There are so many blogs out there, it can get awfully confusing as to who’s is who’s. Perhaps, like me, you have a collection of blogs bookmarked or on a feed so you can access them each day and not try to remember the addresses of each one. Regardless, what makes a particular blog stand out? And how does it stand out? Is it the content, the way it looks, or a combination of both? I would like to think that my content is enough to have the design overlooked. I am not saying my blog (or portfolio site for that matter) looks horrible, just that it isn’t as hoopty-goo as some out there (and yet, Takashi Kamada’s actual blog-style blog is as similar as all the rest).
Then my friend, Budi, comes along and brings up a possible limitation of CSS. He looked at three blogs (mine included) and made an observation that they looked very similar in design. Here’s a peek at the three sites side-by-side. Budi then tells me, “If you had told me those 3 pages are sub-pages to the same parent page, I'd say, ‘Rock on’.” Is the similarity a result of trends, or is it a result of what CSS is possibly limiting designers to create? Initially, I want to say they share a common layout based on trends.
The CSS Zen Garden showcases fresh designs using the same HTML document but with different CSS driving the layout. However… I feel that many of the designs are pretty much the same with the exception to the graphics used. So perhaps CSS is limiting how designers layout their sites. Or perhaps, the content of the design is more important than the layout?
This is why I lean towards the “trends” argument. Each one of the three sites in the picture are blogs. Or at least, I term them as blogs. Blogs can be seen as mini-newspapers with very specific themes for daily (or semi-daily) content. The content is the most important thing on these sites. Lately, content is king and without it, who cares what your site looks like. So if a newspaper makes with a new design that is dramatically different than the other papers, are you more likely to buy it to keep up with your news? I believe the answer is “no”. I know I wouldn’t want to try to sift through a new layout to find something that interests me regarding entertainment. I know the Section, the page and the area for news on weekend box office results. You change that up on me and I am not happy. So, I feel, the trends for blog design are going to be similar across the board for the majority of sites.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
8 Years Stress Free
Valentine’s Day. Let’s face it gents, this is all for da ladies. This is the day that all the attached women out there get treated like goddesses on Earth (and rightfully so). Restaurants make a killing on this day — and without a reservation, dining out today is likely not an option. Chocolates are the tried and true, with truffles being that extra mile. Holland stays in business because of this holiday.
So what do you get her that makes this day memorable for her? It always has to be memorable, or top the prior ones, right? And sentimental, let’s not forget that. It must mean something! Well, about 8 years ago, I got a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. I asked my wife to marry me on Valentine’s Day. At a dance concert. On stage. In front of an auditorium filled with people I didn't know, and that didn’t know me as anything other than one of the performers. I gave some witty prose, asked her to come up on stage, handed her some decoy flowers, got down on one knee and asked her to “be my senses for the rest of my life.” Wouldn’t you know, she fell for it! So now, as long as I show her the attention she deserves, get her a card or do something, anything at all, on this day – I win! Nothing tops a proposal.
Elsewhere, in the design community, there is a new toy available for all you illustrators (and perhaps some of you non-illustration types). WACOM has created something rather drool-worthy. At least to my artist friends. Imagine a 21-inch LCD flat-panel display. That you can draw on! The new 21" Cintiq isn’t showcased on WACOM’s site, but Gizmodo has some info on it. Raise your pen if you want one.
So what do you get her that makes this day memorable for her? It always has to be memorable, or top the prior ones, right? And sentimental, let’s not forget that. It must mean something! Well, about 8 years ago, I got a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. I asked my wife to marry me on Valentine’s Day. At a dance concert. On stage. In front of an auditorium filled with people I didn't know, and that didn’t know me as anything other than one of the performers. I gave some witty prose, asked her to come up on stage, handed her some decoy flowers, got down on one knee and asked her to “be my senses for the rest of my life.” Wouldn’t you know, she fell for it! So now, as long as I show her the attention she deserves, get her a card or do something, anything at all, on this day – I win! Nothing tops a proposal.
Elsewhere, in the design community, there is a new toy available for all you illustrators (and perhaps some of you non-illustration types). WACOM has created something rather drool-worthy. At least to my artist friends. Imagine a 21-inch LCD flat-panel display. That you can draw on! The new 21" Cintiq isn’t showcased on WACOM’s site, but Gizmodo has some info on it. Raise your pen if you want one.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Kickin' Back
No design related post for today (the weekends usually will be short on this topic).
My brother-in-law was in ICU for over a week due to respiratory problems related to sleep apnea. He gets out today to be placed in a regular room. As he was in ICU, we would visit his room to give him confidence and let him know we were there for him. He is going to be a great uncle and is very excited about my wife's pregnancy so we talked about it a good deal. I have also been holding my wife’s belly in hopes to feel something, anything of the baby.
