Friday, February 17, 2012

“Shout Out” Series: Shane Walsh

We each have an individual way of creating: bringing distinctive experiences, diverse talents and a unique voice to the creative table. If we learn others’ processes, we can enhance our own, in a sense build better creative tools to use when designing. Learning the processes of those we respect and admire is a tool that furthers our knowledge of graphic design and serves to present endless inspiration and countless methods of creation.

The intent of the “shout out” series is to feature design innovators, gain insight into their creative process, discover how their philosophies influence my own idea generating/design process and offer you a chance for creative inspiration and growth. From a personal standpoint, I want to determine if this hybrid of creativity leads my designs down surprising, unexplored pathways ultimately expanding my own creative toolbox.



Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. Upon earning his BFA in Communication Design from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, he began working as a design technician at Media Marketing Group in Voorhees, New Jersey developing corporate identities, promotional logos, event invitations, billboards and direct mailers for hotels and casinos. Shane sees design as a way to challenge himself. When presented with a task, he’s motivated to achieve creative outcomes that are unexpected and leave a lasting impression.



Favorite visual communication design quote Shane lives by
Design should never say, “Look at me.” It should always say, “Look at this.” — David Craib

Shane adds to Craib’s sentiment by stating it’s important that your concept relates to the product you’re promoting. Many advertisements are well produced, possess that all-important concept and utilize strong imagery. In the end, if you can’t remember what they’re selling, the message is completely ineffective. My suggestion: reflect on your own experience when you concept. How many times have you remembered a funny commercial but can’t recall who the message was for or what they were promoting?! Sure, it entertained; it got you emotionally connected, but failed to do its ultimate job, command you to take action.



Three self identified, descriptive words best describing “Shane Walsh”
• Logical
• Quirky
• Clever

Shane perceives his work as a reflection of himself and admits he tends to be awkward, overly calculated and sharp-witted. His smart, well thought-out, somewhat bizarre ideas create a vital connection between the viewer and what each unique idea is communicating.

How many times have you heard me say this before? Use your own voice, insight, ideas, perspective, your own... in your designs. Unique and one-of-a-kind means your work has a platform to stand out from the endless parade of other designs that consumers come in contact with. Shane’s approach supports my point brilliantly!



The Walsh design philosophy
In Ross Moody’s “Shout Out”, I cite Dan Stiles’s distinction between design as a service and design as art. Shane feels a greater sense of accomplishment through his client-based, design as a service work. His creativity stems from the restrictions established by his clients. Designers are problem solvers. You can’t think outside the box unless you’ve got a box. You can’t push boundaries unless you’ve got boundaries. It’s only with restrictions are we able to provide innovative results. There is no innovation without solving a problem.



Awards or publications featuring the design stylings of “Shane Walsh”
Shane was recently named one of CMYK Magazine’s “Top 100 New Creatives” and was featured in their volume 50 issue. Cover to cover, the focus of CMYK Magazine is on giving readers a truly inspiring visual experience. Each issue is filled with creative solutions from as many as one hundred talented artists and designers at all levels of the creative talent pool.

Shane has also had three projects published in the Portfolio Night annuals series. The Portfolio Night annuals are a collection of the best of the world’s largest advertising portfolio reviews featuring copywriters, art directors, designers and illustrators from all over the world. Work from the US, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, India, Lebanon, the United Kingdom are highlighted, and together represent the new benchmark for superb junior work.



A standout, defining moment in Shane's career thus far
Shane’s response to this question builds upon his previous answer. His most rewarding moment to date is when his work was featured in CMYK Magazine. Shane’s entire family rushed the magazine section of a local national bookstore chain and cleared the shelves of every issue they had in stock. He enjoyed receiving text message “shout outs” from old school classmates congratulating him on his accomplishment.



Creative influences connected to Shane’s work
There are a few creative influences Shane consciously thinks of when designing. One is the work of designer, Stefan Sagmeister. Walsh states, “I really respect and envy his work. [Sagmeister’s] designs are bold and offbeat. There’s a sprit to them that I try to emulate in my own work.”

For a long time Sagmeister took pride in not having a particular design style but this “ideal” became difficult to uphold. If your goal is to alter your stylistic approach for every project, it’s impossible to develop a new one on a continual basis without ripping-off historical styles or a particular designers' style. (1) It’s safe to say Sagmeister’s designs have a "look” to them. Open a design book and chances are you can point out a Sagmeister design or one that’s inspired by him. Even the scale at which he works is distinctively "Sagmeister" often using numerous smaller objects grouped together conveying a larger image. If Sagmeister self identified common threads woven into his work, they would be using hand made elements and experimental typography.

