Sex Sells?
Human beings are saturated with visual sensory input. This kind of competition makes it very tough to be a designer of the new, cool and memorable. Many designers of commercial advertising have turned to the old schema that 'sex sells'. Well the information I'm handing you today is going to make it even tougher for many advertising and commercial designers who may still be relying on these old stereotypes.
October 7, 2007, 4:15 PMMojo - with Vibe
Mojo - with Vibe
I can’t define it any better than that. The ability to get into peoples heads and then generate the energy they key into.
Vibe is knowing what turns people on- and what turns them off.
Mojo is the energy that’s generated.
Edge is breaking old, stale molds to create something new.
Mix that magic with a solid knowledge of demographics, numbers, sales trends, who’s buying what and why, and you have the recipe for a Win.
Ignore or go against any element of the above and you have the recipe for Disaster.
Microsoft vs. Mozilla
ARRGH!
That's about the extent of the reaction of web developers and designers to Microsoft's stubborn refusal to develop a browser that works with the world-wide standards of web development code. The manner in which Microsoft Explorer handles basic web code: CSS, DHTML, HTML, XML, PHP, and image transparencies is akin to a baboons handling of a Porsche 980...in the winter... in a snowstorm.
April 27, 2007, 10:05 AMGroping For Reality
A present futurist article
Augmented Reality is the science of conjoining of reality – hard solids that exist in space – with computer generated data that presents itself as a visual, interactive artifact in a real world space.
Basically it means that we will be adding to, building and defining our real living spaces with the additions of virtual, visible data generated by you or another. This visible data will be interactive in nature. As a Designer you will be creating your own environment and the environments of others.
One good example of AR is the Long Tail interview of Chris Anderson’s avatar, virtually conducted within the Second Life gaming environment, with Chris’s Avatar and the interviewer avatar on stage, and witnessed by an audience of avatars all connected to their human counterpart via home computers.
December 4, 2006, 1:19 PMThe Next Big Thing
Last night I saw a classic old lithography stamp swirling around the Sears logo on a Christmas commercial animation. And the Sears logo itself had converted to a 1800's high style, curly script instead of it's usual 'stroke within a stroke' ultra-utilitarian font.
Bam! In one whack Sears violated the ancient rule of branding that states "The Font Will Never Change". Perhaps they got a temporary dispensation from the Gods of Holiday advertising. The alternative explanation is that wealthy corporations, just like wealthy women, can break all the rules at the drop of a shoe. Not only can they hype a new brand of cool for themselves- but in turn they hype it for the rest of us as well.
Strange Days
Were you online in 1997-1998? Think back to the websites that were popular then... if you dare.
Remember flashing, 24 point text; screaming red on lime green bars on black backgrounds? A hundred pixelated, animated gifs covering every other site page? Half of the net looked like a cheesy sci-fi thriller/horror movie- the other half looked like a paper out of MIT. Design-wise, the Net was a schizophrenic amalgam of serious scientific papers dovetailing sites that exclaimed "UFO's ATTACK L.A.!!!"
Adobe Blues In Las Vegas
Writing the first Adobe Illustrator Blues blog post reminded me of the encounter my husband/partner and I had with Adobe at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Ready to hit the Halls
This is the largest Electronics Show on Earth. As we were attending as Press we were there every day, and as usual it was a wonderful experience. No one gets better free perks or food at Vegas Conferences than the press. Unless of course you are the head of Sony or Yahoo- then that is a whole other story.
June 19, 2006, 5:41 PMAdobe Illustrator Blues
I just interrupted a design I have been working on for a T-Shirt line that is going to be in international magazines and international stores. I interrupted my work for one reason. Complete frustration with Adobe Illustrator. I have been working with Adobe products for over 10 years now, and I would have to say that Illustrator is the most non-intuitive working tool that we have at our disposal.
June 8, 2006, 3:46 PMDesigning The New Web
I have been living in Web 2.0 now for some time and I have to admit I am hooked. From YouTube to Digg to Delicious. This is what we have been seeing as the future for some time: A virtual world that is completely existant and dependant upon individual human interaction - using every form of multimedia now technologically feasible.
March 19, 2006, 12:47 PMGetting Paid
I have written this article as a preventative measure for all newly launched graphic freelancers out there who are not looking forward to a diet of Ramen Noodles and generic soda. As creative as we are with our art, would-be contractors can be just as creative in coming up with ways not to pay us. Below is a list of these methods (CoughScamCough) that I have experienced or witnessed first hand.
February 27, 2006, 11:27 AMWhat's with the Orange?
Over the past 2 months I have been to 3 major conventions and noted something rather strange that connected all three. The first show was the CES; the Consumer Electronics Show. We went in as members of the press with all of the lovely perks included. So the press room was the first place we hit. (Thank you Verizon for the 5 Star breakfasts, and lunches - nothing like a free meal to encourage good feelings and good press). When we entered the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, second floor and stood on the landing looking across the vast expanse I immediately noted one thing: masses of the color Orange.
December 1, 2005, 3:13 PMKeeping your job... As a Client
I realize that the job of being a client for a graphic artist can be difficult, confusing and intimidating. All of a sudden you are faced with:
A barrage of new terminology.
Difficulty in getting your concepts and vision across.
Perplexity about timelines and standard fees.
Confusion in how to judge a design.
Yes, being a client is a job, but it is something that is as necessary to your business health as any other element- perhaps more necessary than you realize.
November 9, 2005, 10:34 AMFlamboyance
I hear this a lot:
"Wow!, Your art is wild/flamboyant/colorful/amazing..etc.."
Yes it is. When you are competing against 10,000 other graphic artists in a town where your 'graphic art' is displayed on a 35 foot plasma screen which is competing with 350 other 35 foot plasma screens, all on the same stretch of road, you do what you need to grab attention and hold it.
Desktop Publishing or Graphic Arts?
Just the term 'Desktop Publishing' evokes a collective groan of disgust among graphics professionals.
If you are not sure how Desktop Publishing differs from Graphic Design and why it brings on scowls and winces in the creative community; read on.
