What INSPIRED me most this semester?
As far as the journal entries go, I loved watching and listening to the professionals. These people are experts and have been doing what I'm learning in school for years. It is a students job and obligation to listen and learn from there elders and I think that every interview, documentary and speech I listened to over the course of the semester was extremely enlightening and gave me so much perspective and inspiration to move forward with my path in Graphic Design. I have now had a glimpse and and taste of what my world will be like after school is over and I'm liking what I saw! But I know that I have a LONG ways to go before I can have a shot at being a peer to these intelligent design folk and hope to stand on the same level as them. It is my goal and, hopefully, my destiny.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #13
Larry Lessig.
His comparison to the views of technology from the past and the usage and abundance of it today was really fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed his examples and explanation of modern displays of culture with the youtube videos and he really had a unique and profound understanding of technologies effect on culture and how it naturally enhances and promotes our creativity. Many thought that the "vocal chords" or the creative prowess of people of the new age would be silenced, but in fact it has done nothing more than change in format. The digital culture is still strong and in fact has greater potential then I think anyone imagined.
His comparison to the views of technology from the past and the usage and abundance of it today was really fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed his examples and explanation of modern displays of culture with the youtube videos and he really had a unique and profound understanding of technologies effect on culture and how it naturally enhances and promotes our creativity. Many thought that the "vocal chords" or the creative prowess of people of the new age would be silenced, but in fact it has done nothing more than change in format. The digital culture is still strong and in fact has greater potential then I think anyone imagined.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #12
PAULA SCHER.
She fascinated me when she talked about her design work for "Citi" Bank. She explained how she is not a refiner, most of her best work is done quickly and one the first or second try. When she was hired on to do the logo design for Citi, she met with the executive and then moments after leaving his office drew the logo on a napkin. It was done. Quick and simple. A problem with this, she say, thats a lot of clients like to buy process and she doesn't usually have it. But she had displayed that her talents with illustrative typography greatly outweigh the need for process. I would ask her if she has some kind of MENTAL process she goes through in order to come up with her creative ideas so quickly...is it more than just "instinct?"
DAVID CARSON.
He shocked me when he said that his "lack of training" is what was his greatest aid. He started doing magazine layouts and just did what felt right to him, and was told later what his guidelines where. This was both a good and bad thing. He felt (and still feels) that ones work should be a reflection of one's personality, one's imagination, what is inside. To me his greatest point was when he said that design is n't about making something ugly, hard-to-read, pretty, or any physical attribute. It's about INTERPRETATION and what you do with it. I would ask him what kind of feedback he got from other professionals and readers in regards to his odd and interesting magazine layouts.
MILTON GLASER.
His video starts of with one quote that really hit home with me. "I believe that the life of a designer is the life that is very much between two sensibilities; that of a business man and that of an artist. And everybody kind of has a sense of where they fit in that spectrum." He also points out that if you have a relationship to art or art history you are blessed with a tremendous gift. You have the ability to give a precious gift to culture. A gift that allows people to have something in common: the love of art. This has potential to prevent war, hard times and hard feelings. It can pierce through any kind of hardship. His words really were moving and reminded me why I became a designer and an artist in the first place. If I could ask him one question I would ask him about his life and his work and see if I could determine the source and outcome of all his gathered wisdom and insight into the world of a designer.
She fascinated me when she talked about her design work for "Citi" Bank. She explained how she is not a refiner, most of her best work is done quickly and one the first or second try. When she was hired on to do the logo design for Citi, she met with the executive and then moments after leaving his office drew the logo on a napkin. It was done. Quick and simple. A problem with this, she say, thats a lot of clients like to buy process and she doesn't usually have it. But she had displayed that her talents with illustrative typography greatly outweigh the need for process. I would ask her if she has some kind of MENTAL process she goes through in order to come up with her creative ideas so quickly...is it more than just "instinct?"
DAVID CARSON.
He shocked me when he said that his "lack of training" is what was his greatest aid. He started doing magazine layouts and just did what felt right to him, and was told later what his guidelines where. This was both a good and bad thing. He felt (and still feels) that ones work should be a reflection of one's personality, one's imagination, what is inside. To me his greatest point was when he said that design is n't about making something ugly, hard-to-read, pretty, or any physical attribute. It's about INTERPRETATION and what you do with it. I would ask him what kind of feedback he got from other professionals and readers in regards to his odd and interesting magazine layouts.
MILTON GLASER.
His video starts of with one quote that really hit home with me. "I believe that the life of a designer is the life that is very much between two sensibilities; that of a business man and that of an artist. And everybody kind of has a sense of where they fit in that spectrum." He also points out that if you have a relationship to art or art history you are blessed with a tremendous gift. You have the ability to give a precious gift to culture. A gift that allows people to have something in common: the love of art. This has potential to prevent war, hard times and hard feelings. It can pierce through any kind of hardship. His words really were moving and reminded me why I became a designer and an artist in the first place. If I could ask him one question I would ask him about his life and his work and see if I could determine the source and outcome of all his gathered wisdom and insight into the world of a designer.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #11
Who is Debbie Millman?
Debbie Millman is a partner and president of the design division at Sterling Brands, one of the leading brand identity firms in the country. Millman is president of AIGA, and chair of the School of Visual Arts’ master’s program in Branding. She is a contributing editor to Print magazine and host of the podcast “Design Matters.” She is the author of How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer (Allworth Press, 2007), The Essential Principles of Graphic Design (Rotovision, 2008) and Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design (How Books, 2009).
What is Design Matters?
It is a radio talk show, hosted by Debbie Millman, where she takes listeners inside the world of design and branding to talk to professionals about what they do, how they do it and (most importantly) WHY they do what they do.
What did you find interesting about the Interview?
I listened to the interview Debbie gave to Ann Whiloughby and it displayed a very tranquil and humble view. She talked about the inspiration she received when visiting a hospital that her mother was in. She talked about the raw emotion and tension and even love that is conveyed in an environment like that. People are not here by choice and are hopeful that everything will be okay, her mother was in the same boat. "It's difficult to see some of the situations people find themselves in when they visit a place like a hospital, but the love and care that they receive is oh so reassuring." She talks about how emotion and thoughtfulness fuels her design work and how the compassionate mind is a haven for brilliant ideas and new, more personal, methods of communication.
Debbie Millman is a partner and president of the design division at Sterling Brands, one of the leading brand identity firms in the country. Millman is president of AIGA, and chair of the School of Visual Arts’ master’s program in Branding. She is a contributing editor to Print magazine and host of the podcast “Design Matters.” She is the author of How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer (Allworth Press, 2007), The Essential Principles of Graphic Design (Rotovision, 2008) and Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design (How Books, 2009).
What is Design Matters?
It is a radio talk show, hosted by Debbie Millman, where she takes listeners inside the world of design and branding to talk to professionals about what they do, how they do it and (most importantly) WHY they do what they do.
What did you find interesting about the Interview?
I listened to the interview Debbie gave to Ann Whiloughby and it displayed a very tranquil and humble view. She talked about the inspiration she received when visiting a hospital that her mother was in. She talked about the raw emotion and tension and even love that is conveyed in an environment like that. People are not here by choice and are hopeful that everything will be okay, her mother was in the same boat. "It's difficult to see some of the situations people find themselves in when they visit a place like a hospital, but the love and care that they receive is oh so reassuring." She talks about how emotion and thoughtfulness fuels her design work and how the compassionate mind is a haven for brilliant ideas and new, more personal, methods of communication.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Speech: Releasing of the Watergate Tapes
Who is speaking?
President Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States.
Why was/is the speech important to society?
It was a response to the unveiling of the watergate scandal that exposed government corruption in the United States.
Why do you feel in is important or interesting?
It is a display of his underhandedness in that it was later revealed to be totally true that he was involved and it sheds a darker light on the politics behind our government system.
What is the emotion, mood, tone, personality, feeling of the speech?
Very Serious, very tactful, nothing sugar-coated about it. Political and precise.
What is intonation, emphasis, what is loud, stressed, or soft. Where are there pauses...
All the numbers are emphasized and the towards the end him insisting that he is “not a crook” is emphasized too.
What do you FEEL should be loud or soft, long pause or rushed?
I think that the section about his mistake but what his virtues are should be a bit more powerful.
Is there a call to action? When listening to it what are key/emphasized words?
The only “call to action” may be the plea from Nixon to understand that he’s “not a crook.” Don’t believe him.
How does it make you feel?
I feel insecure about my established government and weary of trusting others.
How do imagine that the audience felt?
I’m sure that a majority of them wished to believe Nixon because they felt that they should be able to trust their leader. It’s a shame that they were disappointed.
Could there be another interpretation of the speech?
I suppose you could look at it from a believer and a skeptic’s point of view.
Write/find a short bio, of the person giving the speech.
Richard Nixon was the thirty-seventh president of the United States. He successfully served as a member of the House of Representatives and of the Senate and was vice president under Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969). Despite all his political triumphs, Nixon will probably best be remembered as the first president to resign from office.