Yesterday, I felt three little kicks that happened like a 3-burst round from a semi-auto. Quick and light. My eyes must have grown to the size of grapefruits because my wife knew immediately that I felt them. She confirmed that they were kicks and I was as giddy as a school girl. I kept holding her belly in the ICU room in hopes to feel more and every nurse coming in would make comments of congratulations and the like. My brother-in-law and mother-in-law could tell I felt them too and were very happy to have it happen at the time it did.
With my luck, I got to feel the first kicks (outside of my wife, of course) but I will likely miss the first steps. I need to get a good digital camcorder.
My brother-in-law was in ICU for over a week due to respiratory problems related to sleep apnea. He gets out today to be placed in a regular room. As he was in ICU, we would visit his room to give him confidence and let him know we were there for him. He is going to be a great uncle and is very excited about my wife's pregnancy so we talked about it a good deal. I have also been holding my wife’s belly in hopes to feel something, anything of the baby.
Yesterday, I felt three little kicks that happened like a 3-burst round from a semi-auto. Quick and light. My eyes must have grown to the size of grapefruits because my wife knew immediately that I felt them. She confirmed that they were kicks and I was as giddy as a school girl. I kept holding her belly in the ICU room in hopes to feel more and every nurse coming in would make comments of congratulations and the like. My brother-in-law and mother-in-law could tell I felt them too and were very happy to have it happen at the time it did.
With my luck, I got to feel the first kicks (outside of my wife, of course) but I will likely miss the first steps. I need to get a good digital camcorder.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Parasite Seeks Host
I have had my website hosted by Doteasy for a long time now. For all intents and purposes, it has served my needs well. I get a space to showcase my portfolio, and that’s all I really wanted in the first place. Recently, however, (or perhaps not so recently) I have discovered that I need more. More features for my web space. More control over my content. More, more, more. Unfortunately, I don’t want to pay more. Who does, really? For some time now, I have been considering a move to another host service. One that allows more features for my website while not costing exponentially more than what I am currently paying. With the way this internet thing is growing, I better make up my mind quick or face being buried in the other rabble that has been out there longer on better established servers.
Enter the choices:
mediatemple: at $7.95/mo and all those sweet amenities, that’s the front runner.
Upgraded Doteasy: also $7.95/mo but without all the (mt) goodness.
I am only going with these two options right now because it is a headache to look up companies I have never heard of before. I suppose I could probably strike up a deal with WaveOrigin (the good folks that host Scoab Interactive), but I think I would feel like I was mooching off them or something.
So, if anyone out there who happens to stumble on this page, drop me some advice if you got any.
Elsewhere: Remember Font Aid III, to which I contributed a fleuron to? Well, that font was supposed to go on sale at MyFonts.com at the Font Aid III page in late January. Ya – no font. Not sure what to do about that.
They're already here.
PS: I love my wife. Hope you get better, baby.
Enter the choices:
mediatemple: at $7.95/mo and all those sweet amenities, that’s the front runner.
Upgraded Doteasy: also $7.95/mo but without all the (mt) goodness.
I am only going with these two options right now because it is a headache to look up companies I have never heard of before. I suppose I could probably strike up a deal with WaveOrigin (the good folks that host Scoab Interactive), but I think I would feel like I was mooching off them or something.
So, if anyone out there who happens to stumble on this page, drop me some advice if you got any.
Elsewhere: Remember Font Aid III, to which I contributed a fleuron to? Well, that font was supposed to go on sale at MyFonts.com at the Font Aid III page in late January. Ya – no font. Not sure what to do about that.
They're already here.
PS: I love my wife. Hope you get better, baby.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Tag, You’re It
Remember EPIC? Well, there is a new thing that seems to be spreading along the internet rather veraciously that could make EPIC closer to a reality. It’s called tagging. Being on Salon.com, you will have to view an advertisement if you don’t have an account. It’s hard for me to explain tagging, but essentially, you list keywords related to your hobbies and interests and these “tags” get digested by software that will then match you up to everybody else who shares those same “tags”. You know, like Amazon has that “People who bought this item also bought these items” thing.
I just joined 43Things.com — which is a site that publicly lists your goals/hopes/dreams/desires as tags and lets you see who else shares the same thinking as you. Coinencidentally, Amazon is behind 43 Things. What does that mean?
I think it means that something like EPIC could be more of an inevitable reality than we think. I agree with my colleague, Budi, when he says that Amazon could be using 43Things to bolster sales. How? If you sign up (for free) on 43Things and then post a couple “things” for yourself, Amazon could then “suggest” some products, books or whatever to you so that you might accomplish those things. Rather clever, really.
Certainly, 43Things (or tagging in general) means more than simply being a ridiculously robust and integrated advertisement. I think it does. More and more, the internet is making this world phenomenally smaller. With tagging, I believe it is going to get even smaller. The world is becoming more social. More of a community because of things like this. I don’t personally know “sonofgroucho”, but I do know he shares my goal of getting more people to read my blog.
