Category Archives: Design

Craigslist, Internships, and Protecting Your Work

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I am surrounded by such a variety of people that it never ceases to amaze me.  I know people in med/dental school, Ph.D candidates, teachers, pre-school teachers, marketing professionals, retail sales specialist, social media specialist, pro athletes, and a lot of art and design professionals/hobbyist.  I’m sure if I think about it, I know someone in whatever field someone suggest.  Needless to say, I know a lot of people.  And for the most part, people from all professions are the same.  One thing that we all share regardless of our profession is the fact that we do it for money.  That’s not to say we don’t do our jobs because we want to…  if you don’t, you might need to reevaluate what you are doing in life, but the honest truth is, we do work for pay.

And that’s what keeps bothering me about today’s work environment.  Entry level workers are expected to work for free on the idea that through internships we gain experience.  Yes, I agree we gain experience, but so does a 30 year veteran of a profession.  That being said, I am not totally against internships.  They are valuable experiences.  I am against internships.  The difference?  An internship is position for someone to learn about a field and decide if it’s right for them.  It may last 2 weeks or 6 months, but it’s not free work.  An internship on the other hand is pretty much free work.  It’s not a learning/exploratory experience, it’s just free work.

The Art and Design Field is a notorious range of professions where internships have always existed.  And Craigslist seems to have acted as the strongest catalyst to this exponential growth of internships as much as anything else I know of.  Common pitch lines promoting gigs as “ways to get your name out” and “potential for future paid work” are everywhere.  Sometimes these types of gigs really do pay off, but for the most part, it really means, “do work for free.”  And the sad part, it often works.  Photography is especially bad for this.  If I counted the number of post and pitches I have seen asking for this type of work…  People want high quality work, but they undervalue photographers almost universally.  I hate to break it to people, but cameras, lights, computers, and software are not free.  Nor is the time or talent it takes to make the most of technology.  Offers for “exposure” don’t pay the bills.  Yes, photographers may be inclined to do pro-bono work, but don’t expect them to.  Think about it this way, when your car breaks down, do you expect your mechanic to offer their time and parts for “exposure” or the “potential to be considered for pay work in the future?”  Or your doctor?  I didn’t think so.

Getting Creepy: Photo Shoot #2

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Sometimes perseverance really does work.  And it doesn’t hurt to have a little luck too.  Well for the latest chapter of the fashion shoot, both worked out wonderfully.  I got access to the Arboretum and the rain stayed away.  It was miserably hot, but this is the south.  Heat and humidity…  what’s new?

The arboretum is everything I hoped it would be and more.  We really could not have asked for a better place to shoot.  So I’d really like to take a moment and thank the owner.  The arboretum feels like a very personal project for him and I really appreciate his willingness to allow us to shoot.

Our goal for the whole shoot is to capture a darkness.  And what better place to capture it than an arboretum full of gargoyles and unique statues!  If you know the designer, it makes sense.  A Femme Fatale theme oozes from the whole collection.   I’m hoping my editing skills are up for the challenge!  Take a look at these ROUGH examples (click the photo and no… I’m nowhere near final edits!).  It’s kinda scary, kinda seductive, kinda… I like.  I can’t wait to work on this project more.  It’s totally bad ass.

The Shimano Cage

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Over the last few days, I’ve been completely occupied with getting the exact shot I wanted for a spec ad I’m working on.  I’m not sure if the ad is finished, but when do I ever consider something “finished?”  Pretty much never.  I might put it down for a few days, weeks, years… but, the only reason I ever call a creative project “done” is when there is a due date set by someone else.  Well, here is the latest version.  It feels empty to me at the bottom, but I think that’s an effect of using a carbon fiber background and I’m not quite ready to axe the carbon fiber.  It really works well with the photo.  I might end up moving the two blue boxes within the photo.

The Slogan is based on the fact competitors define themselves by their ability to win and conquer other competitors.  When someone dominates, they become the definition of your competitor.  So why not be that definition right?

And any thoughts of the photo?  I spent waaaay too much time on that, but the D300 has soooo many fun settings to play with!

And a new version.

What’s Brewin’ Today? Revisiting the Tea Card Idea

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Remember the Tea Card Idea from a few months ago? Well, I’ve been working on it and I’m looking at printing options right now. It’s dual layered with a black paper back and a white paper top layer. Not only does it add a nice effect, it makes printing much easier. I’ve looked around for info/pricing for white-on-black printing and it’s not cheap. BUT! I’ve got a better solution. I’ve found a place that does laser cutting and I think I can have them cut plastic templates that allow me to do the exact same thing myself. More on that to come… I’m waiting on their thoughts/estimate. And of course, if anyone has experience/ideas, please add a comment below/email me/etc. So here is the latest group of layouts.

The New North Carolina Museum of Art: Another Bull’s Eye

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"Tide" Kenneth Noland, 1958 http://www.kennethnoland.com/

Last weekend I visited the North Carolina Museum of Art for the “I lost count years ago” time.  Before the new building was up, I normally knew when something was moved.  It’s always been a hidden jewel and it’s only been in the last few years that people have started noticing the museum for what it really is.  The NC Museum of Art along with the Nasher at Duke are truly exceptional museums.  They aren’t huge like the National Gallery, but they contain great collections.

Part of NC Museum of Art’s recent popularity comes from a big time gamble they made about a decade ago: they brought in a world class exhibit of Rodin and not much later, they followed that up with a Ansel Adams show along with a string of other events.  It was a huge gamble, but it’s paid off well.

