pricing resources

on-demand internet book printing
lulu.com


small run offset printers
solis
minuteman
quality litho

larger run print shops
colormark
spangler

silkscreen printers
blue collar press, lawrence
valhalla studios
union press

signage/large format printers
indox
custom color
dimensional innovations
digigraph express

billboard companies
lamar
cbs outdoor
magic media

web development
digital lagoon
7 strategy
house of tears
level 5 solutions
jason adams designs
big shot

DIC project schedule

MON 11.9
CLASS
- degree project day: review creative brief template

HOMEWORK
- continued progress on DP design brief.
- assemble an initial list of printing/publishing specifications for your DIC project.



WED 11.11
CLASS
- review items needed for pricing.
- go over the elements of a printing quote such as quantity, sizes, colors, folding, etc.
- identify companies to secure quotes from. total budget not to exceed $15,000.

HOMEWORK
- contact companies for quotes
- finalize advocacy project designs.
- produce mock-ups for photographing.



MON 11.16
CLASS
- degree project day

HOMEWORK
- continued progress on DP design brief.
- work on application and project page.



WED 11.18
CLASS
- near-final DIC project page and application due for review.

HOMEWORK
- finalize all writing and visual documentation. post to website and complete application.



MON 11.23
CLASS
- project wrap up and crit
deliverables: DIC application, DIC project page on website.


WED 11.25
NO CLASS -- THANKSGIVING BREAK

MON 11.30 AND WED 12.2
presentation schedule to be determined

A) great article; B) great resource

A) essay: the value of empathy on change observer

 a great nugget from the article:
"Most design caters to the "average Joe," he who is averagely tall, with average tastes, and no real handicaps. The truth, however, is that none of us are really average. People-centered design methodology focuses, instead, on socially-excluded populations. By creating ethnographically-informed design solutions that include those on the margins of society, the needs of the general population are also better met. Furthermore, this methodology does not merely intend to make life more tolerable for disabled or older people; it strives to fulfill their deepest aspirations. As such, it demands a collaborative rather than a top-down approach — "designing with" rather than "designing for."


B) resource: the human-centered design toolkit from ideo (free download!)

Results of 350

Courtesy of Good Mag, an article and images about the results of the International Day of Climate Action. Very cool.

some great blogs

i glanced at this blog a while back when it launched, but going back through it i see that there is a ton of interesting content in here. started by the folks at design observer, change observer has the same high level of content, only focused on social design issues.

similar to this is a blog called the design altruism project.

community advocacy project :: project pages on DIC

since the final deliverable for this project will be a case study located on the Design Ignites Change website, you need to get started with that process. here are the first bits of information you will need to start a project page on the site:

• project title: a short, snappy name for your project that's 40 characters or less.
• project description: provide a description of your project and the participants (you as the designer and the audience you're designing for) of up to 650 characters (not words). anything longer than this will be cut off by the database and will not show up.
• a representative image: 600 px wide by 400 px high. choose something you have created -- thumbnail sketches, sketchbook page, mock-up, etc.

within a couple of days you will receive login information and you'll be able to publish this info to the website. please post this info by wed oct 28.

350: International Day of Climate Action

In researching for the group presentation on sustainability I came across 350, a global movement to raise awareness on the effects of climate change.

"On Oct. 24, thousands of people in more than 140 countries are planning to take to the streets, parks, forests and oceans to raise awareness for the number 350. According to leading scientists, including James Hansen of NASA, 350 parts per million is the safe upper limit for atmospheric CO2...As the current carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are estimated at 390ppm we'll need to take strong action to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide (and by implication, other greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere and to avoid a series of catastrophic climate tipping points."

KC event page

kc glass recycling

ripple glass an offshoot of boulevard brewing company, and is getting set to make glass recycling a lot easier in k.c. right now only about 5% of k.c.'s glass is being recycled.

Tammy is a Visual Advocate!

See why: 

A Light on Washington Street

This crazy futuristic eco-city in Abu Dhabi plans to sustain 50,000 people with zero-waste and zero-carbon. Instead of cars the city is going have a series of automated transport pods. Unlike subway trains, the electric Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) pods are meant for single, personal trips like a taxi is.

This video shows how the PRT works.

Here's a video about Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.