I just joined 43Things.com — which is a site that publicly lists your goals/hopes/dreams/desires as tags and lets you see who else shares the same thinking as you. Coinencidentally, Amazon is behind 43 Things. What does that mean?
I think it means that something like EPIC could be more of an inevitable reality than we think. I agree with my colleague, Budi, when he says that Amazon could be using 43Things to bolster sales. How? If you sign up (for free) on 43Things and then post a couple “things” for yourself, Amazon could then “suggest” some products, books or whatever to you so that you might accomplish those things. Rather clever, really.
Certainly, 43Things (or tagging in general) means more than simply being a ridiculously robust and integrated advertisement. I think it does. More and more, the internet is making this world phenomenally smaller. With tagging, I believe it is going to get even smaller. The world is becoming more social. More of a community because of things like this. I don’t personally know “sonofgroucho”, but I do know he shares my goal of getting more people to read my blog.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Super Bowel
firstly - you meant to search ‘super bowl’ didn’t you? admit it. it’s ok. you’re in good company. and by ‘good’, i mean plentiful. many people misspell a simple four-letter word like ‘bowl’. the word i used to title this post, however, refers to the intestine (commonly seen as bowels). as in, the transporter of crap. this post has nothing to do with the actual game, but rather the commercials that are aired during it. the ‘05 super bowl had some real stinkers.
secondly – go to youtube to see the 2007 super bowl xli commercials that aired.
---
It is (was) that time of year again. Many people anticipate today with much fervor. Folks around the nation, chomping at the bit to see something spectacular. An impressive moment that will be talked about during their morning coffee to the guy from accounting. That’s right — Super Bowl commercials.
A couple of years ago (several actually), the commercials that aired during the Super Bowl could have challenged the game itself for air time. If you bought your tickets and went to the game, you actually care about the game. But for the rest of us folks, we get commercials whether we care to see the next touchdown or not. And advertisers know it. At its height, Super Bowl ads were something to see. Watching commercials didn’t seem so bad. Today… what a bunch of crap.
The FCC, or perhaps advertisers in general, have become so scared of the minority out there that the rest of us are subjected to donut ads for Dodge trucks. Sure, there is the occasional “good” ad that is either funny, witty or essentially clever, but I want commercials like Apple’s “1984”. Where are those ads? Being censored because of “Somebody Else” syndrome. PS: Read the comic there too. It’s ridiculously worth it. Unfortunately, this type of mentality has ruined it for the rest of us. The best we can hope for this year was barely a handful of ads about cars and mortgages.
However, despite the bumper crop of “ho-hums” out there, there is always the one that shines above the rest. The one that tried so hard to be different. To actually say something. The one many will likely talk about during their morning coffee to the guy from accounting. I’d like to think that one, this year, was the ad promoting Napster. Why? Because it was -the- worst ad I have ever seen. Ever. And I have seen a lot of ads. A lot. If you are going to compare your product and/or service to another’s, at least have the intelligence to compare the same type of product and/or service.
If you didn’t see the ad, good for you. Otherwise, suck it, because I am not linking to it — wherever it is. Basically, all the ad does is paste an equation type deal up on the screen to compare the cost of Apple’s iPod’s capacity to Napster’s new music service. That’s right, they compared a portable “hard drive” to a music service. Saying it would cost you $10,000 to fill up an iPod (they didn’t even bother to specify which iPod) as opposed to $15 a month to fill up any other MP3 player (Apple doesn’t like crap touching their products, I guess) using their service. How does that even compare? First, the assumption was made that every song for your iPod (the 40GB model) is the result of iTunes purchases (at 99¢). Second, they claim a service is the same as a physical product. Third, they are comparing Apples to oranges. Sorry, had to do it.
In the ad, they say you have access to a million songs at any time during your subscription and you can download as many as you want for only $15 a month, thereby never having to pay 99¢ each time you want to download a song. Oddly enough, I have over 600 songs in my digital library and I have only shelled out $13.17 to Apple for music downloads. And, yes, you can download songs and then import them into your iPod without having them originate from the iTunes Music Store. According to Napster, I must have paid over $600 for having all those songs on my iPod. It’s probably due to the fact that I actually bought CDs legitimately and transferred them to my computer and then to my iPod. Crazy!
The ad fails because it will not cost me $10k to fill up my iPod. iTunes is not my only option to acquire 10,000 songs. It also fails because the ad tries to attack the iTunes Music Store but its strongest argument is based on the iPod’s storage capacity being the reason you will pay so much. Obviously, I am not the target audience for this spot… but can one really say this was a good ad at all?
Lamest commercial ever.
secondly – go to youtube to see the 2007 super bowl xli commercials that aired.
