Craig Ferguson on how Madison Ave. ad execs destroyed our culture. Hard to argue with!
Friggin’ ad people.
Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
Mad Men Destroyed Our Culture
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009A Great Time in Sewanee, TN
Friday, July 17th, 2009Angela and I just returned from a few days spent visiting our friends at Sewanee: The University of the South. This was our second trip to Sewanee, the first being for our initial discovery sessions for a previous project for the Sewanee Environmental Institute, which is soon to launch. We’re now beginning concurrent new website projects for their University Relations and Associated Alumni departments.
The University of the South has perhaps the most beautiful campus of any U.S. university. Sitting atop and on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau, it is entirely embraced by a wooded wonderland that, along with the university’s amazing architecture, creates a stunning visual experience. We always joke that walking around campus gives you the feeling that you’re at Hogwarts. ;-)
We had a wonderful time there working with the department heads, not to mention soaking up the great hospitality the Sewanee folks extended to us. I was even invited along on an early morning bike ride down, around, and up the mountain. All in all, this was an amazing experience and we can’t wait to go back. I want to make special mention of the staff of the Office of Marketing and Communications, who went far out of their way to make ours an especially pleasant visit. Mark, John, Buck, Laurie, Susan, and Jan–you guys rock.
If Only Deadlines Were This Entertaining
Monday, June 15th, 2009Cool use of postits and stop-motion. To see how it was done, watch the making-of video here.
Do You Realize?
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009It is an amazing time to be alive.
Do you realize that we are approaching a time in which information of every kind will be freely and instantly available to anyone who desires it? Lack of affluence will no longer be an excuse for ignorance nor will education be measured by grades or diplomas. We know too much collectively and are too busy sharing it for such outdated models to remain relevant. A person’s level of knowledge will be on equal footing with their ability to find and learn.
Do you realize that we are on the cusp of a societal revolution the likes of which the world has only seen a handful of times? There were the advents of agriculture, written language, and the printing press and then the Industrial Revolution. Next will come the Information Revolution which will irrevocably change the way humanity views itself and the way individuals view each other.
In certain communities on the web, we have established the closest organization to pure meritocracy that the world has ever seen. People are judged based on their contributions and ideas without their race, sex, nationality, creed, or in some cases even identity being questioned.
Do you realize that as a web designer or developer you’re working on a piece of history every day? We’re trying to make this massive conglomeration of hacks and workarounds we call the Internet into something more powerful, something better. We’re adding information and making it easier to find and easier to consume. We’re making it more permanent and simpler to change. In short, we are enabling the revolution to take place.
Do you realize this? If not, why are you here?
One for the Idealists
Monday, October 13th, 2008This past weekend, I had the opportunity to watch Gary Cooper in “The Fountainhead” ? (1949). This clip sums up the main protagonist’s struggle, and I think it is indicative of every designer’s effort to keep integrity in their work.
The book by Ayn Rand, adapted for film here (Ayn actually wrote the screenplay herself, so there can be no confusion as to the message of the film), is often criticized for being idealistic; creating characters and results that could not possibly exist in the “real world”. As designers, though, we have dedicated our lives to idealism. We know we can never achieve perfection, but aspire to it every day in our work, and therefore we should take the example of Mr. Roark here as inspiration for how we can hope to be, though we may not always be able to achieve his level of absolutism.
The movie (and book, for you literate types) is a thorough exploration of such absolutes, almost specifically dealing with creativity and ideas. Check it out when you get a chance.
BTW – The director, King Vidor, also gets a special nod in the “Director with the Most Intimidating Name” category.
Hey Unitards! Why have an office?
Friday, August 1st, 2008Andy Says: I guess that, in part, I have to get all anthropological on you. Humans are meant to congregate together. People are happier, healthier, more productive, and more stable when they have a routine of being around and interacting with other people. By contrast, those who work and/or live alone for extended periods of time lose quality of life in all sorts of ways and suffer emotionally, physically (+ health-wise), and sociologically. Science aside, having an office for work provides a good way to properly compartmentalize your life, to facilitate creative and technical interaction, to give you something tangible to be responsible for, and to communicate to clients and potential clients that you’re “real.” Finally, the curmudgeon in me would caution you about technology?just because we can do all sorts of things using new technology instead of “the old way” is no reason to simply opt for tech. Let technology serve you; do not become a blind slave to technology. This is people we’re talking about, not robots with computers.
