James Victore: Sensation Design // Posted on June 11, 2010
I remember watching a short youtube film in a graphics class that chronicled the careers of some noteworthy American designers. One of the designers popped out at me instantly: James Victore.
He jumped out at me for a few very different reasons. My contemporaries would classify me as a heavily Swiss influenced designer. That is just one side of the spectrum. Works like We Are America and Trouble at the Pump are some excellent examples that quantifies the polar opposites my design aesthetic takes sometimes.
Victore’s work stuck out at me because of the personal utility of his design. His work is reflective of strong opinions coupled with highly controversial imagery, one of the large inspirations for the We Are America poster. After all, political posters should stir discomfort in the viewer in order to maintain an effective communication. This is one of the main reasons propaganda works, due in part to the successfulness of sensation.
But this brings about an interesting point when discussing the viability of sensationalism in design. I remember in my fine art training being warned about the plague of sensation, more specifically the over indulgence many artists sometimes fall into. Examples can be portraits of children, images of death, etc… Typically these images contain a sensation unique to the artist, though arguably social context gets dragged in alongside it. When boiled down to the bare minimum, you don’t want to give your viewer image porn.
Sensationalism in the graphic arts is another story as this term was never used in the classroom. James Victore’s work would be an excellent example of sensationalism in design, visa vie my two projects linked above. The fascinating dichotomy of design is the tension of art vs. commercial utility. Victore’s work is the embodiment of sensation and opinion, delivered to viewers in the medium of print using the traditional methods of a commercial designer.
I might be on to something here as I try and rationalize my education to real world experiences. I’ve come to find that some of the most popular design is based largely on sensation, which is the direct opposite to the fine arts.
Alma Mater Classmates: From Print to Web Design // Posted on June 9, 2010
Lynchburg College’s web design course had the fresh opportunity to be granted a professional web designer. With a shift in program goals and instructor sabbaticals, a professional was brought in to educate some die-hard print designers on the relatively young and complex venue of the web.
I wanted to take a moment and recognize my former classmates who now have web presence, an almost impossible task when they began the class in January of this year. Congrats to all!
The Typography of “Where the Wild Things Are” // Posted on May 22, 2010
I might be the last designer to hop on this train, but I think it is worth mentioning especially as this blog is a chronicling of what is brewing in my brain.
When the movie posters and trailers began to emerge for Where the Wild Things Are, I remember being taken aback by the type. In fact, it was one of the main reasons I was excited to go and see the movie.
Geoff Mcfetridge is the mastermind behind the hand-drawn child-like type of the movie. There is something really beautiful about type inspired by the scribblings of children. The marks are fresh and unconscious, rendered seaming-less.
It might seem simple to recreate a typeface such as this, but in reality, its the coupling of the concept that drives it home for me. A beautiful juvenile font, massive puppets, the tainting of a child on an untouched rabble of simple creatures; all of these variables make the type more believable, more credible. Geoff’s work falls on this aesthetic of wonky reminiscent doodles of childhood. Definitely a designer to watch.
Search Engine Optimization Success: Wall Construction // Posted on May 12, 2010
Over the summer I re-developed the website of Wall Construction. Part of the challenge was getting this company to show up in search engines, primarily Google. The problem is the pun of the company’s name. Wall Construction faced competition from literally wall construction.
I kept this in mind as I developed the new website, built off the WordPress Software I always encourage. After a month, Wall Construction began to receive Google search engine hits. Today, it rests at #7, as opposed to the #52 it was when I began.
Tricks of the trade!
Two Updated Portfolio Pieces // Posted on
CoterieMagazine.com received a face lift. In preparation for a rebirth, the website was overhauled to be more streamlined, delivering content on demand.
Using powerful, intuitive software provided by Issuu.com, coterie magazine’s issues can be browsed in a simple flash interface.
AFTD’s 2009 Annual Report is hot off the press.