
free-range, certified humanely-raised,
antibiotic-free, not fed animal by-products turkey
 
Amy's Devilled Eggs
Locally raised eggs from green market

Atzin's Winter Salad
Locally grown pears and greens

David's Raspberry Pie
Organic raspberries from David's garden

Kamdyn's "Heaven" Pumpkin Cheesecake
Locally grown pumpkins from upstate NY

Laura's Roasted Cauliflower with pasta
Locally grown cauliflower

Michelle's Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes and honey from the greenmarket

Ouliana's Borscht
Locally grown beets, cabbage, onion, carrots,
and dill from the green market

Sarah's Pumpkin Soup
Farmers market and CSA (long island grown)
organic veggies 

Tricia's Mac & Cheese
Cheddar cheese from upstate farm & organic milk

Anna shared information about both common materials and handful of new ones, which she discovered through research at Material Connexion. This generated a fair amount of conversation and questions among the audience, including a lively discussion on which is greener; aluminum or stainless steel? The verdict? They are essentially equal, with steel having a slight advantage in its ability to be recycled.

A selection of new material samples, on loan from Material Connexion, provided attendees with the opportunity to handle and examine alternate materials for banners (EKO Flex), temporary sign substrates (FlatCOR), and the intriguing Coconut Bio Resin. The material, unveiled at an exhibit in Thailand, mixes the fibrous strength of crushed coconut shells with resin which may, one day, find its way into an automobile dashboard or any other molded resin application.

Other speakers included Murray Levi, Director of Architecture and Sustainability at LiRo Group and a long time advocate of sustainable design, got the group warmed up with a presentation of platitudes, such as "Think Globally, Act Locally." He talked about the evolution of the concept and importance of conservation in our society, the impact of green-washing, and the real chemical dangers that are hidden within commonly used materials. Heady, intense, and interesting.

The final speaker of the evening was Jon Mischke, of J. Mischke Creative in Denver, Colorado. His focus was on sustainability in the design process. He shared how he has gone beyond just trying to save paper to rethink his design process and move away from one in which the generation of concept and design is halted to focus on the creation of a perfected presentation, to a more efficient, integrated design and documentation process that allows for more exploration up until a presentation.  This, he advocated, can be achieved through the incorporation of design sketches and 3D models into presentations, and the use of those same drawings as a basis for the final construction documentation. This results in a more efficient integration of effort and product.

SEGD New York City Chapter Chair Gary Anzalone helped facilitate a closing question and answer period and added his own insights from the fabricator's perspective. We walked away from the evening with a sense of inspiration and support for our position on making green(er) choices within our practice.

photo: Ann Billingsley

Ann, who dedicated her acceptance speech to her daughters, was awarded for her exemplary leadership and achievements as a successful entrepreneur and Principal at Two Twelve.

"It was a wonderful privilege to be honored among such accomplished and inspiring women," she said. "The gala evening provided a rare view into the world of Asian-American women like myself who have brought the values of our heritage and home, the values of integrity, honesty and trust, to our professional lives."

Patagonia’s mission is to "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." The company’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a leader in sustainable business solutions. He believes “the biggest, first step we can all make to reduce our impact is to do more with what we have.” Patagonia embodies this belief; they vow to produce the best products they can so their customers can consume less. Patagonia begins this process by evaluating what they make and how they make it. By consciously sourcing materials and evaluating a product's lifespan, they take "cradle to cradle" responsibility for their products. As designers, we face a similar challenge when selecting materials and processes. Our teams consider not only the amount of energy used to manufacture a design, but also the final product's expected lifespan, and its ability to be recycled or reused when it is no longer needed for its original purpose.

Patagonia also develops directed services to ensure their clients are thinking and acting sustainably. Earlier this month, Patagonia launched its "Common Threads Initiative" to reduce the company's environmental footprint.  The Common Threads idea is to evolve the standard "Reduce Reuse Recycle" sustainability mantra, expanding it to  include Repair and Reimagine. Patagonia challenges its customers to “fix it when it breaks.” Customers can send their damaged gear back to Patagonia and the company will mend and return it with in ten business days. While Patagonia designs their products to last, they also offer repair services to provide consumers with an alternative to buying more than what they need. 

To promote recycling, Patagonia formed a partnership with Ebay to sell used Patagonia gear. This feature can be accessed through either www.patagonia.com or www.ebay.com. Customers can also mail used clothes back to Patagonia, or drop them off at the nearest Patagonia dealer. The company recycles the material into new fiber or fabric.

Yvon Chouinard discusses more of Patagonia’s sustainability business practices in his book, “Let My People Go Surfing.” He questions fundamental business models and provides his employees with a working environment that promotes individualism and nurtures sustainable thinking. He asks, "Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it's none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers and no business."

Capital funding for the wayfinding program was provided by the Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program as well as an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant on the basis that more efficient parking allocation will significantly improve the city’s air pollution problems. Ironically, while the wayfinding system’s primary purpose is to help people travel from outside in, the design process actually proceeded from inside out, starting with signs for pedestrians moving around Uptown. The city, in conjunction with the Charlotte Area Transit System and Charlotte Center City Partners, hired Two Twelve to design a pedestrian signage program as the first stage of a larger rollout. 