On a personal note, one of Sagmeister’s quotes, “Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.” struck a cord with me becoming one of my personal mantras. Perhaps it’s my “inner rogue” screaming out, but my version is more direct and reads like this, “Stop complaining. Either take action or shut up.” I tell myself whining about the problem accomplishes nothing. If I’m not willing to take action to change it, then others don’t need to hear me complain about it.

As a visual communicator, Sagmeister presses emotional buttons. His work is akin to someone’s hands tightly wrapped around your throat, pushing you up against the wall and forcing you to pay attention. Sagmeister visited and spoke at a university where I was teaching a few years back. Never meeting him prior to this encounter, I admittedly expected him to be as assertive and direct as his visual voice. I was surprised to discover he is in fact the polar opposite of the public, bold and direct “Sagmeister” brand. He’s a sincere, happy soul, kind and engaging in an extremely soft-spoken, gentile way. To this day, I laugh to myself at this realization for it reminds me what we communicate to our audience, what our audience perceives and what we really are can be very different things.

When our discussion turns to branding, Shane mentions he’s a huge fan of the branding and design firm, Duffy & Partners. Duffy & Partners’s work spans many media and design disciplines including corporate and brand identity, packaging design, marketing communications, digital experiences and branded environments. (2) Building upon Sagmeister’s sentiment on not having a particular design style, Shane respects how Duffy & Partners’s communication solutions project a completely distinct voice for each brand while at the same time, no “Duffy & Partners” signature look is readily apparent. In essence, any Duffy & Partners “style” is completely transparent when layered on top of the brands they develop. Shane aspires to create the same type of diversity in his own work and remarks, “Personally, I want to steer away from creating a specific "Shane Walsh look" that is easily recognizable.”



Shane’s words of wisdom to impart to other designers
“Surround yourself with creative people.” While this suggestion has been a hard one to live by since graduating from college, Shane believes surrounding yourself with creative people influences your work and motivates you to create better design.



What is your creative process? Do you have a routine you follow when you create?
Regardless of the type of project Shane is working on each begins the same way: RESEARCH! He suggests knowing everything you can about a project before starting. Ask tons of questions, learn the client’s expectations, identify your target audience and figure out how to engage them. Research the type of work your client has done in the past. Learn what the competition is doing. Only after conducting research does Shane pull out his sketchbook and concept as many ideas as possible.

Shane’s gotten into the habit of carrying a sketchbook with him at all times never knowing when the next great idea will strike. He elaborates on developing ideas, “they tend to come at the most random times like when I’m having dinner with friends or right before I’m about to fall asleep. I have a box full of old ideas scribbled on napkins, receipts, bills, invoices, whatever scrap of paper was near me at the time.”

When it comes to inspiration, Shane often references a collection of design books and old Communication Arts magazines. Communication Arts is the premier source of inspiration for graphic designers involved in visual communication. Communication Arts's editorials, feature articles and annual competitions provide new ideas and information, while promoting the highest professional standards for the field. (4) Shane also visits sites like FFFFound.com, vi.sualize.us, underconsideration.com and graphic-exchange.com whenever he gets the chance. He has a “Random Inspiration” folder on his desktop that holds endless snippets of visual inspiration he accesses whenever needing an extra a jolt of creativity. For printed work, there’s a collage of pictures ripped from magazines, menus taken from restaurants, art prints, old photographs, etc. hanging on his wall next to his computer to get his creative juices flowing.

Shane cautions, designers can get caught up in how creative an idea is and can easily forget the intended audience’s perspective. He gains valued insight when showing his work to family (a.k.a. those not engulfed in the design community) before officially submitting work to the client. I urge you to consider this extra step as a neutral buffer if you will. You receive honest comments/feedback from others not involved in the creative process and hopefully walk away with points you may not have considered previously.



Examples that represent the “Walsh” design aesthetic


Red Cross Blood Drive Poster Series. 
Shane was asked to design a poster for a university blood drive. Initially, the job required one poster design. After completing the project, he expanded the poster into a series. Shane notes this design represents his aesthetic in several ways:

• An offbeat concept that isn’t muddied by needless additional design elements. While you don’t relate blood to drinking glasses unless you’re a vampire in a pre-teen vampire book series, Shane focuses his message and imagery on promoting a university blood drive to an audience of undergraduates where alcohol consumption is often connected to the “traditional” college experience.

• A visual hierarchy that’s established through a clean layout and the marriage of direct/witty verbiage and alluring imagery. In advertising the saying goes, “get ‘em to laugh, get ‘em to cry, get ‘em to feel something.” The thought of drinking a glass of blood certainly gets me feeling something. The resulting emotion showcases the power of his visuals and demonstrates how they support the message.