Young Nixon in California
Richard Milhous Nixon was born on his father's lemon farm in Yorba Linda, California, on January 9, 1913. Of the four other sons in the family, two died in childhood. After the farm failed, the family moved to Whittier, California, where Nixon's father ran a grocery store. Nixon had a troubled childhood. Raised by a sometimes abusive father and a controlling mother, Nixon adopted parts of both his parents' personalities. Some historians have believed that, as a result of his childhood, Nixon had a drive to succeed and felt he had to pretend to be "good" while using any tactics necessary to achieve his goals.
At Whittier College, Nixon excelled as a student and a debater. He was president of his freshman class and, as a senior, president of the student body. Graduating second in his class in 1934, he won a scholarship to Duke University Law School. Although he was a member of the national scholastic law fraternity, he failed to find a job in one of the big New York law firms. This failure, along with the views of his father, left him with a strong dislike of the "eastern establishment."
Reluctantly, Nixon returned to Whittier and began practicing law. Soon afterward, Nixon met Thelma Catherine Patricia (Pat) Ryan (1912–1993), a high school teacher. The two were married in 1940 and would have two daughters, Patricia and Julie.
Public service, then soldier
Shortly before the United States entered World War II (1939–45), where Americanled forces faced-off against Germany, Japan, and Italy, Nixon began working for the federal government in the Office of Emergency Management. Nixon soon left this post and entered the navy as a lieutenant junior-grade in August 1942. He was sent to the Pacific as an operations officer with the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. Fourteen months later he returned to the United States to work as a lawyer in uniform. In September 1945 a group of Republicans in Whittier asked him to run for Congress. He jumped at the opportunity. Nixon left the navy in January 1946 and began his victorious campaign, in which he defeated a five-term congressman.
Congressional activities and national fame
As congressman, Nixon was assigned to the House Labor Committee and to the Select Committee on Foreign Aid. In 1947 he and other committee members toured Europe. Nixon quickly established a reputation as an internationalist in foreign policy, proving that he worked well with foreign nations. As a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Nixon became a leading anti-Communist crusader. (Communism is a political system where goods and services are owned and controlled by the government.) He first attracted national attention as a member of HUAC when he led the suit that resulted in the conviction of Alger Hiss (1904–1996), a former State Department official charged with Communist connections. While Nixon gained national attention fighting the threat of Communism, he also caught the attention of General Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969), who chose him as his running mate in his successful presidential campaign of 1952. Eisenhower in part recruited Nixon in hopes of drawing valuable support in the West.
The vice presidency
As vice president, Nixon continued to please his supporters and anger his critics. He acted as the chief political spokesman in Eisenhower's administration. Among Nixon's assignments was foreign travel. In office less than a year, Nixon made an extended trip through Asia, visiting, among other places, Hanoi, North Vietnam, then under French control. He established many useful relationships on these trips and impressed critics at home with his knowledge of foreign affairs.
On a trip to Latin America in 1958, he was set upon by mobs but handled himself coolly. In 1959 he visited Poland and the Soviet Union, a former Communist nation made up of Russia and other states. While in Moscow, his meeting with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) prepared the way for Khrushchev's later visit to the United States to meet with Eisenhower.
Running for president
In 1960 Nixon won the Republican presidential nomination and chose Henry Cabot Lodge (1902–1985) as his running mate. The campaign against the Democratic team of Senators John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) and Lyndon Johnson (1908–1973) was close from the beginning. In the first of four televised debates with Kennedy, Nixon did not sharply challenge his opponent and appeared cold and distant, a far cry from the charming Kennedy. But the election was still close, and he lost by some one hundred thousand votes out of the sixty-eight million cast.
After the defeat, Nixon returned to Los Angeles to practice law. In 1964, after the Republican defeat by President Lyndon Johnson, it became clear that Nixon again considered himself a serious presidential contender. In 1968, winning his party's presidential nomination, he picked Governor Spiro T. Agnew (1918–1996) of Maryland as his running mate. Nixon and Agnew ran against the Democratic team of Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978) and Edmund Muskie (1914–). Third-party candidate George Wallace (1919–1998) of Alabama, a threat to both sides, eventually drew support away from Humphrey and cleared a path for Nixon's successful election to the White House.
The presidency
Nixon took the oath of office on January 20, 1969. In his inaugural address, or first speech as president, he appealed for harmony among American society. At that time American society was divided over the issues of domestic racial unrest and the Vietnam War (1955–75; a war in which American forces were aiding South Vietnam's fight against Communist North Vietnam). He promised to bring the nation together again.
Nixon's first foreign objective—to negotiate, or bargain for, an end to the Vietnam War—was unsuccessful. Despite repeated attempts, negotiations with North Vietnam at the Paris peace talks were unproductive. Meanwhile, in June he began replacing American troops with South Vietnamese troops. After a conference with South Vietnam president Nguyen Van Thieu (1923–2001), Nixon ordered 25,000 American combat troops brought home. By the end of 1969, having ordered 110,000 troops home, he expressed hope that all American combat troops would be out of Vietnam by the end of 1970. It would take two more years until most American ground troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam.
International relations
In his second month in office, Nixon embarked on a tour of Western Europe. His official visit to Romania made him the first American president to visit a Communist country. While on an Asian tour, the president called for cooperative efforts and promised American material aid but said that Asian countries must defend their freedoms with their own troops. In his first year, the president signed a treaty with the Soviet Union that worked toward placing limits on the production of nuclear arms.
In 1971 Nixon made the dramatic announcements that he would visit Peking, China, and Moscow, Soviet Union, in the first half of 1972. He also announced progress in the negotiations with the Soviet Union on an arms limitation treaty. The visit to Peking took place in February and he was invited to meet Chairman Mao Zedong (1893–1976), a mark of high respect.
The fall from grace
In the presidential election of 1972, Nixon and Agnew ran against Democrats George McGovern (1922–) and Sargent Shriver (1915–). The election was a landslide for Nixon, but no one was expecting what would happen next. During his last election campaign, what first appeared as a minor burglary was to become the beginning of the end of Nixon's political career. A break-in at Democratic national headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C., was linked to Republicans.
During the trial of six men charged in the crime, the existence of the cover-up began to emerge and government officials fell like dominos in its path. By October 1973, as the Watergate investigation continued, Nixon lost several top aides as well as his vice president. Agnew resigned before pleading no contest to federal charges of receiving bribes, failing to pay his taxes properly, and other crimes while serving as governor of Maryland.
Soon the U.S. Supreme Court forced Nixon to turn over tape recordings he made during the election. The tapes showed he obstructed, or blocked, justice in stopping a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) probe of the Watergate burglary. On August 9, 1974, in national disgrace, he became the first president of the United States to choose to leave office before the end of his term. He boarded a plane with his wife and returned to his California home, ending his public career. A month later, in a controversial move, President Gerald Ford (1913–) issued an unconditional pardon for any offenses Nixon might have committed while president.
Private citizen
Nixon led a quiet life until the criticism from the Watergate scandal had softened. Nixon then emerged in a role of elder statesman, visiting countries in Asia as well as returning to the Soviet Union and China. He also consulted with the administrations of George Bush (1924–) and Bill Clinton (1946–) and wrote his memoirs, or a book of his memories, and other books on international affairs and politics. The Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace opened in the early 1990s in Yorba Linda. On January 20, 1994, in what would be his last public appearance, ceremonies honoring him on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his first inauguration were held. He also announced the creation of the Center for Peace and Freedom, a policy center at the Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace. Richard Nixon died of a stroke on April 22, 1994. A state funeral was held five days later in Yorba Linda, where President Clinton and others praised Nixon and his achievements. However Nixon is remembered, he will most likely never escape the shadow of Watergate.
President Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States.
Why was/is the speech important to society?
It was a response to the unveiling of the watergate scandal that exposed government corruption in the United States.
Why do you feel in is important or interesting?
It is a display of his underhandedness in that it was later revealed to be totally true that he was involved and it sheds a darker light on the politics behind our government system.
What is the emotion, mood, tone, personality, feeling of the speech?
Very Serious, very tactful, nothing sugar-coated about it. Political and precise.
What is intonation, emphasis, what is loud, stressed, or soft. Where are there pauses...
All the numbers are emphasized and the towards the end him insisting that he is “not a crook” is emphasized too.
What do you FEEL should be loud or soft, long pause or rushed?
I think that the section about his mistake but what his virtues are should be a bit more powerful.
Is there a call to action? When listening to it what are key/emphasized words?
The only “call to action” may be the plea from Nixon to understand that he’s “not a crook.” Don’t believe him.
How does it make you feel?
I feel insecure about my established government and weary of trusting others.
How do imagine that the audience felt?
I’m sure that a majority of them wished to believe Nixon because they felt that they should be able to trust their leader. It’s a shame that they were disappointed.
Could there be another interpretation of the speech?
I suppose you could look at it from a believer and a skeptic’s point of view.
Write/find a short bio, of the person giving the speech.
Richard Nixon was the thirty-seventh president of the United States. He successfully served as a member of the House of Representatives and of the Senate and was vice president under Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969). Despite all his political triumphs, Nixon will probably best be remembered as the first president to resign from office.
