1037. As noted by me on Designorati, The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks is defiitely one you should "See".Tags: typography, inccorrect punctuation, punctuation, greengrocers apostrophe, unnecessary quotation marks
By Samuel John Klein of Portland, Oregon - Graphic Designer without Portfolio, aspiring artist who dawdled too long.
22 October 2007
[typography] "Visit" this "Blog"
1037. As noted by me on Designorati, The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks is defiitely one you should "See".Tags: typography, inccorrect punctuation, punctuation, greengrocers apostrophe, unnecessary quotation marks
[liff] The People You Meet In Coffee Houses
1036. Some time ago I mentioned how I was looking forward to the release of the first volume of S.M. Stirling's second Emberverse trilogy, a book entitled The Sunrise Lands. Latterly, income being what it is, there was no chance of buying a copy, we were waiting for it to come out in paperback (we like collecting paperbacks) and while I'd gotten myself on the hold list at MultCoLib, I've not moved very far up in the listings.
So it was that The Wife™ and myself were going to a place called Coffee Romance on SE Powell Blvd at 82nd Avenue–in the shopping center that contains the local Food4Less store–and found the place fairly packed.
Coffee Romance is a cool place. It's run by this Asian fellow whose name I keep forgetting and they have delicious coffee and snacks and stuff like that. They use Buckmaster Coffee (at least I think that's their brand) and have just about every flavor of syrup that exists.
Anyway, we notice that there are very few places left to sit, and somewhat suddenly this rather large, hirsute fellow with hair marginally longer than mine (and more bangs–for which I'm envious) invites us over, saying that there are two seats open across the table from him, which there are.
He's a welcoming presence. We found that we eventually started filtering into each others spaces, he and us, and he (predictably–in retrospect–named "Tiny" (seriously, if you'd seen him and we told you he called himself Tiny you'd say "well, of course he does")) happened to be reading S.M.S.'s Island In The Sea Of Time. Now, if one doesn't know, the premise begun in the novels that depend from this one is that an unexplained and inexplicable event causes the island of Nantucket, off Massachusetts, to be transported back to the year 1250BC, and how the inhabitants of Nantucket deal with having modern tools and attitudes in that year (they evolve into the center of a hegemon in the British Imperial style).
Talk eventually drifted into the Emberverse, and what it was: the flip side of the Nantucket story cycle coin–the Emberverse is the world that Nantucket left behind, one devoid of 250 years of technological advance because electricity no longer flows, internal combustion engines no longer work, anything "high-energy"–more powerful than, say, the electrical impulses that power your neurons–has been rendered suddenly inoperative.
I'm a fan of it because it takes place here–the main setting of the story (so far) has been the northern Willamette Valley. Portland becomes the center of a neofeudal tyranny, Corvallis becomes a ruthlessly-mercantile democracy, a warrior-king republic is established centered on the Eola Hills west of Salem, and greater Linn and eastern Marion Counties become the domain of a neo-Celtic "clan-ocracy" in an idealized medieval Irish style. This newest novel, The Sunrise Lands, begins as the generation who was being born or who were young children at the time of "The Change" is coming of age–most of them think of our technological times as something of legend.
I digress wildly. There will be time to write of this later. The point was, after chatting about Nantucket and the Emberverse and after I had mentioned that I was looking foward to reading TSL, Tiny mentioned that he had the book in his truck, and would I like to borrow it?
Mind you, I'd never seen this guy–interesting and affable as he was–in my life. But he's a regular at Coffee Romance, and he said that after I'd finished the book, I could leave it there and it would get back to him.
There must be something basic about our shared natures that appealed to each other on a subliminal level. It's interesting that sometimes you just know that a fellow you've never met will be a convivial sort (and, of course, that sense has its own error rate), and when that sense hits the mark, it hits it hard.
So now, thanks to Tiny, I'm reading TSL, and enjoying it muchly. If you like S.M. Stirling, and you like the Emberverse, you'll like this book, and it hints at some possible promising resolutions to the reality of the Emberverse.
And the fellow's never saw me before...and he trusts me with his book.
We love Coffee Romance, of course.
Tags: Coffee Romance, coffee house people, S.M. Stirling, Emberverse, The Sunrise Lands
So it was that The Wife™ and myself were going to a place called Coffee Romance on SE Powell Blvd at 82nd Avenue–in the shopping center that contains the local Food4Less store–and found the place fairly packed.
Coffee Romance is a cool place. It's run by this Asian fellow whose name I keep forgetting and they have delicious coffee and snacks and stuff like that. They use Buckmaster Coffee (at least I think that's their brand) and have just about every flavor of syrup that exists.
Anyway, we notice that there are very few places left to sit, and somewhat suddenly this rather large, hirsute fellow with hair marginally longer than mine (and more bangs–for which I'm envious) invites us over, saying that there are two seats open across the table from him, which there are.
He's a welcoming presence. We found that we eventually started filtering into each others spaces, he and us, and he (predictably–in retrospect–named "Tiny" (seriously, if you'd seen him and we told you he called himself Tiny you'd say "well, of course he does")) happened to be reading S.M.S.'s Island In The Sea Of Time. Now, if one doesn't know, the premise begun in the novels that depend from this one is that an unexplained and inexplicable event causes the island of Nantucket, off Massachusetts, to be transported back to the year 1250BC, and how the inhabitants of Nantucket deal with having modern tools and attitudes in that year (they evolve into the center of a hegemon in the British Imperial style).