Nailing down these powerful visuals didn’t come as easily as the concept. Shane initially tried illustration but shortly realized photography would leave a stronger lasting impression on the viewer. He experimented mixing everything from paint to strawberry milk, but all concoctions lacked a realistic look of blood. A friend of Shane’s suggested strawberry jelly for it was used to create the effect of fake blood in a television show he recently watched.



Rusty Kilick Brewery Logo and Package Design
The Rusty Kilick Brewery design branched from a project Shane previously worked on. In the original concept exploration, he developed symbols relating to the idiom “Drink Like A Fish.” While the concept wasn’t used at the time, Shane had the keen sense to hold onto this exploration. The idea wasn’t appropriate for its initial intent, but became the pivotal player in this package design series. Shane is drawn to the fish interacting with itself. The concept, again, relates to Shane’s slightly off and unorthodox aesthetic finding humor in death consuming itself in such a gluttonous way.

Point of note: This is the second time Shane mentions jotting down ideas and revisiting them. Keep a design journal and record your ideas. OK, some of those ideas didn’t make it into your final design solution this time. When working on a new project you have a chance to reuse, recycle and reinvent them. These previously rejected concepts became an integral piece of Shane’s successful design.




Boardwalk Beer Garden Logo Design
Duffy & Partners’s Tall Tails logo is a mark Shane constantly thinks about when developing visual identities. Shane comments, “[The Tall Tails logo] wasn’t the first to showcase multiple ideas using positive and negative space, but it’s the one that resonates with me.” Shane’s formula: pinpoint two or more business attributes and mash them together when designing logos. In Shane’s example, it’s blending a beer bottle and a fence. The bottle represents the bar aspect of the Beer Garden and the fence emotes an outdoor, open-air atmosphere. Combining several unique aspects of a company affords you the opportunity to develop ideas that are special to that specific brand.


Duffy & Partners’s Tall Tails logo is a mark Shane constantly thinks about when developing visual identities. 



Shane “Walshian” design attributes
After reviewing Shane’s body of work, I’m going out on a limb here and taking a crack at extracting some elements that represent his visual voice:

The “Ellen DeGeneres” effect 
I understand Shane feeling awkward at times. Now I ask you, aren’t we are all a bit awkward in our own way? This is what I like to call the “Ellen DeGeneres” effect. Stand-up comedian, television icon and entertainment pioneer (3), Ellen DeGeneres has an awkward and hysterical way of dealing with life’s moments. Ellen’s reaction to those uncomfortable moments is the genius behind her humor. It’s what we relate to and we’ve probably felt the same way in similar situations. The same holds true for Shane and his designs. He uses his humor creating a vital connection between the viewer and the design. It’s off the cuff and that’s what makes it special.

My bark is worse than my bite
I love the bite Shane’s work possesses. His solutions have some attitude… now he’s talking my language! Isn’t it our job to challenge the viewer? Force them to think about your message in a way they never have before. Looking through Shane’s featured designs, this biting wit is most prevalent in his Red Cross Blood Drive poster series but much of his work posses this tone.

Hand made, hand drawn, vector illustration
While Shane doesn’t speak to this point directly, there is no question he integrates hand made elements into his work. The reach of this technique extends quite far. I sense block print qualities, cut paper, gestural pencil illustration and vector illustration to name a few. I’m a huge fan of designers integrating different artistic mediums into their visual communication for it truly makes the design their very own.

Duality
Shane’s process of identifying a business’s unique attributes, combining them and ultimately creating an identity from this union is wonderful. The symbol is derived from multiple ideas that somehow manage to utilize the same positive and negative space. The resulting symbol is effective on numerous levels and connects to different brand attributes.

Texture
Look closely, there’s texture in there too. Crumpled paper, gritty pencil, photocopied and subtle gradients work to add a personal tone to the message. It’s far from overstated, acts more like a whisper than a shout, but texture is in there.



Shane Walsh’s influence on my idea generating/design process
As previously stated, the intent of the “shout out” series is to feature design innovators, gain insight into their creative process, discover how their philosophies influence my own idea generating/design process and offer you a chance for creative inspiration and growth. From a personal standpoint, I want to determine if this hybrid of creativity leads my designs down surprising, unexplored pathways ultimately expanding my own creative toolbox.

Shane forwarded his information and I immediately headed for the design examples to catch a glimpse of what he’s been working on. Now that you’ve reviewed them yourself, do you find a theme uniting the series? Did you notice all of his chosen examples are in one way or another connected to alcohol? This insight is not lost on Shane either, “WOW! I just realized that all the work representing my aesthetic is alcohol based. I swear I am not an alcoholic.”

