That being the case, even though I cut the conks, my pumpkins ended up having to go out as stationary devices. That's a shame. Of course, Tuesdays events have been kind of a distraction.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Gears.
That being the case, even though I cut the conks, my pumpkins ended up having to go out as stationary devices. That's a shame. Of course, Tuesdays events have been kind of a distraction.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
[Cursing goes here!]
This could have been a good week, really it could.
But no, it's generally been a bad week.
Sunday night I broke my cellphone. Now I can only use it if I'm wearing a headset.
Tonight, I get off work and I find that the little triangle window of my car is smashed, there's glass all over the back seat, and my glove box and console are both emptied. As far as I can tell all they got was 1) my TomTom gps (sn: JQ5050JVQKQ ) and 2) my iPod (sn: Y14467D00333 ) , which was a 4gb mini, and fairly old. Still, what the hell?
(For the record, yes, I know you shouldn't leave those things in the car, but that's where I use them, and if I take them out, I almost always forget to bring them with me.)
But no, it's generally been a bad week.
Sunday night I broke my cellphone. Now I can only use it if I'm wearing a headset.
Tonight, I get off work and I find that the little triangle window of my car is smashed, there's glass all over the back seat, and my glove box and console are both emptied. As far as I can tell all they got was 1) my TomTom gps (sn: JQ5050JVQKQ ) and 2) my iPod (sn: Y14467D00333 ) , which was a 4gb mini, and fairly old. Still, what the hell?
(For the record, yes, I know you shouldn't leave those things in the car, but that's where I use them, and if I take them out, I almost always forget to bring them with me.)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
First Things First
Okay, before I spend another 3 hours here avoiding actually writing about this stuff, let me take a quick moment to talk about the 1964 and 2000 First Things First Manifestos.
When I talk to people about being a digital arts major, I'm generally met with confused stares. It makes sense, "Digital Arts" is such a vague term that it seems to carry no inflection of what I do. In many ways I'm really thankful for this fact, since it also carries with it few restrictions on what I can focus on. When I was still in community college I leapt from Computer Engineering into Graphic Design because I felt that design would allow me a more meaningful means of interaction/communication. Like engineering though, pure design seemed to be missing something as well, sure I now had a means to engage people, but I had no substance to engage them with. After I transferred though, I found a means to backslide a bit, into a sort of middle ground between engineering/innovation and the tools of communication. So when asked what it is I want to do after college, I try to explain to people what it is I do now. Most think about this for a second, blink, and come back with "ok, but how do you want to use that after college." Not having the words to explain it in terms better than "I want to engage people" I start to talk about how it can be used for things such as marketing. Is this the noblest cause? Depends on the product or service really. But in any case it pays, and for many people what they really seem to be asking is "how will this secure you an income."
The First Things First manifestos are both declarations to use artistic/design skills for purposes other than mass marketing. What I find interesting is that the only difference between the two publications seems to be the suggested alternatives:
1964 There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world.
2000 There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions, social marketing campaigns, books, magazines, exhibitions, educational tools, television programs, films, charitable causes and other information design projects urgently require our expertise and help.
If you compare the two the alternatives to advertising suggested in 2000 seem almost purely...I have no word for it other than noble causes. "Social Marketing," "educational tools," "charitable causes"...
I'm not scoffing at these suggestions, they're certainly positive things. What I find odd/unfortunate is the things they left off from 1964 like "signs for streets and buildings," "scientific and industrial publications," "and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world." (I really like that last bit.)
The focus between 1964 and 2000 seems to shift from using design meaningfully to using design nobly. Noble is good, but meaningful is far more relevant.
Meaningfulness vs Nobility aside though, I feel like First Things First miss one important problem, especially when ending the 2000 manifesto with "Today, we renew their manifesto in expectation that no more decades will pass before it is taken to heart." I refuse to believe that there's a shortage of artists/designers out there who are uninterested in fulfilling more meaningful purposes. What I do believe is that there's a market shortage of demand, ie: people willing to pay, for them to do it. Most of the initiatives they offer as alternatives in the 2000 manifesto are things typically done by designers as pro-bono work, and while pro-bono work is vital to the soul, doing it exclusively can be troublesome for the landlord.
When I talk to people about being a digital arts major, I'm generally met with confused stares. It makes sense, "Digital Arts" is such a vague term that it seems to carry no inflection of what I do. In many ways I'm really thankful for this fact, since it also carries with it few restrictions on what I can focus on. When I was still in community college I leapt from Computer Engineering into Graphic Design because I felt that design would allow me a more meaningful means of interaction/communication. Like engineering though, pure design seemed to be missing something as well, sure I now had a means to engage people, but I had no substance to engage them with. After I transferred though, I found a means to backslide a bit, into a sort of middle ground between engineering/innovation and the tools of communication. So when asked what it is I want to do after college, I try to explain to people what it is I do now. Most think about this for a second, blink, and come back with "ok, but how do you want to use that after college." Not having the words to explain it in terms better than "I want to engage people" I start to talk about how it can be used for things such as marketing. Is this the noblest cause? Depends on the product or service really. But in any case it pays, and for many people what they really seem to be asking is "how will this secure you an income."
