Incite by Design

Who's reading?

2007-05-12T16:19:00.000-04:00

I just got a rather nasty e-blast from a publisher of a literary journal, basically castigating everyone who's submitted work for not also being paid subscribers. He said that if 1 out of every 200 persons who submitted work actually read the journal, he might be able to keep the journal afloat. It was a desperate, if not painfully honest, plea and posed some serious questions.

If Web 2.0 and the global collaborative community are giving everyone the means to write their own stories/news/information, are we in jeopardy of reducing the number of actual readers?

By having more information within reach, are we more well-read or more interested in how others may receive our own stories?

Does this angry editor have a valid point, or do you think he's simply reacting to the cold reality that the traditional media can't deal with the paradigm shift?

When you need to broaden your consumer base...

2007-05-08T14:24:00.000-04:00

While we're on the topic of television spots, I thought I'd bring up an interesting new one.

It's by that automotive equivalent of sensible footwear, that bastion of safety, beloved by soccer moms everywhere, Volvo.

Coke has always produced your standard high-budg...

2007-04-30T12:28:00.000-04:00

Coke has always produced your standard high-budget, feel-good TV spots. They're basically full of young good-looking people having fun, Santas, or cutsy 3D animated polar bears. However, that isn't why their latest spot stands out. Yes it's a departure from the rest. Yes, Coke has always used quality animation and big budgets but this blows anything the've ever produced away. This peice stands out because it's a beautiful little 60 seconds of film, which Coke is lucky enough to have produced.

Go read

2007-04-26T09:06:00.000-04:00

Johnnie Moore's post on "creativity."

It deserves a good conversation.

Not So Random Quote

2007-04-25T17:57:00.000-04:00

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."

— Jean de La Fontaine

Ode to the Sliders

2007-04-17T13:25:00.000-04:00

Soulwax.com is an interesting site that really makes use of the slider to truly customize the user experience. Playing on the idea of ‘sliding’ or scratching, to make the traverse through the site, definitely stays true to the subject matter. Added retro-fun imagery, like the wall of tapes and reincarnated mac, coupled with the ability to fold/expand each section is all too satisfying. Although scrolling in both directions is something of a treasure hunt, if you have the time, its worthwhile!

Limitations of Choice

2007-04-16T10:26:00.000-04:00

Break out your party hats, I am back. ;-)

It's been a long while since I have blogged about something other than poetry, so forgive my rusty intro back into the scene.

We (me and Rick) went furniture shopping over the weekend to a spot in the city known as "Furniture Alley." Basically, it is a street packed w/ about every chain store outlet and independently owned furniture store you can imagine. Our mission: to find a couch. Needless to say, after about 4 hours looking around, we came home feeling less enthusiastic than we started out. I was exhausted - we walked, yes, but I was more exhausted by the circuit-overwhelming number of couches we saw. In the end, they all sort of blended together in a mish-mash of pistachio fabric.

So you may be wondering what this experience has to do with anything? Well, it got me to thinking about the limitations of having too much to choose from - not an original subject (there are lots of really good books on the topic), but one that hits home for me.

I am someone for whom shopping is a chore, not an enjoyable activity. Adding hundreds of choices to the mix simply makes me freeze, go inward and retreat home empty-handed. I crave simplicity. And I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

When I come across a mega-store, a mall, or a business that tries to sell itself as "everything to everyone," I am likely to go elsewhere. This is especially true for service-oriented businesses that try to sell "expertise" in too many service areas. It simply smacks of thoughtless, reactionary decision making and a desperate grab for everyone's attention. There are many directions this topic can go in - The Long Tail, for one. For for the sake of *simplicity,* let me leave off here and pick up the topic again after some feedback.

My question are: What is your approach to the overwhelming number of choices we have, and have you experienced the pressure to be everything to everyone? Are you energized or drained by the vast number choices? What are the benefits of more? What are the negatives?

Random Reel 'o' the day

2007-04-12T09:42:00.000-04:00

This week marks the seventh annual ReelWorld Film Festival, April 11-15. While there are always a plethora of interesting entries, my favourite is that of a friend of a friend, Mazi Khalighi’s Foreign Soil.

