Went to see Helvetica, the documentary by Gary Hustwit with Andrew and Jesse tonight at Silverdocs.
The film traces Helvetica from its roots in the modernist movement of the 1950s. Originally called Neue Haas Grotesk, it was renamed Helvetica (the Latin name for Switzerland) in the early 1960s, just as Swiss design was becoming wildly popular. It was picked up by corporations (Lufthansa, BMW and dozens of others) as a sophisticated, clean type for their logos, and was embraced in North America just as the modernist “international style” of architecture was sweeping the continent.
Helvetica was widely used throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and was the most popular typeface sold in the Letraset type transfer system. Its use in printed documents exploded in the late 1980s when it became one of the default settings on the first generation of Macintosh computers. With its inclusion in Mac-based word processing, Helvetica gained iconic status as the first face of the digital office era.
But the strength of the film lies in the passion of the type designers who praise or abhor the ubiquitous font. The personalities of the designers, who reveal themselves as charming, articulate and analytical, are refreshingly self-deprecating about their fixation with typography. These interviews reveal the ongoing tension between modernists like Vignelli and the generation that came after them, the postwar struggle between individuality and the common good, as a typeface created in the spirit of democracy gradually becoming to some, a symbol of blind obedience.
I really wasn't sure what to expect especially given my recent indifference around my passion for design. But it was a brilliant, inspiring movie and I came away feeling a little renewed. Perhaps it was seeing some of the designers I respect and have "grown up" with and seeing that they are just as passionate today about design. Massimo Vignelli, Stefan Sagmeister and Michael Beirut to name a few. Smart designers that really think about the problem and solve it with conceptual insight and brilliance. Something that is really missing in this age and rage of cookie-cutter, cut and paste, photoshopped mac jockeys.
As a society I believe we have lost touch with nature and our ability to connect to anything outside of our 130 channel, high definition, always connected, social agenda driven lives. Between family time and work there is often little time to enjoy simple things like looking at the stars. I know of only a few people who may take the time and walk outside on a clear night and gaze upward and realize there's something bigger in play than everything we deal with on a daily basis.
When I get into one of those I'm-working-all-the-damn-time modes I begin to need something to balance it all out. Since I am up late almost every night it's nice to take a occasional break from the creative work and walk outside to look at the stars. I've got a old scope that I haven't used in several years and have had the urge to buy a new one for quite some time. So, a couple of weeks ago I broke down and bought a new telescope, a Meade LX90 GPS.
Altough I've been in bed for the past several days with a bug and running a 101 temp I could not resist taking it out last night for the first time. It was a very clear night and the moon was directly overhead. I was amazed at the details I could see in the moon. What surprised me even more was the fact that I could see M42 very clearly, even though I set up in my front yard and have a number of street lights to deal with. The LX90 does not dissapoint in any way.
I was going to buy a Meade LX200, but after standing next to one I realized that there was no way I would be able to set it up alone. So I went for the smaller LX90. Even this scope is just barely managable from a setup standpoint. The GPS auto-alignment is sweet and I was stargazing in no time. I upgraded the scope to a 2" eye piece so the amount of image you can see in the eye piece is just amazing.
Here is a picture of the scope and a few pictures (not mine) that represent what I was able to see. The pictures of the moon and M42 are from another person who took the pictures using a LX90. My next step is to get a CCD setup so I can take my own pictures.
Poster I designed for a friend who is hosting a running event in April
I've had a long dry spell...obviously. I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm just a casual blogger. I'm just way to busy to sit down and write everyday, about my day. Especially days like today. Up at 4am, drive to the office, hop a plane to NY, sit in traffic, in the middle of the city by 9:30am...meeting, meeting, meeting... oh, yeah, another meeting...sit in traffic, hop the plane back, drive home...9:30pm. I could write more details about my day...but I'll post some pictures I took during the trip instead :)
Picked up the newest novel last night by Mark Z. Danielewski, Only Revolutions. I started the book last night and it has already captivated me.
It's his most significant book since House of Leaves. The latter was a cult hit, a deconstructed multi-narrative novel that - in early, prized, editions - used fonts, typography and colour to weave an intriguing fiction about what is essentially a haunted house. The text of this metaphorical, metaphysically minded opus ran left to right, upside down and in circles and was layered with haunting illustrations, photo collages and meaty footnotes painting a parallel narrative. Danielewski, who also designs his books, created a set of intertwined narratives and an extended musing on architectural impossibility. It's been about 6 years since I've read the House of Leaves...I may just have to dust it off and read it again now that I think about it.
Only Revolutions is, at its heart, a simple teenage love story. Sam and Hailey, perpetually 16 in a universe where time is malleable and permeable, embark on a circuitous road trip across the U.S. over the course of 200 years, from 1863 to 2063. The new book is easy enough to digest. Except that it is told entirely in cryptic free verse, a sort of 360-page prose poem. Then there's the issue of narrative structure. Like Julio Cortázar's 1966 classic, "Hopscotch," the "story" is nonlinear and told from different perspectives — but Danielewski has catapulted the concept a step further. His dual narratives begin at opposite ends of the book, so the reader has to flip it over and upside down when shifting between them.
