Didn't I Just See You At A Barn Raising?

This was in a series of Minimalist Music Video Posters and it's brilliant. There's more here but the website is written in...German I think. But the posters are still neat. What makes this work? The colors are in high contrast and match the video. Who could forget that vibrant red jacket? Michael Jackson is well-known enough that he is recognized by two letters and the typeface the words are written in is creepy enough to pull it off, but not to wacky to be a distraction. And those eyes! Of course, Michael's eyes in that video are enough to provoke nightmares in us all, and the symmetric, bold shapes and colors used for those eyes are just as striking as the man himself. I have a Graphic Design class where we have been looking at successful posters and ads and picking apart what about them makes them "click" in the minds of their viewers. There are some more that I'll share below that either shock the viewer, make them laugh or somehow else grab their attention AND make them remember what they've seen.

I love that last one. It was an ad poster for a shaving kit. If you look at any of these and aren't sure what exactly they mean....look harder. It's rewarding. My professor has been telling us to look more than we have before and not just look, but understand why what you see means what it does. What does good design look like? Why is it successful or, contrarily, a waste of space and money? We don't live in a perfect world, of course, but everything around us has been designed. I think it's a wonderful thing that God's designs have far outlasted ours. The trees and the mountains are majestic designs that are always "successful" in their purpose. In addition to nature, man is God's design. Our brains alone are a BRILLIANT display of design with form and function meeting to create a beautiful and powerful machine. Don't just take a moment to take in good design around you, make a shift to be conscious of it nearly always. Appreciate that even if man's hands and machines created something, their idea was God-breathed. Many are inspired by nature which is, of course, God's artistry.

Go and...see!

I'm gonna throw it back a little with this one. Just back a few years.

Citizen Cane-I've Seen Better Days

B-A-G-G-U spells a trend you should fall for ! These Baggu bags are really neat and much stronger than your run of the mill, 99 cent canvas grocery bags. Sleek, reusable, machine-washable and available in lovely, rich and bright colors, these things are pretty dang awesome. And for the earth-conscious nucleus in all of us, the Baggu company estimates that using just one Baggu for a year when grocery shopping or whatnot, will prevent 300 to 700 disposable bags from being used. THAT is pretty gnarly. They come in little back packs or duck bags, regular size, small size, jumbo size...all awesome. The regular size is said to fit as much as 2 or 3 normal plastic bags.

The Weepies- World Spins Madly On

Help!

I'm getting a new camera. Hopefully. Thinking of a Canon T2i. Do you have any recommendations, blog world?

This is short today. But I will include a song, to make it more worth your while.

M.I.A.- Jimmy

This is good shake yo hips song. It belongs in a dance hall with a disco ball and enormous speakers. And lots of dancing folk.