The First Things First manifestos are both declarations to use artistic/design skills for purposes other than mass marketing. What I find interesting is that the only difference between the two publications seems to be the suggested alternatives:
1964 There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world.
2000 There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions, social marketing campaigns, books, magazines, exhibitions, educational tools, television programs, films, charitable causes and other information design projects urgently require our expertise and help.
If you compare the two the alternatives to advertising suggested in 2000 seem almost purely...I have no word for it other than noble causes. "Social Marketing," "educational tools," "charitable causes"...
I'm not scoffing at these suggestions, they're certainly positive things. What I find odd/unfortunate is the things they left off from 1964 like "signs for streets and buildings," "scientific and industrial publications," "and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world." (I really like that last bit.)
The focus between 1964 and 2000 seems to shift from using design meaningfully to using design nobly. Noble is good, but meaningful is far more relevant.
Meaningfulness vs Nobility aside though, I feel like First Things First miss one important problem, especially when ending the 2000 manifesto with "Today, we renew their manifesto in expectation that no more decades will pass before it is taken to heart." I refuse to believe that there's a shortage of artists/designers out there who are uninterested in fulfilling more meaningful purposes. What I do believe is that there's a market shortage of demand, ie: people willing to pay, for them to do it. Most of the initiatives they offer as alternatives in the 2000 manifesto are things typically done by designers as pro-bono work, and while pro-bono work is vital to the soul, doing it exclusively can be troublesome for the landlord.
I should be...
talking about First Things First, the 1964 and 2000 manifestos, but as happens ANY time I should be doing something else, I just got distracted by Johnny Cupcakes.
I came across a NOTCOT.org entry showing that he's venturing tshirts into the land of belts.
I'll be honest, the man's Tshirt designs over the last 2 years have just been a bit too much for me aesthetically, often falling into the realm of gaudy. But these belts...they're glorious. Amazingly understated while still maintaining that slight edge that comes with indy brand clothing.
And the packaging is just beautiful. There's something about wooden boxes that is just nice, fun, and more lasting than cardboard/plastic packaging. I've got a collection of boxes from watches, wallets, and cufflinks that I just can't bring myself to get rid of. I have no need for them, but they still remain. Thinking about it, I even used to keep around the box from a package of smoked salmon until I tripped and broke all the joints.
I really shouldn't be surprised that JC has such nice packaging though, he and his pay really close attention to packaging, creating very memorable and lovable enclosures. (I didn't want to use the word packaging a third time in this sentence.) Just look at the boxes from his limited edition Halloween shirts:
Or for that matter, take a gander at what they use in store instead of "bags":
God, I'm in love.
I came across a NOTCOT.org entry showing that he's venturing tshirts into the land of belts.
I'll be honest, the man's Tshirt designs over the last 2 years have just been a bit too much for me aesthetically, often falling into the realm of gaudy. But these belts...they're glorious. Amazingly understated while still maintaining that slight edge that comes with indy brand clothing.
And the packaging is just beautiful. There's something about wooden boxes that is just nice, fun, and more lasting than cardboard/plastic packaging. I've got a collection of boxes from watches, wallets, and cufflinks that I just can't bring myself to get rid of. I have no need for them, but they still remain. Thinking about it, I even used to keep around the box from a package of smoked salmon until I tripped and broke all the joints.
I really shouldn't be surprised that JC has such nice packaging though, he and his pay really close attention to packaging, creating very memorable and lovable enclosures. (I didn't want to use the word packaging a third time in this sentence.) Just look at the boxes from his limited edition Halloween shirts:
Or for that matter, take a gander at what they use in store instead of "bags":
God, I'm in love.
"The discovery of the alphabet will create forgetfulness in the learner's souls,
because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves...You give your disciples not truth but only the semblance of truth; they will be heroes of many things, and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing." - Socrates, "Phaedrus"
I found this quote while reading Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Massage" and as much as I want to, I can't say I disagree, at least not when speaking from the point of view of personal experience.
I have an awful, AWFUL memory when it comes to absolute facts. I used to joke that it took 12 introductions before I remembered my last girlfriend's name. My memory isn't THAT bad...but it's pretty horrible. However, what I do learn nearly instantly is WHERE to find particular pieces of information.
Is this the alphabet's fault?
I found this quote while reading Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Massage" and as much as I want to, I can't say I disagree, at least not when speaking from the point of view of personal experience.
I have an awful, AWFUL memory when it comes to absolute facts. I used to joke that it took 12 introductions before I remembered my last girlfriend's name. My memory isn't THAT bad...but it's pretty horrible. However, what I do learn nearly instantly is WHERE to find particular pieces of information.
Is this the alphabet's fault?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tumblr
Hate Tumblr. Soooo much. Mostly their rss feed. Far as I can tell there's no way to get it to give you more than the latest 20 posts. Their api has a read function that's more usable...but it's a really ugly xml file.
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