Young Nixon in California
Richard Milhous Nixon was born on his father's lemon farm in Yorba Linda, California, on January 9, 1913. Of the four other sons in the family, two died in childhood. After the farm failed, the family moved to Whittier, California, where Nixon's father ran a grocery store. Nixon had a troubled childhood. Raised by a sometimes abusive father and a controlling mother, Nixon adopted parts of both his parents' personalities. Some historians have believed that, as a result of his childhood, Nixon had a drive to succeed and felt he had to pretend to be "good" while using any tactics necessary to achieve his goals.
At Whittier College, Nixon excelled as a student and a debater. He was president of his freshman class and, as a senior, president of the student body. Graduating second in his class in 1934, he won a scholarship to Duke University Law School. Although he was a member of the national scholastic law fraternity, he failed to find a job in one of the big New York law firms. This failure, along with the views of his father, left him with a strong dislike of the "eastern establishment."
Reluctantly, Nixon returned to Whittier and began practicing law. Soon afterward, Nixon met Thelma Catherine Patricia (Pat) Ryan (1912–1993), a high school teacher. The two were married in 1940 and would have two daughters, Patricia and Julie.
Public service, then soldier
Shortly before the United States entered World War II (1939–45), where Americanled forces faced-off against Germany, Japan, and Italy, Nixon began working for the federal government in the Office of Emergency Management. Nixon soon left this post and entered the navy as a lieutenant junior-grade in August 1942. He was sent to the Pacific as an operations officer with the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. Fourteen months later he returned to the United States to work as a lawyer in uniform. In September 1945 a group of Republicans in Whittier asked him to run for Congress. He jumped at the opportunity. Nixon left the navy in January 1946 and began his victorious campaign, in which he defeated a five-term congressman.
Congressional activities and national fame
As congressman, Nixon was assigned to the House Labor Committee and to the Select Committee on Foreign Aid. In 1947 he and other committee members toured Europe. Nixon quickly established a reputation as an internationalist in foreign policy, proving that he worked well with foreign nations. As a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Nixon became a leading anti-Communist crusader. (Communism is a political system where goods and services are owned and controlled by the government.) He first attracted national attention as a member of HUAC when he led the suit that resulted in the conviction of Alger Hiss (1904–1996), a former State Department official charged with Communist connections. While Nixon gained national attention fighting the threat of Communism, he also caught the attention of General Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969), who chose him as his running mate in his successful presidential campaign of 1952. Eisenhower in part recruited Nixon in hopes of drawing valuable support in the West.
The vice presidency
As vice president, Nixon continued to please his supporters and anger his critics. He acted as the chief political spokesman in Eisenhower's administration. Among Nixon's assignments was foreign travel. In office less than a year, Nixon made an extended trip through Asia, visiting, among other places, Hanoi, North Vietnam, then under French control. He established many useful relationships on these trips and impressed critics at home with his knowledge of foreign affairs.
On a trip to Latin America in 1958, he was set upon by mobs but handled himself coolly. In 1959 he visited Poland and the Soviet Union, a former Communist nation made up of Russia and other states. While in Moscow, his meeting with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) prepared the way for Khrushchev's later visit to the United States to meet with Eisenhower.
Running for president
In 1960 Nixon won the Republican presidential nomination and chose Henry Cabot Lodge (1902–1985) as his running mate. The campaign against the Democratic team of Senators John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) and Lyndon Johnson (1908–1973) was close from the beginning. In the first of four televised debates with Kennedy, Nixon did not sharply challenge his opponent and appeared cold and distant, a far cry from the charming Kennedy. But the election was still close, and he lost by some one hundred thousand votes out of the sixty-eight million cast.
After the defeat, Nixon returned to Los Angeles to practice law. In 1964, after the Republican defeat by President Lyndon Johnson, it became clear that Nixon again considered himself a serious presidential contender. In 1968, winning his party's presidential nomination, he picked Governor Spiro T. Agnew (1918–1996) of Maryland as his running mate. Nixon and Agnew ran against the Democratic team of Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978) and Edmund Muskie (1914–). Third-party candidate George Wallace (1919–1998) of Alabama, a threat to both sides, eventually drew support away from Humphrey and cleared a path for Nixon's successful election to the White House.
The presidency
Nixon took the oath of office on January 20, 1969. In his inaugural address, or first speech as president, he appealed for harmony among American society. At that time American society was divided over the issues of domestic racial unrest and the Vietnam War (1955–75; a war in which American forces were aiding South Vietnam's fight against Communist North Vietnam). He promised to bring the nation together again.
Nixon's first foreign objective—to negotiate, or bargain for, an end to the Vietnam War—was unsuccessful. Despite repeated attempts, negotiations with North Vietnam at the Paris peace talks were unproductive. Meanwhile, in June he began replacing American troops with South Vietnamese troops. After a conference with South Vietnam president Nguyen Van Thieu (1923–2001), Nixon ordered 25,000 American combat troops brought home. By the end of 1969, having ordered 110,000 troops home, he expressed hope that all American combat troops would be out of Vietnam by the end of 1970. It would take two more years until most American ground troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam.
International relations
In his second month in office, Nixon embarked on a tour of Western Europe. His official visit to Romania made him the first American president to visit a Communist country. While on an Asian tour, the president called for cooperative efforts and promised American material aid but said that Asian countries must defend their freedoms with their own troops. In his first year, the president signed a treaty with the Soviet Union that worked toward placing limits on the production of nuclear arms.
In 1971 Nixon made the dramatic announcements that he would visit Peking, China, and Moscow, Soviet Union, in the first half of 1972. He also announced progress in the negotiations with the Soviet Union on an arms limitation treaty. The visit to Peking took place in February and he was invited to meet Chairman Mao Zedong (1893–1976), a mark of high respect.
The fall from grace
In the presidential election of 1972, Nixon and Agnew ran against Democrats George McGovern (1922–) and Sargent Shriver (1915–). The election was a landslide for Nixon, but no one was expecting what would happen next. During his last election campaign, what first appeared as a minor burglary was to become the beginning of the end of Nixon's political career. A break-in at Democratic national headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C., was linked to Republicans.
During the trial of six men charged in the crime, the existence of the cover-up began to emerge and government officials fell like dominos in its path. By October 1973, as the Watergate investigation continued, Nixon lost several top aides as well as his vice president. Agnew resigned before pleading no contest to federal charges of receiving bribes, failing to pay his taxes properly, and other crimes while serving as governor of Maryland.
Soon the U.S. Supreme Court forced Nixon to turn over tape recordings he made during the election. The tapes showed he obstructed, or blocked, justice in stopping a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) probe of the Watergate burglary. On August 9, 1974, in national disgrace, he became the first president of the United States to choose to leave office before the end of his term. He boarded a plane with his wife and returned to his California home, ending his public career. A month later, in a controversial move, President Gerald Ford (1913–) issued an unconditional pardon for any offenses Nixon might have committed while president.
Private citizen
Nixon led a quiet life until the criticism from the Watergate scandal had softened. Nixon then emerged in a role of elder statesman, visiting countries in Asia as well as returning to the Soviet Union and China. He also consulted with the administrations of George Bush (1924–) and Bill Clinton (1946–) and wrote his memoirs, or a book of his memories, and other books on international affairs and politics. The Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace opened in the early 1990s in Yorba Linda. On January 20, 1994, in what would be his last public appearance, ceremonies honoring him on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his first inauguration were held. He also announced the creation of the Center for Peace and Freedom, a policy center at the Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace. Richard Nixon died of a stroke on April 22, 1994. A state funeral was held five days later in Yorba Linda, where President Clinton and others praised Nixon and his achievements. However Nixon is remembered, he will most likely never escape the shadow of Watergate.
Typography II - Journal Entry #10
GOOD.
I absolutely loved exploring this website. There are so many interesting and eye-opening articles and sections. The site is divided into a variety of categories ranging from videos to info-graphics to magazines. They explore a bunch of different topics in each of these mediums and these can be found along the left border of the homepage. These topics include Action, Business, Cities, Culture, Design, Education, Environment, Food, Health, Media, Polotics, Technology and Transportation. These are all important topics that directly involve current society and I feel like "GOOD" is a great place to go and get interactive and creative visual input on current issues and topics that play a significant role in our daily lives.
I absolutely loved exploring this website. There are so many interesting and eye-opening articles and sections. The site is divided into a variety of categories ranging from videos to info-graphics to magazines. They explore a bunch of different topics in each of these mediums and these can be found along the left border of the homepage. These topics include Action, Business, Cities, Culture, Design, Education, Environment, Food, Health, Media, Polotics, Technology and Transportation. These are all important topics that directly involve current society and I feel like "GOOD" is a great place to go and get interactive and creative visual input on current issues and topics that play a significant role in our daily lives.