Futur Abu Dhabi : Masdar City
by kmail

deliverable :: rapid prototypes + feedback

for tyler's section
after thinking on it a bit, it would be smarter in the long run to have the report formalized a bit -- at least as far as it being in digital form. that way it is consolidated for process documentation (portolio, blogs, my grading, etc). here's what i want:

• a simple keynote or pdf file, ready to project.
• drop a pdf copy on my CAS dropbox: CAS > faculty > tgalloway > public > dropbox
• filename: VA_lastname_prototype_feedback.pdf
• UPDATE: visual / verbal evidence of this process posted to your blog.

presentation

• 10 minutes total -- five min or less to present, five min for feedback. no joking! i'm totally serious.
• describe what you asked, their responses, and how you will move forward. be brief!

process blogging

tyler here. i would like for my section 1 group to post the following work to their blogs

• written summary of your interactions with outside sources. tell me what you learned from this/these person/people that you did not find online. how hard or easy was the process of actually contacting and talking to an outside source?
• key slides from your presentation of your research summary and problem statement. show me your problem statement, one key slide defining your audience, the social behavior you want to change, and ideas for how to measure that change.

thank you!

rapid prototyping

read through the following information to gain a better understanding of what rapid prototyping is, where it came from, and how it can be useful to graphic design processes.

rapid prototyping tools, by dan harrelson of "the adaptive path". read the intro and the first section.

"rapid prototyping: an overview" skim through.

supplements to "culture jammers" readings

postering tips from robbie conal's site. note the amount of information dedicated to politeness. the video is kind of interesting also.

one of several accusations of plagiarism directed towards shepard fairey. and a good (and recent) article about his tactics in the bostonist.

further info on true-cost pricing, based on the kalle lasn interview:

wikipedia entry

some info from radical economist michael albert's book "parecon: life after capitalism"

10:10

The UK has launched a campaign called 10:10 in order to get people to reduce their carbon footprint by 10% in 2010.

Learn more here and here

From the Streets of Iran

Here is an article from NPR about an exhibit of political street art from Iran at the Crewest Gallery in Los Angeles.

check out the Flickr gallery here

Sedating Consumers, or Activating Citizens?

Check out these enlightening ads released by the Corn Refiner's Association regarding the wonderful substance, High Fructose Corn Syrup. What's your take?

Ad1

Ad2

Ad3

Trevor Litchmore

Check out some of his "visual advocacy" work, from Camberwell in London.

Trevor Litchmore

grading breakdown for community advocacy project

20% // deliverable: presentation of research summary and problem / question statement.

20% // deliverable: present design prototypes and feedback. 

20% // deliverable: in-progress work for group crit.

40% // deliverable: "design ignites change" case study & application. final presentations and written crit. turn in all relevant files/mock-ups for grading.

community advocacy project :: problem-finding presentation

next wednesday, sept 16, a visual-verbal presentation of your problem-finding will be due. each student will have three minutes to present, and will have six minutes for feedback (9 minutes total). 

this presentation is an important part of the design process and should be treated as such. this presentation should be made as if the presentation audience has not been privy to any of the previous discussions. it should clearly take the viewer through the entire thought and research process in a clear and concise way.

include the following in your presentation and turn in for grading.

- problem statement or question 

this is a concise statement of the issue you have researched and determined to be a problem. it may be phrased as a statement of fact -- “too many teens are being bullied in the classroom”, or it may be phrased as a question to explore through your design process -- “how can graphic design help eliminate bullying in the classroom?” either approach is acceptable. 

- audience definition and characteristics 

include basic demographic info such as age range and other relevant factors (possibly gender, socio-economic status, etc). 

also include qualitative information that explains the “whys” and “hows” behind your issue. ideally this is gleaned from your initial interviews and audience observations. 

- what social behavior you want to change 

be as specific as possible here, framing it in terms of behavior and not in graphic design artifacts. ex: “i want to eliminate bullying in the classroom by making potential bullies realize the emotional damage they inflict on others.” 

- how you will measure the results of that change 

list any ideas you have for how to evaluate the effectiveness of your design work. how will we be able to tell your project did what you intended? again, be as specific as possible. ex: “at westport high school 9th grade classes, the number of bullying incidents will decrease, as opposed to the increases from previous years.”

community advocacy project :: team work

initially i encouraged you to consider working in teams for this project because you could make a more thoughtful and comprehensive project. several of you are considering this, and chris and i want to lay out some requirements for how that should happen. cross-section teams are fine.

teams will have to propose in writing the following, to be approved by us:

• why you want to work in a team, beyond "we have the same subject matter"
• how the project scope (subject matter) and scale (range of artifacts) will be affected by multiple designers 
• what roles each member will play

proposal deadline: wed sept 9 (any time before that is okay too)

is design activism?

we touched on this topic a bit in class today and it reminded me of a couple of awesome articles that discuss what role design plays in instigating real change. can the designed artifact itself do much to directly address an issue, or is more needed?

