Latest Posts from GDF Bloggers

Ben Kessler | November 19, 2009, 4:00 PM

Designism 4.0: Is Sustainability Sustainable?

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At Art Directors Club's Designism 4.0 event last night, the word "sustainable" was heavy on the breath of all four panelists. "Sustainable" has entered common usage as a catch-all designation for eco-friendly lifestyles, but it took on extra meaning here as a sort of euphemism for "economically viable."

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Susan Kirkland | November 17, 2009, 1:32 PM

A Few Thoughts on Fluid & Static Media
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SPARKLING OR STILL?

When I was young and in lust with a seriously interesting structural designer, I sent a butler dressed in white gloves, tie and tails to his office for his birthday each year.  The butler arrived with a standing ice bucket and two stems on a silver tray to serve him French champagne in a delicate Baccarat crystal stem (an original design molded from the breast of Marie Antoinette). The server wished him a happy birthday and quietly took his leave.  I considered my friend a delightful sparkle in a case of still wine; an analogy I have never been able to top.

Compare those two forms in media; do we prefer still or sparkling (static or fluid) when plugging into the world?  I think it depends on two things not determined by media buyers, things better determined by user environment and intent.  Traditional print is not strong enough to hold back the inevitable domination of information delivery by electronic device. 

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Chris Dickman | October 27, 2009, 5:51 AM

The Evolution of Paper

The Evolution of Paper

Until recently, to be a graphic designer was to engage in an endless love affair with paper. How many hours were spent flipping through swatch books in a kind of tracelike state, waiting for the click that signalled "this is it!" Then there was that anxious moment when the finished job came back from the printer and you held it in your hands—was the alchemy of paper, ink and inspiration such that something worthy and true had been born? Sometimes, yes, sometimes no. Many thoughts and emotions would arise in that moment, such as "Oh my god, the trapping! The TRAPPING!"

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Susan Kirkland | October 18, 2009, 2:15 PM

JOBS: Hiring & Firing in Design
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Part 1:  Getting Hired & Staying Hired

Your views of the world of work will change as you get older.  Wisdom comes with age, but all that means is some of the mystery and puzzlement over the course of your career will be clarified through personal experience. Separate yourself from the flood of resumes designed into oblivion; they are hard to read and difficult to decipher; will your work be the same?  Those rockin' hot typefaces you used (all 10 of them) will fade with time and become dated, sorta like shoulder pads and platform shoes.  Don't worry, if fashion is any indicator, they will cycle back in about 30 years and you'll be right on top of things again. But it won't be easy for you to get a good design job. Keep your resume simple, easy to read and pertinent. 

The trouble with job interviews is that so many people stretch the truth about their skills, nobody knows what to believe.  The assistant with her degree from the Art Institute who felt her beauty, grace and appearance were enough to keep her employed was fired.  The assistant who said he had a degree in advertising but really had majored in journalism was fired. Human beings are complex, emotional and pretty prejudiced about certain things when forced to make quick judgments about strangers they must hire.  You can maximize your chances of being hired for the right job in a very competitive field by following a few simple rules. Bear in mind that the right job may not be the job you want or think you deserve.  It should be one that matches your skills and abilities at the time. 

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Susan Kirkland | October 7, 2009, 4:00 PM

PORTFOLIO: Part Two
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Think Like a Lawyer

My previous post on  "Portfolio What's Yours is Not Theirs"  has generated more comments than any other post.  In an effort to clarify the issues involved, and rise to meet some challenges offered by readers, the questions and my resulting answers are posted below: The answers were sent to the individuals, except for one who gave a bad address.


QUESTION:
I was just released from my full time staff position of senior photographer I held for 7 years.  In those 7 years, I never had a contract or a non-compete about imagery and it's usage.  My former employer insists that I have ZERO rights to use any of the images to build a website and promote myself as an independent photographer.  On my last day he pushed an agreement in front of me stating, don't call clients, don't say anything bad about him, and he is offering me 8 images to take as my own. If I don't sign, he' s not going to give me my final check.  I had to sign just to get my money and get out of the building or I might have done something illegal to his physical being.  So 7 years have passed and I have to tell potential employers that I've been under a rock for 7 years. Or try to explain, "I really am a spectacular photographer you just need to trust me.  No I don't have any work to show you, but really, I'm great."

