Thanks for subscribing.

This is kinda fun...

A friend who teaches a college-level design course bought a walls-worth of small frames and invited fifty designers to contribute a piece of work that would provide future students with nuggets of motivation and inspiration.

My contribution was the phrase, "Commercial graphic design is not self-expression." It's an opinion near and dear to my heart, and one I would like every young designer to hear. (I wish someone had told me early on.)

To that end, here's a 8.5 by 11-inch sheet that includes the phrase and a few tips on keeping your solutions new and fresh.

Agree? Print it out and hang it up or share it with a new designer in your world. Disagree? Print it out, hang it up, and throw stuff at it.

Commercial graphic design is NOT self-expression (45KB PDF)...

Here > http://www.pageplane.com/images/di-design-is-not-self-expression.pdf

Lots of folks have commented on the article here...

Here > http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/1_view/commercial_graphic_design_is_n.html

Enjoy! Chuck

The Google Cultural Institute is growing

Familiar with the Google Cultural Institute? I wasn't.

It is an initiative, begun in 2011 to, "...Allow the cultural sector to display more of its diverse heritage online...digital exhibitions that tell the stories behind the archives of cultural institutions across the globe."

Wikipedia says, "As of June 2013, the Cultural Institute included over 6 million items-photos, videos, and documents."

What strikes me (yet again), is how little I know.

The Google Cultural Institute...

Here > http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home?view=grid

The "Collections" view...

Here > http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/collections?hl=en

On YouTube...

Here > https://www.youtube.com/user/culturalinstitute

The graphic art of making globes

When so many things are digital, it's nice to see people marrying digital content with craft.

The Globemaker...

Here > http://vimeo.com/63511505

The Bellerby website...

Here > http://www.bellerbyandco.com/

Their blog...

Here > http://www.bellerbyandco.com/blog/

On Pinterest...

Here > http://www.pinterest.com/globemakers/globes-bellerby-co-globemakers-bespoke-handmade/

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

Here > http://www.ideabook.com/the_indesign_ideabook_59.html

For QuarkXPress

Here > http://www.ideabook.com/quarkxpress_templates.html

A curated collection of imagery and story in the public domain

There are many repositories of photographs, illustrations, film, audio, and writing the feature work that has fallen out of copyright. Material that is free to use without restriction or with some provisos but without cost.

Public Domain Review says, "Our aim is to help our readers explore this rich terrain - like a small exhibition gallery at the entrance to an immense network of archives and storage rooms that lie beyond."

It definitely belongs on your list of resources.

The Public Domain Review website...

Here > http://publicdomainreview.org/

Example 1: Picturing Pyrotechnics...

Here > http://publicdomainreview.org/2014/06/25/picturing-pyrotechnics/

Example 2: Princess Nicotine (1909)...

Here > http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/princess-nicotine-1909/

Example 3: Rhapsody In Blue - Paul Whiteman and George Gershwin (Original 1924 recording)...

Here > http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/rhapsody-in-blue-paul-whiteman-and-george-gershwin-original-1924-recording/

About The Public Domain Review...

Here > http://publicdomainreview.org/about/

The Public Domain Review on Facebook...

Here > https://www.facebook.com/PublicDomainReview

Rights labeling...

Here > http://publicdomainreview.org/rights-labelling-on-our-site/

A previous post: THE big list of public domain image sources...

Here > http://www.pageplane.com/reference/the_big_list_of_public_domain_1.html

How do we translate old ways of doing things to new ways of doing things?

I like the idea Eye Magazine has here. They translate the practice of leafing through a magazine off a magazine rack into the online world simply by shooting a video of someone leafing through the pages. It certainly gives you enough information to decide whether or not you're interested. Without giving away the content.

In case you're new to Eye, it is a graphic design journal, that offers, "...Informed writing about design and visual culture."

Eye before you buy, Issue 85...

Here > http://vimeo.com/66804588

The Eye Magazine website...

Here > http://www.eyemagazine.com/

"Utilize" is a junk word

Thinking on the word, "utilize" led me to Ken Smith's article discussing his book, Junk English. As he admits himself (add me to the list), "I make plenty of Junk English mistakes myself." But that doesn't mean we shouldn't continually remind ourselves of what he labels...

"Fatass Phrases"

"Artificial Vocabulary"

"Cheapened Words"

"Re-Verbs"

"Abominations"

"Threadbare Phrases"

"Invisible Diminishers"

"Warfare English"

Read on fearless writer...

Junk English by Ken Smith...

Here > http://www.rowanmagazine.com/features/feature12/

You can purchase the book here: Junk English 2...

Here > http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0922233276/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0922233276&linkCode=as2&tag=ideabookcomju-20&linkId=EWH4GR3V3J2AFT5W

OK Go and the proliferation of graphic design

Good news: graphic design is becoming more and more prominent as each day passes-it is as an increasingly important way of differentiating one organization, product, service, idea, and so on, from the next.

It shows up everywhere. I was particularly struck by the most recent music video created by OK Go and the richness of its design elements (no surprise that Damian Kulash, OK Go's lead singer is a graphic designer).

The Writing's On the Wall...

Here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m86ae_e_ptU

The OK Go website...

Here > http://okgo.net/

The OK Go YouTube Channel...

Here > https://www.youtube.com/okgo/

How do you address the gender-neutral singular pronouns problem?

Years ago, I think it was an editor at Random House, who convinced me to drop the conventional "he or she" thing. (It came up today and I'm simply curious.)...

Here's the argument: http://grammarist.com/usage/they/

I am an affiliate of a couple of services. If you use these links to make purchases, I get a small commission. Thanks in advance for your support.

Lynda.com

Learn any software program, when you want, for only $25 per month.

Here > http://www.lynda.com/promo/trial/Default.aspx?lpk35=1833&utm_medium=ldc-partner&utm_source=SSPRC&utm_content=754&utm_campaign=CD4245&bid=754&aid=CD4245

MyFonts.com

The comprehensive collection of fonts from the world's top type foundries.

Here > http://www.myfonts.com/bestsellers/?refby=ib

About this newsletter

I try to remain as objective as possible about the information I share here. Unless I tell you otherwise, I receive no compensation from the organizations and people mentioned except for occasional product samples. I am an affiliate of Lynda.com and MyFonts.com -- that means, if you purchase something from them, I get a small commission. Comments? Suggestions? Write me at chuckgreen@ideabook.com -- Chuck Green