Talk eventually drifted into the Emberverse, and what it was: the flip side of the Nantucket story cycle coin–the Emberverse is the world that Nantucket left behind, one devoid of 250 years of technological advance because electricity no longer flows, internal combustion engines no longer work, anything "high-energy"–more powerful than, say, the electrical impulses that power your neurons–has been rendered suddenly inoperative.
I'm a fan of it because it takes place here–the main setting of the story (so far) has been the northern Willamette Valley. Portland becomes the center of a neofeudal tyranny, Corvallis becomes a ruthlessly-mercantile democracy, a warrior-king republic is established centered on the Eola Hills west of Salem, and greater Linn and eastern Marion Counties become the domain of a neo-Celtic "clan-ocracy" in an idealized medieval Irish style. This newest novel, The Sunrise Lands, begins as the generation who was being born or who were young children at the time of "The Change" is coming of age–most of them think of our technological times as something of legend.
I digress wildly. There will be time to write of this later. The point was, after chatting about Nantucket and the Emberverse and after I had mentioned that I was looking foward to reading TSL, Tiny mentioned that he had the book in his truck, and would I like to borrow it?
Mind you, I'd never seen this guy–interesting and affable as he was–in my life. But he's a regular at Coffee Romance, and he said that after I'd finished the book, I could leave it there and it would get back to him.
There must be something basic about our shared natures that appealed to each other on a subliminal level. It's interesting that sometimes you just know that a fellow you've never met will be a convivial sort (and, of course, that sense has its own error rate), and when that sense hits the mark, it hits it hard.
So now, thanks to Tiny, I'm reading TSL, and enjoying it muchly. If you like S.M. Stirling, and you like the Emberverse, you'll like this book, and it hints at some possible promising resolutions to the reality of the Emberverse.
And the fellow's never saw me before...and he trusts me with his book.
We love Coffee Romance, of course.
Tags: Coffee Romance, coffee house people, S.M. Stirling, Emberverse, The Sunrise Lands
21 October 2007
[design] If You Surfed Over Here From Jeff Fisher's Book Blog...
1035. ...Then, Welcome.
I think a word or two about why I get excited whenever Jeff Fisher drops a new book or something like this would be called for.
In an extremely indirect way, we have things in common. We're both from Salem, Oregon, so I feel that we are, in some elemental way, linked that way–kids who grow up in Salem tend to move on, at least to Portland.
Some time ago, when I was getting tired of the grind of the job I was doing to (just barely) pay the bills, I decided that I wanted to do something artistic, something creative. About that time, one of the things I saw was an article in The Oregonian, our local daily, about what he was doing and how he was getting there, and I thought that was the coolest thing pretty much ever.
So, at that point I investigated design, eventually going to and getting a degree at Portland Community College. At this point, I'm still looking for a gig, and pickings for me are pretty slender, but another thing keeping an eye on Jeff does for me is to provide a continuing inspiration to keep trying and to not give up. I also fancy that I recognize that if it weren't for people like Jeff, there would be no design world to aspire to (I remember one of my schoolmates scoffing at what he called the "designosaurs". To be unabashedly blunt, I think that attitude is the definition of stupid).
So, it's all about inspiration. Jeff was one of my first. It's my way of saying thanks for inspiring me, and when my payday finally does happen, it's my way to give thanks for showing the way.
Tags: design, pdx designers, Jeff Fisher, Identity Crisis!, ZehnKatzen, Samuel John Klein
I think a word or two about why I get excited whenever Jeff Fisher drops a new book or something like this would be called for.
In an extremely indirect way, we have things in common. We're both from Salem, Oregon, so I feel that we are, in some elemental way, linked that way–kids who grow up in Salem tend to move on, at least to Portland.
Some time ago, when I was getting tired of the grind of the job I was doing to (just barely) pay the bills, I decided that I wanted to do something artistic, something creative. About that time, one of the things I saw was an article in The Oregonian, our local daily, about what he was doing and how he was getting there, and I thought that was the coolest thing pretty much ever.
So, at that point I investigated design, eventually going to and getting a degree at Portland Community College. At this point, I'm still looking for a gig, and pickings for me are pretty slender, but another thing keeping an eye on Jeff does for me is to provide a continuing inspiration to keep trying and to not give up. I also fancy that I recognize that if it weren't for people like Jeff, there would be no design world to aspire to (I remember one of my schoolmates scoffing at what he called the "designosaurs". To be unabashedly blunt, I think that attitude is the definition of stupid).
So, it's all about inspiration. Jeff was one of my first. It's my way of saying thanks for inspiring me, and when my payday finally does happen, it's my way to give thanks for showing the way.
Tags: design, pdx designers, Jeff Fisher, Identity Crisis!, ZehnKatzen, Samuel John Klein
[font_design] Free Font from DGV–Basic Light
1034. A highly-coolly-named publishing company, Die Gestalten Verlag, has this habit they can't control-they give out free limited versions of thier fonts, which are from some of the more artistic typefounders.This go-round's offering: Basic Light Ltd.
