falling apart but feeling good

well... this blog is going to be short and sweet because i'm hanging on by a thread. thank you to everyone for the great feedback--tara, the backstage pass idea worked like a charm, thank you for the great suggestion. this has been the hardest, yet the best, class i have ever taken. i can now officially say that my portfolio is coming together. i will be using every project from this semester and i feel proud of the work i've done. thanks, amy, for pushing us beyond what we thought was possible.

Grand Finale

So... i totally disappointed myself and finished my posters OVER a day early. WTF?! I think you guys are starting to affect me. This semester was like a sleep deprivation experiment for me, but 3 classes down, one to go at 7:45 tonight. yessssss. I'll be spending the next few days working on thesis proposal stuff... but it'll be the ONLY school stuff on my mind. ahhhh... refreshing.

You peeps have been by far the best and most interesting classmates in a sea of "normal" students. I feel like i've learned to articulate my thoughts a lot better throughout the semester. I'm excited for the new year, and a new non-ghetto school buiding.


HERE is a good recap on some best-of design highlights from 2008.

The last blog...

I'm almost blogged out so let's see if I can muster up one more blog. I agree with you guys, the group critiques were helpful each week. It was nice to get more than one opinion and I always felt the feedback was constructive and helpful. Using your feedback, I think the Black Hawk Down poster has improved (as well as the others) and I'm pretty excited about it. I used the poster printer which is AWESOME (I love how I'm just finding out about it now)...and the goal of the day is to try not to destroy my posters when I mount them.
Anyway, I feel like I took everyone's advice pretty seriously and it really improved my work. When I get out of here and get a "real" job I hope to work with a graphic design team because I think it's important when you are in the design field. I like to do my own thing and then show people what I've got and hear what they have to say. It's nice to have fresh eyes look at your work because they can usually pinpoint the problem. Hopefully I can find a work environment that is as friendly and helpful as you guys. Awww.
See you all tonight.

whew.

Well, after many prints, I picked 3, and am done. I was going to keep printing, but my mother did a little intervention, and reminded me that no matter how many prints i make, there will be parts i am happy with and parts i would like to change on every one--so just pick my favorites. I was getting a little worried that i was coming down to the wire because the carving was time consuming, but in the end i am generally pleased. of course, there are things i would have changed a little if i could, but once you carve, that's it. and really, that is a little liberating that i cant be in front of the computer until the 11th hour making a little change...then changing it back...then back again...
Honesty, I wanted to take this class with Amy but was so nervous going in. "Advanced" graphic design...seems so out of my league. I knew i would be exposed as a hack. And really, that was partially why I took it. Either i could cut it, and learn something along the way, and feel like maybe i am ok at this after all, or be called out as a no talent and start putting in applications at walmart. Either way, I would know where I stand.
So I made it through, didn't have any nervous breakdowns, and emerged more learned. Everyone's feedback was really constructive yet unjudgemental and I never felt like i was going up on the chopping block when it was my turn to show what i had toiled over that week. I loved seeing everyone else's work, and felt like everyone else enjoyed it too..no one ever acted like they were just there because they had to be, including Amy. Classes like this are great, i feel like i emerged with more skills, and a few more pals.
So thanks to everyone, and I can't wait to see everyone's projects tonight!

the universe works in mysterious ways

I was wondering at the end of last week, just how I'd get everything done for today.

Mother Nature intervened and gave me a lovely case of conjunctivitis, which has so far garnered me 3 days off of work. I never thought I'd miss 10 hour days of patients, but daytime TV is boring, even with the distraction of my assignments.

This has been a really great class for me. I really appreciated everyone's thoughts and advice, as well as the opportunities to stretch my creative legs a little. I only wish I'd been able to take it earlier.

tie eye

This is the end of the line for me. Final thesis and I am done. Soon I will be able to call myself designer, which is good. It is really embarrassing, these days, being banker. Speaking about economy, since, now, I know what “tie eye” is, everything is clear to me. If that symbol is so recognizable, than our economy is in the good shape. “Hofmann students” as CEO’s. Taking all of this into consideration, spending 20 million on spa is reasonable.

Wow woot beats Ebay!

Whenever I take a design course I feel that my work has 15 conductors and I am not the one in control. Being a child of the 70s this is not entirely foreign or unpleasant for me. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Very nice class I would enjoy working with any of you again and this is not true of all classes! Happy Holidays -- we are almost done!

The Importance of Failure

I think it's important to allow yourself to fail with an idea. Not being afraid to try new ideas, no matter how goofy they may be, helps push your design in newer and unexpected directions. I tend to stubbornly hold on to an idea too long, until someone comes along and tells me to drop it and take a different approach. This last project has been a struggle for me partly because it's the end of the semester and the well is running dry, but mainly because I insisted holding on to the 1970's angle far too long. I appreciate the honesty and constructive criticism everyone had to offer, which forced me to rethink the problem and approach it from a different angle. I'm not sure if my new approach completely solves the problem, but it was important for me to experience the process, which is what design education is all about. Great class, great people, great instructor. I hope I get the opportunity to take more classes with all of you in the future. Thanks and Happy Holidays to everybody.

Woot!!

Sorry my buddy has gotten me hooked on the wootoff on woot.com. You can find some pretty sweet stuff.

Anyways, it has been a pleasure enjoying this class with all of you. I appreciate everyone's insight to everyone's work which brought a lot of creativity into your work. I know I may have been in the program longer than most and have seen 3 or 4 graduating class go through. But this group is one of if not the most intuitive class I have been in since starting here 3 years ago.

Everyone has there own style, work ethic and humor which was a good mix. Have a happy holiday!

ALSO == If anyone would like to give any advice as to what classes are good to take in the future let me know. I think I have 12 credits left and need to take an advance writing course. Any advise would be appreciated.

Shout outs-

Hey what a great idea for the last blog post!

Shout out to everyone in the class for suggesting I rethink my poster series. I had a decent starting concept, and began working with some images and ideas, but you all steered my in a better direction. Everyone had so many good ideas for me throughout every crit of all the projects, I can think of a specific person or suggestion [there really were many, it's not just a cop-out], but I think my work was better from everyone's input. Glad to see people don't just keep the best ideas for themselves.

Thanks!

Holiday Cheer Shout-Out

I realize this is a record for me - blogging on Saturday!

First, I'd like to thank everyone for a wonderful class. 

As I think back on this course, I realize that much of our class time was taken up with crits. And through the weeks we got a good sense of each other's process and the chance to sharpen our critical crit-making skills. Giving and getting useful feedback and finding inspiration from one another's take on the same assignments, is something to be valued, and I'm sure, a lost commodity in the real world outside academia. In the spirit of giving this holiday, its nice to think of our design class as a forum for giving creative support to one another. 

So, I thought in the spirit of the holidays I would start a "Holiday Cheer Shout-Out" this week. Here's your chance to thank the class for a particular insight or helpful hint that gave clarity, focus or new energy to an assignment this semester.

I would like to thank you for pushing me beyond my first DVD idea. The cover would have worked fine (with the big movie sky lights) but by pushing me into something more unusual - I was able to realize the clear box with the color spectrum. I think my project was ultimately more successful and interesting.