---
It is (was) that time of year again. Many people anticipate today with much fervor. Folks around the nation, chomping at the bit to see something spectacular. An impressive moment that will be talked about during their morning coffee to the guy from accounting. That’s right — Super Bowl commercials.
A couple of years ago (several actually), the commercials that aired during the Super Bowl could have challenged the game itself for air time. If you bought your tickets and went to the game, you actually care about the game. But for the rest of us folks, we get commercials whether we care to see the next touchdown or not. And advertisers know it. At its height, Super Bowl ads were something to see. Watching commercials didn’t seem so bad. Today… what a bunch of crap.
The FCC, or perhaps advertisers in general, have become so scared of the minority out there that the rest of us are subjected to donut ads for Dodge trucks. Sure, there is the occasional “good” ad that is either funny, witty or essentially clever, but I want commercials like Apple’s “1984”. Where are those ads? Being censored because of “Somebody Else” syndrome. PS: Read the comic there too. It’s ridiculously worth it. Unfortunately, this type of mentality has ruined it for the rest of us. The best we can hope for this year was barely a handful of ads about cars and mortgages.
However, despite the bumper crop of “ho-hums” out there, there is always the one that shines above the rest. The one that tried so hard to be different. To actually say something. The one many will likely talk about during their morning coffee to the guy from accounting. I’d like to think that one, this year, was the ad promoting Napster. Why? Because it was -the- worst ad I have ever seen. Ever. And I have seen a lot of ads. A lot. If you are going to compare your product and/or service to another’s, at least have the intelligence to compare the same type of product and/or service.
If you didn’t see the ad, good for you. Otherwise, suck it, because I am not linking to it — wherever it is. Basically, all the ad does is paste an equation type deal up on the screen to compare the cost of Apple’s iPod’s capacity to Napster’s new music service. That’s right, they compared a portable “hard drive” to a music service. Saying it would cost you $10,000 to fill up an iPod (they didn’t even bother to specify which iPod) as opposed to $15 a month to fill up any other MP3 player (Apple doesn’t like crap touching their products, I guess) using their service. How does that even compare? First, the assumption was made that every song for your iPod (the 40GB model) is the result of iTunes purchases (at 99¢). Second, they claim a service is the same as a physical product. Third, they are comparing Apples to oranges. Sorry, had to do it.
In the ad, they say you have access to a million songs at any time during your subscription and you can download as many as you want for only $15 a month, thereby never having to pay 99¢ each time you want to download a song. Oddly enough, I have over 600 songs in my digital library and I have only shelled out $13.17 to Apple for music downloads. And, yes, you can download songs and then import them into your iPod without having them originate from the iTunes Music Store. According to Napster, I must have paid over $600 for having all those songs on my iPod. It’s probably due to the fact that I actually bought CDs legitimately and transferred them to my computer and then to my iPod. Crazy!
The ad fails because it will not cost me $10k to fill up my iPod. iTunes is not my only option to acquire 10,000 songs. It also fails because the ad tries to attack the iTunes Music Store but its strongest argument is based on the iPod’s storage capacity being the reason you will pay so much. Obviously, I am not the target audience for this spot… but can one really say this was a good ad at all?
Lamest commercial ever.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Hit The Pigeon
I’ve mentioned before how I liked making web banners and it is still true. I like playing with animated .GIFs. They’re just so darn nifty. Well, back in the day, I made them with an actual purpose to sell a product and/or service. When making an advertising banner for a company, it is important to know said company’s target audience. Recently, McDonald’s has been tapping into the “hip-hop” market (to what effectiveness, I don’t know). So they are trying to be more “hip”. I guess they thought using the slang used by their audience would do that for them. Might have helped to actually research the slang first:
Holy cow! I mean... er... pigeon! Magical Trevor is back!!!
Holy cow! I mean... er... pigeon! Magical Trevor is back!!!
Monday, January 31, 2005
More
I haven't made a post in a while. Not sure really why that is, but not really important, I guess. I have stumbled upon SmokyMonkeys’ website once again. This site has some incredible artwork and also has an amazing browser based game called Triglav. The only problem with the game is that it is platform specific. I am told that is actually bad practice to write an applet with Javascript (a platform dependent code) rather than Java, but I am not a developer. Aside from not being able to experience the game, it is remarkably beautiful and, I imagine, well done. The artist’s illustration skills are just gorgeous. The colors are rich and deep. You feel like you are in the world these characters live in. This seems to be the site’s 4th version, that I have seen and while it looks clean and concise, it doesn't have the painterly feel of the previous versions. I want more.
I bought my niece a sketchbook this weekend. She says she wants to draw/make comics. I think that is great. More power to her and I, for one, will support her artistic dreams as much as possible. So, to little Emily, her first sketchbook. I hope she fills it up with anything, everything and more.
Elsewhere, quite a while back, there was this outstanding short animation (clay-mation) film, by Mark Osborne, up for the Academy-Award®. I am not sure who it was up against, but whatever won must have been ridiculously outstanding. We always want More.