20 October 2007
[caturday] Bet as Hyperspace_kitteh
1033. Our resident superkitty got tired of waiting for Caturday:
So he got here before us, and he's been having fun ever since. Still, he's glad to see us.
You didn't know that kittehs could shortcut through hyperspace? We did!
[liff] Dr. Tran-Man of Action, Man of Honor
1032. Not safe for work, unless your boss and cow-orkers like dirty jokes. Consider yourself advised.
God, I love animation.
19 October 2007
[design, video] Eames Elephants and Nicholson: A Few Good Videos
1031. I'll follow the lead of the McBru Blog on this one:
Funny as hell.
Elsewhere, via the geniuses at Die Gestalten Verlag's blog, we find that the Eames Elephant has starred in one of the cutest and neatest bits of stop-mo animation we've seen in a long time. Clicky thee hence to view A Gathering Of Elephants:
Yah, it's adorable. And relatively low-tech. In all, a most affable animation.
[pdx] Scott Moore Loses Beard, Takes Over World
1030. As regards this blog's favorite newsie, we think this beard thing has gone to his head:
Look out, Nigel. Hide the Pulitzer; he's coming for you!
In my offense, I didn't bring my Photoshop "A" game here, but I had limited time.
And now, whether you want it or not, let's go back to 1981. To the Tune of "Bette Davis Eyes":
His hair is closely cropped
His beard he did elide
Smooth as a baby's bottom
He's got Scott Moore-ish Eyes
He'll write an item on you
You won't be able to hide
He's watching City Hall
He's got Scott Moore-ish Eyes
He'll expose you, if you grows your
Mayoral beard under your nose, yeah.
He's precocious, and he knows just what it
Takes to make a commish blush.
The City Council thinks he's a spy
He's got, Scott Moore-ish Eyes.
Okay, I think that's quite enough now. Looks like I didn't bring my parody lyrics "A" game either. Meh. Even I'm starting to cringe.
Oh! Found two more chances to get job rejections from Craigslist! Gotta dash!
Dept of Corrections Dept: For some reason which would perhaps be attributable to drug abuse had I only the chance, the original version of this post referenced "Scott Adams". Why the Dilbert creator's mind share tried to annex some of my Merc mind share, I'll never know (Sun 20 Oct 07 @ 0924)
[liff] Typographic Things Happen
1029. In an emergency situation (72 hour notice), a couple of acquaintances left two sweet black sleek lovable kitties for us to foster for a couple of weeks.
One of them so happens to be named Zapf.
18 October 2007
[ad_design] Another Ad Trend That Needs To Die Screaming
1028. Someone please shoot me...here it comes again:
Oh, good God, Classmates.com: yes. Yes, dear God, she married that guy. They had kids, too–what are the odds?
Will you please get over it? Bitter because you were never asked to the prom? Neither was I, but I'm not bitter. Well, I am, but not over that.
[design] Two Book Reviews I've Recently Posted
1027. Two recent book reviews I am proud to have done:
- Mastering InDesign CS3 by Pariah S. Burke. Read the review here. A comprehensive, yet appraochable text grounded in the author's proven talent for creating efficient workflows that free the creatives to do more creating and less futzing with the program. Published at QuarkVsInDesign.com.
- Meggs: Making Graphic Design History, just released by Wiley. Read the review here. A singular book about a singular individual, combining words from colleagues and family as well as glimpses into the life and times of the graphic designs, tribal historian. Beautiful, beautiful book. Published at Designorati.com.
By way of disclaimer, I will add that I was the technical editor on Mastering InDesign. By way of self-promotion, I will say I did a damn fine job. By way of crass begging, I'll also say that I'm available for more such work.
17 October 2007
[liff] And Now, a "Here's Your Sign" Moment
1026. As our vignette opens, ZK is filling the basket on his coffee maker in the home office/studio. The Wife™ Steps around the corner to see what he's doing:
The Wife™: You making coffee?
ZK (after a beat): No, this is performance art.
The Wife™ (after a beat, smiling broadly): Yeah, I know...here's my sign.
aaaand...scene.
[pdx_photos] Hey! I Was Shortlisted for Schmap!
1025. I was just advised–and have consented to move forward on it–that one of my Flickrized photos has been shortlisted for the next edittion of the Portland Schmap Travel Guide. Specifically, this one:
Consdering its subject (Jim & Patty's Coffee on NE Fremont Street), it's got a lot of Portland heart and soul. So, naturally, I'm excuciatingly flattered.
Consdering its subject (Jim & Patty's Coffee on NE Fremont Street), it's got a lot of Portland heart and soul. So, naturally, I'm excuciatingly flattered.
Is ironic, no, that I had just gone on about Ristretto Coffee Roasters (which is in the same general area). We don't get over that way as often as we like; Jim & Patty's close a little early for our night-owl lifestyles, and that's Piedmont and this is Baja Gresham, but we need to be coming that way soon. Jim & Patty's coffee is excellent, and I'm betting Ristretto's is too.
Clearly, I need to upload more of my Portland photeaux to Flickr. Hey, I'm no Portland Ground, but I got some mojo working.
[pdx, bloggage] I Am A Ristretto Fan
1024. I am remiss in that I didn't give a hat tip where one is due, and I've just learnt about this; a local coffee outfit (which, you ask?!?! Well, I'll tell ya), Ristretto Coffee Roasters, referred to one of my entries (this one hyar) having to do with "Just Coffee Art", which is still really rather amazing, and I still wonder why this outfit didn't spring up here in Portland (it was us who invented "Coffee Culture", suck it, Seattle!).