"how do design activists cope with fear, risk, and danger?"

also, the article it's based on, which i thought was excellent in its frank assessment of creating change.

"forget shorter showers: why personal change does not equal political change"

tyler is delicious

here is my digital sock drawer, exposed for you all to see -- my delicious bookmarks.

look specifically at tags like
- visual advocacy
- sustainability
- social design
- editorial films

there are lots of other little things buried in there, but those are the larger tags. have fun!

ABOUT THIS BLOG

1
all project descriptions, objectives, specifications and deadlines will be posted here. it is your responsibility to check regularly for important updates, new assignments and topical references.

2
we intend the blog to function as an ongoing dialog and extension beyond the classroom. If you have project-specific questions that arise outside of class please ask. everyone is welcome to reply and we will respond on/before online hours or in class.

3
required readings and discussion topics are provided to clarify and expand your knowledge of issues addressed in studio and design in general. we will discuss these either as a class or you will be asked to post responses to this blog.

4
visual & creative inspiration abounds online and i encourage you to embark upon serendipitous or purposeful surfing. once you find something share-worthy post it to this site. you are all authors of this content, so use this space freely to share ideas, discussion, and inspiration.

5
occasionally i will assign an online crit in order to provide an alternative forum for classroom feedback and collaborative effort.

if those reasons aren't enough to get involved, remember, your online presence does count toward your online participation grade. i evaluate post quality and quantity, which is factored into individual project grades under the "process" and "participation" sections.

Call to the Creative Thinker Blog: a new addition to the Creative Thinking Campaign

Here is the link to this blog I just created recently please feel free to join and contribute as much or as little as you want.

call to the creative thinker blog

Buy Nothing Day.

I heard about buy nothing day a long time ago in an email that a friend sent me, but it wasn't until i was crusing the adbusters website that I remembered it. Think about it, one day where nobody purchased anything. didn't go to the store and buy a new pair of shoes, or the grocerie store, or buy gas, or even trade stocks? you might ask yourself how much could this effect things its just one day?

the whole thing speaks to consuming less, as our culture is one of consumption. buy buy buy, we have to have it all. it reminds me of a t-shirt i used to have "he who dies with the most toys, still dies".

pretty interesting stuff to speculate about, check out the campaigns here

A go to site for finding our where social design is happening...

I have come across www.socialdesignsite.com It is a site that has a "archive" of projects, movements and people that all have something in common, social design. Their motto is "we cannot not change the world" and they have worked together to gather these items to raise awareness about social design like this class is. Check it out. Design Ignites Change is listed, Buy Nothing Day from Adbusters is listed, Critical Mass is listed. I'm sure many of you are familiar with some of the projects listed.

It Makes Me Want to Weep

This was a initiative created by Thomas Starr that memorialized children and young adults killed in urban violence within Boston from 1980 - 2005. I love this bus so much because it focuses on individual people not statics.  They become real because there is a story behind each person. And the way that the individuals are represented give us something that we can relate to and tells us all how the world would be better with them in it. I gives me hope in all we can be and do my fellow classmates. Hooray for graphic design, for our future, and us!

recycling, PHILLY style

mayor nutter of philadelphia recently unveiled an initiative plan to make philadelphia the greenest city in the US, after being at the bottom of the list of cities in terms of the amount of trash picked up as recycling.

in this initiative, nutter and the mayor’s office of sustainability have set goals in five areas: energy, environment, equity, economy, and engagement.

--- some of the things they wish to achieve being:
. increase the amount of recycling by residents to 25% by 2015
. divert 70 percent of solid waste from landfills
. install public space recycling containers in center city
. etc


greenworks philadelphia outlines nutter’s ideas and initiative plans.


one of their tactics, as mentioned above is to increase the amount of recycling through public engagement. the evidence of this idea is the utilized by the “mural arts program recycling truck project.”








in this project, graphic designers are basically decorating these recycling trucks with graphic wraps featuring environmental textile designs.


while i think this is a neat idea, im not so sure that i would “get it” if i merely saw a pretty truck driving by with no explanation.

i almost feel like this is an only half-way finished project. it seems to me that some supporting text somewheres would help in this endeavor. even as simple as a putting “RECYCLE” on the side of the truck in addition to the design.

in addition, what is it about an embellished truck that is going to make me want to recycle? i can think this concept is cool all day long, but if i have a plastic bottle and the closest thing to me is a trash can, what about this truck is going to make me thing-- “hey, i should find a recycling bin.”



i don’t know. what do you think?

