Trick or Pantone Book? {Pg. 205}

Trick or Pantone Book? It's Halloween, and you've decided to go as one of the following occupations:

Graphic Designer          Illustrator          Photographer           Art Director          Musician          Writer

What would your costume look like for one or more of these characters?

Consider those you know and the stereotypes you've grown accustomed to assigning to each.

seda

Writer Costume- A middle-aged clean cut male besides the stubble on his face. Dressed in jeans and a long sleeve jersey knit shirt. He has reading glasses strung around his neck and pens coming out of every pocket where ink stains also reside. He always carries his notebook with him, with another sticking out of his back pocket for back-up. He is slightly clumsy but his approach to everything is calm, philosophical, and inquiring. He is constantly writing everything down no matter where he is. Often stopping to grab a cup of coffee and people watch, still writing in his notebook as he observes his surroundings.

Art Director Costume- A middle-aged woman with a plain yet unflattering long skirt and top. Her hair is always crazy and out of place, often pulled back. She has no make-up but her bright red lipstick that is sometimes on her teeth as well. Paint covers the smock she wears over her outfit along with the tennis shoes on her feet. 

hey seda :: you sure you aren't thinking of "elementary school art teacher" in that costume description? most real art directors are incredibly well put together and very in touch with the latest fashion statements as it's their job to keep watch over the trend-driven art world ;) maybe I'm slow and didn't guess that your description is exactly what's it's supposed to be: SCARY! 

sudi

I was going to pick "photographer" but that would lead to a lot of unfair stereotyping on my part; so to keep it PG, I'll branch out into two other creative fields ...

as an "illustrator" :: definitely thinking slippers and fabulous earrings and a copy of adobe illustrator for dummies to give to anyone that couldn't guess the costume ;)

http://screenshots.en.softonic.com/en/scrn/7000/7125/3_illustrator07.jpg

as a "musician" :: I would just have to pick up an instrument and would then be so scary that children would run screaming to their parents for safety.  yes, it's really that bad.

Mini-it! {Pg. 277}

Size is a wonderful differentiator. Without size, how would we describe the relationship between two things? The tall guy, the thick steak, the jumbo size...they all refer to the size of the subject.

Grab a digital camera. Your challenge today is to take 3 photos of things that have to do with relative size. They should be either the epitome of or a descriptor of size, as it relates to another object.

For instance, a medium soft drink cup. The "medium" infers that there is a smaller size and a larger size out there somewhere. Find 10 things (other than a soft drink cup!) that infer size. 

seda

After careful thought, and of course having to avoid cups. I realized candy was a great example of "mini-it". The candy is the same but the size is what differentiates it. From King Size to the Regular Bar to Snack Size they are each marketed differently and have their "place".

How Do You Sell "And"? {Pg. 278}

Take any book off of a nearby shelf. Open to a page randomly. Choose five words that pop off the page at you and write them down on a piece of paper. Now, look around the room and pick the first object that jumps out at you. The object will now be your "product" for this exercise. Take your five words and create five headlines - using each of these words - for an ad to sell that product. 

sudi

WORDS: (1) peeling (2) class (3) spacious (4) grandmama (5) villa  OBJECT: scissors

(1) why peel away that wallpaper?  let your scissors do the work for you

(2) for your classy projects, choose accent scissors

(3) for more spacious assignments, cut out that clutter

(4) give grandmama the gift she can't live without for a price you can live with

(5) when planning your next creativity villa retreat, don't forget your handy scissors

seda

WORDS: (1) trimming (2) valleys (3) balance (4) regained (5) midnight  OBJECT: cupcake

(1) trimming down? you still can with our new cupcakes

(2) our fresh out-of-the-oven cupcakes will make you feel as relaxed as a nap in the cool valley

(3) cupcakes as part of a balanced diet? yes, it's now a reality

(4) on a diet? you won't regain a pound with our new, healthy delicious cupcakes

(5) craving a midnight snack? now you can have your cupcake and eat it too

I Call it "Helveticaslon" {Pg. 196}

Font are as important a part of visual communication as any other visual element. Fonts convey tone and communicate mood just like color or composition. A font chosen poorly can damage the message of an otherwise effective design. As graphic elements, fonts are beautiful forms, unique to themselves, carrying characteristics from one letter to another that identifies its family.

