There are days when I have my sketch book and get a million ideas (maybe not a million, but quite a bit). Then there are days when I wrack my brain to try and get one that doesn't look like I designed it while under the influence of prescription cold medicine. Sometimes when I am working on something that I have already sketched a rough design idea of, I get bogged down and just can't go any further with it. The things that can bring you out of those are interesting and sometimes quite strange indeed.
There have been projects where a song, or a memory would cause me to have sudden insight into what I wanted on my sketch book or computer screen. Colors and images I wouldn't normally use just seemed to pop in certain moods.
I was assigned a project in a very basic graphics class where we had to design a typeface. Yup! Design a typeface. Everyone in the class started sketching and doodling, my sketch pad was blank. At the time I was also working a couple of jobs, so after class that day I went to work. I was a parking attendant at a city parking lot. There was one lot that was right next to a shady tennis court, which was where I got stationed that day. Since it was slow I had my sketch book with me and would try my hardest to come up with SOMETHING!
That's when I saw it! Lizards! No one had done lizards yet. It was original, it was... too boring! So I changed my lizards to geckos. It was right around the time Geico came out with their cute, comical spokesperson. My teacher would be thrilled! At least I thought so. She wasn't that impressed (I probably shouldn't have made them eat the tail of the other one to form letters), but the point is I found inspiration in a strange place.
When you are designing something (whether it's graphics related or even a living room!), what strange places have you found inspiration?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Vivids, Visuals, Valuable!
Remember in English class when you would write an essay and the teacher would tell you to use vivid language or descriptors? How much more attention do you pay to ads and bill boards if there are "vivid visuals"? Would you be more apt to read this whole blog if there were images? I am sure you would! We are visual people who like to see pictures.
Imagine you are reading a brochure for a trip to Prague (I chose Prague because it's a beautiful city and you can get amazing pictures there without being a professional).
The brochure is full of type, no pictures, no descriptive language:
"The city is the capital of the Czech Republic. It's old. It's in Europe"
This doesn't sound like a great place to go on vacation does it? Ok, try this one then:
"This beautiful city, being the capital of the Czech Republic, is full of rich history and awe inspiring architecture." Then has this image inside:
The brochure and the city become more interesting. It's no longer this dreary read, it's a place! A mysterious, beautiful place full of history and wonder!
But! Remember that using images also has a downside. You can make mistakes by using the wrong one. For example: You wouldn't use the above picture to talk about health care or financial issues. It wouldn't fit the subject.
Imagine you are reading a brochure for a trip to Prague (I chose Prague because it's a beautiful city and you can get amazing pictures there without being a professional).
The brochure is full of type, no pictures, no descriptive language:
"The city is the capital of the Czech Republic. It's old. It's in Europe"
This doesn't sound like a great place to go on vacation does it? Ok, try this one then:
"This beautiful city, being the capital of the Czech Republic, is full of rich history and awe inspiring architecture." Then has this image inside:
But! Remember that using images also has a downside. You can make mistakes by using the wrong one. For example: You wouldn't use the above picture to talk about health care or financial issues. It wouldn't fit the subject.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Good enough or just garbage?
Design that blog...
Over the weekend I was of a mind to design my blog some. I like the template design but it just doesn't say it's me or graphic design, typography, art or crafts. It's pretty, just doesn't go with the idea of this blog. So I looked up tutorials. I found one that looked like it would be easy and quite useful. It's on the Vandelay design website (http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/website-layout-photoshop-tutorials/ ). Being a smart designer I figured I would do the tutorial, use my own images and then as I got more confident with the HTML, coding!
Sadly, as you can see it did not work out. I am still trying to get step 2 down. Where you use the pretty design they give you as a background abstract image, my little gradient is now blank. I can't find something I think is "good enough" to put up there.
This is an issue we all run into. Whether it's sewing a hemline (yes I have torn out hemlines up to 12 times to get them right), coloring inside the lines (it's a HUGE issue when you are 6) or your design you spent hours pouring blood, sweat and tears into. As a designer the thing that we sell is our skills. If you don't believe in your work, how will anyone else?
Value your work...
HOW magazine recently published an article where there are 29 things a new designer must know. One of them is to value your work. This is the hardest step for me, and others it appears! We go out and bid for a job, the job is a good one. You put in your bid where it's not too high, but still you get to eat more than Ramen for the month. The sweating starts, you question yourself, the doubt creeps in with misery and when it's time to start your presentation you put down yourself and your design without even realizing it. It's time to show that you care about your work and you know you are good at what you do.
Lately, I have found that part to be the hardest part, not the brainstorming, thumbnails, composites... just the part where I say I like that design, it's my best yet! So I tear up my thumbnails or despair and just do the lamest job I can, so I get credit or just get it over with.