Crossing

So came across and found it to be pretty interesting. After watching the clip i wonder how many pedestrians got hit because they were distracted. (sorry that might be in bad taste)

7 ads for social change

So I came across this page that had 7 ads on promoting social change and environmental awareness. It grabbed my attention because these pieces aren't just posters they are actual objects or installations placed in their environments around the for the public to see.

After looking at these for awhile I started wondering what kind of impact would these have on the public. Would it just be the shock factor and getting the message out for whoever was paying attention or do this actually make a impact on that certain issue. Would a on looker who saw the ads of children placed in a revolving door actually go and try to stop child labour or just think thats so sad? Do these pieces of work actually make a difference?

Just wondering about your thoughts on it.

Alright... I know it may seem a little silly, but since I find myself watching more children's television than I had ever expected to in my life, I saw this on, and thought it was a great example of typography entering into a 3 dimensional space and being incorporated into the motion piece. The song is silly but hey, whatever.

Dove: Evolution

I posted this in response to Kelly's "Sex, Lies and Photoshop" and "Don't Forget" posts. It is part of doves real beauty campaign. 

It seems like they are advocating against image manipulation. I think in reality the people at Dove have actually exploited a void in the marketplace. Instead of being real advocates against image manipulation they are trying to distinguished themselves from their competitors using a clever transfer technique. What do you think real advocates or just trying to sell more beauty products?

How Green Is Your Takeaway Container?

Since the school cafeteria is not always the best choice for dining, I often find myself ordering take-out. The thing with that is, the food always comes in a container. Often, those containers "takes massive amounts of energy to create, and much of it doesn’t properly decompose." From styrofoam to edible ice-cream cones, this great article examines how "green" your takeaway container is.

A Glimpse Ahead...

According to Microsoft, technology will drive the future of sustainability. There is no doubt that the innovative interface designs and concepts in this video are amazing. I truly admire the clear and simple presentation of information in all of the interfaces. I do wonder how practical these applications will be in terms of sustainability? What are your thoughts?

p.s. The book "Cradle to Cradle" makes an appearance...see if you can spot it.

Ideas that Matter

Although this video, in my opinion, took the importance level over the top with the dramatic music in the background it made very simple real points about what matters.

"What matters is that the idea is tangible and will create action" is the one I was most interested in. It seems like a reflectional question for design work with a greater purpose. Will my campaign, poster, billboard, web-site, packaging, "whatever design artifact" create action? Is this subject tangible?

Ideas that Matter Promotional Video

After watching this video, I looked into some of the Ideas that Mattered last year. This is a program for grant proposals to get ideas that matter the funding they need to become reality. It is those who have helping those who haven't to create good change. Upon looking at who had received grants in the past I came upon The Design Department of KU who was working with the Non-profit organization of The Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Here is an article about the project.

Another project that we have discussed that has received this grant is the University of Illinois at Chicago for AIGA Design Democracy in 2003.

What idea, in the future, could the Kansas City Art Institute Graphic Design Department, propose that matters? Anything come to mind? Would this have interested anyone? Of course this would have been quite the load of work and dedication, but I think like "Design Ignites Change" program the learning outcome is much more rewarding and plentiful than "normal" assignments.

How do you feel about what Sappi is doing with supplying these grants?

obama's posters: message in the image

alright,

here is a historical/contemporary parallel for you. -- or maybe it falls under the category of propaganda alert. . . . or perhaps it is a rhetorical trope. . . . i have my opinions, but i more interested in yours.

from an article i read on the american thinker, there is a brief column about the posters used in the obama campaign. not to give you all too much information, as i would like you to read it yourselves, some key things were addressed in the aesthetic of the obama posters and their relationship to past politically tied posters.

one of the most interesting points being that the obama images appropriate the graphic styles of totalitarian soviet propaganda.

now, the reason i mention the above stated, is because if anyone really pays attention to politics--- and when i say really pays attention, that does not mean just believing in something because everyone other artist around does, but really takes an understanding to past political movements (in both our country and others) -- then perhaps there is a meaning behind this visual approach.




... still an advocate?

Re-Branding

With the events that transpired as a result of Tropicana's re-brading, it's become quite clear that people do care about what packaging looks like. When I first heard that Tropicana is going back to their old packaging because they had so many complaints about their new packaging, I was kind of disappointed that the public didn't appreciate the new simple design. Instead, most people thought that it looked too "generic". According to the New York Times, one customer complained, “Do any of these package-design people actually shop for orange juice? Because I do, and the new cartons stink.” This particular instance shows the importance of designing for your audience and not for designs' sake.

