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Cliched Stock Photo Song

The Dallas Egotist — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:26:18 +0000

National

You're welcome.

This Is My City: AIGA DFW + PechaKucha Night

The Dallas Egotist — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:01:05 +0000

Local

Join AIGA DFW and PK Dallas at the Lakewood Theater on Wednesday May 8th, for their speaker series dubbed "This is my City". Speakers will each present 20 slides at 20 seconds each under this theme, celebrating out city and all it has to offer. Tickets are $10 members and nonmembers, $5 students for emerging designers. Tickets can be purchased here, and more information and a full list of speakers can be found here.

DSVC May Meeting Featuring Jude Buffum

The Dallas Egotist — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:46:35 +0000

Local

Join the DSVC this Wednesday in welcoming designer and illustrator Jude Buffum. Buffum has designed for “Wicked” and HBO’s "The Sopranos”, New York Times, SONY, UPS, Target, Disney, and Toyota/SCION, and more. His work has been honored by Graphis, Communication Arts, AIGA, Print Magazine, Society of Illustrators, 3x3, and American Illustration.

Reception is at 6pm on May 1st, meeting starts at 7pm. Tickets are $20 for non-members and $10 for students. Hope to see you all there!

Beating The Block

The Dallas Egotist — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:36:26 +0000

Local

I’ll confess: writing does not come easy to me. I know I’m good at it, but it is still difficult. I was really encouraged by a recent article I read in The New Yorker. A writer named John McPhee wrote about the idea of writer’s block. I know this sensation all to well. It is simply paralyzing. Often I just can’t seem to put words to paper.

Take, for instance, this example from work. I’m a copywriter, which means I write the headlines for ads you try to ignore. Well, the thing about headlines is that headlines are (or should be) really short. We’re talking about 7 words tops. Seven little words to get the cash register to go “Cha-ching!” Now the thing about writing 7 words is, if you’re blocked, you feel like the client has asked for War and Peace, and they’d like it by end of day, “if possible (read: if you like your job).”

Good Lord, I’d rather dredge the Panama Canal with one of those little dessert spoons they have in Downton Abbey.

But let me tell you why this article encouraged me. Consider the writer’s sage advice:

“If you lack confidence in setting one word after another and sense that you are stuck in a place from which you will never be set free, if you feel sure that you will never make it and were not cut out to do this, if your prose seems stillborn and you completely lack confidence, you must be a writer.”

This article is a godsend. No joke. I’m young, I know. I’m inexperienced. “Headlines!” you say, “Those are nothing.” Well, you’re right. And on a good day, you’re right. But I’m at that sorry point where most days seem like bad ones. If this were fishing, I just haven’t seemed to have attained the touch. The water may be stocked, but I swear these fish can smell inexperience from a mile off. There’s a reason we have the phrase “words escape me.”

My job is to wrangle them. John McPhee’s article “The Writing Life” in the April 29th edition of The New Yorker gives me hope that I can do it. It can give you hope. At the very least, it’s a fascinating read. Check it out.

[This article originally appeared on a contributor's blog, which you can find here.]

H&FJ: The Video

The Dallas Egotist — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:44:24 +0000

National

As part of their AIGA Medal presentation, this video features type designers Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones of H&FJ.

A Plea for Dallas' West End

The Dallas Egotist — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:23:33 +0000

Local

It's with a certain amount of embarrassment that I'll admit that, after living in Dallas for several years, I only just visited Dallas' West End Historic District for the first time today. Of course, I have my excuses, namely that there are other happening places to visit in Dallas (and let's not forget those actually cool places far, far away from Dallas), and secondly, there just isn't that much happening down in the West End.

Surely I should be embarrassed that I haven't explored the area. This is my home after all. But honestly I find myself more embarrassed on Dallas' behalf for the pathetic state of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood has landmark status which is good and bad. The good thing is that we can preserve some architectural history. That bad is that we have to preserve architectural history. What do I mean?

The area cannot be torn down. So, Dallas is left hoping to build it up. Will that happen? We can only hope. The area has so much potential. It's right in the heart of Dallas. I say it's high time to infuse the same creative energy being poured into Oak Cliff and Deep Ellum into Dallas' Heart.