Eggs and the City 2007

2007-04-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

For all those egg enthusiasts, this years annual urban Easter Egg Hunt is taking place on Bloor between Yonge and Bathurst, on Sunday April 8 beginning 11:00 am. Put on by Newmindspace, an organization based in New York and Toronto dedicating themselves to reclaiming public space and creating free ways to enjoy your community including “massive bubble battles, public art installations and much more.”

Delightfully Horrifying

2007-03-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

So every once in a while, you come upon a phrase which carries a life of it's own. We inscribe meaning into the things around us, adding our own personal histories.

I was explaining the concept of an exquisite corpse to a coworker, and she latched onto the phrase, stripping it's original meaning and imbuing it with her own. In a way she created her own exquisite corpse out of the phrase. With very little information and history, she developed her own interpretation and brought something of herself to the term, something we really do on a regular basis. On a scale spanning centuries, it's the way language evolves and visual style develops. On a smaller scale, as designers, we will often have several people contribute to a design, albeit not blindly, and not unidirectionally adding. But it does apply in a way to many things we do. What is your exquisite corpse?

For your visual stimulation and corpse-inspiration, check out PSST:

The mission of PSST is to produce original short films through the collaboration of different teams of designers, directors, and animators. Each film is comprised of three sections produced by three different teams. This process is the whole idea behind PSST! – a technique derived from the Dadaist game of Exquisite Corpse and the children’s game Telephone and applied to the arts of motion graphics, animation and film-making.

I have seen the future...

2007-02-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

...and I am frightened.

Check it out. Your average corporate identity, with 50% more Hello Kitty (actually, web 2.0 influenced).

I beg of you, proceed with utmost caution, and perhaps a pair of sunglasses

Holiday Ramblings

2006-12-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

As we wind down production, as our printers and clients alike become unreachable and as the streets fill with countless disgruntled souls checking the final items off their shopping list, we are knee deep in the holiday season. Christmas and New Years lie just ahead, the soltice just behind, and Hanukah's final day is today.

My coworker hums along to a carol on the radio while sporting a bedazzled Santa hat and finishing an ad. A tantalizing pile of Secret-Santa office gifts lies on the meeting room table, nudging the proposals and proofs to a corner. Another co-worker takes a brief break from coding to proudly display their fancy Christmas socks.

I think to myself, how incredibly cool it is that -- at least at this time of year -- it's ok to be a complete dork?

Happy Holidays

Ryan – animated short by Chris Landreth, 2005 Academy Award Winner

2006-09-22T16:39:00.000-04:00

Ryan, staring the life and work of animator Ryan Larkin, is a very worthy animation with an even more interesting supporting documentary showcasing the making of it. Ryan, uses supplemental or secondary animations to represent the psyche of the characters as you traverse through the story. The direct correlation between the dialogue and the subsequent illustrations of emotion are quite neat. This is especially true of the main character, Ryan seen here as merely a skeleton.

Hail to the Busker

2006-08-17T10:45:00.000-04:00

Something I have always appreciated about my morning commute is the buskers in the subway stations. Chinese flute, African thumb piano, Peruvian pan flutes, and the occasional banjo add a welcome flair to my day. What is more, they are so good, I often speculated as to what the possible process was for selecting them. Is there an audition? Or is it invitation only? Well, the commuter daily 24 hours answered the question for me.

Apparently, once a year 200 musicians compete for 75 licenses to play in the subway. A bad audition means the end of a livelihood for some.

Now, I have been to more than one club where the music is awful, have bought more than one CD that I wanted to return, but I have rarely had a problem with the subways cultural cornucopia of auditory accompaniment to my day. Like so many other creative pursuits, talented people are playing in the subway for spare change, (or for those without a license, finding other means). Sometimes the highest quality is where you’d least expect it, right under your nose.

We still have nearly 5 months left but...

2006-08-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

I thought I would offer up this little article on 8 Web Design Clichés of 2006. Remeber kids, a little goes a long way, while overdoing it gets you lamb-basted. I also appreciate how the author of the article is guilty on examples four and five.

Ceci n'est pas une pipe

2006-08-01T09:32:00.000-04:00

Much of my day is spent on perspective. How you see something may be different then how the designer sitting across from you sees it, or how the creative director or client see it.