The wind up...
I just put in for a design position. Whether I get it or not is dependent upon how I sell myself to the project manager and the head design guy. Am I nervous? Yes, as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (love that image). Was I sick to my stomach when I sent a couple of my pieces to them? Oh yes I was, I thought I would faint. But the key here is I did it. And I guess that means that when I get the rest of my design back up CD's to actually spin right, I can design this blog and it will be amazing!
Remember to value your work, and mean it! If you don't it could cost you a position, sale or even a night's sleep!
Over the weekend I was of a mind to design my blog some. I like the template design but it just doesn't say it's me or graphic design, typography, art or crafts. It's pretty, just doesn't go with the idea of this blog. So I looked up tutorials. I found one that looked like it would be easy and quite useful. It's on the Vandelay design website (http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/website-layout-photoshop-tutorials/ ). Being a smart designer I figured I would do the tutorial, use my own images and then as I got more confident with the HTML, coding!
Sadly, as you can see it did not work out. I am still trying to get step 2 down. Where you use the pretty design they give you as a background abstract image, my little gradient is now blank. I can't find something I think is "good enough" to put up there.
This is an issue we all run into. Whether it's sewing a hemline (yes I have torn out hemlines up to 12 times to get them right), coloring inside the lines (it's a HUGE issue when you are 6) or your design you spent hours pouring blood, sweat and tears into. As a designer the thing that we sell is our skills. If you don't believe in your work, how will anyone else?
Value your work...
HOW magazine recently published an article where there are 29 things a new designer must know. One of them is to value your work. This is the hardest step for me, and others it appears! We go out and bid for a job, the job is a good one. You put in your bid where it's not too high, but still you get to eat more than Ramen for the month. The sweating starts, you question yourself, the doubt creeps in with misery and when it's time to start your presentation you put down yourself and your design without even realizing it. It's time to show that you care about your work and you know you are good at what you do.
Lately, I have found that part to be the hardest part, not the brainstorming, thumbnails, composites... just the part where I say I like that design, it's my best yet! So I tear up my thumbnails or despair and just do the lamest job I can, so I get credit or just get it over with.
The wind up...
I just put in for a design position. Whether I get it or not is dependent upon how I sell myself to the project manager and the head design guy. Am I nervous? Yes, as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (love that image). Was I sick to my stomach when I sent a couple of my pieces to them? Oh yes I was, I thought I would faint. But the key here is I did it. And I guess that means that when I get the rest of my design back up CD's to actually spin right, I can design this blog and it will be amazing!
Remember to value your work, and mean it! If you don't it could cost you a position, sale or even a night's sleep!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wait, that typeface is a corporate identity??
I was driving home from work earlier this week and while in traffic noticed this van in the lane next to me. I normally check out the logos and type on commercial vehicles here because it's Orlando. Our companies that have cars, trucks and vans tend to use some funky design and text, Lynx bus lines tend to do full vehicle wraps that just amaze me.
Back to our van from earlier this week, there was no real logo. I thought "OK, so that company is using the name and type for their identity" and really took a look at it. Papyrus. The whole company identity, including the website, phone numbers, everything was in Papyrus. Now don't get me wrong it's a nice typeface. I have used it myself. But there are times and places for it. It seems that this company just didn't understand that septic tanks and Papyrus just don't seem to go together in most minds.
I might have gone with something that wasn't as delicate looking myself. Maybe used something that showed strength like Bodoni, or maybe flexibility like Bauhaus. Just not a flowery script that looks like it's fading away. That I would have saved for something not having to do with waste water and sewage.
When do we use those fun fonts?! Imagine you are doing a black tie dinner and you want to use Taco... I think that might be a bit much but we can work with it. Use it for one piece... like maybe the headline. but don't use it for every word, number and symbol on the page. Though I wouldn't use Taco for something like that unless it was for a taco stand.
This brings to mind an article that was written on the use of Comic Sans. The title was "Typeface Inspired by Comic Books Has Become a Font of Ill Will" and it was in the Wall Street Journal. The article talks about how a font created for fun in comics is now being used everywhere. People fall in love with it and put it on fine jewelry stores, important documents and even a theater in Spain. Now why would I be going on about a typeface and what is the point of this? See there are times for everything. You wouldn't go to a wedding wearing your pajamas would you? Well if you are designing a legal document you wouldn't use a font that make people think of the Sunday funnies!
I guess I am just silly that this irritates me. Not to the point where I am going to lash out and yell. No, I will shake my head, take a picture and put that snapshot in my "Do Not Do!!" file.
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