my weekly assignment

I'm trying to get back in the swing of doing my weekly reading of "The Artist's Way" that I told you about a while back. Well this week's assignment is "reading deprivation." Which means I'm not suppose to read anything. Now, that doesn't mean I need to take it so literally that I cover up all words that might cross the path of my eyes, but it does mean that I should probably not pick up a book (thank goodness I already finished my required reading for my bookclub) and I most definitely should not read blogs. This one is going to hurt. I just came off of a week of finding all these great design blogs and photography blogs, with great tips and encouraging articles. And now this. Phooey. It's supposed to help me "un-crowd" my mind so that my creative juices can flow unimpeded by other ideas. I understand the theory behind the assignment, so I'm going to do my best to try and follow it. But that means a whole week of no google reader whenever I need a break from work and no evenings on the couch reading magazines and no browsing MSNBC to see what the current news is for the moment. We'll see how well I'm able to keep myself from reading. I think this is going to be harder than giving up Facebook for Lent!

Edited to add: I'm only half way through day one of this and it's already proving a test of my will. Didn't realize just HOW MUCH I really do read on a daily basis.

diy : bookmarks

An easy Friday afternoon project for you!

All you need to make a nice "corner cover" bookmark is: one paper bag, one pair of scissors and a book! I always liked the Paper Source bags I get with each purchase and this is a great way to enjoy them once I bring them home. Now, just to be fair, I can't take full credit for this idea. I saw it somewhere, but for the life me cannot remember where. I've been doing so much "research" lately in the area of design that it's all starting to blur together. So, if you happen to see it else where, let me know so that I can rightfully credit from where it came.




PS: It needs to be a bag that does not have a bottom. A simple bag with just two sides. Then just cut the corners of the bottom off how ever you'd like and slip your "corner" onto a page!

featuring : dogstardesign

| Rodney Davidson DOGSTAR Design |

My visit to the library last Saturday yielded some great books on design. While peering through numerous examples of branding, I came across the image above and thought it genius. Can you see the C and the A that stand for Cigar Aficionado? And yet, it's just a guy with a hat on, puffing away on his cigar. I love the simplicity of it. Clean, simple, clear design. I often strive for this but usually don't hit it on the mark as well as this does. DOGSTAR has some other great examples of design on their site. Like this one for a walk in clinic:

| Rodney Davidson DOGSTAR Design |

This one is amazingly subtle. Walk in. Okay, I get it, there are footprints. But look closer... do you see the "plus" sign in the middle that often stands for "hospital." That's the clinic part. I love how he used the negative space to convey the rest of the meaning. Brilliant!

Ironically enough, I went from reading through this book: "Business Graphics: 500 Designs That Link Graphic Aesthetic and Business Savvy"


to this posting by a friend this morning entitled, "Is Advertising Art?" What an interesting question to ponder. Especially in light of the fact that I'm trying to get ideas for a new brochure design for a client. And while of course I'd like to think of my work as "art" it also has a distinct purpose which is to "sell." In this specific case it's selling a service, hospice care, but it's still consumer based. It's not ars gratia artis (art for art's sake). It's trying to get something done, convey a message, invoke an action (in this instance hopefully choosing to go with this hospice over another). Is that art? I'm really not quite sure. It's hardly on the same lines as a Caravaggio painting or a Brancusi sculpture. But the most successful designs (or branding) make use of aesthetic elements in the best way, just like a good painting does. So maybe in the end they are based on the same set of "rules" but have a different purpose or intent.

Whew! That's enough deep thought for 8 in the morning. Thanks for letting me hash that out a bit with you. Now it is off to start my day!