A couple of weeks back everybody at the saltmine received a cryptic email that only instructed that we "Save The Date of January 23rd" because "Something was coming...". It turned out that we have a mole amongst us as the email was leaked to some online bike media sources. January's a rough time for bike media since half the country is just trying to stay warm enough to survive and I'm sure they were hungry for a lead. They must've been because they printed an internal email that had no visual connection to anything bike related. As is the norm with those interested in bicycles with an internet connection and too much free time, the speculation went rampant. "What is Trek doing? Are they releasing a new bike? It must be big if they won't tell anybody what it is." Well the 23rd came and something did happen. Something artsy.
Thing One, not to be confused with Project One, R1, or any other word/letter + number naming scheme you see from Trek, is the moniker of our new design studios. Opened in August of 2008, the design studios have been a scene of ongoing construction for the past few months. Housed within its creative walls are the Trek Industrial, Bike Graphic, Print, Web, Retail, and Environmental design departments. With the dust finally settled, the heat turned on, and the foundation re-sealed (we had a "soggy" morning last summer), it was time to crack a Leine's and break in the new space. Let's not forget though, these people are artists and you can't just have an open house. It's gotta be an art show. Hence the email.
The theme was simple. Create anything you like using the icons from the "Wingdings" font. For those of you not cool enough to have studied such trivial things like fonts, Wingdings is an alphabet made up of images rather than characters. For my money, I'll take Times New Roman although I believe the font this is printed in is Verdana. Either way, I doubt it really makes a difference to anybody. The art was pretty outstanding as you might imagine. Posted on this story are several of The Bike Lane's personal favorites. The social report from the evening was that the drinks were cold, the beats were funky, and the art was off the hook. Literally off the hook in the case of one piece that turned out to be an entire room of Wingdings-inspired decore. The Thing One party set the standard for all Trek internal department openings. A standard that will undoubtedly never be met because i don't think anybody else at Trek can throw down on the 1's and 2's quite like the design crowd. Look out later this year when we relaunch the marketing department as "The People Who Sit By The Big Windows". RC Colas and Little Debbies for everybody!
Hi!
It`s great reed about this! the design of a product, is more than the industrial`s view of the bike, involved in the graphic bicycles is also an important point that should think before they finish the product, the graphics today can sell more than a new geometry or a new pair of tires.
Another question..Please can give me some email contact of a designer who works in Thing One?
Thanks :)
Greetings
Posted by: Enzo Fattori | March 28, 2009 at 06:37 PM