Typography II - Journal Entry #9
Jakob Trollback
Probably the most inspiring point Trollback made throughout his lecture happened towards the very beginning. He often refereed back to this point throughout the entire lecture. Design is a language of it's own, and, just like any other speaking language, we must learn it and learn how to make since with it. It's a shame to say that some people can make a living in this field without every having to "make sense." The joy of design in the opportunity to be creative and be able to have the power to make a statement that people will see! Eventually, as you grow you are going to want to make a difference. What better way to do it than through your design talents and creativity. Trollback believes that EVERY human is creative, so you have ample opportunity. It may be difficult though. The hardest thing to do is to change someones mind. Pressure, discussion and pleas often don't work and emotion only gets you so far. Trollback swears by participation in the understanding of the design. "It gives the viewer ownership of the knowledge and message," he says. It requires the viewer to use their imagination and unveil the hidden story within the design. Message, Imagination and Story are all components of language. See how it all is connected!
Probably the most inspiring point Trollback made throughout his lecture happened towards the very beginning. He often refereed back to this point throughout the entire lecture. Design is a language of it's own, and, just like any other speaking language, we must learn it and learn how to make since with it. It's a shame to say that some people can make a living in this field without every having to "make sense." The joy of design in the opportunity to be creative and be able to have the power to make a statement that people will see! Eventually, as you grow you are going to want to make a difference. What better way to do it than through your design talents and creativity. Trollback believes that EVERY human is creative, so you have ample opportunity. It may be difficult though. The hardest thing to do is to change someones mind. Pressure, discussion and pleas often don't work and emotion only gets you so far. Trollback swears by participation in the understanding of the design. "It gives the viewer ownership of the knowledge and message," he says. It requires the viewer to use their imagination and unveil the hidden story within the design. Message, Imagination and Story are all components of language. See how it all is connected!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #8
5 fonts that are similar to FUTURA, but can be better:
Helvetica Neue - Helvetica Neue has a more narrow stroke width and a slightly wider character width than future which is nice.
Gotham - Gotham's stroke width is even thinner and the character width is more wide. It stands out nicely against Futura.
Interstate - This font probably looks the most like Futura out of the bunch. However, it has some nice embellishes here and there.
Meta - Meta has a smaller stroke width and isn;t quite as geometric/blocky as Futura.
Univers - Univers has about the same stroke width but a wider character width which makes a lot of difference.
THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT A TYPEFACE:
Choosing a typeface to use is far more than I (or anyone) can imagine. Mostly is boils down to how much we "like it." Which is all fine and dandy. However, there is so much more that we could consider when select what type we want to use for a specific project. Each typeface has a specific form, function, meaning, aesthetic and overall reverence that is attached to it. And anyone who is aware of these qualities will be able to pin point successfully selected type as opposed to the "plop and drop" special order type. Here some rules taken from the article by Michael Bierut on why we choose the type that we choose:
1. Because it works.
Some typefaces are just perfect for certain things. I've specified exotic fonts for identity programs that work beautifully in headlines and even in text, but sooner or later you have to set that really tiny type at the bottom of the business reply card. This is what Franklin Gothic is for. Careful, though: some typefaces work too well. Frutiger has been used so much for signage programs in hospitals and airports that seeing it now makes me feel that I'm about to get diagnosed with a brain tumor or miss the 7:00 to O'Hare.
2. Because you like its history.
I've heard of several projects where the designer found a font that was created the same year the client's organization was founded. This must give the recommendation an aura of manifest destiny that is positively irresistible. I haven't had that luck yet, but still try to find the same kind of evocative alignment. For instance, I was never a fan of Aldo Novarese's Eurostyle, but I came to love it while working on a monograph on Eero Saarinen: they both share an expressiveness peculiar to the postwar optimism of the 1950's.
3. Because you like its name.
Once I saw a project in a student portfolio that undertook the dubious challenge of redesigning the Tiffany's identity. I particularly disliked the font that was used, and I politely asked what it was. "Oh," came the enthusiastic response, "that's the best part! It's called Tiffany!" On the other hand, Bruce Mau designed Spectacle, the book he created with David Rockwell, using the typeface Rockwell. I thought this was funny.
4. Because of who designed it.
Once I was working on a project where the client group included some very strong-minded architects. I picked Cheltenham, an idiosyncratic typeface that was not only well-suited to the project's requirements, but was one of the few I know that was designed by an architect, Bertram Goodhue. Recently, I designed a publications program for a girls' school. I used a typeface that was designed by a woman and named after another, Zuzana Licko's Mrs. Eaves. In both cases, my clients knew that the public would be completely unaware of the story behind the font selection, but took some comfort in it nonetheless. I did too.
5. Because it was there.
Sometimes a typeface is already living on the premises when you show up, and it just seems mean to evict it. "We use Baskerville and Univers 65 on all our materials, but feel free to make an alternate suggestion." Really? Why bother? It's like one of those shows where the amateur chef is given a turnip, a bag of flour, a leg of lamb and some maple syrup and told to make a dish out of it. Sometimes it's something you've never used before, which makes it even more fun.
6. Because they made you.
And sometimes it's something you've never used before, for good reason. "We use ITC Eras on all our materials." "Can I make an alternate suggestion?" "No." This is when blind embossing comes in handy.
7. Because it reminds you of something.
Whenever I want to make words look straightforward, conversational, and smart, I frequently consider Futura, upper and lower case. Why? Not because Paul Renner was straightforward, conversational, and smart, although he might have been. No, it's because 45 years ago, Helmut Krone decided to use Futura in Doyle Dane Bernbach's advertising for Volkswagen, and they still use it today. One warning, however: what reminds you of something may remind someone else of something else.
8. Because it's beautiful.
Cyrus Highsmith's Novia is now commercially available. He originally designed it for the headlines in Martha Stewart Weddings. Resistance is futile, at least mine is.
9. Because it's ugly.
About 10 years ago, I was asked to redesign the logo for New York magazine. Milton Glaser had based the logo on Bookman Swash Italic, a typeface I found unimaginably dated and ugly. But Glaser's logo had replaced an earlier one by Peter Palazzo that was based on Caslon Italic. I proposed we return to Caslon, and distinctly remember saying, "Bookman Swash Italic is always going to look ugly." The other day, I saw something in the office that really caught my eye. It was set in Bookman Swash Italic, and it looked great. Ugly, but great.
10. Because it's boring.
Tibor Kalman was fascinated with boring typefaces. "No, this one is too clever, this one is too interesting," he kept saying when showed him the fonts I was proposing for his monograph. Anything but a boring typeface, he felt, got in the way of the ideas. We settled on Trade Gothic.
11. Because it's special.
In design as in fashion, nothing beats bespoke tailoring. I've commissioned custom typefaces from Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones and Joe Finocchiaro, and we're currently working with Matthew Carter and Chester. It is the ultimate indulgence, but well worth the extra effort. Is this proliferation? I say bring it on.
12. Because you believe in it.
Sometimes I think that Massimo Vignelli may be using too many typefaces, not too few. A true fundamentalist requires a monotheistic worldview: one world, one typeface. The designers at Experimental Jetset have made the case for Helvetica. My partner Abbott Miller had a period of life he calls "The Scala Years" when he used that typeface almost exclusively. When the time is right, I might make that kind of commitment myself.
13. Because you can't not.
Princeton Architectural Press is about to publish a collection of essays I've written, many of which first appeared here on Design Observer. I wanted it to feel like a real book for readers — it has no pictures — so I asked Abbott to design it. He suggested we set each one of the 79 pieces in a different typeface. I loved this idea, but wasn't sure how far he'd want to go with it. "What about the one called 'I Hate ITC Garamond?'" I asked him. "Would we set it in ITC Garamond?" He looked at me as if I was crazy. "Of course," he said.
These rules display that any certain typeface can have meaning (or multiple meanings) to a viewer. Whether this meaning be purely based on aesthetic and/or how much the designer like the look of the type or based on the history and fundamental backbone of the type; there is always reason behind why we chose the type we choose. A GOOD designer knows their history and knows what about each typeface makes them unique. Once you have all this information under your belt then you will be granted the ability to choose appropriate type for any given situation. It it WONT have to look like ass!
Helvetica Neue - Helvetica Neue has a more narrow stroke width and a slightly wider character width than future which is nice.
Gotham - Gotham's stroke width is even thinner and the character width is more wide. It stands out nicely against Futura.
Interstate - This font probably looks the most like Futura out of the bunch. However, it has some nice embellishes here and there.
Meta - Meta has a smaller stroke width and isn;t quite as geometric/blocky as Futura.
Univers - Univers has about the same stroke width but a wider character width which makes a lot of difference.
THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT A TYPEFACE:
Choosing a typeface to use is far more than I (or anyone) can imagine. Mostly is boils down to how much we "like it." Which is all fine and dandy. However, there is so much more that we could consider when select what type we want to use for a specific project. Each typeface has a specific form, function, meaning, aesthetic and overall reverence that is attached to it. And anyone who is aware of these qualities will be able to pin point successfully selected type as opposed to the "plop and drop" special order type. Here some rules taken from the article by Michael Bierut on why we choose the type that we choose:
1. Because it works.
Some typefaces are just perfect for certain things. I've specified exotic fonts for identity programs that work beautifully in headlines and even in text, but sooner or later you have to set that really tiny type at the bottom of the business reply card. This is what Franklin Gothic is for. Careful, though: some typefaces work too well. Frutiger has been used so much for signage programs in hospitals and airports that seeing it now makes me feel that I'm about to get diagnosed with a brain tumor or miss the 7:00 to O'Hare.
