Creatducation
Its a well documented fact that intelligence is the single stupidest thing ever. And there's no question that the vast majority of my education ground the ever-lovin' originality out of me. So how did I turn out to be the sweet, sophisticated doctor we all know and love?
This is a tale that starts in kindergarten.
Way back in the day I was a very quiet, relinquished lad. Content to be brilliant and under spoken. We had this thing at the school called "Friday Friday" during which we would all assemble in the main hall, sing the national anthem, see a few presentations from teachers and students and hand out or receive any giant checks from the week. This was always MC'd by a student, and always with the exact same script. EXACT SAME as in it was typed up, printed out, and held durring the assembly.
More on that later.
I had this teacher, her name was Ms. Malcomson. She was as tall as she was wide, and she was frankly quite abrasive. But she cared deeply about the kids. One day, presumably after I had done something quite sheepish, she said to me "You only go through life once, so have as much fun as you can" or something like that, I don't remember, I was 4. Anyway, the next week I hosted Friday Friday and, for the first time in school history, I used a different script. I did a spoof of "Good morning Vietnam". It was really cool.
That was the start of my interest in the creative side of life. After that I took cartooning classes, took up guitar, took art courses, took acting courses, and eventually went to Humber. What a long strange journey it's been.
3/31/2008
3/30/2008
Kill a Chicken Before it Kills You
I know we're supposed to put things we like here, and thats what I intended to do. While searching for some clever ads I came across this ad from Peta:
Check it out at big size to see my complaints. The reason I'm putting this here is because on their website next to this very ad Peta states this ad was designed by "the award-winning Mudra Communications Limited, one of India's biggest advertising agencies". Sigh.Okay, I don't like Peta, you may go so far as to say I hate Peta, for reasons I won't hyper-link to in this blog post ... oops. Anyway, the ad itself is the laziest excuse for a Photoshop job I've ever seen released from India's biggest advertising agency. Look at that chicken, did they find it on Google? I'm at least glad to see they didn't waste any money on a copy writer at least.
3/29/2008
Design Power
Design is a Six Letter Word
So, we're designers, we have the power to shape public perceptions. Let me start over. So, we're designers, we TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO THINK, LITERALLY. Everyone is influenced by advertising. I'm sure we've all met someone who thinks they're above advertising, maybe they don't watch TV, or maybe they think they're above all them sub-liminals. These people are more effected by advertising than anyone else. Hell, I make adverts and I know I'm affeceted by advertising. So what do we do with this vast psychomological power? Well, I sell education. Now, our current education system isn't perfect. But its a damn sight better than naught. With just a little education we could half the crime rate, improve the economy, bring about more public interest in international affairs, and by association, help end war and poverty.
So, we're designers, we have the power to shape public perceptions. Let me start over. So, we're designers, we TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO THINK, LITERALLY. Everyone is influenced by advertising. I'm sure we've all met someone who thinks they're above advertising, maybe they don't watch TV, or maybe they think they're above all them sub-liminals. These people are more effected by advertising than anyone else. Hell, I make adverts and I know I'm affeceted by advertising. So what do we do with this vast psychomological power? Well, I sell education. Now, our current education system isn't perfect. But its a damn sight better than naught. With just a little education we could half the crime rate, improve the economy, bring about more public interest in international affairs, and by association, help end war and poverty.
3/26/2008
Found Him
I love commercial art, the kind of stuff Warhol pioneered. Taking a commercially recognized sales element and making it into art has so much potential for commentary. So here we go, Waldo, big.
3/25/2008
My Compliments
I am lax to write this, because I know I'll never hear the end of it from his smarmy Mennonite ass, but I think the best designer in our class is hands down, Cornelius "Corn-Dog" Quiring.
No person in the class has submited, with such consistency, stellar work. Just recently this point was driven home when Cornelious presented a less than stellar package piece. He received alot of flack for that one, despite the fact that it was a project any of us would be happy to submit.
Feeding the Internet
Hey, does anyone know what this means?