Though Tropicana's attempt to improve their brand didn't go too well with the public, I appreciate the risk they took to advance their brand in a new direction. UnderConsideration's Brand New is a great site that blogs about redesigned brands. For example, Chipotle recently updated their look.

Before

after

What are your thoughts on re-branding?

The New Math

Craig Damrauer has created a new form of math by replacing numbers with words. Most of the equations are humorous, though some of them can be thought provoking. It's quite interesting to see simple phrases and words be broken down into more complex ideas and emotions.

Craig updates his site quite often with a new equation each Monday. Check out New Math

Peapod

A few days ago, I was listening to an episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theatre ( a radio program broadcast in the 1970's). This particular episode happened to be about a couple from the future named Sid and Toody who traveled back to 1975 to warn people about the damage to the earth that pollution and gas emissions will cause. They proposed a solution to prevent the problem. Their solution was to create cars that are solar powered or electric so it won't need gas to run. Though the story itself was fictitious, the damage that cars have inflicted on the earth today is a reality.



When I discovered this new car, called the Peapod, it reminded me of that Radio Mystery Theatre episode. This car is the future. The Peapod is all electric, doesn't use gas, and therefore doesn't give out emissions.

"The Peapod all-electric is a low-speed vehicle that’s eco-friendly and people friendly. And it's made of over 95% recycled and recyclable materials. The Peapod all-electric vehicle is charged like an appliance. Like your cell phone, iPod® and laptop, your vehicle is as simple as all your other pocket-friendly devices."

Check out the Peapod

Design DOES Ignite Change

So, we have one more session left before "Design Ignites Change" comes to an end. Thus far, it's been a really fulfilling experience. I'm quite surprised at how well everything is coming together (I was worried because of our limited time). Going through this process has really shown me the value of guidance and the importance of embracing the mentee's ideas and building upon it. It's really exciting to see that my mentee is excited about the project and has worked on it in between our class sessions. Next Wednesday is gonna be great!

What about you mentors? What have you learned from this experience?

Children's Safe Drinking Water

GREAT SITE! GREAT CAUSE!

This site does a great job of combining interactivity to engage the viewer as well as to educate them about this PurWater product.
CLICK to experience it!

in Defense of Eye Candy

"Cognitive science studies how people know things and aesthetics plays a critical role in cognitive processing."

A List Apart offers an interesting article by Stephen P. Anderson who delivers a compelling argument concerning the importance of aesthetic appeal in designing for the web.

"In other words, aesthetics is not just about the artistic merit of web buttons or other visual effects, but about how people respond to these elements. Our question becomes: how do aesthetic design choices influence understanding and emotions, and how do understanding and emotions influence behavior?"

The Huffington Post article mentioning Design Ignites Change

Here is an article that mentions "Design Ignites Change"

final critique process

final crit on all work is friday, may 8. 

class time (about 2 hrs total)

have print work ready to share and digital files ready to share on a jump drive. 

- 5 minutes to set-up project 1 (as needed).

- 5 minutes to listen to your classmate set up their project (as needed).

- 20 minutes for project one written critique. 

- 10 minute break.

- 5 minutes to set-up project 2 (as needed).

- 5 minutes to listen to your classmate set up their project (as needed).

- 20 minutes for project two written critique. 

- 10 minute break.

- 30+ minutes for final group discussion.

critique details

- make "VA project 1" and "VA project 2" posts on your own blogs so your classmates can comment. 

- use the sidebar links here to access their blog and post your critique as a comment under the appropriate post title.

- structure your comments to generally address how well the work does the following:

1. demonstrates understanding of design's role in the topic (its power to persuade or inform)
   
2. advocates for the client/content
   
3. demonstrates critical thinking and a perspective on the topic, either through visuals or text
   
4. presents the content in a visually engaging manner
   
5. is formed to fit a particular context (public, private, screen, outdoor, etc)
   
6. shows careful attention to craft
   
7. any other comments/suggestions you'd like to add 

turn in

all projects need to be ready to turn in as printed pieces or digital files. it is your responsibility to get all print files directly into my hands and digital files on my CAS public folder by the end of friday's class period. print projects will be returned to your studio space on friday may 15. 

NSOB "New Soap, Old Bottle"

While searching various blogs, I stumbled on to "New Soap, Old Bottle".

What is "New Soap, Old Bottle"?
It is a new cleaning products that sells brand name liquid soap packaged in old plastic soda bottles, plastic water bottles and glass beer bottles.