Angela Says: For me personally, being able to leave work at work and home at home is invaluable to my own quality of life. Plus, it’s a lot more practical, not to mention more fun, to have instant collaboration with other designers. Just being in an environment with other creatives is motivating and inspirational and positively affects my work. So, while I could work at home (and actually do sometimes), I think having an office to work in makes me a happier person and a better designer.
Nathan Says: Here is a likely scenario: I am trying to work from home. Batman jumps on my keyboard and tries to bite the cursor on the screen [he’s a cat]. The dog then decides the cat doesn’t deserve so much attention, and a furry melee ensues. Meanwhile, in the next room, my wife turns on what sounds to be very tasty offering from the Food Network, sending my mind in search of possible lunch items. Focusing again, I check my email two more times, and decide to check the physical mailbox as well. I get back to my desk and my computer is frozen. I think you get the idea. I can never seem to get any work done at home, and when I do, it takes great efforts and generally feels contrived. Plus, I like working around my fellow creative folk… it spawns so many interesting conversations.
Web Authors Are Losing Their Integrity
Thursday, July 24th, 2008Every day of the week I receive marketing spam, addressed to me personally (or not), from one or more companies who are marketing “the next cool thing in Web 2.0-ness.” Invariably these email messages compliment me on my blog writing and usually, through some sort of mischaracterization, make it clear that the “person” on the other end has never once read one of my articles. The consistent gist of these spam messages is, “We know you’ll love our new Super-Duper Web Widget and we hope you’ll blog about it and tell your readers, too!”
No. I won’t. I’m not the free advertising wing of your marketing department, and I won’t sell my integrity and credibility for some small free gift.
I notice, however, that a significant number of blog authors, many of them highly respected and knowledgeable designers and writers, are putting integrity and credibility aside in exchange for free schwag and increased search engine visibility. I see the very same products I’m asked daily to endorse show up on other blogs every week. Every day my respect slips a little for one or more of the authors whose writings I once enjoyed.
For readers, here’s a tip:
If the author of a blog you read is shilling for some new Web app or other product, they’re blowing sunshine up your butt and you should seriously question their integrity?and every other opinion and insight they offer you.
For blog authors, here’s some free advice:
Your integrity is the basis upon which everything you offer?personally and professionally?is evaluated. You are a fool if you sell your integrity cheaply. Whenever you are buttered up with compliments in some spam message and asked to help market a new product, for free or in exchange for a free gift, ask yourself if that sort of activity is why you became an author in the first place. If it is, go for it. If you write for reasons other than marketing other people’s products for some small profit, it’s likely that you’d be making a huge mistake to do so. No matter how you rationalize it, your readers will immediately perceive your lack of credibility, which will taint everything else you offer. And rightly so.
Coffee-thirty
Thursday, July 10th, 2008We have a regular practice here in the Unit Interactive office that we find very helpful in our work, and a positive addition to our daily regimen. We call it coffee-thirty. Each day at around 2 or 2:30pm those of us who can find any way to do so stop work and gravitate toward the reception area of the office. Some of us grab a snack or a cuppa or whatever and we spend some time just hanging out together?on the sofa, at the table, whatever?and just chill.
Sometimes we just hang out and talk about our respective projects or what was on TV last night. Sometimes we grab the UniBall and shoot baskets (perfecting our already formidable scoring technique). Sometimes we brainstorm on some upcoming project or idea that one of us had. And sometimes we do very little, or some combination of any or all of these things.
The point is, we kick back and just hang together for 15 minutes to an hour. Whatever happens happens. No itinerary, no pressure to participate, no nuthin’ that’s scheduled. Even the time varies from day to day. Interestingly, we find that we often get important things accomplished in those laid-back breaks. Now, while accomplishing things is not the point of coffee-thirty, we just find that when you get a few creative and restless minds together with no structure, interesting and sometimes valuable things come of it.
For those of you at agencies, big or small, I highly recommend something like this; a refreshing, full cleansing breath in the latter part of the day to lubricate the work process. Are some of you already doing something similar?