this. spring break two thousand nine.

for reasons i cannot explain the brakes came on so easy this semester as i contemplate during spring break starting today a revelation that my classes are far too behind my thesis topic is hiding a mystery that quite frankly i'm tired of seeking all i want to really do is write but get guilty feelings like i'm wrong then i find myself searching my archives of works nothing to be proud of except the words.

somewhere in the middle of that run-on sentence i found this string of words that talks about this.

typography.

rules i strive to live
by.

always check your kerning. start off with negative tracking. at least negative ten. don't write vertical when communicating quickly. (hotel and motel are the exception.) nor with uneven or unbalanced words.

please don't leave your typesetting to a sign shop. they only own silly fonts have no taste in typographic usage and don't design with a purpose. this pome is for them. listen up.

location is key. place your type carefully. simply. in a second. always close-up double oh's. closer than your average kern. look. moon. poop. food. be sure the captial Tee and whY is close to your lower case oh. To. Yo.

and spread your double el's. million. brilliant. trillion. killer. don't ever use a font named after a city. ever. and move comic sans. to the trash can. on a mac. or recycle bin. if you're a user of i.b.m.

make a capital vee and a capital eay comfortable. VAGINA. ENDEAVOR. tighten the kern. the space between them. simple rules. of typography. watch and observe. it's easy to learn. use your keyboard with caution. perhaps go back to a pen.

know your printer. eat breakfast with them. drive in their car. always shake their hand. photoshop is not graphic design. neither is a computer.

idea is king.

it's solving a problem. it's a service. translating a message from one to
another. from bow to target. the arrow. straight. narrow. responsible for the end result. the viewers perception.

there's meaning. there's reason. visual plus verbal equals message. graphic design is a verb. a+b=c. providing closure. problem solved.

communication.
the life i'm ruled
by.

that was supposed to be read slowly. start over.

sound in motion.

words in motion.

Mos Def - Words - The Ecstatic - in stores Spring 2009

503A : project 02 : static/dynamic study

Same Content, Different Deliveries: A Sound/Silent Experiment
using one of my favorite contemporary poems by Jack Henry, i started to explore the way we read and digest communication delivered online. this is just a skim off the top of the ultimate goal, but i feel the questions proposed here are a good beginning.

TESTING THE AUTHOR'S ROLE IN WEB COMMUNICATION
As content becomes more dynamic, the reader becomes more lazy because the content is working for the reader. When content is static, the reader has to act, scroll and interact, forcing the reader to think for themselves.

S T A T I C

movie making

i remember walking
down 6th in Los Angeles
over near Spring Street

a movie crew stood around
talking in walkie-talkie's about
this and that

i stood and stared

an hour passed before
a tall man w/thin eyes
yelled, "action"

a car came around a corner
smashed into another
a guy jumped out
and started to run
before the director
yelled, "cut"

everyone applauded

a homeless guy
walked through
the scene, stopped
at a trash dumpster
pulled out some cans
kept moving

and no one said a word

D Y N A M I C
(refresh your browser to watch again.)

QUESTIONS & RESULTS
Overall Synopsis
I feel that the reader has lost many aspects of control the minute you put the content on the Web. However, this experiment is for Web based communications and whether Static design or Dynamic design is better.

I came to two conclusions: 1) if the reader has an interest in the content, then Static gives freedom to the reader allowing them to think through the content themselves as opposed to 2) if the reader has no interest in the content, then Dynamic will give them a chance to be told what the content says.

When the reader has control of the content (static), is the communication more or less effective than when the reader gives control of the content to the author?
More effective. It benefits the reader to pause when they need and move on when they need. If the content is designed properly, the pace should lend itself.

Is static design an outdated form of communcation? Is it more of an idea-stimulant?
No. Yes, it gives the reader control.

What do static design and dynamic design have in common? Do they both depend on rhythm?
They both tell a story. Each line is a step in the story line and each stanza is a new scene. Everything depends on rhythm, even reading the stock report.

Is dynamic design mere eye candy? Entertainment?
No. Especially not in this case, it's just as plain as the static page. It takes away the scrolling function and the line-break potential, as it controls the content.

Is static design is just informative? Serious?
Yes. According tot he author, but the reader can do whatever they like with it.

Which one stimulates the brain more?
Static. The reader is left with the decision making on pace and rhythm making their experience with the words their own.

Which delivers the message quicker? Better?
More memorable? More personal (w/emotion attached)?
These are subjective to the reader, depending whether they read fast, or are even interested in the content and care enough to move forward. The static design allows for that choice.

In what situations are these attributes relevant?
When the reader has an interest in the content. However, if they do not, the dynamic design is more enticing.

Does more dynamic mean more clear? Or overdone and confusing?
More clear. But perhaps not as beneficial.

Does sound integration fall into the category of static or dynamic's design communication?
It would improve both.

What leads the revolution: new eyes? or new authors?
New eyes definitely. New authors have to account for the new eyes that read their content.

483A : project 2 : 45 rpm album cover

Calexico album cover for a special pressing release.

in order to research Calexico's music, i had many listens on their myspace page. i was inspired to create a desert feel but not wild west. more contemporary. i also really enjoyed the diversity of instruments and the laid back influence in the music. i knew a natural paper is what i wanted to capture the feel, but i needed to be inspired for the design before i got caught up pasting a cactus on it.

it hit me when i saw one of my favorite blankets in the trunk of my car. it was the inspiration and motivation behind the design of this 45rpm album cover.



from then, i knew what had to be done. the process of designing it started with this:

i recorded "Alone Again Or" that was streaming online into garage band. then took a screen shot of the track editor. this served as the center of my pattern intentions as mentioned in the project 01 paper i wrote in february.

i simplified the sound waves into one-color black.


then, went to town re-creating southwestern patterns and finally copying the flow of the one in my blanket.











when i had the pattern i was looking for, i added the logo and printed it in reverse on a color laser. my plan was to do xylene transfers onto some funky papers. first i tried butcher paper, but it came out way too dark, then cardboard, but it was very uneven. the purpose to do the transfer was to get a distressed look, but it was at the point of illegibility – so i ended up using some Fabriano watercolor paper, or is it printmaking paper? i can't remember, it's all pretty much the same. and instead of using the potent xylene solvent, i picked up some wintergreen oil from the local pharmacy to make the transfers.



i love the watercolor paper because i was able to have torn edges which really added to the feel of the whole piece. not to mention the physical softness in the paper.

after making the transfers, i trimmed and assembled it.









i really like how the greens transferred onto the off-white paper. it gave the perfect contemporary desert feel.





oh, and the last minute violator that had to match the piece.



overall, i'm very happy with it. the only thing is i couldn't get the wintergreen (ben gay) smell out of my studio for about a week.

buckminster fuller institute.

i subscribe to the bfi.org e-newsletter and 9 times out of 10 i'm inspired by the innovative thinking out there. it always seems to put me in check and it gets me off my high-fineart-horse and brings me down to the science-designwithpurpose-earth.


check 'em out http://www.bfi.org

Bucky was one fantastic human being.