May 31, 2009
Ellen Lupton, Designer, Writer and Curator: “I would like to write a novel. I would like to write fiction about design. I am very interested in writing and exploring the medium of writing in relation to design. I think that would be my fantasy project. I love Maira Kalman. I love her book that just came out, “The Principles of Uncertainty”. It’s her beautiful paintings combined with her written memoirs and thoughts about the world. She’s an amazing artist. She’s a real hero to me. And I would love to do a book. I wouldn’t do something poetic like that, but I would do something more funny and about life. That would be a dream project.
At this point in my career, I could do such a book if I wanted, because I could always publish it myself. The challenge is doing these things and having them reach an audience. It’s very important to me not to do projects that are self indulgent, and I think often design authorship is very self indulgent. It’s whatever is somebody’s pet obsession, and for me it’s very important to connect to an audience.”
Source: Interview with Ellen Lupton by Portfolio Center
Labels: Writing
May 26, 2009
Be a continuous feedback loop. That means continuous input: reading books and blogs, attending talks and conferences, using the medium you design for. It also means continuous output: writing books and blogs, speaking at conferences, designing.
Luke Wroblewski
Interaction Designer and Writer
Source: Overcoming creative block by Luke Wroblewski
Labels: Work
May 22, 2009
“A while ago I was lucky enough to go and see Erik Spiekermann give a lecture. Part of his talk was about his redesign of The Economist magazine. He mentioned that one of the primary reasons for the redesign was that The Economist thought their design was too heavy. The content was difficult to read. In newspaper design, which has so many parallels with web design, information is dense. Sometimes, as in web design, it’s difficult to add white space because the content makes it hard to do so. Newspapers often deal with this by using a typeface for the …
Continue Reading
Source: “Five Simple Steps: A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web”
Via: White Space: How to Get it ‘Right’
Labels: Typography
May 14, 2009
Mary Featherston, Designer: “In 1992 I made my first study tour to the educational project of Reggio Emilia, N.Italy. I thrilled to the way that this community had, over five decades, developed extraordinary schools for young children. Every aspect, including design, grows out of close observation of children and understanding about how we learn. They refer to their approach as ‘permanent research’ and I find this constantly inspiring and challenging. They also regularly collaborate with the Domus Academy in Milan.
For the past ten years I have collaborated with educators who are committed to re-conceptualising schools and schooling. Each design project becomes part of my ongoing action research to tease out the relationship between children, learning and design. One of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects is working closely with young people of all ages—infants to secondary. Children can be so insightful and imaginative; they are also the harshest critics and the most appreciative ‘clients’.”
Source: “Design Catalysts: Mary Featherston” by Jan Henderson
May 9, 2009
Empathy—the driving force behind good listening—is the number one requirement for anyone who wants to create a good experience. Not a long list of methods, not a scholarly knowledge of one’s niche field—but empathy. Anyone can learn a method; but people who can listen, can pay attention, can see the experience from someone else’s perspective, are rare and valuable.
Mark Hurst
Founder, Creative Good and Good Experience
Source: Pomegranates and empathy by Mark Hurst
May 8, 2009
Perhaps that’s why mystery, now more than ever, has special meaning. Because it’s the anomaly, the glaring affirmation that the Age of Immediacy has a meaningful downside. Mystery demands that you stop and consider—or, at the very least, slow down and discover. It’s a challenge to get there yourself, on its terms, not yours. … The point is, we should never underestimate process. The experience of the doing really is everything. The ending should be the end of that experience, not the experience itself.
So, if you’re still reading, I say please:
Dig.
J. J. Abrams
Film and Television Writer, Producer, Director
Source: J. J. Abrams on the Magic of Mystery by Wired Magazine
Labels: Mystery
May 4, 2009
I like to wait for the noise in the brain to recede and to have a better relationship to my unconscious. Any one who spends time with young people know that you can’t fake a play. There’s real play. Then there’s fake play. And when young people are fake playing, you see it immediately. I think that the brain is really uniquely organized to detect and distinguish between the two.
Junot Díaz
Novelist and Professor
Source: Slate V’s Open Book interview: Junot Diaz
May 3, 2009
Ira Glass, Host and Producer of Radio and Television Show “This American Life”: “Everyone does have a story, sure, but it’s not necessarily a story that should be told on the radio. It’s important to know when there’s nothing interesting, truly interesting, in your tape, and move on. This is where playing your tape for other people and getting an honest reaction can be really helpful. Killing your story is nothing to be ashamed of. I figure, if I’m not killing at least a third of the interviews I do for the radio show, we’re not taking enough chances. Killing stories is just part of the process of finding great stories.
If one interview doesn’t work, try another, and another. Follow the things that interest you and attract you. Amuse yourself. Keep getting more tape until luck
kicks in.
Luck will always kick in.”
Source: Ira Glass at The Transom Review
Via: A pair of links about Ira Glass at kottke.org