Its the Web Feed icon. And guess what? It's royalty free. Check it out, you can find icon packs of it online, literally you can use this wonderful little icon whenever and however you want. It was originally created by Mozilla, the people who made the browser your currently using, and released, for free, onto the internet. And my god, did it catch on. How many campaigns can you think of that use the imagery of this new cultural icon? Here's a big one.But our little tale of righteous revelry doesn't end there. Why did Mozilla do this? With the internet being a patchwork cloth of creators nothings been universal since html, and even that's not particularly common. So Mozilla thought, very foresight-fully, that they wouldn't be around for ever, but this nifty little feed technology just might catch on. So they gave it an icon as open as the internet.
3/24/2008
My Manifesto
The Manliest of Festo's
So, you wish to peer into the life rules of the Spin Doctor? Very well, I present to you the Spinifesto, in convenient little quotables. Feel free to quote.
1 - The Purpose of Life is Happiness
All life eventually leads to death. This fact negates any benefit from long term actions, as in the longest term your still dead. So, live in the moment to find purpose, find enjoyment in that moment to have made it worth living.
2 - The Universe is Really Very Big
Ever think you meant anything? You don't. At the end of the day (ed. world) complete global genocide doesn't have the slightest effect on 99.9999999999999999% of the known universe, or any of the unknown universe. All our piddling little global crises don't really matter when you think about it.
3 - Stress is the Deadliest Virus of our Time
Being relaxed, and content is the healthiest thing you can do. It lowers blood pressure, fights diabetes, decreases the risk of stroke, cancer, obesity, ulcers and gum infections, and prevents virtually every psychological disorder in the book (and all their associated psychosomatic effects). So make time to relax, everyday. All day whenever possible.
4 - Lose the Cause, Find the Solution
Any problem is a problem regardless of the source. Finding the cause won't remedy it, so focus on finding the solution. And don't ever say "My bad". First off, that's syntactically flawed. Second, if your in a situation where you are compelled to say "My bad" chances are everyone already knows it's your fault, stating that is just a waste of time.
5 - Forethought is God
Did you screw up last time? Expect to screw up again. In fact, plan to. Life is much easier when your prepared for inevitable consequences.
6 - Think, then Speak
Always state a sentence in your mind before you let it slip out. You'll sound more intelligent, shoot yourself in the foot less, and leave fewer holes in your arguments.
7 - Nothing is "just"
Nothing, in the history of things, has been found to simply be the way it is, so it's really unlikely that things are gonna start doing that now. The sky isn't just blue, it refracts light across it separating out the blue colour from the spectrum. The worst offence of this logical misstep is the syntactic suffix "...is just wrong". People love to explain away something they don't approve of as quite simply, in and of itself, not good. Wrong, right, or indifferent, nothing simply is.
8 - Logic, above All Else
I speak very plainly. Many of you may question this, as I use alot of big words, but I choose my words carefully. Using the word I know that most closely fits my intended meaning. So when I say logic above all else, I mean just that. Logic, action/reaction, effects and variables, above all, everything, religion, society, law. If something doesn't make sense, than it doesn't make sense. Never accept something just because your told so.
So, you wish to peer into the life rules of the Spin Doctor? Very well, I present to you the Spinifesto, in convenient little quotables. Feel free to quote.
1 - The Purpose of Life is Happiness
All life eventually leads to death. This fact negates any benefit from long term actions, as in the longest term your still dead. So, live in the moment to find purpose, find enjoyment in that moment to have made it worth living.
2 - The Universe is Really Very Big
Ever think you meant anything? You don't. At the end of the day (ed. world) complete global genocide doesn't have the slightest effect on 99.9999999999999999% of the known universe, or any of the unknown universe. All our piddling little global crises don't really matter when you think about it.
3 - Stress is the Deadliest Virus of our Time
Being relaxed, and content is the healthiest thing you can do. It lowers blood pressure, fights diabetes, decreases the risk of stroke, cancer, obesity, ulcers and gum infections, and prevents virtually every psychological disorder in the book (and all their associated psychosomatic effects). So make time to relax, everyday. All day whenever possible.