But what happens when to fonts from the opposite ends of town hook up at a party, have a little too much to drink, then end up marrying with offspring the next day? It happens.

Your challenge today is to take two fonts from opposite ends of the spectrum and combine them to make one font. Do so by choosing a letter of the alphabet, then fusing the two versions of that letter to create a version that retains the identifying characteristics of both fonts. You can do this digitally or you can draw the new letter on a sketchpad. Name your new font something that identifies both fonts. Feel free to do the same to each letter of the alphabet until you've created your own unique font.

bReAk oUt tHe bAbY pOwDeR & FoNt DiApErS!

Have a Nice Day! {Pg. 224}

There are cliched greeting phrases we all have grown accustomed to saying and hearing. When an acquaintance passes you in the hall and says "Hey, how ya doin?" he rarely wants to know EXACTLY how you're doing, stuffy nose and bad date experience included. It's just a phrase, a greeting of sorts. Phone greetings and salutations are similar. "Hello" and "goodbye" are the odds-on favorites, but "Have a nice day!" is gaining ground in the fight for salutation supremacy.

The problem with "Have a nice day!" is that it's not personalized for you or the caller. But what if it could be? That's your task today. Create a phone salutation that would be personalized for your business along the lines of "Have a nice day!" It might simply be to replace the word "nice" with something that is more in the line with your business or company name. It could be something completely wild and out there.

So have at it, and have yourself a truly caffeinated day!

seda: this is easy for me, working at CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) my immediate thought is "Have a drug-free day!" or "Have a substance-free day!".  ok, this was too easy for me :)

sudi: being a photographer I would have to say "have a picture-perfect day" but that almost seems too cliche.. of course "have a pixel-iscious day" might be more appropriate if only other digital photographers called me :)

Lick and Stick {Pg. 225}

Postage stamps are a normal part of mail delivery. Someone has to pay to have it delivered, don't they? Over the years, postage stamps have been designed to celebrate everything from events and happenings to people and animals. We love postage stamps so much, people even collect them. 

Today, you're going to get a chance to design your own stamp, only with a twist. Your stamp can be any shape or size, but must include a denomincation!  Today's challenge is to create a stamp design for one of the following scenarios:

Your work was chosen for a major design award.

Gerbils have overrun the White House.

PB & J was elected National Sandwich.

It's official: Christmas comes twice a year now.

Orange is banned from nationally recognized colors.

*special thanks to CAT for kicking off this exercise by sending me her beachin' santa stamp first!  we love when friends come and play in our sandbox ;)

sudi: this was FUN because I really never think about the work that goes into our national stamp designing! I also have nothing against the color orange, but I thought this would be the hardest one for me to tackle so I started thinking about what signs we currently have in our society that "inform" us en masse.  And of course, this is only the English version; there would be countless other varieties created/printed to make sure everyone in this fantastic mixing bowl of a country would be aware that the color orange has been officially banned!

seda: I agree - this was fun, mostly because I felt like a kid again. This activity allows you to be extra creative and fun. I love pb&j and it such the staple sandwich for children so I don't think it's so far fetched for it to become the "national sandwich". Needless to say I had fun creating it. More so - I loved getting to see what sudi & cat came up with! For me, seeing other peoples ideas really helps stimulate and expand my own creativity. Thanks for joining in Cat!

Creatures of Habit {Pg 266}

As humans, we love repetition. We go to the same places - eat the same food - sleep on the same side of the bed & watch the same shows. We love repetition because we find comfort in it.  We all have a routine. Even if we don't know it, we have certain tasks we perform the same way every day. Routine can often be a deterrent to creativity. In routine, we miss experiencing something in a new way, and the lack of this experience may affect what bring to the table during idea generation. Before we can assess our routine, we have to be aware of it...

Grab a digital camera. Take 4 [or MORE] photos of things you do everyday, things that are part of your routine. Take nothing for granted - think of everything you do & in what order.

After documenting this, try to change one routine every day. Even the slightest change in perspective can have unexpected results.