NSOB say that, "Big companies aren’t going to do this on their own. So, we’ll do it for them. We buy name brand liquid soap by the barrel and package it in old bottles here in America."

I think this is a brilliant idea, but somehow I find myself asking, well it saves the bottles but what about the energy it takes to product this (production & transport over and over again)? I think it would be nice if consumers could take this on themselves rather than buying this product.

If you saw New Soap selling next to regular bottles of soap in your local supermarket, Target or Walmart would you buy it?

aesthetics in activism

I just recently became aware of mtv's Exit (End eXploitation and Trafficking) campaign. Exit hopes to aid in the prevention of human trafficking by holding concerts, producing mini-documentaries and short promos to raise awareness and money for anti-trafficking organizations. My critique of the content and touchpoints of the campaign aside, I was intrigued by the question of the value and impact of the campaign's visual identity.

The identity above is about 2 years old, and has since been redesigned; the art-nouveau-ish, fleuron-heavy aesthetic trend has apparently reached a saturation point (too many graphic-tees and even here as a short lived identity for court room drama) and is already outdated.


The new identity reflects a trend away from the ornate to the minimal that can be seen in other more youthful brands.

the question that all this raises for me is what does the capricious nature of the campaign's visual identity do to the legitimacy and urgency of the cause?

does appealing to design fashion and trends help or hurt the fight to end human trafficking (or any fight) in the long-run?

Commercial vs. Fine Art

http://artandperception.com/2007/01/fine-vs-commercial-art.html

Here is another article, the guy come off as a little crazy and argues against fine art a little more that I would like but he does make a few good points. 

check out comment #3 at the bottom of the article I think that he makes a lot more sense than the guy actually writing the article.

The Commercial and Fine artist

http://www.digitalartguild.com/content/view/23/26/

Here is an article that covers some of what I was talking about with my manifesto. Someone went out and interviewed a few fine artists and commercial artists asking them what they thought about commercial work against fine art. A few points that I made in my manifesto are present in here.

They also talk about the new digital medium and whether or not that is a good thing for artists these days.

The Kindness of Strangers

A few months ago, I came across this wonderful post by Jessica Helfand entitled "The Kindness of Strangers". Since then, I keep finding myself going back to it and re-reading it just because I think it has such a great message. Jessica Helfand talks about the the kindness of strangers, but more specifically, she talks about the kindness of well known designers to strangers. She makes a point to say that she has come across notable designers, who (without really knowing her) have treated her kindly and with respect. Her post really made me think of similar situations that I've encountered and inspired me to reach out to designers whom I admire. I contacted Jonathan Hoefler and asked him to possibly be my advisor for my senior thesis. I really didn't expect him to respond to my message, but surprisingly, he did.

Hoefler declined, but the act of him responding to me so kindly, touched my heart.

What I love about Hefland's post is that the message is universal- show kindness to others. We often remember most those who've helped us out when they didn't have to, or those who saw potential in us when others didn't. I think it's just the thing that we as designers and as people have to remember as we go forth in our career and lives.

What are your thoughts?

Hooray for Adbusters!

This article reveals Adbusters' first leap towards purchasing airtime in Canada to express their opinion. I've been curious about the situation of why they were denied the right to purchase time in the first place. Is it because their ad campaigns are against consumerism and that might make other corporations who have purchased time on CBC and Global Television Network a little upset at the opposing claims? That Adbusters might make an impression on the average consumer? Why not allow that diversity when they allow competing car companies to purchase time slots on the same network, and bus advertisements. They compete with each other. They take away business form each other.

A quote that caught my eye that is giving Adbusters the momentum towards making a change is the following :

At issue in this groundbreaking case is the right of Canadian citizens to have (as stipulated by the Canadian Broadcasting Act) “a reasonable opportunity … to be exposed to the expression of differing views on matters of public concern.”

What constitutes a "matter of public concern?"

10 Graphic Design Paradoxes by Adrian Shaughnessy

I'd first like to recommend Design Observer as a blog to check often. That is where this article comes from, as well as some of my other posts. Adrian is finishing up another book about the softer issues with graphic design as he puts it that this articles begins to explain. Adrian is the writer of "How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul" which we have read excerpts from in class.