Clint font

Here's my new version of the Clint font. I refined the serifs so they don't look as much like arrows, tilted the "S", and made a few other minor kerning changes. I'll bring to class and await the feedback--

Final Design with Lens Outlines

Back to Basics

I think this post's topic couldn't come at a better time. I agree that while the computer has opened up limitless possibilities, a return to some of the traditional processes is in order. For example, I really like the direction that Tara's headed with the linoleum block printing, and I agree with Carolyn that as an undergrad, I experimented a lot more with traditional processes like printmaking and especially photography. There was something special about getting into a darkroom and seeing the imagery come to life in a tray of chemistry. Now, that seems like a million years ago.

I've been experimenting with hand drawn and computer processes with my original font. Since my poster project's concept calls for something raw and immediate, I like the direction its going and I might consider creating the whole alphabet. I'm even considering taking a drawing class next semester. As an undergrad, my major was primarily photography, so advanced drawing classes weren't required. It would be interesting to see how I can incorporate that into my future work.

Also, although I can't fit it into my schedule, I understand that MICA's Continuing Studies is offering a class in experimental typography. I assume that it involves creating fonts from scratch. Jerry Litofsky, the man who moderated last week's tribute to Ed Gold, is teaching the class. Check it out.

I think what gives me inspiration these days is doing the little things. My husband and I wanted to make pasta sauce this year instead of cookies as holiday gifts. I get to work on the tags and mason jars. Whipping up a quick project that makes me smile - with no pressure of grades or clients - makes the idea of worthwhile.

Happiness / Sagmeister / Another Viddy

So i'm jumping on the bandwagon a bit, but it's a fun & interesting bandwagon so... THIS VID gives me hope for the impending future post-grad school.

The long slog

Creativity, I’m looking forward to that. My well is very dry at the moment, work has been unremitting, I have had freelance, and two design classes this semester. I like what I do but it has been too much of a good thing here lately. My approach is to just hunker down and do it whether I think it is really good or not. It is the only way I know how to this much work done.

Super creative geniuses describe being almost pulled along by an idea, being unable to stop. I have felt this at odd times, but I cannot count on it in the day-to-day.

I went to Sagmeister’s website and it is safe to say that he is one of those creative super geniuses I love this work showing in a playful way what our national priorities have been and how they might improve.

As far as this program is concerned, what has surprised me the most is how much I got out the writing classes. I would really like to find a good reading group, if any of you know of one.

Here is a video you all may have seen but it was new to me. A good response to “what is graphic design” I like the ending, after 12-14 hours staring at a computer screen, my eyes feel as if they have been looking at the sun…

Too Much Inspiration

It is funny this is the first semester that I have felt like I am struggling with too much inspiration. Most of the time when I get a project I start thinking about what I am going to do right away. Then I start thinking about how I am going to successfully get it out of my brain and onto sometime type of medium. I think I have always tried not to over complicate my ideas and layouts but for some reason I am starting to cram to many ideas into my layouts. Which drives me crazy. It is like I am purging everything in my mind onto my layouts. Maybe this problem a way my mind is over compensating for the lack of my dominant hand. The way I am approaching this strange obstacle is to walk away from my projects and then come back to them. This gives me a chance to look at my idea in a different light and with a fresh eye. I have always been able to come up with an idea and execute it, of course I may have to do some twigging but the foundation is there. This is why it is a struggle for me. I hope this approach works.

This the way it feels.

It's been a week of the mind being willing and the flesh being weak chez Geek. I keep working and working, but it feels like nothing is getting accomplished. Construction is going really well, but I stil have nothing to show just yet - they're a little unfinshed, and the glue was still too wet to bring out in the lovely rain we are having today.

What's done looks great though, and I'm pleased with the results. I just think that I need 36 hours in a day to fit everything in that I need and want to do.

Posts to follow with things that are done.

Hands

This weekend I had opportunity to play with Cintiq interactive display, now I have to by one. I was always mixing aquarelle, acrylic and pencil with Photoshop, but with this peace of equipment everything I am doing will be at list ten times faster and better.

Since the time of Photoshop 2.5, I found technology very inspiring. Even, before I star painting, I will use Photoshop. It gives me opportunity to push creativity in to something that is, at list for me, hard to imagine.

It is always interesting to watch how technology is used by those who were the first to recognize it and use it, like Kraftwerk (www.kraftwerk.com). Warning: For all of you who had ActionScript class this web site can be very disturbing, so try to avoid it.

With no doubt, the best tool we have are our hands.

Darko Rundek – Ruke (Hands)

Creative and Intuitive Thinking

I am a night owl and and get most my creativity late at night going into morning. Though I pay for it the next day but I wake up and check out what I did and most of the time I'm like "whoa" that looks like nothing I was going for but I like it and work with it...getting into the zone with no distractions is the best for me, oh and under pressure.

I love the fine arts too though I know I am not the best drawer in the world I still like to paint oils or water color because of the lack of detail. Not good with detail and fine arts. I often appreciate the fine arts at museums more so that the graphic arts because I know I could possibly come up with the graphics but the fine art intuitive thought is sometimes mind blowing.

Love the clip of Sagemeister and especially of his outside of the normal realm of thinking. Those hot dogs that spelled out "For", freaking sweet even though it was just some Eskays I love the thinking.

"Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated." -Paul Rand
RIP

Chermayeff & Geismar - Logomotion - I know most of you have probably seen this it's still cool.

Mental

I'm not sure if this would fall under inspiration (or maybe self torture) but I can't seem to achieve real productivity until about a week before a project is due. For example, I have been working on my posters and typeface for a total of about a month and yet I haven't felt the "pop;" the feeling you get when everything begins to come together and you never want to stop working because you're on such a roll. I get up early every morning (not Tara-early, but early) and sit in front of my beautiful new computer, which one would think would be inspiration enough, and nothing... I sit, stare, and try to think of ways the project would or could be better and nothing. I guarantee I won't feel inspired until 9pm on Saturday. I'm beginning to question my mental stability because I know the count down is on and yet I feel like I'm in a dream trying to run and my feet are spinning in place. Does this problem plague anyone else?

just watch

School, inspiration and the whole crazy thing.

This program has definitely changed my creative process and the way I look at things. When I started school, someone asked me if it was making me look at things differently (ads, commercials, movies, etc.) I said no, not really...
Well, now it is, and it's a really good thing (although it drives me a little crazy when I'm trying to figure out what typeface is on a street sign). I'm much more aware, now, of my visual surroundings and the design that surrounds us in various media.
As for inspiration, I feel like sometimes I get too busy to be inspired (if that makes sense.) It's so much easier to be inspired when you're traveling or have time to go to museums, walks, etc. Right now I'm just trying to finish school, not get fired and see my friends and family when I can. But I do find inspiration in little everyday things and I find inspiration in other designers (famous or colleagues/teachers).

I've found a lot of teachers are telling us to not rely on the computer as much. I was a Fine Arts student undergrad so I was really into drawing/painting etc....but now I've gotten so removed from that with the computer. It's nice to be reminded that the computer is just a tool and to go back to my roots with design and not to rely on the computer so much.

And wow, Tara, you wake up eaaaaaarly. That's dedication. Congratulations on almost being done.

