Psst!

I’ve been setting up a new site to replace this one, which has run its course. It’s not that interesting yet, but I promise that blogging will resume after the new year. I’ve learned much over my sabbatical, and I’m eager to share some new ideas….

And this is why I require your name on the spine.

Here we go grading, here we go! {Clap, clap}

“But I just grabbed it off of Google images!”

Artwork by Ryan Fors (top image). The stolen image appears on the bottom.

Please read this short article from today’s Minneapolis/St. Paul StarTribune about the use & misuse of imagery taken off of the internet. It is my opinion that the current generation of students relies too much on imagery obtained on line. (See: my found imagery assignment!)

Of course, there are ways to do it correctly, and ways that are… just… stealing. I love that there is such a wealth of imagery available to use quickly and at no charge, but I’m afraid that ethical violations will cause more imagery to be marred with unsightly watermarks to prevent theft. Besides, I’d imagine that it is terribly embarrassing professionally to be identified as a copycat. Bad, bad mojo indeed.

T-minus two weeks

{In the meantime, I’ll work on obtaining a better-quality file of this graphic….}

Today’s Free Advice

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/21475881″>Going Solo.</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/studiobotes”>Studio Botes</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Oh, how I love stop-motion animation. Though I can’t say I agree with the “don’t have kids” part… and I’m not sure what’s going on with the extra Vimeo code up there. Oh well, it’s Friday afternoon. As long as it works….

Credit: Studio Botes, South Africa.

On unpaid internships.

I just read an interesting editorial in The New York Times regarding unpaid internships for college students. (And you can read the resulting letters to the editor here.) It’s a nuanced subject, but I generally agree with the author, who writes that “colleges shouldn’t publicize unpaid internships at for-profit companies.”

But as someone who has taken both paid and unpaid internships (and has done both paid and pro bono design work), I do feel that it is OK sometimes to work for free, depending on the employer or client. I did an unpaid internship for the non-profit Minnesota Center for Book Arts as an undergrad, and learned a tremendous amount — not just about the book arts, but about the ins and outs of such an operation. And I make it a habit to regularly do unpaid design work for non-profits: I have done work for community-based theatre companies, parks, non-profit educational organizations, and local arts organizations. In fact, this is really the work I like the best, because I usually have more control over it. But I am fortunate: my job here at the University pays the mortgage. Most of you aren’t in this position. Yet.

I really believe that the worth of a designer must be recognized. (As does AIGA.) Don’t get me started about the company that recently posted fliers about a “logo contest” in our hallways, reducing the worth of a comprehensive corporate identity to a $100 gift card. Last summer, a student of ours secured a full-time summer internship with a locally-based corporation (I’m looking at you, ShopKo), but they expected her to work for free. That’s exploitation.

It’s a fine line.

{And of course, there’s a flow chart for everything.}

The center of attention.

Just in time for Design II’s music packaging project: a website devoted entirely to the labels found on the records themselves. These, of course, are the predecessor to the artwork printed on CDs. And for those who are about to do this project, I will offer a bit of good advice: do not wait until the last minute to design this element. I’ve seen too much of this sort of procrastination, and it’s depressing. After all, when you love a CD, which do you actively use more, the disc or the packaging?

The site, designed by one Simon Foster of London, also features a tightly curated section of album covers.

Folio Review Pix

Here are just a few images from Saturday’s AIGA Wisconsin Folio Review, which was held at UW Milwaukee’s very nice Peck School of Arts Kenilworth Building. (They have hand scanner access. Seriously. See bottom image.) UW Oshkosh was represented by five students: Lucy Boyer, Todd Johnston, David Kufahl, Megan Nettekoven, and Katie Scott. And our work looked pretty darn good.

The photos are a little blurry, as I took ’em on my cell phone. Never mind that: I like to think they capture the fast-paced energy of the day.

 

Of course, any AIGA event worth its salt has matching t-shirts for those working…

…and I was very happy to find an Alterra Coffee right next door. Masala Soy Chai. Nice.

“How to steal like an artist (and 9 other things nobody told me).”

Check this out. It’s contains some of the best advice I’ve ever read on what it means to be a successful artist, writer, or designer — especially a young one. The credit goes to a Texas-based writer & artist named Austin Kleon.

Some of my favorite points:

Your job is to collect ideas. The best way to collect ideas is to read. Read, read, read, read, read.

You should wonder at the things nobody else is wondering about. If everybody’s wondering about apples, go wonder about oranges.

An artist is a collector. Not a hoarder, mind you, there’s a difference: hoarders collect indiscriminately, the artist collects selectively. They only collect things that they really love.

In this age of information overload and abundance, those who get ahead will be the folks who figure out what to leave out, so they can concentrate on what’s important to them.

Bob Ross taught people how to paint. He gave his secrets away. Martha Stewart teaches you how to make your house and your life awesome. She gives her secrets away.

MeeWha Lee lecture & reception today!

Reminder:

Lecture: March 31 @ 4:50 to 5:50 p.m. in A/C 149

Reception to follow in the Allen Priebe Gallery.

Design Management 101 / MeeWha Lee

Design students at UWO should not miss this opportunity. And have a look at the show in the Priebe beforehand– it’s up right now. From the show announcement:

This exhibition presents a design manager’s portfolio in a manner to both inform and inspire students of graphic design.

MeeWha Lee studied Design at Seoul National University in South Korea and at the University of Iowa. She has taught graphic communications design at two universities and has worked for three Fortune 200 Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies as Design Director. This portfolio comprises her Brand Design and Innovation work from her CPG experience. Currently, she is Associate Director of Design & Innovation at Oscar Mayer/Kraft Foods, Inc.

Exhibition dates: March 8 to 31, 2011.