To give you a preview, here are the top eleven graphic design paradoxes Adrian goes over. (there is slightly more explanation in the article)

01: There’s no such thing as bad clients: only bad designers.
02: The best way to learn how to become a better graphic designer is to become a client.
03: If we want to educate our clients about design, we must first educate ourselves about our clients.
04: If we want to make money as a graphic designer, we must concentrate on the work — not the money.
05: For designers, verbal skills are as important as visual skills.
06: Ideas usually fail not because they're bad ideas, but because they're badly presented.
07: “I’m a professional: I know best.”
08: “All the good jobs go to other designers.”
09: The best way to run a studio is to be domineering and forceful.
10: If we believe in nothing, we shouldn’t wonder why no one believes in us.
11. When a client says the words — “you have complete creative freedom,” they never mean complete creative freedom.

The article didn't go into too much detail about what exactly these paradoxes mean, but certain ones that intrigued me enough to think more about are numbers 3 and numbers 7. We had talked in class about our obligation to give our educated opinion to the client, but is our educated opinion always knowing best.

What other paradoxes get your thinking about what Adrian is saying?

Street Art in Berlin... "Don't Forget"

Here are a few images and there are several more on this flickr. It is related, in subject matter, to another post of mine "Sex, Lies and Photoshop". It is gureilla advertising, or I guess in this case, guerilla awareness. I think this is an interesting attempt at getting people to become more aware of the alteration these photos go under without having to show a before and after. Although many people wouldn't understand the exact meaning of what the brushes and other tools do, many would recognize it as some manipulation from the computer.

Do you think it is an interesting and effective way to try and raise awareness of photo manipulation?

Propaganda in the Media

Here is a link to a story about propaganda and media manipulation.

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/rw/4913.html

manifesto link

manifesto mania, by ellen and julia lupton, from agia voice.

What the &%$@! is Social Design?

Check out this initiative going on that deals with things we are talking about in class. This is talking about helping designers realize the positive social change they can make with design. I thought it was pretty interesting and worth reading into.

Here are a few images of their first publication:




They also have a blog.



The Soft Spot

The New York Times Opinion – Sex, Lies and Photshop

I think this article makes a few good points. One of which we talked about during class, giving credit. The photographer is often credited with a photograph in a magazine, but why not the retoucher. I know this focuses on retouching in relationship to body image, but think about food retouching too. Most times food photography isnt even the real food (sometimes for time issues) but regardless. Taco Bell photographs look far different than the actual product.

Is this "wrong" too? Is any photo manipulating "wrong" whether its a models skin of the surface of a cheeseburger?

I agree with the narrator of the video that in the very least the retoucher should be credited, if they are not going to talk about the extent of the retouch. I wonder what a magazine would look like if nothing was retouched or photoshopped and everything relied on the reality of the photograph.

Sex, Lies and Photoshop

Gabrielle Esperdy: Less Is More Again — A Manifesto

I came across this article while checking out the daily image uploads on this page (which I highly recommend checking out). Anyways. I'm not sure entirely what to think about what Esperdy is saying.

What do you think?

Gabrielle Esperdy: Less is More Again – A Manifesto

transportation: rethinking the system

better place is a company planning electric car infrastructure consisting of:
1. batteries that go into normal production vehicles
2. renewable energy sources to power the system
3. charging stations at home, work, parking lots, etc
4. battery exchange stations (much like gas stations)
all in an effort to re-think how personal transportation can work now -- not in the future.

read this page from their website and it sounds like somebody's been reading cradle to cradle.

Chen Hang Feng: Logomania

At the very end I am interested in how he took traditional materials and symbols of Chinese hertiage, and added a twist of commentary about its relationship to over-consumption.

What do you think? Are there other similar applications of culture and consumption?

Is this similar to what Adbusters created with the Corporate Flag.

The Afterlife Project by James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau

The part of this video I am most interested in sharing and discussing begins at 1:18 and ends at 1:40. I came across this within one of the podcasts I subscribe to "Cool Hunting Videos." It caught my attention as relevant to this class because of its controversial nature and relationship to recycling.

Would you be interested in recycling your body this way?

wednesday + friday reading discussions

for this wednesday, march 4, make sure you have read "good citizenship..." by mccoy from the book "citizen designer". we will discuss this first thing in class.

for friday, we will discuss the emory douglas reading from the aiga website.

inspirational..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HMm9jrgDzM

are you using this knowledge?

i have recently been in a brief conversation about this class with a student from the university of washington who is working on a capstone project about ethics in design. she wondered if you are taking things you're learning in this class and applying them elsewhere in your design work, and if so, how is it affecting how you approach your work? i know it's a bit early in the semester, but i'm curious. thoughts?

i'm also interested in those who don't think this information is applicable to your work, and why that is so.

