I recently attended the Georgia Chapter PDMA Summit 2008 that discussed the Politics of Innovation. It was fantastically practical with great speakers. You can download their presentations by clicking here. My favorite speaker was David Owens, Professor of Management at Vanderbilt University and former CEO of Griffin Technology. He had the great thesis that “creative people must be stopped” and he fought against “thinking outside the box”. My hope is that he will one day be able to erase that cliche from the face of the earth. What David Owens is getting at in terms of product development is that thinking outside the box make no sense because the constraints of “the box” are good constraints can be agreed upon, measured, offer focus, and constraints drive adoption.
Designers fight back with constraints because by the time you design a product that fits all the constraints you end up with a puny idea that is not all that interesting. David Owens then jumps in with what he considers the drive to innovation. Owens says that innovation doesn’t come from coming up with wacky ideas outside of constraints, he instead encourages designers to find ways to expand your constraints. When your constraints are broader, your ideas have more room to grow (see his diagram above).
Karl Gude has some incredibly rich information graphics. Click here to visit a Flickr gallery of his work. In this instructional video, Gude provides some terrific insights into drawing a two-point perspective. This is a video any designer can benefit from. I look forward to hearing your perspective!
Michael R. Nelson Graphic Design Instructor
Ashworth University
All you Graphic Artists out there give us a holler!! The upcoming Ashworth Newspaper is in need of your talents! We desperately need cartoonists. We would like a funny page! Any takers?
If you’re interested, follow up with us on the Ashworth University Forum “Student Newspaper” thread. Click here to view and participate in this thread. Thanks!
Thanks to friendlyuser for permission to use this Photo.
Book design and layout is one of the least-appreciated niches of graphic design. This niche also presents some of the biggest challenges to a professional designer. Aesthetic demands can sometimes conflict with what the client has asked for. When this happens, a designer must exercise what I call “assertive tact” by offering a clear presentation of why his or her book design concept is best for the project at hand.
One company that consistently produces beautiful books is Phaidon Press. They specialize in books about art, design, and other creative fields. Their volumes are always eye catching and uniquely different from the average book layout. If you go to the art section of almost any large chain bookstore, you will find an array of Phaidon Press books. What makes their books so successful from a design standpoint is that you– and all of us in the field– want to own the books and study them. They are beautiful, edgy, and always very appropriate for the author’s content. I encourage you to seek out some Phaidon books at your nearest large bookstore chain. Or, you can visit their website to get glimpses of their layout mastery.
Michael R. Nelson Graphic Design Instructor
Ashworth University
Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies is the perfect holiday gift for those of us who are interested in green building, but need a little expert help. Admittedly, the For Dummies® books are a smart start for anyone wanting to pick up a new trade or just learn the overall basics on any particular subject. With more than 150 million books in print and over 1000 topics, this new release by Eric Corey Freed of Organic Architect may be the best evidence out there that green is mainstream.
“Green building” involves designing and constructing buildings and homes to reduce energy use, conserve water, improve indoor air quality, and reduce reliance on nonrenewable natural resources. Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies provides an introduction to every facet of green building, from start to finish, including the materials, architecture, and construction methods of green building and remodeling for both homeowners and professionals such as architects, interior designers, and contractors. (more…)
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