Over the weekend I re-watched the documentary Objectified from Gary Hustwist, the producer of one of my all-time favorite documentaries, Helvetica, and the soon-to-be released Urbanized.
Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability.
Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential product designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?
In the documentary, they interview Dieter Rams, an industrial designer from Germany who is said to have influenced Jonathan Ive from Apple. Dieter shared his thoughts on what good design is and said:
Good design should be innovative.
Good design should make a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic design.
Good design will make a product understandable.
Good design is honest.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is long-lived.
Good design is consistent in every detail.
Good design is environmentally friendly.
Last but not least, good design is as little design as possible.
Objectified is well worth watching, just make sure you have a Moleskine handy to jot down some thoughts and ideas that may be sparked while you watch it. And, if you’re on Netflix, you can watch it instantly!
My friend Jacob in Eugene, Oregon, sent the following email…
I’m wondering if you have a checklist (mental or otherwise) that you use to critique your work before it goes out. I print a lot of flyers, postcards, and email promotional materials for events and it seems like I always miss important details, even when I have multiple proofreaders. It’s so frustrating to pour yourself into a piece only to realize you’re missing key details. Also, any tips on design?
My reply…
At Park we don’t do much print these days, but here’s some general rules of thumb to consider as you design print pieces…
Remember the 5 W’s and H
Who – Does it communicate clearly in the language of WHO it’s for? Avoid churchy terms and use a language and style that’s reflective the audience you’re trying to speak to.
What – Have you clearly defined WHAT it is? “It” being the event, opportunity, class, etc?
Where – Is there a location, address, map, directions, showing people WHERE they need to go?
When - Have you double-checked the time and date of WHEN it is?
Why – Have you explained WHY it’s important for the person? Don’t just broadcast your information, focus on why it’s important for the individual. Highlight their needs first, then focus on your solution.
How – Have you given them next steps on HOW to respond? Have you clearly directed them to a person, website, email, etc to sign up, register, get more information.
Design Elements
Logos. Is your church logo or the appropriate ministry logo on it? Your logo should be on every printed piece you create. Think of them as a return address on an envelope. In case it gets lost or placed in the hand of a friend, it should be able to point easily back to where it came from. Be sure to include your web address, too!
Fonts. Are there more than two fonts on it? Try to use a standard body font for everything so while design elements may be different, there’s at least a consistency that’s easy to recognize and unify all of your print collateral. You shouldn’t use more than two fonts per printed piece.
White Space. White space is good. Less is more. Don’t try to fill an entire space. Give people room to breathe. Don’t let design overpower your message unless the design is helping to communicate your message.
Consistency. Try to have a consistent placement of your church logo on all printed pieces… i.e. always on the lower right hand corner, top left hand corner, etc. Having a standard font is good, too.
Standards. Set some standards when it comes to dates, times, phone numbers, and web addresses.
Tuesday, July 13th or Tuesday, July 13
10 AM or 10 a.m.
312-361-0500 or 312.361.0500
www.parkcommunitychurch.org or parkcommunitychurch.org
Double-Check the Small Stuff
Double-check all addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. There was one time I accidentally put my personal phone number on the back of a churchwide publication. I found that out AFTER it was printed! Not good. Double check the small stuff. In some cases, I even copy the email address and send a test email just to double-check and confirm it’s the right one. The things you would easily overlook are usually the things you need to check the most.
Ask Others For Help!
Another set of eyes is sometimes exactly what you need to either catch an error or to get some input on design. The Church Marketing Lab from the Center for Church Communication is a great place to get advice and input from others. They have a flickr group where you can upload your latest project and get advice from others. The Church Marketing Lab has been a lifesaver for me and in addition to getting help, it gives you the chance to help and learn from others.
Von Glitschka is principal of Glitschka Studios and has worked in the communication arts industry for over 23 years. His work reflects the symbiotic relationship between design and illustration. This duality of skills within his creative arsenal, inspired his title of “Illustrative Designer.”
