"Good Design is Good Business"

The quote "Good Design is Good Business" was mentioned in class, and it is something that I firmly believe. Thomas Watson first said this in the 1950's. He was the American President of IBM. Design has grown drastically since then, and I think more and more companies are starting to agree with Watson. The most successful of companies have strong corporate identities, and branding that remains consistent. A good example of a strong identity is in the recent election. Barack Obama invested a lot of money in developing an identity for himself. He used it consistently everywhere his name showed up, whether it was on his website, bumper stickers, television commercials, advertisements, etc. And he ended up winning the presidential election! Of course, this was not the only reason that he is going to be the next president, but his branding was very appealing, and i think it grabbed the attention of the younger voters. I certainly think it helped him a lot! Apple is another good example. Their iPod ads using the black silhouettes of people dancing while listening to their iPods have grabbed the attention of many. The great ads, combined with the great design of their products has lead them to be the leading seller of music players across the globe. 

If you go to any major companies website, 9 times out of 10, you will see a strong corporate identity usually through use of color and a logo design. I think it is hard for anyone to take a company seriously that has a sloppy website and poor design. Good design is Good Business.

War Posters

These are images I found of war posters. The top image is a World War I poster similar to the ones we looked at in class, and the bottom image is a modern poster.
I think it is very interesting to compare the two. Actually, I guess I should say contrast the two, since there really aren't any similiarites between them. The WWI poster is much more subtle, in its message and colors. The modern poster is so much louder and 'in your face.' The design of this one is pretty clever. The designer chose to parody the popular iPod ads.
Those iPod ads are everywhere, so I think just about everyone knows what they are. If you can't read the text on them, the real iPod ads say "10,000 songs in your pocket, Mac or PC," and the war poster says "10,000 volts in your pocket, guilty or innocent."
My, how times have changed! Obviously, these posters are describing two very different wars during two very different times, but I still think it is interesting to note the differences between them stylistically.
I also thought that the placement of the bottom poster was clever. Not only is it mimicking one of the iPod ads, but it's right in the middle of a bunch of the actual iPod ads. It would be kind of funny to be walking down the street looking at these iPod ads and then suddenly be looking at that!

Dadaism

I like the work from the Dadaist. I may not get why they reformed when it seems it was just another direction that art was moving in. The graphics catch my eye the most. It is just randomness and chaos; sometimes I wish I could just do that, but everything has to be so precise for me. There is no rhyme nor reason to anything, it's just there. 

The one part I don't get about dadaism is why they plastered "Dada" all over their artwork. The picture to the right doesn't but others do. Obviously there must be a reason somewhere.

Daguerreotype

We briefly discussed photography in class last week. But I wanted to discuss it a little bit more, since last year I took a very interesting class that broadened my knowledge on the history of photography. Shockingly enough, it wasn't even a photography class. It was a class called "philosophy of the environment". Toward the end of the class, our teacher shared a lot of information about how tedious the process was, and how long it took to get a good image of the outdoors. Camera's were certainly not very portable. If you wanted an 8x10 of a landscape, a photographer had to carry a camera that could hold a 8x10 plate in it to capture the image on. These plates were not cheap, and they were heavy! Definitely not portable! So to get this photograph of a landscape, your photographer would have to carry a huge camera and multiple plates around with him or her. There is no way they could get the perfect shot, in one take. My teacher also explained to us that these plates had to be processed immediately. So on top of carrying the plates, and the camera, your photographer would have to carry around all of the chemicals needed, and in some cases a portable dark room tent. That sounds like a lot of work when compared to how easy it is to capture a photograph of a landscape today with our digital cameras. However, some will argue that you can't beat the quality and detail of an original Daguerreotype. My teacher will argue that the Daguerreotype process produces a much better image then a digital camera any day.

Success Secrets of the Graphic Designer

So in class last week, Tyler said something about a majority of persons in the design business getting out of it and reasons why they would. So I tried to find advice from some successful designers with longevity in their field.

Michael Bierut (image 1) said "Clients are most afraid that you’re going to go off and design something without really listening first. Just keep asking questions: the more you ask, the more you’ll understand what the client is looking for in a designer."

David Schimmel (image 2 & 3) said "Figure out what your vision is, what your interests are and where you want to focus — and then spend the time when you’re not designing pursuing clients in that area. People work with people they want to work with, not necessarily those who are best for the job. And it’s not always fair. Instead of fighting, try to embrace it, and then you can succeed."

Michael Schwab (image 4) said "You cannot be shy. You have to be aggressive. It helps to be obsessed and driven. When you’re starting out, strive to work for people who really inspire you, and who you admire not only creatively, but ethically."

To find more advice and profile information including how and why they got into the business, their "keys to success", tips to a sustainable career, favorite accomplishments, and SO much more, check out http://willsherwood.com You can see their work in a larger format and there were also 7 more designers interviewed including illustrators!!

Field Trip

I really enjoyed going to Wash U for the field trip. Viewing slides in class gives you a general idea about what books and ads looked liked during a specific time period, but you can't experience them. Being at the museum, touching the books, feeling them, seeing how they were made, really made a difference. I had no emotion toward the works, just seeing them on the screen, but now I can get into them and understand them more. I definitely enjoyed the modern books and prints as well! Seeing some of those things was just so neat! It was amazing what some artists could do with paper. I liked the globe, and the candy box the best. Printmaking is such a tedious process, and I have a lot of respect for those that do it. I took printmaking last year and I had a really hard time with it. It was very frustrating for me because I am a perfectionist and every little flaw bothered me. My teacher told me that those were marks that proved that the work was hand made, but it was still hard to get past that concept. Some of the books at the museum reiterated that concept. The makers liked to show off that it was hand crafted, like one book left the green thread that bound it together visible. It is amazing how books were made many years ago, and how so many illustrations in them were hand drawn. 

Field Trip

I too enjoyed the field trip very much. Being in graphic design and so constrained to the computer, I often forget the importance of hand-made materials and what a difference it makes to the overall feel and quality of the art. Paper for instance, makes a huge impression on the piece and there are many types to choose from be it thick, thin, translucent, colored, etc. I'm so used to getting the standard Epson paper, I need to remember to venture out of the box (when appropriate). I'm glad to see contemporary artists take the time to invent new books and reading styles. I think Wash U has an invaluable resource at their hands and if anyone starts feeling bogged down by standards, grids, or computers, an artistic bit of fresh air is just what they need and is waiting for them at the library.