Two months
That’s how long it’s been since I’ve posted to my blog. Wow. I blame a very intense semester at school for the delay. Some of the fruits of my labor can be seen here:
http://www.tonygamino.com/MS_Interactive/GEO_TYPE/index.html
My project, called the GEO_type Project, explored the relationship between geography and typography, particularly the decisions made by the architects, planner, and designers who design and construct our built environments. They are, in a sense, our compasses; navigating us through a sometimes overwhelming visual panoply of information.
Thought I’d post this three months after the fact. Part of my final project for Understanding Media Studies at school, my Academic Plan. Still new to Flash but this is much better than my first attempt.
The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.
New semester
Spring semester is off with a bang. Despite being very sick this week I soldiered into my Media & Materiality class on Monday night. What an awesome course this is going to be. Ironically we discussed the film Objectified and Charles and Ray Eames. I had just watched The Architect and the Painter and Objectified the week prior.
Last night—still sick—was the first night of my Media Management and Leadership course. Michael Weiskopf, the instructor, clearly knows his stuff and we come from similar backgrounds (publishing) so I’m excited to learn from his experience. Next up are my Interactive design course (online—boo) and French, both of which start tomorrow. I think it’s amazing that the New School allows their graduate students to audit language courses at no extra cost. I’ve always wanted to brush up on my French and now I have the perfect opportunity.
Objectified
I just watched Objectified, the second in Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy (Helvetica being the first and Urbanized the final installment). It was informative and well crafted. I still prefer Helvetica, but it was fantastic to see idols of mine such as Apple’s Jonathon Ive, Hella Jongerius, and car designer Chris Bangle muse about the importance of industrial design. My big takeaway was just how disposable our society is (I include myself here) and that most of what these brilliant people do ends up in a landfill after a few years’ use. I’m looking forward to Urbanized as my passion for architecture and urban design equals my interest in graphic design (At differing times in my life I desired to be both an architect and an urban planner).
Design is a response to a specific problem. You are given a problem to solve, and then you let the problem itself tell you what your solution is.
Stealing a page from Rachel Maddow, this is my best new thing in the world today: greeting cards from Offensive + Delightful.
An amazing update by Tom Middleton of a classic, Kinetic by the Golden Girls, circa 1992. They don’t make dance music like this anymore. :(
UMS Manifesto
Last night’s closing lecture in my Understanding Media Studies course was excellent. Shannon Mattern and the rest of the faculty put together this great list of 25 points to keep in mind as we make our way through the program. I think most of these apply to any graduate student, some to life in general.
1. Think theory and practice together.
2. Practice material consciousness.
3. Consider the end-goals of your media-making. When does your practice constitute research?
4. Design your own challenges.
5. Learn in the interstitial spaces.
6. Finding your through-line.
7. Take the long view. UMS and the MA aren’t the goals. You and the goals are.
8. Be curious about your field. All of it.
9. Be curious about things outside your field, too.
10. Don’t wait passively for inspiration to strike.
11. Mediation is not limited to media.
12. All media are new. Especially old media (and vice-versa).
13. There is a point; you just might need help finding it.
14. A little humility goes a long way.
15. Rein it in.
16. Get used to talking about your ideas and work in public.
17. Give credit where it’s due.
18. Help people help you.
19. Build credibility to attract opportunity.
20. If you want something, express interest to the folks that can make it happen.
21. Labor over your cover letter.
22. Disappointment is, I’m afraid, inevitable. Turn it into an opportunity to learn something, then try again.
23. Remember that institutions are made of people.
24. Look at everything. Dismiss nothing.
25. [ ] Intentionally left blank. Allow space for the ideas you haven’t had yet, and the ideas of others (Bruce Mau).
End of the semester
I can’t believe my first semester of grad school at The New School is coming to an end. It’s been such a whirlwind but damn I’ve learned a lot. I never would have thought that the hundreds of pages I’ve been reading each week for four months would actually sink in and stick.
