I always am a bit skeptical of reading books about graphic design. I don’t see myself as the typical designer/design student and that’s something that always bothers me. I’m not sure why it bothers me. Am I worried that I’m too weird to be successful, or that I’m in the wrong mindset? Or am I worried that I’m just in the wrong profession all together? It’s a combination of the two. I don’t expect everyone to totally understand their schooling and consequential career choice at every second of the day. Why do we do the things we do? Sometimes I wish I had gone with a film studies major or maybe English because I love writing, and am ultimately interested in how film affects and reflects a culture. I know I am able to confront these things through design, I’m just not sure how. I agree that design has shifted from simply making nice things to a sense of duty in wanting to make a difference in society. I think that’s great and all, but it is a rather divisive thing. You have the designers who are pretty much self-obsessed with their design work, and eat, breath and live design. Anyway, through this reading, it reiterated what I already suspected: that to be a successful designer, you need to accept Design as your Religion. I just have a hard time doing that. I have other things I like doing, and I guess that makes me a bad designer. At least, that’s what I am guilted into feeling after reading this. Even though I’m still in school, it’s hard for me to imagine feeling better about graphic design when I’m done. Hopefully that changes when I get a job. There are some of my fellow classmates who already emanate the archetypal graphic designer. I wonder how they have time for anything else. I wonder how much money they spend. I wonder if they 100% enjoy themselves.

That’s where the other part of the first reading came in. Successful designers have other interests beyond design. Designers don’t always do work for other designers, thus getting rid of that incestual feeling. Designers design for people who are in other sectors, so it’s important to be more-or-less well rounded when it comes to interests. For example, I love punk rock and punk culture and history and film and writing and food. I love hanging out with my boyfriend and family and watching movies. I find ways to incorporate this into my design, but it is hard. I feel like I’m not being “Design-y” enough. So, that’s the problem I face: I am a well-rounded individual with multiple interests, but one of those interests is not graphic design. I just know there are areas I want to get into, and know that going the graphic design route is closest to what I want to do.

My objectives are to educate Portland residents, offer an accessible history lesson for both adults and students, and create an educational experience through design.

For my presentation, I think it will be really powerful to use some of the photographs/images of the flood. Including quotes and personal accounts, too, will affectively engage my audience. I want my presentation to read almost as a “history” lesson. Very informative and educational and interesting. I need to make it clear that the *primary* audience is adults, and the *secondary* audience is younger students. The lesson plan is a deliverable, a component of the whole project. The project, as a whole, will act as a portable history lesson. Think museum exhibit. I need to make this all very clear.

Today (4/27) 

Call Grandma Beaudoin and set up a meeting time 

Talk to Sara about getting into the OHS archives

Start working on book layout and book cover ideas

4/28

Continue to work on book layout and cover ideas

Information gathering through the weekend (information, books, photographs, maps)

5/2

Decide on structure for book and web site (web site will be a companion to the book)

5/4

Choose photos for photo essay and work on a layout

5/5

BE HONEST.

That weekend: gather things for the installation piece, call Jen to photograph

5/9

Installation piece finished and photographed, work on exhibit campaign and deliverables

5/11

Continue book work, start on the map

That weekend, finish half of the book, start test printing

5/16

Infographic. Consolidate pertinent information for a nice information design piece.

5/18

Infographic finished and start to rework everything for the lesson plan

That weekend, finish lesson plan materials and figure out housing for it.

5/23 and 5/25

Full class critique and jury presentation.

This is an article I should have read much, much earlier. It is so pertinent to every designer, and some designers ultimately ignore this whole idea of designing to touch someone. Those designers end up with fluff. Fluff that is boring and heartless and gets made fun of by everyone. That’s what I do at least. Sagmeister pointed out that album art is a form of design that is capable of moving people. I couldn’t agree more. Here is a handful of album art that has stuck with me throughout the years.

I also love that Sagmeister included a Brian Eno quote about art, because Brian Eno is awesome. Art really is something that happens. And design does fall into that category, it’s just typically less likely to “happen” than fine art. But that doesn’t mean design can’t “happen” more than art.

I reordered Sagmeister’s list to fit my criteria of how design can move me.

1) Trigger memories: tapping into something I’ve experienced is the most powerful thing.

2) Passion and guts: show me your guts.

3) Purpose: show me you are worthwhile. show me your design is worthwhile. 

4) Beauty: well, it can’t be ugly.

5) New Perspective: show me something new.

6) Virtuosity: well, you know, a virtuoso is simply the best.