10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED
1. GREEN IS IN!
And it is here to stay! Sustainable Design could be THE biggest challenge designers are facing right now. We can contribute to this change by really being conscious of our designs, the materials we use, its purpose, and most important you should always ask yourself: Where is this going to end when it’s no longer wanted? This are just a few o the simple and basic things you can start with. I think the world really is in desperate need of a change and it starts with us! So get out of that chair and actually do something! And here are a couple of interesting sites that could be useful: The AIGA Center for Sustainable Design http://sustainability.aiga.org/, it is a site dedicated to providing designers with information about sustainable business practice, and will help you incorporate sustainable thinking into your professional life. Also, Project M http://www.projectmlab.com/ is an intensive summer program, made to inspire young designers, photographers, writers and creative people that the work they do can have a significant impact on the world. It’s good to know designers are taking actions in sustainable design, and it’s great to know they are doing it now! So I suggest that all of us do it, each in its own way, but do SOMETHING! Don’t just wait for others to do it!
2. RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT
I’ve learned that research is a crucial part for developing any project. I’m not saying that before coming here I didn’t research, it’s just I’ve learned new ways to do it, while being here. To look in the odd places, to use different resources and to write down ANYTHING that seem interesting or appeals to you…you never know how useful that could be. Also, researching something specific, I’ve found the most amazing websites that had nothing to do with my topic :P, I don’t know how this happens but I blame my short attention span, whatever it is, it really comes in handy: you get tons of new resources!
3. F-U-N
The minute you start taking things too seriously is the minute everything starts going wrong. I believe we are blessed to work in a profession where you can actually have fun and be spontaneous and creative! I’ve learned that the best designs are produced when you’re having fun! Also, RELAX, stress can only bring more stress and things just start going wrong. It’s one thing to work under pressure, and another to be stressed all the time, because you can’t think straight. And BTW I‘ve learned this the hard way! So relax yourself, don’t over think, don’t take yourself too seriously, and most important of all, have fun.
4. FAIL
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! This is the only way you will truly learn. Finding a solution to problems and fixing mistakes is what makes you grow and really use your mind. It will definitely make you wiser! And I’ve learned that everyone makes mistakes, sometimes, and also, sometimes thing just go wrong. It doesn’t matter if you work by yourself or if you are part of a big studio; everyone fails and makes mistakes. The important thing here is to know how to fix them and to learn from them.
5. SHARE
Success is nothing if you can’t share it! I’ve learned it’s really important! Share your knowledge with your peers, with people who don’t know some things you might. Inspire people to change, to work, to create. Teach, talk, help! And, share with your community, GIVE BACK!
6. INSPIRATION!
I’ve always known you can’t (or at least I can’t) design without inspiration of some kind. But while being here I’ve learned to find inspiration in the weirdest places, or the places or things you’d never think of. Seriously! Now, I believe more than ever you have to keep an open mind, and let ideas flow into it without judging or over thinking where they are coming from. Do you really care? Just be thankful that they’ve landed in your brain. (But NEVER COPY inspire yourself from other people but don’t copy them.)
7. PLAY
This is exactly part of the fun I was telling you about! This semester I’ve learned to experiment and play with designs, with ideas and with type. Some interesting ideas have come from it, some very useful solutions as well. Creative thinking just gets bigger with experimentation, you know how it is, one thing leads to another, and when you realize it you have so many ideas you don’t know which to choose. So don’t be afraid to play and experiment, really, don’t take yourself so seriously!! :) (I have to keep repeating this to myself)
8. PROCESS
As life, design is a process. Of course I already knew this, but what I’ve learned is to document it, to demonstrate it visually. It is a great way to see how you’ve improved, how you’ve developed and idea, your process of thinking. Not just in design, but in life, I think its important to have records of what you do, things that are happening in your life and people that are in it or maybe now are out of it, because we learn from everything, and that makes us who we are at the present. One of my favourite songs has a part that says “I know sometimes I look back, but it’s just to know where I’m coming from” This is exactly what a design process is!
9. SELF CONFIDENCE & ETHICS
“I’m a good designer, I’m a good designer!” no wait “I’m a great designer!” just repeat that to yourself, without being arrogant! When self-doubt appears things just go wrong. I’ve learned you shouldn’t doubt yourself so much! And remember your ethics while doing your job, I think this will make you not only a better person but a better designer, and have a clear conscience, which is always good!