While determining and concepting a design inspired by Shane’s process I consider branding and packaging alcohol. It’s a strong theme in Shane’s chosen work but my intent is to design something that represents “me” using some of his tried and true practices. Unfortunately, I’m not much of a drinker. I opt for branding, packaging and promoting a fictitious energy drink instead. Energy drinks are beverages claiming to boost energy through a variety of stimulants and vitamins. (4) I use the term energy drink loosely and don’t mean the typical drink that comes to mind. My drink jolts you with amps of inspiration when discovering you’ve hit the dreaded creative wall.

The more I think about this idea motivation drink, I realize it’s a metaphor for the role I often play working and mentoring creative teams. I enjoy cheering you on, pushing you to achieve your best and kicking you in the butt every so often when your ideas need some punch! In fact, this entire blog and “shout out” series are examples of me offering you that extra shot of creative encouragement! I’m giving a quick shout out to the designers in my DES253 Brand Experience class at Lehigh University. We’re currently working on a project entitled “If I were a product, I’d be ___.” Each designer is tasked with choosing a product that best represents his or her interests and personality characteristics. Once the product is chosen, they must brand it and promote it. Well kids here goes, if I were a product, I’d be “dezign zapshot energy drink.” The tip of my hat to my DES253 Brand Experience class elicits the point of this visual experiment; you influence me as much as I hope I influence you.



Some aspects of my hybrid design I want to highlight
What’s in a name?
I want my choice of visuals and verbiage to express an intense surge of energy. The message and product is about me helping jump-start your ideas. In this exercise, I’m the product so the visual voice must reinforce I’m the one doing the motivating. The self-identified visual elements I use to represent “me” must be integrated into the message somehow.

As I am sure any of my DES253 students can attest, selecting a name for a brand isn’t easy. A name does more than identify your company, product or service. It tells customers who you are, what you do and more than a little about how you do it. Your name differentiates you from your peers, peaks customer interest and invites further investigation — if you do it right. (5)

Ever wonder why my company’s name is dezignrogue and not designrogue? Design states the general area of focus to the viewer. I opted to change the letter “s” to a “z” so it speaks to the phonetic pronunciation of the word in spoken conversation as opposed to the literal spelling of the word design. Also, there are so many facets of design I’m interested in from word and image, environmental, interior, interactive that stressing only one element of design (graphic) felt too constricting.

In the spirit of interjecting “me” into different facets of this fictitious product, I explore numerous ways to integrate dezignrogue into the name and come back to the “z” time and time again. The “z” is a bridge for it connects the entire concept together. “Z” is in “dezign” and in the drink’s name, “zapshot.” I chose “zapshot” for it instantly speaks to that jolt of inspiration and spark of creativity you feel when you’re inspired.

Duality
I realize I talk about this one a few times in Shane’s “shout out.” Like I mentioned before, this line of thinking is wonderful and is worth the repeat. His process of merging business attributes to create a symbol that reuses the same elements in different ways in the same symbol is excellent. I layered in as many double entendres as possible throughout this hybrid design to connect back to Shane’s creative process:

• Shot as in drink and shot as in hit
The word shot plays into the duality of the overall message. A shot is a measure of liquor (1.5 fluid ounces) that is often drunk straight from a small glass. (6) In this case, the shot is the amount of liquid in the “dezign zapshot” bottle. Choosing shot directly connects my design to Shane’s subliminal and humorous infatuation with alcohol. The flip side of the word is the biting sting you feel when receiving an injection, getting hit, slapped and/or kicked.

• Z
I previously referred the “z” as a bridge because it connects the different pieces of this concept together. “Z” does double duty and plays a supporting role too. The more obvious is the drink’s name, but it’s also subliminally interspersed throughout the logo. The expressive starburst is created entirely by connecting Zs.

• Starburst
I’m laughing to myself at the thought of this one. Using starbursts in a design is another first for me. Maybe it’s just me, but I equate using starbursts to choosing the fonts Papyrus or Comic Sans when working with typography. There’s a method to my madness though. I want that intense visual punch of energy to come through loud and clear. What is more representative of this fast action than the expressive typography and graphics often used in comic books and the original Batman television series?

Expressive typography often used in the original Batman television series.

• Wake up!
I told you “Z” is a major player in this message!  “Z” has not only achieved duality but it’s made it to level three, yup, triality. The purpose of this drink is to get your expected, boring, uninspired ideas to wake up. You can Zzzzzz later. There’s brilliant work to do. So, yes, Z is definitely a heavy hitter in this design!

Geometrically constructed type
I have a soft spot in my heart for geometrically constructed typefaces. When viewing a piece of visual communication, we often see basic geometric shapes (circles, triangles, squares) first. Perhaps I’ve conditioned myself to perceive geometrically constructed typefaces as clean and simple because their foundation is these basic shapes. Geometrically constructed typefaces are part of the visual elements I continually and consistently use to represent my brand. This is why they’re prominently featured in this hybrid design.

