The buzz right now in the creative community is the new Adobe Creative Suite that was officially announced yesterday via a live event and webcast. Let me tell you, it is a designer’s wet dream. As I have been watching this product rollout I am completely geeking out... this is the kind of stuff that designers go nuts over, but if I showed it to someone outside the industry they would simply smile and nod.
In a nutshell, not only does each element of CS3 have gobs of cool new features that allow ideas to be better implemented, but the entire suite of programs are better integrated to allow for a smoother, quicker workflow, not to mention the ability to do do things that were once either not possible or extremely difficult.
The big question is, can a software suite (a really damn expensive software suite at that) make a person more creative? Can Creative Suite’s new features make me a better designer?
In a way, yes, but despite having all of these features a designer has to have talent. These amazing graphics applications can help breed creativity, but in the end it doesn’t matter if a person knows the software back and forth... if they do not know how to apply the software, it is a moot point.
A great artist is a great artist no matter what tools he has available. Before Photoshop and Illustrator and Quark XPress and all of the other graphic design software out there in the world, there was letterpress. Before letterpress there was copperplate. And so on and so forth. If you look at pieces of art and design made before the advent of computer graphics, there are still some amazing works that were created with the kind of imagination that transcends technology. Toulouse-Lautrec, Frank Lloyd-Wright, Andy Warhol... these guys didn't have Adobe Creative Suite 3. In fact, it could be argued that not having these amazing innovations can be a good thing.
When I started drawing and painting and creating, I did not have a computer loaded with Photoshop. Actually, Photoshop didnt exist. I used the tools that I had to exercise my mind and become a better artist. I had a foundation of learning how art works that allowed me to expand upon that in my later years. In high school, when I picked up Photoshop for the first time I was able to use that foundation in art and design. Once I learned the tools and how they all worked, I could then take that knowledge and apply it to my process.
Chances are most of the people who will be able to afford this awesome new software suite will be people who have some sort of design or art background. And most likely this awesome new software suite will not make them more creative. Rather, it will allow them to harness the full potential of their creativity and allow them to make the ideas in their brains reality. I am one of these people, and I can’t even tell you how excited I am!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Be What You Are...
Soundtrack: Amélie by Yann Tiersen
Earlier this month David Carson spoke at the Colorado chapter of AIGA. I didn’t get a chance to go see him, which was a big bummer since those who know me can tell you that David is by far my favorite graphic designer. However, the AIGA Colorado podcast for this month features the Q & A he did as part of his presentation. It was very short but extremely inspiring.
At one point David fields the following question: “What is the difference between Art and Design”. That is a terrific question and he had a great answer for it. Carson said “I think the lines have blurred... I’m driven more towards the art side of it.” He went on to point out that most of his influences are fine artists (like Mark Rothko) instead of other designers (like Paul Rand). He also mentioned that AIGA stands for the American Institue of Graphic Artists. And he ended with "I think you have to make that decision. It has to be I think, what you’re passionate about. It's your choice.”
I don’t quite know why, probably because the man is a god among men, but that statement had a huge impact on me. It has made me think long and hard about where I stand in the world of design. After all, this is a huge field and the range of careers within it is enormous: from accountants to art directors to illustrators to photographers. In fact anyone who wants to get into design can, it doesn't make any difference whether you are artistic or not. Just don’t expect to be a production artist or designer or an art director if you are lacking in artistic ability.
David Carson is in a unique position. He didn’t start his career in the commercial arts the usual way, which is going to school and getting an internship and then getting a crappy job as a web monkey or production artist or whatever. Here is a man who loved to surf, he loved music, he loved skateboarding, he loved that whole culture. He graduated with a degree in sociology and the only training he had in design was a couple of graphic design workshops. Instead of learning about art an design from the outside, as many of us in this industry go through, he learned all he could from the inside by immersing himself in the beach culture of the mid 80s. Punk rock, skateboarding, surfing, bohemian attitudes and an emphasis on self-expression through art is what he found; a gig as the art director of Transworld Skateboarding is what he walked away with. In 1991 his success as a professional surfer (he was ranked 9th in the world in 1989) allowed him to become the art director for Beach Culture, and it was there that he solidified the unique style that he had been cultivating. At the time the style was revolutionary and it ushered in the grunge era of design... an era that helped give the grunge era of music it's identity.
