Tuesday, July 31, 2007

History + Typography, advertising's silent killer.

There are only really two types of typo. Good and absolutely terrible. You probably know what I'm talking about. The kind where you flip through and it hurts your eyes and stomach. It's a hard thing to explain, why its so good or bad. It just is.

As a graphic designer, I spent months in classes regarding typography: History, digital practice, classical print. I thought I had it down. I figured creating good typography was a skill I had mastered. Oh how little I know. After reviewing the website sent to me for my Visual Concepts class, I realized I might know good and bad by sight, but forgot the why. Check the site here.

My first assignment came last week for my Visual Concepts and Execution class. Basically it has two parts:

1. Redesign a current ad you don't like
2. Learn the history of advertising so you don't repeat it.

GO!!

Repetititititition is the fastest gateway to unemployment in advertising. You will be shunned be the creative community, and have to settle to work in daytime television, where stealing is mandatory.

Many firms are now checking to see how your history of advertising is. This link from Creativity magazine (formerly adcritic.com) shows a advertising history crossword puzzle given to junior creative hiring packets at Lunar BBDO. The first two that completed it got jobs.

Take a look, I didn't know one. In two years I hope I will at least know a few.

3 comments:

Gong Liu said...

Jesse,

Sometimes knowing good and bad by sight is all we need.

i think it's great that you have a few type classes under your belt. they surely will come handy.

I had only taken one type class while in school, i mean one clearly isn't enough, but it was certainly one of the most important classes I've ever taken, and it had a great influence on me.

Jac said...

Great resource Jesse.

Anonymous said...

Really good dude those links really help me out bro, I'm currently doing a diploma in commercial art and hearing your perspective was awesome, keep it up dude