4 - Lose the Cause, Find the Solution
Any problem is a problem regardless of the source. Finding the cause won't remedy it, so focus on finding the solution. And don't ever say "My bad". First off, that's syntactically flawed. Second, if your in a situation where you are compelled to say "My bad" chances are everyone already knows it's your fault, stating that is just a waste of time.
5 - Forethought is God
Did you screw up last time? Expect to screw up again. In fact, plan to. Life is much easier when your prepared for inevitable consequences.
6 - Think, then Speak
Always state a sentence in your mind before you let it slip out. You'll sound more intelligent, shoot yourself in the foot less, and leave fewer holes in your arguments.
7 - Nothing is "just"
Nothing, in the history of things, has been found to simply be the way it is, so it's really unlikely that things are gonna start doing that now. The sky isn't just blue, it refracts light across it separating out the blue colour from the spectrum. The worst offence of this logical misstep is the syntactic suffix "...is just wrong". People love to explain away something they don't approve of as quite simply, in and of itself, not good. Wrong, right, or indifferent, nothing simply is.
8 - Logic, above All Else
I speak very plainly. Many of you may question this, as I use alot of big words, but I choose my words carefully. Using the word I know that most closely fits my intended meaning. So when I say logic above all else, I mean just that. Logic, action/reaction, effects and variables, above all, everything, religion, society, law. If something doesn't make sense, than it doesn't make sense. Never accept something just because your told so.
3/22/2008
What Design Work would I Refuse
When to not Make Money
There aren't a heck of alot of jobs I would consider refusing. Embarrassing feminine hygiene product? I live in Toronto, takes alot to embarrass me. Self damaging addiction? Hard to get addicted if you never started. Extreme socio-political ideas? Governments too ineffective to achieve anything.
About the only thing that would cause me to turn down a job is if it would make me look bad. This could happen if the client already knows exactly what they want, if association with the client would be damaging. This, of course, must be decided on a situation by situation basis.
Finally, I'd refuse to work with anyone who really stresses me out, stress kills you know, and being angry and tense is a waste of perfectly good living time.
There aren't a heck of alot of jobs I would consider refusing. Embarrassing feminine hygiene product? I live in Toronto, takes alot to embarrass me. Self damaging addiction? Hard to get addicted if you never started. Extreme socio-political ideas? Governments too ineffective to achieve anything.
About the only thing that would cause me to turn down a job is if it would make me look bad. This could happen if the client already knows exactly what they want, if association with the client would be damaging. This, of course, must be decided on a situation by situation basis.
Finally, I'd refuse to work with anyone who really stresses me out, stress kills you know, and being angry and tense is a waste of perfectly good living time.
3/19/2008
Writing is Design
Writing is a Four Letter Word
Is writing design? To an extent, certainly. On the design end of the spectrum control over our copy lets us pick letterforms that work particularly well, and we can craft blocks of body copy that have the perfect paragraph to paragraph rhythm, without any rivers or valleys.
From the more literary standpoint, wording in an ad needs to be pointed, poignant, and carfully thought out so as to ensure one clear, unified message, just like any visual ad work. And we are certainly wordsmiths when we present our work. We have to be engaging, unique and compelling.
However, good design also demands good design. It takes a visual mind to choose the right font to make someone stop and read the copy.
To that extent I will say writing is design, but design isn't writing. You'd think it would work both ways but it doesn't.
Is writing design? To an extent, certainly. On the design end of the spectrum control over our copy lets us pick letterforms that work particularly well, and we can craft blocks of body copy that have the perfect paragraph to paragraph rhythm, without any rivers or valleys.
From the more literary standpoint, wording in an ad needs to be pointed, poignant, and carfully thought out so as to ensure one clear, unified message, just like any visual ad work. And we are certainly wordsmiths when we present our work. We have to be engaging, unique and compelling.
However, good design also demands good design. It takes a visual mind to choose the right font to make someone stop and read the copy.
To that extent I will say writing is design, but design isn't writing. You'd think it would work both ways but it doesn't.