Quick question..

I'm leaving an inch (so it's 11x18) for the clips..i've never used them so i figure 1/2 inch on both sides should do it. Is that what ya'll are allowing? Just wondering if i was leaving too much...
thanks!

On the lighter side.

We are coming upon the final weeks, and I know we are all feeling the burn. It's funny though, next semester is my last, and i am just starting to feel as if ive figured out what motivates me, how to get my ideas flowing, and how long it will take me to get that onto paper. It may seem like a trivial thing, but in a design world with everything due "yesterday," it's makes me feel a little more in control when I am aware of my own design process.
This has meant me coming to terms with a dreadful aspect of myself--I'm a morning person. Now, mind you, i've always kinda known, but getting a master's degree while working an 8-5 and raising a 2 1/2 year old on my own has really worn me down. Pre-real job and Chloe, i could fiddle around for a while on the computer and generate nothing and, well, all it meant was a few less hours in the bar. But now my time is squeezed and i am always plagued with what i "should be doing" while im doing something else. So I've started to wake up at 3:45 Mon-Thurs. to do schoolwork before i start my day. Dragging myself out of bed is brutal most mornings, but i make a pot of coffee and sit down in front of my computer. And, sure enough, i produce more in the few hours before work than i do all day Saturday. I'm not distracted, my brain is perky, caffine is flowin, and things happen. Those morning hours have saved my ass.
I guess a lot of what a master's degree consists of is what you learn about yourself. What you are good at, what you struggle with, how you work, and why you are doing all this in the first place. Maybe even what you aspire to be. I've pushed myself to no longer be a slave to the computer. To use it in design but not always make things that completely revolve around it. to draw, to carve, to enjoy that fine line between being an artist and a designer..if it exists.
I find it interesting to learn how others work (like i was amazed at Pam's ability to make 50 logos in an hour) and what people learn about themselves in the process.
Oh, so i know many, many, blogs ago i claimed that inspiration was hard to come by for me, but ever since i was shown this in another class this semester, watching this became my way of pulling myself back together. As stupid as it sounds, this short video inspired me to take a different approach to my projects this year, like illustration and the ole linolium blocks.

waaay to sensitive.

i guess any sense of connotation is lost on the web... what i meant by "thinking about it" was not "thinking about banning ads"... but more like "thinking about issues... lots of issues". being a left-leaning vegan, i'm hardly the type who'd want rules imposed upon us. hell... i've been arrested for civil disobediance in my younger days. the debate IS important though... that's what i'm interested in.

what i'm more afraid of is complacency than the notion of being befuddled by any advert. as Samuel Johnson once said:

"In order to the right conduct of our lives, we must remember, that we are not born to please ourselves. He that studies simply his own satisfaction, will always find the proper business of his station too hard or easy for him."

discussion is a good thing, and jumping to conclusions (of one side or the other) is a quick and easy way out. 'nuff said.
here are some photos of my holiday jaunt to colonial williamsburg.

Is the Media Almighty?

I wonder how much the media has us in a strangle-hold. 

I am not defending or condoning sexism in ads. But its a time honored tradition to use woman to sell products. Can't we see through this? Are we, as designers of commercials and mag ads, as influential as we hope? Is it only the discerning viewer who can see through the cliche money-grab? Can we not see and see through an ad? I think this not a super-power. I still believe in our ability to see through the ads. Americans are not that dumb.

more on the topic at hand

I've been thinking about all the posts about sex and sexism in advertising, and Amy's Jean Kilbourn video really resonated with me.

I'm going to bring this around to something that I've dealt a lot with, which is comics and the comics industry. It's definitely a boys club, in a lot of ways. While there are a lot of women who are breaking into the industry, they tend to gravitate towards small and independent press books, and are not yet well represented in the "big Two" (Marvel and DC).

Recently, several of my friends were tapped to work on a new DC line called Minx, which was geared towards the primarily teen female manga market. Minx was a great concept - a woman friendly line, headed by a woman editor. Sadly, bureaucracy had it's way with the line, made the stories the stereotypical "girl comic" stories, and the department was recently closed.

In general, women in comics are forever victims. Even the powerful heroines are frequently given passive, defensive powers, rather than offensive ones. Those that do have offensive powers are either villains or so broken as humans that they're unable to stand as role models. They're rarely less than Barbie in stature, either.

I keep waiting for someone out there, one of the writers with jobs (I try with my little book, but we certainly don't have Spiderman's readership), to create a human woman character that holds the same role as a lead who's a man.

I always wonder, though, what the solution is to any institutionalized problem. I think that discussions like this, and raising awareness, teaching people to think critically about what is presented to them is probably the most important first step. We shouldn't just gloss over things, but rather consider what is being said, and make our own decisions and opinions carefully.

"real beauty" trick?

I think I misrepresented myself in my last blog entry, and for this I feel bad. I absolutely DO care that women are objectified—sometimes, some ads do strike a nerve (although not very often) and I have to agree with Emily about being completely desensitized. I am aware of the way women are displayed to the public but somehow I manage to move on without a thought. We (and it seems like most of us) should take the time to think about what advertisements mean and what messages they are sending; especially because we are designers. We are (or are going to be) the people sending the messages.
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about our class/blog discussion and we landed on the topic of the Dove “real beauty” campaign. I never thought about this before but this campaign objectifies “real” women as much as it does super models. Why do any of the women have to be in their underwear at all? If Dove is such a great skin product why not show animated skin cells in the ads?

Banning Sexist Commercials? Are You Kidding Me?!!!!

I read the article David posted and I cannot strongly disagree with him more when he said, "good to know that someone is thinking about it." While I understand that sexism, racism, and every other "ism" still exists, banning speech and expression is NEVER the answer! Regardless of whether one finds an ad offensive or not, I don't want someone and especially some government run entity telling me what I can watch, read, view, create, and most importantly THINK! If it sounds like this article touched a nerve, then you would be right. Banning anything deprives me of the opportunity to use my own brain and judgment to critically analyze and form an intelligent opinion about something. It's this PC bullshit wrapped up in good intentions that has me fuming mad whenever I come across an article like this. If we are to give in to the notion that it's okay to ban something, then we have established a precedent for other forms of expression to wind up on the chopping block. If any of you find something crude, distasteful, or offensive, then I'm fine with that. You all have a right to be offended and voice your opinion about it, but when that opinion eventually grants the government the power to create laws and regulations restricting speech, then we have all lost. Remember, the first amendment was not created to protect just popular speech, but the unpopular speech as well. And if anybody finds what I've said in this post offensive, GOOD! I must be doing something right then.

All is Not Lost

Fear not fellow designers. There are some advertisements that attempt to buck the so called "perfect" standards of beauty. Like this ad for example for jockey underwear.

comment on Jean Kilbourn’s lecture...

i must say... the whole "active/passive" imagery thing was something i never really noticed before. i'm glad i saw this; maybe it'll help me to shed the blinders & look at ads in a more critical way. An interesting note... looks like the EU is attempting to Ban Sexist Commercials. Prob won't be passed into law at this point in time... but good to know that someone is thinking about it.

Black Man in Elevator

I have experienced this more than I would like to say I have but this is hilarious.