2. Because you like its history.
I've heard of several projects where the designer found a font that was created the same year the client's organization was founded. This must give the recommendation an aura of manifest destiny that is positively irresistible. I haven't had that luck yet, but still try to find the same kind of evocative alignment. For instance, I was never a fan of Aldo Novarese's Eurostyle, but I came to love it while working on a monograph on Eero Saarinen: they both share an expressiveness peculiar to the postwar optimism of the 1950's.
3. Because you like its name.
Once I saw a project in a student portfolio that undertook the dubious challenge of redesigning the Tiffany's identity. I particularly disliked the font that was used, and I politely asked what it was. "Oh," came the enthusiastic response, "that's the best part! It's called Tiffany!" On the other hand, Bruce Mau designed Spectacle, the book he created with David Rockwell, using the typeface Rockwell. I thought this was funny.
4. Because of who designed it.
Once I was working on a project where the client group included some very strong-minded architects. I picked Cheltenham, an idiosyncratic typeface that was not only well-suited to the project's requirements, but was one of the few I know that was designed by an architect, Bertram Goodhue. Recently, I designed a publications program for a girls' school. I used a typeface that was designed by a woman and named after another, Zuzana Licko's Mrs. Eaves. In both cases, my clients knew that the public would be completely unaware of the story behind the font selection, but took some comfort in it nonetheless. I did too.
5. Because it was there.
Sometimes a typeface is already living on the premises when you show up, and it just seems mean to evict it. "We use Baskerville and Univers 65 on all our materials, but feel free to make an alternate suggestion." Really? Why bother? It's like one of those shows where the amateur chef is given a turnip, a bag of flour, a leg of lamb and some maple syrup and told to make a dish out of it. Sometimes it's something you've never used before, which makes it even more fun.
6. Because they made you.
And sometimes it's something you've never used before, for good reason. "We use ITC Eras on all our materials." "Can I make an alternate suggestion?" "No." This is when blind embossing comes in handy.
7. Because it reminds you of something.
Whenever I want to make words look straightforward, conversational, and smart, I frequently consider Futura, upper and lower case. Why? Not because Paul Renner was straightforward, conversational, and smart, although he might have been. No, it's because 45 years ago, Helmut Krone decided to use Futura in Doyle Dane Bernbach's advertising for Volkswagen, and they still use it today. One warning, however: what reminds you of something may remind someone else of something else.
8. Because it's beautiful.
Cyrus Highsmith's Novia is now commercially available. He originally designed it for the headlines in Martha Stewart Weddings. Resistance is futile, at least mine is.
9. Because it's ugly.
About 10 years ago, I was asked to redesign the logo for New York magazine. Milton Glaser had based the logo on Bookman Swash Italic, a typeface I found unimaginably dated and ugly. But Glaser's logo had replaced an earlier one by Peter Palazzo that was based on Caslon Italic. I proposed we return to Caslon, and distinctly remember saying, "Bookman Swash Italic is always going to look ugly." The other day, I saw something in the office that really caught my eye. It was set in Bookman Swash Italic, and it looked great. Ugly, but great.
10. Because it's boring.
Tibor Kalman was fascinated with boring typefaces. "No, this one is too clever, this one is too interesting," he kept saying when showed him the fonts I was proposing for his monograph. Anything but a boring typeface, he felt, got in the way of the ideas. We settled on Trade Gothic.
11. Because it's special.
In design as in fashion, nothing beats bespoke tailoring. I've commissioned custom typefaces from Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones and Joe Finocchiaro, and we're currently working with Matthew Carter and Chester. It is the ultimate indulgence, but well worth the extra effort. Is this proliferation? I say bring it on.
12. Because you believe in it.
Sometimes I think that Massimo Vignelli may be using too many typefaces, not too few. A true fundamentalist requires a monotheistic worldview: one world, one typeface. The designers at Experimental Jetset have made the case for Helvetica. My partner Abbott Miller had a period of life he calls "The Scala Years" when he used that typeface almost exclusively. When the time is right, I might make that kind of commitment myself.
13. Because you can't not.
Princeton Architectural Press is about to publish a collection of essays I've written, many of which first appeared here on Design Observer. I wanted it to feel like a real book for readers — it has no pictures — so I asked Abbott to design it. He suggested we set each one of the 79 pieces in a different typeface. I loved this idea, but wasn't sure how far he'd want to go with it. "What about the one called 'I Hate ITC Garamond?'" I asked him. "Would we set it in ITC Garamond?" He looked at me as if I was crazy. "Of course," he said.
These rules display that any certain typeface can have meaning (or multiple meanings) to a viewer. Whether this meaning be purely based on aesthetic and/or how much the designer like the look of the type or based on the history and fundamental backbone of the type; there is always reason behind why we chose the type we choose. A GOOD designer knows their history and knows what about each typeface makes them unique. Once you have all this information under your belt then you will be granted the ability to choose appropriate type for any given situation. It it WONT have to look like ass!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Paper :)
BEAUTIFUL LOSERS
Being introduced to such a wide cast of creative individuals was so intriguing and watching them do what they do best (create) was very inspiring. As a young designer, it is refreshing to see so many grown people who have taken their dreams and talents and made something of them. “Like going from a regular freak to a cooler freak.” Each person had something meaningful and wise to say about their creative form and they all rested under the umbrella of “Do-It-Yourself” artist. One artist explains how much of a tragedy it is to lose your creative drive and power when you transition from childhood to adulthood. “As a child, you start off as a “Do-It-Yourself” creator since their isn’t anyone else there to create for you and satisfy your powerful imagination.” It really is an unfortunate happening when one loses touch with their imagination, but many people suffer that same fate. But for the few that maintain that connection with their “inner child” then they are capable of making something out of that imagination in the form of a potential career.
However, it is explained that these creative folks can rarely be categorized into tags of artwork. You can’t call one person a strict painter, or sculpture or photographer, they are all just artists. It’s a concept that we all should adopt and use. We shouldn’t restrict our endeavors to one route of art. As creators, our main duty to our work is to explore and discover new, innovative creative routes to travel. This is what makes it so much fun and keeps us wanting more. Creative people have an amazing power in their grasp. A power that leaves behind much visual residue and has the potential to leave that individual’s mark on peoples conscious and even history. Use it and embrace it.
Being introduced to such a wide cast of creative individuals was so intriguing and watching them do what they do best (create) was very inspiring. As a young designer, it is refreshing to see so many grown people who have taken their dreams and talents and made something of them. “Like going from a regular freak to a cooler freak.” Each person had something meaningful and wise to say about their creative form and they all rested under the umbrella of “Do-It-Yourself” artist. One artist explains how much of a tragedy it is to lose your creative drive and power when you transition from childhood to adulthood. “As a child, you start off as a “Do-It-Yourself” creator since their isn’t anyone else there to create for you and satisfy your powerful imagination.” It really is an unfortunate happening when one loses touch with their imagination, but many people suffer that same fate. But for the few that maintain that connection with their “inner child” then they are capable of making something out of that imagination in the form of a potential career.
However, it is explained that these creative folks can rarely be categorized into tags of artwork. You can’t call one person a strict painter, or sculpture or photographer, they are all just artists. It’s a concept that we all should adopt and use. We shouldn’t restrict our endeavors to one route of art. As creators, our main duty to our work is to explore and discover new, innovative creative routes to travel. This is what makes it so much fun and keeps us wanting more. Creative people have an amazing power in their grasp. A power that leaves behind much visual residue and has the potential to leave that individual’s mark on peoples conscious and even history. Use it and embrace it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #6
30 Conversations on Design:
1) Pete Docter - Storytime.
He claims that the most inspirational aspect (to him) in design is the STORY, or the reaction he gets from his viewer. I couldn't agree more. Our job as designers is to dig at some kind of understanding and reaction from the people who see our work. We get credit and satisfaction for doing so, so I think he hit the nail right on the head. I would probably answer his question very similarly, but I'd probably elaborate on the imaginative quality of the story concept and how the imagination of the design's supposed story plays a big role. Say it without PLOPPING it on the page, ya know! :)
2) Kit Henrichs - Bar Bones.
He talks about the awesome, yet often unnoticed effect of typography on us all. Its not the letterform itself, its the way it it used expressively. And it's not just the alphabet its the emotion that arises when you set a certain typeface or organization of type. I think that type inspires me the most just because of the stealthily effect it has on people. No one seems to realize how much type is all around us and how its use and organization effects our understanding of our environment. It truly is neat!
3) Jake McCabe - Tabula Rasa.
This one struck me. He siad that the most inspiring thing about design to him was a blank 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. I think that is so interesting. It represents a clean state and the enormous amount of opportunity to fill that page with something incredible. I've always loved the feeling of getting a new BLANK sketchbook, just because I know how cool it will be once it is FULL. Kind of like a momento of your talent, work and even your mentality. I would answer the question in the same way one using the color white also, which is just one of my favorite colors to use. Wether it be to start over or to highlight a finished work!
