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Is brainstorming a waste of creative energy?
Broadly speaking, I believe, yes. Certainly, there are situations in which, I am sure, brainstorming has produced a product that was superior to that the individuals were able to produce on their own. But, to me, it has always been a rather tortuous process.
If you only have time to read one article this week, make it this one (links below).
Be well, Chuck
Movie, game, or advertising?
It's difficult to say exactly what this work most reminds me of-it looks like a movie, it has the feel of a game, but I know it's an advertisement.
Legendary Biru...
Details about the spot...
Jim Parkinson calls himself a "typographic artist."
He is best known for his iconic Rolling Stone nameplate but that, as far as I am concerned, is a mere footnote to his real contribution-typefaces including Modesto, Roswell, Poster Black, and so many others.
He's the real deal, a hand lettering artist whose work has the added dimension that comes with knowledge of the physical craft of typography-the composition of characters with pencils, pens, and ink.
Jim Parkinson interview, part 1 of 2...
Jim Parkinson interview, part 2 of 2...
The Parkinson Typo Design website...
Parkinson's typefaces...
Another biography...
Is brainstorming a waste of creative energy?
Broadly speaking, I believe, yes. Certainly, there are certain situations in which, I am sure, brainstorming has produced a product that was superior to that the individuals were able to produce on their own. But, to me, it has always been a rather tortuous process.
My mind works by associating one thought with the next and brainstorming does nothing more than form a roadblock to my moving to the next logical conclusion. No, not because my idea is always the best idea, but because I don't think like a group-I think as an individual.
In any case, another piece of research is just now surfacing that seems to take another few steps toward proving that brainstorming is not the creative outlet so many think it is.
From the Daily Mail: Brainstorming is POINTLESS: New study finds you're better off focussing on a single good idea...
The paper: Brainstorming versus creative design reasoning (420KB PDF)...
The roots of brainstorming...
The magic of the retail store brand
To restate the obvious, retails store brands are, in part, about gathering together a collection of products and the associated services and serving them up to a defined audience. The magic happens when the folks in charge fund the design and development of products that fill a gap in the mix that others have not.
Hand-Eye Supply, the retail arm of the popular industrial design website Core77 is doing this with verve. Its mix of products, its substantial list of items I have not seen elsewhere, and the brand that wraps it into a philosophical/stylistic package demonstrates the core ideas of branding.
Plus, these stuff is pretty cool.
The Adjustable Clampersand...
Sonnenleder Simmel Pencil Case...
X Man vs. Ink X Mary Kate McDevitt Bandana...
Ben Davis Long Sleeve Hickory Stripe Shirt...
Hand-Eye Supply is the retail operation of Core77...
Core77 is the very popular industrial design website...
Meet illustrator Rod Hunt
Rod Hunt's fascinating isometric drawings seem to make sense of a seemingly cacophonous world.
Example 1...
Example 2...
Example 3...
For those interested in illustration as a career path: An in depth interview with Hunt...
Ron Hunt's Blog...
"If direct mail is dying, it's sure taking its time about it"
That's what Lois Geller said in the article she wrote for Forbes on catalog mailing during the 2013 holidays.
Now, the Direct Marketing Association's 2014 Statistical Fact Book has been published and it seems to point to a marked increase in direct mail overall.
From Forbes magazine: If direct mail is dying, it's sure taking its time about it by Lois Geller...
From Laurie Beasley, president of Beasley Direct Marketing, a Silicon Valley direct marketing agency, some initial stats from the DMA 2014 Statistical Fact Book...
Good design is the sum of many subtle, strategic decisions
Here's a good example of how many small design decisions contribute to a subtle, but effective style. For example...
The navigation controls at the top right.
The "HERE TODAY" "GONE TODAY" text icons to the left and right.
The GIF animations.
The diversity of thumbnail accent images.
Nice.
Designer and illustrator Tyler Deeb's website...
And his product store...
About Deeb's Kickstarter project...
If you use InDesign (or QuarkXPress), you might find this useful
The idea is simple. Modifying a well-designed template is far easier than starting from scratch. My InDesign Ideabook includes 315 researched, designed, and meticulously formatted documents in a clean, simple style that it easy to build on.
The Ideabook lets you breeze through time-consuming document setup and get right to the important stuff. Instead of spending 15 minutes to create a simple layout, you'll spend 15 seconds. For complex projects-books, newsletters, catalogs, reports-you'll save HOURS.
"If you need to create winning design and your time is important to you, there is no better investment than Chuck Green's Idea Book. I write copy and create marketing materials for small business, and Chuck's world class layouts have me up and running in minutes instead of hours. I can't recommend this book enough!" Kory Basaraba, Copywriter and Consultant, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
For Adobe InDesign
For QuarkXPress