Color in the lines
I don’t know when I started mindless doodling but I recall doing it as far back as elementary school. My doodle of choice is simple and quite repetitive, at times even monotonous. I could see the joy and surprise in the action if the end result was a different doodle each time, but it’s the same repetitive action over and over again. Want to know what I’m obsessing over?! Coloring in the negative spaces in letterforms (officially termed counters). Yes, I take your average “o” and do this to it “•” (it’s any letter with a counter, not just the o!) This simple act of coloring in the negative spaces in letterforms takes a reserved typeface and gives it one heck of a progressive voice that growls with attitude. Removing counters is all over my self identified visual voice. This is another tool visually connecting “dezign zapshot” back to me. It affords me to work with my cherished geometric type but presents it in a voice with bold emotive, in your face power that’s needed for this message.

Cutting and direct tone
The verbal voice of this design is all about being up front and to the point. This is an extremely deadline focused industry. You get one chance to impress a client and must present extremely high-level designs in a very short amount of time. Add your creative dry spell into the mix and you understand why this idea wake up call is so blunt. The product gives you that extra push to cross the finish line holding onto work you’re proud of.

Bye happy accident watercolor, Hellooo Op Art!
I tried to integrate my dezignrogue watercolor identifier into this design, man did I ever?! Unfortunately, every time I introduced it, the resulting voice was too calm. I want this design to visually shout not whisper. When cheering, who whispers? Now, I’m letting you in on a little secret. The “dezign zapshot” symbol, package and promotion as a whole are more reflective of me than my own dezignrogue identity. Did I confuse you with that statement?! My personality is a bit over the top and “animated” which has a tendency to make its way into my designs. Through much practice and self control, I’ve tamed the wild creative beast. I design a piece to the point I’m drawn to it, then take a few deliberate steps back and turn down the volume. I find this practice often results in a softer, more subdued and modern voice.

This design organically kept pushing me in a bolder, over-stated direction. Bit by bit I found myself referencing the over exaggerated and short lived (around three years during the 1960s) Op Art style. The term “Op Art” implies illusion and visuals often appear to be moving or vibrating due to precise, mathematically based compositions. Look at an Op Art piece for even a few seconds and it appears to dance and wave in front of your eyes. You know the piece is two-dimensional and static, your eyes, however, send your brain a message that what they’re seeing is oscillating and flickering. (7)

Visual connectors often employed to capture an Op Art style (7):
• Op Art exists to fool the eye. Compositions create visual tension in the viewer's mind giving works the illusion of movement.
• Because of its geometrically based nature, Op Art is, almost without exception, non-representational.
• The elements employed (color, line and shape) are carefully chosen to achieve maximum effect.
• The critical techniques used in Op Art are perspective and careful juxtaposition of color.
• In Op Art, positive and negative spaces in a composition are of equal importance. Op Art could not be created without both.

Do you understand why I’m so intrigued by the Op Art movement for this hybrid design?! Visual motion, vibration and movement support the intended shouting “wake up!” message.

Lastly, the Op Art inspired repeating line is a nod to Shane’s block print shading technique used in his Rusty Kilick Brewery symbol design. His line quality is textural and emotes a hand carved quality where mine is bold and graphic in presentation.



So at last, I present you my Dr. Frankendezign creation!











In conclusion
This experimental “shout out” series is far from complete. I’ll continue to champion learning the processes of those we respect and admire. This practice not only furthers our knowledge of graphic design, but also serves to continually present endless inspiration and countless methods of creation. Now, I offer up a challenge. Find who inspires you and ask, “How do you create?” You might be surprised by their response and have a chance to take an amazing journey.

Interested in taking part in the “shout out” series? Then by all means, give a shout out and let me know!



Blog Resources:
(1) http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html
(2) Fast Company Magazine, Oct. 6, 2009. Joe Duffy: Forging a Creative Link With China, by Linda Tischler.
(3) http://ellen.warnerbros.com/about/bio.php
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_drink
(5) http://marketing.about.com/od/brandstrategy/a/nameyourbiz_2.htm
(6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_glass
(7) http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/op_art.htm

Thursday, February 9, 2012

“Shout Out” Series: Ross Moody

We each have an individual way of creating: bringing distinctive experiences, diverse talents and a unique voice to the creative table. If we learn others’ processes, we can enhance our own, in a sense build better creative tools to use when designing. Learning the processes of those we respect and admire is a tool that furthers our knowledge of graphic design and serves to present endless inspiration and countless methods of creation.