10. MOVIES!
In Critical Debates I’ve learned or lets just say I’ve proved my theory that you will gain a lot by watching movies and tv. You will learn new things, not only about your own career, but of the world, art, people, the possibilities are endless. This will give you a better understanding of what is happening around you. Use this knowledge wisely! And, WATCH MORE TV!! :P
Tuesday 24 March 2009
Tuesday 17 March 2009
Prize Winning Ads & Ethics
I think the main role of advertising is to persuade customers to purchase or consume a certain brand, product or service. Ads deliver a message to a target audience, and this audience will respond to it, most of the time it will be in the way the advertisers intended and wanted.
Most of the advertisements we see these days are designed so people can increase the consumption of a product / service. Ads use very powerful and persuasive messages to get to their potential costumers, and use every major medium (tv, newspaper, radio, magazine, billboards, amongst others) to deliver it. But, in addition to selling a message, advertisements encode cultural values and social ideas. And depending on your point of view it is a positive or negative component of our society.
It is difficult for us to separate ourselves from advertisement, not only because we see it everyday, but also because we are part of it, we help create ads, messages, ideas; we help persuade and influences the audience. This is where ethics come in, in the WAY you get to people. Is it a negative or positive message? Is it lying or telling the truth? Is the product really that good or are we just boosting its qualities to sell it?
I think it is important to be able to be a great designer, participate in big and important ad campaigns (if that’s your thing) and still hold on to your values, be ethical. People sometimes will do anything to sell a product, and there is nothing more disappointing than buying something you really wanted and was promised to be excellent, and finding out it really isn’t. It was a lie. This has happened to all of us.
Ethics are a big part of our everyday life, and ads, but for some people it is not as important as for others. Some people really don’t care about sending the wrong message to the audience or about deceiving people, even in the smallest way.
In Costa Rica we have a big problem with our big ad agencies. Most of them don't create campaigns based on their clients’ needs, but with a different thought in mind. They create huge and important campaigns with the purpose of winning a prize at the end of the year for their "wonderful, creative, and innovative ideas", (which the client is happy with because his campaign won, and seems to forget that it doesn't meet the real needs for his product). This leads to lying, or maybe lying is a strong word, “stretching the truth”, building up your product to something it is not, and creating advertisements with your best interests in mind, and not the clients’.
This is the biggest problem we are dealing with in CR. This is not ethical; they compromise the clients’ needs for their own popularity. And they enjoy winning these awards so much, that a “war” between agencies can be expected depending on the results. This is 3rd world mentality, and it is such a pity. Luckily in these couple of years smaller studios have been evolving and creating really exceptional and valuable designs. Hopefully this will continue, so we can break the cycle of designing to win awards and we can embrace our ethics back.
At the end of the day we are all consumers, we all buy, good and bad things, we all believe some messages all the time, or most of the time. So I think it’s just a matter of thinking where YOU want to be in advertising and design, and how far you would go to sell a product/idea or to win a prize.
Most of the advertisements we see these days are designed so people can increase the consumption of a product / service. Ads use very powerful and persuasive messages to get to their potential costumers, and use every major medium (tv, newspaper, radio, magazine, billboards, amongst others) to deliver it. But, in addition to selling a message, advertisements encode cultural values and social ideas. And depending on your point of view it is a positive or negative component of our society.
It is difficult for us to separate ourselves from advertisement, not only because we see it everyday, but also because we are part of it, we help create ads, messages, ideas; we help persuade and influences the audience. This is where ethics come in, in the WAY you get to people. Is it a negative or positive message? Is it lying or telling the truth? Is the product really that good or are we just boosting its qualities to sell it?
I think it is important to be able to be a great designer, participate in big and important ad campaigns (if that’s your thing) and still hold on to your values, be ethical. People sometimes will do anything to sell a product, and there is nothing more disappointing than buying something you really wanted and was promised to be excellent, and finding out it really isn’t. It was a lie. This has happened to all of us.
Ethics are a big part of our everyday life, and ads, but for some people it is not as important as for others. Some people really don’t care about sending the wrong message to the audience or about deceiving people, even in the smallest way.
In Costa Rica we have a big problem with our big ad agencies. Most of them don't create campaigns based on their clients’ needs, but with a different thought in mind. They create huge and important campaigns with the purpose of winning a prize at the end of the year for their "wonderful, creative, and innovative ideas", (which the client is happy with because his campaign won, and seems to forget that it doesn't meet the real needs for his product). This leads to lying, or maybe lying is a strong word, “stretching the truth”, building up your product to something it is not, and creating advertisements with your best interests in mind, and not the clients’.