Since then he's worked for HOW magazine, founded Ray Gun magazine, and started up his own design studio where he's worked with everyone from Nike to Nine Inch Nails. Not bad for a guy who didn't even go to design school. And it has me wondering if I need to go to school. I've been in school for way too long. I have learned a lot here, but I have learned even more on my own. It has been good for me because most of my teachers have pushed me hard, sometimes to the breaking point and sometimes even past the breaking point. But I have also pushed myself and I work for people who know that even though I am good I can be better, much better. I just finished what I think has been my greatest design achievement this weekend. It’s just a web site, nothing even that sophisticated. But every step of the way I've had plenty of solid constructive criticism of my work and I have generated something that I feel is some of the best work I have ever done.
David Carson’s words are still ringing in my ears... do what I’m passionate about. It’s my decision. If I am not passionate about learning through books and homework anymore, but rather passionate about learning through immersing myself in what I want to do, in becoming a part of the culture of design, maybe I should stop doing what I am not passionate about and just start doing. David Carson worked hard. He wasn’t lucky, he wasn’t just in the right place at the right time, he was the right person at the right place at the right time with the right mindset and a drive to do something new. Revolutionary thinking is not easy. It is not something anyone can do. I believe it is something that 80% of the people on this earth are just flat out not capable of.
And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am part of the other 20%. There is no ego, no simple arrogance, just fact. I know I am better than most people, and I think it is time for me to prove it.
I just have to decide what is the best way to accomplish that.
But I know I am going to be what I am and most of all be passionate about what I do. You should too.
Earlier this month David Carson spoke at the Colorado chapter of AIGA. I didn’t get a chance to go see him, which was a big bummer since those who know me can tell you that David is by far my favorite graphic designer. However, the AIGA Colorado podcast for this month features the Q & A he did as part of his presentation. It was very short but extremely inspiring.
At one point David fields the following question: “What is the difference between Art and Design”. That is a terrific question and he had a great answer for it. Carson said “I think the lines have blurred... I’m driven more towards the art side of it.” He went on to point out that most of his influences are fine artists (like Mark Rothko) instead of other designers (like Paul Rand). He also mentioned that AIGA stands for the American Institue of Graphic Artists. And he ended with "I think you have to make that decision. It has to be I think, what you’re passionate about. It's your choice.”
I don’t quite know why, probably because the man is a god among men, but that statement had a huge impact on me. It has made me think long and hard about where I stand in the world of design. After all, this is a huge field and the range of careers within it is enormous: from accountants to art directors to illustrators to photographers. In fact anyone who wants to get into design can, it doesn't make any difference whether you are artistic or not. Just don’t expect to be a production artist or designer or an art director if you are lacking in artistic ability.
David Carson is in a unique position. He didn’t start his career in the commercial arts the usual way, which is going to school and getting an internship and then getting a crappy job as a web monkey or production artist or whatever. Here is a man who loved to surf, he loved music, he loved skateboarding, he loved that whole culture. He graduated with a degree in sociology and the only training he had in design was a couple of graphic design workshops. Instead of learning about art an design from the outside, as many of us in this industry go through, he learned all he could from the inside by immersing himself in the beach culture of the mid 80s. Punk rock, skateboarding, surfing, bohemian attitudes and an emphasis on self-expression through art is what he found; a gig as the art director of Transworld Skateboarding is what he walked away with. In 1991 his success as a professional surfer (he was ranked 9th in the world in 1989) allowed him to become the art director for Beach Culture, and it was there that he solidified the unique style that he had been cultivating. At the time the style was revolutionary and it ushered in the grunge era of design... an era that helped give the grunge era of music it's identity.
