Taurus & Good Design

Posted by Adriane Jewett | Labels: , , | 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!)
0 comments

Comic Sans Taste

Posted by Adriane Jewett | Labels: , , | Posted On Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 11:04 AM

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.
5 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)