Latest Posts from GDF Bloggers
Mike Lenhart | July 22, 2008, 11:54 AMThose Interesting (Yawn) '90s
There have been a lot of great advancements in graphic design over the decades - from the line art of the 1930s to the bright colors and neon of the 1980s. It seems though that some of the ingenuity and creativity were lost in the 1990s, however. What happened?
Chris Dickman | July 22, 2008, 3:23 AMAn Affiliate Program with a Graphical Nature
I think that most readers of the Graphic Design Forum blogs are aware that the site is part of the Graphics.com Network. But it's less well understood that the Network is in turn a member of JupiterOnlineMedia, itself a division of Jupitermedia Corporation (don't worry, there will be no pop quiz). Another division of Jupitermedia is Jupiterimages, which has grown from consisting originally just of Clipart.com and Photos.com, to including a wealth of stock content sites, covering everything from royalty-free microstock, to high-end photos, illustrations, music, footage and Flash clips.
Chris Dickman | July 17, 2008, 11:33 AMIs You In Or Is You Out?
I admit that I haven't paid the slightest attention to the growing concern in the creative community about the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act. But having just stumbled across a cogent explanation of what lies behind the Act and what the possible outcome could be for all visual artists, I'm now, as Ed Anger would say, "pig-biting mad." And why is that, dear reader? Because the underlying intent is nothing less than the creation of an administrative cloud of Kafkaesque proportions that would have the delightful effects of stifling creative visual expression of all kinds and putting in place an Orwellian monitoring program, all while shoveling a boatload of money into the pockets of nebulous private enterprises. Hey, that's three literary references in one paragraph!
Mike Lenhart | July 16, 2008, 1:45 PMThe Last Scan - Whew!
Hey, everybody! I know I've been boring you with the esoteric scannable items from my treasure trove and thought I'd bore you one more time. This last batch of scans really have no rhyme or reason, they're just sort of fun and downright weird.
Ben Kessler | July 11, 2008, 10:11 AMDesign Meets Documentary: Gunnin' for That #1 Spot
Today's documentary films rarely surprise me. These days, it seems doc-makers don't have the talent or the intuition to know how much distance to take from their subjects--either they're alienated from the reality of what they show by prejudice or partisanship (e.g., Borat), or they're complicit, complacent, slavish (Shine a Light, An Inconvenient Truth or any of the other recent hagiographic political docs that lack contrasting perspectives). Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has made an antidote to this poisoning of an art form: the new must-see documentary Gunnin' for That #1 Spot, about elite high-school basketball players coming together for a historic game/summit meeting at Rucker Park in Harlem.
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Mike Lenhart | July 8, 2008, 7:30 PMScannable Items - Oranges, Schmoranges
Remember when agricultural items were shipped in wooden crates with those beautiful labels on them? I don't really, but I came across some of those ornate orange crate labels recently and had to scan them. The history behind these labels is quite interesting and have quite a tale to tell.
Shaun Crowley | July 5, 2008, 4:17 PMWriting ad copy: How to prove your product’s superiority
In recent posts, I have provided tips for designers wishing to take on copywriting assignments, in addition to their usual design projects.
So far we have covered the briefing meeting, conceptualizing marketing collateral, drafting copy, grabbing the reader's attention, writing in an engaging style, and improving the selling power of your copy.
In this post we'll look at how to back up your claims and convince the reader of the product's authority.
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Mike Lenhart | July 3, 2008, 2:15 PMScannable Items - 2nd Time Around
Chris Dickman | June 29, 2008, 9:25 AM
So Long, Marianne
The stories that countries tell about themselves are rife with half-truths, propped up with fetishistic elements that speak in a special code to the initiated. Americans have the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, the Declaration of Independence, and so on. Canadians have.. hmm, actually we Canucks don't have anything in that line, which in itself is a central element of our national character, but I'll save that for another blog. The focus this time out is on the French, who have a complicated history marked by Kings and Church, the French Revolution, Napoleon and recent events of a more or less unfortunate nature, all of which has become part of the myth of France.
Mike Lenhart | June 28, 2008, 9:53 AMScanable Topics - Take One
For a long time now, I've been a scanner. I find many things in my world, mainly printed, that I just have to keep for possible future use. So, I scan them and file them away. Granted, I am sort of a saver, hoarder if you will, but I always feel I will need these items at some point in the future. Many of them I don't and I forget about them. But, I thought that, in order to use them and do something with them, I'd write a series of entries on the various things I've scanned and tell you about them. This time it's all about classic movie poster art.
Chris Dickman | June 22, 2008, 9:37 AM
I Am Red, Hear Me Roar
There are hundreds—yes, hundreds—of awards available to those in the ad agency biz, ensuring that just about everyone should take home a prize at some point. Not that competition for these bits of plastic and glass isn't intense, since not only individual careers but the fate of entire agencies rests on continually snagging them to ensure a steady stream of top accounts. In fact, it's gotten to the point where campaigns are increasingly created with an eye on awards, not always to the benefit of the client. A good way to monitor this is on AdsOfTheWorld.com, a Graphics.com Network site, where visitors are quick to comment on campaigns that serve agencies first and clients second.
Mike Lenhart | June 16, 2008, 4:27 PMI'm Not Eating a Dunkin' Donut or Going to WalMart, Either
There are studies and surveys out there on virtually every type of consumer and buying habit known to Man (or Woman). Marketers, advertisers, and smart businesses rely on the findings of these surveys in order to appease and talk to their customers. So, it only seems natural that one facet of consumers, the Gay and Lesbian market, be studied as well and find their preferences. (Since I've been on this June-Pride-Month soapbox, I thought I'd continue standing on it.) Read on. Mike Lenhart | June 10, 2008, 12:23 PM
The Death of a Psychedelic Rock Artist
I was reading the Times the other day when I came across an obituary that gave me pause. It seems that Alton Kelley, one of the preeminent pyschedelic rock poster artists, died at his home in Petaluma, California. He was 67 years old. Kelley was one of those guys who, back in the mid '60s, designed and hand-produced rock posters to promote bands and concerts in the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco. What a trip that must have been (pun intended).
Chris Dickman | June 8, 2008, 10:36 AMWelcome to the App Frame
If you're into Photoshop, and I mean really into Photoshop, there's no limit to your interest in learning everything you can about it, both related to its current incarnation and future versions. And for a look into the future, there's no better man to keep an eye on than John Nack, Senior Product Manager for Photoshop.
Mike Lenhart | June 5, 2008, 5:26 AMWe Love Your Art, But You Can't Exist - At Least Not Like We Do
[This editorial/art and cultural study is in recognition and celebration of Gay Pride Month (June)]
There's been a lot of talk in various circles about equality, and what constitutes that. As many of us have heard, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Equality, and the right to live and have equal access to the fundamental benefits given to all in the Constitution of the United States should be a no-brainer.
However, there has been a recent firestorm over an equal freedom, the notion of marriage, and what exactly that means. Doesn't everyone in America have an inherent right to marry the one they love? Does there have to be a set of rules, or norms, set up by a certain few, that all of us must follow in order to enjoy this right? And, if we don't, does that mean we're less of an American, or a person? It has become increasingly aware to me, sadly, that this is so.
Of course I'm speaking of Marriage Equality - for all. To some, it may not seem like such a big deal or possibly may even be a non-issue. But let me tell you, as a guy who has invested an entire life trying to fit in and sit at the table with the other class, it is a big deal.
