limitless paper in a paperless world

In case some of you did not catch The Office this week, your should check out the commercial made by the Scranton branch http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/#mea=172072. It is not exactly a narrative, but it reminded me of our upcoming iMovie projects.

shameless plug for good photography

My friend Rich is a photojournalist. He just set up a new blog this week. As usual, I jump at the chance to view his latest work. This blog showcases some of his wedding photography. If any of you ever have a need for a photojournalist, this is the guy to call. He is talented, but not at all big-headed. The new blog is http://richdennison.blogspot.com/. To see some of his sports photography, go to www.sportsshooter.com and type Rich Dennison in the search box near the top of the homepage.

I wish I could work my connections and get him to take photos for some of my projects. That would make life a lot easier.

typography show and tell

My first item for show and tell is an example of typography gone wrong. This postcard features four typefaces. The text is set with drop shadows, outlines, gradients, italics, and multiple colors. Some text is also tilted. Overall, it is just a mess.



My second item is an article from the September/October issue of good. It describes a Federal Highway Administration project to improve legibility of road signs and increase driver reaction time by switching to a new typeface. This typeface is more legible, so the signs can be read from farther away without increasing their size.

Typography is one of the most important choices in sign-making. The wrong typeface could make signs unusable. I often find it interesting to think about the standard typefaces used in federal and state signage on roads. Now I know that a lot of research goes into choosing the face for signs.

always thinking

I was curious who designed the site I mentioned in my last post, so I checked the copyright info at the bottom of the homepage. This led me to their parent company, who did have a link to their site designer: The Berndt Group. I am not sure that The Berndt Group designed the Mays Chapel site also, but their own site (http://www.berndtgroup.net/) is pretty sweet! Apparently they are a huge Baltimore-based design group. They have also designed sites for the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Maryland Science Center. I just thought I would share, since I hadn't heard of the company before.

Their tagline is "always thinking," which makes the title of my last post humorous.

someone was thinking

One of my relatives recently moved into the independent retirement community at Mays Chapel Ridge. I recently visited the Web site (http://www.mayschapelridge.com/) to obtain directions, and I noticed a two appealing features.

First, there is a tool in the top navigation bar that enables the visitor to enlarge to shrink the text on the page. What a good idea! I'm sure that many people with weak eyes visit this site, and they may not know the ins and outs of adjusting the display type size in their browser.

Second, when I print directions from the page, it does not print the frame with all of the navigation bars. Nice! It is a treat when site architects have foreseen the obvious problems encountered by users and circumvented them.

These are just little things, but they illustrate the difference professional design can make.

Pulp, Ink & Hops

Have any of you AIGA members been to this show before? I wonder whether it is a worthwhile event. It may boil down to a bunch of people hocking paper. It is difficult to tell. At least there will be free beer...and swag.

raindrops on roses

These are a few of my favorite words:

Silly Words
waddle
wiggle
squiggle
gaggle

Sailing Words
flotsam
jettison
aft
fore
arrr!
a-lee
ho!
leeward
scuttlebutt

As you like it
phosphorescent
squalor
bashful
hilarity
splendor
contort
savor
savory
languish
lullaby
interject
fiasco
intermittent
squeamish
hop
subtle
dusk
sweep

Sound Words (onomatopoeia)
buzz
quack
gong
bassoon
crunch
crackle

Fake Curse Words and insults
Criminey!
Schnikeys!
Sucker monkey

Schoolhouse Rock Clips

In honor of ending the words reading (and of interjections and conjunctions), I am including these links to some of my favorite School House Rock words shorts.

Brought to you by youtube. Enjoy!

Interjections!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhHpJ45_zwM

Conjunction Junction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo

Unpack Your Adjectives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qUd2KHv7Ec

And here's one I hadn't seen before.
Lolly, lolly, lolly, get your adverbs here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWYmEICNgOQ

No Mercy for the Medical Center Garage

There isn't often much commotion downtown at 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday. But last Sunday, I heard what sounded like a bomb going off in the city. It was definitely louder and longer than the cannons shot in the harbor.

It turns out that we were not being invaded, and the unabomber was not to blame for this disturbance. Mercy Hospital had scheduled a demolition (implosion) of their parking garage facility. The dynamite explosions lasted 16 seconds, and then the building dramatically sunk to the ground.

