CDC exhibition opens Tuesday February 17th

Design for the Other 90%
February 17 – May 29, 2009
Of the world’s 6.5 billion people, 90 percent have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted. In fact, nearly half do not have reliable access to food, clean water, healthcare, education, affordable transportation, or shelter. The exhibition Design for the Other 90% features more than 30 projects that reflect a growing movement among designers, engineers, and social entrepreneurs to create low-cost solutions for everyday problems. Through local and global partnerships, individuals and organizations are finding unique ways to address the basic challenges of survival and progress faced by the world’s poor.

Design for the Other 90% showcases designs that incorporate new and traditional materials, and abandoned and emerging technologies to solve myriad problems—from cleaner-burning sugarcane charcoal to a solar-rechargeable battery for a hearing aid, from a portable water-purification straw to a low-cost laptop. By understanding the available resources and tools as well as the lives and needs of their potential users, these designers create simple, pragmatic objects and ingenious, adaptive systems that can help transform lives and communities.

Design students can win …

… or choose to lose and lose VERY BADLY> My office door is available in either case. - Liz
Georgia State University Homecoming 2009 - "The Blue Print: Building the Foundation"
Display your Panther Spirit by participating in Georgia State University Homecoming 2009 Office Decorating Contest. The Door and Office Decorating Contest is designed to demonstrate Panther Spirit through creative endeavor, encourage a team effort, and foster healthy competition. Participants will be judged on use of theme, creativity, school spirit, budget, and collaboration.
Entry Forms are due by Wednesday, January, 28, 2009 by 5:00 p.m.
Get Entry Form and Rules at:
INFO
For more information contact Anitra Patrick at 404-413-1517 or visit the Dean of Students Office, Student Center, Suite 300

Themes for Modernism

I know that Barnard described four themes of modernism:
- self-reflexiveness
- montage
- use of paradox, ambiguity, and uncertainty
- loss of an integrated individual subject.

I am wondering, what is the fifth theme. Seeing it was being asked for the five themes of modernism on the worksheet. If anyone is able to help me, please let me know, I would appreciate it.

- Tres Swygert

Cross Analysis of Gestalt Design Principles and Barnard's reading

This post is to ad lib on the Modernism reading and how I recently employed one of the five themes in my work.

Barnard discusses the second feature of modernism, montage, as essential cut and paste juxtaposing of unrelated objects to create a cohesive, balanced piece of work. I recently used this technique to explore the Gestalt Design Principles in the context of spatial relationships. Through the use of unrelated elements, I investigated the process of perceived spatial relationships where none existed before. This technique yielding some interesting results and was very enlightening.

Swastika Story

I think it was last week that the class briefly got into a discussion about the swastika symbol that's found on the Buddha's body. Unfortunately, the symbol (though slightly altered) also represent the Nazis. What a contrast, isn't it?

Well something kinda funny happen to me concerning this symbol. Back in the 5th grade, I wore a necklace with this symbol on it everyday. However, it would always be tuck behind my shirt because the purpose of wearing it isn't to show off but to ward off evil spirits (it's an Asian thing). One day, it somehow crawled above its protective shield and revealed itself without my knowledge. Then all of a sudden, my teacher told me to step outside of the class for a bit. He told me that he's a vet from WWII and asked if I knew what this symbol means? I told him it just represents the Buddha. At the time, I had no idea what is the significance with WWII and this symbol. When I knew, I told my parents that I don't want to wear it anymore.

Symbols...they're more powerful than people think.

We briefly spoke about the Book of Kells last week while reviewing CH 4 and I remembered that this blog that I've been frequenting for the past year or so features this celtic book in an upcoming animated movie that the author of the blog worked on called 'Brendan and the secret of Kells'. Much of the artwork of the movie is reflective of the style of the celtic design found in the Book of Kells: http://theblogofkells.blogspot.com/

Jessica Helfend, Wm. Drentell at PC, Mon Jan 12

FREE
Join us at Portfolio Center with William Drenttel & Jessica Helfand, Winterhouse
Monday evening, January 12th at 6:30pm
@ Portfolio Center
125 Bennett St., Atlanta, GA 30309

Winterhouse Studio focuses on publishing and editorial development; new media; and cultural, educational and literary institutions. Design work for Teach For All, The New Yorker, Yale University Press, The New England Journal of Medicine, Errol Morris, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, Poetry Foundation, among others.