I bought my niece a sketchbook this weekend. She says she wants to draw/make comics. I think that is great. More power to her and I, for one, will support her artistic dreams as much as possible. So, to little Emily, her first sketchbook. I hope she fills it up with anything, everything and more.
Elsewhere, quite a while back, there was this outstanding short animation (clay-mation) film, by Mark Osborne, up for the Academy-Award®. I am not sure who it was up against, but whatever won must have been ridiculously outstanding. We always want More.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
This Little Piggy…
Since September 18, my life has changed. And it is remarkable and getting remarkably better every day. In just a few short months (ok, 4.5), I have experienced a sense of new life. It has grown into something that is uncategorically surreal. I am closer to my wife for it. I am closer to myself as a result of it. I am further along my path – my family’s path – with much thanks to it. Coincidentally, it is taking shape rather eloquently.
I present to you, fine readers — The Foot.
I present to you, fine readers — The Foot.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Another Mouse In The House!
So the big level 2 sonogram was today. You know, the one that they can check the gender of your baby with… Ya, that one. Anywho… we are about 90% sure it is a little girl. YAY! I am in big trouble. No doubt about it, this girl will have anything she wants, whenever she wants it. Bankruptcy will be my new best friend.
Aside from having a gleefully giddy girl (which I am actually quite ecstatic about), we are having an incredibly healthy baby so far. The spine is just amazing. It is crazy how much focus I have on a 10" long portion of baby. I suppose I was most nervous about this particular part because it is one of the first pieces that develops in the beginning. And it just looks marvelous. Like a perfect zipper on a pair of comfortable Levi’s. The first picture we got of our beautiful baby girl was of, wait for it, her foot. It was crazy. Big ’ol left foot slapped up on the plasma screen. She is gonna be a star and she knows it’s your feet (and hands) that gets immortalized. Getting started on the footprints early, then.
My wife and I were very pleased to know that our baby is very healthy. That is all we wanted really. Boy, Girl, it didn’t really matter, just as long as there wasn’t anything crazy. I am happy to report that we are that fortunate. I would like to express how happy and emotional we are about this, but the internet is a poor excuse for a narrator.
Aside from having a gleefully giddy girl (which I am actually quite ecstatic about), we are having an incredibly healthy baby so far. The spine is just amazing. It is crazy how much focus I have on a 10" long portion of baby. I suppose I was most nervous about this particular part because it is one of the first pieces that develops in the beginning. And it just looks marvelous. Like a perfect zipper on a pair of comfortable Levi’s. The first picture we got of our beautiful baby girl was of, wait for it, her foot. It was crazy. Big ’ol left foot slapped up on the plasma screen. She is gonna be a star and she knows it’s your feet (and hands) that gets immortalized. Getting started on the footprints early, then.
My wife and I were very pleased to know that our baby is very healthy. That is all we wanted really. Boy, Girl, it didn’t really matter, just as long as there wasn’t anything crazy. I am happy to report that we are that fortunate. I would like to express how happy and emotional we are about this, but the internet is a poor excuse for a narrator.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Contest Consternation
I have been involved, in some facet or another, with design as a career for a little over 6 years now. This does not include my internships. I am speaking post-graduation with my degree. I do not consider myself an artist (in that I don’t think I have the hand skills for illustration or “general” art). I am not saying I can’t draw, just that it is not my branch of expertise. I should clarify that I also do not consider myself to have an expertise in anything... except perhaps Egyptian spiny mice farming.
Anyway, this latest brooha over at Airbag got me to thinking — What are the ethics of design? I mean, what set of rules are actually enforced in our industry? Are there any rules that warrant being set? I had a portfolio review to graduate from college, but I am not “certified” or “registered”. Does that make my work less valuable? If anyone can do it, why would a company come to me to have it done?
I have noticed two modes of thinking in the thread: 1) Spec work is bad. 2) This is just for fun. Now the (1) folks think that this is what is hurting our industry; that companies can get design work done for them for next to nothing (or less) and thereby, devalue the industry. The sentiment being, “Anyone can do it, so I see no reason to pay your company to do it. I will simply hold a “contest” and get the best design for a ridiculous fraction of the cost.” Supporters of (1) make reference to the GDC and their issues with the Vancouver Olympics Emblem Contest. There are other organizations in Canada arguing the same points on the same contest. Others simply chant the mantra that “not everyone can design”. I am on the fence as to whether speculative work is actually bad or not. In college, all my work was spec. However, if a company asks 10 design firms to give them speculative work and they will then pay a fee to the firm that created the best speculative work, I find that a little smarmy. The company is essentially getting 10x the work done for 10x times less the cost. At least in my view.