Two Twelve initially developed a visual wayfinding vocabulary for application throughout a system that would eventually encompass static, dynamic and highway signage. Principal David Gibson faced a major conceptual challenge: reinterpreting the familiar image of what he calls “Charlotte’s beautiful geography” into a more useful directional scheme that both citizens and visitors could understand. His team presented different mapping strategies to demonstrate why Uptown’s traditional division into four rectilinear wards bisected by two thoroughfares was inherently anachronistic and confusing for wayfinding purposes. The city ultimately agreed to introduce new diagonal boundaries that define triangular quadrants all pointing to Spirit Square, the destination at the map’s center. 

Gibson explains that “The wayfinding scheme was groundbreaking but actually quite simple. In essence, we developed the basic mental mapping strategy for the city’s core and then extended it out to the highway system. This precedent can be applied to other municipalities. Designers shouldn’t feel confined to city streets, they should feel free to think regionally.”

Each of these four distinct sectors has a name based on a compass point and a signature color to identify it consistently throughout the system. A contemporary symbol based on Charlotte’s traditional crown motif also appears on all signage relating to Uptown, providing a visual cue easily recognized by vehicles on the move. Post-and-panel signs display the map, key destinations, events and travel information. The style of the sign hardware coordinates with Uptown’s traditional street furniture, and interpretive information helps put local history in context.

Two Twelve completed the system by developing a signage hierarchy that leads motorists logically from the I-77/I-277 interstate loop to available parking locations close to Uptown destinations or in surrounding Center City neighborhoods. While highway signs are by nature visually unobtrusive, the subtle addition of Uptown’s color-coding and crown symbol to Charlotte’s new gateway signs represents a major public policy breakthrough. Working with SEGD (the Society for Environmental Graphic Design) as an advisers, the City of Charlotte’s Department of Transportation gained approval to enhance highway signs based on the precedent of airport signage color-coding. This advocacy initiative supported changes underway to the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) – no small achievement – and served to establish Charlotte as a “best practice” model. 

Drivers arriving at Charlotte now encounter gateway signs that mark the approach to Uptown and lead to streets where identification and directional signs display prominent venue names. Drivers experience a natural progression of information through each of Uptown’s sectors that helps locate the nearest available parking. Uptown transportation planner Jim Kimbler estimates that improved access to parking will save 1.7 million miles in cruising time, resulting in improved air quality, reduced fuel consumption, and less frustration for people attending events and meetings. 

To this end, the City of Charlotte hired the consulting firm Kimley-Horn to develop an intelligent parking information system. The firm determined that Charlotte’s parking problems grew out of inefficient allocation, not shortage of spaces. Consultant Mark Dunzo explains that “The short term solution is to use technology to identify spaces and reduce emissions impact. In the longer term, the idea is to help business owners use less real estate for parking by managing it better.” The firm initially plans dynamic displays for key parking decks that will be constantly updated with capacity information. Eventually the entire system will tie into a cloud-based database and be broadcast through handheld devices such as smart phones and GPS-related systems. 

Kimbler describes Charlotte’s wayfinding system as a “living project” that will have to expand over time, particularly to address the needs of Center City’s outlying neighborhoods. Although people will continue to use cars there, other transit options such as the light rail system are gaining popularity and fill to capacity during special events. Such a complex system requires teamwork between specialists from many disciplines. Planning consultant Kirk Lowry of local firm DAWA, for instance, serves in the advisory role of gatekeeper who must determine which venues deserve mention on signage. 

Team playing and partnership have proved to be a hallmark of this project. Howard Landers, the key planning consultant and project coordinator, believes that the Charlotte wayfinding project, while not unique, is “Arguably the most comprehensive and systematic of its kind to be installed in the United States.” He attributes the project’s success to the comprehensive team of planning and engineering consultants who worked conscientiously in tandem with Charlotte’s administration, Department of Transportation and Center City Partners. 

David Gibson concurs, also marveling at Landers’s ability to assemble a group of expert consultants who really understand their work into a cooperative “dream team.” In turn, Landers claims that  Two Twelve “provided a solid base for all the work and truly performed professionally in managing the overall design effort. Flexibility definitely describes a key attribute they brought to the assignment… They also helped me guide CDOT through what turned out to be a much more complex process than I ever imagined when writing the original Request for Proposal.”

Through BRIT's local owners' representatives, The Projects Group, Two Twelve developed a comprehensive signage program, including building identification, exhibition graphics, donor recognition, and wayfinding systems for the new facilities.

Our team worked closely with BRIT to understand their mission and help them communicate their research and educational goals to a larger public. Each design choice, from color and material palette, to the imagery and text used in the informational and interpretive signage, was made with institute's conservation mission in mind.

Two Twelve drew inspiration from the beauty and importance of the Herbarium specimens, and integrated silhouettes of various species, as selected by members of BRIT's Herbarium staff, into the design of signage for the campus exterior, interior, and donor recognition. Working closely with BRIT educators, our team created a series of interpretive features that highlighted their areas of research and the importance of plants in our daily lives.

Our work for the Botanical Research Institute of Texas was recognized by Graphic Design USA and awarded a 2011 American Graphic Design Award for excellence in design.

This spring, David joins the series with "Lost and Found, or The Art of Getting Lost and the Science of Finding Your Way." A pioneer of wayfinding design, David offers an insider's perspective on this rapidly evolving discipline and its place in the 21st century.

Read more about the Fashion Institute of Technology.