Michael Rubenstein has some great images on his website. His work in
India and the surrounding region is absolutely stunning. He captures some of the most uncomfortable moments with ease, and creates a lot of shocking moments in his work.
His work in the US is equally as interesting; the best part of his website is the audio slideshow featuring the story of a little girl with Leukemia. Click here to watch and listen - it is a gripping story accompanied with very personal photos.
Zohar Lazar is a unique illustrator. If you were to happen on his work out of context, you might mistake him for someone who worked for MAD Magazine in the 50’s.
He seems to willingly take on that retro aesthetic, but then creates works with a much more post modern composition and subject matter.
I feel like a lot of his work is hit and miss, but when Lazar hits, his work is extremely interesting.
Arcade Fire has created an interesting online music experience. Using your keyboard, you can toggle layers of music on and off. I’ve provided the regular YouTube video above, but click here to view the interactive Black Mirror video. Let me know what you think…
I wish I had discovered this artist’s work earlier, but it wasn’t until I was randomly browsing the art magazine, Beautiful Decay, yesterday that I came across the work of Scott Anderson. I was instantly drawn to the brilliant cover that seemed to blend elements of psychedelia, surrealism, cyber, animation, graffiti, futurism, etc. in a 3-D landscape in a new—yet strangely familiar way.
I think all our graphic design students will really enjoy the work of Scott Anderson, so check out his web site by clicking on the image above. Let me know what you think…
I was just reading the terriffic blog of Ashworth Graphic Design Instructor, Mike Nelson.
The blog is called, The Ideation Phase, and it’s is a great resource for all of our graphic design, web design, interior design, and photography students.
Mike recently profiled a couple graphic designers that should definitely inspire our students. Check their sites out and be sure to drop in and say “hello” to Mike when you get a chance.
Thanks Mike!
Greg Lamarche uses a collage to create his work and does a great job.
Hornall Anderson is a Seattle based graphic design firm that is simply phenomenal.
I’d like to take this opportunity to summarize some points of extreme importance for you as a beginning designer. I have followed these principles throughout my career and have used them to guide me in the development of your graphic design program. I call this methodology the Michael R. Nelson “12-Point Program for Successful Designers.”
1. Be humble and ready to learn. Even after you complete your program, there is still a vast world of design out there for you to learn, experience, and absorb.
2. Always enter into a design project with clear objectives and criteria.
3. Establish a clear design process with a methodical intent of reducing possible solutions until a clear solution rises to the top.
4. Don’t be afraid to revisit parts of the design process as many times as needed to get it right.
5. Have a clear hierarchy of information in the graphics you design.
6. Respect typography.
7. Make your imagery meaningful. Don’t be overly simplistic with your imagery. Make sure it’s appropriate and communicates your core message.
8. Always push your designs for a higher level of excellence.
9. A successful designer must be willing to self-educate. Never stop learning about design and exposing yourself to creative outlets.
10. Make your own opportunities. Designers do not have the luxury of sitting back and waiting for prospective clients and employers to come to them.
11. Be discriminating in defining what good and bad design is. Whether you are critiquing yourself or work you randomly run across, or you are participating in a formal group critique, hold the work to a high standard and have the confidence to declare it successful or unsuccessful. Allow proven, high-quality work like we cover on this blog define your standards of good work.
12. Don’t let computer programs “own” your designs.
If you can excel at these 12 points, you will be well on your way to becoming a good designer. Let me know how you are progressing through your program and please reach out to me through this blog if you need any direct assistance. All you have to do is leave me a comment and I’ll follow up with you right away. I’m here to do whatever I can to make this learning experience a successful one for you!
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 thinbegin for permission to use this Photo.
David Carson spent a decade building his reputation as an underground graphic designer before gaining mainstream popularity in the early 1990’s. Some have labeled his signature style as “dirty” in the sense that it may appear unpolished, heavy, and visually dense to the common viewer. Carson was one of the first graphic designers to mash seemingly unrelated typographical and photographic elements into one composition, a practice that is so commonplace today as to almost appear cliché, but at the time,Carson’s ability to convey what were perceived to be complex (subconscious) messages through his work was considered groundbreaking. In the following video, Carson discusses how his design instincts have always guided his career from day one—and how important it is for young designers to develop their own intuitive style in order to consistently create substantive work. Click on the image above to watch this video. I think you’ll find some inspiration in the life and work of David Carson.
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