Who is this for?

Tonight my wife and I were flipping through the channels. Complaining how there was nothing on TV. When we ran across the Victory Secret Fashion Show. When we flipped past it I thought to myself why is this even on and whom are they targeting? Take a look and let me know what you think. Why don’t they highlight SPANX as well if it is all about their products?

Miss Sarajevo

Quickie

I love OUS commercials...just for fun.



even though it's a spoof.

It starts young..

Sex in advertising and in general never really bothered me pre-Chloe. Let's face it, it's how most of the 20-something (and for some of us, into 30-something) people are motivated to do a lot of things--most of all, buy stuff and well, you know. But the "grooming" for girl/boy behavior starts really early, earlier than i knew until i shopped in baby gap. Not even talking about color--i have to admit i like pink on chloe--but clothing..well..constrictions. I bought chloe some jeans there some time back and had to return them because they were tight and made her walk funny--legs straight out, like a lazy ss soldier. And when i examined the jeans it wasnt that they were too small, it was the cut..."skinny jeans." Now, chloe is built like her momma--and her little butt was smooshed and uncomfortable and the legs tapered down and were just too tight. I brought them back to the store and asked if they have a different style. "low rise" the sales woman tell me. low rise? on a toddler? are you kidding? So finally i asked her if she found it a little strange that the girls jeans are constricting and fashion driven while the boy jeans are baggy and comfy looking. "well," she replied "the boy's jeans are more for playing." i left before my mouth started. What the hell do you think Chloe is doing, goin to the club? Doesnt she have the right to be comfy? apparently not. Girls, you know those jeans you look good in but cant wait to get out of? the are grooming the girls early for that.

On the design end, the gap's little girl tshirts have words like princess and butterflies, the boys have sesame street and trucks. I think with children, it's really easy to fall into these stereotypes and think them harmless. Trucks for boys, fairies for girls. And that plays right into the adult images of helpless, pretty women and the men who can save them.

One for Amy's collection

I was googling images on nutrition at work and this came up...I had to open it to see if the headline really said what I thought it said.

Old Sex, New Sex - late post

This subject has been talked about a lot. I liked the stats on women but that is 2006 and I bet that those stats are even higher now. I liked the stat of "In 2005, women accounted for 30% of all lawyers, 32% of all physicians and surgeons, and 67% of all psychologists." 67% of psychologists...wow, I don't want to get myself in trouble here but I should have figured that. Women like to talk and consol, that's how I met my wife.

Here is the 2007 Fact Sheet(PDF)and the 2008 Fact Sheet

Sex sells, at least that is what the companies and agencies doing these campaigns think. Me personally, I don't go out and by a cologne because a guy has a beautiful half naked girl attached to him. But that is what the company is hoping for. If you use this cologne then you'll get the girl.


What I thought about first is car commercials and the axe man spray ads.

Those axe commercials are funny and axe isn't really aimed at the married 30-40 year old so I can understand but the commercials are really over the top and they need a disclaimer because it works...I want real data, like product reviews.


Most of these ads are directed to the younger generation I think, but some are not. I try not to pay attention. Also it is giving the young generation 16 and below, a wrong perception as to what your body is supposed to look like. You need to be a waist size 28-32 to get a pair of 75 jeans from AF with holes already in them???

Some of these work some do not, I would rather see the CBR in action on the street, I know it's fast but I want to see it. Will it attract fast women?



I don't understand the language but I get the point, I think...it seems they need help selling that car.



This kinda makes me sick with the dad not angry about the dudes gazing at his little girls and wife. I guess they could have just used the wife and not the kids.

off topic--CS4 Master Suite $350

Is this possible, how? I’m interested in getting CS4, I was not that stoked about it until I saw the blob brush in Illustrator and now I REALLY want it. So I see on JourneyEd that the Master Suite is $999. The expected price. So I look on Ebay and Craigslist and the internet generally because I simply cannot make a purchase anymore without looking at those places and $999 is a little out of my budget. There are all kinds of too-good-to-be-true kind of prices going on, and a lot of computers coming “preloaded” with this, a new trend for Adobe software… Have a whole bunch of people boosted an Adobe truck, is there grey market software out there, is this OEM software? I don’t think this is all pirate stuff, but I could be wrong. Thanks for any advice or information on this.

My Sexism Tangent

I remember when several years ago, watching tv with one of my male friends, he pointed out a commercial for something or other where the man was made to look like a dumbass and the woman, probably his wife or girlfriend, swept in to rescue him from his own idiocy, eyes rolling all along. My friend was irritated by this, and rightfully so. He said at the time that men (especially white men) were the only pc option left if you want to make someone look stupid for laughs. Since then, I've been incapable of NOT noticing whenever I see an example of "dumb man has to have wife buy cold medicine for him" advertising, and I get plenty irritated myself. But really, it's not that men are the new Victims, so much...It's that I'm so desensitized to offensive portrayals of women in advertising that I don't even notice it unless I make a conscious effort! So I appreciated Jean Kilbourn's comparison of the super-controversial penis ad with all of the other ads targeting women. Of COURSE people threw a fit about the objectification of the man...We're not used to seeing it. All those other ads just roll off our backs.

Over the past couple of years, I've also started to notice the pairing of average-looking guy with hot-looking woman in commercials, and unlike the glut of other hot-woman ads in magazines and on tv, this has been bothering me quite a bit. The message: Men's worth is not defined by their appearance, therefore we put average guys in the media. But women are still defined by their looks, therefore average guy still gets a super-hot wife or girlfriend. Women are never permitted to be "average." We take it for granted that it's their lot in life to make an extra effort to be physically desirable, and I NEVER see women on television that don't look like they've been grooming furiously. If you're not skinny, you'd damn well better get a good haircut, wax those legs and buy some designer-knockoff clothes.

The gist of the AFL-CIO stats is that women are now as dominant in the workforce as men (although apparently we still don't earn as much). We are now prime audience for advertisers. I find it interesting that in addition to being told to buy makeup, clothes, lingerie, perfume and shoes that will make men want us, we're also being targeted for luxury products. It's an indication that advertisers recognize the increased buying power of women, and that we no longer depend on a man's wealth to get our cars, vacations, homes. Our participation in the high-end workforce makes us independent. And that's why I find commercials like these so disturbing:



and



Are you kidding me? In the first ad, the woman is thrilled with her car supposedly because it proves to men that she's as good as they are -- but we can all see that she's really just thrilled to be such an unexpected turn-on to them. In the second ad, her sole motivator is her sexuality, that whore. Once again, women reduced to sex, but now in the guise of appealing to our independence and wealth.

The thing that's most depressing to me about all of this is the manipulation factor. Not only are women being manipulated furiously by the advertising world -- a topic that's gotten a lot of attention, esp. regarding teen girls and body image -- but we're also being taught TO be manipulative. How do girls get what they want? By batting their eyes, looking pretty and seducing. How do girls dominate other girls? By being the sexiest, the cattiest, drawing the most male attention. No wonder the little girls in the ads are so passive. There's no need to accomplish anything when you need only use your body to manipulate men and get what you want. It's damaging to women AND men, and makes for a shallow society. Teaches girls to be brats and boys to expect brattiness and treat girls with disdain.