For example, I get a creative brief which says the president of such and such a company wants their brochure to evoke certain ideas. So I sit down and interpret what my creative director will want to see, who in turn is interpreting what the clients marketing person is looking for, who in turn is thinking of what the president of the company wants, who in turn is thinking of what will work with HIS clients. These layers of perspectives and interpretations can be straightforward, or can come out of left field.

So, for my fellow designers, I offer these examples of interpretations and perspectives for your viewing pleasure.

A new approach to etching – Etch a Sketch art at its most impressive

A different kind of graffiti – man creates art from the grime on his windshield

Another way to brand a company – literally

Less Isn't Always More

2006-07-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Something of note and interest, Payless Shoes has rebranded. Not only have they rebranded, they have done a complete overhaul of their look. Although it may have been time for a change, I don't foresee this new logo gaining any new ground, considering it has no visual correlation to its industry. The web savvy, clean cut style is much more contemporary, but the composition lacks weight and impact. In the end, the effect is neither here nor there and probably a colossal waste of time and energy. The animation definitely says it all.

You Get What You Pay For

2006-07-25T09:54:00.000-04:00

Check this out. I don’t think I need to even comment, except that I’m guessing the criticism the TTC got last year for the expenditures on ads have led it to cut their advertising budget, and by the looks of it, they cut it a LOT.

Interactivity at its Best

2006-06-29T09:21:00.000-04:00

For your viewing pleasure, the next thing in navigation...

Committed?

2006-06-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

Image from cbc.ca

On the heels of the Manitoba rebrand comes this spiky beast. Three figures severed at the torso, with their truncated lower halves floating alongside them. Hardly an improvement on the original. Does the committee strike again?

A Spirited Rebrand

2006-06-19T12:07:00.000-04:00

Manitoba's spirited new brand

So Manitoba has a brand new look

I have to admit, that I was a bit skeptical when I heard about it. Branding a province or city means dealing with a committee, and nothing kills a good idea like a committee.

Besides that, while I have been to Manitoba, and found some funky places in Winnipeg, I still couldn't get over the idea that it was a rural, out of the way province. Sure there are really creative and cutting edge things going on there, but on a small scale, and never by any administrative or governmental body.

Well, was I proven wrong. Their new logo, something akin to Veers, is funky and more forward thinking than the maligned Toronto identity. While a bit frail, the concept of the ligatures on a chunky sans is a good one. They didn't white-wash it until it looked like every other logo created 10 years ago (10 year old trends are benign while giving committee members the illusion of a fresh and new logo, without actually producing one)

My only complaint is that the images on their website freak me out. The patterns on the peoples clothing extend into empty space. It's a bit like the rose petals on American Beauty, a bit like the stomach bursting scene in Alien.

Colour Study #2

2006-06-16T09:06:00.000-04:00

What colour would the word culture be?

A compromising position

2006-06-12T09:14:00.000-04:00

We just got wind of an event which started in Vancouver, and has migrated to Montreal.

Called “Design and Dash”, it’s a 24 hour blitz which was held over this past weekend. Selected projects for non-profits are provided to volunteer designers. Over the subsequent 24 hours the designers are expected to provide finished pieces.

I have a problem with this.

Now, volunteer work for charity is one thing. We do a lot of work for non-profits and, with the exception of the invoice, we treat them like any other client. There is a rigorous process, including options for and feedback from the organization.

However, in graphic design we are constantly battling with the perception that our work somehow carries less value and is fun, so we should want to work for free, and the opportunity to work for someone should be a reward in itself. I doubt plumbers have this problem. This contest gives no indication of process, or of invoicing. But wait, it’s free you say? Yes, but the organization should know the value of what they are receiving. Otherwise, it can be as damaging to our profession as spec work.

There was a great discussion on ideasonideas a while back about spec work and there were two really great comments that put it very well:

I think the integrety (sic) of the profession would be in better shape if non-profits and charaties (sic) would ask for help rather than dumb down the process by holding an event that shares more in common with hitting pinatas (sic) and eating the most hot dogs than crafting an experience or improving a process though creative and critical thinking. Designers deserve more dignity than this. – “Greg”

I do *alot* (sic) of work for charities, but I don’t do it on spec. I treat working for charities the same as working for any other organization — I do a project bid and follow the same rigorous planning and design process. The big difference is that I often donate some, most, or all of my proceeds back to the non-profit — the exact amount is put right in to the contract up front. They then know the value of the work that I have done for them and I get a tax break. Win/win. Just giving it away is plain bad business practice. – “Tim”

Of course, they weren’t talking about the Design and Dash event specifically. (See original context here.)