The intent of the “shout out” series is to feature design innovators, gain insight into their creative process, discover how their philosophies influence my own idea generating/design process and offer you a chance for creative inspiration and growth. From a personal standpoint, I want to determine if this hybrid of creativity leads my designs down surprising, unexplored pathways ultimately expanding my own creative toolbox.




Ross Moody

Ross Moody is a graphic designer who’s got a knack for creating and finding witty things. He’s figured out a way to use these unique skills and apply them to 55 Hi's, a design studio he owns and operates. 55 Hi’s creates and sells paper creations including greeting cards, prints, calendars, journals and miscellaneous stationery items.

   
Favorite visual communication design quote Ross lives by
Work hard and be nice to people. –Anthony Burrill

   
Three self identified, descriptive words best describing “Ross Moody”
Workaholic. “I enjoy my work. I don’t like the connotation that comes with that word.”
Friendly.
Collaborative. “I have discovered that projects are much more fun and rewarding when working with other people. It takes some of the pressure off and makes it a team effort.”

   
The Moody design philosophy
When asked about his philosophy, I receive quite an insightful response: “I’m unsure anymore.” This answer stems from understanding design encompasses many different facets of communication. It has so many purposes and because of this, it’s difficult to sum up into one simple statement. After this initial off the cuff response, he breaks it down into two finite categories: personal and professional work.

For self-exploration, Ross’s approach is, “Create things that I, myself would use, enjoy and believe in. If I’m not excited about it, nobody else will be either.” That mindset is a darn good “self test” when figuring out if a concept is successful or not.

For client work, Ross believes it’s a different scenario every time. With that thought in mind he states, “Do your best and swallow your pride.” Ross encourages referencing “Design as Art,” an article written by artist, designer and design philosopher Dan Stiles. The basic premise is there are two kinds of design: design as a service and design as art. Stiles compares design as a service to being a plumber where someone calls you to fix their pipes and you fix them to the best of your ability, then you collect the money and move on. No matter how you look at it you’re fixing pipes, not building the Sistine Chapel. The client isn’t interested in getting the Sistine Chapel; they just want their toilet to work. That’s pretty much 99% of the paying work that’s out there. Don’t expect deep creative satisfaction from design as a service, but expect a secure job and a paycheck. Stiles also adds, be thankful you’re in a nice soft chair pushing around 12 pt. Helvetica instead of out in the hot sun pushing around dirt. Wise words if you ask me!

   
Awards or publications featuring the design stylings of “Ross Moody”
While no awards have been awarded to date, Ross’s work has been blogged about on sites he respects. Recently, someone submitted his work to NotCot.org. NotCot.org is a community of creatives, design lovers and trendsetters that serves as a studio bulletin board gone digital. Each image and caption brings you to a place worth visiting. It's about sharing what inspires you. Ross’s submitted work was featured on the site. Unfortunately, the submitter spelled his name wrong! Ross’s thought on this big oops: “It was the thought that counts. Spell my name however you want. I appreciate it.” I hope he wrote NotCot.org and got the shout out corrected!

   
A standout, defining moment in Ross's career thus far
The most rewarding experience to date since establishing 55 Hi’s is the overwhelming positive feedback received over new design pieces. Although admittedly not a glamorous defining moment, Ross knows he’s onto something when making pieces people enjoy. Ross recalls recently showing a friend a pair of bookends he was designing. The friend thought they were purchased from a store and wanted to know where he could get them.

   
Creative influences connected to Ross’s work
Ross attributes working and collaborating with designers (Drew Melton, Chris Sandlin, Riley Cran, Anthony Lane and Justin Mezzell) since founding 55 Hi’s as one of his major influences. Interacting on a daily basis online, they’ve developed a good-natured “one-up fest”, feeding off each other’s work and always outdoing one another. From sharing designers’ pieces to swapping images of typography from the 50’s, inspiration comes from everywhere and is a constant source of motivation for the group that never seems to stop!

   
Ross’s words of wisdom to impart to other designers
“Make the logo bigger. Seriously though, I don’t really have any wisdom to impart. I’m just winging it. I enjoy what I do and there isn’t enough time in one day to do it all.”

He suggests checking out a few sources he’s learned quite a deal from:
• Any book by Stefan Sagmeister.
• Any book by Michael Beirut.
• The book “Art & Fear” is great
“The Thinking Course” by DeBono has some eye opening content in it.
• Ross also swears he’s watched every video on “the99percent.com” at least twice.

   
Examples that represent the “Moody” design aesthetic

Not all who wander are lost.
Ross’s brother told him this when he was young and it’s stuck with him ever since. This statement highlights it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts. We all feel lost at times, but it’s those moments that present the most unexpected rewards. Ross’s design decisions were made referencing subway maps and directional cues. This concept is supported by the typography, which is created by connecting one point to another. While “wandering” through the design, you find starts and stops along the way, but take a moment to step back and look at the journey as a whole. You quickly understand the meaning behind that journey.