Everybody Hurts

I am a feminist. I will say that I am always sympathetic to the earnest Man trying to understand Woman. Women baffle me at times and I am one. To say that men suffer too or that a man is objectified as well misses the larger issue to me. Human life always encompasses suffering, and comparing our wounds, while a temporary salve, or more often a nettlesome reopening of pain, changes nothing. Neither does preaching to the choir. What feminism is about, for me, is a method of analyzing power, how people sort themselves out, who gets to do what and who gets to have what.

If you believe that men love their children as much as women do, then you are a feminist.

If you believe that women and men should choose when to have children and when not, then you are a feminist. (I believe men should have reliable birth control too)

If you believe a person should be judged on their merits, then you are a feminist.

If you believe in peace, then you are a feminist.

If you believe in work life balance, then you are a feminist.

Being a good feminist, like all the secular humanist disciplines requires a lot of reading. I know I can’t keep up, but if you want to know more here are some resources you may not have already heard of: bitch mag (I love this one), Spread is a mag for sex workers written from a feminist perspective (kinda seemed on topic), and my personal favorite Feminist Thinker Katha Pollitt.

I tend to think that most people have a lazy, self-serving and money seeking bias more then they want to “keep the woman down.” So many of these sexist ads are an attempt to tap into that “young male market” or simply to sell sex because that’s the easy thing to do. Many other are simple male fantasy like that goof with the big lens that Mogi posted. The only way a guy looking like that got a woman who looks like that on that back of his motorcycle is by paying five hundred bucks an hour. I guess he thinks he is getting what he paid for, but I scoff at him and so do many others.

Jean Kilbourn spoke very well on the subject of female passivity which I think is a bigger problem than fantasy sexy pictures in ads. And the Hip Hop video was hope inducing, I’m glad people are starting to address sexism and homophobia in that culture. I think some of this misogyny and harm in rap has to do with an attempt to divorce oneself from all responsibility except the rush of the moment and the stroking of number one. Kind of an inverse of earlier drug cultures. Plenty to analyze there.

The bottom line of all of this for me is that all of these things add up. Many small things added up to totalitarian governments and unfortunate war adventures throughout history. Iran before its revolution had a large progressive and cosmopolitan population. Progress for everyone requires that we become wiser, bigger hearted, and vigilant. I don’t think that there is a “really big conspiracy” but there are people who want to turn the clock back, they are organized, well funded and I oppose them. The debasement of women harms everyone and thwarts progressive change.

Ways of Seeing

After reviewing these materials I see that unfortunately, I've been a bit oblivious to most of the underlying messages here. I see things but I guess I wasn't always aware and consciously affected by the types of ads and portrayals shown in these examples. Subconsciously, well, I guess I am or was and will probably will continue to be, even if I try to work against it (I guess you have limited control over your subconscious). But perhaps I can start seeing things and interpreting them in multiple ways -so that I don't let things affect me without knowing what's going on. Finding new ways of seeing is a great skill, and for someone somewhat dense such as myself, I'd say an important one considering the field of design. Luckily, I haven't been put in the position of having to create something that may fall into one of the traps similar to the ones here, but society and gender has undeniably impacted the way I represent things in design and perceive the works of others. These were interesting clips, definitely eye-opening.

Sex and Sexes in the Media

I guess in my last post I was focusing more on sex in general in the media, not really on how women are portrayed - but you can't really talk about one without the other. There is no question that women are objectified in the media, I think that is a fact. But as a woman, I don't feel discriminated against in my day to day life (except for the occasional cat-calling, which I don't worry about because those men are losers). I think women have some advantages over men and men have some advantages over women. For the most part I feel equal in this society and capable of doing anything I want to do (although the facts about salary are disturbing...) I realize we've come a long way and it wasn't always like this and in some cultures women have no rights at all. I also realize we have a way to go until things are completely equal.

When talking about sexes in the media I think we need to address men as well. I think there is a lot of pressure on men - to not show emotion, to be macho, to have big muscles (I feel like a lot of men are more obsessed with working out than women). Granted the problem isn't as big as the portrayal of women, but the images of men in advertising are either of complete goofballs or of sexy men of steel.



I do wish the media's focus on perfection in women would change. I believe it leads to problems, especially in young women, with self image and self esteem. There are a few campaigns that are fighting it, like Dove's Real Beauty campaign but they are few and far between.

I know that the media influences our way of thinking, but I also think that models (men and women) are not real life and I don't expect people in real life to look like the people on tv/ads. I also don't think models are going away anytime soon - face it, pretty people in the media attract attention and they're fun to look at. With all of that said, I think the way "pretty" people are shown could change. I hadn't thought much about the postures and subtleties of the way women are portrayed before Amy talked about it in class, but portraying women in a strong way in the media would be a subtle change that would start to shift people's perceptions. (The woman in this ad looks like she's about to be gang raped? An example that's not so subtle...)



I think that advertisers will continue to objectify women, it's been going on for centuries. But we as designers (and as the most important people in the world, as Ed would say) do have a lot of responsibility with the images we portray in the media. I guess it's something we just need to be aware of and make conscious decisions about.

Clarity on the Sex Topic

This a preemptive entry on the topic of sex in the media and the objectification of the sexes. I say sexes because I believe that both sexes are objectified in their own way. It appeared that the discussion was starting to get a bit heated Thursday, so I wanted to offer some thoughts before Amy makes her post.

First, I do agree that women are objectified with the use of traditional roles and gratuitous sex. I also do agree that that the ads we see featuring rail thin, 5' 10", 110lbs models do send an unrealistic message to young girls. The result is these girls going on fad diets and developing eating eating disorders in order to live up to an impossible standard.

I also believe that society objectifies men in ways that if not put in the proper perspective, they will do damage to future generations of young boys. While advertising uses sex and body image to sell to women, that same industry uses strength and athleticism to sell to the male population. Even with the talent and physical attributes, the odds of making it in professional sports are extremely slim. Sports ads continually peddle unrealistic messages that this shoe will make you jump higher or this sports drink will make you run faster. We have young male athletes (and also young women) starting to abuse steroids and performance enhancing substances at earlier and earlier ages in order to stay competitive and live up to the image of their sport's idols.

The question posed is what do we do about it? I'm not suggesting we ban these ads, and I hope that I'm in agreement here. I'm also not in favor of trying to bring down the fashion or sports industries. While the media does contribute to the problem, I think it's important not to be so quick to lay all the blame at their feet. Parents need to be more involved with their children and explain to them that what they see in print or on television is not real. These same arguments were made against rap music, claiming that it idolized violence and the gangster lifestyle. Perhaps they have a point, but I don't think the answer is censorship or angry boycotts.

I think the best we can do is have debates like this, and try to change the hearts and minds of people. There are always going to be ads, television programs, and other forms of media that use gratuitous sex, violence, and objectification in order to sell and promote. Someone is bound to get offended at some of it and that's the price we pay for living in a free society. We value free expression and like it or not, advertising is free expression. I believe Amy's point is to think deeply about what we see in the media and be aware of it in our culture. I think that's a reasonable approach we can all agree on regardless of where you stand on the issue.

for you to consider

Hi All,
I know I may have sounded a little heated during class and for that I apologize. However, I don’t apologize for urging you to be thoughtful purveyors of language and image.

