The Worst Font in the World?

    

Photo courtesy of espn.com

A few months ago, during all that media coverage of Lebron James' "Decision," Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavliers, wrote a scathing letter about his departure to disappointed fans in Cleveland.

    Somehow, it lacked punch. It wasn't the biting prose and the bruising tone of it. It was the font. Which was entirely in Comic Sans. The ridicule towards Gilbert lasted for weeks, for the use of a font deemed more appropriate for a six-year old.

    But what's so bad about it? Who could hate the friendly font that headed childhood lemonade stands or made typed cards made on the computer look more personal? However, to some its use is offensive, immature and in very bad taste.
     Designed in 1994 by Vincent Connare, who worked at Microsoft as a typographic engineer, Comic Sans exploded in popularity: used everywhere from advertising, store fronts, college exams, and even medical documents. Simultaneously it inspired a backlash, with people ridiculing its use in professional settings and sites like Bancomicsans.com, springing up.

Photo courtesy of passiveaggressivenotes.com

    Written words can never fully recreate the bodily experience of hearing and seeing and feeling  words said to you by someone in person. However words take on a different meaning in Comic Sans; for example is someone sent you an e-mail ending with "I'll see you later," in Times New Roman it would have a very different feel than "I'll see you later," in Comic Sans. However if the intention was truly sincere, that could be made more clear with a friendly font like Comic Sans. Time New Roman, with its perfectly straight lines, curves, and rigid serifs looks less human than Comic Sans, with rounded edges where feet would be, slight irregularities where lines are straight in Time New Roman, and asymmetry in curves. It lacks sophistication and is often printed in bright colors. It captures the imperfection and human presence in handwriting.

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Creger

    It's more misused than it is a bad font, for it does have its place in the world. However, its design makes it impossible for it to give off a serious vibe, something that would not lend a professional manner to a slide-show presentation to a room full of investors, or an angry team owner like Dan Gilbert who public role demands a businesslike professionalism to give him credibility. Otherwise he would just seem like another angry intoxicated fan booing Lebron in his first game with the Miami heat. The importance of recognizing the different roles that different syntax and fonts give you is very obvious in this case. Here, the many aspects of the written word are designed to play different roles in society, roles that will keep being evolving and being misused for decades to come.

See articles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11582548
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-09/tech/comic.sans.cavs.james_1_font-comic-book-letter?_s=PM:TECH

Design As A (Gleeful) Conversation

Courtesy of eonline.com

    
 The combination of Lady Gaga and Yoko Ono makes for a a nice (but weird) musical conversation: one between the past and present, between the boomers and generation X. During this era of music, many types of conversations like that are going on, as music keeps evolving, referring more than ever, to the past.
    Dozens of radio hits sample old songs; these days artists couldn't do without it and some rely heavily on it. Flo Rida's dance hit "Right Round" stole from another 80's dance hit: Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." Passion Pitt's energetic electronic "Sleepy Head" sampled a vocal from an Irish Folk song.
What if those samples had just stayed in the past? We'd just be looking back at them as another "cheesy" 80's song, or an obscure folk song, instead of them being kept alive in the conversation, relevant and newly appreciated. Take the show Glee: it has spawned more Top 100 hits than the Beatles and nearly all of the songs are old hits they have adapted for a chorus with a pop sensibility. Every time their version of the song shows up on the charts, the original sees an increase in downloads too. Whether or not Glee is a good show, a younger generation gets more exposure to the past and experiences a renewed appreciation for these old songs. 
    The point is, for the sake of keeping good design alive we should always intrude upon sacred ground, otherwise that sacred ground becomes collects dust and is put on a pedestal, where it is mourned for a greatness that will never be matched. Referring to, stealing from, and being inspired by idols of culture and design keeps the conversation alive, otherwise they lose their value and turn into an archaic cliche. A great achievement in design is not just said and done, it should keep evolving with the times so younger generations can appreciate it and benefit from it.
    These days, with the internet exposing everyone to good design, it is almost impossible for a designer to deliver a monologue with product reviews, and people blogging, twittering and facebooking their opinions on the online community. Whether designer like it or not, by designing they are forced to enter the conversation.

Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures From Southwest China

   
   This exhibition at the Design Museum showcased elaborately embroidered and constructed garments, textiles and ornaments from the Guizhou Province in southwest China. The curator spoke at length about how at risk these traditions are of being lost, given that the province they come from has not indigenous written language and all traditions and crafts are inherited through oral traditions, from one generation passing it down to the other. However with the influx of modern culture and conveniences into this once isolated province, there is little incentive to keep these traditions alive.
     The Guizhou Province was isolated for centuries from the outside world, so life revolved mostly around the family. For centuries, women were the keepers of these traditions, and their sewing skills were of great social importance in their villages. Different styles and details of textiles and garments, (which were all hand made) indicated specific group identity in this Province.

    One culturally important garment was the sleeve panels, a major element on jackets. They are intricately embellished, referring to a  specific village or group. Many families have a large collection of them, collected over generations. They are part of a person's inheritance, making them an important part of one's cultural and ancestral identity.
     Though improved personal well-being came with modernity, so did the loss of cultural purity. With more affordable consumer products, there is less incentive to protect and be a part of their identities when it's more convenient to buy a cheap quality, factory-made garment than spend thousands of hours sewing and embroidering a silk jacket.
    In this case, design identifies one with a certain group or area, and connects one to their ancestral and cultural identity. What does it mean for the people in the Guizhou Province to lose that part of their identity? We are not only losing the culture that comes with that oral tradition of design but the values that come with it. What does it mean when people are no longer willing to commit thousands of hours of care and attention to make those incredibly detailed, beautiful garments? Could that lack of care in design indicate a careless society, rushing forward without looking back, ravenous to consume every new technological convenience that comes our way?
   In a society that is rushing towards uniformity, how to we preserve culture? Cultural purity is impossible, but we should still preserve these traditions, and adapt them to the 21st century, so that they can live on in relevance.

Photos Courtesy of http://designmuseum.ucdavis.edu/

Comparison and Contrast

Courtesy of cnn.com

  aWithout referring to the outrage that ensued when the Gap proposed a new logo, let's compare the old and the new logo objectively. By comparing the two logos to find out how they work and what makes them visually successful, we can better understand Gap's reasons for introducing a new logo. Gap spokeswoman Louise Callagy stated that "the logo change was part of that evolution of the brand from “classic, American design, to modern, sexy, cool,” We can infer from this that Gap is seeking a logo that is "modern, sexy, cool", while the old logo represents "classic American design." Though the success of one of these designs is currently up for debate, let's take a look at both of them to see if they fulfill Gap's goals.
    The old classic logo is in a tall, narrow, classic white serif font, the letters spaced relatively far apart compared to a generic typeface. The word is centered in a navy blue box, the contrast between white letters and dark blue making the logo stand out. Gap's classic logo is a perfect example of visual unity, for all the elements in the old logo seem to belong together, with the matching fonts and serifs in each letter and the perfect symmetry that exists between the word and the box surrounding it. The old whole logo has a very static look to it, like a square laid on a surface that will never move or get knocked over.  If the tall narrow letters had been placed closely together it would have looked visually unstable with the height being taller than the length; the space between the letters gives it a stability and durability and enduring quality. These qualities express iconic and classic in every way, because like a square, iconic is enduring and ever stable.
    Gap's new logo expresses modernity, with its sans serif type face and geometric mechanized overall look.  The new logo lacks visual unity because the awkwardly tacked on small blue square attracts negative attention to itself. As its focal point, the blue square has more visual weight to it than the bit "G" in the logo, throwing off the balance of the composition.Since the composition has an imbalance of visual weight to it, the whole look is hardly one of stability and permanence. The overlapping of the letters with the box in the new logo implies depth, making the iconic blue box seem diminished and far away. The value difference in gradient blue square expresses visually that the iconic blue box is degraded. The shrinking of the blue box and making the letters lowercase in the new logo deformalizes and takes weight away from the meaning of their brand. Asymmetry gives a whole composition like the new logo a less formal look, as well as the lowercase letters and generic Helvetica typeface. Whether that is desirable in a big clothing brand is questionable.
    All the visual elements in the new logo are unsuccessful, even amateurish, therefore one can only conclude that the Gap was not entirely serious about its new logo. A multi-million dollar company can surely acquire the best design team money can buy, one that wouldn't create a logo as unsophisticated as this. Even if Gap wants to sell cool "modern" clothing with their new modern image it still has to coincide with the brand's image of selling classics, albeit ones that are modern and cool.
    However, despite the apparent embarrassment of this whole "fiasco," what did the Gap achieve in the end? Intense media attention on a brand whose sales had been steadily slipping? Customers getting emotionally involved with the brand for fear it would lose its identity? Everybody talking about the Gap again? Those don't sound like bad things to me. The great design isn't in the logo here, but in this brilliant ploy. Even the president of Gap is "thrilled to see passionate debates unfolding" One thing is for certain: this has proven the power of social media and set a precedent for other mega brands to communicate more with a perpetually online society when it comes to matters of brand identity design.