4) Ken Carbone - Empowerment.
His example was of a thing called the Q-Drum which was a neat water holding device shaped like a wheel that made it easier for people in third world countries to transport their water. This shows how even the SIMPLEST design can have tremendous benefit on people all over the world. There is more power behind design than most people realize. I would answer his question more along the lines of the empowering of designers to shape the way the world develops and use their talents to make other people happy. It's a very inspirational thought.
5) Jessica Hirshe - Group Bonding.
She spoke about how what inspires her the most is student work, and the growth of the young designer. This means a lot to me because I am a growing designer who still has ALOT to learn, but it's nice to know that people are out there willing to teach. She also mention that the fear of the death of print inspires her to maintain her work quality because eventually everything will be online and designers will have to adapt to this change. Myself, have never considered this idea that print will die, it does seem very unsettling and definitely inspires me to keep moving forward with my study of design and how to better myself at it.
1) Pete Docter - Storytime.
He claims that the most inspirational aspect (to him) in design is the STORY, or the reaction he gets from his viewer. I couldn't agree more. Our job as designers is to dig at some kind of understanding and reaction from the people who see our work. We get credit and satisfaction for doing so, so I think he hit the nail right on the head. I would probably answer his question very similarly, but I'd probably elaborate on the imaginative quality of the story concept and how the imagination of the design's supposed story plays a big role. Say it without PLOPPING it on the page, ya know! :)
2) Kit Henrichs - Bar Bones.
He talks about the awesome, yet often unnoticed effect of typography on us all. Its not the letterform itself, its the way it it used expressively. And it's not just the alphabet its the emotion that arises when you set a certain typeface or organization of type. I think that type inspires me the most just because of the stealthily effect it has on people. No one seems to realize how much type is all around us and how its use and organization effects our understanding of our environment. It truly is neat!
3) Jake McCabe - Tabula Rasa.
This one struck me. He siad that the most inspiring thing about design to him was a blank 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. I think that is so interesting. It represents a clean state and the enormous amount of opportunity to fill that page with something incredible. I've always loved the feeling of getting a new BLANK sketchbook, just because I know how cool it will be once it is FULL. Kind of like a momento of your talent, work and even your mentality. I would answer the question in the same way one using the color white also, which is just one of my favorite colors to use. Wether it be to start over or to highlight a finished work!
4) Ken Carbone - Empowerment.
His example was of a thing called the Q-Drum which was a neat water holding device shaped like a wheel that made it easier for people in third world countries to transport their water. This shows how even the SIMPLEST design can have tremendous benefit on people all over the world. There is more power behind design than most people realize. I would answer his question more along the lines of the empowering of designers to shape the way the world develops and use their talents to make other people happy. It's a very inspirational thought.
5) Jessica Hirshe - Group Bonding.
She spoke about how what inspires her the most is student work, and the growth of the young designer. This means a lot to me because I am a growing designer who still has ALOT to learn, but it's nice to know that people are out there willing to teach. She also mention that the fear of the death of print inspires her to maintain her work quality because eventually everything will be online and designers will have to adapt to this change. Myself, have never considered this idea that print will die, it does seem very unsettling and definitely inspires me to keep moving forward with my study of design and how to better myself at it.
Typography II - Journal Entry #5
Jonathan Harris Talk
The whole thing was very deep and interesting to me. He describes his life working as an artist but also as a computer scientist and how different those two paths are. On one spectrum you have the work of an artist which is free-roaming and expressive while on the other you have a computer scientist's code work which is deeply analytical and structured. It must have been extremely difficult to juxtapose both of those frames of mind, and by displaying his balloon-online dating interface he shows that he was definitely capable. However he then furthers his thoughts onto the fact that after completing his dating project, he then realized how technology-dependent our current society has become, how everyone chooses to interact via a mobile device or a computer program rather than actual physical interaction. It's kind of sad. And he establishes that technology can overwhelm people and make them not only anonymous but less "feeling" as well.
I've always agreed that the advance of technology is a great thing, but humankind must not forget that technology and the world it exists in is not the same as the realim that WE dwell in. Be careful not to get lost in that other realim, even if you're people like us to constantly use it for their careers. You may find to be a happier person if you balance time amongst the two worlds. :)
The whole thing was very deep and interesting to me. He describes his life working as an artist but also as a computer scientist and how different those two paths are. On one spectrum you have the work of an artist which is free-roaming and expressive while on the other you have a computer scientist's code work which is deeply analytical and structured. It must have been extremely difficult to juxtapose both of those frames of mind, and by displaying his balloon-online dating interface he shows that he was definitely capable. However he then furthers his thoughts onto the fact that after completing his dating project, he then realized how technology-dependent our current society has become, how everyone chooses to interact via a mobile device or a computer program rather than actual physical interaction. It's kind of sad. And he establishes that technology can overwhelm people and make them not only anonymous but less "feeling" as well.
I've always agreed that the advance of technology is a great thing, but humankind must not forget that technology and the world it exists in is not the same as the realim that WE dwell in. Be careful not to get lost in that other realim, even if you're people like us to constantly use it for their careers. You may find to be a happier person if you balance time amongst the two worlds. :)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #4
INCOMPLETE MANIFESTO FOR GROWTH by Bruce Mau
MANTRA 25:
Don’t clean your desk.
You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
BRUCE MAU
Visionary and world-leading innovator Bruce Mau is the Chief Creative Officer of Bruce Mau Design. Clients of his Chicago and Toronto studios include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, MTV, Arizona State University, Miami's American Airlines Arena, New Meadowlands Stadium, Frank Gehry, Herman Miller, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus, and the feature length documentary The 11th Hour. Since founding his studio in 1985, Mau has used design and optimism to originate, innovate, and renovate businesses, brands, products, and experiences.
Bruce Mau is recognized as an author and publisher of award-winning books, including the celebrated Zone Books series and S,M,L,XL in collaboration with Rem Koolhaas. Now viral, Mau’s Incomplete Manifesto for Growth guides thousands with his articulation of design strategies and motivations for unleashing creativity. His newest book, The Third Teacher (Abrams Books, April 2010), which he and his studio co-authored with OWP/P Architects and VS Furniture, features a collection of 79 ways that design can transform teaching and learning for children to thrive in tomorrow’s world.
Inspired by the conviction that the future demands a new breed of designer, Mau founded the Institute without Boundaries -- a groundbreaking studio-based postgraduate program. This became the engine for Massive Change, an ambitious travelling exhibition, publication, and educational program series on the power and possibility of design. In recent years, Mau led ¡GuateAmala!, a project in collaboration with business and cultural leaders of Guatemala, to galvanize action and realize a positive future for their country.
Award highlights in Mau’s distinguished career include the Louise Blouin Foundation’s Creative Leadership Award, the AIGA Gold Medal for Communication Design, and being named the Bill and Stephanie Sick Distinguished Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Bruce Mau is also the feature of the recently released book GLIMMER: How Design Can Transform Your Life and Maybe Even the World (Penguin Press) by Warren Berger. Through his work, Mau seeks to prove that the power of design is boundless, and has the capacity to bring positive change on a global scale. Working with his team of designers, clients and collaborators throughout the world, Mau continues to pursue life’s big question, “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?”
**I think that Mau's work is a PRIME example of Iconographic material that we have been learning about. It is innovative, recognizable and WELL-KNOWN, and his work is something to be admired and revered.**
MY MANTRA:
I chose Mantra #25: Don’t clean your desk. You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
I chose this mantra because I think this is one a lot of young, learning, designers and guilty of breaking. We get so hooked on reaching that final goal that we hurriedly trash any other routes that may be open to us. If we would just stop and look at all the process we've gone through thus far maybe doing so would make the journey to that final goal more efficient, effective and overall FUN!
MANTRA 25:
Don’t clean your desk.
You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
BRUCE MAU
Visionary and world-leading innovator Bruce Mau is the Chief Creative Officer of Bruce Mau Design. Clients of his Chicago and Toronto studios include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, MTV, Arizona State University, Miami's American Airlines Arena, New Meadowlands Stadium, Frank Gehry, Herman Miller, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus, and the feature length documentary The 11th Hour. Since founding his studio in 1985, Mau has used design and optimism to originate, innovate, and renovate businesses, brands, products, and experiences.
Bruce Mau is recognized as an author and publisher of award-winning books, including the celebrated Zone Books series and S,M,L,XL in collaboration with Rem Koolhaas. Now viral, Mau’s Incomplete Manifesto for Growth guides thousands with his articulation of design strategies and motivations for unleashing creativity. His newest book, The Third Teacher (Abrams Books, April 2010), which he and his studio co-authored with OWP/P Architects and VS Furniture, features a collection of 79 ways that design can transform teaching and learning for children to thrive in tomorrow’s world.
Inspired by the conviction that the future demands a new breed of designer, Mau founded the Institute without Boundaries -- a groundbreaking studio-based postgraduate program. This became the engine for Massive Change, an ambitious travelling exhibition, publication, and educational program series on the power and possibility of design. In recent years, Mau led ¡GuateAmala!, a project in collaboration with business and cultural leaders of Guatemala, to galvanize action and realize a positive future for their country.
