Daily-ist Wednesday: Exposing Graphic Design

Graphic design has taken the spotlight in the past few years thanks to a number of high-profile events. Most notably was the Obama campaign, a tour de force of branding both visually and personally. Obama's O logo was said by some to look like a slab of bacon and a donut, and is also rumored to be the inspiration behind Pepsi's recent makeover.

Not long before that, in 2007, the documentary film Helvetica made it okay to be a word nerd (or more specifically, a font nerd). Suddenly blogs were cropping up every dedicated to design, typeface and beauty in advertising.

Earlier this year, the Rice Design Alliance began a series of lectures to discuss how graphic design embraces a wide range of cognitive, experiential, and aesthetic skills including typography, identity, branding, print design, interaction/experience, information, and sustainability. Each lecture featured an innovator in the field of design.

This evening will be your last chance to catch the lecture series. Tonight's lecturer is Michael Rock, co-founder of the New York-based firm 2x4, whose recent clients include MTV and Nike. 2x4 has also had projects on display in New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Tickets for the event, available at the door, are $7 for students, RDA members, MFAH members and seniors; $10 for everyone else. The lecture begins at 7 p.m., but there will be a reception at 6 p.m. in the MFAH foyer.

Transparency: Exposing Graphic Design
Admission: $7 to $10
Date and Time: 7 p.m. tonight, reception at 6 p.m.
Location: Brown Auditorium, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet (enter via the Main Street door)