When in doubt, mumble.
Contrary to the previous design that is layered with deep thought and meaning, this example features Ross’s off the cuff humor. The direct statement makes you laugh to yourself and you relate to the sentiment. In design, that connection is enough to emotionally engage the viewer. His light-hearted type treatment adds to this sentiment. I’m particularly drawn to his use of dotted drop shadows, hairline outlines and misregistration or improper alignment of letterforms throughout. In most cases when working in print design, misregistration is considered a mistake yet Ross is skillfully able to intentionally use it to support his message.



Do what you love, love what you do.
Ross has an ongoing series of “communal word” prints he’s designed. The common theme throughout the series is featuring a phrase containing a word that’s repeated twice to create a symmetrical (or close to symmetrical) sentence. Some of the phrases featured in the series are “Less is More, More or Less” and “Work to Live, Live to Work.”

   
Ross “Moodyian” design attributes
After reviewing Ross’s body of work, I’m going out on a limb here and taking a crack at extracting some elements that represent his visual voice:

Retro Design
In Ross’s case, the connection to the 1950s aesthetic is readily apparent. Retro graphic design often integrates typography, color palettes and styles from previous decades. Smashingmagazine.com does a wonderful job describing visual connectors often employed to capture a retro design style: (1)

• Old-style typography (e.g. Roman typefaces: traditionally, serif faces based on a style of ancient Rome and is the typical classic serif of today. Roman also refers to any upright typeface (as opposed to italic, slanted, or script). (2)
• Script fonts and handwriting
• Illustrations from old posters, movies, newspapers, CDs, vinyls and ads
• Old electronic devices (e.g. radios, televisions)
• Old packaging
• Old photographs
• Vibrant, rainbow colors (high contrast)
• Dark, dirty colors (brown, dark red, dark blue)
• Textures
• Torn, used paper with stains (often yellowish paper)

Witty dialogue with the viewer
One of the benefits of being a visual communicator is the opportunity to interject your point of view into your messages. I fully expect to see your personality coming through and this is certainly the case with Ross. His wit and sense of humor not only speak to the viewer, it shouts!

“Less is More, More or Less”
Quoted directly from the works of Mr. Moody himself! Speaking with Ross, one comment made resonates with me, “Complicating simple things often ruins them.” Thankfully, working as visual communicators, we have the insight and personal experience of being consumers to rely on. It’s difficult to cut through the visual clutter and comprehend the numerous messages being spoken at the same time. This process of breaking down the message, simplifying it (verbally or visually), is an excellent approach for all of us to take when designing.

   
Ross Moody’s influence on my idea generating/design process
As previously stated, the intent of the “shout out” series is to feature design innovators, gain insight into their creative process, discover how their philosophies influence my own idea generating/design process and offer you a chance for creative inspiration and growth. From a personal standpoint, I want to determine if this hybrid of creativity leads my designs down surprising, unexplored pathways ultimately expanding my own creative toolbox.

I’m exploratory designer, integrating different artistic mediums into my work and embracing spontaneity (a.k.a. happy accidents) throughout my creative process. My self identified design style leans more towards the streamlined/modern side. Needless to say, I truly connect with Ross’s less is more, more or less sentiment. At the onset of this experiment, I’m uber psyched at the opportunity to delve in Ross’s retro world while still holding true to my modern roots.

Choosing to create a design related to Ross’s “communal word” print series, I immediately encounter a hurdle searching for a “symmetrical sentence” phrase. This is no easy task. “Do what you love, love what you do” makes an instant personal connection with me. My MFA thesis advisor (and design mentor) David Holzman said this all of the time. But alas, this is the exact phrase Ross features in his examples so that one is out. Since so much of what we do is based on communication, I opt for “Say what you mean, mean what you say.”

   
Some aspects of my hybrid design I want to highlight
Script
Script typefaces are based upon the elegant stroke created by handwriting. Truth be told, I’m so not a “script” using designer. Thinking about this, I can’t even tell you the last time I used one in a design. In this case, there are several reasons why I utilize a script. As previously stated, script fonts closely connect to retro design. I also want this message to read as a personal mantra of sorts, almost as though you’re saying it quietly to yourself. The soft spoken and delicate script has some guts bumping right up next to and even infringing on that aggressive looking “MEAN” word.

Slab serif typography
While geometric san serifs are my true love, slab serifs (often referred to as “Egyptian”) with their horizontal slabs and uniform thickness of letterforms come in a close second. In this case, I intend to place visual emphasis on the word “MEAN.” At first glance, the word overpowers the design and projects a bold, possibly even offensive tone.

