Archive for February, 2009

A couple of weeks ago I realized that I have become too engrossed in the whole social media and technology side of the design industry, so I have been on a wild quest to find inspiration. I have been searching high and low for work that is not only functional, but also a wonder of form. As an added bonus, I am finally happy to announce that I have finally launched my revised portfolio! As it currently stands there are a few items in need of some better descriptions or photography, however I plan on working out these issues over time. I look forward to any constructive criticism I may receive, and a special thanks to Alen of CSS Globe for his awesome JQuery Easy Slider.

Every week I read a new article about how our educational system needs to change to prepare our youth for a drastically different job market. However, I have yet to read much about how creative fields of study fit into this future, at least not in education prior to college.

For a long time people have been asking young people if they can face working their entire career and never reach success. Ask and high school student who want to be artists, musicians, writers, or designers what responses they have received upon telling adults what they hope to become. These adults, by nature, probably only want the best for the students, which very often means mitigating risk for them. The misconception that creative professions are so risky has to do with the false measure of success that society has put upon creative people.

The true value of a design education or any education for that matter is its ability to teach you not facts, but how to learn. For a graphic designer that means learning to ask “why.” Why is this design effective? Why is the headline in that typeface? Why did the designer choose to use a combination of red and purple? Asking why is the foundation of any successful critique, and explaining why is what forces designers to think critically about their work.

In an article entitled “10 ways to battle site bureaucracy” Paul Boag, explains how asking why is the most powerful and simple way to avoid opposition towards a design by clients. Paul lists three reasons “why” is powerful, (#9 in the list) to which I agree, and is why I wanted to support his advice.

After Monday’s announcement by Amazon about the new Kindle 2, the Internet and blogosphere has been ablaze in eBook articles. Without a doubt the technology is very easy to be impressed by, however is this the “electronic book” experience that is going to replace the printed book as we know it? As a designer I find it hard to believe, at least as it currently stands. It is also very easy to see the future of this technology and how it could quickly progress to reach mainstream adoption.

With the TED conference in full swing last week, I found myself reviewing the site once again and watching some of the presentations that really resonated with me in the past. One such presentation was Design is in the details by Paul Bennett of IDEO. Paul’s presentation focuses on how small details shape the experience, however it is the last section his presentation that really stuck with me.

What can be said about January, only that it was a huge month for web design. Maybe all the new years resolutions were what led to the awesome collection of websites that represent the month? Or maybe it was the radical changes being seen in the our government? No matter the reason, January was impressive.