The Egotist has a lot wrapped up in the West End's potential. Revitalize the neighborhood, and it'll make Dallas suck less.

Distance to Mars in Pixels

The Dallas Egotist — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:16:16 +0000

National

A different way to be reminded how small we are compared to the universe, distancetomars.com, created by David Paliwoda, puts the solar system on a scale we're a little more familiar with, pixels. Though it'd be cool to see more planets on this site, it's still a fun thing to check out when taking a 5 minute break from whatever you're working on.

For the lazy, if Earth were 100px wide, Mars is 428,000px away.

Firehouse is looking for a Media Strategist

The Dallas Egotist — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:01:20 +0000

Local

Quote:

This position is for someone with 3-5 years of experience in traditional media planning including experience in planning TV, radio, outdoor and print. Digital media planning experience is desired, but not required. This person will be responsible for managing media planning and buying projects. The Media Supervisor will help manage multiple projects for a variety of clients.

More info available here.

DSVC April Meeting featuring Tad Carpenter

The Dallas Egotist — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 22:18:01 +0000

Local

Join the DSVC in welcoming designer and illustrator Tad Carpenter on April 3rd, at 6pm at the Angelika. Carpenter has done work for clients such as Target, Macy's, Conan O'Brien, Adobe, Nick Jr, Rayban, Abrams, New York Magazine and MTV. He currently runs his design studio based in Kansas City, MO, and teaches graphic design at the University of Kansas. Tickets are $20 for non-members, and $10 for students. More info available here.

Eye Candy Day 2

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:47:58 +0000

National

For today, check out Minneapolis-based designer and illustrator David Schwen's series called Pantone Pairings. He creates food-based pantone swatches in groups of two, featuring combinations such as peanut butter and jelly, chicken and waffles, salt and pepper, etc.

Weekly Eye Candy

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 03:44:04 +0000

National

Drawn by hand, Estonian illustrator Eiko Ojala creates these illusions of landscapes cut from paper. Be sure to check out his other series Naked. Feast your eyes.

AIGA Dallas Call for Recruits

The Dallas Egotist — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:04:05 +0000

Local

Come out to AIGA DFW's Happy Hour and Information Session on March 20th at 6:30pm at Mudsmith on Greenville. Learn about what AIGA has to offer and how you can get involved.

Quote:

AIGA DFW is calling for new recruits to serve on our committees and board for 2013-2014.  Our chapter has more than doubled over the last two years, and for us to continue that growth,  and put on exciting and relevant events, we need you to come join and bring your  excitement to the circle of leaders that helps bring it all together for our design community.

AIGA DFW is Calling All Recruits
Wednesday, March 20 at Mudsmith on Greenville
6:30pm – 8:30pm : Happy Hour & Information Session

Mudsmith is located at 2114 Greenville Ave, Dallas, Texas 75206

Now Hiring: Junior Digital Producer – Soap Creative

ego_maniac — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:02:55 +0000

Local

Soap Creative, Dallas is hiring: Junior Digital Producer. Please Note: You must become a member to see jobs posted within the last three days.

Now Hiring: Digital Producer – Soap Creative

ego_maniac — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:53:45 +0000

Local

Soap Creative, Dallas is hiring: Digital Producer. Please Note: You must become a member to see jobs posted within the last three days.

Trend List's Graphic Design Generator

The Dallas Egotist — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:38:56 +0000

National

Trend List has a funny graphic design generator that pokes fun at the recent trends we see in contemporary design.It has a pretty easy-to-use interface, so if you're bored and want to quickly make a trendy headline, left-aligned, and set in Helvetica Bold, this is how it's done.

Big Ideas, by Frank Chimero

The Dallas Egotist — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:42:22 +0000

National

This article is taken from the blog of Frank Chimero. The original source of text is here.

WHY IS GREATER THAN HOW
A complex world has made us over-emphasize How-based thinking and education. Once the tools are understood, grasping why to do certain things becomes more valuable than how to do them. How is recipes, but learning a craft is more than following instructions.

How is important for new practitioners learning to avoid common mistakes. Why is for those who wish to push, are not risk-averse, and seek to improve. How is coulda, Why is shoulda. How is finishing tasks, Why is fulfilling objectives. How results in more, Why yields better.

