In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced him to do an interview. 38 years later, Levitan, director Josh Raskin and illustrator James Braithwaite have collaborated to create an animated short film using the original interview recording as the soundtrack. A spellbinding vessel for Lennon's boundless wit and timeless message, I Met the Walrus was nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Animated Short. You can buy it from iTunes or you can see it here via the YouTube Screening Room.
http://www.youtube.com/ytscreeningroom?v=jmR0V6s3NKk
8.31.2008
8.26.2008
Paul Rand Was An Overachiever
In a video found here Designer Paul Rand tells us, "No matter how good you do something, it can always be improved." But in scratching the surface that is Paul Rand's career you have to wonder if he really lived by his own advice.
With notable logos like NeXT Computer, ABC and IBM, Rand's work seems effortlessly executed and perfectly balanced between form and content, giving example to the countless designers that follow his influential teachings. Nearly everything you can find on Rand seems so stupidly simple you have to wonder if he ever sketched a thumbnail. Undoubtedly he did and success like Rand's can only be interpreted as the outcome of a lot of hard work and most importantly, good old fashioned smarts. Wikipedia (ever the credible source) quotes Rand as saying, a logo "cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint." Right you are Paul. Rand's UPS logo was completed in 1961 and after 42 years (!) the public begrudgingly accepted a new logo for the company in 2003 who sought to expand their image of "packaged delivery into a broader array of supply chain services."
Similarly, Rand's IBM logo has been a staple of American industry since 1956 when Rand was hired by IBM's newest CEO to give the company a more lasting and stately brand. In 1972 Rand updated the logo by adding 8 horizontal lines and adding the suggestion of "speed and dynamism."
Note to self: pick up as many Paul Rand books as possible and study, study, study.
This man obviously knew what he was talking about and professionally speaking, if I can create something that continues to represent the original idea even 42 years after I've created it, well then I'm allowed to pat myself on the back. Frequently. And in public.
This is also very interesting.
Remember Snippets?
Today after class, driving home my mind was abuzz with blogging ideas.
Not really, my mind was more abuzz with apple turnovers than anything else, but I did turn the blogging idea around a little while, it's a long drive.
Initially I thought I'd talk about a book I've been reading and forego any sort of introduction but I guess that's not really fair. Then I remembered how and when I became aware of type as a designer and thought it might make an interesting back story or at least work as a reference for my type knowledge so far.
In 2002 after having dropped out of not one but 2 design programs I was hired by a quirky paper store owner in need of some sort of formal design experience for his budding wedding invitation business. He was *ahem* frugal and I was ready to sell myself short. We got along splendidly. Most of my days were spent politely smiling as bride after bride agonized over pressing decisions like white paper with gold flecks or gold paper with white flecks ("What do you think about the silver flecks, honey?"). There were busy seasons and some challenges and occasionally you got to know and understand a couple better and on a more rewarding level. Sometimes it really felt good to be a part of announcing the marriage of Mr. Thomas So-and-so to Ms. Jennifer So-and-so to the rest the world. After a while though, the invitations all started to look the same, varying only in color choice, quantity or expense.
Additionally they all dealt with type. Some were casually formatted, others followed strict guidelines of appropriateness. Some were a little edgy or experimental (and even a little interesting) in their font choices but most were pretty traditional and bland. The first word I learned that really applied to type was tracking. Mostly because we "tracked" the shit out of just about everything (All in MS Publisher). And once we'd dropped in the text we'd been given (and the clients had corrected it...then updated it...then updated it again...then added the names of their parents) we added as much line spacing as it took to fill out the page. Done and done. Where's my paycheck?
Looking back I'm glad I'll be learning to do it right. I'm glad I learned to do it wrong too. There's something to be said about learning from your mistakes.
There's something else to be said for hundreds of little mistakes that live on happily in hundreds of little wedding albums throughout the Puget Sound.
You're welcome married people of Seattle.
Not really, my mind was more abuzz with apple turnovers than anything else, but I did turn the blogging idea around a little while, it's a long drive.
Initially I thought I'd talk about a book I've been reading and forego any sort of introduction but I guess that's not really fair. Then I remembered how and when I became aware of type as a designer and thought it might make an interesting back story or at least work as a reference for my type knowledge so far.
In 2002 after having dropped out of not one but 2 design programs I was hired by a quirky paper store owner in need of some sort of formal design experience for his budding wedding invitation business. He was *ahem* frugal and I was ready to sell myself short. We got along splendidly. Most of my days were spent politely smiling as bride after bride agonized over pressing decisions like white paper with gold flecks or gold paper with white flecks ("What do you think about the silver flecks, honey?"). There were busy seasons and some challenges and occasionally you got to know and understand a couple better and on a more rewarding level. Sometimes it really felt good to be a part of announcing the marriage of Mr. Thomas So-and-so to Ms. Jennifer So-and-so to the rest the world. After a while though, the invitations all started to look the same, varying only in color choice, quantity or expense.
Additionally they all dealt with type. Some were casually formatted, others followed strict guidelines of appropriateness. Some were a little edgy or experimental (and even a little interesting) in their font choices but most were pretty traditional and bland. The first word I learned that really applied to type was tracking. Mostly because we "tracked" the shit out of just about everything (All in MS Publisher). And once we'd dropped in the text we'd been given (and the clients had corrected it...then updated it...then updated it again...then added the names of their parents) we added as much line spacing as it took to fill out the page. Done and done. Where's my paycheck?
Looking back I'm glad I'll be learning to do it right. I'm glad I learned to do it wrong too. There's something to be said about learning from your mistakes.
There's something else to be said for hundreds of little mistakes that live on happily in hundreds of little wedding albums throughout the Puget Sound.
You're welcome married people of Seattle.
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