Lampo Leong's "Omega Curve"

    In an age of image overload, and a cynical society it is nearly impossible for great works of art to achieve that mythical quality of a masterpiece anymore. It seems that everything in art has been done already and it is impossible to innovate. In an age without any Picassos, Michelangelos, or Van Goughs, it is comforting to look back to the masterpieces in art history and wonder: What makes them click? What is that quality that we are no longer able to capture in art and design?
    Lampo Leong, an acclaimed painter, calligrapher, and professor proposes a very astute theory in a lecture on a repeating element that gives masterpieces that sense of grandeur and loftiness. In a study of masterpieces of art, he has found a repeating shape in the composition of those paintings. He calls this "the Ω curve," an intentional arrangement of elements shaped like an omega sign. Leong emphasizes that  this shape appears in both western and eastern art, making the composition of each work more lively and powerful. For example Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, the drape around god curves under on both sides, but doesn't quite touch, just like an Ω. The same is seen in Henry Moore's work:

photos courtesy of brotherjuniper.wordpress.com

    In Eastern art, the shape is found in paintings like Summer Mountains; mountains who aren't mere static triangles, but curve in at the top, giving them a sort of movement and epic quality. The omega is also visible in the brushstrokes of master Chinese calligraphy, the tension between straight and curved lines giving more movement to the piece.

courtesy of seera.com  and nytimes.com

    Leong also incorporates Chinese calligraphy into much of his art, putting the characters on abstract backgrounds and rearranging them. He seeks to express, with an emphasis on form over meaning.

photo courtesy of web.missouri.edu/

    The lecture was very inspiring: the listener seemed to enter that invisible world of energy flow in art and design, understanding more fully what these icons are made of and how important movement is in design. His theory on the omega curve is very clever, and definitely present in many master works. When I examine omega curve arrangements, I see that it's the tension of what's not there(the ends of the curve don't touch even though they seem like they're going to) that gives it its power and sense of motion. Perhaps this design in composition could be used to revitalize art and design and recapture the grandeur and the sublime that society craves.

Stone Soup at UC Davis!

     Stone Soup in Design 1 was a great success. Seven bright minds worked together to create the most bizarre and beautiful sculpture of all. Everyone in our group brought art supplies, and then put our heads together to make the most daring creation. Though we barely knew each other, communication was great as we worked to incorporate our different ideas. It was a great communal feel because every person already had a contribution to the project by the bringing of supplies. Our group of seven was a good number for the task, anymore would have made it hard for everyone to have a voice and the end result would have been more messy and disorganized, with a less refined vision.

    We started off with everyone taking whatever materials they liked and making their own element to be incorporated into the final design. Then we all evaluated what everyone had made and tried to see how it would all fit together. Someone has started with a basic foundation, others with other decorative and structural elements. We started with the cardboard foundation, building more structural elements on top like twisted water bottles and then adding Christmas ornaments, roses and paint splatters. The fact that we were limited to only the supplies we had compiled also gave us a creative challenge to create a sculpture that would stay together using non-traditional structural elements.