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Chris Dickman | October 6, 2009, 7:24 AM

Be Careful What You Wish For

Be Careful What You Wish For

When complete strangers ask you to lend your voice to their cause, history has shown that it's wise to reflect before taking up the banner. Because sometimes outwardly worthy causes can mask an unsuspected agenda. I guess I've been around long enough that a big red light starts flashing when I bump up against these. So it was when I recently received an email entitled Artists Ask Obama Administration to Protect Copyright.

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Chris Dickman | September 23, 2009, 8:55 AM

Read the Typographic Fine Print

Read the Typographic Fine Print

I'm sure you meticulously scroll through the entire End User Licence Agreement (EULA) before installing new software. Ditto when downloading stock images purchased online. No? Frankly, I'm shocked. Well, in that case there's little chance that you're familiar with the license terms of the last font you purchased. You didn't know fonts also had EULAs? Fonts are just software, after all, and commercial software simply grants the purchaser a limited ability to use it. Same with fonts. So for designers, knowing what they legally can and can't do with their fonts is not insignificant.

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Chris Dickman | September 16, 2009, 9:20 AM

iStockphoto: Your Next Insurance Company?

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We humans are frightened by a lot of things but for most of us the scariest thing of all is contemplating the future. Not a future in which all is happiness and bliss but one in which something horrible pops up out of nowhere to grab us by the throat. Some unforeseen event so overwhelming that our lives are forever damaged. Ready and waiting to respond to this fear is, of course, the insurance industry.

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Chris Dickman | September 14, 2009, 9:45 AM

All Things Typographic: 7

That's right, ATT is back with its take on what's new in the world of fonts, font applications, notable font usage and general fontiness. This time out I'll focus on recent font releases from Fountain, Gestalten, Kapitza, Linotype and Mårten Nettelblad.

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Chris Dickman | September 7, 2009, 3:44 AM

Presentation Zen: The Video

I've never given a PowerPoint presentation in my life but I've sat through more than a few of them, with varying degrees of interest. And that's no surprise, since with millions of presentations being delivered every day, at any given moment thousands of people across the globe are assembled in darkened rooms to gaze in wonder at—or more likely slumber through—yet another mediocre presentation. There's something poignant about this human drive to share a point of view, when the odds are so stacked against its chances of succeeding.

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Chris Dickman | August 30, 2009, 11:02 AM

The Joy of Domain Parking: Part 2

Earlier this summer I began a look at the alternatives available to those of us who have domains on our hands but neither the desire nor the resources to build them out to full-blown sites. Beyond simply using the domain parking provided by your registrar, what are the possibilities?

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Ben Kessler | August 25, 2009, 2:46 PM

Critic Armond White's New Book Keep Moving Chronicles MJ's Career

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Two-time New York Film Critics Circle chairman Armond White is about to release his first collection of criticism in nearly 15 years: Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles. The 118-page book brings together 21 pieces that have appeared over the last 25 years in publications such as The City Sun, The Village Voice, New York Press, and First of the Month.

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Chris Dickman | August 22, 2009, 10:08 AM

PANTONE Wants You to Chip In

PANTONE Wants You to Chip In

The economic crunch, combined with a growing aversion to the excesses of our disposable culture, is generating a very real aversion to upgrading just about anything. Take a look around. Odds are that you can spot something within sight that you (or the powers that be) have decided to hang on to, which in another era (not that long ago) would have been replaced by now with the latest and greatest. If you're a designer, that something probably includes tools of the trade, both digital and analog.

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Mike Lenhart | August 13, 2009, 10:17 AM

If Your Picture Were in the Dictionary
pict_blog_cover.jpgRemember looking through old encyclopedias or other reference books at the pictures and drawings that were contained? There were so many wonderful images to look at - and they were all very inspiring for young artists. Chronicle Books has come out with another fabulous book that captures the images of dictionaries of old. Pictorial Webster's - A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities is a grand book that captures thousands of engravings which accompanied entries in this reference book for many years. It's a delight for the eyes.

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Chris Dickman | August 13, 2009, 8:17 AM

You've Been Hacked! Now What?

You've Been Hacked! Now What?

Your day began by learning that one or more hackers had compromised your site's servers, gaining access to customer account information and possibly credit card details. The trust customers place in you, essential for your survival, is at stake. Luckily, you have prepared for such an eventuality by putting in place a disaster plan that can quickly lock out the hackers, assess the full extent of the intrusion, restore any missing data, and ensure your customers know exactly what happened, what your response is and what impact this has on them. You don't have such a plan in place? Then take notes from a firm that recently found itself in this position.

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