Meanwhile, there's a vertical sidebar of historical minutiae running throughout: contextual notes on everything from the "abolition of slavery, confiscation of property, and territorial vassalage" in 1863 to Hurricane Katrina and the "Tigris River trample." (Interestingly enough, Danielewski hasn't invented events for 2007 and beyond.)
The result is a dizzying, psychedelic he said-she said.
I'll tell you more later as I get more into the book....
WHOOOHOOO.
AOL launched the 10-foot experience that I prototyped out over a year ago. It's a project that I was very passionate about and was pleased with the direction of the UI and design of the prototype. It came down to one of those insane, had all of one night to pull together kind of exercises. Got a second wind on a late Friday night and by Saturday 9am had about 30 screens of UI and design polished off. Sometimes the adrenaline of design will find you sharing the morning with the chirping birds outside of the window :)
Of course, once prototypes run their full course through some of the business and technical realities, things change. But, overall I'm fairly pleased with what went to market. Most of original experience and interactivity that I designed has remained intact, but a lot of the details in the visuals and interactive flows have been executed poorly. The perfectionist in me wants to see every attention to detail polished through, from highlight colors to motion transitions. Pretty graphics alone don't do it, it's the whole package, the whole experience and this often gets lost in production and a rush to market. Like buying a car, from how the seat feels to how the the interior dims when you close the door, the attention to these details speak to the quality of the experience. It's the difference between a Volvo and a BMW, between Microsoft and Apple. (Did I just lump Microsoft together with a Volvo? hmmmm....).
A little about the experince from one of the press releases.
Combining the powerful capabilities of the PC with the familiar face of TV, AOL and Intel Corporation today launched the AOL Video service for Intel? Viiv™ technology-based PCs with a goal to create the ultimate on-demand entertainment experience. The joint effort delivers AOL Video's leading online library of premium movies, full-length TV shows, music videos, concerts, sports videos, and more, as well the ability to easily search videos from the Web to Intel Viiv technology-based PCs. These videos can then be easily viewed on any large-screen television. Much of the programming from the PC to TV screen is free to consumers with a large number of videos available in DVD quality via AOL's Hi-Q format.
AOL* Video is a one-stop, high-quality entertainment destination to find, watch and share millions of free streaming and pay-to-download video programs from across the Web, broadcast and cable television, and entertainment. AOL and Intel have developed an innovative user interface which helps a consumer decide whether they want to search the entire video library, browse a video category, or take advantage of AOL's recommended viewing list. All of this can be done easily with a remote control.
AND...here are a few screens from the original prototype.
www.theblackkeys.com
Came across The Black Keys several months ago on iTunes, but at the time was busy multi-tasking or something...but bought their new album last night, Magic Potion and it's one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. Been playing it around the clock since. They are coming to the 9:30 Club in DC on November the 6th. Definately will go to the show.
They apparently named the band, not as a play on the name of the band The White Stripes, of whom they had not heard when they named themselves, but from inspiration of a schizophrenic artist friend in Akron, who used the term "black keys" to describe things he disliked or people he did not trust. A double meaning lies in the fact that the black keys of a piano comprise a pentatonic minor scale, which is often associated with blues and rock music.
The band is frequently compared to The White Stripes - although I have to say, I think The Black Keys are much better. One of their trademarks is their preference for simple recording techniques. They refuse to use big name studios, and do most of the recording, producing, and mixing themselves. The album Thickfreakness was recorded mostly in its entirety in 14 hours in Carney's basement on an early 80's Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Another trademark is not following the 'norm'. They typically use odd recording techniques as well as what some may consider off the wall playing techniques.
Low-fi jamming at it's best!
Can't quite shake off the sad news of Steve Irwin. Such a horrible tragedy. Every news clip I see, everyone, including these tough Australian men are breaking down in tears. It's obvious Steve Irwin was someone who touched a lot of people. Back in 1997, The Discovery Channel was a client of mine and I had the opportunity to design his first website through them. They sent all this material and video on this relatively unknown guy (at the time) who had this bustling personality and worked around animals with little fear. I remember then thinking that this guy was going to be great. Sometimes you come across people who are who they are, no facade, no acting. Steve was a genuine friendly, warm and honest guy and his fame never went to his head or inflated his ego. He will be missed.
What was the last game you played?
Monopoly: Spongebob Squarepants. Played this with the kids over the past weekend. I'm ruthless in Monopoly, so I just had to be Mr. Crabs.
Our species dominates the globe without having much of a sense of its own soul. We are at a loss of common sense in a age of anxiety. Change can be evolutionary or revolutionary—incremental and progressive or cataclysmic and abrupt. Jean-Jacques Rousseau popularized the concept that man is born an innocent wonder, filled with love and generosity. But a luciferian force, modern civilization, ensnares us. Rousseau claimed that without civilization, humans would never know hatred, prejudice, or cruelty.
This is a simple concept that I am beginning to fully believe in.
Recent Comments
-
biscuit said:
Good work, mate. Cheers on pushing the envelope back in the day. read more
on Will miss you mate. -
Max said:
Yes, it is sad for Steve's wife and children. From what everyone is saying, he was deeply bonded with his... read more
on Will miss you mate. -
Lilia said:
[this is good]You're so right, Steve's death was a horrible tragedy. Although I had never seen his show, I had caught glimpses... read more
on Will miss you mate. -
on RFC_LargePoster_preview