Michael Roller

Use A Popular Font

Every quarter, UC’s Design Communication classes begin with a portfolio review. When I teach the class, I encourage students to use a grid, keep it simple, get feedback. When it comes to font selection, I urge people to stick to the classics.

This post from Instantshift highlights the 21 most used fonts by professional designers. It’s a good list with some usual suspects and some surprises, at least to me. Check it out next time you want to try a little something different. Papyrus somehow did not make the list.

Thanks to @cinnamonflower for the tip!

Tags: graphic design

Consultants: Up To Eleven

A few years ago, I once asked a friend for some insight as to why his company had been so consistently successful. He said, “We always overdeliver.”

Photographer Chase Jarvis just posted a similar piece of advice on his blog:

In my experience, the art director, creative director, the photo editor people–whoever are that people that hire you to create pictures–are exactly the same. If you continue to deliver the expected and nothing new, they get bored. Sure they’re safe in part – it’s why they have a job – but they’re perhaps a little bored. And they might be bored by you. And in the creative world, boredom equals death.

I’m glad Chase reminded me of this (and to Finn McKenty for sending it along). It’s easy to get caught up in meeting expectations, especially for your biggest clients. The truth is your best clients want you to exceed expectations, and they deserve it more than anyone else.

So if you’re planning to push for your new clients, and you need to push for your existing clients, then it simply adds up: always overdeliver.

Tags: consulting

The Devil is in the Details

Why does a MacBook feel so sensual while other laptops lack the same emotion? They’re basically the same rounded box, right? The devil is in the details.

This post continues my recent interest in how form communicates meaning. First, Gray Holland wrote about how surfaces can communicate meaning, now Joshua Maruska gets into the details of how to actually do it. Joshua does a nice demo for Alias on how to make a simple, rounded square into a high quality set of surfaces: something that looks geometric, but feels organic.

This approach isn’t always necessary, but we designers need to be aware of when these details matter and when they don’t. For a piece of consumer electronics (where aesthetics are critical), it definitely does.

Check out the rest of the article, Devil in the Details, highly recommended for anyone who knows Alias well but wants to step up their craft.

Tags: consumer electronics, demos, design making

Thoughts on Auto Design Strategy, Interview with Drew Smith, Part 2

Tags: interviews, strategic aesthetics, strategy, transportation

Computers for Emerging Markets: UC x HP

Last week, University of Cincinnati’s College of DAAP held it’s final critiques. Fourth-year industrial design students sponsored by HP created computer concepts for emerging markets in China, Africa, Brazil, Turkey, and India. I was at the critique and thought everything looked really nice. Here are a few photos from the crit. If you have more pics from the crit, leave a link in the comments section!

Carly Hagins presents to the legendary Tony Kawanari

Tracy Subisak

Ed Mangum

Jacob Nitz

Aaron Ricica

Nick Rudemiller

Tags: consumer electronics, design making, presentations, student work

Thoughts on Auto Design Strategy, Interview with Drew Smith, Part 1

Drew Smith is an automotive design strategist and journalist. He offers a refreshing take on car design with his blog DownsideUpDesign. Strategic Aesthetics interviewed Drew to get a better understanding of the transportation design from a strategic point of view.

Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself. How did you become a transportation design strategist?

The second is Mazda, a company which I covered recently on DownsideUpDesign. The caveat here is that I’m referring to their Nagare series of concept cars, which as of today, have still not been transferred into production. Mazda set out to achieve a truly unique Japanese sense of premium with these concepts and they achieved it, without question. The real difficulty has arisen when they have tried to translate key design elements into production vehicles and it suggests that either it’s too expensive to do properly or they aren’t trying hard enough! The grille of the new Mazda 3 MPS, for example, is meant to be a direct translation from the Nagare cars into the production realm. Sadly, it just ends up giving the car a rictus grin. No manufacturer in recent memory has spent so much money or, more importantly, design effort on creating such a beautiful series of cars based on a superbly strong design theme. My fear is, however, that if they can’t get really tangible examples into production soon, the effort will have been wasted.

As far as real design strategy is concerned, which, when it com es to the automotive industry is about looking at ways to solve both issues of long-term sustainability and urban mobility, nobody has really stepped up to the plate with a convincing, visible commitment. Toyota has been playing at the edges for a few years now with their iUnit/iSwing/Winglet concepts and BMW has outlined Project-i which will provide “premium” urban mobility solutions starting in 2015. From where I sit it’s still not enough. Toyota is aping the questionable Segway model, BMW is focusing on too small a customer group and nobody is taking a really hard look at the whole-of-life impact of building and selling new cars.

Tags: interviews, strategic aesthetics, strategy, transportation

Open Source Design Process: IDEO + BugLabs

IDEO and BugLabs recently collaborated on a conceptual exploration of the BUGbase UI. Unlike most design projects, this was one was open source, with lots of content from throughout the process posted to a blog.

Even though I understand competitive advantage and the need for secrecy, I’ve always hoped designers could find a way to share their ideas. I imagined some “designers code” in which we could help each other for mutual benefit but not share this information outside of our circle. I realize I’m dreaming a little, but this open source design process has got me excited. Any other open source, design process work like this going on that I should know about?

Via Noise Between Stations

Tags: process, social media, technology

Design Thinking vs. Design Making

As DAAP defines it, design is made up of two basic components: design thinking and design making. Design thinking requires sharp observation skills, a willingness to learn (and unlearn), sympathetic attitudes, and the ability to work collaboratively. When it comes to design making, one excels by having a strong aesthetic sense, attention to detail, and visualization skills.

(Some designers are great at only one, others are okay at both, and just a few are great at both. Each of these combinations can have value to an organization if leaders know how to use them. But that’s beside the point…)

Historically, design is rooted in the more tactical design making, but design thinking is currently helping designers communicate their strategic value to businesses. Which has more lasting value? In 500 years, will the most valued designers be design thinkers, design makers, or both?

Here’s some food for thought from Dan Saffer, Bruce Nussbaum, Nick Leon, and Tim Leberecht.

Tags: definitions, design making, design thinking

Because

I recently met the guys at Open Field Creative at a DAAP alumni gathering. Naturally, I was interested in learning more so I found their website. The work is solid, but I was most impressed by their section titled Because.

Open Field’s Because piece is a series of slides that simply answer the question, “Why?” It succeeds in delivering their point of view in a clear, easily digestable format. As ironic as it seems, we design consultants struggle to create a strategic point of view for ourselves, even though we do it every day for our clients. Congrats to the Open Field team for having an opinion and having the confidence to put it out there.

Tags: marketing, philosophy, presentations

Godin: The Two Elements of a Great Presenter

1. Respect (from the audience)
2. Love (for the audience)

The presenter who loves his audience the most, wins.

In my Design Communication class, students are preparing for their final critique with HP. Seth Godin’s latest post on presenting is perfect timing for them, so I wanted to link to it so they can read through it.

Tags: presentations