Now, I haven't tried Ristretto yet, but we will. Soon. We haven't been to Jim and Patty's for a while, come to think of that. We believe in coffee, and we believe even more in coffee from Portland.
[pdx] One More Reason To Be Smug About Living Round These Parts
1023. On top of using 100% wind-generated power, using strictly local suppliers, and re-introducing us to the subtle magic of daring to have seasonal dishes, our favorite fast-food chain is now composting. From the AP via KATU news:
The Northwest chain says it is rolling out a composting and recycling program to all of its 39 restaurants.
The company estimates that will keep 85 percent of its restaurant waste from the landfill and save the company $100,000 a year.
Clearly, Burgerville and The Holland understand thier market and the attitudes of the people who live around here. Else why would they still exist, a small chain in a universe of McDonaldses and Wendy'sese and Burger Kings?
Even if one thinks that it's merely canny marketing, one still can't deny, we think, going to a local company striving for sustainability and helping to fuel the regional economy, knowing that that burger you're eatin' is generating spondulix for local businesses makes one feel a little better about getting the old drive-thru food.
Being a repeat BV customer, I like to think that it's more than mere positioning. The company has always seemed to have had a highly esteemable heart...
16 October 2007
[design, logo_design] KVAL's New-Look News Logo
1022. Nicked from a still on the KVAL website, this market's first look at the new KVAL News logo:
Which is nearly identical to the news logo sported by KBCI, and all but identical to the ones now used by KIMA, KEPR, and KIDK.
Which is nearly identical to the news logo sported by KBCI, and all but identical to the ones now used by KIMA, KEPR, and KIDK.
Notably, they didn't call it Eyewitness News or Action News or even Triple-Later Death-by-Chocolate Action Eyewitness News. Just "News".
[liff] One Cool Thing
1021. It's cool when something you do inspires someone to do sometihng else.
Here, for instance. The Portland Writer links to my video slideshow of Sandy Blvd. Nifty.
If it were me, I'd just stick to Sandy Blvd, tho. Now, don't get me wrong, Glisan's a fine street, and meditating on how the socially correct way to say it is actually mispronouncing it leads to unexpected moments of satori, but Sandy is more weirdly, gloriously inspriational; though, to be true, there is no TBN station anywhere along it (make of this what you will).
Glisan would be a fine street to make a slideshow of, come to think...
[design, pdx_design] The LogoMotivator Is Having A Book Signing
1020. Jeff Fisher, one person I want to grow up to be, is having a book signing of his newest, Identity Crisis!, at St. Johns Booksellers. Regrettably, I won't be able to be there–non-desgining drudge job still owns me, alas–but I would highly recommend all y'all attending if you can do so. Any of you who does so, say "hi!" to him for me, neh?
Details follow:
Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher book signing at St. Johns Booksellers - November 8th
St. Johns Booksellers, the neighborhood bookstore of North Portland graphic designer and author Jeff Fisher, will be the location of a presentation and book signing for his new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, on Thursday, November 8th at 7:30 p.m. Bookstore owners Liz Dorman and Nena Rawdah will host the event in their store, located at 8622 N. Lombard in the St. Johns neighborhood - about 15 minutes north of downtown Portland.
Identity Crisis!, a HOW Books/F+W Publications release, takes a fresh look at 50 before and after case studies, from designers and firms from around the world, by exploring the process of redesigning existing identities to help businesses refine their image, communicate with customers, and find success. Designers seeking inspiration - and any business considering a graphic makeover - will be presented an inside look at the challenges of redesigning identities and visual examples of
creative and strategic thinking in achieving the desired results.The work of Portland design firms Fullblast, Inc., Sockeye Creative and Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, and Salem company Glitschka Studios, is featured in the book. Jack Anderson, of the Seattle firm Hornall Anderson Design Works wrote the foreward for Identity Crisis!
Title: Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands
Hardbound: 216 pages
Publisher: HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications
Release: September 2007
ISBN: 1581809395
Price: $35.00
[media, design] KVAL's New Graphics: First, Fair, Accurit
1019. As I've said, we've not seeing the complete graphics for The Flag's Eugene outlet, CBS affiliate KVAL, broadcasting on Channel 13. But we have glimpses. And much as KATU has the new tagline On Your Side (promoted from segement title), KVAL's is First. Fair. Accurate.
So unintentional humor is supplied by pictures like this:
And this:
So what's wrong with these pictures? Look reeeeeal close at the graphic in the Vanna boxes. First @ at 6. First @ at 11. Yep. Read cold, that's "First at at 6", and "First at at 11." That they are directly over the First•Fair•Accurate tagline (note the similarity in type to much of KATU's new house graphics font) and the jest becomes infinitely ironic as well.
Remember, reading is fundamental. Proofreading moreso. But I wonder if proofreading would have vetted that. People do tend to read somewhat on autopilot–even I looked right past the at-sign followed by the word "at" a few times, because the point was to highlight the similarity between that graphic and this one:
This is the lead "Big Story" graphic for the headline piece, which is used by KIMA and KEPR (and the other stations we've been following, Boise's KBCI and IF's KIDK). The similarity in graphic approach needs scarcely be pointed out. These second-tier market stations are going for a unified approach–it could be a matter of economics, it could be they just all like the look (it does work pretty well) and go with the fashion.
