blok design Taking all this in, I want to become a cheering section for all bloc’s endeavors. Bill Drenttel, former AIGA president, remains one of her fans. “One of the rewards of running a successful studio is seeing talented young people go off on their own,” he says. “in Vanessa’s case, this has involved watching her create an international practice with finely honed work.” That young women are running a successful design businesses hasn’t been newsworthy for years. But changing the course of marketing communications in Mexico, land of machismo, is. Eckstein and her team are a shining example of just how far international women in design have come. And there’s no telling how far they will go. CA
This page: “A company with unsurpassed passion for the pr in t pro c es s, and the expertise to match has the lively feel of a collective, or a good conversation. For people who approach what they do with imagination and pleasure, a certain playfulness feels just right.” Frances Chen/Vanessa Eckstein/Stephanie Young, designers; The Production Kitchen, client. Right: “ICC, a chemical company positions its organic fertilizer, plant food and compost products as the future and chemically derived products as the past. Pac kagi n g expresses the essence of a company committed to the environment.” Marc Stoiber (Chenge), art director; Mariana Contegni (blok design)/Vanessa Eckstein (blok design), designers; Change, ad agency. “Nienkämper, a manufacturer and retailer of highend furniture, needed a br o ch ur e to spread awareness of its growing product line. Our solution was to extend the functionality of the specification catalog by creating a piece that also worked as a set of promotional postcardseach tearaway features a different Nienkämper product. The clean design and subtle typographical detail reflect the quality and originality of the products.” Frances Chen/Vanessa Eckstein, designers; Antoine Bootz, photographer. “For a new restaurant ö dü n, opening in Mexico City, with a mixed menu from Thailand, China, Japan, Vietnam, etc., we needed to define an identity that would carry the flavor and scent (spices and sensibility) of the region without reflecting one specific country. W e designed patterns based on the diverse cultures with a color palette that feels Asian yet contemporary.” Mariana Contegni/Vanessa Eckstein/Patricia Kleeberg, designers.
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March/April 2008