Journal Action

Paula Scher does a lot of work with typography and her clients are often small theatres in big cities. She creates posters that use type in new and interesting ways, making the type almost replicate the sound of the show the poster is advertising. She says she came to find this as her style, a very non-traditional style, because her teacher told her to draw type instead of using perfect, printed versions of type, like Helvetica. She has created many very recognizable logos through her unusual way of thinking, however, her type work seems to be her strongest.

Question 1: Do you feel you would have much success using only standardized typefaces, or do you rely on having hand-made or non-traditional type?

Question 2: What limitations do you find exist working primarily with typography as opposed to graphics?

David Carson is another designer that plays with type a greal deal. his style is characterized by a copious use of negative space and a distinct need to be different from everyone else. His work is very unique and unorthodox. His lack of formal training is the source of this unorthadox style and he believes it to be his strength. While he doesn't try to make his work ugly or hard to read, he isn't going to sacrifice his design for the reader's sake.

Question 1: Have you had to deal with angry editors or subscribers who are unable to understand your text?

Question 2: Form or Function?

Mark Romanek is a videographer who specializes in music videos for popular musicians. He begins his interview by talking about his inspirations and what he finds intriguing as an artist. He has worked with Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash and many others. His goal as a videographer is to create scenes that are realistic and really puts the viewer in the video. His attention to the most minute details is the key to his success as an artist.

Question 1: Which musician or band was the most difficult to work with?

Question 2: Which genre of music is easiest to work with?

DEBBIE MILLMAN-DesignMatters-STEFAN SAGMEISTER

According to designobserver.com, 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)."

She interviews people and also talks about herself as she navigates the world of design. She seems o have many connections and has had many interviews with the best and brightest of the design world. She also talks a lot on her web site about love, life and design, which are probably the most controversial topics one could pick.

Design Matters keeps track of interesting design trends and the people behind those trends. Design Matters puts the designers and the public together with interesting interviews. The topics are interesting and on the edge of design.

The interview with Stefan Sagmeister from 6.29.05 (which is my friend's birthday, I think he turned 19 that year). Fresh in Debbie Millman's mind was the iconic "writing on flesh" body modification thing Sagmeister did and somewhat defines his very different style. The dichotomy of the generic American accent of Millman and Sagmeister's Schwarzenegger-esque Austrian accent creates a feeling that I'm listening to two different conversations that were cut in half and randomly pasted together. I think the interviewer and the interviewee are in different places. Physically and intellectually (the interview took place over a phone and the quality reflects this). We can appreciate how much has changed since that far off date of June '05. Things are not as simple, Sagmeister is older and Millman is using more makeup.

The focus of the conversation really is about how work and life intersect and how the importance of work in our life changes. For instance, when and how do you check your email? How important is that in your day? Should you check from correspondence from your clients as soon as you regain consciousness or should you take time for yourself or other people first, then look at the email?

The way we handle work and life can also impact the quality of our design, and it is important to be happy, which means work and play. Not just work.

Additionally, the interviewer talks about how Sagmeister found work and how he gets his name out there. That part was cut out by a commercial. So we will never know.

BLOG # 9

GOOD IS getting to know things without being stupid and hurting the world around you. How can this relate to type? Well, basically, the thing about design being there and doing what needs done and not caving to typographic stereotypes. What good is that going to do? Good question, we're going to change the world by the qualities of good type: Efficient, Accessible, Informative, Regulated und sofort. Why can't we do this elsewhere? Because type lives in a world of its own, we can make typography anything we want with a keystroke but we can't save the starving children of Uganda by pressing the "*" key. But what we can do with typography is immobilize the lethargic and categorize the misdeeds of the upper class in a stylish and provocative manner. What can type do to manufacture kindness? Nothing, really, but what can prayer do to cure disease? The same. So the what we can do is the power of positive thinking. What can be done here can be done there and what can't be done at all can be done tomorrow. Throw the disbelievers into the fire of our steam engines and full speed ahead.

Journal STUFF

What Font Could Be Better Than Futura?

As san serif fonts go, Futura is rather remarkable in its adaptability and sleekness. I would probably suggest something safe like Gotham because its generally good and in a few ways could be better than Futura. Its newer yet still retains a nice traditional style that lends it a sense of credibility.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Typeface

What do we do in a world with a million typefaces? It's astonishing that we have done this to ourselves. Having to pick from this cacophony of typeface is a job in itself. We can simplify this process a bit by using a system to help pick out our fonts and help ensure our survival in a world with more fonts than projects. What follows from there is a list of different decision techniques. Some of them are good and some are less than helpful: But the point Michael Beirut makes is something with which I can completely relate.

Helvetica Movie

Helvetica

Jeremiah Kinnamon

This was an interesting idea for a documentary and as a documentary it is also more imaginative than I expected going into it. The concept of the film was the ubiquity and endless possibilities inherent to a 50 year old typeface, that has crept over the written language, infusing itself to all facets of society.

The film clearly illustrates how something that we see everyday can be there and we don’t really notice it, as Michael Beirut put it, “You know, there it is, and it seems to come from nowhere. You know, it seems like air? It seems like gravity?” So for someone that needs to pay attention to things like these, I wasn’t as surprised as I could have been, because for years I have been paying attention to these things, however, for most people who aren’t designers, this could be like discovering a new layer in their visual world.