Back to the funny bit, though; this is another case of where even a practiced eye (being CBS, it's ironic, neh?) can look right past an obvious problem. We've all read right past obvious gaffes in our own writings because our brain does a bit of preprocessing when ever it reads, and an @ sign, being a symbol rather than an alphabetic glyph, can be reduced by the mind to the status of an ornament and deleted from awareness. of course, this is why one must be so careful when crafting things like this. I call it a "Paris in the the Spring" problem, after the famous visual gotcha that has those words arranged in a triangle such that there is a line break between the two the's; your eye and mind see just one "the" unless you take it carefully.
Another possible problem is that some uppity smartass blogger with graphic and type proclivites would spot that and gently (and respectfully, we hasten to ad) mock you over it.
So, actually this discourse works on two levels.
They'll probably want to adjust that graphic, though.
15 October 2007
[pdx_transit] Coming Attractions at TriMetTV
1018. TriMet announced again its TriMetTV vodcast series today (press release), but there is new information: we now have some idea of what sorts of things we're going to be seeing. Coming soon at TriMet TV: - Construction updates on the I-205/Portland Mall Light Rail project and Washington County Commuter Rail
- Rider basics: How to Ride, TransitTracker, buying tickets and passes and taking MAX to Portland International Airport
- History of transit in Portland
- Bus line profiles including unique stops and interviews with riders and operators
- Green practices throughout TriMet
Content-wise, I'm giving it a conditional thumbs-up (pending viewing the actual content, of course). They're taking the idea of a promotional vodcast the right way. I'm particulrly looking forward to what they have to say on Transit history (I've always wanted to either read or write the book on Rose City Transit, et. al.) and route profiles are going to mad interesting–I don't know of any transit system that's doing that.
Also New: The live Portland Mall Construction Camera, at SW 6th & Yamhill. Wasn't working when I tried it out, but it was 10:30 at night after all.
[media] A Radio Ad Trend That Must Die Screaming
1017. No, I'm not taking about those ads Frankie Avalon is doing for dietary supplements, tho' they be horrid enough.
No, I'm talking about this trend that attemps a cinema verité approach by having some voice talent act as though they've got copy to read during a programming break. I've heard them lately for everything from "Medigap" plans to sketchy Intermets income schemes, complete with earnest tones and rustling papers.
I listen to a good deal of talk radio, and it's an insult to the intelligence to have voice talent I've never heard announce that "we'll get back to the music in a moment" then proceed to read about a product or service I'd have to be tripping to fall for anyway.
Regrettably, I've got no examples to link to, but if you listen to syndicated nationoal AM radio content, you'll hear it soon enough–most likely at :15 and :45.
[liff] Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin
1016. Orcinus reads and interprets the handrwiting on the wall.
There are implications here, we think, for more than your average twentysomething. Thritysomethings, Fortysomethings and beyond that we know are also feeling alienated from churches for the same reason. Some we know are feeling the same way about religion in general.
If the zeitgeist returns to doing the essential things–charity toward the poor and actual justice for all rather than justice only for "God's Party", which ever one one feels that would be, then they may come back.
But it's possible that ship may have sailed–that's our impression anyway.
Related Story (and more's the pity): Msgr. Stenico hastens to explain that he wasn't really gay, but just acting that way. Massive attack of jawcraig reported amongst the faithful.
[bloggage] ZehnKatzen Times 200x50 Linky Buttons
1015. Herewith, three buttons (the first three in a series) for those with the discrimination and taste to link here.
Later, different sizes, animated buttons (maybe). Please, take, enjoy! Anyone linking will recieve reciprocity. Just drag 'em on to your desktop and install them to your blogroll with the approprate code. Here they are, in all thier 200px x 50px glory:
[liff, design] And Now, a Crass Word From Our Sponsor
1014. Hi. My name's Sam, and I want to be your bitch.
Seriously. I'm hungry, as I've said before, for a gig in graphic design. Now, I'll be honest about one thing; I have a junior designer's skill set, but what I've got, I've got solid.
Adobe CS, CS2, CS3. InDesign, InCopy, Photoshop, Illustrator. Dreamweaver. A little GoLive, a little Pagemaker. QuarkXPress. MacOS X. Windows.
I have a senior designer's desire to make things, create things, and do things.
So, I'd be happy to be your bitch. I'd like to take my skills and compel myself unto your breach–whatever it may be–and work like hell for you. Use me hard.
You get me where I want to be, and I'll (figureatively) kill myself to get you where you want to be.
Me: A budding graphic designer looking for my first regular full-time in-house paycheck. You: Someone with need of a graphic designer who understands potential.
If anyone's willing to give me that chance, contact me for a resume and electronic (32MB, portable website) portfolio. I can be contacted me via email for any particular questions you may have.
[pdx, transit] TriMet Expects No Disruptions from TOPOFF 4
1013. TriMet is involved in TOPOFF 4, but expects no distruptions in service, or maybe a little up near the north end of the Yellow Line, where the staging area is.
Hey, at least they told us.
[design] The First Law of Graphic Design
1012. The more design books, posters, and magazines one looks at, the likelihood of your seeing Stefan Sagmeister naked approaches 1.000.