This is the biggest problem we are dealing with in CR. This is not ethical; they compromise the clients’ needs for their own popularity. And they enjoy winning these awards so much, that a “war” between agencies can be expected depending on the results. This is 3rd world mentality, and it is such a pity. Luckily in these couple of years smaller studios have been evolving and creating really exceptional and valuable designs. Hopefully this will continue, so we can break the cycle of designing to win awards and we can embrace our ethics back.
At the end of the day we are all consumers, we all buy, good and bad things, we all believe some messages all the time, or most of the time. So I think it’s just a matter of thinking where YOU want to be in advertising and design, and how far you would go to sell a product/idea or to win a prize.
Tuesday 10 March 2009
Packaging!
In the early days, packaging’s role was essentially practical; it helped the efficient distribution of the merchandise and presented the products in an attractive manner. These days these basic functions still play an important role in the form and the functioning of packaging, but, there is a lot more to be considered into packaging.
The basic role of the package is to protect the product, and bring information from the producer to the consumer. A package has to stand out from the rest of products in the same range, because research shows that consumers are unpredictable and 70% of their decisions are made at the point of purchase. This is why it’s important for packaging to be not only functional but also graphically appealing, so consumers can differentiate them from their competition.
Coca Cola Light special edition
The basic role of the package is to protect the product, and bring information from the producer to the consumer. A package has to stand out from the rest of products in the same range, because research shows that consumers are unpredictable and 70% of their decisions are made at the point of purchase. This is why it’s important for packaging to be not only functional but also graphically appealing, so consumers can differentiate them from their competition.
These days, not only aesthetics are important, consumers have become more environmentally conscious, making producers look for different alternatives in packaging that is appealing and environmentally friendly.
CARABON FOOTPRINT & GREEN PACKAGING
A carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, an organization or product. In other words, it is the footprint or mark we are leaving behind in the planet. You can calculate your own carbon footprint these days, there are many websites that will ask you a series of questions and determine the amount of contamination you are producing as an individual. The mitigation of carbon emissions through the development of alternative projects, such as renewable energy and reforestation, are one way of managing the carbon footprint.
One of the most important things about green packaging or sustainable packages is understanding not only material choices, but energy use, afterlife issues, social impact and consumer perception issues. Company’s implementing eco-friendly actions are reducing their carbon footprint, using more recycled materials and reusing more package components. Also, sustainability really impacts design decisions, because it focuses all the attention on the issue of the product’s manufacture, its raw materials, production process, transportation, retailing, usage and disposal, and environmental impact. And, clearly, recycling affects packaging design because it influences the choice of materials, for the package.
Designers can play a really big part in supporting the environmental issue, by trying to influence their clients’’ choice of materials into recyclable options.
Some examples of creative and innovative package design:
Speedo Fast-Skin suit
Strawberry flavored milk
479 Popcorn
Vitalize drinks
Monday 2 March 2009
Conscious Design!
DESIGN FOR GOOD
LUBA LUKOVA
Luba Lukova is an internationally recognized artist and designer baqsed in New York. She creates posters that have been exhibited around the world and have won awards, such as World's Most Memorable Poster award at the International Poster Salon in Paris. Her art has been included in the The New York Times, Time, and The Nation.
I am focusing on a series of posters she did called Social Justice 2008. In these posters you can see how the artist represents metaphorically and with the use of symbols, themes like peace, war, ecology, immigration, and privacy.
These are some of the posters:
Canadian based design studio that work mostly with charities, non-profit organizations and green minded businesses, organizations and individuals. They believe that creativity has a very big power for change and that strong design can move people and get results. They are not just environmentally conscious, they are also focused in spreading a message that is a catalyst for change. They only work on projects that are environmentally and socially responsible.
They create all kinds of graphic materials and websites, awareness campaigns and fundraisers. They are very environmentally friendly, printing their projects in recycled paper, using vegetable based inks and special printing techniques including waterless printing.
And are strong believers in using the web to communicate, because it requires less printed materials.
Their projects have one common goal: positive change
UGANDA TOY CAMPAIGN Website created for a toy drive campaign benefiting children in Uganda.
LUBA LUKOVA
Luba Lukova is an internationally recognized artist and designer baqsed in New York. She creates posters that have been exhibited around the world and have won awards, such as World's Most Memorable Poster award at the International Poster Salon in Paris. Her art has been included in the The New York Times, Time, and The Nation.
I am focusing on a series of posters she did called Social Justice 2008. In these posters you can see how the artist represents metaphorically and with the use of symbols, themes like peace, war, ecology, immigration, and privacy.
These are some of the posters:
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