Everybody's a critic

Recently, Sooy + Co. received an email with a blistering criticism about a branding project we completed for a public school system:

Message : How dare you call Lorain City Schools new clip art a logo. What did you do a Google search and find some stupid hand clip and then make up the color story. How dare you make Lorain the laughing stock of our County. We are smart enough to know good design, this isn't an example of it. Shame on you for not having the professional integrity to actually design something.

Did it offend us? No, we had a good laugh over it, and our staff discussed how to respond. With proper grammar, of course.

Perhaps some people would prefer the old logo that resembles paper dolls, sandwiched between an image of a light house and what appeared to be two-color toothpaste squeezed from a tube. Seriously. We think our solution is a new take on an old cliché.

Some possible responses we considered:

"Why yes, we were in a hurry and all we had time for was a quick Google search for stupid hand clip. Is that bad?"

"You're right. Our branding process is designed with the possible outcome of creating laughing stocks, but only when the creative brief calls for it. We must have missed the mark. Or do you mean la vache qui ri?"

"We all missed the professional integrity classes in college due to a quarter-to semester-change. Thank you for pointing out the flaw in our education, we are looking into a distance learning class in order to make it up."

With the democratization of design comes the democratization of drive-by design criticism.

Drive-by design criticism is defined as:

"Drive-by criticism is a reaction to an observation or experience, whereby the uninformed renders an opinion about something they know nothing about."

It can be rephrased as "I don't know what I like until I see it, and I know I don't like that."

On the other hand, design critique (or professional design criticism) is an exercise by students or design professionals to review and evaluate a design solution based on any number of criteria, such as form to function, the three core elements of visual design: contrast, balance and unity, appropriateness of solution to problem, and usability. Among other criteria, of course.

The individual sharing their criticism with us had no idea what the design brief called for, the client's objectives, or why we chose red, green and white to represent diversity instead of brown, beige and red.

Drive-by design criticism is a corollary to the General Theory of Design: "Design consists of creating things for clients who may not know what they want, until they see what you've done, then they know exactly what they want, but it's not what you did."

No, we don't use Google to search for clip art. We're professionals, with design degrees. We don't skeet shoot in the dark, nor do we allow our clients do so. We accept, as should any professional design firm, valid and well-informed design critique. But we really can't figure out what inspires a rant like we received.

To our drive-by critic: Thanks for writing. We're sorry that you were having a bad day, and hope that things are looking up for you.

Rowing in the opposite direction

Does it seem to you that many well-meaning business interests and special interest groups are rowing in the wrong direction?

In Ohio: The Governor's efforts to forge a compromise on the so-called "Healthy Families Act" have failed. That means that the issue, which will be Issue 4 on the November ballot, will go to the voters.

According to a study by the National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio, is what those who vote in favor of the issue will be voting:

• The loss of 75,000 jobs
• A $1.17 billion burden on Ohio employers
• The loss of $9.4 billion in sales from 2008 to 2012

The ballot issue seeks to mandate 7 paid days of sick leave for employees of companies employing 25 or more people. And to be able to take that one hour at a time.

When other groups are trying to 1) Create opportunities for economic development in the state, and 2) create jobs in the state, what are these groups thinking? What small business would want to move or set up operations in Ohio, with that kind of mandate to follow, especially, if passed, Ohio was the only state with that kind of law?

The state should not be able to take away an employer's rights to negotiate with employees.

Postscript 9/4/08: Today’s big business news is that labor leaders have dropped a state ballot initiative...

Postscript 9/5/08: Look for this initiative to be considered on a federal level...

I'm sure this blog post had something to do with it...

Goodbye Treo, Hello iPhone 3G

Goodbye Treo 700. I will miss you. After years of spending time with you and your family (since when they were called Palm Pilots), I have left you.

It's not that we don't have anything in common, after all, I feel that we've grown closer since we've worked through the syncing issues between you and Microsoft Entourage. With the Missing Sync as a mediator, we made it through. But... you still are quirky, and I just need something more.

I won't miss the random resets, random freezing, and that annoying stubby antenna. Hey! Remember that time when I dropped you and it broke off? Sorry, I didn't mean to make it personal. But then again, after so many years and new models, you still didn't manage to slim down, you were always like a brick in my pocket.

I've been waiting to do this for a long time, hoping that I would change my mind. I even considered upgrading you to a Palm Centro... but it just wouldn't have been the same. Besides, you arrived at the Verizon party too late.

So after a year, it's true. I was seen in line at the Apple store at 7:30 am after driving for 45 minutes, cup of coffee in hand. Yes, I was enjoying the experience, the anticipation. And shortly after 8 am, she was mine.

Even with a Contour Design Hardskin, she's still only half as thick as you are. And she syncs with Entourage just by plugging her in. I even have hope for a new syncing experience through e2Sync. So maybe instead of needing more, I needed less. Sorry if that hurts you.

It will cost me more per month for her service, the Apple iPhone 3G... but she's worth it. You see, to me she's more than a phone, she plays my music, reminds me where to be, and who my contacts are. She's everything!

Maybe we'll see each other sometime. I know I'll think of you when I see someone else making a call on a phone like you. Take care. But please, just don't call me. It's time to move on.

Receding hairlines and typographic mistakes

So, I am not the only one. Christopher Phin joins the typographic soirée just a few weeks ago with this short but sweet top-ten list of common typographic errors.

You may not agree that the decimal point in prices is incorrect — (interpunct anyone?) this may be an UK convention that we threw into the bay with the tea — but his list is worth a quick read and should be committed to memory.

Note: in case you didn't notice, Phin is from the UK. They have other typographic practices that many in the US find unusual (such as omitting periods from abbreviations such as Dr and Mr), but that's OK. It's not wrong, just different.

Ned wears a square halo at the world's end

A shout out to Ned Bustard, art director for Square Halo Books, and principal of World's End Images, for kindly counting Brian Sooy as an influence in his work in design and publishing.

Ned's comments appeared in the April 2008 CIVA Seen, the newsletter from Christians in the Visual Arts, about his influences and inspiration.

Ned is very entrepreneurial, and designs the most beautiful books, and has a wonderful sense of political humor. You can see how he makes wonderful use of Altered Ego's American Spirit font.

Thanks Ned! You're a saint.