In 2002, he founded Glitschka Studios, a multi-disciplinary creative firm. The studio shines as a hired gun for both in-house art departments and medium to large creative agencies working on projects for such clients as Microsoft, Adobe, Pepsi, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, MLB and NBA Licenses, Johnson & Johnson, Bandai Toys, Merck, John Wayne Foundation, Disney, Lifetime Television and HGTV.
Even though we work with large clients, we also recognize the importance and enjoy designing for numerous small business owners too. We welcome the creative challenge of facilitating small business, so they can successfully market themselves on the same visual level as the multi-national brands they compete with daily.
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Design Apologetics
Apologetics – to speak in defensive of.
So as a Christian creative/designer we should en able to speak in the defense of our design.
We often bump heads over aesthetic.
Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created…”
God is infinitely creative.
God has no creative blocks.
It’s not “In the beginning, God used clipart…”
“The heavens declare the glory of God…” – Psalm 19:1
God’s portfolio trumps us all.
God’s Portfolio vs Man’s Portfolio
God’s portfolio has the human smile.
Man’s portfolio has the pug. (You either think they are really cute or really ugly.)
God made tropical plants and fish… patterns, colors, texture, smell, etc.
Man created the hairless cat.
God made jellyfish.
Man grows an ear on a rat.
God created mountains and modes of transportation.
Man created the Pinto.
Man Tries to Mimic God’s Creation
No matter how hard we try we can’t compare to the intricate design of God’s creation.
God’s Visual Aesthetic
God creates strange things… like spiders.
God does scary… the Great White Shark.
God does fearsome… an alligator.
God does creepy… a scorpion.
The Wonderful Paradox of God’s Design
He makes things that look sinister, evil or demonic… Angler Fish
Christ is the ultimate creator. He didn’t water down his design to appease a consensus. Christ-like creativity means we live out the reality of being made in His image.
What is Creative Curiosity?
Comes from fun not fear.
Creating is all about sharing.
Anyone can be creative.
Refrigerator Effect: Since childhood, we’ve always wanted people to appreciate our work and creativity.
The most frustrating time for all of us is when people don’t appreciate what we do.
Good thinking leads to good design.
Humor is creativity’s best friend.
Humor and creativity complement each other.
Creativity takes the mundane and ordinary and sees something unique in it.
Creativity is a universal trait.
We’ve all been creatively curious.
We all have the inherit ability to be creative.
We see it in various areas of life.
Our creativity has to be on tap because of our job description.
We have to look for those moments of creative opportunity.
Kids are Wellsprings of Creativity
Creativity comes to kids, naturally.
Kids are naturally curious.
They lose their creativity when they become adults.
We need childlike curiosity.
We need to look at things differently.
If you need perspective, watch and listen to kids.
Exercising Creativity
Look for things that aren’t there.
Seeing art in the mundane… maps, subway maps, trees, chicken nuggets, potato chips, etc.
A friend shared this link with me this morning from designer Bruce Mau… all I can say is WOW.
If you are a creative, designer, or anyone who tries to be, this is worth the read.
Written in 1998, the Incomplete Manifesto is an articulation of statements exemplifying Bruce Mau’s beliefs, strategies and motivations. Collectively, they are how (they) approach every project.
Allow events to change you.You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.
Forget about good.Good is a known quantity. Good is what we all agree on. Growth is not necessarily good. Growth is an exploration of unlit recesses that may or may not yield to our research. As long as you stick to good you’ll never have real growth.
Process is more important than outcome.When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we’ve already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there.
Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child).Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.
Go deep.The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.
Capture accidents.The wrong answer is the right answer in search of a different question. Collect wrong answers as part of the process. Ask different questions.
Study.A studio is a place of study. Use the necessity of production as an excuse to study. Everyone will benefit.
Begin anywhere.John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.
Everyone is a leader.Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead.
Harvest ideas.Edit applications. Ideas need a dynamic, fluid, generous environment to sustain life. Applications, on the other hand, benefit from critical rigor. Produce a high ratio of ideas to applications.
Keep moving.The market and its operations have a tendency to reinforce success. Resist it. Allow failure and migration to be part of your practice.
Slow down.Desynchronize from standard time frames and surprising opportunities may present themselves.