NOT MORE, BETTER
I am more interested in supporting individuals and companies that value quality and realize the difference between more and better. The taste of the food will always trump the serving size.

Better is attainable, superior products and experiences, not ivory towers. An appreciation for better sets you off on a mission to support fine craftsmanship by buying well-crafted, thoughtful goods and services.

SURPRISE + CLARITY = DELIGHT
Design can have a myriad of purposes: to inform, persuade, sell, or delight. To delight means to present something with a different point of view, while retaining clarity. It makes others see the world in new and different ways.

We are taught a set of skills important for our growth and survival: communication, arithmetic, wellness, and many others. But no one teaches us how to perceive the world. Perhaps this is a job for delight: to delight someone is to give a small lesson in how to see the world as something good.

SINCERE, AUTHENTIC, HONEST
Increasingly, our way is to fake it and assume that others are doing the same. We fein interest in work, speak sarcastically, buy things that are new reproductions of old things, and often presume someone is selling us something. Skepticism as a default state is a hell of a thing. We’re a hungry culture starved for sincerity, authenticity, and honesty.
What does fixing it look like? It doesn’t look cool. In fact, it probably involves being so passionately enthusiastic about something that it is the exact opposite of cool. By caring intensely, we can connect to one another in more meaningful ways.

NO SILVER BULLETS, NO SECRETS
Long ago, some one figured out that people love shortcuts. They also figured out that if you have a secret, you can sell it. Then came the business of inventing secrets that could be used as shortcuts to help someone get to a desired point without much effort.

Most anything worth doing is difficult. And any one that tells you there’s a cheap or easy way to get what you want is probably trying to sell you something. You can’t download experience—you can only live it. So, stop waiting and go out and try something. You’ll feel empowered.

QUALITY + SINCERITY = ENTHUSIASM
Enthusiasm becomes the currency of an ecosystem where things are free (like a lot of the internet). Quality is important because it gives people a legitimate reason to become excited. Sincerity is what creates the line between real enthusiasm and empty hype.

Things are better if creative people produce work that incites excitement in both the creative and the audience. Don’t be shocked if something fails because it lacks fervor and passion. Build those in, if you can. If you can’t, consider starting over.

EVERYTHING IS SOMETHING OR OTHER
I don’t know what the hell is going on. Neither do you, and neither does any one else. We’re all lost and improvising, making things before we know what they do, and breaking stuff before we know what replaces it. We’re all tinkering and speculating, listening to see if our shovels hit something hard while we’re digging. I suppose that’s what world-building is, though, so let’s get used to it. We need to learn to tolerate ambiguity.

We are consistently between two things. Welcome to the borderlands.

Published under BY-NC-SA Creative Commons License

The Place to Go to Forget You're In Dallas

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:12:12 +0000

Local

Last night I went to The Amsterdam Bar, and sure enough, just as my friend had said, it was the type of place where you forget for a brief second you’re in The Big D. On Monday nights the bar features live jazz, and man could those guys play. Each musician could have engaged an audience alone in a solo show, but together their sound and chemistry blew me away, and testified to the bond they formed in playing the same spot for fifteen years.

Check out a much more refined review of it over at DateSpotDallas.

Thank you Amsterdam Bar not just for making my Monday night, but also for making Dallas Suck A Little Less.

Seb Lester reminding us of his awesomeness

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:01:47 +0000

National

For your viewing pleasure, here's a video of UK-based type designer and illustrator Seb Lester demonstrating a medieval blackletter technique. It's almost hypnotic to watch.

Sketchbook, February 2013 from Seb Lester on Vimeo.

In case the video wasn't enough to prove he's a bad ass, photos have been provided below.

Vitriolic Spew Vol. 2 "Taking Umbrage with ExxonMobile Lecture"

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:21:54 +0000

Local

Last week, I was excited to find out the meaning behind the title of the Exxon Mobil Lecture “Finding a Brand’s Social Compass from the Inside Out”. After attending the lecture, which was billed as having something to do with ethics and branding, I would still like to know the meaning behind the title. This is because although the talk was billed under this somewhat vague idea, it still somehow missed its rather large mark.