No Advertising

A few years ago the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil banned all forms of outdoor advertising with the intent of cleaning up the "visual pollution" of the city. Because of the law, billboards were covered, signs were painted over and posters were taken down. The idea of a city devoid of advertising is quite fascinating to me because it is such an important part of visual communication and visual persuasion. Without it, I wonder if we'll see new and innovative forms of advertisements from the city of Sao Paulo.

What do you all think? What if it's not just Sao Paulo, Brazil that bans all forms of outdoor advertising, but the whole world? Is outdoor advertising necessary?
CLICK HERE to read a great article on Sao Paulo
CLICK HERE to view flickr images

am I harming the public?

We may have finished our "responsibility chart" but there is at least one responsibility that appears on both our list and the AIGA's that seems inherently open to question; 6.1 on the AIGA's standards...

"A professional designer shall avoid projects that will result in harm to the public."

So what exactly is harm?

Are there any objective grounds for defining harm?

Is physical harm less subjective?

Is harm implicit in change?

Who constitutes "the public"?(added 02/12 9:00 pm)

I think we could all benefit from trying to answer some of these questions. Comments please.

i'm sorry but i had to post this

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

ABTV 14: The Power of Conformity

What makes a person conform to something as simple as they way they stand in an elevator?

If you were placed in this situation would you "adapt?"

What other simple situations would someone's behavior change so rapidly if a difference occurred between them and others?

GOOD poster contest

GOOD magazine is beginning their second annual 50x70 poster contest, "the project that helps social communication". topics to address include child labor, climate change, healthcare deprivation, hiv/aids, nuclear emergency, war on terror, and women's rights violation.

while i definitely think this project is a worthy one, and have made several similar posters myself, i question the effectiveness of this format to actually do anything. do posters work? what does it take for a graphic designer to produce a worthwhile communication that actually reaches an audience effectively?

on Pointing the Blame

Have YOU made a finger pointing poster? is a great reflection to our last reading.

  “Why aren’t you joining the army, my dear?”
  “Sorry, I don’t feel well.”
  “Ah, I see.”

Art. Lebedev Studio also offers an interestingly explicit manifesto.

About your tupperware: easy greening

more info about this article check this site below

www.care2.com/greenliving/kitchen-plastic-easy-greening.html

to those creating a manifesto...

While doing some research I stumbled upon a particularly inspiring manifesto by the designer Bruce Mau. I believe we could all benefit from following any one of his ideals. Get inspired. 

bill evans on establishing expectations of oneself

the universal mind of bill evans presented itself to me today and affirmed that the internet, when used responsibly, can really produce valuable opportunities for edifying discoveries.

throughout the series, mr. evans frequently refers to building upon a stable reference -- to allow complexity to evolve organically from what is "simple and honest." he reminds us that principles hold primacy over style.

in video 4/5, (5:00 in for the impatient) mr. evans reveals his own simple and honest principle -- to "take care of the music." mr. evans concluded that the most important thing he could do was to establish a reasonable expectation of himself, a declaration of his devotion to music. a personal manifesto, if you will.

the result? authentic and inimitable expressions -- precision and mastery of craft so profound that it feels more like virtue than talent. mr. evans teaches us that genius requires a sincere ethic at its core. anything else is a disingenuous approximation.

graphic agitation reading

answer any or all of the following questions, or start your own thread!

which of these movements or people resonated with you most and why?

were there activities that you were not aware of before reading this?

for those of you doing the visual history report, which movement do you plan on reporting on and why?

weekly reading list+project schedule

a summary of your required visual advocacy readings for the semester. each project has suggested readings that complement that work, and of course you are encouraged to pursue those readings as well. with the exception of weeks 2 and 5 [aiga website content] all readings are on the reserve shelf.

week 1 jan 26
graphic agitation pp 14-27

week 2 feb 2
aiga standards of professional practice

week 3 feb 9
how to be a designer... pp 18-27

week 4 feb 16
"good citizenship: design as a social and political force" citizen designer pp 2-8

week 5 feb 23
visualizing a revolution: emory douglas and the black panther newspaper
PROJECT 1 DUE WED FEB 25

week 6 mar 2
cradle to cradle pp 45–67

week 7 mar 9
cradle to cradle pp 68–91

week 8 mar 16
spring break

week 9 mar 23
looking closer four pp 5, 10–21

week 10 mar 30
"the cultural influence of brands" citizen designer pp 70-81
PROJECT 2 DUE FRI APRIL 3

week 11 apr 6
conscientious objectives pp 26-29 and celery design studio

week 12 apr 13

week 13 apr 20

week 14 apr 27

week 15 may 4
PROJECT 3 DUE WED MAY 6