Misregistration/improper alignment of letterforms
Integrating Ross’s intentional misregistration technique is also a first for me. Comparing his designs with my hybrid, it’s obvious his approach and resulting visual effect is much more technical than I intend to achieve. I’m chalking this one up to my “happy accidents” approach. I’m trying to capture that true “oops, something happened while this job was on press” result.

• Integrate fine art
In this design exercise, the fine art element is watercolor as texture. I can’t exactly pinpoint my affinity for watercolor but when it comes to representing me, it always seems to find its way into the mix. The watercolor emulates a weathered, worn and torn visual that is often connected to retro design.

   
So at last, I present you my Dr. Frankendezign creation!


   
In conclusion
This experimental “shout out” series is far from complete. I’ll continue to champion learning the processes of those we respect and admire. This practice not only furthers our knowledge of graphic design, but also serves to continually present endless inspiration and countless methods of creation. Now, I offer up a challenge. Find who inspires you and ask, “How do you create?” You might be surprised by their response and have a chance to take an amazing journey.

Interested in taking part in the “shout out” series? Then by all means, give a shout out and let me know!


Blog resources:
(1) http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/07/retro-and-vintage-in-modern-web-design/
(2) http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/basic/g/roman.htm

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Design is a battlefield. Ways to keep fighting the good design fight.

In the dog-eat-dog world of design, you must quickly develop a thick skin in order to continue fighting the good visual communication fight. Think back to the first time you hung a piece of work on the wall in school during a group critique. After pouring your heart and soul into developing and executing your concept, did the group’s comments come flying at you as though you were facing a firing squad?

The process of creating visual communications is an extremely personal one. We’re as passionate about our art as every artist is about his or her work. Of course, there is personal risk involved when exposing the fragile, creative underbelly that is normally protected by that tough, thick skin. I respect you for laying your creativity on the line knowing you might return from creative battle with some scars and emotional wounds.

Employ a few attack strategies to cushion the blow of those hard-hitting comments:

How about adding some sugar with your lemons?
If you’re proposing changes, find a balance between what is working and what isn’t and list both positives and negatives. Hurting someone’s feelings does not accomplish anything, except creating a tense, nonproductive environment.

Do not take the comments personally.
The group's job during a critique is to identify areas you might want to consider revising to ensure your message communicates in the most effective manner. The critique process identifies additional options and establishes vital next action steps in your exploration. I repeat: don’t take what is stated as a personal attack. Yes, sometimes those comments are hard to take, but try separating personal feelings from the communication task at hand. Objectively listen to the feedback and decide which points are valid and need addressing.

Empower yourself. Make your own decisions.
Comments and suggestions will be coming at you from all sides during the critique process. Trust your gut instinct throughout your creative process knowing in the end, when the project is presented to the client or creative director, you’re the one who must defend those decisions.

Play well with others.
I don’t know about you, but I’d choose to work with a mediocre designer who’s a team player over a prima donna designer any day! Who wants to work with someone who is cocky and arrogant? Creativity flourishes in a collaborative environment that motivates and inspires, not in one that is tense and aggressive. I can partner with that “average” designer, work with them on refining their skill sets and be confident clients/other team members will gel with them too.

Cheering works especially when you’re cheering for yourself.
Positive feedback and support from others is encouraging as you refine and evolve your visual voice.


While these external shout outs and kudos are nice to receive, I urge you to place more emphasis on finding this reinforcement from within. Do you feel you’ve done the best job and pushed yourself beyond "just good enough" onto "something you’re proud of”?


OK, the classic Saturday Night Live "Daily Affirmations" skit is over the top but hopefully my point resonates loud and clear! Exposing that fragile, creative underbelly when designing means you’ll encounter moments when your principles are challenged, times when you’re told you’re not good enough, occasions when you’re forced to revaluate what you’re doing or where you’re going. The lesson to be learned here is not about the perils of falling down, but about picking yourself back up and starting again wiser, more determined and focused. Listen to your inner cheerleader, incorporate your own daily affirmations and walk away from the experience having learned something about yourself and your integrity as a designer. Hear me loud and clear on this one: there is value in what you do. Only YOU decide what you’re capable of and what greatness you will achieve. Don’t rely on the external but instead, look to yourself for these answers.

In conclusion
Design truly is a battlefield. Our path on the journey to creating effective visual communication is a treacherous one. Our thick-skinned protective armor cushions some blows received fighting on the front line. Thankfully our passion for design pushes us to repeatedly take personal risks exposing that fragile, creative underbelly we might otherwise keep hidden from the world. The statement “without risk there is no great reward” certainly rings true. That sentiment alone is worth receiving a few creative battle scars for the greater design good, don’t you think?