Since then he's worked for HOW magazine, founded Ray Gun magazine, and started up his own design studio where he's worked with everyone from Nike to Nine Inch Nails. Not bad for a guy who didn't even go to design school. And it has me wondering if I need to go to school. I've been in school for way too long. I have learned a lot here, but I have learned even more on my own. It has been good for me because most of my teachers have pushed me hard, sometimes to the breaking point and sometimes even past the breaking point. But I have also pushed myself and I work for people who know that even though I am good I can be better, much better. I just finished what I think has been my greatest design achievement this weekend. It’s just a web site, nothing even that sophisticated. But every step of the way I've had plenty of solid constructive criticism of my work and I have generated something that I feel is some of the best work I have ever done.
David Carson’s words are still ringing in my ears... do what I’m passionate about. It’s my decision. If I am not passionate about learning through books and homework anymore, but rather passionate about learning through immersing myself in what I want to do, in becoming a part of the culture of design, maybe I should stop doing what I am not passionate about and just start doing. David Carson worked hard. He wasn’t lucky, he wasn’t just in the right place at the right time, he was the right person at the right place at the right time with the right mindset and a drive to do something new. Revolutionary thinking is not easy. It is not something anyone can do. I believe it is something that 80% of the people on this earth are just flat out not capable of.
And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am part of the other 20%. There is no ego, no simple arrogance, just fact. I know I am better than most people, and I think it is time for me to prove it.
I just have to decide what is the best way to accomplish that.
But I know I am going to be what I am and most of all be passionate about what I do. You should too.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Everybody Loves Wired
Soundtrack: It’s Crazy by Drag The River
Wired Magazine is a unique entity. Not only is it a successful print magazine, it is a wildly successful web site. Recently they underwent a design overhaul. A new identity combined with a new front page layout has given the stalwort media dispenser a fresh look, but not everyone who trolls the world wide web is a fan. Among the many negative comments are posts such as “To which middle school art class did you farm this out?” and “No. No. No. Bad Wired. Surely this is some cruel joke because you withheld pizza and caffeine from the html coders, yes?”.
It is not a cruel joke, and I am not quite sure what people are complaining about. Apparently it is hard to read, but when I view the site in both Firefox and Safari, I see a well designed site with great visual hierarchy. The designers do not need to tell you what parts are the most important with subheadlines. Everything speaks for itself. In fact, it almost reminds me of the way an actual print magazine table of contents might be laid out.
Here’s what I think has happened. People on the whole do not respond well to change in the area of things that they are familiar with. Wired had the same layout on their front page for years and years, and people were used to it. They could scan through it easily and find what it was they were looking for. And then the folks at wired had the audacity to overhaul their own front page... how dare they! Well the world changes, folks. All of you out there in hinternet land are going to need to get used to that. Sometimes it is hard.
On the other side of the coin, it is not necesarily a good thing for a buiness to alienate their customers, and especially not good for a magazine to alienate it’s readers. There are going to be the folks like me who continue to read Wired regardless of the change. There are going to be the readers like me who like the change better. There are going to be new readers, and there are going to be people who leave because they do not like the way the new front page looks. What remains to be seen is whether the people who leave outweigh the number of faithful as well as new readers. Here's looking at you, Wired. Good luck, you’re gonna need it.
Wired Magazine is a unique entity. Not only is it a successful print magazine, it is a wildly successful web site. Recently they underwent a design overhaul. A new identity combined with a new front page layout has given the stalwort media dispenser a fresh look, but not everyone who trolls the world wide web is a fan. Among the many negative comments are posts such as “To which middle school art class did you farm this out?” and “No. No. No. Bad Wired. Surely this is some cruel joke because you withheld pizza and caffeine from the html coders, yes?”.
It is not a cruel joke, and I am not quite sure what people are complaining about. Apparently it is hard to read, but when I view the site in both Firefox and Safari, I see a well designed site with great visual hierarchy. The designers do not need to tell you what parts are the most important with subheadlines. Everything speaks for itself. In fact, it almost reminds me of the way an actual print magazine table of contents might be laid out.