    The great thing about stone soup is that it's like combining the creative process and the critique into one so that its a faster path to creation. Feedback on proposed elements of the design is immediate and you get instant advice on how to better incorporate your idea into the design or change it to better it suit it.
    I learned a lot from Stone Soup, most importantly that that the creative input of others is invaluable in the design process. If design was always limited to one person's vision with no input from anyone else, it would make for a very narrow vision indeed and pose a risk for serious design flaws that that designer wasn't called out on. More input and ideas from more people is only a good thing because it results in a more interesting, eclectic and sophisticated result that is more likely to resonate with more people. Great design is not just created by and for oneself, but for other people to enjoy.

Creativity From Without

Image courtesy of foshiznik.com

 

          If a designer's creations came only from inside their head with no influence from the outside world, it would make for pretty boring design after a while. During the late 90's, Jonathan Ives was one designer who was determined to break out of the mould of computer design of the time that emphasized speed and performance over form and approachability. He is one of the most influential designers who has repeatedly redefined our perception of design in technology and how it interfaces with its users by designing beautiful products that are easy to use. Taking inspiration from outside the beige box of what most computers looked like in 1997, he looked to nature and the world around him to design the now iconic iMacs, with their round, candy colored design. Inspirations included a grapefruit, the color of the water at Bondi beach and a visit to a jelly bean factory to understand how to make a plastic shell shape look attractive and inviting. The iMac G4, with its round base, and flat panel screen supported by a rotatable stem was inspired by a sunflower in Steve Jobs' garden, the CD-ROM slot in the base giving it the look of a human face.

courtesy of freefoto.com

courtesy of designmuseum.org

        Those early models may be out of date now, but they have changed forever society's perceptions of what computers can look like, and the ease with which they can be operated. Ives went on to design the iPod, the MacBook Pro, the iPhone, and the iPad; designs that keep redefining our relationship with technology.
    Finding inspiration outside of what is the standard in similar products is one of Apple's greatest strengths: they start with a big idea for a need in society that doesn't yet exist and refine it to perfection. Jonathan Ives is a great example of how great design can change society, but also one that shows where inspiration for great design is found. Finding inspiration outside your consciousness, in the real world is a great thing to incorporate into designing because then to others, your design will be a relateable reflection of the world they see everyday. The most creative design tries to think outside what is already known and considered safe. One should admire what has been done before, but try to find a new design solution that runs ahead of the pack, propelling society forward into a new era of representation in design. 

See Articles:
http://designmuseum.org/design/jonathan-ive
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002414.htm

Design: Now a Democracy

      

        Oh if only I had that bag. It has such an "It" factor about it, and it would totally transform me into a sophisticated lady overnight!

No, it's not the next "It" designer bag by Marc Jacobs, it's a handcrafted leather handbag made by a sweet young couple in Morocco. They're selling this bag through Etsy.com, a social commerce site that provides a means through which individuals can sell handmade items like clothes, furniture, art, jewelry, and toys.

It's super cute, but more importantly it's a sign that more voices are being added to the international conversation about design. The people of design are no longer only those who may be considered "authorities" on the subject, or those who have scored a contract with an international retailer.  In terms of fashion, it's no longer only a handful of elite fashion designers, editors, retailers and critics dictating to the rest of us what makes good design this season. These old "institutions" if you may, no longer hold the mythical power they once had. Now, anyone can proclaim themselves as an authority on the subject and start up their own blog or website or tweet to express their opinions of this season's designer collections, without having, say, more "professional" knowledge of what makes good design and innovation.

  Instead of being obscure craftsman with independent websites no one will probably ever see, different sellers' products are displayed on Etsy in the same layout as a big retailer's web site. This new model of selling your own manufactured products seems to be the beginning of a sort of democratization of design.  