3/17/2008
AICA
So, the graphic design contest has come and gone. What does the Spin Doctor think? It was, for lack of a better adjective, American. Very, very American. From the garish yellow and black colour scheme, to the overly bouncy synth theme song, to the excessivly oily host, American. Everything was such a needless spectacle.As for the design work of the contestants, I was more impressed the further it went. The first pieces, the logos, where mediocre. The packages showed more ... creativity. But by the time they allowed the contestants to open up fully on the "Vote" campaign we saw some real originality. The aggressive "Except You" campaign showed smart and creative type work.
3/15/2008
Are Designers Obliged to do Pro Bono Work?
How to Not Make Money
Short answer, no. As designers we don't owe anything to anyone. We are trading design work for money, that should be the extent of our business. We aren't getting paid to do nothing, there isn't any outstanding debt at the end of the transaction. No remainder means no free work.
However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't do pro bono work. Its often practical or useful. And I will certainly not deny that the privileged life we lead generates some "outstanding debt" owed to the poor and needy. This isn't because we're designers, though, thats just the currency we use.
Short answer, no. As designers we don't owe anything to anyone. We are trading design work for money, that should be the extent of our business. We aren't getting paid to do nothing, there isn't any outstanding debt at the end of the transaction. No remainder means no free work.
However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't do pro bono work. Its often practical or useful. And I will certainly not deny that the privileged life we lead generates some "outstanding debt" owed to the poor and needy. This isn't because we're designers, though, thats just the currency we use.
3/14/2008
When the Robots Win ...
I have some theoretical technology for you today. Ever heard of nanobots? little tiny robots, literally the size of molecules. They would allow us to make controllable substances. Press a button and the liquid becomes a solid. So what do you do when you can control a machine on the molecular level? If your Nokia you make a phone out of it.
Phone in the loosest terms possible, of course, it's more of a computer than anything. Macintosh no longer has the intuitive control market cornered. This thing (theoretically) goes beyond context sensitive menu to context sensitive machine. It can literally change its physical shape based on its function. When in phone mode it can be collapsed to wrap around your wrist, with an ear piece for the interface. In e-mail mode it can expand into a full keyboard.
Now I know what you're thinking "Thats amazing Doc, but it's just a picture of a green phone" well you're right, or were right. VIDEO!
Just imagine the potential of this technology, its impact on design. Imagine being able to control every aspect of an interface, limitless design.
Phone in the loosest terms possible, of course, it's more of a computer than anything. Macintosh no longer has the intuitive control market cornered. This thing (theoretically) goes beyond context sensitive menu to context sensitive machine. It can literally change its physical shape based on its function. When in phone mode it can be collapsed to wrap around your wrist, with an ear piece for the interface. In e-mail mode it can expand into a full keyboard.
Now I know what you're thinking "Thats amazing Doc, but it's just a picture of a green phone" well you're right, or were right. VIDEO!
Just imagine the potential of this technology, its impact on design. Imagine being able to control every aspect of an interface, limitless design.
3/06/2008
I Move to the iGroove
Okay, I've made all my required posts on Mac stuff, and enough posts on non-Mac stuff for you to know my opinions on the whole Mac v. PC thing. So when I write this post, you know it's from the heart.
Gawdamn the music in the Mac commercial is catchy.
Which ad? All of them, at least the ones with music. Every song Mac has put in there ads has been catchy as the flu on a subway at rush hour. Whether you like the particular genre or not, you must admit they are funky, original, interesting, well composed indie songs. More importantly, they're all new to me. Where does Mac find these catchy little indie bands? With expertly assembled musical pieces? So often!?
So, kudos to Mac
Gawdamn the music in the Mac commercial is catchy.
Which ad? All of them, at least the ones with music. Every song Mac has put in there ads has been catchy as the flu on a subway at rush hour. Whether you like the particular genre or not, you must admit they are funky, original, interesting, well composed indie songs. More importantly, they're all new to me. Where does Mac find these catchy little indie bands? With expertly assembled musical pieces? So often!?
So, kudos to Mac
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