Here’s what I think has happened. People on the whole do not respond well to change in the area of things that they are familiar with. Wired had the same layout on their front page for years and years, and people were used to it. They could scan through it easily and find what it was they were looking for. And then the folks at wired had the audacity to overhaul their own front page... how dare they! Well the world changes, folks. All of you out there in hinternet land are going to need to get used to that. Sometimes it is hard.
On the other side of the coin, it is not necesarily a good thing for a buiness to alienate their customers, and especially not good for a magazine to alienate it’s readers. There are going to be the folks like me who continue to read Wired regardless of the change. There are going to be the readers like me who like the change better. There are going to be new readers, and there are going to be people who leave because they do not like the way the new front page looks. What remains to be seen is whether the people who leave outweigh the number of faithful as well as new readers. Here's looking at you, Wired. Good luck, you’re gonna need it.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Making A Future Out Of Things Of The Past
Soundtrack: “Outkast” by P.O.D.
Things are looking rather promising for multimedia design right now. In fact, for technologies such as web and multimedia design, the future is so bright they have to wear shades. But what about good old reliable print design? What about the technology that lets us have books, lithograph posters, compact disc inserts and most importantly, those cute little coffee cup sleeves that have trite advertisements all over them?
One would think that things in that realm are bleak. People have found other ways to advertise so there is less money being poured into print advertisement budgets. Five years ago Medialife magazine reported a “Dire future for print design.”Five years is a long time in the world of instant gratification, MTV, and fast moving interactive technologies. Unfortunately that is not the only grim forecast. There's everything from talk about major newspapers losing a ridiculous amount of earnings to the interesting observation that internet media may be replacing traditional PR methods.
Despite the doomsaying, print media is here to stay. I don’t think traditional methods will ever be replaced. When radio became the popular medium people said it would be the end of the newspaper. The newspaper stayed around. When television made it’s debut people said it was the end of of both radio and the poor, unloved newspaper. Yet what do we see today? They both still exist today. It should be noted, however, that the newspaper’s role has been constantly evolving. It will always be around in some form, but that form is continuously changing.
Here’s the deal folks. The newspaper is not that important in the world of modern print design. People in the graphic design community who are mourning it can stop because they do not need to. See, it is not about how interactive technologies are killing off traditional methods. It is about how these new technologies are causing traditional media to evolve. But most of all, it is about how designers and pre-press gurus push these time-tested and familiar technologies to change with the new world that is rapidly forming. Some companies such as Colour Innovations in Toronto Canada are doing just that. In addition to leading the way in FM printing and high-density inks, they are the primary licensee of a new technology called MetalFX. It is a new way of printing metallic colors that is starting to revolutionize the industry. Then there is stuff like “smart” paper, anaglyphic printing, synthetic paper, and various other fun technologies that make print a little more interactive. But the best innovation is something that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to no end.
Just a couple of days ago Adobe, the fine folks who have faithfully brought us their flagship software Photoshop for nearly twenty years, announced the impending release of Photoshop CS3, of which a public beta is now available to users of the current Photoshop CS2. CS3 will be the tenth version of Photoshop. And Adobe is going to do something groundbreaking. For the first time in the history of technology, 3D support and motion graphics editing are being added to a 2D image editing computer program. Not just one, not just the other, both. For the layperson that means the Photoshop doesn’t just make your photos better, it doesn’t just give you the ability to create amazing print and web graphics. It means that from now on the game has changed and creative potential is limitless.
It is interesting to consider the options. Does this mean it is now possible to create a website alongside a short film? Is it possible to produce a feature-length Hollywood movie on a laptop that has Photoshop? I don’t know. What I do know is that I am excited about the creative possibilties. But most of all, I am excited for the future of design because this kind of integration means that designers are going to once again push the boundaries of convention and they are going to break out of the box. And thinking outside of the box is what makes the creative world go around.
Things are looking rather promising for multimedia design right now. In fact, for technologies such as web and multimedia design, the future is so bright they have to wear shades. But what about good old reliable print design? What about the technology that lets us have books, lithograph posters, compact disc inserts and most importantly, those cute little coffee cup sleeves that have trite advertisements all over them?
