I was there. My very first MacWorld. Then again, this was the very first time I actually had a Mac to call my own.

I’ve always been a PC person - it wasn’t so much a conscious or exclusive decision, I simply just defaulted to Windows.  Then I spent a weekend on a computer running Leopard and that pushed me over the edge.  After semesters of classes surrounded my Macs, being hounded my Apple friends, I had now finally “seen the light”.  So a couple months ago I picked up a new MacBook Pro and I LOVE it.

I can now say I’m well-versed in the Apple OS in addition to Windows. I even installed Vista on my Mac, just so I can rock it when necessary.  It’s the integration of everything on Leopard that I love so much about it, it just makes daily computering so much smoother.  Anyway, Macworld…

It was a pretty cool experience. Lots of vendors, lots of products, lots of nerds.  I watchd the keynote and although it was somewhat bland compared to keynotes past, I am pretty excited about the new ILife 09.  This was the last MacWorld that Apple will be a part of - and that’s understandable considering the trade show is a pretty minor aspect of how they reach customers nowadays.  But I’m sure they will be missed at future MacWorld expos and I’m glad I got to attend this year’s event.

The other day I learned about a new photography technique called tilt-shift.  The biggest thing viewers notice about this technique is that it makes the subject appear miniature.  I unfortunately don’t yet have the means to achieve this effect genuinely, but the appearance can be rendered with a bit of work in Photoshop.  I researched this, wanted to try it out, and the photo below is the result.

Who knew Comic Sans would ever save the day? Pure brilliance.

I first saw this clip from the Hillmancurtis Designer series a couple years ago, and the quote has stuck with me since.

Here’s the video of the interview with James Victore…

Here’s the line that does it for me…

Graphic design is a big f***ing club with spikes in it and I want to wield it.

Here’s what it means to me…

As Victore notes in the video, Graphic Design can be incredibly influential and those who practice it have the power to send strong messages about topics from the profound to the profane.

On one hand, graphic design is a great way to “sell socks.”  A successfully designed campaign can do wonders for a commercial enterprise.  I understand design is used for this, but I don’t have a problem with it.  I like the challenge of developing a solution to not only provide information, but also move the audience to action.  In the case of most companies, that’s to persuade the consumer to learn more about the product and/or make a purchase.  But that call to action through visual communication has much more signifcant potential, and that’s what Victore spells out.

Look at World War II posters, look at poignant magazine spreads, even look at some album artwork and you see how graphic design can have a huge sociocultural impact.  The video shows some though-provoking pieces, and in that regard, Victore is indeed wielding the big “club” to promote others to pause and reflect on a particular topic of importance.  That’s something the absence of engaging design may not have achieved.

I am still learning how to most effectively handle that metaphorical club, but through projects both professonal and personal, I will do my best to do so deftly, honestly and responsibly.

First, we heard that “punk’s not dead!”, now will a similar credence emerge for print media?

I came across these recently - they’re funny and make a person (especially a designer) think..

Clip from a recent episode of The Simpsons

Non Sequitur comic [05/09/2008]

I understand print will never completely die. Tangibility is irreplaceable. I know I can only stare at a screen for so long, and such things as a newspaper are a pleasure to read in print. But hey, I can’t complain about the increasing need for web work.

Let’s say you want to try your hand at the presidency. This election year is pretty well developed, so you shoot for 2012. You’ve collected the requisite thousands of signatures to put your name in the hat, somehow gained national prominence, and have a money tree waiting to be harvested. Great. Now before you bother yourself with defining policy stances and such, you’ve got to make some snazzy campaign signs. Alright, mix together some red, white, blue, maybe some stars and your name in a traditional typeface and you’re set, right? Well, actually….that usually is the case.

Until then, let’s take a look at the visual identity this year’s candidates are running, focusing on the logos. The magic campign logo formula above still applies, but even within those traditions, there is considerable room for expression. In such a tight race, even issues of design and typography are brought to discussion. When fonts can be considered the clothes words wear, what are these candidates messages wearing, and what does it say? This is not meant to be an endorsement of any particular candidate. This is simply a critique of the graphic design sported by the three presidential-hopefuls in the running as of this writing. I will be concentrating on the logo’s typography, imagery, and connection to the candidate.

Hillary Clinton

Typography

The choice for type on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign logo can be described as safe.

The typeface in use here is a twist on the transitional-serif classic Baskerville called simply New Baskerville. This version was created in 1930 and has been a favorite of publishers for years. It’s interesting that to note that only Clinton is using a serif choice as her campaign’s primary typeface. It may be all in the details.

British psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman wrote in his 2001 study “The Psychology of Fonts” that those little flourishes on serif typefaces “conjure images of trustworthiness”. Clinton also is using title-case format with her logo. In addition to increasing readability (albeit a negligible amount in this display use), I believe it lends an aura of gentle approachability and friendliness that all caps might not allow.

The sans-serifed website URL seems like an afterthought slapped on to the campaign sign. In an election where a candidates web presence is more important than ever (especially regarding donations), this line should have been given due stylistic treatment.

Imagery

A mini flag banner. Really? Once again, safe. I should add, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with playing it safe, I suppose I was just hoping to see something a bit more refreshing. While conspiracy-theorists may posit that the three stars are symbolic of a desired third Clinton term, I think that choice is more a matter of practicality than anything else. It’s a limited space, and three stars fill it nicely. The banner serves to underline the Clinton name and, perhaps more subtly, associate it with classic patriotism. The choice of background blue reinforces this idea.

Connection

In a campaign that’s been plagued with voter doubt on her honesty, those little serif curls-o-credibility are more than welcome. Clinton touts a theme of experience, and the familiar, old-style of New Baskerville serves quietly to reinforce that image

John McCain

Typography

McCain’s campaign designers took the classic, and centrist road with the use of the typeface Optima.

Optima was designed in the 1950s by Hermann Zapf, who coincidentally also served as a prisoner of war. It reflects classical Roman letterform appeal, while keeping the sans-serif modern appeal. Little flares at the ends of letters in this typeface hint at serifs and give it a slightly quirky feeling. Optima was used in the incision of names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

Imagery

If you got a military-vibe from the star logomark, it’s working. The nautical star with the gold wings/stripes evokes a sense of class and refinement the campaign hopes will match up to McCain’s commendable service record. It’s simple, yet sophisticated. I like the navy blue used, it compliments the layout well.

Although blue is used in the image above, many of MccCain’s graphics use a black background. This is a depature from traditional campaign desigin. It may register as too dark to some, despite its intention of neutral elegance.

Connection

While the logotype and logomark each have their merits, I feel like the overall design is somewhat lacking for a modern presidential campaign. It’s not a horrible design, it’s just somewhat bland. However, if the designers were aiming for adequacy, they succeeded. If they sought a logo that leaves the voter with a positive feeling and gives the McCain brand a breath of fresh air, there remains work do be done. The Optima selection is simply too dull for my taste. I think there could have been a more engaging typeface with either a bold modern sans-serif type, possibly even venturing into slab-serifs with caution. That this logo is not a great departure from established political design may be in tune wtih charges that McCain offers “more of the same.”

Barack Obama

Typography

The typeface used for “Obama ‘08″ appears to be Perpetua. This humanist serif is Eric Gill’s most popular Roman font and debuted around 1930. Though not revolutionary, I appreciate it for it’s sharpness and distinguished manner. The real typographical story of the Obama campaign is the use of the typeface Gotham. If you’ve seen his “Change We Can Believe In” signage, or most any other collateral, you’ve seen Gotham. It’s a geometic-based sans-serif typeface created by Tobias Frere-Jones in 2000. It has the sensibilities of Helvetica, but is distinctly American. This video shows the creator explaining the development of Gotham.

Imagery

The Obama logomark is the most conceptual political design I’ve seen yet. The one above is the solid color version, the gradient version is also seen readily. Alice Rawsthorn notes: Now the symbol. It’s a sunrise, with the red stripes of the U.S. flag at the base. “David Axelrod wanted an iconic mark that communicated hope, change and the dawn of a new era of political leadership,” explained Steve Juras, creative director of mo/de, which developed the original identity with the fellow Chicago design consultancy Sender LLC before handing it over to Obama’s internal design team. The sun rising at the start of a new day was an obvious choice for a candidate campaigning for “Change We Can Believe In.” That about sums it up.

The traditional colors work well for the logo. The dominance of blue is reassuringly soothing to those unaccustomed to such a relatively radical logo. I like the use of different shades of blue.

Connection

To create a consistent, memorable identity system is in itself a feat, and especially for a presidential candidate. To have that same consistency span the nation, as well as informational mediums, from prepared speeches online graphics to rallies is a remarkable achievement. The Obama design team have elevated political campaign design to new heights, now even rivaling commercial graphic design. What’s best is that the message suits the candidate well. His message of change is reflected in his refreshing logo and collateral appearances. His brand identity has been established and has resonated well.

__________

That about wraps it up as far as my look at the three candidate’s primary logo design. I realize I’ve given the Obama team a glowing review, but I think it’s well-deserved. Overall, in my limited time following politics (the past decade), I’ve seen political graphics progress and look forward to what the 2012 election year will bring. Politics can be an exciting topic, and the graphic design of politics can help put a style on that excitement.

