From cereal to cell phones, more marketers need to evaluate the power of too much choice.

There have been close to 1400 entries so far in the BP redesign logo contest sponsored by Greenpeace UK. We couldn’t begin to look at them all, but picked out a few of our favorites. You don’t have to be a graphic designer to enter this contest. Check out the whole collection on the Behind the Logo pages on flickr.

Top five overused typefaces

Designers tend to have pretty intense feelings about certain typefaces. Usually they go on a “most hated” list. A few on my list would include faces like Party, Jazz, Brush Script, and just about any and all grunge fonts – so overused. In a recent poll through Graphic Design USA, Comic Sans led the list of “the” most overused typeface, and equally, the most hated. There is actually a group of designers trying to ban its use. Not such a bad idea since the face is mainly abused by our elementary schools, and could be the cause for desensitizing an entire generation to poorly kerned type. Other winners (losers) on the overused list include, Papyrus, Zapfino, Helvetica, Trajan, Times New Roman, Futura, Arial, Myriad, and Gotham.

While we could never survive without the perfectly formed Helvetica, or Times and Arial for the web – but there are hundreds of other great typefaces that could be a refreshing replacement to any on the overused list.

Earth Day 2010 is April 22, and the green movement is in full swing as more and more Fortune 500 corporations are adopting sustainability guidelines and promoting green strategies. But what’s going on in the small business sector, environmentally speaking? Small businesses may individually be small resource users and waste emitters, but cumulatively they make up 98 percent of all companies in the U.S.– that makes them a huge force. As a small business, small changes around the office can make a big difference. Here is our list of a few easy changes, that can make your office more eco-friendly.

1. Recycle – Everything, from office papers, bottles, cans, laser printer cartridges, and compact fluorescent bulbs (never throw out with your regular trash, they contain mercury). Collect and recycle all of your e-waste or electronic waste, this includes printers, monitors, computers, and anything else with an on/off switch. E-waste should never go in the trash as it may contain toxic chemicals that can leach into the groundwater under landfills.

2. Digitize office correspondence – The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital and dematerialized whenever possible. The more you do online, the less you need paper.

3. Turn off lights and computers – Turn off all lights and the electronics when you leave the office. It’s not more efficient to leave computers on over night. Use motion sensors for offices, conference rooms and bathrooms.

4. Use compact fluorescent or LED lights. CFs use ¼ the energy and last up to 10 times as long as standard lights. LEDs are even more energy-efficient. Please remember to recycle compact fluorescent bulbs as they contain mercury.

5. Use laptop computers. Energy Star models use up to 90% less energy.

6. Don’t use bottled water or use styrofoam cups. Americans throw out over 35 BILLION plastic water bottles every year. Offices are major offenders in this area. Instead stock your office’s kitchen with reusable ceramic mugs and glasses.

7. Telecommute and work from home. Instant messaging, video conferencing, and other innovative workflow tools make effective telecommuting a reality. If you can telecommute, hold phone conferences with services like Skype which is now widely used, often replacing the need for business travel. Over 44 million Americans (including Bates Design) are now telecommuting.

8. Refill laser printer cartridges with soy based inks. Petroleum based inks emit VOCs which cause great harm to the soil when the printed material enters the soil. Soy is a renewable resource and it is relatively easy to grow. Hence, soy ink is not just very environment friendly, but it is also superior to other forms of inks. Using a vegetable-based ink produces up to 50% more impressions than the same amount of petroleum based ink.

9. Add a few green plants to help clean the air. A common complaint of many office workers is poor indoor air quality which can cause headaches and other ill effects.

10. Measure your company’s carbon footprint. Some simple calculators are available, like the one at the EPA’s Wastewise site, http://www.epa.gov/wastes/partnerships/wastewise/carboncalc.htm or you can work towards a detailed analysis with tools and guidance from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

For more info: http://www.greenbiz.com/business/browse/small-business

Quite honestly, if the internet access had been better in rural Charleston, Bates Design would have gone virtual years ago. As it is, it took a recession, and a big empty nest (vacated by three sons while away at college), to get us to finally take the plunge in 2009. A year later we have reaped our own Quality of Life benefits. Beyond the usual “working in our PJs” benefit, we have been freed from the 9-5 office rigidity, which frankly doesn’t always fit well with the way designer people need to work. Granted, most of our work day still includes the core hours that our clients are working – we even tend to work more hours than we used to – but it’s far more enjoyable now. At the end of the day, our freedom to live and work in our own unique style has increased our quality of life immeasurably.

Read about the additional benefits of the virtual office at: What the U.S. could save if more people worked from home.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100401/telecommuting-by-the-numbers.html