One would think that things in that realm are bleak. People have found other ways to advertise so there is less money being poured into print advertisement budgets. Five years ago Medialife magazine reported a “Dire future for print design.”Five years is a long time in the world of instant gratification, MTV, and fast moving interactive technologies. Unfortunately that is not the only grim forecast. There's everything from talk about major newspapers losing a ridiculous amount of earnings to the interesting observation that internet media may be replacing traditional PR methods.
Despite the doomsaying, print media is here to stay. I don’t think traditional methods will ever be replaced. When radio became the popular medium people said it would be the end of the newspaper. The newspaper stayed around. When television made it’s debut people said it was the end of of both radio and the poor, unloved newspaper. Yet what do we see today? They both still exist today. It should be noted, however, that the newspaper’s role has been constantly evolving. It will always be around in some form, but that form is continuously changing.
Here’s the deal folks. The newspaper is not that important in the world of modern print design. People in the graphic design community who are mourning it can stop because they do not need to. See, it is not about how interactive technologies are killing off traditional methods. It is about how these new technologies are causing traditional media to evolve. But most of all, it is about how designers and pre-press gurus push these time-tested and familiar technologies to change with the new world that is rapidly forming. Some companies such as Colour Innovations in Toronto Canada are doing just that. In addition to leading the way in FM printing and high-density inks, they are the primary licensee of a new technology called MetalFX. It is a new way of printing metallic colors that is starting to revolutionize the industry. Then there is stuff like “smart” paper, anaglyphic printing, synthetic paper, and various other fun technologies that make print a little more interactive. But the best innovation is something that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to no end.
Just a couple of days ago Adobe, the fine folks who have faithfully brought us their flagship software Photoshop for nearly twenty years, announced the impending release of Photoshop CS3, of which a public beta is now available to users of the current Photoshop CS2. CS3 will be the tenth version of Photoshop. And Adobe is going to do something groundbreaking. For the first time in the history of technology, 3D support and motion graphics editing are being added to a 2D image editing computer program. Not just one, not just the other, both. For the layperson that means the Photoshop doesn’t just make your photos better, it doesn’t just give you the ability to create amazing print and web graphics. It means that from now on the game has changed and creative potential is limitless.
It is interesting to consider the options. Does this mean it is now possible to create a website alongside a short film? Is it possible to produce a feature-length Hollywood movie on a laptop that has Photoshop? I don’t know. What I do know is that I am excited about the creative possibilties. But most of all, I am excited for the future of design because this kind of integration means that designers are going to once again push the boundaries of convention and they are going to break out of the box. And thinking outside of the box is what makes the creative world go around.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Get Wet
Soundtrack: Redeemer by Norma Jean
Sex appeal goes a long way in advertising. It can be as alluring as the anti-aids campaign that features men and women getting fresh with various deadly and venomous creatures. Or it can be as cheap and obvious as those annoying Budweiser ads with beautiful models hanging out drinking cheap beer.
My favorite “sexy” ad campaign so far has to be the Radiator waterwear “Improve Your Flexibility” series of ads created by the Furnace agency. They are nothing new, but they are so cheeky and bare in their less-than-innocent stab at decency that you just have to smile. I posted what I think is my favorite example (just look at that dude's cheesy grin!), you can find the rest of them here.
Sex appeal goes a long way in advertising. It can be as alluring as the anti-aids campaign that features men and women getting fresh with various deadly and venomous creatures. Or it can be as cheap and obvious as those annoying Budweiser ads with beautiful models hanging out drinking cheap beer.
My favorite “sexy” ad campaign so far has to be the Radiator waterwear “Improve Your Flexibility” series of ads created by the Furnace agency. They are nothing new, but they are so cheeky and bare in their less-than-innocent stab at decency that you just have to smile. I posted what I think is my favorite example (just look at that dude's cheesy grin!), you can find the rest of them here.
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