]]> http://blakemccreary.com/2010/05/paula-sher-gets-serious-paula-sher-talk/feed/ 0 http://blakemccreary.com/2010/04/seductive-design-andy-budd-talk/ http://blakemccreary.com/2010/04/seductive-design-andy-budd-talk/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:18:25 +0000 Blake McCreary http://www.blakemccreary.com/?p=1283

Andy Budd, at Build Conference 2009, thinks looks and first impressions do matter, especially in design, and he shows how such principles can be applied to “seducing” users through design.

“Often [seduction] is seen as a negative thing, it’s seen as bad. People think of it as leading people astray. However, I actually think that seduction can be a good thing, it can be a fun thing.”

Andy Budd – Seductive Design from Build on Vimeo.

What makes a business card both functional and creative? Lately, I’ve been striving to find the middle ground.

Just about every company orders business cards at some point. Depending on the budget you may have room to go as far as incorporating special print production techniques. Die cuts, shiny inks, and embossing are great eye candy, but what makes the concept stick with your client? Most business cards are probably tossed within a week. I put together a list of business cards that I think are efficiently designed. Some of these designs break the typical business card mold, but not all of them. I personally think you can design a very creative business card using the standard 3.5 ” x 2″ template. Feel free to leave suggestions. I’m sure there are thousands of great designs out there, and this is only the start of the inspirational business card list.

Creative Business Card Sample #1

This tape design is a great way for Mixtape Generation to enforce their brand. Visit the MIXTAPE GENERATION website

Creative Business Card Sample #2

I’m not sure how long this card would last in your wallet, but it’s a nifty design. Posted on The ADS of the World website originally

Creative Business Card Sample #3

Posted on Flickr

Creative Business Card Sample #4

I really like the use of textures and stock on this card. Visit the Ruk Creative website

Creative Business Card Sample #5

Die cut design that pops out. Visit the Indiofolio website

Creative Business Card Sample #6

This business card brings the Howl Fire logo to life with a slightly burnt edge. Visit the Howl Fire website

Creative Business Card Sample #7

Visit the Laurie DeMartino website

Creative Business Card Sample #8

Typical die cut corners and slanted design. In my opinion, this card stands out because of color and composition. Found on Deviant Art

Creative Business Card Sample #9

Visit the depux design website

Creative Business Card Sample #10

Visit the Boos Design Group website

More places to view creative business card designs…

• http://cardview.net/

Andy Warhol used non-representational color and representational form to convey different sensations. Apply the same idea to the portrait of Marilyn Monroe below, using the controls to adjust the colors. How does the color affect the mood? (source: http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/marilyns.html)

Contemporary art is often misconcieved as lackluster or lazy art. Many artists like Pablo Picasso started movements in the Contemporary era. They should not be noted as poor artists. They often excelled in fine art, however, they are highly experimental. They would sometimes study one particular mastery while neglecting to introduce the full spectrum of design.

Important keys to understanding Contemporary Art:

• Originality is important.
• Artists begin to question traditional definitions of art.
• Art takes an increasingly intellectual turn in the 20th century.
• Art becomes difficult to understand.
• The viewer takes a more prominent position in determining the meaning.
• The idea behind the art is more important than the physical form.

Want to know how to think like a Contemporary artist? Ask these questions.

1. What is art?
2. Who makes art?
3. What is the function of art?
4. What is the role of the artist in our society?

Below are a few Contemporary artwork examples:

These are only a few examples and I encourage you to research further. This article is not intended to suffice for a complete academic resource. It is designed to quickly grasp the principles of Contemporary artwork and generate an overall understanding.

Kazimir Malevich, “Black Quadrilateral” 1913

Notes:

• Detaches from everyday life
• Used as religious meditation

Marcel Duchamp, “Fountain” 1917 Notes:

• Take a ready made object and put it in art context.
• Questions the definition of art

Tony Smith, “Die” 1962 Notes:

• No trace of self in artwork. Manufactured.
• Intellectual  or Difficult to understand

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the CBS eye in 2001, Charles Osgood did this report on the creation of the famous logo.

The MIT Media Lab’s John Maeda lives at the intersection of technology and art, a place that can get very complicated. Here he talks about paring down to basics.

John Maeda is the president of the Rhode Island School of Design, where he is dedicated to linking design and technology. Through the software tools, web pages and books he creates, he spreads his philosophy of elegant simplicity.

“When John Maeda became president of the legendary design college RISD in 2008, he told the Wall Street Journal, “Everyone asks me, ‘Are you bringing technology to RISD?’ I tell them, no, I’m bringing RISD to technology.” In his fascinating career as a programmer and an artist, he’s always been committed to blurring the lines between the two disciplines. As a student at MIT, studying computer programming, the legendary Muriel Cooper persuaded him to follow his parallel passion for fine art and design. And when computer-aided design began to explode in the mid-1990s, Maeda was in a perfect position to influence and shape the form, helping typographers and page designers explore the freedom of the web.”

I find John Maeda very inspiring. He has a way of dissecting society in such a way that he learns how to counteract anti-creativity as well as relating his material to an audience with humor.

You can read more of John Maeda’s profile here at Ted.com.

“Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali.”

One of my fellow classmates forwarded this Stefan Sagmeister video via email at Ball State University. Stefan Sagmeister is a leading designer who is world renowned for his album covers, posters, and recent book of life lessons.  Stefan definitely has a fresh way of thinking and has much to provide the graphic design world. You can read a full profile on Stefan Sagmeister here.

I was digging around on Twitter and found a link to this video about the Social Media Revolution. I’m not sure how accurate the statistics are but they seem reasonable to me.

“A logo is done in a second. It’s done in a second…and 34 years.”

Listening to a leading design talk about what inspires them can often inspire you. Paula Scher is a very influental designer who created the Citi Group logo on a napkin.

This video was made by Hillman Curtis

]]> http://blakemccreary.com/2009/08/paula-scher-inspiration-from-the-aiga-video-series/feed/ 0 http://blakemccreary.com/2009/08/steve-jobs-talking-about-paul-rand/ http://blakemccreary.com/2009/08/steve-jobs-talking-about-paul-rand/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:58:56 +0000 Blake McCreary http://blakemccreary.com/?p=244

Paul Rand was a “business problem solver and an artist”.

In this video, Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) discusses the great, (logo) designer, Paul Rand. Problem solve first, design later.