Museum of Design will host Graphic Imperative show in May

more about the exhibition
May 15 – August 15 (Patron Opening May 14)

The Graphic Imperative is a select retrospective of forty years of international sociopolitical posters. Themes include dissent, liberation, sexism, human rights, civil rights, environmental and health concerns, AIDS, war, literacy and tolerance, collectively providing a window to an age of great change.

Stop-motion Animation

at The Center for Puppetry Arts
Saturday, January 17, 2009, 8pm
Ages 18 and up ONLY
Come enjoy the end result of countless hours of painstaking puppet manipulation captured on film one frame at a time as we celebrate an evening of stop-motion puppet animation. The evening includes Adam Elliot’s Academy Award-winning Harvie Krumpet from Australia, Haunted Hogmanay from Ko-Lik Films of Scotland and more.
Center for Puppetry Arts

Cost: $7; $5 Center Members

After 1968 features Hank Willis Thomas' "Unbranded"

This summer at the High Museum of Art
After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy
June 7–October 5, 2008

Hank Willis Thomas
Hank Willis Thomas, born 1976, appropriates images and language from advertising, exploring the intersection of commerce with the cultural ambiguity underlying African American experiences. His 2004 thesis, Swoosh: Looking Black at Nike, Moses, and Jordan in the ’80s, explores the process whereby a myth or image can become attached to a graphic symbol. His soon-to-be-completed Unbranded series is an exploration of racial typing in capitalist culture. Reproducing 80 images printed between 1968 and 2008 in popular magazine ads targeted to black audiences, “Unbranded” presents text-stripped images, meditating on the creation and dissemination of stereotypes.

George Lois Esquire covers

Here's an article on CNN.com about an Esquire covers exhibit, with an interview with George Lois whom we discussed recently in class.http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/04/25/esquire.coverart.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

The story of stuff

I highly recommend you guys to watch this. It's amazing!

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Roots Rebranding

(above image was taken from this BrandNew post)

So in case anyone missed it on BrandNew, Starbucks is revisiting its old logo for an undetermined amount of time.

Huge mistake, or great use of nostalgia? The new/old CEO is trying to focus on a major rebranding effort to bring Starbucks back to its origins. I personally don't like to go to Starbucks unless it's the only thing around...mainly because I don't really like their coffee, it's always kind of burned when I go.

But...I'm going to admit, I'll probably go just to check it out, since this does peak my curiosity as to why a major brand would do this...since it's one of the most recognizable logos in the United States, I'd venture to say.

NYT article on Obama's typographic approach

To the Letter Born
by Steve Heller

Milestone Logos

Hey guys,

I made some logos for the Milestone Academy. I was wondering if you could take a look at them and tell me what you think.

They're here at my blog: www.designbylauren.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Lauren

Blackletter exhibition catalogue - $10 to students

If you would like to see this booklet let me know - Liz

The exhibition "Blackletter: Type and National Identity", curated by Peter Bain and Paul Shaw in 1998 at Cooper Union, sparked a reassessment of blackletter typefaces. The exhibition was reviewed twice(!) by the New York Times and the accompanying monograph (edited by Bain and Shaw) won design awards from the AIGA, TDC and Communication Arts. Princeton Architectural Press, the publisher of the monograph, has sold the remaining copies to the editors. In an attempt to make"Blackletter: Type and National Identity" more widely known outside of the type world, Mr. Shaw is making his copies available to design educators and students at the special low price of $10 (plus $2 shipping domestically). The price for non-design educators is $15 (plus $2 shipping), the same as that formerly offered on Amazon.com. Those interested should send checks made out to “Paul Shaw” at Paul Shaw / Letter Design, 785 West End Avenue, New York City 10025. Inquiries should be directed to paulshaw@nyc.rr.com.Â