The (2) folks feel that this contest has no ill intentions, the client is not out to get a very cheap logo for his company and this is all just for fun. Greg Storey (Airbag Industries) put this contest together for a friend of his creating a start-up (LedgerPaper). Mr. Storey didn’t have time to do the logo himself and thought this would be a fun, community building activity that would result in a decent logo for his friend’s company (at least, that is my take on it). He put together a rather esteemed board of judges to vote on the winning design (Jason Santa Maria, Jim Coudal, Jon Hicks and Tom Dolan). Whomever’s design gets chosen is going to get a considerable slice of attention, even if for only 15 minutes. To the winner — an iPod Shuffle, among other nifty shtuff. I think Mr. Storey’s intention was one of getting the design community together as well as creating a rather nice logo for a start-up financial company. Though Storey isn’t judging the logo himself, one has to imagine that he might be devoting perhaps more time to this contest than had he just designed the logo himself. He is certainly devoting some time to monitoring the comments in the thread. So far – 154 comments.
Personally, I don’t think I will participate. Not that I don’t have time, so much that I am just not interested in the contest. The notoriety would be swell, but I am a man that gets a little touchy when it comes to losing to these sorts of things. I know I would think my logo was the best (all designers think this, I suppose) and it always seems to devastate me irrationally to lose the “small” contests. Example: The Millennium Youth Entertainment Center — a contest was promoted asking designers of the community to design the logo for the MYEC. While mine may not have been the best, the winning design is just horrible. This was the best the community could produce? I just can’t believe that.
Also, and this is the more important reason for not participating, I don’t feel like I have the access to the client, or the interaction, that is necessary to create a logo for that business. The few posts made by The Client or even the very brief brief on the project is not enough for me. My wife is an accountant and would know enough to fill me in on what this guy’s business is all about, but it wouldn’t be his business. It would be an interpretation by my wife of his business. I just don’t think I could contribute an effective design for his company.
I can’t say whether I think this contest is “wrong” or “right”. I can understand with both side’s views. In the end, I am likely to just step back and watch how it plays out.
Anyway, this latest brooha over at Airbag got me to thinking — What are the ethics of design? I mean, what set of rules are actually enforced in our industry? Are there any rules that warrant being set? I had a portfolio review to graduate from college, but I am not “certified” or “registered”. Does that make my work less valuable? If anyone can do it, why would a company come to me to have it done?
I have noticed two modes of thinking in the thread: 1) Spec work is bad. 2) This is just for fun. Now the (1) folks think that this is what is hurting our industry; that companies can get design work done for them for next to nothing (or less) and thereby, devalue the industry. The sentiment being, “Anyone can do it, so I see no reason to pay your company to do it. I will simply hold a “contest” and get the best design for a ridiculous fraction of the cost.” Supporters of (1) make reference to the GDC and their issues with the Vancouver Olympics Emblem Contest. There are other organizations in Canada arguing the same points on the same contest. Others simply chant the mantra that “not everyone can design”. I am on the fence as to whether speculative work is actually bad or not. In college, all my work was spec. However, if a company asks 10 design firms to give them speculative work and they will then pay a fee to the firm that created the best speculative work, I find that a little smarmy. The company is essentially getting 10x the work done for 10x times less the cost. At least in my view.
The (2) folks feel that this contest has no ill intentions, the client is not out to get a very cheap logo for his company and this is all just for fun. Greg Storey (Airbag Industries) put this contest together for a friend of his creating a start-up (LedgerPaper). Mr. Storey didn’t have time to do the logo himself and thought this would be a fun, community building activity that would result in a decent logo for his friend’s company (at least, that is my take on it). He put together a rather esteemed board of judges to vote on the winning design (Jason Santa Maria, Jim Coudal, Jon Hicks and Tom Dolan). Whomever’s design gets chosen is going to get a considerable slice of attention, even if for only 15 minutes. To the winner — an iPod Shuffle, among other nifty shtuff. I think Mr. Storey’s intention was one of getting the design community together as well as creating a rather nice logo for a start-up financial company. Though Storey isn’t judging the logo himself, one has to imagine that he might be devoting perhaps more time to this contest than had he just designed the logo himself. He is certainly devoting some time to monitoring the comments in the thread. So far – 154 comments.
Personally, I don’t think I will participate. Not that I don’t have time, so much that I am just not interested in the contest. The notoriety would be swell, but I am a man that gets a little touchy when it comes to losing to these sorts of things. I know I would think my logo was the best (all designers think this, I suppose) and it always seems to devastate me irrationally to lose the “small” contests. Example: The Millennium Youth Entertainment Center — a contest was promoted asking designers of the community to design the logo for the MYEC. While mine may not have been the best, the winning design is just horrible. This was the best the community could produce? I just can’t believe that.