Though a lot of sellers on Etsy don't achieve prominent success, some manage to make a living manufacturing their own products instead of trying to convince big retailers to carry their wares. Though Etsy has a long way to go in terms of providing the same grand scale as big retailers, it may mark the beginning of a challenge to professional designers and institutions who have in the past dictated what makes good design. Who are the people of design now? Maybe everyone.

*Photo courtesy of Etsy.com, from the seller chicleather 

Good Design: Supply Networks

video courtesy of youtube.com

     Who doesn't love the instant gratification of online shopping? How packages magically arrive on your door step after a few clicks? The consumption of good design?
    However not many think about the countless resources, the complex processes, and the far-reaching supply networks designed to bring design to you.
    Of the many online retailers, Zappos.com has redesigned this process into a well oiled machine, eliminating almost all the drawback of online shopping. It's almost a mindless act to locate and buy a product at Zappos.com. A few clicks here and there to specify your preferences, starting with "Women's," then "Shoes," "Sandals," brown for the preferred color, and finally "Lowest Price," filtering out thousands of other products to find the perfect pair of Stuart Weitzman Sandals on sale for $46.60. The website's design allows customers to laser in on products, rather than being assaulted by tsunami of merchandise. The design of their business focuses on customer service, with rapid free shipping and returns in under two days. 
    However, most of their happy customers are unaware of the massive supply chains necessary to feed to the appetite of a ravenous generation, used to fast, cheap goods and services. To keep up with these expectations and the rapid pace of technology retailers have to keep redesigning the system.
    For that reason, Zappos.com has begun to adopt new technological designs for getting the product to the customer. Instead of workers going from aisle to aisle in the warehouse to retrieve the merchandise, robots bring the merchandise to the workers so they can just processing order after order after order. This new design has doubled their efficiency in every area, meeting consumers' demand for instant gratification.
     In a society where consumers are overwhelmed with the choice of millions of products and services, retailers have to pounce fast. As an element of commerce, the design of supply systems must be as streamlined as possible to deliver products to a customer who is more savvy, pickier, and probably has one of the shortest attention spans in history. Designers don't just create consumer products anymore, they have to design the processes that get them to the right person at the right place at the right time in a society that demands immediacy. Clearly, we are going to have to be continually be redesigning this circulatory system that transports goods to fit society's growing needs.

First Encounters With Design

http://designconsciousnessconsciousdesign.blogspot.com/ 

    My favorite cotton bed sheets were one of the oldest in the house: given to my mom in the late seventies they had become one of the most loved. The colorful Japanese-inspired flower print was playful and inviting for us kids to snuggle in and build forts with. The soft fabric was light and cool enough to sleep in on summer nights. The dreamy, vibrant and exotic pattern was chic enough to make into long cape when playing Princess. To me, those sheets evoke childhood feelings of comfort and intimacy.
    Maybe it is my childhood bias, but when I look at those sheets now I see an undeniably perfect design. There is no way that if us kids had favored the sheets with the black geometric patterns instead, that we would have experienced the same feeling of content and comfort. Sleeping on colorful flowers and organic forms has got to be more conducive to comfort and relaxation than lying on a print of Escher's crazy geometric optical illusions. What girl wouldn't rather lie in a field of pretty flowers like Snow White?
    Someone definitely knew what they were doing when they designing this print. However, beyond providing the roof of child's fort, these prints were bringing a taste of a different culture into American homes in the late seventies, when floral prints were huge. That was a time when the influence of Japanese culture was spreading because of their booming economy. Japanese fashion designers like Hanae Mori were also becoming more prominent, putting Japanese prints into the spotlight. However these weren't the only designs being exported to America. Given the success of Japanese businesses over American ones, there was much head-scratching over what made the Japanese business management model superior to American ones. This led to many managerial strategists studying the Japanese design of business structure  to adapt them to American corporate culture.
    Clearly, good designs can result in many different benefits to more than one group of people: improving business models and thus increasing salaries and material comforts, providing satisfaction to an adult trying to keep up with the latest trends, or giving comfort to a child. Good design is much more than a pretty dress or a print, often times being a valuable indicator of the societal trends or needs of the time.