The only thing the museum seemed to be lacking was a better building.  The old building was rather dark and felt like a 1960′s Cold War era building.  Of course it was a 1960′s building.  Well sure enough, the museum made a new building the next goal.  Mission Accomplished.  It’s open and it’s a total bull’s eye. Here are some pictures from the building.

Problem: Solution!

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I don’t think I’ve introduced Pablo Jetskibar.  Pablo is my Sea-Doo.  The name comes from one of my friends claiming I would be better off with a drug habit.  I don’t think so, but when I describe what owning a Sea-Doo is like, it sounds pretty much like a drug habit.  It’s an exhilarating ride when it’s working, but like a drug habit, it inevitably stops. Then you spend all your time trying to get your next fix just like a drub habit.  And by finding your next fix, I literarily mean you are trying to find out what is wrong and fixing it.  Trust me, I rebuilt Pablo after I blew up the engine last year.  You also need a lot of $100 bills to keep your habit up.  Sea-Doos become Sea-Don’ts very quickly without a sea of cash.  Sea-Doos don’t really like water, they much prefer $100 bills.  Of course other names have been suggested (I wasn’t too happy with them… mike… you know who you are), but I’m a little partial to Pablo Jetskibar.

So now that Pablo is working nicely, it’s time to solve a new problem.  I drive a Honda Accord.  It tows Pablo just fine, but it has trouble with the enter/exit ramps into water.  Before anyone makes any wise-ass comment about towing with a Honda, I’ve seen every type of car/truck have trouble at my local ramp.  That is unless you have a working Deuce and a Half.  It’s super sandy and wet.  But once again, if you have a Deuce…

Well, I’m toying around with a solution, but I’m not sure if it’s totally feasible yet.  It’s an internally expandable modification to my trailer.  The inspiration for this idea stems from a talk I had about my issue with one of my friends.  We first thought about designing and building a removable extension piece to try and lenghthen the trailer, but I don’t think that sounds safe.  This version has the same goal, but it’s safe.  I think.  Anyone with some knowledge wanting to chime in… much appreciated.  By the way, Pablo weighs 585lbs+some baggage.

Packaging Change

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I’m a fan of innovative companies.  It’s partly what attracted me to studying German during my undergraduate years.  The German speaking world is full of them.  Unlike a lot of American companies, German companies think long term.  Companies take a lot of pride in their history and see their future as a reflection of their past.  Think of Porsche and the iconic design of the 911.  It really hasn’t changed that much in 40 years.  It just keeps getting faster, safer, environmentally friendlier… well just better.

If you have studied German Culture you know what I mean.  Otherwise, saying the future is a reflection of the past may seem confusing.  I know.  Think of it this way:  You are part of a company with a 100 year history of offering high quality innovative products.  The company obviously knows what it is doing and consumers have respect for that.  A German worker will take pride in that respect and will use their company’s legacy as motivation to help that company continue offering innovative products in the future.   In other words, they take a lot of pride in their work and the most successful companies are not normally the companies that offer cheap goods.  That doesn’t mean they don’t like cheap goods, they just don’t like companies with questionable ethics.  Wal-Mart tried to set up shop in Germany and failed.  Aldi, a German based discount retailer has survived for nearly a century.

Since the late 1960s Germans have been heavily interested in environmental issues.  The current Green Movement taking the US by storm: that’s been happening in Germany for almost 40 years.  When you buy a new car in Germany, you not only get information about gas milage, you get carbon emissions statistics.  They take conservation seriously.  And of course, that leads companies to embrace environmental issues.  Think BMW and its hydrogen 7-Series or German stores charging for plastic bags.  If you think that’s about saving money, it is, but it is a case of hitting two birds with one stone.  Environmental issues has also influenced retailers to rethink their packaging design.  Here is a great example from Puma, a German giant who Partnered with Yves Behar of Fuse Project.  And a fun fact while I’m at it… the founders of Puma and Adidas were brothers!

Noticing the New in Something Old Part II

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Along with stumbling upon the key wall mentioned earlier, downtown Wilmington is filled with empty buildings currently being gutted and refitted for modern use.  It looks like the city is following its cousins Charleston and Savannah in re-connecting with its rich architectural history and fixing the architectural jewels it possesses instead of tearing them down.  Score one for history!  I don’t know a huge amount about Charleston’s historical preservation foundations and societies (other than they are long standing influential groups), but Savannah has been at least partly saved by SCAD’s Department of Historical Preservation.

During a visit there last October, I ran into a few members of the department and asked them about their thoughts on SCAD’s roll in re-vitalizing Savannah.  After a brief, but enjoyable conversation, they summed up the school’s role in one sentence: “SCAD is Savannah, and Savannah is SCAD.”  As a Chapel Hillian, that hit home.  UNC isn’t just a part of Chapel Hill, it’s the reason the city exist.  And just if you didn’t know, Savannah is a rough and raw city.  It’s not all live oaks, picturesque squares, and antebellum mansions.  A lot of the city is screaming for preservation/restoration.  Luckily, the city is taking steps to reclaim its history.

Ellis Square Timelapse Savannah, Georgia from andy young on Vimeo.

Boarded up Building in Wilmington, NC

Thanks to having an architect/urban planner as a sister, I’ve developed some basic knowledge about what makes a city work and how cities can take the buildings of yesterday and convert them into sustainable buildings for the future.  Wilmington is taking the right steps forward and looks to have a bright future.  And on a side note as an advertising/marketing person, I love the idea of painting a shop on the boarded up entrance of this building.  I wonder what’s going to take up this space?!?  I really wanted to grab some shop lights/scaffolding, attempt to look legit, and add some color to the paintings!