Award highlights in Mau’s distinguished career include the Louise Blouin Foundation’s Creative Leadership Award, the AIGA Gold Medal for Communication Design, and being named the Bill and Stephanie Sick Distinguished Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Bruce Mau is also the feature of the recently released book GLIMMER: How Design Can Transform Your Life and Maybe Even the World (Penguin Press) by Warren Berger. Through his work, Mau seeks to prove that the power of design is boundless, and has the capacity to bring positive change on a global scale. Working with his team of designers, clients and collaborators throughout the world, Mau continues to pursue life’s big question, “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?”
**I think that Mau's work is a PRIME example of Iconographic material that we have been learning about. It is innovative, recognizable and WELL-KNOWN, and his work is something to be admired and revered.**
MY MANTRA:
I chose Mantra #25: Don’t clean your desk. You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
I chose this mantra because I think this is one a lot of young, learning, designers and guilty of breaking. We get so hooked on reaching that final goal that we hurriedly trash any other routes that may be open to us. If we would just stop and look at all the process we've gone through thus far maybe doing so would make the journey to that final goal more efficient, effective and overall FUN!
Typography II - Journal Entry #3
Stefan Sagmeister shares happy design.
Sagmeister shares his thoughts on the difference between design the visually displays happiness and design that actually EVOKES happiness in the viewer. An example of visually happy design would be an image of a smile or of a physical act that makes people happy, but to actually evoke happiness without simply displaying it is more difficult. One example he used was from a designer in New York who replaced all of the warning signs in a subway car with new, "happier" ones that had cute little messages on them geared towards making people cheer up. Another example was from another New York designer who plopped blank speech bubbles onto random walls throughout the community and let anybody fill in text. How Fun!!
A question I would have for Sagmeister is how he goes about pulling his thoughts and work AWAY from the computer. Techniques? Habits? Anything...?
The man seems very organized and well-planned. A lot of his works are based off of lists he has made, which is an AWESOME exercise to do before setting out on a design. This organization leads to his spontaneous and intelligent creativity and, I believe, bolsters his popularity.
I watched the Theo Jenson and JJ Abrahms videos and they both had awesome stuff to offer. Theo's video displayed how a career in design can really have an impact on society and have a larger effect on people that I could have ever dreamed. His invention, "the next wheel" looks like it is going to go places and bring about new age technology! JJ Abrahms video showed how many different influences a designer can draw from. Talking about his youth and the fascinations instilled in him by his grandfather really got to me. It showed that the creative mind never stops creating, and it knows no age, race, gender or what-have you. :)
Sagmeister shares his thoughts on the difference between design the visually displays happiness and design that actually EVOKES happiness in the viewer. An example of visually happy design would be an image of a smile or of a physical act that makes people happy, but to actually evoke happiness without simply displaying it is more difficult. One example he used was from a designer in New York who replaced all of the warning signs in a subway car with new, "happier" ones that had cute little messages on them geared towards making people cheer up. Another example was from another New York designer who plopped blank speech bubbles onto random walls throughout the community and let anybody fill in text. How Fun!!
A question I would have for Sagmeister is how he goes about pulling his thoughts and work AWAY from the computer. Techniques? Habits? Anything...?
The man seems very organized and well-planned. A lot of his works are based off of lists he has made, which is an AWESOME exercise to do before setting out on a design. This organization leads to his spontaneous and intelligent creativity and, I believe, bolsters his popularity.
I watched the Theo Jenson and JJ Abrahms videos and they both had awesome stuff to offer. Theo's video displayed how a career in design can really have an impact on society and have a larger effect on people that I could have ever dreamed. His invention, "the next wheel" looks like it is going to go places and bring about new age technology! JJ Abrahms video showed how many different influences a designer can draw from. Talking about his youth and the fascinations instilled in him by his grandfather really got to me. It showed that the creative mind never stops creating, and it knows no age, race, gender or what-have you. :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Homework - Feb. 23rd 2011
ARTICLE: "On Creativity."
AUTHOR: Andy Rutledge
WHY SO IMPORTANT?: Andy Rutledge is a principal at Unit Interactive in Plano, Texas. When not working, biking, or banging on the piano, he’s usually found ranting about design or professionalism on his personal site, Design View.
SUMMARY: The article discusses the legitimacy of creativity in a designer's work and reveals the common misconceptions about creativity. Creativity itself is the application of design to solve a problem and has little to nothing to do with overt self expression. Anyone can make something or make something up from scratch but can they do it with purpose, can the do it to solve the issue, or will they end up saying “sorry?” If one can adopt these techniques then one can call him/herself creative.
6 POINTS:
1. As designers, our creative efforts are judged—and rightly so.
2. Creativity has nothing at all to do with self-expression or flamboyancy. Aside from the simple ability to create things, the most important feature of creativity is a highly developed perception filter that is somewhat less common than we’re led to believe.
3. f you are a designer worth your salt, you know that no design project begins with creativity. Instead, it begins with client- and/or context-specific discovery, and lots of research to help you understand the fundamental nature of the challenges at hand.
4. Any reference to constraints that limit creativity is just another way of equating creativity with self-expression, an erroneous and irresponsible idea.
5. Constraints are a designer’s best friend. They’re signposts, not shackles. In a sense, constraints amount to the solution half-built. It is merely up to us to then realize the other half according to what these signposts indicate is appropriate. Nowhere in this concept does self-expression find any valid foothold.
6. art of a designer’s job is to show people what they want before they know they want it, and our success in doing so is based largely on our intuitive abilities.
AUTHOR: Andy Rutledge
WHY SO IMPORTANT?: Andy Rutledge is a principal at Unit Interactive in Plano, Texas. When not working, biking, or banging on the piano, he’s usually found ranting about design or professionalism on his personal site, Design View.
SUMMARY: The article discusses the legitimacy of creativity in a designer's work and reveals the common misconceptions about creativity. Creativity itself is the application of design to solve a problem and has little to nothing to do with overt self expression. Anyone can make something or make something up from scratch but can they do it with purpose, can the do it to solve the issue, or will they end up saying “sorry?” If one can adopt these techniques then one can call him/herself creative.
6 POINTS:
1. As designers, our creative efforts are judged—and rightly so.
2. Creativity has nothing at all to do with self-expression or flamboyancy. Aside from the simple ability to create things, the most important feature of creativity is a highly developed perception filter that is somewhat less common than we’re led to believe.
3. f you are a designer worth your salt, you know that no design project begins with creativity. Instead, it begins with client- and/or context-specific discovery, and lots of research to help you understand the fundamental nature of the challenges at hand.
4. Any reference to constraints that limit creativity is just another way of equating creativity with self-expression, an erroneous and irresponsible idea.
5. Constraints are a designer’s best friend. They’re signposts, not shackles. In a sense, constraints amount to the solution half-built. It is merely up to us to then realize the other half according to what these signposts indicate is appropriate. Nowhere in this concept does self-expression find any valid foothold.
6. art of a designer’s job is to show people what they want before they know they want it, and our success in doing so is based largely on our intuitive abilities.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Typography II - Journal Entry #2
Dieter Ram's: ten principles of good design.
Ram's take on the success level of a design is based predominantly on the connection it establishes with the user/viewer. His rules list that good design must be innovative, useful, understandable and unobtrusive. All of these qualities have a direct user effect and make for a more enjoyable and friendlier experience with a design/product. This experience and interaction with the consumer is of up-most importance, but the design must also maintain a certain level of aesthetic value, honesty, timelessness, friendliness and simplicity in order to be considered GOOD design. If a design meets all of these requirement then it will easily cross the dividing line between (simply) effective design and good design.
Don Norman: three ways good design makes you happy.
Don Norman used to be concerned solely on the functionality of a design and thought that the overall value of a specific design we reflected in that functionality and how well it performed it. Since, however, he has grown to have a deep fascination with the aesthetic quality in design and has discovered that EMOTION brought on by "pretty" qualities in design can lead to better understanding and functionality in products. Certain emotions cause certain stimulating brain activity in many different ways that can effect the perception and usage of a design, and he reiterates that the way a design LOOKS is just as important as the way it is used and functions.
Question: What pivotal moment drew you to this new-found interest in the aesthetic and beautiful qualities in design? Can you offer advice to those of us that wish to view design from BOTH standpoints (functional and beautiful)?
Ram's take on the success level of a design is based predominantly on the connection it establishes with the user/viewer. His rules list that good design must be innovative, useful, understandable and unobtrusive. All of these qualities have a direct user effect and make for a more enjoyable and friendlier experience with a design/product. This experience and interaction with the consumer is of up-most importance, but the design must also maintain a certain level of aesthetic value, honesty, timelessness, friendliness and simplicity in order to be considered GOOD design. If a design meets all of these requirement then it will easily cross the dividing line between (simply) effective design and good design.
Don Norman: three ways good design makes you happy.