In a future blog, I’ll take a look at the websites of the remaining candidates to analyze not only their design and brand consistency, but also look at the technical side of things with usability and features. As internet usage grows and politicians are realizing that their message must not only be transmitted clearly in print, but also in new forms of media.

I love going downtown. Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, any large city. I like being amidst all the action, history and culture that are unique to each particular metropolis. Not only that, the scenery. Oh, the scenery! While I certainly appreciate the vistas offered by nature, manufactured scapes can also be a sight to behold. I went shootin’ around LA today and here a couple of my shots.

One of the first things I’d like to address in this blog is question of how I got involved with graphic design. Let’s go back…

It seems fitting to tell a story of how I was intrigued with art and was composing designs since I was in pre-school, but that really wasn’t the case. I got my first computer when I was in 7th grade, and shortly thereafter is when my design sensibilities took shape. If messing around in MS Paint lends any credibility to my foundation as an artist, then let me state here I’d spend a good deal of time doing just that. However, I believe the much more significant development was my involvement with a program called Print Shop Deluxe. I was using version 2 or 3 at the time, but even then it was enough to keep me busy hours on end. I became pretty darn handy churning out greeting cards, and soon my father was asking me to create a design a card for the the latest upcoming birthday. Of course, there was more to the program than that, and I’d create signs for friends/family, I even designed a business card for myself. Ah, diamond border, how you served me well on oh-so many projects. I didn’t know what I was doing were elements of graphic design, but I enjoyed it. I remember, more than once, I’d compile a sheet of sample text showing off all my system’s different fonts. I was proud to have what I thought at the time was an amazing typographical collection, over 100 fonts (yes, including Wingdings).

Anyway, years passed, and my software collection grew more impressive (Photoshop 6, baby, oh yeah). I was creating flyers for local bands, making signs at work, a bunch of random jobs. I knew I liked this creative outlet, yet still didn’t truly associate it with design. I had regarded graphic design as more of a manual and illustrative process. So when it came time to declare a major upon enrolling at Cal State Northridge in 2000, I went with Marketing. I chose this because I felt Business was a safe path to a successful career, yet the Marketing allowed me to associate myself with Advertising, which seemed the creative side of business.

So I kept messing around on the computer with composing designs, and in 2001 added web development to the mix. This continued until in 2004, one semester short of graduating, I realized business is not something I want to do the rest of my life. I enjoyed a few of my marketing/business classes; the ones that allowed for unique approaches and creative thinking (consumer behavior, retail marketing, marketing strategy), but the rest were either far too numeric for my liking, conducive to the questionable ethics of fellow students, or were simply uninteresting. So I decided to return to CSUN the next fall for an education that catered to what I had been most passionate about all along.

As I moved along the art program, as well as tried my luck at a few design employment opportunities, I realized just how much the principles of marketing are tied to design. While my art education helped nurture my talent and foster additional experience, it’s my marketing education that allows me to have greater insight for which direction to take my design in order to most effectively and efficently reach the intended audience.

And that’s brings me to where I am today. Although my design history is rooted in the digital age, I also now understand and appreciate the importance of traditional methods, as any well-rounded designer should. It’s a privilege working in a field that I thoroughly enjoy. I love what I do, and will always seek to maintain a balance of innovation, effectivity, and passion in my work.

That I’m writing this entry means one thing, and one glorious thing at that - my website has launched! Wahoo. After months of development in the midst of a hectic schedule, I am happy to announce that charlesrubinoff.com is open for business.

Late last year, I found myself applying for an internship opportunity, but unfortunately I didn’t have my work online. So that night I worked fast and furious to throw up a temporary online portfolio page. That satisified a temporary need, but I knew the full site would be a much more daunting task. It was a challenge I couldn’t wait to tackle.

After numerous sketches, layouts, and looks, I refined the design to what it is today. I believe a portfolio, in print or online, should take a subtle design role to allow the work to speak for itself. I feel I achieved a successful minimalist design, while still giving it my touch of style.

The entire site is hand-coded by yours truly and I loved having complete control of that element of this project. I was fortunate enough to have some assistance with the development of the back-end PHP content management system in place, and consequently I have a site that is a snap to update. A couple of the presentational features took a good deal of research to perfect to my liking, but thankfully I did not have to compromise and was able to fully deliver on the vision I had from the start with this website.

As I am always mindful of learning new tricks and techniques, this website will remain a work in progress behind-the-scenes in an effort to always keep this site easy to update and running as efficiently as possible.

If you have any feedback on the website, I welcome your thoughts. See the contact page for more information.