The idea of getting an opportunity for students to get out there, meet accomplished people and learn from them is a great thing. It is not only helpful but important to get a chance to network and see that people who came from where you are be successful.

It was given in the Angelika theatre, and came equipped with drinks and snacks beforehand in the downstairs lobby. The mix of professionals and students was small, and although I did witness a couple of business cards being passed, it seemed more like a waiting room then a place to mingle.

As the talk went on, we were shuffled away from the bar and “crowd” and into one of the theatres. It is a good thing that I brought my drink with me.

It is not that I am not interested in the advertising campaigns of Monster.com. That fact however, does not make this talk itself interesting. Don’t get me wrong. Monster.com has had good campaigns and commercials. Their media and market strategy has been and is sound. They have changed with the market and the times. I know all of this because it was what the talk covered, and unfortunately all the talk covered.

The speaker, Ted Gilvar, is obviously an accomplished man. He has done many things in his life that have earned him a good and well respected career. After this presentation however, I now know this is not because of his ability to edit and present. Sorry Ted, I just feel that there was a real opportunity here to share why some of these decisions were made and the thinking behind them, so if and when I am ever in a position to make these decisions I have this knowledge to draw from.

I am sure that most of the students trying to get extra credit by signing their names didn’t mind the presentation. However, the fact that it wasn’t done in widescreen, and came complete with red arrows and a circle telling us where to look, did take away from the feeling that this talk was prepared more then an hour in advance. Meanwhile, the closest thing to Networking was old friends talking and some students eating desert in a corner.

I will say that after flashing some smiles and getting my non-alcoholic drink tickets exchanged for their more intoxicating option, the night did not feel like a waste. I also got to see the first presentation of an award signifying the success of a SMU Temerlin alum, a nice “pony-up” moment, although I did not see anyone with two fingers flying.

I hope to see more events like this. Temerlin is definitely on the right track by giving its students and the community events like this. However unlike this, I hope that these future events take on a coherent message and are used to instruct instead of merely display examples of advertising.

In the end the event felt like I had gotten free refills at a restaurant, but all they had was RC Cola. I am not mad that it happened, but it could have been so much better.

In case you missed it...

The Dallas Egotist — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:49:19 +0000

National

Last night on Twitter, designer and illustrator, Dan Cassaro of Young Jerks, was upset to find his designs ripped off by Lowe-SSP3 based in Colombia.

And so it began. It was followed by a few other Tweets including this one:

And these:

Here are the works side by side in case you were wondering:

Cassaro's work, from Fifty and Fifty, The State Mottos Project

The work in question (more found here.)

At least the guy took it down, but the damage has already been done. Dan-1, Advertising-0.

What do you guys think? Was this a rip off, or was the agency using the project as a source of inspiration?

Making Water out of Air

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:44:29 +0000

National

UTEC, an engineering and technology university in Lima, Peru teamed up with ad agency Mayo DraftFCB to find a unique solve for the issues of declining enrollment and lack of portable drinking water in an area that only receives about half an inch of rainfall each year. Their solution was a billboard for the school that served a dual purpose of converting the moisture from the humid air into drinkable water. Check out the case study video below.

This Week On Vitriolic Spew, "Dear ADDY's, One Person's Take"

The Dallas Egotist — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:06:03 +0000

Local

[Below is a contributor's take on last night's ADDY's. Good Lord, let's hope she never critiques The Dallas Egotist. Though, it's due for a good thrashing, I'm sure. Any takers?]

Dear ADDYS,

Thank you for giving me something to do on a Wednesday night in Dallas. However, I could have done without some things (or the whole night altogether) including, but not limited to, the pounding headache that I left with. In this post I intend to highlight "best of" events from the ADDYS:

If you knew 400 people were attending the Hyatt Regency Dallas for an event, wouldn’t you hire more than three valet guys?

AND THE SINGER! WTF! A high school prom DJ would have been better than that campfire kumbaya shit. As one person said, “I’m going to go out on a limb and say country is probably not the music of choice for creative people.” Why not just throw one of the creatives iPod's on the PA?