Here’s a video that is an edited portion of Jean Kilbourn’s lecture from "Killing Us Softly." She is internationally recognized for her work in alcohol and tobacco advertising and the image of women in advertising.







Here's another video I'd like you to watch, it's a trailer for a longer documentary called, "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." It's put out by the Media Education Foundation.









Read this report put together by the Department for Professional Employees of the AFL:CIO. The sources for the report are quite varied and reliable.

Professional Women: Vital Statistics



Do you have examples to contribute?

Beyond the obvious, what's the relationship and effect of these items? How does this affect you as a professional?

The Triple Threat

I may give in the power of the triple poster. More to show tonight of my process on this, I keep thinking I get further away. I am working slowly on the type - something monolithic.

Sex Cont.

I tend to agree with both Carolyn and Michelle. I recently saw a television program on VH1 that had a top 101 sexiest celebrity bodies list. It seemed like there were just as many men on the list as women, so in that respect I agree with Carolyn that men are being objectified in advertising, movies, and television more and more. Perhaps still not as much as women, but the times are changing. I remember seeing a commercial for Macy's that featured Martha Stewart and a host of other women ogling over some male model type who was apparently hired as a new spokesman for Macy's. Then, at the commercial's end it featured Donald Trump sarcastically saying, "so very shallow". On the other hand I also recall seeing a commercial for Patron Tequila. Three men sitting at a bar table obviously in a heated conversation. You can't hear the conversation, but at the end of the commercial, their waitress delivers their drinks to their table and bends down to show ample cleavage. Then three dialogue bubbles appear over each of their heads reading, "real" "real" "fake". The word, "fake" changes to "real" as all three men nod excitedly in agreement. Obviously they were commenting on the whether or not her breast were natural. Both commercials used sex to sell, but I didn't think they crossed the line. I suppose different people are affected at different levels. Oh, and Michelle your right. Men are portrayed as bumbling idiots. It seems like that's a pattern for not just commercials, but also sitcoms and other television programs. "Everybody Loves Raymond" is a good example. Ray's the dumb-ass who's always getting into trouble, while his wife, Deborah, is portrayed as the smart and sophisticated one who's always calling him out on his buffoonish antics.

Humping Bunnies

I am all for pushing the boundary! I think people (in general) are waaaay too sensitive about…everything. Okay, so the sexy lady on TV is an object; so what? The job of advertisers is to sell—sex sells. And I’m not going to lie, I probably bought the slutty lady’s perfume because they sold me… and I’m a woman. I agree with Carolyn that it goes both ways. Has anyone ever noticed that men on TV commercials are portrayed as absolute idiots? It’s always the guy who screws up and then tries to fix the problem but ends up getting into more trouble. As far as kids being exposed to racy things on television, where are the parents to step up and turn the tube off? Why don’t we blame them instead of blaming the commercials and television shows? I think people are only as under/over exposed as they chose to be.

Sexy Times

Ah yes, sex. Way to keep us on our toes Mogi!
Sex sells, we all know that. Extreme feminists and religious fanatics tend to take it all a little seriously (sorry if I offended anyone) but I think we should take it all in stride. Men these days seem to be objectified almost as much as women. With the sexual revolution and all that jazz, America seems to be a little more easy going about it all. Not as much as Europeans (nice movie clip Mogi, if you watch the singer long enough you see boobie) but still, we're loosening up. (I'm always amazed what they can show on TV in Europe - I guess that shows what a sheltered American I am).
Some of these are hilarious (sex + humor) http://www.funny-commercials.net/Sexy_Commercials/ and some are just completely ridiculous (the Go Daddy one? Come on...) I can see that if I had little kids, I would definitely not want these on the air.
Too much to explain...
Like the Something Special one? Hilarious but geez!
I think America has reached a happy medium, but I guess the boundaries will always be pushed.

Sex for sale

I think it's a great point that sex + humor is what's generally safer. For products sold to women, sex can be used without humor pretty reliably, but it's a different type of sex: The "I want to look that delicious to men" type, which is manipulative in a whole other way. But for ads that are successful for things other than Herbal Essences ("a truly organic experience," wink-wink, nudge-nudge) and and Victoria's Secret, the successful/harmless sex campaigns I can think of all use humor. I'm thinking especially of the Axe body spray campaign that features an array of dorky guys with hot women drawn to them like flies. Or there was once a commercial for some energy drink that was a musical routine on the theme of the drink being just what you need the morning after your shameful one-night-stand.

But by and large, outside of the world of music, I don't really see too much that would be considered edgy in mainstream media here in the U.S. Maybe there are too many watchdog groups out there making sure that our children aren't corrupted by the sight of boobs at too early an age. Look at the frenzy following the Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson thing. If that wasn't an example of puritanism in action, I don't know what is.

No sex mentioned in this post

'Mates-
I need to pick a third film to help round out my movie series. I'm doing movies that Clint Eastwood directed but also starred in. I'm using "The Outlaw Josie Wales" and "Million Dollar Baby". I was using "Unforgiven" as my third, but that jumbled up the genres and tilted the whole thing towards westerns. He also directed/starred in:

Firefox
Sudden Impact
Heartbreak Ridge
The Rookie
Absolute Power
Space Cowboys

Any thoughts or advice on a third film? Much appreciated-

Risky and frisky

After reading a particularly grim Kate Millett book back in the day (1980something?) -- I turned the TV to this newfangled MTV and saw a sluttish woman writhing on a gondola proclaiming she was “like a virgin.” I laughed so hard at this I fell out of bed and knew that the Madonna-Whore complex was being reassessed in new ways and that the conversation about it had changed forever.

Women were packaging their powerful sexuality – profiting and gaining stardom. The woman was the captain of her ship at last and what harm is in it if it’s all just for fun. AIDs put an end to the sex party for everyone and sex has gotten more, not less complicated as the years have worn on.

I should not have to rehash why sexual objectification especially of women is well, evil. But it is a complicated sin in that, like money, we do all like sex. If you are thinking about it in terms of “harm to culture” then anything that strips a woman of her personhood and turns her into a sex object that exists only for your pleasure, then you have committed objectification. Some critiques of racy ads are a little humorless, but it is the price for vigilance. If you are thinking in terms of harm to a client just know that people are watching this and they are not quiet people.

Sex with humor and no harm I think is great and most people will appreciate it.

The birds and the bees

It still upset people almost 40 years later. Chelsea Girls, designed by Grand Vizier of Illustration Alan Aldridge, is creative, edgy and definitely represents peace of art. Since the client for the poster was Andy Warhol, there was no worry will it upset or insult someone, that was the purpose of the design at the first place.

I don’t want to talk about Alan Aldridge, who’s design is pushed till and over the extreme. What I am interested in is: Where is, or is it possible to define, the point where using of sex want be pushed over the edge, insulting audience and harming the client. Definitely, there are cultural obstacles that have to be taken in to the consideration. Usage of sex is looser in Europe than in America, but don’t even think about of using it at Middle East.

.

