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Posted by
Adriane Jewett
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Posted On Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 11:01 PM
For the past few days I have been fighting on and off with PowerPoint.
Because PowerPoint doesn't transfer well from Mac to PC (or Mac to Mac, or PC to PC...but that's another story), I decided to make the transition easier by turning my presentation into a PDF.
When I saved the presentation as a PDF, for some reason, PowerPoint decided I needed a large white border around each of my slides. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed. But, I couldn't let it go for several reasons.
1. It is my design. If I wanted a large white border, I would have put one.
2. I should be able to make it go away. There has to be a way.
3. I hate letting computer programs beat me. If I let PowerPoint win, it's a quick downhill trip to computer illiteracy and design apathy.
I'm happy to report that after days of trying, hours wasted and options exhausted...I WON.
All I had to do was go to page setup, adjust the printer, adjust the options, scale to 115%, ignore the warning, save the PDF from the print menu and voila...battle won.
I knew it was something simple...stupidpowerpointanditsstupiddesiretoruletheuniverse...
The world (and my presentation) is as it should be.
In a weird twist of fate, Comic Sans keeps popping up this week.
So, I've included some additional links for your reading pleasure (and to prove that I'm not the only crazy who has strong feelings about this particular font).
Top 10 Regrettable Tech Inventions - Comic Sans is number three. Some of the others are also things I love to hate.
The Wall Street Journal's article on the man behind the font - Apparently, he isn't such a huge fan either.
The "When you should use Comic Sans" Diagram - You know it's serious when someone makes a diagram.
The "Ban Comic Sans" Movement - An organized attempt (with its own Web site) to officially ban the sans.
"Ban Comic Sans" Stickers - You can also find buttons to promote your typography snobbery.
"Ban Comic Sans" Clothing - If stickers aren't your thing, and you prefer to wear your opinion on your sleeve, these t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps and bags are for you.
I love this art series by Brock Davis.
He takes the mundane and does something completely unexpected.
He forces us to look twice.
While I wouldn't hang all modern art on my wall, I do appreciate most of it. I firmly believe that art can be art because an someone says it is.
Classic example: Duchamp's Fountain.
With a signed urinal, Duchamp challenged the world's view of art. He declared that art is all around us.
In 2004, 500 art experts named Duchamp's Fountain the most influential piece of modern art. It beat out Picasso's Les Demoiselles d' Avignon (ranked second) and Warhol's Marilyn Diptych (ranked third) for the honor.
So guys, next time you walk into the men's room, take a second look at the urinal on the wall. Ladies, we'll just have to get our art fix elsewhere.
Posted by
Adriane Jewett
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Posted On Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 9:30 PM
Not everything my professors say sticks. Shocking, I know.
But once, one of them said, "Decorating is not designing," and it stuck.
There comes a point when a design is as good as it's going to get. When it gets there, it should be left alone.
If it's a poor design, adding useless flourishes won't help. If it's a great design, adding useless flourishes will only hurt.
Part of being a good designer is knowing when to walk away.
Posted by
Adriane Jewett
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Labels:
Ikea,
kusocialmedia09,
typography
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Posted On Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 12:45 PM
It's not often that typography makes it into mainstream news.
Ikea's recent decision to switch from Ikea Sans (a customized version of Futura) to Verdana (a Microsoft typeface) has type enthusiast up in arms.
The Associated Press picked up the story, and you can read about Ikea's fateful decision in major news sources like the New York Times, Time and NPR.
Typography and design blogs and columns have also exploded with their criticism of Ikea's facelift...
Simon Garfield at the Guardian - why society, not just designers, should take note of this change.
Josie Swindler at AOL's ShelterPop - Ikea's response
Damian Joseph at BusinessWeek - impacts Ikea's brand
Typophile - a forum discussion
...just to name a few.