It is inevitable, and will happen astoundingly fast.
(Visit Sagmeister Inc. to peep this fellows work. If I were a tenth as brilliant as him, I'd be twice as brilliant as I am now)
14 October 2007
13 October 2007
[liff] The Original Computer Nightmare to be Remade
1010. Found completely in passing from putting together the last discourse; Colossus, The Forbin Project is going to be remade, apparently. From ComingSoon.net:
Based on a book by D.F. Jones, the original film was a forerunner of movies like Terminator, introducing the idea of a government-built computer that becomes sentient and then takes control.
Rothenberg will use the original's premise as a springboard and will incorporate two subsequent "Colossus" novels written by Jones to hatch a much broader film premise.
The Colossus cycle comprises three novels; Colossus, The Fall of Colossus, and Colossus and The Crab, by the author D.F. Jones. The following two were written about 10 or so years after the first, and it shows–the first was tight, the last two seem afterthoughts and read that way. It'll be a tall order to incorporate them, but audiences hate movies these days that ended as C:TFP did then, and they provide closure on the Colossus story at least.
I always thought that C:TFP made The Terminator necessary. Of course, if Colossus had debuted latterly, there would soon be a portable version. We'd call it "iColossus" (there would be no copyright hassle, as Colossus would have targeted Steve Job's home).
Wonder what cameo they're going to have Eric Braeden play?
[design, notebook] KATU New Logo Meta: This About That
1009. From the ZehnKatzen Notebooks:
After the last week of logo excitement with the KATU redesign it occurred to us that there are a lot of issues that ought to be noted in passing. Let's get started.
Schoolkid Excitement:
It has become obvious to me, in reading the last several missives on the KATU redesign, that I could be accused of gushing like a schoolgirl over it. On the other hand, it's not going to please or excite everyone.
And that's no sin. Everyone cares about different things. If we all cared about the same things all the time, it would be quite a boring world.
But I care and get excited and sometimes even passionate about the visual, and sometimes the audio (I hang on with the audio by the skin of my teeth, in the interests of disclosure). That–and my 2 years at PCC and my Graphic Design degree–is one big reason why I fancy myself as a designer at this point (sure, the paycheck hasn't arrived yet, but I'm not giving up there).
I completely dig when color, design and sound get you on a gut level, take you up, and get you excited. The difference between the old KATU indentity and the new one is night and day to me; the old one was locked down static–the graphic of the old logo assembling itself actually had a passive look in comparison, because since the 2 was reversed out of its background, it's what was left over after all the action happened. Moreover, the typeface used was a sans-serif with the feeling of Helvetica. Helvetica isn't a bad font, but it's the textbook example of a font that's been overused to the point that it has no intellectual or emotional weight to carry. It doesn't grab you. It doesn't move you.
In comparison, the new identity uses warm colors and motion–two attributes which suggest energy. News broadcasts have to work hard to compete these days, and while an energetic, animated opening (and chyrons) won't solve the problems of content or news gathering (if indeed any exist), it sure doesn't hurt the product.
If they need a dash and a splash, I say go for it (within limits–I still think KPTV's LIVE remotes from the control room and the parking lot from in front of the KIGR News Van KPTV Mobile Newsroom are silly (nothing personal, KPTV–it doesn't stop us from watching you and we love Good Day Oregon...but that is so another subject...) ). KATU's new graphic look goes for it in, what I believe, just the right way–and comes up with a real dynamic logo, the "Fisher Flag" and the stylized "2" giving the whole logo dynamic tension to begin with.
So, to bring this free range commentary back to ground, let's compare:
Before:
After:
The bold majuscule, the stylized 2, the flag behind the 2...simply brilliant, I think. What's not to like? I'm also a fan of the new tag line.
Of course, I must say that this whole chain of thought would never have been established had KATU not changed its logo at all. The old KATU logo and look worked and worked very well indeed, and certainly satisfied KATU–it was in full effect for something for the better part of a decade. You can't argue with success. If you're going to update and you want that dash and splash, though, there's a way to go about it, and I think KATU's identity designers nailed it.
The old identity works. The new identity works. The change was a timely one.
And all that, I find exciting. Over at OMI, the discussion was joined, and someone rightly asked "does it really matter?". Yes, I think it does. No, it's not the whole newscast; if you (the editorial "you", here) think that there's a problem with the production, then a new graphics package won't solve that problem. We are a visual culture, now more than ever, though, and KATU provides a very polished answer to that ineffable question.
Tech Talk
The need to document what I saw generated the question of how to capture it. My solution was originally to create animated graphics in Photoshop CS3 (which has, MCP-like, assimilated the animation and web optimization functions of Adobe ImageReady–the animation palette and the Save For Web dialog look as though they were transferred straight over from that discontinued application). A bit of experimentation with Flash CS3 revealed that it is much better at creating short movies from a stack of screenshots than I could from PS, however; as long as the series is named in a standard sequential format.
The Mac makes it insanely easy to make snapshots of the screen. CTRL-Shift-4, draw a box, and it appears on the desktop as "PictureXX", Drag all these to a separate folder, and tell Flash to look there for an Import to Stage, it's smart enough to see the sequence and will import them all in order (on an OK click). You get a line of keyframes, one for every imported graphic. Fiddle with the output settings and FPS and–shipoopi!–you have a QuickTime movie.
