What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is often used as the branding agent for companies, the core of an advertising campaign, and the backbone to non verbal communication. In one sense graphic design is the thing that makes stuff less boring. Without graphic design all companies would have fairly similar “visual identities” (for lack of a better phrase), advertising would be less engaging and thus less viable. Design becomes the wrapping paper and bow on the box of whores that is advertising. It's the skin and clothes for a company and it's the interface between mind and screen.

These traits raise a question, “How does graphic design do all these things? How is it so versatile?” I pose that it is because graphic design does one very simple thing. Graphic design makes ideas tangible. That is all it does.

It takes an idea, gives it a way to interact with people, and releases it into the world.

This seemingly simple task is so efficient that it can take any form you will it to. If you need graphic design to solve a problem, it can do it. It wont necessarily fix the root of the matter but it will stop whatever it is from being a problem. If you need it to communicate a message or sell a product, it's got a hole bunch of tricks ready to go.

Graphic design is to aesthetics what a sharpened edge is to making and building.

game play

If you were a politition

What would your manifesto be?

The government is full of lawyers and philosophy graduates. very few understand science or the scientific method. This leads to legislation that doesn't adequately deal with situations where science has an insight or solution. The recent proposal for a badger kull for example had very little evidence supporting it's effectiveness but it had the go ahead for a while, until a scientist said that it would have little to no effect.

So my manifesto would lead with scientific comprehension and understanding of its methods, hence Stephen Hawkings "The Universe in a Nutshell"

The news this past month has been saturated with hate crimes and stories of rape. I can scarce begin to describe the way this makes me feel, yet I am powerless to do anything. If I were a politician however, I might have a chance to change something. Make it more difficult to get away with such crimes would be a good start. I'd do my darnedest to lower the amount of such crimes being committed (how I don't know). If methods are effective, I would put pressure on other countries to do the same. If ineffective, I would still do what I could. 

The next part of my manifesto would there for be the "Sex and Power 2011" report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

So my manifesto is two books (essentially). Science and equality.

All sounds a bit kitch until you remember it's politics.

Something new

Mood altering drugs for those who want to feel depressed.
We've got all sorts of uppers, stabilisers and numbing drugs but no depressors or anxiety causers.
Some drugs do have these things as known effects but they aren't the primary function. There's good reason they don't exist, nobody would want them, not until mood organs take over our emotional responses at least.

Out-of the-hat billboard

Out-of the-hat Posters 1

I translated my quote into Sartre's native language (French) and found a typeface made near where he was born, around the time he was alive. The font that fit best was Cochin, made when Sartre was 7 not far from where he was born in Paris.

Here are 2 of my favourite posters so far.

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I'm leaning towards the latter

Out-of the-hat

"Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do"  Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

"Trois heures est toujours trop tard ou trop tôt pour tout ce que vous voulez faire" original quote in French