“The role of graphic design historians is to identify examples of good graphic design so that we can improve the quality of the pizza flyers we get through our doors.” My two favorite subjects, pizza and design, discussed in a thought provoking article by Jonathan Baldwin on SpeakUp.

“Our wrong assumptions lead to the best learning.” says Alex Lee, president of OXO, one of the finest product design companies in the world. Check out what he’s learned from failures in this fascinating FastCompany article “OXO’s Favorite Mistakes.“

“Design is powerful because it can connect ideas with the hearts and minds of people.” This excellent observation and others about design possibilities and responibilites can be read in Andy Arikawa thoughtful article, “Making a Difference: Part 1”.

And for those of you getting that ‘grass is greener’ itch, check out Fast Company’s 15 up-and-coming hubs for creative workers. I would add Chattanooga and Birmingham to their list.

Follow that art...... Keep reading

For this addition of Well Said, we’ve dug up some particularly good articles about the heart and soul of design. First up are two very important and related articles exploring the relationship between content and design. Start with Andrew Boardman’s article, “Content Stripped Bare: The Death of Design and the Reign of Content,” where he asserts that “design—whether commercial, industrial, fine art, typographic, or otherwise—is a secondary enterprise with digital content stripped bare.” Then hop over to Mezzoblue where David Shea ponders the role of design in a content-as-commodity driven world.

For some hearty reading, try Dyske Suematsu’s essay, “Does Graphic Design Really Make a Difference?” As Dyske states, “Graphic design is a noble occupation with a real purpose, but for that purpose to be realized, we need to see graphic design for what it actually is, and have certain humility about it. Graphic design is a supporting role, not a leading role.”

Lastly, don’t miss Andy Rutledge’s romp on “Keep reading

Sometimes I read things and have additional thoughts that are worth writing about. Other times, what I read or hear is so well said that nothing more needs to be added. Such is the case with this new weekly column on B L A N K which I’m calling “Well Said.” Enjoy and add your own in the comments.

“Given the amount of energy that is devoted to defining and defending graphic design, I wonder if the discipline would be better served if the term “design” were used in the same way in which we use “writing”: as an individual skill determined largely by voice and context rather than a fixed term for a profession. The notion of writing accommodates personal memoirs, copy for a toaster manual, esoteric literary fiction, academic papers, shopping lists, investigative reporting, etc. – why can’t graphic design be just as accessible and flexible? Writing is verbal communication; graphic design is visual communication.”

~ James Reeves’ article “Design Equals Writing” on Speak Up

“I’m 49 years old, and I’m frustrated that at some point, someone decided to replace the words “On” and “Off” with strange graphic symbols on computers.”

~ Phil P., Homebuilder, spoken at my house last night

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