But taking snapshot after snapshot of a movie I'm constantly click-stopping is tedious. So I looked into screencast software. So far I've tried several demos, and I've installed an app called "Copernicus" which is free. SnapzPro also includes the ability to suck up the system audio to, which is killer.
The problem is, none of them work when YouTube converts them to video. SnapzPro delivers great quality video, but whe resultant YouTuber drops so much of the video stream it's even more jumpy than the slideshows I've so far created. Copernicus's video output is of a high quality, and I can choose from an amazing range of codecs (and it's free) but when it gets processed on YouTube, no matter how big the file or what codec I use (yes, we tried MPEG-4 and Sorenson) I get two seconds of very , very lovely random color mosaic.
So, for now, It's screenshots away. I am going to plump for QuickTime Pro so I can edit sound into my videos (Flash is, of course, supremely unequipped to help me in this department, at least as far as I can see right now), and at $29.99 it's a comparatively economical choice.
I'll continue to search, and what will win me over is whatever can get translated to YouTube. Can I afford it? We'll know when we get there.
It has been brought to my attention that there are actually other TV stations in the Portland market (I know!) . And, despite my distraction with the Inland Empire side of the Flag I actually live in Portland (or so Google Street View might tell you). So, to keep my critical eye in, I'll take a look round at the other Portland TV stations, after a few palette cleansers here I'll come up with my below-my-station (so to speak) analyses of those.
Semi-apropos to that, we find that some clever netizen has updated KATU's logo with a screenshot of the current open on KATU's Wikipedia page. Good on them.
Open Memo To KATU
Dudes? You need to get this up on your building. Seriously.
12 October 2007
[pdx_media] New look KATU News Open
1008. Now we come to what I've been wanting to see; the flagship news opening:
This is really energetic. It hits all the bases and has mad interest and flow (while I'm impressed with my own ability to make Quicktime movies out of stacks'o'screenshots, I really wish I could include sound. The punch is definitely lost in the translation).
A good opening such as this takes the viewer up and engages them. This, for me, does just that. Moreover, it exhibits the high production value and finished feel that the rest of the new graphics do.
The happiest thing about this, and the real stroke of genius, is the way the 2 has become the star again. Over the past several years, the number has kind of been relegated, and this is my impression; I've called the old-style KATU 2 "dowdy", and I stand by it, but by all the datedness it seemed proud to carry the standard out front for the station.
KATU is back to letting the 2 move up front in the new look, and the "Fisher Flag" treatment is a winner. I really feel they've nailed this one.
As far as graphic identities, KATU now has set the fashion. The distinctive "2" in the red flag stands on its own besides such nationally-recognized TV logos such as Los Angeles' KABC-7.
KATU's new identity is a winner with me, hands down.
[type] Blue Dog Rocks the Interrobang
1007. Blue Dog Blog™ caught my eye today–the scar will heal over fine, thank you all very much–with the mention of the little known interrobang.
Here is the interrobang, in case anyone needs a big look at it:
Interrogative mark (question mark)+bang (exclaimation-mark in printer- and geek- speak)=interrobang. It was developed to simplify sentences such as the following:
You can't be serious !?
Informational links can be found at Blue Dog Blog™ at the link above. I wanted to mention it because, hey, it's type and hey, it's cool when someone brings the old interrobang out to play.
[pdx_media] The New Look of AM Northwest
1006. The newly launched KATU rebranding isn't just limited to the newscast. As noted elsewhere, it's extended to the AM lifestyle show, a Portland original since 1976 (meaning it's been on the air 31 years), AM Northwest.
AMNW came on as the local partner to ABC's then-new experiment in an AM newscast to compete with NBC's Today and whatever the heck CBS had on at the time. The network called it AM America; perforce, to sync with the network's branding (I am presuming here, but I bet I'm getting it), we had AM Northwest. For a good long time, it was helmed by legendary KATU weatherman Jim Bosley and a handful of co-hosts (notably the recent Consitution Party gubernatorial candidate, Mary Starrett).
These days, AMNW is being hosted by Helen Raptis and Dave Anderson. These two fit AMNW like a warm handshake. Both have a casual, friendly style that's pleasant to watch; for Dave it's no doubt from his history as a stand-up comic (and KEX afternoon host), and Helen...I dunno, maybe it's just clean living. Whatever it is, they're perfect for the show. Here's a screenshot of them and the standard AMNW chyron graphic:
What I didn't have the time or the equipment to really capture is that, like the newscast chyrons, AMNW's lower thirds have animation too. In this case it's the pastel blocks of color that characterize the rest of the graphics; they either bubble up or lightly fly in from the left, disappearing quickly, either way, imparting a light, bubbly sense of energy that's appropriate to a lifestyle program such as this.
Speaking of motion, here's another quick and dirty slideshow movie of the AMNW opening, composed of a stack of screenshots:
It might run a little fast. Sorry about not having any sound; my software is rather limited right now–because the new theme kicks ass. It's really good and really appropriate as well. Energetic and fun.