See on Amazon

Claim your cyberspace

Claim your cyberspace

YOUR GSU LOCKERBOX: Each GSU student has 20 mb of storage in a digital locker. Items in that lockerbox can be displayed as your own website. Your web address will be like
www.student.gsu.edu/jdoe8

UPLOADING TO YOUR LOCKERBOX
Use the IE (Internet Explorer) browser on a PC, Firefox on a Mac. To sign in, go to
elocker.student.gsu.edu

You should get a popup window (if popups aren't blocked) that ask for
Username and Password. These are the same as your student email logins. Uploading is similar to uploading an attachment to an email message. Choose the "File" pulldown menu and you can navigate to files on your hard drive. Put items for a webpage in the "Public" file. You can put other items in a file called your name.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR LOCKERBOX
From GSU mainpage, choose "Current Students"

Choose "Student Computing" (lower right)

Choose "Computing" (Center of screen)

Choose bulleted hyperlink "Lockerbox"

or click here

SHORTCUT WHILE ON CAMPUS
You can upload directly to the server while in CMC (AM460) and other campus
locations.

Saarinen @ MODA Thursday Jan 31

You are invited to the Public Opening Reception of The Furniture of Eero Saarinen: Designs for Everyday Living at the Museum of Design Atlanta.

January 31st, 5 pm - 8 pm
This exhibition features the furniture designs of Eero Saarinen, who was one of the foremost prominent architects in the 1950’s. Designs for Everyday Living presents examples of Saarinen’s early furniture designs, sketches, photographs and descriptions of each of Saarinen’s furniture designs and collections. Knoll International has provided archival examples and pieces of Saarinen’s timeless designs from current production.

The New South needs you!

Submit work for publication in the new NEW SOUTH, formerly named The GSU Review. It is published twice a year and is dedicated to creative work by GSU students. They want submissions of art work for the front and back covers and for portfolios inside.

New South

Stefan Sagmeister Interview

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WCxXqRwaNu8

Ebay Motors: Everybody needs something

Toyota: look taller and slimmer

Prius ad: Jason?

art marries technology

In Class Slides

Will you be posting the slides that you use in class on the blog?

"Czech Dream" -Documentary filmmakers dupe entire nation in critique of consumer culture and advertising

Student film makers Vít Klusák and Filip Remunda orchestrated a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign for the grand opening of a new superstore that didn't exist, creating a powerful commentary on consumerism that became a media sensation in the Czech Republic. The video is the trailer for their film, Czech Dream . Blurb from the Village Voice. Available at Videodrome. What is really amusing about this film is they use the firm BBDO for the advertising and marketing. How did they do that? The pair was bankrolled by the Czech Republic government!

Video of Lawerence Lessig explaining how the law is strangling creativity

see it but it isn't there

The blue and purple letter is actually on the server at
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop

and this is just a reference to the original image.

To create an image reference on a PC, right-click the image and select "Properties". Then copy the Address(URL) from the resulting gray box. On a Mac, right or control click on the image and select "Copy Image Address".

We'll discuss whether this violates copyrights.

Firefly Letterpress movie

Beautiful film shows letterpress printing in action.

Be A Design Group

Be A Design Group has podcasts with Jenn Visocky, Shaun Inman, and Debbie Millman

Design Matters

Debbie Millman has interviewed Art Chantry, Barbara Kruger, Bill Grant, Chipp Kidd, Ed Fella, Ellen Lupton, Elliott Earls, Emily Oberman, and many many more!

Core 77 broadcasts

Discussions with Donald Norman, Brad Holland, Maira Kalman, Debbie Millman, Nathan Shedroff, John Maeda, and more are interviewed by all sorts of interesting folks.

Graphic Design on the Radio

Interviews with Jonathan Barnbrook, Neville Brody, Malcom Garrett, Vaughan Oliver, Rick Poyner, and more. Unfortunately, their traffic is so heavy you probably can't access it!

The Prepared Mind

Blogs on a variety of graphic design topics

Artist Video Series on AIGA website

AIGA has videos about David Carson, Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Scher, and James Victore