Post your pictures in our Flickr group & comment about your experience changing your routine. We want to know how this activity stimulated your creativity - and don't forget, creativity is the spice of life :)

sudi: as thrilling as my life is, I never realized just how routine my mornings are until we did this exercise!  before the sun even rises, I'm up and leashing the pups for their morning walk. when we get back, it's breakfast time!  while breakfast is cooking, I pack a quick lunch for josh and then it's time to brush my teeth and start another fabulous day ;)  *to be honest, it felt a little silly documenting the tiniest moments of this "routine" because I just tend to go through the motions since all of this happens before my first cup of coffee! 

seda: I guess I used to think I was spontaneous..I guess this is what a 9-5 job does to you :) It is true...its hard to find a new perspective or idea when you have the same routine. I am not a morning person so I usually run outside after work, perhaps I need to run in the morning - see the different colors in the sky and run into different faces. They say variety is the spice of life so my next task is to tackle the mundane routine & shake it like a salt shaker :)

I Knew I Should Have Saved that Copy of Ice Fishing Illustrated [pg.282]

How many times have thumbed through a magazine, put it down, and immediately forgotten 95% of what you just experienced? As a culture we have little time to take in everything we experience in a publication.

As creatives, we benefit from the ability to experience as much input as we can.  

 Your task today is to practice this discipline a little more. Grab a magazine that can be cut up, and a pair of scissors. As you thumb through the magazine cut out any image and/or word you come across that satisfies the following statement: "That's not going to end well." 

Paste the cut-outs to paper and put them in a folder. Write the phrase on the cover sheet. Consider creating phrases for projects you are working on and repeat this activity. You might be surprised at what inspiration appears!

* * *

sudi: ok so this might not be exactly what the exercise is calling for, since it's just one image/idea - but I saw this ad and thought "that's not going to end well!" as you can see, this man is trying to pour hot water (and pasta?) into the strainer and is obviously struggling to see through the thick steam cloud and distractingly white text elements in the air ;)  even the character in the foreground is headed for disaster by pouring what looks to be olive oil and it could be near an open fire... just sayin' - that's NOT going to end well!

seda: ok so I hate to harp on poor kate but her facial expressions simply say it all. Janine asked me in the white coat at the bottom - to me she looks like a doctor bracing to give bad news. Oddly enough that is her editor picture in (real simple or travel & leisure magazine maybe?). Anyways I enjoyed this activity - it definitely was creative & made you pay attention to the littlest things, down to a person's facial expression & different people's perception of it. I will definitely use this to help brainstorm in the future!

So Should I Stop Where I Am or Run? [pg.129]

Cross any major intersection on foot and you'll most likely run into the safety valve of street-crossing: the walk/don't walk sign. When that person walking turns to a defiant hand symbol, we know we need to wait until the next light. These symbols also use color to communicate (white for 'walk' and red for 'stop.') **Your task today is to take the same concept and apply it to two situational decisions you make throughout the day**

Think of two polar decisions ('one-or-the-other' decisions) you have to make every day, then create the "walk/don't walk" symbol for each decision. The symbol should be simple, as if it's going to be presented on a street corner.

sudi: coffee or tea? bath or shower?

seda: ice cream or no ice cream? work out or suffer the consequences?

Haiku-A-Gogo! [pg.265]

What in the haiku is a "haiku?" Simply put, haiku is a form of poetry. While there are many styles and forms of haiku, one of the most popular iterations is a poem that is three lines, and follows this formula:

5 syllables

7 syllables

5 syllables

The 5-7-5 form is the only restricition, the poem doesn't have to rhyme. Your task today is to write a haiku about one of the following subjects: (1) your typical day (2) your boss (3) grape jelly (4) country music (5) the eraser (6) garbage (7) cheese

sudi: ok so I'm going to give this a go with two tries ;)

(1) typical day: rise and shine at 6 / stretch, breathe, get licked in the face / time to walk the dogs

(5) the eraser: simple or funky / the eraser has it's place / perched at pencil's end

seda:

(1) typical day: I walk to CADCA / My work is very close by / The people are fly

I wake up too early / And eat banana waffles / Off to work again

 
(2) your boss: My boss is way cool / He hired me cause I rule / Eduardo's no fool

My boss is way cool / He hired me cause I rule / That old guy's no fool

 
(3) cheese: I eat it daily / It comes in different textures / Cheese is heavenly

 
(4) garbage: Trash is real stinky / It consists of everything / Take it out daily

 
(5) grape jelly: Grape jelly is sweet / It goes with peanut butter / Yummy purple stuff

 
(6) country music: Country singers whine / About the love they left behind / Whiskey soothes their mind

 
(7) the eraser: If you like to draw / I think this tool is da bomb / It hides all mistakes