“Focus” and “Blaupunkt” are using sex in mixture with humor, so that humor becomes dominant element, and something that will make message memorable. Or it is better to say, cleverness of the commercials will stay with us much longer than the message that is not funny. There are a lot of claver ads out there, but the one that uses humor are for sure the most successful.

On other hand, the massages sent by “Focus” and “Blaupumkt” are not decoded till the end (clever, isn’t it?). Is “Blaupunkt” selling just the car speakers or "the advantage" that will come with them? And what is required for “the perfect image”, digital camera, something else (you know what) or perhaps it takes both.

How hard is to sell this? With my "perfect" English skills, I’ll say to client something like this (since I am trying to sell sex, using deep voice is strongly recommended): “The basic concept for “Blaupunkt” car speakers will be Brown Bear and Pink Rabbit (since the target audience is straight). They will making it, in the beat of music, on the back shelf of the car”. No, no, no… this one is better: “Why don’t we use male in his late 20’s with erected camera?” What? Who?

I think my meeting with client will end like this: Client (trying to be smart): “Why don’t we play safe and go with boobies, boobies have the POWER, they can sell”. Hmm..., how stupid I am. I’ve always thought she has the “golden” voice.

.

Print vs. Online

I too work at an academic institution and we have the same debates over print v. web. True, the web should be a information-driven, but compelling entry, but I can't underestimate how many students always want to follow-up with something in print. The grad program is in the process of creating a CD mailer - but its I think the packaging at the very least is what is still a hook for students. I don't think we have to fear the death of print.

I <3 print

I'm with Tara. Although the web is a valuable medium, there's something about print. For me, it's not completely a tactile thing, even thought that's definitely part of it. I actually find that when I need to read, I need it printed. I print all my PDF manuals for the equipment at work, print my research articles, print my scripts to edit, and lately, I do most of my scriptwriting longhand. I'll sit in a bookstore for hours reading, and I just can't do that online anymore.

I do think that the print media can be made more eco friendly, but I don't think it's on the way out, not by a longshot.


If I had my way, though, fontstruct would be...figures the stinking site is down when I need to print something off for class tonight.

Did no one get the memo about me not wanting to hear the word "eco" for a while?

Anyway, in the great words of Bert Smith "Print is not dead." Magazines are hotter than ever, with more specialized ones coming out frequently. I have to take a slightly cynical Mogi stance on this one--there are plenty other ways the envionment is being destroyed. Can we try to talk to our clients about more efficient ways to advertise or promote without printing 5000 pieces that will get tossed? Maybe. Probably not.
I'm gonna make this short n sweet. I love print. Newspapers don't count, they're boring and you can achieve the same thing--only more current and interesting--on the web. sad but true. But magazines, no way. books, not a chance. Ever heard of a coffee table website? There's just something about the feel, the smell, the sound of the crackling and rustling of a mag or book that just cant be beat. And when i forget to pay my cable bill and my internet gets shut off, i dont have to go to panera to relax and check out the latest issue of Bon Appetite. just sayin.

Seeing Green

As designers we have to think green. It is an issue that companies have to keep in the for front when they producing print materials. It is an issue that can harm a company or organization if they are not careful. As designers it is also our responsibility to offer green options to our clients/organizations for collateral materials. We have to think about it as if we were showing our clients a cool design technique that would be effective for the design. Going green has to be apart of our design solution. Otherwise we are doing an injustice to our clients.

As far as print going away, I think print is losing the battle of print media vs. electronic media. Newsprint is a perfect example of that losing battle. But I don’t think we will ever see print eliminated completely. While the electronic media is more cost effective and makes it faster to release information to the public, print media will always be necessary because people have a need to have things in their hands. Or do we?

This an interesting look into the future without print.

Design Promotes Enviromentalism

The eco-friendly theme being discussed throughout this week's blog entries reminded me of some interesting websites concerning this issue. A local design firm, Tilt Studios has based their design practice around sustainability and green concerns. This past summer, they sponsored an exhibition called The Urban Forest Project. The exhibition was a collaboration of designers and artists who created banners featuring environmental issues. The banners were displayed throughout various parks in Baltimore. There's a link to the website from Tilt Studio's website. Also, AIGA is sponsoring a design challenge called the Aspen Design Challenge. The challenge is open to design students and addresses the global water crisis. In 2006, AIGA sponsored a workshop called the Aspen Design Summit which was designed to address environmental issues. This year's workshop is implementing this challenge. Check it out.

Go Mobile

Reading your posts, I must say I completely understand you all. I agree, what is the point of taking this class any way? We should quit!

Imagine all those poor trees we are torturing every day, newsletters, brochures, direct mail, we don’t deserve to live. Nature will get us, that is just matter of time and than will be dead.

For all of you, who are running for your life, be aware not to be caught in to the Net. Future is not in the Web design, but in the design for handheld devices. Go Mobile!!!

Today, there is more mobile phone, than computer users. I am talking world wide. Mobile phones are much cheaper than personal computers. Conventional telecommunication network (usage of land lines) is abandoned. Governments in developing and third world countries, who are looking for inexpensive way to build telecommunication infrastructure, are investing money in mobile network. Those countries are also potential markets, and in order to reach consumers, companies will start using marketing through mobile phones.

Here is the study done by IBM(http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/www_innovate.nsf/images/gio-new-media/$FILE/gio_media_and_content_report_final.pdf)

The future of print design?

At my job, we have a pretty decent mix of print and web design going on, although it seems like I have 5 web projects for every print project...But I often wonder where things are going to be in 10 years. We're in a big rebranding campaign right now and along with that is an ongoing discussion of how to reach our audience best. It surprised me to hear that kids today (these kids today, rrrr) have no attachment to print materials at all. My boss talks about market research showing that they'd rather look at words on a screen than have paper materials cluttering their desks and rooms. So I guess that means we'll be looking to electronic media to reach college students much more than print materials.

It's hard for me to accept this total change in the way people prefer to receive information. For me, if I get a card or a brochure in my hand, I have it and it's going to stay in my mind because I'll see it sitting around. On the other hand, if I get a newsletter in my email inbox, it disappears from my mind as soon as the next message comes in. But the generation that's now in high school just operates totally differently than me. For them, it's better to get text messages from a college admissions office than a big glossy viewbook...Or so the research says, anyway. Can't wrap my mind around that one.

I think most of us designers love print more than web, regardless of the possibilities new technology offers us...because we love to hold our work (and other people's) in our hands and feel the texture and all of that. Note how we all took great pleasure in sniffing Dave's DVD cover last week. So the move away from print is sad for us. Better for the trees, though. No doubt about that.

ISOOOO...Green

The ISO is a very deep organization it seems. I wonder how much government influence is in this org. Very interesting but wordy info. I wonder if T Rowe has worked with ISO. For business this sounds like a type of consultant group making the company environmentally sound with certain standards. After reading for a little the plum shade and plum text started to merge and there's a lot of bold words. Interesting non the less.

Our dept has had G5s for about 2 years and I have been leading the charge in ditching our PC CPU's and going parallel on the G5. Things move very slow in the corporate world but I think we are close. My main thing was the use of utilities and going green. Why have two when you can have one with both also it may cut down on the dust in the air as well. I wonder if any of the below worked with ISO 14000?

