02 May 2009

Twitter—or why I am so smart

And I quote:

 

“I don’t need to publish my position daily or hourly or minutely [sic].”

 

Just read an option with the basic premise that Twitter is a distraction and unnecessary. What follows is an edited version of my comments left on the site.

 

People who have never used Twitter often think Twitter is just a place for narcissists to recount their every mundane activity to the world. However, in my experience, I believe that's just propaganda spread by other people who also have never used it.

The other day a young designer asked me how I stayed current with the latest trends and practices in the industry. First I pointed out that my industry is not covered all that much in the larger press. There are a few periodicals, but but they are few, expensive, and infrequent by comparison. Comparison to what? The Web. There is a wealth of good design and web development sources residing in hundreds, if not thousands of blogs and personal websites.

 

So, how do I learn what's out there on the Web that relates to me? So, I told this young designer that one of my better sources is Twitter. Yes, Twitter. I follow several industry Twitters and have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of information disseminated through this unusual source. A lot more than from my Facebook or Linked-In account.

To the comment about distraction, I counter that it's no more distracting than e-mail. In fact, I find tweets less distracting because I can chose to ignore them—scanning 140 characters takes 2 seconds, and tweets require no reply or action. On the other hand, e-mails can be long, require involved replies, and can create a lot more angst.

Because tweets are not intended for communication, you only have to scan them a few times a day to find the meaty ones. When it's time to really hunker down, I turn off my Twitter client, and my e-mail.

Yes, there are those that tweet news of their latest trip to Starbucks, but those are usually friends that I choose to follow, and actually I'm kind of interested in what they are doing.

Social media is what you make it, but it is not to be ignored. You just can't afford to anymore. 

 

Comment? Send it and we'll post it. Maybe

29 April 09

This article is brought to
you by the letter “g”

 

If you've heard this story, ignore it and wait another month for my next installment.

 

A few years ago, a young designer working for me came into my office and gave me a hard time about my fastidious attention to typography. "You make such a big deal about it," he accused. 

 

I had to think quickly. How could I explain the importance of designers loving type?

 

My first thought was that designers should be fastidious about everything. It comes with the territory. We're all snobs. We are to be the guardians of taste, at least at the visual table. But this was too subjective, and too hard to illustrate (after all, designers should be visual learners), so I opted for the visceral. 

 

I told him to go back to his large-screen monitor, open up Illustrator, typeset a lower-case Times New Roman "g," then to blow it up until it filled his screen. He left my office. I just waited quietly. After a few minutes, I heard a big "wow!" from his office.

 

Yes, I know, Times New Roman is as common as dirt. And frankly I'm tired of it (I especially hate the bold). However, Times would go in the Type Hall of Fame along with Baskerville, Garamond, Helvetica...and all the classics. Why, because as type goes, even tired old Times is genius. When Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent designed and drew it, meticulous care was given to balancing aesthetics and application (read about it in Wikipedia, it's fascinating to read the mathematical precision involved).

 

Bottom line, type is art. Not only the letter forms, but the care that we designers exercise in spacing it, kerning it, leading it, and sizing it. Just as a musician faithfully attempts to interpret the notes in a Bach fugue, designers owe it to the Stanley Morison's of our world to honor their "notes" and vision.

 

Now go to your computers and blow up a big "g." Be careful, you'll never think about type in the same way again. 

 

Comment? Send it and we'll post it. Maybe.