From what little information is available, this design marathon seems to give little to no opportunity to the client to provide feedback in process, and the only reward for the designer is "an opportunity to break free and stretch their creative muscles as they give back to the community." There is never a shortage of non-profits looking for probono work, without forcing both parties into a compromised position which benefits neither parties involved, nor the quality of the work.

Visual Hegemony

2006-06-07T12:18:00.000-04:00

said, Wikipedia:

Hegemony, is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. Hegemony controls the ways that ideas become “naturalized” in a process that informs notions of common sense.

Throughout history, cultural and political power in any arena has rarely achieved a perfect balance, but hegemony results in the empowerment of certain cultural beliefs, values, and practices to the submersion and partial exclusion of others. Hegemony affects the perspective of mainstream history, as history is written by the victors for a sympathetic readership. The official history of Christianity, marginalizing its defined “heresies”, provides a richly-exampled arena of cultural hegemony.

Jás Elsner, in Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph (1998), has written:
“Power is very rarely limited to the pure exercise of brute force.... The Roman state bolstered its authority and legitimacy with the trappings of ceremonial – cloaking the actualities of power beneath a display of wealth, the sanction of tradition, and the spectacle of insuperable resources.... Power is a far more complex and mysterious quality than any apparently simple manifestation of it would appear. It is as much a matter of impression, of theatre, of persuading those over whom authority is wielded to collude in their subjugation. Insofar as power is a matter of presentation, its cultural currency in antiquity (and still today) was the creation, manipulation, and display of images. In the propagation of the imperial office, at any rate, art was power.”

Having said that, who then controls the images? Are large corporations dictating the evolution of visual language? This isn’t a stroke of genius on my part, but the point here is who do they employ to carry out this visual hegemony? Are designers really the dancing monkeys in this downward spiral, or can they be held accountable? One can’t argue that we are now accustomed to increasingly ‘stimulating’ imagery, leading me to question what the long-tem effects are of this over stimulation and awareness. It seems that with technology amplifying the efficacy of imagery over the last 50 years, we are only beginning to see the ‘groupthink’ neurosis of western society. The industrialization of most of our natural functions, including even leisure time – the factory setup of most gyms – smells like one grand scheme.

Unfortunately, our obsessive nature is not only restricted to body image, we have a certain affection for shiny objects and any type of commodity that will get us closer to the gospel according to Guess, that we see on the bus everyday. I suppose the moral of the story here is to be happy! Stop and think, relax, enjoy, and question everything you do. Make sure you are doing things because you truly want to, not because you should. Focusing too closely on details and objects is just a distraction, and in some ways repression. I feel the need to counteract the system I have abettednd abedded. And so I filter this on to you, being satisfied only when we get there, where ever and whatever that entails, is just an image. Since designers and advertisers have created this visual codex, I will do everyone a favour and let the secret out.

Applied Arts - the website

2006-05-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

Applied Arts Magazine, one of Canada’s largest design magazines, recently redesigned their website. I will agree that it was due time that Applied Arts step up to the plate and update their online presence, seeing as how the website was quite dark and hardly reflected the aesthetic of the magazine. The redesign was carried through their long time developers/design firm, Graphica Design, located in Montreal. Graphica is, and I quote, “a design studio that combines the best of online management consulting, user-focused design, online brand management, and leading edge technology.” They are a one-stop-shop, providing multimedia, graphic design, web design and web hosting.

The use of white, instead of the old grey tones is definitely an improvement, and much easier on the eyes. The over all gradated background and drop shadows are a step too far in the techy-web 2.0 direction for a magazine that prides itself on and is mainly a premium print magazine. The style is moconduciveive with an online newsletter or multimedia company. This may be intended to extend to the multimedia areas of the design industry, utilizing the medium it employs itself. They may well be in their own right to head down that technological road, but my initial reaction, as a graphic designer, was not a single sound but, a squishing of the face.