The funny thing about the comedian was he was a complete joke. Seriously, whose brother-in-law was he, anyway? And why all the jokes about coworker sex? I can’t help but feel sorry for those who sat next to their boss (or boss’ husband/wife). Awkward! But even the worst comedians get pity laughs; sadly all I heard was….oh wait Dallas isn’t even cool enough to have crickets.

I feel like I need to say something on the students’ behalf. This night was suppose to be a celebration of the talent in Dallas. We all should want to take pride in that talent, even if it's a student's spec work. But what do you think poorly mounted work tells your student award winners? Or how about the work that was missing altogether? Why should the students give a damn about you, if you can't pretend to give a damn about their work. But Dallas' loss will be San Francisco's, Chicago's, and New York's gain. Way to rep the Big D, ADDY's.

Speaking of students, let’s discuss their dinner entrées. While all the professionals enjoyed their two drink tickets, grilled chicken, and couscous, the poor little pupils—who paid to attend the event, and would pony up the full fare if they had been asked—ate what looked like a Digiorno pizza. Only, it wasn't delivery; it was a cold slap to the face. Said one person's date: “It felt like I was sitting at the kids table… All that was missing was a sandbox."

And who do I talk to about the QR codes? Does he have a beeper I could page, because that guy is seriously behind the times.

Ah, and let’s end this post with my favorite part— gift bags. I love free stuff, so I thought if all else fails, at least I’ll walk out with some free shit. What did I leave with, might you ask? Some batteries, chapstick, pamphlets, and pens— oh my! Wow, it's Christmas at Grandma Senile's house all over again. We young people do like batteries.

Better luck next time, ADDY's— but I most certainly won’t be there.

Cheers!
Disgruntled ADDY attendee

[Have a bone to pick with Dallas? Willing to do our job, but without remuneration? You're just the sucker we're looking for. Now taking submissions for Vitriolic Spew. Contribute Today!]

DSVC March Meeting Welcomes Matt Dorfman

The Dallas Egotist — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:53:06 +0000

Local

The DSVC March meeting will feature New York-based designer and illustrator for the NY Times Op-Ed column, Matt Dorfman.

Quote:

Matt Dorfman is a Pennsylvania-bred, New York-based graphic designer, illustrator, and art director. After spending the first decade of the 21st century working for the likes of Republic/Motown Records, Island/Def Jam Records, and the Verve Music Group, he surrendered the rock and roll dreams he never had to freelance for the likes of Penguin, Vintage/Anchor books, New York Magazine, Wired, Vanity Fair, Pantheon, Bloomberg Business Week, W.W. Norton, and Time Magazine, among others. He is currently the art director of The New York Times’ Op/Ed page where he spends his days working entirely out of step with modern technological advances by working with illustrators and designers to produce black and white images to run on sheets of newsprint to be distributed daily throughout the world outside of a computer.

The meeting will be on March 6th at the Angelika Film Center, with the reception at 6pm, meeting at 7pm. Admission is $20 for non-members, $10 for students.

Windows of New York

The Dallas Egotist — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:33:57 +0000

National

In need of a new design series to follow? Windows of New York, project of New York-based graphic designer Jose Guizar, is a simple, clean, and awesome set of weekly illustrations of things people pass by every day, but may not give too much attention to. He says that this series "is part an ode to architecture and part a self-challenge to never stop looking up."

"Write Hot, Edit Cold"

The Dallas Egotist — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:05:11 +0000

Local

This post’s title comes from advice that the imitable Luke Sullivan gives in his influential Hey Whipple, Squeeze This. What follows comes from an interview one of my greatest influences, Steve Martin, did with NPR in which they discuss the same idea (read the full interview here)

MARTIN: Well, you know, I don’t write unless I’m ready. So usually I find if you’re in the zone, you usually like what you’ve written. And if I’m not in the zone, I generally don’t write, I will edit at that point, using the - what we call the monkey mind.

(LAUGHTER)

GROSS: What do you mean?

MARTIN: Somebody gave that to me years ago, it was like the monkey mind was - you know, there is your creative mind, and then there is your monkey mind, and your monkey mind was really consciousness. You know, and the monkey mind should do the editing. It’s the one that’s not original. It’s the one that’s imitative. And that’s just, you know, a term for doing the slave work of writing.