RETIRED BULLETIN ENTRIES

February 01, 2008

15.22: Campaign Against Bad Design 001

NIDA: An instruction manual that needs an instruction manual? Here is another target in the GO Campaign Against Bad Design.

I was going to end this post in the traditional fashion, with some pointed, ironic comment about Bill Gates or Microsoft or something. But I gots nuthing. Have a good weekend.

PS. It's a good day for an umbrella. It is not a good day for canvas shoes.

February 05, 2008

17.36: This is Not Encouraging

NIDA: Oh, nerds. "Not everyone responds the same way to stress. Personality traits like negativity, pessimism, and neuroticism are known to be risk factors for stress-related disease, as are anger and hostility." Well, I'm boned. Excuse me, I need to go find some ice cream.

February 21, 2008

11.03: Type Talk 001

NIDA: Ok, I admit it. I know diddly about type, typefaces, etc. I've always been more concerned about what the word is rather than how it looks. But then again, I am a word nerd and not one of you fancy schmancy type gripes. Our prototype protege, on the other hand, is a different story. So for your reading pleasure, here is Type Talk, a new feature on typefaces by Josh, who is currently enduring the rigors of our internship program PROTO. Let me warn you first, dude luuuuuurrrrrrrrves type. Take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant type love.

JOSH: Holla atcha PROTO. What up type lovers? It's your pal Josh, checking in with you discussing all MY type problems and needs. I am 22 years old, and ladies, feel free to contact me, I am single, but enough with all that. I am currently interning here at PROTO, and I love my job, I can’t lie. But what I also love is TYPE. It is like my mistress, if you want to call it that. As a “true” creative you fall in love with design and typefaces. You get to know them on a one on one basis. Type becomes your best friend. So I ask you all today. WHY THE HELL ARE YOU USING PAPYRUS TYPEFACE??? If you don’t know what that is, then leave it at that - you don’t need to know. Papyrus is an embarrassment to typefaces all over the world. With its indents and skinny legs, really it looks like a piece of cheese. It’s a typeface created for a mouse. Yet everyone seems to think it's cool, or modern and neat. Yes, it has movement, it’s not like all other typefaces, but see here is the problem: IT IS UGLY and overused. Every pizza shop in America must use this typeface. As a matter of fact, if you haven’t seen Papyrus, just go to your nearest pizza shop and they will probably have it on display.

While we are on the topic of typefaces, I don’t think UNIVERS gets enough respect. Even though it’s similar to a HELVETICA, I don’t believe Helvetica is as pretty as UNIVERS. For example, the R in Helvetica to me is so ugly, the way the leg curves out then in and out again at the bottom. Why? Now yes, it is a beautiful typeface that has stood its ground but so has Univers. So move over Helvetica, there is a new type sheriff in town. All I am saying is, give Univers a chance, especially the condensed versions. They are so beautiful. The curvature and slimness that Univers brings to the table is unorthodox compared to others. In a world built on what seems is ugly to me (which I am currently trying to change but it stands to be a bigger feat then I thought) Univers stands alone at the top. Way to go Univers, in my eyes you own it.

February 27, 2008

10.00: Stupid Weather Widget

NIDA: It clearly has snowflakes strewn all over today's date. Where is the snow?! I came prepared for snow! Actually, I was prepared to sleep in today and wake up early tomorrow to catch the sunrise for a quick photo shoot for a project I'm trying to "sex up" (the client's words, not mine). If I'd known that there was going to be an actual sunrise today - not that the sun wouldn't have risen today because astronomically speaking, I'm fairly sure that my weather widget cannot control the rotation of the Earth, but it wouldn't have been as dramatic on the cloudy, snowflake-filled day this was supposed to be...Ok, I completely lost my train of thought, because every time I think of the word "astronomy" or any of its derivations, I remember the one astronomy class I took, where the Italian professor sneered at us non-physics majors whenever he was about to (horrors) do a little algebra and curse him, he was right. I had completely forgotten 2 years of algebra, 1 year of trig, and 2 years of calculus. And then I start thinking about how his chest hair always curled over his unbuttoned shirt, and then I just have to stop thinking completely and go rock myself quietly in a corner until the dry heaves settle down.

The widget promises has a sun on tomorrow's date, so we'll see. I'm watching you, Steve Jobs.

Two blog posts in under a week....I know, I just can't stop the logorrhea! Since St. Paddy's Day is fast approaching, color me green. Someday....once we pay all the bills and buy some new computers and hire a regular cleaning crew and buy some frames to put some of our work on the walls and print out some of our work to put on the walls and turn one of our walls into a chalkboard (it turns out that chalkboard paint is surprisingly expensive) and get a projector so clients don't have to keep crowding around our monitors. So someday we will all have dramatically backlit, dual-monitored workstations and take Wii breaks and take artful photographs of our empty, leather-chaired conference table...someday.