Words, as the film shows us, are everywhere and there is a good chance that the words in front of us are part of the Helvetica font family. The power of the font is that it is so good at being there, conveying information, and not really getting in the way of that process. I think that is why so many people may not realize what it is they are seeing, that the font on that street sign and the font on their DVD player manual are the same. The simple elegance that has enabled it to pervade our written culture and change our visual landscape is captured by the film and is clearly shown to be one of the most important typefaces of the century.

The other side of the font are those people that wish we could have another font to look at. Because Helvetica has become so ubiquitous, it has begun to force a sort of conformity and ritualized expectation into our visual lives, making it more difficult to be different. So while Helvetica is an excellent font, we must be careful to not overuse this typeface, lest we end up limiting ourselves as designers, and failing as stewards of our visual environment. It could be worse, I suppose. The designers of the world could be infatuated with a different, suckier font, like Trajan or Comic Sans.

Whether one chooses to go with the safe and reliable (but always elegant) Helvetica or break the mold and try something new (not Trajan) is something to consider. The truth is that at one time or another, Helvetica will be the perfect font for a particular project but there are many, many fonts out there and we should not limit ourselves to only one.

Spring Break Typography - Colorado

Colorado was the place where I was born back in the Mid-Eighties. I was born on a military base as both of my parents were in the Army. The interesting thing about living in that part of the world during the Cold War was the fact that my family and I would have been instantly vaporized in the event of nuclear conflict. The reason for this was that we were living in the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain, where NORAD is entombed. This is a valuable military target. Fortunately, I was never vaporized and I eventually moved away from Colorado before I reached a state of sentience. But the place is still dear to me and I love the topographical weirdness of the state.

Much like the Cold War, with its ups and downs, I went there with my mother-in-law (I know! Bad idea.) and the whole thing was like getting vaporized in the brain with a shriek-ray. My wife and I barely survived somehow and we actually avoided emptying the bear spray in its face. A wiser man would have avoided the whole thing altogether by recognizing a dangerous situation in advance: Two incompatible women, high altitude and lack of oxygen, 24/7 space sharing. Plus the wild card of having two gassy dogs, one of whom is about to menstruate. On top of this, the "mother" was pulled over FOUR TIMES. I shit you not. Total of traffic tickets coming to about $500. Yeah, I wish I that kind of money to blow. The good news is that the states of Colorado and Kansas are back in the black. It's like buying and iPad and throwing it off of Pike's Peak.

Anyway, I was able to take some pictures of the typography of Colorado and the "Old West"

Enjoi

Journal 6: What Inspires Us/What Problems Face Us

Jessica Helfand:

Inspiration:Her students inspire her the most because they are always changing and growing and looking the world in a new way. They stay on top of what matters the most in design. The benefit of teaching is because they teach her.

Problem: THe degree to which we are myopic. We only look at problems when they are in front of us, we need to develop longer range vision. We look too narrow, not globally enough. Thinking needs to be better, more expansive. In the future, students must learn to be more versatile and ready for new challenges.

Ami Kealoha

Inspiration: Looking at rubber band ball is a way to find inspiration because of they are so different yet similar things. They are versatile and able to do many thing. Simple, multiple uses, and practical.

Problem: Pollution of light and other things is a big problem because it is becoming a big problem. The assault on your senses is overpowering and needs to be addressed. Also, basic human necessities like medicine and water are a problem for designers.

Daniel Pink

Inspire: Hard to say because there are so many. But, he says eraser. Because it lets you clean mistakes. Not just the rubber eraser, but even digital erasers. The ability to change a mistake, to erase, means you can also create.

Problems: Systems are biggest problem. Moving away from individual items. We need to systemize things. For instance, healthcare is being addressed as an engineering problem. We are trying to optimise systems that are outdated instead of replacing them all together. The complete overhaul of crappy systems needs to be a big goal for us as designers and members of society. Prevention should be the key, not intervention when it comes to dealing with systems.

Deborah Adler

Inspire: The Pieta in Rome, by Michelangelo. Saw first in Italy, the emotion was overwhelming and she looked at it for like an hour. There is a deep connection between the designer and the peace. She has a deep empathy for Mary as she holds the recently deceased Jesus. She went back to Italy and saw it again, and she wondered how she would react to it, and after 14 years it was still as pwerful

Problem: Designers strengths should not be defined by aesthetic or style. It should be based on the heart of the design and how the design can meet certain needs. Having a love affair of the audience is very important. If you can accept the first part then the second part becomes irrelevant. The habit of thinking of someone's problems will help lead one to better design. When your work springs from the desire to solve a problem, then you will be more successful.

Freeman Mau:

Inspire: The poster that was designed by his partner 30 Years AGO. It was about chinese calligraphy and typography. The poster was for studio 11. This was the moment he became a graphic designer.

Problem: The problem is to make a choice. The designers in hong kong, china or asia are facing a drastic change; the economic growth each year is huge. In 15 years there will be more than 200 cities. With More than 1 billion people. They have the option to move wherever they want. The hard part is deciding where they want to jump in and make their mark in this giant and growing society.