I’m quite sure I have the coolest life.
I post about things. I repost some things.
April 29, 2012
February 28, 2012
November 21, 2011
On Authenticity.
What is authenticity? How does it apply to design? To quote Michael Beirut; “Graphic design is the fiction that anticipates the fact.” But before this winds down the road of convolution and philosophical notions—I’m going to take a step back. Beirut starts with the idea of audio editing public radio to create new and ultimately fake realities—and how as designers, we will all admit to at least forging some document; driver’s license, report cards, concert tickets, currency, etc. And what does that say for design in whole, as we work to create authentic experiences, does that imply that design is, at its root, a forgery?
In my personal opinion, yes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing though. No matter what you’re doing, there is an element of forgery in order to create a sense of authenticity. Are you making a website that should feel and function like a printed page, or are you creating a business card for a company with only 3 employees and no office space? So is design negative, are designers just lazy?
If most of our design work is a simulation, a re-contextualized version of what we already know—maybe there is a deeper rooted idea here. I think that the reason we do this, or find necessity to do so, is because in these experiences, these subtle cues that hint towards authenticity—you are delving into innate human emotions, needs, and desires that are all necessary to help tell a story, help navigate a website, or even just communicate with an identity system. When it comes to the bottom line, a lot of these subtleties are what push work to the next level; both in success and “authenticity.”
November 14, 2011
Peeking through the Midwest!
I along with 41 other AIGA Ferris State University Student Group members traveled to Chicago this past weekend. I visited VSA Partners, attended SEEK—where I saw Debbie Millman, The Post Family, Plural, Sean Adams, plus several other incredibly talented speakers. Went on a walking architecture tour and even to the Chicago Institute of Arts. It was packed with so much insightful information it’s nearly overwhelming—but luckily I took plenty of notes. And even with all that, it’s very hard to begin. So instead of a continued recap, I’m going to list the ideas, snippets, observations, inspirations, etc; that I’ve learned, taken home with me and plan to start enacting.
— “[…]sometimes, you can’t communicate with visuals alone.”
— “The key to innovation is not the product itself, but rather the service or network that drives that product.”
— “The problem is not the brand, just lazy ideas.”
— “It’s not just about having a great idea, but also a great business strategy.”
— “Nowadays, we call them logos […] they are symbols for what lies beneath.”
— “Common vocabulary does not always imply common definitions.”
— “Go with your gut, people know what they want.”
— “We are not good at everything.”
— “Brands cannot bring deep happiness—yet, brands can help us feel more connected, which can lead to more fulfilled lives.”
— “Designers can design the future.”
— “It’s important to set a very specific timeline for experimentation.”
— “Don’t be seduced with what you can do; you should take the idea and explore that.”
— “Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.”
That was just a fraction of the notes and insight that I gathered this weekend. It was a really memorable experience, a great time, while incredibly inspiring and invigorating. It pushed me over the edge on a lot of ideas and issues that I was riding the fence on for a while. I’ve made up my mind about plans after graduated, made a marathon of a reevaluation/redesign for Harvest Detroit, and received a lot of positive confirmation. Basically, it was just an amazing weekend.
October 31, 2011
A visit from the Shaman.
This past week we skyped in the renowned Marc English, hailing from the wild and wonderful Austin, Texas. While I was juggling my own presentations and his own, I made a considerable effort to catch every word and insight that the Shaman divulged—not to mention I’m still sore from a lack of response in the weeks prior…
But the most interesting piece of information presented was just how Marc handles his client meetings—as this was something I was working on at that very moment, and surprisingly, for the exact same scenario. What Marc does that is very different from our method was that instead of multiple solutions, he presents his client with just the one in a variety of over the top applications—everything from a cardboard model to screen printed shirts. And though I understand the difference between an expert in the workplace and the role of; in comparison; lowly students—but I cannot help but wonder how my meeting might have played out with a similar approach.
I believe that this approach could have actually greatly benefited us—a lot of our time spent in the most recent weeks was developing incredibly thoughtful and meaningful applications for visual directions that lacked the inherit concept or proper level of development. Had the time been spent developing just one of the solutions deemed most viable, and then all of the potential applications for that—I think that Dane and Diane would have seen much more of the life and energy that lives in our directions. Like Diane even mentioned, with the typographic solutions—it was the applications that sold her more than anything else; had this been the focus from the start I feel that they could have very easily been blown away by the breadth and scope of the solutions. But, we are still in school and this is simply a lesson learned, or at least a lesson to consider. Though regardless of outcomes, I’m happy having experienced our “process” and Marc’s wisdom.
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