Short Essays on Short Essays on Short Essays

I decided I am going to try something different for the blog post this week. Since we read six different short stories on design, I thought I would go story by story and write my thoughts on each one that way.

How to Become Famous

It is interesting to note the following quote: “But remember, there’s no guarantee that being famous counts for anything.” That’s something important for us “normal people” to keep in mind whenever we wish we could be famous. And, as the writer says, perhaps we are already famous and don’t realize it.

There are indeed various kinds of fame – well, levels is probably a better word to use than kinds. You can be famous among your family and friends, famous to those in your profession and famous to the national majority. Most people only consider the later to be “famous.”

The two tips written that stuck the most with me: 1. Have a trademark – a design or style that you can always fall back on if you get stuck or are in a pinch. 2. When in doubt, make it big. If still in doubt, make it red.

Vladimir Nabokov: Father of Hypertext

Reading this, I cannot help but think of a Bill Simmons/Grantland writer trademark: notes on the side of their stories. For examples, see here and here.

Information Design and the Placebo Effect

The lessons to be learned here: 1. We are all overanxious guinea pigs that need to be comforted in any way possible (hence the use of buttons that are not always necessary, like the elevator close door button – which I love to push repeatedly, when I am in a rush). 2. If possible, try to include buttons to placate the overanxious. These buttons already exist most everywhere else in life. Adding one or two more wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Mr. Vignelli’s Map

First, it is interesting that the trademark look of the NYC subway signs was actually a misinterpretation.

Second, Vignelli’s map shows the difficulties of making a good map, particularly for a subway. You can get everything for the design of the subway itself absolutely perfect, if you cannot get the landmarks above ground correct, then people will not be happy and will regret the map. Just look at New Yorkers for proof of this.

I Hate ITC Garamond

Know what I hate? People that hate fonts. Know why? Because THEY ARE JUST FONTS! Calm the heck down people. The font is not illegible. I looked up ITC Garamond, and it looks like it should be fine.

I don’t know why, but it bothers me greatly that people can get so worked up over fonts. Are fonts important? Yes, I am not arguing that. But to get so angry as to refuse to read a book? That seems a little extreme, does it not? (Then again, I’m sure people can make the same argument about sports fans of their love of their teams, but we’ll save that argument for another day or a fun radio segment where a font lover and I (a sports lover) hash it out.)

I am a Plagiarist

I’ll just say this: if being inspired by someone else’s work can be considered plagiarism, then I think it is safe to say that just about everyone has plagiarized at some point in their lives, myself included. It is one thing to take someone else’s work, blatantly copy it and claim it as your own. It is another to take bits and pieces of someone else’s work and spin it into your own work.