Went to The School of Visual Concept’s Wayzgoose on Saturday. It was pretty cool seeing the tiny steamroller flatten paper against super-big, hand-carved designs. The prints that came off were all one-of-a kind and, definitely, some came out better than others. It was fun to watch for a bit, with the smell of hot dogs and sauerkraut wafting across the parking lot, and hearing the background tunes of two live fiddlers against the beep, beep, beep of the steamroller backing.

Wayzgoose was at one time the name for an entertainment given by a master printer to his workmen each year on or about St Bartholomew’s Day (24 August). This marked the traditional end of summer and the point at which the season of working by candlelight began. Yeah, working by computer lamp is much better. I just hope summer lasts for at least one more month.

–Susan Andrade

For a shy person, ending a conversation can be as hard as starting one. I realized this first-hand when I attended an event of a professional organization (AIGA) where I’d been a board member and president for 10 years. I had left the industry for a few years and come back, so I went to a few meetings to rekindle relationships.

Well I couldn’t believe what happened, I got into conversations that I couldn’t get out of. I must confess that I panicked a bit and actually had a feeling of my feet being cemented down. I looked to others in the room for help but no one came to my rescue, I had lost my touch. It was a weird sensation for a guy who used to really work a room because that was my role as President. Was it because I out of practice? Sure! But I think it was more than that. » Read the rest of this entry «

If you take a picture of a specially-created 2D bar code with your cell phone camera,  you’ll be able to view the extended, multi-media experience consisting of reviews, video, directions, discounts, developing stories, or other info. Sears is placing them on in-store merchandise to show up-to-date reviews. And Nike has put them on posters which link to downloadable athlete videos, pictures, and fan data.* » Read the rest of this entry «

Do people really care where the products they buy are manufactured?

Yes. Well sort of. When asking the question, “Does where something is made influence your purchase or not? Is it important?” I got a lot of great responses.  At first the answer would seem to be an obvious “yes”, but when you get down to it, there are a lot of considerations. My simple question became fairly complicated when really examined. Thanks to all those in the TED group and others for your responses.

Overall, people said it is important where something is made and that it does matter, but questions surfaced, like:

What does “Made in…” really mean?
In our global world, who really knows where something is actually made? Parts may be designed or manufactured in one country and then assembled in another. Is a Japanese-designed car with parts made in China and assembled in America still a Japanese car? » Read the rest of this entry «

When I attended the third annual “101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth” workshop, I thought I’d hear about choosing sustainable materials, reducing packaging, and maybe witness a soapbox tirade about eliminating printing altogether. But as Larry Asher of the School of Visual Concepts kicked things off, we were clearly leaving that discussion back in 2008. This year, the presentation focused on being practical while still trying to do the right thing.

Only 5% of people are truly altruistic

It’s expensive (and even sometimes wasteful) to create new designs. 95% of people and businesses are not altruistic, and will not “go green” simply for the sake of saving the environment. But when businesses can cut costs and keep their products high-quality and desirable, they will make better packaging and design decisions with regard to the environment. » Read the rest of this entry «

“For most printer companies, ink is the bread and butter of their business. The price of ink for HP ink-jet printers can be as much as $8,000 per gallon*, a figure that makes gas-pump prices look tame.“

Here is a way to help cut down on your ink consumption. Try the new Ecofont. It has tiny holes throughout the letters which cause them to use up to 20% less ink. When printed in a fairly small size (10 pt.), the holes are not noticeable. For large type sizes, the holes are obvious but look cool. » Read the rest of this entry «

Anybody who is great at anything will tell you that it took a lot of practice to get to that point. In networking it is pretty much the same—especially if you are shy. You have to practice and work on your skills to chip away at any fear that you may have. Just remember that your shyness will never disappear 100%, but practice will bring that percentage way down. Now here are three more tips that will help you build confidence: » Read the rest of this entry «