February 2012
1 post
2 tags
January 2012
4 posts
Watch
6 tags
December 2011
2 posts
2 tags
3 tags
November 2011
3 posts
4 tags
Rams' ten principles of "good design"
Is innovative The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
Makes a product useful A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also...
5 tags
October 2011
1 post
September 2011
21 posts
6 tags
7 tags
No Place Like Home Field @chasportsmin
With the upcoming release of the CSM Summer 2011 Review, I thought I’d write about one my favorite tag lines that our creative team has come up with, No Place Like Home Field.
It’s a simple sentence that encompasses all that Chattanooga Sports Ministries stands for.
The line was inspired by the documentary, “Which Way Home.” WWH tells the story of a group of children...
4 tags
3 tags
6 tags
Good Design Follows a Process...
I’ll admit it… Sometimes I know what a logo should look like immediately during the first meeting with a client. (Paula Scher talks about this: see 3:08 marker) However, before I jump the gun, I test the logo. You see, the idea I have in my head is a hypothesis and it must be verified. I use the seven questions posted last week as a litmus test. I don’t care what you use,...
5 tags
8 tags
4 tags
3 tags
Advice for the Student...
I had an incredible professor at La Roche College named George. He taught me several priceless tokens of wisdom while I was under his tutelage. Today I’ll share something he taught me that I’ve utilized ever since (almost four years now). George shared seven simple questions that must be asked as you initiate the design process.
I encourage students to make a habit of asking yourself...
7 tags
4 tags
August 2011
11 posts
2 tags
“Buy experiences instead of things; buy many small pleasures instead of a few big...”
– David Brooks, “The Haimish Line”, The New York Times (August 29, 2011)
6 tags
5 tags
Good Design = Legal Design
Originally Published June 23, 2011 Since rules are black and white, that’s where I’ll start. Good design plays by the rules. But, what are the rules? As an AIGA member, I agree to follow the Design Business & Ethics manual. Frankly, I need to read the whole manual. Until this point, I’ve only browsed. Rather than re-writing the manual I’ll try to sum up what Legal design is in a...
5 tags
Good Design = Honest Design
Originally Published June 30, 2011 Last week I discussed the importance of legality in design. This week’s topic is honesty and its role in the creation of good design. Does your design lie, cheat, steal, or hurt anyone in general? If it does, it’s not good design. Let’s examine… In 1964, Ken Garland wrote the “First Things First Manifesto.” In it Garland wrote against gimmicky advertising...
8 tags
Judge a book by it's cover...
Recently, I’ve been reading way too many self-help books. Reading too much of any genre can be a drag, this is especially so with self-help books. Luckily, The Book Company lies directly between my place of worship and home. I usually search for treasure among the shelves after church on Sunday’s. On a recent visit I discovered several great finds. Initially, I judged the books by...