The Green Office


Planet Green - Green Work

Careful! I too am frisky.

The Full English Project by editorial designer Sharon Spencer
(A rant)

I could be way off here, but does anyone else—when reading the Visual Research text—find him/her self saying “who the hell cares?” I feel like these people [namely Sharon Spencer] are the food critics of the design world—pretentious and arrogant about things/ideas that really don’t make any difference. I apologize to anyone who loves this case study but I can barely stand to think about it—I’m getting more and more irritated as I read.

So, you’re going to place all these symbols next to each other, stack rows upon rows, and then assign them meanings like, “this is the row that reflects the widespread increase in fast food take away culture?” Sweet. I can also place multiple pictures on top of one another, assign them meanings and then make up a concept that pretends to tie everything together. So what? Information architecture is one thing, but when the information is pointless is it really doing anyone any good? Good personal project maybe, but not a design technique I want to praise and/or dissect. Why should I care?

Phew.

Pandering – the first step to real change or a dodge to preserve the status quo – you decide.

Thanks Dave for alerting us to the standards of eco design, I’m happy somebody is doing this tho this sort of reading kind of makes my eyes cross.

Entire forests are now being pulped to extol the greenness of this or that product or service. Here is one of many sites that have bloomed recently that are dealing with the issue of greenwashing: http://www.greenwashingindex.com/

Greenwashing, while a swindle on the surface seems to me, perhaps, the realization by those in power, in business, in government, that a fundamental change in our culture is coming regarding the environment. We as human beings (as print designers we do have some conflicts) are the ones that will make it stick or not. It is a rhetorical acquiescence of power to the interest of the environment at least.

Even so everyone’s favorite green thing is still money… big oil conspiracies abound, we make crap people throw away, new nuclear power plants are on the drawing board, it is as the Chinese say, an interesting time to be alive.

Eco Schmeco

I've been hearing a lot lately about graphic design jobs that no longer exist, like the illustrator that drew the art director's concepts, or the guy who assembled the art board (hell, I don't even know what these people are called.) I wonder if, in several (or not so several) years, young students in graphic design will be talking about how there used to be (just) print designers and can you believe how much paper they wasted?
I'm sure our medium will greatly evolve, much like how the graphic design world had to make the drastic conversion to go digital (luckily I missed that whole thing and started graphic design in the 2000s). I just wonder how our field will change and hope our jobs don't become obsolete. Creativity can never become obsolete (...I don't think), but I'm going to take a few extra web classes just in case this whole print thing goes out of style.
I guess all you can do is try to stay current and then brace yourself when Apple or Microsoft comes out with a hologram computer or robot or something.
Until then, I'll keep polishing my Adobe skills and hope I can still use them in the years to come.

a degenerative cycle.

okay... this stuff isn't exactly portfolio-worthy material, but the wasteland of direct mail is largely unavoidable if you're trying to scrape a living doing freelance gigs. money talks. until now i've been happy to design anything from nebulous credit-card offers to generic self-mailers & catalogs, collecting a check and sending them off into the world with nary a thought to their impact (social, environmental, or otherwise).

well. it's now run full circle. i did a series of audience-specific postcards for a client (left). i guess they thought it'd be _funny_ to add me to the mailing list or something... because this (right side images) is what awaited me in my mailbox yesterday.

initially, i was like... "hmmm, cool". then, about five seconds later... i thought, "wow... like...thousands of people are gonna get these, and (like i will) throw them away. my carbon footprint just became the size of a yeti. i'll say up front that getting out of advertising/direct mail as a sole source of income was an initial factor in applying to grad school. lets just say that this quashes most of the regrets i have about UB... and at times... there have been a few.

Shrink your eco mouseprint

While I was writing my design brief for our first project, I came across the ISO 14000 specification. ISO stands for International Standards Organization (pardon if you knew this), and they develop standards for everything from how the tracks on a CD or DVD need to be properly encoded so they're read by any player, to the dimensions of certain products, and countless other things. The standards are agreed upon by all relevant parties, and once they're created, they're used in manufacturing and R&D, etc. But an interesting standard that they began developing a few years ago was to create an ISO number for an environmental management system (EMS). ISO 14000 is a series of frameworks and guidelines that companies can use to identify and control the environmental impact of their organization. 14006 deals specifically with guidelines on eco design, but its still currently being written. This is a great development, since until now, everyone talks about wanting to be more "green", but they don't really know where to start, or even have an understanding of their current environmental impact. Anyway, I know this isn't the type of weekly "blogstarter" post that will generate a ton of responses (or any for that matter), but I thought it might be of some interest... ISO 14000 here.

The Big Screen

Meant to blog this earlier...surprise, surprise, but I went to The Who concert on Monday. My hubby's a HUGE fan, and I like them, but I must admit my mind wondered a few times to the very big movie screen behind the band. It showed the usual concert foder, colors, images of the band from years past etc. - and I wondered about this video tenchnique. Many of the posts this week have been about the election - and I remember thinking about the big screens behind the candidates at the convention. Big waving wheat, the flag waving. Its such a powerful choice when used correctly. 

hey!

No posting about food. I'm always starving by the time I get to class, and reading about chicken scarpariello is not helping!

On a more serious note, burnout is just not fun. Not fun at all.

Thanksgiving can't come soon enough....

project two website

Here's a gallery page for my website. i'll show the navigation page tonight...

Hm?... I am hungry.

I’ve just found an interesting recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-scarpariello-recipe/index.html
). It says 28 min to cook, hm? We’ll see. Italian food is the best. I’ll let you know how good it is.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell, I’ve just got a brand new, latest technology, hyper super, new generation, concrete mixer with grate new features.
15HP with air cooled diesel engine (135 rmp)
4 Pneumatic Wheels
Capacity 55 liters

It is unbelievable, how ideas can be blended in it. The only problem is, when your thoughts get stuck you must clean it manually.

As much as i think the topic is interesting..

I am done with political stuff. Although, i did think about it some and have to say (since i do have to say something) that the branding of Obama was genius, and i know it attracted my attention. Especially once shepard fairey did his posters for obama, not to mention the other great artists that participated. But really, what came first? Obama inspired artists with his message and they responded the way they know how. Fairey didn't just do a series of posters for nothing, it was the person that moved him. So yes, Obama's branding did get my attention, but it was obama that inspired it to begin with.

purely for bragging rights...

my new 30" cinema display at the office. my cubicle bows down to it. read it and weep. mwah ha ha ha ha....

Advertising Age Article

Interesting article that goes along with what we've been talking about.
http://adage.com/print?article_id=132237

Design and Politics

I think graphic design can’t change a voters mind about a candidate but it can say a lot about the candidate’s views and campaign. The logos for the two candidates are a perfect example of this. Obama’s logo did a great job demonstrating what he stood for, which was “CHANGE” and the beginning of a new day for America. While John McCain used the star to demonstrate that he was a strong candidate that was a leader and of course it also links him with his military background. I think these logo designs did a great job telling us about the candidates.

Design also played an interesting roll in the commercials. Without design the commercials would not work. Large parts of the design of the commercials were the selection of the images that were used. This is something that a lot of designers over look. Effective images can make or break a design. If the details of the images were overlooked the commercials would have been less effective.