Don’t be cool.Cool is conservative fear dressed in black. Free yourself from limits of this sort.
Ask stupid questions.Growth is fueled by desire and innocence. Assess the answer, not the question. Imagine learning throughout your life at the rate of an infant.
Collaborate.The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.
____________________.Intentionally left blank. Allow space for the ideas you haven’t had yet, and for the ideas of others.
Stay up late.Strange things happen when you’ve gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you’re separated from the rest of the world.
Work the metaphor.Every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for.
Be careful to take risks.Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future.
Repeat yourself.If you like it, do it again. If you don’t like it, do it again.
Make your own tools.Hybridize your tools in order to build unique things. Even simple tools that are your own can yield entirely new avenues of exploration. Remember, tools amplify our capacities, so even a small tool can make a big difference.
Stand on someone’s shoulders.You can travel farther carried on the accomplishments of those who came before you. And the view is so much better.
Avoid software.The problem with software is that everyone has it.
Don’t clean your desk.You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
Don’t enter awards competitions.Just don’t. It’s not good for you.
Read only left-hand pages.Marshall McLuhan did this. By decreasing the amount of information, we leave room for what he called our “noodle.”
Make new words.Expand the lexicon. The new conditions demand a new way of thinking. The thinking demands new forms of expression. The expression generates new conditions.
Think with your mind.Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.
Organization = Liberty.Real innovation in design, or any other field, happens in context. That context is usually some form of cooperatively managed enterprise. Frank Gehry, for instance, is only able to realize Bilbao because his studio can deliver it on budget. The myth of a split between “creatives” and “suits” is what Leonard Cohen calls a ‘charming artifact of the past.’
Don’t borrow money.Once again, Frank Gehry’s advice. By maintaining financial control, we maintain creative control. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s surprising how hard it is to maintain this discipline, and how many have failed.
Listen carefully.Every collaborator who enters our orbit brings with him or her a world more strange and complex than any we could ever hope to imagine. By listening to the details and the subtlety of their needs, desires, or ambitions, we fold their world onto our own. Neither party will ever be the same.
Take field trips.The bandwidth of the world is greater than that of your TV set, or the Internet, or even a totally immersive, interactive, dynamically rendered, object-oriented, real-time, computer graphic–simulated environment.
Make mistakes faster.This isn’t my idea — I borrowed it. I think it belongs to Andy Grove.
Imitate.Don’t be shy about it. Try to get as close as you can. You’ll never get all the way, and the separation might be truly remarkable. We have only to look to Richard Hamilton and his version of Marcel Duchamp’s large glass to see how rich, discredited, and underused imitation is as a technique.
Scat.When you forget the words, do what Ella did: make up something else … but not words.
Break it, stretch it, bend it, crush it, crack it, fold it.
Explore the other edge.Great liberty exists when we avoid trying to run with the technological pack. We can’t find the leading edge because it’s trampled underfoot. Try using old-tech equipment made obsolete by an economic cycle but still rich with potential.
Coffee breaks, cab rides, green rooms.Real growth often happens outside of where we intend it to, in the interstitial spaces — what Dr. Seuss calls “the waiting place.” Hans Ulrich Obrist once organized a science and art conference with all of the infrastructure of a conference — the parties, chats, lunches, airport arrivals — but with no actual conference. Apparently it was hugely successful and spawned many ongoing collaborations.
Avoid fields.Jump fences. Disciplinary boundaries and regulatory regimes are attempts to control the wilding of creative life. They are often understandable efforts to order what are manifold, complex, evolutionary processes. Our job is to jump the fences and cross the fields.
Laugh.People visiting the studio often comment on how much we laugh. Since I’ve become aware of this, I use it as a barometer of how comfortably we are expressing ourselves.
Remember.Growth is only possible as a product of history. Without memory, innovation is merely novelty. History gives growth a direction. But a memory is never perfect. Every memory is a degraded or composite image of a previous moment or event. That’s what makes us aware of its quality as a past and not a present. It means that every memory is new, a partial construct different from its source, and, as such, a potential for growth itself.