While I don't think the change is catastrophic, I do feel like Ikea's giving into the man...just a little bit. For a company that is internationally known and loved by it's innovative design (and cheap prices) to adopt a Microsoft font seems to go against their company brand. Then again, maybe their company brand is "furniture for the masses," in which case, a Microsoft font fits perfectly.
Ikea's apparent disregarded the font's intended use should also be noted. According to the articles above, Verdana was designed for use on a computer screen. Now, Ikea is printing with it in thousands of catalogs.
One thing's for sure, Ikea can't be too upset about all the free publicity.
That and I'm definitely ordering a copy of Ikea's new catalog. I need to see this bad boy for myself.
Posted by
Adriane Jewett
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Labels:
kusocialmedia09,
Meikle,
Taurus
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Posted On Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 11:26 PM
Two words I never thought I'd use in the same sentence.
My dad has a Taurus. I've never liked it.
No particular reason, it just seems blah. Dad's is white, nondescript and company-issued. It's serviceable, comfortable, drivable and boring. As a popular fleet car, I imagine an army of cars exactly like my dad's clogging the highway.
You can imagine my surprise when I turned the page in my history of industrial design book and came face to face with a picture of a white, nondescript Ford Taurus. This particular picture happened to be the station wagon version...but let's be honest, that only makes it worse.
According to Jeffrey L. Meikle, author of Design in the USA, "Automotive historians regard the Taurus as 'the single most important American production design of the 1980s[.]'"
Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined that the Taurus held any significance in the world of design. Apparently, the 1986 Taurus redefined American cars. Meikle calls it the "aero-look." It took cars from all their boxy glory and began the transition to a smoother, curvier, more aerodynamic body style.
Meikle goes on to say that the Taurus' "jelly-bean look" (his words, not mine) not only impacted car design, but the look and feel of other small, everyday objects like point-and-shoot cameras.
What does all this mean? It means that in 1986 the Ford Taurus was a sexy car. It was the car people were clambering to own. Heck, maybe it was equivilent to when Ford redesigned the Mustang.
And that makes me wonder which of my favorite objects will be the Taurus of tomorrow. What super-cool thing in my life will college design snobs turn their nose up at in 2030?
Oh, and in case your wondering, Ford's out to do it again. Feast your eyes on the new again 2010 Ford Taurus. Wonder where it will lead.
(On a completely unrelated note...I had to reword one of my sentences because I could not figure out the plural form of "Taurus." Tauruses? Tauri? Apparently the whole Internet community is stumped, because I couldn't find the answer. If anyone knows...please enlighten me!)
As a designer and a typography snob, I love this poster.
I actually love it so much, that, on several occasions, I've considered buying multiple copies. I have dreams of carrying one on my person at all times. Whenever I catch someone using Comic Sans, I'd whip one out, grab a witness and make them sign their typography rights away. I'd line the posters up on my wall to remind myself of all the "almost designers" I'd saved from years of ridicule by the larger design community.
Call it public service.
As an undergraduate, my publication design teacher started the semester by informing us that any use of Comic Sans or Papyrus would guarantee a failing grade. He and I became fast friends.
I know that most people walk by Comic Sans without a second glance. I recently had a conversation with one of my journalism professors that went something like this:
Me (laughing): Have you seen this newsletter? Can you believe they used Comic Sans?
Professor: Used what?
Me (laughter stops abruptly): Comic Sans! You know...the typeface...
Professor (looking at the newsletter): Where?
Me: Nevermind.
If I'm being completely honest, I'm not sure exactly why Comic Sans has such a bed reputation among designers. I think it has to do with its overuse. And that it looks like a cross between the bubble letters you doodle in junior high and your kid sister's handwriting.
Inexperienced designers gravitate toward it like undergraduates to a free meal.
But there's a bigger picture here. We often get so wrapped up in the details of our specialty that molehills become mountains. I know that using Comic Sans won't make the earth stop turning...I don't think. It's just my little way of making the world a better, prettier place.
For the past few days I have been fighting on and off with PowerPoint.