These pictures from the Baltimore Sun website chronicle the implosion at the beginning, end, and aftermath. For video footage (highly recommended to for the full audio-visual experience) see http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.demolition08oct08,0,1711035.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout.

I also very highly recommend reading Stephen Kiehl's Sun article "Garage takes fall for progress," which appeared in the October 6, 2007 issue (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.ci.demolition06oct06,0,3605884.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout). Not only is the story behind the demolition and the man who makes such things possible fascinating, but the writing is engaging as well.

I can't believe how loud the explosions were. It would have been awesome to witness.

classification show and tell

I toted a copy of Backpacker with me last Saturday for show and tell. Among many buying articles in the gear guide issue, there was an article on boots. Backpacker classified the trail/hiking boots were classified into three main categories: lightweight, midweight, and heavy-duty.

Each category contains multiple subcategories. Some of these are the same throughout (i.e. best value); others vary (i.e. top trail runner). Each section also contains a sidebar called "Reader Approved" in which a reader gives his or her opinion of a boot.

Each section also has a "gear school" sidebar. This sidebar gives 5-6 tips on a topic such as getting a good fit and preventing blisters.

The boots section finishes with comparison charts informing the reader of the features of many brands of boots.

Looking at the whole issue, I notice that the charts and sidebars appear for each type of gear throughout the issue. There is a larger classification at work in this issue. The boots section is subdivided, but overarching that subdivision, the entire guide is divided into types of gear, like boots, packs and tents. These items are listed across the top of the front cover in colored blocks. The color is brought inside and coordinates with the sections. It is used in the headings and in the outside margins as a thumbnail guide, but the colors do not bleed.

Classification overload!

This is a very useful guide for the gear shopper. I used it when purchasing a pair of boots this past summer.

Backpacker. March 2007

Free Design Event

I found this event on the Freefall Baltimore web site. I probably won't be able to attend, but it might be worthwhile for some of you to check out.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY CENTER FOR ART, DESIGN & VISUAL CULTURE

Design in the Community: Literacy, Advocacy & Public Programming

Five nationally recognized designers, educators & urban planners will explore the important link between graphic design & its effect on public awareness of social & environmental issues. Symposium participants include: Wendy Brawer, founder of Green Map System and Modern World Design; Sylvia Harris, an information design specialist; Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, chair of the Graduate School of Graphic Design at Yale University, Chris Pullman, vice president of design for WGBH Television, Public Broadcasting in Boston; Mark Randall, principal of WorldStudio, a graphic design agency in New York City. Dr. Jason Loviglio, assistant professor of American Studies at UMBC, moderates. Wed Oct 17 6pm Baltimore Museum of Art – 10 Art Museum Drive Free passes may be reserved by calling 410-455-3188.

Workshop Program

I thought the image on this program cover was interesting. It is difficult to see due to reduced size, but the photo has been altered with a filter that makes it appear to be a strange combination of watercolor and claymation. The perspective of this photo is also strange. The participant's head is oddly shaped on the right side.

The cover promotes the use of specialized filters and effects (some of which may be taught in the workshops), but I can't say that I find it at all appealing.

I do like the 180 logo. It gives an instant impression of the company's selling point: 3-hour classes that get you back to work soon. It may not be very pretty, but the message is clear and immediate.

Call to Action Show and Tell

For our call to action assignment, I brought one of the more blatant call to action vehicles: a piece of direct mail. This mailing from Paralyzed Veterans of America calls the recipient to donate money by October 15th in order to meet a matching donation deadline. The envelope and letter are stamped with color messages and mock handwritten type encouraging the reader with statements like "I need to hear from you by October 15 -- please!"


An excerpt from the letter reads: "...if it happened to slip your mid...or you didn't receive my first letter...or if you've become distracted by all the hustle and bustle of everyday life...please take a moment to send the most generous gift you can manage."

The target audience for this piece is supporters of the organization. The letter seeks additional donations from people with a history of past support in order to raise funds to receive a matching grant.

A reply form with descriptions of the organization's work and business reply envelope are enclosed with the letter.

Direct mailing may not be as pretty as the glossy ads running in magazines, but it is much more effective at soliciting donations. In some ways, it is the ultimate call to action vehicle, reaching people by personal address without harassing them.

For information on Paralyzed Veterans of America, visit http://www.supportveterans.org/.