In a previous blog post, I said that Obama and Romney have failed at replying to Twitter followers – as noted by the ‘no replies’ that can be found on their Twitter profiles. They or their campaign have never replied to any of their followers. I said this was an utter failure because they could […]
Should designers be coders? (v2.0)
I’ve talked about this in the past on this blog. I was reminded of this debate from a past professor who re-blogged a post by Frank Chimero. So, should designers be coders? The answer is, “Yes, to an extent.” I say ‘to an extent’, because we can’t expect a web designer to be able to […]
The political impact of design on people
Since the 2008 presidential election, I have become aware of design in politics and how the quality and effectiveness of the design effects particular candidates. As designers, we have a lot of responsibility to design for the greater good and not put forth an image (both meanings of the word) that is misleading, untrue or […]
Designers don’t make things look ‘pretty’
What do designers do? Make things ‘pretty’ and ‘put a new coat of paint on something’, right? Wrong. A designer is someone who communicates visually through various mediums. This could be through print design, web design, and especially wayfinding design (the design of directional signs in our environment). The end result is hopefully something that […]
David Carson style type design
A few years ago I had a course where we were encouraged to push the limit of what graphic design is and break the rules of design and typography to create something fresh… as fresh as sweet, sweet mountain dew. Here are a few pieces from that time period (which also draw much inspiration from […]
Yes, that IS spec work.
So I just saw a facebook status update from Gary Vaynerchuk, who I respect as an entrepreneur. But is having a design contest to design his next book cover. He specifically says it’s not spec work, because the winner will be paid. You are correct, it’s not spec work for the winner, but what about […]
Think Google. Think iPod.
Just because something looks good doesn’t mean its useful. And just because something is useful does not make it beautiful. — Joshua Brewer Think Google – amazingly simple and useful, but not beautifully designed. There is a difference between usability and beautiful design. It can be ugly and usable or it can be beautiful and […]
A case against freelance job board websites
Check out this article on whether freelancing is a commodity or a profession. My favorite part is this: There seems to be a basic disconnect between what is needed to earn a living as a freelancer and what clients seem to want (at least on these outsourcing sites) to pay. The disconnect goes even deeper. Suddenly […]
Daisy Girl Reincarnate
In my Advertising course in college we analyzed many past political ads including Daisy Girl. It aired September 7, 1964 and seemed to be an effective ad because it drew fear about Lyndon B. Johnson’s opponent, Senator Barry Goldwater. The ad was created by innovative ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach. It only aired once but that […]
Bad design by design, Branding, Design Concept/Ideas, Politics, Redesign, Usability, Viral Advertising, Website Design
Politics & Effectively Using the Web (part four)
In part four, I take a look at the recent website redesign by John McCain and compare it to his previously all black website. Beautiful Design I believe I’ve said this on my blog before. This presidential campaign has largely been about change. Most significantly, a change from really horrible design in political campaigns to truly […]