Also, and this is the more important reason for not participating, I don’t feel like I have the access to the client, or the interaction, that is necessary to create a logo for that business. The few posts made by The Client or even the very brief brief on the project is not enough for me. My wife is an accountant and would know enough to fill me in on what this guy’s business is all about, but it wouldn’t be his business. It would be an interpretation by my wife of his business. I just don’t think I could contribute an effective design for his company.
I can’t say whether I think this contest is “wrong” or “right”. I can understand with both side’s views. In the end, I am likely to just step back and watch how it plays out.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Fleurons On The Pillow
Those crane machines at midways? Well, they have an enormous one at Dave & Buster’s. I mean huge. As I was there yesterday, enjoying the holiday and having lunch with my wife and her mother, I had the opportunity to witness this monstrosity of a quarter fiend. With a claw the size of a small child, there were prizes equally as large. A 2' diameter, blue, happy-faced pillow, for example. My wife asked me to get her that pillow in her most cutest of ways. And wouldn’t you know it — I did! On the first try. Her face lit up with that beautiful smile that I love. It is what I live for.
Posted my submission to Font Aid III in the Lab, finally. Can’t wait until the font is available.
There is an incredible debate happening at Airbag Industries at the moment. Very hot issue.
PS: My cell on Colorcell didn’t make it. It died this morning.
Posted my submission to Font Aid III in the Lab, finally. Can’t wait until the font is available.
There is an incredible debate happening at Airbag Industries at the moment. Very hot issue.
PS: My cell on Colorcell didn’t make it. It died this morning.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Font Aid III
At our last OB/GYN check-up, we opted to have some blood tests done to check for certain things. AFP tests. So far, our child is healthy and happy. Well, as long as my wife doesn't eat at Taco Bell again. Only 11 more days before the big sono!
Font Aid III is about up and I made a small contribution to the effort. I will post it to the Lab portion of my website by the end of the day (hopefully). When the font comes out (hopefully with my submission included), I will buy a copy to support the relief effort.
Font Aid III is about up and I made a small contribution to the effort. I will post it to the Lab portion of my website by the end of the day (hopefully). When the font comes out (hopefully with my submission included), I will buy a copy to support the relief effort.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
News From The Blogosphere
LiveJournal, to me, has always come across as sort of the ignored older brother of Blogger. I am not going to attempt a discussion at which is better – each has their own offerings that make them unique and desirable to a vast number of individuals. One reason I chose Blogger over LiveJournal was the customization and control one has over the elements of your blog. Not to mention the power of Google behind your blog. Six Apart is a leader in blogging software and had I the means to implement Movable Type on my own website, I would be using that instead of Blogger’s great service. All this blah, blah, blah — Six Apart Acquires LiveJournal. What this means for existing LiveJournal users is most likely improved service and quality of their weblogging. Will it become a better method of blogging than Blogger? Personally, I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a good tool.
David Firth comes up with another, horrifying animated offering.
David Firth comes up with another, horrifying animated offering.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Tasty Apples
Apple announces the new Macintosh computer – the Mac mini. As well as the newest member of the iPod family – iPod shuffle. Apple seems to be really pushing the super compact market. The mini is amazingly small and is only $500. However, the monitor, keyboard and mouse are not included in that price. Still a good price for Apple, I think.
The new iPod doesn’t seem to be too competitive. Now you get only a gig for $99. I have a 40gig iPod that cost... $400? I got 40x the iPod for only 4 times the price. Also, iTunes just loads it up with 240 random songs from your Library that the iPod shuffle then shuffles through on its own. To quote a friend, however, "I sho want the iPuffle."
If you read Hanzi Smatter, than you probably already read Tian’s other blog. Well, Tian learns yet another reason why Windows is just a lame excuse for an OS.
The new iPod doesn’t seem to be too competitive. Now you get only a gig for $99. I have a 40gig iPod that cost... $400? I got 40x the iPod for only 4 times the price. Also, iTunes just loads it up with 240 random songs from your Library that the iPod shuffle then shuffles through on its own. To quote a friend, however, "I sho want the iPuffle."
If you read Hanzi Smatter, than you probably already read Tian’s other blog. Well, Tian learns yet another reason why Windows is just a lame excuse for an OS.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Public Markings
Awesome - iTunes has a Top 100 songs list... sadly – many are the rank Pop that currently litters the airwaves. Music is music and only iTunes could sort it out.
I want to post an in-depth review of the new marks for Williamson County and the City of Georgetown, TX. I will work on making it as unbiased as possible while still maintaining the integrity that I believe they are some fine examples of bad design. I am also trying to figure out how many blogs, or blog-style sites, create posts that have a "Read More…" link to read the entirety of the post. Ultimately, you might have to deal with a really long post.
Half the time I think my blog is just lame. Especially when compared to those like Jason Santa Maria.
I want to post an in-depth review of the new marks for Williamson County and the City of Georgetown, TX. I will work on making it as unbiased as possible while still maintaining the integrity that I believe they are some fine examples of bad design. I am also trying to figure out how many blogs, or blog-style sites, create posts that have a "Read More…" link to read the entirety of the post. Ultimately, you might have to deal with a really long post.
