There is a constant debate and struggle surrounding nomenclature in Graphic Design. Historically, the industry was divisible in terms of media output: print, web, TV, etc. This distinction can no longer be used…the industry has evolved into an all-encompassing field where the boundaries between art, design and technology have been woven into a very complex, yet beautiful, art form.
Most designers are aware of this shift in thinking and making, but what do we call this art form? New Media seems like a misnomer…Digital Media creates a disconnect from the traditional aspects of Fine Arts…Trans-media is better, but may not be recognizable enough.
Perhaps the solution is simpler than we think. The meaning of Graphic Design could be redefined to include what designers have already implemented as part of their repertoire. Examining the designer of the future could be a good place to begin.
ART & COPY is a raw new film about advertising and inspiration. It reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time–people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. A must see for anyone interested in the advertising field!
Daytona State College, Building 1200
Madorsky Theater in the Hosseini Center
FREE to Students!
Come network with professionals who can help you guide your career.
As technology continues to progress and big brother continues to track our every move, we are left with an overload of information. Designers will need to learn to use data as a medium in conjunction with narrative and interactive formats to make the collected information useful. Experimental data visualization tools can be found on the Many Eyes website produced by IBM Research and the IBM Cognos software group. Stanford has also produced a website discussing how journalists are coping with the rising information flow created by technological advances. The pitfalls lie in how well the beautiful imagery produced will actually convey the information as intended.
Thoreau had it right when he wrote, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach…”. Not only can we discover what life has to offer, but we can realize our brain’s full potential. After spending some time in the woods disconnected from the internet, you may notice a significant increase in your ability to focus.
Social media is changing the way we send and receive messages and, ultimately, the way we live and learn. The ability of the technology to ‘push’ interesting and valuable information without lengthy research provides inspiration in a an unbelievably efficient and effortless manner. Once you’re connected to the correct sources it’s really a matter of controlling the influx to avoid information overload.
Everyday is busy and packed full of deadlines and meetings. How can adding something else to the ‘to do’ list increase creativity and productivity? Committing to practice some sort of restorative mind/body activities everyday provides a way to decompress and allows for new ideas to flow freely.
Advertising does work, so designer’s need to truly think about their personal system of ethics. What ideas are you willing to communicate? Are these ideas inline with your personal belief system? Design is powerful and it is up to you to discern between the costs and the benefits. Or…maybe the government will step in and decide for you? In the case below it’s not a bad idea…
via Spain to Ban Some Prime-time Diet, Beauty Ads
LONDON (AdAge.com) — Marketers in Spain could be banned from advertising certain beauty products and services before 10 p.m., as the government attempts to stamp out the growing number of eating disorders and improve the mental health of young women fixated on their weight and appearance.
There is an interesting dialogue about the role of design on the 5D website. Thinking about how design can ‘change the world’ reevaluates the relationship between form and function; transforming the art form into a necessary and relevant factor in shaping the way we live. Design has the potential to depart from the commercial application we think of by default to something much larger and more important in the big scheme of things.
The next 5D conference will be held on the campus of California State University, Long Beach in October 2010.
Digital technologies are blurring the boundaries between the passive and interactive experience of visual art, entertainment, environmental design and the built environment. For all those engaged in the creative process of world-building and storytelling in narrative media, 5D: The Immersive Design Conference is the platform for exploring the present and future of immersive design, and its impact on all aspects of the creative media space. Our goal is to unite a vital community of designers and image-makers and to serve as a catalyst for innovation.
Thoughts on Design…among other things