This is a vast departure for the program from it's most recent graphic treatments. The previous show logo, if all will recall, was a variation on the KATU logo, which was in stylistic lockstep with the rest of the Fisher net. The new look AMNW is a bright, confident, polished morning show with an identity all its own. The new look says it's arrived. The show even has a brilliant page with its own URL (http;//www.amnorthwest.tv) that reflects the change in design, and has pretty cool icons for sections such as books and recipes (Helen even has a "book club" reading list of her own).
Before we leave AMNW for now, let's stop by a few more screencaps:
This one looks like a typical announcement graphic of an upcoming event:
Note here also the use of what some (including me) call a "big-dot halftone" pattern–the "polka-dot" background that merges with itself and then demerges. It's a very effective theme that forms kind of the basement layer on which the rest of the theme is built. Whoever figured to use this nailed it two ways; first, it's unique at this time–no other morning program (so far as I know) uses it, and this treatment uses it just right. The house typeface for the new look seems to be Futura–clean, geometric, light, and in harmony with the rest of the design.
And here's one I caught that shows off the KATU logo better than my earlier nicking of the KATU.com version of the logo:
The tagline, "On Your Side", is obvously part of the new KATU identity.
But, Will It Blend?
The new-look AMNW has radically revamped its look and, even though the set's not been changed, the graphics package has infused the stalwart Portland morning show with a new energy and attitude. The graphics are bright, cheeful, and welcoming–completely in concert with the lifestyle sector the show stakes itself out into.
The whole thing works, and works well. The hosts like it so much they had it replayed just a few minutes in. If that isn't success for a graphics package, I don't know what is.
11 October 2007
[pdx_media] The New Look of KATU
1005. It's a new day at KATU:
The above is the new "Fisher Flag" version of KATU's logo, ".COM" version.
The above is the new "Fisher Flag" version of KATU's logo, ".COM" version.Regrettably, I missed most of the 5PM report. But I did see enough to grab some screen caps off the KATU live feed.
The studio hasn't been remodeled (not yet, anyway), but there's a definite new attitude, splash, and energy with the new graphics. Here's the news set:
No change to the set, but the old logo has been duly replaced with the new.
Let's look at some lower thirds:
This one is in a tease for an upcoming story. Notice the bevelled curve form on the right forming a framing-element. That's part of the "2" glyph, sure enough. And another:
The lower thirds are now animated, coming into scene with a flash of light, the colors moving and changing. The type has had a rethink as well; it's, relatively speaking, not as "squashed", with a taller x-height and aspect ratio.
Now, for the "Vanna" Boxes. On the left, with Steve Dunn:
And on the right, with Katie Brown:
These are animated as well, two "stripes" of light chasing each other around a screened-back cylindrical form. The changed type is obvious here as well, as well as the liberal use of the new color palette–hot reds, warm purples. The sweeping curve seems to be a part of the "2" glyph from the new logo.
And now, here's Rod Hill with the weather:
As can be seen, the new lower 3rd doesn't mesh with the bug, the way it used to. It doesn't really conflict with it, either, because of the use of color.
Here's a "coming up" card:
And here is the closing, assembled as a slideshow from screencaptures. The new "2" makes a star turn here–literally; after heralding the arrival of the graphic with a flash of light, it turns to the side and forms part of the structure of the graphic itself.
Yes, But Will It Blend?
My viewing of the new KATU graphics was very short and sweet; I didn't get to see the opening (and nobody's posted video about that so far as I can see anywhere).
As far as I can see, though, this rebrand is working so far. This is all in motion and has heat and energy; by comparison, the old package was locked down and static.
Graphics like this can actually feel like channeled energy, and that's been achieved with the new animated chyrons. That, and they're fun to watch; it's interesting to watch things closely to see if you missed something the last time. The way the "2" emerges and then becomes part of the strutcture of the graphic is very fetching.
OMI promises to have an interesting discussion about this as well.
[pdx] TriMet TV's First Episode
1004. TriMet's new promotional vodcast, "TriMetTV", has begun in earnest with thier first episode: a light, informational bite about the Portland Mall lnformation Center, the agency presence located now downtown at SW 6th Ave and Alder Street.
It's slickish but engaging. The tone is kept light throughout but shows off enough of the info center that, if this is your sort of thing, you'll want to check it out in person sometime soon.
The most intriguing feature is the simulated Mall MAX stop (illustrated). I definitely want to take a closer look at this.
At a lengith of 1 minute and 24 seconds' time, this episode won't waste much of yours. The format seems encouraging: if they stay with short, informative yet light in tone "bite"-casts, they'll have a communications asset here. Transit, in general, is not something even people in Portland want to take a lot of time learning about and discussing; your average transit user probably just wants to know what's heading at them, and you don't need a lot of time to tell people this if you know what you're doing.
That being established, I hope the minds behind TriMetTV take time to make a few "extended" episodes on some deeper topic, say, a day in the life of a bus line or something (I'd find that quite fascinating myself).
All the info you need to tune in to TriMetTV can be found here, and if you have the latest Flash player and view it online, you can have closed-captions too.
We give it a thumbs-up, so far.
10 October 2007
[or_politik] Jeff Merkley Fans Can Has Blog Button Naow
1003. Good news for you, me and everyone else who's supporting Jeff–they finally came up with a blog-worthy button.
It's rather nice. Flat color, no special effects, the campaign logo reduces well (a hallmark of a logo that works), the message is simply delivered.
Bless Carla for the tip.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)