Don Norman used to be concerned solely on the functionality of a design and thought that the overall value of a specific design we reflected in that functionality and how well it performed it. Since, however, he has grown to have a deep fascination with the aesthetic quality in design and has discovered that EMOTION brought on by "pretty" qualities in design can lead to better understanding and functionality in products. Certain emotions cause certain stimulating brain activity in many different ways that can effect the perception and usage of a design, and he reiterates that the way a design LOOKS is just as important as the way it is used and functions.
Question: What pivotal moment drew you to this new-found interest in the aesthetic and beautiful qualities in design? Can you offer advice to those of us that wish to view design from BOTH standpoints (functional and beautiful)?
What is a Graphic Designer?
When I tell people that I'm majoring in Visual Communication and plan on becoming a Graphic Designer they usually nod their heads and tell me how cool it sounds, but then they confess that they have no idea what a Graphic Designer really does...
One of the most popular questions I get asked is what my career options are going to be once I graduate, and the beautiful thing about Graphic Design is that the options are virtually LIMITLESS. However, that statement still leaves people with a lot of unresolved ambiguity, and I've done some research and would like to share some general fields that a designer may find him/herself working in:
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Identity Design.
The process of identifying a product, service or organization, identity design is more than simply creating a logo - even if there is nothing simple about that. Through a concise and consistently applied set of elements - colors, typography and other visual cues in unison with a logo - identity designers create a visual system that makes a product, service or organization easily identifiable. The identity can be manifested in business cards, uniforms, marketing materials and other communication materials. Identity design is broadly divided into corporate identity and brand/retail identity. The former specializes in designs for corporations and businesses, while the latter focuses on design meant for direct contact with consumers. In both cases, identity design is an influential aspect of our profession because it generates tangible manifestations of the intangible values of any given product, service or organization, no matter how big or small.
Delta Airlines Logo.
Delta Logo applied to aircraft.
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Branding.
Typically related to consumer products and services - although the same principles apply to corporations and business, even personalities - the goal of branding is to form an overall perception of any product, service or organization in the consumer’s mind thorough a variety of means. These range from the behavior of staff, to the lighting conditions in a store, to the music that plays in a T.V. commercial, to the photography used in a print campaign, to the tone of voice in which something is communicated. Branding is usually the result of collaboration among graphic designers, strategists, researchers and writers where every discipline - web, advertising, public relations, identity design - comes together cohesively to position and deliver the aspirations of a product, service or organization. Successful branding creates positive associations and establishes consistent expectations for the consumer. And, yes, successful branding also generates revenue.
Examples of branding logos.
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Collateral Design.
All products, services and organizations must communicate beyond what branding identity and advertising can offer and, in this regard, collateral design can be one of the most varied and active disciplines in Graphic Design. Through an unlimited range of approaches, designers create brochures, pamphlets, manuals, catalogs and annual reports of all sizes, page counts and production techniques, with singular regularity. Ranging from lavish to low-end productions, from oversized to compact, from informational to emotional, collateral design offers infinite communicative and expressive possibilities - maybe too many!
Brochure, letterhead, business cards...
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Environmental Design.
Despite its name, environmental design is not necessarily concerned with ecological initiatives; instead, it refers to the application of design to a specific environment. Whether in service of a museum, an airport, a train or subway station, an amusement park, a movie theater, a shopping mall, or an entire neighborhood, environmental design aids and enriches the way in which the destination is experienced, navigated and understood. Taking the shape of directional or informational signage (or wayfinding systems), exhibit design, retail or restaurant graphics, and even interior decoration, among other manifestations, this discipline provides a rich output for design as it interacts with the built environment and benefits from the diversity of materials and textures in which it can be produced in various scales - any environmental designer will tell you that Helvetica Bold (or any other typeface) is much more amazing when specified in feet rather than points.
PCBC 2008 - San Francisco, CA, USA
PCBC 2008 - San Francisco, CA, USA
PCBC 2008 - San Francisco, CA, USA
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Iconography.
The intricate difficulties of creating cohesive systems of dozens of icons that must communicate and extensive amount of varying information in a unified style and with the least number of visual elements possible makes iconography a rare specialty. Icons are developed for a range of applications - user interfaces for computers or handheld devices, software applications, instructional manuals, warning signs on equipment, signage, weather information, and more - and must be adaptable to the various mediums in which they are deployed, from pixels based graphics on a wrist watch to metal-cast identifiers in an airport. Iconography plays a major role in large graphic programs as well, like the Olympics Games, or a zoo, because no one likes to confuse fencing for javelin throwing or bears with lemurs.
Popular computer-based icons.
The apps on your Iphone are all icons that were designed by someone!
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Information Design.
While designers manage and organize information in every project, one specific discipline deals with presenting complex information - statistics, research, findings, data comparison, forms and more - in the most efficient and easily understood way as possible. Through innovative, allusive and engaging diagrams, charts, graphs, iconography and illustration or photography, information design visually presents facts, figures and data that aid in the understanding of any given topic. Typically used in editorial contexts, as supporting elements in newspapers, magazines and journals, information design thrives in the interactive realm. The Internet has fostered a new breed of information design that can parse both live and static data from various sources and present a dynamic view of how this data is changing and evolving by the second. With the added layer of user interactivity, information design can now engage users in ways few other disciplines can.
Political infographic.
Workforce infographic.
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Editorial Design.
Shaping the layout and pacing of magazines, newspapers and books - items bought, read and collected by millions of people - across dozens to hundreds of pages in collaboration with editors, writers, photographers, illustrators and information designers is the task of editorial designers. With newspapers and magazines the challenge and joy is to create unique layouts under a consistent style, governed by strict grids, and determined by impending deadlines. For books, the schedule may seem more relaxed, but the demands of extensive content, the need for consistent pacing and the imperative to maintain an even visual execution that permits the material inside to be the protagonist provide the framework for book designers. Regardless of the end product, one goal is constant in editorial design: To design successful hierarchy of of information punctuated by bold graphic treatments - like a double-page, full-bleed photograph, to mention one example - that lead readers from beginning to end, maintaining their attention and sparking their curiosity.
Full magazine spread with illustration.
Half spread with table of contents.
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Poster Design.
As a highly celebrated form of design and because of the sheer size of the blank canvas offered, poster design is a coveted endeavor. Whether they are announcing concerts, films, products, or sporting events, or serving causes of activism or public awareness, posters have a tremendous impact and resonance. The poster’s guises: a utilitarian device for conveying information, a provocative voice for calling to action, or a seductive lure for selecting a specific product or service. Included in permanent collections of museums, shown in galleries, and organized in biennales worldwide, posters are ambassadors for the design profession, public beacons of the creative and communicative potential this profession offers.
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Packaging Design.
More than other disciplines, packaging is intimately tied with the general consumer because it occupies every moment of almost everyone’s day. It manifests in the endless array of products people purchase or use, from shampoo bottles to milk cartons, paint buckets, soda cans - every conceivable item available for consumption. At its widest application, packaging serves to unify ;large families of products, abiding by strict legal requirements trough consistent visual systems that allow variety (different sizes, flavors, quantities, etc.) and create a unique and recognizable presence on store shelves across regions and even countries. packaging can also serve smaller stores or boutiques through limited-distribution products offering a differentiating identity. Regardless of the volume or reach of any given product, packaging offers the possibility to enrich each design through the use of different materials, finishes and production techniques that interact with the three-dimensional presence of the product. The challenge of packaging, to persuade the consumer to pick the product it embodies over another or a dozen others, is its driving force.
Vitalize fruit beverages.
URBAN.
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Interactive Design.
As the youngest discipline, interactive design has been redefining itself since the mid-1990s, evolving energetically along with technology and the growing embrace of the Internet - although interactive work has been practiced since long before the advent of the Internet in the form of interactive kiosks, CD-ROMs, and earlier forms of user interface. While websites may be the most common expression of interactive design, the discipline takes form as user interfaces for electronic equipment (digital cameras, handheld and mobile devices, computers), software applications, electronic ticketing kiosks as onscreen menus for DVDs and cable or satellite guides; and as electronic displays of information. The key to interactive design is consideration for the end-user. The designer focuses on the usability and accessibility of the design, striving for tge least obstructive and most intuitive interaction with the information. Interactive design relies on the collaboration of graphic designers, front-end and back-end programmers, and information architects - or one really smart person who can do all these things.
Web based presentations.
Online navigation and usage.
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Motion Graphics.
Affordable, powerful and easy to use software, coupled with an increasing number of output channels - the web, mobile devices, hundreds of T.V. channels, outdoor digital displays, buildings with fancy screens in their lobbies - have brought interest and attention to motion graphics, a discipline practiced as far back as the 1920s. Whether it’s the opening (or closing) titles of a movie or T.V. show, the two-second animation of a logo, the full composition of a short film or music video, the graphics over live-action footage, or the coveted identifiers for T.V. channels, motion graphics thrive in the integration and orchestration of typography, imagery, sound, digital effects, and storytelling with movement and time, allowing designers to take on an exciting and glamourous-sounding role other disciplines don’t offer - director - even if the cast’s biggest star is just Mrs. Eaves.
BBC News Intro.
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Information provided by: "Graphic Design Referenced" By: Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit
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