Half the time I think my blog is just lame. Especially when compared to those like Jason Santa Maria.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Winning Shows
Blogging has become a small part of my life and, no doubt, the lives of many others. Typically, this blog tries to be concerned with typography and design. I think that when I am “on topic”, I do a good job. When I am not, the post isn’t horrible. I could be more witty perhaps… even a little more clever. I’ll tell you how that works out for me - being clever.
Anyway, there are several awards that are given out for whatever these days and I just stumbled on another one. The 2005 Bloggies. Interesting to say the least. I live in Austin and I have yet to attend a SXSW. I know — as a designer, I should at least be trying to make the Interactive portion of the festival. That sounds all well and good, but this festival isn’t cheap. Not by a long shot. It would cost me $225 to attend this year. Sorry folks, I just don’t have that kind of money to toss around for one day, for one portion of the entire festival. Going Platinum (all panels and shows) would cost me $650 ($520 if registering before Oct. 1, 2004).
“On Topic”: type type font CMYK type web design type type.
In other news: A good laugh can be made over stinky meat and its effects on neighbors.
Anyway, there are several awards that are given out for whatever these days and I just stumbled on another one. The 2005 Bloggies. Interesting to say the least. I live in Austin and I have yet to attend a SXSW. I know — as a designer, I should at least be trying to make the Interactive portion of the festival. That sounds all well and good, but this festival isn’t cheap. Not by a long shot. It would cost me $225 to attend this year. Sorry folks, I just don’t have that kind of money to toss around for one day, for one portion of the entire festival. Going Platinum (all panels and shows) would cost me $650 ($520 if registering before Oct. 1, 2004).
“On Topic”: type type font CMYK type web design type type.
In other news: A good laugh can be made over stinky meat and its effects on neighbors.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Happy Anniversary
January 3rd marked the 7th year anniversary for me and my wife. 2004 had its ups and downs, but we made it through another year and I couldn’t be more happy and thankful. We both got great jobs. We both dove into starting a family. We both will grow stronger with each passing year.
Copper and wool are the traditional gifts for the seventh year. Roses made of wool resting in a copper bowl was my gift to her, littered with slips of paper with the reasons I love her. I will add to the bowl a new thoughts as they comes to me.
She gave me a multi-pointed star that is copper in color and gorgeous. It holds a candle and is thus illuminated from within. Also a picture gallery for displaying up to four photos. I have it in my office now. She wrote new vows for me. I will read them every day.
I love you, Melissa.
Copper and wool are the traditional gifts for the seventh year. Roses made of wool resting in a copper bowl was my gift to her, littered with slips of paper with the reasons I love her. I will add to the bowl a new thoughts as they comes to me.
She gave me a multi-pointed star that is copper in color and gorgeous. It holds a candle and is thus illuminated from within. Also a picture gallery for displaying up to four photos. I have it in my office now. She wrote new vows for me. I will read them every day.
I love you, Melissa.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Ninja Dopplers
New Year’s was quiet but still very fun. Obviously, we can’t do much for celebration by way of alcohol, but we managed. My brother-in-law and his wife, along with my mother-in-law (basically my wife’s family), were our only guests for the evening and we played games to pass the time until January 1st rolled around. One such game was Ninja Burger (by Steve Jackson Games), a Christmas present.
I first saw an online application for a fictitious fast food joint named Ninja Burger quite a while back. It was a simple one-page site showcasing a JPG of the application. It was hilarious. Now it is a huge multi-page site as though it is a real franchise. Hilarious! The game is based off that website and is equally riddled with hilarity.
Today was our 17-week check-up on the new addition. We had gotten rather used to the sonograms with every visit and were so a little disappointed by not getting one this round. My wife even downed a mini can of coke to get the bugger active. So, our baby was hidden from view, like ninja. Instead, we received a doppler of the baby’s heartbeat. Holy crap! There is really something in there, growing, developing, having blood pumped through its little body. Amazing. The sound of the heartbeat was just incredible. I could listen to it all day…
I first saw an online application for a fictitious fast food joint named Ninja Burger quite a while back. It was a simple one-page site showcasing a JPG of the application. It was hilarious. Now it is a huge multi-page site as though it is a real franchise. Hilarious! The game is based off that website and is equally riddled with hilarity.
Today was our 17-week check-up on the new addition. We had gotten rather used to the sonograms with every visit and were so a little disappointed by not getting one this round. My wife even downed a mini can of coke to get the bugger active. So, our baby was hidden from view, like ninja. Instead, we received a doppler of the baby’s heartbeat. Holy crap! There is really something in there, growing, developing, having blood pumped through its little body. Amazing. The sound of the heartbeat was just incredible. I could listen to it all day…
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